Euro Weekly News - Axarquia 24 - 30 December 2020 Issue 1851

News

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1851

23 - 30 December 2020

AXARQUIA - COSTA TROPICAL • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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GIFT OF TALKING

‘THIS Christmas the best gift is talking’ is the slogan of a cam­ paign launched by Malaga City Council to tackle loneliness among the elderly over the fes­ tive period. The local authority is reinforc­ ing its dedicated Loneliness Tele­ phone Line 900 923 092, along with an awareness campaign and moving video on social networks. The telephone support line was launched in 2018 as part of the province’s Plan Against Loneliness of the Elderly. According to a Madeca Founda­ tion study, over 65­year­olds ac­ counted for 17.24 per cent of the total population of the province of Malaga in 2019. Councillor for Citizenship and Depopulation Care, Natacha Ri­ vas, revealed that already this year, 56,000 telephone calls have

NEW CAMPAIGN: A telephone support line is in place as part of the Plan Against Loneliness of the Elderly.

been made to the loneliness helpline. More than 36,000 of these were made during State of Alarm. “The calls are from elderly peo­ ple who feel lonely and particular­ ly in the months of confinement when the feeling of loneliness was accentuated. “For this reason, this line was reinforced with a team of 100 people with the collaboration of volunteers belonging to various social entities across the province,” said Rivas, adding: “Most of the callers ask for emo­ tional support or someone to talk to, and even during confinement this service served to offer help to meet their daily needs. “The majority of callers are women aged between 85 and 95 and are usually widowed or have physical or mental difficulties.”

Debra Butterfly Skin charity

Dani is just one of the children suffering from EB.

THERE are now 304 families who belong to the Debra But­ terfly Children’s Charity which is dedicated to helping those afflicted by the rare disease Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and is desperate to continue to raise money to investigate causes and treatment. The charity suggested that although the majority of us have had our lives turned up­ side down by the global pan­ demic can at least assume that it is a temporary prob­ lem for most, but in the case of children with EB they suf­ fer every day of their lives. A new campaign emphasis­ es the need to make EB more visible so that people can re­ ally understand the reality of living with this condition and what life is really like for the 304 families that belong to the organisation. “We want to reach out and

bring people together virtual­ ly to show the reality of what it is like to live with open wounds and painful daily treatments. There is no break from this for families over Christmas. The wounds will still be there

and the suffering continues,” commented director of the charity, Evanina Morcillo Makow. To find out how you can help tackle EB visit https://www.pieldemari posa.es.

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NEWS

Huge support ‘Safer’ diagnosis Eye surgery

THIRTY families in need are to benefit from three tonnes of food donated to the Virgen del Carmen Brotherhood of Torre del Mar ‘Carmen Solidario’ campaign. The solidarity campaign ran from December 14 to 18, in aid of the town’s most vulnerable families, and received huge support with 2,700 kilos of items donated. “We want to convey the greatest gratitude to all the people and businesses that have participated and contributed their ‘grain of sand’,” said the Brotherhood.

HOSPITAL DE LA AXARQUÍA has been kitted out with advanced CT equipment for ‘safer’ diagnoses. Two new computerised tomogra­ phy (CT) machines have been in­ stalled allowing the hospital to offer ‘higher quality images with less radi­ ation for the patient.’

The innovation is part of the ‘En­ ergy Footprint’ project, promoted by the Andalucian Health Service with an investment of €40 million. As part of the initiative, 11 new machines have been installed and 57 replaced at hospitals across An­ dalucia.

Violent debt collector AN elderly man, 85, was attacked and his home smashed up over an alleged unpaid debt run up by his son. Police in Malaga City have arrested a suspect following the violent attempt to collect a debt of €350 in the La Corte neighbourhood. According to reports, the attacker kicked the front door of the elderly man’s home in and when the pensioner tried to stop him entering the house, he was punched in the face. The attacker then smashed furniture while threatening he would kill the pensioner’s son if he didn’t pay up. Finally, he left with two other people who hadn’t entered the house. Police were called and officers searched the surrounding area, identifying the 32-year-old suspect who tried to make a run for it, but was stopped and arrested. He told police he worked for a relative who was a ‘moneylender’ and his job was to remind borrowers they had to pay the debt back.

POLICE have arrested a man in Antequera following a ‘brawl’ that left the alleged victim needing surgery to save his eye. In addition to ‘serious injuries’ to his eye, the wounded man received blows to the head and face, causing him to lose consciousness, as well as cuts that needed stitches. A 57­year­old Spanish man has been arrested following the fight in Villanueva del Trabuco around 12 noon on De­ cember 14, which left him requiring hospital treatment, too. According to police sources, what started as a verbal ar­ gument soon turned physical, leading to a ‘serious assault.’ The suspect is expected to appear in court this week.

Migas Day TRADITIONAL Migas Day went ahead in Torrox in spite of the pandemic. Determined to stage the fes­ tival, which is in its 39th year and has been declared of Na­ tional Tourist Interest in An­ dalucia, the council this year paid tribute to the typical Malagan dish virtually. “The Migas de Torrox day usually attracts thousands on the Sunday before Christmas Day and we could not let this date pass without giving it the importance it deserves,” said mayor Óscar Medina. So this year the event, ac­ companied by music from local folk groups was televised and streamed through social net­ works. And during the broadcast, followers were invited to pre­ pare the recipe from home.

MIGAS: A traditional dish for field workers. Women from the La Almedi­ na Association were in charge, as every year, of preparing the arriera salad that Torrox rec­ ommends as the ideal garnish for the migas, along with a glass of sweet local wine. Migas is made from oil, gar­ lic, water, semolina flour and salt, historically a traditional dish for field workers.

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NIBS EXTRA Xmas tales EVERY day until January 1, 2021, Torrox Council will delight the little residents of the town with tales of Christmas which will be streamed on Fiestas Torrox Facebook page and Ayuntamiento de Torrox YouTube channel to help keep the town’s young children entertained during the school holidays.

Recoveries up AXARQUIA began Christmas week with more Covid recoveries than new cases. The Ministry of Health and Families of the Junta de Andalucia reported 48 new coronavirus cases and no deaths on Monday, December 21, but on the flip side there were 84 recoveries over the weekend.

Multilingual PUPILS at CEIP San Miguel de Almuñecar School wowed spectators with a multilingual Christmas Carol service singing everyone’s favourite festive songs in Spanish, English and French. Children performed various Spanish classics such as ‘Catatumba’ while showcasing their skills with ‘Noël que du Bonheur’ in French, and ‘Deck the Halls’ in English.

Great response ALMUÑECAR firefighters have collected more than 800 kilos of food and other essentials for Cáritas Parroquial, which will help bring a little Christmas cheer to around 200 families in the town. This is the first the firefighters have joined the charity campaign to collect food for Cáritas with a ‘great response.’

Soup kitchen A VITAL soup kitchen will be given €110,000 to continue feeding the most vulnerable in VelezMalaga. The council has allocated the cash to Emmaus Social Dining Room which has been preparing an average of 260 meals for 125 people at risk of social or economic exclusion during the coronavirus crisis.

Mass screening A MASS Covid screening programme will take place in Algarrabo following a spike in cases in the last two weeks. The town has seen 17 total new cases with active infection (PDIA) in the last 14 days and dates for random testing are expected to be announced in the next few days.

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A Carol from Flanders By Frederick Niven ( 1878 - 1944) In Flanders on the Christmas morn The trenched foemen lay, the German and the Briton born, And it was Christmas Day. The red sun rose on fields accurst, The gray fog fled away; But neither cared to fire the first, For it was Christmas Day! They called from each to each across The hideous disarray, For terrible has been their loss: “Oh, this is Christmas Day!” Their rifles all they set aside, One impulse to obey; ‘Twas just the men on either side, Just men - and Christmas Day. They dug the graves for all their dead And over them did pray: And Englishmen and Germans said: “How strange a Christmas Day!” Between the trenches then they met, Shook hands, and e’en did play At games on which their hearts were set On happy Christmas Day. Not all the emperors and kings, Financiers and they Who rule us could prevent these things For it was Christmas Day. Oh ye who read this truthful rime From Flanders, kneel and say: God speed the time when every day Shall be as Christmas Day.

Michel and Steven Euesden would like to wish everyone that reads this message a very Merry Christmas It has been a difficult year for everyone but hopefully as in 1914 - we can all find it in our heart to be festive during this holiday period…

Recycling drive NERJA Council has extend­ ed the hospitality sector’s recycling opportunities with the provision of glass collection containers for businesses in Plaza Tutti Frutti. While the town’s Clean Point remains open Mon­ New glass collection containers. day to Friday, 9am to 7pm, and Saturdays and Sun­ days from 9am to 1pm, councillor Gema García said the local authority aims to make environmental efforts easier. And so, in partnership with Ecovidrio, a non­profit entity responsible for the management of glass recycling in Spain, the council has launched an ini­ tiative to facilitate recycling within the town’s hospitality sector. “The aim is to contribute to the fight against climate change and over­ex­ ploitation of resources,” said García, who delivered the first containers to businesses in Plaza Tutti Frutti who had requested them. The councillor added that residents and businesses are “increasingly aware of the importance of recycling, and for this reason, the number of containers provided has been increased, having a positive impact on the amount of waste that has been collected in the last year.”

Child centre

AN Early Childhood Care Centre is to become a reality in Almuñecar after nine years of promises. Following talks with the Family Secretary of the Min­ istry of Health, Ana Carmen Mata, the town’s mayor, Trinidad Herrera, said the centre will be “launched very soon.” She said: “Since 2011, this has been promised so that our municipality will have a service that will prevent the displacement of children and families to Salobreña, with all the expenses and inconveniences that this involves.” Councillor for Social Services, Maria del Carmen Reinoso, explained that Almuñecar will have a centre of 70 places to attend children up to six years old who need temporary or permanent care. “At present, the tender for all Andalucian centres is being evaluated by the technicians and in the first quar­ ter of next year, if they meet the established require­ ments, we will know which company will be in charge of providing the service in Almuñecar,” said Reinoso. “This is great news for us and we understand that it will make life easier for many families and children in our municipality who to date have been forced to move to Salobreña.”

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Visitor card A NEW Covid visitor card has been intro­ duced at Axarquia Hos­ pital to improve the safety of patients, their families and health pro­ fessionals. The appointment/vis­ itor card enables a desig­ nated patient family member to visit admit­ ted Covid patients while complying with estab­ lished safety regulations ­ social distancing, hand hygiene, use of a mask and restriction of move­ ments in hospital com­ mon areas. The cards will be nominative, so can’t be exchanged with other family members and must be carried at all times so that the user can be identified by hos­ pital staff. And they will only be issued after an antigen test has been carried out to ensure the safety of both users and health professionals.

