Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 10 – 16 December 2020 Issue 1849

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1849

10 - 16 December 2020

News

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER

VALENCIAN COMMUNITY discos and pubs have been allowed to reopen from December 9. The long-awaited announcement came four months after they were closed down by Spain’s Ministry of Health in August. The Generalitat and representatives of the sectors involved closed an agreement allowing discos, pubs and other venues to open with the same hours and conditions as bars and restaurants. Pubs can open from 12 noon until midnight, while discos and nightspots function from 5pm until midnight. What the Generalitat described as ‘cultural activities’ are permitted but dance

floors must remain empty, with no standing at the bar as drinkers must be seated. Outside terrace capacity will be limited to 50 per cent and 30 per cent in the interior, with a maximum of six per table. Victor Perez, president of the Fotur association, said it was important that the owners of pubs, discos and nightlife venues led by example: “In other words, we must be exemplary in complying with all the rules.” Despite the good news, Perez warned that “in all probability” 300 of the Valencian Community’s 1,100 nightlife venues will not survive until January, as direct aid from the Generalitat

COVID CHRISTMAS: Ximo Puig and Ana Barcelo announced slightly relaxed measures.

would not arrive until the first three months of 2021. Following the good news for pubs and discos, Generalitat president Ximo Puig and Ana Barcelo, who heads the regional Health department, confirmed some changes over Christmas. The curfew and closure of the Valencian Community’s perimeter remain in place until January 15, but it will be possible to visit other regions to see close relatives on December 23, 24, 25, 31 and Januaryu 1. The midnight curfew has been extended to 1.30am on December 24, 25 and 31 as well as January 1. Up to 10 people can attend family gatherings on Decem-

ber 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1, although Ximo Puig recommended they should involved a maximum of two groups of persons who habitually live together. The hospitality sector may remain open until 1am on December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1. Tables should be limited to six persons, but this can be increased to 10 for families or people habitually living together.

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10 - 16 December 2020

A Change of heart TEULADA­MORAIRA’S Animal Welfare councillor Adrian Ruiz proposes to allow dogs on the town’s urban beaches during the low season. Dogs are currently barred from Moraira’s beaches year­ round but the town hall is modifying local by­laws in response to residents’ requests. Owners would be expected to respect other beach users, ob­ serve health and safety measures and clean up after their pets, which will have to be muzzled, the councillor announced.

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More variety only

Residents

BENIDORM MARKET: Fewer stalls but old favourites are back. STALLS selling clothes, shoes and non­essential items returned last week to Benidorm’s open­ air market. The market closed when the State of Alarm was announced last March but although the mar­ ket in the Foietes neighbourhood reopened in July, stalls were limit­ ed to fruit, vegetables and food­ stuffs. Traders selling other goods complained that Benidorm was one of the few municipalities where they were excluded and

on several occasions organised peaceful demonstrations outside the market. A delegation of stallholders al­ so visited the town hall where they explained their predicament to Benidorm’s Commerce coun­ cillor Lorenzo Martinez, who re­ cently announced the town hall’s decision to readmit them. “But always observing health and safety measures,” he stressed. More than 8,000 visited the mercadillo last week, Commerce

department sources revealed. The market was laid out in its pre­lockdown arrangement with clothes, shoes and non­essential goods in the lower zone of the Foietes site with fruit and vegeta­ bles in the upper section. First to return were stalls with an even number, while next week it will be the turn of those with odd numbers. In all, traders set up 100 stalls compared with 232 in the past, owing to the need to maintain social distanc­ ing.

ONLY residents who live in Villajoyosa’s Old Quarter may now enter with their vehicles. They also need a per­ mit, or must be in the process of obtaining one, to comply with a measure that the town hall intro­ duced to reduce traffic in La Vila’s centuries’ old centre. Vehicles may now enter and exit only via Plaza Castelar and the junction between Doctor Esquerdo and the Paseo de San Pe­ dro. Number plate readers equipped with traffic lights turn green only for authorised vehicles, but the town hall is giving Old Quarter residents two months’ grace to acquire a permit before they risk fines between €100 and €500.

Featuring Superheroes A FUNDRAISING calendar fea­ tures photos of Calpe’s Super­ heroes and Superheroines. The calendar is a joint initia­ tive by the Calpe branch of Spain’s national cancer charity AECC and the Calpe­Benissa Ani­ mal Protection SPA. Some of the people ­ and the animals ­ pictured in the calen­ dar have overcome illness while others have accepted a new sit­ uation after an accident. Yet oth­ ers have conquered the difficul­ ties and obstacles that life has presented them with. The calendar also includes Su­ perhero dogs and cats that have

been rescued from the street by SPA, each with their own story of overcoming adversity. Every photograph bears a phrase chosen by each of the su­ perheroes that sums up their fighting spirit and could also help to inspire others. The calendars, which cost €5, are available from the Calpe’s AECC headquarters at Calle Ma­ jor 16. They can also be found at Calzados Daltur (Calle Los Al­ mendros), Galeria Pepe Davent (Calle Llibertat), Monica Monje Photographic Studio (Calle Joan de Garay) and Mr Dog Dog

Social housing LA NUCIA Town Hall recently allocated three apartments to three pensioners, a woman and two men. The sheltered accommodation adjoining the El Calvari Social Centre has functioned since 2006 and the apartments are rented to elderly people on low incomes. La Nucia has 36 of the 40­square metre apartments, suitable for one person as well as couples who can look after themselves. The town hall pointed out that La Nucia is one of the Valencian Com­ munity’s few municipalities which covers six levels of care for Third Age residents, namely tele­assistance remote care, meals on wheels, home help, sheltered housing, a day centre and a care home.

Grooming Salon (Callle Huelva). All funds raised will be shared between the AECC and SPA, en­ abling them to carry on their good work.

Christmas arrives in Alfaz EACH year in early December, Al­ faz’s Norwegian colony brings the first taste of Christmas. Christmas lights are switched on in Calle Teniente in the Old Town with a simple and moving ceremony where Julenissen ­ Fa­ ther Christmas ­ is the guest of honour, wishing the local popula­ tion Merry Christmas to ensure that Alfaz gets the coming year off to a good start. This year, with restrictions on gatherings imposed by coron­ avirus regulations, Siri Lund from the Julegate Noruega committee sent a message of hope and opti­ mism for the approaching fiestas. Sharing her Christmas greet­ ings, Alfaz’s mayor Vicente Ar­ ques said that despite the pan­ demic, a Norwegian Christmas had arrived as always in Calle Te­ niente Segui.

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NIBS EXTRA Castillo lights LIGHTING has been added to the balustrades on the stairs that lead down to the Placeta in Benidorm’s Castillo. This platform overlooking the sea is one of the most-visited beauty spots in the resort and the additional lighting was chosen to complement illumination added throughout the complex following archaeological excavations at the Castillo.

Play fair ALFAZ’S Equality department is campaigning against sexist toys this Christmas. The Juguete No sexista, No violento (Non-sexist, non-violent toys) initiative included in the L’Alfas+Igualitaria project is organised in conjunction with the Cooperation, Education and Commerce departments, reminding the public in general, but especially families, that toys should entertain and teach, not incite sexism or violence.

Castle visit THE Local Administration’s director general Antoni Such visited Denia castle to see the restored eastern bulwark and Verger Alta section. The €500,000 project, co-financed by the EU’s Regional Development Plan (FEDER) and Denia Town Hall, has now made one of the castle’s oldest section safe to visit, said local mayor Vicent Grimalt.

Flagged up THE Institute of Coastal Ecology certified that the underwater meadows of Posidonia Oceanica seaweed lying off Moraira’s Blue Flag beaches of Platgetes, Ampolla and Portet beaches are in good condition. This certification is an essential requirement by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the body which awards the flags.

Hush now REGIONAL rail operator FGV advised mask-wearing passengers on its Tram service between Alicante City and Denia not to talk to each other to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. FGV has so far failed to clarify whether the same recommendation applies to the Teulada-Denia section which is covered by bus during modernisation work.

10 - 16 December 2020

Back where they belong

BLOCKS of stone from Villajoyosa’s Roman past were moved from the Centro Social gardens where they had remained since 1999. Known until now as the L’Almisera monument, the two blocks, which came from local quarries, originally belonged to two large pedestals. They were discovered near the San Isidro chapel south of the AP-7 motorway in La Vila’s L’Almisera district on land belonging to Jaume Lopez Lloret and Magdalena Zaragoza Lloret, who donated them to the municipality. Investigations carried out in 2015 revealed that the blocks almost certainly belonged to two large pedestals whose cornices were found while excavating the area around the Sant Josep tower which, despite its name, is Roman. Their measurements coincide exactly and the stone

Photo credit: Villajoyosa town hall

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LOADING UP: Taking the blocks to the Sant Josep tower.

came from the same quarry, experts found. Xente Sebastia, Villajoyosa’s Historic Heritage councillor explained that the blocks have now been placed beside the cornices in the Roman-style garden that sur-

rounds the Sant Josep funerary tower in the Torres neighbourhood. The Sant Josep tower is the largest of the three known funerary towers built by the Romans in Spain and the wall that once surrounded it indi-

Writing it all down PUPILS at Finestrat primary schools will print out the writing paper for their Three Kings’ letters this year. Usually the letters are distributed at local schools, but the town hall’s Education depart­ ment preferred this option on health and safety grounds. Hard copies will still be available and fami­ lies can decide which version they prefer.

The letters also include a questionnaire where the children can tell the Three Wise Men whether they have behaved “marvel­ lously, like little angels, little demons or so­ so.” The letters are in Valenciano to encourage use of the local language, said Culture council­ lor, “because the Three Kings speak Valen­ ciano too.”

Terrace tax waived again JAVEA’S bars, restaurants and cafes can continue to exceed allocated terrace areas until May 31. When lockdown ended, the town hall waived charges for outside terrace tables while

allowing owners to occupy extra space in order to com­ ply with social distancing re­ quirements. This is due to come to an end at the end of the year, but the town hall has an­

nounced that this period has been extended to May 31. No charges will be made in 2021 although this direct aid to the local hospitality trade represents a loss in income of €200,000 for the town hall.

Christmas promise kept CAMPELLO’S mayor Juanjo Berenguer re­ peated his pledge that the town would have Christmas this year. “It will be a different Christmas, yes, but we shall have Christmas,” he said. Owing to the special circumstances, this year’s events centre principally on chil­

dren’s activities while respecting anti­ Covid health and safety measures at all times. The festivities began last Friday with the inauguration of the Nativity Scene in the Public Library, followed by lighting up the Christmas tree in Plaza de la Constitucion.

cates that the site was one of the largest of this kind in Europe.

Calpe U3A Ladies THIRTY­ONE ladies enjoyed their Christmas Lunch on Thursday December 3 at Restaurant Patio De la Fuente in Calpe old town. A wonderful Christmas fare was served by excellent and atten­ tive staff. Anita Sanchez sends a big thank you and wishes all the Ladies a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. If you would like to join the ladies who lunch contact Anita by E­ mail tinka.tinkabel@yahoo. com.

New intake BENISSA has 10 new Local Police officers. They were chosen from 250 applicants in a process that lasted six months, con­ ditioned by the difficulties and demands of the health crisis. “It was a complicated task that we had to continually adapt to,” police sources ad­ mitted. Benissa’s Public Safety councillor Ximo Nadal said he was thrilled to welcome the new intake. “This is a team of young people full of energy, enthu­ siasm and great professional stature now joining the Local Police staff,” he declared.

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Spend locally and win ALTEA’S Christmas campaign is now un­ derway, with Christ­ mas trees in the Town Hall Square in Altea and Altea la Vieja. The Christmas lights are on, includ­ ing at the round­ abouts in Avenida Juan Alvado, the Paseo Mediterraneo promenade and the Church Square. Meanwhile, the Commerce depart­ ment has organised a draw for six €150 vouchers. Residents and visi­ tors have until Janu­ ary 6 to present re­ ceipts from local shops which could win them €150 to be spent locally. Purchases of any kind in Altea shops are eligible, but do not include spending on car repairs, restaurant meals, fu­ el or medication. The draw will be broadcast live on Jan­ uary 11 on Radio Al­ tea and receipts may be handed in at the town hall’s Oficina de Comercio up to Janu­ ary 8. Alternatively, receipts can be pho­ tographed and emailed to the com ercio@altea.es ad­ dress. “We have offered this option to avoid crowds,” De la Hoz said. He also asked par­ ticipants not to accu­ mulate receipts and present them in per­ son on the last day. “That doubles our work, as they must be separated accord­ ing to shop, amounts added up and then noted down, which all takes time,” he ex­ plained.

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10 - 16 December 2020

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Vaccine rollout begins ON Friday, December 4, Pedro Sanchez announced that a third of Spain’s 47 million people will be vaccinated by the beginning of summer. He said that in the first twomonth stage, 2.5 million people would receive vaccines. This initial batch will be reserved for the elderly, their carers, and frontline health workers. The second stage will begin in March, with the PM stating that by “May or June, 15 to 20 million Spaniards will have been vaccinated.” Sanchez did not

specify what groups would receive priority doses during this stage, although the Spanish government has released a list of categories of people considered a high priority for treatment. These include people with a variety of pre-existing conditions. Sanchez says that “the third stage, when vaccines will be more widely available, will allow us to cover the entire population.” The government has yet to offer a timeline for when such an ambitious mass vaccination could take place.

PEDRO SANCHEZ: Outlined the vaccination programme.

Free smoke alarms ANDALUCIA’S regional government is to distribute free smoke alarm systems to over-90s who live alone in an effort to curb home fires. The project is a collaboration between Telecare and Andalucia’s Ministry of Equality and will deliver sophisticated smoke detection systems to the homes of 23,000 vulnerable people including those over 90 years of age who live alone. The alarms will be installed, maintained and repaired at no cost to users. The head of the project, Rocio Ruiz, said that each year sees “numerous situations of fires in homes” across the region,

with the older demographic more vulnerable to such emergencies according to data. He says the new scheme “aims to respond to a situation of vital risk that has been detected, improves the safety of users and thus increases their peace of mind and that of their families and carers.” The new alarms will be integrated into Andalucia’s Remote Assistance Service, which will monitor any signs of fire detected by alarms. If a unit reports smoke or flames, and the homeowner is not contactable, emergency services will be automatically dispatched to their property.

