News
The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1864
25 - 31 March 2021
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THE Valencian Community now has the lowest coronavirus incidence rate in Spain. This was the result of taking the “path of maximum prudence,” Generalitat president Ximo Puig declared last Sunday, referring to the results of the region’s draconian anti-Covid measures that were introduced last January. “The efforts of the Valencian region’s population have situated us amongst regions with the lowest rates in Europe,” Puig pointed out. The region’s cumulative 14day incidence rate stands at 33 cases for every 100,000 inhabi-
GOOD FIGURES: The Valencian Community’s coronavirus incidence rate has plummeted.
tants, compared with more than 1,500 when the third wave hit after Christmas and Valencia’s figures were the country’s worst. Spain currently has a national incidence rate of 128. Generalitat president Ximo
Puig announced that for 508 of the Valencian Community’s 542 municipalities this fell even lower to 25 cases per 100,000, putting them in the ‘minimum risk’” category. These municipalities - 94 per
cent of the total - included the three provincial capitals Valencia, Alicante and Castellon, Puig pointed out. Of the remaining municipalities, 26 were classed as ‘low risk’ and eight as ‘medium.’ There are no longer any municipalities considered “high or extreme risk,” Puig confirmed. The latest figures were announced last Sunday March 21 following his latest meeting with Valencia region’s Health department head, Ana Barcelo where they discussed the evolution of the pandemic in the Valencian Community. Earlier, Barcelo had welcomed
the all-clear for the AstraZeneca which had been interrupted by concerns over the Oxford vaccine’s side effects. “This will allow us to resume the immunisation rate that we had set ourselves to protect the majority of Valencian Community residents in the shortest possible time,” she said. She was particularly pleased, she said, that the European Medicines Agency and the Pharmacovigilance Committee had concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine was safe and efficient. Meanwhile, and following a meeting of the regional government’s Vaccination Monitoring
Committee, Generalitat sources confirmed that the Spanish government is also due to restart the debate on raising the AstraZeneca cut-off age to 65. Depending on their decision, the Valencian Community would adapt its vaccination programme to their findings, the same sources said.
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Beach Long arm ready of the law
SANTA POLA will install SOS posts on the Cabo beach and all its natural beaches. These will allow beachgoers to contact the Emergency Services as there are no lifeguards at these zones, which also have problems with mobile phone coverage. Santa Pola’s urban beaches, where lifesavers are present, will be equipped with megaphones enabling them to communicate with the public when necessary. Beaches councillor Jorge Diez also explained that Bancal de la Arena and Cala de la Ermita have now been added to the beaches which have a lifesaving service during the high season. More equipment at the accessible beach points for those with mobility problems will be provided by the concessionary company contracted to provide the lifesaving services, Diez said.
THE Guardia Civil arrested two people in San Juan town and Bu‐ sot after locating a stolen jet‐ski in Alicante port. The San Juan man, a 69‐year‐old, was accused of receiving the jet‐ski, which disappeared from Flint (North Wales) in 2016. The second detainee was a Briton, aged 56 who allegedly stole the watercraft, which was worth more than €9,000. After Guardia Civil were alerted last September that a jet‐ski stored in the dry dock in Alicante port was of ‘illicit origin,’ offi‐ cers inspected the vehicle and found that its registration num‐ ber did not correspond to the number on the chassis. Officers confiscated the jet‐ski and, with the assistance of In‐ terpol, linked it to a watercraft that had disappeared four years earlier from Wales, leading to the two recent arrests. Meanwhile, the jet‐ski will be returned to its owner, a 45‐ year‐old woman.
Face-to-face appointments THE Valencian Community’s regional Health department announced that two people may now accompany patients admitted to hospital. The department headed by Ana Barcelo recently sent all Health ar‐ eas an update on measures for hospitals and health centres. This explained that they could now carry out “any scheduled activi‐ ty, including consultations and surgery” depending on each area’s con‐ tingency plans. The update also advised hospitals and health centres to return grad‐ ually to in‐person activities while continuing telephone consultations if this avoided unnecessary journeys for patients.
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Watch this space AGE CONCERN COSTA CALIDA announced that the Take That Tribute at Zambuca Restaurante in Mazarron has been cancelled. “We had hoped to reschedule this, but due to unforeseen circumstances this has not been possible,” the charity announced “We will be planning future events when re‐ strictions are lifted both in Camposol and Puerto de Mazarron, so please watch this space.” Sponsorship money for the New Year’s Day Sponsored Swim is still arriving and has now reached €3,353.72. “Although normal monthly activities have
been put on hold, we are still here for advice and information, shopping and medicine col‐ lection, so give us a call if you need help,” Age Concern said. For an in‐person chat with one of their team the Camposol Drop in Centre will be open on Tuesdays between 10am and 1pm by appoint‐ ment only (telephone 634 344 589). Enquiries: 634 344 589; Volunteer Coordina‐ tor: 634 312 516. Lifeline Puerto de Mazarron Area: 634 325 408; Equipment Loan: 634 306 927. Lines are open between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Fri‐ day.
More elbow room
‘Tornado’ In Torrevieja
ELCHE City Hall announced that it will allow bar terraces in streets that are less than three me‐ tres wide. This relaxing of by‐laws had been introduced at the request of the local hospitality sector but was not to be regarded as a permanent conces‐ sion, said city hall spokesman Hector Diez. “This is an absolutely exceptional measure that will last only as long as the pandemic open‐ ing hour restrictions are in force,” he declared. The city hall spokesman also explained that when bars put out their terrace tables and chairs they would be obliged to leave a 1.80‐ metre strip free for pedestrians.
AS the Valencian Community headed into the San José holiday last weekend the winter weather had returned with a vengeance after several weeks of sunny skies and balmy tem‐ peratures. With the change in the forecast, at‐ mospheric instability on Thursday morning, March 18, produced a spectacular phe‐ nomenon known as a marine sleeve off the coast of Torrevieja. Marine sleeves are similar to tornadoes but they only form over the sea and rarely make landfall. The beautiful if slightly terrifying funnel was filmed hovering just above the surface of the water at around 8.15am.
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DON’T FORGET to Spring forward one hour at 2am on Sunday
NIBS EXTRA Still there ORIHUELA City Hall renewed its agreement with the specialists that maintain the fig-tree which inspired local poet Miguel Hernandez who died in the Civil War aftermath. The frail tree has woodworm and its trunk is nearly hollow, although the town hall has 40 cuttings should the worst happen.
Cash needed CREVILLENT’S Public Spaces councillor asked the Generalitat for funds covering the €162,278 cost of asphalting rural roads that give access to 100 properties. Some are located in hard-to-reach areas where existing asphalt has worn away and was further damaged by the storms of September 2019 and January 2020.
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Orihuela-Costas standoff ORIHUELA City Hall is taking legal action against coastal authority, Costas. The Valencian Community’s Upper Court of Justice (TSJCV) is currently processing Orihuela’s complaint that Costas, part of the central government’s Environment Ministry, has refused to rebuild the Playa de La Glea promenade linking Campoamor to Orihuela Costa. A 100-metre section was washed away by the usually-dry River Nacimiento, swollen by the DANA storms of September 2019. The road suffered further damage in January 2020 when
PROMENADE: Orihuela’s councillors viewed repairs to the pedestrian section earlier this year.
Storm Gloria swept along the coast. Costas is refusing to rebuild the road, maintaining that according to 2016 measurements it is inside the maritime strip which permits repairs only to the pedestrian promenade. Citing Campoamor’s 1969 planning permission which included this road, Orihuela City Hall has now referred the issue to the TSJCV. The road should be restored to its former state, the local government claimed, stating that it would continue fighting if Costas failed to take action.
Attempted Baby Snatch A VALENCIAN man has been arrested for attempting to snatch a baby out of a car. A 22‐year‐old man was arrested on Sat‐ urday morning, March 20 after he forcibly tried to snatch a one‐year‐old baby girl from a car in Valencia City. The baby’s parents told Local Police that the man opened the door of their parked car on Calle Mosen Febrer at around 11.35am and tried to pull the infant from the vehicle. After they tussled with the
man, he fled the scene empty‐handed. A short time later, a couple waiting at a bus stop reported an individual matching the would‐be kidnapper’s description. Ac‐ cording to the couple, a stranger ap‐ proached them on Calle San Vicente and began touching the girl. After her boyfriend warned him off, they reported the incident to patrolling officers. With the description provided, the offi‐ cers were able to locate the suspect al‐
most immediately. According to police sources, the man, who is of Romanian na‐ tionality, suffers from mental health diffi‐ culties; when the officers apprehended him, they reported that he seemed con‐ fused, had an absent gaze and was utter‐ ing nonsensical expressions. After being detained by officers of the Third District Unit of the Local Police of Va‐ lencia, the 22‐year‐old was transferred to the Psychiatry unit of the General Hospital.
Palm losses STALLS selling Easter palms will set up on March 26 and 27 in Elche’s Plaza de Baix. The sector received €100,000 in direct aid to offset their losses for the second year running and city hall also urged the local population to buy palms to decorate their balconies.
Not going CAROLINA VIGARA, who represented Vox on Torrevieja Council, was expelled from the ultra-right party in January. She intends to retain her seat and will move to the non-aligned group, but the party is now demanding that she makes way for the next name on Vox’s voting list.
Party time A WELL-OFF 24-year-old from Novelda racked up fines for organising illegal fiestas for guests from all over Spain either at his own villa or in rented properties. Their hands are tied, police said, as he routinely refuses them entry and they cannot get in without a court order.
Rojales Works Of Art Participate and get integrated COSTA BLANCA town has turned rubbish bins into works of art. The urban and rural landscape in Spain may be changing, but this can sometimes be for the better, as displayed by some industrious artists in the Costa Blanca town of Rojales. El Recorral de Rojales Park has now become a green en‐ clave to enjoy excursions, picnics and experi‐ ences in nature. The latest initiative to continue improving and making the environment a pleasant and environmentally friendly place has been the conversion of all its glass, paper and plastic con‐ tainers into works of art by painting them with stunningly colourful natural motifs. What were once just containers for rubbish which visitors to the park would skirt around have become local attractions and something for the community of Rojales to be truly proud of. The former eyesores are now decorated with colourful and true‐to‐life images of ani‐ mals that nature lovers might well find in this innovative park. The work, commissioned by the Department of Historical and Natural Heritage, has been carried out by the artists Jesús la Sombra, Goyo 203, Willy and Isaac. The initiative is aimed at not only increasing the number of visitors com‐ ing to the park to enjoy the beautiful facilities, but also to encourage members of the public to recycle and responsibly dispose of their rub‐ bish.
SANTA POLA Town Hall joined a Diputacion initiative offering pro‐ jects and activities for foreign resi‐ dents. The provincial council has allocat‐ ed €215,000 for the scheme, which will be shared by Alicante town halls. Loreto Navarro, Santa Pola’s may‐ or, recently signed a collaboration agreement with Juan de Dios Navar‐ ro, provincial councillor for Euro‐ pean Residents. Just over 17.05 per cent of Santa Pola’s residents were born outside Spain, with 5,511 registered on the
municipal Padron. The Diputacion aid is directed at helping them to in‐ tegrate and participate fully in local life, Loreto Navarro said. The Diputacion will collaborate with the municipality on Padron campaigns and courses for learning Spanish and Valenciano. “It is important for citizens from other countries who choose to live in our province to know the lan‐ guage and learn about the legal, ju‐ dicial and work‐related issues that affect them so that they can be fully integrated,” the Diputacion council‐ lor said.
Land for auction PILAR DE LA HORADADA Town Hall is auctioning two plots of land to finance municipal projects. The first, covering an area of 7,032 square metres of second‐line land in the Mil Palmeras urbanisation had a reserve price of €3.132 million. A second 7,518‐ square metre plot adjoins the Lo Romero golf course and had a reserve price of €2.407 million. It is hoped that the sale will finance Pilar projects which include a municipal building as well as a multi‐purpose function building, road improve‐ ments, repairing the sports centre’s roof, street lighting and flood prevention. The auction has closed and a town hall committee will now evaluate the of‐ fers received.
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Red Cross Scammers SCAMMERS posed as Red Cross workers to rob the elderly in the Costa Blanca. The Guardia Civil in Alicante have arrested three women and a man who gained entry to the homes of elderly people and robbed them by pretending to be Red Cross workers. The foursome is charged with belonging to a criminal organisa‐ tion, theft and fraud. In addition, two of them are charged with crimes against road safety for driving without a li‐ cence, according to the General Directorate of the Guardia Civil. Officers began the in‐ vestigation on July 27 after receiving a com‐ plaint in Novelda from the son of an elderly man residing in the Ali‐ cante town of Monforte del Cid. He claimed that two women, posing to be from the Red Cross, knocked on his door and asked to come in for a glass of water. While one woman dis‐ tracted the elderly gen‐ tleman, the other stole jewellery from the bed‐ room. Soon after similar complaints began flood‐ ing in from the towns of Monforte del Cid and Novelda, as well as from as far afield as Tor‐ revieja and Murcia. On one occasion, in addition to robbing cash and jewellery, the scammers also stole a credit card from a home in Torrevieja and with‐ drew €500 from a near‐ by ATM. The Guardia Civil eventually uncovered a sophisticated crime net‐ work consisting of a 25‐ year‐old man responsi‐ ble for driving the three women, aged between 23 and 43, to the vic‐ tims’ homes. All are Spanish and three were arrested in Orihuela while the fourth was nabbed in Novelda.
