News
The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1857
4 - 10 February 2021
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
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REACH OUT PLEA
REACH OUT-EXTIENDE LA MANO in Torrevieja is near to closure. The charity supports more than 50 homeless men and women, providing daily food parcels and provisions to see them over the weekend, the Reach Out’s president, David Young, told the Euro Weekly News. In one last desperate bid to raise much-needed funds, Reach Out is holding a €1 sale of all clothes at their Calle Bella Antonia shop. “This is a sad and arduous time for everyone in all walks of life,” said Reach Out’s president, David Young. “We appreciate that the situation is not going to improve in the near future, which is why I am
REACH OUT: Volunteers at a pre-Covid fundraiser. making this plea for help.” The Covid situation has made matters still more complicated, especially now that all cafes, bars and restaurants are closed, pre-
venting them from holding the functions and events that would otherwise help to fund Reach Out’s work. There are shower facilities at the charity’s centre and
two clothes washers to help the users retain some degree of hygiene and they supply clothing and bedding when needed, David said. “We support 40 families sent
to us from Social Services, accounting for 140 souls,” he told us. “Luckily we have been helped by a marvellous grant from the Church of Latter Day Saints last year, ensuring that food would be available for almost one year, ending in July.” Despite this generosity, Reach Out has had to close its shop in Torrevieja’s Calle Doña Sinforosa as it was not bringing in enough to cover costs, David revealed. Their van has also been damaged while parked at the centre’s back door and is now being repaired, further depleting Reach Out’s funds. Meanwhile it cannot be used to collect and deliver furniture and other donations.
“The remaining shop is now costing us money to keep it open, but as this is our main source of income we cannot do without it,” David said. “We need all the help we can get to carry out our work helping those less fortunate than ourselves.” For more information visit https://reachouttorrevieja.eu/
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4 - 10 February 2021
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Social Media Campaign ORIHUELA City Council has launched a social media Covid campaign to reach a broader audience. The Orihuela City Council has redoubled its efforts, which originally began at the start of the pandemic, to post a series of informative and in‐ spirational videos online urg‐ ing everyone to follow regula‐ tions. The main aim of the videos, according to officials, is to give people from the different sec‐ tors the opportunity to explain how ‘the pandemic is affecting us all and we have to make an effort, complying with the measures, to be able to recov‐ er as soon as possible every‐ thing we are losing.’
Photo credit: Orihuela town hall
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COVID AWARENESS: Orihuela’s Emergencies councillor Victor Valverde announced a social media campaign. A spokesperson for the City Council said: “It is important to bring testimonials, in first per‐ son, from all the sectors that are being affected by this health crisis, whether they are health, festive, retail, hoteliers,
athletes, associations... We be‐ lieve that it is the best way to reach the entire population, because they are recognised people who clearly identify themselves within their field and by Orihuela society.”
Strikers acquitted EIGHT men accused of burning five lorries and injuring a driver in San Isidro in 2008 were found not guilty. The fire occurred during a 2008 haulage strike when drivers were protesting at increased fuel prices. A lorry driver not backing the strike had been asleep in his lorry at the La Granadina industrial estate on June 11, 2008, and woke at 4am to find the vehicle in flames.
Although he managed to jump from the cabin he suffered second‐degree burns and broke his leg, remaining in hospital for more than a month. The Public Prosecutor recommended sen‐ tences totalling 16 years for each of the eight men, but the Elche High Court ruled that although the fire was started by pickets, it had not been es‐ tablished that the eight accused were responsible for it.
Vaccine threat to Benejuzar pact CIUDADANOS threatened to end its voting agreement with the PSOE socialist party that controls Benejuzar’s local gov‐ ernment.
The warning came after Jose Antonio Garcia Gomez, a PSOE councillor at Benejuzar Town Hall, admitted jumping the Covid vaccination queue al‐ though he does not belong to an at‐risk group. Garcia Gomez, who repre‐ sented the regional govern‐ ment’s Health department at Torrevieja Hospital where he re‐ ceived the vaccination, has since resigned from this position and Ciudadanos spokeswoman, Rosa Maria Garcia is demanding
that he also vacates his seat on Benejuzar Council. Instead, Benejuzar mayor Miguel Lopez issued a commu‐ nique stating that Garcia Lopez should keep his council seat as his vaccination “was correct.” An irate Rosa Maria Garcia recently explained to Diario de la Vega that unless Garcia Gomez resigns, Ciudadanos will tear up the Ciudadanos‐PSOE pact that was signed in June 2019 following the municipal elections.
Learn all about it THE future Guardamar vocational school, La Vega Baja, will offer 10 educational modules. These are designed to coincide with the demand for a qualified work‐ force in the area, the regional government explained. Available courses will also respond to emerging sectors that are just beginning to make themselves felt, including renewable energy and water treatment, the Valencian Community’s Education authorities revealed. The school will also provide Maritime Fishing classes incorporating the entirely new Fish Farming and closely‐linked Aquaculture which in‐ volves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations not only of fish but also aquatic plans, algae and other organisms.
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NIBS EXTRA Open book PILAR DE LA HORADADA Town Hall’s website passed Transparency requirements with an 83 per cent rating, its highest since obligatory rankings were introduced by the national and regional governments. The town hall provided clear information regarding budget, agreements, grants, legal rulings and councillors’ personal finances, inspectors found.
Big chance ORIHUELA will put itself forward as the ideal location for the Ministry of Defence’s new €350 million logistics centre. All parties, with the exception of Cambiemos Orihuela, voted in favour of the proposal to cede municipal land for the 500,000-square metre installation at the last plenary council meeting.
New arrivals ELCHE’S population of registered foreign residents rose in 2020 for the first time in seven years with an additional 2,248 non-Spanish residents. Most newcomers came from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Senegal, although Moroccans and Romanians account for Elche’s largest foreign communities with 4,784 and 3,519 residents respectively.
Eras rehab AN assessment has begun prior to restoring Torrevieja’s Eras de la Sal auditorium where barges once loaded up with salt for the cargo ships anchored in the bay. Experts using laser scanners will inspect the site to diagnose problems before deciding what action should be taken.
Flood risk THE Diputacion provincial council will spend €240,000 on commissioning a study to evaluate flood-management and floodrisk in small Alicante towns as well as options for protecting municipal infrastructure. The findings will be passed on to vulnerable town halls, enabling them to prepare their own emergency procedures.
Palms burnt FIREFIGHTERS had to be called in after fire broke out in a palm tree plantation in Almoradi near the old Fajovi tile warehouse on the CV-914 road. Dozens of trees were destroyed in the fire whose origins are now under investigation to determine whether this was deliberately started.
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Special protection for trees ORIHUELA’S Environment department is preparing to give special protection to 171 trees. Environment councillor Damaso Aparicio announced that two agricultural engineers recently carried out an exhaustive study of the town’s outstanding trees. This lasted several months and covered all of the municipality as far as Orihuela Costa. His department was now completing paperwork prior to approving the project at the upcoming plenary council meeting, Aparicio said. The next step involves submitting the list to the regional government for inclusion in the Gen-
PROTECTED: An Orihuela eucalyptus tree that will be listed in the Generalitat’s catalogue.
eralitat’s catalogue of trees that are protected as ‘monumental or remarkable.’ Aparicio explained that some trees of local interest already possess generic protection owing to their special characteristics. These include being more than 350 years old, 30 metres tall, having a trunk with a girth of six metres or more and a crown with a diameter of at least 25 metres. Palm trees are protected on reaching 12 or 18 metres in height, depending on species. Palms dominate the Orihuela list which includes olive trees, pines, mulberries, elms and eucalyptus, Aparicio revealed.
Pigeon Poisoning in Orihuela DOZENS of pigeons have dropped dead of unknown causes in Orihuela. It was a grim sight for people strolling along the Gabriel Miró Glorieta, in the heart of Orihuela on Thursday, January 28, as dozens of dead pigeons littered the pavement and street, while even more dropped from the sky as council workers rushed to clean up the macabre spectacle. The Orihuela City Council suspects poi‐
Alicante Helps People In Need AN Alicante initiative driven by volun‐ teers has delivered 230,000 meals to people in need. An incredibly selfless initiative, pro‐ moted by the Alicante Chamber of Com‐ merce, has seen Michelin‐starred chefs preparing food for Alicante’s needy, with 230,000 meals delivered through‐ out the city already by the Red Cross, Caritas, Neighbourhood Associations and local volunteers. The Alicante Gastronomica Solidaria expects that the demand will only in‐ crease in coming months; in fact, the ini‐ tiative which has provided some 3,500 meals per week has already started op‐ erating seven days a week. The Cham‐ ber of Commerce has also advised that, with ever‐increasing demand, ‘they will have to continue growing in the prepa‐ ration and elaboration of menus.’ Carlos Bath, spokesperson for Ali‐ cante Gastronomica Solidaria, explained that “they still need more human re‐ sources” although, “despite the difficul‐ ties they have been able to continue to count on volunteers.” However, “if the demand increases in the coming months they will need more help in terms of donations.”
soning, and has sent samples to the Toxi‐ cological Institute of the University of Mur‐ cia to establish the cause of their deaths. Orihuela councillor for Health, Jose Gali‐ no, said that the toxicology tests will “de‐ termine or rule out any possible poisoning of these animals.” “It is important to check if there has been any toxic intake, be it accidental or intentional, since in addition to being ille‐
gal, it could put the rest of urban birds and pets at risk, without forgetting the risk that some child could come into contact with this type of substance,” Mr Galino added. Council workers collected several scraps of food which they found on the street near the birds, and these will also be sent for analysis. So far, the problem seems to be confined to Orihuela.
Hoteliers In Need HOTELIERS in Costa Blanca have slammed the aid package put together by president of the Valencian Community, Xi‐ mo Puig. According to the Counsell, Plan Resiste is to be backed by millions of euros ‐ aimed at guaranteeing the survival of sectors ‘directly affected’ by the crisis. However, even though the plan does indeed include tourist accom‐ modation, the pay‐out is limited to self‐employed workers and small businesses who hire less than 10 staff, which al‐ legedly rules out 99.5 per cent of all the hotels in Valencia.
No-one out or in SEVENTY‐TWO drivers were fined for entering or leaving Torrevieja last weekend. Along with all Valencian Commu‐ nity municipalities with populations of 50,000 or more, Torrevieja’s perimeter was closed between 3pm on Friday until 6am on Monday morning, as health and safety regu‐ lations were tightened to halt the spread of the coron‐ avirus. The Guardia Civil and Local Police stopped 7,534 ve‐ hicles at different control points on Torrevieja’s principal roads, turning away some 700 vehicles trying to enter the town without a valid reason.
Sprucing up the Plaza WORK at La Mata’s Plaza del Embarcadero has now fin‐ ished, Torrevieja’s Beaches councillor Antonio Vidal an‐ nounced. Damaged and deteriorated benches and litter bins were replaced, Vidal said, as the town hall continued to upgrade the image of the resort’s emblematic spots and make them more user‐friendly. The councillor also revealed that the remaining railings along the La Mata pedestrian path which adjoins the Plaza had also been removed, as these too were in a bad state of repair.
Quarantine Extended QUARANTINE has been ex‐ tended to 14 days for those refusing to take PCR tests in Valencia. The Ministry of Health in the Valencian Community has confirmed that any‐ body refusing to have a Covid PCR test after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus will be required to quarantine for 14 days, rather than the usual 10. The Ministry has report‐ ed that a large number of parents are refusing to sub‐ mit their children for the test, as is their right, when a classmate has tested pos‐ itive. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health an‐ nounced on Wednesday, January 27, that those chil‐ dren who display symp‐ toms of the disease but do not undergo a PCR test will be expected to self‐isolate four days longer than their classmates to ensure they are virus‐free before re ‐ turning to school.
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New uses for traditional crop INDUSTRIAL hemp is once again being grown in Callosa. Until the late 1960s, the town was known as a centre for the crop, then used locally to make the rope and fishing nets still produced there syntheti‐ cally. Torrellano‐based com‐ pany, Inmunatur, and an agricultural grower have joined forces to cultivate hemp in the area once again, planting a 2,000‐ square metre plot of land with hemp seedlings that, once mature, can be used for cosmetics, soap, oil, juice and capsules. “This will also help to revitalise an ancestral crop that once contribut‐ ed so much to the local economy and create close collaboration be‐ tween growers, re‐ searchers, manufacturers and retailers,” explained Inmunatur’s Pablo Beneit.
Water war skirmishes THE regional government wants more Tajo‐Segura water now that Storm Filomena has filled the reservoirs feeding the pipeline. The Generalitat’s Agri‐ culture department has re‐ quested an ‘urgent’ meet‐ ing with Madrid’s Environment department. Water reaching south‐ ern Alicante via the pipeline is vital for domes‐ tic and agricultural use, the Generalitat stressed, warn‐ ing it was not prepared to renounce regular trans‐ fers. Alicante’s provincial council, the Diputacion, and the Provincial Water Committee expressed their ‘indignation’ at Madrid’s decision to cut back on the Tajo‐Segura transfers. “The decision is arbi‐ trary, ideological and lack‐ ing any kind of technical justification,” said Ana Ser‐ na, the Diputacion council‐ lor responsible for Water.
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UK Covid spike in Vega Baja IN a worrying turn of events, vice president of the Counsel, Mónica Oltra, has confirmed that the Vega Baja area registered the most cases of the UK Covid variant in all of Valencia. The Minister for Equality and Inclusive Policy pointed out that the main cluster of UK variants occurred in the south of the Community, “especially
in the Vega Baja where most of the municipalities with English population are.” The Minister echoed the sentiment of the president of the Valencian Government, Ximo Puig, by calling on people to avoid social contact as much as possible. “It is the only certainty that we really know that it works,” she concluded.
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Infected Nurse Bullied A N U R S E at Alicante Hospital has expressed her disappointment and upset after neighbours plastered her urbanisation with posters when she tested positive for coronavirus. Within a couple of days, notices appeared advising people of their responsibility to notify their neighbours if they tested positive. “I don’'t have to tell anyone that I’m positive,” the nurse insisted to news outlet Informacion. “I have been in isolation since I found out, but they are not supportive at all. I do not understand, if it were that I skipped the con-
finement, but I have not left for 10 days.” The posters read: “We hope that you comply with demand and responsibility with the protocol that exists for these cases, with the measures to be used in order to help your neighbours. “Nobody likes to see these notes but the virus does not treat the elderly at all well and we must ensure that it is as far away as possible from our community.” “We get infected by caring for those who suffer from this infernal coronavirus and they put up these little signs,” she added.
Fraudulent Family Ties A N unwell man, hospitalised in Jativa in Valencia while suffering from coronavirus, was scammed
out of €27,300 by his own family. The National Police began investigating the fraud which they believe
began in mid-October 2020, and have arrested two men, aged 35 and 43, both relatives of the victim. According to officials, when the victim was transferred to hospital, one of the thieves got the key for his apartment and stole four AT M cards that were in the house. The men used the cards to withdraw a total of €5,500 across 10 different AT M t r a n s a c t i o n s a n d make two money transfers to their own account, totalling €15,800. Not content with this, the fraudsters also applied for a bank loan in the victim’s name to the value of €21,000, which was luckily rejected by his financial institution. Both men, with previous criminal histories,were charged with fraud and theft.
