Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 18 - 24 February 2021 Issue 1859

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The people’s paper

NOT IMPRESSED ISSUE NO. 1859

18 - 24 February 2021

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

SANCHEZ: The government is working to administer vaccines as fast as possible. ONCE again the Euro Weekly News - your community paper - has been forced to react to yet another attempt by an English-speaking newspaper in Spain to damage our family business. In recent months - it’s hard to believe we’re actually talking nearly a year since our first national lockdown here in Spain - it’s been rather difficult to find the good news stories that we’re all desperate for. It’s been even more difficult to decipher the real news from the misleading, sensationalising, or even downright false.

But here at EWN, we believe our readers are entitled to ALL the news - that means the good, the bad and the ugly. But in doing this, we have come under fire again from the Olive Press over an article in which Spanish President,

Pedro Sanchez revealed on January 19 that “only mass vaccination will open the path to the normality we want.” He added, “The government is working to administer vaccines at the fastest rate possible, in fact, Spain is the ninth country in the world in vacci-

FREE • GRATIS

REYES MAROTO: The Minister said the priority is to reactivate tourism. nations and one of the first in Europe, in order to get to the end of the summer with 70 per cent vaccinated, which will progressively allow Spain to be better prepared to receive international tourists.”

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18 - 24 February 2021

Sun and wind do the job ALMERIA will soon have three new sustainable energy plants. The La Rambla solar power plant will be located in Lucainena de las Tor‐ res while the Filabres windfarm is to be installed in Tabernas Tahal and Senas.

More turbines for another windfarm will be located in Lucainena de las Tor‐ res and Nijar. Manuel de la Fuente, the central government’s sub‐delegate to Almeria, expressed his satisfaction at the Green Capital Power’s Almeria project. When concluded, this will be

the largest sustainable energy plants in the province. Once the three plants are operative they will produce an annual 715 gi‐ gawatts between them, the equivalent of Almeria’s electricity consumption over a period of two years.

Not a male New role for old station preserve

ADRA commemorated International Day of Women and Girls in Science with an Interest Centre of books at the municipal library. Some demonstrated that science is not a male preserve but many featured female scien‐ tists whose work in medicine, physics and tech‐ nology has changed and benefited society. “These women dedicated their lives to scien‐ tific investigation although in many cases their work was attributed to men at a time when they were not valued or considered important members of society,” said Adra’s councillor re‐ sponsible for Libraries, Antonio Sanchez, “Now it’s time to give them the place they deserve and show the young how important they were in the history of science.”

HUERCAL‐OVERA Town Hall is putting out to tender the contract to run the restau‐ rant‐bar at the former railway station. Rehabilitation has practically finished and, if all goes according to plan, the station and its surroundings will become a leisure and open‐air ports area. The restaurant will be located in the

main building, said Huercal‐Overa’s mayor Domingo Fernandez, who explained that the town hall’s local government board had already approved an economic feasibility study. “This will be another service for the local population in an area that is visited each day by a growing number of people,” Fernandez said.

Balerma ramps it up ELOISA CABRERA the Junta’s Public Works delegate, confirmed that the regional gov‐ ernment has given permission to build a ramp for the port in Balerma. “At the delegation we are very glad to be able to give the go‐head to an initiative that the municipality had requested for so long and which will also help to create jobs,” Cabrera said. “This is great news for an area which has a great fishing tradition and a Club Nautico that encourages all maritime‐related activities,” declared El Ejido’s mayor Francisco Gongora.

NEWS

Bad time for dolphins

CLOSE COOPERATION: Guardia Civil and Equinac experts collaborate on rescuing marine wildlife. THE Guardia Civil and Equinac have recently had to assist beached dol‐ phins practically on a daily basis. Equinac is a non‐government organisation (NGO) that has been res‐ cuing marine wildlife for the past 15 years and possesses Environment Ministry authorisation to intervene when sea turtles and cetaceans are found on the beaches and coast of Almeria Province. Dead or dying bodies of dolphins have recently been washed up in Garrucha, Mojacar, Balanegra and Punto Entinas while a loggerhead turtle was found at Almerimar and a blue shark in Carboneras. Interaction with humans could be partly responsible for the beach‐ ings, said the Guardia Civil, who are currently investigating cases where dolphins have been deliberately decapitated or slashed. In extreme cas‐ es name have been cut into a dolphin’s skin, sources said. The highly polluted Mediterranean could play a part, but experts have ruled out bad weather as dolphins are able to survive adverse maritime conditions. The Guardia Civil reminded the public that a beached dolphin is ei‐ ther in poor health or severely wounded with little help of recovery. Re‐ turning it to the sea will only increase its suffering. Beached marine wildlife, whether dead or alive, should instead be re‐ ported to the 112 Emergency number or 062 where callers will be at‐ tended by specialised personnel.

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This statement, made at a meeting of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organisation, with the understanding that this meant that Spain would not be prepared to receive foreign tourists until the end of the summer, was published far and wide by the Spanish press. He added, “The government is working to administer vaccines at the fastest rate possible, in fact, Spain is the ninth country in the world in vaccinations and one of the first in Europe, in order to get to the end of the summer with 70 per cent vaccinated, which will progressively allow Spain to be better prepared to receive international tourists.” This statement, made at a meeting of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organisation, with the understanding that this meant that Spain would not be prepared to receive foreign tourists until the end of the summer, was published far and wide by the Spanish press. It was also reported by business associations, especially in the tourism sector, along the same lines as EWN, as we firmly believe that it is of utmost importance for us to provide accurate translations of the important news in Spain so that our expat readers are always well-informed. His words caused alarm throughout Spain with the hospitality sector fearing that the statement would scare away visitors and saying that they would not be able to overcome another summer like last year. In an obvious attempt to repair the damage caused by Sanchez’s words,

within days, the Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said that for the government, “the priority for 2021 is to reactivate tourism and restart safe movement at a global level as soon as possible” adding that the government hoped this would be possible by the end of the spring. She said “we hope that by the end of the spring and especially during the summer, international travel will have restarted and travellers choose Spain as their destination.” By then, she pointed out, around 30 to 40 per cent of the population should have received the vaccine. During her speech, the Minister did not specifically mention what Sanchez had said, but simply pointed out that the aim of the government is to get back to normal before summer. Again, EWN accurately reflected what was reported in the Spanish press, as our priority is, and always has been, to keep our readers informed of what is going in the country where they have chosen to live. Following the President’s initial declarations, national Spanish daily La Razon, went as far as to say “Sanchez writes off international tourism until the end of the summer,” while OK Diario said that “the most recent statements from Sanchez and Simon have led to cancellations.” However, Olive Press has taken it upon itself to accuse EWN of publishing false news, even going so far as to imply we were responsible for a ‘slew of holiday cancellations as a result of the article.’ We believe that this is just an attempt by them to try and gain

themselves much needed credibility while attempting to damage a fellow publisher. Some would call it a cheap shot! We do not go out of our way to damage the local businesses or in any shape or form attempt to push firms to the brink of bankruptcy. Why would we? We are nothing without our clients, our readers and the communities we are proud to be at the heart of. Sanchez said it like it is! We may not like it but it’s our duty to report the news, as did the rest of the Spanish press.

We want the vaccines as much as the next person - both as residents and taxpayers of Spain along with our Spanish contracted staff. It is something that we all feel very strongly about. It is also important to point out that while they are now attacking

EWN, Olive Press ALSO ran the same story! Not only did they run the same story, they took a far more pessimistic approach to the news. ‘Spain unlikely to receive foreign tourists en masse until end of summer in dire news for tourism bosses following €106 billion losses in 2020.’ The article cited mammoth losses, a 70 per cent slump in tourism - the lowest in 20 years - and predicted yearon-year losses in turnover of around 80 per cent in the first quarter of 2021. Olive Press is supposedly known as the green paper, however, it has also been called a ‘yellow paper’ by a judge after being reported and investigated by FAPE for ‘harassment’ tactics used towards families during the coverage of the Maddie McCann story. The newspaper also launched an unsubstantiated attack on businesswoman Jody Smart of the Oceana Club, Benissa. She was tried by the paper having only appeared in court to give summary information. She has not been convicted of any crime and there is no certainty the case will ever be pursued in a court of law. Jody told EWN: “He’s just an abso-

lute joke, once again a pack of lies, they are FAKE. “I’ve had four years of them attacking me, ruining my reputation and trying to discredit me. “I despise them... because people do take their own lives from this sort of media hate campaigns. I am one of the lucky ones who is still here to tell the tale.” Jody and husband Franco are looking into taking legal action against the publication. Olive Press took no time in attempting to sully the memory of a longstanding, respected member of the community who was active amongst many charities throughout Spain, David Klein, aka David the Dog Man. Within four days of his dying, they referred to his wife as ‘long-suffering,’ and she was forced to assure she had enjoyed 60 years of happiness with her husband. But even after his death, the paper insisted on continuing to hurt the couple with their allegations. These are but a few examples of persecution of the innocent who either cannot or are unable to defend themselves! We Support everybody, but Olive Press is NOT green. Green is the colour of rebirth and new beginnings, not the rehashing of the past with poetic licence in reporting.

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18 - 24 February 2021

The Vuelta returns to Almeria THE Costa de Almeria brand will feature in this year’s edi‐ tion of La Vuelta Ciclista a Es‐ paña cycle race. The 76th edition of the Vuelta, an international Grand Tour race attracting the world’s cycling elite, begins this year in Burgos on August 14. The teams reach Almeria on August 22 for the 187.7‐kilome‐ tre ninth stage that finishes in Alta de Velefique after setting out from Huercal‐Overa. The race resumes on August 24, leaving Roquetas on a 190.2‐kilometre route ending in Rincon de la Victoria. “We are very proud that the Almeria Diputacion succeeded in bringing La Vuelta back to Almeria,” declared Fernando Gimenez, who heads the provincial council’s Tourism

GRAND TOUR: La Vuelta Ciclista a España attracts the international cycling elite. department. “This is one of the best pieces of news we could have had this year to promote the province’s combined tourism‐ sport offer,” he said.

“The Vuelta passing through the Costa de Almeria confirms the province as one of the world’s best locations for cy‐ cling and sports tourism,” Gimenez added.

Missing Nijar woman located ALMERIA City’s Guardia Civil located and came to the aid of a Nijar woman who had disappeared days earlier. The woman, who is being treated for a degenerative ill‐ ness, had neither her phone nor money on her when officers found her. She also showed symptoms of hypothermia as she had spent the night sheltering in an apartment block doorway. She was taken by ambulance for a check‐up at Torrecar‐ denas hospital where she was accompanied by Guardia Civil officers until her family arrived.

Open for business again TWENTY‐ONE Almeria Province municipalities continue with their non‐essential businesses closed until next weekend or possibly longer. In others, as coronavirus rates began to descend, they were able to reopen, with Almeria City, Huercal‐Overa, Cuevas del Almanzora, Pulpi and Adra amongst them. In Adra, the mayor, Manuel Cortes, described the situation as positive. Now that the Covid‐19 rate had fallen to 968 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants, busi‐ nesses “so necessary for our economy” could again open

their doors, he said. Cortes also reminded the local population that the fight against the pandemic was ongoing. “Be‐ cause of that we cannot relax or be over‐confident,” he warned. “Over the past months we have learnt that just as the situa‐ tion can improve, it can also de‐ teriorate,” he explained, calling for prudence and responsibility on the part of the local popula‐ tion. “This would prevent a repeti‐ tion of the closure of shops, bars and restaurants that has done so much harm to these sectors,” Cortes said.

NEWS

Park life

VISITORS to Almeria City’s Andarax park spent more time there than they had bar‐ gained for last Satur‐ day, February 13. Some 20 people were shut in when they found that parkkeepers had closed the gates without making sure no‐one was inside. “It was ridiculous, laughable,” one mother compained to the local Spanish media, explain‐ ing that her family be‐ gan to leave at dusk. “To be honest we did‐ n’t look at the time, we were walking slowly with the children,” she said. “When we reached the gates we saw peo‐ ple outside and others, like us, trapped inside.” They all agreed to stay together, while they rang the park’s contact number. When there was no reply, they called the National Police who told them to ring the Local Police, who in turn said they could not deal with the problem. Calling the park num‐ ber was again unsuc‐ cessful, so the trapped park‐goers called the Local Police once more. “They suggested we looked for missing rail‐ ings and climb through the gaps,” the irate mother maintained. “But how were we to know where there were missing railings?” Finally, an hour later, an off‐duty Local Police officer arrived and, af‐ ter obtaining a key, opened the gates to al‐ low them all to leave.

