THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 30 - 33
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Linked up THE Diputacion provincial council began constructing the Rambla del Cañuelo bridge which will link Roquetas, Vicar and La Mojonera while also accessing the A-1051 by-pass and the Autovia del Mediterraneo.
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Clear view ALMERIA City Hall will spend €1.097 million on acquiring and demolishing properties in Calle Hercules to ensure uninterrupted views of the castle-fortress built by the Moors in the 10th century.
Beach TLC VERA Town Hall again launched its Mi Playa Bonica (My lovely beach) scheme, with stands on local beaches giving advice on recycling, sustainability and treating the coastal ecosystem with respect.
Waste not ADRA residents deposited almost seven tons of textiles for re-use or recycling in the 15 bins located in different parts of the town during the first six months of 2021.
Turn to page 4 » FASHION FORWARD: Enthusiastic support for the models.
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Almeria all booked up
Photo credit: Age Support Almanzora
Issue No. 1882
News
The people’s paper
ALMERIA will be one of Spain’s four top provinces for tourist oc‐ cupancy in August. Rentalia, the Idealista website’s booking platform for holiday apartments, revealed that Almeria Province’s tourist accommodation ‐ excluding hotels ‐ is already more than 93 per cent booked. This promising position is shared with Alicante, Mallorca and Menorca whose holiday accommo‐ dation sectors expect August figures to top 2019’s bookings. Tourism experts explained that in the years preceding the pandemic, Almeria Province ‐ easily reached from inside Spain but with few international air and rail links ‐ has always had a high percentage of national visitors, principally from Andalucia, the Valencian Community, Cataluña and Madrid. That will be even more pronounced this year when foreign travel is both risky and complicated, the same experts predicted.
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FOR the second year in a row, Almeria City has cancelled its famed fair held in honour of the Virgen del Mar every August. “I want to announce that this year the most expedient thing is the painful decision to suspend the fair. “It is a difficult decision, but it is the one that must be made. The negative evolution makes the celebration in honour of the Virgen del Mar impossi‐
Virgen del Mar ble,” said Mayor Ramon Fernandez‐ Pacheco. “The negative evolution of the pandemic in the health district and in the capital prevents an event of these characteristics from taking place, despite the fact that it was go‐ ing to be ‘a different fair’ with greater control and without activities involv‐
ing crowds. “As public officials, we are clear that our obligation is to try to contribute as much as we can so that infections do not continue to rise and stop the curve. “ It does not make much sense to begin to organise parties if weeks lat‐ er there is going to be an increase in infections, sickness and complicated situations,” he added.
HUERCAL‐OVERA Town Hall is offering a free urban bus service this summer in the Almeria municipality, Domin‐ go Fernandez, the mayor of Huercal‐Overa, announced. The town hall’s new initia‐ tive ‐ in collaboration with the public transport conces‐ sion company in the Almeri‐ an municipality, Autobuses Rodrigo ‐ of a promotional
Free service campaign, offers a free urban bus service this summer un‐ der the slogan, ‘Thinking of you, the urban transport is free this summer.’ It is intended to promote the use of public transport by the public, to travel from ur‐ ban areas, and from the dis‐ tricts. Among the novelties
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that are launched in this cam‐ paign by Huercal‐Overa Town Hall are the expansion of the existing five lines of ur‐ ban transport that run each week, through different parts of the municipality, reaching the different neighbour‐ hoods and districts, while al‐ so expanding the service in the Atalaya area, an area pre‐ viously not covered.
New fire engine arrives ALMERIA City Hall has a new fire engine as part of a deal struck be‐ tween the mayor and the presi‐ dent of the Almeria Port Authori‐ ty. Almeria City Hall has taken deliv‐ ery of its new fire engine, which was purchased for them by the Almeria Port Authority as part of an agreement signed in 2019 be‐ tween Ramon Fernandez‐Pacheco, the mayor of the city, and Jesus Caicedo, president of the APA. The presentation of the vehicle ‐ which will be added into the city’s Municipal Firefighting Service ‐ took place on the Muelle de Levante, and was attended by the mayor and the president, along with Maria del Mar Garcia Lorca, the councillor for Security and Mobility, and Francisco Bretones, Almeria’s Fire Chief. This agreement, as explained by the mayor, “is part of the commit‐ ment and close relationship be‐ tween the City Council and the Port Authority, which mainly benefits the citizens, firstly because the Fire Station will have a new and mod‐ ern vehicle that increases its fleet in the event of any incident in the city and province.”
FIRE ENGINE: Purchased as part of an agreement. Continuing, “and secondly, be‐ cause the users, workers, and as‐ sets of the Port will be also covered by the fire brigade in the event of any eventuality that may occur in the port area. Undoubtedly, it is an agreement that favours everyone, and goes to show that, when there is a will, public administrations un‐ derstand each other, and it is the citizens who win.” Jesus Caicedo also spoke of the value of the agreement with the City Council, something that, ac‐ cording to him, “reflects the mag‐ nificent collaboration between both institutions, and contributes to improving the security measures for people and Community proper‐ ty in the Port, as well as the citizens of the municipality, and part of the province of Almeria.”
In accordance with this agree‐ ment, the City Council will provide fire extinguishing services at the fa‐ cilities of the Port of Almeria when‐ ever the intervention of said service is necessary, for a period of 10 years, and the APA will be in charge of training the personnel of the Municipal Firefighting Service, of‐ fering them specialised training in extinguishing fires on ships and floating devices, as well as dealing with dangerous cargoes. The Port Authority will assume the payment of the registration fees for the courses that will be taught to the firefighters, a total of €350,000 ‐ the amount of the vehi‐ cle ‐ and another €116,885 for the completion of courses of this spe‐ cific training during the 10 years the agreement lasts.
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NIBS EXTRA Not going ANDALUCIA’S Upper Court of Justice (TSJA) declared that the Algarrobico hotel should not be demolished, as planning permission was granted in 2003 and Carboneras Town Hall is the competent body to decide whether to annul this. Environmental organisation Greenpeace announced that it will appeal to the Supreme Court.
Clay play UNTIL the end of August, Adra’s Culture department is organising ceramics workshops each Thursday morning (10am-11.30am) and afternoon (6pm-8pm) at the Museo de Adra and each Friday (6m-8pm) at the Casa del Barrio Alta in La Alqueria. To register for the workshops, apply at the Museo de Adra.
Not enough ALMERIA Province’s primary healthcare centres need another 40 doctors, claimed the Simeal union that represents them. Pressure continues, owing to the pandemic, but despite 2,354 extra staff provided by the SAS health service this summer, this does not compensate for retirements, transfers, sick leave or holidays, Simeal said.
Fiestas off ANTAS Town Hall announced that it was suspending next August’s fiestas in honour of San Roque. Antas mayor Pedro Ridao Zamorra said that despite earlier hopes for a better situation and with so many residents vaccinated, the pandemic continued and the celebrations had been suspended “as a precaution.”
Toy donation THE OHTF Templars plan to distribute toys to 50 children at 6pm on August 1 at Bar Sangre Español in Alfoquia. Earlier plans to hold the event in Zurgena on July 18 had to be altered, explained Ronny Verbestel on behalf of Andalucia’s OHFT Comanderia Andalucia España.
Caught out A 54-YEAR-OLD Albox woman, who claimed her car was stolen while her daughter used it, faces charges of faking a robbery. The women’s contradictions aroused Guardia Civil suspicions that were confirmed on finding the vehicle with the daughter’s possessions untouched, including cash which would ordinarily have been taken.
MOJACAR’S El Bandido Runners were delighted to be racing again after nearly 18 months without races owing to Covid restrictions. A 6.9-kilometre race at Villaricos was run on July 10 on a hot and humid evening with great support from family, friends and villagers lining the course. The El Bandido ladies took three podium places with age group trophies for Kirsty Ratcliffe in second place, Corinne Cherel, third, and Karen Ayers who was first. The next race over 9.6 kilometres was held in Turre on July 17 with the temperature still showing 32 degrees at 8pm. The course was challenging, going through the village then out into the campo and up a number of hills, starting and finishing at the
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On the run
Photo credit: El Bandido Runners
DELIGHTED: Members of El Bandido Runners were happy to be racing after almost 18 months.
ALMERIA is Spain’s first province to specifically support the victims of terrorism. The recent launch of Almeria Solidaria con las Victimas del Terrorismo was attended by Fernando Sanandres, national president of the Brotherhood of Auxiliary Guardia Civil Officers, and the Brotherhood’s Almeria delegate, Je‐ sus Vicente. Also present were Carmen Belen Lopez, who heads the provincial council’s Equality de‐ partment and Almeria City Hall councillor Maria del Mar Garcia.
Budget agreed THE central government’s Cabinet has agreed to spend €19.915 mil‐ lion on repairing the Bajo Alman‐ zora desalination plant in Villari‐ cos. The plant, which cost almost €100 million to build, was inaugu‐ rated in 2008 and was intended to guarantee water for Cuevas del Almanzora and the Levante zone. It functioned for just four years before it was practically de‐ stroyed during the disastrous floods of 2012. “This is the great news we had hoped for,” de‐ clared Cuevas mayor Antonio Fer‐ nandez Liria. “It is a step nearer to recovering infrastructure that will allow us to count on much‐need‐ ed water,” he said. “It answers the requests of agriculture and so‐ ciety in general.” The desalinated water will be added to the exist‐ ing water supply system, improv‐ ing surface water and, above all, subterranean deposits. After seven years of inactivity, with no steps taken to repair the Bajo Almanzora plant, Madrid an‐ nounced in 2020 the work would be carried out. Despite the pan‐ demic and the economic and so‐ cial obstacles involved, the cost was included in the central gov‐ ernment’s 2021 national Budget.
A first for Almeria The new project aims to always remember the victims of terrorism as well as their rela‐ tives, friends and those close to them. Thirty town halls that represent 80 per cent of Almeria Province’s population have joined the initiative, Carmen Belen Lopez Zapata re‐ vealed. “Almerienses have always been
football ground. The El Bandido ladies did well again with Akvile Lisauskaite finishing as the second female overall and Karen Ayers first in her group. There was friendly support and encouragement from runners and marshals along the course, especially from El Bandido supporters who cheered and took photos. El Bandido Runners are a local group of runners, joggers and walkers who are permanent residents, regular visitors or tourists who cover the five-kilometre Mojacar Paseo. All ages, nationalities and speeds are welcome. For more information contact Kevin on ironmankev08@gmail. com or follow them on their https://www.facebook.com/pg/el bandidorunners Facebook page.
aware of this delicate issue and the Diputacion has pledged all its support,” Lopez Zapata said. “We hope that the initiative’s success here in Almeria extends throughout the country. From today onwards, Almeria and its popula‐ tion are setting an example in remembering the victims of terrorism.” Almeria City plans to host the first confer‐ ence of Almeria Solidaria con las Victimas del Terrorismo in October with events that will in‐ clude a memorial service for all victims of ter‐ rorism.
Less serious than it looked VERA’S lifesaving services organised a drill on the Las Marinas‐Bolaga beach to test their readiness and response time. This was also an opportunity to demonstrate their lifesaving equipment and skills to the public while carrying out the training exercise. Vera’s Beaches councillor Pedro Salas and staff from the town hall’s Tourism department supervised the operation which, as Salas pointed out, was one of many that are carried out on a
All that glisters THE Rodalquilar mines in Nijar that once produced gold, alum, amethysts, kaolin and andesite are up for sale. Rodalquilar’s mining activity came to an end in 1989 when the price of gold plummeted although the panning sheds, machinery and office buildings are revered as fine examples of industrial ar‐ chitecture. The 724‐hectare site is owned by Mur‐ cia‐based Agricola Mar Menor, the same company that recently sold El Cortijo del Fraile ‐ the property which inspired Lor‐ ca’s Blood Wedding ‐ to Almeria’s provin‐ cial council, the Diputacion. The site inside the Cabo de Gata na‐ tional park has no other viable future ex‐ cept that of a tourist or theme park, in‐ siders said, owing to its official protection.
regular basis. Intrigued beachgoers looked on as the ‘victim’ ‐ a swimmer in difficulties ‐ suffered cardiac arrest after almost drowning. Lifesavers went to his rescue and he was taken on a jet ski to the beach for medical treatment. Vera has 28 professional lifesavers who are equipped with two rapid intervention vehicles as well as the jet‐ski and a semi‐inflatable boat that constantly patrol the shore.
Blackspot solution HUERCAL‐OVERA’S Local Government Board has approved the San Isidro bridge plans. “This bridge is hugely important for Huercal‐ Overa,” declared the local mayor, Domingo Fer‐ nandez. “It will eradicate an accident blackspot, improv‐ ing road safety for all the people using this en‐ trance to reach the town,” he said. “We have taken a step that will help us to ad‐ vance further along a road that was longer than we had expected,” the mayor added, referring to the long‐drawn‐out administrative process. This involved asking the national government to transfer the section of the main road where the bridge is located. The plans must now be approved by councillors, after which the town hall can put in place the nec‐ essary compulsory purchases of land that are im‐ perative before work can start.
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Answering a basic need GRUPO ASV has once again donated food to Almeria’s Food Bank. The group, whose companies provide medical transport, in‐ surance and undertak‐ ing, has provided eight tons of pulses, pasta, oil, fruit and fresh vegetables so that Almeria Province’s most vul‐ nerable residents can eat. The food will be sent to the 140 associ‐ ations supplied by the Food Bank, explained Sonia Carricondo, re‐ sponsible for ASV’s communications. “We want to sup‐ port this outstanding social project that has fought hunger for more than 15 years and is needed more than ever owing to the profound econom‐ ic and social Covid‐19 crisis,” she said. “This is not making it easy for so many Almeria families who need something as ba‐ sic and essential as a plate of food on the table each day.” The Food Bank pro‐ vides food on a regu‐ lar basis for 47,000 Almeria residents, but the demand has in‐ creased, owing to the pandemic which has destroyed many jobs and intensified the vulnerability of so many families. For this reason, the Food Bank has had to turn to private donors like ASV in order to maintain its infras‐ tructure and continue providing help. ASV’s Almeria dona‐ tion complements others the group has made to Alicante Gas‐ tronomica Solidaria in Alicante and Bancosol in Malaga, Carricondo said.
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Cakes and fashion in Albox AGE SUPPORT ALMANZORA (ASA) recently held an afternoon tea and fashion show to raise funds for the Albox-based charity. Volunteers from the shop, befrienders and the welfare team all worked hard to prepare the venue for their guests who enjoyed a complimentary glass of cava on arrival. Afternoon tea provided by Aroma, Scrumptious, Hannah’s Kitchen and volunteers included sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and lovely cakes. Jazz was provided by Ian and Anne Moir whose smooth, relaxing music set the mood for the afternoon. T he fashion show began after tea, with the six models parading clothes from the shop which the guests could buy later. R ay T iltman was a superb M C and the guests were very enthusiastic in
their support for the models. There was also a break for a quiz, raffle and cake sale. Vanya Ager, ASA president, was delighted to announce that the afternoon had raised over €500 for the charity. Of this, £100 was donated to Dementia UK who have provided invaluable information for Age Support Almanzora. The charity aims to improve the quality of life of older people in need, providing emotional and practical support. “If you know anyone who needs support, call in at the welfare office in the Albox shop opposite the Peugeot garage from Monday to Friday between 10am and 1.45pm or call 642 045 210,” said ASA’s Liz Carey. “The charity is always looking to increase the team of volunteers, so if you can help for just a few hours a week, do please call in,” Liz added.
