News
The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1860
25 Feb - 3 March 2021
COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
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€70 MILLION SAVED
NEITHER the State, the Junta de Andalucia nor Carboneras Town Hall need to compensate El Algarrobico promoters Azata del Sol. The National High Court in Madrid ruled that the economic losses suffered by Azata del Sol, who wanted €70 million damages, could not be attributed to the Administration. The illegally-built hotel in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar national park with its 20 storeys and 411 rooms was constructed on the seafront, infringing Spain’s coastal laws by invading the State-owned maritime strip. The promoters maintained that the State moved the goal-
EL ALGARROBICO: Greenpeace has constantly campaigned for the illegal hotel’s demolition.
Diputacion windfall ALMERIA’S bars and restaurants are in line for windfalls of up to €5,000. Javier A Garcia, president of Almeria’s provincial council, the Diputacion, recently unveiled Plan Diego Garcia, directed at helping every cafe, bar and restaurant in the province. Details of the €1 million plan, financed entirely by the Diputacion, will be published today, Thursday February 26, in the Offi-
cial Bulletin of the Province. Applications may be made on Friday February 27 via the www.di palme.org website. The scheme will support one of the sectors hardest-hit by the pandemic by enabling owners to purchase local fruit, vegetables and meat as well as Sabores Almeria products. “We want Almeria residents to eat Almeria products in Almeria bars,” Garcia said.
“The hospitality sector is more than a pillar of the economy, it is part of Almeria’s way of life.” Grants are based on the number of employees, from €2,000 from bars and restaurants with up to three workers, rising to €5,000 for those with 11 or more. Plan Diego Garcia is named after the late president of Almeria’s hotel and catering association, ASHAL. “Diego was tireless, goahead, a resolute defender of the
sector who possessed Almeria’s characteristics of effort, hospitality, congeniality and excellence,” the Diputacion president said.
posts by establishing the maritime strip 100 metres from the high tide mark after Azata del Sol obtained the necessary permits in the 1980s. At that time, the maritime strip was set at 50 metres from the shore and the Cabo de Gata-Nijar had not yet been created, they argued. Construction began in 2003 but was halted in 2005 when El Algarrobico was 94 per cent built, heralding more than 20 lawsuits that have included appeals and counter-appeals. Meanwhile, Andalucia’s 2021 Budget included an allocation to finance the first stages of demolition, which the regional president Juanma
Moreno described as another measure in the Junta’s Revolucion Verde (Green Revolution). “This is a political and moral commitment to future generations and a tangible example of real change in environmental policies,” Moreno said. Greenpeace is currently reserving its judgement, the environmentalist organisation said, and is waiting to see if this is ‘greenwashing’ on the Junta’s part. But not only the environment will benefit from El Algarrobico’s demolition, as this will create around 400 new jobs, a Greenpeace study predicted in 2012.
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ENERGY firm Endesa temporarily reopened Carboneras power station last month to cope with demand during the Storm Filom‐ ena cold spell. This helped to bump up the volume of cargoes handled by Almeria Province ports to 433,714 tons in January, a 62.7 per cent increase on the same period last year. The Carboneras plant, which was shut down a year ago, needed 106,348 tons of coal to get the plant working once more,
Cheats never prosper HUERCAL‐OVERA’S Local Police recently detect‐ ed cheating in a driving licence theory test tak‐ en locally, they announced. Invigilators realised that something was amiss during one of the exam sessions when they saw one of the examinees making ‘strange movements”‘ and asked him to leave. The Huercal officers later found what they described as ‘mechanisms’ involving two mo‐ bile phones, a concealed camera and a t‐shirt with a customised opening that presumably al‐ lowed the alleged cheater to communicate with somebody supplying the correct answers. Huercal‐Overa Town Hall and the Local Po‐ lice have been collaborating with Provincial Traffic Headquarters since the end of last year to prevent this type of fraud, municipal sources revealed.
Ports kept busy contributing a third of the 324,000 tons of solid materials that were loaded or unload‐ ed in Almeria ports. Carboneras port itself experienced a 102.5 per cent increase in traffic, handling 239,000 tons of merchandise that included
Hospital a step nearer
not only coal imports but also gypsum ex‐ ports. Province‐wide there was also a 253.2 per cent rise in salt imports, as this was needed for the blocked and icy roads caused by the January freeze and blizzards.
Fireraisers sought VANDALS recently set fire to seven communal rubbish containers in Huercal de Almeria. Both firefighters and the Local Police were called out to control the burning con‐ tainers located in different parts of the town. These included Calle del Pueblo in the zone adjoining the railway lines where a parked vehicle was also affected. The police have now launched an investigation into the fires while the town hall called on the local population to collaborate in locating those responsible. If identi‐ fied and charged, the vandals will face fines of more than €10,000.
ALMERIA Province has continued to reregister mild earth tremors. Unlike recent seismic movements, these were not recorded in the Lev‐ ante or Almanzora areas but occurred in Almeria City, Enix and Balanegra. The Almeria 2.1 magnitude tremor, six kilometres below the surface and registered at 4.33am, was barely noticeable and caused no
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Mild tremors material damage. Earlier that night the Instituto Ge‐ ografico Nacional (IGN) registered a 1.6 magnitude tremor that was not felt by residents, while Balanegra’s population was similarly unaware of the 2.0 movement eight kilometres below the town at 8.07am.
SALINAS A & E: Gabriel Amat visits site with Junta officials. WORK on Roquetas’ new hospital could start within two months. The contract will soon be put out to tender, revealed Roquetas mayor Gabriel Amat while visiting the new A & E department for the Las Salinas health centre now under construction. This will complement and improve the municipality’s existing service, with 10 consulting rooms, and a laboratory as well as x‐ ray and ultrasound facilities. Amat thanked Junta president Juanma Moreno and the region‐ al government for their “enormous effort” in getting the project off the ground “especially at a difficult time like this.” After 15 years of asking for a hospital, this finally became a re‐ ality during the two years of Juanma Moreno’s regional govern‐ ment, Amat declared. “Now it’s here and will be 100 per cent paid for by the Junta,” he said. Constructing the hospital will cost approximately €34.2 million, plus €9.9 million to equip it. Amat revealed that Roquetas Town Hall once offered to spend more than €30 million on building a new hospital. “But because the then‐Junta would have had to equip it, there was never a reply,” he added.
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NIBS EXTRA Safer road ALMERIA’S provincial council, the Diputacion, spent €210,000 on improving and making safer the AL-6107 road that links Albanchez with Rambla Aljibe (Lubrin) via Los Molinas. The entire road has been resurfaced while a 1.5-kilometre section was also widened, thanks to land that was ceded by local residents.
Money talks THE Almeria Upper Court (TSJA) reduced a man’s 12-year sentence for raping a 14-year-old girl in Velez-Rubio to six years and six on probation. The court ruled there were extenuating circumstances as the aggressor, ordered to pay €25,000 in compensation, had already paid €13,000 before the trial began.
Flagged up BELINDA RODRIGUEZ, a regional MP for Almeria who formerly belonged to VOX, was photographed with a flag of the Falange party on her office wall in the parliament building. Demanding its removal, the Andalucia por Si party said the fascist flag breached the Democratic Memory Law.
Farm time NOTIFICATIONS of proposed farms published in Almeria’s Provincial Bulletin have increased as more people and companies turn to the land. Recent projects involved a parrot breeding centre in El Palomar de Alhama and a bee-hive installation although raising pigs, chickens, egg-laying hens and goats are currently more popular.
War games SOLDIERS from the Viator and Ronda Legion bases are undergoing training in Zaragoza using the Spanish army’s Minerva tactical simulator for infantry. This virtual system allows them to plan and carry out tactical manoeuvres while observing social distancing and complying with anti-Covid health and safety measures.
Beauty spot TABERNAS is in the running to be voted Andalucia’s Loveliest Town on the www.andaluciatipica.com website. At present Tabernas is lying second behind Setenil de las Bodegas in Cadiz and ahead of nine other finalists from the provinces of Huelva, Cordoba, Malaga, Jaen, Sevilla, Granada and Cadiz.
PAWS-PATAS volunteer Christine Logan decided to walk a million steps in 50 days to raise much-needed funds for the animal charity. Never one to break a promise, Christine completed her challenge and romped home with an extra 10,000 steps because she wanted to finish at the PAWS-PATAS shelter gates in Los Gallardos. Christine beat her deadline by eight days and her hoped-for €500 had grown to a magnificent €2,034 at the time of writing and is keeping her Facebook account open until the end of the month in hopes of raising even more. “People have been so generous and supportive,” Christine
Written in stone MACAEL hopes to obtain Un‐ esco’s Intangible Cultural Her‐ itage status for the town’s marble‐quarrying tradition. The Diputacion provincial council, Almeria University, local schools, as well as groups and associations of all kinds immediately backed the scheme when the town hall recently announced its cam‐ paign. The Unesco designation would mean international recognition as well as con‐ tributing to understanding and promoting quarrying as a cultural expression, the town hall said. CARBONERAS mayor Jose Luis Amerigo Ferndandez called for “sensitivity” towards town halls on the Junta’s part. Town halls were closest to citi‐ zens, Amerigo said, pointing out at the same time that the region‐ al government had an €800 mil‐ lion surplus. “Some of this could be as‐ signed to town halls like ours that are taking on, without external
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Well done, Christine! Photo credit: PAWS-PATAS
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JOURNEY’S END: Christine, fellow volunteers Bobbi, Myriam and Catherine with Weaver, Mexx and Nea. said. “Strangers approached me and handed me money, cars honked and folk waved as I con-
tinued my daily quota of steps.” Thankfully, she was blessed with fine weather for most of
the past seven weeks but it was tough going during the cold, wet snap when a massive blister meant she had to walk in flip flops. “Perhaps in this difficult time it gave people something to focus on. I’m just Mrs Average with a love of animals and people connected with that,” Christine explained. Not everyone can emulate Christine’s million steps - plus that extra 10,000 - but readers who would like to donate or learn more about PAWS-PATAS will find details on the www.paws-patas.org website.
Huercal-Overa All in vaccinations agreement THE North Almeria Health District used Huer‐ cal‐Overa’s municipal sports centre to vacci‐ nate the town’s over‐80s against Covid‐19. “This is a large installation that allows com‐ pliance with the health and safety measures,” said Huercal‐Overa’s mayor Domingo Fernan‐ dez beforehand, pointing out that the Pabellon Municipal was easily accessible and had ample parking. “We are taking another step along the road to immunising our population in order to stop this virus from spreading,” Fernandez said. The mayor also asked Huercal‐Overa resi‐ dents to continue to act responsibly. “Cases have fallen over the past few days but we must continue to be cautious and comply with all measures,” Fernandez said. “Don’t for‐ get that by protecting ourselves we are also protecting others.”
EVERY party on Adra’s council voted to ask the central government to provide the town with its own court. “This will speed up legal procedures and in‐ crease efficiency,” Adra’s mayor Manuel Cortes said, referring to the saturation in Berja’s judicial district. “The request for a court is a long‐standing peti‐ tion that this town hall has repeated on many oc‐ casions,” the mayor said. He added that 80 per cent of the cases handled in Berja originated in Adra. “The entire corporation considers that the Min‐ istry of Justice is not reaching its target of bringing justice closer to citizens,” Cortes pointed out. Cortes also suggested that if it were impossible to modify the Judicial Demarcation Law, the cen‐ tral government could at least designate a Berja court based in Adra.
‘Fair shares’ call help and as far as our economic possibilities allow, an extraordi‐ narily high expenditure for the common good,” the mayor said. Health came first, he said, to‐ gether with the social and eco‐ nomic protection for those af‐ fected by the pandemic that
CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA Town Hall will allocate €300,000 in direct and indirect aid to help revitalise the local economy. Melchora Caparros and Miriam Quin‐ tana, respective councillors for Commerce and Economic Development, recently met the president of local business‐owners’ as‐ sociation ASEMCAL, Juana Mari Haro, to outline their plans. This involves the Yo Compro en Cuevas (I shop in Cuevas) campaign together with further measures that will be introduced
Carboneras had been providing for the past year. “But the necessary support from Andalucia’s government is missing,” he declared. Amerigo also reminded the Junta that Carboneras was one of the Almeria municipalities
Helping hands over the next six months via the Cuevas Cuenta Contigo (Cuevas is counting on you) scheme. “The scheme’s principal goal is to strengthen our municipality’s economy by incentivising purchases in local shops and spending in our services sector,” the coun‐
with a population of between 5,000 and 20,000 that were omit‐ ted from the regional funds as‐ signed to town halls to help them cope with their Covid‐19 spend‐ ing. “This support that we are re‐ questing from Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla would help us go further at a time when we are finding that all our resources are insufficient.”
cillors explained. The town hall is waiving the 2021 terrace tax and stallholders’ fees in both the cov‐ ered and open‐air markets, the councillors announced. There will also be direct economic aid for non‐essential businesses with €800 alloca‐ tions for the self‐employed. Other measures include Scratch and Win cards for purchases of more than €10, ex‐ changeable in local shops, bars, restaurants and the services sector.
