Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 9 - 15 December 2021 Issue 1901

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 38 - 41 Issue No. 1901 9 - 15 December 2021

Plans for the rivermouth THE regional government is set to compulsorily purchase 10,000 square metres of land at the Algar rivermouth in Al‐ tea. According to Spanish me‐ dia reports, the Generalitat has allocated €529,026 for an operation affecting eight plots between the l’Espigo and Cap Negret beaches. Five of these are catalogued as ru‐ ral land and three are public property, the same media sources said. Arcadi España, who heads the regional Territorial Poli‐ cies department, explained that the Generalitat intended to restore the zone to its nat‐ ural state, assisting the return of marsh birds currently ab‐ sent from the wetlands. His department foresees the “strategic withdrawal” of certain uses, including access and unauthorised parking, Es‐ paña said, in an oblique refer‐ ence to the motorhomes that persist in parking at the Algar river‐mouth.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

NOEL’S ANGELS Photo credit: Pauline Webb

SANTA FUNDRAISERS: A group of the bikers en route for Benidorm.

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FREE • GRATIS

CONSTITUTION DAY HONOURS MARIA ZARAGOZA LLORET and Barbara Perez Llinares re‐ ceived Benidorm’s Corporate Medal on December 6, Con‐ stitution Day. Both made history by becoming the munici‐ pality’s first women councillors in the Transition’s first democratic local elections in 1979, explained Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez. There was also institutional recognition for members of Benidorm’s lifesaving saving service. Alejan‐ dro Ortiz, Adam Pisarczyk, José Bautista and Daniel Jiméne. The four men put their own lives at risk in a ‘complex and complicated rescue’ when they went to the aid of a tourist who plummeted to the sea on accidentally falling from the Plaza de Santa Ana lookout point at Benidorm’s Castillo.

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LAST June, the Euro Weekly News fea‐ tured the Asociacion y Refugio para Ani‐ males sin Posibilidades (ASRA) in Muro de Alcoy. This non‐profitmaking sanctuary is run by Alex Veldhuizen, ASRA’s co‐president with her brother Dieko, helped by par‐ ents Rosa and Helco. They save and take in animals that are handicapped, traumatised, or chronically or terminally‐ill, but without any official funding, they are struggling to keep going. “This makes it difficult take in any new animals, as we must focus on caring for those that are already with us,” Alex ex‐ plained to the Euro Weekly News. The Veldhuizens have around 100 ani‐ mals to look after, principally cats al‐ though there are 18 dogs, a sheep saved from the slaughterhouse and rescue hens.

AFTER a wait of practically two decades, exten‐ sions to the Marina Baja hospital in Villajoyosa are closer to becoming reality. The regional government’s Health depart‐ ment has now put out to tender the €59.9 bil‐ lion contract to add 30,000 square feet of new buildings to the existing installation that covers an area of 33,000 square metres. “This very good news demonstrates once

“All the animals that we take in stay with us forever,” Alex said. “We are having to say no to the re‐ quests that we receive practically every day to take in animals.” ASRA currently owe their vet more than €1,000, but with overheads of around €5,000 a month, there are many expenses ‐ like wet food for the cats each week ‐ that they simply cannot cover. “We hope the New Year will be better for us and that our Teaming group can grow,” Alex said. Teaming is a platform where donors ar‐ range to pay €1 a month to a group of their choice. More details of this and other ways of donating to help ASRA can be found on the Asociacion y Refugio para Animales sin Posibilidades Facebook page and their www.asraspain.org website.

BENITACHELL’S impressive cliffs have been chosen for the traditional International Mountain Day trail on Sun‐ day December 12. Organised annually by Ma‐ rina Alta’s We Love Moun‐ tains Association, previous editions have included Mont‐ go, Sierra Bernia, the Peñon de Ifach, the Sierra Cavall Verd which separates the Vall de Pop and Vall de Laguar and Sierra Segaria in Benidoleig. This year’s trail will follow the Puig de La LLorença to Penya‐segats de La Marina (La Marina Cliffs) route. Benitachell’s cliffs are part

Photo credit: Benitachell town hall

International Mountain Sanctuary is struggling Day in Benitachell

COASTAL WALK: Participants cross Benitachell via the town’s cliff.

of the Penya‐segats de la Ma‐ rina which have been protect‐ ed since 2009 as a Site of Community Importance (LIC) and cover 943 hectares of cliffs that link Javea, Beni‐ tachell and Teulada‐Moraia.

Worth all the waiting again the regional government’s commitment to Villajoyosa and to resolving one of the Mari‐ na Baja’s longest‐standing healthcare de‐ mands,” La Vila’s mayor Andreu Verdu said on hearing the news. The new, one‐storey building connected to

the existing hospital will house a new A and E department as well as most of the installa‐ tion’s techno‐assistance services. There will be a short stay unit, a new diagnostic imaging zone with two rooms for CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), conventional radiol‐

Participants in the Interna‐ tional Mountain Day hike will meet at 8.30am in Benitachell outside Edificio El Puig adjoin‐ ing Lady Elizabeth School to pick up their numbers and t‐ shirts, setting out at 9am to reach the top of the Puig de la Llorença peak. From here they will head for Cala Llebeig, following the cliff path to Cala del Moraig, from where a bus will take them back to the starting point. Places are limited and par‐ ticipants should register on the www.welovemountains .org website. The €5 fee in‐ cludes insurance and a t‐shirt.

ogy and mammography. This in turn will free up enough space in the currently‐overcrowded hospital for an addi‐ tional 52 hospital beds. There will also be a new surgical block with 12 operating theatres, plus space for another two should these become necessary, as well as a new Obstetrics area and a gynaecological Emergencies section.

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NIBS EXTRA Drain gain NUCIA Town Hall began €184,493 improvements at l’Alberca industrial estate, fi‐ nanced by the regional gov‐ ernment’s Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE). Work involves link‐ ing the bicycle lane to the ex‐ isting CV‐70 lane, improving storm drains to prevent rain‐ water from accumulating and resurfacing roads and roundabouts.

Name-change JAVEA’S Numero 1 high school had a change of name recognised by the regional Education department, and is now called La Mar. The process began during the previous school year when staff, parents and pupils were asked to choose be‐ tween several options, with La Mar the most popular.

Lights out COPPER thieves left the zone between Ondara’s Calle Pi‐ casso and the Polideportivo sports complex without streetlamps after removing 400 metres of copper cable worth €4,000. Although the town hall took immediate steps to repair the damage, restoring street lighting in an area much‐used by pedestri‐ ans and cyclists took several days.

Cat haven THE town hall in Tavernes, near Gandia, assisted by the local Asociacion Animalista, installed a shelter for stray cats in the beach area. The cats, who are provided with food, can now come and go in a converted container pro‐ vided by the local street‐ cleaning concessionary.

Well read BENIDORM celebrated Va‐ lencian Literature Day with a public reading of Tirant lo Blanc, regarded as Europe’s first novel. Together with pupils in their fifth year at the Miguel Hernandez primary school, there were readings by Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez as well as other mem‐ bers of the municipal corpo‐ ration.

9 - 15 December 2021

Strengthening local ties BENIDORM’S Local Police have once again launched their Christmas campaign, collecting supplies for those in need. “Shampoo, shower gel, soap, bleach, detergent and, particularly, food in cans and jars, these are the things we are asking for,” said Rafael Urbano, president of the officers Asociacion Sociocultural. “Every item collected will go to Caritas, who will give out the donations at their usual distribution points.” The association was founded by Benidorm’s Local Police in 2013 to strengthen their ties with the local popula‐ tion “even further,” said Urbano who ex‐ plained members organise educational and sporting activities, as well as social ini‐ tiatives like this Christmas campaign which continues until December 31. To complement the Christmas collec‐

Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Benidorm

CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN: Benidorm’s Local Police helping those in need. tion, the association is installing a blood donation point at the Local Police station in Calle Grecia on December 14 “Police, resi‐ dents and donors will have the chance to demonstrate another facet of solidarity to‐ wards those who are ill,” Urbano said. Readers who would like to collaborate with the Local Police initiative can leave

Helping businesses MORE of Alfaz’s self‐em‐ ployed, together with small and medium businesses af‐ fected by the pandemic, have received a €550,346 cash injection. Finance coun‐ cillor Jose Plaza explained that his department had processed 234 new applica‐ tions and, since the begin‐ ning of the year, had provid‐ ed direct aid totalling €1,319,727 for the munici‐ pality’s businesses. “The administrations in general, and Alfaz Town Hall in particular, have made an important effort to be there for our businesses and shops during the health and eco‐ nomic crisis the pandemic has produced,” Plaza said. Alfaz Town Hall approved its first economic aid pack‐ age at last March’s plenary session, the councillor point‐ ed out, paying directly into applicants’ bank accounts in strict order of receipt.

This process continued in November, Plaza said: “It was a matter of great satis‐ faction for the town hall and this department to be able to meet our commitment to businesses and commerce.” It was not easy to process the 577 applications, the councillor said. “On the oth‐ er hand, it is very gratifying to say that more than €1.3 million has been allocated to the self‐employed and small and medium businesses.”

their donations at the Calle Grecia station or La Pecera, the Local Police post at the town hall. As well as donations from officers and members of the public, the Asociacion So‐ ciocultural will be acquiring additional sup‐ plies with money raised through selling tickets for the ‘Gordo’ Christmas lottery.

All lit up for shoppers DENIA Town Hall is again or‐ ganising the Commerce de‐ partment’s Nit de la Llum (Night of Light) initiative. While 7,000 candles light up the centre of Denia on the night of December 11 from 5.30pm onwards, the specially‐decorated streets will be filled with music, Christmas choirs and dance groups. Jugglers will be perform‐ ing in front of Titto, in Calle del Cop, and Father Christ‐

mas will be waiting for the children at Toy Planet in Calle La Mar. Sixty‐four shops are taking part in Nit de la Llum this year, with discounts and gifts for shoppers. All participating shops re‐ main open until 9.30pm, while the Municipal Market will not be closing until 11.30pm, as the Commerce department encourages resi‐ dents and visitors to shop lo‐ cally.

Calpe babies bring benefits ACCORDING to the old Spanish saying, every baby arrives with a loaf of bread under its arm. Calpe babies can go one better, however, as the town hall has set aside €100,000 for its Bono Baby 2021 voucher scheme, paying up to €500 for each child aged up to three. This is open to families where one parent has been registered on the municipal Padron for five years as well those on ERTE furlough,

are unemployed or where the family income is lower than the Iprem Public Multiple Effects In‐ come Indicator (set this year at €564.90) multi‐ plied by four. Families now have until December 13 to ap‐ ply to Calpe Town Hall, producing receipts for locally‐acquired necessities, including child‐ care, pharmacy and para‐pharmacy purchases and other basics.

Spiritual group reopens ALFAZ SPIRITUAL FRIENDS, an English‐speak‐ ing community known throughout the Costa Blanca, plans to reopen in January 2022. “Many people are looking for spiritual an‐ swers after Covid, so we invite you to come to our weekly medium‐led service on Thursdays at 6.30pm,” the group told EWN. “After the

service we offer hands‐on healing, and the bar is open for drinks and chat. All are welcome.” The services are held at the Forum Mare Nostrum, Camino del Pinto, in Alfaz and there is free parking. For more information, ring Jane (636 410 858), June (675 224 624) and Kenny (686 361 594).

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Christmas Carol concert THE Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir is providing extra Christmas cheer this year. Having performed the second half of the Christmas Cracker con‐ cert in Moraira last weekend and sung for the town’s Christmas lights switch‐on cere‐ mony, the choir is now looking forward to their popular Christmas Carol concert. This will be held at 7pm in the beautiful Santa Maria Magdalena Church in Benitachell on December 15. “Entrance to the con‐ cert is free as always, but there will be a col‐ lection on exit and there is no need to book,” the Choir’s Pub‐ licity officer Vernon Pearce said. “The programme in‐ cludes Christmas favourites, old and new, and the opportu‐ nity to join the choir in singing some traditional carols.” The choir now have their own YouTube channel ‐ with videos of many of their songs, so search for Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir on the www.youtube.com website. There is also more in‐ formation about the choir on their Facebook page and their www.costablancamale voicechoir.wikidot.com web page.

and finally... SANTAS, bikes and presents. Make a Smile and some Free Spirits meet on Sunday December 12 at 10.30am at Moraira’s American Bike Rental and Bar. The Make a Smile charity helps to meet the needs of chil‐ dren in the former Emaus children’s home, now known as Salud y Comunidad. Meanwhile, the Free Spirits are the Free Spirits Bikers Club and they will be delivering presents ‐ mainly pyjamas and slip‐ pers ‐ for the children this Christmas, revealed Make a Smile’s president Lucy. “And there will be lots on Santas on bikes,” she promised.

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Bikers raise funds for SCAN UNDER 14S: Played a very competitive match.

Barbarians Rugby THE Barbarians under 14 rug‐ by team were victorious 37‐ 31 against neighbours Javea Eagles at the weekend. In a very competitive match where the lead changed several times, the Ba Ba’s came through at the end due to a late surge in tries to seal their first win of the cam‐ paign. Diego Silva proved to be the difference between the teams scoring a match win‐ ning six tries. The game was a credit to

both teams who gave every‐ thing for their clubs and par‐ ents and coaches should be very proud of all the players who contributed to a very evenly matched enjoyable game on the day. If you are interested in playing rugby on the Marina Alta, the Barbarians Rugby Club based in Denia, run S14 and S16 academy teams and a senior team which plays in the local Valencia league. For more information call Mac on 609 646 349.

THE El Verger animal charity SCAN received a €510 donation not from one Father Christmas, but around 20 of them. The red‐robed, white‐bearded gentlemen accompanied by elves who set out on Sunday Decem‐ ber 5 from Mustang Sally all rode motorcycles, reader Pauline Webb explained to the Euro Weekly News. “We are a group of bikers, and our name is Shadow Riders,” Pauline told us. “We were joined on the run by members of the Los Amigos de Motos España association and the Puig Campana Scooter Club.” After leaving Benissa, they rode in convey through Moraira, Altea, Albir, before reaching the

Levante beach promenade in Benidorm and ending up for lunch at Camping Villamar. “The Santas and elves stopped with their buckets at various places on the way, collecting money for SCAN,” Pauline said. SCAN is a registered charity that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes abandoned cats and dogs, many of whom have been abused, are sick or starving There is a ‘no kill’ policy for healthy animals and the El Verg‐ er charity promises every cat and dog entering the shelter they are safe, because they are now SCAN animals. For more information about SCAN, visit their www.scan costablanca.com website.

NEWS

Earthquake shakes residents ON Friday December 3 at 6:47am, residents in Torrevieja were wo‐ ken up by an earthquake. Accord‐ ing to the National Geographic In‐ stitute (Instituto Geográfico Nacional), the tremor registered at 1.6 on the Richter scale. The epi‐ centre of the quake was only a few kilometres from the coast. The quake hit to the southeast of Torrevieja, with the epicentre between Torrevieja and Punta Pri‐ ma. The last earthquake recorded in the Alicante Province was on November 16. The latest quake hit in the mu‐ nicipality of Famorca and is report‐ edly the fifth official quake to hit the area so far this year. Unofficial reports claim that three more tremors have hit Torrevieja in the space of a week. None of these has been recorded by the Nation‐ al Geographic Institute.

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Tories break disabled pledge Fines for wrapping up! CONSERVATIVE MPs have broken a key manifesto pledge after a commitment to changing the way disabled Brits are as‐ sessed for a key benefit was thrown out. The move has been called a £70 million ‘stealth cut’ by critics and means thou‐ sands will lose out. The 2019 manifesto promised to double the amount of time before a Personal Inde‐ pendent Payments award claimant is re‐ assessed for their money, to 18 months. They claimed the change would “empower and support disabled people,” saying “you should not have to provide repeated proof of your disability to receive support.” A recent Green Paper threw the pledge out, however, saying “better triage and testing would be more effective,” and now

E X T R A Covid tests for passengers returning to the UK have been con‐ demned by the travel in‐ dustry. The controversial reintroduction of pre‐de‐ parture coronavirus tests came into force on Tues‐ day December 7. Before heading home, travellers will have to provide a negative result. Brits abroad are expect‐ ed to be scrambling to get hold of a test to allow them to head home. A government adviser has said that the new mea‐ sures could be “a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolt‐ ed.” Travel expert Paul Charles spoke out regard‐ ing Brits trying to get tests to return home:

DISABILITY: Thousands will lose out. details brought to light after the budget shows the move will save the government tens of millions of pounds. It is one of a string of broken pledges from the 2019 manifesto by the Conserva‐ tive government, adding to the loss of the pension triple lock, National Insurance hike, and ensuring that no one would have to sell their home to pay for care.

Extra tests condemned

NEW RULES: Many people will effectively be stranded. “People who are overseas are finding it difficult to obtain tests. It’s a week‐ end, lots of places are closed and these people had no reason to think about the need to get a test to come home. Peo‐ ple will effectively be stranded because they

can’t get the tests that are now required.” He added: “Tens of thousands of travel indus‐ try jobs are threatened. It is beyond belief that no support measures have been announced. That just indicates how knee‐ jerk these policies are.”

WITH winter upon us, we are all wearing warmer clothes when we go outside. But we must be aware that, as with warm weather, there are still regulations relating to what you can wear behind the wheel. Driving with flip‐flops in summertime comes to mind, something many traffic cops have issued fines for. The Directorate‐ General for Traffic (DGT) recommends wearing suitable clothing for driving, with which we can

comfortably operate the vehicle’s controls. They do not specify what clothing is considered un‐ comfortable. However, this is always at the dis‐ cretion of the traffic officer. A coat or jacket that is too thick, or winter gloves or shoes can reduce mobility in the arms and hands, or interfere with the correct operation of the seat belt, so wearing them while behind the wheel may fall within the reckless driving interpretation of an officer.