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We asked our readers: Time to ban bullfights? AFTER Twitter blocked the ac‐ count of bullfighter Jose Anto‐ nio Morante de la Puebla for posting videos of a bullfight considering that it promoted ‘sadistic pleasure,’ he con‐ demned their action saying that ‘freedom does not exist in this country.’ We asked our readers whether they think bullfighting should be banned completely in Spain and the response was a resounding YES. Most of our readers consider that it’s bar‐ baric and that all types of ani‐ mal cruelty should be banned. One said “It is barbaric, cruel, outdated and needs to be stopped. No animal cruelty can be defended in any way. There is right and wrong, and this is wrong, on every level. Culture has absolutely no bearing on animal cruelty.” However, the second most common opinion was that we should keep out of it because it’s not our country; with one reader saying “Whilst I totally disagree with bullfighting, I do not believe it is up to ANY for‐ eigner to force it to stop. This is a cultural issue and only the
BULLFIGHTS: Barbaric, cruel, outdated and needs to be stopped. country involved has the right of bullfighting without having to stop it. We can put pressure to kill the bull, and only one on the governments to stop reader pointed out that if this and the dog eating festi‐ there were no more bullfights vals of China etc, but that is these bulls would cease to ex‐ all.” Some responded that ist as they are bred for this “persuading the locals is a big purpose only. problem,” while others said that “These days a large ma‐ jority in Spain want it stopped, but like everything there are those that love the cruelty” and another added “the Span‐ ish will come to the right con‐ clusion without anyone’s in‐ put, least of all the English.” Meanwhile, fewer people commented that maybe there THE stunning and idyllic is a way of maintaining the art beaches of the Cabo de Gata‐ Nijar Natural Park are located to the west of San Jose. The beaches with restricted access run from Genoveses to Cala Carbon and during the first fortnight of July they saw over 9,000 vehicles head to the area. The natural coves in this area are considered a protect‐ ed space and motor vehicle access is limited until late September. The coves are said to be of “high ecological, geological and scenic value.” The Andalucian Govern‐ ment confirmed that 9,053 cars have headed to the area. This number comes from the company who are in charge of managing access. They estimate that if three people were in each car then over 27,000 people have headed to these fantastic beaches during the first two weeks of July.
Thousands flock to restricted beaches
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American investors SPANISH President, Pedro Sánchez, held a ‘successful’ meeting on July 21, in New York with a group of senior execu‐ tives from the Bank of America and investment fund managers from JP Morgan. The American executives
were able to openly raise ques‐ tions about the investment op‐ portunities that are at present available in Spain due to the re‐ cently approved recovery plan. This was the President’s first meeting with US businessmen within his three‐day economic
Dressed up as wife A MAN disguised himself as his wife in order to board a flight after he had himself tested positive for Covid in In‐ donesia. The man boarded the plane dressed in a robe and a niqab that covered him from head to toe to fly on a Citilink flight between Jakarta to Ternate. The man, identified only by his initial DW, is now facing arrest after the cabin crew saw him go into the toilets in the disguise ‐ but to their surprise, he came out minutes later wearing men’s clothes. Airline security later said the man had used his wife’s ID and negative PCR test results to board the plane at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in Jakarta. A flight attendant reportedly told authorities that she saw ‘DW’ go into the bathroom, then come out wearing normal men's clothes instead of the niqab. She then noti‐ fied the airport authorities in Ternate who later detained him upon landing.
tour in the United States that took him to New York, Los An‐ geles and San Francisco to look for investors. In the meeting, which was held at the Economic and Com‐ mercial Office of Spain, located in the iconic Chrysler Building, a total of 14 leading American in‐ vestment funds and banks par‐ ticipated. According to Moncloa, the meeting gave Sánchez the op‐ portunity to explain in person the economic situation in Spain “and the investment opportuni‐ ties that open up with the Re‐ covery, Transformation and Re‐ silience Plan and the arrival of European funds.” “The Plan will allow Spain to emerge stronger from the Covid‐19 crisis in the short term and will lay the foundations for strong, sustainable and inclu‐ sive growth in the medium term. With ‘Spain Can’ our country will successfully face the digital and green transfor‐ mation, which will mark the fu‐ ture of the global economy,” Sánchez said.
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Hike in milk prices SPANISH supermarket giant Mercadona is leading the rise in the price of milk after protests by farmers. The Valen‐ cian based company, together with Pascual, (a Spanish dairy company based in Madrid) are leading the movement, which it hopes will translate into a slight improvement in the money that producers receive for their milk products. Arredondo, livestock sector manager of Coag and former president of the Interprofes‐ sional, denounced the price sit‐ uation and directly accused Mercadona, with a market share of almost 30 per cent, as one of the main entities re‐ sponsible for selling milk below the €0.60, a policy that trans‐ lates into lower prices for farm‐ ers who deliver milk to their in‐ ter‐supplier industries.
MILK PRODUCERS: Want citizens to only shop locally. “We are exactly in the same situation as the dairy produc‐ ers 10 years ago, when they didn’t have quotas any more, and had to work below their production costs; so they lost money producing milk,” said a Galician farmer. The farmers are also com‐ plaining that the EU’s trade deals with Canada and the
Actor’s suspended sentence NOTTINGHAM-BASED actor, Andrew Shim, who is best known for his roles in cult Shane Meadows’ films A Room for Romeo Brass, This Is England and Dead Man’s Shoes, is a convicted criminal after apparently striking a plea bargain deal with prosecutors on the first day of his trial. Mr Shim, 37, was arrested in Marbella, on October 21, 2020, and was reportedly on remand at Alhaurin de la Torre prison near Malaga, where he has been held since October 24, 2020. The star had been arrested by Spanish National Police three days earlier for alleged drug trafficking, according to reports. It is not yet known if Shim will fly back to the UK next week or if he has received his Covid vaccinations yet to allow travel.
Latin American Mercusor bloc are flooding European markets ‐ and say citizens must boycott all imported produce and only shop locally. “The European agricultural policy is the only policy that is totally integrated in the EU, and moreover, that is used by the European trade direction as leverage in international treaties,” Hugues Falys ‐ from FUGEA (the United Federation of Breeders and Farmers' Groups) said. The European Commission has just launched a fresh set of measures aimed at forcing transparency around the pric‐ ing of products. However, farmers say un‐ less more action is taken to support them when the ‘agri‐ cultural policy is renewed soon, their feelings towards those in power will remain like sour milk!
Our readers’ opinion: Earrings are not for babies ALMOST 80 per cent of our readers do not like the idea of girls getting their ears pierced as babies or young children, as is often the tradition in Spain. While some believe that it only hurts the child briefly and the earrings look cute on them, the majority of our readers think that the deci‐ sion shouldn’t be made for the girls and that they should be allowed to choose when they are older. One reader explained that she had had her ears pierced when she was very young, “the back of the earring got stuck in my ear. “It was very painful and I needed surgery to remove it. “They said it was caused by having very little ears, I’ve never pierced them after that.” Another said, “my friend’s baby swallowed one of their earrings which went into its lung and she had to have an operation at six months old to remove it.” Meanwhile, another argued that if they are kept clean and turned regularly earrings are not a problem and one reader told us “I found it strange seeing my three new born Spanish grand‐ daughters all with pierced ears. It is tradition here.” Of course it is the parents’ decision, and it is traditional in Spain, but there is a rising number of parents who decide not to get their daughters’ ears pierced as babies.
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Ice cream alert THE Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), in line with neighbouring countries in Europe, has urged food companies to withdraw all products made with the E410 food additive from the market, after it had been found to be contaminated with ethylene oxide, and more specifically, in the manufacture of ice cream, where the additive is used as a stabiliser. It was reportedly AESAN who requested the removal of the affected products, on behalf of the European Commission, and although the authorities have since claimed that all the defective products have been removed from the market, apparently, they have not clarified which batches of ice cream were actually affected. This has led to the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) insisting that the government clarify the batches of ice cream that were affected, in order for consumers to be able to check and subsequently remove any of the suspected batches from their homes. The OCU pointed out that these stabilisers are usually also used in other types of food, such as dairy desserts and sauces, it should be checked if it has been able to reach other types of products.
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Beachfront surprise marriage proposal KAROL, a lifeguard from Fuengirola, Malaga, was surprised by a beachfront proposal where her future groom-to-be arrived on a jet ski to pop the question, on the same beach where the pair met. Karol was totally surprised as a jet ski approached the beach from the sea carrying her partner and father-in-law to be. As the jet ski approached, Enrique could be seen, complete with a giant inflatable engagement ring wrapped around him. Fuengirola beachgoers soon gathered round, and once they realised what was happening they yelled for Enrique to drop to one knee, which he soon did after he had safely recovered the ring from a pocket. “On the beach where we met, what better place to ask you to marry me?” said Enrique. The crowd around the pair burst into cheers, yelling: “How beautiful, how beautiful!” Enrique had been planning the surprise for some time. “Many times, the proposal is something very intimate, but why make an expensive trip if we can really share it,” said Enrique. “I’ve been organising this for a month or so, I’ve been preparing everything: the suit, the float, the jet
JET SKI: Enrique arrived by sea to propose. ski. Only the driver, who was my father, knew about it, and I had to tell them to organise it. I told my friends and family that they had to be on the shore at that time, and that was it. Top secret.” The pair now have a wedding to plan, and it is sure to be unique. “It’s not so important the money or the cost as the originality and that people have a good time. When we do the wedding, that’s what we’re going to take into account the most, that people will be part of it,” added Enrique.
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Our readers fear a two-tier society AS thousands protest against restrictions across Europe, Galicia now requires proof of being jabbed, testing or recovery from Coronavirus to go inside a restaurant or bar. We asked our readers if they think it is a step too far? Readers believe that more than a step, it is “a stride too far” and are concerned that this will create a two-tier society, which will lead to illegal clubs, pubs and restaurants amongst other things. Meanwhile, others believe that it is a great idea and are looking forward to being issued with vaccine passports and a third jab. Two readers commented along the lines of just wanting life to go back to normal before it’s too late “I’m 73, so no time to lose” said one, “I want to travel, want a normal life, but I fear we will never see that again.” The other responded that he thinks life “sadly will never be the same as it was.”
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The largest AI facility in Europe
AETERNAL MENTIS: Aims to become a leader in Europe. SPAIN will soon have the largest platform in Europe dedicat‐ ed exclusively to training and processing artificial intelli‐ gence models, a macro‐project, promoted by the company Aeternal Mentis, which debuted on the BME Growth market on July 23. An initial investment of €7 million by private partners led to this project being born, with the company staring with an ambitious five‐year plan that includes a projected target rev‐ enue of €900,000 for this first year, which they then expect to rise to €47 million by 2025, a growth that will allow the company to reach an EBITDA of €6 million in 2023 and €28 million by 2025. Jorge Santiago Fernandez, and Asier de Felipe, are the cur‐ rent owners of the Dialoga Group, a telecommunications op‐ erator and communications service provider with networks in 29 countries, and the two will act as CEO and president, and as CFO, respectively of this new Aeternal Mentis project. Under the guidance of these two entrepreneurs, backed by a group of prominent investors, Aeternal Mentis aspires to become a leading operator in the European market, with the capacity to capture a large part of the business volume generated in the field of Artificial Intelligence in Europe, with their macro‐project group currently constructing their new facility in Laguardia, in the Basque Country province of Ala‐ va, which will be known as the Brain Mirroring Centre (BMC).
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Gibraltar a “threat to sovereignty” FOREIGN Minister Dominic Raab has firmly rejected the EU’s man‐ date for Gibraltar and says it forms no basis for negotiations and represents a threat to British sovereignty on the Rock. “It seeks to undermine the UK’s sovereignty over Gibraltar, and cannot form a basis for nego‐ tiations,” Raab said on July 20. “We have consistently showed pragmatism and flexibility in the search for arrangements that work for all sides, and we are dis‐ appointed that this has not been reciprocated. We urge the EU to think again,” he added. Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Albares was in London on July 21, on his first visit there in his capaci‐ ty as head of the ministry. The EU released its mandate on July 20. “By putting forward this draft mandate, we are honouring the political commitment we made to Spain to start the negotiations of a separate agreement be‐ tween the EU and the UK on Gibraltar. This is a detailed mandate, which aims to have a positive im‐ pact for those living and working on either side of the border be‐ tween Spain and Gibraltar, while protecting the integrity of the Schengen Area and the Single Market,” said Vice‐President Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s co‐chair of the Joint Committee and Part‐ nership Council. Gibraltar was not included in the scope of the EU‐UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement agreed between the EU and UK at the end of 2020. According to the EU, the rec‐ ommendation builds upon the ‘political understanding reached between Spain and the UK on De‐ cember 31 last year. It is without prejudice to the issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction, and focuses on cooperation in the re‐ gion.’ The proposed negotiating di‐ rectives put forward ‘solutions to remove physical checks and con‐ trols on persons and goods at the land border between Spain and Gibraltar, while ensuring the in‐ tegrity of the Schengen area and the Single Market’ including rules establishing responsibility for asy‐ lum, returns, visas, residence per‐ mits, and operational police coop‐ eration and information exchange.
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Town offers free rent and jobs GEIGOS, a small town in the northeast of Spain, is offering free rent and jobs to encourage fami‐ lies to move there as citizen num‐ bers dwindle to 132 residents. The town is offering three houses to rent and two jobs. The town hall is also offering three more jobs such as home tele‐ working and in a local restaurant. The advert stated: “We offer you work in the kitchen and
restaurant for you and your part‐ ner at the Paladar de Aragón, lo‐ cated in La Muela de San Juan. Or you can manage the Griegos ho‐ tel‐restaurant, located in the plaza. “If you are one of those who work from home […] You can telecommute and make use of our coworking.” However, you have to be a family with children as this would
help to save the local school, which has only nine students, and also help to open up a second class. The first three months rent will be free and after this will be just €217, with a discount of €50 per child. There will be a lot of competi‐ tion for the offer, with over 3,000 already having applied from around the world.
Brit caught in Twitter hack A BRITISH man has been arrested in Spain in connection with a Twitter hack in 2020 that saw over 130 celebrity accounts hacked to scam their followers out of Bitcoin. Twitter confirmed that a social engineering attack that was coordinated between criminals had allowed them to post Tweets from celebrity accounts offering to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to a Bitcoin address. Twenty-two-year-old Joseph O’Connor, known online as PlugWalkJoe, who had previously given interviews to the media about the incident, was arrested on July 21 in Estepona, Malaga, by National Police at the request of the FBI. He is also accused of hacking accounts on
other social media platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok and been found to have been cyberstalking a young victim online. The scam messages were posted on accounts that belonged to Barack Obama, Jeff Bezos, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Bill Gates, among other high-profile celebs. The Department of Justice said that the criminals’ Bitcoin address received over 400 transfers of over $117,000 (£90,000), with none of the stolen money being returned. O’Connor is the second British citizen that has been arrested in connection with the hacking incident, along with Bognor Regis teenager Mason Sheppard who was accused of involvement last August.
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Con artist arrested OFFICERS from the Nation‐ al Police have arrested a woman who has been ac‐ cused of a staggering 140 offences relating to fraudu‐ lent insurance policies with forged signatures of real people. The crimes had been committed in various places including the Grana‐ da Province, Tenerife, Sala‐ manca and Murcia. According to police, their operation called Operation Cielo, resulted in the arrest of a 32‐year‐old woman who is a Granada resident and has been accused of scamming insurance com‐ panies on a large scale. The woman is believed to be a professional fraudster. The offences are for fraud, false documentation, reve‐ lation of secrets and even identity theft. She has been accused of processing false insurance policy contracts which she made money from.
