Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 4 - 10 February 2021 Issue 1857

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The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1857

4 - 10 February 2021

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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ALMERIA CATCALLS

ALMERIA City hosts the fourth edi‐ tion of the Jornadas Felinas An‐ daluzas conference, focusing on the region’s cats, on February 19 and 20. “Being chosen by the organisers FdCATS to host the event together with the local cats’ protection asso‐ ciation Seven Lives, is most satisfy‐ ing as it recognises the municipali‐ ty’s commitment to animal well‐being,” said Margarita Cobos, Almeria’s councillor for Environ‐ mental Sustainability. Cobos drew attention to FdCATS’ efforts to adapt the conference to the diffi‐

STRAYS: Almeria City is committed to looking after the municipality’s colonies.

Albox Mayor Tests Positive A SECOND local mayor in Alme‐ ria has tested positive with Covid‐19 in only a matter of weeks. Francisco Torrecillas, the mayor of Albox took to Face‐ book to confirm that he had tested positive for the virus, and that he will be in quarantine at his home. The mayor has confirmed that despite taking all the pre‐ cautionary measures needed for the deadly virus he has become infected. He explained how careful he had been and that he had not been to any parties or in contact with anyone that was in quarantine. He also explained

how meetings had been held in the open air and despite wear‐ ing masks he has unfortunately tested positive for the virus. He asked that neighbours take “good care of themselves” as even with all the precautions it is still possible to become in‐ fected. According to reports the

mayor is only experiencing mild symptoms including ‘body aches, as if he had the flu, a little cough’ and a headache. While the mayor is out of action his deputy José Campoy will take the lead. The mayor is confident he will overcome the virus and current‐

ly he has not lost his sense of taste or smell. Recently the mayor of Tijola, José Juan Martínez tested posi‐ tive for the virus and thanked lo‐ cal residents for keeping up the commitment and good work with following all the necessary coronavirus precautions.

culties posed by the present health situation. “This makes it clear that Covid cannot stop us and we shall continue, without exception, to ad‐ vance in animal welfare,” Cobos continued. “The CER method Trap, Neuter, Return) is about to be‐ come a reality in our city,” she said. “In fact we began in December with colonies living in enclosed spaces like the cemetery before the measure was definitively ap‐ proved.” The councillor went on to say that she would be talking about the municipal commitment to Almeria City’s feral cats during the confer‐ ence. FdCATS president Agnes Dufau said she believed that this was the

right moment to hold the confer‐ ence in Almeria City. “We already know the people who look after the feral colonies and have worked at trapping, neu‐ tering and returning,” she said. Du‐ fau also pointed out the positive side of holding the meeting online. “People will be attending from Spain and even South America, which underlines a generalised need for information and interest in learning how to do things better each day.” People wishing to attend the on‐ line conference can sign up until February 12 via the www.jornadas felinasandaluzas.com web page. This includes a €10 donation per person to go to the association.

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Dolphin deaths under investigation GUARDIA CIVIL officers and Equinac personnel were re‐ cently called on twice to inves‐ tigate dead striped dolphins. The first was found on the Playa de las Amoladeras beach in Cabo de Gata. The 2.2‐metre dolphin had been ripped open and a knife han‐

dle was found beside its body. The second, on Garrucha’s Playa Caracola beach, was a female with marks apparently made by an industrial fishing net on its mouth and back. The Guardia Civil, who are now investigating both deaths, attributed the second

to ‘bad fishing practices’ in the area. Equinac, a non‐government organisation, has authorisa‐ tion from the central govern‐ ment’s Environment Ministry to intervene when turtles or dolphins are found on Alme‐ ria’s shores.

NEWS

A carload of trouble EL EJIDO’S Commerce council‐ lor Montserrat Cervantes was recently forced to clarify the circumstances of the Christ‐ mas draw for a car. The initiative was intended to boost custom for local busi‐ nesses, with customers’ re‐ ceipts placed in 387 urns dis‐ tributed throughout the town and later emptied into one huge container for the Decem‐ ber 30 draw. Cervantes announced that when this was held, her depart‐

ment was unaware that one of the urns was not included. “Had we known about that, the draw would not have taken place in accordance with the terms and conditions signed before a notary on December 3,” the councillor said. The oversight was an admin‐ istrative error that occurred when the names of participat‐ ing businesses were noted down as the urns were dis‐ tributed, she explained. “We have asked our legal

advisers to prepare a report on the problem and its possible consequences,” Cervantes said. She stressed that as soon as the town hall was aware of what had happened, the Com‐ merce department visited the establish to talk to the owner, explaining what had happened and apologising for the error. “We regret the trouble and problems this has caused, both to the business and the clients who shopped there to enter the draw,” the councillor said.