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Calpe U3A drive

CALPE U3A are running the Red Cross ‘Toy Drive and Baby Food and Supplies.’ For 2021, they have been collecting items and cash donations all year. They had a very success‐ ful collection in 2020 with a van load of donations and generous cash donations too. The final deadline for dona‐ tions of goods and cash is fast approaching ‐ all donations must reach them by December

15 at the latest to allow time for Cruz Roja to distribute items. Please note that un‐ boxed soft toys need to be put into closed plastic bags or wrapped in clear plastic. Toys and games should be for any gender or age group and not feature war or violence. They have been so grateful for the generosity of their members and friends in the past. Your help makes a tremen‐

DONATIONS: Are being collected for the Christmas appeal.

dous difference to the lives of families struggling to provide even the basics for their chil‐ dren. Details of how to donate ‐

Food alert in Spain A NEW food alert has been issued by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN). They have warned that a ‘chicken shawarma’ spice mix has been discovered to contain undeclared mustard. The ingredient could be a dangerous ingredient for allergy sufferers. The agency was notified of the issue by the health authorities of the Community of Madrid through the Coordinated Rapid Infor‐ mation Exchange System (SCIRI). The ‘chicken shawarma’ spice mix is often used to prepare Turkish food including durums. Mustard aller‐

gies can be serious, but the product poses no risk to anyone who does not have a mustard allergy. The affected product is Shawarma Pollo Halal Madrid in 100‐gram packs. The af‐ fected batch is batch number 4. The product has a best before date of 12/2024. AESAN has said that the product has been distributed in Valencia, Andalucia, and Castilla La Mancha. The product has also been dis‐ tributed to Portugal and France. The food agency commented: “The aim is to verify the withdrawal of the affected prod‐ ucts from the marketing channels.”

Put a cash donation in an enve‐ lope marked ‘U3A Christmas Appeal’ and hand it in at Total Postal office or make a bank transfer to the U3A Calpe Bank Account, indicating that your transfer is for the Christmas Ap‐ peal. Bank account details are on the opening page of the U3A Calpe website ‐ u3acalpe.org or take your do‐ nation, whether toys, baby foods, nappies or other baby supplies or simply cash, to their collection point at the Plaza Central (shopping centre) on Wednesday December 15, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Items collected will be transported straight to the Cruz Roja office HQ. The support you give is as always, much appreciated. www.u3acalpe.org U3A Facebook page.

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Smallest church in world ACCORDING to the Guinness Book of Records, the smallest church in the world is the Santa Isabel de Hungria, which is just 1.96m² in size. It is in the Malaga Province, in the municipality of Benalmadena. Constructed by Esteban Martin, be‐ tween 1987 and 1994, this tiny place of worship can be found inside the Castillo de Colomares. It is a monument featur‐ ing many different architectural styles. Mr Martin reportedly built it as a trib‐ ute to the cultural exchange unleashed

Benalmadena’s Castillo de Colomares.

after the discovery of America in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. The church is dedicated to Saint Eliza‐ beth of Hungary, who dedicated her life

La Diabla arrested SPAIN’S National Police force, in collaboration with the German police, have arrested Leudis Isaac Corro Camacho in Hamburg, nicknamed ‘La Diabla’, on charges of pimping. Along with Anto‐ nio Angles, and the drug trafficker Norbert Kohler, Camacho was on Interpol’s list of the most want‐ ed criminal offenders and was wanted by Spain. Police sources have confirmed the detainee was on Interpol’s list for belonging to a European criminal organisation that captured and then sex‐ ually exploited victims. Specifically, the detainee, who is also known as Donatella, had the main function of recruiting her victims by ‘taking advan‐ tage of their economic precariousness.’ According to the sources, she would organise their transport, either via Germany, or directly to the final destina‐ tion, which was normally Madrid or Barcelona. Once in Spain, the detainee accommodated her victims in her home and told them that they owed her a great debt for the trip, which they subse‐ quently had to pay through the practice of forced prostitution.

to helping the most disadvantaged people. It has everything necessary to carry out services, being also consecrat‐ ed by the Prior of the Monastery of La Rabida. Benalmadena is a popular holiday destination among tourists thanks to its high‐quality beaches. But this munici‐ pality has many more tourist attrac‐ tions that should not be missed includ‐ ing the Castle of Colomares, Jardines del Muro, and the cobbled streets of its charming old town.

Homes still without power THE UK Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has lashed out at companies af‐ ter it was revealed that more than 4,000 homes were still without power nine days after Storm Arwen hit. He called it “completely unacceptable” that people had been left waiting while temperatures were so low. Mr Kwarteng made his remarks as he visited Durham to see the damage the storm has done to the area. The North‐East holds most of the homes impacted by the power loss. The Energy Networks Association (ENA) gave a report stating that 4,025 homes were still awaiting reconnection on Sun‐ day, December 5. Mr Kwarteng said: “As I said 99.5 per cent of people are back on, now for the 4,000 I think it’s completely unacceptable that they are still off power, that is why I have instituted a review into whether the companies have invested enough. Ofgem are looking at this and of course there will be some sort of enforcement measure to make sure the compa‐ nies are held to account, that’s very important.”

Paddleboarder scare A YOUNG man was rescued in Alicante after being dragged out to sea while paddleboarding. The Salvamento Marítimo boat Salvamar Mirfak swung in‐ to action to make the rescue off the coast of El Campello. The man was caught up in intense winds of 35 knots that dragged him out to sea on his board. He required medical assistance after he was rescued. He had not been wearing a wetsuit which was dangerous in the conditions and allowed his body temperature to drop dramatically. The man was taken to hospital to be treated.

• Diagnostic imaging and ultrasound Rx • Clinical tests and serological tests, internal medicine, parasitology • Soft Tissue Surgery and Traumatology • Ethology, behavioural disorders and animal behaviour • Physiotherapy, acupuncture, custom recovery and Healing touch • Ophthalmology • Dentistry and dental surgery & more • Import - Export

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MILLER: Women are targets.

DEEP fake porn and nude images are becoming more common with improvements in technology making it easier for those in the business to create lifelike images. Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, believes that women are mainly the target and that these images should be made a sex crime with commensurate penalties. Including the making and sharing of

Deep fake call these images in the ‘sexual abuse’ section of the online safety bill, would allow those affected to seek proper redress by allowing police to take ap‐ propriate action. Miller took an adjournment debate to the Commons on December 2 in

which she outlined the ‘devastating’ impact such images have on the vic‐ tims. Deep fake images make use of ordinary photos that are taken with or without the person’s consent and literally ‘undressed’ by the software before being shared publicly.

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Such images can also be used for videos depicting violent or illegal acts including rape. Miller said that “Women in the UK have faced a growing problem of im‐ age‐based sexual abuse over the past decade, but the scale of the problem is increasing.” Official figures show the number of image‐based abuse re‐ ports have increased by 87 per cent in the last year alone.

Vegan leather to save planet

THE scientists behind the latest must‐have trend in fashion, the ‘mushroom leather’ handbag, believe that the material they are using for accessories has the power to save more than just animals. Mycelium is a material grown from fungi that can be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or sheep‐ skin, and the researchers think it can save the planet. Dr Matt Scullin, CEO of biomaterials company My‐ coWorks, forecast that mushroom leather could be a sustainability gamechanger “unlocking a future of design

which begins with the mate‐ rial, not with the object.” The material made its high‐end debut as an exclu‐ sive Hermes handbag, which has become a much sought‐ after item. The material can be grown from fungi in a matter of weeks and replicates the feel and look of leather while be‐ ing stronger and more durable. “It can give the same emo‐ tional response as animal leather. It has that hand‐feel of rarity,” said Scullin. On a planet of finite natu‐ ral resources, Scullin believes both the technology and the

mindset of carbon‐neutral, grown‐to‐order mushroom leather could be “revolution‐

ary” ‐ and have implications for innovation in manufac‐ ture beyond fashion.

and finally... GOVERNMENT ministers have thrown Christmas messaging into confusion by offering different advice around socialising this Christmas. In an effort to clarify the situation No 10 has told people to carry on partying. On Thursday December 2, the prime minister’s official spokesperson insisted that this year’s celebrations are down to “individual judgement.” This after it became clear that Science Minister George Freeman let it be known that he had cancelled his work party in light of latest coronavirus developments and instead would be mark‐ ing the festive season via Zoom.

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USERS who sell their products using the application Bizum on platforms such as Milanuncios, Vinted or Wallapop have be‐ come the new target of cyber‐ criminals, as informed by the Spanish Office of Internet Secu‐ rity (OSI). The scammers pretend to be potential buyers who are inter‐ ested in one of the items for

Bizum scam warning

sale. They then send a request for money via Bizum instead of sending a payment. Vendors who do not read the message carefully before pressing ‘Ac‐ cept’ will become victims of the scam and end up losing money.

The solution to the problem is simple: read the message be‐ fore accepting. If you have al‐ ready accepted the request for money, it is unlikely that you will get it back. However, it is still impor‐

tant to report the incident. You should contact your bank to let them know. Report the incident on the platform and on the criminal’s profile. And report the incident to the police.

Delivery discrimination LINGUISTIC tensions continue to rise in Cat‐ alonia. The latest incident involves a GLS deliv‐ ery driver who refused to hand a parcel over to a man who did not wish to speak Spanish and responded in Catalan when asked for his details. The video was recorded by the front‐door camera of a house in Palafrugell, Girona, and uploaded to Twitter by the man’s son. The im‐ ages show how the Catalan‐speaking client gives his ID number to the delivery man, who then asks him to repeat it in Spanish. The man refuses to do so, which causes the deliveryman to get back into his van with the parcel and leave. The man’s son complained about the inci‐ dent to his followers on Twitter and asked for advice on how to file a complaint. The story provoked comments from people on either side of the argument.

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Vaccine waste

THE Spanish government has let almost a million vaccines go to waste, al‐ lowing them to expire rather than donating them to other countries. The rapid spread of the new Omicron variant has the whole world on the alert. While in the first world vulnerable people and the elderly are al‐ ready receiving the third dosis of the vaccine, in Africa only 7 per cent of the population is vacci‐ nated. This is evidence that the Covax mecha‐ nism, an alliance of 190 countries with the aim of making sure the antidote reaches the whole world, is not functioning as it should. This December, the Spanish Ministry of Health will have to throw away hundreds of thousands of doses that have expired in storage when they could have been donated to coun‐ tries in the third world. Specifically, there are 343,000 doses of As‐ traZeneca and around half a million doses of Janssen that have not been used. The exact number of Janssen vac‐ cines to go to waste will not be revealed until the end of December, when all the batches that have been returned by the Au‐ tonomous Communities and are currently in stor‐ age expire.

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British teen croc attack ACCORDING to reports, a British teenager was attacked by a crocodile while travelling with friends in Zambia. Amelie Osborn‐Smith, 18, from Hampshire was travelling with friends on a gap‐year and was white‐water rafting on the Zambezi River near the fa‐ mous Victoria Falls. Amelie was said to have been resting her leg over the side of the boat when the crocodile bit her and dragged her into the water.

ON Friday December 3, the Congress of Deputies defini‐ tively approved the reform of the Civil Code that changes the legal status of animals so that, in the eyes of the law, they are considered ‘sentient beings.’ Therefore, animals are now considered to have certain rights and are not considered mere objects, as they have been up to now. The change of considera‐ tion of the character of com‐ panion animals in the Civil Code will have concrete ef‐

A friend reportedly saved her by punching the croc on the nose, and other rafters and guides reportedly also got into the water to fight off the huge 10ft animal. Amelie was then airlifted to hospital in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, which is about 240 miles away. She is being treated for leg injuries. Amelei’s father, a former army officer said: “She’s a very sensible girl, but on this occa‐ sion, she was being guided by the rafting company and it was

Amelie bitten on the leg.

on their advice. “Obviously with a crocodile bite there’s a huge risk of infec‐ tion and she’s got a very severely damaged leg.” The Zambezi River is popular for water sports, however, it is also home to various potential‐ ly dangerous animals, includ‐ ing crocs.

Pets are sentient fects on many aspects. The judges, for example, will have to take animals into account when sentencing inheritances or divorces as the reform es‐ tablishes that the magistrates must specify the “regime of coexistence and care” of ani‐

mals when a marriage is legal‐ ly broken, and the spouses are not in agreement. The law establishes criteria on which the courts must make the decision of whom to deliver the animal’s care to, prioritising its welfare.

STATS

1908

The tea bag was invented in 1908.

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ON Friday December 3, the Scottish Government con‐ firmed an outbreak of bird flu among several free‐range hens that tested positive on a commercial premises near Gretna in Dumfries and Gal‐ loway. As a result, and to stop the spread, the area has been put in lockdown. Restrictions to contain the virus, including curbs on the movement of poultry or eggs, have been im‐ plemented. To prevent the possibility of more cases emerging, it is re‐ ported that all the remaining birds at the location have been humanely culled. Mairi Gougeon, Scotland’s Rural Af‐

NEWS

FREE-RANGE HENS: Restrictions have now been put into place.

Bird flu outbreak fairs Secretary said, “With the recent disease confirmations in wild and captive birds across the UK, it is not unexpected for avian influenza to be found in birds here in Scotland. We ask that the public remains vigilant and report any findings of

AMAZON has made the controver‐ sial decision to ban UK issued Visa credit cards from next year. The de‐ cision is said to be due to increasing transaction fees. Brexit has been partially blamed for this as fees have risen since the UK left the EU. A spokesperson for Amazon com‐ mented: “The cost of accepting card payments continues to be an obsta‐ cle for businesses striving to pro‐ vide the best prices for customers.” Amazon customers were notified

dead wild birds to Defra’s na‐ tional telephone helpline. Do not touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that you find.” Sheila Voas, Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer, comment‐ ed, “We have already made clear that all bird keepers ‐

whether major businesses or small keepers with just a few birds ‐ must ensure that their biosecurity is up to scratch to protect their birds from dis‐ ease and prevent any contact between their birds and wild birds.”

Brexit’s role in Amazon ban that the changes will come into force from January 19, 2022. High transaction fees mean that Ama‐ zon: “will no longer accept Visa credit cards issued in the UK.” Ama‐ zon customers with Visa cards that were issued outside of the UK will be okay though as will customers using Visa debit cards, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards.

Since Brexit, the cap on transac‐ tion fees between the UK and the European Economic Area has been ditched, which has meant that fees have increased. When customers purchase prod‐ ucts on Amazon UK, the company still processes the payments in the EU. This means high ‘cross‐border’ fees are applied.

NASA laser revolution ON December 5, NASA launched a mission that aims to revolutionise space communication. It will test the use of laser technology instead of the usual radio frequency systems with the ob‐ jective of transmitting data between 10 to 100 times faster than on Earth. The experiment is called the Laser Communi‐ cations Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and will in‐ volve using infrared lasers to send data to Earth at 1.2 gigabits per second (GBPS) from a geosynchronous orbit 35,000 kms away. At such speed and distance, a film could be downloaded in less than a minute, and photos could be transmitted at 10 times the current ca‐ pacity. This increased capacity is fundamental for future space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars or beyond. “With current technology, if we wanted to make a map of the planet Mars and transmit it

LASER TECHNOLOGY: To transmit data.

from point A to point B, we would take up to three months. With laser technology, we could pass all that information in less than a week,” states Christian Rivera, a software developer at NASA. It is not just a matter of speed. Image quality will also be significantly improved when com‐ pared to our home internet connections.

Indonesia volcano erupts A VOLCANIC eruption in Indonesia on Decem‐ ber 4 has resulted in a significant loss of life. The event at Mount Semeru in East Java sent a boiling plume of ash 50,000 feet into the air and residents were forced to flee as the deadly ash cloud engulfed everything in its path. This is the second eruption this year. By December 7, the death toll was at 34 and more than 2,000 people had been evacuated according to the head of the task force for the

management of the eruption, Infantry Col Ir‐ wan Surbekti. An Australian organisation which monitors volcanic ash said that the column be‐ came disconnected from the summit and moved west at a speed of over 70km per hour at heights of up to 50,000 ft. Semeru, also known as ‘The Great Mountain,’ is the tallest peak on the island and is renowned for its vol‐ canic activity. However, this latest eruption is on a scale not seen in recent times.

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FEATURE

Inheritance Tax. Interests. Penalties. Payment of the tax after the deadline. Legal advice. INHERITANCE Tax. Inter‐ ests. Penalties. In today’s ar‐ ticle, we are going to try to explain in a simple way, what happens when we pay

inheritance tax after the deadline. Deadline to pay Inheri‐ tance Tax (IHT)

According to the Spanish inheritance law regulations, the tax must be paid within six months, counting from the death. Or, where appro‐ priate, when the declaration of death becomes definitive. Extension of the term for the payment of the tax The indicated period could be extended for an‐ other six months, that is, up to one year from the death. This extension must be re‐ quested within the first five months after death. Delay Interest on late payment In all those cases in which the IHT it is not paid within the first six months, delay in‐ terest will accrue on the amount of the tax to be paid. Delay interests are ap‐ proved annually by the pub‐ lic administration, and for example for the year 2021

was fixed at the rate of 3.75 per cent per year. These interests will accrue from the end of the initial six‐month term, until the ac‐ tual payment. And they will accrue even if the extension of the tax has been submit‐ ted. Penalties When the tax declaration is submitted after the dead‐ line, in addition to the delay interest indicated, some penalties or surcharges will need to be paid. These penalties are those established in article 27 of the Spanish General Tax Law, which has been modi‐ fied recently. Before they were 5 per cent, 10 per cent, 15 per cent and 20 per cent. According to the current wording, the penalties for filing the tax after the dead‐ line (provided there is no prior requirement from the

administration), will be: “A percentage equal to one per cent plus another additional one per cent for each full month of delay with which the self‐assess‐ ment or declaration is pre‐ sented with respect to the term established for filing and payment.” That is, if the delay is less than a month, 1 per cent will be paid. If it is between one month and two months, it will be 2 per cent, etc. This article provides that from 12 months, the penalty or surcharge is 15 per cent + the delay interest of article 26 General Tax Law. Penalty and extension of the tax: In the event that the ex‐ tension has been requested, the penalty will only start to count from the end of the extension. That is, 12 months from the death.