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Lost at sea THE whereabouts of Julio (39) and Ivan (31), who disappeared at sea last December, remains un‐ known. They left in a fibreglass launch somewhere be‐ tween Cabo de Gato and San Jose (Nijar), expecting a rendezvous in interna‐ tional waters between 25 and 40 nautical miles (46 and 75 kilometres) off‐ shore. They planned to take on a shipment of hashish and return to land, but by nightfall they and their boat had disappeared. Their family have no idea if they are dead, de‐ tained in Morocco or kid‐ napped, Julio’s brother said. “We just want them to be found, we are having a terrible time,” he said. “My parents are suffer‐ ing and aren’t to blame for my brother’s activi‐ ties,” he emphasised.
All charged up ROQUETAS will soon have a free charging station for electric vehicles in the Teatro Auditorio area. This will be the first of three stations, each with two semi‐rapid recharge points, plus an additional station included in Plan Moves II, announced coun‐ cillor Francisco Gutierrez. The €37,000 cost will be 40 per cent covered by the EU’s Regional Develop‐ ment Fund (FEDER), Gutier‐ rez said. “These three stations will be in located in strate‐ gic locations without hin‐ dering traffic flow,” he ex‐ plained. Two other charging sta‐ tions will be sited in Aveni‐ da del Mediterraneo in the Urbanizacion and Avenida Carlos III in Aguadulce, the councillor revealed. “We shall also be ex‐ tending the initiative with an additional project in the Juan Gonzalez Fernandez sports centre in El Parador,” Gutierrez announced.
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25 February - 3 March 2021 THE Hospital Universitario Torrecardenas, in Almeria is the only hospital in Spain that as standard performs en‐ dometrial ablations with ra‐ diofrequency under local anaesthesia rather than full anaesthesia. This is especially important at the current time during the global pandemic as the use of anaesthetists for surgery is being prioritised for
Anaesthetic innovation patients with Covid. According to Dr Sonia Martínez Morales, a gynaecolo‐ gist at the hospital, she said that performing this treatment, “is a great advance in the quality of care we offer to women who
Islands Pilot possible R EG I O N A L governors of Mallorca and Ibiza were reportedly in meetings in Madrid with Maria Reyes Maroto, the Spanish Tourism Minister, on Friday February 19, where they asked her to allow a pilot scheme to be trialled this summer, to get British holidaymakers back to the islands.
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Iago Negueruela, the islands’ tourism minister who attended the meeting with Francina Armengol, the region’s president, confirmed, “We have offered to become one of the first parts of Spain where the vaccine passport is trialled.” He added, “We showed with last year’s pilot that we can work effectively and the Spanish government’s response to our proposal was very positive. We will focus our efforts from now on in becoming a lead region in the implementation of immunity certificates to facilitate mobility.”
are users of the Hospital Univer‐ sitario Torrecárdenas.” Performing the procedure under local anaesthetic means that patients spend less time in hospital and their recovery time is far quicker.
She explained it was “very well tolerated by patients” and how it can help women who suffer from an abnormal amount of bleeding. She hopes that other hospitals in Spain will soon follow suit.
Not ‘high risk’ GERMANY has removed Spain from its list of ‘high risk’ countries as of February 21. Spain is no longer considered a high incidence area classed as a ‘regular risk zone.’ The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) of virology together with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior included the amendment in their weekly update. The German government lowered Spain’s risk, al‐ though it will continue to require travellers to take a negative test after at least five days in quarantine. The move will include the whole of Spain, including the Ca‐ nary Islands and the Balearic Islands. Since January 24, Spain had been classed as a ‘high incidence area,’ with travellers banned from entering the country, exceptions included essential travel, transnational workers or those with residence in Ger‐ many.
Driver caught on film camera THE Guardia Civil are investigat‐ ing a bus driver who allegedly drove more than 33 kilometres using his mobile phone. The bus driver could face be‐ tween six months and two years in prison if found guilty and also faces losing his licence for be‐ tween one and six years. A passenger recorded the driver using his mobile phone, and handed the video to police. The officers later handed the evi‐ dence over to the Segovia Court. The 33‐year‐old man is sus‐ pected of a crime against road safety for driving a passenger bus using his mobile phone for 33 kilometres. The Guardia Civil have called on citizens in a similar situation to notify the police or send any recordings to the police.
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Divorcees auction Dog A DIVORCING couple put their dog up for auction after they were unable to agree who would keep it. The dog, a Boston Terrier called ‘Boss’ was valued at almost €3,500 in a court in Lugo, but an animal rights association wants the auction stopped, claiming that it is illegal. The auction is scheduled to end on March 3. The minimum bid has been set at €1,715. The couple can stop the process if they change their minds. The Franz Weber Foundation, claim it is against EU regulations which classify ani‐ mals as ‘sentient beings.’ However, the court in Lugo has said the auction is legal, and as it is common to auction cows and horses, so a bid cannot be stopped just because we find dogs ‘cuter than other animals.’
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Speed Bust DRUGS: Had a street value of around €1m. POLICE from the Guardia Civil have intercepted 23 kilos of speed which was about to be distributed from northern Spain. Officers arrested two men in Spain after seizing the drugs, with a street value of around €1 million. The detainees are two brothers, aged 41 and 34, residents of La Rioja Baja who used their parents’ home as a nursery for the drugs that they later sold. ‘Operation Kinoko’ seized drugs equivalent to more than 90,000 doses of speed with which they could have earned close to €1 million, and arrested two men for drug trafficking.
EU Students 40 per cent drop STATISTICS from the Universi‐ ties and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show a 26,010 drop in the numbers of stu‐ dents from the European Union looking to study in the UK this September. A 40 per cent drop in EU applicants
since Brexit. It is suspected the figures have been impacted by the re‐ moval of tuition fee loan and grant support for European students, amendments to post‐study work rights, and the slashing of ‘home’ status for
fees charged to those in the EU. However, a rise in applica‐ tions from students from Ire‐ land, and non‐EU countries like India, China and America, has led to an overall rise in UCAS applications of 8.5 per cent.
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Plan for ‘Feminist School’ SPAIN’S Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, has announced her inten‐ tion to launch a novel ‘feminism en‐ trepreneurship school’ as part of her Strategic Subsidy Plan with the aim of offering ‘personalised advice and support to women from a feminist perspective.’ Spain saw the biggest growth in unemployment among women in the entire European Union during 2020, at 18.4 per cent. Last January unem‐ ployment grew by 27,962 among men compared with a staggering
48,254 women. “If you are a woman or a girl, you are going to find, even today, many more difficulties to dedicatingyour‐ self to an area of study or a profes‐ sion linked to the scientific field. Even to believe that you can dedicate yourself to it. Some of the barriers that you are going to encounter have to do with roles, with macho stereo‐ types and, also, with a great absence of female referents, visible to the whole of society and recognised by society,” Ms Montero said.
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Crimes Against The Crown THE Local Police in Murcia have launched an investigation into a 40‐year‐old man from Alhama for alleged crimes against the Crown. An ‘ex officio’ investigation ‐ where no official complaint has been made ‐ was begun, after the individual posted a photo on Facebook of the monarch, accom‐ panied by the comment ‘guillo‐ tine for King Felipe VI.’ The man
has not been arrested. The matter will be investigated further before being handed over to the courts, who will decide if legal action should be taken. In Spain, slandering or insulting the monarchy is a serious offence, carrying a custodial sentence of between six months and two years, or a hefty fine, depending on the severity of the crime. The
law was very recently implement‐ ed with the incarceration of Cata‐ lan rapper Pablo Hasél on Febru‐ ary 16 for glorification of terrorism and insults to the Crown The Ministry of Justice recently announced its intention to reform the law, establishing ‘dissuasive’ rather than custodial penalties for crimes against the Crown.
Spain Picking Up Speed Royal Vacancy Forces next for jabs WITH only five other countries across the globe having fully immu‐ nised more people, Spain has established itself as one of the forerun‐ ners in administering the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Israel, which is setting the pace for the rest, is in the lead with al‐ most a third of its population fully vaccinated against Covid already. Next comes the US with 4.83 per cent, followed very closely by Denmark according to the figures published by Our World In Data at Oxford University. However, experts warn that there is a downside to prioritising the administration of the second vaccine. Since countless studies have shown that just one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna jab, for instance, provides effective immunity against the virus. It could be argued, therefore, that it would be wiser to increase the time between vaccines in order to immunise more people in less time.
FANCY a change in career? Queen Elizabeth II has post‐ ed an advert on Linkedin, looking for a new housekeep‐ ing assistant to work at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and other royal residences. The successful candidate will receive £19,000 per year, 33 holiday days and swanky accommodation at the Palace. The royal household is looking for someone who is ‘practically minded, with great attention to detail’ and someone who ‘takes pride in their work’ and aims for the ‘highest standards.’ The new staff member will embark on a 13‐month training programme, leading to an apprenticeship; when completed, the candidate will become a perma‐ nent member of the Queen’s staff.
ANDALUCIA’S vaccination programme is well underway and the next group to see vaccinations begin is reported to be State Security Forces and Corps, and they will begin being vaccinated in March. The announcement was made by the vaccination plan director of the Regional Ministry of Health and Families, David Moreno. During an interview with Canal Sur Radio he also spoke of how currently Andalucia has 2.5 per cent of the population vaccinated against the potentially dead‐ ly virus. He also stated that over 200,000 people have re‐ ceived both doses of the vaccine. He hopes that this week around 160,000 doses will be given, and explained that last week over 150,000 people were vaccinated in Andalucia. This brings the total to over 600,000 doses of the vaccine that have been given al‐ ready.
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EXPERT Dr Sarah Chan, a bioethicist at Edinburgh University, has warned of concerns over proposed vaccine passports, saying the jabs are, “not 100 per cent effective in 100 per cent of cases.” Speaking to one media outlet, she said: “Proof of a person’s having been vaccinated doesn’t at the moment 100
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Vaccine Passport
Driver caught on film Mars to Spain
per cent guarantee that they can’t catch Covid. Vaccines offer some protection, but they’re not 100 per cent effective in 100 per cent of cases. “But more importantly, it doesn’t, on the evidence that we have at the moment,
THE Guardia Civil are in‐ vestigating a bus driver who allegedly drove more than 33 kilome‐ tres using his mobile phone. The bus driver could face between six months and two years in prison if found guilty and also faces losing his licence for between one and six years. A passenger recorded the driver using his mo‐ bile phone, and handed
mean that these people don’t still pose a risk to others in terms of passing the disease on. However, Dominic Wilkinson, professor at Oxford University, said: “I think there’s evidence coming through all the time about the effectiveness of the vaccine and its reduction in the spread of the virus. “There’s evidence released earlier this month on the Oxford vaccine and its influence on the spread of the virus.”
the video to police. The officers later handed the evidence over to the Segovia Court. The 33‐year‐old man is suspected of a crime against road safety for driving a passenger bus using his mobile phone for 33 kilometres. The Guardia Civil have called on citizens in a similar situation to notify the police or send any recordings to the police.
Tit-For-Tat ‘Water Wars’ UK Government ministers are in discussions to ban European bottled water imports into Britain, after EU officials banned the import of live shellfish, including mussels, oysters, clams and cockles, to EU member states. ‘Water Wars’ might be only the beginning, with a senior government source telling The Tele‐ graph, “There is thought being given to where we can leverage in other areas. We have continuity arrangements, we can stop these which means they won’t be able to sell their produce here.” The EU had also secured a temporary agreement on the importation of seed potatoes until the end of June, but now the UK looks set to end a number of continuity arrangements with Europe. This ‘escalated contingency planning’ comes as a direct result of Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety refusing to meet George Eustice, the UK Environment Secretary when requested, in an attempt to resolve the shellfish dispute.