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No looking back San Juan bonfires suspended C O S T A B L A N C A hoteliers and tourist accommodation association Hosbec have joined the #Elturismoeslavacuna (Tourism is the vaccine) campaign. They and other Valencian Community tourism professionals recently held an inperson meeting limited to 30 people, included Francesc Colomer, the Generalitat’s regional Tourism secretary, as well as the president of the Diputacion provincial council, Carlos Mazon and Hosbec president Toni Mayo. Hundreds of other tourism entrepreneurs joined the event online. It was impossible, they agreed, for any other productive sector to substitute tourism long or short-term,
hence the concept that this was the vaccine promising a return to normality. All lamented that the European Union’s “inefficient” handling of the anti-Covid vaccine was delaying the return to normality by three or four months. “Nevertheless, the scenario is very positive,” Mayor said. “Our climate, the return to outdoor life, increased immunity and the vaccine will combine to herald the spring after the long winter of the pandemic.” The Hosbec president saw July “at the very latest and in the worst case” as the starting point for a return to normality. “And there will be no looking back,” he predicted.
ALICANTE City mayor, Luis Barcala decided that for the second year running, the iconic San Juan bonfires in June would have to be cancelled. The fiesta celebrates the coming of summer and in mid‐June, thousands flock to the massive bonfires that are prepared weeks in advance, as well as fireworks, music and dancing. The decision came after a meeting with other senior figures and Barcala said he regretted having to make the decision and al‐ ternative dates will be considered. Representatives from the Artists Guild and the Fiestas councillor supported the decision,
reiterating their commitment to ensuring that San Juan is com‐ memorated when the situation improves. “It is painful for me and a very sad day,” the mayor admitted. “But the responsibility and the realisation that the vaccination process, which, far from accelerating, is slowing down, makes it unfeasible for us to celebrate our official holidays on the desig‐ nated dates in June. “I do not lose hope and trust that the pandemic situation im‐ proves enough in the coming months to allow us to celebrate the bonfires on other dates within this year,” he said.
Top Valencian Restaurants ELEVEN Valencian restaurants have been voted among the best in Spain. Fewer industries have suf‐ fered more as a result of the coronavirus pandemic than the hospitality sector, and so it is a particularly proud day for Valencian restaurants when 11 of its eateries are
recognised as being among the top 100 in Spain. The prestigious ranking was pre‐ pared by the ‘El Tenedor’ por‐ tal, which highlights the best 100 restaurants in Spain every year according to user experience. Sitting at the top of the Va‐ lencian list and at number 13 overall is L’Escaleta in Cocen‐ taina, run by chef Kiko Moya. In second place is El Xato in La Nucia, run by Cristina Figueira in position 16, followed by Orobianco in Calpe and La Finca in Elche. The vast majority of the celebrated restaurants fea‐ ture in Levante‐EMV’s ‘The best 55 restaurants in the Valencian Community,’ which each year recognises
Is your favourite one on the list? the excellence of Valencian chefs. Voted the best restaurant in Spain by El Tenedor is Ca‐ sona del Judio in Santander, followed in second place by Cenador de Amos in Villaverde de Pontones and La Rioja’s El Portal del Echaur‐
ren in third. Below you can check the 11 Valencian restaurants to see if your favourite is on the list: • 13. L’Escaleta (Concen‐ taina) • 16. El Xato (La Núcia) • 37. Orobianco (Calpe) • 38. La Finca (Elche) • 55. Tula (Xàbia) • 70. Canvas (Valencia) • 76. Baeza & Rufete (Ali‐ cante) • 80. Temple (Alicante) • 85. Gordon 10 (Valencia) • 91. Beat (Calpe) • 98. Ampar (Valencia)
Wildlife under pressure CYCLISTS are endangering wildlife and vegetation in the area adjoining the Elche dam, biologists warned. It is the habitat of several endangered species, and experts called for a plan to control the hundreds of people who visit the dam at the weekend. Mountain bikers leaving the paths and entering forest zones were having a particularly adverse impact, prompting Friends of the Southern Alicante Wetlands (AHSA) to ask the regional government to regulate the use of bicycles near the dam. “The vegetation in is particularly fragile owing to lack of rainfall and is easily destroyed by mountain bikes constantly riding through it,” biologist Carlos Sancho told the local Spanish media. “Protected species are disturbed by the continual stream of visitors,” he said.
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Limited PPE For Elections
THE Community of Madrid has confirmed that it will not provide full personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to staff working at their polling stations during the May 4 elections despite the high incidences of coronavirus still occurring there. The regional government has instead issued recommendations on safety measures for voters and will provide all staff with
two FFP2 masks which will be replaced every eight hours, a face shield and disposable gloves. The government has also published recommended voting times for each population, reserving the morning slot between 10 and 12 for people over 65 and the vulnerable, while the last hour, from 7pm to 8pm will be for people who
Most Popular Destination
EXPERTS said Spain is “the top destination booked by UK travellers on Skyscanner immediately following recovery roadmap announcements, with the most popular outbound month being August.” It said: “The top booked destinations in Spain are Malaga, Palma and Ibiza. “Spain has historically been the top searched destination by UK travellers on Skyscanner.” According to the experts, prices for holidays to Spain are currently up to 25 per cent lower during summer than they were last year. Spain sees an average of 18.01 million UK tourists arrive each year, with figures showing tourists are set to return. The news comes after Spain’s tourism minister said the government could begin rolling out vaccine passports in May and that Spain was eager to be a pioneer in introducing the immunity passports and confirmed her ministry was actively pursuing the idea.
have coronavirus only. In addition, hand sanitiser will be available at all polling stations and strict entry and exit routes will be marked out. Voters will be able to download an app which shows the numbers at the stations in real time and so avoid any potential crowds.
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Uncovering Guardamar’s past
THE regional government is spending €700,000 on the archaeological sites located in Guardamar’s Dunes. Visiting the site, Antonia Moreno, the regional government’s Territorial director for Alicante, praised the “exceptional” work being carried out there to showcase Guardamar’s cultural heritage. Within months, once they had been made ac-
cessible, it would be possible to visit the Phoenician and Moorish remains at La Fonteta and the Rabita Califal respectively, Moreno said. “As soon as work is finished and they open to the public they will become a first-rate tourist attraction,” she predicted “These two sites are pinpointing the area as an archaeological reference in the western Mediterranean,” she added.
Doll Inspiration IRISH toy company Lottie Dolls, has released their latest creation, a gorgeous Down’s Syndrome doll in order to mark World Down Syndrome Day. The doll was inspired by Rosie Barnett, from Wiltshire, who is
six years old and has Down’s syndrome. The new doll is called Rosie Boo. World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) was on March 21 and the new doll was released just ahead of time. Speaking of rais-
Pet Hate Pension Gambling Protest
THE Guardia Civil of Alicante has investigated a 20-year-old old man for abandoning a dog with both its front legs broken in the parking lot of an animal shelter. The five or six-month old puppy was left there after the shelter refused to accept it for adoption, instead urging the owner to bring it to a vet for treatment. The young man has been charged with a crime against a domestic animal. The following day, members of the shelter took him to a veterinary clinic in Alicante specialised in trauma, where he underwent surgery. The dog has been christened ‘Roto’, which means ‘broken’ and is currently recovering well from his injuries at the animal shelter while looking for a new home.
JUAN ANTONIO HERRANZ, the spokesman for the General Coordination of Pensioners of Madrid, led a protest of around 100 pensioners marched from Puerta del Sol to the Congress of Deputies of Madrid on Saturday March 20, armed with banners and placards, to demonstrate ‘in defence of the public pension system.’ Mr Herranz voiced his indignation at the progress of the Toledo pacts, which he claims “in no way guarantee decent pensions.” Calling on the general public, he said that through social mobilisation and the presence of the so-called alternative unions, the group wants people to realise that pensions “are not the exclusive problem of pensioners, but of the entire population, and therefore calls on society as a whole,” to support their cause.
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Suffers
THE Gaming Business Council, CeJuego, the main private gaming employer in Spain, has pleaded with the Generalitat Valenciana to open gambling venues and establishments in the region, as they are currently the only ones that remain closed in all of Spain. The council has argued that the closures, already at the two-month point, threaten the future of some 133 Valencian companies, amounting to 7,000 direct jobs in the community. The sector has estimated losses of €129 million to date. Owners of gambling institutions have argued that they should be allowed to open, even to a limited degree, since the measures were relaxed on Monday March 15 to allow the interiors of bars and restaurants to open.
ing awareness for Down’s Syndrome Rosie’s dad, Jason Kneen said, “We’re thrilled, at this time of year especially, that we can raise awareness for Down’s Syndrome and educate children on the differences that Down’s syndrome comes with, and what makes these kids special. “The nice thing about Lottie is that they’re very diverse and inclusive in terms of how they approach the design of the dolls. “'It’s incredibly powerful for kids to be able to see a doll in their likeness but equally it’s important that all kids have a diverse toy box.”
Inspired by Rosie Barnett.
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Valencia Wants Sputnik Fake Western Look THE president of the Valencian Community, Ximo Puig, has tasked the Health Minister Ana Barcelo with requesting the use of Russia’s Sputnik V vac‐ cine and the American John‐
Pilgrimage Cancelled THE Alicante City Council met on Monday, March 22 with representatives of Santa Faz and decided to suspend the annual pilgrimage and celebrate one mass behind closed doors instead. Santa Faz is traditionally celebrated on the Thursday after Easter week, and involves a pilgrimage known as La Peregrina of eight kilometres to the San Juan monastery, where the piece of cloth that is said to have been used to wipe Christ’s face on the way to the Cross is kept. The councillors have discussed the possibility of holding a blessing for the entire city on the day, which would be limited in numbers and shown instead on a live broadcast on AlacantiTV.
son & Johnson jab when the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS) met on Monday, March 22. “We want all possi‐ ble resources to be used and that is why we ask the govern‐ ment to study including these other vaccines in the portfolio of drugs against Covid‐19,” sources from the Presidency confirmed. We must not forget that by the end of April, “we have almost one million doses
assured,” therefore, if this portfolio could be expanded with more drugs from Sputnik and Johnson & Johnson, “we would be in a position to tack‐ le a mass vaccination.” The president also con‐ firmed that the vaccination of teaching staff will go ahead as planned next week, and that health authorities will redou‐ ble their efforts so that the process might be completed in four days rather than five.
False Covid-19 Certificates GREATER MANCHESTER police have issued warnings that scammers are selling fake negative Covid‐19 test certificates in airports and online. The fraudsters have set up shop using high‐quality software and printers in order to be able to coun‐ terfeit coronavirus test certificates. So far arrests for counterfeit coronavirus tests have been made in countries including the UK, Brazil and in France. Currently it is illegal to travel abroad for a holiday unless you can prove that you have a legally permitted reason for the travel. When leaving England, a travel declaration form for in‐ ternational travel must be completed, and many countries re‐ quire a negative coronavirus test. Police have issued warnings stating that anyone found with a fake certificate is likely to be caught, could be arrested, fined or even banned from future travel with the airline.
CRITICS are accusing Shami‐ ma Begum of faking her new western look to help her win her court battle to return to the UK. Ms Begum, 21, showed off her new look last week, posing for photographers at a refugee camp in Syria dressed in western clothes in place of the headdress and full length clothes she was previously seen in af‐ ter joining Daesh at the age of 15. Speaking in an interview she said she had changed, saying: “I would say to peo‐ ple in the UK, give me a second chance because I was still young when I left.” Eilish O’Gara, a counter‐ terrorism analyst with the Henry Jackson Society for‐ eign policy think tank, said: “I would say her change of clothes are a soft tactic ad‐ vised by her legal team to try to win back the hearts and minds of the British public.” However, Ms Be‐ gum’s lawyer said the claims were untrue.
SHAMIMA BEGUM: Is now dressing in a different fashion.
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Refused schooling
THE parents of two children in Asturias are facing 11 months in prison for failing to take them to school due to the coron‐ avirus pandemic. The children, aged 11 and 14, have not been to school or high school yet this academic year, the Public Prosecutor in Asturias has reported. The Minors’ Section of the Prosecutor’s Office has charged them with family abandonment and disobedience. A hearing was held on De‐ cember 14, in which the prose‐ cutor reminded them that home schooling is not permitted in Spain. They were also told that repeatedly failing to take their children to school could consti‐ tute a crime. Despite this, after the Christ‐ mas holidays, they were still not taken to school, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Education confirmed, except on one occasion on which the older child went to take an exam. They appeared in court in February and a judge allowed the case to go ahead. Now, each
SCHOOL WORK: Was being done through distance learning. of the parents is facing 11 months in prison, but remain firm in their decision. The Prosecutor’s Office con‐ siders that their reasoning for not sending them to school is ‘incoherent.’ They include the use of masks and social distanc‐ ing, the parents said “the limita‐ tions on contact and movement imposed by the health mea‐ sured derived from the pandem‐ ic prevent motor and neurologi‐ cal development necessary for the cognitive capacities vital to
Snow Day in Alicante
DURING an unnaturally cold period for the Costa Blanca, some afternoon classes in the Alicante city of Banyeres had to be can‐ celled due to heavy snowfall in the region. The entire interior of the province was on alert for very cold temperatures and snow on Thursday afternoon, March 18, with the storm sweeping through the coast by the middle of the weekend.