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Extortion gang arrested THE National Police have brought down a gang accused of extorting half a million Euros from victims, and arrested seven people on charges of extortion, money laundering and organised crime. According to reports, the group posed as a company bringing criminal proceedings in Russia and claimed to be acting as intermediaries for Russian authorities, before claiming prosecutions would be dropped if victims paid a large sum of money. The group allegedly showed falsified police reports addressed to a Spanish judge, claiming their target was
GANG CAUGHT: Raids carried out on several homes. being investigated. A member of the gang was said to have travelled from Russia to Madrid to secretly meet with people close to the victims to give them instructions on how to make the €500,000 payment. Police lay in wait at one such meeting, arresting a suspect
THE president of the Junta de Andalucia has demanded that the VAT rate on FFP2 masks be significantly reduced if their use is to be promoted in favour of cloth and home‐ made face shields. Speaking on January 27, he insisted that if the use of these masks is to be made mandatory, the Central Govern‐ ment must first reduce their cost. “That the use of these masks is mandato‐ ry, we will study it. But first we ask the gov‐ ernment to make an effort to make them
who had just collected €20,000 in cash from one victim. After investigating further, police carried out raids on homes in Marbella, Estepona, Mijas, and Madrid, confiscating more than 30 mobile phones, €45,000 in cash, four luxury vehicles, jewellery, watches and designer handbags.
Mask VAT Rate more affordable to the population,” he said. Austria became one of the first countries in Europe to trade‐in their cloth masks for the medical‐grade masks, and it looks as though many others will soon follow suit. Austria consequently reduced their price from €5 to just 59 cents.
Alicante School Closes THE province of Alicante has seen a recent surge in coronavirus cases, but so far educational facilities have been remarkably re‐ silient against Covid. However, that sadly changed on February 1 as it was announced that the Gargasindi public school, a special education school in Calpe has been forced to close due to an outbreak. It is the first in Alicante to close its classrooms due to the ‘uncon‐ trolled transmission’ of coronavirus. According to news outlets, in‐ fections were detected in nine out of the 13 classrooms; students attending this school all have disabilities and are exempt from face masks. A Public Health spokesperson reported that PCR tests have been carried out on the students and, given the high volume of infec‐ tions, the school will remain closed until further notice.
Nudist Nabbed ALEJANDRO COLOMAR, a 27‐year‐old IT consultant, was col‐ lared by the police of Aldaia in Valencia for the fourth time, for strolling around the town in the buff. Unfazed, Mr Colomar insists that what he is doing is not illegal “I have always liked to go naked. I am a nudist and there is noth‐ ing wrong with it. It is not even illegal. I don’t hurt anyone.” Police took his details again on February 1 in case a parent of a child complained, but there is little else they can do as technically, Mr Colomar is perfectly entitled to walk the streets naked. “My family knows it and is fine with it, my friends do too and I just want to claim the pleasure of going naked when it’s sunny, with‐ out hurting anyone.” The proud nudist previously had a case against him dismissed by a judge in Torrent, and carries the legal file in a bum bag every‐ where he goes in case he is stopped by authorities.
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Anti-Covid Nasal Spray RESEARCHERS from the Catholic University of Va‐ lencia (UCV) revealed at a committee of experts meeting that they are very close to developing a nasal spray and biodegradable face mask that are capable of killing the coronavirus ‘in less than a minute.’ The revolutionary re‐ search is being backed by scientists in Norway and Japan, and the developers have already been ap‐ proached by US investors. Lead researcher Angel Serrano, said that they have developed unique fil‐ ters for masks “capable of inactivating the SARS‐CoV‐ 2 and multi‐resistant bacte‐ ria in less than a minute,” which are environmentally‐ friendly because they are biodegradable. The team are currently developing a range of an‐ ti‐Covid nasal sprays that are so far proving incredi‐ bly effective against the virus.
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New Gambling Programme DENIA has launched a new programme to battle gambling addiction. Javier Milla Díaz, the psychologist responsible for the Addiction Treatment Support Centre in Denia, has announced a new intense and specialised intervention programme aimed at helping those with gambling addictions - under the slogan: ‘Your life is not a game.’ The programme has been launched thanks to the help of personal income tax from the Generalitat Valenciana, 0.7 per cent of which is allocated to social funds. Thanks to help from AEPA Foundation’s new initiative this is free for residents and is aimed at people of legal age, with an addiction to gambling (slots, sports betting, lotteries, poker, roulette, casinos) and a ‘desire to get help.’ Another initiative will provide counselling to the families affected by this problem. The goal of the programme is to achieve abstinence in gamblers and help them regain their lives. To access the programme, email to deniacd@fundacion-aepa.org.
Woman arrested endangering life A WOMAN was arrested in Benidorm, after cutting the safety rope of a man carrying out rope access work on the 13th floor of an apartment building, allegedly because she did not agree with the re‐ pairs, approved by the resi‐ dents’ association. According to police, wit‐ nesses saw a person was handling the main rope from a 20th storey window, and realised that the secondary safety rope had already been
cut. The worker grabbed on‐ to a ledge so he wouldn’t fall. Workers alerted the police who confirmed that the rope had been cut with a knife and went to the apartment where the woman had been seen. Although the woman de‐ nied having cut the rope, wit‐ nesses confirmed the allega‐ tions, and the woman, who may have psychiatric prob‐ lems, was arrested and was later released with charges.
Connecting Madrid, Elche & Orihuela PRESIDENT, Pedro Sánchez, attended the inauguration of Spain’s new high‐ speed train line along with the Presi‐ dent of the Generalitat Valenciana, Xi‐ mo Puig. The new AVE service will offer a di‐ rect connection between Madrid and Orihuela in two hours and 22 minutes, and tickets will cost €71.10 per trip in
economy class. The train has 316 seats, 12 disability accessible cars and a maxi‐ mum speed of 300 kilometres per hour. Puig described the arrival of the AVE as, “the symbol of the cohesion that our territory needs. This new section opens the door to improving com‐ muter services between Alicante, Vil‐
lena, Elx and Orihuela. We hope that these cities will soon be two stops on the Mediterranean Corridor.” Initially two daily services will run in each direction between Madrid Puerta de Atocha, and the Elche Alta Velocity and Orihuela Miguel Hernández sta‐ tions, to be gradually expanded when conditions due to coronavirus allow.
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Quick Burials THE Ministry of Health has speeded up burials and cremations of those who have died from Covid in the Valencian Community. The Ministry of Health of the Valencian Community has published a decree in the Official Gazette on Thursday, January 28, that recom‐ mends all people who have died from coronavirus be buried or cre‐ mated ‘as soon as possible.’ The measure indicates that, having passed away, a body should not remain in the facility where the person died, but should be removed immediately to a funeral home and interred as soon as the official death certificate is available. According to the Ministry, the death of someone from coron‐ avirus ‘for obvious health reasons, makes their immediate burial or incineration recommended and that they do not accumulate in the warehouse of the hospital or health institution where they were treated.’
Hospital Covid Denier BOSSES at the General Universi‐ ty Hospital of Elche have de‐ nounced to Local Police a video published by a young woman on social media of the corridors in the building. Officials have al‐ so launched an investigation in‐ to how she managed to gain ac‐ cess to much of the building without being thrown out, but have insisted that she was not able to enter the protected Covid areas or intensive care.
In the footage, she is seen laughing as she walks around the hospital without a mask, re‐ peatedly saying “And they say they are collapsed!” The 20 minutes of footage, which has since gone viral, shows her sneaking into the building with her mobile phone in hand and claiming that what the public has been told about hospitals being at breaking point is ‘a hoax.’
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Common Washing Machine Safety Flaw ‘Poses Injury Threat’ THE OCU is warning owners of Bosch, Siemens, Neff and Balay machines purchased between February 2019 and March 2020 a drum failure could risk injury. The fault was discovered by manufacturers in March 2020,who want to locate remaining owners of machines with the batch number FD 9902 to come forward for a free replace‐ ment. The OCU advises consumers who purchased a machine at this time to locate the appli‐ ance’s identification number on the inside of the door, to check if it is affected at a specially‐ made website https://productsafety.bsh‐
group.com/es/es/drums?_ga=2.175753698.1 309393318.1611740795‐199320249. 1598868723. The organisation said: “Quality controls have detected a possible failure in the joint of the inner metal drum that can cause the drum joint to loosen at the time of spinning, with the consequent risk of injury. That is why faulty electrical appliances have been with‐ drawn from the market to be replaced by a model without problems, and at no cost to the user at home.” Manufacturers estimate there are around 2,000 affected machines.
Health Worker Rules THE Council of Ministers planned to approve a decree on February 2 to allow health workers infected by coronavirus to access the same benefits available in case of occupational disease, according to reports from SER. In September last year, the government equated the conta‐ gion of the virus to an accident
at work and now, after the unanimous request of Congress, agrees that it should be consid‐ ered as an occupational disease. According to reports, Congress agree that the conse‐ quences of Covid infections among professionals working in the health and social health sec‐ tor are becoming more and more evident, leaving the cur‐
rent regulation insufficient. To date, there are more than 118,000 cases of positive profes‐ sionals; a large majority infected in health and social health cen‐ tres. The planned change will come as good news for workers and unions ‐ who have been fighting hard for these regula‐ tions changes.
New Police website THE force’s Director General, Francisco Pardo, unveiled the new web‐ site which will be fully accessible for people with hearing or visual dis‐ abilities. The aim is to simplify procedures for users the page which is used by nine million people each year for procedures such as access to the electronic DNI or requests for prior appointments. “Starting today we open a new window to society that shows the essence of the National Police, that shows what we are,” said Pardo at the launch. The new “more visual and attractive” portal has been created by police officers and “has not been entrusted to an external company,” explained Director of the National Police, Fernando Grande‐Marlas‐ ka. “It is the result of intense work carried out during the last year. The objectives are to continue the process of digital transformation and to have an agile, direct and close relationship with citizens, to provide a more accessible service to the elderly and people with disabilities and, finally, to simplify procedures.”
Stores ditch plastic MERCADONA has announced the withdrawal of plastic bags both in physical stores and home service. New style compostable bags made using potato starch will be available for all purchases, and need to be disposed of in the organic matter container, as indicated in the pic‐ togram included on the bags. This action represents a reduction of 3,200 tonnes of plastic per year. Mercadona’s 6.25 Strategy goal for 2025, aims to reduce the use of plastic by 25 per cent, make all packaging recyclable and recycle all plas‐ tic waste generated in its facilities, representing a €140 million invest‐ ment over the four years. In four months, Mercadona has adapted 72 stores to the 6.25 Store model, which will be extended to the entire chain in 2021.
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Last to be Vaccinated Valencian Health Minister, Ana Barceló, confirmed that she has not been vacci‐ nated against Covid‐19 and in fact stated that she will be the last to do so: "Like the one who says, the cap‐ tain must always to be the last one to leave the ship, therefore I will be the last one to be vaccinated.” Barceló, in an interview in the Open Debate of the 8 Mediterrani, asked about the irregularities that de‐ tected in the order of ad‐ ministration of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines, stressed that "all the autonomous communi‐ ties must be vaccinated by the order in which it has been established in the Strategy of the Ministry." She warned that that the situation in the Valen‐ cian territory is "high risk," stating that it is "the re‐ sponsibility of residents to comply with all the mea‐ sures that have been estab‐ lished."
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Prepared For Earthquakes THE Andalucian government has insisted the region is prepared for earthquakes following sever‐ al serious tremors in Granada.
Spanish Jab Fans SPANIARDS willing to get a Covid jab ‘immediately’ has soared to 72 per cent. According to a survey by the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) published January 28, this is a 32 per cent rise since December 21. Just 16.5 per cent have said they would refuse the vaccination. Four thousand people were sur‐ veyed between January 7 and 25, in the middle of the third wave of the pandemic and during the first month of vaccination in Spain. In the previous survey, carried out between December 1 and 9, 40.5 per cent said they were willing to be vaccinated immediately. The increase coincides with delays in the supply of vaccines. Pfizer and BioNTech announced in early Jan‐ uary that they would cut in half the number of doses they planned to manufacture this month. On January 23, AstraZeneca an‐ nounced a cut in doses for the EU due to production problems.
Juanma Moreno, president of the Junta de Andalucia has asked members of the public to “re‐ main calm.” Mr Moreno has insisted that the government is well prepared for earthquakes, and said “we have devices prepared if there were to be an earthquake of a higher level.” The president admitted that he views these latest quakes “with great concern” as “this entire area of eastern Andalucia is a hot area from
the seismic point of view.” Mr Moreno confirmed that he has asked the Minister of the Presidency, Public Administra‐ tion and Interior, Elias Bendodo, to come to Granada “to monitor the situation and the damage that the tremors may have caused.” He added that they have been working with other autonomous communities “to prepare, if nec‐ essary, an effective” plan to deal with earthquakes of a higher magnitude.
Police Warn of New Covid WhatsApp Scam THE Guardia Civil are warning the public about a Covid scam re‐ portedly circulating on WhatsApp. The message chain claims to be from the Spanish government offering financial grants to those af‐ fected by the pandemic. Instead, the Guardia Civil say the mes‐ sage is a scam to steal users’ personal data. In Spanish, the message says: “Family Card Programme. Due to Covid 19‐the government is granting funds to families to help them stay at home. “These grants are available for everyone who needs them; single mothers, single fathers, young students, grandparents, children, foreign mothers, married couples, and others.” The scammers call on users to, “register to receive their free grant,” before adding a link. The Guardia Civil warn What‐ sApp users not to click or share the link they say is used to steal victims’ data.
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YouTube Sensation Arrested In Crypto Fraud THE Mossos d’Esquadra, the Guardia Civil and the Andorran Police and Europol col‐ laborated in the arrest of six men for al‐ leged fraud. The arrests related to an An‐ dorran cryptocurrency company GNZ Academy which offers courses ranging from €99 to €599. Among those arrested is the YouTube ‘sensation’ Gonzalo Sapiña, a media influ‐ encer with more than 90,000 followers on Instagram, who became famous for his classes on digital investments. At 34, he rose to fame in 2013 when his idea of a solidarity cafe based on leaving a paid cof‐ fee in a bar for the poor became a massive success in Italy. Officers also searched the homes of the
CAUGHT: Six men were arrested. suspects, confiscating eight vehicles, sev‐ eral electronic devices that will be anal‐ ysed to clarify the charges and ‘several fi‐ nancial assets that were on digital platforms for the exchange of cryptocur‐ rencies or exchanges and digital money transfers,’ totalling €70,000.
Holidays Will be Back RYANAIR CEO Michael O’Leary made a promising prediction on BBC Radio 4’s Today Pro‐ gramme on February 1, when he said he’s very confident that foreign ‘beach holidays WILL be back this summer’ 2021. “We are heartened by the
fact that the UK is expecting to vaccinate all the over‐50s by the end of March, Europe is proba‐ bly running a couple of months behind that by the end of June,” the airplane boss remarked. “So we think once all those high risk groups have been vac‐
cinated, then travel restrictions should be removed, particularly on short haul intra‐European travel and we expect there to be a strong recovery of beach holidays and family beach holi‐ days going to Europe this sum‐ mer.”