Conclusion. Therefore, in principle, inheritance tax in Spain must be paid within six months of death. If we do not know for sure if we could pay the IHT tax on time, it is advisable to re‐ quest the extension, which will give us six more months: ie up to one year. If we pay beyond the initial six months, we will have to pay late payment or delay interest. And if we pay be‐ yond the extension period, we will have to pay penal‐ ties or surcharges. If you need legal advice related to inheritance and inheritance tax in Spain. If you want legal advice on in‐ heritances in Spain, contact us. The information provided in this article is not intend‐ ed to be legal advice, but merely conveys information relating to legal matters.

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) - White&Baos Tel: +34 966 426 185 info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2021 - All Rights Reserved.

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NEWS

Sky-high World Cup Johnson branded clown ONE of the private VIP suites for the Qatar World Cup has gone up for sale at £1,800,000 as wealthy spec‐ tators start to book their seats for the competition in 2022. Some hospitality packages have already sold out as huge firms, million‐ aires and executives make sure they have the best views for the games next year. The box being offered is themed with gold and has

44 seats available inside ac‐ cording to MATCH Hospitali‐ ty, FIFA’s sales agent for the cup. Suite number 3079 is available at the Lusail Stadi‐ um for a ‘venue series’, which includes six group games, the round of 16, quarter final and final. At‐ tendees can look forward to a ‘curated five‐course sam‐ pling menu’ and HD TVs in‐ side the suite, and direct ac‐ cess to seats outside in the stadium proper.

The 80,000‐capacity stadi‐ um, the biggest in Qatar, is due to host the final, sched‐ uled for December 18, 2022. The VIP suites for the Qatar World Cup have been gen‐ erating lots of interest de‐ spite the concerns about hu‐ man rights in the country, including treatment of the workers that built the stadi‐ ums themselves. More than 6,500 are said to have died since the World Cup was awarded a decade ago.

Home Alone AirBnB THE huge original Home Alone house from the 1990 film is to be made available to rent on AirBnB during the festive season. The rental platform has announced peo‐ ple can book the McCallister’s home for one night only on December 12. Up to four peo‐ ple will be able to stay overnight in the im‐ posing house for $25 (£19) each, with the address in the Chicago area being handed over once the booking is completed. The AirBnB listing on the website shows the stay as hosted by Buzz McCallister, with the de‐ scription reading: ‘You may not remember

me as particularly accommodating but I’ve grown up, and I’d be happy to share my family home ‐ my pizza, even ‐ with you this holiday season. Just try not to let my taran‐ tula, Axl, loose this time.’ During the stay, there will be activities that capture the spirit of the Home Alone house, like a chance to set booby traps and have a candlelit dinner of microwave maca‐ roni and cheese. There will also be a real‐life tarantula and a screening of the film fran‐ chise’s latest release Home Sweet Home Alone.

ACCORDING to the reports in France, President Macron called Boris Johnson a ‘clown’ in a private conversation while on a recent trip to Croatia. The comment followed a phone conversation between the two political leaders in which they discussed the current migrant crisis. As they were speaking, Johnson posted a letter to Macron on Twitter in which he made requests regarding France’s handling of the migrant situation. Macron was quoted as saying: “BoJo talks to me at full speed, everything is going well, we have adult discussions, and then suddenly, he attacks us in an inelegant way.” He went on to say, “it’s always the same circus. It’s very sad to see that a great

Johnson criticised.

country that we could do so many things with is run by a clown.” Just hours after saying those words, Macron made a public statement

of a similar nature in Rome. He criticised Johnson’s choice of methods for communicating with neighbouring governments, such as Twitter and public comments, calling them “not serious.” He stated that France would be willing to negotiate “when the English government behaves more seriously.”

and finally... T H E Scottish Government has extended its su‐ perfast broadband voucher scheme until the end of March 2022. Homes and businesses will be able to apply for funding to the tune of £400. The funding comes as part of the Reaching 100% (R100) programme. People in hard‐to‐reach areas could also gain an extra £250 in funding. A reliable broadband connection is a neces‐ sity for many people, especially amid the on‐ going Coronavirus pandemic.

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NEWS

Reindeer welfare concerns

UK TOURISTS: Now need to get their passports stamped on entering Spain.

Airport queues ‘new normal’ BRITISH tourists heading out to catch some winter sun, have been told to expect long Spanish airport queues. Many pas‐ sengers have waited upwards of 45 min‐ utes to get through controls at popular holiday destinations. Travel agency associ‐ ations have said the long queues are now ‘normal’ when landing in the country. The associations have made multiple complaints to the Spanish Government but claim that their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Airports popular with Brits are feeling the brunt with UK passengers moving to the non‐EU passport control queues, which were already loaded with non‐Schengen tourists looking for some

winter warmth. Alicante‐Elche, Malaga, the Canary Is‐ lands, and the Balearics are said to be some of the worst‐hit by the move. Twitter user, Sudifoodie, tweeted “So thrilled to be back in Andalucia though it has been quite a jour‐ ney with epic passport queues at Malaga Airport.” Tourist associations are begging for more staff and police officers to help things run smoother for their customers at border control. This comes after Spain placed a ban on all unvaccinated visitors from the UK. As the UK is no longer in the Schengen Zone, tourists need to get their passports stamped, leading to long airport queues.

AS the countdown to Christ‐ mas begins, the RSPCA has voiced concerns over the wel‐ fare of reindeer used in festive events. The thought of meet‐ ing a real‐life reindeer at a Christmas event is exciting for people of all ages, but the RSP‐ CA is concerned that these complex creatures could be suffering. Specialist deer vets report a range of problems in reindeer kept in the UK, including a lack of weight gain, weight loss, di‐ arrhoea, poor muscle develop‐

IN what appears to be a loom‐ ing power struggle between Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer, a senior aide has been suspended. The aide, Rayner’s head of communica‐ tions Jack McKenna, is being investigated for a personal da‐ ta breach relating to another staff member. McKenna, who denies the breach, is consulting his legal advisers following the revela‐ tions. The revelation itself does suggest problems with the par‐ ty’s management of data.

ment, poor antler growth, mal‐ formed antlers, low fertility and high calf mortality. RSPCA Senior Scientific Manager in wildlife Dr Ros Clubb said: “As Christmas ap‐ proaches, we and other animal welfare charities are really con‐ cerned that reindeer used in festive events across the coun‐ try could be suffering in silence. “Reindeer are kept here in the UK year‐round, but we al‐ ways see more calls about them in the build up to Christ‐ mas, which is when they’re

taken out to be on display at festive events.” Reindeer at Christmas events may be transported long distances and spend time in small pens where they have nowhere to retreat to and hide if they feel stressed. They’re of‐ ten petted and fed by mem‐ bers of the public or may take part in busy parades. They’re exposed to busy environ‐ ments, surrounded by crowds, noise and lights, which can cause the semi‐wild animals a great deal of stress.

Labour rift

McKenna has recently been forced to deny rumours that he had been briefing the press on differences between the two politicians. The rumours began circulat‐ ing following Rayner’s attack on Tory politicians who she de‐ scribed as “scum.” Starmer has repeatedly denied rumours of a rift between himself and his deputy, who cannot be sacked as she was directly elected by

party members. The rumours were resurrected after Starmer shuffled his cabinet re‐ cently without involving Rayn‐ er in the decision and the ap‐ pointments. He has also resisted attempts to weaken her position in the party by stripping her of some of her re‐ sponsibilities. Labour have not commented on the report, saying that “we never discuss staffing matters.”

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Fake arm vaccine attempt Alec Baldwin’s bombshell

A 50-YEAR-OLD Italian man faces criminal charges after trying to get vaccinated with a fake arm to obtain the Covid passport. A 50‐year‐old man from Biella, a city of 44,000 inhabitants in the region of Piedmont, in the north of Italy, came up with a unique strat‐ egy for obtaining the Covid passport. He made a fake arm out of silicone. When he arrived at the clinic in Biella, he thought he could success‐ fully deceive the medical staff. However, his bizarre plan failed. The man waited for his turn in the queue, and when it

arrived, he signed the consent form for the vac‐ cine, sat down and rolled up his sleeve to ex‐ pose his upper arm and shoulder. Although sili‐ cone can look very similar to real skin, the colour and texture of the arm made the nurse suspect that something was wrong. She asked him to remove his shirt so that she could see his entire arm. Once the nurse had discovered the truth, the man did not give up. He tried to convince her to turn a blind eye, but she re‐ fused and alerted her colleagues. The clinic re‐ ported the man to the authorities for fraud.

Cabinet office fined

THE Cabinet Office has been fined half a million pounds af‐ ter mistakenly publishing the names and full postal address‐ es of New Year Honours recipi‐ ents, including Sir Elton John and senior members of the po‐ lice force. The incident happened at the end of 2019 when a file containing information relating to over 1,000 people due to re‐ ceive an award was uploaded to an official website. They included the addresses of Sir Elton John, cricketer Ben

Stokes, senior Tory Iain Dun‐ can Smith, TV chefs Nadiya Hussain and Ainsley Harriot, broadcaster Gabby Logan, Grease actress Olivia Newton‐ John and former director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders. The file was downloadable and appeared on the govern‐ ment’s website at 10.30pm on Friday December 27. It took two hours and 21 minutes for it to be removed. The report into the incident that saw the Cabinet Office fined showed

that the file was accessed 3,872 times from 2,798 unique IP addresses, mostly within the first half an hour from when it was published. The Information Commis‐ sioner’s Office (ICO) was then told of the leak while the gov‐ ernment contacted and apolo‐ gised to all those affected. The staff of the Cabinet Office then had to work 12‐hour days for a fortnight just to answer the questions they received from the people who had their in‐ formation compromised.

IN an emotional inter‐ view aired on US TV on Thursday December 2, Alec Baldwin said that he was not aware that he had shot the director of photogra‐ phy Halyna Hutchins until several minutes after the accident. “I thought to myself, ‘Did she pass out?’ The notion that there was a real bullet in that pis‐ tol did not occur to me until probably 45 min‐ utes or an hour passed,” the actor ex‐ plained during an in‐ terview with George Stephanopoulos. According to Bald‐ win, the confusion on set was evident since no one could under‐ stand what happened in the seconds immedi‐ ately after the shot, to the point that he came to think that his part‐ ner had suffered a

ALEC BALDWIN: Was visibly upset on US TV.

heart attack. “The mere idea that someone had put a re‐ al bullet in was not even possible,” he said, visibly moved. Baldwin insisted that he “never pulled the trigger” but that, fol‐ lowing the directions of the cinematogra‐ pher herself, he cocked the gun into firing po‐ sition during a re‐ hearsal of camera posi‐ tions for the film. “I let

go of the hammer on the pistol and the pis‐ tol went off,” he con‐ t i n u e d . “ Ev e r y b o d y was horrified,” he said. Ev e n w h e n m o r e than a month has passed since the event, Baldwin still does not know the origin of that bullet. “Someone put live ammunition in that gun, a bullet that was‐ n’t even supposed to be in the building,” he said.

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FEATURE

INTERVIEW

Lee Sharpe co

THOSE who remember Lee Sharpe from his football days, you may have recognised him and his lovely family wandering around the seaside town of Javea on the northern Costa Blanca. Lee and his wife Lucy made Javea their new home after a trip to visit friends last year. One year on, the family is settled and have decided to do something they have wanted to do for a long time, open a sports bar with a difference. Lee, a familiar face for Manchester Unit‐ ed fans and those who watch football on Sky Sports, said: “We have thought about opening a sports bar for some time now. We had seen the An Shebeen, a local Irish pub that we thought had so much more po‐ tential. So, when the lease came up for re‐ newal, we jumped at the opportunity to take over the venue.” Wife Lucy agreed. “We have always wanted to do something different. We don’t want to be just another bar showing English football, we want to be a home from home, a cosy place where all families can go and enjoy themselves.” Lee continued: “We will show many dif‐ ferent sports from horse racing to football to rugby, and not just from the UK but from

Lee and his wife Lucy have big plans.

other countries around Europe and the world. We have seven TVs and the capability to show different sports on each. But we intend to go further than that, to use my sporting career to make the bar interactive. That means making myself and other sports personalities available for ques‐ tion‐and‐answer sessions, doing my TV broadcasts from the pub and so on.” Lee and Lucy are opening the bar in part‐ nership with friends Aiden Roche and Juan

FEATURE

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omes to Javea Pintor. Aiden, with ex‐ perience in man‐ a g i n g gyms and clubs, will take re‐ sponsibili‐ ty for the bar area. Speaking about the bar, Aiden said: “People will be able to enjoy a drink at the bar or in one of the cubicles.

We will be offering a wide range of alcohol and beers, including freshly brewed beer from the VATs that we are busy installing.” A separate area to the front of the bar has been set aside for a coffee shop, a place where Lucy says she and her friends would feel comfortable dropping in, with or without their children, for a hot drink and something light to eat. There is also a sepa‐ rate lounge area for those who don’t want to sit in the bar, which will also be used for functions and the interactive sessions. Lucy explained: “Not only will we offer hot drinks and light snacks, but we will also be offering a range of food that we have developed in partnership with a qualified chef.” The third partner in the business, Juan Pintor, is helping with this, bringing his experience from running two bars in Benidorm. Lee says he doesn’t miss not being fully involved in the football scene and that he is “looking forward to being involved in the pub and to resurrecting his charitable work.” Lee has a foundation that was very active a few years ago in working with young offenders in South Africa. The bar, which is likely to be called Sharpey’s, is due to open later this month.

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NEWS

Sun Lawyers’ new office in Pilar de la Horadada FRIDAY November 26 saw the launch event for the newest office for Costa Blanca law firm, Sun Lawyers. Open‐ ing on the very southern end of the Costa Blanca, in Pilar de la Horadada, this is the firm’s seventh office. Their presence now stretches from Valencia to Murcia. Sun Lawyers is seeing strong interest in property purchases from buyers in the Nordic and low countries in particular. Plus, with the UK opening up and people becoming aware of the new visa requirements for long‐term stays in Spain, there has been a sustained in‐ crease in enquiries since the end of the summer. The pent‐ up demand caused by lock‐ downs is starting to release in‐ to the market. Sun Lawyers CEO, Jose Maria Lomax said about the new office opening in Pilar: “This latest and largest office is evidence of the strength of our

NEW OFFICE: Sun Lawyers are seeing a growth in business.

business. Despite the last 18 months we are still growing. In choosing to be in Pilar de la Horadada, we believe there is lots of unfulfilled potential here, and people are seeing Pi‐ lar as an up and coming area

on the southern Costa Blanca. “For anyone thinking about buying here, we would en‐ courage them to make an ap‐ pointment and enjoy their free first consultation in our new, centrally located office.”

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La Palma tribute LA PALMA is paying trib‐ ute to the neighbour‐ hoods most affected by the volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja, Todoque, Las Manchas and La Lagu‐ na, by projecting three columns of light as a sym‐ bol of respect and solidari‐ ty. The columns are being projected from the munici‐ pality of Los Llanos de Ari‐ adne over the Christmas period. The La Palma City Coun‐ cil wanted to give some‐ thing to their citizens and create a festive atmo‐ sphere for all to enjoy. On the evening of Friday, December 3, they turned on the Christmas lights and the three columns of light, which can be seen all over the island. This year, unlike previ‐ ous years, there has not been a formal ceremony to turn on the lights. But the festive atmosphere can still be felt. The Depart‐

XMAS LIGHTS: A tribute to the people of La Palma.

ment of Festivals organised the three columns of light in a show of solidarity to‐ wards those who have lost their homes. The mayor of Los Llanos, Noelia García, considers

the columns “a tribute to the residents of the three neighbourhoods and a sign that we feel close to them and that we are, and will continue to be, a united people.”