Coca-Cola’s New Booze COCA-COLA has launched a new alcoholic drink in Spain, named Topo Chico. It is set to arrive in March 2021 and is the brand’s first alcoholic drink. The ‘hard seltzer’ will be gluten free and available in three flavours: Tropical Mango, Lemonlime and, Cherry Acai. The drink will contain alcohol along with sparkling water and has been invented by experts at Coca-Cola. ‘Hard seltzers’ are a growing trend; they have a low alcohol percentage and are based on sparkling water. Coca-Cola will not be alone, as the Spanish brewery Mahou San Miguel are ready to compete with their own drink, Glowy. They are the first Spanish brewery to produce a ‘hard seltzer.’

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10 - 16 December 2020

DIGITAL VACCINE PASSPORT DECISION THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has decided Immunity Passports are not a good idea. The WHO announced on Thursday De­ cember 3, that it did not approve of coun­ tries issuing immunity passports for people who have had Covid­19 and recovered from it. It has however, said that it will investigate the possibilities of using electronic certifi­ cates containing vaccination details, which

would allow free travel during the pandem­ ic for the holder of that certificate. It was against immunity passports in theory. The European arm of the International Health Organisation of the United Nations, highlighted the need for some form of a dig­ ital or electronic certificate. Further discussions with the 53 member states will take place, and look at the securi­ ty of travel and the transmission in schools, colleges and universities.

Costly Christmas Tree THE Valencia City Council has paid 58 per cent more than in 2018 for the exact same Christmas tree. The PP Party have called on Valencia City Council to explain why the exact same tree, that in More expensive. 2018 cost €12,670, has this year cost €20,000 ­ a staggering 58 per cent increase. The vice spokesperson, María José Ferrer San Segundo, demanded on Thurs­ day, December 3 that “the Ribó government and the PSPV clarify why the price has increased.” Likewise, Ferrer San Segundo has asked why the bid price of the Christmas trees that are installed in the squares and central streets has increased by 47.6 per cent in the last two years, going from €3,520 to €4,300. Since 2017, the tree that has been tendered and final­ ly installed in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento has the same dimensions and technical characteristics with a height of 20 metres and a width of 10 metres. The hiring of Christmas lighting, he pointed out, “has been done very late and hastily, which has caused us to be, on December 3 without the lights.”

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Valencia tourism budget THE Generalitat Valenciana will in­ crease the Viatgem Bonus budget for 2021 by €2 million, taking it up to a total of €12 million, “so that it meets the double objective of stimulating internal demand this winter and helping to maintain jobs and companies,” an­ nounced regional president, Ximo Puig. “The Consell is not going to leave

Spanish Covid Protection Gloves C OV I D protection gloves have been invented by a Spanish company in Rioja. The gloves are the brainchild of J M P Engineering and have the brand name ‘Guantelet.’ Much research has been done by the company, not only to make the gloves protect the wearer from Covid, but also make them antibacterial too. In addition to this they are designed to be comfortable enough to be worn all day and washable. The gloves will still be able to maintain the Covid protection for up to 30 washes, and the technology used in the gloves means they will not have to be washed too often. The protection factor actually breaks down the virus in around an hour.

alone the fabric that directly feeds 15 per cent of Valencians and many more indirectly, because a decade ago, when we were having the worst time, tourism was a saviour of the Valencian econo­ my,” added Puig. The president of the Alicante Provin­ cial Council, Carlos Mazón; the mayor of Benidorm, Antonio Pérez; the rector of

the University of Alicante, Manuel Palo­ mar; the vice president of the Valencian Community Hotel and Tourism Business Association (Hosbec), Federico Fuster, and the director of the ‘Pedro Zaragozá Orts’ Chair of Tourism Studies, Armando Ortuño met in Benidorm Thursday, De­ cember 3 to discuss the future of the re­ gion’s tourism.

Ryanair and Boeing THE airline announced on Thursday, December 3, that it had signed a purchase agreement with Boeing for 75 new MAX­8200 aircraft, which increases its firm or­ der for the Boeing ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft from 135 to 210, with a total val­ ue of over $22 billion (€20 billion). The announcement comes after the Boeing MAX aircraft was certified by the FAA to return to ser­ vice with Ryanair expecting to take the first deliveries of these new fuel­efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft from early 2021. Ryanair and Boeing have agreed on revised delivery dates, and have also agreed to compensation for the di­ rect costs incurred by Ryanair over the past 18 months due to these deliv­ ery delays, although some of this compensation has been factored into a modest reduction in the pricing of

this new aircraft order. The aircraft delivers eight more seats per flight, yet burns 16 per cent less fuel, and lowers noise emissions by 40 per cent and the 197

seat Boeing aircraft is the perfect sized platform to al­ low Ryanair to expand and grow its low fare services across Europe over the next decade.

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10 - 16 December 2020

Spirit sales streak ahead SALES of spirits in Spain has soared 27.5 per cent in the last 12 months. While there has been an increase in the sales of flour, sugar and pastries, it’s alcohol - in particular spirits - which has experienced the highest growth in household purchases according

to the latest report from the Ministry of Agriculture. Sales of whisky, vodka, rum and gin have risen by 27.5 per cent in the last 12 months, closely followed by beer, which has increased by 23.8 per cent. Wine is also up there with a sig-

nificant hike in sales, with purchases up 15.3 per cent. Covid restrictions are believed to have contributed to the increases, as bars have been forced to close and ‘consumption associated with leisure’ has switched to the home. And it’s not just alcohol sales which have increased - household spending overall has risen by 11.2 per cent, with food purchases seeing a growth of 8.3 per cent.

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Third Wave In Spain THE Secretary of Public Health of the Generalitat, Josep Maria Argimon, has warned that a report from the Centre for Disease Prevention in Europe foresees that the third wave of Covid­19 will ar­ rive in January, due to increased mobility and so­ cial interaction during Christmas. Speaking with TV3 on Saturday, December 5, Argimon explained that: “the accumulated inci­ dence data are going down, although very little and almost imperceptibly. I hope it does not ar­ rive, but it is likely that it will.”

This comes after the Minister of Health, Sal­ vador Illa, warned that: “we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there are still very hard months ahead” since “the road is very unstable.” The Minister said he believes that citizens will be responsible this festive period, and that he himself will be having Christmas dinner with his “family unit.” Illa added: “If we neglect ourselves, we will go to situations that will demand drastic measures again.”

Biodegradable Covid Mask Longest turron

VALENCIA company Bionicia and the Higher Council for Scientific Re­ search (CSIS) have launched Proveil Biomask, which is fully biodegrad­ able and “when used and discard­ ed, it will affect the planet much less.” Bionicia announced on Wednes­ day, December 2, that their re­ search aims to protect people in the long­term; thus developing a mask that is both environmentally friend­ ly and offers the same protection as other nanofibre products. According to the company, these new biodegradable masks have a

bacterial filtration efficiency greater than 92 per cent and an aerosol filtration efficiency greater than 85 per cent. The CSIC researcher who has de­ veloped the Proveil nanofibre filter, José María Lagarón, has high­ lighted: “The objective is that after being used, people can add them to the brown container of organic matter, so that they are either tak­ en to the landfill and there they biodegrade in the soil, or they are taken to industrial composting plants to biodegrade with the rest of the organic matter.”

THE world’s longest chocolate turron was made at the Palacio Cibeles in Madrid, mea­ suring more than 50 metres long. The turron, with more than 200 kilos of chocolate, 100 litres of cream, 30 kilos of glu­ cose and 20 kilos more of other ingredients, took about 10 hours for master chocolatier Justo Almendrote and students from differ­ ent pastry schools to make. The huge slab of chocolate turron was made at the Palacio de Cibeles as part of the ChocoMad 2020 chocolate festival and the proceeds of sale will go to the Esperanza y Alegria Foundation for social actions.

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EASYJET CHARGE OVER YOUR HEAD

DO you put your bags in the overhead locker? Be careful, you may be charged for the privilege as easyJet now wants to charge flyers up to £24 each to store away their luggage. It’s seen by many as a quick way to make more money from passengers. The airline admitted from February 10, 2021 it will be halving baggage allowances, however, customers will be allowed to bring on a bag which must fit under the seat, if it does not they can store it safely above as usual, but at a charge of up to £24, each way! This decision by the company comes despite increased business when lockdown ends at Christmas, and the flight bookings soared. If you decide to pay for and choose your seat and or have extra leg room, you can bring a larger bag and store it above in the overhead lockers charge included.

Mercadona scam alert NATIONAL POLICE and Guardia Civil have warned of a new scam using the name of supermarket chain Mercadona. Beware if you receive a WhatsApp message claiming Mercadona is giving away free €180 coupons for Christmas. Clicking on the message leads to a fake website imitating Mercadona’s which includes a survey at the end of which, visitors are asked for their details. This will in turn be used by cybercriminals to obtain per-

sonal and banking data from internet users by a method known as phishing or by introducing malware. If you receive such a text, erase it, and let whoever sent it to you know that it is a scam. It has gone viral on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The supermarket chain has warned its brand name and image are being used without its consent and remind customers they do not run any type of promotions or raffles, nor do they give away vouchers.

Best’s Little Black Book Sold FOOTBALL superstar, George Best, famously had a string of high­profile romances and lovers, and now, his ‘little black book,’ containing names and phone numbers of his former lovers, has sold for £1,500, at an online auction, run by Stacey’s Auctioneers in Basildon, Essex,

who also sold George’s shirt worn on his debut for Northern Ireland, which went for £13,000. A spokesman for the auction­ eers said the book held “all his main contacts including, girl­ friends” with a note inside reading: “With love, from George.”

10 - 16 December 2020

Eiffel Tower to reopen THE Parisian landmark the Eiffel Tower will reopen from December 16 it has been announced. Other museums and state monuments will also be open for the first time since October 30, which is when they were all closed due to the increase in coronavirus cases. The Eiffel Tower along with the Arc de Triomphe are the most iconic French capital structures, and President Macron will be keen to have them once again open for viewing. The French public and of course, much-needed tourists as well will be welcomed back to view the iconic structures so important for tourism.

TOWER: Will reopen along with other French capital structures.

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10 - 16 December 2020

Queen’s Housekeeper Quits THE Queen’s head housekeeper at Sandringham, Patricia Earl, 56, has unexpectedly quit her job af­ ter 32 years in service. Ms Earl, who lead a team of staff including cleaners, laundry and maintenance workers, was so highly thought­of that she was honoured with the Royal Victorian Medal in 2018. Although royal officials insist the parting was

‘amicable,’ it’s reported that the housekeeper was left ‘embarrassed’ after some 20 staff refused to remain on the Norfolk estate in a month­long bubble in order to protect the 94­year­old Queen. Due to the unwillingness of staff to remain at Sandringham, the monarch and Prince Philip will remain at Windsor for the first time in 33 years.

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Most influential people FORBES has published a list of the 25 most influential people in Spain of 2020 and they are all women. Queen Letizia tops the list and is followed by Ana Patricia Botin, President of Banco Santander, and Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the President of the Madrid Region. The magazine publishes the list every year selecting the most influential personalities in different sectors, from business to culture, through politics, music and social activism. On this year’s list, all of the names are women; a queen, eight politicians, six senior members of private companies, five journalists, three figures from the world of culture, a scientist and an activist. The other politicians on the list are: the First Vice President of the Government, Carmen Calvo; the Minister of Work, Yolanda Diaz; the leader of Ciudadanos, Ines Arrimadas; the State Attorney General, Dolores Delgado; the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, Carme Artigas; the former mayor of Madrid

QUEEN LETIZIA: Tops the list in Spain. Manuela Carmena and the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau. In the private business sector, Botin is joined by Eva Fernandez, Telefónica’s global communications director; Hortensia Herrero, Vice President of Mercadona and President of the foundation that bears her name; Irene Cano, CEO of Facebook Spain and Portugal; Macarena Rey, CEO of Shine Iberia and producer of the MasterChef television programme; and Marta Ortega, ‘product manager’ of Zara Woman.

The journalists are: the president of Radio Television Española, Rosa María Mateo; Ana Rosa Quintana, Rosa Montero, Àngels Barceló and Sandra Barneda. From the cultural scene, there are two gallery owners, Elena Ochoa Foster and Helga de Alvear, and a singer, Rosalia. Finally, there is the lawyer and President of the Tribune for Human Rights, Cruz Sanchez de Lara; and a scientist, the director of the National Center for Oncological Research, Maria Blasco.

Miracle Baby sets new record TWO-MONTH-OLD baby girl Molly Gibson has broken the record for the longestfrozen embryo to have resulted in a birth, a title previously held by her big sister, Emma. The miracle baby was born in October, from an embryo that had been frozen way back in 1992. Tina and Ben Gibson from Tennessee

became pregnant with both their daughters with the help of the National Embryo Donation Centre, a non-profit organisation in Knoxville that stores frozen embryos which in vitro fertilisation patients have decided not to use. Their eldest daughter Emma was born from a 24-year-old embryo.

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Silent Night in Madrid Bowie Money released THE bells certainly won’t be ringing out this year in Madrid, or if they do, nobody will be around to hear them. Officials have announced that the tradi­ tional hoards who gather in the famous Puerto del Sol and other city squares for the New Year’s Eve countdown will be prohibited this year in order to reduce the congregation of large crowds and abide by coronavirus restrictions.

Despite a slight easing of lockdown measures over the Christmas period, the Community of Madrid has decided to prohibit New Year’s Eve cele­ brations in public spaces, as well as demanding that municipalities control the capacity of the busiest streets. The Three Kings parade this year will be lim­ ited to 50 per cent of the usual attendees, and all must remain seated.

SPECIAL edition David Bowie coins have been released by the Royal Mint in the latest collection, becoming the third in the series, following coins in honour of the Queen and Sir Elton John. The new coins are being offered for sale as part of its ‘music legends’ collection, but these coins have a unique Bowie-like twist, as the lightning bolt that features on several of the special edition coins appears laced with stardust, to create a glitter effect. Coins with the face of the influential singer, who died in 2016, are selling from £13 (€14.26) for an uncirculated £5 (€5.48) coin to £72,195 (€79,171) for a UK kilo

UNIQUE: The coins have a Bowie-like twist. gold coin in a denomination of £1,000 (€1,097). A maximum of 11 of the £72,195 gold coins will be minted with a five-ounce Bowie gold coin also available for £11,815 (€12,959), in a maximum mintage of 60 coins.

However, it is worth noting that the £72,195 coin contains gold worth around £44,000 (€48,259), and with VAT charged, the government earns around £12,000 (€13,162) on each sold plus £16,000 (€17,549) going to the Royal Mint, which it owns.