OPERATION: One of the largest carried out against fraud. The alleged crimes were committed in the Granada Province in towns such as Baza, Durcal, Guadix and Padul. Crimes were also carried out across Spain in Salamanca, Molina de Segu‐ ra, Orihuela and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Officers began their in‐ vestigation after they re‐ ceived a complaint from a victim who took out an in‐ surance policy with the con artist but the arrested
woman then used her vic‐ tim’s details to take out other policies and forged her signature. The woman who was ar‐ rested for these crimes pre‐ sented herself as a family figure and appeared to have much experience in the insurance industry. According to reports this is one of the largest opera‐ tions carried out by Grana‐ da police against insurance fraud.
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Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!
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Malaga Poet found safe THE well‐known Malaga poet Salvador Marin Hueso, disap‐ peared on the night of July 22 and left his family extremely wor‐ ried. They took to social media to make an appeal to help find him after he disappeared in Almeria. After many hours of uncertain‐ ty and worry the family were able to announce the happy news that Salvador had been found. Salvador’s sister took to Twitter to announce the good news and thanked everyone for their efforts in searching for her brother. “It is with immense joy that
POET: Now in hospital. we announce that Salvador has been found. On behalf of myself and my family, we thank the po‐ lice and other authorities for their efforts and work. Eternally grate‐
ful to all the people and institu‐ tions that have supported us to have a happy outcome,” Sal‐ vador’s sister said on Twitter. Speaking to the press she said: “We have just arrived at the hos‐ pital and we have no details, we know he is fine.” According to reports police brought Salvador to Almeria’s Torrecardenas University Hospi‐ tal as he was not feeling well. He is said to suffer from depression and needs medication too. No further details are known of where Salvador had been, but he now seems safe.
Spain on Santiago Day KING FELIPE VI attended a feast in honour of the Apostle of Santiago, and of the national day of Galicia, held at the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela in A Coruña on Sunday July 25. King Felipe VI has highlighted the fact that the apostle ‘sym‐ bolises unity’. He believes that Spain is ‘a nation linked by the past, by the present and by the future,’ and that the role of the monarchy is to be a ‘bridge be‐ tween past, present and future.’ He spoke before the entire
Unfair Ryanair luggage rules SPAIN’S Supreme Court has deemed unfair Ryanair’s luggage rules, under which the budget carrier could legally (due to a clause in the contract) send bags and suitcases on a different flight than passengers. Following a complaint from a consumer association, the court said that there could indeed be occasions that jus-
tify sending luggage on a separate flight, but that the airline’s clause was too generic. “(It leaves) to the will of the carrier to send the checked baggage on the same flight (as the passenger) or not under ... unspecified and absolutely unspecific circumstances of safety or operation,” it said.
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The Supreme Court also reaffirmed a previous ruling which annulled other clauses, including a €40 charge for reprinting a boarding pass, which it deemed disproportionate - thousands of passengers will be happy to hear that! In 2019, it also ruled that it was unfair for Ryanair to charge a fee for hand luggage.
Royal family last Sunday, in a celebration which for the first time included his two daugh‐ ters. The day “symbolises the continuity of our Nation in his‐ tory as a political, cultural and human community,” said the King. In a reading to the patron saint of Spain which he read in Galician, he commented on the languages and cultures of Spain and said they are “a collective
work in which the dreams of many ancestors took shape in a democratic coexistence,” as re‐ ported local Spanish press. He also spoke of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which he believes has been “one of the hardest experiences” ever for many of Spain’s citizens. In the opinion of the King the solidarity shown by Spanish citizens is a beacon that marks “the direc‐ tion in the darkness.”
Electricity cuts everywhere HUNDREDS of thousands of people were left without electricity throughout Spain due to a blackout that affected different areas of the country on Saturday July 24, with Red Eléctrica reporting that the problem was apparently a failure in the interconnection line with France, which supplies several autonomous communi‐ ties, including Madrid and Catalonia. They reported a breakdown in a 400,000 high voltage line shortly before 5pm, and in Catalonia, according to the Civil Pro‐ tection of this community, the breakdown affected 640,000 peo‐ ple, and 112 in the Community of Madrid also cited the intercon‐ nection line with France as the problem. Social media was full of chatter about the cuts, with users ask‐ ing the same question on Facebook, to know if everybody else has a power cut as well as them. According to Endesa, “the pro‐ tections have acted correctly to prevent a total system failure.”
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BRITONS furious over the massive food waste caused by border de‐ lays to Ireland have vowed to boycott all goods coming into the UK from the European Union. This came after an M&S boss revealed that at least a fifth of all company exports to Ireland are getting turned away and de‐
Britons vow EU boycott
stroyed at the border. M&S Supermarket Chairman Archie Norman explained how outrageous post‐Brexit border checks on his company’s food im‐
Motorcycle collision kills mayor THE mayor of Zuñeda in Burgos died after his mo‐ torbike collided head‐on with a tractor. The mayor, Roberto Ceballos Diez, was only 51 years old at the time of his death. According to the Government Delegation in Castil‐ la y Leon the accident occurred when the mayor’s motorbike had a head‐on collision with a tractor on a straight stretch of the BU‐570. The mayor died in the accident which occurred at around 3pm at kilometre three in the town of Zuñeda. Sadly, on Saturday, July 24 another motorcyclist al‐ so died in Castilla y Leon. The other accident hap‐ pened at around midday on the SO‐934 in Santa Maria de las Hoyas. The motorcyclist was a 55‐year‐ old resident of Laguna de Duero. According to reports the motorcyclist had been travelling with his daughter at the time of the acci‐ dent, who luckily was unharmed.
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ports to the Republic of Ireland means lorries have experienced delays of up to 48 hours, meaning products have to be destroyed as they would be deemed unsafe for
human consumption. The government said border checks on goods from Great Britain it signed up to in the 2019 Brexit divorce deal has so far
Illegal fishing catch MORE than 11 tons of fish, molluscs and crustaceans were seized during an opera‐ tion led by the Guarda Nacional Republi‐ cana and the Guardia Civil. The Portuguese Guarda Nacional Re‐ publicana led the joint operation targeting illegal fishing. The action day involved the European Fisheries Control Agency and was supported by Europol, Eurojust and Frontex. It also involved authorities from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Swe‐ den. The operation involved 3,162 police of‐ ficers, fisheries, customs, agriculture and
health agencies; 260 vehicles; 189 vessels; 18 aerial assets and two explosives detec‐ tion dogs. Some 2,248 persons, 12 vehi‐ cles and 194 vessels were checked; 64 crimes detected; 185 administrative in‐ fringements and eight arrests made dur‐ ing the operation. Seizures included plastic explosives, al‐ most 11 tons of fish, crustaceans and clams ‐ 4.5 tons of trout, six tons of sar‐ dines, 50kg of immature fish, 48kg of bluefin tuna, 80kg of fine clams, 31kg of Norway lobsters ‐ high‐tech equipment, computers and documents, 167 illegal fishing nets and 20 other illegal items.
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proved unsustainable and are causing immense damage to UK firms. The checks were agreed to in the 2019 deal and are included in the Northern Ireland Protocol, a section of the Brexit deal de‐ signed to avoid border checks on the island of Ireland.
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A 15-YEAR-OLD minor was located and rescued by National Police officers in the Carabanchel district of Madrid on Wednesday, July 21, and the alleged perpetrator of her abduction was also arrested, as reported by police sources. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when, after an oversight by her captor, the young girl was able to get in contact with the police and tell the officers where she was being held captive, although she initially gave them the wrong location.
Minor found gagged After an extensive search of the immediate area that the girl had pointed them to, within an hour the officers located a possible place where she could be, in a cul-de-sac where a leisure establishment was located, which was shown as closed, but with loud music coming from the interior.
As soon as the investigating officers gained access to the facility, and got down into the basement, they found the 15-year-old girl gagged with duct tape, and tied to a chair, immediately releasing her. A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene who allegedly showed signs of violent aggression to-
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wards the police officers, while armed with a hammer, screwdriver, and a saw, who was subsequently overpowered and detained. Initial enquiries have suggested that the detainee had met up with the girl and her group of friends at a party in the city, where allegedly several personal items belonging to the detainee had gone missing, and he accused the girl and her friends of stealing them, which led to him taking the girl and keeping her hostage against her will.
GMB wins ‘best talk show’ GOOD MORNING BRITAIN, The Apprentice, Masked UK, Love Island and Made in Chelsea all won big at the 10th annual National Reality TV Awards. The event took place at the Porchester Hall in London Thursday, July 22. Good Morning Britain, GMB, hosts were ‘ecstatic’ after winning first place for the ‘best talk show’. Former presenter, Piers Morgan, has yet to make a comment on the awards given to GMB, many believe the controversial host will soon be returning to the show, although this cannot be confirmed. GMB presenter Susanna Reid, 50, who was not present at the event, said she was thrilled with her own award for Celebrity Personality of the Year 2021, as she shared her joy on social media. The TV star shared the official National TV Awards post that announced that she had
SUSANNA: Thrilled with her award. won, writing: ‘Thank you @RealityTV Awards.’ The post read: ‘Congratulations to @Su
sannaReid100 on winning Celebrity Personality of the Year sponsored by @DanielleStyles Boutique at the 10th National Reality TV Awards.’ Susanna’s fans were quick to praise the star, with one commenting: ‘Congratulations Susanna well deserved.’ Another posted: ‘Celeb Personality Of the Year!! Well done babe.’ A third added: ‘Really happy for you Susanna winning your award, congratulations.’ This year over 3.5 million TV fans voted on the official NRTA website, on it’s 10th-anniversary, a celebration of NHS Heroes was marked by the introduction of a brand-new category. The ‘Best Health Service TV Show’ category celebrates television shows focuses on health service staff, their experiences, and the NHS in general.
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No jab, no entry FOOTBALL fans are to be banned from Premier League matches if they cannot show proof of a double Covid jab, under government plans. Cabinet Ministers want to allow full capacity crowds to return to stadiums for the first time since the start of the pandemic ‐ but will only allow this to happen if everyone can prove they are fully protect‐ ed against coronavirus. The idea has been tossed around during top‐level discussions between Whitehall officials and the sport’s ruling body recently. It came as England manager Gareth Southgate appeared in a TV advert to urge young people to get vaccinated, after thanking the British public for their support throughout the EURO 2020 football tourna‐ ment he said it was their chance to ‘Get your free‐ dom back’. With the big kick‐off just weeks away, plans have been drawn up to require all spectators over the age of 18 to show proof of two vaccinations before
SUPPORTERS: Would have to show vaccination proof. being allowed to enter a football stadium. The rule would cover all grounds with a capacity of over 20,000 ‐ a figure covering most Premier League grounds.
Fairground ride collapses FOUR children were rushed to hospital after a funfair ride col‐ lapsed in Co Antrim, Ireland. A major incident was declared at Planet Fun, Carrickfergus Har‐ bour.
Emergency services were called to the scene shortly be‐ fore 6pm on Saturday, July 24, after they received reports that a ride had collapsed ‐ the funfair had only recently been re‐
opened. Three children were im‐ mediately taken to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and one child was taken to Antrim Area Hospital where it was understood their injuries were not life‐threatening. Eight other children suffered minor cuts and injuries to their legs and back but did not require hospital treatment. Following this incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will conduct a thorough investigation into the circum‐ stances of whatever occurred,” said Stewart Dickson, Alliance MLA for East Antrim.
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In the top 20
ACCORDING to a study by Kaspersky, it was re‐ vealed Spain is among the world’s top 20 countries most affected by ‘phish‐ ing’ attacks through popu‐ lar messaging applications such as Telegram and WhatsApp, the latter al‐ legedly being the one that accounts for 90 per cent of the attempts of this type of cyberattack. The com‐ pany carried out its study by analysing clicks on ‘phishing’ links in messag‐ ing applications and dis‐ covered a total of 91,242 detections around the world were recorded in the period analysed. Be‐ tween December 2020 and May 2021, the highest proportion of fraudulent links detected in their study were on WhatsApp (89.6 per cent), followed by Telegram (5.6 per cent), Viber (4.7 per cent), and Hangouts (less than 1 per cent). Russia headed the list with the highest num‐ ber, with 46 per cent, fol‐ lowed by Brazil with 15 per cent, and India with 7 per cent. The study re‐ vealed an average of 480 attack attempts being recorded worldwide, ev‐ ery day. In a statement showing the study results, Spain reportedly ranked in 14th position of countries affected through What‐ sApp, and 16th in the list of Telegram attempt.
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Self-testing triumph SELF-DIAGNOSTIC tests for the coronavirus are now being sold in pharmacies across Spain at a low cost. The tests are available without prescription, and can even be taken at home. Many people though prefer to have a little help from the pharmacist or even have the pharmacist do the test for them. Pharmacies began to sell coronavirus self‐di‐ agnostic tests without prescriptions on Thurs‐ day, July 22, and could not have come at a bet‐ ter time. They have been experiencing extremely high demand for the tests, some‐ thing which has surprised many professionals. Pharmacist Pilar Garcia has been surprised how many people have headed into the phar‐ macy to get one of the tests. “We have been surprised by the number of people who have come to the pharmacy to find out about these tests and who have finally bought them,” said Garcia. The pharmacy where Garcia works is in Navarra and it has also set up a station where people can take the test while being super‐ vised. “We accompany our patients to ensure that the test is carried out correctly,” Garcia said. She added that: “In the test leaflets the pro‐ cess is very well explained,” as people can choose to take the test in the comfort of their own homes too. She did point out that: “There are doubts among the population in case they have not done the sampling correctly, so we ac‐ company them in the process and even offer to do the test.”
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Heartbroken Olympic superfan A JAPANESE Olympic superfan who spent £30,000 on tickets to the Games is “heartbroken” that specta‐
tors were banned. Kazunori Takishima said it “breaks his heart” that spectators were banned
from attending the games due to Covid. Takishima has spent the past 15 years travelling to Olympic Games around the
Piers Morgan Covid anger MORGAN says he caught Covid at the Wembley Euro 2020 final, after crowds “crashed their way in with no tickets or testing.” Morgan aged 56, has been double jabbed, but still managed to catch Covid. Many people around the world are now wonder‐ ing if a third jab against the coronavirus will be needed, and if so just when will they receive it. Piers told of how Covid left him with sneez‐ ing fits along with fever, chills, and violent coughing. At the moment in England the dominant strain is the Delta variant and this is what Piers believes he caught. When he headed to the Euro 2020 final he felt comfortable as everyone attending the event had either been double jabbed or had taken a lat‐ eral flow test, which had proved to be negative. Piers has been fairly quiet on social media during the last two weeks about the virus, but previously he took to Twitter to say how he had felt safe at Wembley until the event was crashed by “drunken morons.” Piers commented on Twitter: “Yes, it felt safe and
Covid compliant (everyone either fully vaccinated or neg‐ ative LFT) at Wembley during the Euros until the final when 1,000s of drunken morons crashed their way in with no tickets or testing ‐ and probably turned it into a huge super‐spreader event.” Piers suffered from Covid after the Euros.
world to support Japan and has dreamt of seeing them in his home city of Tokyo. The 45‐year‐old would have bro‐ ken the Guinness World Record for at‐ tendance at Olympic events had he been able to go. He had bought 197 tickets to try to see as many events as possible during the Games, which opened on Friday July 23. “What hurts the most is the time and passion I poured into securing these tick‐ ets, not the money,” he said. “And it breaks my heart that we can‐ not watch the Games live in person.” He said: “I'll be going to the Olympics until I die, so I’ll be breaking the record every time.” Mr Takishima initially had no interest in sports when he saw his first Olympics in the winter of 2006, until he fell in love when he saw Japanese figure skater, Shizuka Arakawa, win a gold medal in person. “The special energy that filled the sta‐ dium really had me and I fell in love,” he said. “I’ve experienced the liveliness and the touching moments which can only be felt in person,” he said. “It’s not the same watching it on TV. Luckily, he will get a refund on the tickets he purchased.