Buy locally SHOPPERS are being en­ couraged to buy locally in Torrox for a share of €6,000 worth of gifts. The town council, through its Department of Commerce, has launched a new initia­ tive to promote local commerce and increase economic activity locally. And the gift­giving scheme is not just for the run up to Christmas, but until February 2021. Mayor, Óscar Medi­ na, said: “This type of ini­ tiative is a boost for our local economy, taking advantage of the Christ­ mas spirit to encourage our neighbours to pur­ chase locally and eat in our hospitality establish­ ments not only on these dates but in the first weeks of the new year.”

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Hi-tech breathalyser POLICE in Rincon de la Victoria have added a lat­ est generation breathal­ yser to their crime fight­ ing resources. The new mobile

portable evidential ethyl meter will generate the printed results of a breathalyer test at the scene, thereby avoiding a trip to the police station.

PM in quarantine

SPANISH PM Pedro Sánchez will be in quarantine until Christmas Eve after being in contact with French President Emmanuel Macron who has tested positive for Covid. The two leaders lunched together on Monday, December 14, just days before the French government made the announcement. Sánchez has suspended all of his activities scheduled for the next few days in compliance with health protocols, and will undergo a diagnostic test. The PM has informed the King Of Spain, Felipe VI that he will quarantine until December 24, to allow 10 days to lapse following his lunch with Macron in Paris.

The Local Police will al­ so be supplied with a portable camera with a vehicle registration plate reader and tablets for normal daily duties. “The Department of Cit­ izen Security of the Rin­ con de la Victoria Council continues to provide the Local Police with the lat­ est generation of material resources to facilitate management and offer a better service to citi­ zens,” said councillor Bor­ ja Ortiz. “The new equipment will allow officers to gen­ erate printed results in any radio­patrol unit of the Local Police, even in motorcyclist units.”

NEWS

Forced Moreno Asks For to work ‘Best Behaviour’

A COUPLE has been arrested af­ ter allegedly forcing Covid­posi­ tive staff to continue working at their restaurant rather than iso­ late. A man and his partner, both 40, are accused of ‘taking advan­ tage of the situation of three ir­ regular foreign workers,’ threat­ ening them with dismissal or non­payment if they didn’t turn up for work. The National Police investiga­ tion followed a complaint from one of the workers, an ‘illegal for­ eigner who has no legal authori­ sation to live and work’ in Spain. He told officers about ‘abusive conditions’ he suffered at the bar and restaurant in Axarquia at the hands of his employers who ‘even forced him to work despite being infected with Covid­19.’ The bosses themselves report­ edly showed symptoms compati­ ble with Covid­19, but told staff it was ‘just a cold.’ A few days later, two cooks and a waiter fell ill at the premis­ es, and later tested positive for Covid. They claim that when they told their bosses, they began to ‘intim­ idate them,’ and used threats to make sure they carried on work­ ing. One of the Covid­positive workers was admitted to ICU when his condition worsened.

VISITING the Sierra Nevada ski resort on Saturday morning, December 19, the president of the Junta de Andalucia Juan­ ma Moreno repeated his message of caution and common sense this festive season. “We will have another Christmas next year, the ski resort will always be open, everything we are going to enjoy we will do if we are alive,” Mr Moreno said. “If we are alive we will have another Christmas, we will be able to enjoy our family,” he added. The regional president also thanked the people of An­ dalucia for their ‘patience’ and commended them for their hard work, stating that the reduction on the coronavirus in­ fection rate was made possible by the ‘firm commitment on the part of the Andalucíans.’

USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency Services National Police Local Police Guardia Civil Ambulance Fire Brigade

112 091 092 062 061 080

Consulates British Ireland USA France Canada Denmark Germany Sweden

952 352 300 952 475 108 952 474 891 952 226 590 952 223 346 952 226 373 952 212 442 952 604 383

‘Bulky’ coat fine

MOTORISTS face a new winter fine for driving in a ‘bulky’ coat. Similar to the fines for driving in flip flops during the summer months, motorists will be slammed with a fine of up to €200 for wearing ‘bulky’ coats during the winter months. This new penalty refers to the fact ‘a coat that is too large or that is too bulky can interfere with the functions of the seat belt.’ Article 18 of the General Traffic Regula­ tions says: ‘The driver of a ve­

Freedom of movement.

hicle is obliged to maintain his own freedom of move­ ment,’ which means it could be down to the traffic police

whether a fine is issued. In short, wearing a chunky coat isn’t strictly prohibited, but drivers can be fined for it.

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Peaky Blinders Brummies Needed Illegal immigration PEAKY BLINDERS is set to start filming season six, and Brummies are needed. Casting is open now, so get your applications in. The Birmingham based show is a major hit around the world, and many were disappointed when season six became delayed due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The good news though is that the latest season is set to begin filming in Manchester soon. Talent agency LB Casting Ltd took to Facebook to search for Brummies to appear in the show. The casting requirements may rule out hopeful stars though, as requirements are strict. For men, no modern facial

CASTING OPEN: But the requirements are strict.

hair or beards are allowed, no modern haircuts or fades and you must be willing to shave if needed. Other requirements include not having a chest size over 44 inches. The list for women is slightly shorter and requires no dyed

hair or highlights, mid to shoulder length hair is a must and you must fit in a size 12 dress or under. Casting is only open until Friday January 3 and applications can be made via email to ap ply@lbcastingltd.co.uk.

NATIONAL POLICE have dismantled a network which brought hundreds of illegal immigrants from Morocco to Spain in small boats. Nineteen people have been arrested in Lanzarote, Murcia, Cadiz, Almeria, Granada, Huesca, Madrid and Malaga. They are suspected to have brought several hundred illegal immigrants into Spain, earning them more than €75,000. The investigation began when a witness reported the criminal organisation, which brought the immigrants mainly to Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. The National Police and Europol discovered that there were two parts to the network, one in Morocco, which organised the trips and found the passengers, who could book a place on the boats for between €500 and €1,500, and another, in Lanzarote, which organised the logistics side of the operation. If the immigrants failed to pay, the organisation held them against their will until they did. Seventeen of the detainees are Moroccan and two Spanish, who are charged with belonging to a criminal organisation, crimes against the rights of foreign citizens, money laundering and document falsification. Three properties were searched in Lanzarote, and National Police have seized three vehicles, eight mobile phones and computer equipment.

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Spanish ‘Kitchen Nightmares’

A SPANISH version of hit show ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ has gone viral after producers were forced to call the police because the restaurant was so filthy. Hit Spanish show ‘Are you going to eat it?’ has just had a new boost as a video posted on Twitter by TV chef Alberto Chicote of a disgusting Chinese restaurant in Zaragoza has gone viral. In the video, Chicote is heard calling the restaurant “a s### hole” as he explores the filthy kitchen where there is no refrigeration and fresh food is left out. Several Local Police officers accompanied the chef on his inspection, and after finding cockroaches immediately said “We must close this kitchen now.”

Best Holiday award for Jet2Holidays JET2HOLIDAYS was awarded a silver award in the Best Holiday Company to the Iberian Peninsula category and a bronze award in the Best Holiday Company to East and Southeast Europe category at this year’s virtual ceremony. Over 132,000 holidaymakers cast more than 240,000 votes across the categories to have their say on who they consider the best in travel.

This year, consumers were encouraged to vote for companies who had provided the best customer service during the pandemic whether that was by way of arranging refunds, rebookings or cancellations for customers whose plans have been affected. Jet2.com and Jet2holidays customer-first strategy during the pandemic won them praise from customers, consumer

organisations, media, and independent travel agents for how they have looked after customers who have been affected by any programme changes. Jet2holidays were also named ‘Best Short-Haul Operator’ at The Sun Travel Awards 2020 and emerged as the industry leader for customers for cancelled holidays in a review by Money Mail.

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Life sentence confirmed

for Gabriel’s killer

T H E S upreme C ourt has confirmed the life sentence handed down to the killer of eight-year-old Gabriel Cruz, Ana Julia Quezada. The boy was murdered on a property in Rodalquilar, Almeria, in February 2018, by his father’s girlfriend, a

former prostitute from the Dominican Republic. The Supreme Court has supported the decisions of the Almeria Provincial Court and the A ndalucia H igh Court of Justice by confirming the maximum sentenced for the murderer and reject-

Interest In Sierra Nevada INTEREST in buying a Sierra Nevada ski lodge is up 107 per cent on last year. The demand for owning a home in Spain’s iconic ski resort has risen exponentially in spite of the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty over whether the facilities will even open this year, according to a report published by Idealista on Tuesday, December 15. “This situation could be due to the interest of families with medium/high purchasing power in having a second home in a natural environment in the event of a new confinement, but without giving up the services offered by the regions where sports can be enjoyed in winter,” according to the real estate portal. The greatest increase in demand has been in Granada, where searches for houses in Sierra Nevada have grown by 107 per cent compared to last year, closely followed by Madrid, Girona and Lleida.

ing her appeals. O n February 27, 2018, Gabriel went to play with his cousins and his father’s girlfriend convinced him to go with her to the house where she suddenly and intentionally hit him against the wall or floor and covered his nose and mouth until she killed him. T he search for the boy lasted 11 days, during which Quezada pretended to be upset and created false hope for the family by claiming to have found his tshirt. S he was arrested on M arch 11, 2018, upon arrival at her home in Vicar having dug up G abriel’s body and put it in the boot of her car. The investigation had focused on her secretly for several days before her arrest, but officers did not want her to think that they suspected her.

NEWS

Amazon Ex Donates AMAZON founder Jeff Bezos’ ex­wife MacKenzie Scott do­ nated $4bn (€3.4bn) in four months as food banks and emergency relief funds re­ ceived her generous support. Ms Scott, who is the world’s 18th­richest person, said in a blog post that she wanted to support those most affected by the Covid pandemic. The 50­year­old benefited from being married to the world’s richest man and since their divorce has seen her wealth grow from $23.6bn (€19.3bn) this year to $60.7bn (€49.7bn). “This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” she wrote in a blog post on Tuesday, December 15, adding that she had picked more than 380 charities to donate to hav­ ing considered almost 6,500 organisations. “Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of colour and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has

substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.” Last year she signed the Giv­ ing Pledge, promising to give

away the majority of her for­ tune stating that: “I have a dis­ proportionate amount of mon­ ey to share.”

Itinerant thieves arrested in Bilbao

THREE women were arrested in Bilbao charged with belong­ ing to an itinerant criminal gang based in France and re­ sponsible for numerous house robberies. The Basque police, the Ertzaintza, arrested the Croatian women, aged between 35 and 39, who all had extensive crimi­ nal records and used as many as 43 fake identities to escape the police in different European countries. They were located in a car in Irun, Guipuzcoa, with which they travelled to Vitoria and then Bilbao, where they parked. It had been hired in Paris. They kept some distance

from each other, so that police would not realise they were to­ gether, and entered an apart­ ment block. Upon leaving, they were stopped by the police carrying tools for picking and breaking locks, all hidden in socks under their clothes. All of the tools were seized, as well as €2,500 in cash, but police found that they had not entered any homes in the build­ ing or anywhere else in the Basque Country. They travelled from France to nearby areas to break into apartments and within days or just hours, return to their head­ quarters with the stolen goods.