Harry and Meghan Rival Awards MEGHAN MARKLE and Prince Harry are said to be planning their own honours list - from halfway across the world. The Duchess of Sussex, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, will recognise dogooders in the fields they like to champion. They hope to celebrate “charitable service, education, science, literature, racial justice, gender equity, environmental stewardship, youth empowerment, health and mental health,” pa-

pers filed in the US reveal. Winning firms, charities and individuals can expect the right-on couple’s seal of approval. While the Queen hands out gongs twice a year, the Sussexes’ rival scheme would be run by their Archewell foundation. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in March and moved to California.

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Costa Blanca On Ice Mercadona New Spray Very Effective THE Levante dock in Torre­ vieja has received a face­lift as a stunning 700 square metre ice­skating rink has been erected at the end of the beach­side promenade. Always a massive hit with families, the attraction built next to the iconic fair­ ground opened during the Immaculate Conception fi­ estas and will run until af­ ter the Three Kings in Janu­ ary. Installed by an Andalu­ cian company, Councillor Rosario Martinez has said that there will be free ac­ cess for students from spe­ cial education schools, as well as subsidised tickets for all other city schools. It is an initiative between the Torrevieja small and medium business associa­ tion (Apymeco) and the Torrevieja and Comarca As­ sociation of Hospitality Companies (AEHTC). Apymeco and AEHTC have also indicated that they will distribute free tickets to the skating rink to shoppers in the city.

ICE RINK: A massive hit.

MERCADONA has released a new spray that is even more ef­ fective against Covid­19, is easy to use and has a higher alcohol percentage that their other prod­ ucts. The company is well­known in Spain and has both supermarkets and an online shopping presence. Their new hydroalcoholic spray has been requested by clients as an easier way to keep Covid away

Counterfeit Currency A 32-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in Ontinyent, Va­ lencia for circulating counterfeit bills throughout the town. National Police were first alerted to the fraud when several business owners complained that payments were being made with fake notes. The alleged perpetrator either made small purchases or asked for change to get rid of the bills. Following a police investigation it was established that the man was operating a criminal gang whereby, as well as spending the cash himself, he would hand notes out to several others to spend or change locally. One of those al­ so arrested was the leader’s partner. A search of the criminal’s house uncovered a large quantity of counterfeit money. The accused, who has a criminal record, was released on bail with the understand­ ing that he is to appear before the judicial authority when required. Two of his three accomplices also have criminal records.

and is available in around 1,500 stores. The spray has been creat­ ed especially for Mercadona by a company that specialises in aerosols, Totaler Igepak. The spray is easy to use and has aloe vera to protect your hands. The product also boasts an alcohol content of 80 per cent.

MERCADONA: Spray created especially for the supermarket.

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NEWS

Hiker Rescued in Berja Boy Raises

A W O M A N was rescued on Sunday November 28,in the Sierra De Gador after falling on the El Cerezo Trail. A call was received by the 112 Andalucia Emergency services and Guardia Civil, Local Police and the Civil Protection from Some areas only accessible by foot. Berja set out to rescue the hiker. The El Cerezo trail has around 1,000 metres elevation and travels through an abandoned old mining preserve. The rescue party started at the Castala, Periurban Park and had to access areas that are only accessible by foot. The woman was found with an injury to her ankle and was unable to move.

On the rise

UNEMPLOYMENT in Spain has risen by more than 25,000 since last month with the number of workers on ERTE now standing at 746,900. According to data released by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy on Wednes­

day, December 2, the number of unemployed registered in offices across the country rose by 25,269 in November (up 0.6 per cent on October). This is the highest increase for November since 2012, when it soared by more than 74,000 people.

£1,000 THE Manchester & Cheshire Dogs’ Home will see plenty of Christmas treats for the homeless dogs this year after a local boy raised £1,000. Harley, aged seven, set out to raise £50 for the homeless dogs, but has far exceeded his target having so far raised over £1,000 and a massive collection of goodies have been donated for the animals. Mrs Rose, Harley’s mum said, “His aim was just to collect a few items, some toys and treats for them for Christmas, and any bedding that anyone didn’t need any more. “We thought he’d get a couple of boxes together and we thought we’d set up a Gofundme account and ask for £20 and then we can buy some toys as well, thinking it would just be grandma and grandad. “He asked if he could increase the target and I said ‘yeah dream big,’ until he said £50 and I thought it would be a bit ambitious.” Members of the public have also left treats for the dogs at his house, with local businesses having joined in also.

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Cordoba Christmas Lights Tour THE coronavirus pandemic may have changed many aspects of Christmas 2020, but the iconic and much-loved tradition of El Paseo de la Ilusion will still take place this year, in a slightly altered form. The tradition of taxi drivers bringing older people around to see the Christmas lights and local festivities, which has been running in Cordoba for 16 years, will take place between December 14 and December 23. The president of Autacor, Miguel Ruano, explained that some 200 people will get to

XMAS LIGHTS: Taxi drivers will take older people around to see the festivities. enjoy the night-time tours, beginning at 7pm and lasting for just under an hour. Seniors will be collected from their homes in one of 20 daily trips and chauffeured around town in fully sanitised taxis with Christmas carols playing. Ruano is also conscious of

people living in care homes who cannot avail of this tour. For these residents, he has proposed a video of the spectacle be made for them to watch, as well as “collaboration with a company to give them a gift voucher and make Christmas sweeter.”

Guardia Civil Embarrassed THE Guardia Civil has come under fire for a TikTok video posted by the Benemerita Police Force in the Basque Country of officers dancing to the hit song, Jerusalema. The footage, which is just under one minute long, was originally posted by the group on October 12, but the Union de Oficiales de la Benemerita heavily criticised it on Monday, November 30 for portraying the force negatively. The video shows a number of officers in

hazmat suits performing the viral dance moves at an airport, seaport and heliport, and displaying a sign reading ‘Do you know where these Guard Civil officers are from?’ The unfortunate irony is that Bilbao can clearly be seen in the background shots. The Union has called the display an ‘embarrassing spectacle’ and refers to a ‘feeling of shame’ at what they view as ‘satisfying personal interests instead of looking at the good image of the force.’

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FEATURE

CARLOS BAOS

Bankruptcy law in Spain

WE CAN HELP YOU

Insolvency and elimination of debts

SPANISH bankruptcy law, in re­ lation to insolvency and elimina­ tion of debts, stipulates that there are a number of actions which are unacceptable and which if proven can negate the insolvency process. Guilty Insolvency If a bankruptcy is declared guilty, it means that it is under­ stood that the bankrupt or insol­ vent is responsible for the insol­ vency. Legally, this can be declared, when the debtor, voluntarily or in a negligent way, has created or worsened the insolvency. However, the insolvency will be classified as unplanned, if it is not the fault of the person de­ clared insolvent. For example: if a self­em­ ployed person becomes ill, is un­ able to work and accumulates debts which results in their insol­ vency. In this case, it is clear that the insolvency is not their fault or intention. The benefit of elimination of the unsatisfied liability (in Span­

ish known as BEPI). The exoneration of the unsat­ isfied debts (BEPI), is a possibility provided for in Spanish bank­ ruptcy law in order to forgive un­ paid debts. This possibility is normally con­ ditional upon the complete liqui­ dation of the debtor’s assets. Obviously, the BEPI, in individ­ uals, is the ultimate goal and the main objective when starting a bankruptcy process. Therefore, it is essential to take the necessary steps and meet the requirements, to be able to access it. One of the requirements to be able to access the BEPI is that the bankruptcy has not been de­ clared GUILTY. Actions and behaviours that will cause consideration as Guilty Insolvency. The new Bankruptcy Law, in its articles 443 and 444, reviews

the actions of the debtor, which may affect the declaration of the bankruptcy as guilty. Due to their seriousness, they always lead a Guilty Considera­ tion; When the debtor disposes or transfers all or part of their as­ sets to the detriment of the cred­ itors. When during the two years prior to the bankruptcy, they fraudulently remove or transfer goods or rights from their patri­ mony. Any serious inaccuracy in the documents presented as part of the bankruptcy. When being obliged to keep accounts, the existence of ‘dou­ ble accounting’ (different sets of books). It may also lead to a Guilty De­ cision, (although not always); If the debtor breaches the du­ ty to request the declaration of

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) - White&Baos Tel: +34 966 426 185 info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2020- All Rights Reserved.

the insolvency on time, etc. If the debtor breaches the du­ ty of collaboration with the re­ viewing judge. Conclusion Therefore, and in view of the above: If you are an individual and you are going to start a bank­ ruptcy procedure, you should seek advice from a lawyer. The final objective will be to forgive debts that cannot be paid. It is what is known as bene­ fit of exemption of the unsatis­ fied liability (BEPI). It will allow you to start over from scratch, WITHOUT DEBT. But it is essential not to en­ gage in conduct that prevents you from accessing this benefit which leads to the declaration of the insolvency as guilty. If you have questions about the insolvency and elimination of debts in Spain, contact us at www.white­baos.com. The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, it merely conveys in­ formation related to legal issues.

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NEWS

TM Lions working with Moraira Caritas food bank WE can all appreciate that the coronavirus situation has had a serious impact on many in our community. The Caritas Food Bank in Moraira has seen first­hand how the lack of work has impacted local families.

They are currently support­ ing over 350 people in this area alone ­ this is a large increase over what they would expect at this time of year. The local food bank re­ ceives regular donations

from the central Caritas stores, but on occasions, the supply chain has been de­ layed or there have been specific requirements for certain items. Teulada­Moraira Lions support the excellent work

of this charity and are hap­ py to respond to requests for help. We are seeing more requests from them in response to the in­ creased demand. We were delighted to pass on the €250 from the recent

Ladies Race Day event plus a further €500 from our funds. We continue to work closely with John Evans, the local Caritas Co­ordinator and will continue to help where we can. There are collecting boxes

in some of the local Pepe La Sal supermarket stores ­ the large one on the Calpe Road and the one above the Li­ ons’ Den, where items of food or toiletries can be de­ posited for those in need. These will go straight to Car­ itas. The donations the TM Li­ ons make are only possible because of the generosity of our supporters. Fundraising remains difficult under the current restrictions, but we were able to make this mon­ ey available and will contin­ ue to do so as long as we can. To help us in this endeav­ our, please pop into the Li­ on’s Den charity which can be found a couple of doors away from Letters R Us be­ neath the Pepe La Sal super­ market on the Centro Com­ ercial, Moraira, just past the fountain roundabout on Ctra Moraira­Teulada. We also have a GoFundMe page if you would like to support us but do not yet feel com­ fortable to go into the shop. You will find this at https://www.gofundme.com /f/teulada­moraira­lions. This can also be accessed via our website or FB page. Please help us to help those in need in our area. If you are interested in finding out more about our work and possibly joining Teulada­ Moraira Lions, you can find more details on our web page ­ www.tmlions.com

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Italian mafia in Tenerife

IN collaboration with the Castello di Cisterna Carabinieri Investigation Unit, three members of the Mariniello clan were arrested in Tenerife at the same time as another five members were arrested in Italy. The Italian authorities had Three members arrested. issued a European Arrest Warrant against them for belonging to a criminal organisation, blackmail and loan-sharking. The operation began in late 2018 when police learned of the presence of several Italians thought to belong to the clan, who were involved in a number of criminal activities. Once identified, they were put under surveillance, resulting in their arrests this week at the same time as the members in Italy were detained.

Spanish Osborne Sales Rocket

THE Spanish based Osborne Company has seen online sales boom this year with the pan­ demic. The company’s internet sales have increased 150 per cent in 2020, and they say this is due to Covid­19 and restrictions that have prevented people buying products at supermarkets, or

pushed them to opt for the con­ venience of internet purchases. The Spanish based firm is ex­ pecting to see an increase of 120 per cent on Christmas sales in­ cluding spirits and wines. The company that is based in Cadiz owns brands such as Anis del Mono and the Iberian ham brand Cinco Jotas.

NEWS

Cash seizure

GIBRALTAR Customs stopped an individual who was entering from Spain in December 2019 and discovered that he was carrying banknotes of various denominations amounting to €85,940. When questioned, he stated that the money was not his but he was carrying it for a third party and when he declined to give the name of the owner, officers decided to hold the cash in accordance with the Proceeds of Crime Act 2015 in order to investigate the matter further. Although the owner reportedly contacted Customs through a legal representative, no evidence concerning the source of the cash nor its intended use was ever supplied. Following an application from Customs to the Magistrate’s Court, it ordered the forfeiture of the cash and as there has been no appeal against the decision, the money will now become part of Gibraltar Government funds.

NEWS

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10 - 16 December 2020

Dumbest Ever ‘Love Armed Robber jihad’

A 52­YEAR­OLD Spanish national was arrested for robbery, on Thursday, November 26, by Na­ tional Police, in Fuengirola, Malaga. After being stopped in the street, by two officers searching for a suspect who had carried out some robberies earli­ er in the evening, he blurted out spontaneously, without being questioned, “Officer, I haven’t robbed any supermarkets.” The suspect had earlier robbed two local supermarkets, only 30 minutes apart, the first one being the Maskom whilst wearing a mask similar to the

one used in ‘Money Heist’, at 8.30pm, and then, another, El Jamón, this time using a scarf to disguise his face, threatening the cashiers in both stores, bran­ dishing a knife to hand over the till contents, before fleeing. The officers obtained CCTV footage of the suspect, and went in search of him. He was spotted walking calmly down the street, and upon question­ ing, that is when he gave himself up so stupidly. Police discovered two knives on him, one with a three­inch blade, the other 11 inches.

Vaccine Live On Air FORMER US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton have all agreed to get the coronavirus jab live on air in an attempt to dispel the concerns many have shown about the vaccination, with some 42 per cent of Americans saying they are unwilling to take the shot. The US leaders join UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and TV presenter Piers Morgan, who have all said they would consider taking the vaccine on air to improve public confidence.

law A MUSLIM man has been ar­ rested in India under a new law for allegedly trying to con­ vert a Hindu woman to Islam. After being arrested on Wednesday, December 2, the man ­ who claims he is inno­ cent and has ‘no link’ with the woman ­ was remanded into custody for 14 days. This is the first time the new anti­conversion ‘love jihad’ law has been used in Uttar Pradash, and four other Indian states are currently drafting the same legislation. ‘Love jihad’ is a term radical Hindu groups use to accuse Muslim men of converting Hindu women by marriage. But the new law ­ which carries a prison term of up to 10 years ­ has been blasted, with critics calling it Islamo­ phobic.