No leaks in Adra Revamp in Vera SINCE last September Adra Town Hall and Hidralia, the concessionary responsible for the domestic water supply, have been cooperating to prevent leaks and improve dis‐ tribution. “We are taking very important steps to improve the effi‐ cient use of a scarce resource like water, as we are demon‐ strating with the 300,000 litres that are no longer wasted on a daily basis,” said Adra’s mayor Manuel Cortes. During the three months since Adra’s Water Plan was launched, more than 100 weak points were detected and repaired in the town’s network of water‐pipes. As a result, the town has saved a total of 40,000 cubic metres of water. “This way we are making the most of our water re‐ sources and avoiding unnecessary spending,” Cortes added. MORE than 50 volunteers from local groups and associations have signed up to help restore the fire‐ravaged Sierra de Gador. Berja mayor Jose Carlos Lupion said he was “pleasantly surprised” at the response after the town hall asked for help on its website following the fire that affected 400 hectares of woodland last month. “We have to be patient,” Lupion told the Spanish news agency, Europa Press. “We’d like to start replanting tomorrow but the ground must be

THE facelift for Vera’s Plaza de las Flores will make it more resident‐and environment‐ friendly. The avant‐garde design transforming an area of 2,000 square metres uses ultra‐mod‐ ern techniques and technology that will also be sustainable, explained Vera’s deputy may‐ or and Infrastructures councillor Alfonso Gar‐ cia. Within months, the Plaza will be a refer‐ ence point for this kind of public space, he said. The €400,000 contract to carry out the makeover is about to be put out to tender and work should be finished by the end of this year, the councillor revealed.

Ready to help stabilised first and the Environment department needs to continue working there.” Forest rangers are still clearing debris and re‐ moving dead trees, said the mayor, who recom‐ mended that the area was best avoided for the time being as some of the paths were blocked and unstable.

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NIBS EXTRA First prefab THE social centre in Castell del Rey will be Almeria’s first prefabricated municipal building. The one-storey €90,145 structure adjoining the sports zone and the children’s play area will cover an area of 80 sqm and is expected to be in use by the late spring.

Long term DALIAS Town Hall had to rescind its announcement of two vacancies on the Local Police force after two officers on leave of absence took up their places rather than lose them. Town hall sources explained later that they were unaware of the arrangement that went back 15 years.

House prices THE demand for housing in Almeria has grown more than in any other province in Andalucia, although prices remain low. In 2008 when the property boom was at its height, properties reached €2,300 per square metres compared with the €1,190 they were fetching in 2020.

Market fare THE open-air street markets held in Almeria City each week can still function while non-essential shops have had to close owing to more stringent anti-Covid regulations. Fruit, vegetables and churros fritters will still be on sale although shoes, clothing and other non-edible items will not be available.

Road repairs VERA Town Hall awarded a €229,433 contract to resurface 20 streets and pavements in Vera’s Pueblo and Vera Playa. Many are in such a bad condition after years of repeated repairs following bad weather that some roads are to be completely remodelled or made more accessible if necessary.

Boat people GUARDIA CIVIL maritime command posts in Andalucia’s Zone Four intercepted 9,673 migrants last year, 51 per cent fewer than in 2019. Almeria’s headquarters intercepted more than any other in the region, although the 5,476 total was almost 16 per cent lower than the 6,512 rescued in 2019.