SCIENTISTS from Spain, are playing an active role in the NASA mission to Mars. Spain’s Laserlab houses a hightech instrument known as a Supercam, which will transmit sound waves and data of Perseverance’s impact with rocks and minerals from the surface of the red planet to be reproduced in the UMA’s simulation chamber. The chamber measures 12 metres in length, two metres in diameter and weighs 20 tonnes, and simulates the temperature, pressure and solar radiation on Mars. The UMA Laserlab, based at the University of Malaga is headed by Professor Javier Laserna who told Sur In English, “This mission is an intellectual challenge of the first magnitude.” He explained that the calibration card mounted on the Perseverance, contains the names of all the scientists who have participated in that part of the mission, which means, “Our name, and that of Malaga is already on Mars.” The professor added, “The rover will send a lot of data during its mission. Simulating them here and analysing them by reproducing the conditions on Mars will take a long time.”
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Covid TikTok Phenomenon Ben’s videos have gone viral.
BENJAMIN GEORGE is a 31-year-old English man who moved to the Costa del Sol as a young child, going to school in Spain, learning the language and culture, and developed a passionate love for his adopted country and its way of life. After contracting Covid Benjamin installed TikTok on his mobile and taught himself to use it. He uploaded his first TikTok video, on January 20, which instantly went viral. Benjamin’s outspoken video criticises British compatriots who, he says, unfairly criticise Spain and its government, whilst continuing to live in Spain, enjoying all that it has to offer. The video has made Ben something of an online phenomenon, going from five followers to over 23,000 in just one month and with further TikTok videos going viral. Benjamin who is the Regional Sales Manager at Euro Weekly News, has been contacted by several Spanish national newspapers, wanting to interview the young British man, who so vehemently defends Spain and its culture. Benjamin’s videos are not to everybody’s liking, leading to ‘hate messages’ on his social media, but he is unperturbed and says he will continue posting videos and messages about things that he is passionate about, and ‘his country.’ He states in his publications, ‘This account is for Spanish patriots, if you are not, do not come here.’ Benjamin George @b.George.89
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Fake Amazon scam T H E Guardia Civil’s cybercrime team is warning the public to be aware of a new scam. The con involves a mass emailing appearing to be from Amazon, which looks authentic but links to a fraudulent website. The emails use A mazon’s logo and what appears to be an Amazon customer service email address, with the subj e c t ‘ Y o u h a v e a p a c kage located in the Amazon distribution centre,’ among other lines. The recipient is asked to take part in a survey to be eligible for products for a nominal amount, but in order to
benefit, they must provide personal and bank details. According to the cybercrimes team, this is the sole objective. “If you have received an email of these characteristics, you have accessed the link and provided your credit card details, contact your bank as soon as possible to inform them of what happened. “In addition, we recommend that you remain vigilant and periodically monitor the information that is published about you on the Internet to prevent your private data from being used without your consent.”
Clear Approval THE use of clear face masks to aid lip reading has been approved by the Spanish government. The Spanish Confederation of Families of Deaf People (Fiapas) has greeted the news of the new ministerial order from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs with approval. According to Ideal, the order released in the Official State Gazette (BOE) establishes a framework for transparent masks. Fiapas, explained, “The order means having a legal framework of reference to ensure the health and safety of consumers in this area, and also does not leave a vulnerable group such as the hearing impaired unattended.” Traditional non see-through masks create accessibility challenges for people that are hard of hearing, deaf or have other disabilities.
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Beaches Smoke-Free Trial BANNED: Smoking on the beaches in Barcelona.
BEACHES in Barcelona will be smoke-free this summer as the city council plans to ban smoking citing public health hazards. Initially, it will be banned in four of the 10 city beaches - Sant Miquel and Somorrostro, in Ciutat Vella, and Nova Icària and Nova Mar Bella, in Sant Martí. The pilot
scheme will be in operation during high season between May 29 and September 12. Authorities explained that the ban is not focused on punishing those who smoke on the beach and won’t directly result in fines but is more about raising awareness. Instances of non-compliance could be handed over to the Guardia Urbana Local Police who will be able to instruct people that smoking is banned in the area. However, if the beachgoer then still does not comply, the Local Police could hand out a fine, but for disrespecting authorities rather
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En Masse Teen #DeleteFacebook arrested AFTER Facebook banned the sharing of news from Australian pub‐ lishers, #DeleteFacebook and #BoycottZuckerberg were trending as outraged users shared their final posts before leaving Facebook for good. Facebook announced it would prevent Facebook’s 13 million monthly Australian users from reading and sharing news, in re‐ sponse to Australia’s proposed Media Bargaining law, which would force tech companies like Facebook and Google to compensate news companies to feature their content. Google has already come to an agreement with the government. Facebook say the Media Bargaining law could become an expensive precedent that other countries are likely to follow. However, millions of Australian users who rely on Facebook as their primary source of news were out‐ raged at the move, sparking the massive backlash.
China And Russia To Sign A Deal CHINA and Russia are reportedly about to sign a historic deal to build the Inter‐ national Lunar Research Stations (ILRS), a moonbase, that theoretically by the early 2030s should be able to provide a base for a long‐term robotic presence on the Moon, with the possibility of short‐ crewed missions. This first moonbase will allegedly be located at the lunar South Pole, and has the potential for other nations to get in‐ volved, who would contribute their own spacecraft. If rumours of the European
Space Agency’s interest in joining the project are true then that would be an‐ other segregation blow for the United States, with NASA and Rocosmos, Rus‐ sia’s state corporation for space activi‐ ties, both vying for the top spot as the international leader of space pro‐ grammes. NASA spearheaded the Artemis Ac‐ cords scheme, which proposed a global legal framework for mining on the moon, which the Russians had compared to ‘colonialism.’
A 15‐YEAR‐OLD boy has been arrested by the Guardia Civil as the alleged perpetrator of libel and slander in Burgos, after falsely accusing his teach‐ ers of being ‘rapists’ and ‘paedophiles.’ During the 2019‐2020 academic year, he posted an image of a teacher, with a girl who had injuries, insin‐ uating that they were caused by the teacher. He used obscene phrases and false claims, in posts refer‐ ring to the school and teachers, such as: ‘student rapists’, ‘let them go you damned paedophiles’ or ‘the rapists who work in that brothel’ accompanied by photos which were sexu‐ al in nature. An investiga‐ tion discovered that the publications all came from the same account man‐ aged by a single person on a single network. The teenag‐ er was detained and will ap‐ pear in a Minors Court.
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
25 February - 3 March 2021
EWN 13
Advertising Feature
Golden Leaves
recognised as the leading choice for consumers with BSI Kitemark Customer Service Accreditation LEADING funeral plan provider, Golden Leaves, has been recognised as the top choice for consumers after becoming the first independent firm within Europe to se‐ cure the prestigious BSI Kitemark Customer Service Accreditation. Launched in 2017, the BSI Customer Ser‐ vice Kitemark Accreditation was created to help consumers easily identify organisations that are proven to deliver an exceptional customer service experience, whilst award‐ ing deserving businesses with a prestigious accreditation that proves they can adhere to relevant British and International standards. Widely recognised as a reputable FPA reg‐
ulated funeral plan provider, Golden Leaves is committed to educating consumers on the real value of funeral plans and their capabili‐ ty to help control rising funeral costs, whilst ensuring their customers can plan for the in‐ evitable without anxiety and concern. Now the only independent firm within the funeral planning industry to secure the BSI Kitemark Accreditation, Golden Leaves was awarded the accreditation in December 2020 following a rigorous assessment pro‐ cess, where the firm was required to demonstrate its competency against BS 8477: 2014 Code of practice for customer service, ISO 10002:2014 Quality manage‐
ment Customer satisfaction Guidelines for complaints handling in organisations, ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, as well as validating its own customer service feed‐ back metrics. This comes just six months after Golden Leaves were successfully shortlisted for both the UK Customer Experience Awards and SME National Business Awards, and nearly two years after the firm became the only in‐ dependent funeral plan provider to achieve BSI ISO 9001 for Business Excellence. Barry Floyd, Managing Director for Golden Leaves, confirmed: “At Golden Leaves, we are dedicated to delivering the highest stan‐
dards in customer service and feel incredibly proud that this has been recognised by our new prestigious and globally recognised BSI Kitemark Accreditation. “For decades, we have worked tirelessly to establish our reputation as a stand‐out fu‐ neral plan provider that genuinely cares for our customers and their loved ones, and we are proudly confident that this latest accred‐ itation will reinforce our reputation for the provision of quality, innovative and cost‐ef‐ fective funeral plan products for both exist‐ ing and future customers.”
Golden Leaves has been at the forefront of the funeral planning sector both in the UK and Europe since the late 1980s and has played a major role in the development of FPA (the Funeral Planning Authority). For more information, visit www. https://www.goldenleavesinternational.com/
www.goldenleavesinternational.com • info@goldenleavesinternational.com • Facebook: goldenleavesspain
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Epic Bronze document Third Refuse NATIONAL POLICE in Madrid have recovered a unique legal document made in bronze which is more than 2,000 years old. The bronze epigraphic plate of Roman origin is an imperial decree from the Emperor Tiberius, regulat‐ ing the privileges and financing of soldiers and veter‐ ans, promulgated immediately after the death of Caesar Augustus. An investigation began when it was spotted online through an auction house. The current owners, from an antique shop in Sevilla, lacked documentation to support its legal provenance. The bronze piece had also not been included in the inventory of archaeo‐ logical assets established by the Historical Heritage Law. A judge agreed for the bronze plaque to be seized as a precaution and ordered that the plaque be stud‐ ied and a suitable final destination for it be found. The presence in the Iberian Peninsula of such doc‐ uments, of enormous legal, historical and archaeo‐ logical significance, is scarce.
ACCORDING to Pentagon officials, one in three US military are declining the Covid vaccine de‐ spite high infection rates within the forces. At a Congressional hearing, Major General Jeff Taliaferro revealed the US Defence Department maintains the classification of Covid vaccines as optional, as the Federal Drug Administration has yet to give its full approval. Stressing that the figures are based on ‘very early data,’ he said that so far ‘somewhere around two‐thirds of the territory’ had been immunised. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told re‐ porters that the “military basically mirrors the acceptance rates of American society,” adding that whilst most vaccinations are mandatory for military personnel, the fact the Covid vaccines have been approved on an emergency level, means they cannot be forced upon people.
More than 2,000 years old.
NEWS
Deficit Shame SIR PHILIP GREEN’S fashion retail Arcadia Group Ltd, according to financial documents seen by The Guardian, apparently had a pension deficit of £510 million when it collapsed last November. Creditors were reportedly owed £800 million when the company called in administrators, as shown in a statement prepared by Arcadia’s board, which was sent to all creditors this week. The news comes as administrators begin consul‐ tations on the closure of three of Arcadia’s distribu‐ tion centres, which could lead to more than 1,000 job losses. Jake O’Malley, from workers union GMB, said, “A century of history and hundreds of good jobs down the pan while Philip Green is living it up on his private yacht and the administrators pick the bones of the business clean. GMB will fight tooth and nail to make sure workers get what they deserve from this mess.”
Television Takedown NATIONAL POLICE have dismantled an organ‐ isation illegally providing paid television ser‐ vices over the Internet. They have arrested five people who, according to the police, could have obtained illegal profits of around €1 million per year. Police carried out three searches in which they seized 10 decoders, seven smartphones, two computers, two tablets, 28 Ethereum cryptocurrencies and €1,250 in cash
The network included a content provider, in Barcelona, and resellers, around Spain who bought the signal and sold it to about 20,000 people, at a higher price, advertising the ser‐ vice on websites, social networks and sales portals. The content provider had satellites dishes and decoders from national and foreign sup‐ pliers to obtain content which he mixed and resold.
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NEWS
Best Effort Mystery IT would appear that the UK’s contract with AstraZeneca contains the same clause that caused controversy after it was blamed for difficulties with the EU vaccine campaign. The contract does not guarantee supply and instead states that ‘best reasonable efforts’ will be used in the supply of the vaccine to Britain. Britain is expecting 100 million doses of the Covid-19 vac-
VACCINE CAMPAIGN: Is not a commitment, it’s a best effort. cine to be delivered. Last month, AstraZeneca announced that due to production problems in Belgium it would be
reducing deliveries to the EU and Pascal Soriot, chief executive said “It’s not a commitment we have with Europe, it’s a best effort.”