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What Papers To Carry

WITH the new restrictions revised for the Christmas period, the latest announcement brings with it a reminder to have all paperwork with you whilst travelling. The usual documents proving who you are, concerning the peo-

ple you are visiting, brother, sister or mother perhaps will always speed up the process of verifying your reason to travel, Driving licence, insurance document, ITV (MOT) papers and sticker, logbook and an accident (blue) form are all

GUARD FOR VACCINE IN SPAIN SPAIN has announced the Pfizer, and BioNtech Vaccines will be distrib­ uted and ready to administer by December 27 and 29, 2020. This will happen once the Vaccine receives Full Approval from the (EDA) European Medicines Agency. The expected number of vaccines is unknown in the first distribution. Still, they will reach 50 locations throughout Spain, those exact locations have not yet been made public knowledge, but from those points, they will be sent under guard to vaccination centres. The coordinated vaccine distribution and administration is vital to en­ sure that persons receive the vaccine at the same time. It is the ministry of the interiors’ responsibility to ensure the security of the vaccines throughout Spain and to the health centres.

legal requirements. During the Christmas period whilst travelling there are no strict revised rules sent down to the traffic police from authorities, however, there are recommendations, and they relate to medical certificates if travelling for that reason and that they must be current and signed. The rule regarding papers to be carried in a vehicle allows for photocopies, however they must be stamped with a notary mark. The recommendation from authorities is to have basically as much relevant documentation as you can to help explain who you are and why you are visiting a different municipality or province in your region.

NEWS

SEVILLA FERIA OFF

SADLY the Sevilla feria typically planned for April has had to be cancelled. The fair has been going since 1847, and even in the Civil War, it kept trade in livestock going to service demand. This will be the second year in a row it has been cancelled which is unheard of and represents the seriousness of the pandemic. The total loss to Sevilla infrastructure and Andalucia as a whole could be €800 million which is around 3 per cent of the GDP of the whole region. The mayor of Sevilla Juan Espadas has known that a

UNHEARD OF: Cancellation of the feria in April.

delicate decision lay ahead and it’s now been made. September 2021 is the new

April possibly, and this was the suggested month to postpone it to.

Hotels Will Reopen SERVIGROUP are confident that all hotels in Spain will reopen in time for the high season in 2021. At an annual meeting of the Servigroup hotel chain in Benidorm on Thursday morning, December 17, CEO José María Caballé gave a message of hope when he expressed confidence that all of the hotels in Benidorm, La Vila, Orihuela, Castellón, La Manga and Mo-

jacar would be back in business by the time the 2021 high season rolls around. The hotel giant has not taken a back seat while the majority of the venues remain closed during the pandemic. Instead, Servigroup has been working on launching a new website and has just recently unveiled a new corporate logo. This Christmas, Servigroup’s flagship hotel, the Diplomatic in Benidorm, remains open.

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No to rapid tests THE Spanish government will urge health centres not to prescribe rapid Covid tests amid fears they ‘do not serve to detect the virus.’ Self-diagnostic tests have been sold in pharmacies for the last 15 days, for around €25 and always with a prescription. But Health Minister Salvador Illa has asked for caution before using them. “The tests are not an absolute security passport nor are they a guarantee, they are a caption of a certain moment. It does not exempt us from taking security measures.” And a health source told La Sexta the department will ask doctors to stop prescribing the tests which detect if a person has antibodies against coronavirus in 10 minutes. The test is said to be 90 per cent effective. The Ministry of Health has warned that if you do a test at home, you must get confirmation from a health centre. “We are going to work on protocolising these self-diagnostic tests,” it was added.

False ID arrest A THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD Pe­ ruvian who used the identity of an 89­year­old woman she was caring for in Petrer to traffic cocaine has been jailed for six years by Alicante court. The woman was convicted of using her client’s name with­ out permission to receive a shipment of cocaine from Li­ ma on December 9, 2019.

The Customs Surveillance Service of the Adolfo Suarez­ Madrid Barajas airport inter­ cepted the package, which claimed to contain golf clubs, and used the telephone num­ ber provided to track the woman down. She was arrest­ ed, held without bail and sen­ tenced on November 30 to six years in prison.

McLaren Mind M C L A R E N F1 announced it has raised £285,000 for mental health charity Mind through initiatives from its fans, partners and team members in 2020. The Formula One team, which is the former home of British World Champion driver Lewis Hamilton, has also announced that they will be continuing to support the vital work of Mind into the 2021 Formula 1 season by extending their relationship with the charity. Money raised by McLaren for F1 charities as part of W e R ace A s O ne campaign brings M c L aren’s total fundraising in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to more than £420,000 since the Austrian Grand Prix.

Midnight Mass In Spain MIDNIGHT MASS - or Misa del Gallo as it is known in Spain is a timeless tradition which sees Christians gather together on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, with the ceremony traditionally starting shortly before 12. Many churches also choose to begin the mass a little earlier to allow families with young children to get home nice and early for Santa. This year the Midnight Mass will be held earlier for a different reason, as municipalities must adhere to strict curfews during the festive period. Contact your nearest chaplaincy as traditional masses are still being held throughout the region on December 24 from 10pm. The Anglican Chaplaincy of Saint Andrew - Costa del Sol East, will be holding services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For more information https://www.st-andrewscofespain.org/whatson.

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FEATURE

GO LOCAL

THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the com­ munity by going local through the lockdown and for your Christmas shopping this year, instead of feeding online gi­ ants and superstores. This lockdown and festive period we challenge you to re­ discover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen­ dent businesses in your area. Due to the Covid­19 pan­ demic, you may have to sup­ port many local businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect ser­ vices they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lockdown re­ strictions.

The joy of shopping local means that independent busi­ nesses can help support the lo­ cal community. Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on­ line, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than Christ­ mas to give back to your com­ munity by making a small ges­ ture and shopping in this way. Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small inde­ pendent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous gen­

erations and support not just the current owner, but the generation before. For those stores which are new, that extra couple of eu­ ros spent there are supporting someone’s dream and ambi­ tion, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money

to set up an independent store and compete with the multi­ national and chains. So be sure to pre­order your turkey from a local butcher and get your spuds from a lo­ cal greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again. You could also consider pur­ chasing

gift vouchers from local busi­ nesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking out­ side the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for some­ one looking to change their ca­

reer path. As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glam­ ourous gift perhaps pre­paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping people

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 December 2020

EWN 11

BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, independent businesses can help support the local community.

alleviate stress and worry, give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times. Choosing to spend your money locally will really make a difference in the recovery of the local economy. When we buy local, our money stays lo­ cal, and it strengthens the local economy in two ways. First, buying local keeps money cir­ culating within the local econ­ omy. Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned sup­ ply chains and invest in their

employees. Data shows that local retail­ ers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain re­ tailers. Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of each transaction. For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce. First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn pre­ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The

farmer pays its local employ­ ees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy sup­ plies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recircula­ tion of money in the local economy leads to a stronger fi­ nancial foundation for our neighbours and communities. Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportu­ nities for people within our community. Studies show, lo­ cally owned businesses em­ ploy more people per unit of sales and retain more employ­

ees over time. While buying local is finan­ cially compelling to our com­ munities; the benefits to our environment are equally im­ pressive. Buying locally re­ duces the processing of goods, packaging and transportation waste, which leads to less pol­ lution. There’s a massive cultural shift underway redefining the way people make buying deci­ sions. We’re seeing more indi­ viduals concerned about the environment, about how prod­ ucts are made and sourced,

where materials come from, and a company’s overall social and environmental impact. Many businesses are joining our Go Local campaign by of­ fering customers special offers

and discounts throughout the festive period, more details to follow here soon. Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.

12 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 December 2020

Chefs make dinner for needy FORTY of Spain’s chefs cooked a special Christmas dinner for 1,000 people in need. In the eighth edition of charity campaign ‘Te invito a cenar,’ 40 chefs, including Maria Jimenez, Juan Pozuelo, Ruben Cordero, Jose Luis Inarejos, Chema de Isidro,

Pepe Gorines, Santiago Abad and Nico Rios, Eduardo Cas­ quero, David Rubio and Anita Be Cool, prepared meals which were later given out to families in Madrid. The dishes were prepared at the Mirador de Cuatro Vientos while more than 400

volunteers prepared the gifts and treats for the families, previously selected by NGOs, and then delivered them to their homes last night, Sun­ day, December 20. The meal had aperitifs, first course, second course and a dessert, but the families also received basic food and other products, as well as toys in the households with children. The beneficiaries are home­ less, poor, unemployed immi­ grants, drug addicts, refugees, minors in care and youths with difficulties, according to the organisers, Compañia de las Obras. Whereas other years they have been invited to come to a dinner, this year, it was tak­ en to them, but it included a video connection so they could share the fun with mu­ sic, carols, games, raffles and other surprises. They added that every year, the number of chefs wanting to take part has increased, and highlight that it has also been possible thanks to dona­ tions from numerous compa­ nies.

NEWS

Lottery seller hides tickets A LOTTERY administration in Almeria has hidden 10 tickets in its neighbourhood in an aim to encourage local shopping. Lottery administration number 13 in Almeria, bet­ ter known as La Trece, is run by Jesus Ibañez who told the press that when work was going on last year in the Oliveros area of Almeria City, it made it hard for people to access so they had to go elsewhere. He then thought it would be a good idea to do some­ thing to encourage people to visit the area. He didn’t plan to do it again this year, but as busi­ nesses in the area are suffering due to Covid­19 re­ strictions, he decided to hide the tickets. The idea has been very popular with residents in the area, and is also attracting visitors from other neighbourhoods, with two people having already found the tickets. The numbers of the hidden tenths of tickets are 90612, for El Gordo Christmas lottery, which will

LA TRECE: Is encouraging local shopping.

be drawn on December 22. People have been calling for clues about where the tickets will be hidden. On its website and social network, the lottery ad­ ministration will be giving clues about where the en­ velopes are located. They contain a slip which can be exchanged for a lottery ticket at La Trece, as well as instructions. The lottery seller is hopeful the number might earn someone a prize in the Christmas lottery.

Hotels to sue Spanish state THE hospitality sector in Spain has finally had enough, with an estimated 85,000 establishments al­ ready gone under, representing a third of the total number of bars and restaurants that were open for business before the coronavirus pandemic. President of Hostelería de España, José Luis Yzuel, told ABC that thousands of lawsuits will be brought against the Spanish government. “Hundreds of thousands of businesses will claim against the state. And we are going to create tools so that no one is left unclaimed,” Yzuel to ABC. According to the most recent figures from the sector, end of year data shows that turnover in 2020 fell by €67 million with 670,000 jobs at risk in the industry, and 226,000 working in the food and drinks sector were on ERTE at the end of November.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 December 2020

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

GERMANY

If Carlsberg

Break through

THE Danish brewery alongside SAB Miller and United Breweries control almost 90 per cent of the beer sold in India and now they have been accused of price fixing and could face enormous fine if the allegations are proven.