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More links to Vera’s past VERA Town Hall is keeping the regional authorities up-to-date regarding the latest archaeological finds in Cerro del Espiritu Santo. Remains include drystone walls rendered with plaster, which possibly belonged to dwellings, a stone structure that appears to be part of town walls or an important building, as well as numerous fragments of pottery and even bones. All the discoveries were found on privately-owned land in Cerro del Espiritu Santo. This was once the site of the medi-

Photo credit: Anchel Conte Cazcarro

NEWS

LATEST FINDS: A fragment of 13th century pottery from the Nazari era. aeval town of Bayra whose origins can be traced to the 9th century. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1518 and the site

‘Parkour Five’ named FIVE young men who filmed them‐ selves on the walls of the Alcazaba have now been identified. They were practising parkour, which involves getting from one point to another in ‘a complex en‐ vironment’ and the video showing them doing exactly that immedi‐ ately went viral. The National Police soon traced the five young men, one of them a minor, who live in Huercal de Almeria, Almeria City and Malaga. Experts are now examining the video to determine whether they damaged the monument and, if so, whether they should be charged.

is now officially protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). Bayra was surrounded by adobe walls that enclosed tow-

Fishing figures ALMERIA Province’s five fishing ports landed 7.6 million kilos of fish and shellfish last year. This was almost one million more than the 6.7 mil‐ lion kilos that Adra, Almeria City, Carboneras, Gar‐ rucha and Roquetas caught in 2019, although this in‐ crease was not reflected in their turnover of €23.3 million compared with €24 million two years ago. This was the result of lower demand, after the ho‐ tels, restaurants and bars that are the fishing indus‐ try’s best clients closed for three months during lock‐ down and operated with restricted capacity afterwards. Adra’s fishing sector had the biggest increase in catches, landing a million kilos more than in 2019 al‐ though the average price of €1.85 per kilo was the province’s lowest. In contrast, Garrucha saw catches fall from 406,000 kilos in 2019 to 284,000 but its prized red prawns ‐ which fetched €41 per kilo in origin ‐ bumped up its average price per kilo to €8.7.

ers and a fortress on the highest part of the hill although most of the dwellings were located outside them. One of these exterior areas is believed to have reached as far as the Old Almeria Road, a theory that the latest finds appear to confirm. Meanwhile, and as a precautionary measure, Vera Town Hall informed the landowner that nothing on the site should be touched and that all weeding, clearing, earthworks or construction there should be halted.

Stores desert the Paseo ANOTHER shop, Pull&Bear, has left Almeria City’s Paseo. Like Zara, which has also left the street, the clothing chain belongs to the Inditex empire which has now re‐ duced its presence in Almeria Province to the Centro Comercial in Torrecardenas and the Gran Plaza in Roquetas. The closure drew further attention to the eclipse of the provincial capi‐ tal’s principal shopping street, under‐ lining business‐owners’ repeated re‐ quests for official solutions to halt the decline.

Parting of the political ways EL EJIDO mayor Francisco Gongora announced a reshuf‐ fle after the VOX party with‐ drew from the local govern‐ ment. VOX’s spokesman in El Ejido, Juan Jose Bonilla, attributed the split to “orders from above” and said that from the

outset the local councillors had been loyal to the party. Bonilla claimed that the breakup occurred because Gongora had reneged on their agreement. Meanwhile, Gongora re‐ vealed that there had been “many discrepancies” during

the 18 months that the pact had lasted, with motives to ex‐ pect an eventual parting of the ways. These included friction re‐ garding the Viogen monitoring system for gender violence vic‐ tims, the LGTBI flag, Interna‐ tional Women’s Day and the

number of special advisers. “From now on we are going to be a minority government,” Gongora said. “I’m not afraid to pact with the other political groups at the town hall and in fact we’ve al‐ ready reached agreements in recent months.”

Tip-off stopped cockfight THE Guardia Civil recently raided a cock‐ fight attended by 89 people, several of them under‐age, in El Ejido. An anonymous caller tipped off the authorities that the illegal fight was tak‐ ing place in an industrial unit in Pozo de la Tia Manolica in the Matagorda district. Once there, officers found crowds round the cockpit, none of them practis‐

ing social distancing and all maskless. When the Guardia Civil entered, the spectators hurriedly divested them‐ selves of knives, shivs and drugs which they threw on the ground although later they were obliged to identify their be‐ longings. A search also revealed the lifeless body of a fighting cock with recent

wounds as well as 21 live cocks, all with cuts in their coxcombs and their spurs artificially sharpened. These, too, were reluctantly identified by their owners. The 89 spectators racked up 260 charges between them, ranging from animal abuse, possessing and consum‐ ing drugs and flouting Covid‐19 health and safety regulations.