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NEWS

Squatter can stay THE Supreme Court has ruled against the eviction of a squatter who is a victim of gender vio­ lence. The Court considers that pro­ tective measures put in place were only for her two children and nothing had been done to protect the woman herself, and fears that if evicted, they would be at risk of domestic violence. The Community of Madrid wanted to evict the woman who had illegally occupied a house with her two children, who are in

a precarious financial situation, but the Supreme Court considers there was an “absolute lack of foresight” on behalf of the Ad­ ministration regarding adequate protection measures to the vul­ nerable family. The home is owned by the So­ cial Housing Agency. The judge ruled that although he cannot prevent a forced evic­ tion derived from a final adminis­ trative act indefinitely, he does have to consider whether the ad­ ministration has taken protective

measures to protect them, and in this case, the court believes that eviction is disproportionate. This ruling is against the Madrid High Court of Justice, which had approved the evic­ tion. The woman filed an appeal and the Supreme Court has said it was necessary to consider the circumstances when there are children involved and the nega­ tive impact which an eviction from their home could have on them.

Mother Detained in Elche A MOTHER has been detained in Elche after al­ legedly leaving her young son locked outside, alone in the rain. The incident occurred on November 27, at around noon when the boy aged two, was al­ legedly locked out in the rain and left with an um­ brella. He was found crying, wet and soaked in urine by the police after a neighbour reported hearing crying. The Local Police gained access to the child us­ ing a ladder. The boy was too young to be able to tell officers what had happened and the boy’s brother, aged 17 was found asleep inside. He had

ELCHE: Mother left her son in the rain. no explanation and did not know where their mother was. After returning home the mother was de­ tained for suspected abandonment of a minor.

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4 day week SPAIN’S government is current­ ly exploring the possibility of in­ troducing a four­day working week initiative for employers and their staff. Deputy PM Pablo Iglesias said that the initiative would ‘undoubtedly’ lead to job cre­ ation, and said his left­wing Podemos party has “always been in favour of reducing working hours.” He confirmed that the Minis­ ter for Labour, Yolanda Diaz, was studying the concept “within the framework of social dialogue.” Meanwhile, con­ gressman Inigo Errejon said that the new budget amend­ ments being processed by the

government will include a €50 million incentive package for companies to adopt the four­ day working week. A pilot scheme is already un­ derway in Valencia, and more funds are expected to come from the government’s Recov­ ery and Resilience Fund. Errejon asserts that the scheme will benefit public health, due to improved work/life balance, as well as the environment due to workers commuting less. Most importantly he stressed evidence that the four­ day working week improves productivity in workers, there­ fore creating more jobs and im­ proving Spain’s economy.

NEWS

Product recall dairy drinks Royal pooch dies A PRODUCT recall warning has been issued for Nescafe Shakissimo, and the Nesquik Shake brands along with Choco Nata drinks from the El Corte Ingles range and a range of ALDI products under their brand name ‘Milsani .’ The products mentioned have been recalled as it’s understood at this time, that there is a possibility of some containing hydrogen peroxide. NESTLE (LNPF) has informed the Spanish food agency of the recall of these products (shake type milk drinks) due to the slight possibility of some pres­ ence of hydrogen peroxide used to sterilise the containers before filling. There may be a strong flavour and some irritation to the mouth if you come across an affected product. The products in this recall that may be af­ fected are: Nescafé Shakissimo Espresso Latte 190 ml 1/26/2021 Nescafé Shakissimo Vanilla Latte 190 ml 1/26/2021 Nescafé Shakissimo Decaf 190 ml 02/02/2021 Nescafé Shakissimo Caramel Latte 190 ml 02/02/2021 Nescafé Shakissimo Flavor Cookies 190 ml 02/02/2021 Nesquik Shake 190 ml 01/27/2021 El Corte Inglés brand chocolate cream cup 4 x 100g 09/12/20 Chocolate cream cup Milsani brand (Aldi) 4 x 100g 09/12/20 Anyone concerned that they may have purchased one of these products can go directly to this link for more detailed information https://www.yo guresnestle.es/pdf/retirada­shakes.

THE Queen’s beloved pet dog Vulcan has died, leav­ ing her with just one ca­ nine companion Vulcan the Dorgi ­ a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Dachshund cross ­ has died of ‘old age,’ leaving the Queen ‘upset’ at the loss of one of her two remaining Queen is a dog lover. dogs. A long­time dog lover, her Majesty decided to give up dog breeding in 2018 as she didn’t want to outlive any of her beloved pooches. It was also reported that royal officials were worried that the pets, always at her feet, could pose a risk of tripping her up. The Queen’s two dogs, Vulcan and the now ageing Candy featured on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2018 and even accompanied her to the 2012 Olympics opening cer­ emony. Most of the Queen’s cherished canines over the years are said to be descended from Corgi Susan, whom her Majesty was given as an 18th birthday present.

Death of Madrid Burger King ALFRED GRADUS, the founder and owner of Madrid’s renowned, awardwinning hamburger chain, Alfredo’s Barbacoa American, died, aged 79, on Wednesday, December 2, in Madrid.  He was the man credited with bringing the barbecued ALFRED GRADUS: Owned hamburger style of eating to award-winning hamburger Madrid, when he opened his chain in Madrid. first restaurant there, on Calle Lagasca, in 1981, on his birthday. Born in New York, America, Gradus discovered Madrid in the 1960s, whilst stationed at nearby Torrejon with the United States military, the most important and strategically located US military camp in Spain at the time, and the base where he first learned about cooking, from the military chefs, who specialised in typical American cuisine for the servicemen, to give them a taste of home, learning to make his delicious barbecue sauces he would become so famous for in years to come.

More than 30 different dimensions of pine timber in green, brown and thermo treated. Biggest selection of high quality joists, beams, t/g boards, planks and decking boards. You have never seen such a large selection. All planed and round edges.

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NEWS

Santa Claus ‘Essential Service’ THE Sevillian town of Coripe has declared the Three Kings and Santa Claus an ‘essential ser­ vice’ to ensure that all the town’s children receive Christmas gifts despite the current coronavirus restrictions. Susana Lopez, mayor of Coripe has en­ sured that on Christmas Eve Santa Claus can move freely in the town and the same for the Three Kings on January 5. They are also guaranteed not to be stopped when entering neighbouring towns of El Coronil, Morón de la Frontera or Mon­ tellano. All that is left is for the children of Coripe to do their part and keep behaving well to ensure they receive their festive pre­ sents.

XMAS EVE: Santa Clause will be able to move freely in the town of Coripe.

Graffiti artist finally caught

A GRAFFITI artist has been charged with causing €56,000 worth of damage to trains in Malaga City as well as the Costa Blanca and Almeria. The Belgian, 28, was arrest­ ed in Malaga and is accused of vandalising 14 different trains. The ‘spate of criminal dam­ age’ began in 2015, when po­ lice became aware the same

VANDALISM: Fourteen different trains were damaged.

person was responsible for a number of scrawlings on trains in four different provinces. Officers from the National Police’s transport unit worked with Local Police in various towns to identify the suspect who lives in Almeria. According to the train com­ pany, €55,956 worth of dam­ age was caused.

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Saving money has never been so easy RESIDENTS and businesses looking for ways to cut costs and save money in 2021 can now reduce their energy bills by up to a mas­ sive 35 per cent, simply by switch­ ing to cheaper electricity tariffs. The bold claim comes from San Pedro­based green energy broker, Mariposa Energía, which has been consistently saving consumers huge sums of money on their electricity bills for more than a year. The team not only claim to be able to save consumers money, they will calculate the individual savings that can be made by analysing a recent energy bill and present the potential savings to consumers, before they decide to make the change. “When businesses and home­ owners see the savings they can make on their electricity bills they realise it’s a no­brainer.

SAVE MONEY: By simply switching to cheaper electricity tariffs. Why continue to pay more than you need to, when you can save yourself money, simply by saying ‘yes’,” Mariposa Energía CEO,

Martin Tye explains. The process of switching to Mari­ posa Energía is incredibly easy. There is no need for any new cables

or equipment and no need for any work to be done. Once an agree­ ment to switch has been made, the team simply sends their cheaper,

greener energy down the same ca­ bles. “Our clients don’t even notice the switch occur, until they see their lower energy bills of course,” Martin said. Not only do Mariposa Energía’s clients save money, they also help to save the future of the planet. All the energy supplied is certified 100 per cent green energy, coming ex­ clusively from Spanish wind farms. “It can often be difficult to priori­ tise saving the planet, especially in the current climate, but with Mari­ posa Energía you can do your bit, while saving yourself money,” Mar­ tin added. And, for consumers who want to go a stage further, the team also of­ fer solar panels. As long as you own a roof you can generate your own electricity and even paid if you gen­ erate more than you use.

For a free review of your current energy bill or to discuss solar panels contact the friendly team on +34 951 120 830 at info@mariposenergia.es or visit the website www.mariposaenergia.es

NEWS

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Police return for Maddie GERMAN police detectives have claimed that in the past 14 days, excellent pieces of information that will see them return to the Algarve, have been obtained. The move could be seen as antagonistic, owing to poor relations with authorities there, however the Algarve officials would need to be informed first in any instance of a request to return to investigate additional information. German police are confident they can charge prime suspect, sex offender Christian Brueckner (43), over Maddie’s disappearance in 2007.

CREDIT: Waldsoms

Shock inheritance

AN elderly German woman has bequeathed unexpectedly property, a stock portfolio and valuables worth €6.2 million to all of the residents in her community. Renate Wedel had lived in the Weiperfelden district of Waldsolms in Hesse, central Germany, with her husband, Alfred Wedel, since 1975. Alfred was ‘active’ and ‘successful’ on the Stock Exchange before he died in 2014, amassing millions, according to a statement from the Waldsolms district, which is made up of six villages. Renate, who had been cared for in a nursing home in Frankfurt, died on December 23, 2019 at the age of 81. Then completely out of the blue, on April 6 this

DECEASED: Renate and Alfred Wedel.

year, the community of Waldsolms was informed that Renate had appointed them as a substitute heir as her sister had already passed away. “This inheritance includes a bank balance, a share deposit and valuables,” said the community in a statement. “In addition, the municipality

inherited the property in Weiperfelden, which was intended as a legacy, because the legatee has declared to the Frankfurt probate court that it does not want to accept it.” The community is obliged to use the inheritance, valued at €6.2 million, for “community facilities and infrastructure.”

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

GERMANY

Copenhagen firebomber

Bad advertising

A 32-YEAR-OLD man who firebombed the Christiansburg Palace last February admitted that he was responsible but denied wanting to harm politicians so has been ruled insane and will be sent to a psychiatric hospital for an indefinite period.

TOPMODEL has been awarded the title of Germany’s worst advertising gender stereotype 2020 whilst runner up was supermarket chain Edeka, which shows incompetent fathers and a child saying: “Thank you mummy that you are not daddy.”

NETHERLANDS Sue Poland IT’S not just the UK which causes schisms in the European Union, but Dutch MPs have now voted to urge their government to take Poland to the European Court of Justice for political interference in the Polish legal system.

BELGIUM Sex party BRUSSELS police broke up a lockdown sex party with 25 attendees, one of whom was a Hungarian MEP who has since resigned as well as two envoys who claimed Diplomatic Immunity to escape prosecution.

FRANCE Random checks AS France decides to keep its ski resorts closed over Christmas, it has bowed to pressure from resorts to introduce random checks at borders with Spain and Switzerland to ensure that French skiers don’t take advantage of foreign slopes.

NORWAY Christians first IN order to agree its 2021 budget, Norway’s Coalition Government has accepted a proposal that Christian refugees should be given priority when choosing who should come to Norway, although the opposition says minorities should be treated equally.

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NEWS

Ryanair Dogs trained to attack Extra Flights THE airline announced on Tuesday, December 1, that it’s added even fur­ ther additions to its Christmas sched­ ule as a result of increased demand across the network, commencing from December 16. In response to strong demand and as part of its commitment to bring families and friends together this Christmas, Ryanair announced a total of 24 additional flights from Dublin, London Stansted, London Gatwick, Porto and Bari, which were available for booking until midnight on Thurs­ day, December 3. This follows recent additional flights from Paris Beauvais, Manches­ ter, Malaga and Budapest to name a few. Ryanair has launched a very merry seat sale with cracking fares available from just £19.99 (€22.26) for travel from December 16, 2020 ­ January 3, 2021.

TWO animal associations have reported the recording and sharing of videos which show dogs brutally attacking a cow and a pig. Associations Libera and Familias polo Respeto Animal (FARE) say that the dogs could have been trained and used by farmers in locations between Ourense and Zamora. In a statement, the organisations explain that in one of the videos, shared on WhatsApp, a cow can be seen tied up and being attacked by at least three dogs, “causing it immense suffering.” Another video shows a dog attacking a

pig, while a man shouts at it to “keep going.” The man has a strong accent which leads the associations to believe they are in Galicia. They have requested citizen collaboration to identify and locate the organisers who record these events which “intend to promote the suffering of animals as if it were a show.” Environmental officers from the Xunta de Galicia will open an investigation to charge the culprits with animal abuse, with up to 18 months in prison and being disqualified from owning animals or practising professions related with animals for up to three years.