IN 2017, thieves stole a huge modern Canadian gold coin valued at €3.75 million from a Berlin museum. Police who believe that it has been melted down and used to make counterfeit coins raided 14 properties and seized gold and cash.

NETHERLANDS

FRANCE

Cash rich

Medal return

ACCORDING to a report in Dutch newspaper Trouw, food banks in the Netherlands have not used a €4 million grant in order to feed their 100,000 clients and now a further €8 million is due to be paid via the European Social Fund.

TWO prominent Italians have returned their French Legion of Honour awards in protest at the decision made by President Macron to give the award to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who they believe was involved in the death of an Italian student in Cairo.

BELGIUM

NORWAY

Crayonism

Slimmer airline

THE owner of the Café Crayon in Ostend gained a great deal of publicity after jokingly announcing that he would start his own religion and turn his bar into a church which would allow him to serve 15 disciples every Sunday under coronavirus rules.

NORWEGIAN AIR currently still in business due to bankruptcy protection in Ireland looks to the long term and will almost certainly scrap its cheap intercontinental routes which have lost money for years, sell some of its aircraft and concentrate on European travel.

Fitting farewell to 2020

E L P O Z O K I N G , the youngest and now the most rebellious brand of El Pozo Alimentación, from Murcia sent a special farewell message to 2020 with a powerful statement and humorous goodbye to a long, hard and sad year. In a daring, creative and clear cut message, the banner reads: ‘F**KING YEAR 2020. S o long,’ accompanied by a gesture that expresses more than words. T his message has been displayed on a large canvas and can be seen by thousands of residents on the

facade of the building located at C alle Z urbarán in Madrid. This action, which will be visible until December 31, is complemented by the different related messages that will be launched through the brand’s profiles

SO LONG: To 2020.

Bournemouth to Bergerac RYANAIR has announced a new Bournemouth to Bergerac (France) route which will see the operation of two weekly flights. The announcement made on Thursday, December 17, will commence on June 2, 2021 as part of Ryanair’s British Summer 2021 schedule and to celebrate they’re offering some cheap seats. Ryanair launched a seat sale with fares available from just £30.99 (€34.46), for travel during the month of June 2021, which must be booked by midnight Saturday, December 19, only on the Ryanair.com website.

in social networks and that can be shared through WhatsApp.

UNICEF Help UK FOR the first time in its history, UNICEF is set to come to the aid of UK children. According to reports, the United Nations (UN) agency, which has provided humanitarian aid to children around the world since 1946, is now set to fund a project to feed children in the United Kingdom after 900,000 more children have registered for free school meals this year. UNICEF will provide thousands of breakfast boxes, of which each will provide enough food for 10 breakfasts and will be distributed over the Christmas holidays to vulnerable children and families in Southwark, south London by giving £25,000 to the charity School Food Matters.

EWN 13

FINANCE Bitcoin booty WHEN the crypto currency Bitcoin broke the $20,000 (€16,334) barrier it was expected by many that that would be its limit and the price would drop back, but to their amazement it continues to prosper and recently nearly touched $23,000 (€18,784).

Healthy hydrogen AS hydrogen becomes the latest gas to be considered useful in creating energy without adding carbon, Enagás and Naturgy have announced that they will partner to build the largest hydrogen plant in Spain in La Robla, Leon.

Mortgage rates DUTCH owned bank ING is determined to increase its share of the Spanish mortgage market and is introducing a number of new, highly competitive options in both fixed and mixed rate prices and will now await competitors’ responses.

Palm oil RESEARCH is underway to create a synthetic alternative to palm oil which is used extensively in the beauty and food industries but is said to be responsible for the mass destruction of rainforests throughout the world and the permanent loss of wildlife.

BA cut routes BRITISH AIRWAYS’ owners IAG, desperate to save money after reporting losses of €4 billion in the first six months of 2020 is to cut a number of long-haul destinations from its 2021 schedules. Routes affected include Abu Dhabi, Calgary, Charleston, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat, Osaka, Pittsburgh, Seychelles and Seoul and there are suspensions of summer flights to Bangkok, San Jose and Sydney. According to the BBC, the group has previously indicated that it doesn’t expect passenger numbers to return to normal until 2023.

STAT OF WEEK

€1.5 billion

is the amount of dividend that Spanish banks may be able to pay to shareholders following a decision by the European Central Bank.

Simon Manley and WTO

Inditex in good place AS companies around the world succumb to the downturn in business caused by the international pandemic, one Spanish gi­ ant shines as a beacon of how to not just cope but adjust to the change in the market and benefit. Inditex has just released its third quarter figures and whilst sales have dropped from the previous year, it has taken action to not only increase its online business

but also to reduce costs. It recorded a net profit of €866 million in the third quarter which taking into account losses from the lockdown still sees its nine­ month position as having an overall net profit of €671 million, but equally impor­ tantly it has more cash than ever before. The current cash in hand amounts to €8.3 billion which means that whatever may come along in 2021, it

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Will his Will be valid?

will have enough money to weather any storm no mat­ ter how harsh it may be. Should Covid­19 be con­ trolled successfully with the introduction of the newly developed vaccines then Inditex may well consider acquisitions of brand names that are either suf­ fering or have gone to the wall or introducing new ranges itself. Despite the fact that 21 per cent of the Group’s

shops remain closed, it still has plans to expand into new countries such as Panama and Puerto Rico af­ ter earlier expansion in Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras and Tunisia. For Spain and Portugal as well as other mature mar­ kets, it has launched its lat­ est brand Lefties which is aimed at all types of people of all ages and sexes with clothing and a selection of footwear.

Mini trade deal Credit: @USTRADEREP

BUSINESS EXTRA

www.euroweeklynews.com • 24 - 30 December 2020

14

I am an Engishman living in Spain with Span­ ish Residency. Some time ago I made a Last Will and Testament with my UK solicitor. I have also made a Spanish Will with my Spanish As­ sessor here in Spain. Last year I gave my only son Power of Attorney through his UK solicitor. My question is: On January 1, 2021, will both Wills be applicable or only one of them? Liz Truss in Zoom meeting with Robert Lighthizer.

B J (Costa del Sol)

Brexit will have no ef­ fect on Wills. But YOU AND THE LAW be careful. Does IN SPAIN your English Will specify that it disposes only of your estate in the UK? Does your Spanish Will specify that it disposes only of your property in Spain? If so you should be all right. If not, the Will dated last will take precedence. Be warned that a Power of Attorney dies with its maker. We are assured that UK citizens residing in Spain will continue to enjoy their EU rights after Brexit but you might want to confirm that your inher­ itance tax exemptions still apply. If your Spanish es­ tate is substantial you may face inheritance tax.

DAVID SEARL

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

WHILST the French are expecting a drop in the sale of Champagne this year, Spanish bodegas in Jerez are cheering up as market research suggests that it’s not just Santa who will be enjoying a glass of sherry this Christmas. Market research company Nielsen has released informa­ tion that shows that sherry sales in the UK are up by more than

REPORTS on Irish TV sug­ gest that the outgoing Trump administration is ready to offer Britain a mini trade deal which could see tariffs on certain products being reduced or removed. Trump’s trade chief Robert Lighthizer reported­ ly told the BBC “I’m talking to (International Trade Sec­ retary) Liz Truss, about try­ ing to work out some kind of a deal... I’m hopeful we can get some kind of an agreement out you know; we don’t have a lot of time left. “We have the advantage in that both the US and the UK ­ particularly the current government of the UK ­ are not big subsidisers, where

some other countries are more inclined to subsidise. So, it would be helpful if we could come to some kind of agreement.” This suggestion comes in response to a British gov­ ernment decision to reduce American tariffs on subsi­ dies currently given to air­ craft manufacturers after December 31 and may see a lifting of high import duties on Scotch whisky. A mini deal would be welcomed by the British government, especially in the event of a no deal Brex­ it and would, it hopes, act as a springboard for a more expansive trade deal with the new Biden administra­ tion.

Sherry isn’t just for Santa 17 per cent in the 12 weeks to December 5 and various super­ market buyers have told the BBC that they are stocking up for the festive season. According to Majestic Wines, the lockdown saw a lot more ex­ perimenting with drinks and

their spokesperson refers to the ‘tapas effect’ which has coincid­ ed with the introduction of dif­ ferent ranges of sherries in the higher price range. Drinkers are becoming more adventurous in their choice of sherries and although the sweet

FORMER British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley CMG has been appointed the Unit­ ed Kingdom’s Permanent Rep­ resentative to the World Trade Organisation, United Nations and other Internation­ al Organisations based in Geneva. Speaking about his new ap­ pointment, which takes place in Spring 2021, Mr Manley tweeted “Excited to build on work of Julian Braithwaite CMG (who returns to the Diplomatic Service) to pro­ mote free trade, defend hu­ man rights, and secure effec­ tive multilateral solutions to our shared global challenges.” With Brexit and the need for trade agreements this is an important appointment which is bound to be busy.

OECD 60th SPANISH Prime Minister Pe­ dro Sánchez travelled to Paris to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Organisa­ tion for Economic Coopera­ tion and Development (OECD) alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. The pair co­hosted a num­ ber of Zoom meetings in­ cluding one with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc who sent the best wishes of the Vietnamese people to the organisation. It was upon his return to Spain that Prime Minister Sánchez learnt that he would have to self­isolate until Christmas Eve, as he had attended a meal with President Macron who test­ ed positive for Covid­19. versions are still the most popu­ lar, chilled, light­coloured dry versions are seeing a definite in­ crease in popularity as they are drunk as an aperitif. There will still be room for sherry in a trifle and it won’t be used to fire up the Christmas pudding but it looks as if Spain’s fortified wine is bouncing back with a vengeance.