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Small and still safe AS Almeria Province bat‐ tles the onslaught of the third coronavirus wave, seven inland municipali‐ ties remain Covid‐free. Alcudia de Monteagud (138 inhabitants), Ben‐ itagla (58), Senes (289), Velefique (253), Laroya (198), Sufli (217) and Pater‐ na del Rio (371) ‐ all inland and all located in Almanzo‐ ra, Filabres‐Añhamilla or Alpujarra ‐ account for half of Andalucia’s municipali‐ ties where the virus has not yet struck. All are small, and none has a population of more than 400, although to Pa‐ terna del Rio goes the dis‐ tinction of being the largest municipality in An‐ dalucia to have escaped the coronavirus so far.

La Peana’s days are numbered ANDALUCIA’S largest and oldest holm oak, popularly known as La Peana, is lo‐ cated in Seron. The tree, which is situat‐ ed on private land and is 1,300 years old, is 19 me‐ tres tall and has a base that is 15 metres in diameter. According to the region‐ al government’s Agricul‐ ture department the tree is now in such a bad condi‐ tion that it could die at any moment owing to ‘struc‐ tural problems’ The Spanish news agen‐ cy Europa Press reported that the Junta said that in addition to the steps taken in recent months and those that could be intro‐ duced in the future, it was essential to take into ac‐ count the tree’s age. The ageing process could not be halted, the Agriculture department declared. Props were added to the tree last month, Junta sources said, although a subsequent inspection re‐ vealed that it had also been affected by the wind and snow.

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NEWS

Apple Mask Unlock Solution 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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Spain Suspends More Flights 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.

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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.

NEWS

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.

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 de‐ fensive purposes can be seen in many places. National Geo‐ graphic has compiled a list of its 15 favourites, of which two chosen are in in Spain. One is Loarre in Huesca, completed in the 12th centu‐

ALCAZAR: One of the most visited castles in the world. 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) an‐ nounced the decision hours after the Boe‐ ing aircraft was declared safe by European authorities ‐ allowing a return to service of the troubled passenger jet following ‘soft‐ ware upgrades and electrical working re‐ work.’ The 737 Max was grounded worldwide after 346 people tragically 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 approval. “But we will continue to monitor 737 Max operations closely as the aircraft re‐ sumes service. “We have reached a significant milestone on a long road,” Patrick Ky continued. “We asked difficult questions until we got an‐ swers and pushed for solutions which satis‐ fied our exacting safety requirements.”

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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.

NEWS

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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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 National Police website THE force’s Director General, Francisco Pardo, unveiled the new website which will be fully accessible for people with hearing or visual disabilities. 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 creat‐ ed by police officers and “has not been entrusted to an external company,” explained Director of the National Police, Fernando Grande‐Marlaska. “It is the result of intense work carried out during the last year. The objectives are to continue the process of digital trans‐ formation 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 proce‐ dures.”

Mercadona ditches plastic MERCADONA has announced the withdrawal of plastic bags both in physical stores and home service. New style com‐ postable 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 pictogram 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 re‐ duce the use of plastic by 25 per cent, make all packaging recy‐ clable and recycle all plastic waste generated in its facilities, representing a €140 million investment 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.

NEWS

Last to be Vaccinated Valencian Health Minister, Ana Barceló, confirmed that she has not been vaccinated against Covid‐19 and in fact stated that she will be the last to do so: "Like the one who says, the captain must always to be the last one to leave the ship, there‐ fore I will be the last one to be vaccinat‐ ed.” Barceló, in an in‐ terview in the Open Debate of the 8 Mediterrani, asked about the irregulari‐ ties that detected in the order of adminis‐ tration of SARS‐CoV‐ 2 vaccines, stressed that "all the au‐ tonomous communi‐ ties must be vacci‐ nated by the order in which it has been es‐ tablished in the Strategy of the Min‐ istry." She warned that that the situation in the Valencian terri‐ tory is "high risk," stating that it is "the responsibility of resi‐ dents to comply with all the measures that have been estab‐ lished."

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USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency Services National Police Local Police Guardia Civil Ambulance Fire Brigade

112 091 092 062 061 080

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.

Infected Nurse Bullied A NURSE 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 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 I had skipped the confinement, 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 it is as far away as possible from our community.”

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.