LUCY BATTLE, 20, was mortified when she acci‐ dentally listed her seven‐month‐old baby Oscar for sale on Facebook. She had intended to put a sofa up for sale but did not notice when the wrong photo was uploaded. Lucy uploaded a photo of Oscar along with the caption: ‘Need gone today’. Lucy commented: “I just somehow managed to upload the wrong pho‐ to when I was choosing them from my camera roll and unfortunately it was for Oscar! I realised when

NEWS

New traffic law

SPANISH traffic laws changed on December 2, af‐ ter the Plenary of Congress gave the green light to a new bill. Some amendments will come into force months after they are published in the Offi‐ cial State Gazette (BOE), while others will come in im‐ mediately. The Plenary of the Senate approved the contro‐ versial amendment that elim‐ inates the margin of an addi‐ tional 20km/h while overtaking on conventional roads. Points deductions in‐ creased from 4 to 6 for throw‐ ing objects that may cause

fires or accidents. The same applies to overtaking, endan‐ gering, or hindering cyclists, without leaving a minimum separation of 1.5 metres. There’s an increase from 3 to 6 points for carrying a mo‐ bile phone in the hand while driving. Also, from 3 to 4 for not using the seat belt, and incorrect use of child re‐ straints. Four points are lost for not wearing a helmet on personal mobility vehicles, such as scooters. Drivers taking and passing courses on safe and efficient driving can retrieve two points. The necessary require‐

Baby for sale everyone started commenting and messaging me and then I couldn’t delete it either.” She went on to add: “It worked out because one of the messages was someone actually enquiring about the sofa! But most of them were people making jokes about me giving away my son. I didn’t expect it to go so far!”

ments and the conditions that must be met will be de‐ cided in a Ministerial order. From July 6, 2022, breathal‐ ysers will be mandatory in goods vehicles. Stronger con‐ trols will be regulated against alcohol and drugs use by drivers. And young people will also be subject to a ‘zero alcohol’ policy while in con‐ trol of any vehicle. Motorcycle and moped drivers are authorised to use approved wireless devices in their helmets, for communi‐ cation purposes, if they are not deemed to affect safe driving.

Facebook users were amused by her blunder and many quickly commented. “What’s he like with other babies?” “Can I swap for a teenager?” “How’s he at washing up?” were among the ques‐ tions asked by users. Lucy went on to thank people for being kind and clarified her mistake. She posted: “Thanks all for being nice though and understanding, this was a genuine mistake, I don’t want to give away my child.”

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NEWS

Age waiver suggested for older drivers ACCORDING to UK experts funded by the Department for Transport, drivers who are aged 70 and over should be al‐ lowed to avoid prosecution or fines for running red lights or driving unnecessari‐ ly slowly and should instead have their skills assessed. The Older Drivers Task Force has rec‐ ommended various ‘lifesaving’ ideas to the government to keep elderly people

on the roads for longer. One of the rec‐ ommendations is a mandatory sight test for people who are over 70 and applying to renew their licence. Another recom‐ mendation is fitness‐to‐drive checks in England. These are currently only avail‐ able in a few police forces, such as Hamp‐ shire Constabulary. When a person is believed to be an un‐ safe driver, a report is sent to the Driver

and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which de‐ cides on the action. In some cases, the driver is referred for lessons and offered a reassessment within three months. Drivers who are sent for an assessment will avoid the usual £100 fine and penalty points for careless driving. Chairman of the Older Drivers Task Force John Plowman has insisted that drivers that are older are not a major risk.

Families in the UK are worse off

FAMILIES across the UK are being hit by rising prices due to several factors including the lack of lorry drivers, the coronavirus pandemic, ship‐

ping delays and Brexit. Infla‐ tion is currently over 4 per cent and in the next few months, it is predicted to reach a staggering 5 per cent.

Many households are al‐ ready being hit hard by the increasing costs and Christ‐ mas is set to make this worse. Average Christmas costs are expected to rise by more than £100 this year. Families with two adults and two children are said to be spending more than £30 a week extra just to cover the cost of essentials in Decem‐ ber, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR). Now, other cost increases

Costs are increasing.

are still being taken on board by companies. It is expected that these costs could also be passed onto customers soon.

and finally...

AIRLINE helps out: easyJet holidays are helping families caught out by the new coronavirus rules put in place by Spain since December 1. The company is allowing free cancellations to Spanish destinations up until the end of December for fam‐ ilies who cannot meet the new rules. Spain now requires any‐ one entering Spain from the UK to prove that they are fully vaccinated. A vaccine certificate is needed and both doses must have been given a minimum of 14 days before depar‐ ture.

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School bullies face jail A N E W law voted in by French parliament will see school bullies face jail time of up to three years as their MPs said society needs “a wake‐up call” to the seriousness of child‐ on‐child harassment. The proposed law was sup‐ ported by Emmanuel Macron’s education minis‐ ter Jean‐Michel Blanquer. Blanquer said that the support for the law sent a message to the country that “we will never accept the lives of our children be‐ ing shattered,” and added that the law was “a way of enforcing the values of the republic.” One in 10 French chil‐ dren have reportedly been the victim of bullying and the education minister fears that social media is increasing the potential for public taunting and humiliation. The draft measure was approved in the Lower House on Wednesday, De‐ cember 1 and if it passes

through the Senate will give France some of the

harshest penalties for bul‐ lying in the world.

A break for Santana

IN a video posted by Carlos Santana on December 2 on his Facebook page, the guitar maestro said he will be taking a break from music, recording and touring. Santana, who is still regarded as one of the best musicians in the world today, said that “he recently had to make a little visit to the hospital after experiencing some discomfort in his chest.” The musician did not elaborate further other than to say that on the advice of the doctors he would be taking a break from music, to get his health back. Apologising to fans, Santana explained that no one would want to see him play when he is not at his best, so it seemed right that he should take a break and return when he is back to full health.

CARLOS SANTANA: Will return when back to full health.

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Brexit shipping impact EXPORTERS are moving away from tradi‐ tional Dublin to Britain transport routes to avoid the mountains of new red tape that has come into effect since Brexit. The vol‐ ume of goods going through Ireland to EU shipping ferry routes has soared by 50 per cent in the last six months according to offi‐ cial data. The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) has published figures that show a significant move away from the routes that service Dublin to Britain, and an increase in traffic to some of the 32 new ferry services that travel directly to places such as Le Havre, Cherbourg and Dunkirk in France, and Zee‐ brugge in Belgium.

The report shows freight volumes from Dublin port to Liverpool and Holyhead in An‐ glesey down 19 per cent in the first three‐ quarters of 2021 compared with 2020, and down by 30 per cent on the two routes from Rosslare in south‐east Ireland to the Welsh ports of Pembroke and Fishguard. “It is clear the new trading arrangements between Ireland and the UK have had a sig‐ nificant and negative effect upon ro‐ro [roll‐ on roll‐off lorry haulage] freight traffic be‐ tween the two countries,” the IMDO report said. “Underpinning all of these trends are the new customs and trading arrangements between Ireland and the UK that came into force on 1 January 2021,” it added.

New dinosaur species

A NEW dinosaur species characterised by its strange weapon‐like tail has been discovered in Chile. With a size of approxi‐ mately two metres in length, the small, armoured dinosaur of the Anky‐ losaurus genus dates from the late Cretaceous Period,

from between 71.7 and 74.9 million years ago. Its fossilised skeleton, practical‐ ly complete, was found in the province of Magallanes, in the southernmost region of Chile, Patagonia. The dinosaur, named Ste‐ gourus elengassen, had de‐ veloped a large weapon‐like

tail unlike anything previ‐ ously seen on other types of armoured dinosaurs, such as the pairs of spikes on the Stegosaurus. The strange tail had seven pairs of flattened bone de‐ posits at the end of the tail in a fern‐like structure, forming a singular weapon.

NEWS

Immigration boost AMONGST some recent negativity, not many people realise just how much immi‐ gration is helping Spain’s population to recover. Im‐ migration has been part and parcel of Spain’s history for years. However, between 2010‐2014, there was a mass exodus of the popula‐ tion which hurt the growth and development of the country. But data shows immigra‐ tion is helping Spain’s popu‐ lation to increase again after several years of negative or stagnant growth. Results re‐ leased by the National Statistics Institute shows that Spain’s population had reached 47.1 million inhabi‐ tants on July 1, 2019, of which 10.7 per cent were foreign nationals. The country experienced an influx of 330,000 people in 2018. In 2019, it is believed that those figures reached half a million immigrants. The statistics show that in 2017, only 1 per cent of the

POPULATION: Immigration is helping Spain’s to grow.

immigrants that arrived in Spain were for humanitarian reasons and 4,400 of those recorded were Spaniards re‐ turning to Spain from work‐ ing overseas. The figures show that im‐ migration is helping Spain’s population to grow and sug‐ gests that it will continue to be needed as it provides bal‐ ance to the ageing popula‐ tion. Young migrants are not only repopulating the coun‐

try, but they are also con‐ tributing to the economy, health care system and pen‐ sions. Many are highly quali‐ fied professionals who cre‐ ate business opportunities offering employment. They are also the hard‐working backbone of the country. The workers that we don’t see. The ones that get up at 4am to work in the fields and factories to ensure we have a smooth production of produce.

NEWS

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9 - 15 December 2021

24-hour helplines SPAIN has tabled a draft law to force banks and utility companies to offer a free 24‐hour customer helpline open 365 days of the year. The service phone lines will be staffed with trained workers able to assist the elderly and disabled, rather than the automated messages that are common currently. The new proposal looks to ban banks and utility companies from charging their cus‐ tomers to get in touch with them via phone, as well as forcing the use of staff instead of an‐

swering machines. The idea is being pushed forward by Spain’s Minister of Economic Af‐ fairs, Nadia Calvino, and the Minister of Con‐ sumer Affairs, Alberto Garzon. The two minis‐ ters have started to work together to put customer service at the forefront of any future improvements to essential services in Spain. Bank branches have been closing in the hun‐ dreds across Spain in the last few years and these closures have highlighted the need for more personal and flexible service in the sector.

Anti-vax campaigner dies MARCUS LAMB, the co‐ founder of the leading Chris‐ tian television network, Daystar, that pushed alterna‐ tive therapies to Covid‐19 and dismissed the vaccine, has died of the virus at 64 years old. Lamb was the chief executive of the conservative church network that reaches an estimated two billion peo‐ ple worldwide. He passed away on Tues‐ day 30 November. “It’s with a heavy heart we announce that Marcus Lamb, president

and founder of Daystar Tele‐ vision Network, went home to be with the Lord this morning,” the network an‐ nounced in a tweet on Tues‐ day. “The family asks that their privacy be respected as they grieve this difficult loss. Please continue to lift them up in prayer.” Evangelical Christians have

been getting the vaccine at a much slower rate than the rest of the US population, and over the last few months, several prominent Christian broadcasters have died of the virus. In Novem‐ ber, Lamb’s son Jonathan was recorded saying his fa‐ ther’s illness was due to sinis‐ ter outside forces.

STATS

25

An average person will spend 25 years asleep.

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NEWS

Sexual harassment

A STUDY has revealed one in three workers at the Aus‐ tralian Parliament has experi‐ enced sexual harassment at work. According to the report presented last week at the Australian Parliament, female workers experience sexual ha‐ rassment such as inappropri‐ ate staring, unwanted touch‐ ing, or comments about their physical appearance daily. The study was commis‐ sioned by the Executive Coun‐ cil in March, not long after the

Higgins alleged rape.

former political advisor Brit‐ tany Higgins alleged that she had been raped in a govern‐ ment office in 2019 by a fellow Liberal Party advisor. Her case

shook the country and sparked a wave of protests. Seven months later, the da‐ ta gathered from more than 1,700 workers in an investiga‐ tion initiated by the Sex Dis‐ crimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins, has revealed something alarming: almost 40 per cent have experienced bullying at work, one in three have suffered some form of sexual harassment, and 1 per cent have been victims of sex‐ ual assault.

Covid drug breakthrough

THE first drug authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for preventing Covid‐ 19 infection is to become available in Spain in the next few months. Although vaccination against Covid infection has been proven to be highly effective, newly developed drugs could also be useful for stop‐ ping the spread of the virus. In mid‐November, the EMA authorised the first two drugs with monoclonal antibodies: Ronapreve, devel‐ oped by the companies Regeneron and Roche, and Regkirona, from the South Korean phar‐ maceutical company Celltrion.

Clinical trials of both drugs have shown that they are effective at reducing the serious ef‐ fects of Covid and can therefore greatly reduce hospitalisations and deaths. However, Ron‐ apreve can also be used to prevent infection, and could be used in immunosuppressed pa‐ tients who require extra protection or who do not respond well to vaccination, such as cancer patients or those who have had transplants. It could also be used to protect family mem‐ bers of Covid patients, those who live in places where vaccination is less readily available, or even people who refuse to get the vaccine.

NEWS

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9 - 15 December 2021

Gigi Hadid in Palma after split SUPERMODEL Gigi Hadid has been in Mallor‐ ca for a getaway after allegedly splitting with Zayn Malik over claims he assaulted her moth‐ er in a heated argument. She opted for a casual look as she left Palma airport on December 1 after disembarking from a private jet with her entourage and hopping into a waiting car. Gigi has been steering clear of the public eye after reports came to light that Zayn had hit her mother, Yolanda, during a fight in their luxury Pennsylvania home earlier this year. She looked in good spirits as she was driven away from the airport wearing a face covering and shades. Earlier this month, it was reported Gigi was ‘meeting with lawyers to discuss custody issues’ of their one‐year‐old daughter Khai. The same source added that Gigi feels Zayn ‘will always be

Gigi has kept a low profile.

part of her life’ but she is ‘distressed’ by the is‐ sues and fighting between him and her mother. Zayn had pleaded no contest to four counts of harassment after allegedly pushing Yolanda into a dresser and swearing repeatedly at her at the home he shared with Gigi. Court documents showed that he must complete 360 days proba‐ tion in addition to completing an anger manage‐ ment class.

Body on conveyor belt OFFICERS from the Guardia Civil are investigating after a body was discovered at a waste plant in Granada’s Al‐ hendín on Wednesday De‐ cember 1. Initial inspection of the body showed no signs of a violent death. The lifeless body was found with no documentation. The deceased man is thought to be about 40 years old. Work‐

ers at the waste plant made the shocking discovery at around 5pm. The body was found on a conveyor belt that is used to filter plastic contain‐ ers. Workers raised the alarm.

Investigators do not believe that the man died a violent death. However, a post‐ mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death.

STATS

7.5

A bowling pin will fall at a tilt of 7.5 degrees.

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NEWS

Transparent masks

TRANSPARENT face masks have been intro‐ duced to NHS Scotland. The transparent masks will help people communicate and lip read. The masks, also made in Scotland, have been approved to use in health and social care set‐ tings. The masks feature a transparent panel to help people communicate. Health boards start‐ ed receiving the masks in November and they will come in to use from early December. According to the government: “The product has been designed and made by Scottish PPE supplier, Alpha Solway, based in Dumfries and Galloway, and is the result of close collaboration with NHS National Services Scotland.” Cabinet Secretary for Health, Humza Yousaf commented on the innovative transparent masks. He said: “Although face masks are essen‐ tial to reduce the spread of coronavirus, it can

NEW MASKS: Will help people to lip read.

cause difficulties for people who rely on lip read‐ ing or have other communication needs.” “Patients and staff have rightly been calling for an alternative to the usual surgical face masks in clinical settings, so I am pleased NHS Scotland is rolling out these new, innovative transparent masks. These masks mean staff and patients can communicate clearly while staying safe.”

Vaccine vandal sentenced A GREAT YARMOUTH man has pleaded guilty after his actions prevented 504 vulnerable peo‐ ple from receiving their Covid‐19 booster shots. Hayden Brown superglued the lock of a vacci‐ nation centre to stop vaccines from being ad‐ ministered in his Norfolk town. The 53‐year‐old has been handed a three‐ month prison sentence after admitting the damage to the pharmacy door on Lowestoft Road in Gorleston. Brown admitted to criminal

damage and causing a public nuisance at Nor‐ wich Magistrate’s court and was subsequently sentenced to his prison stint on December 1. Brown was arrested after being identified by covert cameras that had been put in place fol‐ lowing two previous incidents on November 12 and November 20. A total of 504 vulnerable people who had been called up to receive their Covid‐19 booster jabs at the pharmacy were prevented from doing so by the damage.

NEWS

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9 - 15 December 2021

Cancer cases missed URGENT referrals for sus‐ pected cancer have been ‘missed’ by GPs in Eng‐ land during the pandemic according to new analysis published this week. The number of potential can‐ cer cases missed is up to 740,000 and counting, say the National Audit Office (NAO). The report has also warned that the NHS backlog could swell to 12 million, or one in five people in the UK, by March 2025. It is current‐ ly at a record‐breaking

There is an NHS backlog.

5.83 million, up from 4.43 million in February 2020. Medics have said that the findings of the report show that the UK is amid the “biggest cancer catas‐ trophe ever to hit the NHS.” The impact on patients has been “devastating”

say charities, amid state‐ ments from MPs that claim, “things will get worse before they get better.” Millions of pa‐ tients who had avoided seeing or were unable to see their GP during the pandemic are now ‘miss‐ ing’ from waiting lists. Estimates by the NAO say that in England there were between 240,000 and 740,000 potential cancer cases missed dur‐ ing the period of the pan‐ demic up to September 2021.

All fans welcome NASSAR AL-KHATER, president of the or‐ ganising committee for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has confirmed that “homo‐ sexuality is not allowed” in the emirate, but promises that LGBTQ+ football fans will have the right to travel to the country and attend the games. He added that “public displays of affection are frowned upon and this applies to everyone.” The Qatari leader explained: “Qatar and neighbouring countries are much more conservative and we ask the fans to re‐ spect it. We are sure that they will, just as we respect different cultures, we hope that ours is [respected] too.” Al‐Khater assured all LGBTQ+ football fans attending the World Cup would be safe. “They will come to Qatar as fans and attendees of a football tournament and they will be able to do what any other hu‐ man being would do,” he stated.

Qatar hopes its culture is respected.

Josh Cavallo, the Australian who is cur‐ rently the only out and active male pro footballer, has recently acknowledged his fear about going to Qatar and was the per‐ son to ask the question of Al‐Khater. The president of the committee insisted he would be welcome if he went. “On the contrary, we welcome you and invite you to come to see the country be‐ fore the World Cup.”