16 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 December 2020

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US

LONDON - FTSE 100

See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3I Group 1.137,50 1.141,50 Admiral Group 2.972,0 2.974,0 Anglo American 2.455,0 2.456,5 Antofagasta 1.445,00 1.446,50 Ashtead Group 3.324,0 3.324,0 Associated British Foods 2.131,0 2.181,2 AstraZeneca 7.542,0 7.547,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 582,40 583,06 Avast 529,50 529,50 Aveva 3.233,0 3.235,0 Aviva 314,60 316,83 B&M European Value Retail SA504,20 504,80 BAE Systems 487,40 487,90 Barclays 138,54 140,44 Barratt Developments 623,29 628,87 Berkeley 4.266,0 4.280,9 BHP Group 1.980,20 1.981,00 BP 260,29 261,95 British American Tobacco 2.755,5 2.757,0 British Land Company 455,90 468,60 BT Group 130,40 131,95 Bunzl 2.442,0 2.451,0 Burberry Group 1.776,0 1.783,5 Carnival 1.245,0 1.312,0 Centrica 41,49 42,18 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.323,0 2.329,0 Compass 1.362,30 1.374,00 CRH 3.092,9 3.094,0 Croda Intl 6.400,0 6.400,0 DCC 5.368,0 5.414,0 Diageo 2.933,2 2.935,5 DS Smith 377,90 380,80 EasyJet 696,05 700,00 Experian 2.801,0 2.805,0 Ferguson 8.792,0 8.802,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.846,1 14.857,4 Fresnillo 1.174,50 1.174,50 GlaxoSmithKline 1.370,40 1.374,47 Glencore 239,18 239,40 Halma 2.445,0 2.448,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.494,40 1.503,00 Hikma Pharma 2.605,00 2.606,00 HSBC 384,00 384,80 IAG 132,74 139,20 Imperial Brands 1.550,88 1.557,50 Informa 514,40 526,00 InterContinental 4.503,0 4.536,0 Intermediate Capital 1.615,00 1.628,00 Intertek 5.836,0 5.836,0 ITV 101,85 103,55 J Sainsbury 221,20 223,10

% CHG. 1.118,50 2.935,0 2.405,5 1.422,50 3.279,2 2.063,0 7.452,5 575,50 524,00 3.156,0 309,30 499,30 479,20 135,46 606,40 4.192,7 1.956,80 252,30 2.734,5 447,90 127,65 2.418,0 1.748,5 1.160,5 40,71 2.290,0 1.334,39 3.063,6 6.294,5 5.316,0 2.899,0 367,70 670,38 2.769,0 8.710,0 14.648,6 1.147,50 1.366,80 236,02 2.423,0 1.466,90 2.553,00 378,90 124,15 1.526,14 504,00 4.427,0 1.578,00 5.779,2 99,48 220,48

NET VOL 24,32K 8,24K 182,02K 42,50K 1,34K 31,94K 19,18K 8,08K 8,82K 13,32K 473,95K 18,81K 106,26K 2,15M 74,48K 4,40K 200,17K 1,24M 21,10K 185,31K 1,57M 20,16K 6,41K 106,19K 345,75K 17,08K 14,58K 3,63K 0,52K 3,10K 21,77K 543,76K 467,25K 44,87K 8,58K 0,38K 192,81K 43,01K 404,56K 22,51K 16,16K 22,80K 222,79K 4,65M 38,91K 70,43K 34,64K 16,85K 0,30K 434,13K 23,60K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Johnson Matthey 2.443,0 JSC MMC Norilsk Nickel ADR 31,18 JSC VTB Bank DRC 0,967 Land Securities 639,60 Legal & General 244,78 Lloyds Banking 32,97 London Stock Exchange 8.960,0 Meggitt 414,83 Melrose Industries 161,35 Mondi 1.745,50 National Grid 860,00 NatWest Group 150,52 Next 6.557,6 Ocado 2.274,00 Persimmon 2.623,1 Phoenix 693,00 Prudential 1.301,00 Reckitt Benckiser 6.574,0 Relx 1.802,50 Rentokil 521,80 Rightmove 652,40 Rio Tinto PLC 5.734,0 Rolls-Royce Holdings 104,31 Rosneft 5,79 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.338,00 Royal Dutch Shell A 1.335,6 Royal Dutch Shell B 1.289,8 RSA Insurance 678,60 Sage 583,20 Samsung Electronics DRC 1.640,00 Sberbank 14,47 Schroders 3.245,0 Scottish Mortgage 1.206,54 Segro 912,34 Severn Trent 2.277,0 Smith & Nephew 1.526,00 Smiths Group 1.520,00 Spirax-Sarco Engineering 11.325,0 SSE 1.451,99 St. James’s Place 1.109,50 Standard Chartered 457,85 Standard Life Aberdeen 279,45 Taylor Wimpey 155,89 Tesco 225,00 Tui 372,69 Unilever 4.358,5 United Utilities 897,60 Vodafone Group PLC 122,92 Whitbread 2.921,0 WPP 790,36

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

2.462,0 31,45 0,972 647,50 247,70 33,23 8.960,0 415,86 164,45 1.751,50 860,40 151,95 6.578,0 2.336,00 2.650,0 696,20 1.304,00 6.594,0 1.807,50 522,60 655,00 5.738,0 104,50 5,91 1.338,31 1.338,8 1.293,2 681,60 586,00 1.640,00 14,62 3.267,0 1.208,92 919,80 2.280,0 1.526,00 1.523,32 11.360,0 1.452,48 1.112,50 468,12 279,70 155,95 226,30 379,50 4.376,7 899,00 124,44 2.938,3 792,55

2.397,0 31,11 0,967 625,80 239,49 32,01 8.830,5 398,45 156,59 1.718,00 850,00 146,40 6.402,0 2.215,00 2.538,0 683,89 1.286,00 6.434,0 1.792,00 515,60 642,20 5.601,0 95,10 5,78 1.313,40 1.313,0 1.275,2 676,80 574,80 1.620,00 14,28 3.193,0 1.192,00 903,33 2.245,6 1.502,50 1.495,50 11.085,0 1.433,00 1.088,50 449,10 272,10 149,10 223,62 367,00 4.342,6 888,18 122,18 2.830,0 776,60

11,41K 73,33K 89,17K 12,20K 596,00K 26,43M 1,62K 47,32K 329,81K 122,30K 395,52K 2,74M 2,21K 21,44K 12,24K 21,67K 356,07K 62,22K 12,81K 100,31K 95,37K 116,27K 5,55M 671,28K 23,06K 37,08K 153,23K 164,15K 113,80K 2,08K 406,76K 7,16K 177,30K 13,78K 5,59K 6,25K 1,75K 3,68K 35,42K 72,96K 250,87K 67,35K 636,34K 462,38K 194,30K 17,37K 25,44K 1,18M 16,02K 24,65K

0.91694

1.09039 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.21915 Japan yen (JPY)......................................126.292 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.08166 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.44077 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.6902

currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581 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 21

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

PRICE 176,42 1.731,01 3.201,65 228,49 126,66 219,75 180,96 87,19 45,44 53,74 276,40 242,13 270,45 210,04 125,85 47,46 154,51 119,08 215,08 79,53 218,59 137,28 139,04 227,43 695,00 338,38 60,46 211,31 145,95 172,89

CHANGE 177,46 1.755,11 3.249,42 232,04 129,10 223,46 181,30 88,71 45,57 53,84 278,00 245,39 275,74 212,51 126,40 50,68 155,10 119,88 216,85 80,18 219,69 141,14 140,07 227,82 695,00 342,61 60,78 211,98 147,18 175,84

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 175,11 4,68M 1.720,22 4,02M 3.171,60 6,00M 227,25 5,89M 126,12 192,54M 218,61 19,09M 177,47 5,26M 86,26 27,43M 44,77 41,03M 52,62 35,48M 271,14 26,69M 240,56 4,09M 270,30 9,82M 208,62 6,69M 124,97 7,55M 47,11 119,30M 151,67 17,14M 118,27 28,95M 213,82 7,93M 78,45 31,64M 216,02 63,35M 137,17 17,97M 137,45 19,99M 224,40 11,85M 628,54 222,13M 334,00 8,74M 59,79 31,91M 209,87 13,30M 145,16 13,79M 172,28 21,17M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+2.60% +5.96% +145.00% +2.07% +16.33% +18.67% +9.99% +2.95% +11.92% +8.88% +6.75%

531,934 222.13M 4.22M 9,142 2.73M 2.80M 15.26M 34,063 2.48M 1.24M 132,672

-36.34% -1.06% -0.97% -0.82% -0.65% -36.54% -2.00% -4.32% -6.08% -5.01% -18.39%

1.17M 6.00M 4.02M 4.26M 536,194 1.82M 104,635 466,217 839,008 9,694 2.68M

Most Advanced MercadoLibre Inc. Tesla Inc. 908 Devices Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A CyberArk Software Ltd. Qualys Inc. CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Cl A Atrion Corp. Proofpoint Inc. Varonis Systems Inc. GRAVITY Co. Ltd. ADR

Most Declined Wunong Net Technology Co. Ltd. Amazon.com Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl C Alphabet Inc. Cl A Booking Holdings Inc. Scopus BioPharma Inc. First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A LendingTree Inc. Medpace Holdings Inc. Investors Title Co. AlloVir Inc.

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Different funerals

FUNERALS around the world and the difference between celebrating a life lived or mourning a lost life? The ways we handle death differs not only from person to person, but also from community to community. Funeral plan expert Haylee from Golden Leaves explained, “The different processes each religion goes through is really very interesting. In my role as a funeral planner, I have had to learn so much about different cultures and their beliefs. Every culture has its own traditions and customs regarding death, funerals, and burials. In some cultures it’s a real celebration of life as opposed to mourning which is totally different from how people in England approach death.” Some religions cremate their dead while others prefer burial. Some faiths go through grieving ritu­ als that last long after the funeral, while others prefer to end the observances when the funeral is complete. Traditions within religions themselves can also be rather diverse, varying from religion to religion and country to country. Vietnamese Buddhist Usually, bodies are cremated in Buddhism, to follow the example of the Buddha, but families might choose to bury their loved ones, too. In either case, there will be a three­day period of worship after the person is buried or cremated, to wish for a peaceful departure for their soul. Memorial services are traditionally held on the third, seventh, 49th, and 100th day after the death and the family will come back to the temple during these days for more services. It’s a long process, but the belief is that the soul needs to pass seven ports before going to heaven. Islam Cremation is forbidden in Islam, so the body is buried as soon as possible from the time of the death. Funeral preparations begin immediately and the body has to be washed for burial. This is usu­ ally done by family members. After that, the body is covered in three pieces of clean white cloth and the body is put into a position of prayer, if possible, with one hand on the chest and the other hand on top of it. Hinduism Traditionally, when a person dies, they are cremated. It’s done as quickly as possible after a person dies so that the soul can find a new body to inhabit. After the cremation, there are no prayers or ritu­ als for the next 13 days, because it is believed that for the first nine days after the cremation, the soul is still connected to the body. Days 10 to 12 are so that the soul has time to leave the body. Then, there is a celebration on the 13th day to mark that the soul has left. Judaism In Judaism, the funeral occurs ideally within 24 hours of one’s passing. Shiva (‘sitting,’ in Hebrew) begins right af­ ter the funeral, lasting for seven days. This practice is really beautiful; it is a time in which mourners refrain from work, receive vis­ its from loved ones, recite mourner’s kaddish (memorial prayer), and simply sit. It is a mitzvah (good deed) to visit mourners and comfort them. Christianity As you can see, funerals around the world are different depending on religious belief and Chris­ tianity is no different. Christians believe that when someone dies, they are judged by God. The right­ eous go to Heaven and the sinners go to Hell. When a Christian dies, it is seen as the end of his/her life on earth. A funeral is held for friends and family to grieve for the person who has died and give thanks for their life. Since 1984, Golden Leaves has helped tens of thousands of customers from both the UK and over­ seas to plan ahead and purchase a funeral plan. By erasing concerns about the arrangement and costs of your funeral, pre­planning your funeral can deliver peace of mind for you and your family whatever your religion or beliefs. You really can’t put a price on peace of mind, but to help reduce costs in the last few weeks before Brexit, Golden Leaves are offering a fabulous €150 off all pre­paid Funeral Plans throughout the month of December.