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Smallest town in Spain ILLAN DE VACAS is a small mu‐ nicipality in the province of Toledo, in Castilla‐La Mancha on the outskirts of Madrid, and is officially the smallest town in Spain, with only four inhabi‐ tants, and its mayor, Javier Bol‐ lain, has the predicament of not being able to carry out one of the simplest basic municipal procedures, which is to register any new inhabitants. This situation has come about as a result of the last municipal elections, which took place two years ago, after which the town hall has not been constituted, meaning they are unable to pre‐ sent their public accounts.
ILLAN DE VACAS: The town used to have 248 residents, but now has only four. In an effort to resolve this problem, Mayor Bollain has writ‐ ten to Jose Miguel Camacho, the Deputy Minister of Local Admin‐ istration of the Junta de Castilla‐ La Mancha, asking for his help, and a possible solution to his problem, which he says “has last‐ ed for years, and which consists of the impossibility of registering
people in the census, because we have applications from peo‐ ple who want to join the munici‐ pality, but bureaucratic obstacles prevent us from doing so.” Emphasising, “As we do not have a secretary and we do not have the economic capacity to cover it, we are being left empty due to the lack of support and
opportunities.” At the height of its popularity, back in 1857, Illan de Vacas had 248 residents, but then, in the first half of the 20th century the population was reduced to 100, until it reached the current number of only four inhabi‐ tants, with three of them al‐ ready registered.
UNESCO World Heritage site MADRID has joined the Unesco list in the category of cultural landscape with its ‘Landscape of Light,’ formed by the Paseo del Prado and the Buen Retiro park. This move was voted on by the Unesco World Heritage Committee at its annual meeting, with Madrid’s entry obtaining the majority support of the 21 countries represented on the committee. The ‘Landscape of Light’ includes the Paseo del Prado between the Plaza de Cibeles and Plaza
Carlos V, together with the El Retiro park and the Jeronimos area. Located in the centre of Madrid, it is made up of 75 per cent green spaces. The mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis MartinezAlmeida, said he was, “proud for our city, and happy for Spain and the legacy of its capital.” Spain is the third country with the most registered assets with 49. Madrid becomes the first urban historical landscape place on the list in Europe.
Philip Morris to stop selling cigarettes
Wheelchair hit-and-run victim
JACEK OLCZAK, the chief executive of tobacco firm Philip Morris International, has revealed that within the next 10 years, the giant is going to stop all sales of its traditional cigarettes in Britain, which means that after appearing for more than 100 years on shelves across the country, their iconic red and white packets of Marlboro cigarettes will disappear from sight forever. Mr Olczak explained that the company’s decision was made as part of a move by Philip Morris International to phase out the smoking of traditional cigarettes in Britain, in an effort to encourage smokers to switch to more modern alternative methods which are considered less harmful to their health, such as heated tobacco devices, or e-cigarettes. Mr Olczak said, “I want to allow this company to leave smoking behind. I think in the UK, 10 years from now maximum, you can completely solve the problem of smoking,” while on the subject of Marlboro, he said, “It will disappear. “The first choice for consumers is they should quit smoking. But if they don’t, the second-best choice is to let them switch to the better alternatives.” When pressed as to whether Philip Morris International would stop selling traditional cigarettes in Britain after that 10-year period, Mr Olczak reportedly responded, “Absolutely”. The British government has made its plan public knowledge that it wants to see Britain ‘smoke-free’ by the year 2030, and ministers have even spoken of the need to introduce a plan that will discourage smoking among different age groups.
GUARDIA CIVIL officers in Granada have apprehended a driver who was involved in a hit-and-run incident in the municipality of Atarfe on Thursday, July 8, who fled the scene of the accident after colliding with a pedestrian in a wheelchair who was crossing a pedestrian crossing at the time. According to a statement for the Guardia Civil, the incident occurred at around 5.55pm, at Km 4,989 of the GR-3417 in Atarfe, with the driver hitting into the wheelchair-bound pedestrian, before speeding away from the crash without stopping to check on his victim, leaving the man having to be transferred to a nearby hospital in Granada City for treatment. An investigation was launched into the incident, with officers taking statements from eyewitnesses at the scene of the accident, and viewing footage from security cameras located at the pedestrian crossing, and in the vicinity, which enabled them to identify the vehicle, and subsequently trace its location, along with the driver.
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Wally the walrus A WALRUS that has been de‐ lighting tourists with its cheeky antics has been struggling in the current UK heatwave. Wally, the beloved yet mis‐ chievous Walrus, travelled from the North Atlantic Ocean to Ire‐ land, Wales, Cornwall, France and the Isles of Scilly. He has caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to boats in St Mary’s harbour and caused similar chaos when he capsized a dinghy off the Welsh town of Pembrokeshire trying to get aboard. Officials on the Isles of Scilly have recently built a pontoon for the marine mammal to re‐ lax and have a ‘safe space’. However, experts who are monitoring him have said he is most likely suffering in the boil‐ ing heat and have advised the public to keep their distance. A spokesperson for Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust said: “This heat is not something he is adapted for so it’s important now more than ever to give him rest and space. The hot weather is challenging him. “We’d like to stress the key message that Wally needs rest and space. “All boat owners and water
CHILLING OUT: Wally the walrus cools off on the pontoon. users have been asked to give the walrus space and refrain from actively moving towards him, but the temptation has proved too strong for many. “The walrus is a highly pro‐ tected species and disturbance of this nature is a criminal of‐ fence. Even a lift of the head means his rest has been inter‐ rupted. Please stay away from him.” Experts have also said that the pontoon will not stop Wally from eventually moving away from the Isles of Scilly when he is ready and has enough ener‐ gy.
Police dogs find a million TWO dogs from the National Police have detected a million euros that was hidden in the double bottom of a car boot which was intercepted during a routine check carried out in Malaga. The National Police have explained that the woman who was driving the car could not provide proof for the transportation of this amount of money - a document that is necessary for movements of cash over €10,000. The dogs smelt out the hidden cash and instantly marked the right rear of the boot of the vehicle. It was first suspected that the car had drugs hidden inside, however, after careful examination, a double bottom was found to contain numerous bundles of banknotes that were arranged according to their denominations. The total amount of money seized was €999,630.
I won’t play LEGEND Eric Clapton has said he will not play at venues that require attendees to show a vaccine passport. He responded to the government announcement that vaccination passports will be required to access venues and nightclubs by end September, saying he would not perform “any stage where there is a discriminated audience present.” “Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.” The singer shared his statement on the Telegram account of Italian architect and Covid sceptic Robin Monotti. He also added a link to his anti-lockdown collaboration with Van Morrison, Stand and Deliver, in which they sing: “Do you wanna be a free man / Or do you wanna be a slave?” Clapton shared his negative experiences of getting the AstraZeneca in May, claiming to have experienced “severe” reactions that left him questioning whether he would even be able to play the guitar again. Many people are reluctant to have the Covid vaccination due to side effects and also worries that the vaccines may not have been adequately tested. Clapton is scheduled to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2022. The venue will host the Proms from July 30 to September 11 without social distancing, however, those attending will be required to provide status of their vaccination or immunity status.
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William will suffer INGRID SEWARD, the editor-inchief of Majesty magazine, has warned that Prince Harry’s book deal will impact Prince William the most and that all the royals should be on standby for “bombshell accusations.” “William is probably the one that will come out of this worst of all because there is a row between William and Harry and basically if Harry says things that are inappropriate about the monarchy, that is William’s future. It’s not Harry’s future, he is out of it now, but it is William’s future,” she said Seward also said that Prince Charles’ silence on Harry’s latest venture is an indication that he has also been hurt by his actions. Last it week it was announced that Harry is set to release four books as a part of a deal worth an estimated £29million - €33.89million. According to reports, the second will only be published after the Queen’s death.
Climber escapes avalanche A SPANISH climber has es‐ caped a K2 avalanche that has tragically killed Scottish climber Rick Allen. Scottish climber Rick Allen aged 68, had been climbing alongside Jordi Tosas of Spain and Stephan Keck of Austria. Sadly, tragedy struck and an
avalanche is understood to have hit the south‐east face of the mountain and killed Rick. The UK Foreign Office have an‐ nounced that they are aware that K2 has claimed the life of a British citizen and the charity Partners Relief and Develop‐ ment, have announced Rick’s
death. According to reports both Spain’s Tosas and Austria’s Keck were rescued without re‐ ceiving any major injuries. “It is with great sadness to announce that Rick Allen, a member of the board and also a great friend, has died whilst attempting a new route on K2,”
said Partners Relief and Devel‐ opment. The Foreign Office has com‐ mented and a spokes‐person said: “The British High Commis‐ sion in Islamabad is aware of re‐ ports that a British citizen has died climbing K2 and stands ready to assist.”
Sevilla’s historical flour mills
ALCALA DE GUADAIRA, in the province of Sevilla, is a town with a great baking tradi‐ tion that goes back a long way in history, with flour mills located along the banks of the Guadaira River that have been there since Roman times, where wheat was culti‐ vated, making the town synonymous throughout Spain with quality artisan bread. Despite the fact that this industry is no longer the economic pillar of the town, it continues to be the hallmark and a histori‐ cal reference in the collective memory of all Sevillians, who still call it ‘Alcala de Los Panaderos’, so much so, that now, the company Engranajes Culturales has de‐ signed a guided night‐time tour for the
The mills are located on the river. whole family to enjoy. This tour will take you to the traditional places that you would probably not even know existed until they showed you, in the most beautiful unknown natural loca‐ tions, where you can discover the rich nat‐ ural heritage, and anthropological and in‐
dustrial remains of the Ribera del Guadaira Natural Monument, all just 15 minutes outside of the Andalucian capital of Sevilla. The dates arranged for these tours so far are on Saturday, August 21, and Sun‐ day, August 22, starting at 10pm each night at the Hotel Legado Oromana, a re‐ gionalist‐style building from where you can get striking panoramic views of the area, from where you will be taken on foot, armed with lamps, to discover the rich industrial heritage of the municipality. The price per person is €11.10, and you can find all the relevant information on the website: www.engranajesculturales. com.
NEWS
Sierra de Cadiz Rally confirmed THE Sierra de Cadiz rally has been confirmed and will take place on September 17 and 18 over four timed stages. The race will comprise of four timed stages over the following routes: La Ribera de Gaidovar (8.2km), El Gastor‐Olvera (14.1km), Za‐ hara de la Sierra (15.4km), and Benaocaz‐Ubrique (5.2km). An official presen‐ tation of this race ‐ whose results count towards the Andalucian Asphalt Rally Championship ‐ took place at the Provincial Palace in Cadiz, with guests including Jaime Armario, from the Department of Citizenship Development; Maria Jesus Herencia, the representa‐ tive of Tourism of the Junta de Andalucia in Cadiz; Manuel Alonso, president of the Andalucian Automo‐ bile Federation; and Fran‐ cisco Garcia Galera, from the organisers of the rally, Escuderia Sur. Carlos García Ramírez, mayor of Grazalema was al‐ so present, acting as spokesman for a region that has been represented by the mayors or municipal representatives of El Gas‐ tor, Ubrique, Olvera, El Bosque, Zahara de la Sierra and Benaocaz.
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
Lilibet not included
SUCCESSION: Harry and Meghan’s daughter has not been added to the list as yet. MEGHAN and Harry’s daughter Lilibet is eighth in line to the British throne, but the Royal family have ‘not in‐ cluded’ her in the public succession list yet. Lilibet was born on June 4 and some 50 plus days after her birth she is still not included in the list. Harry’s daughter falls in the list immediately after her brother Archie, and she comes one slot before Prince Andrew. There is no official line of succession in the UK as there is nothing in the legal framework of the country for this. This means that the list is the nearest thing the UK has to an official succession list. The fact that the list has not been updated yet caught the attention of ITV’s royal editor Chris Ship. On the Royal Rota podcast he said: “You have got to
ask what has taken them so long. All they have got to do is hit the paragraph button and put in a different number. “They must have done it before. They did it for Archie. Clearly they did it for Louis when he was born. And they have done it for some of the other children like August that have been born as well. “So where’s Lilibet? I can forgive them a week or two but a month? Is this them being a little bit petu‐ lant? Is it them saying, ‘We will get around to it when ready’?” He added: “It does feel like to me, maybe, they are making a point.” Other royals were added far more quickly to the list. Prince Louis was added around 12 days after he was born.
Can you take it on board? MANY of us have probably at some point wanted to take something with us on board a flight, either on the outbound leg, or, most certainly on the homeward leg, in the case of something maybe catching your eye when out and about
in a foreign location, and think‐ ing ‘oh boy, I would love to take that home with me, but will they let me take it on the plane.’ Examples of some very strange items that are allowed onto an aircraft are animal
Navy ships with positive cases A COVID-19 detection screening carried out by the Spanish Navy on the crews of the frigate Almirante Juan de Borbon, and the combat supply ship Cantabria, both of which are anchored in the Rota air-naval base in the province of Cadiz, has resulted in a total of eight confirmed cases of contagion, as reported by Navy sources. Specifically, among the 216-strong crew of Admiral Juan de Borbon - whose base is in El Ferrol, in A Coruña four infected personnel have been detected, while in the combat supply ship Cantabria - the largest ship in the Navy after the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I - antigen tests carried out on its 122-man crew have yielded a total of four positive cases. The crews of the two Spanish Navy ships have all been double vaccinated and the ones whose tests have yielded a positive result are asymptomatic, except for one member of the Cantabria ship who reportedly presents ‘very mild symptoms’, with all those infected being put into isolation at the NCO School, where they will remain until they have a negative result in a PCR test.
horns and bones, but they must be declared in advance, as must human remains. Dead bugs though are allowed to be taken on board, as are Christ‐ mas trees, as long as they are under three metres in height. Musical instruments can be taken with you, but large pieces like a cello or a double‐ bass will normally have to be pre‐booked onto the flight, and you might also be asked to pay for a seat for it, due to its di‐ mensions, which means next time you are on an aeroplane, and you are sat next to a cello, you now know why! Sports equipment is very re‐ stricted, and golfers will tell you that golf clubs must be stowed in the hold, and paid for in most cases, but you can take fishing rods, snooker cues, and tennis racquets with you. Remarkably ‐ considering current security issues ‐ you are allowed to take nail clip‐ pers, tweezers, and sewing and knitting needles, but work equipment such as pliers, screwdrivers, and hammers are prohibited.