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Vox violates Twitter Hate Speech Trial of 4 day working week TWITTER briefly suspended the official account of Spain’s right‐ wing Vox party following a viola‐ tion of their hate speech policy. The post referred to what Vox sees as the ‘dangerous Islamisa‐ tion of Catalonia’ ‐ in which the right‐wing party decried the in‐ creasing numbers of Muslims re‐ siding in Spain’s second most multicultural region after Madrid. Referring to Muslims, Vox’s post claimed that ‘they account for approximately 0.2 per cent (of the population) and are responsi‐
VOX PARTY: Spain’s third largest political force. ble for 93 per cent of (police) complaints. Most are from the Maghreb.’ They added that in the
Alicante Fire A HUGE fire blazed through the Cotes Altes area of Alicante be‐ tween Alcoy and Cocentaina on Sunday afternoon, January 31, burning 20 hectares of crops to the ground. The fire was eventually brought under control at around 4pm, according to reports from the Provincial Firefighters Consor‐ tium. However, earlier in the day, an alert level 1 was raised due to the prevailing winds in the area, which were in danger of fanning
the flames out of control. Because of the risk, the ADIF cut off the Alcoy‐Xàtiva train line that runs through the affected area from 12.30pm until 3.30pm. Engineers conducted a thorough inspection of the track once the fire was brought under control, but no damage was reported. In addition, a high voltage cable in the area had snapped, and was being investigated by Iberdrola technicians, according to GVA Emergencias.
face of this ‘imported crime,’ which they say is ignored by oth‐ er parties, ‘only Vox remains!’ Twitter, who maintain that they are an ‘impartial’ company politically, explained that they deemed the post to be ‘Inciting fear against a group of people be‐ cause of their origin or nationali‐ ty,’ which they assert ‘has no place in our service.’ Vox is Spain’s third‐largest po‐ litical force, having risen to promi‐ nence on a hardline anti‐immi‐ gration agenda. Social media companies’ abili‐ ties to censor political groups have been the subject of debate ‐ several platforms made the deci‐ sion to permanently ban the ac‐ counts of controversial former US President Donald Trump.
SPAIN has announced plans to launch a pilot programme for its ambitious four‐day working week scheme that will provide funds to see employees given full wages for a day’s less work. The concept was proposed by Mas Pais, an offshoot of the Podemos party who share gov‐ ernment power with Pedro Sanchez’s centre‐left PSOE par‐ ty. The government has now agreed to spend €50 million pay‐ ing the salaries of workers who
have had their working hours re‐ duced to four days by the pan‐ demic. Although the current rollout of the proposal is narrow in scope, proponents hope that it will incentivise companies to adopt the four‐day working week. Maria Alvarez, a leading campaigner, told local media it is a “sensible idea that should be in every government’s toolbox coming out of this crisis.” “The eight‐hour working day
was unrealistic a century ago,” Mas Pais leader Íñigo Errejón said. Due to the rise in remote working, automation, and other factors of our rapidly changing employment landscape, it is a concept that Spanish businesses and lawmakers need to give consideration. Last year, the Valencian Com‐ munity’s government launched a similar scheme to offer incen‐ tives for local employers to adopt the new work routine.
AVE Hospitality Protest TENSIONS were high as hospitality workers came out in force to protest at the Orihuela AVE inauguration. Dozens of business owners and staff from the hospitality industry converged at the Poeta Miguel Hernández de Orihuela sta‐ tion on Monday morning, February 1, to protest against the closure of bars, restau‐ rants and cafes and the lack of aid provided to the sector by the government. As the new Orihuela to Madrid line of the Spanish High Speed train (AVE) was being inaugurated, president of the government, Pedro Sanchez, and president of the region‐
al government of Valencia, Ximo Puig, were in attendance, along with the Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos. The peaceful protest included dozens of cars who approached the station in a cara‐ van, honking their horns and carrying plac‐ ards saying things like: ‘Pedro Sánchez un‐ dertaker’ or ‘Sanchez marionette. The EU condemns us to misery.’ Similar demonstrations have been taking place all over the Valencian Community, following the Ministry of Health’s decision to extend the closure of the hospitality trade until at least February 15.
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Star’s Best 60th Birthday Gift
NOW 60: And recovered from Covid. HOLLYWOOD heartthrob Antonio Banderas’s best birthday gift as he recently turned 60 was recovering from Covid, according to his girl‐ friend. The Malaga native’s girlfriend, Nicole Kim‐ pel, called the news the “greatest” gift. Speak‐ ing about the milestone birthday to one publi‐ cation, the 39‐year‐old beauty said: “We celebrated because every year of life is some‐ thing to celebrate. “But this wasn’t really the year for parties. The greatest gift was his quick recovery.” When Banderas contracted the virus last August Nicole said she had been “frightened” by how severe his symptoms had been. “In Antonio’s case, his main symptoms were severe muscle aches and fatigue, and he bore up well. He’ a very strong man and he’s in great physical shape.”
King Felipe Celebrates at Home KING FELIPE spent his 53rd birthday at home, the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid with his wife, Queen Letizia, and daughters Leonor and Sofia due to Covid restrictions, according to media reports. Unlike royals in some countries, Spanish monarchs do not normally mark birthdays with large public celebrations. One notable exception in Felipe’s life came in 1986 when the young prince turned 18 and swore the Constitution in a formal event attended by congress, the royal family, and the entire Spanish government. The royal, who has not celebrated a birthday publicly since he turned 18 in 1986, has in previ‐ ous years enjoyed a private meal at a restaurant in Spain’s capital. This birthday on January 30, was spent at home due to Covid‐19 restrictions. In 2018, on turning 50, King Felipe also shared an insight into his family life with the Spanish public, publishing drawings his daughters Leonor and Sofia had made for his birthday. Not in attendance was Felipe’s father, former king of Spain King Juan Carlos; in self‐exile since August last year. King Philipe became monarch on June 19, 2014 upon the abdication of his fa‐ ther, King Juan Carlos.
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NEWS
Road Hog Vulture ‘Caution’ Red Cross
GUARDIA CIVIL officers took to Twitter, to share a light-hearted image of one of their officers ‘cautioning’ a vulture found walking down the middle of a main road. On their Twitter feed, the Guardia Civil commented: “Sometimes those not wearing a reflective vest appear ‘spontaneously’ on the road. Fortunately, the #TrafficGroup of the @Civil Guard has taken charge of the incident. This time it will be a simple warning.” The caption was accompanied by a laughing face emoji and the hashtag #roadsidesafety. While the police did not say the incident had taken place, vultures are a common sight in
Earthquake Response
Given a simple warning. Spain which is home to around 75 per cent of the world’s Griffon Vulture population, with around 25,000 breeding pairs, up from 3,249 in 1979. Griffon Vultures can reach large sizes with a wingspan of up to 9.2 feet and males weighing up to 10.5 kilos. Three other species are found on the Iberian peninsula; the Lammergeier, the Black Vulture, and the Egyptian Vulture.
Spain Helps Portugal SOURCES from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Spain confirmed that department head Arancha Gonzalez Laya has contacted the Por‐ tuguese ambassador in Madrid, Joao Mira‐Gomes, ‘to make available any help within the capabilities’ of Spain. Although Portugal hasn’t actually asked for any support, the Por‐ tuguese Embassy confirmed that “Spain has offered help to Portugal due to the pandemic situation and support modalities are being stud‐ ied.” “Sometimes Portugal helps us, other times we support Portugal, this is what we have been doing and that is how we will continue to do things,” the Foreign Minister added.
THE Spanish Red Cross has been mobilised to help the residents of Granada that have been affected by a series of earthquakes recent‐ ly, to provide a ‘quick and effec‐ tive response’ using their exten‐ sive knowledge and experience of handling disasters. Since the series of earthquakes started the Red Cross has been kept on pre‐alert and have been coordinating with local agencies and on Saturday were mobilised in the town of Maracena in Granada. They gave help to five families with homes affected, in need of temporary accommoda‐ tion. Thirty beds were set up along with delivery of 60 blankets to help beat the cold. The Granada psychosocial re‐ sponse team’s María del Sol Uce‐ da explained the need for emo‐ tional support; “The key is to provide emotional support to people that allows them to have the necessary tools to normalise their emotions and successfully face the crisis situation they are experiencing, related to the con‐ tinuous seismic movements.”
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Saints Image Discovered AN image has been discovered underneath the painting ‘La Virgen de la Leche’ by Sevilla artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1618‐1682) during restoration work carried out by experts from the National Gallery of Antique Art of Rome. The painting has been restored on several pre‐ vious occasions, but this time was subjected to new procedures and diagnostic investigations al‐ lowing the discovery by the Gallery’s restoration laboratory. The image is the face of the figure of a saint, almost certainly Saint Francis in a mo‐ ment of prayer which was in ‘an advanced state of completion.’ According to Alessandro Cosma, the curator at the Gallery, “it was normal for painters to reuse canvases to repaint and there would be remains of the original work, but here the exception lies
The painting, also known as the ‘Gypsy Virgin,’ was painted in 1675 and is in the Galeria Corsini. in the use of parts belonging to a previous figure reused as a basis for the new painting, like the folds of the saint’s habit that form the draping of the Virgin’s leg.”
Prime Minister Propaganda THE Popular Party of the Alicante Provincial Council criticised the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, as “irresponsible,” for attending the inauguration of the new AVE train line between Orihuela and Madrid on Monday, February 1. Spokesman Eduardo Dolón, stated that “the Cen-
tral Executive is concerned about organising an act which is purely propaganda to sell an infrastructure that we have been demanding for years.” “The Valencian Community has sadly become the epicentre of the third wave of Covid, leading the accumulated incidence figures of the virus in
Spain,” explained Mr Dolón “It is incomprehensible that Pedro Sánchez comes to take a walk in the province, accompanied by dozens of members of his team and with a call to the media to sell a project that we have been crying out for a long time to connect the capital of the country with the Vega Baja.”
NEWS
Taxi fare lottery A STUDY by Facua Consumers in Action has compared taxi prices in 56 cities and found a staggering 77 per cent differ‐ ence in charges between the cheapest and most expensive. For the second year running, Tarragona has the most expen‐ sive taxi fares. Points were awarded based on a simulation of nine routes of one, five and 10 km trips dur‐ ing the daytime, nighttime and weekend, as prices can vary. Tarragona scored 77 points out of a possible 90, followed by San Sebastian (74), Vitoria (67), Madrid (63) and Barcelona (57). At the opposite end of the spectrum, Ceuta (11) points, Cadiz (22), Huelva (24), Jaen (26) and Almeria (29) appear as the cities with the cheapest taxi rates. However, if only the average price per km was analysed, Barcelona is the most expen‐ sive city in Spain, with €1.18, a far cry from 70 cents in Cadiz, the cheapest.
Arrested for war crimes A FORMER colonel suspect‐ ed of torturing and murder‐ ing political dissidents during the Uruguay dictatorship has been arrested in the Valen‐ cian Community. Eduardo Ferro was al‐ legedly a colonel during Uruguay’s brutal military dic‐ tatorship between 1973 and 1985. Ferro spent years as a fugi‐ tive, and is accused of ab‐ ducting, torturing, and mur‐ dering young political activists during the reign of the regime. An operation between police in Uruguay and Spain alongside Interpol led to the elderly war criminal’s arrest in Peniscola, a small town in the Valencian Community. During the country’s bru‐ tal military junta, political dis‐ sidents were routinely tor‐ tured, disappeared, and murdered by the state for crimes which included pos‐ sessing subversive literature or planning protests.
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NEWS
Spain Suspends More Flights Apple Mask Unlock Solution THE Spanish Government has approved restrictions for all flights that connect Spain with Brazil and South Africa. The measure, agreed by the Ministries of the Presidency, Health and Transport, takes effect February 3 at 9am and will be implemented for two weeks (until February 17) and will be extended if deemed necessary. During this period, only flights containing passengers living in Spain or Andorra, also residents of both coun-
tries, or by passengers in international transit to a country outside the Schengen area, who are going to make a stopover in Spain of less than 24 hours, may be made - without leaving the transit area of the Spanish airport. Minister of Finance and government spokesperson, María Jesús Montero, has framed the decision as ‘decisive action’ from the government ‘in line with the recommendations’ of the EU as well as those formulated by
the emergency committee of the WHO. On February 1 the Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya announced that the government was studying measures to prevent the arrival of the new strains detected in other countries “to avoid the contagion of those strains that travel faster, that are transmitted faster and that will make this pandemic grow exponentially.”
Pamplona’s Bull Run Cancelled SAN FERMÍN, Spain’s most famous bull run, is celebrated every July in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona in the region of Navarre, but the event which draws crowds of over a mil‐ lion revellers every year, including tourists from abroad, will not be taking place this sum‐ mer. The city council of Pamplona has officially announced the suspension of the festival due to take place from July 6 to 14, 2021, adding to a long list of cultural cancella‐ tions throughout Spain since the beginning
of the Covid‐19 outbreak. The capital of Navarre traditionally wel‐ comes 1.45 million visitors from all over the world every year for the event, meaning that the cancellation will almost certainly come with heavy economic implications. The event has been cancelled for only the sixth time in history, however, the organisers have promised that Sanfermines will be back, bigger and better than ever. Due to the ongo‐ ing crisis it seems unlikely that a date will be found in 2021.
SINCE the coronavirus necessitates wearing masks, using FaceID on iPhones isn’t quite as good, as it has difficulty in recognising half covered faces. However, Apple has come up with a solution and has introduced in iOS 14.5 a feature to allow people to unlock their phone or show notifications whilst wearing a mask. But there is a catch: they must be wearing an Apple Watch. Apple Watches cost between €249 and €529. The Apple Watch will send an
iPHONE: Has difficulty in recognising half covered faces.
authentication approval when the Face ID feature recognises the user is wearing a mask allowing them to unlock the device without typing a passcode with the help of their Apple Watch. By swiping upwards, they will
see the message ‘Unlocking with Apple Watch.’ This can only be used for unlocking the phone and will not be available as a function to carry out purchases with the device or to use as other passwords.
Police Exposure Risk SPANISH police officers have complained that during much of the pandemic they did not feel adequately protected from the deadly virus. Madrid’s Provincial Court has received an official request from Jupol ‐ Spain’s largest po‐ lice union ‐ to call Francisco Pardo of the coun‐ try’s police to testify on charges of failure to supply officers with adequate Covid protec‐ tion. Jupol also called for the Director of Human Rescources and Training, Pilar Allue, to testify ‐ alleging that police officers nationwide were exposed to unnecessary degrees of Covid risk
due to a lack of safety measures. Jupol claims they have collected vast amounts of evidence that officers across Spain ‘could have been carrying out their duties without the appropriate protective measures.’ The Madrid court has stated that ‘it cannot be ruled out that there is sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of criminal proceedings to start a judicial investigation’ against the top echelons of Spain’s police. The court confirmed that there is ‘the need to initiate an investigation into an offence against health and safety at work.’
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MUM Sees her child for the first time WELCOME: Mum meets her baby for the first time outside.
TINY baby Hassan was finally able to meet his mum, some three weeks after he was born in Barcelona as the in‐ tensive care team carefully took his mother out of the hospital, complete with a hos‐ pital bed in order to meet him. Shamaila had been in the ICU under sedation and intu‐ bated, all due to Covid‐19. Af‐ ter arriving at the hospital on January 4, heavily pregnant, she quickly became so sick that doctors performed a cae‐ sarean section to ensure the baby’s safety and allow her to receive lifesaving treatment. The hospital’s intensive care team has a humanisation technique that allows them to take patients outside the hos‐ pital to help improve the pa‐ tient’s mood and emotional well‐being. Mum Shamaila received a round of applause as she was able to meet her newborn son for the very first time.
National park plans THE Council of Ministers has approved the first step to declare the Sierra de las Nieves area in Malaga a National Park. After months of waiting, the bill was approved and the final step of the process, which has been going on for five years, is expected within a few weeks. If the Sierra de las Nieves, which currently has Natural Park status, is declared a National Park, it will be the 16th in Spain, and will focus its branding on its main species, the unique and endangered Spanish fir. The rocks, as well as the plants and animals in the area are also very rare. National Park status allows the maximum level of protec‐ tion for nature. Local towns Monda, Ojen, El Burgo, Ronda, Istan, Yunquera and Tolox, which would benefit from the National Park status, hope it will be a financial boost and encourage population growth.