24 - 30 December 2020

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18 EWN

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24 - 30 December 2020

Wrong anthem for Carlos Sainz

THE wrong anthem was played for Spaniard Carlos Sainz after winning the preparatory rally for Dakar, when the Saudi Arabians mistakenly played the one from the Franco era. The driver stood calmly on the podium, obviously trying not to allow his facial expression to show his surprise on hearing the hymn, which was written by Jose Maria Peman in 1928 upon the orders of Miguel Primo de Rivera and used during the Franco dictatorship. The Dakar Rally starts on January 2. Sainz, and his partner Lucas Cruz, won the second Baja Ha’il after Al Attiyah won the first.

Soldiers Punished

THREE Spanish soldiers have been punished after a video leak surfaced from a fascist party at a military base in Paracuellos del Jarama, Madrid. The party was held on December 8, 2019, where the military men can be seen dancing with several others to the rhythm of a Blue Division song and making a fascist salute. The video was broadcast last Wednesday, December 16, by the website La Marea. Sources from the Spanish Army said that those punished were a non-commissioned officer, responsible for organising the party, and two soldiers who behaved ‘inappropriately’ and who could be identified in the video. The three were punished for a minor disciplinary offence after the video shows a group of people, in uniform and in civilian clothes, dancing to a rock version of the song, some of them holding beers and waving. The army learned about the video in January when disciplinary proceedings were opened.

FEATURE

Merry Christmas everyone LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ‘THOSE who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’ So paraphrased Sir Winston Churchill in 1948. As the Germans stand on the brink of losing their third attempt to take over Europe you would have thought they may have just learned something from the errors of past disasters. The irony is of course that it is once again the British who are the instigators of their highly probable downfall. Despite their attempts to make us believe this whole Common Market exercise was intended to unify a European community with equal opportunities for all, its actual goal (however they have tried to disguise it) has always ultimately been the forming of a super state with Germany at the helm. France, with its historical hatred for all things British, has predictably tagged along and ‘Vichy like’ revelled in siding with its German masters in putting down or impeding the UK at every opportunity.

With their forces of occupation this time replaced by its economic ‘troops,’ the Germans have so far managed to keep the member states in line. Now their whole plan is beginning to fall apart, it is imperative, as an example to other countries, for them to make Britain’s departure as difficult as they possibly can. There are a number of highly disillusioned and disgruntled countries out there and if the UK is seen to ‘get out’ too easily, they will be following suit before you can say Drachma, Lira or even Peseta! In my personal opinion, within the next decade we will see the whole antiquated project fall apart, leaving the Germans once again stuck in a bunker vainly trying to prop up their egos, along with the dregs of their under financed and ill equipped ‘ally’ nations that we have all had to subsidise for years. Brussels has now most certainly inherited the dubious title of ‘Sick Man of Europe’ and it is no more than this outdated, obsolete bunch of arrogant wasters deserve. After its third victory in just over 100 years, God bless the UK and

a whole sparkling new beginning. Driving around London of late you find your eyes assaulted by ginormous electric hoardings. Normally used for advertising commodities, these sites are now being freely exploited for black racist propaganda. They now promote messages akin to ­ ‘I want to live in a country that celebrates black history all year round,’ or ‘I want to live in a country where a black person can confidently say, I want to be Prime Minister.’ This last statement is an utter disgrace and implies that certain races cannot reach the highest position in British politics. With at least a half dozen ethnic MPs who could at this moment quite easily qualify for the position, it is a blatant, unacceptable racist slur on the UK’s white populace. I hasten to remind the UK’s black citizens that it is qualifications, quality and votes that elect Prime Ministers. Not the colour of their skin. Sorry Diana Abbott didn’t quite attain the criteria! Merry Christmas everyone. Keep the faith. Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com. Expatradioscotland.com Mon. Wed. Fri.

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

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FEATURE

HOW TO SURVIVE A (POLITICALLY)

BOASTFUL CHRISTMAS 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

JEFFREY ARCHER has something of a ‘reputation’ but sometimes it helps to have someone with a reputation on your side. Many years ago, I was a minor participant in a disastrous attempt to put on the world’s biggest carol concert in, if memory serves, Central Hall, London. Jeffrey was the MC, with the BBC doing a live radio broadcast of the vast, as­ sembled throng singing en masse. But practically no­one turned up! It was utterly humiliating and dispir­ iting for everyone. Except Jeffrey. As the radio broadcast was about to begin, he turned to the few hun­ dred of us there, gave us an encour­ aging grin and, speaking into the live

mic, proclaimed in awe, “Ladies and gentlemen, you wouldn’t believe the spectacle I see all around me tonight...,” going on to describe the huge crowd and the incredible at­ mosphere. Electrified by his enthusi­ asm and drawn into the conspiracy by sheer admiration for his bravado, we yelled our hearts out and got away with it. Heck! Almost sounds like Boris and Trump have taken a leaf out of Archer’s playbook. Remember Boris’s boasts that post­Brexit Britain will soar like Superman? His oven­ready Brexit deal? His flawed ‘world­ beating’ Test and Trace sys­ tem? Or The Donald’s biggest boasts? On his 2012 maybe­presidential can­ didacy: “I was leading in every poll. I was doing great.” Or this: “I have millions of followers. Millions. I don’t do press releases any more. If I want a press release, I put it out on Twitter. It’s like owning the New York Times without the losses.” Or

this: “I happen to be, in my own way, an environmentalist. I’ve won many awards.” Or, finally, this: “I have great feelings of compassion and helping people.” Is this man trustworthy? No. Would I buy a second­hand car from him? No. Am I glad he’s (almost) gone? Absolutely. Have I started talking to myself? Apologies, it’s this damn virtual lockdown. Let’s leave it at this: A HAPPY, HEALTHY XMAS to all readers ­ this message coming to you through the Inter­National ’Elf Service! Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Be­ trayal’, ‘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.nora­johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook.vAll profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

A FRUSTRATING DAY DAVID WORBOYS SOME days are better than others. A sunny spring morning heralds a day of enjoyment, achievement and fulfil­ ment. It’s good to be alive! And then there are days like Thursday, October 22. I was awakened by heavy rain and a howling wind at about three in the morning. I had to get out of bed and close the window to subdue the sound and eliminate the draught. I failed to get any more sleep and was tossing and turning until half past six. It’s time to get up. I remembered I had planned to meet friends for lunch at a seafood beach restaurant in Rincon de la Victoria. This was not going to happen in weather like this. I stumbled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. There was not enough toothpaste in the tube, so I had to hunt for the new one; I found it in a kitchen cupboard. After I finished shav­

Heavy rain and howling winds. ing, I realised I had forgotten to remove the dust­cap from the Philishave. So I repeated the operation without the dust­cap and this time it was more ef­ fective. Then it was time for the daily ride on the porcelain pony. Oh, dear! The last thing I needed at this stage was a five­ minute battle with a stubborn floater. Three more flushes later and the prob­ lem solved, I headed for a hot shower. But while it was pouring with rain out­ side, the water had been cut off. I start­ ed shivering. I returned to the bedroom and put my socks on inside out. After eventual­ ly dressing, I felt ready for breakfast. As there was no water, coffee was out of the question. Then I realised I had not taken the unwrapped butter from the

fridge over night. It was as hard as a brick. A cherry jam baguette with but­ ter would have been nice.... I had no intention of going out in this weather, so I decided to review the in­ vestments and switched on the televi­ sion. The stock markets had been going up and down like a bride’s nightie. But now, thanks to conflicting news about Covid 19, the world’s economies, and Trump’s threats to disrupt the election and impose more sanctions, they were heading south again. I had no idea whether to buy, sell or let it be. I switched on the TV for the Simpsons. Once the programme was over I de­ cided to go back to bed. The last thing I was aware of before falling asleep was the rain splattering on the bedroom window.

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www.euroweeklynews.com • 24 - 30 December 2020

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Awkward situations usually bring out the best in you and this week proves that. In the longer term, you will be grateful to those making things difficult now.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Get out in the fresh air as much as possible and be kind to your body. You may have neglected yourself because you have been such a busy bee of late. What about a trip to the seaside or a walk in the hills? Maybe a trip to the local cocktail bar is more your style! Whatever puts a spring in your step will be good.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) A fleeting meeting stirs feelings that you thought were dead. This could be good if it reminds you of how life can be, or bad if it makes you think of missed opportunities. It is never too late to make a fresh start. Why not go on that painting holiday or stampcollecting weekend? Pole dancing anyone?

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Someone really has rattled your tree, but try to refrain from throwing coconuts on their head. It is much more effective to be charming and get them confused.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Are you feeling that you have been dealt a rough hand? Consider this: there are some who are not dealt a hand at all. Many are missing those few cards that mean they are never really in with a chance. Instead of lurking on the shady side, walk out into the sun. You will soon see the bright side.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) A chance remark opens a can of worms. Trying to get them back in could turn out to be very messy. We all open our mouth and put our foot in it sometime. However, overreacting won't help. You will need help with something this week.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Someone who is usually quite the opposite to you will surprise with an offer. Although you are naturally suspicious, give them the benefit of the doubt. Leopards do not change their spots but they are capable of behaving for the bigger good.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) An intimate meeting is less exciting than anticipated. This should not bother you because time could yet change that. You need to be in the right place at the right time, so don't give up hope, just have a little patience. A change of plans will be more beneficial than irksome, at least in the longer term.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) While counting your pennies, also count your blessings. Money can be a big problem or merely an irritation but the lack of it must be kept in perspective. You are right to think twice about accepting something that seems to be for nothing.

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

AGREES ALLEGE ALLELE ASSAIL BEHEST CAROLS (10) CEREAL CHOOSY ENSURE ESCORT GARISH HEREBY INTUIT MILIEU SOCIAL TALENT TALLOW UNLOAD WIDGET

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 19 December

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The goat in you is keen to find pastures new. It isn't a nibble that is needed at the moment, but a feast. Accepting anything less would be a mistake because someone is watching your reaction to an offer. If you feel unsure of your worth, then ask a few trusted friends. It is so hard to see ourselves. Heed their words.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Don't allow an open-ended offer to muddle your mind. There is no need for an immediate decision and this may be too soon for a positive move. A sense of urgency may be put down to practical reasons when, in fact, it is no such thing. A feeling of insecurity is more likely to be the trigger to uncertainty.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Are things going swimmingly? Good. Maybe you had forgotten how to have real fun. Remember when you were a child? Life was so simple. Relax and be that child again. If some old fogey accuses you of being silly, feel sorry for them.