EWN 23
24 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
NEWS
Iberian lynx reintroduced Royal Mail deliveries IBERIAN lynx are set to be reintroduced by the regional government in Murcia. In Spain the Iberian lynx are sadly in danger of extinc‐ tion, so as part of a new pro‐ ject the government is set to
reintroduce them. The pro‐ ject is part of the Life + Na‐ ture and Biodiversity project of the European Union. The Governing Council has approved the framework of the project which will work
Hospitalised and vaccinated FIFTY‐ONE per cent of patients with coronavirus who have been admitted to hospitals in Castilla y León have received the complete vaccination schedule. There are currently 211 patients among those who occupy ward beds (191) and critical beds (20), out of a total of 415 who are currently hospitalised in the Community. Specifically, of the 355 patients admitted to the ward, 145 have the complete vaccine schedule, 41 per cent, while 46, 13 per cent, have received just one dose. Of the 60 people who remain in the Intensive Care Units, 10 have received the two doses and another 10 only one, which represents just over 16 per cent in each case. This also means that 155 admitted, 37 per cent of the total, have had the full schedule. This is the weekly data that the Minister of Health, Verónica Casado, announced on July 22 during the weekly press conference to report on the epidemiological situation in Castilla y León.
in collaboration with owners of private farms and game reserves. They hope to en‐ sure that the population of Iberian lynxes grows in the future. The Regional Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and the Environ‐ ment are set to work with the game reserves and pri‐ vate farms to ensure that the agreement is managed in an appropriate way. The agree‐ ment needs to ensure that the Iberian lynx are appropri‐ ately conserved. The regional Ministry will perform trap‐ ping work which will allow them to monitor the move‐ ment of the animals and their populations too. The ministry will not inter‐ fere with the farms which carry out hunting activities. According to local press, the presence of the lynx will not alter any future or current rights regarding hunting, building livestock fences, roads, warehouses or ponds where the farms adhere to the agreement.
THE Royal Mail is undergoing a major shake‐up and according to reports, deliveries of letters on Saturdays are under threat along with signed for parcels. The Royal Mail hope to be able to com‐ pete with the likes of Amazon, and new plans are being considered by bosses at the Royal Mail. New bosses are carrying out a service review of the Royal Mail’s ‘whole product suite and offering’. Recently the demand for letters has decreased, but delivery companies such as FedEx and Amazon are doing well. A former executive at Ocado and Apple, Simon Thompson, launched the review of the Royal Mail which is set to take around six months and aims to cut costs. It will carefully investigate customers’ needs, in‐ cluding if they still want special deliveries, signed A DRIVER has been fined al‐ most €2,000 and lost eight points off his licence for us‐ ing a mobile phone while driving. The 35‐year‐old man was stopped by police in Galicia, when they saw that he was in charge of a vehicle while using his mobile phone. Offi‐ cers initially gave him a fine of €200 and three points, however, while carrying out the usual control checks
ROYAL MAIL: New plans. for deliveries and other services such as tracked de‐ liveries which are expensive. Other delivery companies seem to thrive on cus‐ tomers being satisfied that their parcels are simply handed over to a neighbour, or placed in a safe space. Once the review is complete a final decision is expected sometime next year.
All points gone (documentation, insurance, licence etc), they noticed that the vehicle did not have any ITV, adding another of €200. However, the strange atti‐ tude of the driver led the of‐
ficers to also carry out a breathalyser test which was positive showing a rate of 0.44 mg / l. So, another €500 and another four points. The final icing on the cake came with the drug test, which showed a positive result, both for THC and cocaine. Another fine of €1,000 and another six points. In the end, the luckless driver lost 13 points and will have to pay €1,900 in total.
NEWS
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Liverpool now stripped of status
LIVERPOOL has been removed from the list of World Heritage sites following a vote. Members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held a secret ballot in China on July 21, seeing Liverpool removed from the list after 17 years. Liverpool has been on the list since 2004 but has been on the UNESCO danger list since 2012 when the heritage body became increasingly concerned about the development of the docks in the city. Before the decision, Liverpool was one of just 32 World Heritage Sites in the UK. Responding to the decision, the mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson said: “I’m hugely disappointed and concerned by this decision to delete Liverpool’s World Heritage status, which comes a decade after UNESCO last visited the city to see it with their own eyes. “We will be working with the government to examine whether we can appeal but, whatever happens, Liverpool will always be a World Heritage city. We have a stunning waterfront and incredible built heritage that is the envy of other cities. “I find it incomprehensible that UNESCO would rather Bramley Moore Dock remain a derelict wasteland, rather than making a positive contribution to the city’s future and that of its residents. I’ll now be seeking to draw together all the UK heritage bodies in a round table to plan a positive future with further investment.”
29 July - 4 August 2021
EWN 25
Train driver faces trial A FORMER senior official and a train driver are set to face trial for the worst train acci‐ dent to take place in the country in decades. The tragic accident happened in 2013. A Spanish court in Galicia has now said that the former se‐ nior official and the train driv‐ er will stand trial. The accident took place in Santiago de Compostela in Ju‐ ly 2013. The train had been approaching a curve at over double the speed limit when it derailed. The train then slammed into a concrete wall, tragically killing 80 people. The two accused are facing prison sentences. The prose‐ cutor has requested four years in jail for both the head of traffic safety and the train driver. The two people have been accused of 80 crimes of homicide due to gross profes‐ sional negligence. They have also been charged with a sin‐ gle crime of damage and 145 crimes of injury due to gross professional negligence. The accident has taken so
TRAIN CRASH: Eighty people were tragically killed.
long to come to trial due to the lengthy investigation. Offi‐ cials had attempted to deter‐ mine if other senior officials had any responsibility for the accident. These claims were eventually dismissed though. After eight long years the mat‐ ter is finally heading to trial. At this moment though no date has been set for the trial to begin.
Kate Garraway in hot water
GOOD MORNING Britain’s Kate Garraway is in trouble with viewers after commenting that the NHS pay is “"difficult” for the “government to balance.” Viewers quickly took to Twitter to criticise her comments. The viewers encour‐ aged Kate to stand behind the NHS workers who helped her husband Derek during his hor‐ rific battle with the coronavirus. The ITV star spoke of her husband’s fight against the virus and how great the nurses had been. “If it was up to me, you couldn’t pay them enough,” said Kate. “It’s extraordinary what all members of the NHS did, but nurses particularly. It’s the detail in a critical situation like with a virus that no‐
body knew the impact of at the time Derek got sick. “The detail, the cell count, a lot of that is passed to the nurses and it’s getting that right that makes all the difference. I can’t say enough, of course they should get more. “But it’s a difficult job for the government to balance that.” Viewers soon hit back on Twitter though. One said: “Kate Garraway should know better.” Another tweeted that: “Kate Garraway bang‐ ing on about national debt and inflation as fac‐ tors in opposition to a decent nursing pay rise; after her husband was treated so much by them is ridiculous.”
26 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
NEWS
Castillo de La Calahorra IF you travel to the province of Granada, then you simply can’t miss the spectacular Castillo de La Calahorra, situat‐ ed on a hillside with the stun‐ ning backdrop of the Sierra Nevada foothills in the beauti‐ ful Andalucia region. Built between 1509 and 1512, this stunning old castle was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural monument in 1922, and was one of the first Italian Renaissance castles to be built outside of Italy. If you are a film fan then you might have recognised the cas‐ tle, as it was featured in the 1974 film Stardust ‐ the sequel to Essex’s smash hit film ‘That’ll Be The Day’ ‐ as the retreat bought by the famous pop star ‘Jim MacLaine’ ‐ played by David Essex ‐ in the latter parts of the film, also starring Adam Faith and Larry Hagman. It would be a shame if you did go, not to make a day of it and also drive up to the Sierra Nevada ‐ in English, the name means ‘a mountain range covered in snow’ ‐ as it contains Mulhacén, the high‐
SPECTACULAR: With Sierra Nevada in the background. est peak on mainland Spain, rising 3,479 metres (11,414 ft) above sea level, where
you can enjoy skiing in win‐ ter, and beautiful hikes dur‐ ing the summer.
Dubai makes fake rain DUBAI, the city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is using drone technology to ‘shock’ clouds into producing rainfall. The new technology is being trialled in an effort to fight the heatwave and increase the small average amount of rainfall of only four inches that they have per year. The country is one of the hottest on Earth and is currently struggling with a heatwave that sees residents roast in temperatures that reach a blistering 50 degrees Celcius. In a bid to try and grapple the heat, its National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has started a trial using the drone technology, which sends electrical charges into the sky. This method is known as cloud-seeding and prompts clouds to come together and form precipitation. The drones have proven to be very effective, causing yellow weather warnings to be issued in parts of the country where the drone technology has also been tested.
EUROPEAN PRESS
www.euroweeklynews.com
EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK
FRANCE
Cartoonist dies
Special award
THE Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard who produced the image of the prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb shaped turban in 2005 has died at the age of 86. This cartoon in particular offended Muslims around the world and he survived an axe attack in 2010.
THE French President Emmanuel Macron awarded 79year-old US civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson, Baptist minister and former companion of Martin Luther King, the Légion d’Honneur, one of France’s highest honours, in recognition of what Macron said was “a long walk towards emancipation and justice.”
THE NETHERLANDS
NORWAY
More butterflies
Scooter crazy
ALTHOUGH there is continued fear about the longterm prospects for butterflies in Europe, the Dutch Butterfly Foundation said that this summer should be a very good time for the insect as a rainy spring in Holland has seen plenty of plant growth to feed caterpillars.
IT took a press conference organised by doctors at an Oslo emergency hospital to shame the Norwegian Government into taking action against the almost uncontrolled 30,000 e-scooters on the city’s roads and pavements. From September they will be banned from use after 11pm to reduce drunken injuries.
BELGIUM
FINLAND
Temporary dump
Fuel price
A FIVE kilometre long abandoned road near Liege is being used as a temporary rubbish dump for the immediate dropping off of waste collected following the recent floods in the area. Police officers are on permanent duty to keep an eye out for bodies.
A EUROPEAN wide survey undertaken by Enjoy Travel has revealed that Finland has the second highest cost for petrol at around €1.70 per litre, beaten only by Holland which is currently about €1.84. Generally, Nordic countries charge the most with Baltic countries the cheapest.
GERMANY
SWEDEN
Ultra help
Pizza ransom
EXTREME football fans in Germany (Ultras) are normally in the news for the wrong reasons, but they are currently being praised as the fanatical supporters of different clubs are now working to raise money and offer help to those who have been flooded out of their homes.
TWO convicted killers took guards as hostages at Hällbyanstalten prison and demanded that they be given a helicopter so that they could escape, but after several hours of negotiations they reduced their demands to 20 kebab pizzas and when these were delivered, the hostages were released.
29 July - 4 August 2021
EWN 27
FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Data protection SPANISH supermarket group Mercadona is to be fined €2.5 million by the Spanish Data Protection Agency for an experiment whereby it introduced technology in 48 of its stores to try to recognise and detect customers with court restraining orders who were not allowed instore.
Diversification JOSÉ ELÍAS, the Catalan-based owner of green energy company Audax Renovables has diversified by spending a reported €100 million to take over the La Sirena frozen food chain from Op Capita. He intends to grow the business and then take it public.
Read small print EVEN lawyers don’t always understand the law as a UK court has ruled that one firm of lawyers which signed a non-disclosure agreement when discussing business with another (which never came to fruition), overlooked a six year non-compete clause contained therein and must abide by the document.
More mortgages SALES of properties in Spain are rapidly recovering from the 2020 drop due to the pandemic and latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reveal the number of mortgages granted in May this year was 35,255, 37.4 per cent up on May 2020.
Street theft ONE of the possibly unexpected results of the gradual lifting of lockdown in the UK is the significant rise in street theft according to insurer Aviva. For those who have been stuck inside for months, rarely going out except to purchase necessities, it appears they have become less security conscious and so more likely to be robbed. Aviva said the number of claims for the loss of mobile phones, designer sunglasses and watches in particular were up 44 per cent in June compared to the previous month and July is likely to see the increase continue.
30
STAT OF WEEK
www.euroweeklynews.com • 29 July - 4 August 2021
€23 billion
is the record amount that US investment company Carlyle (which owns 37 per cent of Cepsa) hopes to raise from clients to use for acquisitions.
Belfast start-up company A CHANCE meeting has lead to an award‐winning Game of Thrones producer investing in a Belfast‐based start‐up company. Ready to emulate the suc‐ cess of Peloton, a Belfast‐ based couple Neal and Yvette McGaffin are in the process of launching their re‐ former pilates machine. They had the idea during lockdown as more and more people started to exercise at home as they were unable to visit a gym and now with
the financial backing of Game of Thrones producer Bernadette Caulfield, they are ready to expand their brand. Emmy award‐winning producer Caulfield (who ad‐ mits that it was her fault that the Starbucks coffee cup appeared in one episode) was first intro‐ duced to the couple when she moved to Belfast to film the hit HBO TV show and be‐ gan regular training with cre‐ ative director Yvette.
LEGALLY SPEAKING
Ergonomically designed, the ReformRX will offer users bespoke live and on‐ demand classes led by indus‐ try professionals to provide instruction, while its con‐ nected, built‐in data tracking capabilities can both record performance and submit feedback on progress. The ReformRX will initially launch into the UK and Ire‐ land market this summer, with plans to expand into the US within its second year of business.
The next round of fundraising is currently un‐ derway to raise approxi‐ mately £4 million, which will enable the company to in‐ crease production and re‐ cruit personnel across key areas, including additions to its software, sales and mar‐ keting teams. With prices starting at £5,000 (€5,500) it doesn’t come cheap, but the couple are confident that the Re‐ formRX will find plenty of customers.
In case of death
Can he reject offer? I viewed an apartment and made an offer which was rejected. I then made an offer for the advertised sale price which was again rejected. My question is, if the seller has signed a contract with an estate agent to sell his apartment for a certain price, if that price is offered, can the seller refuse to sell? S N (by email)
Yes, an offer to buy at the advertised price can YOU AND THE LAW be rejected. It is poor IN SPAIN practice but there is nothing legally binding about accepting the stated price. In your case we have some unanswered questions. Who has re‐ jected the offer? Is it the agent or the seller? Is the agent a licensed real es‐ tate agent? That is, an Agente de la Propiedad Inmobilaria. Do the seller and the agent have in fact a written contract? If so, does it bind the agent to sell at the fixed price, no more and no less? We have seen cases where the agent sells the property for more than the stated price and pockets the difference. Finally, if the agent fails to fulfill the terms of his agreement with the seller, that is a civil matter between them.
DAVID SEARL
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
AN estimated 3.8 million women were kept in the dark and now UK Parlia‐ mentary Ombudsman’s report vindi‐ cates Waspi women on pension rights. The Parliamentary and Health Ser‐ vice Ombudsman (PHSO) published on July 20 its view on the case of how the Department for Work and Pen‐ sions (DWP) failed to communicate State Pension age changes to the women affected.
Having a funeral plan will help. WHEN someone passes away in Spain there are procedures which must be fulfilled within 48 hours. ‐ When someone dies of natural causes, call the Emergency Services (112) for a doctor to certify the death. You will need ID for the deceased. ‐ Once a doctor has issued the Certificado Medico de Defun‐ cion, a funeral parlour (tanatorio) should be contacted and within 24 hours of death, the temporary certificate must be taken to the Registro Civil in the town of residence of the deceased to get the official death certificate. ‐ You then need to obtain the burial or cremation licence from the Civil Registry office, as in Spain, the burial or cremation of a person’s remains must go ahead within 48 hours of their death unless there are suspicious circumstances. For a more detailed view of the procedure visit: https://bit.ly/ 2TsjyTr. Having a funeral plan in place means your loved ones will not be faced with the distress of doing all this in a foreign land.
www.goldenleavesinternational.com enquiries@goldenleaves.com Facebook: goldenleavesspain
Reduced borrowing
THANKS to a number of rea‐ sons, the Spanish Govern‐ ment expects to be able to reduce its 2021 borrowing target from €100 billion to €80 billion. “We’re making this deci‐ sion based on three changes. First, the approval of the re‐ covery plan (by the EU) and the first transfers of funds, lower needs from regions and thirdly the evolution of debt markets that have al‐ lowed us to have lower debt servicing cost,” confirmed Economy Minister Nadia Calvino on July 22. The economy which relies to a significant extent on tourism will now have to wait to see how long the new Covid‐19 resurgence will last at home and abroad.