Stolen Identities ‘Cheeky’ Fund A MAN was arrested for using 44 false identities to commit fraud in shopping centres and scam up to €1 million. An investigation began after a department store reported fraud in a store card application. Police identified the man who had extensive knowledge on financial markets and techniques used by credit card companies. He produced false docu‐ ments, and lived under false identities making it diffi‐ cult to identify him or connect him to his crimes. The National Police report that he got credit cards using details belonging to dead or non‐existent peo‐ ple, and used them to defraud between €250,000 and €1 million in Madrid, Murcia, Almeria and Sevilla. Officers searched his address in Almuñecar, Grana‐ da, and found computers, laser printers, plastic card printers and a hydraulic press used to make forged documents.
A FURLOUGHED dad set up a ‘Cheeky’ GoFundMe page to pay for a wild week in Las Vegas. Bar manager Josh Hodder, from Paignton, Devon, has been on furlough since November. Josh created the GoFundMe page when he ‘was bored’ and is asking for £7,000 in donations to pay for the trip. The Vegaslover, has visited the city three times already and describes it as ‘Disneyworld for adults.’ Any money received will go towards outlandish plans such as trips to a gun range, dune buggy rides, limousine and helicopter rides - and no doubt to pay for a hefty alcohol bill! Josh has so far not received any donations.
Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!
FEATURE
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25 February - 3 March 2021
EWN 17
Wealth tax reductions in Andalucia Residents of Almeria are affected by two annual government budgets: the state budget and the regional Andalucia one. The autonomous communities in Spain can adjust the local half of the income tax rates and adapt rates and allowances for wealth tax and succession tax.
in 2021, applicable to all regions. Here in Andalucia the tax rate for this income increases from 46.8% to 48.2%. Some of the lower bands now have a slightly lower tax rate, thanks to the progressive of reduction of personal income tax being applied in Andalucia from 2018 to 2022.
– for example, the top UK rate is 45% for interest and 38.1% for dividends. However, if you expect to earn a high level of investment income, take specialist, personalised advice to find out if you can use compliant arrangements to reduce your tax liability. Inheritance tax
The good news this year is that, although the state has increased the top rate for wealth tax, this does not affect us in Andalucia – in fact our rates have been reduced. The state has imposed new higher income tax rates, but this is only on a high level of income and not many people will be affected. Andalucia wealth tax rates 2021 Although the state budget increased the top rate of wealth tax from 2.5% to 3.5%, this only applies where the local autonomous community does not apply its own rates – which Andalucia does. And the local government has reduced its top rate from 3.03% to 2.5% this year – in fact all our wealth tax
By Gerald Turner, Partner, Blevins Franks
rates are a little lower than last years, so affected taxpayers here are better off. It’s always worth reviewing how you hold your capital investments to establish if you can restructure your assets to reduce exposure to wealth tax. Andalucia income taxes A new higher income tax band for income over €300,000 has been introduced for income earned
Savings income is taxed separately to general income and basically consists of interest income, dividend income, capital gains on the sale or transfer of assets, income derived from life assurance contracts and purchased annuity income. A new income band has been introduced here too, this time at 26% rate for income over €200,000. There is no variation at regional level and savings income earned in 2021 will be taxed as follows: Up to €6,000 - 19% €6,000 to €50,000 – 21% €50,000 to €200,000 – 23% Over €200,000 – 26% 26% is a still a relatively low rate
There are no changes to Spanish succession and gift tax at either state or regional level. Again, it pays to review your assets and take specialist advice to see how you can reduce this liability for your heirs. UK-residents earning income in Spain There have not been any budget changes here, but UK residents should note that third-party nationals are taxed at a higher rate than EU/EEA nationals. So following Brexit, UK residents earning rental income from a Spanish property will now pay Spanish income tax at 24% in-
stead of 19%. Besides this, as a non-EU resident you can no longer offset the expenses involved in maintaining and renting out the property. Reducing your tax liabilities It is certainly worth asking a specialist, cross-border adviser to review your investment portfolio, pensions and other assets. They can evaluate your current tax liabilities, consider your personal situation and objectives, and look at what Spanish compliant arrangements would work for you and how much tax you could save. The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice. You can find other financial advisory articles by visiting our website here www.blevinsfranks.com.
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NEWS
Brexit, currency transfers and the law AS we adjust to life post‐Brexit there are many things to consider, but if you need to move money abroad there is one particular change that it’s essential to be aware of. The free movement of services came to an end at the close of the transition period, with service providers instead having to comply with the different rules of the EU member states in order to operate legally. Of particular note to people making international money trans‐ fers is the fact that UK financial ser‐ vice firms lost their financial services passports on January 1, 2021. What is a financial services pass‐ port? Before Brexit the ‘passporting’ of financial services meant that firms were able to operate in the Euro‐ pean Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) under a UK‐ based licence. For example, a company autho‐ rised by the Financial Conduct Au‐ thority (FCA) in the UK could use
this licence to work with customers based in any other country in the EEA. However, as the UK has now lost these passporting rights, any finan‐ cial services firm (including currency transfer providers) must have a valid EU licence if they want to con‐ tinue working with customers in the EU/EEA. The Royal Decree On December 29, 2020 the Spanish Royal Decree‐Law 38/2020 was published. This Decree outlines measures for the adaption to the status of a third State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ire‐ land after the end of the transition period. The Royal Decree came into force on January 1, 2021 and in‐ cludes a specific section about fi‐ nancial services and how firms from that sector can work with cus‐ tomers based in Spain moving for‐ wards. According to the Royal Decree: ‘From January 1, 2021, UK au‐ thorised entities will be subject to the relevant Spanish legislation and applicable regimes in respect of third country firms. UK entities will have to obtain a new authorisation to operate in Spain.’ The Bank of Spain (Banco de Es‐ paña) is the FX supervisory authori‐ ty in Spain and can impose penal‐ ties on any currency providers who fail to comply with the decree in or‐ der to safeguard the interests of customers. Understanding equivalence You may have heard some dis‐ cussions in the media about ‘equiv‐ alence’ ‐ whereby the European Commission can open up market access for some UK‐based service providers. The European Commission can grant a country equivalence if it views the country’s laws as being similar in intent and purpose to the laws of the EU, but it can also with‐ draw equivalence on 30 days’ no‐ tice if the situation changes. While this is good news for some sectors, financial services are sub‐ ject to different equivalence regimes and the level of access of‐ fered is far narrower than passport‐ ing permitted. It should also be not‐ ed that equivalence operates in fewer areas, covers fewer services and is less secure than passporting. International currency transfers are one of the financial services not
covered by equivalence, so the provider you use must still have a valid EU licence if you’re going to continue working with them. What do you need to know? Any currency transfer provider offering their services to customers based in Spain must be regulated by a relevant EU authority. If they aren’t licensed appropri‐ ately and in accordance with the Royal Decree they cannot renew contracts with existing customers or solicit new customers. They must also have concluded working with existing customers based in Spain by June 30, 2021. If you’re using a currency transfer specialist to move money to or from Spain and they haven’t sent you any communications regarding a change of licensing post‐Brexit, get in touch with them to find out whether or not they have a valid EU licence. This is a simple question and something they should be able to answer instantly. As mentioned previously, this li‐ cence must be with a relevant EU‐ based regulator, like the Bank of Spain (Banco de España), and your provider should be able to tell you their licence number. If your provider is only autho‐ rised by the FCA they will be unable to continue servicing your require‐ ments from June (and should in‐ form you of that fact) so you will need to find a new currency trans‐ fer company in order to ensure the security and continuity of your pay‐ ments. When switching providers find a currency company that is li‐ censed to operate in Spain. You may also want to check things like their online reviews, whether or not they’ve won any industry awards and when they were established. You may find that by moving providers you actually end up work‐ ing with a company whose cus‐ tomer service and range of prod‐ ucts is better suited to your needs, so start looking into your options now. Residents of Spain choosing a currency exchange company post‐ Brexit If you don’t currently have an FX company to work with and you’re a Spanish resident please ensure you only enter into an FX agreement with an EU regulated FX company. As a Spanish resident you won’t be covered by the FCA or Bank of Spain post‐Brexit if you enter into a new contract with a non‐EU regu‐ lated company.
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EUROPEAN PRESS
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EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK
FRANCE
Bomb scare
Extremism
FOLLOWING reports that a suspicious package had been found outside the US Embassy in Copenhagen, the road was closed and a bomb disposal unit using a special robot attended the scene and safely removed a bottle wrapped in duct tape.
THE French Government is tackling radicalism at both ends of the spectrum and after tightening up laws against Islamic extremists it has now vowed to close down anti-migrant organisation Generation Identity which sits on the right wing of French politics.
NETHERLANDS
NORWAY
Curfew law
Scooter accident
THE Dutch Parliament is being recalled prior to the March General Election in order to pass emergency legislation after a court ruled that the imposition of a curfew in Holland was illegal and existing legislation did not allow it to be enforced.
A MAN driving an electric scooter who collided with a female pedestrian in Oslo last year has been sentenced to 18 days in prison and banned from driving for a year in the first case of its kind.
BELGIUM Tragic accident
FINLAND Baby boom
IN Roeselare, a 76-year-old was pumping water from a well when his dog jumped in and as he tried to save the animal, he too fell in. By the time that a member of his family discovered him, the man had drowned.
DOCTORS in Southern Finland have indicated that they expect the number of February and March births to increase by at least 10 per cent compared to last year and put this down to the pandemic and lockdown, although rates in Oslo are normal.
GERMANY
SWEDEN
Safer walking
Bad alcohol
FOR years, cars in Berlin have been driving faster and with almost no laws protecting pedestrians, politicians believe it is time to change the rules. From now on, traffic signals will give pedestrians more time to cross the roads.
POLICE in the area of Uppsala have taken to social media to warn youngsters about the danger of what they refer to as ‘bad alcohol’ as counterfeiters are selling fake bottles of Smirnoff Vodka which are filled with dangerous methanol.
25 February - 3 March 2021
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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 family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support lo‐ cal charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the gener‐ ation 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 butch‐ er and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us re‐ vive that community spirit and get to know our neigh‐ bours again. You could also consider purchasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre‐paying a family member’s phone bill for the
month would actually be a 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
25 February - 3 March 2021
SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.
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‐
To advertise here contact us on:
951 386 161
ties for people within our community. Studies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and re‐ tain more employees over time. A fantastic example of how to support your local community is
with a Charity Gift certificate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause. Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.
EWN 23
FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Business rates DUE to the vagaries of the financial situation thanks to the pandemic, the UK Treasury has announced that it will postpone publishing its final report on business rates from July to much later in the year when it expects there to be greater clarity in the economic future.
Bank loss THE NatWest Group, formerly RBS with majority shareholding still with the British Government has revealed that it had an operating loss of £351 million (€386 million) for 2020 but despite this, it has decided that it will proceed with payment of a dividend as future trading is positive.
Hotel sale FACING significant debts estimated at around €200 million, Catalan family-owned hotel chain Selenta is trying to sell five of its hotels in Spain at an asking price of €400 million to allow it to settle outstanding debts and inject liquidity into the business which has suffered from the pandemic.
Santander venture NOT content with being one of the most successful banks in Europe, the Santander Group has decided to enter online retail under the Santander Boutique brand name in Portugal, offering a range of locally sourced goods such as bags and jewellery as well as fitness equipment.
Employee vaccinations THE UK Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said that it may be legal for companies to insist on new staff being vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition of their employment. His view, shared by Downing Street, according to the BBC is that it would be discriminatory to insist that current employees should be inoculated as this would not be covered in their current contracts of employment. It was during an interview with ITV that the Justice Secretary indicated his view about both existing and new staff vaccinations.
26
STAT OF WEEK
www.euroweeklynews.com • 25 February - 3 March 2021
€11.2 million
is the amount that Danish company Podimo which launched in Spain last year has raised to fund competition with Amazon and Spotify podcasts.