Thrifty boom THE second‐hand market is ‘booming’ in the pandemic as con‐ sumer habits change and shoppers get thrifty. With 60 per cent of people in Spain admitting they favour buy‐ ing used goods, it is estimated that growth in the sector will be around 20 per cent per year in the next five years. Thredup, an American second‐hand clothes giant, predicts that by 2029 our wardrobes will be 19 per cent made up of second‐ hand clothing, compared to the current 3 per cent. The used clothing business will exceed €52,600 million by 2024 with an expected €24,000 million in the sale of second‐hand fur‐ niture. Star ‘Segundo mano’ products of 2020 were clearly linked to the pandemic; second‐hand computer monitors, office chairs and desks, exercise bikes and consoles seeing a 23 per cent rise. An‐ tique sales dropped by 80 per cent for the same period according to Martín Spasov, owner of El Ofertón.
NEWS
Asteroid Streaks Through Spanish Skies A BLAZING asteroid en‐ tered the earth’s atmo‐ sphere at a speed of about 83,000 kilometres per hour snf flew over the sky of the Andalucian province of Granada on Friday 29 January. The incredible sight was seen from the south to the centre of the country due to its high luminosity. The asteroid began over the north of the province of Granada at an altitude of about 98 km, flying above the town of Benamaurel, and ended at a height of around 34 km. The event was recorded in the framework of the SMART project from five meteor‐observing stations in Andalucia. José María Madiedo, of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalu‐ cia, of the Higher Council for Scientific research tweeted the exciting news to thousands of anxious star watchers.
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FEATURE
Captain Tom Dies Aged 100 CAPTAIN SIR TOM MOORE, who raised almost £33 million for the NHS, has died at the age of 100 after testing positive for Covid-19. In a statement, his daughters Hannah and Lucy said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore. “We are so grateful that
we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime. “We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together. “The last year of our father’s life was nothing short
of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of.” A message posted on Sunday, January 31 from his daughter Hannah revealed that Captain Tom Moore had been admitted to Bedford Hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties.
Europe and America drift apart A SCIENTIFIC investigation has revealed that the Atlantic Ocean is widening due to a geological phenomenon never before observed, increasing matter deep within the earth’s crust, which appears to be pulling the continents of North America and South America away from Europe and Africa. THE deadline for exchanging pesetas at the Bank of Spain is June 30, 2021, and an online comics store has teamed up with a Madrid kiosk for a ‘solidarity campaign’ to benefit Alzheimer’s research. The kiosk in the Chamberí neighbourhood is selling comics for pesetas.
The new research published in the journal Nature, found that plates are moving four centimetres further apart per year. The findings provide a greater understanding of the plate tectonics which cause many natural disasters around the world, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Comic campaign Director of Wash Comics and promoter, Nacho Marugán, said the campaign draws on nostalgia, adding: “The campaign is a nice way to say goodbye to a coin that
was with us for more than 130 years.” A 2019 Bank of Spain report estimated over 268 billion pesetas or €1.6 billion are still unredeemed.
NEWS
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Guardia Civil Border death A GUARDIA CIVIL officer has been killed and two of his colleagues have been injured in a shock road accident as they carried out Covid restric‐ tion border controls. Angel Antonio Ambrosio, a 47‐year‐old Guardia Civil officer from Mieres, Asturias, was reportedly killed by a van driver who ran over three officers as they set up a perimeter check Police believe a driver may have lost control of his vehicle or may not have seen the officers. Ac‐ cording to one publication, the driver said: “I did not see the signs.” Witnesses reported that several vehicles had been stopped at the border check when a colli‐ sion was heard and they saw a van run over the officer who was left trapped underneath the ve‐ hicle. Two of his colleagues were also injured and thrown several metres by the mpact. Tributes to the Angel Antonio Ambrosio have
OFFICER: Was hit by a van driver. poured in on Twitter, with Spain’s President Pe‐ dro Sanchez saying, “A heartfelt hug to the rela‐ tives and colleagues of Angel, the Guardia Civil officer who died after being run over in a mobili‐ ty control in Mieres. And a wish for a speedy re‐ covery for the people also injured in this inci‐ dent.”
Royal pay freeze in 2021 Budget SPAIN’S King Felipe VI has frozen the Royal budget and will spend the salary of his disgraced father Don Juan Carlos on new technolo‐ gy. According to an official State‐ ment, King Felipe’s salary for 2021 will be the same as 2020 ‐ €253,850. Queen Letizia, will re‐ ceive €139,610 and his mother
Queen Sofia €114,240 from tax‐ payers’ money. The King decided not to avail of a 0.09 per cent salary increase given to all civil servants, which technically includes Royals. Meanwhile, the €200,000 salary for disgraced former King Juan Car‐ los was withdrawn in March 2020 and will be spent on improving the technology of the Royal Institution.
Juan Carlos is currently living in ex‐ ile in Abu Dhabi, having plundered millions of euros from Spain through corruption and dubious business deals. Many analysts say the reason for deciding against a pay rise is part of King Felipe’s effort to pre‐ serve the image of the Royals in the wake of his father’s crimes.
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Semaf Calls Strike
RENFE machinists have called a five-day strike after new AVE line inauguration. The Spanish Union of Train Machinists and Railway Helpers (Semaf) has called a five-day strike in February and March to denounce t recent workforce cuts and a lack of maintenance forcing the suspension of some services. The move comes just hours after Spanish President Pedro Sánchez attended the inauguration of the new high-speed train line between Madrid, Elche and Orihuela According to Semaf, more than 700 jobs have been lost in the last year and the complete maintenance of the trains is not being carried out, decreasing the number of trains safe for service. Semaf also accused Renfe of pressuring workers to drive trains in unsafe conditions to circulate, and of coercing the drivers to work shifts that are not in their contracts to cover personnel shortages. “The only solution that the company offers is to pressure workers to drive trains that are not in safe conditions to circulate,
in addition to coercing the drivers to work shifts that do not correspond to them, to cover the personnel deficit. Increasing the risk
assumed by company workers and users and continuously violating labour rights,” says the union.
Electric Prices Down Thanks to Wind Energy SPAIN’S wholesale electric prices have dropped to their lowest lev‐ els since December 2019 thanks to an increase in wind energy. Consumers signed up to regu‐ lated tariffs are most likely to ben‐ efit from the drop, which could see it become almost free to use washing machines or charge elec‐ tric cars early in the morning. Those on fixed contracts will not Increase in wind energy. benefit from the changes. The end of January saw wholesale prices fall to €4.19 per MWh, de‐ spite starting the month at €94.99. Experts believe the drop is in part down to the windy weather in recent weeks. Prices in Germany and France currently stand at €48 per MWh, the United Kingdom at €60 per MWh, and Scandinavian countries stand at €45 per MWh. Storm Justine is expected to further boost wind energy, possibly breaking records both for daily production and for peak output. The previous record was set on December 28 when wind energy reached 404 GWh. According to State Meteorological Agency AEMET, January was a record‐breaking month for storms in Spain.
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NEWS
Spanish Medieval castles in Top 15 MEDIEVAL castles are im‐ pressive, and an important tourist attraction. Visitors can learn about their history, as well as now being able to relive scenes from some pop‐ ular films and TV series. Castle remains, which in their day, between the 10th and 14th centuries, served defensive purposes can be seen in many places. National Geographic has compiled a
ALCAZAR: One of the most visited castles in the world.
Transgender Rights In Spain THE First Vice President of the Government, Carmen Calvo, and the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero have begun meetings to introduce new transgender and LGBTI laws in midFebruary which aim to guarantee equal rights in Spain for all. The ‘first working meeting’ took place on Monday, January 25 to discuss the working on the proposals which will ‘guarantee the LGBTI and trans peoples’ rights.’ In the new text, transgender people will be
able to register their sex as the gender they identify with without requiring a medical document or treatment to change their physical appearance. This change has sparked a great deal of controversy, particularly among feminist group Confluencia Movimiento Feminista, who claim that allowing trans people to self-determine their gender will cause untold damage to the fight for women’s rights.
Negligent hikers told to pay up for rescue operation TWO hikers who got lost in Queralbs, Ripolles, when they should have been in lockdown, will have to pay €2,600 for their rescue. They got lost in the area of the Coma de Vaca mountain refuge on March 15, 2020 without appropriate equipment. According to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) their actions, which they carried out when outdoor activities were banned, are considered negligent based on laws from 2009 put in place by the Catalan Regional Government. The aim was to dissuade people from getting involved in negligent situations on the mountain by making payment of the rescue operation obligatory.
Teacher Jailed THE director of a school in Sanlucar has been sentenced to three years behind bars by the Provincial Court of Cadiz for stealing more than €12,700 between November 2008 and June 2009. The teacher was found guilty of writing nine cheques from the school’s cheque book and forging the secretary’s signature before cashing them. As well as the prison sentence, the teacher has been ordered to reimburse the school for the stolen amount and pay a fine of €6 per day for 10 months. He is also banned from teaching for six years.
list of its 15 favourites, of which two chosen are in in Spain. One is Loarre in Huesca, completed in the 12th centu‐ ry, set on a rock and sur‐ rounded by towers; and the second is Alcazar in Segovia, also dating from the 12th century and is one of the most visited in the world and is a Unesco World Heritage site.
Boeing 737 Ready to fly BRITAIN’S Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the decision hours after the Boeing aircraft was de‐ clared safe by European authorities ‐ allowing a return to service of the troubled passenger jet following ‘software upgrades and electrical working rework.’ The 737 Max was grounded worldwide after 346 people tragical‐ ly died in two crashes almost two years ago. EASA executive director Patrick Ky said: “We have every confidence that the aircraft is safe, which is the precondition for giving our ap‐ proval. “But we will continue to monitor 737 Max operations closely as the aircraft resumes service. “We have reached a significant milestone on a long road,” Patrick Ky continued. “We asked difficult questions until we got answers and pushed for solutions which satisfied our exacting safety requirements.”
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FEATURE
Advertising Feature
The death of a loved one is never easy to handle TRENDS are ever‐changing, adapting to the times, and this doesn’t only mean for the liv‐ ing. With changing times, everything has to be adapted to new needs, and this includes the way things are done in the funeral busi‐ ness. While the death of a loved one is never easy to handle, over the past decades there has been an increasing tendency to talk about dy‐ ing and make preparations in advance, which in many cases can slightly soften the blow, with funeral planners taking away the stress of procedures which relatives need to handle af‐ ter death, as well as lighten the moment in cases where the deceased has chosen before‐ hand to make the funeral more about cele‐ brating their life than mourning their death. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more frequent to plan the details of a funeral in ad‐ vance and there is a growing tendency to make them as unique as the person whose life is being remembered. So apparently, putting
the fun in funeral is something which is be‐ coming increasingly popular with themes rang‐ ing anywhere from Harry Potter and super heroes to rock and roll or sports, services will often now reflect the hobbies or interests of the person who has died. Apart from lightening the mood and proba‐ bly encouraging attendees to reminisce about happy moments spent with their deceased friend or relative, it makes the ceremony much more meaningful as it reflects the life of the person who died rather than just including a series of standardised components. A funeral director can help in the process of planning a special tribute by sharing ideas and recom‐ mendations with families. Not everyone thinks that a funeral should be a sad or sombre occasion, and having a wake which is more like a party, even if it’s not a themed one, is becoming the norm. Part of this celebration of the person’s life can include writing letters to them to remem‐
ber good times, and addressing them not as if they had left forever, but as if they had simply gone away for a while. The letters can later be buried or cremated with the deceased or kept as part of a memorial together with photos and other items. A light‐coloured or custom‐made coffin, including the cardboard variety often used for cremation, can allow for another novel funeral activity; that is, signing or decorating it with dedications for the de‐ ceased. Decorating will also allow young attendees to take part, and there are many ways to it, with some of the most popular including permanent markers or watercolours. This can also be done before death, as an increasing number of people have taken to designing their own coffins. This can have a therapeutic effect for the person them‐ selves and can also help relatives to prepare
for what is to come by becoming involved in the design. So, while it may not be to every‐ one’s taste, as everyone has their own way of dealing with grief and some may still prefer to remember their loved one in a more subdued and solemn manner, don’t feel that you can’t plan something based on a theme that the deceased really loved as a true cele‐ bration of their life.
www.goldenleavesinternational.com • info@goldenleavesinternational.com • Facebook: goldenleavesspain
26 EWN
4 - 10 February 2021
www.euroweeklynews.com
EUROPEAN PRESS
EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK
FRANCE
Burning effigy
Cannes canned
COPENHAGEN has seen three weekends of violent clashes between demonstrators opposed to lockdown and the police culminating with an effigy of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen being hung from a pylon and then being set on fire.
THE Cannes Film Festival which was cancelled last year is now to be postponed from May to July 2021 in the hope that by then, the pandemic will be under control in France which will then allow people to actually attend.
NETHERLANDS
NORWAY
Possible corruption
Charging points
WORRIED about the possibility that an energy project in Russia funded by the United Nations is being manipulated so that money is being diverted to private individuals, the Dutch Government has reduced its annual contribution to that fund by €10 million.
CONSIDERATION is being given by the Norwegian government to passing a law requiring that all new housing development in the country should include charging stations for electric vehicles as part of the ongoing efforts to phase out diesel and petrol.
BELGIUM
FINLAND
Sworn statement
Blackmail scare
AS all non-essential cross border travel in Belgium has been banned, the government has put online a template for a signed ‘declaration on honour’ whereby those who are having to travel for accepted reasons confirm that their journey is necessary.
SINCE it emerged last year that private mental health services company Vastaamo was hacked with access to patient files which led to fears over blackmailing, patients have been leaving in droves and because of this, the company has now called in liquidators.
GERMANY Relatives found RELATIVES of a Jewish woman who was forced to sell two handwritten scores by Franz Liszt to the Nazis before being sent to a concentration camp have been found in Argentina by a German classical music foundation which will compensate them financially.
SWEDEN Weapons drawn THERE was some shock when commuters in Central Stockholm saw armed soldiers with weapons drawn in the streets last Monday, but it turned out that it was an exercise which the Swedish Armed Forces had not bothered to publicise.
FINANCE Arcadia news THE online retailer Asos, having seen Next drop out of the queue to purchase Arcadia brands which had debts of £750 million (€825 million) is reportedly interested in reopening the Topshop store on Oxford Street as an important fashion shop window.
Commission change CAR salesmen in the UK may well be a little poorer from now on as the practice of paying them higher commissions by lenders if they sign customers up for more expensive loan deals has now been banned.
Overspend ICONIC football club Barcelona runs the risk of being refused entry to future UEFA competitions such as the Champions League as it is currently spending more money than it earns and has unsettled debts with third parties.
Jobs saved PAPERCHASE which called in Administrators will survive and will sell its products online and from a reduced number of smaller shops, thus expecting to save around 1,000 jobs although it will be closing larger shops and losing 500 staff.
More in work EMPLOYMENT in Spain has risen slightly in the fourth quarter of the year according to the National Statistics Institute (INE) with 19,344,300 in work, an increase of 167,400. There are now around 3.7 million out of work, although this figure does not take into account those who are on furlough (ERTE) or are self-employed and receiving benefits. There are significant regional differences with higher unemployment in areas such as the Balearics and Andalucia, where the lack of tourism has devastated the hospitality sector.
STAT OF WEEK
www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 February 2021
€5.06 billion
is the amount that Australian investment fund IFM is prepared to pay for 22.69 per cent of the issued shares of Spanish company Naturgy.
Counterfeit euros
Sánchez attends Virtual Davos EVERY January since 1971, the World Economic Forum has taken place in the Swiss resort of Davos where the ‘movers and shakers’ of the world’s economies meet to discuss strategies. This year, due to the pandemic, it became a vir‐ tual operation with the theme ‘A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust’ and dis‐ cussed current challenges such as Covid‐19 vaccina‐ tion, job creation and cli‐ mate change.