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NIBS EXTRA Markets open HUERCAL-OVERA’S open-air market is open once again, with stalls whose permits end in an even number allowed to set up last Monday on Avenida Guillermo Reyna, while the Thursday market will be installed according to the previous measures.

Canine park ALMERIA City will soon open a sixth dogs-allowed park in the Costacabana area. With an area of more than 2,500 square metres, this is divided into two plots, with one for puppies and dogs of up to 20 kilos and another for those of 20 kilos or more.

Sorbas fire INFOCA, the Junta’s forest-firefighting service, had to mobilise firefighters on the ground as well as a helicopter to extinguish a fire in Sorbas. Their work was complicated by the terrain, as the flames had affected a steep hillside.

Lucky streak ALMERIA Province’s trickle of lottery wins continued with the second prize in last week’s National Lottery sold by the administration in Avenida de las Negras in Campohermosa (Nijar). Lucky number 58,117 paid out €60,000 for every full ticket and €6,000 for each ‘decimo’ or 10th.

Deep down POTHOLERS from a Huercal-Overa club discovered and cleared an uncharted vertical cave in Cabezo de la Jara, leading to three 30-metre galleries one above the other 70 metres below ground. Maps have since revealed the pothole, on the AlmeriaMurcia boundary is located in the neighbouring province.

18 - 24 February 2021

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Brexit Clarification Following on from my article ‘British and Brexit’, last week, I received a few letters from EWN readers, and would like to clarify the points that were raised:

THERE is great confusion among British holders of an EU residence card (or EU citizen certificate) as to whether or not they are obliged to apply for a non‐EU foreigner’s resi‐ dence card (TIE). The UK Withdrawal Agreement establishes that it will be up to each member state to decide whether or not to oblige British residents in its territory to ex‐ change the ‘green card’ for the TIE, and to this end it provides as a general rule in its Article 18, para‐ graph 1, letter b) that the applica‐ tion (for the TIE) must be made within the first six months of 2021, although it provides that it may be requested after that period if the reason for not doing so earlier is justified. This is the general rule. BUT it so happens that Spain has chosen not to make it compul‐ sory, and here lies the confusion. Do I have to do it before June 30? Can I do it whenever I want? Do I ever even have to do it?

BREXIT CONFUSION: The British are no longer citizens of the European Union. As an expert in processing for‐ eigners and knowing the mentali‐ ty of the authorities, my advice is to make the change as soon as possible, and if possible within the first six months of this year, al‐ though if it is done later there should be no problem. You have to take into account that the British are no longer citi‐ zens of the European Union and it makes no sense to keep a docu‐ ment that does not correspond to

the actual real situation. It must be taken into account that all British citizens will have to apply for a new, exclusively British passport in which the term ‘Euro‐ pean Union’ does not appear and it would be contradictory to have a non‐EU passport and a residence permit as an EU citizen. It should also be kept in mind that if they travel to other EU Member States they may not be admitted for having exceeded 90

days of stay within the EU accord‐ ing to their passport and their EU residence card may not be accept‐ ed as a valid document in those States. For all these reasons, among others, it is clear that sooner or lat‐ er all British residents in Spain will have to apply for the TIE. Having said that, I will now an‐ swer the questions posed: 1. Do I have to do it before June 30? No, you don’t have to do it before June 30. 2. Can I do it whenever I want? Yes, you can do it whenever you want. 3. Do I ever even have to do it? Yes, you will have to do it sooner or later. It is very easy to do so now. In the future nobody knows.

Ricardo Bocanegra Lawyer and Gestor www.bocanegra.com Marbella

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Sanchez’s Future Strategy PEDRO SANCHEZ has officially presented the ‘Spain: Entrepreneurial Nation Strategy’ - a set of 50 ambitious new measures aimed at enhancing the country’s economic and social recovery. The President explained

“we want to see Spain as a

beacon for entrepreneurs and start-ups from around the world. This strategy seeks to attract investment and make our country a place where start-ups can be born, receive financing and reach a global scale.”

The

strategy

sets

a

roadmap for Spain to become a leading entrepreneurial nation by 2030, speeding up investment into Spain and boosting the country’s troubled economy. It plans to develop youth training and education to produce new talent - as well as attracting top workers from overseas. It also aspires to promote start-up companies and the expansion of small businesses to compete internationally, as well as encouraging innovation and sweeping modernisation in Spain’s public sector. As Spain prepares for major reforms in order to claim its EU investment fund - allocated to aid member states in their Covid recoveries the success of the scheme could be a positive step in moving the Spanish economy away from its dependency on tourism and the service sector and providing top jobs to the country’s talented youth who are often forced to find work overseas.

NEWS

Euro-plagiarism? You be the judge AFTER presenting two new songs Memoria and Voy a Quedarme (I’m Going to Stay), as his proposed entry, Spain’s Eurovision Song Contest candidate, Blas Canto and composers were accused of plagiarism. A Twitter user pointed out that the song Memoria was identical to Thai Food, a song by Rakky Ripper. Rakky Ripper responded quickly, saying that the song demoed in 2016 was uploaded to SoundCloud in the summer of 2019, when he says he approached several major record companies, such as Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music, the company to which Blas Cantó belongs. Rakky Ripper released his album independently in September 2019, and hinted that his song might have been used to create Memoria. “It might be coincidence,” he said “don’t blame me, it was other people who found the similarity, I just retweeted it. “Of course there are other similar songs, but here the phrasing, tone, rhymes with the

letter ‘i’ and we even say the word ‘I’ at the same time, technically if I wanted to, I could sue,” he said.

The public can now vote for their favourite via phone call, SMS, web or app to choose which one they prefer.

Prostate Cancer ‘Game Changer’ ‘PROSTAGRAM’ technology could save thousands of lives each year using a simple scan that only takes 15 minutes. In Britain 12,000 men each year die from prostate cancer with a staggering one in eight getting the disease, making it Britain’s biggest killer. The ‘Prostagram’ technology from Imperial College can recognise double the cases of the standard blood test and it is thought that many men would prefer the ‘Prostagram’ over a traditional rectal exam, that can be off putting to many. Professor Hashim Ahmed, Senior Author and Chair of Urology at Imperial College London explained that, “Prosta‐ gram has the potential to form the basis of a fast, mobile na‐ tional screening programme for prostate cancer and could be a game‐changer. “Prostagram also has the potential to detect more aggres‐ sive cancers earlier and pass over the many cancers which don’t need to be diagnosed. “By finding these aggressive cancers at the earliest oppor‐ tunity, men have the chance to be offered less invasive treat‐ ments with fewer side effects.”

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Jab at work? Five million apply to stay Glovo Expands STAFF: Could be innoculated at work. FIVE large associations of the mass consumer industry Aces, Aecoc, Anged, Asedas and Fiab have sent a letter to the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities proposing the scheme to innoculate staff in the workplace. And if the plan is given the go-ahead, workers at the likes of El Corte Inglés, Ikea and Carrefour could receive the jab within the next few months without having to go to a health centre. More than a million employees work in mass consumption companies, but at a national level the number of staff in other large companies exceeds 5.5 million. “We do not want there to be a bottleneck due to lack of health personnel during vaccination,” said Aurelio del Pino, President of ACES which represents Carrefour Eroski, Lidl and SuperCor supermarkets, among others. The administrations would still set the guidelines and the associations assure they have made a ‘solid proposal with sanitary guarantees.’

THE Home Office has now received 4.9m applications under the EU settlement scheme and has granted permanent resident status to 4.3m applicants so far. Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta all have populations of less than five million. Michael Gove said: “It is a great advertisement for this country. People have chosen to stay in unprecedented numbers. It gives a lie to some of the non-

sense that was propagated at the time of the Brexit vote that somehow the UK was less welcoming or that EU citizens would leave, or that there would be harm to our universities or to our healthcare sector.” The ONS (Office for National Statistics) reported that around 700,000 foreign workers from across the world are believed to have left Britain during the pandemic between July and September.

Home Secretary Priti Patel welcomed the figures, saying: “That is why we put people at the heart of the scheme, knowing that behind these applications are stories of those who have established roots here. We promised we would make it as straightforward as possible for them to continue living their lives here. So I’m immensely proud that figures will show five million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.”

Chinese Visitors Coming Soon SPAIN is to welcome Chinese tourists at the end of the Coronavirus pandemic. Turespaňa, is the promotional agency for the Spanish national tourism ministry and they have plenty of plans in place. Many Chinese travellers are eager to begin travelling as soon as deemed safe. In the past Chinese travellers tended to visit in large groups, sightseeing and shopping in major cities. Other areas, especially rural areas are neglected by this part of the tourist industry. Trends are changing and future visitors are expected in small groups and will prefer to visit smaller cities and get to know nature. Turespaňa set up the ADVANTAGE: TOURISM programme in conjunction with the COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, to boost the number of tourists vis-

PLANS: Are in place for future tourism. iting other areas. Prof Dr Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO of COTRI explained that, “Chinese travellers do not fly all the way to Europe to go to the beach and most of them do not even come for the sunshine. Provided with the right offers and interesting stories, they will not only add to the number of visitors to Spain, but will bring benefits to new regions.”

SPANISH home delivery service Glovo has flourished during the pandemic. With many bars and restaurants reduced to offering take-out only, many business owners turned to the Barcelona-born service. The Spanish company closed 2020 with more than 18,000 new associated establishments. “In 2020, the different restrictions derived from the pandemic have had a great impact on the economy as a whole,” the company told Spanish daily OKDIARIO. More than 9,000 restaurants and establishments have joined Glovo since the start of the pandemic, of which 90 per cent are small and mediumsized companies, some of which wouldn’t have been able to facilitate food delivery without an outside agency. Glovo partnered up with pharmacies last year to deliver medication, and plans to invest €20 million throughout 2021 to strengthen its ties with supermarkets. Its objective “is to connect users not only with restaurants but also with supermarkets and other establishments in their city, including toy, electronics and video game stores, gifts, beauty or perfumery, among others, and with delivery in less than 30 minutes.”

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NEWS

Virgin Changes Brits Developing Universal Jab VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Extending their rebooking horizon for all customers.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC has introduced an unprecedented scheme to allow an unlimited number of date and flight changes as part of changes to its terms offering increased flexibility. Changes also include an extension of the rebooking horizon for all customers to April 30, 2023. The updated commercial policy enables Virgin Atlantic customers making a new booking for travel up to April 30, 2022, or those with a cancelled flight up until August 31, 2021, to make as many free-of-charge changes as necessary to their travel dates, origin or destination until April 30, 2023, and one free name change. The changes also apply to customers who already have an open ticket with credit due to flight disruption. Also, the cost of fare difference will be waived if the new travel date takes place on or before May 31, 2021 - a two-month extension on the previous policy. Virgin Atlantic customers with a pre-existing booking made up to and including February 5, 2021, also have the flexibility to reschedule their travel for a new travel date up to and including April 23, 2023. If their rebooked travel is between June 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, any fare difference will be waived up to the value of £60 for Economy, £120 for Premium and £350 for Upper. Experts all agree that leisure travel is likely to have greater resilience over the long term, given the public’s ‘tremendous pent-up demand’ to return to the skies.

EXPERTS at the University of Nottingham are developing a ‘universal Covid‐19 vac‐ cine’ that would effectively beat all variants of the virus, which could be ready in as lit‐ tle as 12 months and end the need to keep tweaking vaccines as the virus mutates. UK company Scancell ‐ which develops cancer jabs ‐ are working to create the new variant‐proof vaccine which is hoped to be ready in 2022. Human trials will begin in the second half of this year, after positive results from testing the jab on mice. Chief medical officer Dr Gillies O’Bryan‐

DREXLER: New album on way. Tear said: “We don’t necessarily claim it will be a pan‐coronavirus vaccine, but it has

got the potential to be so, simply because of where it is targeted.” Existing vaccines like the Pfizer and As‐ traZeneca jabs target Covid’s spike protein ‐ however, the new universal vaccine is hoped to target a different protein in the core of the virus which will allow the jab to knock it out even as it mutates. Britain is currently one of the world’s leading nations in administering vaccina‐ tions and a universal vaccine would be an‐ other major victory in helping to steer the world back to normal after almost 2.4 mil‐ lion people have been killed by Covid.