Largest Ever Man-Made Beach FINAL permissions have been granted for the €15 billion construction of Alovera Beach, in Guadalajara, just 50km from Madrid, where a 35,000m3 fresh-water inland lake, with 17,000m2 of imported sand, will make it the largest man-made beach in Europe, whilst creating over 300 jobs. T he development, with the proposed completion date of 2023, will boast a capacity of 4,500 users at any one time, and will include typical water-park amenities including, water slides, a boating marina, beach bars,

an artificial wave pool, man-made islands, and family restaurants, and an estimated 250,000 visitors are expected, with an entrance charge of €10. Crystal Lagoons is the firm who won this prestigious contract, a company who constructed the famous lagoon in San Alfonso de Mar, Chile, which at the time went into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest lagoon, only to break their own record with the building in 2015 of a 30-acre lagoon in Citystars Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Son help captive A SWEDISH woman in her 70s has been arrested on suspicion of keeping her son prisoner for 28 years. According to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, the woman was detained on Monday, November 30, and accused of unlawful deprivation of liberty and grievous bodily harm. She allegedly kept her 41year-old son captive at a flat in Stockholm. Prosecutors said the man was discovered “sitting on a blanket with no teeth and sores on his legs” surrounded by “urine, dirt and dust” on Sunday, November 29. On learning the mother had been admitted to hospital, a relative went to the property and found the door unlocked. She told the Swedish newspaper that “he spoke very fast and a little incoherent, but he was not afraid of me.” The son was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries where doctors contacted the police.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

10 - 16 December 2020

EWN 31

GO LOCAL THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the com­ munity by going local through the lockdown and for your Christmas shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super­ stores. This lockdown and festive period we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen­ dent businesses in your area. Due to the Covid­19 pan­ demic, you may have to support many local business­ es by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can oper­ ate if you are unable to get

out due to health reasons or lockdown 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 actual­ ly going. By shopping at an in­ dependent store you’re putting food on a local fami­

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10 - 16 December 2020

FEATURE

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

ly’s table, and there is no bet­ ter time than Christmas to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small inde­ pendent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous gen­ erations and support not just the current owner, but the

generation before. For those stores which are new, that extra couple of eu­ ros spent there are supporting someone’s dream and ambi­ tion, 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 independent store and compete with the multi­ national and chains. So be sure to pre­order your turkey from a local butcher and get your spuds from a lo­ cal greengrocer, let us revive

that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again. You could also consider pur­ chasing gift vouchers from lo­ cal businesses to help them over the coming weeks, think­ ing 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 sa­ lon 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 glam­ ourous gift perhaps pre­paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping peo­ ple alleviate stress and worry, give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times. Choosing to spend your money locally will really make a difference in the recovery of the local economy. When we buy local, our money stays lo­ cal, and it strengthens the lo­

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

10 - 16 December 2020

BUYING LOCAL: Helps keep money circulating within the local economy.

cal economy in two ways. First, buying local keeps mon­ ey circulating within the local economy. Studies have shown that local businesses recircu­ late a greater share of every

euro as they create locally owned supply chains and in­ vest in their employees. Data shows that local retail­ ers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local

economy, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain re­ tailers. 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 restaurant, which in turn pre­ pares the fresh produce and

EWN 33

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FEATURE

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

sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employ­ ees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy sup­ plies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recircula­ tion of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and communities. Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportu­ nities for people within our community. Studies show, lo­ cally owned businesses em­ ploy more people per unit of sales and retain more employ­ ees over time. While buying local is finan­ cially compelling to our com­ munities; the benefits to our environment are equally im­ pressive. Buying locally re­

duces the processing of goods, packaging and transportation waste, which leads to less pollu­ tion. 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 materi­ als come from, and a company’s overall social and environmental impact. Many businesses are joining our Go Local campaign by offering customers special offers and dis­ counts throughout the festive pe­ riod, more details to follow here soon. Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.

FINANCE Another merger LATEST in the rush of Spanish banks looking to merge, sees Liberbank and Unicaja presenting their marketing plans to the European Central Bank (which is broadly in favour of stronger banks) as well as proposed structure.

Topo Chico AFTER testing consumer response in Japan, Coca Cola will be launching its first alcoholic drink in the Spanish market, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer which is a mixture of sparkling water, alcohol and gluten-free fruit flavours in March 2021.

Passenger insurance WITH a good record for few accidents, Spanish railway operator Renfe received just one bid in response to its tender for passenger insurance which was €4.1 million per annum for a two-year contract from American International Group (AIG).

Dark store LUSH, in Oxford Street, had to close but it had three storeys of soaps which needed to be sold so it was decided to turn this into a ‘Dark Store,’ closed to the public but accepting orders and using bikes for deliveries.

ECB backs cash THE European Central Bank (ECB is committed to ensuring that cash is readily acceptable around the euro area according to Board member Fabio Panetta even though there appears to be an overall increase in digital payments. Panetta warns however that people should keep in mind that digital payments can be relatively easily disrupted by power cuts, hackers and technical failures. He commented “In such situations, cash can support resilience in payments: owing to its unique features, it provides a crucial backstop and a trusted store of value.”

STAT OF WEEK

€91 million

is the amount of lost revenue that one of Europe’s richest football clubs, Real Madrid believes is attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Spanish borrowing

Spain to invest funds in AI SPANISH Prime Minister Pe­ dro Sánchez has announced plans to invest €600 million into an ambitious new Artifi­ cial Intelligence (AI) strategy in an effort to transform the country’s economy and infra­ structure. He confirmed that the gov­ ernment will invest the mon­ ey into the development of a national AI strategy between 2021 and 2023, with the pos­ sibility of further funding “if things are done well.” The ambitious new strate­

gy will encompass the appli­ cation of AI in business, ad­ ministration, and education and will attempt to make Spain a global centre for the emerging tech field. Of the €600 million bud­ get, €275 million will be in­ vested directly into techno­ logical development. A further €133 million will be spent on integrating AI into the economy and production, while €100 million will go towards ap­ plying AI into public and

LEGALLY SPEAKING

government systems. The remaining funds will be invested into the promo­ tion of research, education and professional training that Sánchez promises will be spread across Spain’s regions and promote gender diversi­ ty in the tech field. The strategy will hope to see Spain emerge as a world leader in the growing field of Artificial Intelli­ gence, and extensive work will be put into making Spanish a working language

of the futuristic industry. He has also said that the government will develop an ethical framework to “rein­ force our individual rights and freedoms” in the rapidly changing context of technol­ ogy. The PM added that AI is a “transversal technology that covers health, agriculture, protecting the environment,” and said the new strategy will improve “systems of pro­ duction, design, and cyberse­ curity.”

A good track record

Can they stay longer? Many people who own properties in Spain would like to spend more than 90 days here during the year, but they are worried that they will be limited to only 90 days after the transi­ tion period expires on January 1, 2021. Some are ap­ plying for residency in the belief that this will allow them to spend more than 90 days in Spain and that they will not be liable to pay residents’ income tax unless they stay for more than 180 days in a year. Can you shed any light? M L (Costa Blanca)

First, the tourist stay in Spain is limited YOU AND THE LAW to 90 days in any IN SPAIN period of 180 days. After the stay of 90 days the tourist must leave Spain for 90 days before he can legally return. This is not new. It has always been the rule. Secondly, any­ one who holds a residence permit is liable for Span­ ish income tax. Period. And a person who stays in Spain more than six months without a residence per­ mit may also be deemed subject to Spanish tax on the grounds that Spain is the country where he spends the most time.

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.

AS Arcadia calls in Administrators, the 13,000 staff most of whom are on furlough, don’t know what will happen to their jobs although the action to bring in Deloittes has been to protect the group from creditors and there are currently no planned redundancies. In the meantime, Arcadia con­ tinues to trade online and the titu­ lar owner of the group, Tina

Credit: La Moncloa flickr

BUSINESS EXTRA

www.euroweeklynews.com • 10 - 16 December 2020

36

2021 BUDGETS: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Pedro Sánchez recently met in Palma. usual multiannual budget pe­ A RECENT report from the riod as during the last MFF Italian Institute for Political which started in 2014 and Studies, the two main recipi­ ended this year, they used on­ ents of monies from the Euro­ ly a small part of the Euro­ pean Recovery Fund, Italy and pean Structural Investment Spain have a good track Funds available. record in obtaining funding Both spent as little as 10 from the European Union and per cent of the funds in the a poor one in spending it. first four years of their being Their recently presented available and then tried to 2021 budgets show that both play ‘catch up’ at the end of say that they will spend the the budget period, which indi­ allocated grants in full (Italy cates a clear lack of proper €87 billion and Spain €70 bil­ planning processes although lion) but whilst Italy expects in the case of Spain, the un­ to take advantage of the loan derspend was during the peri­ being offered, Spain does not od when the Partido Popular intend to use it until possibly was in control. 2024. Time will now tell whether According to the report, either country can face up to history suggests that both the challenge of planned countries have struggled to spending of the allocated plan and spend the European money. funds accessible during the

Arcadia continues to trade Green, has confirmed that having already paid £50 (€55) million to the pension fund, she is about to pay a further £50 million even though it wasn’t due until Sep­ tember 2021. Whilst in the long­term there are likely to be plenty of potential

purchasers for brands such as Top­ shop and Miss Selfridge, this does­ n’t mean that there will be any takers for the shops themselves or for the more staid brands such as Evans. Another knock­on problem has hit Debenhams who themselves

WHAT might have appeared earlier this year as panic borrowing by Spain as it looked to the European Central Bank (ECB) to help bail it out as the country veered into lockdown may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The ECB has already con­ firmed that it will effective­ ly underwrite all of the Spanish bonds to be issued and because of the spi­ ralling fall in interest rates, Spain may well find that the borrowing costs next to nothing. In the long term it will have to repay the principal sum, but possibly without interest.

Business rates relief IN these days of accoun­ tants and shareholders de­ manding profits almost over any care for consumers, four major supermarkets have confirmed that they will repay £1.39 billion (€1.53 billion) to the UK government in respect of business rates relief re­ ceived. The four companies, Aldi, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all confirm that their sales have been much high­ er than expected and there­ fore they had no need to keep the funds, although cynics suggest that they have made the decision so they don’t have to face gov­ ernment financial review once the pandemic is fin­ ished. are in Administration and were hoping to see a rescue from JD Sports, but as much of the Deben­ hams business relies on conces­ sions from Arcadia brands, that deal has also fallen through. Spare a thought for shoppers in Gibraltar who have seen their BHS store close down and its replace­ ment, Debenhams likely to follow shortly.

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C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3I Group 1.114,00 1.131,50 Admiral Group 2.802,0 2.844,0 Anglo American 2.522,0 2.537,0 Antofagasta 1.395,00 1.452,50 Ashtead Group 3.241,4 3.253,0 Associated British Foods 2.285,0 2.334,8 AstraZeneca 8.107,0 8.172,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 547,80 558,20 Avast 477,11 487,20 Aveva 3.247,0 3.255,0 Aviva 329,88 340,64 B&M European Value Retail SA468,39 476,62 BAE Systems 523,00 525,80 Barclays 144,46 149,22 Barratt Developments 621,00 653,40 Berkeley 4.478,4 4.818,0 BHP Group 1.916,40 1.933,00 BP 272,60 277,43 British American Tobacco 2.801,2 2.801,2 British Land Company 492,60 506,63 BT Group 130,83 135,80 Bunzl 2.382,0 2.389,0 Burberry Group 1.800,0 1.819,5 Carnival 1.514,5 1.531,0 Centrica 44,75 45,74 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.285,0 2.303,0 Compass 1.480,00 1.485,50 CRH 3.075,0 3.116,0 Croda Intl 6.124,0 6.230,0 DCC 5.694,9 5.769,8 Diageo 2.962,0 2.970,5 DS Smith 340,02 342,90 EasyJet 924,45 934,00 Experian 2.656,5 2.685,0 Ferguson 8.513,7 8.548,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.870,0 14.950,0 Fresnillo 1.135,00 1.140,50 GlaxoSmithKline 1.399,45 1.402,47 Glencore 236,10 240,02 Halma 2.265,5 2.290,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.424,00 1.444,00 Hikma Pharma 2.559,00 2.581,00 HSBC 414,15 415,85 IAG 169,33 172,29 Imperial Brands 1.487,26 1.488,61 Informa 569,00 575,60 InterContinental 4.959,1 5.004,0 Intermediate Capital 1.668,61 1.710,00 Intertek 5.710,0 5.724,0 ITV 97,96 102,80 J Sainsbury 210,74 215,55

% CHG. 1.113,50 2.794,0 2.520,5 1.391,00 3.224,0 2.285,0 8.053,1 546,40 477,11 3.191,0 329,80 466,90 522,60 144,46 619,17 4.470,0 1.916,20 272,60 2.744,0 492,20 130,20 2.363,0 1.793,0 1.482,5 44,69 2.285,0 1.461,00 3.075,0 6.120,0 5.694,9 2.946,5 339,30 911,80 2.649,0 8.507,7 14.680,0 1.133,00 1.391,40 235,86 2.253,0 1.417,78 2.549,00 412,17 168,00 1.463,00 568,20 4.923,4 1.668,21 5.676,0 97,83 210,14

NET VOL 70,34K 41,80K 47,09K 132,82K 3,19K 16,46K 21,64K 96,19K 10,09K 19,83K 300,31K 55,17K 233,31K 2,44M 119,76K 4,22K 394,38K 1,24M 32,60K 36,72K 3,45M 55,52K 32,12K 81,63K 745,23K 15,16K 103,82K 34,39K 12,35K 10,54K 261,68K 48,56K 134,20K 57,18K 1,73K 33,07K 37,38K 115,67K 516,23K 1,39K 32,08K 14,79K 234,84K 2,17M 25,02K 72,93K 1,72K 2,25K 16,83K 636,91K 90,50K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Johnson Matthey 2.303,3 JSC MMC Norilsk Nickel ADR 31,17 JSC VTB Bank DRC 0,985 Land Securities 695,69 Legal & General 252,20 Lloyds Banking 37,21 London Stock Exchange 8.640,0 Meggitt 446,20 Melrose Industries 162,81 Mondi 1.682,50 National Grid 859,40 NatWest Group 165,63 Next 6.602,0 Ocado 2.210,40 Persimmon 2.724,0 Phoenix 719,40 Prudential 1.242,50 Reckitt Benckiser 6.422,0 Relx 1.762,50 Rentokil 498,60 Rightmove 615,00 Rio Tinto PLC 5.457,0 Rolls-Royce Holdings 131,35 Rosneft 5,95 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.397,25 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.397,8 Royal Dutch Shell B 1.347,6 RSA Insurance 675,60 Sage 579,80 Samsung Electronics DRC 1.679,00 Sberbank 14,95 Schroders 3.257,0 Scottish Mortgage 1.112,32 Segro 893,60 Severn Trent 2.298,0 Smith & Nephew 1.532,50 Smiths Group 1.562,50 Spirax-Sarco Engineering 10.895,0 SSE 1.379,50 St. James’s Place 1.067,00 Standard Chartered 480,60 Standard Life Aberdeen 284,70 Taylor Wimpey 156,98 Tesco 225,26 Tui 473,24 Unilever 4.361,0 United Utilities 910,00 Vodafone Group PLC 131,22 Whitbread 3.235,0 WPP 771,58

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

2.360,0 31,53 1,007 726,40 262,55 38,59 8.678,0 449,80 164,90 1.696,50 862,00 171,15 6.768,0 2.237,00 2.898,0 725,60 1.251,00 6.518,0 1.774,50 500,80 627,40 5.493,0 133,19 6,00 1.412,50 1.411,2 1.358,6 676,80 583,60 1.686,00 15,21 3.313,0 1.116,39 904,60 2.309,0 1.541,50 1.586,00 11.000,0 1.389,00 1.090,50 488,90 289,80 161,32 228,50 486,80 4.365,5 921,80 132,24 3.315,0 785,60