THE Community of Madrid is planning for Christmas and has announced its Covid 19 prevention strategy. The strategy focuses on vaccination, early detection and raising awareness of the virus along with ensuring sufficient health personnel are available. From December 3 people in the 60 ‐ 69 age group are able to have their booster jabs. Vac‐ cinations will also be rolled out to children aged between five and 11 years old from De‐ cember 15. It is expected up to 400,000 chil‐

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Covid strategy

dren could be immunised in the community. Health professionals will see their contracts extended so they can continue fighting the pandemic. President Isabel Díaz Ayuso an‐ nounced on December 1, that a free antigen test will be available for all Madrid residents. Residents will be able to get their hands on the tests easily as they will just need to head to a pharmacy and show their health card.

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NEWS

Part-time Tiger T I G E R W O O D S has an‐ nounced the end of his full‐time golf career. The star claims the car crash that almost cost him his leg has forced him into

semi‐retirement. The golfing great said he accepts his time competing among golf’s elite is proba‐ bly a thing of the past: “I can still participate in the

Solar eclipse ON December 4 the only total solar eclipse of 2021 took place. It was not visible from Spain or Europe but attracted the interest of astronomers worldwide. A solar eclipse happens when the light of the sun is totally or partially hidden by an object coming between the sun and the observer. They are classified into three types: total, annular, and partial. A total eclipse is when the moon completely covers the disk of the sun. A partial eclipse is when the Moon covers only a part of the sun. Finally, the annular eclipse occurs when the disk of the Moon does not cov‐ er the full disk of the Sun, even if their centres are well aligned. The latest eclipse began at 7am UT (Universal Time), at a point in the Atlantic Ocean to the east of the Falk‐ lands Islands and ended in the Antarctic Ocean.

STATS

32

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

His career now looks bleak.

game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there,” he said. But the future of Tiger Woods’ ca‐ reer in golf looks bleak. The American has had a tumultuous few years hav‐ ing been in trouble with the police a couple of times over traffic incidents. Four years prior to the accident in February, Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his Merc with the engine running. He failed a drunk driving test and pleaded guilty to the charges. The damage to his leg and the after‐effect of five back surgeries has had a major impact on his elite golf career. “I think some‐ thing that is realistic is play‐ ing the one‐day tour events, never full‐time, ev‐ er again ‐ but pick and choose, just like Ben Hogan did,” he explained.

NEWS

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9 - 15 December 2021

ETA announcement T H E Basque separatist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) have an‐ nounced their prisoners’ collective (EPPK) intends to end public receptions for released ETA prison‐ ers and is committed to holding ‘discreet’ recep‐ tions in a ‘private sphere.’ In a communication, the organisation stated that they ‘understand’ that the victims of ETA may feel ‘hurt’ by the public receptions which is why ETA have decided to end them. From now on, they will only take place behind closed doors. The EPPK affirms that the prisoners have the right to ‘receive the em‐ brace of their loved ones’ after ‘long years and harsh prison conditions’ but accepts that these public acts of reception cause pain to victims. “We say clearly that our desire is to alleviate all suffering and open up

new options, to heal wounds and strengthen coexistence among

Basque citizens,” argues the group of ETA prison‐ ers.

Wonder-drug approved THE UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have approved a new wonder‐drug for peo‐ ple at high risk of developing severe Covid. The drug is made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and is known as Xevudy. The drug stops the coronavirus from replicating in the body. The MHRA has approved it for use for people with risk factors such as age, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. GlaxoSmithKline explained: “In a clinical trial, a single dose of the monoclonal antibody was found to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by 79 per cent in high‐risk adults with symptomatic Covid‐19 infection. “Based on the clinical trial data, sotrovimab is most effec‐ tive when taken during the early stages of infection and so the MHRA recommends its use as soon as possible and with‐ in five days of symptom onset.” MHRA Chief Executive Dr June Raine commented on the new treatment option: “I am pleased to say that we now have another safe and effective Covid‐19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), for those at risk of developing severe illness.”

STATS

22

There are 22 stars in the Paramount studios’ logo.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

Bumper bonus

Clock silenced

THE world’s largest toymaker, Lego, is rewarding all 20,000 employees with a special bonus and an extra three days holiday after a bumper 2022. Growing demand in China and the pandemic are given as reasons for the high six month sales revenues of €847 million.

DENMARK’S talking clock ‘Frøken Klokken’ (Miss Clock) was switched off at the end of November by communication company TDC after 82 years. The company said the number of callers had fallen dramatically since the 11.6 million calls registered in the first year back in 1939.

THE NETHERLANDS Pig whisperer

Donate a tree

FORMER vet Kees Scheepens, the 19th generation in a long line of farmers, is changing the shape of pig farming. Scheepens is putting the animals’ welfare and their sustainability first by changing how they are raised and fed, resulting in ‘happier meat’, less barn smell and emissions.

THE charity Senay Boztas, is asking for donations of ready to plant saplings. These can be dropped off at 200 locations around the country and will be replanted on farms, in cities and on private land. The plan is for their 3,000 volunteers to plant one million trees.

BELGIUM Famous fries

Cafe reopens

A STATUE, De Frieteters (The Fry Eater), has been unveiled in Bruges market square as part of the week long celebrations of the country’s famous fries. The statue, unveiled by Flemish Minister of Agriculture and Food pays homage to the golden fry.

ONE of the oldest in the world and the oldest in Bruges, Café Vlissinghe has reopened following its closure due to the pandemic. The cafe, which originally opened in 1515, has hardly changed in its 500 years, having survived world wars, revolutions and hordes of tourists.

GERMANY Surprising choice

Test cancelled

THE outgoing chancellor surprised everyone with her choice of music for the elaborate military ceremony. Leaving the post after 16 years, Angela Merkel chose just one song (the norm is three) for the military marching band to play, a song by punk legend Nina Hagen.

A DRIVING test examiner got a surprise when the person he was due to test arrived behind the wheel. The examiner, who cancelled the test, called the police and now the driver faces an investigation for driving without a licence. He told police he didn’t want to be late.

FRANCE Flying taxis?

Paris second

PARIS is testing large scale drones that they intend using during the 2024 summer Olympics. With around six million people expected to attend the games, the hope is that by establishing two ‘flying taxi’ routes that travel times will be shortened and congestion relieved.

TEL AVIV has overtaken Paris as the most expensive city in the world, after jumping five places in the ranking in the annual survey by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Paris now occupies joint second spot with Singapore followed by Zurich and Hong Kong.

NORWAY Doctors rule

Electric ship

THE year 2021 is expected to be another record one for the number of doctorates issued by Norwegian universities, and the fourth in a row. Foreign nationals accounted for 43 per cent of those issued in the first half of the year specifically in mathematics, science and technology.

FERTILISER producer Yara has acquired the world’s first fully electric, self-steering container ship, the Yara Birkeland. The 80metre-long feeder will replace road haulage between Yara’s Porsgrunn plant in southern Norway and its export port Brevik, about 14 kilometres away from next year.

EUROPEAN PRESS

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EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND

Early shopping

Improved behaviour

IF the number of parcels delivered by post is anything to go by, then Christmas shopping has started early. During the Thursday and Friday of Black Friday Week, Posti delivered more than 1.5 million parcels - that’s 100,000 more than the same period last year.

RESTAURATEURS and club owners report that since the introduction of the Covid pass, there has been a noticeable reduction in disruptive behaviour. Although no direct link can be drawn until research has been done, establishment owners report fewer incidences of crime and bad behaviour.

IRELAND ‘Open City’

Food market

DUBLIN Gardaí have commenced Operation 'Open City', which will run until Christmas Eve. The plan to improve the movement of public transport and to minimise traffic disruption was developed in consultation between An Garda Síochána and external stakeholders including local authorities.

THE Harley StrEAT Food Market, located next to the Metropole in Cork city, is open from 12pm to 8pm throughout December. The market consisting of food trucks is offering all the usual Christmas fare and a full range of traditional hot drinks.

ITALY Restoration complete

Designer decorated

THREE years after work began, the restoration of the Aquilonare Sacristy of the Milan Cathedral is complete despite restrictions and the economic impact of the pandemic. The 14th century sacristy is of special importance and was built on the site of the Baptistery of Santo Stefano alle Fonti.

THE world-renowned fashion designer, Giorgio Armani, was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on Friday November 26. Armani received the title of ‘Cavaliere’, the highest rank in the country for his contribution to the nation in arts and business.

PORTUGAL Foreign students

Property prices

INFORMATION released by the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation, shows that the number of foreign students in Portuguese higher education has more than doubled during the past decade. In 2020 there were nearly 50,000 foreign students of which roughly three quarters came from Portuguese language countries.

BANK valuations increased by 13.7 per cent and the average valuation rose by 10.7 per cent yearon-year in October to €1,251 per square metre. That’s an increase of 1.2 per cent over September according to the Institute of National Statistics. The autonomous region of Madeira experienced similar growth whilst values in the Azores fell.

RUSSIA Rock robot

Kittens welcomed

RUSSIAN cadets have developed a spy robot disguised as a rock. Operating by motionsensor, the robot has a 24-hour passive battery life with the ability to collect, process and transmit information for 15 hours. The robot will be used in trench warfare and where snipers are operating.

TWO eastern Siberian Manul kittens, weighing just under 200 grams each, have found a new home at the Moscow Zoo. The kittens of the endangered species, which has been the zoo's symbol and mascot for over 30 years, were found and cared for by local villagers.

SWEDEN Smallest increase

Hoarding masks

LAST year saw the smallest increase in Sweden’s population since 2005 and now stands at 10.3 million. According to Statistics Sweden, people are now moving from Stockholm and Gothenburg rather than to these centres. The six-month increase of 28,000 was roughly half of the previous year’s 50,000.

A SURVEY conducted by Swedish TV seems to suggest that people are hoarding masks with sales having increased sharply at the end of summer. It is thought the reasons for this are the change in Swedish Public Health Agency's recommendations and the return to schools and businesses.

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FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Salary rises FOR the first time in history, the average monthly salary in Spain exceeded €2,000 in 2020 according to the the National Institute of Statistics. The average of €2,038 is a rise of 2.8 per cent over 2019 and is the fourth consecutive year in which salaries have risen.

TSB closures THE high street bank has announced further closures to its network in 2022. The closures will leave the bank’s network around a third of the size of when the brand returned to the high street eight years ago. The cut is on top of their 164 closures in 2020.

Oil down OPEC and its allies announced on Thursday December 2, they will increase production from January alleviating the shortage that is pushing prices up. The organisation said it may revisit this decision once the impact of the latest outbreak is known. The price per barrel fell on news of the announcement.

Unemployment drops SPAIN recorded a 74,381 drop in unemployment to record the lowest unemployment levels for November since 2008. During the month, 282,981 people were recruited pushing overall employment as at the end of November to 19,752,358.

Bitcoin City EL SALVADOR plans to build the world’s first Bitcoin City and have it powered by ‐ a volcano. El Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele plans to make the city fully ecological and have its residents pay no tax (except for VAT). His long‐ term goal is to attract investment to this new financial system and use Bitcoin to make ‘El Salvador the financial centre of the world.’

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STAT OF WEEK

€1,336

In 2020, four out of 10 woman earned less than €1,336 compared to one in five men and six out of 10 young people.

Daughter takes the Zara chair INDITEX, the Spanish high street fashion giant, has appointed Marta Ortega as chair replacing her father and founder Pablo Is‐ la. Otega has worked for the group for 15 years, having joined high street brand Bershka, as a shop floor assistant in London. Pablo Isla, chairman of Inditex since 2011, has overseen the company’s growth to where it is now one of the world’s largest fashion retailers with more than 6,600 stores globally. Isla, who is well‐known in Spain for his altru‐ ism, is one of the world’s richest

men with an estimated net worth of €68 billion. Initial reaction to Ortega’s ap‐ pointment is mixed, however the 37‐year‐old has been instrumen‐ tal in the growth of Zara having been credited with strengthening the brand and leading several major campaigns. Accepting the appointment she said “I have always said I would dedicate my life to build‐ ing upon my parents’ legacy. I have lived and breathed this company since my childhood, and I have learned from all the

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Will land law change?

great professionals I have worked with over the last 15 years.” Inditex was founded by Aman‐ cio Ortega with his ex‐wife Ros‐ alia in 1975 in Galicia. Today the company owns many well‐ known high street brands includ‐ ing Zara, Pull and Bear, and Stradivarius. Most of its clothing is made in Spain and nearby countries in‐ cluding Portugal, Morocco and Turkey, helping the firm to achieve its famously fast reaction times to new fashion trends.

Creating your Will with Golden Leaves

I have seen reports that Andalucia has a new land law that offers a possibility to legalise all those houses built on land classified as non‐building land. Has the new law actually been approved? What are the terms?

DAVID SEARL Yes, the new land law has YOU AND THE LAW been voted by the IN SPAIN Andalucian Parlia‐ ment. However it faces a number of steps before it goes into full effect. Let’s take it by parts. The law is named LISTA, Ley de Impulso y Sostenibilad del Territorio de An‐ dalucía. But the law itself requires the further enactment of a Reglamento, a set of regulations that specify in detail just how the terms of the law are to be carried out. This can take months. The new law will speed up town planning requirements, change land classification and even allow for the building of new properties in formerly prohibited areas. It will not, however, allow full legalisa‐ tion of those properties which now hold the strange clas‐ sification of AFO, Asimilada Fuera de Ordenaciòn, which prevents them from being demolished and will allow new works to be carried out on them. The law is a step forward but it remains a long way from full legalisation of these properties. Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

THE OUIGO company, started just six months ago by French train op‐ erator SNCF, has managed to achieve an occupancy rate of 97 per cent on its service between Madrid and Barcelona. During the same period the company has car‐ ried more than one million passen‐ gers, a little more than its main competitor Renfe owned Avlo. Ouigo said that it has achieved

Telefonica dividends TUESDAY November 30 was the last day investors could buy shares in Telefonica that would qualify for a 2020 year end dividend. The first pay‐ ment amounts to €0.15 per share and is paid this month while the second payment, also for €0.15 will be paid in June 2022. The shareholder remuner‐ ation policy for 2021 was ap‐ proved at the Telefónica Gen‐ eral Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 23, 2021 and contemplates a remunera‐ tion of €0.30 through a flexi‐ ble dividend. Each shareholder has three options, the first to receive the cash, receiving new shares is the second option and the last option is to sell the rights on the market.

Home rental prices jump A Will is essential.

MANY expats who have moved to Spain from the UK will have a British Will, but having a Will in Spain is also essential to ensure that your valuables go where you want them to. At Golden Leaves their expert partners can help you cre‐ ate your Will, to make sure that your valuables go where you want them to. To begin creating your Will, Golden Leaves suggests considering a number of important planning issues, including long‐term care fees and managing your care options. They also say that you should consider what will happen to your assets if your partner remarries after your death and making sure that your children still receive what you intended. Finally, a Will should also set out if you were unable to manage your financial affairs or personal welfare due to some form of incapacity, who you would like to act on your behalf. To begin creating your Will to ensure your assets go where you want them to, contact Golden Leaves who will put you in touch with their expert partners.

www.goldenleavesinternational.com enquiries@goldenleaves.com Facebook: goldenleavesspain

Ouigo running high the excellent numbers by changing the profile of the train traveller. The service is based on providing a fast but inexpensive service with children between the ages of four and 13 paying a flat fee of €5, and those under four travelling for free.

As a result Ouigo has served over 160,000 families travelling with 70,000 children and babies. The general director of Ouigo in Spain, Helene Valenzuela, high‐ lighted the milestone that “an un‐ known company in Spain a year

INFLATION rates not seen since 1992 are pushing housing rental prices higher, with the 5.6 per cent year‐ on‐year percentage apply‐ ing to many rental con‐ tracts. Idealist the online property portal said that prices have risen to €892 in Madrid and €886 in Barcelona for a 55 square metre apartment. Increases are less in the less expen‐ sive cities with only Zamora experiencing a reduction. Landlords do have the right to increase rentals in accordance with inflation (CPI), however contracts signed prior to March 31, 2015 can only increase if specifically built into the contract. In all cases landlords have to give adequate notice of any rise to tenants. ago reached one million travellers in a matter of months.” From this point of view, it is clear that “we have brought that sustainable and digital mobility that the country longed for.” Achieving the numbers and the reduction in prices is partly down to their trains, double deckers which are unique to Spain, but which can carry up to 509 people.