Rise in number of foreign workers THE Spanish Ministry of Integration, Social Security, and Migration reveals that Moroccans top the list for the number of non-EU foreign workers registered with the Social Security. Data for the end of February this year shows that there were 264,304 Moroccans registered on the Social Security in Spain, followed by Chinese workers, with 97,064. The total number of foreigners affiliated to the Spanish Social Security system was revealed to be 2,053,997 people in February, which is 0.46 per cent more than in January. Out of all the foreign workers contributing to the Social Security in Spain, around 64 per cent are from non-EU countries. Romania is the EU country with the highest number of workers contributing to the Social Security, with 325,024, followed by Italy, with 120,515. The majority of the registered foreign workers from all country, both in the EU and non-EU, are men, with 57.25 per cent. Most of the workers are under the general regime, with 1.68 million, mainly in the agricultural sector (238,294) and domestic staff (164,168), while there are numerous self-employed workers (365,999) a figure which has risen 4.9 per cent since last year.
learning to be expanded.” They added that social distancing causes a “lack of trust” while “prevent the development of empathy and social skills.” According to local Spanish news source El Comercio, the parents have said that seeing people with masks all the time prevents proper communication and integration. They had registered the chil‐ dren in a distance learning sys‐ tem based in the USA that is not authorised in Spain.
Huge Explosion AN explosion at a govern‐ ment office in China has left several people dead. The explosion hap‐ pened at about 10am lo‐ cal time on Monday March 22 ‐ according to the local public security office. Harrowing footage from inside the building showed bodies lying un‐ derneath rubble and blood on the walls. One witness told Beijing Tou Tiao she was working when she heard an explo‐ sion and the sound of glass smashing. “After the incident, Pa‐ nyu police quickly dis‐ patched personnel to the scene and coordinated with the local govern‐ ment to carry out rescue work with fire and medi‐ cal departments,” said the public security office. The wounded were tak‐ en to the hospital for treatment, and the police are now fully investigat‐ ing the case.
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Lack of equipment THE association, Apandapt, has complained that diagnosis of children with profound deafness has been delayed for a year and not only due to the pandemic, but also, as they have been informed by the otorhinolaryngology department of Toledo Hospital, because the device has been out of order for three months. It has been faulty for a long time, they said, and had undergone many repairs, but now, the device which determines definitively by neuroelectric tests if a baby is deaf, is beyond repair. No such tests have been carried out at the hospital since mid-December and approximately 130 children are awaiting it. Until a new one arrives, the date for which is unknown, the hospital told ABC that it would refer patients to other hospitals in the region, but only if necessary. Meanwhile, the association complains that early detection in newborns is essential for their future.
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Northern Rival Soap
DEAFNESS: Early detection in newborns is essential.
€100 Million funding OFFICIALS in Andalucia announced that €100 million in funding will be received to go towards tourism, including around €5 million that will go towards travel agencies. Vice President of the Junta, Juan Marin, said the funding will also help the hotel industry, as well as other sectors. He said businesses will be able to apply for the grants in April. According to one publication, the EU is about to agree to a Covid passport scheme to allow Brits who have been vaccinated - or who can prove they have the antibodies - to travel abroad later in the year. Countries including Portugal and Greece have already made known their desire to allow fully jabbed Brits back in from the middle of May, and it was also revealed previously by Matt Hancock, that the government has been busy trying to reopen international travel by discussing the possibility of producing a common certificate that could be used by all countries for that purpose. However, that may now be after June 30.
BBC: Has plans for two new long-running dramas. THE BBC have revealed future plans by the corporation to relocate vast areas of their network across different parts of England in order to boost regional appeal. Included in the plans is the production of two new network long-running dramas, along with a soap opera which will be set in the north of England, that the BBC hopes can compete with ITV’s top soaps, Emmerdale and Coronation Street, to be filmed on location up north, as reported by the national UK daily, The Sun. The report also says that another drama series could be in the pipeline to be filmed in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, and that viewers can look forward to a noticeable shift in the portrayal of different parts of the UK in comedy, drama, and factual shows. A source told The Sun, “We’re still working through the exact detail but we expect it to be a long-running show. That could mean anything from a weekly programme to 30 episodes a year, but that’s all to be worked out.”
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Spring Is In The Air IT may not feel too springlink throughout much of Spain at the moment as an arctic band has brought cool temperatures, rain and even snow to much of the country. But fear not, as from Saturday, March 20 the thermometers will gradually start to creep up and the days will get longer and longer as we approach the spring equinox. Winter will officially end at 10.37am on Saturday and a new season will be with us for 92 days and 18 hours, until June 21, when we will once again welcome summer, according to the National Astronomical Observatory. According to the Real Observatorio de Madrid, as we enter the spring season on March 20, Jupiter and Saturn will shine brightly in the sky at dawn, while Mars should be visible at dusk. Stargazers can observe Jupiter from May onwards while Mercury will make a brief appearance later in the month.
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Queen ‘to Hire Diversity Tsar’ €3 Million Health Fraud
THE monarch is reportedly keen for the royal family to progress following racism claims, with the Queen planning on hiring a diversity tsar. A source has said the move could be made to show “more needs to be done” across the households as they “haven't seen the progress [they] would like.” A royal source said: “Diversity is an issue which has been taken very seriously across the Royal Households.
ROYAL FAMILY: Lots of measures are being considered.
“We have the policies, the procedures and programmes
Wrong Direction TWO drivers lost their lives on Saturday night, March 20 in a head‐on collision caused by one of the vehicles travelling in the wrong direction down the A‐2 motorway near the Madrid town of Alcala de Henares. When the emergency health services arrived at the scene, the two drivers, identified as 35 and 38‐year‐old men, were pronounced dead, according to Emergencias 112 Comunidad de Madrid. At 10.00pm on Saturday, 112 received several calls indicat‐ ing that a vehicle was travelling in the opposite direction on the A2, coming out of Madrid. Moments later, Emergencias received a call to say there had been a serious crash at kilo‐ metre 28 of the Barcelona motorway.
in place but we haven’t seen the progress we would like and more needs to be done, we can always improve. “The work to do this has been underway for some time now and comes with the full support of the family. “Lots of measures are being considered. Certainly the idea of someone to spearhead this work and look at diversity/inclusion across the three households is something that has to be considered.” The move comes following an interview between Oprah and Prince Harry and Meghan in which Meghan alleged their son had not been given a royal title because of his skin colour.
OFFICERS from the Guardia Civil have arrest‐ ed four people in an alleged €3 million health equipment fraud. Police said they are also investigating an‐ other person for the alleged crimes of fraud and belonging to a criminal organisation. The arrests took place after the group is said to have defrauded a company of more than €2.7 million in the sale of medical gloves. The gang allegedly showed the company more than 260 pallets loaded with what they
claimed were boxes of gloves in Valencia. They then charged the Spanish company more than €2.7 million for the 330,000 boxes of gloves, which were then going to be sent to France to be used by health workers. According to police, while several boxes did contain gloves, the other were filled with sand. During the police searches they discov‐ ered 330,000 boxes as well as computers. The investigation was carried out by police in Valencia as well as in France.
Anti-Trafficking Legislation
Cancer Research UK
JUST days after the Minister of Equality Irene Mon‐ tero announced that she had begun working on a comprehensive law against trafficking, the PSOE held a conference on the ‘Fight Against Trafficking and Prostitution’ on Sunday, March 21. The secre‐ tary of Equality of the PSOE and first vice president of the government, Carmen Calvo, presented at the conference and said she plans to introduce the new legislation after the May 4 elections. Calvo stressed the need to implement legislation that protects the human rights of women and that “prevents prostitution in our country,” which is the “only way” to work internationally against traffick‐ ing in women and minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
THE weather may have been distinctly un‐spring like this weekend, with pouring rain, low tempera‐ tures and strong winds, but that didn’t stop Reece Donovan from getting out and pounding the pave‐ ments to raise money for a good cause. Personal trainer Reece embarked on the gruelling 4x4x48 challenge, developed by David Goggins, which in‐ volves running four miles every four hours over a 48‐hour period. “Everybody knows someone who has been af‐ fected by cancer”: this is what motivated Reece to take on the challenge and the undaunted fitness guru raised a whopping €2,025 for the Gibraltar branch of Cancer Research UK, which he presented to Giovi Vinales of CRUK‐GIB in the World Trade Centre. CRUK‐GIB is fully transparent about where the funds go and what your money is doing to ensure that ‘Together we will beat cancer.’
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A Very Happy Tail Jab Confidence
FIREFIGHTERS from the Con‐ sell de Ibiza spent hours rescu‐ ing a cat and a dog on Sunday morning, March 21 that fell in‐ to a well about 20 metres deep, according to officials. The distressed owner of one
of the animals contacted the Fire Station to report that their pet had become trapped when their dog was chasing the cat and both plummeted into the uncovered hole. A specialist of the Vertical
Rescue Group (GRV) of the Ibiza firefighters descended the 20‐metre drop to rescue the animals. Once the feline was secured, the officer went back down to get the dog, a 30 kilo Labrador called Lua. Officials reported that both animals were uninjured; by a stroke of luck, the well was dry, otherwise both the cat and dog would most likely have per‐ ished. After a three hour rescue, Lua was returned to her own‐ ers, while the cat was trans‐ ported to a rescue centre.
THE president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology, Amos Rojas García has proposed that all politicians should be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jab in order to increase the confidence of the public in the vaccination. Experts believe the image of the UK-developed jab has been severely damaged after its use was temporarily suspended following fears that it may lead to lifethreatening blood clots. The European Medicines Agency has assured that the
JAB: Safe and effective. jab is safe and effective, and Spain will begin reusing it on March 24. But Amós García Rojas, an epidemiologist and vaccinolo-
gist, has warned that unless drastic action is taken, Spaniards will begin refusing the controversial jab, as is already happening in the UK.
‘New Normal’ Decree
THE Congress of Deputies in Spain on Wednesday, March 17 formal‐ ly approved the Draft Law of urgent prevention, containment and coordination measures to face the health crisis caused by Covid‐19, more commonly known as the decree of the ‘new normal’. The law was passed with 199 votes in favour, 91 against and 57 abstentions. One of the most important measures agreed upon is the obliga‐ tion of all those over the age of six to wear a mask in outdoor spaces, on public roads and in closed public spaces regardless of
whether a 1.5 metre distance can be maintained. With regard to manufacturers and holders of marketing authori‐ sations for those medicines considered essential in the manage‐ ment of coronavirus, the decree states that they must communi‐ cate to the Directorate of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) the available ‘stock’, the quantity supplied in the last week and the forecast of release and receipt of batches of them, including estimated dates and quantities.
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Arrest due to Blackmail
NATIONAL POLICE arrested 57 people throughout Spain for allegedly blackmailing users of websites providing sexual services. The detainees, mainly op‐ erating in Malaga, Madrid and Valencia, demanded amounts ranging from €100
to €80,000 from their victims and had made up to €650,000. Their MO was to place false ads on sexual contacts’ websites. After the victims contacted them via an in‐ stant messaging application or phone calls, the person
supposedly in charge of the brothel would restart the conversation a few days later and demand money for wasting their time by not coming to their appointment with the girls. The victims were then in‐ timidated and threatened so they paid up, thinking this would end the situation. However, they continued to receive threats and demands for more money, until even‐ tually they ignored the mes‐ sages and filed complaints. They are charged with 243 crimes in total. Some of those collecting the money had initially been victims and forced to work for the crimi‐ nal organisation, saying that they were intimidated by the leaders. Most of the detainees were from African countries and the Dominican Republic. Many of them had criminal records for similar crimes and some had warrants against them. Computers and phones were seized, which allowed police to con‐ tact the victims.
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Nazi confiscation
A WATCH taken from a Catalan man by the Nazis has been re‐ turned after 70 years. The reunion came about af‐ ter a display of items taken from prisoners by the Nazis at Catalo‐ nia’s Memorial Museum of Ex‐ ile. Around a 10th of the objects in the Memorial Museum of Ex‐ ile belonged to Catalan and
Joan Llado was a Catalan exile.
Spanish victims, with 1,904 Catalans having been killed by the Nazis. Born in Manresa on Decem‐ ber 13, 1914, Joan Llado was a Catalan exile who fought during the Second World War. Shortly after leaving Spain following the Spanish Civil War, he was arrest‐ ed in France before being im‐ prisoned and dying.
Virtual Children’s Currency Vaccination Trials THE Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona and the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu are looking for healthy children and adolescents to participate in multicentre clinical trials on vaccines against the SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus. The study is currently looking for minors aged between five and 17 years of age. According to the Institute’s website, the objective of the research into the Covid vaccines is to establish its effective‐ ness in preventing the virus in children and adolescents. The safety and efficacy of these vaccines have already been proven in adults under strict safety measures, and they are currently being administered to the adult population of our country, the experts say.
THE Clickoin company in Huelva, has the technology to launch a ‘virtual wallet’ which will allow for social benefits to be con‐ trolled so they are used for the purpose for which they were in‐ tended. As reported in a local Andalucia news source, the money received has traceability and the system it‐ self stops it from being spent on any other. Those who put €50 into the vir‐ tual wallet receive €10 extra to spend in local businesses to help the economy.
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Spain Legalises Euthanasia Money raised for teacher
THE euthanasia law was approved by the Congress of Deputies in Spain on Thursday, March 18 following the support of the majority of parliamentary groups, with the exception of VOX, the Partido Popular, Foro Asturias and UPN. With the favourable vote, Spain has be-
come the fourth country in Europe and the sixth in the world to legalise the practice. The law will be published in the Official State Boletin this month and will allow legal access to assisted death to Spanish nationals and residents from June this year. The euthanasia law will allow
those of legal age suffering from ‘a serious and incurable disease’ or a ‘serious, chronic and incapacitating condition’ which causes ‘constant and intolerable physical or psychological suffering’ request help to die. Only those considered to be capable and aware of their decision by a medical professional will be allowed to access the law, and each autonomous community will be tasked with setting up an Evaluation and Monitoring Committee to ensure that this regulation is strictly adhered to. The new law covers both assisted suicide, for patients who are capable of ending their own lives, and euthanasia in cases where a medical professional must carry out the procedure. The process can be carried out in a hospital or private home, but minors will definitely not be euthanised. While autonomous communities will be obliged to ensure the service is available to those who wish to avail of it, the law will stipulate health care workers have the ‘individual right not to meet those demands for health action regulated in this law incompatible with their own convictions.’