Don’t Double-Mask Jorge Drexler Signs SPANISH experts have warned against doubling up on masks and suggest this can actually REDUCE their effi‐ ciency. Covid experts from the Pre‐ ventative Medicine and Public Health of Alicante has directly contradicted the latest advice coming out of the US, which has suggested that citizens should wear a double mask to increase protection against in‐

fection. On the contrary, those in the know in Spain have suggested that doubling‐ up on face shields can actually have the opposite effect be‐ cause of the chance of not having the masks on properly. “It can even be counterpro‐ ductive, because wearing two masks means that one of the two is not well adjusted,” warned Juan Francisco Navar‐ ro, president of the Valencian Society of Preventive Medicine. “It is proven that a 2 per cent fit deficit causes the mask to lose 70 per cent of its filtering power.” Much better, the experts agree, to use one mask and ensure that the nose piece and straps are all properly and securely fitted, so that there are no gaps for aerosols to enter through.

Deal in Spain DREXLER: New album on way.

JORGE DREXLER, the 57‐year‐old Uruguayan five‐time Latin Grammy‐winning singer‐songwriter has signed a global publish‐ ing deal with Warner Chappell Music, Spain, and will release his 14th studio album later this year. Drexler won an Academy Award for his song Al Otro Lado del Río, in the ‘Best Original Song’ category, when it was featured in the 2005 film ‘The Motorcycle Diaries,’ and his recently penned song Codo Con Codo, about the Covid‐19 pandemic, received a nomination for ‘Best Song’ at the 21st annual Latin Grammys. Jorge’s big break came in the 90s when Spanish songwriter Joaquin Sabina invited him over to Madrid to collaborate with a wide range of Spanish artistes, and as a result, through the years, Drexler has collaborated in writing songs for many artistes, including Shakira, Rosario, and most recently for one of Spain’s biggest young talents, C Tangana.

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WITH the public on average making one call per week and usage that is dropping year by year, the 14,824 telephone booths that are stationed throughout Spain will cease to be a mandatory universal service after this summer ‐ just seven years before reach‐ ing their first centenary, which would have been in 2028.

Bye Bye Booths The new state Telecommu‐ nications Law, up for review between September or Octo‐ ber, will decide if both phone booths and directories should still be considered as a manda‐ tory universal service. It is un‐ derstood that it is a foregone

conclusion that although they will remain in operation until December 31, after which they will be scrapped and tak‐ en offline. According to data, at the end of 2020, there were 14,824 phone booths, with an average of 0.17 calls per day; an average one weekly call per inhabitant ‐ making the ser‐ vice financially unviable.

RESEARCH suggests that people with Covid‐19 who take statins are less likely to die from the disease than those who do not. Prescrip‐ tion cholesterol drugs taken by around eight million Britons could slash the risk

NEWS

Complex cross clash THE Association of Christian Lawyers ‐ a Val‐ ladolid‐based organisation launched several le‐ gal proceedings against local officials across Spain, and are currently in a legal battle with the mayor of Aguilar de la Frontera, a small town near Cordoba that recently removed a large reli‐ gious cross. The mayor claimed that the religious cross was in violation of Spain’s 2007 law on his‐ torical memory ‐ which bans symbols deemed to be tied to General Franco’s 1939‐

1975 fascist regime. The Christian lawyers have gathered petition signatures from 25,000 Spaniards to prevent the removal of religious monuments, and are partic‐ ularly active in Spain’s western Extramadura re‐ gion where 34 municipalities have announced plans to remove their crosses. Spain still has a deeply complex relationship with its troubled 20th‐century history and the legacy of General Franco’s dictatorship ‐ which was heavily tied to religion.

Statins Lower Risk Of Death of death from coronavirus, a new study has claimed. Statins, taken to reduce ‘bad’ blood cholesterol, were found to cut mortality by 43 per cent compared to

THE Spanish region of Castilla‐La Mancha will require diners to use a QR code to enter bars and restaurants, in the latest in a series of moves to prevent the spread of Covid. According to local politicians, the infor‐ mation will be used to track customers in case of a Covid infection, allowing anyone they have been in contact with to be traced and contacted.

non‐statin users. The British Heart Foundation says that statins are typically pre‐ scribed more than 70 mil‐ lion times a year. It was discovered that giv‐

Bar Code The data compiled will not be publically accessible, according to media reports, but Spanish authorities will be able to use it to locate contacts. Customers who do not have a mobile

ing statins to patients in the hospital at the early stages of Covid infection cut the mortality rate by close to half ‐ the tablets are taken once a day and come in brands including Lipitor, Le‐ scol and Crestor.

phone to use a QR code will be allowed to use their identity cards instead. The news comes after the local govern‐ ment announced plans to relax restrictions and allow hotels to open to a third of their normal capacity. In addition, movement between provinces will now be allowed, among oth‐ er measures.

NEWS

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Guardia Civil Arrest 64 THE Guardia Civil have arrested 64 people accused of belonging to a criminal group that distributed marihuana throughout Eu‐ rope. The group reportedly transported large quantities of marihuana to Germany and Italy and the head of the gang was report‐ edly kidnapped and murdered. The investigation discovered private homes growing marihuana in the Granada area and selling crops directly to the leaders of a large gang. The product was taken to a house, guarded 24 hours a day, next to the house of one of the leaders, where the drugs were stored, packaged and sold. Dur‐ ing the investigation, one of the gang’s lead‐ ers disappeared and the following day his body was found. Police later learned the organisation had basements accessed through hydraulic doors hidden in the floor, to hide the plan‐ tations and marihuana buds, as well as weapons and money. Police carried out seven searches and confiscated 5,500 plants, €95,675, seven high‐end vehicles, a firearm and ammuni‐ tion, 1,342 lottery tickets and 501 kilograms of marihuana. Sixty‐four members of the group were arrested.

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Markle privacy claim MEGHAN MARKLE has won a bid to avoid a High Court privacy claim.The Duchess of Sussex was suing Associated Newspapers over articles in the Mail on Sunday citing breach of copyright, infringement of her privacy, and breaches of the Data Protection Act, after snippets of a letter written to her estranged father, Thomas Markle were printed in August 2018. A full trial was scheduled in January, but Meghan’s

lawyers appled for the trial to be postponed, and it was rescheduled for the autumn of this year. But on February 11, Mr Justice Warby granted ‘summary judgement’ in her claim for misuse of private information, reported Hello. Justice Warby said “The inescapable conclusion is that, save to the very limited extent I have identified, the disclosures made were not a necessary or proportionate means of serving that purpose.”

A SPANISH TV channel has apologised for the mistake of inadvertently comparing teen Princess Leonor of Asturias with her disgraced grandfather, former King Juan Carlos. The young royal is heading for Wales to study the International Baccalaureate programme. The director and presenter of the Spanish show La Hora de la 1, Monica Lopez, immediately apologised for the ‘mistake’ when a banner reading ‘Leonor is leaving Spain, like her grandfather’ appeared under a picture of the 15-year-old princess on Wednesday’s show. “Today we want to apologise. RTVE deeply

He added that for the most part “they did not serve that purpose at all,” and that “taken as a whole the disclosures were manifestly excessive and hence unlawful.” The Duke of Sussex sued Associated Newspapers last year and on February 1, he accepted an apology and ‘substantial damages’ over ‘baseless’ claims that he had lost touch with the Royal Marines, published in a Mail on Sunday article.

A Right Mess Up regrets what happened and maintains its commitment to the State institutions,” Mónica López said. She added that the people responsible for writing the tag line had been “relieved from their positions.” RTVE also stated that they “deeply regretted the serious error” and that they were taking measures to address it. Leonor’s grandfather is, of course, infamous former king Juan Carlos, who fled into exile in August 2020 following several allegations of financial impropriety.

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Facebook Smartwatch NEW DEVICE: Will offer health and fitness features.

FACEBOOK INC is building a smartwatch that will let users send messages and also offer health and fitness features. The social media giant plans to start selling the device next year in a market currently dominated by Apple Inc and Huawei. Facebook’s smartwatch will work via a 4G or 5G mobile connection, letting users send messages through its services and also connect to the services or hardware of health and fitness companies, according to a report. And although Facebook has not expressed a strong interest in health and fitness devices in the past, the company does have a track record in wearables with its Oculus headsets and forthcoming smart glasses. Facebook also acquired the neural interface startup CTRL-Labs in 2019. CTRL-Labs specialised in building devices that could transmit electrical signals from the brain to computing devices without the need for traditional touchscreen or physical button inputs, which may factor into whatever wearables Facebook builds in the future including a smartwatch, smart glasses, or future Oculus headsets.

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NEWS

Vitamin D Could Help VITAMIN D when used to treat Covid‐19 could help save lives according to research carried out at Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar in Spain. MP David Davis, the former Brexit secre‐ tary has said that the findings belong to a “very important study.” The Social Science Research Network published the findings. The Hospital del Mar in Barcelona has been treating Covid‐19 patients with cal‐ cifediol, a type of vitamin D and research has proven very promising. Davis took to Twitter and tweeted that,

PLANS to build an undersea tunnel linking Northern Ire‐ land to Great Britain could possibly get the go‐ahead as soon as next month, the Tele‐ graph reported. The tunnel, being dubbed ‘Boris’ Burrow,’ would be around the same length as the Channel Tunnel and, if constructed, would help to unblock trade which has been hit by Brexit. The Prime Minister is awaiting the findings of a study by Sir Peter Hendy, the

“The findings of this large and well conduct‐ ed study should result in this therapy being administered to every Covid patient in ev‐ ery hospital in the temperate latitudes. “Furthermore, since the study demon‐ strates that the clear relationship between vitamin D and Covid mortality is causal, the UK government should increase the dose and availability of free vitamin D to all the vulnerable groups. “These approaches will save many thou‐ sands of lives. They are overdue and should be started immediately.”

Boris’ Burrow chairman of Network Rail, on the feasibility of a link be‐ tween Stranraer in Scotland, and Larne in Northern Ireland. The interim report is expected in the next few weeks, and may recommend commis‐ sioning a formal feasibility study of the project. Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, interviewed by Chopper’s Politics podcast,

said he favoured a tunnel be‐ cause “a bridge would be closed for probably 100 days a year with the weather in the Irish Sea. My strong inclina‐ tion would be that he thinks it should be a tunnel, because he and I have had conversa‐ tions about the weather pat‐ terns in the Irish Sea and Beaufort’s Dyke, and there’s a munitions deposit there.”

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Jay walk fines THE General Traffic Depart‐ ment (DGT) have clarified that FAILING to stop at a duly marked pedestrian crossing can cost drivers a €200 fine and four points off their licence. The DGT stated that pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motor vehicles when they are on any pedestrian crossing, bike lane or path or a prop‐ erly marked hard shoulder. In a report by ABC, the president of the Madrid As‐ sociation of Automobile Dealers, Moises Gonzalez, said pedestrians must also avoid endangering their lives and should still only step out into the road when the speed and distance of an approaching vehicle al‐ lows for it to be done safe‐ ly. If a pedestrian is hit on a pedestrian crossing, despite acting responsibly, the pedestrian is entitled to compensation.

NEWS

Heineken Workforce Woes BREWING giant Heineken has announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide, as the pandemic takes its toll on the hospitality sector. The cuts, amounting to almost a 10th of its entire workforce, are part of a radical savings overhaul of €1.98 billion in over two years. The world’s second‐largest brewer after Anheuser‐Busch InBev, says it is pinning all its recovery hopes on its premi‐ um products and new, healthier, zero‐alcohol options. The beer and pub sector is pressing the UK government to give it a reopening date. The British Beer and Pub Associ‐ ation (BBPA) says restrictions on trading and lockdowns cut sales by more than half last year, equivalent to approx €9 billion of lost earnings. The government insists it has a plan for reopening the economy, which it will reveal later this month.

ONLINE dodgy dates

WARNING: On ruthless scammers. FRAUDSMART, an Ireland-based fraud watchdog, warns that lockdown measures have led ruthless romance scammers to exploit widespread loneliness to prey on their victims. Niamh Davenport, head of the anti-fraud department of Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, told RTE that “fraudsters are preying on people’s isolation and vulnerability as a result of the restrictions we are experiencing. “By using dating apps or sites, the fraudsters’ objective is to gain trust and build up a relationship and emotional connection with their victims,” said Davenport, “They will often devote months to this process, after which time they will create a sense of urgency in order to ask their victim for money or indeed in many cases have the victim offer them money.” In some cases, people have been defrauded of over €50,000 according to the watchdog.