TIME OUT

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BONUS BALL

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IRISH LOTTO Sat 19 December

9-14-16 28-33-38

BONUS BALL

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EURO MILLIONS Tue 15 December

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Fri 18 December

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2-3-13 17-21

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EL MILLON: JBR42859 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 17 December

BONUS BALL

3-11-24 38-40-43

8 6

JOKER: 8188800 Sat 19 December

BONUS BALL

4-6-9 11-19-23

10

JOKER: 7039088

4

TIME OUT

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CODE BREAKER

ENGLISH-SPANISH

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

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 2 represents N and 17 represents V, so fill in N every time the figure 2 appears and V every time the figure 17 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Across 1 Sacred (art, musical) (5) 3 Bañera (7) 6 Marido (7) 8 Pencil (5) 10 Opal (5) 11 Del este (7) 14 Raffle (draw) (6) 15 Detalle (6) 17 Bufandas (7) 20 Salmo (5) 21 Verde (5) 22 Farol (7) 23 Delay (hold-up) (7) 24 Broad beans (5)

Down 1 Colegios (7) 2 Sunset (5) 3 Insignia (distintivo) (5) 4 Tejas (5) 5 Letterbox (5) 7 Escalera (9) 9 To get ready (9) 12 Añade (4) 13 Twelve (4) 16 Lemons (7) 17 Azúcar (5) 18 Sale (commerce) (5) 19 Stamp (postage) (5) 20 Ponche (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Cerebral, 7 Spoon, 8 Sitar, 9 Answer, 10 Wren, 12 Leak, 14 Cattle, 17 Spear, 18 Scald, 19 Stumbles. Down: 1 Cross, 2 Runner, 3/16 Bass drum, 4 Actor, 5 Establish, 6 Orangeade, 11 Damsel, 13 Adept, 15 Tears.

BOGGLED

ENGLISH-SPANISH

sand sands safe safer safes iffy jiff jiffy nays naff fays fret fern ferny feta fetal felt feat cyan oxter oxters recto recti recta rectal real reals exit tern tesla teal teals tael taels tale tales iota sect sexy sext serf seta seat seal slat slate slater slaw late latex later alec ales alto alter altern alters water waters wait waiter waiters wale waler

Across: 1 Inside, 3 Pepper, 8 Stapler, 10 Hielo, 11 Salad, 12 Airline, 13 Every, 15 Frase, 20 Esquina, 22 Gifts, 24 Hueso, 25 Charlar, 26 Drowsy, 27 Straws. Down: 1 Insist, 2 Snail, 4 Echar, 5 Precios, 6 Reopen, 7 Broad, 9 Lider, 14 Vaquero, 16 Regla, 17 Method, 18 Catch, 19 Ostras, 21 Irons, 23 Falda.

NONAGRAM

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Debated, 5 Split, 8 Idaho, 9 Granted, 10 Tubas, 11 Tardy, 12 Elated, 14 Ballet, 18 Mitre, 20 Amour, 22 Nonstop, 23 Haifa, 24 Mason, 25 Nursery. Down: 1 Dwindle, 2 Beast, 3 Trouble, 4 Digest, 5 Scant, 6 Lateral, 7 Today, 13 Attends, 15 Another, 16 Tiffany, 17 Sampan, 18 Minim, 19 Eaten, 21 Rhine.

CODE BREAKER

FUTOSHIKI

alar area aria aril earl lair leer liar lira lire rail rale rata rate real reel rete rial riel rile rite tare tart tear tier tire tree aerie alert altar alter areal atria attar eater irate later liter litre raita ratel relit retie tater tetra tiara tiler titer titre trail trait treat trial trite aerate aerial atrial attire elater lariat latria latter letter litter rattle relate retail tilter atelier iterate rattail retitle laterite literate RETALIATE

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 RETAIL 2 INTERN 3 NETTLE 4 BECALM 5 ATTAIN 6 TANNED 7 ARCTIC 8 INTENT 9 FARINA 10 CANCEL 11 RENTAL 12 VENIAL 13 CINDER 14 ANNULI 15 AVERSE 16 TINDER 17 SQUEAL 18 SENIOR 19 CLERGY

DIVE DIRE DIRT DART PART PAST

KAKURO

SUDOKU

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Axarquía TODAY

ARCHIDONA

WEATHER

CASABERMEJA VELEZ-MALAGA NERJA RINCON MALAGA DE LA VICTORIA

TOMORROW

ARCHIDONA

CASABERMEJA VELEZ-MALAGA NERJA MALAGA

SATURDAY

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA

ARCHIDONA

CASABERMEJA VELEZ-MALAGA NERJA MALAGA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Malaga TODAY: MAX 17 MIN 8 Fri 15 10 Sat 12 10 Sun 12 9 Mon 11 8 Tues - 13 9 Wed 15 9

Alicante TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 12 Fri 16 10 Sat 17 13 Sun 16 12 Mon 16 11 Tues - 19 11 Wed 19 12

Almeria TODAY: MAX 18, MIN 7 Fri 17 9 Sat 15 8 Sun 13 10 Mon 15 11 Tues - 16 12 Wed 17 11

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 18 8 Sun 17 8 Mon 19 9 Tues - 17 9 Wed 17 9 Mallorca TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 11 Fri 19 13 Sat 17 12 Sun 17 11 Mon 18 11 Tues 17 12 Wed 19 11

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 18, MIN 10 Fri 17 9 Sat 14 11 Sun 14 11 Mon 13 10 Tues 16 13 Wed 15 15 Madrid TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 13 Fri 16 15 Sat 15 12 Sun 14 12 Mon 16 13 Tues 17 14 Wed 17 16

27

TIME OUT

FUTOSHIKI Fill in the squares so that each digit from 1 to 6 occurs exactly once in each row and column. Greater-than and less-than signs indicate the relationship of the two adjacent squares. There is only one solution, and you can find it without guessing.

BOGGLED How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? • The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. • Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. • No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. • No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 7 Fri 17 7 Sat 16 8 Sun 15 8 Mon 16 9 Tues 18 9 Wed 19 7

Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts

TARGET:

SCORING:

Average: 24 Good: 34 Very good: 48 Excellent: 62

4 letters: 1 point 5 letters: 2 points 6 letters: 3 points 7 letters: 5 points 8 or more letters: 11 points

KAKURO Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

CRYPTIC Across 1 Clap a very quiet boy going round university (7) 4 Wrote about part of a castle (5) 7 Calls for some jewellery (5) 9 Accounts signed initially by Conservatives (7) 10 Firm must order Eastern outfit (7) 11 Open ended attempt at the doorway (5) 12 Voucher for new kit etc (6) 14 Churchman a nuisance about religious instruction (6) 18 Have Charles informally round in pandemonium (5) 20 Give a foolish archer a guinea and you will receive a horse (7) 22 Greedy for cooked caviare (7) 23 Brave group from Mount Ribense (5) 24 Laid out, exhausted (5) 25 Such places of worship go to my head! (7) Down 1 Fruit transported to Capri (7) 2 Doesn't find breathing easy, covering legs (5) 3 Cleaning item badly rusted (6) 4 Treasure discovered in a controversial place (5) 5 Produce a shrill sound with Les in trouble (7) 6 After religious instruction, heaven appears unsafe (5) 8 Dressing required impudence (5) 13 Race had degenerated into farce (7) 15 Severe criticism will warm (5) 16 Really bad films or The Birds seen in a farmyard? (7) 17 Admit there's a metric measure in tangled tape (6) 18 Chews the fat in a church at suppertime (5) 19 Garment Trish repaired (5) 21 Question the fence (5)

TIME OUT

28

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SUDOKU

QUICK

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Across 1 Sugary (5) 4 Army officer (5) 7 Ready for use (9) 8 Earth (4) 9 Makes fit or suitable (6) 12 Mentally quick and resourceful (6) 13 Bakery product (4) 16 Magnifier of images of distant objects (9) 18 Inn (5) 19 Revolves (5)

Down 1 Rescues (5) 2 Check closely (7) 3 Squad (4) 4 Song feature (6) 5/17 Miscellaneous collection of things sold together (3,3) 6 Tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems (5) 10 Trailblazer (7) 11 Utensil for holding something (6) 12 Take hold of, especially something in motion (5) 14 Movies (5) 15 Ship (4) 17 See 5

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

SOCK

QUIZ BACK DATE

Christmas cheer 1. ‘“Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug’ is the opening line of which famous novel, which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869? 2. In which fantasy novel, first published in 1950 (the best known in a series of seven works), is there ‘a century of perpetual winter with no Christmas’? 3. In which US city was Kevin M0cCallister (Macaulay Culkin) accidentally left home alone in the 1990 Christmas comedy film Home Alone? 4. What is the name of the rich Italian bread made made with eggs, butter, sultanas and candied peel, traditionally eaten at Christmas? 5. Which 1999 film James Bond film features model-turned-actress Denise Richards as nuclear physicist Dr Christmas Jones? 6. Which celebrated English journalist, short-story writer, poet and novelist wrote the first Royal Christmas Message, a radio broadcast by King George V on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Empire Service in 1932? 7. Which cricketer, born in Gloucester on Christmas Day in 1984, is England’s most-capped player and has captained the team in an English record 59 Tests and 69 ODIs? 8. Which famous actor played the part of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol? 9. Which Tamla Motown superstar appeared on the 1993 album Christmas in Vienna, alongside the Spanish tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras? 10. Which television cartoon family owns a pet dog named Santa’s Little Helper?

NONAGRAM

RACHEL AND FRIENDS

How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case R) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

Not a lot of people know that… US scientists calculated that Santa Claus would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the world’s presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at 650 miles a second

TARGET:

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

Average: 11 Good: 15 Very good: 22 Excellent: 28

Answers 1. LITTLE WOMEN (Louisa May Alcott), 2. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (part of The Chronicles of Narnia), 3. CHICAGO, 4. PANETTONE, 5. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, 6. RUDYARD KIPLING, 7. (Sir) ALASTAIR COOK, 8. (Sir) MICHAEL CAINE, 9. DIANA ROSS, 10. THE SIMPSONS

24 - 30 December 2020

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29

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Poor fitting footwear Tips to keep young can lead to injuries looking and live RUNNING may not be as good for your health as you think. Research by the Col­ lege of Podiatry found that running typically leaves peo­ ple nursing injuries for around 26 days each year. Their study found that ig­ noring foot or leg pain meant 13 per cent were forced to give up sport or running completely because it got worse and half of peo­ ple who take up a new sport or running get injured by wearing the wrong footwear. Two thirds of those asked admitted they do not replace trainers or running shoes un­ til they fall apart and 43 per cent confessed they’ve car­ ried on using uncomfortable footwear, because they look good, despite the pain. Wearing the wrong shoes for running can lead to in­

healthier for longer

FIT FOR PURPOSE: Shoes should be properly fitted before buying to avoid injury. juries such as shin splints, calf problems, lower back pain and hamstring strains. One in four had to get hospi­ tal treatment for their injury which also then puts people off their good intentions to run and exercise. The average Brit has two pairs of trainers, but only 19 per cent had a proper fitting

before buying and 33 per cent never tried them on having bought online. The College of Podiatry recom­ mends shoes are profession­ ally fitted, should be at least 1cm longer than the longest toe and should be fitted in the afternoon or evening when feet are at their longest.