A STUDENT from California, USA, has raised more than €22,000 for a former teacher who he discovered was living in his car. Jose Villarruel, who was forced to resign in May 2020, received the gift on his 77th birthday thanks to a former
TEACHER: Was forced out of work during the pandemic.
student who discovered that he was living in his car due to the closure of schools during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Steven Nava saw his for‐ mer teacher parked in the same place for several days and asked him why. He gave
him $300 (€250) and launched a campaign on Go Fund Me, with which he raised the money in just six days. He tweeted about his aim to help the former teach‐ er and got a huge amount of support.
Speed Fiend Breaks Record
POLICE in Barcelona couldn’t believe their eyes last week when a high‐end BMW was clocked travelling at an eye‐ watering 256 km per hour on the AP‐7 motorway outside Tarragona. As well as driving at more than twice the speed limit, the 48‐year‐old Spanish man was found to have been under the influence of cocaine at the time he was caught. The Mossos d’Esquadra reported that the man sped in a 120kph zone where there wasn’t much traffic, and accord‐ ing to a photo posted to their official social media account, the suspect was driving a BMW M2 CS with a 450‐horse‐ power six cylinder twin‐turbo engine. The speed fiend from Olerdola in Barcelona could now face a prison sentence of between six months and two years, a suspension from driving for up to two years, as well as a hefty fine for the drug charges, reckless driving and crimes against road safety.
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Why it’s time to ‘think local’ for your financial planning Just as UK citizens lost automatic EU freedom of movement on 1 January, many UK financial businesses lost the right to provide banking and investment services within the EU. If you are Spanish resident but still use a UK bank account, other financial products or a UKbased financial adviser, make sure you check where you – and your money – stand. UK financial services and Brexit Before Brexit, UK firms could legally provide financial services to Britons living in the EU through ‘passporting’, which included a commitment to meet EU minimum standards and consumer protections. Now that the UK is free to make its own rules those passporting rights have been withdrawn. As a result, some UK firms – including banks, insurance companies, investment providers and financial advisers – could be breaking the law by working with EU residents. Whether this affects all UK
By Gerald Turner, Partner, Blevins Franks
firms depends on various factors, including how a company is structured and where it is based. Those with headquarters in an EU country can retain their passporting licence and operate as before. However, wholly UK-based firms supporting EU-resident clients will likely need to restructure and form agreements with the financial regulators for each EU/EEA country they operate in. Negotiations on financial services are ongoing, so the
UK and EU may still reach an agreement. Some companies may be holding out for this; others have already withdrawn from EU markets. Some major UK banks have informed EU-based clients they can no longer provide services and closed accounts. Others have kept accounts/policies open but suspended activity or allow them to run until the end of their term. How might this affect you? If you hold a British bank account, insurance policy, investment or other financial product and your provider hasn’t contacted you, ask them what arrangements they have in place for Spain. If your account hasn’t been closed, is it frozen? In some cases, while EU citizens can retain accounts and make withdrawals, you may be restricted from adding or moving funds or renewing policies. If you still use a UK-based financial adviser, check they are licensed to support you as
a Spanish resident. Besides the legal implications – and whether you are protected if things go wrong – some EU financial institutions have stopped accepting instructions from UK-based providers which could significantly limit your planning options. Post-Brexit financial planning for Spain Besides the financial services issue, there are other key benefits to thinking more local for your finances. Still holding on to UK investments? Now that UK assets are no longer EU/EEA assets, they could attract a higher tax bill within the EU. Own UK property? EU residents remain in the firing line for UK stamp duty and capital gains tax. Meanwhile, Spanish residents have access to opportunities that can offer better tax-efficiency and other benefits. What about UK pensions? You may be better off leaving them in the UK and drawing income as needed. UK pension income can still be paid into
an EU account, but it is paid in sterling so the value could be adversely affected by exchange rates and costs. Explore whether you may benefit from transferring funds out of the UK into a tax-efficient structure for Spain. Doing so could also unlock currency flexibility and estate planning benefits, but take regulated advice. It has never been more important to ensure your financial arrangements are compliant and suitable for your life in Spain. A specialist, locallybased adviser is best placed to help you take advantage of suitable opportunities here and secure financial peace of mind. Blevins Franks accepts no liability for any loss resulting from any action or inaction or omission as a result of reading this article, which is general in nature and not specific to your circumstances. You can find other financial advisory articles by visiting our website here www.blevins franks.com.
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Super-fast travel FOUNDED in 2016, Valencian company Zeleros has taken a huge step forward with its futuristic ‘hyperloop’ vehicle, a means of transport which travels by suspending capsules capable of speeds between 1,000 and 1,200 kilometres per hour. The company’s revolutionary six-metre-long model has already been displayed at the Science Museum, and in Octo-
ber it will move to the prestigious Spanish pavilion at Expo Dubai. According to the founder and CEO of the company, David Pistoni, the concept of super-fast travel for people and goods is not a new concept, but recent technology means that the prototype could become a reality.
CAPSULE: Has been on display at the Science Museum.
Changes to Highway Code SPAIN’S General Traffic Department (DGT) plans changes to the Highway Code. The main changes are to the points system on driving licences, which has been in place since 2005, and to roadside assistance rules, according to government spokesperson Maria Jesus Montero following the presentation of the changes to the Council of Ministers. The changes are most likely to come into effect before the end of this year. The main changes are as follows: Loss of points for driving while holding a mobile phone: six points (up from the previous
three points) with a fine of €200. Using a mobile phone while driving but not holding it leads to the loss of three points. Not using a seatbelt, car seat, helmet or other protection, or not using them properly: four points (up from three). Use of radar detectors: three points. Overtaking: It is no longer allowed for cars or motorbikes to travel at 20km/h over the speed limit when overtaking other vehicles on conventional roads. Time to restore the original 12
points if no offences are committed: two years (as long as not all points have been lost) . Two points can be recovered for doing DGT-certified safe driving courses. Use of unauthorised intercommunication devices during driving exams: €500 fine and sixmonth ban from taking the exam again. Transport companies: Will be able to access their staff’s details to check if they have a valid licence. Emergency triangles will be
ERC Spokesperson THINGS got pretty heated at the most recent meeting of the Government of Congress when the Spanish President, Pedro Sanchez, angrily criticised the comments of outspoken spokesperson for Esquerra Republicana (ERC) Gabriel Rufián. To a rapt audience, Mr Rufián said that if the world’s democracies were houses, Spain would surely be considered “a shanty,” and accused the Central Government of “protecting and even helping the king and the infantas of stealing vaccines.” The spokesperson was referring to the recent controversy surrounding the daughters of disgraced former Spanish king Juan Carlos I. The Infantas Elena and Cristina reportedly flew to Adu Dhabi to visit their father at the beginning of February and were vaccinated against coronavirus while there. It was not revealed whether his daughters received one or both doses of the vaccine, but according to the national vaccination strategy, Elena and Cristina are not part of the population eligible to receive the vaccine yet. Pedro Sanchez hit back at Mr Rufián, stating that while there are certainly things that could be improved within Spanish democracy, calling it a “shanty” was disrespectful. “Democracy is the footprint and memory of many people who died fighting against fascism and for freedom,” the Prime Minister said. “Let’s not call that a shack, Your Honour, for the memory and dignity of the generations that the different parties that are here represent.”
substituted by the V-16 beacon: the siren-like beacon can be placed on top of the vehicle without getting out of it. It will be obligatory in Spain from 2026.
Gibraltar Vaccination Record GIBRALTAR has now become the first nation in the world to see its entire adult population vaccinated against the coron‐ avirus. Speaking at the House of Commons Health Secretary Matt Hancock spoke of how the milestone had been reached in the British territory. Hancock said that, “I am de‐ lighted to be able to tell the house that yesterday, Gibraltar became the first nation in the world to complete its entire adult vaccination programme. “I want to pay tribute to all Gibraltarians for their fortitude during this crisis and the kind words of first minister Fabian Pi‐ cardo, who said yesterday ‘the United Kingdom has played a blinder on vaccinations and we are among the beneficiaries in the British family of nations.” According to the World Health Organisation since the start of the pandemic Gibraltar has been hit with just over 4,000 cases. The population of Gibraltar comes is around 34,000 people and 94 Gibraltarians have sadly died due to the virus.
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Elton slams Vatican stance First Cross-Transplant
THE multiple Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Elton John vented his anger on social media after Pope Francis decreed the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions. The iconic singer criticised the Vatican for investing millions in his 2019 biopic that celebrated his love story with husband David Furnish. The furious legendary musician hit out at the church’s recently-announced position on LGBT unions, and tweeted: “How can the Vatican refuse to bless gay marriages
because they ‘are sin,’ yet happily make a profit from investing millions in ‘Rocketman’ - a film which celebrates my finding happiness from my marriage to David??” According to NewsWeek, the Vatican reportedly invested large sums of money into the production, citing $1.2 million (€1.01 million) going towards financing Rocketman ahead of its release. Rocketman was celebrated in most parts of the world winning John and longtime
collaborator Bernie Taupin an Oscar for Best Original Song and grossing $195 million (€164 million) globally but its gay content also generated controversy in Russia and Samoa. The 73-year-old singer’s statement regarding the Vatican’s stance comes after the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), said on Monday, March 15, that the Church doesn’t have the power to bless same-sex unions and therefore such blessings cannot ‘be considered illicit’ if carried out.
Off-Duty Cop Risks Life AN off‐duty National Police officer belonging to the Special Operations Group (GOES) risked his life on Wednesday (March 17) to rescue a worker who was stuck on a detached cradle on the 12th floor of a tower block building in Valencia. The incident occurred at around 9am when the officer responded to the employee’s calls for help, and even upon seeing how risky the situation was, with the broken cradle hanging precariously on just one wire, the brave officer entered the building and made his way up to the corresponding floor to try
and give assistance to the stranded worker. With no fear or doubt about the dangerous predicament he was placing himself in, the officer first used a cable to secure himself before reaching down to grab the workman’s hand and haul him up to safety. The actions of this brave officer, even while off‐ duty, just goes to show the respect they give to their badge when they join the force, pledging to dedicate themselves to the safety and the lives of the public during times of danger.
IN a history making trans‐ plant for Spain, a young girl has received a kidney cross‐ transplant. The pioneering surgery was carried out at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu along with the Hospital Clínic. This is the first paediatric kidney transplant of its type which has taken place in Spain between people that have blood groups which are incompatible. The surgery was performed by the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Es‐ plugues de Llobregat, and the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona. The hospitals explained that they were successfully able to take an adult kidney from a patient in Sevilla and transplant it into an eight‐ year‐old girl who lives in Es‐ plugues, Candela. The girl has suffered with kidney is‐ sues since she was only 20 months old. The young girl previously had a kidney transplant when she was four years old but sadly though, after only
24 hours the kidney devel‐ oped thrombosis and the young girl had to spend a further four years using dial‐ ysis. The cross‐transplant pro‐ gramme saw the girl’s father happily donate a kidney to
the recipient in Sevilla. Cross‐transplantation, often referred to as a domino transplants involves two or more incompatible donors ‐ recipients which then create a domino effect of trans‐ plants.
West Nile Virus War ANDALUCIA is set for an all‐out war against the West Nile virus and the Regional Health Ministry is working on preparations for a strategic plan which aims to reduce the diseases that can be transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes. Control of the virus will be one of the priorities of the pro‐ gramme which is due to be launched this month. Andalucia will be focusing on the Nile fever control pro‐ gramme as a priority as they prepare for emerging diseases due to ongoing globalisation and climate change. The West Nile Fever programme will classify areas of An‐ dalucia as low, medium or high risk. This will enable au‐ thorities to carry out appropriate surveillance and preven‐ tative and control measures in order to control the impact of the disease.
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Valuable information website for older and vulnerable British people living in Spain expands into the Costa Blanca and Murcia THE Support in Spain website (www.supportinspain.info), run in collaboration with the British Embassy, aims to help with the welfare challenges of the foreignresident population and is being launched over the next two
weeks at a series of virtual events for voluntary groups and social workers in and around the Costa Blanca and Murcia. The site contains useful information on how to get extra support and help on a wide range of
topics, such as healthcare, disability services and benefits, as well as providing a directory of local support organisations. The service was designed in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and the British Em-
bassy Madrid, and has had over 90,000 visitors since it first launched. British Consul Sarah-Jane Morris said: “There is some incredible work carried out by so many volunteers across the Costa Blanca and Murcia to support foreign residents who are in need. This website will be a valuable tool to support voluntary groups in their work and for residents as well. “It is always useful to plan ahead for the future. Many of us see our or our friends’ personal circumstances change and this website is a really good way to check
up on the help that’s available.” The virtual launch events are taking place on Monday March 29 in Costa Blanca South and Tuesday March i30 n Murcia. The events will be hosted by the British Consulate in Alicante and Neil Hesketh of the Support in Spain project. Neil Hesketh said: “The site is in Spanish, as well as English, so that social workers, medical staff and Spanish-speaking friends can, for the first time, access information on English-speaking
support available.” Website address: www.sup portinspain.info More information: info@sup portinspain.info Support in Spain project background The Support in Spain website is the result of a close cooperation between the British Embassy and the School of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham. The original project set out to research the issues older and vulnerable British people face while living in Spain and to suggest possible solutions to help prevent them becoming socially isolated in the future. One of the conclusions of the study was the need to develop a website that included all the contact information of the different voluntary groups and Spanish statutory authorities available locally, as well as helpful advice on common questions, such as how to secure extra social care, help for a disability or assistance with paperwork in Spanish. The project was funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The content of the website currently covers the Costa del Sol, Almeria, the Canaries, the Balearics, coastal towns and cities in Catalonia, and now the Costa Blanca and Murcia. It is published in Spanish as well as English and has had over 90,000 visitors since it was launched.