One of its participants at a video round table was Spanish Prime Minister Pe‐ dro Sánchez who spoke about the challenges still facing the world and his plans for Spain where there are still a number of prob‐ lems to resolve. He said the high level of youth unemployment in Spain was ‘unacceptable,’ a special fund had been cre‐ ated in order to address the problem especially in the field of qualifications, digi‐
LEGALLY SPEAKING
tal skills and finding work for young women. He said that he under‐ stood that the pandemic has highlighted blatant in‐ equalities and that women have become more vulner‐ able economically adding that his government had taken steps to help protect families, workers and com‐ panies. Like other countries, fur‐ lough options existed for those unable to work in a full‐time capacity and fi‐
nancial support was also to be given to the self‐em‐ ployed and this alongside the government’s recovery plan as well as European Union funding would allow for job creation and in‐ creased productivity. Another area of impor‐ tance is the creation of a much greener community with the aim that by 2030 almost three quarters of Spain’s energy require‐ ments would come from renewable resources.
Don’t close branches
How Much for a Visa?
Credit: Twitter
BUSINESS EXTRA
28
Readers have received varying information from Spanish consulates in Manchester, Lon‐ don and Edinburgh about how much income they need to apply for a Spanish residence permit now that the UK is out of the EU.
All of the consulates, YOU AND THE LAW however, agree on IN SPAIN one thing. They in‐ sist that a visa ap‐ plicant appear in person at the consulate and that each application will be individually judged on its merits. Some people have regular pension income and others may have no regular income at all but hold capital assets or own property in Spain. Here is my recommendation: Do what they say. Contact your nearest consulate and make an appointment. Take the documents that justify your income or assets and they will tell you. Unless you have a job you will apply for a one‐year permit, which you can then renew for a longer period. You must show you can support yourself for one year. I offered last month my own rough estimates of about €13,000 a year, which is the Spanish minimum wage, and about €22,000 for a lump sum. This will need to be deposited in a Spanish bank account. These amounts can vary and can be substantially less.
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.
GERMANY’S Viafintech has arrived in Spain to turn busi‐ nesses into cash machines as through its Viacash service, it will allow users to withdraw or deposit money from their bank account from their mo‐ bile phone. The model, already used in several European markets is not new in Spain, since
Indian asset confiscation A WARNING: Banks asked to keep branches open. THE Financial Conduct Author‐ ity (FCA) has warned UK banks not to close branches if doing so would harm vulnerable customers during the Covid‐19 lockdown. In September 2020, it published guidance on branch and cash machine clo‐ sures and was designed to protect consumers by setting expectation that firms should assess customer needs and consider the availability and provision of alternative ar‐ rangements where closures or conversions are planned. It requires firms to treat their customers fairly and communicate with them in a fair, clear and not misleading way with the expectation that banks exercise particular care with vulnerable customers.
In January 2021, the gov‐ ernment and devolved au‐ thorities announced new re‐ strictions across the UK due to Covid‐19, but some banks and building societies have said that they are either going ahead with branch closures al‐ ready announced, or an‐ nouncing new branch closures during the current lockdown. The FCA is concerned that these activities could have sig‐ nificant consequences for cus‐ tomers. It may be harder than usual to reach all customers under the current restrictions and engage with them on clo‐ sure proposals effectively (for example, small businesses that are temporarily closed). They advise banks to delay closures for the time being.
Easy cash withdrawal ING customers can withdraw cash at Dia and El Corte In‐ glés supermarkets, Shell and Galp garages. Initially, it will be opera‐ tional in some 3,000 stores belonging to the Bon Preu
A EUROPE‐WIDE distribu‐ tion of fake €50, €100 and €500 bank notes which reached from Romania to Spain ended with arrests and the seizure of €450,000 in counterfeit notes. Production took place in Romania and distribution took place in 10 eurozone countries including Spain whose Guardia Civil assist‐ ed Europol and the Roma‐ nian authorities in uncov‐ ering the crime. In all 28 properties were searched with 10 arrests and it has been discovered that the counterfeiters who had very sophisticated printing machinery were about to distribute a fur‐ ther €50,000 in fake notes.
and Esclat Group and in pre‐ paid mobile recharge points CSQ Non‐Stop Shops. According to its director for Spain, Sergio Kvaternik users will be able to with‐ draw or enter up to €300 in
the associated establish‐ ments, although they calcu‐ late the average of these op‐ erations will be around €50. The company maintains that its service reduces finan‐ cial exclusion in an increas‐
AN international tribunal has awarded UK energy firm Cairn Energy $1.2 bil‐ lion (€990 million) in damages against the Indi‐ an Government. Using retrospective powers, the Indian tax authority demanded pay‐ ment of taxes and when they were not forthcom‐ ing (as the rules didn’t exist when Cairn first in‐ vested in India) the com‐ pany’s 10 per cent stake in a subsidiary was seized. Now, a month after the tribunal verdict, which re‐ quired immediate pay‐ ment, Cairn has indicated that it is considering seiz‐ ing Indian assets overseas in order to recover what is due. ingly digitised world, where access to cash is complicated by the constant closures of bank offices and cash ma‐ chines. According to a study by the European Central Bank, Spain leads the use of cash to pay in the EU and 83 per cent of payments in the country in 2019 were made in cash.
30 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
4 - 10 February 2021
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 1
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.133,50 1.133,50 Admiral Group 2.926,0 2.932,5 Anglo American 2.521,5 2.538,7 Antofagasta 1.455,50 1.465,50 Ashtead Group 3.756,1 3.779,0 Associated British Foods 2.182,6 2.189,3 AstraZeneca 7.497,0 7.536,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 569,60 573,12 Avast 478,40 484,00 Aveva 3.639,0 3.692,0 Aviva 339,90 341,60 B&M European Value Retail SA553,00 555,40 BAE Systems 464,74 467,20 Bank VTB DRC 0,928 0,935 Barclays 136,00 136,74 Barratt Developments 665,40 671,60 Berkeley 4.365,0 4.398,0 BHP Group 2.080,00 2.088,00 BP 271,23 276,22 British American Tobacco 2.654,7 2.673,6 British Land Company 447,90 454,30 BT Group 127,72 127,95 Bunzl 2.395,0 2.401,0 Burberry Group 1.727,5 1.735,5 Carnival 1.188,7 1.207,0 Centrica 52,58 52,90 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.183,0 2.193,0 Compass 1.318,00 1.335,00 CRH 3.109,0 3.131,0 Croda Intl 6.337,0 6.337,8 DCC 5.618,2 5.618,2 Diageo 2.922,5 2.956,0 DS Smith 371,27 374,30 EasyJet 740,80 748,00 Experian 2.618,0 2.622,0 Ferguson 8.582,0 8.664,0 Flutter Entertainment 13.770,0 13.885,0 Fresnillo 1.152,99 1.193,50 GlaxoSmithKline 1.357,91 1.363,80 Glencore 255,78 257,60 Halma 2.496,0 2.515,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.634,00 1.753,50 Hikma Pharma 2.446,00 2.463,00 HSBC 385,38 387,40 IAG 142,95 146,65 Imperial Brands 1.468,50 1.486,00 Informa 501,40 506,80 InterContinental 4.592,0 4.604,0 Intermediate Capital 1.703,00 1.713,00 Intertek 5.592,0 5.610,0 ITV 108,95 109,05
% CHG. 1.110,00 2.889,0 2.452,0 1.436,00 3.676,0 2.126,0 7.467,0 568,68 472,40 3.638,0 334,10 535,80 460,40 0,925 133,08 644,00 4.189,0 2.025,50 268,88 2.642,2 444,90 124,75 2.361,0 1.711,5 1.169,4 51,50 2.162,0 1.301,00 3.036,0 6.283,2 5.551,2 2.898,0 365,20 726,20 2.577,0 8.476,0 13.390,0 1.090,50 1.351,80 249,04 2.463,0 1.634,00 2.399,00 377,68 141,30 1.464,50 499,90 4.439,0 1.687,00 5.528,0 104,90
NET VOL 202,23K 3,67K 62,99K 283,12K 22,29K 12,71K 90,87K 24,34K 379,88K 51,67K 1,59M 205,69K 271,37K 293,56K 2,64M 836,80K 120,52K 1,44M 2,63M 179,23K 450,54K 3,72M 73,35K 139,87K 99,38K 4,20M 75,05K 585,79K 342,59K 4,86K 2,59K 595,82K 224,56K 315,44K 424,77K 35,76K 71,13K 1,27M 2,90M 2,20M 141,15K 106,26K 82,15K 561,52K 4,31M 500,09K 358,10K 104,60K 89,57K 19,76K 816,07K
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
J Sainsbury Johnson Matthey Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Banking London Stock Exchange Meggitt Melrose Industries Mondi National Grid NatWest Group Next Norilskiy Nikel ADR Ocado Persimmon Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx Rentokil Rightmove Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Rosneft DRC Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B RSA Insurance Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Standard Life Aberdeen Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP
245,60 2.978,0 621,60 247,79 33,90 8.866,0 396,04 172,18 1.752,53 857,20 152,05 7.895,6 32,64 2.804,09 2.655,0 681,00 1.179,00 6.254,0 1.832,00 505,80 613,55 5.717,5 93,38 6,20 1.327,4 1.327,20 1.264,3 676,60 603,88 1.859,00 13,88 3.431,0 1.267,93 963,00 2.347,5 1.549,44 1.457,00 11.335,0 1.501,50 1.177,00 447,40 303,60 152,40 243,00 339,90 4.269,1 934,60 126,19 2.843,7 770,84
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
246,20 2.991,0 629,80 249,20 34,22 8.904,0 399,90 172,73 1.761,50 858,80 152,80 7.950,5 32,91 2.820,00 2.670,0 684,80 1.187,50 6.280,0 1.838,50 507,20 615,40 5.745,0 94,49 6,29 1.345,8 1.343,75 1.281,8 677,40 608,00 1.866,00 13,95 3.446,0 1.276,00 974,20 2.349,0 1.555,50 1.463,94 11.415,0 1.507,00 1.184,50 450,00 305,40 152,95 243,32 351,70 4.303,3 937,20 126,77 2.860,5 774,00
243,00 2.942,0 612,60 243,70 33,08 8.672,0 393,50 169,11 1.729,50 848,60 146,80 7.756,0 32,38 2.770,00 2.560,0 673,20 1.158,00 6.194,0 1.822,00 499,10 602,70 5.599,0 92,02 6,17 1.316,8 1.316,70 1.252,4 675,00 599,20 1.848,00 13,75 3.381,0 1.257,00 958,40 2.310,0 1.538,00 1.428,97 11.140,0 1.485,50 1.171,00 440,80 301,10 147,35 239,84 338,50 4.247,6 925,00 124,59 2.770,7 762,90
1,59M 123,81K 1,47M 1,26M 24,62M 99,77K 34,22K 404,58K 18,87K 941,35K 3,41M 5,80K 533,03K 25,75K 235,68K 158,02K 1,83M 152,55K 408,30K 263,66K 28,32K 103,02K 7,53M 448,34K 113,83K 113,81K 412,84K 1,47M 140,81K 7,95K 1,49M 33,74K 1,45M 317,35K 8,61K 180,49K 25,07K 17,26K 232,82K 19,01K 1,19M 858,73K 4,68M 3,09M 1,14M 67,09K 345,71K 2,62M 67,56K 73,59K
0.88314
1.13484 Units per €
US dollar (USD) ......................................1.37186 Japan yen (JPY)......................................143.858 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.08149 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.43740 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.3817
currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 1
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 175,66 1.835,74 3.206,20 241,43 131,96 194,19 182,84 85,20 44,58 48,15 258,33 271,17 270,82 195,37 119,11 55,51 163,13 128,67 207,84 77,07 231,96 133,59 128,21 225,56 793,53 333,58 54,75 193,25 140,49 168,17
CHANGE 182,98 1.857,28 3.236,99 246,47 136,74 201,57 188,82 87,34 45,37 49,12 266,56 277,40 277,06 200,94 121,30 57,16 166,00 131,72 209,40 78,37 238,02 135,03 130,29 228,79 842,41 339,02 55,27 203,05 143,75 169,81
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 174,87 4,22M 1.810,20 1,61M 3.184,55 4,29M 240,25 3,79M 130,21 177,52M 193,12 13,68M 180,73 4,54M 84,92 14,70M 44,48 22,61M 48,11 18,67M 254,85 30,39M 270,62 3,41M 270,03 4,08M 194,55 4,64M 118,90 11,83M 55,36 37,26M 160,55 22,51M 128,19 14,81M 203,11 5,20M 76,39 10,18M 231,35 42,50M 132,15 7,17M 128,07 8,34M 223,02 6,47M 780,10 34,99M 330,63 3,90M 54,48 26,23M 192,81 21,50M 140,35 10,84M 165,79 12,85M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 1
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
Most Advanced Novavax Inc. MicroStrategy Inc. Big Rock Partners Acquisition Corp. Un Quidel Corp. Koss Corp. Fulgent Genetics Inc. Biogen Inc. Credit Acceptance Corp. Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. Moderna Inc. Strattec Security Corp.
+64.87% +6.73% +95.78% +10.41% +52.53% +19.46% +5.50% +3.84% +23.44% +8.53% +21.67%
36.66M 1.44M 1,216 1.42M 11.61M 2.58M 4.79M 318,193 937,470 39.69M 73,642
-4.41% -32.90% -3.54% -7.19% -5.02% -0.97% -38.81% -3.59% -1.47% -1.39% -4.61%
536,327 7.51M 694,819 2.39M 34.99M 4.29M 13.87M 582,363 1.61M 2.23M 2.83M
Most Declined Booking Holdings Inc. iRhythm Technologies Inc. MercadoLibre Inc. Charter Communications Inc. Cl A Tesla Inc. Amazon.com Inc. eHealth Inc. Trade Desk Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C Alphabet Inc. Cl A Lam Research Corp.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
Currency outlook: Pound firms on economic optimism, euro undermined by vaccine woes
SUBDUED START: But the GBP/EUR exchange rate has steadily recovered ground.
ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
Euro EUR/GBP: Down from £0.90 to £0.88 EUR/USD: Down from $1.22 to $1.20 The euro has had a rocky start so far in 2021, with concerns over the EU’s slow start to its vaccination programme particularly undermining the single currency. With new, more‐infectious strains circu‐ lating throughout Europe, many countries have been forced to extend their lockdowns, and the slow rollout of vaccines could hold back the Eurozone’s economic recovery by delaying the easing of these restrictions. Also putting pressure on the euro was the European Central Bank (ECB), as policymak‐ ers have grown increasingly vocal with their concerns about how the appreciation of EUR exchange rates through the second half of 2020 could negatively impact efforts to boost inflation. Looking ahead, the euro looks to remain vulnerable so long as the EU’s vaccination rollout remains sluggish, whilst political un‐ certainty in Italy could also pose a risk to the single currency. Pound GBP/EUR: Up from €1.10 to €1.13 GBP/USD: Up from $1.34 to $1.36 The pound has trended steadily higher over the past month, even rising to a new 32‐month high against the US dollar, as Ster‐ ling sentiment was bolstered by optimism over the UK’s economic outlook in 2021. This comes amidst relief that the UK and EU reached a Brexit trade deal at the end of 2020 as well as the UK’s success with its vac‐ cination rollout, which is fuelling hopes for a
swift economic rebound in the coming months. In addition, the Bank of England Gover‐ nor, Andrew Bailey, triggered a sharp rally in GBP exchange rates in mid‐January after downplaying the chances of the BoE slashing interest rates below zero. However, going into next month we may see the pound face some headwinds. Boris Johnson is set to review England’s lockdown on February 15, and a likely extension to re‐ strictions are likely to reflect poorly on Ster‐ ling. US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from £0.74 to £0.73 USD/EUR: Up from €0.81 to €0.82 Trade in the US dollar has been mixed over the past month as fluctuating market sentiment has infused volatility into the safe‐haven currency. One major source of optimism has been the change in US leadership, with risk ap‐ petite improving amid hopes for President Joe Biden’s stimulus package and an admin‐ istration that will be more engaged in tack‐ ling the pandemic. On the other hand, driving demand for the US dollar over the past month has been concerns over the continued rise in global coronavirus cases, riots in the US Capitol, as well as some strange movements in stock markets. Looking ahead, the direction of the US dollar next month will largely depend on the size and timing of Biden’s stimulus package, with the ‘Greenback’ likely to firm if he is forced to compromise in order to get it through Congress. Currencies Direct have helped over 325,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save mon‐ ey on your currency transfers.
