Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 28 January - 3 February 2021 Issue 1856

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1856

28 Jan - 3 Feb 2021

News

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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LIONS CONTINUE SHARING

TEULADA-MORAIRA LIONS were extremely proud to help the local P roteccion Civil team.

I n the course of their work, Proteccion Civil volunteers realised that a portable shelter would be most useful when dealing with forest fires, processing migrants picked up on the coast or dealing with Covid vaccinations.

The versatile item would be put to good use, they said. “ W e have all become more aware of the work done by front line services like Proteccion Civil during the pandemic,” Helen Chapman, Teulada-Moraira Lions press officer, told the Euro

/f/teulada-moraira-lions as well as their website or Facebook page.

R eaders interested in learning more about the Lions’ work and possibly joining the T eulada- M oraira branch will find details at the www.tmlions.com web page. “ V olunteering can be a great way to get out and meet people and we try to have fun in all we do! Why not give it a try?” Helen said.

NEW SHELTER: Versatile equipment will be put to good use.

Weekly News.

“We were very pleased to be able to help and donated €4,000 to cover this purchase,” she said.

T he L ion’s D en charity

shop is currently closed owing to the level of the virus in the Teulada area, but it is still possible to contribute via their GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com

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28 January - 3 February 2021

Dampen those ashes!

THREE communal rubbish con­ tainers caught fire in Bolulla after residents dumped smouldering ashes from fires and stoves.

Local mayor Adrian Martinez has now displayed a municipal edict in each street of the small ­ population 400 ­ inland Marina Alta town, asking householders to ensure that embers are entire­

ly extinguished before throwing them away. “Each time we have been able to catch them in time,” Martinez said, referring to the fires. The main danger was the possibility that a fire in a rubbish container could spread to nearby cars or houses, he explained. “If these fires continue we shall have to take measures,” he warned.

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Health centre furore Sound

MEMBERS of residents’ asso­ ciations in Campello’s Muchavista district are peti­ tioning against the Generali­ tat’s decision to close their health centre.

The document calls for the centre to be reopened, with increased staff and ‘correct planification and organisa­ tion’ of public money.

Patients now have to visit the health centre in central Campello, 5.3 kilometres away from the closed centre.

As reported recently in the Euro Weekly News, Campel­ lo’s mayor Juanjo Berenguer described the closure as “hare­brained, absurd and il­ logical,” while pointing out that this contradicts official anti­Covid recommenda­ tions.

The residents’ associations maintain that closing the Muchavista centre will pre­ vent the health profession­ als from providing adequate assistance, with repercus­

sions on patients with condi­ tions requiring periodic con­ trols.

They will also have to visit the town centre at a time when the public are urged to travel as little as possible and to avoid overcrowding, they said.

Petition sheets were origi­ nally distributed to Muchav­ ista’s pharmacies and shops but are now available throughout the town, the as­ sociations announced.

Shakespeare on Zoom THE Blind Cupid Shakespeare Company is to host a live performance and fundraiser on Zoom and YouTube at 7pm on February 12.

This showcase consists of scenes, mono­ logues, sonnets and songs featuring the theme of love and features artists from all over world.

Attendance is donation­based but all pro­ ceeds will go towards bringing professional English­speaking Shakespeare productions to the Costa Blanca.

“Live production dates are dependent on the Covid­19 pandemic, but we hope to per­

form in some capacity in 2021,” said Blind Cu­ pid’s founder Joe Staton.

Joe, founder of The Blind Cupid Shakespeare Company, is a British actor who trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City.

He grew up on the Costa Blanca and hopes that Blind Cupid will inspire continued love of Shakespeare in the same community where he first discovered his love of the Bard.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/blindcupidshakes for tickets and reservations.

effects

JAVEA Town Hall will soon be putting its Municipal Acoustic Plan (PAM) on pub­ lic display.

Basically a Noise Map, the document evaluates levels of sound pollution and its findings have already been presented to all parties on the local council.

Municipal sources ex­ plained that broadly speak­ ing, traffic noise is Javea’s principal problem, particular­ ly during high season, as well as noise generated by the tourism and leisure industry.

At the same time, the doc­ ument maintained that noise pollution in Javea was much lower than in similar municipalities, even during the summer months.