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Boy goes to Court
THE Home Office has been taken to the High Court by a five‐year‐old black British boy who is arguing that fami‐ lies like his are being racially discriminated against when they are denied access to benefits. The boy’s lawyers on Wednesday March 17 argued
in court that the no recourse to public funds (NRPF) policy put in place by the Home Of‐ fice is unlawful as it denies access to benefits for some groups of migrants. Adam Hundt, a partner at Deighton Pierce Glynn solici‐ tors, who are representing the young boy said, “This
European Tree of the Year
AN ancient holm oak in the small town of Lecina, in Huesca, has been declared European Tree of the Year. The tree, which is more than 1,000 years old, had already received an award at a national level, before competing with another 13 trees from throughout the continent. It won hands down in a vote held online, the results of which were announced on Wednesday, March 17. The holm oak in Lecina, a tiny town, received 104,264 votes, almost 30,000 more than the runner‐up, a Banana tree in Curinga, Italy. Over the centuries it has given shade and shelters to many, and is now around 16.5 metres tall and its branches spread over an area of 615m2.
policy is creating an under‐ class of black British children, which is outrageous. “The only reason the five‐ year‐old boy in this case is being treated differently from his white friends is be‐ cause his mum came to the UK from somewhere else. We are asking the court for the policy to be quashed and for a public inquiry into NRPF.” The Home Office have de‐ fended the policy and a spokesperson explained that, “The policy of no re‐ course to public funds has been upheld by successive governments, and maintains that those seeking to estab‐ lish their family life in the UK must do so on a basis that prevents burdens on the tax‐ payer and promotes integra‐ tion. People with leave under family and human rights routes can apply, free of charge, to have no recourse to public funds conditions lifted.”
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New ‘H’ plates
THE General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is working with the Spanish Federation of Antique Vehicles (FEVA) to change the legislation of classic cars ‐ those that are over 20 years old. The measure, which has
not yet been made official, will see the letter ‘H’ added to the end of registration plates, to indicate that it is an older/classic vehicle. The change is expected to apply to around six million cars and mopeds in Spain,
Ski resort forced to close
THE Navacerrada ski resort in Madrid has confirmed that it has been forced to close for good. The Puerto de Navacerrada, the company which manages the facilities, confirmed that despite talks with the govern‐ ment to attempt to find another solution, it will have to close, leaving hundreds of people jobless. Staff had hoped that there would be negotiations so that the pistes not affected by the government’s environmental position for not renewing the concession could remain open, but this hasn’t been the case. The company calls the decision “political” and “arbitrary” and considers that it lacks foundation, while adding that the closure will not help the surrounding area, as the ski resort is part of the heritage of the Sierra de Guadarrama area as well as being its financial engine.
which have also recently been targeted by regulatory changes in environmental matters in Madrid. According to FEVA, a meeting was held with the DGT on February 25 with the aim of ‘improving the legis‐ lation on collector vehicles.’ “FEVA’s objective is to simplify and reduce the cost of the historical registration process so that no vehicle is left out of it depending on its value,” said FEVA in a statement. FEVA said adapting licence plates is a necessary mea‐ sure in view of the latest en‐ vironmental regularisations which centre around the age of a vehicle. “With the new licence plate, the first step is taken to find a new specific legisla‐ tion for these types of cars and motorcycles. Another of FEVA’s objectives is to avoid the current environmental label that limits the circula‐ tion of the most polluting vehicles.”
Drunk Driving instructor LOCAL POLICE in Sevilla were forced to intervene when a driving instructor wanted to teach a lesson while drunk. At around 11.15am on Wednesday, March 17, the 46-year-old man met with his student. He fully intended to teach the lesson, but when the woman saw the state he was in, she refused to start, which led to an argument. A resident in the area who was passing by, witnessed the scene and approached the vehicle. He had already seen the instructor leaving a bar before he got to the car. When he saw the state of the in-
Man was not fit to drive. structor, he removed the car keys and called the Local Police. Officers immediately arrived on the scene and saw that the man was obviously drunk. He was given a breathalyser test which showed that he was six times over the legal alcohol limit.
Mercadona Jobs
RETAIL giant Mercadona has announced the creation of a range of new jobs throughout the country in the run‐up to Easter and summer 2021. The company is currently sourcing staff for various establish‐ ments and positions all across Spain and full details of all the avail‐ able opportunities can be found on the Mercadona website. The main positions on offer are for supermarket staff to serve at the tills and replenish stock, while the company is also recruit‐ ing warehouse personnel.
NEWS
PRINCESS Leonor first solo engagement
P R I N C ES S of Asturias, Leonor, will preside over her very first solo engagement next week as she commemo‐ rates the 30th anniversary of the Instituto Cervantes, the royal household announced on Thursday, March 18. Arranged by her father King Felipe VI, the event will see the princess taking a tour of the facilities at the Institu‐ to Cervantes, where she will have the opportunity to learn about the digitalisation pro‐ jects that it carries out and to visit an exhibition with a sample of outstanding works of literature in the different languages of Spain. The official engagement may be one of the only cere‐ monies the 15‐year‐old princess takes part in as she is set to fly to Wales at the end of the summer to begin studying the International Baccalaureate programme of the United World Colleges (UWC) educational institu‐ tion at the UWC Atlantic Col‐ lege.
26 EWN
25 - 31 March 2021
www.euroweeklynews.com
EUROPEAN PRESS
EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK
FRANCE
Sugardating
Repatriated painting
A SURVEY undertaken by research centre VIVE on 1,732 people aged between 18 and 30 discovered that 50 per cent believe that it is acceptable to agree to sugardate which is defined as a young person having sex for money or gifts with somebody considerably older.
A GUSTAV KLIMT painting purchased in auction by the Musée d’Orsay in Paris in 1980 is to be returned to the descendants of original Jewish owner Nora Stiasny who was forced to sell it to a Nazi sympathiser after the Germans invaded Austria in 1938.
NETHERLANDS Janssen vaccine
NORWAY Allowed out
THE Dutch health council has recommended that the single dose Janssen vaccine developed in Holland by Johnson and Johnson should be given to the over 60s and those at risk from medical problems. The vaccine is said to be 66 per cent effective.
UNLIKE many European governments who allow ministers to travel abroad, Norway has only now granted an exemption to its Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide, allowing her to travel to a NATO meeting in Brussels where she will meet new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
BELGIUM
FINLAND
Space cheese
5G boost
A FARM in Flanders, ‘t Groendal, thought it was being hoaxed when contacted to supply cheese to NASA but eventually accepted that American astronaut Shannon Walker had chosen as one of her ‘luxuries’ to take some of their cheese on board the International Space Station.
TECHNOLOGY giant Nokia has announced that it will reduce its international workforce by up to 10,000 people in order to reduce costs by an expected €600 million, but will recruit additional staff at its Finnish HQ in order to expand its 5G capability.
GERMANY
SWEDEN
No segregation
Tested positive
FOR more than 50 years, Germany has opened special workshops to employ people with physical or mental disabilities, but now they are under threat from both the UN and EU due to policy that disabled people should not be segregated but be assimilated into the workforce.
CROWN PRINCESS Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden tested positive for Covid-19 and although the Royal Court confirmed that they were only suffering from mild symptoms, the royal couple along with their two children were immediately quarantined in their home.
FINANCE Tax repayment THE Spanish Supreme Court has sided with the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund (which invests more than €1 trillion of income generated by the countries oil and gas income) by agreeing that the Spanish Government must refund tax on dividends earned from shareholdings in Spain.
Inditex LATEST breakdown of Inditex profits in 2020 show that Spain continues to be far and away its largest market accounting for 46 per cent of profits which amounted to €640 million before tax but in the USA, it actually found business difficult with turnover dropping significantly.
Rapid inflation FOLLOWING in the footsteps of Zimbabwe and before that Germany between the wars, the Venezuelan Government is having to introduce larger and larger bank notes to cope with out-of-control inflation, with the latest being a 200,000 bolivar note in a country rich in oil.
Bank mergers ONCE again, Pablo Hernández de Cos, Governor of the Bank of Spain has publicly stated that he believes that in order to survive in a post-Covid world, Spanish banks need to strengthen their balance sheets and to do this, must look to merge with other banks.
Loot boxes THE growth in the sale of video games has also seen the introduction of paid for reward areas known as loot boxes which may contain special prizes. The Spanish Government considers that this is a form of gambling and is particularly worried about the early introduction of young players into the concept of paying to gamble for a special prize or gift. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is therefore inviting the public and industry insiders to give their opinions on how to regulate and perhaps tax these games.
STAT OF WEEK
www.euroweeklynews.com • 25 - 31 March 2021
€400 million
is the amount that Santander Bank’s investment arm Mouro Capital has available to assist Fintech and companies in other sectors to expand.
Facial recognition
IATA wants a Spanish plan THE International Air Trans‐ port Association (IATA) has called on the government and politicians in Spain to agree a roadmap to restart air transport services once the health situation permits. The travel restrictions and quarantine measures intro‐ duced have dramatically af‐ fected air traffic to and from Spain meaning that demand in 2020 fell by 72 per cent. Tourism accounts for 12 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) and some 82 per cent of tourists arrive by air. The wider economy also benefits from aviation‐en‐ abled trade and business ac‐ tivity including the impor‐ tant international conference and trade fair sector, in which Spain is a global leader. IATA believes that Spain’s recovery cannot materialise without a restart of tourism and aviation, which means implementing policies which open up the country and enables trav‐
LEGALLY SPEAKING
ellers to avoid quarantine. It is vital that govern‐ ments manage the risk of importing Covid‐19 cases while ensuring travel is safe and vaccination and testing play a central role as they represent the best measures to give confidence to both governments and passen‐ gers. One way of doing this is to offer quick, easy and low‐ cost options for testing and increasing the roll‐out of vaccinations.
“We recognise that the government has a difficult balancing act between un‐ locking the economy and safeguarding public health. We are not demanding a date for border restrictions to be lifted. But Prime Minis‐ ter Pedro Sánchez and all policymakers in Spain must agree a vision for how inter‐ national travel can and will be restarted as the pandem‐ ic ends,” commented Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Region‐ al Vice President for Europe.
Budget black hole
Was their AGM legal? Our bowls club has split into two parts. The original club, by majority vote, has moved to new premises, taking with them all the club funds that amount to €25,000, all the equip‐ ment and all the assets. This was agreed by an email voting system at our AGM in October 2020. 1) Is it or is it not legal to use an email voting sys‐ tem for an AGM in the case of sports clubs? 2) Do Members who voted against the move have a right to any of the funds taken away? 3) Can those who carried out an illegal AGM voting system be sued for any part of the money taken? 4) In our Constitution it states that two‐thirds of ‘Members Present’ are required to amend our Con‐ stitution. The vote carried but was 5 per cent short of two‐thirds. T J (Costa Blanca)
DAVID SEARL
Voting by email is not ‘legal’. YOU AND THE LAW However, those IN SPAIN who lost the illegal election have little claim on the winners of it. Perhaps you can impugn the re‐ sults of the entire meeting. I urge you to consult a local lawyer who is versed in association legalities.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
EARLIER this year, Spanish clothing retailer Mango confirmed its commitment to being part of a more re‐ sponsible fashion industry by innovative use of sus‐ tainable processes. Its new denim collection saved 30 million litres of water and appealed not just to men and women but
Credit: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street flickr
BUSINESS EXTRA
28
Rishi Sunak with his red budget dispatch box. THE UK Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) considers that it has found a £4 billion (€4.5 bil‐ lion) ‘black hole’ in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s March budget figures. It says that the budget was not short of spending an‐ nouncements primarily aimed at support for individuals and businesses who have been ad‐ versely affected by the pan‐ demic, but little was said about spending on public services. Most of the decisions about this were made in the Novem‐ ber spending review, but the IFS suggests that buried in the Budget document and unmen‐ tioned in the Chancellor’s speech to the House, was a £4
billion a year cut to depart‐ ments’ non‐virus budgets from 2022−23 onwards, on top of the £10 to £13 billion cut from those spending plans in November. Whilst the Office for Budget Responsibility announced that overall cuts for so called ‘un‐ protected departments’ amounted to just 1 per cent, the IFS insists that the cuts amount to at least 3 per cent and possibly more. There seem to be two op‐ tions, either increase taxation or allow the cuts to go ahead which could hurt the govern‐ ment’s reputation if the amount is as large as the IFS believes.
Lower impact was rolled out for children as well. Now as part of its recognition that things have changed since the onset of the pandemic, it
is now launching its sec‐ ond new sporting line which is adapted to the growing need to wear more comfortable cloth‐ ing for being at home and
for practising sport. One of the key new fea‐ tures is that there are no knitted garments; instead, seamless finishes and lightweight fabrics pre‐
WHILST technology may be a boom to many, when it doesn’t work properly it can mean the loss of livelihood and serious problems according to the App Drivers & Couriers Union (AD‐ CU). In concert with the Worker In‐ fo Exchange, it has asked Mi‐ crosoft to suspend Uber’s li‐ cence to use its facial recognition and worker surveillance systems in the UK. It argues that as was demon‐ strated in the USA, there are er‐ rors of up to 20 per cent of tests on people of colour and this has already led to at least one driver in the UK being turned down by Uber and temporarily losing their TfL licence.