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, focus‐ ing on people in nursing homes and the health and social health professionals who work in them, as well as the health profes‐ sionals and other personnel who work in the first line of action against Covid‐19 (health centres, hospitals, medical consul‐ tations, 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 being 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 vacci‐ nation 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

NEWS

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4 - 10 February 2021

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 mid‐February which aim to guar‐ antee 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 appear‐ ance. This change has sparked a great deal of controversy, partic‐ ularly among feminist group

Hikers to pay 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 moun‐ tain refuge on March 15, 2020 without appropriate equipment. According to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) their ac‐ tions, which they carried out when outdoor activities were banned, are considered negligent based on laws from 2009 put in place by the Catalan Regional Govern‐ ment. The aim was to dissuade people from getting in‐ volved in negligent situations on the mountain by mak‐ ing payment of the rescue operation obligatory.

Confluencia Movimiento Femi‐ nista, who claim that allowing trans people to self‐determine their gender will cause untold damage to the fight for wom‐ en’s rights.

Cadiz teacher Jailed THE director of a school in San‐ lucar has been sentenced to three years behind bars by the Provincial Court of Cadiz for stealing more than €12,700 be‐ tween 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 hefty prison sentence handed down for the crimes of fraud and falsification of public documents, the pro‐ fessor has been ordered to re‐ imburse the school for the stolen €12,718.34 and pay a fine of €6 per day for 10 months. He has also been banned from teaching for a to‐ tal of six years.

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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.

www.euroweeklynews.com

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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NEWS

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 restriction 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 offi‐ cers. According 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 collision was heard and they saw a van run over the officer who was left trapped under‐ neath the vehicle. Two of his colleagues were also injured and thrown several metres by the mpact. Tributes to the Angel Antonio Ambrosio

OFFICER: Was hit by a van driver. have poured in on Twitter, with Spain’s Presi‐ dent Pedro Sanchez saying, “A heartfelt hug to the relatives and colleagues of Angel, the Guardia Civil officer who died after being run over in a mobility control in Mieres. And a wish for a speedy recovery for the people also in‐ jured in this incident.”

Royal pay freeze in 2021 Budget SPAIN’S King Felipe VI has frozen the Royal budget and will spend the salary of his dis‐ graced father Don Juan Carlos on new technology. According to an official Statement, King Felipe’s salary for 2021 will be the same as 2020 ‐ €253,850. Queen

Letizia, will receive €139,610 and his mother Queen Sofia €114,240 from taxpayers’ money. The King decided not to avail of a 0.09 per cent salary increase given to all civil servants, which technically in‐ cludes Royals. Meanwhile, the €200,000 salary for disgraced former King Juan Carlos was with‐ drawn in March 2020 and will be spent on improving the

technology of the Royal Insti‐ tution. Juan Carlos is currently living in exile in Abu Dhabi, having plundered millions of euros from Spain through cor‐ ruption and dubious business deals. Many analysts say the rea‐ son for deciding against a pay rise is part of King Felipe’s ef‐ fort to preserve the image of the Royals in the wake of his father’s crimes.

Electric Prices Down Thanks to Wind Energy SPAIN’S wholesale electric prices have dropped to their lowest levels since December 2019 thanks to an increase in wind energy. Consumers signed up to regulated tariffs are most likely to benefit from the drop, which could see it be‐ come almost free to use washing machines or charge Increase in wind energy. electric cars early in the morning. Those on fixed contracts will not benefit from the changes. The end of January saw wholesale prices fall to €4.19 per MWh, despite 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 Scandina‐ vian 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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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.

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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 billion by 2024 with an expected €24,000 billion in the sale of second‐hand furni‐ ture. 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

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

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urg‐ ing its readers to support local businesses in the community by going local through the lock‐ down 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, butchers, greengrocers and all of the won‐ derfully quirky independent

businesses in your area. Due to the Covid‐19 pandem‐ ic, you may have to support many local businesses by order‐ ing online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lockdown restrictions. The joy of shopping local means that independent busi‐ nesses can help support the lo‐ cal community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on‐

line, consider where your mon‐ ey is actually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support lo‐ cal charities, support and spon‐ sor local sports teams and in many cases the small indepen‐ dent stores are actually much more than just a small high

street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the generation be‐ fore. For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros spent there are supporting 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 independent store and com‐