‘They’ve never had it so bad’ WHILST Vice President of the Government and Min‐ ister for the Economy Na‐ dia Calviño is doing the rounds talking about the future, the Bank of Spain has revealed that the country’s debt is the high‐ est in more than 100 years. Understandably, like so many other countries around the world, Spain has had to cope with the huge losses of revenue caused by the Covid‐19
pandemic and the need to support industry and workers for nearly one year. This means that with al‐ most no tourism and the hospitality industry in tat‐ ters, the government has run up its national debt to €1.31 trillion, that’s €131,000,000,0000, an in‐ crease in the year of €112.438 billion. Prior to the pandemic, the European Union was highly critical of the Span‐
LEGALLY SPEAKING Can he work in the garden? Our apartment is on a large urbanisation. We live on the ground floor. Since we owned it the gardeners have worked mini‐ mal time in our part of the gardens. Our part of the gardens seldom looks attractive whereas the rest of the estate does. We have complained many times but nothing changes. I started working in OUR part of the gar‐ dens and improved it a lot. Now I am told that I am not permitted to work in the gardens anymore, one of the reasons being that I was not insured, I do not use machinery here only my own hand tools. So I would like to know whether I am breaking the actual law by working part time in our garden to keep it in good order? P C (by email) You your‐ self are not breaking any YOU AND THE LAW law, but the ad‐ IN SPAIN ministrator and president of your community would be in violation of the law if they allowed a person who is not an em‐ ployee and therefore not insured to work in the gar‐ den.
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.
ITALIAN energy company E ni has signed an agreement with X - E lio for the acquisition of three photovoltaic (solar power) projects in southern Spain. The companies have also entered into discussions for a larger strategic collaboration for the development of renewable pro-
ish debt ratio which crept above 100 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and by 2019, this had been reduced to 95.5 per cent, but by December 2020 it had shot up to 117.1 per cent and could continue to rise. There are great plans ahead for the economy but so much depends up‐ on the European Union transferring money from the Emergency Relief Fund and despite promises no
significant amounts have been received, only sug‐ gestions that Spain needs to implement additional policy changes. Whilst this is being con‐ sidered, debts can only continue to mount and ac‐ cording to EURACTIV, with a population of 46.9 mil‐ lion, if each Spanish resi‐ dent is responsible for the debt, then the individual owes €29,700, which is more than the average an‐ nual wage!
Cryptocurrency warnings
Funds could flow from euro to bitcoin. HOT on the heels of warnings against cryptocurrencies from the Bank of Spain and Nation‐ al Securities Market Commis‐ sion (CNMV), Spanish Minis‐ ter Ana de la Cueva joined in. During the recent Online Fintech Summit 2021, the Sec‐ retary of State for the Econo‐ my and Business Support warned against currencies like Bitcoin saying they carry “a risk of default, given that the user does not have the pro‐ tection offered by traditional payment systems against a default by the counterparty.” As her statement contin‐ ued, she made it clear that the Spanish Government did‐ n’t just worry about the risk to investors but also disparaged the fact that such holdings
can be neither supervised nor sanctioned. Clearly worried that those with money to disguise could well invest it in cryptocurren‐ cies, which have shown a sig‐ nificant growth in value over the past years, the Spanish Government has indicated that legislation will be intro‐ duced to require Spanish resi‐ dents to declare their hold‐ ings and gains made. This is bound to become an increasingly more vexing problem for the government as it seems likely that Spanish commercial banks will in the not‐too‐distant future look to either introduce their own blockchain currency or try to partner with an existing pro‐ ducer.
Italian energy company jects in Spain, where Eni is aiming to grow its renewable sources. According to the agreement, the transfer of the projects will be subject to customary authorisation starting from the second
quarter of 2021 and E ni will be responsible for the construction of the plants and for the sale of the electricity. This agreement adds to the other recently signed by E ni gas e luce, a sub-
sidiary of Eni, with Grupo Pitma for the acquisition of 100 per cent of A ldro E nergía Y S oluciones S L , which operates in S pain and Portugal selling electricity, gas and services to household customers as
Uber decision UK Supreme Court justices have ruled against ride‐hailing giant Uber and said that drivers should now be classed as work‐ ers. Seven justices ruled on the latest round of a long‐running fight between Uber operating companies and drivers on Fri‐ day, February 19 after a previous hearing in July. Uber operating companies, who said drivers were contrac‐ tors and not workers, appealed to the Supreme Court after los‐ ing three earlier rounds of the fight. Justices dismissed Uber’s appeal in a decision that the GMB union said was “historic.” Lawyers said the ruling will have widespread implications for the gig economy. An employ‐ ment tribunal ruled in 2016 that Uber drivers were workers, and were entitled to workers’ rights.
Awaiting refunds CONSUMER organisation WHICH has advised that as many as two million potential holidaymakers are still out of pocket due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic which saw many flights cancelled. Last year the British Govern‐ ment was advising people not to travel, but if they took that ad‐ vice and the flights they were booked on still took off, then they will have problems in trying to obtain refunds. Looking to the future, the group suggests that it would be unwise to make any bookings until it becomes clear that travel will go ahead and suggests it would be prudent to choose package holidays which may be safer than flights only. well as large, medium and small businesses. Moreover, Eni is about to finalise agreement for the amicable settlement of a dispute relating to Union Fenosa Gas, after which it will begin direct supply of natural gas in Spain to the industrial and thermoelectric sectors.
28 EWN
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 22
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.125,50 1.132,00 Admiral Group 3.062,0 3.062,0 Anglo American 2.897,5 2.925,0 Antofagasta 1.892,00 1.907,50 Ashtead Group 3.946,6 3.971,2 Associated British Foods 2.360,0 2.360,0 AstraZeneca 7.233,0 7.260,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 601,48 601,48 Avast 475,40 482,94 Aveva 3.708,1 3.713,2 Aviva 364,60 365,90 B&M European Value Retail SA573,40 574,40 BAE Systems 462,00 462,00 Bank VTB DRC 0,950 0,950 Barclays 152,50 153,32 Barratt Developments 675,00 676,00 Berkeley 4.313,0 4.313,0 BHP Group 2.316,00 2.337,00 BP 272,10 273,10 British American Tobacco 2.541,0 2.546,5 British Land Company 464,16 464,90 BT Group 129,00 130,80 Bunzl 2.258,6 2.274,0 Burberry Group 1.826,2 1.827,5 Carnival 1.453,0 1.471,0 Centrica 51,64 51,82 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.293,6 2.300,3 Compass 1.408,50 1.414,00 CRH 3.090,0 3.138,0 Croda Intl 6.412,0 6.458,0 DCC 5.984,0 5.984,0 Diageo 2.946,5 2.976,1 DS Smith 376,60 379,70 EasyJet 842,38 851,00 Experian 2.436,0 2.460,0 Ferguson 8.634,0 8.670,0 Flutter Entertainment 13.935,0 13.970,0 Fresnillo 978,80 988,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.206,40 1.213,60 Glencore 305,56 309,80 Halma 2.441,0 2.468,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.498,00 1.500,50 Hikma Pharma 2.333,00 2.341,00 HSBC 428,05 428,90 IAG 167,80 168,72 Imperial Brands 1.386,71 1.386,71 Informa 502,80 502,80 InterContinental 5.102,0 5.140,0 Intermediate Capital 1.878,00 1.883,00 Intertek 5.600,0 5.629,4 ITV 108,80 109,65
% CHG. 1.125,50 3.043,0 2.882,5 1.872,50 3.946,6 2.341,0 7.206,0 596,60 475,40 3.706,8 362,60 570,60 457,04 0,950 149,15 668,00 4.282,0 2.310,00 270,80 2.530,1 460,50 127,70 2.256,0 1.818,5 1.430,5 51,21 2.279,1 1.398,50 3.090,0 6.400,0 5.952,0 2.926,4 375,20 827,00 2.435,0 8.606,0 13.605,0 974,80 1.201,80 303,39 2.435,6 1.486,00 2.325,00 426,00 163,95 1.366,50 499,00 4.997,0 1.859,00 5.600,0 108,50
NET VOL 15,89K 0,55K 10,13K 123,72K 2,82K 6,90K 130,38K 1,74K 4,89K 3,52K 424,09K 61,01K 50,15K 3,30K 669,68K 124,56K 0,73K 439,29K 2,29M 11,99K 6,42K 985,98K 2,43K 7,23K 20,59K 340,13K 3,29K 121,46K 22,80K 1,89K 0,59K 13,86K 65,88K 99,11K 123,86K 4,61K 35,01K 16,18K 62,07K 475,99K 0,86K 43,78K 4,71K 120,59K 1,49M 20,40K 48,43K 10,11K 12,01K 0,20K 51,06K
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
229,50 3.106,0 613,80 263,45 37,99 9.762,0 410,20 169,53 1.788,50 848,20 179,85 7.582,1 35,00 2.463,00 2.758,0 702,20 1.405,50 6.036,0 1.735,00 487,10 622,60 6.373,0 97,92 6,79 1.391,70 1.392,0 1.340,7 676,31 587,70 1.848,00 14,59 3.467,0 1.322,44 974,60 2.243,1 1.425,00 1.471,50 11.165,0 1.401,50 1.205,50 492,90 324,30 161,95 226,40 361,90 3.868,7 905,60 130,66 3.419,3 832,60
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
229,50 3.120,0 617,20 263,60 38,12 9.798,0 411,20 169,55 1.797,50 848,40 180,15 7.642,0 35,03 2.495,03 2.758,0 702,20 1.410,50 6.058,0 1.744,00 493,00 633,60 6.406,0 99,58 6,81 1.398,50 1.401,2 1.345,6 676,60 591,00 1.857,00 14,60 3.467,0 1.331,00 987,40 2.249,0 1.428,50 1.480,50 11.230,0 1.401,50 1.207,00 494,00 326,50 162,05 226,80 362,61 3.888,1 912,20 130,72 3.432,0 833,40
227,60 3.090,0 608,90 261,20 37,53 9.669,0 406,10 166,90 1.785,50 840,80 178,35 7.560,8 34,76 2.381,40 2.719,0 695,00 1.384,50 6.004,0 1.712,50 465,00 622,40 6.352,0 96,38 6,78 1.388,40 1.388,4 1.335,8 676,31 585,31 1.846,00 14,55 3.467,0 1.316,00 971,00 2.231,5 1.407,00 1.471,50 11.160,0 1.394,55 1.200,50 491,10 323,80 159,15 225,12 356,40 3.848,3 901,60 129,98 3.364,0 826,20
55,23K 14,66K 18,56K 29,59K 3,00M 16,14K 25,46K 13,86K 13,49K 238,88K 265,55K 0,53K 161,57K 14,39K 15,58K 18,11K 173,00K 53,46K 150,41K 214,07K 43,83K 162,46K 1,16M 27,29K 5,20K 205,14K 71,92K 0,05K 11,52K 0,56K 59,14K 2,21K 174,58K 54,05K 6,81K 98,56K 7,21K 2,60K 17,49K 15,74K 117,29K 82,00K 296,55K 136,32K 180,18K 24,52K 7,55K 1,26M 1,65K 41,27K
0.86575
1.15489 Units per €
US dollar (USD) ......................................1.21169 Japan yen (JPY)......................................128.175 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0897 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4365 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.289
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 22
COMPANY 3M Alphabet C Amazon.com Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Facebook Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com Tesla UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walmart Walt Disney
PRICE 176,54 2.101,14 3.249,90 231,69 129,87 217,47 209,91 95,80 45,68 50,11 261,56 315,62 279,64 203,56 118,99 63,01 162,98 148,02 212,24 74,31 240,97 142,02 127,12 246,56 781,30 324,58 56,45 204,73 138,34 183,65
CHANGE 180,77 2.130,53 3.333,50 233,15 130,71 217,64 211,46 96,38 46,61 50,83 270,27 316,78 283,91 206,83 120,76 63,26 165,96 148,84 215,73 75,51 243,86 145,50 129,44 249,39 796,79 328,85 57,40 209,53 139,42 184,78
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 176,20 2,99M 2.097,41 1,46M 3.245,75 4,31M 230,85 2,47M 128,80 87,67M 209,15 12,42M 202,70 4,94M 94,65 8,91M 45,58 25,12M 49,97 15,97M 260,15 25,62M 310,23 2,75M 279,44 4,08M 203,32 2,43M 118,38 6,58M 61,85 28,29M 162,91 8,19M 145,86 11,97M 211,97 3,18M 74,26 11,82M 240,18 25,26M 141,50 7,49M 127,02 8,28M 245,98 4,65M 777,37 18,96M 324,11 2,31M 56,35 18,69M 203,76 15,01M 137,67 12,20M 182,79 8,83M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 22
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
+6.72% +14.06% +5.12% +3.87% +1.47% +1.65% +13.89% +3.57% +14.52% +31.22% +1.02%
2.38M 17.15M 40,658 1.15M 353,821 16,902 16,952 1.70M 3.57M 3.93M 475,667
-2.35% -13.09% -2.26% -0.81% -0.76% -6.87% -2.01% -5.90% -5.21% -2.84% -5.14%
4.31M 2.51M 746,343 1.90M 1.46M 974,131 4,099 2.11M 1.21M 1,856 463,197
Most Advanced Trade Desk Inc. Cl A Baidu Inc. ADR First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A MicroStrategy Inc. Booking Holdings Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Sabre Corp. 6.5% Pfd. Lam Research Corp. Everbridge Inc. The9 Ltd. ADR MercadoLibre Inc.