The map established the percentage of Javea resi­ dents adversely affected by noise ranged from 0.6 per cent in daytime during the low season and 1.4 per cent at night in the tourist season.

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NIBS EXTRA Levelling row AN environmental activist complained to Busot Town Hall that land-levelling has destroyed a 19th century water deposit and trough in Casa de Tomasa. The earthworks also destroyed woodland on the property located on the Cabeço d’Or mountain that is officially listed as a Protected Asset.

Second chance SIX reconditioned laptops were presented to three Alfaz state schools through the Reactiva-T scheme giving a second life to old computers, mobiles and other electronic devices. All were donated by residents and repaired by local firms in the town hall’s bid to avoid waste and promote recycling.

Roof raised A SECTION of the roofing at the Antiu-Xixona turron factory in Jijona was ripped away by winds that occasionally reached 90kph last Friday January 22. Part of the debris fell on the street and the patio of the adjoining Sagrada Familia school, but no children were injured.

Takeaway plan WITH all bars and restaurants closed, Teulada-Moraira Town Hall’s Tourism department is supporting the hospitality trade by providing information about local businesses supplying takeaways. Those wishing to join the scheme should contact turismo@teuladamoraira.org or ring 965 745 168 or send a WhatsApp to 618 720 614.

Mayor’s pledge FINESTRAT Town Hall assigned €1 million to alleviating the social and economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although this was a significant amount for a municipality with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, Finestrat mayor Juanfran Perez Llorca pledged that while the need existed, “no-one would be alone.”

Queue jumpers GENERALITAT president Ximo Puig ordered that regional mayors who ignored protocol by skipping the queue and receiving the anti-Covid vaccine before they were eligible would not be receiving a second dose.

Those involved include husband-and-wife mayors of El Verger and Les Poblets in the Marina Alta.

28 January - 3 February 2021

Benidorm’s €500 windfalls ST VALENTINE’S DAY decorations can earn €500 for every commercial business in Benidorm.

Shops, bars, restaurants and cafeterias, even private passenger transport firms who decorate their windows or vehicles with St Valentine’s Day motives, will automatically receive €500.

B enidorm’s mayor T oni Perez explained that the initiative is included in the B enidorm te espera (Benidorm awaits you) campaign that is part of the town hall’s programme to alleviate the effects of the

BENIDORM AWAITS: Campaign to remind the world what they’re missing.

Covid-19 pandemic.

Participants had until January 26 to register for the drive

that begins on February 5 and continues until March 22, as once St Valentine’s Day has

come and gone, participants can then decorate for San Jose on March 19, which is also Father’s Day in Spain.

As well as €500 that is assured for all participants, there will be €3,000 for the best decoration, with €2,000 and €1,000 for the runnersup.

“The goal is to inject municipal resources in local businesses,” Perez said.

“The local government wants to contribute to revitalising the town and showing the world what awaits them in Benidorm once normality returns,” he declared.

Somewhere safe to stay AS the pandemic tightens its grip, Benidorm has repeated its March lockdown offer of free apartments for health professionals.

Talking to the local Spanish media, Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez explained that the town hall and the Costa Blanca hoteliers’ association Hosbec had offered the service out of loyalty to the health authorities.

“We have done what we did when the pandemic began,” ex­ plained Hosbec’s secretary general Nuria Montes.

“The apartments have all the facilities healthcare personnel need to be comfortable,” she said As well as offering safe, alternative accommodation for those

who are fighting the virus on the front line, they are also safe in the knowledge that they are not endangering their families, Perez said.

“Most of those who have accepted the offer live with part­ ners, children or elderly relatives,” he explained. “And they also need somewhere to rest.”

Nineteen health professionals took up the offer within a week and the figure is increasing, municipal sources said.

All work at the Marina Baja hospital in Villajoyosa and Benidorm’s health centres as well as staff from Hospital Clinica Benidorm and IMED Levante.

Marina Alta Films up for Goyas gets the wind up MARI CARMEN RONDA, Compromis councillor at Benissa Town Hall, criti­ cised plans to install nine wind turbines on Mallada Verda.

Each will be 100 metres high, with blades that are 178 metres across, Ronda revealed in the local Span­ ish press.