IAG needs funds WHILST rumours of im‐ pending bankruptcy are probably far from the mark, IAG is trying to raise anoth‐ er £1 billion (€1.15 billion) on the Dublin Stock Ex‐ change. The owner of British Air‐ ways, Iberia and Vueling raised £2.75 billion (€3.15 billion) in September of last year, but now needs to take into account losses from Aer Lingus, its other airline, of €563 million. There will be two bond issues, each of £500 million (€575 million) which it be‐ lieves it needs in order to increase liquidity and with‐ stand any prolonged down‐ turn in air travel dominate, which are com‐ bined with comfortably styled garments. The collection is de‐ signed to be worn for a wide range of sports disci‐ plines related to physical and mental well‐being in‐ cluding yoga, dance, medi‐ tation and pilates, as well as running.
30 EWN
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25 - 31 March 2021
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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 22
COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.148,00 1.149,00 Admiral Group 2.975,0 2.984,0 Anglo American 2.833,4 2.838,5 Antofagasta 1.746,94 1.756,00 Ashtead Group 4.298,5 4.310,0 Associated British Foods 2.398,0 2.409,0 AstraZeneca 7.197,3 7.214,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 574,41 575,00 Avast 477,40 478,00 Aveva 3.421,0 3.442,0 Aviva 395,20 395,95 B&M European Value Retail SA546,60 549,20 BAE Systems 486,90 493,20 Bank VTB DRC 0,981 0,982 Barclays 184,70 184,94 Barratt Developments 766,44 776,50 Berkeley 4.347,6 4.413,6 BHP Group 2.067,50 2.072,00 BP 304,69 305,60 British American Tobacco 2.783,0 2.786,4 British Land Company 512,80 516,20 BT Group 146,18 147,15 Bunzl 2.279,7 2.279,7 Burberry Group 2.043,0 2.052,0 Carnival 1.656,0 1.682,0 Centrica 52,82 52,92 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.239,0 2.280,0 Compass 1.452,10 1.465,14 CRH 3.266,0 3.269,0 Croda Intl 6.244,0 6.252,0 DCC 6.234,0 6.258,3 Diageo 2.975,5 2.993,5 DS Smith 399,10 400,20 EasyJet 932,58 953,21 Experian 2.430,0 2.431,0 Ferguson 8.698,0 8.702,0 Flutter Entertainment 16.890,0 16.879,9 Fresnillo 953,80 960,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.296,60 1.304,60 Glencore 283,00 283,45 Halma 2.240,5 2.241,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.528,00 1.550,83 Hikma Pharma 2.203,76 2.220,12 HSBC 428,68 429,00 IAG 196,93 200,54 Imperial Brands 1.458,81 1.461,23 Informa 581,80 588,00 InterContinental 4.924,0 4.955,0 Intermediate Capital 1.876,00 1.877,00 Intertek 5.398,0 5.410,0 ITV 124,88 125,05
% CHG. 1.135,50 2.956,0 2.754,3 1.714,00 4.243,0 2.369,0 7.129,0 569,50 470,00 3.410,0 389,45 542,00 481,20 0,963 178,72 757,50 4.347,6 2.028,00 301,50 2.760,9 509,40 143,00 2.237,0 2.029,0 1.600,5 51,90 2.236,0 1.440,30 3.208,0 6.188,0 6.202,0 2.954,5 394,20 892,95 2.399,0 8.438,0 16.670,0 945,00 1.292,00 276,60 2.219,0 1.516,24 2.202,08 425,40 188,97 1.443,25 576,00 4.834,0 1.837,00 5.358,0 122,81
NET VOL 137,63K 45,27K 36,35K 35,72K 8,49K 34,87K 60,57K 11,89K 667,44K 17,76K 423,61K 166,70K 946,66K 426,38K 2,25M 60,15K 2,93K 626,57K 1,90M 50,62K 140,43K 4,46M 9,96K 133,66K 884,56K 581,16K 108,64K 28,90K 222,92K 13,80K 1,66K 285,63K 176,63K 1,31M 9,33K 37,25K 0,28K 206,82K 814,36K 3,06M 50,87K 82,29K 5,23K 615,78K 13,44M 39,04K 1,26M 82,17K 50,91K 17,59K 349,45K
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
243,44 2.984,6 678,80 275,70 41,62 7.202,0 478,71 172,12 1.840,50 843,12 196,90 7.864,0 30,31 2.036,80 2.935,0 713,90 1.524,00 6.384,0 1.784,50 486,00 578,15 5.429,2 113,47 7,45 1.481,8 1.481,01 1.410,4 680,80 585,60 1.811,00 15,47 3.519,0 1.115,67 893,40 2.247,0 1.354,50 1.474,00 11.120,0 1.415,80 1.254,00 489,40 291,30 180,47 227,38 381,15 3.955,8 890,24 133,18 3.277,8 931,00
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
244,54 2.985,9 694,30 277,47 41,67 7.220,0 486,57 172,75 1.844,50 845,00 197,60 7.978,0 30,39 2.060,99 2.964,0 716,58 1.533,00 6.394,0 1.785,00 488,30 580,96 5.437,8 115,85 7,54 1.483,4 1.483,40 1.413,2 681,00 586,60 1.814,00 15,47 3.519,0 1.139,29 913,20 2.257,0 1.365,00 1.479,09 11.120,0 1.421,20 1.254,38 490,30 291,30 181,35 228,72 385,74 3.977,9 893,84 133,86 3.296,0 932,90
242,50 2.941,0 677,20 273,35 40,43 7.118,0 470,98 169,51 1.827,50 837,80 191,00 7.838,0 30,12 2.025,52 2.925,0 711,51 1.499,50 6.260,0 1.765,50 478,00 566,95 5.363,1 108,74 7,42 1.469,0 1.468,90 1.398,0 680,40 582,40 1.801,00 15,22 3.464,0 1.113,16 892,80 2.235,0 1.352,88 1.460,49 10.985,0 1.400,90 1.233,50 482,40 283,40 177,38 226,44 362,30 3.929,3 881,23 131,84 3.220,5 915,97
243,16K 6,90K 248,82K 899,64K 21,34M 177,16K 56,14K 413,39K 79,09K 782,87K 5,96M 12,36K 107,58K 50,97K 64,36K 54,99K 484,47K 184,31K 381,63K 333,55K 33,72K 37,06K 15,72M 18,57K 44,05K 780,76K 976,96K 241,61K 37,69K 3,50K 290,68K 31,43K 805,53K 442,39K 43,45K 35,11K 11,49K 16,17K 37,90K 23,09K 876,01K 532,01K 367,89K 729,87K 2,39M 51,64K 32,25K 1,14M 36,23K 14,73K
0.85903
1.16511 Units per €
US dollar (USD) ......................................1.18965 Japan yen (JPY)......................................129.295 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.1032 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4360 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.169
currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 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 188,71 2.043,20 3.074,96 245,94 119,99 255,82 225,29 103,38 48,98 50,81 290,11 344,20 289,10 212,91 128,90 63,76 160,04 155,14 222,44 77,51 230,35 137,49 128,01 212,20 654,87 365,58 56,24 206,90 131,74 191,14
CHANGE 191,00 2.053,10 3.077,29 247,40 121,43 258,88 229,65 104,89 49,22 51,08 292,80 347,24 289,10 215,59 130,44 64,99 161,50 155,94 225,18 78,25 232,47 142,86 129,74 212,75 657,23 370,46 56,52 220,17 132,50 194,00
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 188,69 6,68M 2.017,68 2,31M 3.016,63 4,63M 241,63 12,59M 119,68 185,55M 251,31 17,33M 224,05 7,49M 102,74 18,49M 48,32 65,37M 50,17 67,85M 281,20 38,93M 340,63 3,51M 282,43 13,73M 212,17 10,11M 128,53 9,84M 62,92 54,95M 159,47 14,89M 151,19 54,42M 221,00 7,72M 76,02 55,56M 229,35 46,43M 135,51 24,98M 127,90 20,26M 209,07 7,09M 624,62 42,89M 359,01 8,57M 55,95 39,06M 206,88 32,21M 129,90 19,23M 189,76 28,35M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 22
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
Most Advanced Amazon.com Inc. MicroStrategy Inc. Trade Desk Inc. Cl A BeiGene Ltd. ADR Align Technology Inc. SolarEdge Technologies Inc. Broadcom Inc. Cavco Industries Inc. CoStar Group Inc. MercadoLibre Inc. iRhythm Technologies Inc.
+1.55% +6.15% +4.73% +7.09% +2.94% +5.42% +3.02% +6.28% +1.63% +0.89% +8.89%
4.63M 956,532 799,265 373,456 1.01M 1.69M 10.86M 139,285 448,872 608,812 1.23M
-2.52% -1.61% -4.82% -1.79% -13.44% -2.98% -2.79% -8.81% -1.07% -4.11% -2.04%
637,553 1,243 19,144 200,379 2.59M 723,507 9.76M 33,713 1.27M 832,363 165,818
Most Declined Booking Holdings Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Daily Journal Corp. First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. Wix.com Ltd. Baidu Inc. ADR Preformed Line Products Co. SVB Financial Group Tetra Tech Inc. Enstar Group Ltd.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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Possible conflict of interest
NEW INFORMATION: Andrew Bailey in Zoom meeting. BOTH The Times and BBC have shared information about the past behaviour of current Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey in a previous role. It is suggested that he withheld information con‐ cerning a potential conflict of interest when being con‐ sidered for the role of Head of the Financial Conduct Au‐ thority (FCA) by the Trea‐ sury Select Committee. He was heavily involved in advising the Treasury on the creation of the Asset Protection Agency which was responsible for over‐ seeing the activities of the Global Restructuring Group (GRG) which was a division of the Royal Bank of Scot‐ land (now trading as NatWest). The GRG was formed at the time of the banking cri‐ sis and it is alleged that with
the knowledge and perhaps prompting of the Asset Pro‐ tection Agency that RBS withdrew loans from busi‐ ness customers who were under severe financial pres‐ sure between 2009 and 2013. RBS was in serious finan‐ cial difficulty at the time and by December 2009 was effectively taken over by the British Government (which still owns a significant num‐ ber of shares in the group). It is suggested that the welfare of business cus‐ tomers came second to the need for the government to protect its interests and therefore large numbers of small companies were al‐ lowed to go bust as loans were withdrawn. According to the BBC, in 2013, the FCA was ordered to investigate the scandal and it commissioned two re‐
Ombudsman WITH the Bank of Spain and the government warning about the possible risks of cryptocurrency, Minister of the Economy Nadia Calviño plans to appoint an ombudsman. The intention is to ensure that Spanish consumers have an option to obtain protection from those supplying cryptocurrency services should something go amiss and also to ensure that all conflicts with banks and the fintech sector are reviewed transparently. She may however await the publication of European Union regulations on cryptocurrency which are being considered and drawn up at the moment.
ports whose findings were not revealed until the BBC obtained a copy of the docu‐ ment, which showed that more than 90 per cent of GRG customers had suf‐ fered.
BUSINESS EXTRA Empty homes THE Spanish Government is considering charging an additional 50 per cent in property tax for homes that are left empty unless they are considered second homes owned for holiday purposes or where an owner has to relocate for work.
Power deal NATIONAL GRID, responsible for the bulk of electricity transmission in the UK is to spend €9 billion (£7.8 billion) on taking over Western Power Distribution from its US parent PPL whilst also agreeing to sell PPL the Narragansett Electric Company for €3 billion (£2.7 billion).
Linea Directa THE European Central Bank has given Bankinter in principle approval to list its insurance business Linea Directa on the stock exchange, but there is some question as to whether the launch should take place this year or next due to the pandemic.
25 - 31 March 2021
EWN 31
32 EWN
25 - 31 March 2021
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FEATURE
A true example of double standards LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT IF you ever wanted a true example of the double standards that are rife in the UK you needed to look no further than singer Beyoncé’s acceptance speech at the Grammy awards last week. “I would like to thank all the black Kings and Queens, who have made this all possible,” she gushed, as she received the award for her latest album entitled ‘Black Parade’! I mean you couldn’t really make it up. Had this been a white artist, giving thanks to ‘white’ Kings and Queens for buying an album called White Parade, it would have caused an international outcry. As it was there have been no recriminations whatsoever; particularly from our illustrious heavily biased media. Social media was a whole different ball game. Thousands of people vented their anger at this display of blatant racism, which actually sums up just what is wrong with the UK today. With the left heavily favoured by the popular media, the social
BEYONCÉ: Made an acceptance speech at the Grammy awards.
pages are often (hopefully) the only way to get to the truth of the matter. Are our illustrious news channels so truly out of touch that they simply have no idea of the mood that prevails with the majority of UK citizens ‐ or is there something more sinister taking place? Of course, it is possible that they are actually so arrogant they feel that their actions are perfectly reasonable and in tune with public opinion ‐ well I don’t buy it; I believe they are perfectly aware of what they are doing, and their motives glaringly obvious. In Communist countries, the state and the media work hand in glove. This is why, when you look at any coup in history, the first institutions that are commandeered are those of the media. Left wing success is almost always coupled and achieved with social unrest. With the humiliating rout of the Labour party in the last election, the media have simply reverted to type. They are perfectly aware of the racial tensions that prevail in the UK; subsequently, under the guise of promoting diversity, they are actually doing their best to widen the black/white divide by creating as much
hostility and civil discontent as possible. The examples are glaringly obvious. Utterly disproportionate over exposure of black actors and interviewees on TV. Unwavering support of the much despised ‘knee,’ BLM and the doctrine of ‘woke.’ Minimal or detrimental coverage of any right wing protests. Unfavourably edited reports of any public demonstrations which cause disruption and undermine the police. Failure to overly condemn the desecration of our statues and the Union Jack. Blatant efforts to give British involvement in slavery top priority ‐ while giving a minimum of coverage to the thousands of British lives lost in its efforts to eliminate it, and criticising government policies at every opportunity. The list goes on and on. It’s a devious, long term conspiracy to take the next election for Labour. The young are falling for it. Thankfully they are not yet the majority. Keep the faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com excpatradioscotland.com. (alter ego!)