Low-Cost Shop ANOTHER supermarket has set its sights on Spain. Russian budget retailer Mere bosses say the stores will be up to 20 per cent cheaper than the alternative su‐ permarkets, offering everything from food and house‐ hold goods to clothes and the latest gadgets. Managing director of Mere in Spain, Andrey Murzov has said that the stores will be “spartan” and “no frills.” “Everything is stocked on pallets or in boxes, in or‐ der to reduce overheads as much as possible and be able to offer very cheap products,” Murzov ex‐ plained. “This model of store is similar to what Lidl and Aldi used to do years ago. Our aim is to offer the best prices every day, thanks to a business concept that involves sav‐ ing costs ‐ rent, decoration and personnel.” The retail giant plans more than 100 stores around the country by 2025. The first branch is due in May, ex‐ panding to 10 or 15 by the end of 2021.

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EUROPEAN NIBS FRANCE

Thin ice

Hate crime

WITH the drop in temperature in Denmark, police have been forced to keep an eye open for ice ramblers who can be fined for walking on frozen lakes if no council sign has been erected giving permission to access the ice.

THE French far-right leader Marine Le Pen who is likely to contest the next Presidential election against Emmanuel Macron claims that the government is trying to silence her after she was charged with hate crime for tweeting images of Daesh atrocities.

Easy access

FEATURE

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DENMARK

NETHERLANDS

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IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, WE SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE

NORWAY

THE OLVG hospital group in Amsterdam has been fined €440,000 by Dutch privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegeven for allowing unauthorised individuals unlimited access to patients’ medical files when they should have only been accessible by doctors and nurses.

Dark chapter

BELGIUM

FINLAND

No close shave

Wolf poo

BELGIAN hairdressers and barbers have reopened but due to anti-coronavirus regulations, barbers will not be allowed to give shaves or trim men’s beards for the time being. Shaving and other facial treatments will not be permitted until March 1.

WITH the march of science, researchers in Finland are relying on volunteers to collect wolf faeces, which they freeze and then send to the University of Turku, where the scientists analyse contents and DNA in order to monitor the population.

GERMANY

SWEDEN

BioNTech

Two dead

WITH criticism of the German Government’s ability to obtain sufficient stocks quickly, the good news is that BioNTech has commenced production of the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with US group Pfizer at a new facility situated in the German town of Marburg.

TWO men died when a train carrying 20 passengers crashed into a lorry believed to belong to a driving school near the town of Uddevalla in the early evening with snow falling. The deceased were travelling in the lorry.

THE release of a new film and the publication of two books has highlighted allegations that more than 700 Norwegian Jews were sent to Nazi death camps during the war, with it is claimed, help from the Norwegian authorities.

LÍNEA DIRECTA: It’s good to know that your vehicle is in safe hands. AS a road user you’re accustomed to expecting the unexpected. However, if you have concerns about the impact of Brexit or the Coronavirus pandemic may have on insurance policies, Línea Directa would like to reassure its customers that their car insurance policies are one constant to be relied on in these uncertain times. UK DRIVING LICENCE If you have lived in Spain for at least six months, your UK driving licence must be exchanged for a Spanish driving licence before June 30, 2021. You need to book an appointment at your nearest DGT (Departamento General de Trafico) by calling 060 or via their website. You will need your NIE document to do this. If your licence has not yet been verified, you will be allowed to drive in Spain for six months from January 1, 2021. CAR INSURANCE All vehicles must be registered and have insurance before using or parking on Spanish roads. Car insurance from Línea Directa comes with a wide range of covers designed to provide peace of mind and all manageable online from the comfort of your home. Their fast and ef-

ficient telephone service is managed by English-speaking customer service. You can also visit their website 24/7. PERSONAL ATTENTION Línea Directa has been providing personal attention and expert advice to customers for over 20 years. They guarantee to provide the best expat car insurance with the right coverage. Fully personalised policies that fit both your needs and that of your wallet. And their qualified English-speaking customer service staff can guide you through any claims you may need to make. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS Customers can rest assured that all Línea Directa employees, experts and support services abide by the most stringent Covid-19 guidance protocols to ensure effective sanitisation, cleaning and disinfecting. Repairs on your car will be carried out in well-ventilated areas, using disposal gloves, and proper personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. BEST PRICE. BETTER COVER In these uncertain times, it’s good to know that your vehicle is in safe hands. You can request a free no obligation quote by calling local area number 952 147 834. Línea Directa will provide the most competitive price, backed by the most comprehensive service.

BEST PRICE. BETTER COVER.

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Impossible Burgers THE FDA is facing a massive lawsuit after complaints that an additive in plant‐based Impossible Burgers to make them look like they are ‘bleeding’ is dangerous for human health. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) launched the legal action claiming that not enough testing had been done on the additive, de‐ signed to give vegan products a more meat‐like appearance. “FDA approved soy leghe‐ moglobin even though it conducted none of the long‐term animal stud‐ ies that are needed to determine whether or not it harms human health,” said Bill Freese, who is a sci‐ ence policy analyst at the CFS. “We find this to be all the more troubling because a number of po‐ tential adverse effects were detect‐ ed in a short‐term rat trial: disrup‐ tion of reproductive cycles and reduced uterine weights in females, and biomarkers of anaemia, re‐ duced clotting ability, and kidney problems.” Impossible Foods has hit back at the CFS, claiming that it is an “anti‐ GMO, anti‐science organisation that has been spreading lies about Im‐ possible Foods for years.”

Brit Offers Endangered Animals TAKE AIM SAFARIS, a compa‐ ny running safaris in Johan‐ nesburg and Zimbabwe, has reportedly emailed clients try‐ ing to encourage them to go to South Africa to hunt and kill endangered species that they claim are plentiful since the pandemic. The Sunday People saw an email sent out to 3,000 clients globally, by the company owner, Carl Knight, in which he wrote, ‘Big elephant and trophy buffalo + hippo, croc are plentiful.’

BIG GAME: People are photographed with their trophy.

King Carlos Doing OK REPORTS about the health of Spain’s former King, Juan Carlos, from Spanish journalist Pilar Eyre, were denied by the Spanish Royal Family. According to Eyre, author of several books on the Spanish monarchy, the former Spanish monarch, was in critical condition. She tweeted: ‘King Juan Carlos is in grave condition and the Royal House is evaluating the possibility of his transfer to Spain.’ She claimed King Felipe VI’s sisters ‐ Infanta Ele‐ na, Duchess of Lugo, and Cristina Federica, Infanta of Spain ‐ have flown to the Emirates to visit their

father, which is true. They are expected to return to Spain soon. However, according to Spanish mag‐ azine, Hola!, Carlos said: “I am fine. I do two hours of gymnastics a day and I feel very good.” The Palace of Zarzuela also made a statement: “Faced with certain alleged information on the state of health of His Majesty King Don Juan Carlos, sources from the House of His Majesty the King in‐ dicate that they have no basis.” Last year it was also published that he was ad‐ mitted by Covid and the Zarzuela came out to deny it.

It continued, ‘The areas are well‐rested, the animal move‐ ment is fantastic. I have quota available on the big cats, leop‐ ard, and lion plus elephant bulls at unbeatable prices,’ ac‐ companied by photographs of trophy hunters posing with their ‘kill’. According to the Sunday People, Mr Knight is charging clients £14,500 to kill a lion, and £10,000 for an elephant, but claims that the creatures are ‘plentiful’ did not go down well with the World Wildlife Foundation, who say there are only around 415,000 African elephants in exis‐ tence, with them facing ex‐ tinction, and also African lions are said to be down to just 20,000 in the wild. The founder of the Cam‐ paign To Ban Trophy Hunt‐ ing, Eduardo Goncalves, tweeted, ‘Carl Knight is selling lucrative hunts in endangered animals to make money for himself and put a sick smile on the face of those who en‐ joy killing animals just for fun.’

NEWS

Riots Cause €30,000 Damage THE town hall of Linares, Jaén, estimates that €25,000 and €30,000 worth of dam‐ age was caused during the ri‐ oting on February 13. Demonstrators took to the streets to protest after an incident in which two off‐ duty police officers one of whom was a deputy inspec‐ tor, had beaten up a man and his 14‐year‐old daughter on February 12. Hostilities erupted in the vicinity of the police station, with crowds of people throwing objects at police officers, and setting fire to rubbish containers. As a result 20 officers were reported injured, while 13 members of the public were detained, including two mi‐ nors, all of whom have been provisionally released. The damage listed included: bus shelters, rubbish containers, traffic signs, fencing, and traf‐ fic light control panels. The two officers at the centre of the incident have since been jailed by a judge.

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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 shop‐ ping this year, instead of feeding online giants and superstores. This lockdown and with Moth‐ er’s Day an Easter upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen‐ dent businesses in your area. Due to the 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 lock‐ down restrictions. The joy of shopping local means that independent busi‐ nesses can help support the local community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on‐ line, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at

an independent store you’re putting food on a local fami‐ ly’s table, and there is no bet‐ ter time than now to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actu‐ ally much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, of‐ ten passed down through nu‐ merous generations and support not just the current owner but the generation before. 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 in‐ dependent store and compete

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

18 - 24 February 2021

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

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 better gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry , give the gift of peace of mind through these dif‐ ficult times. Choosing to spend your mon‐ ey locally will really make a differ‐ ence in the recovery of the local 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 everyone who is a part of each transaction.

For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce. First, they sell to a local restau‐ rant, which in turn prepares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restau‐ rant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbour‐ hood hardware store. This 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 retain 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.

EWN 23

FINANCE Pop-up charging THE Scottish Parliament has announced that it is considering installing temporary charging points at bed and breakfast accommodation in popular parts of Scotland in order to encourage drivers of electric cars to visit during the coming summer.

Spanish Sandbox JOINING major banks in the experiment, insurance company MAPFRE will also participate in the proposed ‘Spanish Sandbox’ project which features special government approved supervisors who monitor financial sustainability to minimise risk in the financial sector.

Brexit problem JD SPORTS has indicated that due to more difficult than expected regulations following Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, it is considering opening a European based warehouse where goods manufactured outside of the UK can be delivered.

Rato release AFTER being in prison since October 2018, former Spanish Minister and president of Bankia, Rodrigo Rato has been told by the National Court that due to his age and good behaviour he will be released from prison without serving the full sentence.

MWC Barcelona returns ONE of the very first major international exhibitions to suffer from the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 was the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona. As different exhibitors from the Far East started to drop out, it became obvious that the show which is considered the world’s most influential exhibition for the connectivity industry had to be cancelled. Now however, it is returning to its Barcelona home and will run from June 28 to July 1 with the expectation of some of the industries market leaders exhibiting and attending seminars.

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 18 - 24 February 2021

€500 million

is the amount that Google has announced it is budgeting to spend in Spain over the next five years to help with the country’s digital transformation.

Amsterdam bourse

Reform before receiving funds THE European Commission has called on Spain, and oth‐ er EU countries, to make massive reforms in order to avail of the bloc’s multi‐bil‐ lion Covid investment fund. Spain must reform its pub‐ lic administration system and labour laws among oth‐ er areas in order to receive the €150 billion recovery fund allocated to it by the European Commission. The commission’s Vice President, Margaritis Schi‐ nas, said that “nobody is go‐

ing to sign 27 blank cheques” ‐ saying that the EU would need to see “the compatibili‐ ty of national plans within the fund’s criteria” in order to avail of the much‐needed support. She warned that there would be “no invest‐ ments without reforms.” The Vice President stressed that the EU’s €750 billion bailout fund for Covid‐ hit member states presents “a unique opportunity, not only to spend the money to‐ gether but also to finance

LEGALLY SPEAKING Can president share emails? The president of our community has set up a system of communication where he sends out emails collectively to all owners, often asking opinions, but any replies are sent only to his own mailbox. Even if the owners click ‘reply to all owners.’ We ask if this is legal? We have veri‐ fied that this system is being used by our current president. (by email) Spain’s law of da‐ ta protection pro‐ YOU AND THE LAW hibits the publica‐ IN SPAIN tion of private information without permission. So the distribution to all community members of the emails of all the other members certainly amounts to ‘distribution.’ Perhaps some community members prefer that their private comments and opinions are not publicly shared out. So, yes, the system is not only legal but required by law. It seems that your president is sim‐ ply obeying the law and not trying to keep secrets. If all the emails were sent out and one member com‐ plained to the authorities, the president could face serious charges if he did not comply with the data protection law.