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4 - 10 February 2021
EWN 31
32 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
4 - 10 February 2021
FEATURE
There are some things I’ve enjoyed LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ALTHOUGH I am fully aware of the tremendous hardship and agonies caused by the Covid restrictions, I must confess there are a number of things I have rather enjoyed during this lockdown. Less traffic on the roads, easier parking, more orderly queues ‐ particularly at checkouts and a little more time to pause and ‘smell the roses.’ I also don’t miss the distraction of baying hordes at some sporting events. But to me the most welcome experience has been the overall reduction in noise levels which, apart from a few rowdy demos, has been pure bliss. I truly do think noise, particularly unnecessary noise, can often be an affront to the senses and is one of the biggest polluters of the planet. No, when we come out of all this horror and enter the era of the ‘great reset,’ let’s hope that many of
WARPED REASONING: Ursula von Leyan refused to release the vaccine to the German people. the positive aspects are taken on board and retained for the greater good of us all. What a supercilious, nasty bunch the EU bureaucrats have turned out to be. As usual the Germans have been the most arrogant of all. In the aftermath of the disgraceful article16 fiasco, which has left Brussel faces drenched in egg, it also emerged that Germany had already
stockpiled a whole cache of the vaccine for themselves. This in itself was bad enough (albeit pretty typical), but by some warped reasoning Ursula von Leyan, the Commission President, refused to release it to the German people until all the other EU countries had amassed the same amount – err!? What this basically meant was that she had decided to let her
fellow country men and women die, rather than lose face! It sounds to me as though this woman should not only be relieved of her post, but be put on trial for mass manslaughter. Some chance. One thing that does emerge from the whole farcical incident is that even many staunch UK remoaners now agree that getting out of the EU was a far better move than most of them envisaged;
particularly as the UK now has the chance to join the exciting £9 trillion massive CPTPP free trade area. Watch the whole sorry EU debacle tumble like a house of cards in the not too distant future. Biggest waste of time and money so far this year? The WHO contingent sent to China to investigate the origins of the Covid‐ 19 virus. This lot has about as much chance of getting the truth out of this devious and highly dangerous regime as I have of dancing with Princess Anne in Harrods window. Mind you, personally I wouldn’t believe any answers the WHO organisation came up with anyway. To my mind they are more likely to be negotiating the price of concluding that the virus probably originated from the three‐humped desert camel or the long haired North African dung beetle, with nothing whatsoever to do with China ‐ if you get my drift! 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.
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Escape to the Country The Farmers' Country Showdown The Bidding Room PointlessPointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show A Question of Sport Not Going Out EastEnders
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FEATURE
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4 - 10 February 2021
GO LOCAL
BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.
THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the com‐ munity by going local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super‐ stores. This lockdown and with Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butch‐ ers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky inde‐ pendent businesses in your area. Due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic, you may have to sup‐ port many local businesses by ordering online and mak‐ ing use of any click and col‐ lect services they can operate if you are unable to get out
due to health reasons or lockdown restrictions. The joy of shopping lo‐ cal means that indepen‐ dent businesses can help support the local commu‐ nity. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper else‐ where or online, consider where your money is ac‐ tually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by mak‐ ing 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 independent stores are actu‐
ally much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, of‐ ten passed down through nu‐ merous generations and sup‐ port not just the current
owner but the genera‐ tion before. For those stores which are new, that ex‐ tra couple of euros spent there are support‐ ing someone’s dream and ambition, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an in‐ dependent store and compete with the multi‐ national and chains. So be sure to pre‐or‐ der your meat from a lo‐ cal butcher and get your spuds from a local greengro‐ cer, let us revive that com‐ munity spirit and get to know our neighbours again. You could also consider purchasing gift vouchers
EWN 35
36 EWN
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4 - 10 February 2021
FEATURE
SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.
from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tat‐ too time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre‐ paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping people alleviate
FEATURE
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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 re‐ covery of the local economy. When we buy local, our mon‐ ey stays local, and it strengthens the local econo‐ my in two ways. First, buying local keeps money circulating within the local economy. Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees. Data shows that local re‐ tailers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain retailers. Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of
each transaction. For exam‐ ple, 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 sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local em‐ ployees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neigh‐ bourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and com‐ munities. Buying local also fuels new employment and job oppor‐ tunities for people within our community. Studies show, lo‐ cally owned businesses em‐ ploy more people per unit of sales and retain more em‐ ployees over time. A fantastic example of how to support your local commu‐
nity is with a Charity Gift cer‐ tificate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause.
4 - 10 February 2021
Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.
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38 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
4 - 10 February 2021
FEATURE
BORIS IN BLUNDERLAND? 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
THE UK’s 100,000 Covid death toll ‐ twice the number lost in the Blitz ‐ stands in stark contrast to the initial government hope that deaths would be contained to below 20,000. Criticism of Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic has been largely driven by the Opposition which has yet to get over its General Election defeat, the media which have had a terrible virus and the pro‐Remain left‐liberal axis of public opin‐ ion that has been heaping scorn on the majority of the British population for their political choices since the 2016 referen‐ dum. The British Government clearly did not handle the early part of the crisis well (too slow in imposing lockdowns, provid‐ ing PPE and testing), but apart from Ger‐
BRITISH GOVERNMENT: Clearly did not handle the early part of the crisis well. many, initially, no major Western Euro‐ pean nation did. The media adopted an infantile ‘keep‐ ing score’ of the death count (based on incomparable data sets and counting methodologies) and so was totally flawed in any case. But while governments (all of them across the UK) should wince, so should the scientists.
Leaving the science to modellers, who couldn’t see beyond the data they got and who had no idea about care homes or their staffing and who seemed to suggest that it was who you knew (which groups and other scientists you ‘networked with’) that determined what you could make of it all, was a mistake. One particular behavioural scientist, gifted now with the benefit of hindsight,
admitted that what she said on TV early on in the pandemic was said specifically in order to be seen not to contradict govern‐ ment statements. Independent advisors should advise in‐ dependently. So, scientists ranged from admitting their failings to admitting that this was a new situation and their modelling had great limitations, with sideway swipes at the government by one or two who seemed to have another agenda. You’re left with the impression that it isn’t only the politicians who are ‘incom‐ petent.’ In other words, it ain’t all over yet. That happy day, when we can live our lives in freedom and safety, is still some way off. Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson. net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and au‐ diobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cude‐ ca cancer charity.
NICE LITTLE RUNNER DAVID WORBOYS I WAS proud of my very first car, although it did have a few short‐ comings. The main one was that I never knew whether it would start in the morning. Not being techni‐ cally minded I assumed this was affected either by the weather or by the mood of the little car. I would turn the cranking handle, often in the rain, while the lace curtains in our street twitched and fluttered in amusement. When I purchased it in the mid 50s it was 18 years old ‐ a product of the pre‐war years that preceded the revolutionary ‘new look’ un‐ veiled in 1949. Its headlamps were independently mounted on the wings and it had a running board along each side. The car had no heater, no radio, no electric win‐ dows and no direction winkers. But it had a boot which could comfort‐
A FINE EXAMPLE: Not fancy, but my car just had character and a big heart. ably accommodate four packets of Shredded Wheat, a blanket and a spare wheel. The really unusual feature of this vehicle was its lack of power. In and around High Wycombe there are some very steep hills and one or two of them were beyond the capabilities of the ageing 850cc en‐ gine in first gear. This meant that,
every time we wheezed to a crawl on a sharp gradient, I had to do a five‐point‐turn and clank into re‐ verse to the reach the top of the hill. This was not only highly em‐ barrassing but, especially in the rush hour, quite dangerous. Through my cracked windscreen I would be confronted with the glaring face of the first in a line of
drivers, hooting his horn with rage, accompanied by a symphony of an‐ gry hooters behind him. As I slowly edged backwards up the hill, sever‐ al impatient drivers would over‐ take me, taking severe risks on the bends. The windscreen wipers were not exactly synchronised but they did work. The direction indicator to the
right responded to my instructions but the left one was more moody and less reliable. If it failed, to flick out I had to stick my arm out of the window and somehow indicate that I intended to turn left. As the fuel gauge was not accu‐ rate, I had to stop for petrol every time the needle went down to half‐ full, at which stage it was likely to descend very rapidly to show emp‐ ty. Likewise, I had to make al‐ lowances for the speedometer, which I had no reason to trust. Not that this car was likely to manage any speed in excess of the limits. The odometer was fine, and I could tell how far I had driven on a trip or in a given period. Unfortunately I have no photos, but a pristine example of my first car appears above. No built‐in headlamps, integrated wings. No heated seats or air‐conditioning, hi‐fi speakers, satellite navigation, electric sunroof or remote control keys. My car just had character and a big heart.
39
www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 February 2021
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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Keep up the pace this week so that you have plenty to discuss and ‘write home about.’ With your mind so active, you are capable of doing in a day what would normally take a week. Bypass those who try to slow you down. There will be plenty of time to be a plod later.
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Others may be changing their minds, and generally being a bit of a pain. That may irritate you but it is no reason to change your plans. Both you and your colleagues will be glad that you did in the longer term. You may need to find some peace and space for yourself come the weekend.
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Looking back over the past few months you will realise that fine adjustments are needed. Both your working life and diet need attention, so be determined that progress made will continue apace. Certainly, you have no qualms about facing any problems straight on. You thrive on responsibility and there is no shortage of that at the moment.
TAURUS (April 21 - May21) Now that you are feeling much better, it will be tempting to put aside your healthy eating and exercise, but if you remember what a difference it makes it would be silly to stop now. Enlist the help of a friend or two in keeping the momentum going.
GEMINI (May 22 - Juny 21) There are so many things to do or try that you should be spoiled for choice. No, don’t settle down in front of the TV. Get out, make some friends and aim to learn something new every day. That may only be the name of your neighbour on the bus but it counts. You are charming and urbane, so don’t keep it all to yourself.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) When your feelings are so positive, which they should be now, it is hard to remember that they have ever been any other way. You may have a plan in mind for a new activity to get the adrenalin flowing. How much more enjoyable, though, to find someone to share this with you. Book that course and maybe you will meet them there.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) After a few recent excesses, bad habits can prove hard to shake off. Remember that any time of the year is a good time to make a fresh start. Don’t put off looking after your health any more than you would put off stashing a cheque in the bank. Use it or lose it? You know it makes sense. Think about combining health with a holiday.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) It happens that energy is sometimes low. Take the chance to read up on why this could be. You may think that you know it all, but in this world there is no chance of that. Maybe you are out of touch generally, or just out of touch with your own needs. Give building your strength priority. How much better you will cope with extra energy.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) With so much going on, you are in danger of burning yourself to a frazzle. You won’t realise until you have done it, so make a point of getting some peace and quiet, preferably both of them at the same time. Relax and don't even think about things that are unchangeable. Time will sort out most things for you.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Leave nothing to chance when it comes to your health. Although you are feeling good now you will soon have problems because you are more concerned with others than yourself. This can be good but can also be overdone. You know how good you can feel. Increase this by simply not accepting secondbest treatment.
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 (LABOUR) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
AMIDST ANNEAL DANGLE EDGING ERRANT GARAGE INBRED LABOUT (10) MARINA OBTAIN ORIENT PARLEY PIECED RADIUS REASON SCHIST SERIES SPREAD SUNDRY
LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 30 January
4-28-31 36-51-55
Your tendency to see yourself through the eyes of others can lead you to undervalue your worth. This could see you going pear-shaped, emotion-ally. Try not to believe everything that you are told because there are always at least two ways of seeing things. Be positive. You are capable of so much. Take care of your needs on a daily basis.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Concentrate on your physical needs this week and spend much more time on yourself. There will be plenty of opportunities to look after others when you are feeling 100 per cent yourself. Stay in control of day-to-day plans.
BONUS BALL
42
IRISH LOTTO Sat 30 January
7-17-21 28-38-41
BONUS BALL
23
EURO MILLIONS Tue 26 January
SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21)
TIME OUT
BONUS BALL
2
05-07-25 37-40
8
Fri 29 January
BONUS BALL
01-05-27 36-42
1 6
EL MILLON: KFF37185 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 28 January
BONUS BALL
03-26-31 35-46-49
17 3
JOKER: 2946326 Sat 30 January
BONUS BALL
13-14-26 33-36-40
18
JOKER: 4461785
4
TIME OUT
40
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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, 9 represents C and 13 represents J, so fill in C every time the figure 9 appears and J every time the figure 13 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 Bufandas (7) 5 Quinto (5) 8 Lean (meat) (5) 9 Más afortunado (7) 10 Acontecimiento (5) 11 Seno (5) 12 To call (6) 14 Geese (domestic) (6) 18 Patata frita (de bolsa) (5) 20 Áspero (5) 22 Church (7) 23 Liqueur (5) 24 Kisses (5) 25 Toasted (7)
Down 1 Weekly (7) 2 Ángulo (5) 3 Violet (7) 4 Saludo (6) 5 Seals (animals) (5) 6 Amigos (7) 7 Duele (5) 13 Rings (on finger) (7) 15 Grandmothers (7) 16 Pay (wage) (7) 17 Pechuga (de pollo) (6) 18 Subir (5) 19 Raisins (5) 21 Axe (5)
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Abhor, 4 Basin, 7 Terminate, 8 Dusk, 10 Chides, 12 Sonnet, 13 Drab, 16 Brigadier, 18 Rigid, 19 Aides. Down: 1 Avoid, 2/17 Hot rod, 3 Rare, 4 Bright, 5 Slander, 6 Needs, 9 Singing, 11 Reward, 12 Sober, 14 Bonus, 15 Diva.
CRYPTIC
Across: 1 Spliced, 5 Minus, 8 Venom, 9 Spotted, 10 Risking, 11 Exile, 12 Jaded, 14 Stern, 19 Libel, 21 Exposed, 23 Harvard, 24 Lease, 25 Traps, 26 Masters. Down: 1 Severn, 2 Links, 3 Combine, 4 Design, 5 Moose, 6 Nattier, 7 Sodden, 13 Alberta, 15 Tipples, 16 Old hat, 17 Seldom, 18 Adders, 20 Loans, 22 State.