Morrisons latest IF you can’t beat them, join them seems to be the mantra for US investment company Apollo Asset Management as it confirmed that it would not proceed with a solo bid for Morrisons supermarket group. Making the announcement however, it added that it was now in preliminary discussions to join with the Japanese funded Fortress Investment Group which has already placed a takeover bid on the table for £6.8 billion (€7.5 bil‐ lion). The Morrisons board has recommended acceptance of this offer but now awaits shareholder approval, al‐ though there is still a remote chance that Amazon might al‐ so make a counter offer.
Waspi women vindicated on pension rights According to the pressure group Women Against State Pension In‐ equality (WASPI), the findings vindi‐ cate the years of campaign that it and many individual women have been in‐ volved in to try to recover the money they have lost. In its 39‐page document, the PHSO confirms that “if the DWP had made a
reasonable decision in August 2005 and then acted promptly, it would have written to affected women to tell them about changes to their State Pension age by, at the latest, Decem‐ ber 2006. “This is 28 months earlier than DWP actually wrote to them. It follows that these women should have had at least
28 months’ more individual notice of the changes than they got. “The opportunity that additional notice would have given them to ad‐ just their retirement plans was lost.” At some stage in the future, the Ombudsman will give an opinion of what if any compensation should be paid.
32 EWN
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C LOSING P RICES J ULY 26
COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.286,00 Admiral Group 3.327,30 Anglo American 3.061,50 Antofagasta 1.492,00 Ashtead Group 5.624,00 Associated British Foods 2.048,00 AstraZeneca 8.270,00 Auto Trader Group Plc 650,4 Avast 576,12 Aveva 3.957,00 Aviva 389,35 B&M European Value Retail SA 562 BAE Systems 550,6 Bank VTB DRC 1,24 Barclays 169,04 Barratt Developments 714,6 Berkeley 4.862,00 BHP Group 2.320,50 BP 291,8 British American Tobacco 2.770,60 British Land Company 507,5 BT Group 182,85 Bunzl 2.647,00 Burberry Group 2.104,20 Carnival 1.472,60 Centrica 47,25 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.705,00 Compass 1.486,50 CRH 3.553,00 Croda Intl 7.834,00 DCC 6.012,00 Diageo 3.450,00 DS Smith 420 EasyJet 843,5 Experian 3.100,00 Ferguson 10.270,00 Flutter Entertainment 12.625,00 Fresnillo 757,72 GlaxoSmithKline 1.395,00 Glencore 326,15 Halma 2.837,00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.634,50 Hikma Pharma 2.614,00 HSBC 402,65 IAG 175,26 Imperial Brands 1.566,64 Informa 499,6 InterContinental 4.763,00 Intermediate Capital 2.252,00 Intertek 5.478,00
CHANGE(P) 1.274,50 3.326,80 2.953,00 1.445,00 5.620,00 2.026,00 8.259,00 650,2 572,02 3.955,00 380,15 561,8 547,6 1,228 163,2 711,4 4.859,00 2.253,50 281,2 2.751,00 498,3 181,75 2.644,00 2.088,30 1.405,20 47,13 2.672,10 1.471,50 3.505,00 7.820,00 5.966,00 3.449,00 419,75 803,44 3.091,60 10.272,50 12.525,00 743,14 1.393,20 316,1 2.835,00 1.613,50 2.610,00 393,05 165,24 1.557,79 492,68 4.635,00 2.223,00 5.478,00
% CHG. -0,73% -0,68% 3,29% 3,83% -0,46% 0,39% -2,48% -1,48% -0,43% -1,03% 1,08% -2,67% -0,25% -1,27% 1,15% -0,61% -1,48% 2,77% 2,71% 0,06% 0,65% -1,03% -0,75% -0,04% 1,98% -1,64% -0,18% 0,10% 0,08% -1,24% -0,03% -1,58% -0,54% 3,65% -1,40% -1,20% -1,94% 1,68% -1,48% 3,29% -0,67% 0,12% -1,14% 0,26% 4,04% -0,15% -0,06% 0,21% 0,63% -2,04%
NET VOL 1,45M 12,44K 152,73K 505,09K 251,17K 840,49K 1,03M 54,07K 144,59K 97,68K 667,51K 777,32K 473,33K 181,28K 12,82M 2,49M 379,92K 2,00M 15,54M 118,32K 68,70K 4,10M 233,28K 38,17K 931,68K 2,22M 41,31K 564,79K 51,55K 16,71K 171,52K 109,52K 131,58K 344,44K 58,18K 8,21K 45,50K 172,67K 1,77M 3,79M 185,55K 270,84K 58,47K 1,12M 13,15M 711,77K 1,94M 154,31K 126,24K 5,96K
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
ITV 120,85 J Sainsbury 279 Johnson Matthey 3.029,80 Land Securities 697,2 Legal & General 265,45 Lloyds Banking 46,48 London Stock Exchange 7.427,80 Meggitt 443,8 Melrose Industries 158,4 Mondi 1.991,50 National Grid 927,4 NatWest Group 200,8 Next 8.094,00 Norilskiy Nikel ADR 33,98 Ocado 1.847,00 Persimmon 2.904,00 Phoenix 686,05 Prudential 1.362,50 Reckitt Benckiser 6.211,20 Relx 2.029,00 Rentokil 523 Rightmove 668,4 Rio Tinto PLC 6.107,80 Rolls-Royce Holdings 97,13 Rosneft DRC 7,39 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.397,50 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.397,40 Royal Dutch Shell B 1.372,20 Sage 702,6 Samsung Electronics DRC 1.716,50 Sberbank 16,29 Schroders 3.660,00 Scottish Mortgage 1.338,00 Segro 1.193,50 Severn Trent 2.730,00 Smith & Nephew 1.518,00 Smiths Group 1.595,50 Spirax-Sarco Engineering 14.600,00 SSE 1.522,37 St. James’s Place 1.519,50 Standard Chartered 432,2 Standard Life Aberdeen 284,8 Taylor Wimpey 165,85 Tesco 232,55 Tui 325,26 Unilever 4.037,00 United Utilities 1.046,00 Vodafone Group PLC 117,63 Whitbread 3.089,00 WPP 954
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
119,94 276,97 3.028,00 683,6 260,33 45,01 7.412,00 436,8 156,15 1.978,00 924,1 194,75 8.014,00 33,55 1.836,50 2.875,00 679,88 1.332,00 6.204,00 2.027,00 522,46 664,8 5.960,60 94,95 7,25 1.349,70 1.349,80 1.324,80 701,4 1.701,00 15,69 3.641,00 1.328,00 1.192,00 2.722,90 1.518,00 1.580,50 14.590,00 1.513,60 1.505,00 421,8 282,6 164 232,15 318,33 4.036,40 1.041,00 116,62 3.005,00 943,4
-0,12% -0,04% -1,50% 0,75% 0,59% 1,30% -2,60% 0,82% 0,06% 0,07% -0,23% 0,85% 0,03% 0,56% -1,15% 0,38% -0,14% -0,15% -0,85% -1,79% -1,17% -0,68% 3,07% 1,57% 0,38% 2,28% 2,36% 2,30% -0,31% 0,17% 1,59% -0,35% -0,56% -1,04% -0,37% -2,35% 0,28% -0,34% 0,02% -0,43% 0,12% -0,28% -0,24% -0,75% 0,79% -2,58% -0,57% -1,02% 1,85% 0,21%
371,59K 347,45K 17,08K 2,95M 938,01K 24,27M 153,66K 957,53K 1,77M 185,33K 1,90M 6,33M 79,26K 231,51K 435,52K 186,19K 167,57K 2,07M 291,44K 865,92K 340,58K 779,95K 284,30K 4,55M 373,78K 1,37M 1,37M 1,79M 822,66K 12,29K 1,29M 32,42K 2,07M 403,53K 37,33K 90,63K 77,13K 123,33K 145,43K 223,74K 2,43M 922,73K 2,75M 3,18M 400,16K 200,74K 254,88K 28,97M 245,45K 485,82K
1.16984
0.85464
Units per €
US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1813 Japan yen (JPY)........................................130.23 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0823 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4372 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.423
currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ULY 26
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 201,28 2.762,20 3.695,00 246,2 149,4 223,19 210,97 100,42 55,35 56,84 371,61 374,84 328,73 226,95 142,37 54,19 171,31 151,23 243,26 77,08 286,99 164,66 139,98 246,45 659,66 412,2 55,66 248,93 142,37 177,46
CHANGE 199,99 2753,80 3649,18 245,51 147,7 219,92 209,77 99,44 55,14 56,56 368,25 373,11 326,89 225,25 141,19 52,77 170,87 150,17 242,07 76,99 286,66 163,84 139,23 245,93 647,11 411,73 55,56 247,71 141,49 175,37
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 0,39% 548,56K 0,21% 380,82K 1,05% 1,03M -0,61% 313,91K 0,57% 31,38M 0,75% 3,99M 0,69% 655,69K 1,58% 3,32M 0,22% 2,48M -0,30% 2,69M 0,49% 5,79M 0,21% 517,86K -1,23% 775,76K -1,03% 838,50K 0,73% 861,52K 2,25% 11,08M -0,28% 1,38M 0,39% 3,33M 0,12% 689,31K -0,59% 1,51M -0,93% 7,04M -1,02% 1,28M 0,14% 1,93M -0,73% 1,23M 2,53% 8,58M -1,32% 776,11K -0,38% 4,50M -0,04% 1,40M -0,04% 2,30M 0,75% 1,47M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ULY 26
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
Most Advanced MicroStrategy Inc. RBC Bearings Inc. Amazon.com Inc. Coinbase Global Inc. Tesla Inc. Booking Holdings Inc. BioNTech SE ADR Cavco Industries Inc. Pool Corp. Hasbro Inc.
18.14% 16.20% 0.83% 8.04% 2.45% 0.68% 3.97% 4.75% 2.09% 10.19%
759.13K 158.06K 999.45K 3.39M 8.37M 53.99K 1.63M 8.49K 96.62K 1.82M
-12.15% -0.99% -6.80% -1.44% -8.18% -1.51% -1.63% -7.79% -12.79% -3.26% -2.18%
217.93K 73.62K 2.51M 125.5K 401.22K 56.78K 279.63K 13.17M 745.61K 44.32K 326.98K
Most Declined BeiGene Ltd. ADR MercadoLibre Inc. Willis Towers Watson PLC Intuitive Surgical Inc. Zai Lab Ltd. ADR IDEXX Laboratories Inc. Align Technology Inc. Futu Holdings Ltd. ADR I-Mab ADR Insulet Corp. lululemon athletica inc.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
Venezuelan gold back in headlines
WANTS GOLD: President Maduro accuses Britain of theft. IN a broadcast statement on Ju‐ ly 21 the President of Venezuela accused the British Government of stealing more than €1 billion in gold from his country. This followed a recent deci‐ sion by the UK Supreme Court to reject an appeal from the Central Bank of Venezuela to re‐ move the gold bars currently sit‐ ting in the Bank of England. It is not disputed that the gold belongs to Venezuela, but what is disputed is whether Nicolas Maduro was lawfully re‐elected as President of the country in 2019 or as the UK Government (and many others) suggests, the election was rigged. In fact, whilst Britain recognis‐ es opposition leader Juan Guai‐ do as the properly elected presi‐ dent of the country, it has effectively instructed the ‘inde‐ pendent’ Bank of England to keep the gold in its vaults and
this has been supported by the British Court. Meanwhile, Maduro is furi‐ ous as his country has significant financial difficulties and he says that he wants the gold released so that he can spend most of it on supporting the local health system which was breaking down even before the pandem‐ ic hit. According to Maduro, he is the legitimate president who runs the country on a day‐to‐ day basis and in his speech ac‐ cused the British Government of wanting to hand over the gold to “an invented govern‐ ment.” Many countries leave gold deposits with the Bank of Eng‐ land so that they may be used as collateral against loans or sold if the country wishes to take advantage of rising gold prices.
5G expansion VODAFONE Spain purchased on July 22 a new block of 5G space from the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation for €350 million. The total amount will be payable in a single instalment following the conclusion of the auction process and in addition, a licensing fee of €15.5 million will be payable each year. The spectrum acquired has initial holding rights until 2041, with an automatic renewal with no additional fees for a further 20 years, until 2061, subject to meeting the licence obligations. In contrast, In the first stage UK auction, Vodafone paid £174 (€191) million for bandwidth.
One thing is for sure and that is the spot price of gold has in‐ creased by 34 per cent since February 2019.
BUSINESS EXTRA Bank merger AFTER a seemingly long wait, the Spanish Government has approved the takeover of Liberbank by Unicaja which is now expected to be completed by the end of July. For years, until the 2008 financial crisis, Spain had numerous banks and ‘building societies’ but now has just 10.
Trade talks UNITED STATES Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Spain’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Maria Reyes Maroto on July 20 to discuss current trade and economic matters with a view to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the United States and Spain.
Plus Ultra ALTHOUGH it had expected to receive a further €34 million in pandemic support, the Spanish Plus Ultra airline which flies to South America has been told by the Madrid Court (which oversees its ongoing operations) that it has to explain why it needs the money.
29 July - 4 August 2021
EWN 33
34 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
FEATURE
Time to investigate practices
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT
Photo credit: Lilly Trott / Shutterstock.com
JUST how long are we going to allow this positive glut of reversed racism to continue before we stand up and say enough is enough? Day in and day out the white indigenous population are bombarded with racist propaganda and accusations of prejudice. Frankly I have no idea what the ultimate goals of the woke and PC brigades actually are (any ideas?), but I do know that unless we address the problem there will be unprecedented numbers of citizens, who, in their utter despair of the authorities’ failure to correct this completely unjustified situation, could well decide to look to the far right for their governmental representations! Those who condone these totally biased practices are undoubtedly the biggest racists of all. The BBC is actually getting worse. Last week their national news featured holidaymakers enjoying the recent heatwave at a typically British seaside resort. The beach was naturally packed with predominantly white families making the most of a welcome summer break. BBC
A typical seaside resort.
reporters then interviewed some of these holidaymakers for the programme. The first they engaged were a black family with a large number of young children. After quite a lengthy chat they moved to the next interview which turned out to be a somewhat amorous black female couple. They then featured a mixed race family and culminated the piece by talking to a young black gentleman licking on a cornet.