2.303,3 31,17 0,985 695,69 250,92 37,16 8.626,0 442,93 162,81 1.680,50 856,60 165,10 6.600,0 2.202,00 2.718,0 718,20 1.239,00 6.400,0 1.762,50 496,40 610,20 5.447,0 130,40 5,94 1.396,00 1.396,4 1.345,0 675,20 576,26 1.678,00 14,90 3.254,0 1.106,00 891,88 2.283,0 1.527,00 1.562,50 10.860,0 1.378,50 1.065,00 480,60 284,38 156,18 224,80 464,60 4.332,0 908,20 130,76 3.235,0 771,58

8,15K 41,88K 37,61K 8,56K 328,76K 33,53M 20,21K 20,75K 158,26K 44,50K 473,44K 1,87M 18,56K 11,17K 270,26K 201,21K 193,88K 65,71K 22,90K 93,66K 164,32K 177,66K 4,06M 159,68K 421,73K 40,57K 113,02K 164,32K 31,84K 2,64K 623,49K 9,84K 228,31K 7,41K 56,53K 72,69K 1,45K 7,12K 15,30K 25,13K 337,54K 51,89K 494,10K 208,55K 289,43K 21,90K 75,03K 978,75K 50,76K 22,15K

0.9112

1.10352 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.20922 Japan yen (JPY)......................................126.075 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.08061 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.44307 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.7350

currenciesdirect.com/moraira • Tel: +34 966 265 072 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

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 172,46 1.827,99 3.162,58 229,21 122,25 232,71 182,21 93,28 44,38 53,85 279,70 239,58 263,99 212,68 127,20 51,99 150,27 122,34 210,74 81,94 214,36 137,19 137,47 225,86 599,04 349,89 61,55 212,68 148,91 154,14

CHANGE 173,16 1.833,16 3.198,21 230,33 122,86 238,18 183,81 93,45 44,51 53,87 283,46 239,75 268,73 212,89 127,38 52,65 150,31 123,29 213,38 81,96 215,38 137,40 137,86 228,60 599,04 351,47 61,80 212,72 149,51 154,68

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 171,54 2,66M 1.816,99 1,38M 3.158,76 2,91M 225,75 1,99M 121,52 78,26M 230,25 29,38M 175,62 6,09M 90,92 10,79M 43,89 17,32M 52,76 18,12M 279,30 10,88M 236,95 2,37M 262,82 7,73M 209,39 3,20M 123,64 5,52M 51,00 39,77M 149,27 6,75M 121,69 13,58M 210,10 3,15M 81,11 8,26M 213,18 24,67M 135,64 4,34M 135,87 6,62M 221,82 20,50M 585,50 29,40M 345,75 3,26M 61,27 10,50M 208,51 5,72M 147,58 6,96M 152,81 6,03M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+197.16% +2.78% +5.26% +1.35% +3.79% +2.59% +2.85% +93.22% +1.87% +3.29% +2.26%

3.39M 1,317 54,243 339,519 12,730 163,350 553,878 2.79M 505,430 1.76M 632,860

-0.76% -2.96% -3.45% -19.62% -9.82% -3.69% -1.28% -1.81% -16.15% -2.62% -3.01%

2.91M 480,537 2.71M 1.40M 8.52M 608,945 961,248 467,838 2.74M 4.36M 27.70M

Most Advanced Seer Inc. Cl A Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A Booking Holdings Inc. Atrion Corp. CoStar Group Inc. Intuitive Surgical Inc. Sigilon Therapeutics Inc. Trade Desk Inc. Cl A Lam Research Corp. Equinix Inc.

Most Declined Amazon.com Inc. MarketAxess Holdings Inc. Ulta Beauty Inc. Cortexyme Inc. Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. Quidel Corp. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. Pool Corp. Cambium Networks Corp. Zscaler Inc. Moderna Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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10 - 16 December 2020

www.euroweeklynews.com

Another conspiracy theory LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT I THINK I’m losing track of the plot. Correct me if I’m wrong (and I KNOW you will) but didn’t we get all excited a few weeks ago with the announcement that the Brits had developed a new vaccine which was cheap, had a 90 per cent success rate and could be stored at normal fridge temperatures? Since it has been announced that the British government has decided to purchase the Pfizer concoction, which is not only more expensive, but has to be preserved at ­70 degrees it appears our British vaccine is ‘still having trials’ and only a success rate of 62 per cent to 90 per cent! I actually did think there appeared to be skullduggery afoot, but with the announcement that the UK version will be available from next week and the Queen is one of the first volunteers, I suppose a bit of revenue will be coming the Brits way after all. Ah well. I will probably have the ‘fix’ when it becomes available. When you

get to my age, ‘long term effects’ don’t have quite so much prevalence as they did in days of yore! What I did find even more disconcerting was some other information I received recently. What about this for a hackle raiser? I quote. ‘The Chinese biological laboratory in Wuhan is owned by Glaxo, which by ‘chance’ owns Pfizer. Glaxo, also by chance, is managed by Black Rock Finances. Black Rock manages the finances of the Open Foundation Company (THE SOROS FOUNDATION!). ‘Coincidently,’ Soros also owns the German company Winterthur who, strictly by ‘chance,’ built the Chinese laboratory in Wuhan, which was bought by the German Allianze which ‘coincidently’ has Vanguard as a shareholder, who are also shareholders of Black Rock’. (Are your eyes glazing over yet!?). Black Rock controls the Central Banks, about ONE THIRD of global investment capital and ‘incidentally’ is a major shareholder of Microsoft. Microsoft is, of course the property of Bill Gates, who just happens to be a shareholder of Pfizer and is also currently the first sponsor of the World Health

Organisation! Are you beginning to get the picture? If not, don’t bother, it’s actually another ‘conspiracy’ theory. More fake news, which is full of the half­ truths and outright fantasy that unfortunately riddles the social media in this day and age. These posts are not only damaging and misleading, but are a complete and utter waste of time and energy. They can also be quite dangerous when gobbled up and spread among the more gullible who want us to believe everything they read! I see the mealy mouthed Nicola Sturgeon has had the wind taken out of her sails by the EU, who stated last week that it was extremely unlikely that an independent Scotland would ever be considered by them for membership. Well of course it wouldn’t. Time to wake up to this incompetent woman’s politics of hatred and go forward together. I for one would hate to see a physical border and passports coming between me and the homeland of my many Scottish friends. After all, I am their favourite Sassenach DJ! Keep the Faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com. Expatradioscotland.com. Mon. Wed. Fri.

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

FEATURE

Withers Art Studio

GRAND NATIONAL: On show at Smokey Mo’s sports bar.

I AM Andy Withers of Withers Art Studio. The above picture of the Grand National was painted by hand in Smokey Mo’s sports bar in Levante Benidorm, to celebrate the opening of a new business in Benidorm. Neil the owner asked me to complete this composition of the Grand National famous horse race featuring Red Rum, Desert Orchid, Tiger Roll. I have also put in the fallen horse with jockey in mid air, the picture is 15 foot by six foot high. I have had so many locals and tourists watching me paint this live. I am an artist living in Moraira where I have my art studio. I have completed many projects in restaurants, bars and nightclubs. I can do large abstracts and human/animal portraits in oils or any medium. I also do murals or landscapes. I am currently painting the mayor of Teulada and this will be presented in the town hall in future. Please find below my website: https://andywithersart.wixsite.com/mysite

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

10 - 16 December 2020

EWN 41

Advertising Feature

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44 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

10 - 16 December 2020

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

AMID the first pandemic for more than 100 years in which free societies have endured restriction of their civil liberties that few had thought possi­ ble, there was surely only one seri­ ous candidate for ‘word of the year’ for 2020. Yes, you guessed: ‘lock­ down’. Other pandemic­linked terms on Collins Dictionary’s 10­strong list in­ clude ‘furlough’, ‘key worker’, ‘self­ isolate’ and ‘social distancing’ as well as ‘coronavirus’. Non­virus related words to make the list reflect the so­ cial and political events of 2020. Run­ ners­up included the abbreviation ‘BLM’ (the Black Lives Matter move­ ment). And ‘Megxit’, to describe the ongoing story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s efforts to extri­ cate themselves from royal responsi­ bilities for a new life in California. Slightly more obscure, perhaps, is ‘mukbang’, a term which literally means ‘eating broadcast’. It refers to a social media phenomenon that

WORD OF THE

CENTURY started in South Korea and has since gone viral worldwide in which celebri­ ties and ‘influencers’, itself a short­ listed word of the year in 2019, film themselves consuming food to excess for the benefit of followers on plat­ forms such as YouTube and TikTok. Yuck! As for me, my vote goes to ‘bigly’, though isn’t ‘Trump’ a contender, too? Another ‘bigly’ popular term this past year has been ‘pivot’ (for in­ stance, restaurants ‘pivoting’ to home deliveries). Indeed, ‘world­beating’ dissemina­ tion of an effective vaccine (fingers crossed) will prove a ‘pivotal’ point in the saga of Covid­19 ­ once, that is, they ‘ramp up’ the distribution which will be an ‘unprecedented’ challenge. Let’s just hope it’s ‘baked­in’, ‘oven­ ready’ and they’re ‘doubling down’ on it right now... Personally, I’ve always hated the

word ‘lockdown’. But then I’ve always hated ‘dentist’. I had one called Payne and another called Skidmore (that slow drill hanging over me like an evil praying mantis). Plus a school friend who swore he went to a dentist called Dr Fang he never wanted to hear about again. But then there are certain words that enter common usage that you would NEVER want to hear again ei­ ther. ‘Brexit’ (2016) is one. ‘Lock­ down’ will surely be another... Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Land­ scape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora­johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99;£0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

Advertising Feature

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FEATURE

Cyber patrol INSTAGRAM has once again served the Local Police in Malaga well, as the cyber cops busted the owner of the Centro Tocata bar in Malaga for coronavirus restriction breaches when photos turned up online of a massive maskless party on his premises. From videos of the dance party, the ‘cyber patrol’ was able to determine that the event took place on November 22, between 12am and 6pm, and that more than 50 people were observed not wearing masks or social distancing. The cyber patrol prepared a report with a proposal to sanction the owner of the Tocata for violating the law prohibiting meetings or parties which prevent or hinder the preventative health measures imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. The seriousness of the infraction determines the penalty, and according to the police report, the cocktail bar proprietor could be facing a fine between €3,000 and €60,000.

Beaten Unconscious

A WOMAN was horrifically beaten unconscious in Villena, in the Valencia Community by minors and suffered multiple skull fractures. The woman named only as Maria, tried to stop three minors from forcing a house door open, just a day after they had previously been stopped from doing the same. She was severely beaten with

a stick and stones and also kicked, and now needs help to walk after suffering multiple skull fractures and is no longer able to hear with her right ear. Maria’s sister witnessed the attack and called an ambulance. Allegedly relatives of the three minors stood and watched the attack without stepping in to help. Arrests have been made.

Fake Model Scout NATIONAL POLICE have arrested a 20-year-old man in Toledo on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor after he led her to believe he was working for a modelling agency. The suspect allegedly contacted the girl on social media, where he posed as a model scout, and told her his modelling agency Arrested for sexual assault. was looking for new talent to take part in special photo shoots, earning between €1,200 and €2,400. The victim travelled to the man’s home and agreed to take the pornographic shots. She discovered the deception days later when she called the modelling agency looking for payment. When she contacted the authorities, National Police discovered that the company did not exist. The perpetrator was arrested and faces sexual assault charges.

Second Vaccine Breakthrough THE Oxford team behind the Covid-19 vaccine is close to formulating a jab that combats and immunises against malaria. The Jenner institute director Adrian Hill said up to 5,000 doses will be tested in African countries next year after their earlier trials proved very positive. UNICEF says malaria is a mosquito-borne disease responsible for at least 400,000 deaths, with pregnant women and children at most risk of catching it and ultimately dying. It is thought an Oxford vaccine solution depending on the success of the trial could be ready by 2024.

45

www.euroweeklynews.com • 10 - 16 December 2020

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

YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS ARIES (March 21 - April 20) It seems that you are putting a lot of effort into whatever you do without getting as much out as you would like. However, as the week goes by, you will realise that it is only a temporary situation. Sometimes, it takes others a period of adjustment before they are ready to accept changes of a personal nature.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The brick wall that you start banging your head against this week is not an illusion. It is, indeed, true that others are not responding to you in an expected way. By Wednesday this wall will start to fall and people will be more receptive.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Everything seems an effort at the beginning of this week, but as energy levels pick up you will gain momentum. Tackle one thing at a time and realise that Rome was not, indeed, built in a day. As the weekend approaches you will begin to realise that you have been far more effective than you thought.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) You really do need to come to an understanding with friends over a social matter, although this may take a little effort this week. It is clear that there are those who are less helpful than others, but this could be because of a misunderstanding.

LEO (July 24 - August 23)

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) What a lovely surprise to find that something you have always wanted is coming your way at last. Keep a firm hand with finances and take control if you want to organise things for the better.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Be cautious this week with your money. You have been aware for some time now that a change in your finances is likely. You have this in common with many others in your situation. Seeking professional help can be free and can make a big difference.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) A special chance to try something new should not be passed over. No one expects wonders from you, they are happy just to see you enjoying life. A recent change in your attitude to your future is already showing. Luck is just waiting for you to invite her in.

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 (DETAIL) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ABOUND ANTHEM ASTUTE BEETLE BURLAP CATSUP CHASTE CRADLE DETAIL (10) ENTIRE NEWTON RAISED RASCAL RETIRE TELLER THEORY TIPTOE WEALTH WORTHY

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 5 December

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Your home life gives you the most satisfaction at the moment even though someone seems to be challenging you. Some things are best ignored until they go away of their own accord and that also often applies to people. There is a time for everything and choosing it will make a task that could be difficult that much easier.

13-38-47 51-52-59

Be a social animal this week and you will strengthen both people and business contacts. After being busy last week, you may be inclined to take it easy. If it is the case that you really are low on energy, then use the telephone or email to full advantage to keep in touch.

Involvement in a situation connected with someone close may not be the best option this week. Giving advice is all well and good so long as you are sure of your facts.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

Someone well and truly treads on your toes this week and it really puts your teeth on edge. There are some bridges that may not be mended at the present time and are best left alone. Show your generous side but resist the urge to give in on an important issue because you are likely to regret it later.