Five will be located in­ side Benissa with four where the Gata and Teula­ da boundaries meet, and the councillor pointed out that access roads to the site and cables will affect all three municipalities.

R o n d a n o t o n l y c o n­ demned the visual effect but maintained that the turbines should not be lo­ cated in areas with large p o p u l a t i o n s t h a t a r e a l­ ready heavily­built up.

TWO short films featured in last summer’s Alfaz Film Festival are contenders for Spain’s Oscars, the Goya awards.

Javier Marco’s A la Cara (To your face) and 16 de decembro directed by Alvaro Gago are two of the five films in the run­ ning for the 2021 Goyas.

A la Cara won Alfaz’s Best Actor award for Manolo Soto while Best Director award went to Alvaro Gato for 16 de de­ cembro.

“The fact that two films which won awards in Alfaz’s Film Festival have been shortlisted for the Goyas underlines our commitments to an event whose goal is to promote Spanish­ made films, and short films in particular,” said Alfaz’s mayor Vicente Arques.

Iconic bridges to be replaced REGIONAL rail operator FGV will replace the Line 9 bridges over the Algar in Altea and the Mascarat ravine in Calpe.

The tender to draw up plans for substitutes has now been put out to tender, the Generalitat revealed.

Although the iron bridges built between 1913 and 1915 were overhauled in 2015 they cannot safely take the weight of the dual diesel­electric trams that will cover Line 9 once modernisation has finished, FGV sources said.

More officers are needed ALTEA’S Local Police force recently lacked sufficient officers to cover the night shift.

According to reports in the Spanish media there were neither patrols nor offi­ cers at the station over the weekend be­ tween January 15 and 17.

Instead, a notice at the entrance to the Calle Calitx building announced that it was closed between 10pm and 6am, ad­ vising the public to contact Altea’s Guardia Civil in an emergency or ring the 112 number.

The local Guardia Civil also stepped up patrols and surveillance during this peri­ od, the Informacion newspaper revealed.

Personnel shortages have existed in Al­ tea for more than two years but vacan­ cies were not covered, the CSIF union that represents officers declared.

Officers have retired, some are recov­ ering from injuries sustained during ar­ rests, others are on sick leave with chron­ ic health complaints while still others are in quarantine.

“At present there are fewer than 40 of­ ficers when there should be at least 51,” CSIF sources said.

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Tail-wagging

happy endings THE Akira Dog Sanc­ tuary would like to hear everyone’s doggy story.

“Everybody loves a happy ending and we want to applaud the adopters and fosterers who help to create them for all the dogs who have had a poor start in life or were brought into our care,” Akira told the Euro Weekly News.

“You can submit just a photo and short caption or, if you prefer, tell us the story of how you and your new friend came together.”

Those who have fostered an Akira dog, giving it respite from shelter life or helping to socialise and prepare it for a forev er home, also have stories to tell, Akira added.

“Just email us a photo or two of your doggy pal ­ don’t worry about the size ­ accompa­ nied by up to 100 words to the akira newsletter@gmail.c om address.”

Akira’s Moraira shop remains open for business and is an important source of funds, thanks to customers and the volunteers who have continued to staff the shop dur­ ing the latest Covid outbreak.

Weather permit­ ting, AKIRA also has a bookstall at Moraira open­air market every sec­ ond, third and fourth Friday of the month, with a wide selection of books in English, German, Dutch, Spanish and French at bargain prices.

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28 January - 3 February 2021

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NEWS

Face of the Pandemic

SALVADOR ILLA said goodbye to Spain’s Ministry of Health this week, officially leaving his position of minister to become a candidate for ‘president’ of the Generalitat of Catalonia.

“I am taking with me all the families who have lost a loved one and all those who have suffered the disease,” Illa said in his last appearance after the Council of Ministers, in which he appeared accompanied by the minister spokesperson, María Jesús Montero, and the Minister of Social Securi-

ty, José Luis Escrivá.

After a year at the helm, Illa became the face of the pandemic in Spain, however, he assured the public that he feels himself to be “a public servant” and will always be “where he can be most useful.”

Illa will now dedicate himself as the candidate of the PSC to the Generalitat. His replacement is set to be the Minister of Territorial Policy, Carolina Darias, who in turn, could be relieved by the first secretary of the PSC, Miquel Iceta.