DAVID SEARL

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

FOR the last four years, the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CEPYME) has recorded the country’s fastest growing companies. STI Norland, one of the largest manufacturers of solar trackers and fixed structures in the world, has been included in the

the new European econo‐ my.” She stressed that in Spain’s case, the country’s emergence from its current recession is “a challenge for Europe, not just a challenge for Spain.” Schinas called for closer collaboration between Pe‐ dro Sanchez’s leading PSOE party and their longtime ri‐ vals the People’s Party (PP) ‐ saying that both groups “must share the responsibili‐ ty for making the fund a suc‐ cess.”

Madrid is currently in the process of drafting its ambi‐ tious reform strategy for the EU, and officials claim they are devising a scheme to pay back the multi‐billion‐euro fund by 2058. With the Spanish econo‐ my paralysed by Covid, it is possible that the country is on the brink of a massive transition period as it pre‐ pares to leap into reforms and claim a potentially game‐changing investment package.

UK economy Chancellor Rishi Sunak has to hope for a spring turnaround. LATEST figures released by the UK Office for National Statis‐ tics (ONS) show that the British economy showed a downturn of a record 9.9 per cent in 2020. In this report, it was re‐ vealed that the current de‐ cline in the economy was the largest annual fall in UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on record and was mainly due to the lockdowns caused by the Covid‐19 pandemic. After a very poor Novem‐ ber with GDP shrinking 2.3 per cent, as more businesses were allowed to open in De‐ cember and with online pur‐ chases for Christmas, the economy grew by 1.2 per cent. The ONS says that it is very

Credit: Pippa Fowles / No 10 Downing Street.

BUSINESS EXTRA

26

difficult to accurately forecast likely quarterly results for 2021 until it becomes clear that the pandemic is abating and therefore business can re‐ turn to a semblance of nor‐ mality. In addition, there is an on‐ going uncertainty of how Brexit will affect the economy which depends upon the speed in which trade agree‐ ments are reached, especially with the European Union where there is still much to be decided. The general opinion ap‐ pears to be that the British economy will continue to lan‐ guish until spring but will then be likely to see a resurgence, especially if vaccinations con‐ tinue at reasonable speed.

STI Norland success CEPYME500 list that is issued annually. After a rigorous evaluation of its turnover, sustained growth, size and profitability, CEPYME has decided to recognise the

work in research and development carried out by the company from Navarra. The decision to include any company is reached by taking into account the economic results obtained dur-

ing recent years, the capacity of a company to generate activity and employment, as well as its potential for innovation and international projection. “Our growth goes on and

PERHAPS as many feared, Ams‐ terdam has overtaken London as Europe’s most valuable trad‐ ing capital quadrupling trades in January according to the Finan‐ cial Times (FT). The paper revealed that share dealing on the Amsterdam ex‐ change (bourse) managed by Eu‐ ronext, averaged €9.2 billion per day which is four times more than its December figures. In London, by contrast the re‐ ported daily volumes fell to €8.6 billion per day and the FT re‐ ports that the shift is due to a ban on EU‐based financial insti‐ tutions trading in London as the EU is yet to rule that UK ex‐ changes enjoy the same supervi‐ sory status as their European counterparts. Whilst turnover is down sig‐ nificantly, there is no indication that there will be any further London job losses as those com‐ panies that intended to move will have done so already and it doesn’t really matter where the traders are situated as so much is done electronically.

Bitcoin risks AS the value of a single Bitcoin soared to over €39,000 follow‐ ing a $1.5 billion (€1.24 billion) investment by Tesla, the Bank of Spain warned about the high risk of investing. It wasn’t so many months ago that the Bank indicated that it saw some positive rea‐ sons for Spanish banks to de‐ velop their own cryptocurren‐ cies but it immediately acted alongside the Spanish Nation‐ al Securities Market Commis‐ sion (CNMV) to warn investors to be prudent. Since its early days of buy‐ ing a pizza online, Bitcoin has seen huge rises and equally mega‐falls in value. we will close the current year with sales of around €100 million in Spain and €200 million across the whole group,” said President Xabier Blanco, adding “We thank CEPYME for the initiative and hope that our experience serves as an inspiration to other companies.”

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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 15

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.172,30 1.174,49 Admiral Group 3.015,0 3.023,0 Anglo American 2.775,0 2.775,0 Antofagasta 1.562,00 1.567,50 Ashtead Group 3.955,6 3.969,3 Associated British Foods 2.289,0 2.298,0 AstraZeneca 7.406,0 7.470,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 602,61 603,57 Avast 512,50 513,50 Aveva 3.857,0 3.861,0 Aviva 358,99 359,30 B&M European Value Retail SA566,40 572,60 BAE Systems 486,26 486,53 Bank VTB DRC 0,986 0,992 Barclays 153,49 153,58 Barratt Developments 694,40 694,80 Berkeley 4.373,9 4.374,4 BHP Group 2.193,00 2.208,50 BP 267,00 268,66 British American Tobacco 2.767,5 2.768,8 British Land Company 469,00 469,00 BT Group 127,15 127,15 Bunzl 2.338,0 2.344,0 Burberry Group 1.820,9 1.820,9 Carnival 1.304,7 1.308,7 Centrica 54,36 54,40 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.360,0 2.380,0 Compass 1.470,98 1.470,98 CRH 3.254,0 3.268,0 Croda Intl 6.564,8 6.606,0 DCC 5.932,0 5.970,0 Diageo 3.031,2 3.033,8 DS Smith 405,50 407,00 EasyJet 807,80 813,35 Experian 2.623,0 2.654,0 Ferguson 8.914,0 8.956,8 Flutter Entertainment 14.150,0 14.200,0 Fresnillo 1.031,15 1.041,09 GlaxoSmithKline 1.269,76 1.283,72 Glencore 277,36 277,47 Halma 2.569,0 2.573,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.658,49 1.658,49 Hikma Pharma 2.358,74 2.372,00 HSBC 408,30 408,75 IAG 156,25 156,66 Imperial Brands 1.516,34 1.518,88 Informa 524,10 525,30 InterContinental 5.028,0 5.036,0 Intermediate Capital 1.898,00 1.903,00 Intertek 5.879,3 5.881,0 ITV 112,40 112,75

% CHG. 1.154,97 2.996,0 2.717,4 1.556,00 3.923,0 2.243,0 7.376,7 596,60 505,00 3.813,0 351,40 563,00 478,85 0,986 148,08 683,60 4.322,6 2.163,50 264,00 2.713,1 460,80 124,50 2.326,0 1.794,0 1.269,0 53,40 2.343,6 1.425,50 3.239,0 6.549,0 5.900,0 3.002,5 398,74 775,44 2.606,0 8.907,5 14.058,0 1.027,25 1.261,72 272,70 2.552,0 1.644,71 2.336,51 403,25 151,80 1.498,88 517,47 4.914,0 1.870,00 5.833,3 111,20

NET VOL 24,13K 20,21K 52,40K 110,22K 4,17K 104,65K 28,34K 12,76K 134,78K 8,59K 336,64K 213,47K 113,17K 37,44K 4,42M 156,76K 6,53K 607,74K 2,18M 32,03K 98,09K 2,06M 23,24K 18,23K 69,38K 762,26K 18,54K 15,06K 84,52K 2,15K 36,01K 19,23K 661,65K 855,24K 194,23K 1,82K 0,61K 37,78K 264,75K 1,54M 35,54K 6,02K 6,74K 587,76K 3,96M 67,41K 21,17K 16,81K 17,12K 16,97K 1,21M

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

233,00 3.031,0 620,10 268,40 38,31 9.860,5 416,30 173,05 1.862,40 863,26 177,05 7.816,0 35,28 2.633,00 2.769,0 718,80 1.359,24 6.298,0 1.853,00 526,00 629,06 6.100,0 95,15 6,94 1.399,11 1.399,0 1.342,0 677,80 596,49 1.918,00 14,73 3.570,0 1.411,48 965,40 2.356,0 1.578,00 1.514,50 11.750,0 1.440,00 1.233,00 475,90 326,00 164,52 244,70 335,69 3.955,0 948,72 134,95 3.340,0 849,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

233,50 3.040,0 620,37 269,00 38,47 9.918,0 418,80 173,90 1.870,89 863,20 177,70 7.818,0 35,40 2.645,00 2.780,0 719,80 1.363,99 6.384,0 1.867,00 528,80 629,60 6.104,0 95,84 6,99 1.405,31 1.404,8 1.349,0 678,20 596,80 1.920,00 14,80 3.574,0 1.413,00 974,80 2.359,0 1.579,00 1.517,00 11.825,0 1.463,50 1.236,00 476,30 327,10 165,06 244,90 337,66 3.970,4 953,60 135,46 3.352,0 850,00

229,00 3.013,0 610,11 263,00 37,74 9.770,0 408,50 172,20 1.852,10 854,60 174,25 7.664,0 35,14 2.599,00 2.735,0 710,56 1.337,00 6.240,0 1.850,00 524,60 622,40 6.020,0 92,36 6,91 1.372,40 1.371,5 1.318,2 677,00 588,80 1.918,00 14,66 3.541,0 1.398,31 964,00 2.332,0 1.568,00 1.499,50 11.690,0 1.436,30 1.224,54 468,00 324,00 161,55 239,80 321,30 3.916,0 937,80 133,93 3.227,2 826,20

477,81K 22,50K 24,22K 563,22K 32,19M 32,94K 634,96K 1,13M 1,36K 549,03K 2,35M 38,72K 101,42K 93,12K 58,18K 19,28K 58,64K 99,57K 15,11K 171,45K 11,76K 260,04K 6,80M 497,10K 119,42K 120,66K 257,63K 17,60K 47,17K 0,03K 595,56K 5,31K 547,93K 101,21K 8,96K 57,07K 29,69K 3,91K 28,88K 19,11K 513,52K 231,88K 613,95K 276,47K 976,33K 72,54K 49,57K 971,99K 21,24K 231,75K

0.87365

1.14526 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.2139 Japan yen (JPY)........................................127.85 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0818 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4365 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.210

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 15

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 178,76 2.104,11 3.277,71 237,21 135,37 210,94 198,20 92,56 47,29 50,70 270,50 306,29 277,62 203,63 120,84 61,81 166,62 141,25 213,98 75,00 244,99 142,17 127,63 240,47 816,12 328,17 54,20 209,95 144,50 187,69

CHANGE 178,80 2.108,82 3.280,25 237,35 135,53 213,14 198,71 92,73 47,69 50,84 271,18 306,70 278,71 203,79 121,35 62,51 166,83 141,61 214,70 75,11 245,30 143,35 128,11 241,38 817,33 332,31 54,68 211,13 144,61 193,79

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 177,28 867,01K 2.083,13 855,87K 3.233,31 2,34M 233,49 1,46M 133,69 60,15M 209,74 5,57M 196,76 1,57M 91,41 6,98M 46,91 15,24M 50,42 11,68M 268,34 9,10M 301,99 1,78M 276,61 1,63M 201,69 1,57M 120,10 3,01M 60,43 26,21M 164,29 4,40M 139,06 8,26M 213,00 2,74M 74,54 5,03M 242,73 16,56M 141,43 3,60M 126,59 7,37M 238,94 3,64M 785,33 23,77M 327,93 2,38M 54,19 17,46M 207,81 6,05M 143,67 4,01M 186,58 26,15M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 15

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+11.87% +13.75% +2.41% +1.50% +102.33% +13.22% +14.42% +2.95% +0.48% +1.61% +2.44%

3.38M 1.18M 767,428 9,767 22.16M 935,019 2.72M 324,957 2.34M 107,360 2.01M

-73.83% -9.12% -3.82% -11.24% -10.07% -7.69% -1.90% -26.83% -2.77% -3.05% -5.78%

0 3,636 4,746 2.71M 4.90M 679,319 9.37M 739,785 148,847 2,095 1.40M

Most Advanced Illumina Inc. Coherent Inc. MicroStrategy Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Wunong Net Technology Co. Ltd. ACM Research Inc. Cl A EHang Holdings Ltd. ADR IDEXX Laboratories Inc. Amazon.com Inc. CoStar Group Inc. Lam Research Corp.