Most Declined Amazon.com Inc. Quidel Corp. Intuitive Surgical Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C Stamps.com Inc. Atrion Corp. Appian Corp. Cl A Universal Display Corp. Daily Journal Corp. Kinsale Capital Group Inc.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
Smart City Cluster expands Roadmap for the Smart City.
UNICAJA BANCO and the Spanish based Smart City Clus‐ ter, an alliance of more than 150 companies and institu‐ tions have entered into an agreement for the develop‐ ment of smart cities. The organisation is already in collaboration with about 50 Spanish cities and this tie‐up looks to promote technology and innovation initiatives as well as sustainable finance, within the framework of pro‐ moting smart cities. Smart cities are those based on sustainable urban planning and the application of technol‐ ogy and innovation to their management and services to achieve more efficient, sus‐ tainable and comfortable cities. The intention is that Unicaja which is committed to sustain‐ ability will be assisted by Smart City Cluster to seek op‐ portunities to finance projects which requirable investment in sustainable programmes.
The objectives of this re‐ cently signed agreement are to define policies and actions of common interest around smart cities, strategically plan future development paths for cities and promote research, development and innovation of products, processes and services associated with smart urban infrastructures. The agreement looks to pro‐ mote the exchange of scientif‐ ic‐technical knowledge be‐ tween the Cluster, universities, technology cen‐ tres and the bank in order to promote training activities re‐ lated to smart urban infras‐ tructures. There are also plans to or‐ ganise events for the promo‐ tion of smart cities and urban technologies, as well as collab‐ oration in environmental poli‐ cy, low carbon economy, ener‐ gy efficiency, sustainability, sustainable cities and the pro‐ motion of the information so‐ ciety.
New payment App OPERA, a Norwegian company has launched a new fintech called Dify in Spain which allows virtual payment and access to a virtual debit card issued by Mastercard. Dify provides customers with a free payment solution for online shopping including cashback and there are plans to add many more personal finance features to the operation. When customers use the Opera browser to shop on partner websites, they will receive cashback and if they pay for goods using their Dify cards - which can be managed with Google Pay - they will receive additional cashback.
This initiative, is part of Uni‐ caja Banco’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy and re‐ flects its ongoing commitment to social and environmental sustainability.
BUSINESS EXTRA 2021 job losses THE Centre for Retail Research has revealed that UK retailers with 10 or more high street outlets, have laid off 27,096 staff and announced closure of 1,023 stores since the start of the year and it looks as if this could be the ‘tip of the iceberg.’
Fishy figures FIGURES released by the Catalonian Department of Agriculture suggest that since the lockdown the amount of fish consumed at home in the region has increased dramatically with many respondents saying that they miss eating fish in restaurants and that it is relatively easy to cook at home.
Yacky don’t THE UK supermarket Iceland has sacked its director of corporate affairs, Keith Hann, after he made a series of offensive Twitter comments about Wales and the Welsh, as the group has no wish to upset or alienate any of its customers.
25 February - 3 March 2021
EWN 29
30 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
25 February - 3 March 2021
FEATURE
Hypocrisy is the worst offence of all LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT SO hundreds of young African boys have been kidnapped in Nigeria, I wonder what fate awaits these poor innocents? Ransom, death, slavery? The last time this happened was a couple of years ago, when over 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from another school in that unfortunate country. Despite ransoms being paid, over a hundred still haven’t been returned. It’s a fairly safe bet to assume they have found their way into the hands of traffickers or sex slave traders. So where’s all the outcry from the BLM and ‘wokers’. Where all the hysteria and recriminations of the UK government for not DOING something? Is it only certain black lives that matter? Too far away to bother about? Not really. When you consider the furor surrounding George Floyd in America, the difference in the distance from the UK is a mere couple of thousand miles or so. Nothing at all in these days of travel and instant communication.
BLACK LIVES MATTER: However, I wonder, is it only certain black lives that matter? No it’s all too selective for my liking. When you consider black society in America preferring to be called African Americans and those in the UK constantly
referring to their African heritage, you truly would think there would be some kind of outcry for the country of their ancestors. Hypocrisy is what it’s called; in my opinion
one of the worst offences of all. Anyway I was delighted to see that several clubs, including Brentford have discontinued the racist provoking ‘knee’ at
their football matches. I think it would be an idea for other teams to take note. When the fans are allowed back, I believe they’ll find they have no choice! It is racial instigating nonsense and causing far more unrest than it quells, the sooner it is outlawed the better. It was brought to my attention last week that people of BAME (black asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds, accounted for more than 26 per cent of all on screen TV presentations ‐ despite representing just 12 per cent of the population. Interestingly, there are however only 5 per cent of minorities working on the production side. Is it not beyond the realms of possibility, that by casting a whole glut of ethnic actors ‘on camera,’ those of the profession involved in off camera activities, ie production and executive management etc, are protecting their own corridors of power? After all how can they be accused of any racism or ethnic exclusion if they are able to point out the high numbers of minority performers they are casting on screen? Just a thought. Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon. Wed. Fri.
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
Advertising Feature
Ashes to ashes?
Not necessarily. There are many special ways to use them WHILE we typically think of cremation as a way to send off a loved one who passes away, with their ashes either kept or scattered after that there are now many different special options, some of which you may never have imagined. Some people may dream of going into space throughout their lives, but of course only a few ac‐ tually do so. However, now, space burial is an op‐ tion that could allow them to fulfil that dream and spend eternity in space. Space burial consists of launching samples of cre‐ mated remains into space. This doesn’t mean that the remains are simply scattered in space so as not to cause space debris, instead, the ashes remain sealed in small capsules until the spacecraft burns up upon re‐entry into the Earth’s atmosphere or reach their destinations, such as the Moon. Only small amounts are used, to avoid causing mass in space and also to make costs more afford‐ able. As well as cremation jewellery, which is a popu‐ lar option to carry a little bit of a loved one with us forever, a less known option exists, called Memory
Glass. This is a solid glass orb infused with a loved one’s cremated remains. Hand‐made and available in a variety of different colours, each orb uses only a small amount of ashes, so multiple family mem‐ bers can request them as a keepsake. This is not the only form of art which can be made using ash‐ es, as they can be added to paint and used to cre‐ ate a painting depicting a significant place or mo‐ ment, or a popular option is to have it included in a portrait of the deceased. Another option is solidifying the cremated re‐ mains of a loved one to create a stone. The cremat‐ ed remains can be made into smooth stones that can be given to family members. The polished rocks can then be carried in a pocket, displayed on a shelf at home or in another significant place and they can be kept close always. The number of stones created will depend on the amount of ash provided and the appearance of them will vary nat‐ urally in shape, colour and texture, making each one uniquely special. The solidified remains are an alternative to conventional ashes which can be car‐ ried with us or seen at all times. Many people get a tattoo in memory of a loved
one, but it is also possible to have tattoo ink made which contains a small amount of their ashes, so when it is used to create a tattoo, it will mean that the person can be carried close to use for ever after. Ashes can surprisingly be com‐ pressed into a vinyl record which can hold a recording of your choice and can actually be played to remember that person. This can be an ideal way to remember a music lover, include a track which had special meaning or also hold the recording of the person’s voice. For those who prefer the more traditional scat‐ tering of ashes but want to give it a more original feel, there is the option of doing a skydive and scat‐ tering the person’s ashes over a specific landmark or location while doing it. Travelling around the world or to a specific place is many people’s dream, but unfortunately, it is one that can’t always be realised during life. If your loved one had a place they wanted to go, you can try and take them there. If you have a memorial object containing their ashes, you can carry it with
you, but even if you have a tradi‐ tional urn with remains, although you will have to see what the policies of airlines are on letting you travel with them, it is an option. You may then want to scatter the ashes in that place. While holding a celebration of the person’s life, why not let off fireworks? Ashes can be added to them and will then be scattered over the area once the fireworks go off. Finally, especially for children who have lost a loved one, there are memorial stuffed toys which have a compartment in which to place a small amount of ashes in a bag and can also be person‐ alised with a recording of the person’s voice. Whatever option you choose, giving a loved one a special send‐off or having a memento of them is a special way to keep their memories alive forever.
www.goldenleavesinternational.com • info@goldenleavesinternational.com • Facebook: goldenleavesspain
THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY
FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY
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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.
TRANSFER FEE BY SPANISH BANKS
Hello, Just to say that I too have been charged a transfer fee of €18 by my bank for a small private pension of £53, quite outrageous. I only arranged to have it transferred to my bank in Spain after Christmas because I thought my Barclays Bank was going to close my UK account which they don’t appear to be doing. I just can’t win! Jean Girard Dolores, Costa Blanca
Covid Centagenarian Dear Editors! We thought you might be interested in this little bit of good news A very popular and well-known resident of Moraira, Mrs Peggy Bloomfield, received her first dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine yesterday (February 19) at Teulada Medical Centre at the grand age of 100 years old! Her second jab is booked in three weeks and Peggy will be celebrating her 101st birthday in April! Many thanks, Shirley Young
My Go To I first moved to Calpe in 2001 and later to Javea in 2006 and am still here. I often purchased the CBN for local information but then a number of free press publications caught my eye. EWN has been my go to publication for a number of years particularly as they offer regional issues. When the Olive Press appeared in Costa Blanca North I welcomed another publication with limited but interesting features. Very soon after the Olive Press started attacking the EWN for numerous reasons including ratings and fake news. I followed the diatribe between the publications over the last few years where Olive Press attacked and EWN positively defended and I read every word. To cut a long story short, I no longer bother to pick up the free Olive Press. S Burton
Looking forward IT’S always dangerous to make assumptions, but the last few weeks have seen some dramatic reductions in the number of infections across Spain and just possibly we are heading for a semblance of normality. The Balearics have seen cases drop dramatically and in Andalucia many of the municipalities are now well below 500 per 100,000 cases allowing for movement across municipalities. Vaccinations whilst slow in some places are taking place and much depends now upon the Spanish Government’s ability to guarantee regular deliveries of stocks to allow it to keep its
CORRECTIONS
From our Facebook
Importance of masks Dear Editor, We were delighted to read about the lifting of restrictions, and would like to thank Euro Weekly News for keeping us updated through these difficult times. I have, as have my neighbours and wife, been following all of the restrictions that have been in place. We are lucky enough to live on the Paseo, near the beachfront. What is alarming us is the number of weekend walkers and joggers, who are still not wearing masks properly. Some are using their masks as a chinstrap, dangling it from one ear, or from the wrists - many joggers are not wearing one at all, and breathing heavily! Can they not exercise on the beach where there is more space during a pandemic? Surely we must all make small sacrifices. My wife and I used to spend every Sunday enjoying a stroll down the prom. Now we are afraid to go out at the weekends - and fear it will get worse as restrictions are reduced. By now people should know the importance of masks. My wife and I have lost two members of our family already, we are both at retirement age and m y w i f e h a s C O P D . We d e s e r v e a f e w g o o d y e a r s yet - and this sort of ignorance could kill us vicariously! I am also amazed that even when people are wearing masks - they take their masks off and on with no care and then touch their faces and even eat. It has been more than a year since the beginning of this pandemic, which has crippled our economies, stopped us from travelling, closed people’s businesses and killed hundreds of thousands of people. When will people learn? We would love if EWN would publish a guide on how (and why) to wear your masks properly and safely - and a reminder that hand washing to save lives was not just a fad! Thank you again for keeping us up-to-date, we appreciate all that you do. Kind regards from, Ron and Pat
OUR VIEW
promise that everyone in the country will be inoculated. The economy is currently fragile in the extreme and there a tightrope to be walked as people become more disenchanted with restrictions yet many of us do appreciate that if they are reduced too quickly rates could sky rocket. It’s a vicious circle where there really isn’t an obvious answer and much still depends on the population as a whole keeping calm and any protests (if they believe them appropriate) should be conducted in a manner which is not likely to encourage further civil unrest as has been seen in Madrid
and Barcelona. Somehow or other, the economy has to recover but that is easier said than done as the European Union after making promises of distribution of the Emergency Recovery Fund keeps imposing requirements which have to be met before the money is released. We want to see tourists returning as they are part of the lifeblood of Spain and there are plenty of potential customers across Europe who want to return so if the number of infections continues to drop, both at home and abroad, maybe the summer will be one to enjoy.