Help for young unemployed THE President Pedro Sanchez said the figures are ‘concerning,’ and revealed €750m will be used to im­ prove the employability of young people through a newly approved educational law, as well as strengthening skills and reviewing incen­ tives for hiring young people.

During a virtual meeting of the ‘Progress towards a New Social Contract’ panel, Sanchez pointed out that, in the context of the resilience and recovery plan, active employment policies will be modernised to improve the employability of young peo­ ple, for which more millions will be invested.

He promised incentives for hiring young people will be reviewed and apprenticeship contracts will be strength­ ened to ensure that they “are not used as cheap work.”

He also highlighted the role the new educational law can play, as “a commitment to the reinforcement of digi­ tal skills,” with a further €1.5 billion to improve digital training, especially among women.

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28 January - 3 February 2021

EURO WEEKLY NEWS: The UK’s trusted source for Spanish news THE major UK news out­ lets in the UK are now looking towards the Eu­ ro Weekly News to pro­ vide the latest stories that affect expats in Spain and holidaymak­ ers alike.

On Friday, January 22, news giants Sky News, the Metro and the Daily Mir­ ror quoted the Euro Week­ ly News publication, showing it as the most trusted source for Spanish news.

The Euro Weekly is Spain’s largest free local newspaper in English, and because the compa­ ny prides itself on bring­ ing the most up­to­date Spanish news to the ex­ pat and tourist commu­ nities, it is read by over half a million people every week.

As well as covering UK and international hap­ penings, the Euro Week­ ly endeavours to pro­ vide all the information that expats living in Spain need to know.

As well as the UK dailies looking to the Euro Weekly for Spanish news, BBC Radio makes it their first port of call to get the low­down on what’s really happing on Spanish soil.

Euro Weekly’s very own CEO, Michel Eues­ den is a regular guest,

trusted to give an ex­ pat’s perspective on life in Spain.

Michel was recently interview by BBC Radio Merseyside to give an insight into how Brexit

has affected the lives of the many thousands of expat residents in Spain.

For news that all the UK papers trust, visit Euro Weekly’s website or find us on Facebook.

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NEWS

Changes to rules for overtaking cyclists NEW LAW: Will be approved in next few months.

COVID Costs

Valencian Hotels THE impact of the pandemic has affected the hospitality industry as a whole across the world, with travel restrictions and curfews, perime­ ter closures and safety measures.

In Valencia, it has been no different, in the Hotel Situation Survey published on January 25 by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) it re­ veals that the hotels in the Valencian Community lost two­thirds of their business volume in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Specifically, they have received almost six million customers and 20 million fewer overnight stays than in 2019, drops of 63 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

The Valencian establishments have lost about 57,700 hotel nights every 24 hours. It is the effect of having hosted 3,393,555 travellers in 2020 compared to 9,324,721 in the pre­Covid year, who made 8,715,158 overnight stays compared to 29,789,538 in 2019.

THE Spanish Traffic Department, DGT, has announced new regulations are planned for overtaking cyclists on roads.

Once the changes come into effect drivers will have to leave 1.5 metres or more between their vehicle and the cyclists when overtaking, and the maximum speed when overtaking should be 20km/h below the speed limit for the road.

As long as it is safe and there are no vehicles coming in the opposite direction, including other bicycles, it is OK to go over a solid white line.

Failure to comply with the new measures could lead to fines of €200 and the loss of three points from the driver’s licence.

The change is part of the measures included in the Royal Decree which will change the Traffic Law and is expected to be approved in the next few months and come into effect before the end of this year.

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28 January - 3 February 2021

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Fines For Expired ITV DUE to the restrictions over the last year, many have not been able to ITV (MOT) their vehicles. Tráfico now requires the driver to prove “that he has an appointment for the vehicle’s ITV that was requested in advance of the expiration date that appears on the ITV card,” explained Francisco de las AlasPumariño Linde from the DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic) which is the government department responsible for the Spanish road transport network.

Thousands of citizens are liable to receive fines for driving with an expired ITV, however, the appointments are being given three and four months late

due to the collapse of the system and not the driver’s fault.