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
It just wasn’t funny at all
MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION
Views of a Grumpy Old Man I ’ V E just watched C omic R elief 2021 and the first thing I noticed about this year’s usually magnificent fundraising event was it wasn’t funny. It just felt all wrong. I say it wasn’t funny - there was a James Bond sketch and a bit with Tim Vine, but that was all. We all know this last year has been different from any we have ever had. I feel it wasn’t necessary to mention Covid or vaccines every few minutes. It almost took on a political feeling. The no audience situation makes so much of it just flat. It’s a shame because they tried hard. Normally they manage to extract vast sums by making people have a a good laugh, at the same time pointing out the needs of so many worthy causes. For me this year they didn’t. But well done for trying and well done for raising millions once again. When I got to pensionable age here because I had paid into the system I was informed that I would receive a small pension, to be paid alongside my
U K one. At the time I was amazed because I ’d only paid in for four years here. It was only just over three grand a year, not a fortune, but I was delighted. So jump forward four years and imagine my horror and surprise when this week I got a letter telling me they had overpaid me three grand in 2017 and they want it back. They told me what I was going to get - I never asked and I filled in all the forms correctly and Spain consulted with U K pensions. However, it seems I didn’t read the paperwork correctly. M y pension here was only €60 a month and then they topped it up to 300 as that was a minimum monthly pension payment. What I didn’t realise was that you only get the extra 240 if you don’t have any other taxable income and as I declared I had earned some money I now wasn’t entitled to it. So hey ho the Spanish government has loaned me three grand and are now going to subtract €47 from my pension for the next 70 months. Hopefully that’s the end of it, but knowing the Spanish system it wont be! So folks make sure you read the small print - carefully! Email: mikesenker@gmail.com
Mike’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
25 - 31 March 2021
EWN 33
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EWN 35
Advertising Feature
10 ideas for memorial favours for guests
GIVING favours at parties such as weddings, baby showers and birthdays is a relatively new custom which is now becoming increasingly popular at funerals, you may have already seen some, but here are some ideas you may not have thought of. There is a wide variety of little gifts which can be given to guests as favours, all with the intent of re‐ membering the departed and thanking guests for coming to the memorial service. The ideal funeral favour should be significant and/or personalised. For some of the most popular ideas for funeral favours, also known as keepsakes or giveaways, read on: Memorial matchbooks and candles Sets of personalised matchbooks to ‘light a flame’ for the departed can be purchased with a variety of designs, fonts and colours schemes. Can‐ dles are also popular and can be personalised with names and dates. Memorial wristbands Silicone wristbands became popular for many events in recent years, and giving them as funeral keepsakes is just one of them. They can be cus‐ tomised and worn to remember the departed, carrying their name and dates, they can also be a good way to raise awareness about a disease or
ailment which may have affect‐ ed the person’s life. Ribbons Ribbons are also worn as a sym‐ bol of awareness, and in the case of the death of a loved one, to draw attention to their life. Black is a popular option for funeral ribbons, but as with the bracelets, you may want to raise awareness for a cause which affected or interest‐ ed the deceased. Magnets and coins They can be personalised with names, dates and photos or significant images, and made from different materials including wood, plastic, pewter and stainless steel, they come in different sizes and
make an attractive keepsake to give attendees at a memorial service. Badges Badges personalised with photos and details of the deceased can be handed out upon arrival at the memorial service and will give guests a feeling of unity in remembering the deceased. Keychains Much like the options above, they can be personalised with names, dates and photos, and are items which the recipients can keep close to them at all times or hang in a place where they can be seen. There are almost infinite different options, although laser engravings are one of the most popular, on metal, wood, acrylic and other materials. Charms Small charms are very affordable trinkets and can either be attached to necklaces or bracelets before giving them to guests, or given in an organ‐ za bag with a card with a significant quote and the details of the departed. The charms themselves can also be engraved. Popular shapes for funeral favour charms include hearts, angels, shamrocks, birds...
Bookmarks Bookmarks are a tasteful option for memorial favours and are very durable. They can be person‐ alised with photos, dates and meaningful quotes. They can be made in leather, with laser engravings or in other materials and a coloured tassel can be added if you desire. Blooming memorial favours Bookmarks can be personalised to include an emblem made from seed paper which can be de‐ tached and planted to grow flowers in memory of a loved one. These emblems come in shapes such as hearts, angels and butterflies and can be per‐ sonalised with names, dates and memorial quotes. They can also be obtained without the bookmarks. Seeds and stones Seed packets can also be personalised and handed out as keepsakes at funerals, with popular flowers including forget‐me‐nots and sunflowers. Tree seedlings which can also be planted to cele‐ brate life are also very symbolic and a popular idea. Another natural option is an engraved memori‐ al stone, which can be kept in a pocket or bag, used for household decoration or placed in the garden or a potted plant.
www.goldenleavesinternational.com • enquiries@goldenleaves.com • Facebook: goldenleavesspain
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25 - 31 March 2021
FEATURE
GO LOCAL
THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to sup‐ port local businesses in the community by going local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feed‐ ing online giants and super‐ stores. During this lockdown and with Easter upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, mar‐ kets, butchers, greengro‐ cers and all of the wonder‐ fully quirky independent businesses in your area. Due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic, you may have to support many local busi‐ nesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are un‐ able to get out due to health reasons or lockdown restrictions. The joy of shopping local means that independent businesses can help sup‐ port the local community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or online, consider where your money is actually go‐ ing. By shopping at an inde‐ pendent store you’re putting food on a local fami‐ ly’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your communi‐ ty by making a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are ac‐ tually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, of‐ ten passed down through numerous generations and
BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.
support not just the current owner but the generation before. For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros spent there are supporting someone’s dream and ambition, and al‐ so the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a
large chunk of money to set up an independent store and compete with the multinational and chains. So be sure to pre‐order your meat from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that communi‐ ty spirit and get to know our neighbours again.
To advertise here contact us on:
951 386 161
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
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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 actual‐ ly be a better gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry , give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times. Choosing to spend your money locally will really make a difference in the re‐ covery of the local econo‐ my. When we buy local, our money stays local, and it strengthens the local econ‐ omy in two ways. First, buy‐ ing local keeps money circu‐ lating within the local economy. Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every eu‐ ro as they create locally owned supply chains and in‐ vest in their employees.
25 - 31 March 2021
SPENDING LOCALLY:Will make a difference to the local economy. Data shows that local retailers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, com‐ pared 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 pro‐ duce. First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn prepares the fresh produce and sells it to local cus‐
tomers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This exam‐ ple illustrates how the recir‐ culation of money in the lo‐ cal economy leads to a stronger financial founda‐ tion for our neighbours and communities. Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportunities for people within our community.
Studies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more employees over time. A fantastic example of how to support your local community is with a Charity Gift certificate, why not do‐ nate to your loved one’s favourite cause. Just remember to follow the latest government ad‐ vice and any guidance busi‐ nesses have to keep every‐ one safe.
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
Surviving the ‘Spring Mania’ A mother’s love MS BIPOLAR
UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED
IT’S the end of March. Winter has been and gone - spring is here. The smell of wild flowers, the bees, the butterflies and then the feeling of dread. Mania usually hits me at some point during every single spring, no matter what I do. I take my medication like I do every day, I don’t drink, my routine doesn’t change. But mania still hits me every spring. Most things make it worse, so much worse. It’s happened each spring since I can remember. As soon as the time moves forward an hour, I have a pretty major episode. I usually do things that are completely out of character for me, not necessarily bad, but I have to be so careful to not lose control of reality. I’ve even started to notice physical changes during these times. My skin glows, my eyes and hair are extra shiny, it’s unbelievable. I have this oomph to get my hair high-
lighted, change my make-up routine, bye bye smokey eyes - today I’m wearing glitter! I have this energy boost and bubbly happy mood every day all day! It’s not until I decided to do a bit of reading I found out that people with Bipolar tend to go through the same, I’m glad that others know what this is like, though I hate that we all go through it. Nothing good comes
from my springtime mania, and I almost always end up with a big crash. My last manic episode I would say was two years ago, I have come a long way since then. I hope this time things go well and I am thinking positively, but I’m also prepared for what usually occurs. I don’t want to say it’s inevitable. Here’s hoping the upcoming season only brings showers and flowers for me and all those who experience spring mania. Always remember to make sure to get plenty of sleep, regardless if your body wants it or not. If you take medication, take your meds exactly as prescribed and be sure not to skip any doses, or pop an extra one because you feel like you need it, trust me, I’ve been there and done that, and it causes more damage than that escape you are looking for! Monitor any symptoms that may de different than usual as soon as you notice them, relay them to a loved one or your family. Please be kind to yourself. You are allowed to be happy and have fun, your whole life does NOT have to revolve around your illness. Love Ms Bipolar x
msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com
MOTHERS: Will protect their children.
F I G H T or flight? W hen it comes to a mother’s love, it’s almost certainly fight. Scientists say they have conducted a series of experiments that shows a mother’s defensive behaviour to protect their child and this is caused by the release of oxytocin, or the so-called ‘love hormone.’ On a study of rats they found that when in the face of danger, rather than fleeing, there was a
release of oxytocin as the defensiv e mec hanism to protect her pups came into force. W hen researchers blocked the oxytocin they found that mothers immediately froze when they detected a threat. It is believed this action would be similar in humans with this oxytocin release causing a mother to fight to protect her child, giving a true idea of a mother’s love.
How to limit your holiday indulgence
ENGLISH BREAKFAST: Can mean many calories to start the day. CHECKING in to an all-inclusive hotel this summer? Worried about the diet? Perhaps rightly so with the temptation to overindulge right in front of your eyes. The last thing you want to do is calorie-count on holiday, but if you are not careful, you can soon be eating thousands of calories more a day. But there is help as now, healthy food experts have revealed some of the very worst meals you can choose from the buffet cart. Health food retailer MuscleFood.com has listed the most calorific choices you can make and if consumed, can put your calories intake at over 5,000 a day. A woman’s daily recommended intake is 2,000 calories and 2,500 for men. So naturally first off is the full English breakfast. Depending on how many sausages and rashers of bacon you opt for, you are topping 800 calories straight away, add a croissant for later and that’s over 200 calories.
A BLT with fries at lunch doesn’t sound as if it would be too calorific but it can contain as many as 700 calories, so it’s best to only indulge in one occasionally. Regular snacks that come with an all-inclusive package on holiday such as cakes and ice creams, as well as glasses of sangria, cocktails and beers, can also take you to well over your daily calorie allowance, before you’ve even sat down for your main evening meal. So what can you do? Try swapping chips for more from the salad bar and don’t be tempted to visit the buffet twice. Many want to make the most of the all-inclusive status, but you wouldn’t have three main meals at home, so try and limit the lunch time indulgence. But you’re on holiday, if you want to overindulge then try and do a few extra laps of the pool, go for a long walk along the beach, or accept you’re going to have to work harder when you get home.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Top tips for an even glow E V E R Y O N E loves that healthy summer glow but for a truly healthy look you need to fake it! Forget lazing in the sun for hours on end a n d a l l t h e a s s o c i a t e d h e a l t h r i s k s i nvolved. T here are literally hundreds of fake tan and self-tanning creams, lotions and sprays available to give the natural bronzed look you are looking for. However, whether it’s a deep tan or lighter colour you want, there are some top tips to follow to ensure an even look: Exfoliate. Ideally up to seven hours before you want to apply self-tan. This will help remove dead skin cells and help prevent uneven, blotchy patches with the product. When doing your legs, shave or wax at least 24 hours before. Apply the product after showering. Ensure the skin is completely dry and
moisturise beforehand, particularly on dry spots such as knees and elbows to help with an overall even result. Wear gloves. Protect your hands from the product. Nothing gives the game away that you are faking it like brown stained palms. Wait to get dressed. To prevent the self tan staining your clothes or smudging, wait at least 15 minutes after applying before getting dressed. Get help. Enlist the help of someone to apply tan to the back and to those hard to reach areas for an even glow. Stay protected. Despite the healthy glow, you must still protect your skin from the sun and wear adequate UVA and UVB protection.
FAKE TAN: For a truly healthy look.
25 - 31 March 2021
Get active to boost your mood EXERCISE has always been cited for boosting your mood and reducing stress levels, but the good news is it’s never too late to start as researchers claim just one workout can show immediate positive effects. A new study carried out at N ew Y ork’s C entre for Neural Science, claims just one workout that leaves you sweating is enough to boost your moods when previous studies claimed it had to be continual, regular exercise to have similar results. The researchers looked at how exercise impacts the brain and found after one workout it can have neurological changes and be seen as a stepping stone for greater benefits. W orking out releases a feeling of euphoria and triggers the brain’s cannabinoid receptors.