BOGGLED
FUTOSHIKI
nett netty undo undoer doge dogie doer hoer tube tuber tumble tumbler tumbrel tumbril ogle ogler jetty john bene bend betty butt butte butene buttv butler bumble bumbler belt tend mute mutt goer geode gelt glebe gilbert gilt girl liger lire bleb brig lilt rebut rebbe riel rile trig
ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Comida, 3 Asleep, 8 Enlaces, 10 Algas, 11 Prado, 12 Refugee, 13 Usado, 15 Mando, 20 October, 22 Dummy, 24 Trozo, 25 Cordero, 26 Moneda, 27 Throat. Down: 1 Cuerpo, 2 Multa, 4 Staff, 5 Engaged, 6 Poster, 7 Users, 9 Cloud, 14 Sit down, 16 Arder, 17 Bottom, 18 Brick, 19 By boat, 21 Broad, 23 Miedo
CODE BREAKER
NONAGRAM alee alit aril earl evil lair late lave leer leva liar lira lire lite live rail rale real reel rial riel rile tael tail tale teal tile vail vale veal veil vela vial vile alert alive alter elate elite elver later laver leave lever liter litre liver livre ratel ravel relit revel rival tiler trail trial valet velar viler viral vital elater leaver levier railer realer relate relive retail reveal revile travel varlet atelier earlier elative relater retrial reviler trailer relative retailer traveler RETRIEVAL
HEXAGRAM
WORD LADDER
1 HECTOR 2 RASTER 3 RETORT 4 STANCH 5 HORROR 6 TETHER 7 ARDENT 8 ECHOES 9 SCANTY 10 DOCTOR 11 THIRST 12 STEREO 13 TERROR 14 SPEEDY 15 METEOR 16 FERRIC 17 SPOTTY 18 MOROSE 19 TEETHE
HALT MALT MALE MILE MITE KITE
KAKURO
SUDOKU
41
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Costa Blanca TODAY
DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA
WEATHER
BENIDORM ALICANTE
ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA
TOMORROW
DENIA JAVEA CALPE
Malaga TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 9 Fri 18 9 Sat 19 9 Sun 19 9 Mon 21 10 Tues - 21 11 Wed 20 11
Alicante TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 8 Fri 16 7 Sat 17 7 Sun 16 8 Mon 16 9 Tues - 19 8 Wed 19 7
Almeria TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 11 Fri 21 11 Sat 21 11 Sun 19 12 Mon 19 11 Tues - 19 11 Wed 20 13
Benidorm TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 18 9 Sun 17 8 Mon 19 8 Tues - 17 10 Wed 17 8 Mallorca TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 7 Fri 16 7 Sat 17 8 Sun 17 8 Mon 18 9 Tues 17 7 Wed 16 8
TIME OUT
FUTOSHIKI Fill in the squares so that each digit from 1 to 6 occurs exactly once in each row and column. Greater-than and less-than signs indicate the relationship of the two adjacent squares. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing.
BOGGLED How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? • The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. • Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. • No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. • No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.
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 18, MIN 5 Fri 17 9 Sat 14 9 Sun 14 8 Mon 13 8 Tues 16 9 Wed 15 8 Madrid TODAY: MAX 13, MIN 8 Fri 16 8 Sat 15 7 Sun 14 7 Mon 16 8 Tues 17 9 Wed 17 10
Barcelona TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 9 Fri 17 9 Sat 16 9 Sun 15 11 Mon 16 11 Tues 18 9 Wed 19 10
Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts
TARGET:
SCORING:
Average: 17 Good: 23 Very good: 34 Excellent: 44
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 The first man seen by a duke in the morning (4) 3 Eccentric recites nothing, how odd (8) 9 Lance brings evil changes in short month (7) 10 Freely available sort of panto (2,3) 11 Stop at 'turning cool by mid-evening' (5) 12 One who relates to a bank employee (6) 14 Damson is chopped up for the Wanderers (6) 16 Traditional roof in yonder church? (6) 19 Paint a textbook (6) 21 Some Kenyans could be as I am (5) 24 Take over and use Earp from the sound of it (5) 25 Italian city designed for romance? (7) 26 Auditor is unusually silent before the Queen (8) 27 Female expected flipping argument (4) Down 1 A disc jockey with a little money nearby? (8) 2 Smith's block found in Roman villa (5) 4 After treatment, stay in normal frame of mind (6) 5 Goblin right in charge (5) 6 Tree rat built a hideaway (7) 7 Imitate policeman at the Yard (4) 8 Smoothed timber put back in hidden alpine chalet (6) 13 Asian country Ali hadn't converted (8) 15 Noble king penetrates resistance (7) 17 Trounce in athletics event (6) 18 Credit note on revolutionary nursery (6) 20 Some could help a man to climb a tree (5) 22 Poles damaged pitch (5) 23 Start pick-up, leave luggage, bring in (4)
TIME OUT
42
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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 Profundity (5) 4 Hops (5) 7 Crude oil (9) 8 Genuine (4) 10 Mix together (5) 13 Blanket (5) 14 Inform (4) 17 Unsafe (9) 19 Concluded (5) 20 Elevates (5)
Down 1 Leave (6) 2/18 Postpone (3,3) 3 Boxing punch (4) 4 Makes off with (6) 5 Huge (7) 6 Rescue (4) 9 Stayed away from (7) 11 Was the author of (6) 12 Shuts (6) 15 British nobleman (4) 16 Cure (4) 18 See 2
WORD LADDER Move from the start word (ROOM) to the end word (SPIN) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
ROOM
QUIZ BACK SPIN
CALL MY BLUFF Below are 10 obscure words, each with three different definitions, obviously only one of which is correct. You have to guess/deduce which is the true one. 1. ABERUNCATOR: (a) lady’s maid, (b) long tool for pruning tall branches or (c) somebody who lacks the ability to make a decision? 2. CAMPAGNOL: (a) male midwife, (b) short-tailed field mouse or (c) songbird? 3. EMACITY: (a) desire or fondness for buying, (b) ringing noise in the head or (c) upward slope? 4. HIMATION: (a) anonymous works, (b) divination using needles or (c) loose outer garment worn by ancient Greeks? 5. JUGLANDACEOUS: (a) accidental or casual, (b) of or relating to walnuts or (c) piled in heaps? 6. NACARAT: (a) bright orange-red, (b) over-refined or (c) threetoed sloth? 7. PECULATION: (a) becoming white, (b) burning or scalding or (c) embezzlement? 8. RARISSIMA: (a) craving for strange foods (b) extremely rare book or (c) love sonnet? 9. TEPHRA: (a) ash and debris ejected by a volcano, (b) compound interest or (c) shortness of breath? 10. VARUS: (a) army biscuit, (b) marginal note or (c) pigeon-toed?
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 N) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
Not a lot of people know that… ‘schoolmaster’ is an anagram of ‘the classroom’ and ‘moon starers’ is an anagram of ‘astronomers’
TARGET:
audreyquinton99@gmail.com
Average: 14 Good: 19 Very good: 27 Excellent: 35
Answers 1. B - LONG TOOL FOR PRUNING TALL BRANCHES, 2. B - SHORT-TAILED FIELD MOUSE, 3. A - DESIRE OR FONDNESS FOR BUYING, 4. C - LOOSE OUTER GARMENT WORN BY ANCIENT GREEKS, 5. B - OF OR RELATING TO WALNUTS, 6. A - BRIGHT ORANGE-RED, 7. C - EMBEZZLEMENT, 8. B - EXTREMELY RARE BOOK, 9. A - ASH AND DEBRIS EJECTED BY A VOLCANO, 10. C - PIGEON-TOED
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.
CONTINUOUS FLOUTING From our Facebook HOW can anybody expect the country to ever be clear of the Covid disaster whilst many people continually flout the regulations. In just one hour on Wed afternoon, we witnessed a group of five people, thought to be Scandinavian, having an organised picnic on the beach and later on, sitting around a table outside of a closed bar. There were another five people of Asian descent walking along in a bunch laughing and joking. We also saw an elderly Spanish couple sitting on a bench who were joined by a couple of younger ladies and then another lady with her dogs. They stood and chatted for all of the time that we were there. The only ones wearing masks were the Asians. None of the others attempted to maintain social distancing or wear masks. This was just one small area and just one hour on one day. If this is being repeated all along the Costa... we have no chance of recovery. Barry Weston
Brits Allergic to Spain! Hi, this may be of interest to your news desk... I belong to a Facebook group ‘Spanish Garden Info.’ It has over 7,000 members, mainly Brits but also expats from all over the world. I asked them a question “Since moving to Spain have any members become allergic to plants or trees not grown in the UK or cooler climates.” The response was quite shocking, nearly all confirmed they never had allergies before moving to Spain, and one member’s story about her daughter who nearly died made me realise that many Brits ( like me) are in fact allergic to Spain! Lee Sales ‐ Mojácar, Almeria
Loving Leapy Hi Leapy, I’m a great fan of yours, and find it hard to disagree with anything you say. Please keep up the great work. Others I recommend (on YouTube) are: Rotten Politics Voice of Reason - Alex Belfield Katie Hopkins amongst many others. Now that we have Sleepy Joe running the West we will see its rapid decline and the takeover by China. We have had the best years, mate. Best regards Max Kite
Help don’t hinder THERE is no doubt that the various restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic are irritating and seem to impinge on our civil liberties, but somehow or other the spread of the infection has to be curtailed. It is apparent from the sudden spike following the relaxation for Christmas and the New Year that the more people mix, the more likely it is for the infection to spread, thus the imposition of harsher restrictions in a bid to reduce personal interaction. At the end of the day what was
CORRECTIONS
Bridgerton Hi Leapy, Spot on.... History is bring rewritten.. Not sure we can resist this tsunami of woke b.s... as it is gathering rapid pace among those under 40 ... and now with the likelihood of an extreme left wing black woman president in the US when Biden pegs it, what hope is there?.... Fortunately, l guess you and l and more like us won’t be around to suffer the consequences!... Keep on with the antidote though... Best wishes.. DT
Hi Leapy, I must admit that like you I absolutely despise this new series Bridgerton. Unfortunately my wife likes it and, therefore, unless I leave the room I’m watching it. Fortunately we have just one more episode to watch. Historically incorrect is a massive understatement, from clothing to society and everything in between it’s totally wrong. I, like you, have no agenda on race or creed but if it’s going to be a period drama then at least try to make it correct. I also looked up the subject of society in the 1800s and the make-up thereof, and sadly and unfortunately for Bridgerton, the only role played by people of colour was menial: unfortunately slavery was at its highest and any black/coloured people joining the aristocracy couldn’t be further from the truth. The unfortunate thing is by screening programmes like this it just wears away what was our true past. The young of today and their knowledge of history will surely become affected and distorted by what they see. I’m not saying that they will believe that there was a black Queen but the horrendous subject of slavery and how it shaped our world will be swept under the carpet. Imagine if Hitler was represented as a Jew friendly happy go lucky chap, the Holocaust would be forgotten over a few decade by a false depiction of a tyrant. I do believe that, unfortunately, people are stuck at home and watching more and more television and have adopted so-called ‘entertaining,’ programmes like this 1800’s version of a modern day Dynasty or Dallas, where elaborately coloured clothing and perfectly formed actors with white teeth have removed all historical correctness purely as a means of capturing audience numbers. Thanks for printing what you did, I was starting to think it was just me! Chaz, Alhaurin de la Torre
OUR VIEW
once something one read about in the newspapers or heard about on TV has hit home with almost all of us knowing someone who has been infected or having caught the virus ourselves. What seems inexplicable is the fact that a number of people seem determined to work out ways of ignoring the rules and breaking the restrictions so that they can enjoy themselves with friends or pass through one perimeter to another where perhaps a restaurant may be open. Over the years, expatriates who
have settled here in Spain have been seen to be determined to help charities for the good of the community and whilst it is clear that there are Spanish born individuals and families flouting the rules, there is plenty of evidence on social media and first-hand experience that there are plenty of expats also breaking the rules. In the short term it is incredibly frustrating to be constricted in what we do, but if we are to get out of this mess then everyone has to commit to following the rules and not risk the health of ourselves or others.
Karen Schofield-Wilby The solution is simple: if you want to see people being interviewed by yes men, watch BBC - if you want to watch interviews where people are made to answer the question and not waffle or back pedal, watch Piers on ITV - you have a choice...
Pauline Goddard Can’t stand him, too full of self importance and doesn’t give anyone else a chance to speak, wish ITV would get rid
Stevie Rayner I didn’t used to care for him, but now he’s the only broadcaster holding the shitshower we are obliged to call a government to account.
Carol Thompson He should be thrown off, I used to like him because he is straight talking, but just lately he seems to love himself too much and the sound of his own voice, does not let anyone else get a word in edge ways. You can ask a question without being rude and obnoxious.
Lynn Trotter He’s very irritating, he asks a question then doesn’t allow the person to answer, I have witnessed him being extremely rude to people he doesn’t agree with.
Paul Jones No he should have been jailed for publishing fake pictures of British army soldiers putting them at risk and for the phone hacking scandal. Plus he has a face not even a mother could love.
Lyn Gaskell Don’t mind him especially when ripping into MPs but the continuous point scoring between him and Suzannah drives me nuts!!
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
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
4 - 10 February 2021
Andalucia Vaccination Programme CONSULAR MATTERS A NUMBER of citizens have been asking me about the vaccination against Covid‐ 19, the current position is as follows: On December 27, 2020 the vaccination programme against Covid‐19 began in An‐ dalucia, in coordination with the strategy which is being followed throughout Spain. Initially this campaign was started, focusing on people in nursing homes and the health and social health professionals who work in them, as well as the health professionals and other personnel who work in the first line of action against Covid‐19 (health cen‐ tres, hospitals, medical consultations, etc). The vaccine will only be available in the public health system. At the present time there are no plans to have the vaccine in private hospitals, health centres or for sale in pharmacies. Due to the necessity to store the vac‐ cine in refrigerated conditions, at the pre‐ sent time vaccinations are being carried
out in selected vaccination centres with their vaccination teams, which are also be‐ ing mobilised to nursing homes. Currently, the only two vaccines being put in place are the Comirnaty® vaccine (Pfizer‐BioNTech) and the Moderna® vac‐ cine, both based on messenger RNA. You cannot choose which vaccine you want to have, they are given at the discretion of the medical authorities. Regarding the most appropriate place for the injection, given that the people to be vaccinated are aged 16 years and over, it is recommended to administer it prefer‐ ably in the deltoid muscle (arm). The vaccine is not recommended at any time during pregnancy, but it can be ad‐ vised for at risk workers (nurses, medical personnel and other workers) who may be exposed to the virus through their work. Currently, although trials are just begin‐ ning in 12‐16‐year‐olds, there are no effi‐ cacy and safety data in this age group. This, together with the low severity seen at this age, means that its use is not cur‐ rently recommended in children under 16 years of age in the case of Comirnaty® or
in children under 18 years of age in the case of the Moderna® vaccine. There is currently no data on the possi‐ ble effects of the vaccine during breast‐ feeding, or on milk production or on the infant, but as they are mRNA vaccines and not attenuated virus vaccines, they are not considered to pose a risk to the infant. The objective is to reach the maximum number of people in the shortest time possible, without interruptions, seven days a week. Regarding the second stage of vaccination, it is foreseeable that vaccina‐ tion will continue with people over 70 years of age. The plan envisages vaccinat‐ ing them in a period of six weeks, from March 15 to April 25, 2021. The rest of the population will begin to be vaccinated after this period, without there being a specific timeframe for the time being, so the authorities will inform them of the vaccination campaigns and where to go. The vaccination will be car‐ ried out, in principle, in coordination with the health centre and the doctor assigned to it by the Andalucian public health sys‐ tem.