Tráfico has ordered that fines be filed for citizens who are penalised for driving with an expired ITV when they cannot show documentary evidence that they requested an appointment for the inspection of their vehicle in advance of the expiration date.

The DGT has issued the following instructions for ‘cases in which the ITV has expired after the end of the State of Alarm and for those provinces where it has been proven that it was not possible to attend the appointment requests for the ITV review’: • The sanctioning procedure

will be dismissed when it is proven that an appointment is available for the ITV review of the requested vehicle in advance of the expiration date that appears on the ITV sticker, stating the reason in the ‘observations’ section.

• Penalty procedures for expired ITV will continue when the appointment has been requested after the expiration date that appears on the ITV card.

So just to make it clear, book your ITV NOW if you haven’t already done so. Go to, or type in, https://www.itvcita.com. Add your licence plate number and date of registration for the vehicle and proceed to fill in the de-

‘Safe Shopping’ Project Launched THE city council of Granada has joined forces with the Provincial Federation of Commerce in order to promote the new ‘Safe Shopping’ project in the hope of boosting business in Granada. Small businesses in the capital will see the benefit of the distribution of some 2,000 units of hand gel and a further 2,000 masks.

The aim of the project is to help support local businesses and show residents that the local shops are safe to use, and that they are ready and waiting for them. The initiative was presented on Monday January 25 by Miguel Moreno, secretary of the Provincial Federation of Commerce and Manuel Olivares, councillor for Commerce, Employment and Entrepreneurship of Granada.

Olivares said that it is “a key moment for local commerce and with this collaboration we

are doing one more bit of help to support this important sector for the city of Granada. We know that it is not enough and that they are making a great effort.”

He also highlighted the fact that “we understand that the government team must collaborate and give them all possible help.”

The city of Granada also has other measures in place to promote local businesses and encourage trade. This includes thousands of vouchers for the use of public transport, and parking. Local residents can also have home deliveries made free in some circumstances.

A further initiative allows businesses to promote offers by the use of Bluetooth technology so that shoppers can learn about all the restaurant and commercial offers available in the area.

tails. You will be given a number (in red), that is your appointment number.

Print the document or download as a PDF and store on your mobile phone in case you get stopped by the police.

ITV: You need to have proof of your appointment.

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Four arrests after Help for Library violent assault

POLICE have arrested four men in connection with a violent break-in that saw a man thrown from his first-floor window out of his apartment.

Officers were called to reports of a violent break-in at an apartment in the Rufaza district of central Valencia. They arrived to find bloodstains across the flat, with two injured men inside.

A third victim had been

thrown from the first-floor window onto the block’s courtyard and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Detectives quickly established that the flat had been attacked by a gang of four men, who had assaulted its residents before fleeing with a stolen broken phone. Alongside smashed glass and bloodstains, a broken broom was found on the property which police believe

was used in the attack.

After a rapid and successful probe into the crime, four men of Pakistani origin have been arrested. They are to be charged with burglary, assault, intimidation, and other offences for their alleged violent assault on the apartment and its residents.

All of the arrested individuals reportedly have long previous criminal records.

City’s Brothel Breach A BROTHEL in Alicante where several of the sex workers had been diagnosed with Covid and con­ tinued working has been shut down in Alicante City for several breaches in coronavirus regula­ tions.

Officers responded to a tip­off from a concerned member of the public, and entered the brothel un­ dercover and in plainclothes. There they found a number of women working as prostitutes despite the fact that they had been tested positive for Covid. In addition, officers found that social distanc­ ing and other sanitary measures were being flouted

throughout the building.

In total, 19 people were sanctioned for violating Covid restrictions, including sex workers, clients and managers and the premises was shut down. Addi­ tionally, the brothel was slapped with fines for oper­ ating without a licence, operating without insurance and disobedience to authority.

One person in the brothel was arrested for viola­ tion of the Aliens Act and officials are consequently opening an investigation to establish if any of the workers have been illegally trafficked to Spain or were working there against their will.

THE Spanish National Library has asked for help to complete its videogames archive.

The library is looking for 6,000 games to add to its shelves, most of them from the 1980s.

The National Library, obviously does not only have books, and has been working on completing its videogame archive since February last year, when it held several meetings with associations in the sector: AEVI (Spanish Association of Videogames), AUIC (Association of Users of Classical Computing) and DEV (Spanish Association of Companies Producing and Developing Videogames and Entertainment Software).