40 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

9 - 15 December 2021

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LONDON - FTSE 100

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C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.444,00 Abrdn 241,65 Admiral Group 3.030,0 Anglo American 2.959,5 Antofagasta 1.408,50 Ashtead Group 6.432,0 Associated British Foods 1.966,5 AstraZeneca 8.256,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 740,20 Avast 607,00 Aveva 3.325,0 Aviva 398,47 B&M European Value Retail 629,80 BAE Systems 559,60 Bank VTB DRC 1,236 Barclays 186,04 Barratt Developments 725,40 Berkeley 4.565,0 BHP Group 2.129,00 BP 349,05 British American Tobacco 2.678,0 British Land Company 531,90 BT Group 174,00 Bunzl 2.934,0 Burberry Group 1.871,5 Carnival 1.310,2 Centrica 67,65 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.468,0 Compass 1.563,50 CRH 3.844,0 Croda Intl 9.976,0 DCC 5.854,0 Diageo 3.995,1 DS Smith 380,07 EasyJet 560,80 Experian 3.578,3 Ferguson 12.115,0 Flutter Entertainment 10.935,0 Fresnillo 893,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.561,80 Glencore 367,80 Halma 3.092,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.306,50 Hikma Pharma 2.262,00 HSBC 442,20 IAG 143,34 Imperial Brands 1.585,47 Informa 509,40 InterContinental 4.717,0 Intermediate Capital 2.228,00

CHANGE(P) 1.447,00 242,40 3.040,0 2.971,0 1.411,50 6.498,0 1.983,0 8.320,0 741,20 610,00 3.329,0 404,00 644,80 561,40 1,252 187,64 732,80 4.600,0 2.131,50 351,70 2.694,0 533,80 175,00 2.935,0 1.877,5 1.324,4 67,90 2.475,0 1.582,50 3.860,0 10.005,0 5.878,0 3.999,5 382,20 571,00 3.587,0 12.155,0 11.060,0 898,40 1.595,00 369,25 3.094,0 1.310,00 2.294,00 445,80 145,78 1.590,00 513,00 4.782,0 2.236,00

% CHG. 1.402,50 238,10 2.997,0 2.859,0 1.372,00 6.200,0 1.952,0 8.188,0 731,20 604,20 3.250,0 398,10 627,60 556,60 1,234 185,46 720,60 4.547,0 2.094,00 347,75 2.640,5 528,62 172,30 2.903,0 1.820,0 1.304,0 67,14 2.451,0 1.555,00 3.788,0 9.838,0 5.792,0 3.960,0 379,00 550,00 3.535,0 11.880,0 10.590,0 889,60 1.552,40 362,50 3.027,0 1.291,50 2.260,00 440,65 141,10 1.569,00 480,80 4.699,0 2.187,00

NET VOL 1,51M 986,84K 71,42K 1,49M 240,04K 279,16K 139,89K 632,19K 3,70M 258,72K 103,67K 813,35K 1,87M 622,42K 424,39K 12,33M 1,98M 36,15K 2,19M 1,56M 2,47M 66,46K 6,26M 233,85K 283,14K 407,73K 2,91M 146,98K 565,04K 151,62K 201,85K 61,97K 1,82M 969,84K 1,68M 155,73K 128,86K 223,56K 70,04K 1,79M 11,24M 98,83K 308,49K 115,12K 5,27M 16,92M 347,17K 4,32M 158,86K 778,18K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Intertek ITV J Sainsbury Johnson Matthey Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Banking London Stock Exchange Meggitt Melrose Industries Mondi National Grid NatWest Group Next Norilskiy Nikel ADR Ocado Persimmon Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx Rentokil Rightmove Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Rosneft DRC Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP

5.732,0 114,55 281,79 2.078,0 755,00 292,00 47,33 6.658,0 740,80 152,10 1.858,00 1.026,40 219,40 8.396,0 29,43 1.617,50 2.797,0 654,10 1.318,00 6.116,0 2.411,41 625,00 771,02 4.758,0 130,91 7,79 1.686,2 1.686,61 1.684,0 797,00 1.662,50 16,35 3.502,0 1.424,75 1.411,50 2.877,0 1.275,00 1.536,11 16.065,0 1.634,00 1.576,00 438,95 165,75 282,82 216,30 3.943,0 1.102,50 112,58 2.986,0 1.102,50

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

5.758,0 115,35 283,70 2.094,0 761,40 294,00 47,38 6.726,0 742,00 153,50 1.859,00 1.027,20 221,30 8.398,0 29,63 1.630,50 2.817,0 656,60 1.330,00 6.237,0 2.411,00 628,00 771,60 4.797,5 132,96 7,82 1.707,2 1.707,11 1.703,6 798,40 1.665,00 16,56 3.517,0 1.439,00 1.415,00 2.888,0 1.279,50 1.539,00 16.065,0 1.639,00 1.591,50 442,80 168,20 283,90 217,10 3.968,5 1.104,00 113,78 3.035,0 1.104,00

5.682,0 113,35 280,70 2.058,0 749,80 291,00 46,59 6.636,0 737,80 150,90 1.829,50 1.016,20 218,60 8.254,0 29,35 1.570,50 2.763,0 653,00 1.317,50 6.109,0 2.374,00 623,80 761,80 4.690,0 129,48 7,65 1.684,6 1.684,25 1.682,0 783,80 1.645,00 16,22 3.494,0 1.399,50 1.380,50 2.847,0 1.257,00 1.515,50 15.750,0 1.616,50 1.568,00 435,90 165,00 280,86 212,40 3.926,0 1.092,50 112,36 2.968,0 1.079,50

105,85K 2,49M 559,06K 117,52K 480,39K 1,66M 50,56M 133,73K 1,49M 1,91M 150,79K 1,14M 5,13M 29,55K 19,60K 333,95K 183,22K 154,27K 4,08M 249,50K 1,28M 1,54M 475,46K 1,11M 10,46M 554,38K 1,31M 1,31M 2,62M 830,10K 8,82K 2,42M 174,10K 1,40M 535,90K 52,84K 676,98K 164,68K 15,90K 3,42M 419,60K 1,27M 4,46M 774,80K 1,62M 828,28K 200,88K 20,74M 98,97K 909,58K

1.17683

0.84958

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1254 Japan yen (JPY)........................................127.71 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0411 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4362 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.181

currenciesdirect.com/moraira • Tel: +34 966 265 072 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

COMPANY 3M Alphabet C Amazon.com Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Meta Platforms Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com Tesla UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 177,22 2.875,9 3.427,37 208,79 165,32 205,88 201,32 116,23 56,96 54,90 389,47 415,98 206,25 119,89 50,99 162,92 160,24 255,88 73,43 317,87 326,19 168,94 152,17 258,95 1.009,01 459,96 51,06 202,74 138,99 150,40

CHANGE 178,28 2.887,0 3.473,91 211,79 167,88 206,42 203,25 117,45 57,17 55,25 393,60 420,54 208,09 121,15 51,21 163,52 162,60 256,93 73,85 320,10 327,42 171,21 152,38 259,21 1.021,64 461,70 51,93 204,22 139,35 150,74

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 174,00 2,24M 2.812,9 1,09M 3.338,69 3,35M 205,97 3,90M 164,28 102,59M 199,20 11,52M 198,34 2,72M 115,09 8,72M 56,47 22,52M 54,14 24,26M 383,49 1,77M 411,22 4,53M 204,88 4,30M 119,40 4,69M 49,18 38,28M 159,90 8,41M 159,52 10,69M 252,37 3,39M 72,80 12,00M 306,35 21,24M 319,23 28,69M 168,08 5,41M 150,27 8,20M 250,77 7,03M 950,51 26,91M 452,15 4,60M 50,96 21,91M 197,78 10,47M 137,10 9,13M 146,67 12,65M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

Most Advanced Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Cl A NVR Inc. Texas Pacific Land Corp. Markel Corp. Boston Beer Co. Cl A Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. RH Graham Holdings Co. White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. Shopify Inc. Cl A Fair Isaac Corp.

1.80% 2.65% 4.82% 2.82% 6.92% 1.97% 4.73% 4.13% 2.10% 1.29% 4.66%

1.66K 16.04K 37.91K 48.08K 419.86K 243.48K 588.9K 20.67K 19.07K 1.21M 575.73K

HubSpot Inc. -4.38% Ubiquiti Inc. -10.40% Danaher Corp. 5% Mand. Pfd. Series B -1.60% EPAM Systems Inc. -4.00% Generac Holdings Inc. -4.90% Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. -2.18% Wayfair Inc. Cl A -5.59% Biglari Holdings Inc. Cl A -1.78% Cloudflare Inc. Cl A -7.51% West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. -2.43% Bank of America Corp. 7.25% Non-Cum. Perp -0.72%

1.18M 272.75K 1.91K 532.02K 1.5M 2.32M 2.28M 170 7.48M 516.68K 13.86K

Most Declined

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

‘Account Blocked’

BANK ACCOUNTS: Ensure the information held by your bank is up-to-date at all times.

MANY of you may have experienced the ‘account blocked’ or ‘will be blocked’ message when trying to draw money at the cash machine or when accessing your account on‐ line. So when has this hap‐ pened and how do you un‐ block it? There are many reasons why your account might be blocked, usually it’s the need to comply with Pre‐ vention of Money Launder‐ ing and Terrorist Financing laws. These require the banks to maintain up‐to‐ date information on their clients. Normally all it takes is for you to keep these up‐ to‐date. Solution ‐ ensure that the information held by your bank is up‐to‐date at all times. Another possible reason are the anti‐fraud measures in the act that require banks to ‘know their cus‐ tomer’. The law is not unique to Spain and is de‐

signed to stop the financing of terrorism and the laun‐ dering of money. Banks will usually react if the move‐ ment seems unusual or has come from an unknown source. Solution ‐ keep your bank informed if you are receiv‐ ing funds that are not with‐ in the normal operation of your bank account. Accounts will also be blocked where the bank has reasonable reason to believe that the account should be blocked, reasons like the death of the ac‐ count holder, disputes be‐ tween joint account holders and post holders in the case of owner associations. Solution ‐ make sure sup‐ porting documentation is up‐to‐date and the bank is well aware of any changes. In the case of credit, the bank is required to allow sufficient time to meet the outstanding debt before it can block the account. Importantly, Banco de Es‐

Novo Banco sells to Abanca PORTUGUESE bank, Novo Banco, has agreed to sell its Spanish subsidiary to A Coruña based Abanca. The deal sees the end of Novo Banco’s retail, private banking and small business opera‐ tions in Spain. The deal, which is subject to the usual regulato‐ ry approval, is unlikely to have any major impact on Novo Banco’s results. It is expected to strengthen the bank’s capital position and to have a positive impact on its liquidity, part of its strategy to focus on core assets. All the bank’s operations in Spain including its private banking, small business operations and its 10 retail branches and staff are being trans‐ ferred to Abanca.

paña requires proportional‐ ity to be applied in all cases and at all times.

BUSINESS EXTRA Giphy to be sold THE UK Competition and Markets Authority, has fol‐ lowing an investigation, told Facebook’s owner Meta, that they must sell the GIF library Giphy. Fol‐ lowing concerns about the deal in April, investigators found the takeover ‘could harm social media users and advertisers’.

Fuel profits unreasonable THE RAC has said that fuel retailers are overcharging by as much as 12p per litre for petrol and 10p for diesel with the reduction in wholesale prices not being passed on. The organisa‐ tion has called on the gov‐ ernment to investigate, oil prices having fallen around $10 a barrel at the end of November.

ASDA charters ship BRITAIN’S third largest su‐ permarket ASDA, has char‐ tered a ship in an effort to overcome the logistics issues being experienced across the UK. The ship it is be‐ lieved is being used to bring in stocks required for Christ‐ mas including clothes, toys and festive decorations.

9 - 15 December 2021

EWN 41

42 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

9 - 15 December 2021

The worst

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ONE of the lessons I have learned in life is that it is generally more advantageous to prepare for the worst. With this somewhat pessimistic agenda, all the good occurrences then become a bonus and you are also (hopefully) fully prepared as possible for events that don’t quite pan out as you envisaged. Blindly trusting everything will be coming up roses, is a sure recipe for head in the sand disaster. In my younger days, I was an avid flower child. I truly believed that love and peace was the answer to all our human shortcomings (and still do). Unfortunately, I was rudely awakened by the fact that not everyone followed the same ideals. As reality slowly set in and my rose‐coloured glasses subsequently misted up, I began to realise that metaphorically, if I attempted to offer a bunch of flowers to an adversary bearing a Kalashnikov rifle the one who walked away from the encounter would not be me! Survival in the real world meant reluctantly discarding the floral specs and facing up to a future full of uncertainties. Failing to recognise, or endeavour to change any calamitous events our future

may hold is almost criminal naivety. If the German public had only envisioned the ambitions of Hitler, they may just have averted the Second World War! Twenty years ago, I wrote that if the West didn’t curb the unchecked immigration from the Middle East, a few years hence it would be too late because the terrorists would be entrenched everywhere. Since then, radical Islamists have murdered hundreds of innocent UK citizens. You should have heard the ridicule I received for that prediction! If you want to see what the BLM organisation is truly about just cast an eye over their current website. Diversity it most emphatically ain’t! Emblazoned over their ‘flag,’ big bold letters blatantly announce BLACK XMAS. Parts of the diatribe that follows proclaim, and I quote. “Black Lives Matter has been encouraging people to ‘dream of a black Xmas’ and intentionally use our economic sources to disrupt white supremacist capitalism. “Black Friday sales were rolled out weeks in advance and at every turn white supremacist capitalism is telling us to spend our money on things that we don’t

need to reap profits for their organisations.” The piece then goes on to encourage people to ‘Build Black, Buy Black and Bank Black.’ Their website also has the audacity to condemn the Rittenhouse trial verdict, (where no black people were involved at all!) describing it as “wholly expected, when white supremacy lives and breathes within our institutions and is a reminder of how legal systems are deeply rooted in white supremacy.” There is naturally no mention of the trial taking place simultaneously in another courtroom, where three white men received life sentences for shooting a black man they suspected of stealing. Ironically a reader’s letter published last week accused me of trying to introduce racism into the Rittenhouse’s trial ‐ purely because I stated there were no riots after the verdict. Ha! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com 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

Film Review by Laura Kemp

Streaming now: King Richard WILL SMITH turns from The Prince of Bel‐Air into the King of Tennis in this story of how the Williams’ sisters came to dominate the sport, streaming on HBO Max now. Legendary actor, film pro‐ ducer and rapper Will Smith (Men in Black) plays Richard Williams in this biographical drama about how Venus and Serena Williams became two of the most well‐known tennis players in the world. A story of true grit and de‐ termination, when it seems like all the odds are against this family from Compton, USA, King Richard gives viewers a look into how the father of Venus, played by Saniyya Sid‐ ney (Hidden Figures), and Sere‐ na, played by Demi Singleton (Goldie), coached them to the top of the tennis world. The story intertwines race, family, and poverty issues as the Williams family band to‐ gether to help the sisters live

A story of true grit.

out their sporting dreams. Richard will tell anyone who will listen, and even those who don’t want to listen, that his daughters are born to be stars and that he has an 84‐page plan to achieve it. This is a feel‐good film with great acting (it’s Will Smith ‐ need I say more?). However, its authenticity is questionable. Richard’s estranged family have since hit back at the film, claiming it is not a real portray‐ al of their father and only tells half of the story. Despite this, King Richard is an entertaining, motivational, and humorous movie about never giving up. It’s also worth watching the end credits for a nice surprise.

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way sends out their ‘Wednesday Madness’ mid week offer and dis‐ counts are also given to members of Bridge Club, U3A, ISVH and Computer Club Javea. Their charity work has also seen PC‐ Highway help families in need from March 2020, making sure local families are provided with food, drink, electric, water and gas bottles. They also sponsor a kennel at the APASA dog pound. Their latest fundraiser will support their local family charity projects and Project 4 All, caring for the homeless, and the Karunawa charity shop in Javea. Simply buy your ticket, priced €5, from PC‐Highway to enter a draw for a first prize of a Samsung Tablet 10.4. The prize will be drawn on Saturday, December 18 at PC‐Highway and the winners will be contacted by phone and announced on Facebook and oth‐ er social media platforms.

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44 EWN

9 - 15 December 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

Did you survive Covid but now suffer from HOGO? 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

AMID reports in the UK that people aren’t turning up to restaurants or even events for which they’ve al‐ ready bought tickets, are you affect‐ ed by HOGO (hassle of going out) too? After spending lockdown at home and used to ditching plans and skip‐ ping social events, some are bound to be feeling a bit weary ‐ and wary. Whilst there’s no excuse for no‐shows in the era of mobile communications, I suspect people book venues to lift their mood currently and then feel that they just can’t face it as the hour draws near. For some, going out has certainly become less fun. Everything has to be pre‐planned. You can’t get a table at a restaurant, and when you do it’s full of excuses why the service is lacking, Nora Johnson’s opinions

SOCIALISING: However, attitudes have definitely changed, especially in the winter.

dees can make the experiences work. No matter how fantastic the food, ex‐ citing the film or entertaining the play, these events need to be experienced as a collective event to get the right energy levels and succeed. Small businesses need our help more than ever this Christmas! There’s absolutely no excuse for no‐ shows at restaurants etc. in the UK or anywhere else. It’s just selfish be‐ haviour. But seemingly part of a gen‐ eral, ‘It’s all about me’ attitude that unfortunately seems prevalent these days... 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’, ‘Retribu‐ tion’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Cleram‐ bault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

the menus are ‘reduced’ for lack of Attitudes have definitely changed ‐ staff or ingredients, and ‘can we have and why not? People, especially in the your table back at 8:30, please?’ ‘And winter, can stay home and watch please be considerate to our staff as movies in HD, get food and drink deliv‐ we have zero tolerance for abusive be‐ ered at reasonable cost in total safety. haviour.’ For these customers, it feels But the retail and hospitality sectors like prices have been hiked to pay for are at risk of dying a slow death be‐ To read more articles from our columnists the extra checks and regulations that cause that’s where we meet other and to have your say in the comments go make going out more of a hassle than people and mingle. That all takes ef‐ to www.euroweeklynews.com it’s worth. fort and only a critical mass of atten‐ are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

THURSDAY 09/12

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

FRIDAY 10/12

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:25pm 10:30pm 11:00pm 11:25pm

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MONDAY 13/12

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WEDNESDAY 15/12

11:00pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten

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BBC London News; Weather The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders Gavin & Stacey Have I Got News for You BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather

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Final Score BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Superman & Lois The Hit List Strictly Come Dancing Michael McIntyre's The Wheel Casualty BBC News

2:45pm 4:35pm

BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Countryfile Strictly Come Dancing: The Results Top Gear You Don't Know Me BBC News BBC London News; Weather

6:00pm

BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Buy Now, Pay Later: The New Debt Crisis? - Panorama EastEnders Ghosts You Don't Know Me BBC News at Ten

5:15pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

The Repair Shop Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Holby City EastEnders MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten

6:15pm 7:00pm

Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show My Family The Repair Shop at Christmas MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten

6:15pm 7:00pm

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The Real Marigold Hotel Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Mary Berry - Love to Cook Nadiya's Fast Flavours Surgeons: At the Edge of Life Mock the Week

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FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD THIS week the Stonewall LGBTQ+ charity started their annual Rainbow Laces campaign, partnering with various sports across the UK to draw visibility to the inequalities that remain within active spaces. As soon as any kind of directive is made that brings the existence of LGBTQ+ people to the forefront, there is an immediate backlash from certain members of society and much clutching of pearls ensues. “I don’t mind them, but do they have to push it in our faces? Can’t they keep it to themselves? Why do they need campaigns to talk about these things, just get on with it if you must!” The irony of people making these sorts of ignorant statements at a campaign aimed at making spaces more welcoming for people is completely lost of course. To many, the fact they don’'t actively seek out LGBTQ+ people to physically harm seems to be the pinnacle of tolerance and acceptance, when this sort of separatism and lack of actu-

9 - 15 December 2021

Visibility and caution al positive action directly feeds a system that leads to people doing just that. T he reporting of hate crimes against LG BT Q + people rose sharply at the end of the pandemic. As restrictions were loosened, it seems that whatever had been holding some people back from attacking members of the community had come loose too. M any may think that has nothing to do with them as they tolerate the existence of people who aren’t like them, but a lot of this violence happens because of a society that allows the ‘othering’ of any characteristic that deviates from the norm. This absolutely begins with the language, jokes and ‘banter’ that too many people participate in. T he S tonewall campaign this year has a slogan of ‘lace up and speak up’, asking everyone to engage in honest conversation with the people around them about LG BT Q + issues. I am relatively lucky in the sense that for my close circle of friends and family, I am mostly able to do that. While out

and about, however, I am still incredibly cautious. Whether in my small town in Spain (which is better) or back in mainstream spaces in a big city in the UK, my partner and I don’t tend to hold hands. We must be careful about what we say to whom when meeting new people. We have moments when our stomachs drop during conversations when homophobic jokes are made, and we know we cannot feel safe around those people any longer if we did in the first place. When I bring these things up to people, there tends to be disbelief that this is how people are made to feel in a world where it seems that so much ‘progress’ is being made. I must remind them that if there must be campaigns to generate even the mere conversation around an LGBTQ+ person being allowed into a space, we are very far off feeling safe and welcome. To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

Claire Gordon’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

EWN 47

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

THANKING YOU

From our Facebook

THANK YOU: From the Lux Mundi Centres on the Costa del Sol.