4 - 10 February 2021

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

pete with the multinational and chains. So be sure to pre‐order your meat from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again. You could also consider pur‐ chasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre‐paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a bet‐ ter gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry , give the gift of

peace of mind through these dif‐ ficult times. Choosing to spend your mon‐ ey locally will really make a dif‐ ference in the recovery of the lo‐ cal economy. When we buy local, our money stays local, and it strengthens the local economy 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 cre‐ ate locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees. Data shows that local retailers return 52 per cent of their rev‐ enue back into the local econo‐ my, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain retailers. Money circulating through the local economy benefits ev‐ eryone who is a part of each transaction. For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce. First, they sell to a local

restaurant, which in turn pre‐ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and communi‐ ties. Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportuni‐

ties for people within our com‐ munity. Studies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and re‐ tain more employees over time. A fantastic example of how to support your local community is with a Charity Gift certificate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause. Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.

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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

26

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.

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES 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.

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

4 - 10 February 2021

EWN 29

30 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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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.

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, in‐ cluding the cardboard variety often used for cremation, can allow for another novel funeral activity; that is, sign‐ ing or decorating it with dedica‐ tions for the deceased. Decorating will also allow young attendees to take part, and there are many ways to it, with some of the most popular in‐ cluding permanent markers or water‐ colours. 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 themselves 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 ev‐ eryone’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 celebration of their life.

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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

38

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CODE BREAKER

ENGLISH-SPANISH

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

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 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

39

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Almería TODAY VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA

WEATHER

MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ROQUETAS

ADRA

TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ROQUETAS

ADRA

SATURDAY VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

ROQUETAS

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Malaga TODAY: MAX 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

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

TIME OUT

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

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

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 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

40

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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

42 EWN

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Advertising Feature VOSS HOMES

Property of the week

Amazing Duplex in La Alfoquia E X C LU S I V E T O V O S S H O M ES Modern two bed, 1.5 bath, two storey Duplex (townhouse) for sale with air con, communal garden and swimming pool. Walking distance to the shops, restaurants, banks, doctors, vets, bowling green etc in the popular village of La Alfoquia, Zurgena. Approximately a 25 to 30-minute drive to the coast at Mojacar, Vera and Garrucha etc. An ideal low maintenance ‘lock up and leave holiday home’ or full time residence. It also has great long term rental potential of €350 to €400 per month. The community fees are an incredibly reasonable €336 per year. First is the living room with H&C air con, separate fitted kitchen plus downstairs cloak room with toilet and sink. The kitchen door leads out to the pivate rear terrace of approx 20m2 with amazing views

FEATURE

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DUPLEX BEGONIA: An ideal low maintenance ‘lock up and leave holiday home’ or full time residence. over the village and countryside. There is also an outside second kitchen / utility room with extra storage and worktop space. From the living room are marble stairs leading up to two bedrooms and a family bathroom. The main is a double bedroom with built in

wardrobes, ceiling fan and preinstallation of air con. The second bedroom is a large single bedroom also with built in wardobes and ceiling fan. These share a spacious family bathroom. The complex has an impressive, well maintained, gated swimming

pool and garden area with shower and plenty of room to sunbathe. There is plenty of on road parking and it may be possible to buy a garage space in the underground car park. Voss Homes is a British familyrun business with offices in the

thriving, market town of HuercalOvera and the village of La Alfoquia. We are the main selling estate agent for the Huercal-Overa, Zurgena, La Alfoquia and Taberno areas. We look forward to helping you find your ideal property in Spain.

For more information or to arrange a viewing of Duplex Begonia (VH1748) please contact Voss Homes on 0034 950 616 827 or 0034 678 002 006 or email us at info@vosshomesspain.com or visit our office in our offices.

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

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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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 43

Eat your way younger FORGET fancy creams and lotions, 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, blueberries, dark chocolate, carrots, almonds, tomatoes and citrus fruits. Salmon is a fatty fish that has long been hailed for its healthy benefits, but it is also said to allow water to better penetrate the top layer of the skin leaving it looking plumper and well hydrated. Blueberries, as well as being 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 chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a form of an‐ tioxidant 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, re‐ sulting 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 age‐ ing 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.

44 EWN

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4 - 10 February 2021

PETS

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.