The aim is to preserve a complete legacy of videogames distributed in Spain which, like books, magazines and other intellectual property formats, “are part of Spanish cultural heritage” and must be deposited in the National Library as part of the Legal Deposit Law.

One of the first objectives was to identify the total number of videogames produced in Spain in order to identify those that are missing.

The National Library has asked for help through social networks and via their web-

site to encourage players and associations to review the list and, if they have any of those missing, to donate them.

All the information about the titles in search and capture and how to donate it can be found on the website of the National Library.

Factory Roof Collapse INTENSE winds brought on by Storm Hortensia wreaked havoc up and down the country, and the Costa Blanca is no exception. Huge gales tore the roof off a nougat factory in Antiu-Xixona in the municipality of Alicante on Friday morning, January 22.

The Valencian Community was put under an amber weather alert as gale force winds swept in from the west, bringing much milder temperatures, but also winds that reached up to 100 kilometres in some areas, according to the state weather agency, AEMET. The gales toppled the factory roof shortly before 10.30 in the morning and the rubble crashed into the playground of the Sagrada Familia School in the town. Thankfully, all of the children were in the classrooms at the time of the incident and nobody was injured.

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28 January - 3 February 2021

Press Release

Specsavers advises health-focused resolutions for the New Year WITH many of us pledging to focus more on our health and well-being in the New Year, Specsavers Ópticas is urging people to make their eye health a top priority.

Mike Stone, a store director at the Specsavers Ópticas Javea and Calpe stores, said: “There is a genuine concern that some people may have a symptom-free condition that has gone undetected because they failed to attend a pre-booked sight test.

“We estimate that approximately 7,500 Specsavers Ópticas customers forewent their sight test last year due to lockdown restrictions. Our stores remain open for appointments, with a series of hygiene and personal protection measures in place to ensure a safe and reassuring experience. We would urge those who have not seen an optician in more than two years to book an appointment as a matter of urgency.”

Regular eye tests help pick up problems early, and can help prevent avoidable sight loss, as well as detecting wider health concerns too.

“As an essential service, opticians are not affected by the restrictions and we are open to provide the full breadth of optical services to customers, including eye tests, frame repairs and the sale of glasses and contact lenses. We are absolutely committed to making sure that everyone is taken care of in the best possible way, both in the test rooms and in the rest of the store. That’s why there are restrictions on the number of customers in the store at any one time,

SIGHT TEST: Putting safety first. and we’ve introduced the highest hygiene and personal protection measures. Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of all our customers and colleagues, so every measure that we have taken is designed to put safety first. Please request an appointment in advance to help with social distancing.”

To request an appointment and find your nearest store log on to specsavers.es/stores. For more information, including the new protection measures, please visit specsavers.es.

NEWS

FFP3 masks most effective protection THE Head of the Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Centre, Fernando Simon, has said this week that the most effective mask for self-protection against Covid-19 is the FFP3.

Simon, an epidemiologist, explained that the FFP3 mask is the most effective to protect oneself, while the FFP2 mask is slightly less effective.

The FFP3 mask is an Individual Protection System with a filter efficiency of 98 per cent to protect the person wearing it and those around them as long as it doesn’t have a valve.

Despite this, the traditional surgical mask is still slightly more effective in preventing people who have the virus from transmitting it to others, as they are designed to filter exhaled air.

Meanwhile, the FFP3, FFP2 (92 per cent efficient) and FFP1 (78 per cent efficient) are more effective at filter inhaled air.

He added that hygienic

FFP3: Most effective.

masks have a similar efficiency to the others.

FFP3 masks are designed for a single four to eight hours use, like the FFP2 and FFP1 masks.

They can be purchased in pharmacies, specialised shops and large shops, at a price of between €3 and €5. Meanwhile, a pack of 50 surgical masks generally costs around €10.

Microsoft Phone Scam POLICE in Alicante have arrested two men, aged 47 and 48, for posing as Microsoft technicians in order to swindle cash out of unsuspecting victims. The scammers phoned up their marks and told them there was a virus on their computer or phone and convinced them to download a program to fix it. This program then gave the fraudsters complete access to their victims’ devices, including their bank account.