Dear Sir or Madam, Both Lux Mundi, Torre del Mar and Fuengirola would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to you and all your staff for the excellent coverage you have been kind enough to give both centres throughout the year in your weekly publication. Kind regards, Patricia Rothwell, Press Officer

he wrote out a chit to collect at the post office if he changed his mind. I went to the post office and asked why two pieces of cardboard and envelopes warranted €5 each, she duly shrugged her shoulders, so I refused. A week ago my daughter phoned and told me one of the cards had been returned to her, how ridiculous, they just want money, that’s all. Maureen Hayes

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To EWN!

At the beginning of October my daughter sent two birthday cards to my husband, they had the correct postage, £1.70 each. The postman came and rang the bell and wanted €5 each card duty, my husband refused and

Thank you so much ... very happy to see more supplies of Euro Weekly News in Torre del Mar. Happy Christmas. Tricia

A LITTLE THOUGHT IN our social media debate last week, we asked if people should still be having Christmas parties in the wake of the new Covid variant. It is a topic that divides opinion with many understandably keen to get back to normality, while others still prefer to remain on the side of caution. A survey released on December 8 by consumer experts Mintel found that more than

CORRECTIONS

XMAS PARTIES: Most people think that life should just go on.

Stephen Chatt Milne Life must must go on in some form, we just have to take good precautions... without forms of release and traditions being carried on etc etc... then there would be no point to a life... this situation is going to be with us for years to come, so we must get out and have some fun... cheers and Ho Ho Ho x

Deborah Johnson Yes enough is enough.

Kenneth Faktor Carslund Best way to keep Christmas alive is to stop interaction with many different people. Stop going to pubs if you will spend Christmas with anyone who is vulnerable.

Helen Blair Moffat Mason

OUR VIEW

four in 10 British workers say the Covid risk makes them feel uncomfortable about work Christmas parties. Other key stats showed 58 per cent of Brits feel it is important that people wear masks in bars and restaurants, while 61 per cent plan to limit their time in crowded areas before seeing family for Christmas. And 24 per cent of consumers are uncomfortable or extremely un-

comfortable about going to a bar/restaurant indoors. While we all would love to get back to normal, it is clear there are those who don’t feel ready to throw caution to the wind just yet. For that reason, in this season of goodwill to all, we should all take time to remember that not everyone feels safe and that a little consideration for others can go a very long way.

We need to be careful but get on with living. we need to see family and friends not just at Christmas but all year round, it’s all part of life.

Mark Borrow YES we should party hard, life is too short anyway!

Paul Kelly It’s only Christmas, most don’t celebrate the religious side of it anyway. So really all that is being asked, is slow down on stupid parties.

Sue Quye Wear masks, use gel and don’t hug and kiss, just elbow bump. Life has to get back to some normality for people’s mental health.

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

www.euroweeklynews.com • 9 - 15 December 2021

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

9 - 15 December 2021

EWN 53

Advertising Feature

Osteopathy: More than just working on the spine A LOT of people think that an osteopath mainly works on the mobility of the spine or other joints in the body. But osteopathy is more than that. Osteopathy is a manual therapy focused on detect‐ ing, treating, and preventing health problems by looking at your body as a whole. An osteopath treats block‐ ages and movement limita‐ tions, not only within the bones, joints, and muscles, but also within the organs and membranes in the body. Once an issue is found, the osteopath uses different manual techniques to restore normal mobility and function. All parts of our body are not only connected to other parts of our body, but they are also reliant on them in order to function properly.

MOBILITY: An osteopath treats blockages and movement limitations.

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54 EWN

9 - 15 December 2021

By Clinica Britannia

Symptoms of bruxism Always seek regular dental care.

BRUXISM is a condition in which you grind, gnash, or clench your teeth. If you have bruxism, you may uncon‐ sciously clench your teeth when you’re awake or clench or grind them during sleep. Sleep bruxism is considered a sleep‐ related movement disorder. People who clench or grind their teeth during sleep are more likely to have other sleep disorders, such as snoring and sleep apnoea. In some people, bruxism can be fre‐ quent and severe enough to lead to jaw disorders, headaches, damaged teeth, and other problems. Because you may have sleep bruxism and be unaware of it until complications de‐

velop, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of bruxism and to seek regular dental care. Signs and symptoms of bruxism may include: • Teeth grinding or clenching, caus‐ ing tooth sensitivity or pain. • Sleep disruption. • Worn tooth enamel or fractured, chipped teeth. • Tired or tight jaw muscles, or a locked jaw that won’t open or close completely. • Jaw, neck, or face pain or locking of the jaw due to muscle tightness. • Earache and headache. • Chewing on the inside of the cheek.

Contact your Dentist if you have any of the symptoms listed above or any other dental concerns.

www.euroweeklynews.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

By Clinica Britannia

Healthy food options

I H AV E b e e n a Y o ‐ Y o d i e t e r f o r many years, my GP has now ad‐ vised me to see a Nutritionist, can they really help me? A Nutritionist is an expert in the relationship between food and health, and the effects that it has on our body. They can ad‐ vise on how to lose or gain weight in a healthy and struc‐ tured way. With there being so many diets available, it can be‐ come confusing on what plan is best suited to our individual needs. Having an expert help us through the process is important, as they can offer support, keep‐ ing us focused with our food and exercise choices. Food allergies can cause many symptoms, such as sickness, bloating, weight gain, diarrhoea, tiredness, skin rashes and a gen‐ eral feeling of unwellness. Speak with your GP as with the help of

Get expert nutritional advice.

a simple blood or stool test, these allergies can be diagnosed, and a balanced nutrition plan to avoid these foods can put into place by a nutritionist. Make an appointment with a Nutritionist as soon as possible to give you advice on the healthy food options available for the up‐ coming Christmas season and to help kick start your weight loss programme.

Appointments Landline: 965 837 553 / 965 837 851 • 24H/365D Emergency Number: (+34) 607 255 755 • Opening Times: Mon - Fri: 9:00am / 5:00pm

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56 EWN

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9 - 15 December 2021

FEATURE

Out with the old, in with the new!

ROBERT SHALLIS WITH 2022 fast approaching, no doubt many of us will be looking to embark on setting New Year resolutions, making that conscious decision to extinguish some old habits that don’t serve us well. ‘It’s time for a fresh start’ we tell ourselves and totally feel committed in doing so, even look forward to the prospect of the change ahead and becoming a new you. Whether we are looking to lose weight, stop drinking, learn a language, go to the gym etc, the belief at the time of making that commitment to yourself feels real and exciting. ‘This year will be different as I really mean it this time.’ Sound familiar? So why is it that we can make these promises to ourselves and totally believe them at the time but rarely see them through when we know it will benefit and improve our lives? Even the yearly commitment of convincing ourselves of the

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS: What do you really want to achieve?

changes and not following them through becomes habitual. We find ourselves making a positive start, if we start at all that is, and fall at the first hurdle resulting in the same old pattern repeating itself. As is often heard, we certainly are ‘creatures of habit.’ So, what is the real problem here? What is the answer? When we have a goal or an

exciting idea, we have a vision in our mind and can see an outcome and that vision propels us forward but it doesn’t last. Everyday life seems to get in the way and the goal becomes less desirable because the initial impact of the idea has dissipated somewhat. What also shows up are the very common obstacles of fear, lack of belief and of course the negative thoughts. These

disempowering habits put you back in line where it feels more comfortable producing thoughts such as, ‘well, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.’ The key is to understand that our old habits will mostly win whenever we decide to make changes because it’s just easier, but we’ve only adopted those habits through repetition until they become automatic. So as much as old habits can be broken, so can new habits be formed but you have to persevere because initially it will feel very uncomfortable and foreign. One way to help you break through that glass ceiling is before you set a goal or decide to make a change is to ask yourself: what do I really want to achieve and why do I want to achieve it? The outcome of the why has to be desirable enough to achieve what you believe to be worthwhile. If you truly value your goal enough, it will give you the motivation you need.

So, what are your goals and new year’s resolutions for 2022 and more importantly will you see them through? Rather than saying to yourself ‘what is the worst that can happen?’ Change it to ‘what is the best that can happen?’ The best outcome will always be waiting for you if you’re prepared to face the obstacles that come your way. You don’t even have to struggle to find a way of knocking them down, just simply walk around them. Every great success requires a struggle of some kind or another in order to get there, but it is just part of the journey and can only stop you reaching your destination if you allow it to. So, make 2022 your year. Good luck! Rob Shallis www.robshallis.com To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

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

TONI C. EASTWOOD OBE, MBA

#TheWomanBeyond I DO like a great sporting analogy to give us insight and tips for life’s trials and tribulations. So here’s one that I really love. Are you sitting comfort‐ ably? (Sorry I just couldn’t help myself ) Once upon a time (1938 to be pre‐ cise) there was a pistol shooter. He was incredibly good, in fact, he hoped to be the very best. However he met with a terrible acci‐ dent during combat training and unfor‐ tunately, our Hero has his right hand blown off by a faulty grenade. (OMG ) His right hand was his shooting hand. (Jeeeze!!!.) All his hopes are lost. Or are they? After a depressing month in the hos‐ pital, our Hero decides that he will sim‐ ply learn how to shoot just as well with his left hand. So he started his training, secretly, he didn’t tell a soul. He trains and trains and trains. And guess what he becomes very good. So

KEEP SHOOTING he shows up at the 1939 World Champi‐ onships. Everyone’s shocked to see him there. And they’re even more shocked when he wins. His Olympic dreams are back on track. Then enter: The Second World War, and to his dismay the 1940 and 1944 Olympics are cancelled. So he waits, and continues to train and put the work in. And finally, he shows up at the next Olympics. He’s now 38. The world champion asks him what he’s doing there. Our Hero tells him “I’m here to learn.” He wins. What’s his name? Well it’s Takács Károly. Takács was the first shooter to win two Olympic gold medals in the 25‐me‐ tre rapid fire pistol event, and both with his left hand. He was the third known physically disabled athlete to have com‐

peted in the main stream Olympic Games after George Eyser in 1904 and Olivér Halassy in 1928, followed by Liz Hartel in 1952, Neroli Fairhall in 1984 and Oscar Pistorius (shame that’s not what he’ll be remembered for!!) in 2012. The moral of the story? It’s simple… Keep shooting… Keep trying…Grab your goals by the horn and keep after them. Are you stuck trying to achieve a tar‐ get, a Big Audacious Goal? This is a time of year when we typically start to think about what could be, that perhaps WE WANT MORE OUT OF LIFE!!! What targets are you aiming for? Do you need to re‐aim and get into train‐ ing? Stay Focused, Keep Positive and Choose to +1 in Every Moment. Fulfil Your Dreams and Awaken Your Great‐ ness! Love, Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps

Toni x Toni Eastwood OBE, MBA #TheWomanBeyond PS. If you want more out of life. Sign up for our January Visionary Women Programme and in just four, three‐ hour online sessions you could Reach Beyond Your Limits, Soar Beyond Your Barriers and Live Beyond Your Dreams and make 2022 your Best Year Yet. 25 per cent off for Euro Weekly News Readers ‐ Just Quote Offer Code EWN25 ‐ for more info and to book head on over to https://quantumvan tage.co.uk/visionarywomenpro gramme Don’t hold back another moment. You could be just one step away… To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

Please do get in touch if you have any questions. Follow me, chat and share your thoughts and network with other fabulous women in my Visionary Women Facebook Group.

@tonieastwood

@SixSecretsToSuccess @VisionaryWomen

tonieastwoodobe

sixsecretstosuccess

SOCIAL SCENE

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Festive activities

FINESTRAT Council has announced a programme of activities for its Christ‐ mas market from December 10 to 12. The market will host more than 30 craft stalls, food, typical Christmas decora‐ tions, and a Christmas tree. There will also be children’s animation workshops and a Santa’s grotto. Local groups including the association Dones de Finestrat and the Llampuga Comissio de Festes 2022 will be at the market. Among the products that visitors will find at the market will be handmade soaps, musical instruments, wooden toys, leather goods, Indian crafts, wood‐ en jewellery, handmade candles, decora‐ tive ceramics and many more surprises. There will also be stalls selling natural coffees, dates, artisan cheeses, mulled wine, waffles, bread and sweets by the Forn d’Honorato. The Llampuga Comissió de Festes 2022 will offer food at the Christmas Market with the preparation of typical Finestrat recipes such as ‘pilotes’ and ‘gaspatxo.’ The Association Dones de Finestrat will also offer typical food, including sausage, honey and wines. The mayor, Juanfran Perez Llorca, to‐ gether with the mayor of Markets, Don‐

Finestrat Council announced the market.

na Rebecca Plummer, presented the Christmas Market. They said: “The inauguration will be on Friday December 10 in the afternoon, at 6.30pm, with the lighting of the Carrer Nou.” They added: “We hope that you join us, that we enjoy this Christmas atmo‐ sphere together, with all the prevention and safety of the health situation and that you do not miss the charm of Fines‐ trat at Christmas.”

9 - 15 December 2021

ALTEA Council has an‐ nounced a prize draw to en‐ courage using local shops un‐ til January 6. The Department of Com‐ merce announced the cam‐ paign to promote local trade with a draw of six purchase vouchers worth € 150 to con‐ sume in the establishments of the municipality. For every €30 purchased at a local store, a raffle entry will be allocated with a maximum of three en‐ tries per purchase ticket. A total of six vouchers of €150 each will be drawn, four for trade in general, one for pur‐ chases made in the municipal market and in the market of Avinguda de la Nucia and an‐ other for participants in the Facebook draw carried out by the Department of Commerce. Miguel de la Hoz, councillor for Commerce, said: “We want to continue with the work of sensitising to the pop‐ ulation of the importance to buy in the local shops, since the profit and enrichment di‐ rectly shows repercussions in the municipality, because it generates employment and investment in different sec‐ tors. We encourage the public

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Christmas prizes to buy local, where the atten‐ tion is unbeatable, it con‐ tributes to the economy of the municipality and they can also win vouchers.” Tickets can be provided for purchases made electronical‐ ly, by sending an e‐mail to

comercio@altea.es or they can also be presented in the Commerce area of the coun‐ cil. The draw will take place on January 11, 2022. Winners will have one month to make their purchases.

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Vicent Maño memorial race

GANDIA: The race sets off from Carrer del Pellers.

THE Vicent Maño memorial race will take place in Gandia on Sunday, December 12. The race, which sets off from Carrer del Pellers, will this year offer a new veterans category. The 10‐kilometre race will see

trophies for the top runners in each category, including the Vicent Maño special memorial trophy for the first man and woman, the Gan‐ dia local trophy for the first man and woman in Gandia, the Local

trophy from the Barrio del Raval, to the first man and woman and other trophies. For more information, visit https://www.somesport.com/cur saraval/2021/.

U3A Calpe excursion

Enjoy a trip to Zenia Boulevard in January.