Sheree Ruiz The new definition of bullying these days is someone either stating a fact about you that you don’t like or asking a valid question that you don’t want to answer. It just allows someone to hide behind their mother’s skirts. Really some countries are so pathetically PC and wimpy.
Martin Nerja I just can’t understand why people support him, he has this lot as friends, he hacked a murder victim’s mobile, he told lies about British soldiers, he criticises people for breaking lockdown except when they are friends of his - Kay Burley and over Christmas tells us to stay home, be sensible and then he jets off to Antigua.
Colin Brooks Then there’s no one to question the government, he is a bit of a bully but no other interviewer keeps trying to get answers, Hancock just said he won’t resign over unlawful deals!
Jose Willows He should have been sacked ages ago, so very very rude, that isn’t journalism or information of any kind, just a big headed bully.
Pat Somers He is the only one that has stood up to the government and their trying to bluster through the answers that have been asked. Keep him, the country needs some people like him.
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
37
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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) You are in a romantic mood but something is missing from the picture. It is not that you are feeling the need of having more than one string to your bow, it is more that you are tired of using the same old arrows. So, what is out there to fire your imagination? Something really new will not miss the mark with you.
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) This is a brilliant week for money and business. Mars is influencing you to be more upfront and practical in your approach. You may feel changes coming on that you would rather deny. Burying your head in the sand is not an option. Take the bull by the horns and you could be surprised at your success.
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) You will see the lighter side of life this week when you discover that someone is holding a torch for you. You are flattered and vaguely interested. Your combination of intelligence and humour make you a delightful companion. Venus smiles on all your close relationships and you seem to be able to do no wrong. .
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) There is much to be tackled this week, but you are wary of making full-on decisions. Taking things one step at a time is the best policy because it gives you space to consider the options. There is a restlessness about you that is hard to pinpoint. Perhaps you are feeling positive but have to hold fire because of others. This is frustrating, but try to relax.
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Energy levels go up and down and you seek to ration yours by not going all-out physically. It is still possible to be quite dynamic while planning. Indeed, your clear vision impresses a colleague. If you are due for promotion then some good news is likely. Blow your own trumpet rather than wait for others to do it for you.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) The changes affecting you for the past few weeks continue but you are now getting better at managing their direction. Someone wanting you to take
a logical action should not be allowed to push you forward. When to act will be clear to you.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone who has been unhelpful in the past suddenly steps forward. Could you have been wrong about them? Probably not. Keep a clear mind when with them. Saturn influences you to be more organised before a bout of indecision strikes.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The influence of Venus and Jupiter brings you the influence and status that you deserve. It’s not that you haven’t worked towards it but now you start to see the benefits. There is an urge to improve your appearance and surroundings to fit in with the ‘new you.’
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) During the past few weeks you may have gained a different perspective on life. Your need for a close attachment and harmony in your life should not be underestimated or denied in the name of practicality.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) To be truly happy you need to build on your partnerships. Keep these in balance and everything else will fall into place. Life has taught you some rather harsh lessons recently. The upshot of that is you now feel more in control and more secure.
SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21) There is an all-consuming need to see some reward for all your efforts. There will be those who will tell you that you need to push harder for success. Perhaps you need to be with more like-minded people. Certainly being with the wrong colleagues can bring your spirits down.
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 (FOLLOW) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
ALLURE APIECE BATEAU BONNET CARROT COLEUS CURFEW DEAFEN EMPLOY ESCORT FEALTY FIXATE FOLLOW (10) HOBBLE INHERE LATTER SOLEMN TEETER TROUPE
LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 20 February
3-16-18 24-36-56
BONUS BALL
10
IRISH LOTTO Sat 20 February
16-27-34 35-37-45
BONUS BALL
28
EURO MILLIONS Tue 16 February
BONUS BALL
6
05-09-25 29-30
7
Fri 19 February
BONUS BALL
04-12-25 46-48
7 12
EL MILLON: KTN12745
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) When needed you are sure to be positive this week. On a project, ‘striking while the iron is hot’ springs to mind. There is much fun to hand but it must be ‘work first’ at the moment. Some opportunities do not come twice and you need to be aware of them when they present themselves. Spend some quality time with your loved ones.
TIME OUT
LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 18 February
BONUS BALL
01-03-09 29-36-41
37 3
JOKER: 0202869 Sat 20 February
BONUS BALL
02-05-07 38-43-44
37
JOKER: 0624146
1
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, 3 represents J and 24 represents T, so fill in J every time the figure 3 appears and T every time the figure 24 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 Many (6) 3 Voces (6) 8 Tie (neckwear) (7) 10 Baile (pieza, arte) (5) 11 To bring (5) 12 Más sucio (7) 13 Never (5) 15 Season ticket (5) 20 Ya (7) 22 Codo (5) 24 Mitos (5) 25 Desconocido (7) 26 Cazador (6) 27 Coñac (6)
Down 1 Flowerpot (6) 2 Burden (5) 4 Más viejo (5) 5 Song (7) 6 Father-in-law (6) 7 Fall (physical action) (5) 9 Sour (f) (5) 14 Squeeze (hug) (7) 16 Recreo (escolar) (5) 17 Calor (afecto) (6) 18 Jarabe (líquido) (5) 19 Veinte (6) 21 Nave (de iglesia) (5) 23 Marrón (5)
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Students, 8 Again, 9 Chain, 10/15 Ball gown, 11 Latest, 13 Repeat, 18 Erase, 19 Ideal, 20 Starting. Down: 2 Trail, 3 Deny, 4 Nectar, 5 Share, 6 Constantly, 7 Hamburgers, 12 Camera, 14 Peaks, 16 Ocean, 17 Gift.
CRYPTIC
Across: 1 Limp, 3 Passport, 9 Mustang, 10 After, 11 Paste, 12 Endear, 14 Shrank, 16 Cuckoo, 19 Patron, 21 Wants, 24 Acton, 25 Allowed, 26 Stressed, 27 Tsar. Down: 1 Lamppost, 2 Moses, 4 Angles, 5 Sward, 6 Outback, 7 Tern, 8 Tavern, 13 Consider, 15 Realtor, 17 Unwell, 18 Inmate, 20 Ranks, 22 Newts, 23 Pays.
ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Solapa, 4 Cows, 8 Rubio, 9 Acuerdo, 10 Promise, 11 Thick, 12 Desempleado, 17 Espía, 19 Look for, 21 Bañista, 22 Ancho, 23 Ella, 24 Horses. Down: 1 Stripe, 2 Labio, 3 Profile, 4 Court, 5 Worried, 6 Caterpillar, 7 Rocky, 13 Español, 14 Enojado, 15 Herbs, 16 Brooms, 18 Ansia, 20 Faces.
CODE BREAKER
BOGGLED
FUTOSHIKI
uteri uric duet drip drips tier tree true trick trip trips trig tapir taps tire tick tics tips rete retie rite rick rips rigs kiss atrip cruet crud cite citer cigs writ write wood hate hater hair hairdo haps hire hick hips pate pater pair pita picture pick pics pigs phat gird gips scree scrip scrips shire shirt shirk ship spat spate spit spite spire spirt spick
NONAGRAM agar aged agin bang berg bing brag brig dang ding drag dreg egad gain garb gean gear gibe gird girn grab grad gran grid grin raga rage rang ring adage again anger badge barge began begin being binge bring deign dirge garda gibed giber grade grain grand grind raged range reign ridge agenda baaing badger banged banger barged baring binged bridge danger daring earing engird gained gainer gander garbed garden girned graben grande ranged reding regain ringed abridge bandage barding bargain beading bearing brigade brigand grained reading abrading badinage bearding breading drainage gardenia BARGAINED GABARDINE
HEXAGRAM
WORD LADDER
1 INGEST 2 HITHER 3 TROUPE 4 CAREER 5 SPLASH 6 TROPHY 7 STANCE 8 ALLURE 9 TANNER 10 TALCUM 11 TREBLE 12 DYNAMO 13 SCALAR 14 BEYOND 15 ODIOUS 16 TABLET 17 SODIUM 18 MORTAR 19 MARAUD
LOCK LACK LARK PARK PART CART
KAKURO
SUDOKU
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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 20 MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11
Alicante TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11
Almeria TODAY: MAX 21,MIN 10 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11
Benidorm TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 18 10 Sun 18 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11
Bilbao TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11
Mallorca TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 9 Fri 17 8 Sat 16 7 Sun 17 7 Mon 17 8 Tues 17 9 Wed 17 10
Madrid TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 9 Fri 17 8 Sat 16 7 Sun 17 7 Mon 17 8 Tues 17 9 Wed 17 10
Barcelona TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 9 Fri 16 8 Sat 16 7 Sun 15 7 Mon 15 8 Tues 16 9 Wed 16 10
Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts
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.
TARGET:
SCORING:
Average: 20 Good: 28 Very good: 40 Excellent: 51
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 Late returning from feud revolutionaries caused (7) 5 Refuse to fight (5) 8 Sixth in examination of little importance (7) 9 First Lady in France creating excitement (5) 10 Reportedly located and named (5) 11 Opens Sunday People first and reads (7) 12 Examiner from Australian states territory (6) 14 Assume running wild makes one smile (6) 17 The state of a man not getting upset (7) 19 Conservative requests sizeable wine vessels (5) 22 English horse little Edward urged on (5) 23 Tale Eve spins to bring cheer (7) 24 Some useless information for a tennis champion (5) 25 Ship's cooking pot (7) Down 1 Revised topic relating to the eye (5) 2 Decree cited in error (5) 3 Dead breeze, the French taper off (7) 4 Silent characters sign up (6) 5 Fears about becoming more secure (5) 6 About the meat, son discloses (7) 7 Sherpas translated groups of words (7) 12 Moderates fits of anger (7) 13 Eagles drifting round North African country (7) 15 Cheat me out of a knife (7) 16 Rotter set out with trainee soldiers (6) 18 They assist in the formulation of ideas (5) 20 Crowd on move in Foyle's War maybe (5) 21 Lead the way for the ranch animal (5)
TIME OUT
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SUDOKU
QUICK
Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.
Across 1 Deliver a quick blow to (5) 4 Permit (5) 7 Recalls (9) 8 Provide evidence for (in law) (4) 9 Place of worship (6) 12 Attach firmly (6) 13 Automobiles (4) 16 Kin (9) 18 Tall, narrow building (5) 19 Conceals (5)
Down 1 Chooses (5) 2 Easily agitated (7) 3 Religious song (4) 4 Military forces (6) 5/17 Keep out of sight (3,3) 6 Squander (5) 10 Expressed approval of (7) 11 Preferable (6) 12 Foremost (5) 14 Closes (5) 15 Nocturnal flying insect (4) 17 See 5
WORD LADDER Move from the start word (LOST) to the end word (BATH) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
LOST
QUIZ BACK BATH
NOTTINGHAM 1. Built by Sir George Coppin in 1605, which royal residence in London was formerly known as Nottingham House? 2. Kevin Keegan was a member of which German football team that lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the 1980 European Cup final? 3. The county of Nottinghamshire borders South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south and which county to the west? 4. What is the name of the home ground of Notts County FC, who have played there since 1910? 5. What is the nickname of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club's limited overs team? 6. Which actor played the part of the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves? 7. Which actor, born in Nottingham in 1949, is best known for her role as chalet maid/Yellowcoat Peggy Ollerenshaw the 1980s sitcom Hide-Hi? 8. Which English novelist, poet and short-story writer, born in Nottingham in 1928, is best known for his debut novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and his early short story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, both of which were adapted into films? 9. Which river, the third-longest in the UK, flows through Nottingham? 10. Which UK beauty retailer and pharmacy chain was established in Nottingham in 1849?