One thing you can most definitely take to the bank was that these interviews were intentional and in no way coincidental. In the first place, finding this particular selection of people on a beach packed with white British holidaymakers was a feat in itself. These reporters, with their teams of camera people and assistants, don’t just wander about indiscriminately dropping on people at random. They have staff that go out in advance and line up those who are
prepared to be on the programme. Their superiors had obviously given them instruction to go and find a specific type of holidaymaker to interview, ie non.white, gay and mixed race! This is blatant discrimination; pure and simple. Priti Patel is also a glaring case in point. In a recent photograph (since taken down!), she was shown posing with her whole department of government staff. All save one were of ethnic origin. They have obviously
been chosen specifically for their cultural backgrounds ‐ and this is the Home Secretary! We now have so many TV ads cast with black actors it’s actually quite difficult to pick out even one featuring an all‐white cast. This is so utterly disproportionate to the general population; it also has to be completely intentional. They even featured a black rap (Rap!?) artist in the introduction to their Wimbledon programmes this year. Why is it only the white population that can be racist? It’s time these totally bewildering, inflammatory practices were investigated. They are not encouraging diversity; they are promoting bias and discrimination to unprecedented levels and must be curtailed, before it all spirals out of control. Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com. Expatradioscotland. Mon. Wed. Fri. 1pm till 4. To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
EWN 35
STOP PRESS! THE STORY BEHIND THE HEADLINES Cudeca as you know), including the latest in the series, ‘The Sentinel’. No time either to mention the colour‐ ful years I spent in LA. Apart from bit parts in movies (the English accent was wot dun it!) and meeting famous actors ‐ Paul Newman (those eyes!), Harrison Ford (that smile!) and others ‐ there were also some dodgy moments. Like the morning when I rushed into Law School and a Tax Law Professor was gunned down right in front of me! This shortly af‐ ter J D (Juris Doctor) Finals. I never did find out if he’d pissed off some former client or just a student with failing grades…
NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson
I T’S not often I’m left speechless, but that’s precisely what happened during a previous appointment with my gynae‐ cologist in London. As soon as all the medical stuff was over when I last saw him, he reminded me what he said then: “That novel of yours really could have been about me!” As I said, I was speechless, having no idea he even knew about my debut novel, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (which I’m pictured here presenting outside her Be‐ nalmadena office to Joan Hunt, founder of the Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer chari‐ ty who sadly passed away recently), let alone had read it or the others. (Every single one, as it turned out.) Anyway, just like the main character in it, he described how, over several months, he too had been obsessively
The late Joan Hunt with a copy.
The latest book in the series. stalked by a patient who sent him aggres‐ sive emails ending up in blackmail. Even‐ tually, he referred himself to the General Medical Council ‐ and subsequently total‐ ly cleared by the medical tribunal.
Phew, what a personal story, which hit the national headlines! There wasn’t time to mention that I’d also been stalked ‐ in Los Angeles ‐ an experience that resulted in the obsessive delusional relationship depicted in my novel. Nor that studying law there, specialising in criminal law, led to my growing passion in writing the psy‐ chological crime thrillers featuring inves‐ tigative journalist Alice Myers and DI Bar‐ b a r a Fo r s t e r ‐ o r ‘ D I B a r b a r a ’ a s m y Audible reviewers call her (all profits to
Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson.net) available on‐ line as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com
Nora Johnson’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
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Hi Leapy, Completely agree with you! As regards football, a few coloured, sorry black players get involved, I’m sure some of their white colleagues, really just give them some support, not really seeing the whole picture! As you say, we should stop talking about it, problem is our media is so intent on pulling the government down, and if it wasn’t Boris it would be somebody else! Why don’t the minority black community, look at the majority of black and white communities, and just get on with life? Don’t we all, or the majority of us just get on with life! I am sure the media, especially TV, do show some very unacceptable programmes, it’s frightening what some people think up! Kind regards Ian, PS, I do like your views, well written!
The Knee Dear Leapy Once again, your comments are spot-on. Covid surely has a great deal to answer for. The fact is, had the pandemic not succeeded in removing fans from football stadiums, this totally misplaced ritual would have been booed out of fashion within a couple of weeks and, effectively, aborted before it gained a fashionable hold! Yours Ken Turner
Covid tests latest An airline today called on the UK Government to bring an end to unnecessary and expensive testing for flying abroad, in line with much of Europe. Two-thirds of British adults are now fully vaccinated, but still face prohibitive PCR test costs in order to travel, with a family of four still paying up to £400 for Covid tests - even to green list countries Being able to travel was a key driver (47 per cent) for many to get the vaccine. Nearly nine-in-10 (88 per cent) Brits believes the UK Government travel policy advice over the past 18 months has been confusing. According to new
MORE RESTRICTIONS WHAT a difference a week makes in this ongoing time of pandemic! Once again, the various Autonomous Communities have been tasked by the National government to deal with the increase of Covid-19 infection. As more tourists arrive from across Europe so the populations of various holiday destinations increase dramatically and so do the number of infections, but there is a fatal flaw in calculating the potential risk. Very simply if the decision to impose restrictions is based on the number of infections per 100,000,
CORRECTIONS
OLYMPIC GAMES: We should just get on with life. research easyJet said today that UK holidaymakers could be priced out of their first holiday abroad for the first time in two years if test costs and rules remain. David Anderson
Spanish bank accounts Dear Editor Five months ago, I moved to Jaen Province and opened a bank account easily, without any problem. Now I have moved to Benidorm in Alicante Province and it is a nightmare trying to open a bank account. So many banks are shut, long term or permanently and of those open, many do not seem to want new accounts. Try standing outside under a hot sun with nowhere to sit for an hour or two, then when finally inside you are given an appointment for late next week. One bank allowed you to apply online. But no internet till you have a bank account, and seemingly, no internet cafes.
Michael Hill
OUR VIEW
then the number of residents will be considerably less than the total population due to the number of visitors. This now means that some popular holiday areas are being penalised with new restrictions, even though the true figures are not as bad as they seem. That’s not to say that there aren’t many new cases of infection but once again, businesses are suffering with reductions in the number of people who can eat inside or out and even large shops are having to introduce restrictions on the number of customers allowed inside at any
one time. Vaccination is an important part of the answer and in Galicia you have to be able to prove double vaccination just to enter certain establishments and even in Gibraltar, the government is recommending the same policy. Anti-vaxxers are opposed but the highest percentage of those being infected now have not been inoculated either by choice or until now they have been too young. Rather than give vaccines away, the Spanish Government should continue to ensure that vaccinations continue to be available to all in Spain as quickly as possible.
VACCINE PASSPORT: Should it be used to gain entry to bars etc?
Beryl Tye Come on, what on earth is wrong with having to show a passport, if you belong to clubs you have to have a card to belong, if you live by the book and do things right for yourself and other people, there is nothing to it, carrying a small little passport, oh I forgot if you won’t have the vaccination, you can’t have a passport, one’s own choice. I suppose.
Theresa Attwood Terrible idea for businesses, creating a two-tier society. If unvaccinated people are refused entry then there will be a niche for illegal underground clubs, pubs, restaurants etc.
Annie Burton It’s the same for France I thought it was a good thing but it seems more and more likely that it doesn’t seem to matter if you’ve had Covid and both jabs. Look at Boris he’s still having to isolate.
Andy Solomons First, the authorities need to issue all vaccinated people with passports.
Alan Howard Hello to building back better and our new normal. Soon these so called health passports will evolve into a Chinese style social credit system, easy done once you have every one with a personal QR code, just bolt in an update to the application it’s held on in your phone. Why the offers of prizes and money and hard talk about denying access to places never ever been done before for any infection that has survival rates of 99+ per cent. Welcome to our new normal they were spouting from the beginning of this planned epidemic.
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EWN 45
Advertising Feature
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46 EWN
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29 July - 4 August 2021
Get your beauty sleep WHEN it comes to looking good and feeling good it is wise to pay attention to the old saying ‘have you had your beauty sleep?’ The secret to well-being can involve many factors including keeping fit, eating the right diet and taking care to select the right beauty products. But according to a recent study, getting a good night’s sleep is not an option - it’s a must! A-list stars like Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey - renowned for looking years younger than their real age - have long advocated a decent night’s sleep as their number one beauty tip and a survey by UK bed company Sealy seems to back them up. The study aimed to find out more about the UK’s sleeping habits and whether there really is a link between a good night’s sleep and an improved physical appearance. The research revealed that more than half of people (60 per cent) believe that the quality of sleep they get has a positive effect on their physical appearance, with the majority of those who enjoy good quality sleep claiming to have experienced a number of physical benefits including brighter eyes (42 per cent), a better complexion (21 per cent) and clearer skin (20 per cent). The study also discovered that people who achieve an average of nine hours and 10 minutes good quality sleep each night are most likely to report the most positive benefits to their physical appearance. Those questioned rated sleep as the second most important factor in looking good, coming above exercise, fashion, and even make up and grooming, with diet being the only factor they believed had a greater impact on their appearance.
LOOKING GOOD: Jennifer Lopez knows the secret!
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Love glitter GLITTER cosmetics are having a massive comeback as fun-loving youngsters look to add a little sparkle to their lives. Spanish-shot reality show Love Island is partly to thank for the latest trend, together with summer festivals and Spain’s party hotspots. Sales of glitter cosmetics were worth more than €337,000 to retailers between June 25 and July 21 in the UK alone, up an impressive 321 per cent compared to the same period last year. According to data analysts IRI, festival goers, party lovers and fans of the ITV series Love Island, helped boost sales of glitter products by 60,000 so far this year. Top sellers include face glitter and eye glitter, which accounted for the majority of growth. However, nail products, the mainstay of glittery cosmetics over recent years,
SPARKLE: Glitter make-up is increasingly popular.
have fallen - down 5 per cent since last year. “We are seeing something of a revival in glitter from the glam rock days and discos of the 70s and 80s, but with a new twist,” said Kaajal Bhatti, Senior Insights Manager, IRI. She added: “The glitter
craze we are seeing this season really kicked off last year when the Love Island contestants had a glitter party. “Last year’s glitter cleavage trend has turned into this year’s glitter craze with no body part untouched, including glitter lips, eyes, brows and even tongues!
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Perk up in the morning
EARLY BIRD: Build your stamina. EXERCISING in the morning on an empty stomach burns more fat than exercising at other times of the day. Exercise increases how awake we feel and raises our core temperature. Burning calories is not the only benefit of an ‘early bird work out.’ Working out in the morning is great for the mind and body. It is advisable to take supplements before exercising on an empty stomach. Iron deficiency is one of the leading causes of tiredness in women, with 27 per cent not getting enough. Eat a lunch rich with animal produce, otherwise known as carnitine. Products like meat, fish, poultry, and milk are the best sources.
In general, the redder the meat, the higher its carnitine content. Carnitine converts fat to your cells so it can be used as energy, while not having enough can cause dizziness and muscle weakness. Snacks in between meals should involve three key components: protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates. Apple with some oatcakes and peanut butter keeps blood sugar levels constant until dinner. Dinner should be eaten at least three hours before sleeping. Eating, sleeping and exercising at regular times will build stamina and form an easy to follow routine.
29 July - 4 August 2021
EWN 47
48 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
EMMA WALLSWORTH MANY of us here is sunny Spain are still not overly sure what the difference between the shop sold root vegetable Yuca and the version in which we grow in our gardens actually are. Well hopefully for those of us who are still not sure in the difference, it will be clearer at the end of this article. Common Difference: Well apart from the possible spelling error of a ‘C’ missing from Yuca, there actually is a huge difference and one certainly that cannot continue to be con‐ fused. Does the title of this post make you feel slightly dizzy? Me too. That’s why I felt compelled to put fin‐ gers to keyboard. Without realising it, I have been using the words ‘yucca’ and ‘yuca’ interchangeably when, in fact, they refer to two completely different plants. On the other hand… Yuca is an extensively grown tropical vegetable that has other common names that you may recog‐ nize, such as cassava, manioc, and tapioca. The Yuca tuber can be roasted, boiled, and fried. Because it is starchy and high in carbohydrates, it can be used as a substitute for potatoes. The Yuca is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C. Differences of a Yucca and Yuca The drastic differences in their growing environ‐ ments leads to stark differences in the yucca and cas‐
FEATURE
Yucca and Yuca Confused? YUCA & YUCCA: The two are actually quite different.
sava plant structures. The yucca plant has long, sword‐like leaves with a waxy coating that radiate out in a rosette pattern from a central stalk. This enables the plant to capture and funnel the minimal rain avail‐ able towards the core of the plant. Below the leaves there may be a tree‐like stem that can be several feet in length. Both the yucca and the (Yuca) cassava plant have beneficial uses, the yucca plant is used for more medicinal purposes than the (Yuca) cassava. The yucca plant is rich in resveratrol, yuccaols, and saponins that the scientific world is finding very bene‐ ficial in several profound ways. Research has shown that these three natural compounds can reduce in‐ flammation, ease arthritic‐type pain, and protect the skin from sun damage. Conversely, the (Yuca) cassava root is more like a starchy vegetable that can be pre‐ pared and cooked. Eating yucca root in the same
manner as one would eat (Yuca) cassava root is strongly discouraged, if not almost impossible. First, yucca root is incredibly hard and fibrous, so cutting, or slicing it requires more than a standard knife. Second, yucca root tastes bitter even after be‐ ing ground into a powder. Almost all of the yucca plant can be used as food. The stems, leaf bases, flowers, emerging stalks as well as the fruit of most types of yucca are edible. The stems or trunks of yuc‐ ca store carbohydrates in chemicals called saponins, which are toxic, not to mention taste of soap. To ren‐ der them edible, the saponins need to be broken down by baking or boiling. Flower stalks need to be removed from the plant well before they bloom or they become fibrous and tasteless. They can be cooked, or when very newly emerged, eaten raw while still tender and resembling
large asparagus stalks. The flowers themselves must apparently be picked at just exactly the right time for optimal flavour. The fruit is the most desired part of the plant when utilising the yucca plant as a food source. Edible yucca fruit only comes from the thick‐ leaf varieties of yucca. It is about four inches (10 cm) long and is usually roasted or baked engendering a sweet, molasses or fig‐like flavour. The fruit can also be dried and used thus or pound‐ ed into a type of sweet meal. The meal can be made into a sweet cake and kept for some time. Baked or dried, the fruit will keep for several months. Yucca fruit can be harvested before it is totally ripe and then allowed to ripen. Besides growing yucca fruit for food, it was used historically as a laxative. Native peoples used the sap to treat skin issues or an infusion of the roots to treat lice infestations. Yucca powder must be encapsulated, or mixed with other fillers to disguise the taste, and must be consumed in smaller amounts.
Emma Wallsworth’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
Advertising Feature
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No-one answers the phone MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man
I also have a selection of mini knockers.
after what has been a traumatic time and you can almost feel the confidence it gives them, it’s such a lovely virtual happy hug. Knitted Knockers are a registered charity and as I have said previously, the knockers are provided free of charge, but they still need funds to enable then to keep this much needed service going. In the Boutique I have a selection of mini knockers!! A handy keyring/bag charm in a selection of colours. All I ask is for a minimum €1 donation in the collection box.
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WHAT’S happened to the banking system here? Brexit and the pandemic seem to have changed what was quite a normal, even sometimes very easy, system. I could ‘phone up and speak to my own personal banker on first name terms. Now no-one answers the ‘phone, my personal banker has left and I do not have a replacement. I emailed for an appointment and got an email back saying the person I was trying to contact is out of the office ‘til August. I don’t even know this person’s name as their email address is just numbers and letters. It gave me another contact email address and I have now emailed that one four times without a reply. No-one answers the ‘phone anymore. You don’t even get options; it just cuts off after a few minutes. I don’t know if this has happened to anybody else but friends of mine asked us to check his apartment and we found the electricity had been cut off. We told him and he was confused as there was plenty of money in his Spanish bank account. He called his bank and after
much toing and froing found that the reason his bill hadn’t been paid was that his account was frozen as his ID documents - in this case his passport - needed updating. They tried to explain that they couldn’t get here because of the travel restrictions so could they do it by email and scanning documents and the bank just said no they had to come in and sign in person and until then the account was frozen and that was the end of the conversation. We now go in and check bills so nothing else gets cut off and got the electric put back on. Why is there such a difference between hiring a manual and an automatic car? The price in some cases is treble for the same car and the same amount of hire time. I could understand it years ago when automatic cars were limited and a lot more expensive but now the price difference is about a grand, so why the massive hike in rental price? Just watched an expert on TV saying everyone should go and have a vaccine jab. Now this guy I know, from seeing him on TV before, is a vegan. My question is should I really be listening to someone telling me what to put into my body who won’t even eat a cheese sandwich? Email mikesenker@gmail.com
Mike’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
50 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
FEATURE
GO LOCAL
THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the com‐ munity by going local now that the lockdown has end‐ ed and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and superstores. We challenge you to redis‐ cover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengro‐ cers and all of the wonder‐ fully quirky independent businesses in your area. Now that the Covid‐19 pandemic appears to be un‐ der control, it is a good idea to try and support many lo‐ cal businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate, especially if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or any other restrictions. The joy of shopping local means that independent
businesses can help support the local community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or online, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an inde‐ pendent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by mak‐ ing a small gesture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actu‐ ally much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, of‐ ten passed down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the generation before. For those stores which are
new, that extra couple of eu‐ ros spent there are support‐ ing someone’s dream and ambition, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an independent store and com‐ pete with the multinational and chains. So be sure to pre‐order your meat from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again. You could also consider purchasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a
local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre‐ paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry, give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times. Choosing to spend your
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
29 July - 4 August 2021
SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.