Most Declined urban-gro Inc. II-VI Inc. 6% Pfd. Atrion Corp. BlackLine Inc. Affirm Holdings Inc. Cl A Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. NVIDIA Corp. Sanara MedTech Inc. arGEN-X SE ADR Daily Journal Corp. Fulgent Genetics Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

BA flights and sustainable fuel The Freedom Pines facility in Georgia.

BRITISH AIRWAYS is to power future flights with sustainable aviation fuel produced from sustainably‐sourced ethanol, as part of a new partnership with sustainable jet fuel com‐ pany LanzaJet. The partnership, which re‐ flects the importance the air‐ line is placing on sustainability and its continued investment in sustainable aviation fuel, will see British Airways invest in LanzaJet’s first commercial scale Freedom Pines Fuels fa‐ cility in Georgia, USA and ac‐ quire cleaner burning sustain‐ able aviation fuel from the plant. It expects the fuel to be available to power a number of its flights by the end of 2022. In addition, the partner‐ ship will involve LanzaJet im‐ plementing early‐stage plan‐ ning and design for a potential commercial facility for British Airways in the UK.

The plant in Georgia is due to begin construction this year. It will convert sustain‐ able ethanol (a chemical com‐ pound widely blended with petrol to reduce its carbon in‐ tensity) into sustainable avia‐ tion fuel using a patented chemical process. The fuel produced at the plant will deliver a reduction of more than 70 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fos‐ sil jet fuel, equivalent to taking almost 27,000 petrol or diesel cars off the road each year. Sean Doyle, British Airways’ CEO, said: “Despite the crisis in global aviation, it is vital for our future that we continue to address climate change and we remain focused on playing our part to reduce the impact we have on the planet. “For the last 100 years we have connected Britain with the world and the world with

Brazilian investment THE Brazilian subsidiary of Spanish bank Santander is investing more heavily in Brazil’s agriculture industry and sees this as a major option for growth. This is just part of the bank’s focus on Brazil which it sees as one of the most important economies in South America and it considers that the pandemic is allowing it greater freedom to step in to invest where other banks are pulling out according to Bloomberg. Food is always going to be saleable and both soy and coffee in particular are exported on a worldwide basis.

Britain, and to ensure our suc‐ cess for the next 100, we must do this sustainably.”

BUSINESS EXTRA Whinging Poms AUSTRALIAN boss of accountancy firm KPMG UK has stepped down after reportedly accusing staff of moaning and ‘playing the victim card’ after an internal survey indicated that large numbers of staff were having difficulties coping during the coronavirus pandemic.

Storm Filomena THE latest edition of the AON Global Catastrophe Recap report reveals that Storm Filomena, caused severe snowfall in parts of Spain, leading to business interruption and property losses estimated at €1.8 billion, although claims from the agricultural sector were minimal.

Unrealistic and dangerous IN his annual Mansion House speech to the city of London and prior to March negotiations with the EU, the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said it would be “unrealistic” and “dangerous” for the UK to stick to EU banking rules after Brexit.

18 - 24 February 2021

EWN 29

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 February 2021

FEATURE

Equality not sought, but retribution LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

SONGS OF PRAISE: Has been a much-loved presentation for many years.

OTHERS THINK IT THIS week I came out in full sympathy with DUP MP Gregory Campbell. I too was offended and indeed angered at last week’s BBC ‘Songs of Praise.’ There was not one white face in the whole programme. This is a much loved presentation that has strived for many years to nurture its religious content in an atmosphere of unbiased love and wonderful diversity; last week it was turned into an all‐black gospel song competition. With three judges sitting in ornate golden chairs, it was akin to a Simon Cowell offering of ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’ Had this been an all‐white presentation there would have been an almighty outcry from the likes of the BLM and woke brigade, and probably noises of displeasure from the church hierarchy for bringing the church into disrepute. Mr Campbell voiced his concerns in much the same way and subsequently was actually asked by the ‘usual suspects’ to apologise for it. He quite correctly refused, citing the

fact that he was telling the truth in that it was a programme with no attempt at diversity whatsoever, and as the whole cast, musicians, singers and judges, were all black was indeed a racially biased presentation. He added that he abhorred

racism in any form, but if we had to apologise for stating the truth, then we had come to a very sorry state indeed. I couldn’t agree more. If we are to defeat racism it has to be a two‐way street. In fact it has to be a

multiple‐way street. Where are all the Asians, Sikhs, Orientals, Balkans and Orthodox Jews in this overall diversity row? What we appear to be witnessing is a purely black dispute with the white populace. All of it reminds me of SA during

apartheid. The whites hated the blacks and both black and whites hated the Asians, who were derogatorily known as ‘Cape Coloured’s.’ What actually worries me is that the black races will NEVER forgive the white for the past ‐ even though they certainly didn’t have the monopoly on slavery. Throughout history, untold thousands of whites have also been bought and sold. The difference is that we’ve stopped blaming it for every misfortune that befalls us and moved on. I worry that it is not equality that is being sought here but retribution. If we don’t somehow curb the wokers, I have a vision of the white populace one day finding themselves in the same position as many SA whites today ‐ and it’s not pretty! The Seaford Head School in East Sussex has recently accused Winston Churchill of being ‘a racist who imprisoned and tortured many.’ They have announced that the ‘Houses’ in the school named after Churchill would be renamed. Nelson Mandela House will remain of course. Keep the faith. Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com/ expatradioscotland Mon Wed Fri.

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

Advertising Feature

Cremation jewellery a memory you can carry on you forever WHEN a loved one passes away, there is no doubt that the memory of them will never leave us, but cre‐ mation jewellery is a lovely way to carry them with us forever. Families tend to choose jewellery in sterling silver or gold, as they will be long lasting, and that means that not only can the direct family have their loved one close to them, it also means that the piece of jewellery can become a family heirloom to pass down to coming generations. Lockets with photos of family or spouses have been popular for cen‐ turies and still are, but cremation jewellery is a way to keep not only the image of the deceased but also a real piece of them long after they are buried or cremated. The variety of cremation jewellery nowadays is huge, and there are many different options. There are simple tiny containers,

in the form of pendants, which can carry a small amount of the ashes of the deceased if they have been cre‐ mated. These can often be engraved with the name, dates or words which have special meaning to the wearer. Ashes are not the only op‐ tion to include within these pieces of jewellery, as they can also contain keepsakes. Some of the popular designs for pendants for wearing on necklaces or bracelets are crosses, capsules, hearts, infinity knots and feathers, but the designs can be personalised to reflect your loved one's personali‐ ty, likes or hobbies. They can also, of course, be styled to suit the taste of the wearer. Several of these can be made, al‐ lowing more than one family mem‐ ber to have a piece of jewellery by which to remember their special re‐ lationship with the deceased after

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loved ones can be with us be‐ yond their passing is memorial dia‐ monds. These are syn‐ thetic gems which are made in a lab with the ashes of the de‐ ceased. The process takes close to a year, but the resulting diamonds are well worth the wait and look spec‐ tacular. There are also companies which can make medallions with the ashes of a loved one, which can also carry engravings to reflect the person’s faith, achievements, relationship or

a special quote and can also include gems in different colours. Some people may choose charms for bracelets. These can be picked to reflect the tastes of the deceased, so for example if the person loved to travel, their relatives may pick an aeroplane and the shape of a heart containing their ashes. Whatever you choose, being such a personal keepsake, the creators will make sure that they are made with respect and paying the utmost attention to including all the details requested by the person who orders them.

www.goldenleavesinternational.com • info@goldenleavesinternational.com • Facebook: goldenleavesspain

THURSDAY 4:00pm 4:45pm

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

EXPATS FEEL ABANDONED From our Facebook HAS anyone given a thought to the hundreds of elderly British Citizens / tax payers who are stranded in Europe, and who feel that they have been abandoned and are living under a death sentence with no assistance at all from their home country? In particular the Costa del Sol, where most of the Brits are extremely frightened Surely the UK government could do something to help them? - considering its proximity to Gibraltar? I’m sure the majority of people would be very willing to pay - Surely there is a story here? - the situation is quite dire, as nothing can be expected from the EU. It could become a tragedy - which would not reflect well on the UK government. Sincerely, Jacqueline Buck

Leapy Lee Hello, I don’t normally take the time to write to complain but ‘Leapy Lee’s’ last piece really made my temperature rise and I feel something had to be said. The out and out racism on display in his column about China I found highly offensive and I’m not even Chinese!! I understand he has controversial views but in the current state of the world, promoting hatred and attacking other nations, I feel is a dangerous game, and from a paper which I normally read and enjoy, I am shocked… I normally enjoy your informative local and national news but don’t feel there is any place for his opinion in a NEWS paper. I don’t feel a NEWS paper is the right platform to give a racist a voice - there are plenty of other online platforms where I’m sure his racist opinions are welcome. AP

You are so right Hi Leapy You are so right re your article about China. If you see how they are taking over Africa with all the small shops even in the smallest towns it is frightening. But like some of the governments of the western worlds, ridiculous Covid rules and their idiotic PC attitudes I don’t think it will change until it’s too late. Take care. PW

KEYBOARD WARRIORS WITH the apparent news that the latest spike in coronavirus is beginning to tail down in most countries around the world, it may be time to look forward with tentative optimism. Various Spanish Autonomous Communities are generally relaxing restrictions slightly to make life just that little more comfortable for those of us living here regardless of nationality and this should put most of us into a positive frame of mind. It has been very difficult for everyone and frustrations have manifested themselves in different ways with there being little doubt that many have suf-

CORRECTIONS

Euro Weekly News, what do you want? ‘Sorry for all the doom and gloom,’ written by Leapy Lee. This is a very stupidly written blah blah article by someone who has probably never been to China, at least someone who does not think. It is offensive to all Spanish shoppers who like to buy from the Chinese shops we know here in Andalucia. The local middle class in Spain could also have opened these kind of businesses. This Leapy Lee would have written a more valuable article if he had investigated the changed purchasing behaviour of the people since the Covid. Why do internet companies not complain? Gerrard Remmel

New Underhand Practice by Spanish Banks Since Brexit Please warn your readers of a new practice by Spanish banks on UK transfers or UK cheque deposits since January 1, 2021. Spanish banks are now charging a minimum of €10 per transfer of money from the UK and on Sterling Cheque Deposits even if you send the funds in Euros. Their pathetic excuse is Brexit, even though they have not changed their systems nor incurred any additional costs than prior to December 2020. There has been no prior notification of this new charge. They also do not show the charge on your account merely show the amount less the charge. This is very underhand and does not befit a professional business. I am a retired Bank Director and was also a Director of a European and International Clearing System (Eurogiro) dealing with among other matters, Money Transmissons Clearing and International Payments. If we had treated our large corporate and individual clients in this way, we would soon have been out of business and castigated or fined by the Regulators. Paul Christopher Segall Gran Sol Calpe

OUR VIEW

fered mental strain as they learn to cope with the completely different world that has been created over the past 12 months. So many have suffered from financial hardship and physical illness and in many cases local communities have been exceptional in the way in which they have tried to help those who are worse off than themselves and they should be proud of their commitment. What has however been very disappointing and indeed downright disturbing at a time when we should all be pulling together and supporting each other is the appearance of ‘keyboard

warriors’ who for reasons best known to themselves want to persecute those they disagree with. It is simple cyber bullying which is not only unnecessary, but for those who have suffered during the crises it is very hurtful and totally inexplicable. The internet gives a sense of entitlement and anonymity to those who wouldn’t be able to threaten, intimidate or try to destroy the livelihood of others. Disagree by all means, but do it rationally and with some thought as to the feelings of those you disagree with.

Gitta-Mary Moulder F Falck-Muus I do all my shopping in Mercadona, and I haven’t noticed any increase in what I always buy. Even some things are cheaper than some months ago.

Ann Marshall Yes definitely, also pet food prices have increased, no wonder people are abandoning their animals.

Genni Gianfranceschi Bertini I’ve been writing down the price oscillations since I moved here three years ago, honestly just to compare with those back home, both in the UK and Italy. Whilst Carrefour has risen its prices, and worsened its fresh produce, both Mercadona and Mas have lowered prices from a couple of cents to up to 40. Not bad in my opinion.

Jim O’Shea It’s like most commodities in Spain, food, drink electricity, water, all essential items, but no support from government, no wages, so how are families expected to survive.

Chris Jolly Definitely gone up even in the cheaper supermarkets.