PERFECT DOESN’T MEAN PRISTINE MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED HOW can I, someone with Bipolar have a column and not go completely insane? I know that whenever I write something down, even my shopping list, I have to write it out four times before it’s right, even tear the pages out and start again! Crossing it out makes it stand out, so that’s not an option writing over the error makes the mistake even more obvious.. I’m not catastrophising... this is a real curse! So just like this column, I sometimes worry that I may come across as being self absorbed, selfish or full of myself. Whether people find me annoying or simply are just not bothered about reading my column. However, I am learning that my lists are just like my life… it’s okay to make mistakes, cross them out, scribble with a different colour and even make a mess of it. Not everything has to be perfect. You can take that mistake or messiness and find the lesson and move on. You have to move on because it can’t be undone,

but if you sit with the error and let it become part of you, it’s then that you find the reason it happened and you can move on from it. I write everything down, things I need to do, things I need to buy, list of things I’d like to do but most likely won’t ever do, absolutely everything! It helps me keep on track... I don’t always get around to all of my to dos, but it helps me focus. I tend to get side tracked quite a lot (who would have thought!). I actually breathe more and stress less because my day is planned and my lists are made, I even make adjustments. I’m beginning to not care about the scribbles and see past the messiness. It didn’t make me less of a person. I didn’t feel out of control. There hasn’t been a major life threatening event because I spelt something incorrectly. It feels like freedom. So here I am, throwing myself to this week’s column. I’ve spilt my drink over me, I’ve worried about what to write and what not to write. So for god’s sake - if you make a mistake, make it big - cross that sh*t out and move on! Love Ms Bipolar X

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

THE life expectancy in England has risen 10 years for men since 1960 and eight years for women so it seems we are getting better at living longer, but how can we stay looking young and remain healthy for as long as possible? Change your mealtimes Some say the key to a longer, healthier life is constant change and avoiding routine as the brain thrives on uncertainty. The disruption stimulates body and mind and may help to ward off ageing and disability as when brain cells are stimulated, they

function better and last longer. Avoid old lady clothes No one wants to look like mutton dressed as lamb, but equally, dressing younger can help you look and, more impor­ tantly, feel younger. If you resist the temptation to behave in a certain way and refuse to as­ sume certain stereotypes mere­ ly because you are old, it can im­ prove your quality of life. Eat berries Researchers have found that eating antioxidant foods such as berries and tomatoes can re­

duce the damage caused by free radical molecules in the blood that are linked to ageing. Work standing up Too many of us live very sedentary lifestyles and now a number of employers are intro­ ducing desks for workers to be able to stand up at. Being able to move around isn’t just good from a physical perspective, it’s also good for your emotional well­being. However, a senior lecturer in the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease at the University of Liverpool believes everyone must find their balance between a healthy lifestyle and the pleasures from indulging in the occasional un­ healthy habits as being happy can ultimately help you live a longer and healthier life.

BERRIES: Delicious to eat and rich in antioxidants.

Bus it to lose weight DRIVING for more than an hour a day can make you larger than those who drive less than 15 minutes. Researchers from the Australian Catholic University found that more than an hour behind the wheel can lead to a weight gain of around 5lbs more than someone who spends less than 15 minutes in a car and add 1.5cm of fat to your waistline. Men are most at risk because they spend the most time behind the wheel. Elsewhere, scientists noted 64 per cent of people from the UK used a car as their main form of transport. For years governments have been promoting public transport for environ­ mental reasons but it could be healthier for you too. A study of more than 150,000 British people aged 40 to 69, those who walk, cycle, or use public transport have less body fat and lower BMI than motorists.

PETS

30

www.euroweeklynews.com • 24 - 30 December 2020

SPONSORED BY

Happy holidays from all of us at HouseSitMatch AS we look back to a unique year with all kinds of global challenges be­ cause of Covid­19, to say

nothing of the travel re­ strictions, we at HouseSit Match are looking forward to 2021 with great opti­

mism. Hope is very much on the horizon. We read daily about new vaccines, auto­ mated fever scanners be­ ing added to airports and public buildings, and gen­ eral awareness of how the virus can be managed. All these initiatives will help us all to get back to our normal routines. In that spirit we’d like to take a moment to wish all our members and follow­ ers the very best of health and good fortune in the coming year. Stay well and keep in touch. We look for­ ward to helping you find house and petsitters again soon! To find a house pet­sit­ ter go to www.Housesit Match.com.

Jackson is looking forward to a quiet time.

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Sport with your dog PHYSICAL activity has vital impor­ tance for humans and dogs and cats. This is also important for their mental health. Behavioural problems in a dog can arise from not giving him enough activity. The dog needs at least two long walks a day and if possible, if the area allows it and your pet is well socialised and educated, let him go so that he can run. The en­ counter with other dogs is essen­ tial for their socialisation. For the most sporty owners we have agili­ ty and canicross. In Agility, a guide guides a dog over a series of ob­ stacles, competing against the clock. The guide cannot touch the dog or the obstacles. Canicross consists of running with a dog tied to the waist of a guide with a belt and a line that goes to the dog’s harness. For these sports, both the owner and his pet must be in good physical shape. Although these sports can be performed by any breed and size of dog, medium to large size dogs are often used. If we want our pet to participate in this type of sport, we have to be sure our dog does not have any injuries. First of all, it must be checked by a vet.

Pocket-pet care

SMALL and relatively cheap and easy to keep, hamsters have been a popular pet for many years. Unlike mice, hamsters are not particularly interested in having company apart from making more hamsters, so can be kept individually without any major problems. They are nocturnal and tend to sleep most of the day before racing about at night. Essential equipment for hamster owners consists of a cage, exercise wheel, water bottle, food dish and bedding. While snazzy cages with mazes of plastic tubes look cool and are loved by children, they are not the best bet as they are difficult to keep clean and can also cause problems if a chubby hammy gets stuck in a narrow tube. Exercise wheels should be made of solid plastic, rather than old­fashioned wire ones which can easily cause injury. Grass hay, hamster pellets and fresh veg are all a ham­ ster needs to stay well­fed and healthy. Beware, however, that they love to stash food away which can quickly lead to rotting vegetables, so take care to search out and remove these stashes frequently. Sticks or chew toys are vital as the rodents’ teeth grow constantly and need wearing down and, like all pets, a constant supply of fresh water is vital. There are many different types of bedding available but be aware that litters which clump can cause digestive prob­ lems and softwood shavings can cause respiratory disease. As hamsters do not tend to be smelly animals, shredded pa­ per is the best option for bedding. Hamsters generally keep themselves well­groomed so only those with long hair will need occasional grooming with a soft brush. Gentle handling from an early age will be enough to train a hamster as an affectionate pet, but avoid waking them up during the day to stop them from getting grumpy.

24 - 30 December 2020 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

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SPORT

32

24 - 30 December 2020

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WALKING DEAD RESURRECTED

AFTER an absence of three months the Walking Dead players finally pulled on their jerseys for a friendly match against a team of ex Pro Footballers at the Finca Naundrup Calahonda last Wednesday night, December 16. This was what walking football is about. WD management described it as a ‘great game amongst nice old fellas. No argu­ ments, no bad challenges, no problems for the referee and a 4­4 score line which was a fair reflection on the game.’ Proud of their players, the WD manage­ ment see a good squad developing and now further training and friendly matches will continue to prepare them for the start of the new League Season on Sunday January 17 at the Finca Naundrup, kick off 11.30am. Aston Viñuela held their Awards Dinner on Saturday December 19. Congratulations go to (from left to right in the photo), Steve Muschamp, Manager’s Player of the Year, Dean McGuiness, Players’ Player of the Year and Paul Meredith Club Person of the Year. Steve has now retired as Manager and holds the post of Secretary on the League Management Committee. He has not re­ tired from playing however and will still turn out for the Viñuelans. Eyes and ears in the next few weeks will be listening and watching the news bulletins

European handball event

BEACH HANDBALL: Torrox will be the host.

AWARDS: Steve, Den and Paul. as Covid is fluctuating with improvement one week and down the next. Now it seems it will be touch and go and all depending on the Christmas period as to whether the new strain of the virus takes on necessitating new severe restrictions, possibly even lock­ down early in the New Year. This would be a major blow to the League. The situation is being monitored by the League Management Committee who will make a final decision at their meeting on Tuesday January 5. Are you 65 and over and reading this? Used to be a footballer in your day? You can be again? Make the dream come true. Walking Football is looking to recruit 65 and

overs to join in sessions at various venues along the Costa. Check it out at the websites www.walk ingfootballspain.com or www.walking footy.com or call 660 899 635. Spanish? No problem. We speak Spanish. Chance to shed these extra kilos you’re going to put on in the next few weeks... You Know It Makes Sense. That leaves me with no more to say ex­ cept A Very Merry Christmas to all at the Euro Weekly News who have given Walking Football tremendous backing throughout 2020 and to all players, members and fol­ lowers of the South of Spain Walking Foot­ ball Clubs.

TORROX will host 15 countries in a European club­level handball tour­ nament in 2021. Mayor Oscar Medina and coun­ cillor for Sports José Manuel Fer­ nández, said they are delighted the town has been chosen as the venue for the the European Hand­ ball Federation (EHF) finals next year. The announcement was made public at the weekend after a meeting of its Executive Commit­ tee held in Herning, Denmark, on the eve of the European Women’s Championship final. “It is a great honour and we thank the Royal Spanish Handball Federation for this recognition of the exceptional work we are doing

in Torrox for beach handball,” said Medina. “Our municipality has shown that it has not only the necessary infrastructure, but also the best cli­ mate to hold this type of beach handball tournament, being the venue in recent years for the Span­ ish Cup and now we follow the wake of countries like Italy, Greece or Hungary to also host this tour­ nament on a continental level,” he added. “The council is commited to re­ vitalising the economic activity of the municipality for the summer of 2021, trusting that in the coming months the situation of the pan­ demic will evolve favourably after starting vaccinations.”