NONAGRAM
RACHEL AND FRIENDS
Not a lot of people know that… every single Bramley apple is descended from the same tree in a Nottinghamshire garden. Bramley apples are so popular in Japan that in 2012 a group of Japanese tourists flew to the UK
How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case R) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
TARGET:
audreyquinton99@gmail.com
Average: 11 Good: 16 Very good: 23 Excellent: 29
Answers 1. KENSINGTON PALACE, 2. HAMBURG (full name HAMBURGER SV), 3. DERBYSHIRE, 4. MEADOW LANE STADIUM, 5. NOTTS OUTLAWS, 6. ALAN RICKMAN, 7. SU POLLARD, 8. ALAN SILLITOE, 9. RIVER TRENT, 10. BOOTS UK LIMITED (formerly BOOTS THE CHEMISTS), trading as BOOTS
42 EWN
25 February - 3 March 2021
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FEATURE
Advertising Feature
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Let us find out how much you could be saving • www.ecocorpsolar.com Call us on: 950 096 166 or 671 716 597 • Visit ecocorpshop on Facebook
You couldn’t do it for one day! MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man THE Prince of Wales and Camilla released a video, via the Clarence House Twitter account, in which Prince Charles set some outdoor challenges for kids that involve planting seeds and decorating pebbles. “This week marks February half-term for many in the U K , so why not take some time to explore your local area to see what is happening in the world around you with The Prince of Wales’s Nature Challenge,” read the tweet. He gave his advice from the gardens of some castle he lives in where he’s never had to pay a bill in his life or even have to carry money. Just imagine little Johnny living in his 27th floor, two bedroom flat with his three brothers and a single mum who is tearing her hair out ‘cos she’s lost her job as the local coffee shop she worked in has closed down. Now home schooling her kids with the one laptop they own and dodgy broadband and Johnny is saying, ‘Mum let’s go out and do some pebble decorating and name some birds.’ Here’s the Mr Grumpy
rules for the geniuses that keep turning up on TV to give advice or explain what people have to do to survive. Before you give us advice you have to be able to answer this three-part question without googling answers. How much is a loaf of bread, a litre of milk and a dozen eggs? If you can’t answer that question you are not qualified to advise me so piss off! In the video, Charles said he was “frustrated” by not being able to go outside as much as usual during what’s been “a hard year for everyone.” Not for you Charlie boy, just a slight inconvenience at the most. This applies to all MPs and every TV expert, all on full pay, sitting in their Zoom meeting, all competing for the best bookshelf background. You can all jog on and try living how the people you are advising do. You couldn’t do it for one day. I suggest that Prince Charles and all the others find a way of getting every kid that needs one, a laptop and an internet service that works properly, just for starters. Disgusting that a year on and many are still without these basics needed for online education ‘cos the pathetic government can’t find a way to keep schools open! Email: mikesenker@gmail.com
Mike’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Food allergies are on the rise FOOD allergies are increasing amongst the Spanish popula‐ tion and the country is not alone. According to the EAC‐ CI (European Academy of Al‐ lergy and Clinical Immunolo‐ gy), it is estimated that by 2025, one in every two Euro‐ peans will suffer from some form of allergy. President of the the Span‐ ish Association of People with Food and Latex Allergies (AEPNAA), Angel Sanchez, said: “The impact of food al‐ lergies on patients them‐ selves, on the family and soci‐ ety is very important, since it seriously limits the social, school and work activities of those who suffer from them. Everyday activities become truly complicated for those affected.” Food allergies, which occur when a person reacts to con‐ tact, ingestion or the inhala‐ tion of a food, may result from minor reactions such as a rash, hives, itching, cough, diarrhoea or vomiting, to more severe or serious reac‐ tions including respiratory distress, asthma, hypo ten‐
sion, palpitations or anaphy‐ lactic shock. Hospital admissions in chil‐ dren due to anaphylactic shock have risen in recent years. Although the data varies according to the age group or geographical area, in Spanish children, eggs and
cow’s milk are the most com‐ mon allergies, followed by fish. Some 1.3 million Spaniards are affected by allergies of some sort with nuts and seafood the most common amongst the adult popula‐ tion.
25 February - 3 March 2021
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Even Covid puppies need a hug or two IF you are one of the many households that took in a new puppy during the Covid pan‐ demic, then your young pet will need special care and attention when you go on holiday. Even if you are planning a short trip, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sitters, if you have trips planned later this year. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSit Match.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for your next holiday Covid permitting. Do you need a pet sitter in 2021? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holi‐
Look for a pet-sitter well before you leave on holiday. day. House‐sitters see your advert, they re‐ spond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention
that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person. Ros Morris – Dog owner How do you join? Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com ‐ Choose a membership plan ‐ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on sub‐ scription to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89
Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com. S C R AT C H I N G the neck or rubbing his face incessantly without apparent reason can be a sign of a major neu‐ rological disease Chiari Syndrome is a mal‐ formation of the hindbrain, or brainstem associated with myelomeningocele, and can cause hydrocephalus and sy‐ ringomyelia.
Chiari Syndrome Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are the most affect‐ ed breed. There are actually several breeds such as Brussels Grif‐ fon, Yorkshire Terrier, Chi‐ huahua, Maltese and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
A change in their mental activity, extreme sensitivity to touch in the neck, chest, shoulders, head, and back and simple anticipation of pain upon being handled. They may begin to cry out when jumping or running, when defecating. Now that magnetic reso‐ nance imaging (MRI) is readi‐ ly available, the deformity as‐ sociated with Chiari Malformation may be demonstrated. MRI may help to predict the expected severity of clinical signs. Ra‐ diographs are generally not very useful for diagnosing the Chiari Malformation.
Constant scratching can be a sign of neurological disease.
Our chatty feathered friends PERHAPS not the best choice for anyone with a feline prowling the house, a bird can be a fantastic, life‐long com‐ panion. With their cheerful and in‐ quisitive natures, many peo‐ ple don’t realise how much a bird can add to the home. They are incredibly social ani‐ mals, often compared to hu‐ man toddlers in terms of their big personalities. The most popular feathered pet is the common parakeet, or budgie, and it makes a wonderful companion for any‐ one new to keeping birds. They are gentle, docile, and quieter than other parrots, but can learn to mimic speech. The budgie is also budget friendly, their diets extending to fresh fruits and vegetables. Their smaller size also makes them a little easier to clean up after than their larger cousins. For those that don’t mind a noisier home environment, a curious Cockatiel is ideal. Caring for a bird is a life‐long responsibility, with average life expectancies spanning from 10 to 20 years.
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CHURCHES LOCAL ANGLICAN (C of E) Church Services Mojacar, Sundays at 11am Llanos Del Peral, Sundays at 11am Aljambra Chapel, 1st Thursday monthly at 11am Priest in Charge, Rev. Vincent Oram 603 659 139. For directions, details and to find out more about our church activities please see our website http://www.almeriaanglican.com (10002) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION - Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with
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full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com . If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, www.britishlegion.org.uk/co unties/spain-north ZURGENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at The Heathers La Alfoquia, for further details please email zurgenar blsecretary@yahoo.co.uk (253989)
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RAV4 has a premium feel to it ALTHOUGH to most of us €34k (£30k) seems a lot of money for a car, it’s no longer the preserve of prestige models, there are more than a few top‐end ‘ordinary’ models that tip the financial scales at €34k (£30k). A case in point is Toyota’s RAV4. Their longstanding SUV (or Recreational Activity Vehicle) has been a feature of the price lists since 1994. Its present incarnation is a world away from that first model, as you would expect given it’s over 25 years since the original was launched. Five trim levels with the option of all‐wheel‐drive on four of them and a single petrol 2.5‐litre, four‐ cylinder engine. Prices start from €35,534 (£31,090) with a good level of standard equipment in‐ cluding auto lights, wipers and mirrors which are powered, heat‐ ed and auto folding. There’s cruise control, reversing camera, reclin‐ ing rear seats and Apple Car Play/Android Auto along with DAB and Bluetooth. All the RAV4s are a mix of that 2.5 litre, four‐cylinder petrol en‐ gine with electric assistance, both plug‐in and non‐plug‐in. In stan‐ dard hybrid form ie non‐plug‐in
you can choose between all elec‐ tric or hybrid and the reassurance of knowing that there’s a petrol engine to take away any range anxiety. In non‐plug‐in hybrid form you won’t go very far on pure electric, so it is probably bet‐ ter to leave the car to decide. My test model was the mid‐ range Excel in two‐wheel‐drive form, non‐plug‐in hybrid and priced at €40,431 (£35,375). It’s noticeable from the moment you slide behind the wheel there’s a quality feel with tactile materials and a refinement that could easily see the RAV4 carry a much more premium badge. Standard fare includes all the aforementioned items as well as heated leather seats and steering wheel, front and rear parking sen‐ sors, satellite navigation and adap‐ tive cruise control in a very decent equipment list. On the road there’s a decent amount of power and the CVT works well with little of the racing engine revs you sometimes get with this kind of automatic box, unless you floor the throttle of course when it becomes all too obvious. The ride quality over the worst
surfaces is a little fidgety but the larger wheels on the Excel don’t help, but it’s something that cer‐ tainly won’t concern most people. It’s a smooth and refined drive with a superb driving position, ex‐ cellent fuel economy and plenty of space for passengers and lug‐ gage.
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Premier League Results And Round-up For Sunday, February 21 THE Premiership’s surprise package of the season, West Ham United, moved up into the fourth Champion’s League spot with a fine 2‐ 1 derby day win over Tottenham at the Lon‐ don Stadium, thanks to goals from Michail Antonio after only five minutes, and Jesse Lingard once again on target for his new club on 47 minutes. Lucas Moura managed to head a goal to reduce the deficit for Jose Mourinho’s men after 64 minutes, but the Hammers survived a late onslaught to climb up into that all‐im‐ portant fourth spot. In the match at Villa Park, it was the visi‐ tors Leicester City who nicked the three points with a 1‐2 victory over Aston Villa, to go up to third, four points clear of West Ham. Goals from the usual sources of James Maddison on 19 minutes, and Harvey Barnes after 23 minutes, secured the points, with Bertrand Traore volleying home a loose ball after 48 minutes, but Leicester totally con‐ trolled the game, with Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers saying his squad has a “greater calmness” this season. Over at the Emirates, leaders Manchester City stay 10 points clear after a 0‐1 win over Arsenal, extending their record‐breaking un‐ beaten run to 18 matches, with Raheem Ster‐
England Women Win
ST GEORGE’S PARK: Ellen White scored a hat-trick.
PREMIER LEAGUE: West Ham surprised. ling scoring the only goal of the game with a rare header after only three minutes, as Ar‐ senal stay in 10th position. Manchester United were comfortable 3‐1 winners at Old Trafford against Newcastle, with Marcus Rashford opening the scoring af‐ ter 30 minutes, only for Allan Saint‐Maximin to score a deserved equaliser. The match turned on 57 minutes when Daniel James re‐established the lead for United before Rashford then earned a penal‐ ty as he drew a foul from Joe Willock, with Bruno Fernandes stepping up to notch his 22nd goal of the season, leaving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men 10 points adrift of neigh‐ bours City.
ENGLAND marked interim boss Hege Riise’s first game in charge with an emphatic 6‐0 win against Northern Ireland on Tuesday, February 23. Riise, who took over from David Beckham’s new Inter Mia‐ mi manager Phil Neville, will be encouraged by the team who showed no sign of rust despite not playing together for 11 months. Playing on the Sir Bobby Charl‐ ton pitch at St George’s Park,
Ellen White helped herself to a wonderful hat‐trick in a game that marked Jill Scott’s 150th cap for her country. Goals from Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly and Ella Toone se‐ cured a significant victory over their home nation’s opponents. Riise will lead the England team until Sarina Wiegman ar‐ rives after the Olympics. Wieg‐ man, named FIFA women’s coach of the year in December for her work with the Netherlands, was
appointed last August to lead England at the EURO and through the qualification pro‐ gramme for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. England Women next face Canada on April 13 in a friendly at a venue to be decided. Qualifying for the 2023 Wom‐ en’s World Cup, to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand, should also commence this year. However, there is still no offi‐ cial date for the draw.