Georgette Swift Defo have gone up... so has electricity.

Matt Bush Bacon in El Jamon has just risen from 7€ kilo to 8.95€ kilo, there’s just one example.

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

36 EWN

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18 - 24 February 2021

FEATURE

An incredible feat of endurance LETTERS FROM

CANARIES DEAR reader, I write from close to Mount Teide in Tenerife, the coldest spot in Europe now, hoping you’re well‐loved this month of St Valentine. Maybe Valentine’s cards are dead and it’s all online now, in keeping with online dating, contacts and the surreal world of cybersex? Poor kids!! Breaking out and leaving home to study or work in normal, so‐ ciable conditions is on hold. Finding partners, making new friends, becom‐ ing independent, must be impossible in isolation. Just when you need to sit up all night talking and drinking too much with your peers, you get a screen. Canarian students at either of the two universities on the big islands find themselves isolated in halls of resi‐ dence or rented accommodation, fol‐ lowing largely online courses. “You end up alone, paying rent, star‐ ing at a screen, so you go home.”

WHAT A JOURNEY: Rowing across the Atlantic. “The food’s better at home, it’s loads more comfortable and at least you can be with your family,” confirm Aytor and Belén, two home‐based uni‐ versity students from La Gomera. Also enjoying home life, but for the first time, is Basco, the retired police dog whose recent adoption in Gran Ca‐ naria made news after an appeal pro‐ duced over a hundred adoption offers. Over to whales in Tenerife whose home, a 22 km west coast marine strip

between Teno and Las Galletas is now the first place in Europe, and the third globally, to be declared Whale Heritage Site. “Among the benefits for a destina‐ tion of being designated Whale Her‐ itage Site are... effective campaigns to promote the destination; increasing the number of visitors and the income of tourism providers; the sustainable management of marine and terrestrial resources...,” enthused Cabildo coun‐

cillor José Martinéz. Let’s hope the whales agree. The channel between Tenerife and La Gomera is the permanent residence of large groups of predominantly pilot whales, who often graced ferry cross‐ ings with appearances before ferries got bigger and noisier. There are early 2021 Canarian suc‐ cesses. One is the launch at Cape Canaveral of the DRAGO infrared cam‐ era, which was developed by the team

at IACTEC‐Space at the Instituto de As‐ trofísica de Canarias. It was integrated into the ION satellite carrier and launched on Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket. And for a splendid finish, how about grandfather Frank Rothwell’s incredi‐ ble feat of endurance in becoming the oldest person (70) to row 3,000 miles solo across the Atlantic Ocean, raising more than £648,000 for dementia re‐ search? Frank Rothwell, who’s from Oldham UK, set off on La Gomera’s Talisker Challenge on December 12, arriving in Antigua on February 6. “It took six long weeks to row the At‐ lantic… there was over 18 months of training and preparation, so I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and the unbelievable journey I’ve been on. Crossing the finish line was a complete‐ ly euphoric moment,” said Frank, who raised the money in tribute to brother‐ in‐law Roger’s fight with the disease. Roger, 62, died during his journey. Barbara Belt. barbarabelt@gmail.com EWN February 2021.

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

Advertising Feature

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37

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Is someone trying to sidetrack you by casting doubt on a relationship or plan? Something is going on so make sure that you have all the facts. It would be gullible of you to take everything at face value. You have good supportive colleagues and may seek their advice. Be optimistic as the weekend comes and remember your sense of humour.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Showing confidence means others see you as being very much in control. They need to see that you can be trusted. If a plan is not going in the right direction, be prepared to change tack. Changes should not be made to financial plans until you are sure of your ground. Romantically, you are being admired.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) It is all go for you at the moment. Not only will you be particularly clear-thinking but your intellect will be sharp as a knife. Your enthusiasm spills over from your business life to personal matters, leading to a hectic and eventful time all week. When it comes to romance, a positive and dynamic approach stands you in good stead.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) It is now important that you are clear about the person you wish to spend your time with because you may have more than one option. Plans that you started last week are now showing progress. Keeping the pace growing is essential to beat rivals. It is not an easy week by any means but it should not be boring.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) A tendency to be emotional because of a setback should be avoided. When you feel the pressure rising, remember that nothing is worth risking your health for. Sound out friends and colleagues to avoid overreacting. It is a week when you realise how someone close is able to be a great help. The question is, can you accept it?

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) There is sensitivity in your chart. It is possible to overlook someone who needs your time and consideration. You are not a mind-reader and they may not directly seek your help. Be aware, then, of how others are faring.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) When someone asks you this week where you are going, will you know the answer? You will make progress if you do. If you're not sure, then there is no point in going full steam ahead. This is a week to consider your options on all fronts, particularly in business.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) A personal decision needs to be made. No major changes are necessary so long as you have a firm plan. It is not so much that caution is required, rather more that you should give yourself time to consider. In the longer term, you may see this week as a turning point.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is a week of planning and making changes. Some things click into place and you realise that you are on your way to completing an ambition. The trick is to manage it without upsetting people on the home front.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Are you putting off a decision affecting others? This is a good time to take the bull by the horns. Keep an eye on finances involving younger people. Sometimes, you are better able to help in other ways, perhaps by giving encouragement or advice.

SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Your activities this week may seem to be ones best done alone. To a certain extent this is true. However, if you wish to make others feel important and gain their support in the future, you should involve them. You don't have to take advice which is given but be diplomatic when not acting on it. Hurt feelings can cost money.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Are you feeling less positive than usual? We all do at times. If energy is low get out for a long walk in a relaxing place. Perhaps watch a film that raises your spirits. There is about you a kind of regret and fondness for the past, but there is nothing wrong with sentimentality so long as it does not cloud your picture of the future. That can be bright indeed.

TIME OUT

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

ALLURE BEYOND CAREER DYNAMO HITHER INGEST MARAUD MORTAR ODIOUS SCALAR SODIUM SPLASH STANCE TABLET TALCUM (10) TANNER TREBLE TROPHY TROUPE

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 13 February

15-16-37 42-44-50

BONUS BALL

48

IRISH LOTTO Sat 13 February

11-12-21 30-35-38

BONUS BALL

36

EURO MILLIONS Tue 9 February

BONUS BALL

9

05-10-24 31-37

10

Fri 12 February

BONUS BALL

07-23-30 32-36

8 12

EL MILLON: KRT75040 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 11 February

BONUS BALL

02-03-08 10-39-48

44 3

JOKER: 3925366 Sat 13 February

BONUS BALL

09-10-25 35-37-40

45

JOKER: 1609880

9

TIME OUT

38

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CODE BREAKER

ENGLISH-SPANISH

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

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 5 represents Q and 26 represents X, so fill in Q every time the figure 5 appears and X every time the figure 26 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 Lapel (6) 4 Vacas (4) 8 Blonde (5) 9 Agreement (7) 10 Promesa (7) 11 Grueso (pared, libro, tronco) (5) 12 Unemployed (11) 17 Spy (5) 19 Buscar (persona, objeto perdido, trabajo) (4,3) 21 Bather (7) 22 Wide (street, river, trousers) (5) 23 She (4) 24 Caballos (animales) (6)

Down 1 Raya (en tela, diseño) (6) 2 Lip (5) 3 Perfil (7) 4 Corte (tribunal) (5) 5 Preocupado (7) 6 Oruga (11) 7 Rocoso (5) 13 Spanish (7) 14 Angry (7) 15 Hierbas (5) 16 Escobas (6) 18 Anxiety (5) 20 Caras (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Lies, 3 Whole, 8 Rectangle, 9 Fixed, 10 Asks, 14 Rare, 15 Camel, 18 Prominent, 20 Often, 21 Free. Down: 1 Lack, 2 Earlier, 4 Heal, 5/19 Log off, 6 Acres, 7 Feast, 11 Sweater, 12 Drops, 13 Eager, 16 Bite, 17 Gale.

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Saveloy, 4 Coped, 7 Array, 9 Chasten, 10 Inexact, 11 Enter, 12 Granny, 14 Prop up, 18 Lumps, 20 Lincoln, 22 Garbled, 23 Edith, 24 Rally, 25 Sponger. Down: 1 Soaking, 2 Verge, 3 Yachts, 4 Cease, 5 Pit stop, 6 Dinar, 8 Yearn, 13 Admiral, 15 Rinse, 16 Panther, 17 Glades, 18 Lager, 19 Splay, 21 Owing.

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Seller, 3 Flight, 8 Retired, 10 Leona, 11 Wheel, 12 Escuela, 13 Sport, 15 Vasos, 20 Insecto, 22 Until, 24 Girar, 25 Breathe, 26 Rasgar, 27 Bakery. Down: 1 Straws, 2 Litre, 4 Lilac, 5 Grosero, 6 Tea bag, 7 Edges, 9 Ruler, 14 Postres, 16 Amuse, 17 Ginger, 18 Combs, 19 Sleepy, 21 Carta, 23 Title.

CODE BREAKER

BOGGLED

FUTOSHIKI

asea sauna sate seat suet ease etas hues teas tease tuft nape napa newt neap nett neat neath heat heft heap heal helve weft wheat whap when whet wheal wean weal wealth welt feta fetas fete fetus five anus anew ewes thus thew theft than thane then twelve teal tael tapa tape tale pane panel pean petal peat peal pelt paean path pate paten pale althea alto lean leap lath lathe lathes late

NONAGRAM agar amir aria carp cart crag cram gram grim grip grit marc mart pair para part pram prig prim raga ramp rapt rata tarp tram trap trig trim trip acari apart atria atrip carat carpi cigar cramp crimp maria prima raita tapir tiara tramp agaric amrita armpit impart tarmac tragic PRAGMATIC

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 BEHEST 2 LOAVES 3 MEMBER 4 REOPEN 5 BLUISH 6 TIPTOE 7 SPLINT 8 MORTAL 9 FREEST 1O NUANCE 11 MYRTLE 12 MUTTER 13 SCANTY 14 JOYFUL 15 ARCANE 16 SMOOTH 17 MARVEL 18 BLANCH 19 ARREAR

WILD WILL WALL WAIL PAIL PAIR or

KAKURO

SUDOKU

WILD WILL PILL PALL PAIL PAIR

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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 17 MIN 6 Fri 15 7 Sat 12 8 Sun 12 7 Mon 11 9 Tues - 13 9 Wed 15 9

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 17, MIN 6 Fri 17 9 Sat 15 7 Sun 13 8 Mon 15 8 Tues - 16 9 Wed 17 8

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

39

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: 19 Good: 27 Very good: 39 Excellent: 50

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 In hospital I'm possibly drooping (4) 3 Hand over wine for travel document (8) 9 Feral horse has to, nag is different (7) 10 More towards the rear later (5) 11 Adhesive out of the reach of engineer (5) 12 Charm listener by the finish (6) 14 Quiet class got smaller (6) 16 Crazy bird (6) 19 Prepared no part for a supporter (6) 21 Was including the National Trust in people's needs (5) 24 No cat goes astray in West London (5) 25 Everyone was in debt, that's permitted (7) 26 Sweet courses back under pressure (8) 27 Black stuff covering small ruler once (4) Down 1 New palm pots designed to brighten the road (8) 2 Israelite leader some confused with Samaritan leader (5) 4 Fishes in corners (6) 5 Draws back the turf (5) 6 The bush is to the rear of the building (7) 7 Bird often seen in the afternoon (4) 8 Rave organised in Tennessee pub (6) 13 I scorned eccentric Judge (8) 15 Actual rock for estate agent (7) 17 A French source of water that makes you sick (6) 18 How chess game ends for prisoner (6) 20 Ran Kansas classes (5) 22 News about last of giant amphibians (5) 23 Settles in the French country (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

Down

1 Scholars (8)

2 Lag or linger behind (5)

8 Once more (5)

3 Declare untrue (4)

9 Unit of length (5)

4 Drink of the gods (6)

10/15 Woman's elaborate full-length

5 Have in common (5)

dress (4,4)

6 Without interruption (10)

11 Most current (6)

7 Sandwiches consisting of fried cakes

13 Iterate (6)

of minced beef served on buns (10)

15 See 10

12 Equipment for taking photographs (6)

18 Rub or scrape out (5)

14 Pointed tops of mountains (5)

19 Perfection (5)

16 Large body of water (5)

20 Setting out (8)

17 Present (4)

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

LOCK

QUIZ BACK CART

UP TO THE MINUTE QUESTIONS 1. According to pop artist Andy Warhol: ‘In the future everyone will be world-famous for...’ how many minutes? 2. As of January 1, 2019 golfers can search for up to how many minutes before their ball is deemed lost? 3. Dedicated to the Countess Delfina Potocka, who was the composer of the Waltz in D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, Valse du petit chien, popularly known in English as the Minute Waltz? 4. How many minutes are there in one week? 5. In which year did Roger Bannister run the first sub-four minute mile? 6. On average, how many minutes does it take light from the Sun to reach Earth? 7. The Minutemen were civilian colonists who independently organised to form militia companies self-trained in weaponry, tactics and military strategies from the American colonial partisan militia during which 18th century conflict? 8. Which actor was paid an unprecedented $3.7 million to play the title character’s father Jor-El for 13 days work and less than 20 minutes on screen in the 1978 superhero film Superman? 9. Which singer topped the UK singles charts in April 1965 with the song The Minute You’re Gone? 10. Who was the chairman of the BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game Just A Minute for almost 52 years?