Some disruption to your plans annoys you but there’s no point getting in a huff. Outside influences cannot be stopped but you are able to keep calm yourself. Rising to the bait will play into someone else’s hands. Although a situation must be dealt with, do it in your own time and in your own way.

BONUS BALL

18

IRISH LOTTO Sat 5 December

3-8-10 20-43-44

BONUS BALL

40

EURO MILLIONS Tue 1 December

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

TIME OUT

BONUS BALL

4

14-20-29 47-49

12

Fri 4 December

BONUS BALL

14-20-27 34-38

1 11

EL MILLON: HGG28522 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 3 December

BONUS BALL

02-14-19 30-32-49

16 9

JOKER: 7238443 Sat 5 December

BONUS BALL

03-14-28 31-40-49

20

JOKER: 8155390

6

TIME OUT

46

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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, 5 represents T and 23 represents Q, so fill in T every time the figure 5 appears and Q every time the figure 23 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 Alabanzas (7) 5 Palos (5) 8 Button (on garment, machine) (5) 9 Bison (7) 10 Columna vertebral (5) 11 That (5) 12 German (6) 14 Strawberries (6) 18 Prensa (5) 20 Lakes (5) 22 Conductores (7) 23 Mile (5) 24 Águila (5) 25 Bailadores (7)

Down 1 Poverty (7) 2 Before (5) 3 Smile (7) 4 Envelopes (for letters) (6) 5 Fishing (5) 6 Languages (7) 7 Cáscara (de huevo, nuez) (5) 13 Tarde (últimas horas) (7) 15 Regime (7) 16 Señales (7) 17 Cerrado (6) 18 Father (5) 19 Escena (5) 21 Resolver (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Available, 6 Early, 7 Ideas, 9/14 Tip off, 10 Luggage, 11 Measles, 16 Needs, 17 Erase, 18 Strangers. Down: 1 Alert, 2 Aeroplane, 3 Loyal, 4 Bring, 5 Waste, 8 Evaporate, 11 Mends, 12 Loser, 13 Stern, 15 Feeds.

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Stables, 5 Tiger, 8 Chapter, 9 Shawl, 10 Set-to, 11 Cushion, 12 Robins, 14 Sparks, 17 Flatter, 19 Organ, 22 Shear, 23 Cleaner, 24 Lathe, 25 Screech. Down: 1 Sacks, 2 Abaft, 3 Let down, 4 Struck, 5 Tests, 6 Glazier, 7 Relents, 12 Refusal, 13 Bravest, 15 Pioneer, 16 Wrecks, 18 Torte, 20 Genie, 21 North.

ENGLISH-SPANISH

BOGGLED

FUTOSHIKI

riot rota rotate rort iota itch itchy aitch aorta aortic teat tech techy tench oath tiro tori tour tore tort torte torc torch torr true thou thru throe thrice echo echt euro etch ecru retch recti hour houri hoer choir chou chore neat neath trot troth tribe tich cert cruet crotch cite citer rite rice ricer rich enrich ichor lite liter litre lice

Across: 1 Washing, 5 Swans, 8 Leather, 9 Offer, 10 Sonar, 11 Esmalte, 12 Abbots, 14 Thirty, 17 Maletín, 19 Sport, 22 Junta, 23 Oración, 24 Stare, 25 Tadpole. Down: 1 Wales, 2 Spain, 3 Inherit, 4 Garden, 5 Storm, 6 Alfiler, 7 Surgery, 12 Almejas, 13 Balanza, 15 Husband, 16 On foot, 18 Traje, 20 Óxido, 21 Tense.

CODE BREAKER

NONAGRAM deer doer dorm dorp drew drop ewer mere more peer perm pore prod prom prow redo reed rode romp rope were word wore worm doper dower emeer erode moper mower pedro pored power proem roped rowed deeper peered permed powder premed redeem romped weeder weeper wormed empower powered EMPOWERED

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 FILTER 2 CORRAL 3 UPTAKE 4 RELIEF 5 REPEAL 6 EMERGE 7 GENIAL 8 UMPIRE 9 ADVENT 10 GARDEN 11 PUPPET 12 INTENT 13 DIPOLE 14 INLAND 15 TEEING 16 CLOUDY 17 DIGEST 18 ILLUME 19 ENERGY

DINE MINE MILE MALE (MILL) MALL (HILL) HALL

KAKURO

or DINE WINE WILE WILL HILL HALL or

SUDOKU

DINE DIVE HIVE HAVE HALE HALL

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Costa Blanca TODAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA

WEATHER

BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

TOMORROW

DENIA JAVEA CALPE

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

47

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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.

ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

SATURDAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

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

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: 19 Good: 26 Very good: 37 Excellent: 48

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 Robert's musical wild animals (7) 4 Chews the fat in a church at suppertime (5) 7 Jumble sale including 10 vehicle parts (5) 9 Appetiser for a race official (7) 10 Weed holding deer as temporary prisoner (7) 11 Chef in kitchen returns with a weapon (5) 12 Fashioned an outhouse to keep a python initially (6) 14 Swan taking donkey round trees (6) 18 Join the French, become confused (5) 20 Fresh bread is cooked slowly (7) 22 Some slimmers eat duck (7) 23 Poet has a meal at the King's Head (5) 24 One taken in by my cash (5) 25 Moderates fits of anger (7) Down 1 Be taking pains to get to the seaside? (7) 2 Bighead lets out cuffs (5) 3 Part of embassy’s temporary procedure (6) 4 French Alka-Seltzer contains calcium carbonate (5) 5 Sit and read awkwardly with legs apart (7) 6 A merry frolic for drunken peers (5) 8 Criticise pub credit (5) 13 Awfully bad sign for stomach (7) 15 Saint has an old boat that is undecorated (5) 16 Unhappy winners are cruel people (7) 17 Not here, as bent out of shape (6) 18 Cab heading off to the centre of Rome? That's taken for granted (5) 19 Peer with a ponytail is ahead of schedule (5) 21 Flash flood ruins tapes (5)

TIME OUT

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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 Quick (4) 3 Retail outlets (5) 8 Changed for something different (9) 9 Fixed look (5) 10 Utter a sudden loud cry (4) 14 Not easy (4) 15 Cooked in an oven (5) 18 Standing out (9) 20 Bring the foot forcibly down upon (5) 21 Unemployed (4)

Down 1 Known thing (4) 2 Structure that provides privacy and protection from danger (7) 4 Make whole and healthy (4) 5/19 Over eat (3,3) 6 Frightening (5) 7 Full-grown (5) 11 Chosen by vote (7) 12 Strips of potato fried in deep fat (5) 13 At some time in the future (5) 16 Motion picture (4) 17 Free from danger (4) 19 See 5

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

WRAP

QUIZ There are 12 sovereign states that make up the continent of South America. This quiz is about 10 of them: 1. According to Michael Bond, the duffel coat wearing, marmalade loving bear, Paddington was sent by his Aunt Lucy from which country? 2. Founded in 1903, the sports club Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is based in which country? 3. Hips Don’t Lie and Whenever Wherever were both UK hit singles by singer/songwriter Shakira, who was born in which country in February 1977? 4. In 1960 Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and which other country formed the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)? 5. Which country’s flag is made up of three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the centre of the flag? 6. Sucre is the constitutional capital and La Paz the seat of government of which landlocked republic? 7. The bossa nova, a dance similar to the samba was developed and popularised in the 1950s and 1960s in which country? 8. The guaraní is the national currency unit of which country? 9. Which country has a wine growing area called Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins Region, often shortened to O’Higgins Region? 10. Which country hosted and won the inaugural FIFA World Cup tournament in 1930? Not a lot of people know that… Guyana is the only Englishspeaking nation in South America and, at just under 165,000 square kilometres (64,000 square miles), Suriname is the smallest sovereign state in South America

BACK GERM

NONAGRAM

RACHEL AND FRIENDS

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 B) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET:

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

Average: 14 Good: 19 Very good: 27 Excellent: 35

Answers 1. PERU 2. ARGENTINA (Rosario, Santa Fe) – they were named after the Essexborn teacher Isaac Newell, 3. COLOMBIA (Barranquilla), 4. VENEZUELA, 5. ECUADOR, 6. BOLIVIA (officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia), 7. BRAZIL (bossa nova means ‘new trend’ in Portuguese), 8. PARAGUAY, 9. CHILE, 10. URUGUAY

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EWN 49

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

TORY DRUM

I ALMOST bought a round after reading Loopy Lee praising the government on its performance over the last few months. The worst death toll in Europe, the worst financial crisis since goodness knows when. The most contradictory, confusing Coronavirus advice given to the British people. The shame of Cummins and his sidekick flouting the rules at will, then blatantly lying? Then the government blatantly backing him, disgraceful. I could go on but I don’ t have the time. Of course the media had a go at this government’s abject failure, however, it was not only the left media that totally slated them, the broadsheets got in on the act as well. Along with a good splattering of their own MPs. I notice Mr Lee failed to mention the government’s main tormentor and nemesis, ITV’s Piers Morgan. Boris daren’t go on there he would be totally humiliated. Good dodge Leapy it stops you getting a battering from the man himself. Philip

An immense shame that those in authority are deliberately in denial and try to minimise the concerns or sweep them under the carpet. Hope your comments are read and absorbed by those who can bring about a change in some of the new values which are so damaging our society. Regards R Martinez

Swallows

Songs

Whilst I appreciate how important it is for those that intend to live in Spain to get their news and advice re their future residence from you which has been extremely useful, please don’t forget us home owning swallows. Like many I am still working and running a business in the UK and also like many a residency is just not an option. So obviously we also appreciate all the latest updates. Great fan of your paper and of course Leapy!! AM Villamartin

Hi LL Just read your article and had to say it is spot on and reflects the real reality and not some imaginary view.

Hold Zimbabwean president to account to stop health tourist in neighbouring countries

OUR VIEW Working from Home

AT the beginning of the lockdowns, many of us saw working from home as a blessing. Lockdown meant increased family time, and it put a pause on commuting, which is both pricey and stressful. There was more downtime at home and far less money spent on work attire, working in my dressing gown on the sofa I’m not proud to say was a regular occurrence. Since the onslaught of the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of employees who prefer to work from home rather than the office. Fast-forward to the end of the year, Christmas is just around the corner and many of us have been working remotely for almost an entire year. You and your partner - or housemates - are sharing makeshift office space and, in a lot of cases, this means working at the kitchen table. Perhaps you’ve even begun to miss the mundane office chitchat and small talk. In the pre-pandemic world, remote work was not synchronous with social isolation measures, and in the current climate, any form of social interaction almost becomes a treat. I never thought I’d see the day that I’d welcome small talk of any form, but here we are. All of this got me thinking. Let’s suppose remote working is becoming the ‘new norm’, are we prepared for it? Could we finally be saying farewell to monotonous commutes? With less demand, what would become of our public transport systems and the individuals that work for them? Imagine the London underground without rush hour, without the stacks of professionals lined up like sardines rubbing shoulders. Personally, I’d love it, but I doubt the employees whose hours have been cut would feel the same.

CORRECTIONS

Dear Editor, World AIDS day in Zimbabwe is a painful reminder of the misery of orphans and the carelessness of the government to tackle issues that economically and socially affect people with HIV AIDS. The devastating effect of HIV AIDS in Zimbabwe is profound. In 2019, 40,000 people died due to AIDS related illnesses in Zimbabwe. This number could have been easily reduced if effective prevention measures were implemented. Nurses and doctors spend more time on prolonged industrial actions pleading for the government to pay decent salaries and improve the working conditions. It is obvious that the ZANU PF party has no remorse nor care for its citizens as till this day the cries and pleas of the nurses have gone unanswered even some being prosecuted for protesting. Who can blame the nurses when there is not enough resources to treat patients, no ambulances, no medication and to make matters worse many patients are transported to hospitals on wheelbarrows? The current harsh economic situation in Zimbabwe has prevented AIDS sufferers from buying appropriate medication and food because of high costs and unemployment. It is difficult enough for an able-bodied person to buy decent food let alone someone affected by AIDS. The Zimbabwean government should seriously and urgently revive the healthcare systems so that citizens will not burden other countries’ healthcare systems such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. President Mnangagwa should show strong leadership and improve healthcare systems otherwise he will be forced out by leaders of neighbouring countries when they fail to cope with Zimbabwean migrants invading their countries for treatments. M Tinarwo

HAVE YOUR SAY All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

COMMENTS FROM FACEBOOK No awards required, except boxing belts of course! Good for him, that BLM guy Hamilton will win anyway.

AD

Hungarian MEP Was Discovered At A Gay Sex Party Let’s see, ‘top politician’, ‘law maker’ belongs to an anti LGBT party... I personally don’t see anything wrong showing what a hypocrite he is. In conclusion, he was in politics for money and status.

SC

Only Four Celebrities Left In The I’m A Celebrity Castle Now For some people these programmes are a welcome release from what’s happening in the world.

FF

Billionaire SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Wants Humans on Mars Within Six Years So the ultra wealthy can jump ship when earth is on its knees.

JT

The woman claims to have been unaware the child was just 14 Why does a 30-yr-old woman want to sleep with even a 16-yrold. That’s just weird whether he’s 16 or 14. She’s still a weirdo.

LR

Enslaved women rescued from ‘babymaking’ factory in Nigeria Who pays for these babies when there are absolutely 100s of them in Nigeria needing adoption?

KSL

First arrest under ‘love jihad’ anticonversion law India is a truly racist country, as an American I am an expert on racism and when you create new laws that prevent inter-faith marriages, you are headed down a dark path. India is the next Nazi Germany.

ER

The Chinese Farm Where You Can Have A Dog Cooked To Order As Sausages Makes my blood boil. I wish god would strike down these heartless murderers.

SA

Breaking News: Ryanair Orders 75 Boeing Max-8200 Aircraft (210 In Total) Not so hard up then.

TA

At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

10 - 16 December 2020

52 to read more visit

www.euroweeklynews.com

By Clinica Britannia

The importance of skin biopsies

SKIN CANCER is when there is an abnormal growth of skin cells, that can invade and spread to other areas of the body. There are three main types of skin cancer, Basal-cell, Squamous-cell, and Melanoma. Although anyone is susceptible to suffer with skin cancer, those who have a higher risk include individuals who have a heavy exposure to UV rays, lighter skin, a family history of skin cancer, prevalent moles, severe sunburns in the past or a weakened immune system. It is important to keep a check on your skin for any suspicious changes and if necessary to see a Dermatologist, who can check and if need be take a biopsy for analysis.