Marisa Moreno Castillo, Consul of Denmark and Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors
contact@justlawsolicitors.com • www.justlawsolicitors.com
It’s all just a step too far! MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man YOU only have to Google ‘online ads’ and ‘annoying’ to see research suggesting that online punters are becoming less suscepti‐ ble to advertising across social media, web‐ sites, and other online resources. Some of the top reasons that ads can come across as annoying are: frequency of ads, placement on the web page, lack of relevancy and bad targeting and size of the ads. The stampede of online adverts that plague our favourite websites and social networks is certainly driving me bonkers. There is more now than ever, it’s non‐ stop. For me, it’s when pop‐ups and ads seem to overwhelm a web page before there’s even a chance to read the title of the content you clicked on. I will often leave a page before getting to the article or news item I originally wanted to see. I don’t mind the odd ad because that’s how they earn a living but putting 10 or so is ridicu‐ lous and, for me, actually defeats the object because I don’t read any of them and that’s it. It’s the same with free apps and paid for apps. Some have one or two ads, which are
acceptable for something free, but when there’s one every click, I immediately delete it. I have lots of useful apps on my phone, my question is why do they have to update them every few days? I accept they get rid of the odd bug and creepy crawly but just recently, more than ever, they have completely updated some which then are not even recognisable as the original and stuck ads on them. Then there are a few that go the other way and don’t do any updates and now will not work with my ‘phone at all. Some of these are health apps on which I’d stored info about my tremor and now can’t re‐ trieve. Not the end of the world but annoy‐ ing. I’m beginning to see the major effects of Brexit already and it’s very alarming! My favourite Aero mousse and Muller Light yo‐ ghurts are not available in our local UK su‐ permarket. It was OK to have our car manufacturing and international banking being reorgan‐ ised but messing about with my Aero Mousse is a step too far! I did find it strange that they aren’t getting fresh fruit and veg. Hasn’t anyone told them what Spain has an abundance of? I’m sure they will sort it out eventually or there could be riots in the street. Email: mikesenker@gmail.com
EWN 45
USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency Services National Police Local Police Guardia Civil Ambulance Fire Brigade
112 091 092 062 061 080
46 EWN
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4 - 10 February 2021
Eat your way younger FORGET fancy creams and lo‐ tions, target the ageing process from the inside and change your diet to help you stay looking younger for longer. An Australian nutritionist has revealed her top shopping list of foods to enhance your skin which includes salmon, blueber‐ ries, dark chocolate, carrots, al‐ monds, tomatoes and citrus fruits. Salmon is a fatty fish that has long been hailed for its healthy benefits, but it is also said to al‐ low water to better penetrate the top layer of the skin leaving it looking plumper and well hy‐ drated. Blueberries, as well as being
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Are you scared of going to the doctors?
SALMON: On the shopping list for ingredients that will help to enhance your skin.
rich in Vitamin C, are high in potassium, which helps to com‐ bat puffiness and provide miner‐ als and salts which help the body to fight the ageing process. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge a little bit of the dark stuff without guilt as dark choco‐ late is rich in flavonoids, a form of antioxidant that helps the skin
fight against UV rays which can lead to premature ageing. The beta‐carotene in carrots helps cells to grow and repair, resulting in fewer dead cells. Almonds are full of Vitamin E, another antioxidant that helps to protect skin cells from UV light and free radicals that can led to cell damage. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is what makes them red. In humans, this lycopene can help protect against sunburn and ageing caused by the sun’s rays. Citrus fruits, full of Vitamin C are the fruit of choice to help ward off colds and illnesses, but Vitamin C is also a popular skin‐ care ingredient, helping with the production of collagen.
MEDICAL HELP: Women are more likely to attend screenings than men. DO you put off that trip to the doctor for fear of bad news? If you do, it seems you are not alone. A report suggests that a third of us delay appointments with middle‐aged men being the worse culprits. Women in general are more likely to attend screenings and seek medical help, with men more likely to suffer symptoms for longer. The report by 2020 health said many
had fears of the physical examination and the hospital and medical environ‐ ment and around a third of those ques‐ tioned avoided the doctors because they had a fear of finding out they may have serious illnesses such as cancer. Researchers said smokers, heavy drinkers and those who are overweight, were less likely to want to hear bad news about their health and feared they would be told to change their lifestyle.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
www.euroweeklynews.com
Check up on your strong friend MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED THEY’RE usually the ones bleeding in silence. She sits alone by the window, with the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. She picks up her phone and reads her messages, but not one of them asks her if she’s okay. She’s always checking up on people, but no one ever seems to realise that she might need help too. But deep inside, she’s crumbling, and no one would even notice. She needs help, but is scared to ask. She doesn’t respond as much to the messages she gets, any more. Her life shrinks in on her. People say that they miss her, that they haven’t seen her in ages and that she isn’t as active online as she used to be, but still no one asks if she’s okay. She feels lonelier day by day. The walls close in around her. In the back of her mind, she knows that they care about her. Her thoughts become more and more negative, and she finds it harder to rationalise the more she drops out of her life. Slowly, she becomes a shell of a person. She knows why no one reaches out. She knows why no one seems to be worried. It’s not that they don’t care - it’s because they have her labelled as a strong person, and assume that she can handle any
difficulty she faces. They completely overlook the fact that even ‘strong’ people need help too. All of her checking up on people has convinced them that she has her sh*t together too much to ever need help. Meanwhile, the days grow darker and she grows weaker. Check up on your friends, even those who seem strongest. You never know when they’ll need a helping hand unless you ask. Love sometimes isn’t enough for some people but check in on your ‘strong’ friends, you might just save them from all the pain they are feeling. Please don’t forget to write in or follow me on Facebook @Mswillowbipolar Love Ms Bipolar x
msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com
4 - 10 February 2021
EWN 47
48 EWN
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4 - 10 February 2021
A Magical show in Elche THE magic of Jorge Blass is set to appear at Elche’s Grand Theatre.
A surprising and novel show is set to magically appear at the Grand Theatre in Elche on
Beautiful Ballet
A FORMER National Ballet of Spain Director is bringing his own company to Murcia. Now the head of his own company, after stopping directing the National Ballet of Spain, Antonio Najarro returns to the Victor Villegas Auditorium and Congress Centre in Murcia on Saturday, March 6 with his show ‘Alento.’ His first show in 2015 was choreographed for the BNE (National Library of Spain) and in this rerun, the Madrid director adds two more scenes to the six existing ones. Spanish dance is woven in between the beautiful notes of composer Fernando Egozcue, who will perform on stage with four other musicians. In long, flowing costumes, the dancers make their chiffon skirts fly, while the men dress in dark and with shirts buttoned at the neck, in this abstract ballet illuminated by the eminent Nicolás Fischtel. The show starts at 7pm and costs between €25 and €35 - there is also a 35 per cent discount up to 10 days before the show. Visit www.ba cantix.com for advance tickets.
ALENTO: An abstract ballet.
May 23 ready to wow the au‐ dience. In an exciting performance of appearances, disappear‐ ances, impossible levitations and interactive magic ‐ the au‐ dience is set to play a key part in Jorge Blass’ unique act. All wrapped up in a halo of mystery and careful aesthetics that makes the audience get excited again and dream of the impossible, combining new technologies with the most recognised games of the ele‐ gant magic of Jorge Blass. Jorge has travelled the world displaying his spectacu‐ lar magical effects including performances in Las Vegas, Hollywood and Shanghai. He has even starred on Spanish TV. His works have been award‐ ed the Golden Magic Wand in Monte Carlo and the Siegfried and Roy Award in Las Vegas. Don’t miss out! Tickets cost between €18 and €28 and are on sale via In‐ stanticket and the Grand The‐ atre box office. The show is set to last for 90 minutes.
SOCIAL SCENE
Maria’s Room
ALICANTE Principal Theatre welcomes you to Maria’s Room. The celebrated writer Isabel Chacón turns 80 today, or so the story goes! A story which is being presented to the Alicante Princi‐
pal Theatre over the weekend of February 13 and 14. Chacón is the winner of the Planeta Prize but has been un‐ able to collect it in person due to the agoraphobia she suffers
Rocking in Murcia GET ready to head bang to VA Rocks at the Garaje Beat Club in Murcia. VA Rocks are a female rock band from Scandinavia who bring heavy rock music mixed with an element of punk and are ready to get the audience banging their heads to their beats. In the purest Scandinavian style, Ida Svensson (vocals and guitar), Klara Wedding (bass and backing vocals) and Frida Rosén (drums) will rock the crowd with their rough guitar riffs, hard drums, steady bass, and a voice that will leave them unconscious! The band hail from the Swedish town of Lund and will visit Murcia for the first time to present their long-awaited third album, which will be released in February 2021. The band, which was one of the great sensations at the prestigious Sweden Rock 2017 festival, will tour Spain accompanied by the Sevillian hard rockers Pinball Wizard. To get your tickets, please visit www.compralaentra da.com. Early purchases are €12 and it’s €15 on the door.
from and is now celebrating her birthday without any kind of public or family event, as has be‐ come customary in recent years. The story continues... Chacón has been confined to her home for 43 years due to her condi‐ tion, on the 47th floor of a skyscraper in Madrid, which she has turned into her fortress and where everything she needs, food, clothes, medicines, is brought to her home. However, the night of her birthday, a fire breaks out and all the tenants are forced to evacu‐ ate the building, but for Isabel this is impossible, she simply ‘can’t’ leave the house. As the flames reach the rooftop, for exactly 75 minutes, Isabel will have to make the most important decision of her life, confronting her fears, her ghosts, and all the traumas of her life that have led her to this crossroads, before it’s too late! This wonderful and humorous story is the vision of Manuel M Velasco and tickets cost between €12 and €25 which can be bought from the theatre.
PETS
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4 - 10 February 2021
Will your dog need a playmate TAKE a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sitters 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 philoso‐ phy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on House SitMatch.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 house‐sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permit‐ ting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2021? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent
Find them a friend while you’re on holiday. rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention 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 secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa
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.
Advertising Feature ALTHOUGH offering all our love and enhanced care, our dog is very important and it helps them live better. The truth is that the longevity of our pet is largely related to its breed, weight and size. In fact, dogs with greater weight and size, as a general rule, tend to live less years than small dogs. Also breed, diet, genetics and envi‐ ronment have an impact on a dog’s life expectancy. Although Veterinary medicine has extend‐ ed the lives of dogs, with the right combination of attention and preventive care, it is impor‐ tant to incorporate some strate‐ gies . 1. Watch your dog’s diet. Ma‐ ture dogs often have food issues, including problems chewing, lack of appetite, obesity and digestive difficulties. 2. Exercise your dog’s body. Like people, ageing dogs experi‐ ence pain and have difficulty per‐ forming physical activities they used to enjoy, but exercise con‐ tinues to be imperative to their In Costablanca Sur: Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante www.resonanciaveterinaria.es
5 Tips on Caring for Older Dogs health and mind. 3. Dental hygiene is particular‐ ly crucial. Regular brushing and professional cleaning can prevent dental disease. 4. Visit the vet more often. Take your dog in for a vet check‐ up at least twice a year. Monitor changes in behaviour, appetite, weight loss or gain, dental issues,
and any lumps or lesions and bring them to your vet’s atten‐ tion. 5. Make your house comfort‐ able for an old dog. Keep food and water in areas they can easily reach, heated beds can alleviate painful joints in case colder days, avoid sliding floor and use ramps to get into the car.
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Unconventional pets NOT all people have a place in their hearts for the tradition‐ al pet. Some prefer the challenge and thrill of owning some‐ thing unique and eye‐catching. However, many are put off by the thought of owning and caring for a non traditional pet, but would be surprised to know that some are actually relatively low maintenance. Hedgehogs, for example, are often mistaken for prickly and unintelligent, but these gentle souls are actually quite shy. Only stiffening their spines when threatened, they are a humble and easy pet, often comparable to hamsters. With time and commitment, owners can expect to develop a strong bond with this interesting pet. On the other end of the spectrum is the Axolotl, a unique pet that looks a little like a domesticated alien. Proving to be very weird pets, it is able to regenerate any part of its body in due time, ideal for anyone with a feisty aquarium environment. The Axolotl is a type of salamander which originated in Mexico. They grow to be quite large and require quite spe‐ cialised care and equipment, making it a little more high maintenance, but otherwise a fantastic pet for those with a taste for the unique.
LEGAL ALIEN: The Axolotl is incredibly unique.
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CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. English-speaking AA meetings
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are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 email aecc_campello @hotmail. com (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com. (10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various lodges meeting up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact Harry Palmer Membership Committee. Tel: 966 712 326 or
email: 2palmers.quesada @gmail. vcom (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja. com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Sevices at 10am and 11:30am. All nationalities welcome Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorre vieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information see our website www.lasiestaevangel icalchurch.org (10005) PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH 1359. The association supports the welfare needs of ex-members of the RAF and their dependents. Due to covid-19 restrictions we cannot hold General Meetings at the moment however, we were able to comply with regulations and hold a Battle of Britain Service and a Dinner Dance (without dancing)! We also provide a social hub for members and hold lunches every month. To fund
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Welfare we raise money through the Wings Appeal. To find out more contact Chairman Tony at tony.elaine.cuen ta@gmail.com. For Welfare contact David on 615 048 892. For general information on RAFA visit www.rafa.org.uk. ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branch
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es.britishlegion.org.uk/branch es/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.ori huelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granala cant.secretary@rbl.communi ty ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664. (10004) ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996. (95455) STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email strokesupportgroup@hot mail.com, website: torreviejas trokesupport.org. We are always looking for volunteers
who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablanca. org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461) THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate future due to COVID-19. Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)
CHIMNEY SERVICES PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP Sooty & Son, Family Business established over 60 years. 660 478 881 (290229)
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DAMP PROOFING RISING DAMP / ROOFING REPAIRS www.electroos.com info@electro-os.com 619 666 363 (287819)
ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (285783)
FOR SALE/WANTED 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 (289581)
GENERAL SERVICES HANDYMAN available, Painting, Gardening, small removals, shopping/collections. Santa Pola, Gran Alacant, El Altet & La Marina areas. No job too small. Affordable & reliable. Tel 711 073 074 (291407)
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PET CHARITY EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorse care.net www.easyhorse care.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706) GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, deflead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709) P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com (95708) SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting re-homing. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spamasafor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)
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team to deal with. Brilliant advertisement rates. Can't fault them. Jackie is an absolute star, nothing too small to help with. I would definitely recommend EWN as a way to advertise your business!
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EWN 55
Reliable quality - it’s a Honda ROAD TEST by Mark Slack IT’S rare that I drive a car and subsequently struggle to form any kind of strong opinion for the write‐up. Honda’s Jazz Crosstar has succeeded though. Essentially the Crosstar is an SUV style package added to a standard Jazz. Priced at €26,288 (£23,385) it comes with increased ride height, black sill and wheel arch cladding, 16” alloys, a dif‐ ferent front grille and water re‐ sistant upholstery. Based on the standard EX the Crosstar is essentially
all about dressing. Power comes via a 1.5‐litre petrol‐electric hybrid engine with twin electric motors and a CVT transmission to drive the front wheels. It’s a smooth and refined affair until you press on with any serious acceleration, when it becomes somewhat frenetic while it gathers mo‐ mentum. A quite common CVT trait found in other similarly geared cars apart from Hondas. The Crosstar rides well, suc‐ cessfully ironing out the worst excesses of the multi‐patched roads common in my part of the world. From a pure driving point of view though it’s a rather ano‐
Honda Jazz Crosstar.
dyne affair and will most likely be bought by those who need transport rather than some‐ thing to set the driving senses aflutter. That’s no bad thing ei‐ ther because being a Honda it’ll be uber reliable, there’s plenty of space for such a small car and it’s a comfortable place to be for your daily commute. There is, again unsurprising‐ ly being Honda, a quality feel with a nice interior mix of fab‐ ric and other trim materials. Lots of space for your in‐car detritus and my test model had a rather cool interior look compared to most superminis of the same price and ilk. Ex‐ ternally my test model came in a shade of paint called Surf Blue that many people com‐ mented upon in favourable terms. I wasn’t quite so taken not least because of the extra € 1 , 0 6 7 (£950) cost. The stan‐ dard equip‐ ment in the
Crosstar is very good with such goodies as keyless entry and start, parking sensors, satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control, heated seats, powered mirrors, auto lights and wipers and rear parking
camera. The infotainment sys‐ tem is very comprehensive and the sound quality is bet‐ ter than in some premium cars I have sampled. The Jazz Crosstar certainly has appeal if you want a com‐
muter car with the look of something more, but from a purely practical and common sense approach the standard EX model seems a better bet and €1,444 (£1,285) cheaper too.