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 G) 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… on average, during one minute, lightning will strike the Earth 360 times, a hummingbird will flap its wings 4,000 times, you will blink about 12 times and 1,800 stars will explode

TARGET:

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

Average: 18 Good: 25 Very good: 35 Excellent: 46

Answers 1. 15, 2. THREE – prior to that date, players had five minutes to search for a lost ball. 3. FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN, 4. 10,080, 5. 1954 (May 6), 6. EIGHT MINUTES (and 20 seconds). 7. AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR also known as the AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 8. MARLON BRANDO - in comparison, Christopher Reeve earned $250,000 in the title role, dominating most of the 143-minute running time, 9. CLIFF RICHARD, 10. NICHOLAS PARSONS

42 EWN

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18 - 24 February 2021

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

HAVING written here about how badly Boris dealt with the pandemic initially compared with his current success with the vaccination roll‐out (unlike the EU), I risk being awarded an OBE. That’s not an Officer of the Most Ex‐ cellent Order of the British Empire (so stop that curtsying at the back!), but the dubious honour of being ‘overtaken by events.’ Writ‐ ing about Covid‐19 carries that risk in spades. You’ll recall the EU’s much‐criticised row with both the UK and AstraZeneca over vaccine shortages. In particular, it was condemned over its threat to put checks on the Northern Ireland border to prevent vaccines produced in the EU from reaching the UK. This could have been an opportunity to strengthen the EU and help to break down the nationalism that constantly plagues its deci‐ sion‐making process. Instead, it reinforced all these tendencies, hugely embarrassed the EU internationally and robbed it of sorely‐needed credibility for its own citizens. But the UK is lucky to have AstraZeneca at all. It was nearly sold off with the enthusiastic

FEATURE

A SHOT IN THE ARM: FROM EUPHORIA TO EU THREATS

HERD IMMUNITY: Has to stretch across borders or else it is unachievable. backing of Conservative ministers in the UK Government some years ago to: Pfizer! And As‐ traZeneca itself is the result of the merger be‐ tween Sweden’s Astra and the UK’s Zeneca ‐

the latter the offspring of the ICI group. Finally, let’s not forget that we need to get through this virus crisis together. When people can move freely within their countries and

across borders because it’s safe and without lockdowns, then that’s what we should all be aiming for. The UK needed to move particularly fast be‐ cause of its high death rate and massive eco‐ nomic contraction (both among the worst in Europe). Whether it will have done well in managing this crisis say a year from now is un‐ knowable. My hunch is the EU will still have done quite well on a global scale. For now, we need to be patient and not con‐ fuse people with blame games and a one‐sided focus on the day‐by‐day speed of vaccinations. Herd immunity has to stretch across borders or else it is unachievable. 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.no ra‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

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

Not one good review to be had MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man OH where to start? I know, Vodafone. I have been a customer of theirs since 2004 when they were called Airtel. I noticed, back in October, my monthly bill had gone up a little and kept thinking I must check the bills but I didn’t. But this week I did and, for some reason, my bill had increased by about €3 a line. I have two lines so it’s €6. I called them and got through to the English-speaking section and then tried to explain my query. Why the price increase, what was it for? I was told, “There was a price increase on your tariff.” Why? And this is where the whole English-speaking and English-understanding falls down. “Why has my tariff gone up?” “It’s not just yours, it’s everybody’s.” “I don’t care about everybody else; I’m only interested in mine.” Then I said, “hold on a minute, that’s even worse because let’s say you have two million customers, you have just nicked €6 million a month, €48 million a year for absolutely nothing! She then told me all the benefits, which were the same

as I’ve always had. But I had to laugh when she told me about my free roaming charges because, for the last year, I haven’t been able to ‘roam’ past the end of the street! We to-ed and fro-ed a bit longer and I finally gave up because she just didn’t get it and was trying to get me to change my tariff for an even dearer one. Five minutes after that call I got another from them asking what I thought of their service. Not a lot, I can tell you! I then looked on Trust Pilot and they have a 1 star rating. I could not find one good review. Trouble is apparently all the other companies are the same. Anyone got any recommendations? I have been trying to track down the people involved with the wrecking of my daughter’s car and am amazed at the protection they have. It’s impossible to find out anything about directors etc or how they got credit card facilities or who places their ads on Google. The data protection stuff seems to give these toe rags all the protection they need. Halifax bank are being their usual unhelpful self, saying that because this, that and the other they won’t refund the payments made and quote some nonsense as to why not. So, once again, the scumbags are fully protected! Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

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I Need You to Understand This MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED SOMETIMES, when I get stressed, anxious or frustrated, I break down. The hard part is, it’s not just from things most people would find stressful. In fact, I deal pretty well with the big things: loss breakups. I know these things are bad and I feel what I would consider ‘normal’ emotions when they happen. Maybe that’s because I know everyone feels them and society accepts those emotions as valid. My body and my brain can’t tell the difference between a life-or-death situation and a normal, everyday worry. I have the same panicked reaction to misplacing my phone as I might to misplacing my purse. My brain and body can go from zero to 100 in two seconds flat. I’m never truly calm: I might look like it on the outside but beneath the surface, there’s a trigger just waiting to flip and throw me into a fullon panic attack. What makes this even more fun is that I have learned to become anxious about the possibility of becoming anxious. I’ve been this way my whole life but I never knew there was a name for it. When I ‘overreacted’ as a kid, people thought I was just being dramatic. Maybe they thought I just wanted attention and thought crying was the best way to get it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want nothing more than to be happy. Because, you see, my ‘happy’ is a million times more happy than anyone else’s.

I’ve gotten better at this over the past few years. I’ve become better at voicing what I need, even if I’m far from perfect. At least now, I can say it’s starting to get bad before I’m ‘there.’ At least now, I can recognise when I can’t handle a single minute more before I’m lying on the floor, pounding my fists into my own body out of frustration and rage. If I get there, there’s not much I can do but go to a quiet place where I don’t have to see or talk or touch anyone and try to use any number of tools - from medication to breathing exercises - to bring myself back to normal. If you’re going to be in my life, then you should know about this. But if respecting my different needs or believing me when I say I have a need makes you feel hurt, then it’s better we not be friends. Love Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 February 2021

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Intense cycling could help ward off ageing A QUICK, intense, four min‐ utes of cycling could help stop the ageing process. It could be the news ev‐ eryone who hates long workouts has been waiting for, as a US study found that short bursts of in‐ tense exercise, such as spinning classes, which are fast cycling classes, can help reverse damage to cells which decline with age. High‐intensity interval training, or HIIT training, helps halt the damage to the cells which start the ageing process. The Mayo Clinic in Min‐ nesota signed up 72 men and women aged between 18 and 30 and 65 to 80 for HIIT exercises, resistance training using weights, and combined training with longer bouts of cycling and fewer weights sessions. As well as helping cell ageing, they found that short bursts of exercise im‐ proved fitness, cut body fat and can help to prevent diabetes, but it was not so

effective at improving muscle strength which de‐ clines with age. The volunteers with the greatest improvement in reversing cell damage, car‐ ried out four minutes of in‐ tensive cycling, followed by three easier minutes,

12 times a week, along with another 90 minutes walking on a treadmill. The researchers are us‐ ing their findings to try and develop a drug that will mimic the effects of exercise in warding off old age.

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Clever cats love us The purrfect cafe experience THE past few years have seen a rise in ‘cat cafes’ all over the world. Originating in Taiwan, the idea was popularised by the Japanese GREAT INITIATIVE: People have the when the first chance to give the cats their fur‘neko‐cafe’ ever home. opened its doors in Osaka in 2004. Japan as a whole has over 150 cat cafes, and they are the perfect spot for feline lovers who live in buildings which prohib‐ it pet ownership. Owning a pet can help to relieve the stress of busy city lives, making us healthier and happier, so it is no sur‐ prise that the phenomenon has gone international. Cafes are consistently popping up in cities across the UK, France, Korea, America, Germany, and even Spain. The estab‐ lishments are designed with felines in mind, embracing wide open spaces and lots of toys, and many have strict rules in place to protect the animals. Customers must be respectful and the cats cannot be picked up, annoyed, or disturbed whilst sleeping. Many of the cafes have a second and very admirable pur‐ pose, operating as cat rescue and rehoming facilities. Interest in rehoming the cats is exceptionally high, with people falling in love with the friendly felines every day.

RESEARCH conducted by scientists in Japan has revealed that contrary to popular belief, cats are actually equal to their canine counterparts when it comes to intelligence. Previous arguments cited a dog’s ability to be trained and learn commands as evidence that they have superior mental abilities, but in reality a cat could do exactly the same if it wanted to. The differences lie in their desire to do a certain activity. We know that many cats are independent and will come and go as they please, whereas dogs are pack animals that respond to a social hierarchy. Japanese scientists have found that cats can respond to human commands, gestures, emotions and expressions, just like dogs. How‐ ever, the most interesting study involves a cat’s memory. We already know that dogs have episodic memories and recall past events. This suggests that not only do cats also have the same capacity for memory, but they may actually enjoy recalling specific memories, es‐ pecially of human interactions. This shows a higher level of intelli‐ gence than has ever previously been expected and may help to set‐ tle the question of whether cats are capable of loving their owners.

SORRY DOGS: Research shows cats may be just as clever.

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Land Rover Discovery Sport SINCE first emerging from the Rover car company in 1947, as a prototype with a central driving position, Land Rover has been synonymous with off‐road prowess. In fact the last Defender still owed much to its immediate post‐war cousin. Of course today the talk is once again all about Defender, but this time in its newest form. Which brings me neatly on to talk about a com‐ pletely different Land Rover! The Discovery Sport, although having a trendy, upmarket im‐ age, is in today’s terms reason‐ ably affordable. Prices for the 2021 model range start at just under €36,486 (£32,000), and if that seems somewhat less than cheap, well I have recently been driving a Toyota RAV4 that’s list‐ ed at €40,477 (£35,500). The other thing that surprises with the Discovery Sport is a lead‐ in model with two‐wheel‐drive. More SUVs come in two‐wheel‐ drive than four nowadays but a two‐wheel‐drive Land Rover still comes as surprise. My particular Discovery Sport was an R‐Dynamic S Plus, with four‐wheel‐drive, turbocharged 2.0‐litre petrol engine, mild hy‐

brid electric assistance and auto‐ matic transmission. The easy way to tell a Sport from a standard Discovery is not only the size but the Sport doesn’t have that, to some, rather annoying offset rear number plate. Priced from €44,416 (£38,955) the Dynamic versions represent a good step up from entry level for a relatively small price increase. Of course by the time you’ve ticked some option boxes the price can climb quicker than a Land Rover up a mountain. My test model had over €6,800 (£6,000) in options. That said the standard, although it is rather more than that, specifica‐ tion is pretty decent. Privacy glass, power tailgate, powered, heated and dimming door mir‐ rors, powered and heated front seats, leather, surround camera, 10” touch screen, navigation, smartphone connectivity and a panoply of safety kit and a myri‐ ad of other standard features. Reliability has to be men‐ tioned as there’s much talk about the lack of it with Land Rovers. While I know people who have had issues, equally I know many that have experi‐

enced no issues whatsoever. The all‐wheel‐drive of my Dis‐ covery was tested in genuine snowy conditions in which it was, unsurprisingly, highly effective and confidence inspiring. Inside the Land Rover it’s a very nice place to be, a mix of modern tech and quality materials.

18 - 24 February 2021

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