A biopsy is performed by removing cells from the surface of your skin. This is examined and will diagnose if you are suffering with skin cancer and if so, what treatment is necessary. Skin biopsies can also diagnose other skin conditions and diseases, including: • Dermatitis, psoriasis, and other inflammatory conditions. • Skin infections. • Skin tags. • Suspicious moles or growths. • Warts. If you are worried, please contact us at Clinica Britannia to help put your mind at ease.

For more information or to book an appointment call CLINICA BRITANNIA on +34 965 837 553/ +34 607 255 755, email us at britannia.calpe@gmail.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ClinicaBritannia/

Stress can pile on the pounds FEELING stressed can lead to us making wrong food choic­ es as we’re more likely to grab a bar of chocolate than a carrot stick when feeling un­ der pressure. Stress can trigger chemical changes in the body resulting

in bad food cravings and whilst making you feel better briefly, it is bad news for those watching their weight. In stressful situations, the brain signals that it is under threat and floods the body with stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. If stress levels remain high, cor­ tisol stays in the body long af­ ter the initial adrenalin rush, wanting energy rich foods as

the brain’s attempt to bal­ ance out the physical and mental demands of stress. Cortisol also affects how fat is distributed around our bod­ ies and it builds up in the worst place, around our mid­ dles making it harder to shift. So to beat the bulging waistline try looking at your stress levels and stay calm to help reduce the temptation of reaching for the chocolate.

TASTE THE TENSION: Chemical changes caused by stress has us reaching for the cakes.

54 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

10 - 16 December 2020

DAVID WORBOYS ALTHOUGH beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, there are many in­ stances where just about everybody beholds a concept or an image in the same way. How many men (or women) would genuinely find Ksenia Sukhinova (pictured) anything other than beautiful? Beauty is either created by God (by na­ ture) or by man. A colour, such as green, can be created by either. A beauty of nature may be short­lived or enduring, whether it is a fleeting sunrise, almond blossom, a tiger or a lake. The beauty in natural creations such as a rose or a red admiral will eventually fade, but it doesn’t date. Man­created beauty doesn’t either ­ it’s only fashion that becomes dat­ ed. The beauty of an island or a beach can be spoiled by human activity such as ‘de­ velopment’, but not dated. To almost anybody, surely, the natural mountains, forests and meadows of the Tirol are beautiful. The magnificent Alham­ bra Palace in Granada is man­made, while the lakeside village of Sirmione in Italy is a creation of man in a naturally exquisite set­ ting. It’s likewise, Portofino. Maradona’s 1986 goal in Mexico and

OH, YOU BEAUTY! New Aston Martin DVS Volante.

Ksenia Sukhinova is beautiful. Pete Sampras’s service are also sights of dramatic beauty. The beautiful song, ‘La Paloma’, was cre­ ated by its composer (Sebastian Yradier), as were the slow movements of Mozart’s Piano Concertos 20 and 21, while the voic­ es of Joan Sutherland, Edith Piaf or a great Welsh choir were temporary gifts of God, honed to perfection. From bespoke leather jackets to the Al­ hambra Palace, there are many beautiful human creations that withstand the test of time. For me the two most beautiful creations by man that I can think of both happen to be British engineering designs. The E­type Jaguar of the 1960s has a feminine kind of beauty that will never age. But I find even better the more rounded and sturdier de­

Most beautiful human creation. sign of the new Aston Martin DBS Volante (pictured). It’s not just fashion that makes me prefer the Volante; it’s progress. But my most visually beautiful human creation is a railway engine (pictured). The combination of aesthetic perfection, char­ acter and power is encompassed in the A4 locomotive of Sir Nigel Gresley of 1937. There is still much nostalgia for the age of steam, and when you behold this magnifi­ cent standard bearer, it is not difficult to see why.

FEATURE

Reptile Rescue G U A R D I A C I V I L have arrested three people on a farm in the Barcelona town of Sant Vicenç de Montalt for selling protected species of reptiles. Along with the arrests, a significant number of live animals were rescued including 19 turtles (Trochemys Scripta), two turtles (Centrochelys Sulcata), two snakes (Aspidites Ramsavi), a chameleon (Chamaleo Callyptratus) and three crocodiles (Crocodylus Siamensis), all of which have been determined that they were invasive species and protected by the C onvention on I nternational T rade in E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i e s o f W i l d Fa u n a a n d F l o r a (C I T ES). The animals have been moved to specialised centres where they are recovering.

Avoid PayPal Charges PAYPAL will be hitting users with the £12 charge in December for inactive accounts, unless of course you are registered in Ireland or in Hungary. Now is a good time to check your account as the charge will go out on D ecember 16 and will hit those who have not used their account in over 12 months. There are a few ways to avoid paying the charge and those whose accounts are

not linked to a bank account apparently cannot be charged as the fee will be taken direct from the bank. For users that currently have a balance, PayPal will be able to use this money, but if the balance is in the negative users should be safe. U sers with inactive accounts should have been receiving warnings of the upcoming payments direct from PayPal.

56 EWN

10 - 16 December 2020

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FEATURE

10 - 16 December 2020 • www.euroweeklynews.com

IF you are already thinking about plans for next year’s holiday you may be thinking that your furry friend could come with you. Well that’s one idea. Have you thought that it might be a better break for both of you if your pet stays safely at home in the care of pet loving sitters? They could take care of everything to do with your pet and home mainte­ nance, and you can have a won­ derful escape from the daily grind. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house­sitters if you have trips planned next year, 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 to take: 1. Register as a Homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house­sit advert stat­

SPONSORED BY

57

PETS

Pet plans for next year’s holidays? ing your plans for next year’s holi­ day Covid permitting. 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 the sitter who’ll 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 perfect house­sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a per­ fect house­sitter while we were away in Canada and we were de­

Is your pet coming with you on next year’s holidays? If not then…

Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

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.Housesitmatch. com ­ Choose a membership plan ­ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on subscription to se­ cure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa

58 EWN

10 - 16 December 2020

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AIR CONDITIONING

PLUMBERS

CHIMNEY SERVICES

POOLS

ROOF REPAIRS

SERVICES

SERVICES

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10 - 16 December 2020

PLUMBERS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

MASSAGE

EWN 59

60 EWN

10 - 16 December 2020

REMOVALS & STORAGE

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SERVICES

SERVICES

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10 - 16 December 2020

REMOVALS & STORAGE

TV / SATELLITE TV

INSURANCE

MOTORING

EWN 61

CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS

THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10:30 am Followed by a time of Fellowship Everyone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmerer @hotmail.com, www.centrosaron .com (10008)

CHIMNEY SWEEP BUSINESS OPP. Coyote Street Food bar, business opportunity for sale. Modern container installation. Tacos , pancakes, waffle, gofre,Smoothie Coctails, Yogurt Ice cream ( best Italian Gelmatic machine), display fridge , fully equipped. 648 603 343 michaelmaj11 @gmail.com (290080)

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) V-FIT AR1 Artemis II Air Rowing Machine €80 Tel: 966 474 641 (290811)

CAMPING

PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP Sooty & Son, Family Business established over 60 years. 660 478 881 (289460)

CLUBS/SOCTIETIES SPIRITUAL FRIENDS Costa Blanca is a non-religious group of spiritually minded people who meet on Wednesday afternoons. Each week different - clairvoyance, discussions, talks and demonstrations on spiritual or holistic subjects. email sp.fr.cb@gmail.com website www.spiritualfriendscostablanca.c om or contact Jan. 600 837 054 (10000)

ELECTRICIAN MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mbelectrics.es (288732)

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

GARDENING SERVICES DAVID THE TREE GUY Cutting, trimming & removal of trees. Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm areas. 722 652 173 (290501)

GENERAL SERVICES MISTER Fix-it handyman, available in Jalon Valley area, hourly rates, 657189519 (290302)

GOLD WANTED

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WIGS

CHARITY El Campello Christian Community Evangelical Church - Life and Family Sunday Service in English at 10.00 a.m. and a Spanish Service at 11.45am. C / San Bartolomé 35 bajo, No.6 campellocc@gmail.com www.el campellochristiancommunity.org For more information call Juan Zuniga – 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 63 94 26 (English)

POOL REPAIRS

WWW.WIGS-R-US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm. Monday - Saturday 10 - 3. Hundreds of wigs in stock, private appointments after 3pm and home visits. 681 049 502 (290625)

SITUATIONS VACANT

CASH BACK OFFER! CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATS APP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsuranceinspain. com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (289799)

PROPERTY FOR SALE PEDREGUER detached Villa, 2 Bed, 2 Bath. Garden with fruit trees. €190,000. 633 813 774 (290033)

PROPERTY TO LET DOGS & ALL PETS VERY WELCOME - 500 year old beamed cottage set in beautiful valley of the charming Jesus Pobre village, Javea. Beautiful pool & garden. www.littlehouseinspain.com (290312)

BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@bene ficialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuranceinspain.co m for online quote. (289158) 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! STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure .com (2887610)

LEGAL www.iurisunited.net Lawyers. Tax advice and bookkeeping. All Gestoria Services. Experts in Brexit and Residence Permits. NIE Numbers. FREE 1st.consultation. Ask Oliver. Tel: 606 051 000 info@iurisunited.net (290541)

METAL WORK

STUDIO long let near Mcdonalds Albir for retired person or pensioner includes gas water & electric €450 no animals tel 670 330 084 (290815) 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)

PAINTER/DECORATOR DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (290369)

PEST CONTROL BUGBUSTERS BENIDORM: Fully Legal Costa Blanca Pest Control Company. EST 1994. For all pest problems, commercial and domestic. Call Lois Clark 619 054 939/96 686 5204. bugbusterslois@hot mail.com. ROESB 05552 CV (286372)

PETS MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH & BEAUTY SOLEMATE MOBILE FOOT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL. 692 031 849 (2898171)

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

MOTORING

CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307 (279267)

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725.(289159)

THERAPIST

CITROEN C4 Picasso 2010, VTR plus, diesel, silver, 60k miles, RHD, on full UK MOT etc, excellent condition, Air- con, tow bar. Denia +447976 722 351

COUNSELLING PSYCHOTHERAPIST. TEL: 634 35 48 92 / www.feelgoodcs.com (286340)

FOR SALE

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS MARK PADDON BSc Hons. MCIOB, CAAT - LOCKDOWN REMOTE WHATSAPP VIDEO ADVICE available for reduced fee Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasurveyors.com (287153)

INSURANCE

CARER/NURSE ENGLISH carer, former registered nurse in UK. References available. Altea and surrounding areas. Available for home care and services. Call Dean on 633684893 (290722)

10 - 16 December 2020 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (288697)

PLUMBING RIGHT PLUMBER - plumbing & drainage for a honest, affordable, professional service call 656 303 236 (288474)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

PROPERTY WANTED RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa – prefer two beds. Needed urgently – call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800 (279523)

TRANSLATORS SPANISH INTERPRETER for all your appointment needs, has car. Effective, Friendly & Affordable service. Call 609 679 808 (290313)

WANTED

REMOVALS/STORAGE BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 678 067 163 (288644) KLF TRANSPORT REMOVALS AND STORAGE. VAN GOING TO ENGLAND AND BACK TO SPAIN. SPACE AVAILABLE BOTH WAYS. ALSO, LOCAL REMOVALS FROM A SINGLE ITEM TO FULL HOUSE. TEL: 604 129 344 (288110) TRANSCONE TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS Fortnightly collection & deliveries to & from UK. All areas covered from Alicante to Valencia. Tel. 603 307 962, (0044) 7925 553625 Email aaronrichards88@live.co.uk (290322) La Cala, Man & van. Removals, deliveries plus flat pack collection and assembly. Tlf 630655374 (290628)

REFURBISHMENT REFURBISHMENT We specialise in refurbishing homes and restaurants. For more information please visit us on www.muxasari.com/english/ or Tel: 687070164

ROLLER SHUTTERS ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy. com (286464) www.euroweeklynews.com

XXX RELAXATION 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 FEMALE CALPE. ELENA RUSSIAN Girl Massage. Tel: 601 281 426 BENIDORM: Pretty lady, excellent full body massage €50 per hour. Above Restaurant Toni Roma’s. 646 667 604 (288166) SOPHIE naughty, slim, elégant lady. 3 languages spoken. Visit all areas, also private apartment in Villamartin. 693 357 526 (281656)

XXX VARIOUS VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS COVERED. TEL: PETER 644 139 274 (290560)

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10 - 16 December 2020

to read more visit ROAD TEST by Mark Slack ELECTRIC vehicles have been making the automotive head­ lines for some while, and with the recent announce­ ment of no new petrol or diesel cars from 2030 (Hy­ brids 2035) only serves to put them even more into the headlines. Range anxiety, a fragment­ ed public charging infrastruc­ ture and price consistently hinder the progress of EVs. However, if you have a home charger and mainly drive commuter runs then an EV could be for you. More ex­ pensive EVs tend to offer greater range, both stated and in the real world. Move to cheaper, well relatively, and you lose range but gain more affordable purchase prices. SEAT’s diminutive Mii is now only available in all­elec­ tric form and suits the car well. In its previous petrol in­ carnation it made a super town car, and now with its new electric power it’s even

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MOTORING

SEAT Mii and the EV life better. It costs €25,373 (£22,800), but you gain a €3,338 (£3,000) reduction via a UK government grant which helps make the pur­ chase price more palatable. It comes with excellent levels of equipment and a useable range. That range is 160 miles, but in the real world that very much depends on how and where you drive. In my busy week 100 miles was my maximum range, but that was while making full use of the Mii’s features and some cruising on dual carriage­ ways. EVs thrive in stop start motoring to maximise their range. I would guess in city motoring you would easily manage 120­140 miles. Any more would most likely re­ quire use of the eco button on the Mii, which cuts down on features to maximise the range. On the road the Mii is a de­ light, small, nimble and good

fun. Its perky demeanour be­ lies the rather lazy 0 to 100 kmh (62 mph) of 12.3 sec­ onds and top speed of 81 mph. It smooths the bumps

and its quiet drive only en­ hances its appeal on a daily basis. Four people would be fine in its seats for shorter journeys, two adults and two

children would be very com­ fortable. Although the boot space is somewhat limited, it easily accommodates the ur­ ban luggage that would re­

sult from the Mii’s city life. This is a smart and well­ equipped city car that would offset some of its higher pur­ chase price with low running costs by home charging. It charges quickly and has a very useable commuter range.