Unconventional pets NOT all people have a place in their hearts for the tradi‐ tional pet. Some prefer the challenge and thrill of own‐ ing something unique and eye‐catching. However, many are put off by the thought of own‐ ing and caring for a non tra‐ ditional pet, but would be surprised to know that some are actually relatively low maintenance. Hedge‐ hogs, for example, are of‐ ten 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

LEGAL ALIEN: The Axolotl is incredibly unique. unique pet that looks a lit‐ tle like a domesticated alien. Proving to be very weird pets, it is able to re‐ generate any part of its body in due time, ideal for

anyone with a feisty aquar‐ ium environment. The Axolotl is a type of salamander which originat‐ ed in Mexico. They grow to be quite large and require

quite specialised care and equipment, making it a lit‐ tle more high maintenance, but otherwise a fantastic pet for those with a taste for the unique.

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11am Priest in Charge, Rev. Vincent Oram 603 659 139. For directions, details and t o f i n d o u t more about our church activities please see our w e b s i t e http://www.almeria-an glican.com (10002)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com . If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to

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speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, www.britishlegion.org.uk/cou nties/spain-north ZURGENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at The Heathers La Alfoquia, for further details please email zurgenarblsecretary@ yahoo.co.uk - (253989)

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4 - 10 February 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

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

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Reliable quality - it’s a Honda 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 anodyne affair and will most likely be bought by those who need transport rather than something to set the driv‐ ing senses aflutter. That’s no bad thing either because being a Honda it’ll be uber reliable, there’s plenty of space for such a small car and it’s a comfort‐ able 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 €1,067 (£950) cost. The standard equipment 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.

MOTORING

SPORT

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Title Slipping Away Goal Drought Ends

HUGE BLOW: To Real Madrid’s hopes of catching La Liga leaders Atletico. REAL MADRID’S title chances are slipping away after losing at home to Levante. Real Madrid’s hopes of catch‐ ing La Liga leaders Atletico took a huge blow on Saturday January 30 when Levante left the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano with a 1‐2 vic‐ tory. The match didn’t start too well for Los Blancos as Brazilian defender Eder Militao received a straight red card after a VAR check, for taking Sergio Leon

down from behind, with only nine minutes on the clock. Marco Asensio put 10‐man Madrid in front after 13 minutes, after a lovely ball from Toni Kroos, but Jose Luis Morales lev‐ elled the match on 32 minutes, with a Roger Marti strike sealing the three points for Levante after 78 minutes. This defeat leaves Real Madrid seven points behind Atletico, who also have two games in hand, and it really

seems an uphill struggle now for Zinedine Zidane’s men to make up the ground on the leaders, with over half the season already played. Manager Zidane was still iso‐ lating due to testing positive for coronavirus, so it was assistant David Bettoni who took control of a make‐shift squad missing key players, Rodrygo, Nacho, Fede Valverde, Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, and Lucas Vazquez.

LIVERPOOL have ended their goal drought in style at Totten‐ ham moving back up to fourth position. Liverpool finally put an end to seven and a half hours of open play without a goal ‐ which had included an astonishing 93 at‐ tempts on goal ‐ as they thumped Tottenham 1‐3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to move into fourth spot in the Premier League. JURGEN KLOPP: Was delighted with his team’s efforts. Jurgen Klopp was punching the air in delight as his misfiring strikers finally got back to what they do best, drought to put the Reds in front. and brought Liverpool within four points of lead‐ The second half was all‐action, and just one ers Manchester City, with Tottenham back in minute into the half, it was Trent Alexander‐ sixth spot. Arnold who doubled Liverpool’s lead, but Tot‐ Jose Mourinho will be very concerned after tenham would not give up, and just minutes lat‐ Harry Kane limped off the field in the second er, Pierre‐Emile Hojbjerg put a magnificent half, with news coming through that he will miss effort into the Liverpool net to make it 1‐2. a significant number of games as a result of an Mo Salah saw his goal ruled offside by VAR, ankle injury. and then Sadio Mane got his deserved goal, as Tottenham should have gone ahead as ear‐ he smashed the ball home to make it 1‐3. Liver‐ ly as two minutes in, but Son’s goal was ruled pool’s defence looked creaky, but at least their offside by VAR, and it took until the 18th forwards seem to have got their confidence minute for the deadlock to be broken, as back, and the fight at the top of the table is look‐ Roberto Firmino ended the 482‐minute ing very tight.