U3A Calpe is hosting an excursion to Zenia Boulevard, the largest shopping centre in the province of Alicante on Tuesday, January 11. The centre has more than 150 shops, includ‐ ing Alcampo, Decathlon, Primark, Leroy Mer‐ lin, Conforama, Norauto, Media Markt, Zara with its new look, Lefties, H & M, C & A, Massi‐ mo Dutti and many more. There are also bars, cafes, restaurants and ice‐cream parlours. Tickets are priced €10 and are available at travel@u3acalpe.org.

Christmas evening SINGER Julia Bless will be hosting A Fes‐ tive Christmas Evening with special guest Roger B and the Javea Players. Taking place on Saturday, December 18 at 7pm at the Casa de Cultura in Javea, the Christmas concert will raise funds for a local centre for abused chil‐ dren. Tickets priced €12 are available at contact@julia‐bless.com. For more information, visit www.juliabless.com.

JULIA BLESS: Raising funds for charity.

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Alicante activities for Xmas ALICANTE City will this year be hosting Christmas activities in its public squares until December 30. The programming will take place in the morning and afternoon with music, inflata‐ bles, and children’s games. The Department of Commerce and Hospi‐ tality, led by Councillor Lidia Lopez has organ‐ ised the programme of activities and work‐ shops in 14 areas around Alicante to boost local commerce this Christmas. The council‐ lor for Commerce said that the aim is, “to promote local commerce and life in the squares and neighbourhoods of our city, pro‐ moting the use of public spaces.” The activities will take place from 10.30am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 8pm. An event pre‐ senter will introduce the activities and en‐ courage purchases in local shops. The councillor for Commerce said the ac‐ tivities have the aim of, “supporting the commercial and hospitality sector of our neighbourhoods, promoting consumption and creating a flow of clients who can par‐ ticipate in the different entertainment activ‐ ities.” The events will be held throughout Decem‐ ber in the Plazas Argel, Angel Carcagente in Ciudad de Asis, Navarro Rodrigo, Pau 2, San Francisco, Magallanes, Joaquin Maria Lapez, Historiador Vicente Ramos, Manila, Fontana, Villafranqueza and in the San Blas park. Local shops will also have Christmas offers and promotions.

Councillor Lopez announced the programme.

Lidia Lopez said this will involve, “invigorat‐ ing Christmas and supporting businesses, en‐ couraging them to consume and make pur‐ chases in traditional establishments while enjoying the Christmas lights and the exten‐ sive programming planned for these festi‐ vals.” A Christmas market has also been organ‐ ised on Paseo de Campoamor, which will take place on December 18 and 19, in the morning and afternoon. It will offer craft, a second‐hand and local merchants market, musical performances, and Christmas workshops. The aim of the market is to raise awareness of sustainable and responsible consumption. From December 21 to 24, Santa Claus will visit the municipal markets for children to meet him.

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Advertising Feature

Classic Asian favourites from Chihiro Market and Bar FOR those who are fans of Asian food you will not want to miss Chihiro Market and Bar, an Asian supermarket in Javea, also offer‐ ing Asian tapas and cooking classes. This impressive store offers ev‐ ery type of Asian food, from Kore‐ an essentials to classic Japanese, Chinese and Thai favourites. To get the ingredients together for your next Asian dish Chihiro offer fresh vegetables all week, including chayote, a low calorie food and an excellent source of fi‐ bre, making it ideal for weight loss. Its high level of water makes it ideal to combat constipation, while lacking in saturated fat, chayote helps to level and control cholesterol in the body. Its high content of vitamin B2 and iron al‐ so helps to stimulate the produc‐ tion of red blood cells to prevent

cluding salmon or Chihiro dumplings made with chive, Chi‐ nese cabbage and prawns. They also offer Xiao Long Bao, soft dumplings with pork filling from eastern China, which are prepared steamed in bamboo baskets. This leading supermarket in the sale of oriental and local food and products also offers delivery.

ASIAN FOOD: This impressive store offers a wide variety as well as tapas in the restaurant.

or combat anaemia and regulate blood pressure as it is a good source of potassium. Or for those looking for Asian beverages, Chihiro offers Ramune, a soft drink originally sold in Japan and available in different flavours, as well as a variety of teas.

And for those who want to im‐ prove their cooking skills, Chihiro Market and Bar also offer cooking classes to help you make some of the best Asian dishes from home. Their classes cost €15 and include ingredients. Or if you prefer someone to

cook for you, why not visit Chihi‐ ro’s Asian t a p a s restaurant, featuring fresh dishes in‐

You can shop online at their website www.chihirojavea.com. With special offers daily in store, visit Chihiro at Calle Niza, 70, local 1B Local 2, Platja d Arenal, Monday to Sunday from 9am to 10am, or contact them at chihiromarket@gmail.com or 653 374 734.

SOCIAL SCENE

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9 - 15 December 2021

A Christmas Cracker

Nativities on in Calpe.

Nativity exhibition CALPE will be host‐ ing a nativity exhibi‐ tion at the Parro‐ quia Nuestra Senora de Las Nieves until January 6. The Nativities of the World exhibition can be visited from 10.30am to 1.30pm and from 5.30pm to 8pm with free entry. Further nativities will also take place at Casa de Cultura Jaume Pastor, Cen‐ tro Historico, and the Parroquia Nues‐ tra Senora de Las Nieves.

MAGNUM CONCERT PRODUCTIONS well and truly got Christmas underway on the evening of December 5 in Espai La Senieta, Moraira. A fabulous Christmas show called ‘A Christmas Cracker’ started the festive season with a bang. The show was opened by the de‐ lightful ‘Florrie’ who sang Silent Night and Ave Maria accompa‐ nied by Kirsty Glen on piano. It was a perfect opening and was indeed very moving to see and hear such an accomplished per‐ formance from one so young. Next, the lovely Leah Kankowski really upped the tempo with great renditions of some classic Christmas songs which included ‘Last Christmas’, ‘All I want for Christmas’, and several more. She also per‐ formed a superb tribute to the Leonard Cohen masterpiece ‘Hallelujah’ ‐ simply beautiful! The second half of the show was dedicated to the Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir and was as anticipated, simply excellent. With some fabulous Christmas songs and Carols and songs from the Choir’s repertoire that they are justifiably famous for, including some great solos and quartets, it was certainly a night to remember, and with all profits going to local charities, a terrific start to the holiday season. Our first concert in 2022 will feature the fab‐ ulous talents of Ges Rogers’ Union Gap. This very popular group has roots going back to the 60s and 70s and their extensive repertoire

A terrific start to the festivities.

includes all the hits from this iconic band, including Young Girl, Lady Willpower, Woman Wom‐ an, Over You, and many many more. The show will open with a superb tribute to the legendary Buddy Holly and is not to be missed! The show will be held in Espai La Senieta, Moraira on Sunday January 23 and is sched‐ uled to start at 6.30pm. All Covid‐19 restric‐ tions regarding safety that may be in place at that time will be strictly observed. Tickets are priced at €15 and can be re‐ served by calling 634 355 204 or by email: magnum.concerts@gmail.com. So shake off those post‐Christmas blues and come along and see a fab show, especially as all profits will go to local charities including the Alzheimer’s centre in Teulada which is a great local cause. You can also join our mailing list by emailing magnum.concerts@gmail.com.

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PETS IF you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sitters. Perhaps you are already mak‐ ing plans for a staycation get away. Even if you are planning just a short trip, you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Young pets in particular may benefit from staying behind so they can fol‐

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SPONSORED BY

Need a pet-sitter? low their routines at home. So, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sit‐ ters, 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 HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium ac‐ count (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with pho‐ tos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for your next holiday, Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2021? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert say‐ ing when you are going on holi‐ day. House‐sitters see your ad‐

vert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention that Housesit Match took in helping us find the right person. Ros Morris ‐ Dog owner How do you join? Please register online via our website www.Housesit match.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 a house-sitter or homeowner with a 50% discount using coupon code SUPER50 – an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

Advertising Feature

Xilitol poisoning in dogs IT’S regularly found in sugar‐free chewing gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, vitamin supplements and other sugar‐free products. Xylitol can cause in dogs hypoglycaemia (low blood sug‐ ar levels) because the dog’s pancreas will confuse it with real sugar and makes it release more insulin. The insulin then removes the real sugar in the body, leading to plum‐ meting blood sugar levels. The clinical signs that may appear are: vomiting, disori‐ entation, lethargy, collapse, seizures and tremors and co‐ ma. • The signs of poisoning can appear rapidly or be de‐ layed, but you should never wait before seeking veterinary help; this can put your dog’s life at risk. • If you suspect that your dog has eaten something con‐ taining xylitol, you need to get them to the vets straight away because it can be absorbed into the blood stream rapidly. If the decrease in blood sugar levels is prevented or brought under control quickly, the prognosis is good, but delays in veterinary intervention can cause further complications, irreversible damage and increase the likeli‐ hood of xylitol poisoning becoming fatal.

In Costablanca Norte: Anicura Marina Baixa Hospital Veterinario www.veterinariamarinabaixa.com

SERVICES

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AIR CONDITIONING

PLUMBERS

AIR CONDITIONING

ELECTRICAL

FLOORING

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PLUMBERS

SECOND-HAND FURNITURE

REMOVALS & STORAGE

SERVICES

SERVICES

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9 - 15 December 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

REMOVALS & STORAGE

SOLAR ENERGY

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REMOVALS & STORAGE

INSURANCE

www.euroweeklynews.com TV & SATELLITE

SERVICES

CLASSIFIEDS AIR CONDITIONING

CARS FOR SALE

ARCHITECTS

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396. We are an English speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis, we also organise social events for members. We meet every Thursday at 10.30 in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm. It is opposite the Foietes Car Park where there is a Wednesday market. Everyone welcome. It is 400m from Benidorm tram station and on bus routes 1 and 8. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis. (288658)

CHURCHES CHARITY APPLIANCE REPAIRS WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call Bluesky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (Whatsapp)

BUY & SELL PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662) I BUY RECORDS 50’s to the 90’s. Best prices for good records. Telephone: 622 750 117 / 962 851 809 (293823)

CARE HOME CARERS / CARE HOME. COMPLETE PROFESSIONAL CARE. REASONABLE RATES. CALL 697 834 934 (293504)

If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

CAMPING

El Campello Christian Community Evangelical Church - Life and Family Sunday Service in English at 10.00 a.m. and a Spanish Service at 11.45am. C / San Bartolomé 35 bajo, No.6 campellocc@gmail .com www.elcampellochris tiancommunity.org For more information call Juan Zuniga – 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop 610 63 94 26 (English) THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10:30 am Followed by a time of Fellowship Everyone is welcome. Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzim merer@hotmail.com, w w w. c e n t r o s a r o n . c o m (10008) www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly Spanish speakers for interpreter service, and car owners. Tel President 607 387 040, Welfare 607 386 964, Interpreters 607 385 842, Equipment 663 495

English church in Benidorm – check out our website http:// www.englishchurch benidorm.com

CLUBS/SOCIETIES SPIRITUAL FRIENDS Costa Blanca is a non-religious group of spiritually minded people who meet on Wednesday afternoons. Each week different - clairvoyance, discussions, talks and demonstrations on spiritual or holistic subjects. email sp.fr.cb@gmai .com website www.spiritu alfriendscostablanca.com or contact Jan. 600 837 054 (10000)

COMPUTERS COMPUTER REPAIRS – Laptops/PCs Qualified Technician –648 065 224 No Call Out Charge No Fix No Fee andy@wizard-com puters.biz (290467)

INSURANCE

9 - 15 December 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

DECORATING

HEALTH & BEAUTY CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307 (285241)

WIGS

DECORATORS MDJ DECORATORS, 27 years’ experience in all aspects of decorating, interior, exterior. Wallpapering specialists. ECO friendly products. For your free expert advice call 711 092 125 (Areas Benissa, Calpe, Moraira, Jalon surrounding) (293197)

ELECTRICIAN MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices. Miquel 655 282 175 www.mb electrics.es (291516)

FOR SALE/WANTED WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

GOLD WANTED

WWW.WIGS-R—US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm. MondaySaturday 10-3. We also have Scrunchies, Extensions, Ponytails. Catalogue orders. Private appointments after 3pm. 681 049 502 (294518)

JOB OPPORTUNITIES WANTED. Experienced Kitchen installers / Carpenters. All areas Costa Blanca North. WhatsApp your details to 683 31 77 65 or use the link at www.stonehouse kitchenco.com (292718)

METALWORK

INSURANCE FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TOO) OR VISIT www.sosinsur anceinspain.com or email tracey@sosinsur anceinspain.com (294212) BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Telephone 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialinsurancein spain.com or visit www. beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote. (294254) MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726) STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security w w w. a b b e y g a t e i n s u r e .com

MISCELLANEOUS GOLD & SILVER Bought & Sold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

MOTORS FOR SALE RETURNING to UK? Need a van? Peugeot Boxer Dec 2016 335 L3H2 Blue hdi, RHD, 83,000 miles. Excellent condition. Rhino roof rack. €15,000 (or equivalent GBP) PX Spanish considered. Tel 697 624 618 victoriabran di@yahoo.co.uk (294578)

MOTORING

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725. (293070) If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

CLASSIFIEDS CARS WANTED Quality LHD & RHD Vehicles bought & sold. All paperwork undertaken quickly & professionally. Immediate payment for all purchases. Mobile / Whatsapp +34600 726 221 Office +34965 687 946 www.fwreu rocars.com info@fwreuro cars.com (294227) WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (294236)

PAINTERS/DECORATORS DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (293381)

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9 - 15 December 2021

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SITUATIONS WANTED

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WANTED

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STRUCTURAL SURVEYS

PROPERTY WANTED RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa – prefer two beds. Needed urgently – call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800 (279523)

PROPERTY TO LET WINTER rental Javea. Cosy villa. 3 bedrooms. Underground floor heating. 700m from Arenal. 1,350€ / month. patriciabuigues@gmail. com (292847) DOGS & ALL PETS VERY WELCOME - 500 year old beamed cottage set in beautiful valley of the charming Jesus Pobre village, Javea. Beautiful pool & garden. www.littlehouse inspain.com (293790) If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 678 067 163 (291823) MAN & VAN for hire, cheap & reliable. Jalon Valley & surrounding area. Call/WhatsApp 636 100 873 (293915)

TESTIMONIALS

MARK PADDON BSc Hons. MCIOB, CAAT LOCKDOWN REMOTE WHATSAPP VIDEO ADVICE available for reduced fee Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasur veyors.com (289671)

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FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (2001)

ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS, awnings, motors, mosquito blinds. Calpe + 50 kms. 659 464 992 www.toldosalchemy.com (290412)

SITUATIONS VACANT PORTER required, low part time, flexible non-regular hours. Clean driving licence essential. Needs to be strong, team player and not afraid of hard work - previous packing and removals experience preferred but not essential. All enquiries email info@master

TRANSLATIONS SPANISH INTERPRETER for all your appointment needs, has car. Effective, Friendly & Affordable service. Call 609 679 808 (290313)

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MOTORING

Toyota Yaris Cross - sh ROAD TEST by Mark Slack FOR those who remem‐ ber Toyota’s Yaris as a small economical hatch‐

back, it may come as somewhat of a shock at the number of variants now bearing the Yaris name. However, it cer‐ tainly hasn’t lost its ap‐ peal as an economical hatchback of choice. It

has just got significantly trendier, and in the case of Yaris GR considerably more sporting. In addition to the standard, lead‐in Yaris model with five doors, 1.5‐litre petrol engine and prices starting from €23,800/ £20,210, there’s the Yaris Cross which offers a crossover style from €26,513/£22,515 and then the barnstorming 257bhp Yaris GR from €35,351/ £30,020. How‐ ever, it’s the Yaris Cross that’s the focus of our attention in this review. One friend described the Yaris Cross as looking like a friendly chipmunk from the front! Whatever your particu‐ lar view, styling is very subjec‐ tive, the Yaris Cross looks sharp and modern and more distinctive than many of its competitors. Power in all models is via a 1.5‐litre, three‐cylinder petrol engine mated to an automatic trans‐ mission. It also benefits from

MOTORING

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9 - 15 December 2021

harp, modern and distinctive

The perfect choice.

a 59kwh electric motor to boost power and reduce emissions. You have an all‐wheel‐drive option on o n e t r i m l e v e l a n d a l‐ though not for true mud‐ plugging snowy roads and the local village fete, it should prove no problem thanks to higher ground clearance and that all‐ wheel‐drive. Standard fare across the line‐up includes keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera, automatic air conditioning and a multi‐

media system with Apple Car Play and An‐ droid Auto with Blue‐ tooth. There’s a good range of

paint choices available as options, various optional packs as well as individual items like a rather splen‐ did panoramic roof at a not unreasonable €388/£330. Inside, the Yaris Cross has a smart and functional look with what seems to be a very good build quality throughout. There are also still physi‐ cal knobs for the climate control and buttons for major controls. Hurrah! A decent on road ride al‐ lows for pretty good han‐

dling and while the CVT gearbox does occasionally get gruff, it’s a lot better than many I have tried and is for the most part quite refined. The perfor‐ mance isn’t anything like hot hatch territory, but the Yaris manages to be fun, and you’ll have no problem keeping up on the motorway and nip‐ ping past slower traffic on A‐roads. If you’re looking for something a little funky, but with mainstream reli‐ ability and practicality, then the Yaris Cross is a perfect choice!

Facts at a Glance • Model: Toyota Yaris Cross Design • Engine: Petrol electric hybrid – 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol & 59hp electric motor • Gears: Automatic • Price: €28,428/£24,140 • Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 11.2 seconds/Maximum Speed 169 kph (105 mph) • Economy: 4.4l /100km (64.1 mpg) WLTP • Emissions: 102 g/km WLTP

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets

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