To advertise here contact us on:
951 386 161
money locally will really make a difference in the re‐ covery of the local economy. When we buy local, our money stays local, and it strengthens the local econo‐ my in two ways. First, buying local keeps money circulat‐ ing within the local econo‐ my. Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees. Data shows that local re‐ tailers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain retailers. Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of each transaction. For exam‐
ple, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce. First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn prepares the fresh produce and sells it to local cus‐ tomers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restau‐ rant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neigh‐ bourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial founda‐ tion for our neighbours and communities. Buying local also fuels new employment and job oppor‐ tunities for people within our community. Studies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more em‐
ployees 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 still fol‐ low the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep ev‐ eryone safe in the future.
EWN 51
PETS
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Pet-sitters offer love and cuddles while you are away
IF you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sit‐ ters. Perhaps you are already making plans for a staycation get away. Even if you are plan‐ ning just a short trip, you’ll know that you sim‐ ply can’t travel with some pets. Young pets in particular may benefit from staying behind so they can follow their home routines. So, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sitters, if you have trips planned later this year. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSit Match.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for your next holiday, Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2021? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sit‐ ters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build
Is your dog affectionate and in need of attention? your advert saying when you are going on holi‐ day. House‐sitters see your advert, they re‐ spond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rat‐ ing (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sit‐ ter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sit‐ ter while we were away in Canada and we were
delighted with the care and attention that House SitMatch 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 50 per cent discount using coupon code SUPER50 – an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.
Dealing with lameness in dogs DISTINGUISHING if our dog’s lameness is due to an or‐ thopaedic or a neurological prob‐ lem can cause problems even to the most experienced vet. Cases presenting with concur‐ rent neurologic and orthopaedic disease can be confusing be‐ cause clinical signs overlap in these patients. Orthopaedic problems generally affect one limb, but when it affects two limbs it can simulate a neurologi‐ cal problem as occurs when there is bilateral cranial cruciate ligament tear. In contrast, a neurological problem that affects only one limb (monoparexy) can be mis‐ taken for an orthopaedic prob‐ lem. This occurs, for example, in cases of injuries to the brachial plexus (network of nerves that send signals from the spinal cord to the muscles of the forelimb). A patient may appear weak or unable to walk due to anaemia or systemic disease in the ab‐ sence of orthopaedic or neuro‐
logical disease. That is why it is important not only to perform an orthopaedic and neurological examination but also a general physical examination and per‐ form blood tests. Sometimes the owner is not able to describe what is happening to the dog. It is important to record videos. Sometimes what the owner describes as sporadic lameness can be a neuromuscular prob‐ lem as in myasthenia gravis in which the dog after a minute or two of walking suddenly collaps‐ es or simply refuses to continue walking. Animals are unable to generate a normal gait due to paresis, intolerance due to pain or due to a mechanical cause that can be a fracture, disloca‐ tion, etc. Analysis of the animal’s gait is essential. Once the lameness is identi‐ fied, we will decide to do X‐rays, ultrasound, CT or MRI. José Rial, AVEPA certified in Traumatology and Orthopaedics. www.miperrocojea.com
Exotic pets rise in popularity IN China, rare crocodiles, tortoises and even sharks are the pets in vogue right now. These exotic animals are particularly popular among the younger generation, according to a Beijing‐based filmmaker Sean Gal‐ lagher, who made a documentary on the subject for National Geograph‐ ic. It looks like this pet trend is becoming more than just a fad, with an in‐ creasingly high demand for exotic animals in other parts of the globe. A couple in Catalonia also made headlines when they chose to adopt a lion cub they rescued from the circus. A man was recently detained at the US‐Mexico border for trying to smuggle through a tiger cub by hiding it between his feet. In fact, in 2014 the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) reported that there were more tigers kept as pets in US households than are living in the wild. In the Arabian Gulf, big cats have become the must‐have accessory for the incredibly wealthy. Europeans are the keenest on reptiles, according to a BioScience study, and import more than anyone else in the world. It is difficult to estimate the extent of the exotic pet black market, however, as international policing and reporting of the trade leaves much to be desired, with Interpol estimating only 10 per cent of illicit ani‐ mal exchanges are ever detected.
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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)
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PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? Call and see how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com . If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a
CLASSIFIEDS
STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygate insure.com
BUY & SELL
LOCAL ANGLICAN (C of E) church services at Mojacar Los Llanos Del Peral and Alhambra. Communion every Sunday in Mojacar at 11am. Communion at Los Llanos every Sunday except the last Sunday in the month when there will be Prayer and Praise all at 11am. The Alhambra service has moved to the Peruvian church in Albox and Communion is held on the second Thursday of the month at 11am. Priest in charge Rev Vincent ORAM. For further information, please go to The Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Calida web page. Or contact Tony Noble 950 069 103. (10002)
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SOLAR WIND POWER SOLUTIONS. Over 20 years installation experience. Established 17 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email info@sunergyalmeria.com (292258)
REMOVALS/STORAGE
PETS
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RELAXATION
FOR SALE
ABBOTT ELECTRICS. From a Light Fitting to a Full Rewire. Tel: 950 137 208 / 638 010 691 (292250)
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PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
SITUATIONS VACANT
ESTATE AGENT VOSS HOMES are a professional, British familyrun Estate Agents with an office in Huercal-Overa town. They specialise in selling and renting properties in the Huercal-Overa, La Alfoquia, Zurgena & Taberno area. Andy, Anna, Jess, Adele, Hannah, Amy & Karen look forward to helping you buy, sell or rent your ideal property. Please call 678 002 006 for more information (283824)
FOR SALE WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.
Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order. 604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com
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ELECTRICAL
Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section. Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing.
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GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started
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54 EWN
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29 July - 4 August 2021
ROAD TEST by Mark Slack WITH so much integration of platforms, car makers are increasingly looking at differentiating their prod‐ ucts from the competition, and within large groups like Volkswagen Audi it is arguably even more im‐ portant. SEAT has pro‐ gressed this idea with the Cupra range. Originally Cupra were the sports orientat‐ ed models with‐ in the SEAT line‐ up but the name is now a brand in its own right, having dropped the SEAT name, with a com‐ plete Cupra range. While some are very obvi‐ ously SEAT models the Span‐ ish car maker has produced one model that doesn’t exist within its sister brand. The Formentor! It’s attached to a rather splendid car, and despite the fact that even the largest engine in the
MOTORING
Cupra Formentor An impressive machine.
range is only 2.0‐ litres it sounds fan‐ tastic on start‐up. Although this is ‘man‐ ufactured’ sound it does add to the appeal and make it feel something special. With a top power output of 305 bhp the performance lives up to the soundtrack. Prices start from €32,360 (£27,745) and much of the kit in the top‐of‐the‐line versions finds its way into
Facts at a Glance Model: CUPRA Formentor 2.0 TSI VZ3 310PS 4Drive DSG Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol Gears: 7-speed automatic with all-wheel-drive Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) Petrol 4.9 secs Maximum Speed Petrol 249 kph (155 mph) Economy: Petrol 8.6 l/100km (32.8 mpg) WLTP Emissions: 193 g/km WLTP Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.
the lead‐in models too. There’s a 12” touchscreen, full LED lighting, auto‐dim‐ ming rear view mirror, cor‐ nering lights, wireless phone charging, adap‐ tive cruise control and keyless entry and start. The engine line‐ up starts with a 1.5 TSi, 147 bhp, through to the 2.0‐litre 305 bhp mentioned earlier. There are manual and automatic transmission choices, all‐ wheel‐drive and petrol/elec‐ tric hybrids. As ever, especially with VAG products, there is rather too much digitalisa‐ tion, and a consequent lack of buttons, but familiarity would over time make life easier. That apart it’s a very nice place to be with, in my top line model, extremely com‐
fortable seats and an im‐ pressive build quality and the general feel of this being an upmarket car. At a shade under €50,153 (£43,000) this sounds ex‐ pensive, but look at some of the competition and it be‐ gins to look competitive. De‐ spite the lack of a premium badge it has the advantage of being something different to the premium crowd. On the road it handles ex‐ tremely well for such a large machine, with sports sus‐ pension and four‐wheel‐ drive that’s perhaps not sur‐ prising, and the ride is comfortably firm compared to similar sports models within the VAG stable. This is an impressive ma‐ chine and for my money the pick of the Cupra range, be‐ ing a very individual model rather than a bespoke, or tailored, pick straight from the pages of the SEAT cata‐ logue.
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Driving with flip-flops DRIVING with flip-flops on your feet, or with your arm out of the car window. Now that summer is upon us, we normally wear fewer items of clothing, and want to do exactly the same whilst driving in our vehicles, which can of course cause a problem if you happen to get stopped in a police control, or simply if passing a patrol car and it spots you doing something they don’t like. A lot of us like to wear sandals or flip-flops when going out, but there seems to be a grey area in the discussion as to whether you are allowed to drive whilst wearing them, and even the Guardia Civil explained on its social networks that it is not specifically forbidden to drive with flip flops, but, they continue by adding that a driver can be fined for not being able to maintain freedom of movement to control the pedals well. One could argue that it is probably something we won’t find out until the time we get stopped, and it probably depends on which officer stops you. Therefore, and given that driving with flip-flops makes mobility difficult and can hinder the driving of a vehicle, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) warns us that we could receive a fine of €200, and three points off the licence. The same goes for driving without wearing a shirt, which again, in summer is very tempting to do, but, according to several articles of the General Traffic Regulations, the clothing worn behind
You must be able to control the pedals. the wheel must allow full control of the vehicle, facilitate mobility, and not reduce visibility. According to article 18.1 of the General Traffic Regulations, the driver is obliged to guarantee his own safety, so, the use of a t-shirt behind the wheel is mandatory, to prevent the driver from being injured as a result of the seat belt or the airbag, although the Guardia Civil does not stop people for driving in this way, they could fine you €80 if they consider that the offence is motivated. Regarding driving with your arm out of the window, article 18.1 stipulates that both the driver and the rest of the passengers must maintain the proper position during the journey, so this means that driving with your arm or elbow outside the window is not allowed, and anybody caught doing it can face a penalty of €80, but will not be deducted points from the licence.
29 July - 4 August 2021
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Motorhome rentals are skyrocketing ACCORDING to data from the specialist web portal Pronto Pro.es, more and more people this year are renting motorhomes, or camper vans, for their holiday in Spain, a change that has taken place in light of the doubts brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, with people seemingly preferring safer tourism, away from the concrete jungles, and the throngs of holidaymakers in the coastal areas. Despite the optimism thanks to an increase in vaccinations, the portal - which is a professional job offer and demand website - has reported that large numbers of holidaymakers are playing it safe and keeping themselves safe by renting motorhomes, to simply travel at their own convenience around the country, which has resulted in a rise of more than 130 per cent in that market compared to 2020. A motorhome of course can provide you and your family with a safe environment, privacy, and independence to just travel and
stop at any desired location, giving a nice variety of sights and scenery during the trip. According to the portal’s data, they claim most of the searches for motorhomes started in January, and by May had already increased dramatically, although it was around the end of the State of Alarm that numbers really started rising they say, with June also showing a 120 per cent increase compared to last June. Motorhome rentals in Spain will vary according to the type of vehicle and the rental company, but on average they are between €100 and €150 a day, on top of which there is the cost of fuel, tolls, and any specialised parking sites you might take advantage of. Somebody who regularly takes their motorhome on trips told me they enjoy the thrill of waking up and just improvising, driving off without planning any route, just to see what surprises the day brings them, with the possibility of beautiful, hidden beaches, or
stunning landscapes, while others are more meticulous and will sit for days in advance, plotting an exact schedule of routes, the choice is entirely yours.
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29 July - 4 August 2021
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Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold H I D I LY N D I A Z, 30, has taken gold at the Tokyo games, and set an Olympic record after lifting a combined weight of a staggering 224 kilograms. This meant that the weightlifter secured gold in the women’s 55‐kg class. Her route to the Olympics has not been easy as due to coronavirus restric‐ tions her preparation and train‐ ing were disrupted. She had been heading for a competi‐ tion in Peru when new coron‐ avirus restrictions hit. This meant that she spent several months being stranded in Malaysia. This did not put her off though and she used her lock‐ down time wisely. In one In‐ stagram video she was seen to be carrying on training even though she was lack‐ ing her equipment. The video showed her using water bottles at‐ tached to a wooden stick.
The caption said: “Yes, I do this. I carry a bottle of water for my weightlifting training. It’s hard but we survive, still living the dream in my heart.” At Tokyo after her win she burst into tears and celebrated with her coaches. As she stood on the podium she was seen to point to the Philippines’ flag on her jersey while proudly displaying her medal. Harry Roque, the Philippines’ Presi‐ dential spokesperson took to Twitter to congratulate her for “bringing pride and glory” to the Philip‐ pines. “The entire Filipino nation is proud of you,” added Roque. This is not Hidi‐ lyn’s only Olympic medal as she won sil‐ ver in Rio in 2016.
DIAZ: Also set an Olympic record.
Golfers forced to withdraw SPANIARD Jon Rahm has been forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games after test‐ ing positive for Covid, according to a report from the Spanish Olympic Committee on July 25. The Basque golfer, number one in the world, already tested positive in June, when after the third day of the Memorial Tournament, in which he was leading, he was in‐ formed that he was infected and had to retire from the match ‐ even though that same week he had been vac‐ cinated against Covid. After winning the US Open, Rahm arrived in Tokyo in great form and placed at the top of the world ranking. Rahm was the Spanish representative along with Adri Arnaus, after the resigna‐ tions of Sergio García (to focus
on qualifying for the playoffs on the American circuit and for the Ryder Cup) and Rafa Cabrera Bello (to seek to keep the PGA Tour card). Golfer Bryson DeChambeau is also out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after testing positive for Covid‐19. American DeChambeau
JON RAHM: Has tested positive for Covid again.
had not actually yet travelled to Japan, where he was set to make his Olympic debut. Both Rahm and DeChambeau both played at The Open at Royal St George’s in Kent recently. “I am deeply disappointed not to be able to compete in the Olympics for Team USA,” said world number six DeChambeau, who has been replaced in the US team by Patrick Reed. Rep‐ resenting my country means the world to me and it is was a tremendous honour to make this team. I wish Team USA the best of luck next week in Tokyo. “I will now focus on getting healthy, and I look forward to re‐ turning to competition once I am cleared to do so,” said DeChambeau.