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Craic Agus Ceol in the Costa Blanca IT’S the second St Patrick’s Day without a community festival on the sunny southern Costa Blanca, but that didn’t stop the Irish contingent from celebrating the day in style. From live music to craft fairs, Gaelic grub to gorgeous Guinness, it was still the place to be on Wednesday March 17. St Patrick’s Day in Cabo Roig has become something of an institution over the last decade or so, and some 20,000 people make the annual migration to witness main-
land Europe’s largest parade. Naturally, that didn’t happen this year, but the streets still turned green and gold as festive bunting was hung out in preparation for the big day. This year it only seemed fitting that many venues and entertainers dedicated the occasion to help the less fortunate, as was the case with local superstar musician Paul Cullen, who, following a busy day gigging in the pubs went live on Facebook on Paddy’s night to raise money for a local food bank. Likewise, the Emerald Isle in La Florida had a fun-filled day planned, with dozens of stalls and throughout the afternoon live entertainment and good old fashioned Irish grub was served like bacon and cabbage and beef and Guinness stew. Proceeds from the stalls
Many still celebrated St Patrick’s Day in style. were in support of Elche Children’s Home and the event was hosted by Sunshine FM’s very own Simon Morton. In Lomas de Cabo Roig, the ever-popular Keg n Kitchen hosted our very own Armagh girl Rain O’ Connor who entertained with all the best Irish and current tunes, while Galway-born Cathal Hough blasted out the traditional ceol at Milo’s bar at the back of the Cabo Roig’s iconic strip.
SOCIAL SCENE
Beautiful Ballet in Torrevieja THE Moscow Ballet is bring‐ ing Romeo and Juliet to Tor‐ revieja. The Royal Moscow Ballet continues to celebrate its more than 30 years on stages around the world by inviting you to enjoy one of the most emblematic works of the classical ballet repertoire, ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Based on the play by William Shakespeare and with music by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular ballets in the world and its coming to Torrevieja Audito‐
rium on Saturday, May 15. Romeo and Juliet fall madly in love while their respective families, the Montagues and the Capulets, have a bitter ri‐ valry that ends in staining the streets of Verona with blood. In the midst of these family brawls and the wedding plans that the family has imposed on Juliet, the young lovers plot to escape together, heading to their tragic final destination. Each year, the Royal Moscow Ballet gives at least 50 performances from its classical and contemporary
repertoire on the best stages in Europe visiting countries such as Italy, France, Switzer‐ land, Poland, Spain, Ger‐ many, Austria and now Ire‐ land. The company’s Artistic Man‐ ager, Anastasya Emelianova, has a repertoire that includes leading roles in The Nutcrack‐ er, Cinderella, Carmen, The Sleeping Beauty, Tristan & Isol‐ de, Vasilisa, Romeo & Juliet, Time, Don Quixote, Headwinds and others. Tickets can be purchased via www.bacantix.com ‐ just search Romeo and Juliet.
Charlie Chaplin Tribute IN Black and White: A Tribute to Charlie Chaplin Comes to Elche. In a show that promises music, dance, theatre and song, Elche’s Grand Theatre is ready to give a tribute show for Charlie Chaplin, with a 21st-century twist. DanAires & Art will bring you a spectacular show, taking the audience on a journey through the life of the great Charlie Chaplin, who became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, The Tramp. He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. The show is set for June 6 and will run for 80 minutes - bringing the English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer, who rose to fame in the era of silent film - back to life. Tickets cost between €11 and €12 and can be purchased via www.instanticket.es - just search En Blanco Y Negro.
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47
PETS
Who’s looking after your pup when you go away? Musical influence
ARE you tentatively planning to get away later this year? 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 philoso‐ phy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on House SitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can get help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid 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 holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent
can benefit dogs
Feliz loves going to the beach with his ball.
rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person. Ros Morris ‐ Dog owner
How do you join? Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com ‐ Choose a membership plan ‐ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on subscription to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa
Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.
Advertising Feature
Some guidelines to epilepsy A DOG with epilepsy can en‐ joy a remarkable quality of life if given proper veterinary treatment. For this, it is important that some guidelines are followed. 1. Complete the clinical di‐ agnostic protocol. Do all the tests to rule out other pathologies that can cause seizures. 2. Administer the appropri‐ ate medication. 3. Carry out medical check‐
In Costablanca Sur: Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante www.resonanciaveterinaria.es
ups every six months. 4. Stay calm during an epileptic seizure of your dog. Remember to videotape the attacks. The videos to see how the attacks happen pro‐ vide the veterinarian with a
lot of information. 5. Avoid stressful situations for the animal, which may put it in danger. In the attached QR code you have an informative video about canine epilepsy.
MUSIC is a therapeutic medium for humans, but dogs can also benefit from the healing powers of music. The wolf, which is known for howling, uses it as a form of communication and for assembling the pack. They will change their tone as others join in because they prefer to finish on a different and discordant tone. This suggests that canines do have a sense of pitch. It is believed that dogs engage in vocalisation to pro‐ duce musical sounds in the same recreational way as hu‐ mans do. When they hear music, especially from wind and reed instruments, they are naturally inclined to join in with the chorus; while making sure their tone is heard above the rest. As research has con‐ firmed that dogs have musical preferences and react differently to a range of musical styles; then it’s worth sharing your collection of music with your dog and waiting to see what happens. They might even influence your taste in music.
DOGS: Have musical preferences.
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CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 6 4 8 1 6 9 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 6 7 9 3 8 5 1 0 5 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail.com (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.giving light.com.(10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? T h e r e a r e va r i o u s l o d g e s meeting up throughout the Va l e n c i a r e g i o n . I f y o u a l ready are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact Harry Palmer Membership Committee. Tel: 966 712 326 or email: 2palmers.quesada@gmail. com (95477)
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HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegaba ja.com. We also have a 24hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Sevices at 10am and 11:30am. All nationalities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / 617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476)
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can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branches.britishlegion.org .uk/branches/orihuela-costa covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.secretary@ rbl.community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664.(10004)
LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005)
ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996. (95455)
PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459)
STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email stroke supportgroup@hotmail.com, website: torreviejastrokesup port.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473)
PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH 1359. The association supports the welfare needs of ex-members of the RAF and their dependents. Due to ongoing covid-19 restrictions we cannot hold General Meetings at the moment. In normal times we provide a social hub for members and hold lunches every month. To fund Welfare we raise money through the Wings Appeal. To find out more contact Chairman Tony at tony.elaine.cuenta@gmail.co m. For Welfare contact Andy on 0034 711 00 86 84. For general information on RAFA visit www.rafa.org.uk . (238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyh hvisits@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
THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablan ca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461) THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate future due to Covid19. Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)
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CHIMNEY SWEEP PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP Sooty & Son, Family Business established over 60 years. 660 478 881 (290229)
ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (285091)
FOR SALE WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
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WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
MUSIC TUITION PIANO, Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (290217)
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CLASSIFIEDS GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, de-flead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709) P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our
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NISSAN has unveiled a rich palette of 10 exterior colours for Ariya, inspired by the next‐level electric pow‐ ertrain, state‐of‐the‐art con‐ nectivity and advanced driv‐ ing assistance features. With four monotone and six two‐tone options, the paint portfolio was crafted to elevate Ariya’s premium look and feel.
New Nissan Colours Best of all, these stunning hues are applied by a highly advanced, environmentally sustainable paint production technology that reduces car‐ bon dioxide output by 25 per cent ‐ substantially reducing the environmental impact of this zero‐emissions vehicle.
The design team has sought to represent the essence of Ariya’s power, technology and sense of serenity with two unprece‐ dented colours. Named Akatsuki Copper and Aurora Green, these captivating paints were developed espe‐ cially for the all‐electric coupé crossover. Inspired by the Japanese phrase for ‘dawn’, Akatsuki Copper’s striking appearance mimics the brilliance of a sunrise, reflecting the begin‐ ning of Nissan’s new brand identity. Its metallic sparkle is enhanced to evoke the conductivity of copper wires, honouring the model’s ad‐ vanced EV technology. Aurora Green takes its name from the beautiful ‘Northern Lights’ phe‐ nomenon, aurora borealis, commonly seen in the Arctic. A sophisticated blend of dif‐ ferent tones means the colour may appear green or purple depending on the an‐ gle that it is viewed, creating a sense of wonder and in‐ trigue.
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A range of upgrades will be available.
A RANGE of upgrades are set for Volvo Cars’ iconic XC60 mid‐size SUV, including the addition of the company’s new Android‐powered info‐ tainment system with Google apps and services built‐in, making the Volvo best‐seller smarter than ever before. The intuitive, next‐generation infotainment system offers customers unprecedented person‐ alisation and unparalleled connectivity, which is further enhanced through the introduction of a brand‐new Digital Services package. The centrepiece of the Digital Services pack‐ age is access to Google apps and services, which offer hands‐free help with Google Assistant, best‐in‐class navigation through Google Maps and a broad offer of native in‐car apps via Google Play.
Volvo Car Group is the first company to team up with Google on integrating an infotainment system powered by Android with Google apps and services built‐in, and after years of close de‐ velopment between the two companies, the fully electric XC40 Recharge became the first Volvo car to carry the system. This makes the XC60 the next step in a continu‐ ing rollout of Android‐powered infotainment sys‐ tems in Volvo cars, further improving the consis‐ tently popular SUV. In terms of safety upgrades, the XC60 now comes equipped with Volvo Cars’ latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor plat‐ form, a modern, scalable active safety system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.
MOTORING
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ROAD TEST by Mark Slack YOU tend to know that if your local constabulary use a par‐ ticular make of car then that car is probably going to be a pretty decent purchase. In addition to the seemingly stocky Vauxhall, Peugeot and BMW fleet you may have no‐ ticed the emergence of Skoda into the police ranks. Even away from their favourite vRS models the Octavia range is very comprehensive with hatchback and estate models, petrol and diesel engines plus manual or VAG’s DSG auto‐ matic transmission. The Octavia is also available
Smooth and very refined.
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Skoda Octavia….a nice place to be in mild hybrid and plug‐in hy‐ brid form too. Plug‐in versions are only available at the high‐ er end of the range, but mild hybrid is available from the lead‐in models. My choice was the estate, very practical unlike so many stylised estates, in SE L First Edition form. Octavia estates start from a reasonable €25,869 (£22,210), which is a lot of car and kit for your money, but my SE L First edi‐ tion sits near the top end of the range at €34,406 (£29,540) with a 150 PS 2.0 litre diesel under the bonnet.
Standard fare is impressive with such things as adaptive cruise control, dual zone cli‐ mate, navigation, powered and heated door mirrors, heated front seats, LED light‐ ing, auto lights and wipers, privacy glass, keyless entry and start and a 10” touch screen, plus a very good array of safety kit. As ever there is a plethora of options so you can easily adapt the car to your own personal specification, fi‐ nance permitting of course! Diesels are far from flavour of the road at the moment but for those with higher mileage lives they can make good sense as they offer high‐ er mpg and generally better low down engine pow‐ er.
The DSG gearbox is a de‐ light allowing a more relaxed drive when it does everything or more driver involvement, via steering wheel paddles, if that is your thing. Smooth and very refined the Octavia is a nice place to be with good ad‐
justment of the seating and not too much over digitalisa‐ tion of the controls. That said ‘bring back buttons’ would still be my mantra. My test model had the op‐ tional panoramic sunroof, which at €1,339 (£1,150), is
not cheap but made the world of difference to the already spacious interior. Quality as ever with VAG is excellent with a solid and upmarket, in an understated non‐shouty way, feel that few other man‐ ufacturers seem to achieve.
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Real Madrid Close The Gap To Three Points At The Top Of La Liga IT’S looking like the La Liga ti‐ tle race in Spain will go to the wire this season as Real Madrid went to the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos on Sat‐ urday March 20 to play Celta Vigo and came away with a 1‐ 3 victory, which moves them to within three points of ri‐ vals Atletico Madrid at the top of the table. Zinedine Zidane’s side leapfrogs Barcelona into sec‐ ond place in the table, with both Atletico, and Barcelona playing on Sunday. Karim Benzema, who just can’t stop scoring lately, scored twice and provided an assist, which means he has now scored in six con‐ secutive matches in all com‐ petitions for the first time since 2016, with the French‐ man curling a shot into the bottom corner to give Madrid the lead in the 20th
CELTA VIGO GROUND: Real Madrid won their away game to move up the table. minute after being released by a fine piece of play from Toni Kroos. The German midfielder, Kroos, was again involved for the second goal, on the half‐ hour mark, winning the ball back on the edge of the penalty area, and allowing Benzema to dribble across
the box to score his eighth goal in six matches in all com‐ petitions, with Santi Mina heading Celta back into the game just before the break after Denis Suarez floated a free‐kick into the area. Madrid piled the pressure on in the second‐half, al‐ though it took a fine save
from Thibaut Courtois to prevent Iago Aspas from lev‐ elling the scores, until in‐ evitably, Benzema crowned his exceptional display by sending in a cross to Marco Asensio, who walked the ball over the line in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Manchester City Battle on MANCHESTER CITY are through to the semi‐finals of the FA Cup for the third season in a row, after beating Everton 2‐0 at Goodison Park on Saturday March 20 but it was an almighty battle, with Everton’s backline standing firm, taking City until virtually the end of the match before making the breakthrough, and then, scored not once, but twice. City made six changes to the team which beat Borussia Mönchengladbach to reach the Champions League last eight and did not trouble Everton for much of the game despite dominating possession, then a substitution by Pep Guardiola, bringing on Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne changed the game, with both players scoring the goals. Ilkay Gundogan, who has been in scintillating form this sea‐ son bagged the first, heading in his 16th goal of the season on 84 minutes, after Aymeric Laporte’s shot had been tipped onto the crossbar by Virginia, only for it to come back to the waiting German, and then it was De Bruyne who fired in a crisp shot in the 90th minute to send them through to the last four, joining Southampton who had beaten Bournemouth earlier in the day. This victory means that City have won 25 out of their past 26 games in all competitions, quite an achievement indeed, and after the match, Guardiola in his interview said, “It was a really tough game. We saw the commitment from Everton, how focused they were, they defended really aggressively. It was one of the toughest games we’ve played in the last four months.”