The two men will be charged with a crime of fraud after swindling €27,000 with the scam.

The operation began after a woman reported that she had been contacted by a technician and was subsequently robbed. It was then picked up by the Alicante Judicial Police.

National Police have issued a warning about an increase in this type of scam throughout the country, and have advised potential victims that Microsoft never make unsolicited calls.

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Ryanair To Withdraw ‘Jab and Go’ Adverts R Y A N A I R has agreed to withdraw its ‘jab and go’ campaign after hundreds of complaints were made to the advertising watchdog. The budget carrier is under investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority over the promotion which encouraged potential holidaymakers to ‘jab and go’ following last month’s rollout of the Covid vaccine.

The Boxing Day promotion reportedly attracted more than 1,500 complaints to the A S A , who are now examining the campaign to see if any rules were breached. The airline said in the ad: “Covid vaccines are coming so book your Easter and summer holidays today with R yanair.” I t added that with a number of destinations on offer, customers “could jab and go.”

The ASA in Ireland (ASAI) ruled last week that the ad should not run in its current format again. The ASAI received 59 complaints about the Ryanair advert which encouraged consumers to book Easter and summer holiday flights as “vaccines are coming.”

The ASA in the UK, however, has still yet to publish a ruling on the advertising but Ryanair appeared to pre-empt a decision by saying said it “respectfully disagrees” with a ruling by the watchdog, though describing the advert as both “factual and accurate.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “The A S A’s ruling flies in the face of the UK’s successful vaccine rollout, however, even though this ruling is baseless, Ryanair will comply with it and the Jab & Go adverts will not run again.”

28 January - 3 February 2021

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Sanchez asks for Unity PRESIDENT, Pedro Sanchez, has called for national and Eu­ ropean unity to overcome the pandemic while pledging to implement the EU’s recovery fund to save the Spanish econ­ omy.

Speaking at the ‘European Funds, the Key to Recovery’ fo­ rum in Madrid, Pedro Sanchez said that the continent would need to collaborate in order to successfully recover from the Covid­19 pandemic.

The President said that Spain was working to success­ fully implement the €140 bil­ lion recovery fund, which re­ quires the country to implement major reforms in its tax regime and employment legislation. “Spain is capable, not only with its companies but also with its highly quali­ fied public officials, to be able to manage the funds in an op­ timal way,” he asserted, as some critics have questioned the country’s ability to effec­ tively manage the EU’s money.

“Unity saves companies, unity saves jobs, and without a

doubt, it saves lives,” said Sanchez, who has spearhead­ ed Spain’s government since 2018 as leader of the centre­ left PSOE party.

The Madrid­native praised the EU for its assistance to the PEDRO SANCHEZ: Speaking at the forum in Madrid.

bloc’s economic and social re­ covery from the pandemic.

“What we could not accept was to have a single market in which we have first, second or third class countries,” he said, highlighting the “positive re­ sponse” that the EU and the Spanish government has im­ plemented.

Guardia Civil’s TikTok growing IN the three months since its launch, the Guardia Civil official TikTok account has got 237,000 followers.

The Guardia Civil said in a statement when the profile was launched that the aim was to reach out to younger generations, as TikTok is most popular with youths, and transmit messages to them using their own language and media to highlight the work done by the force and guide those who might want to join.

The account now has around 80 videos and 1,800 messages, of which 98 per cent are positive and deal with matters such as fraud, gender violence, road safety, racism, safety, confinement and the use of masks amongst other subjects.

The Guardia Civil believe that it is important to be on the social network to get tips

and information to young people about things that interest them and warn them in a fun way of the dangers that can be caused by an incorrect use of social media.

They say that the reactions to their content have been very positive, however there has been some controversy, especially one video shared in December where officers were seen dancing to the song Jerusalema.

This video was criticised, when the Professional Guardia Civil Officers Union issued a statement saying that they felt “ashamed” of it. They referred to the union being used to share videos which have “nothing to do with the work of the G uardia C ivil” and complained that it was done to “satisfy personal interests instead of portraying the force in a good light.”

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28 January - 3 February 2021

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NEWS

All residents of Spain are eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccine

VACCINATION against Coronavirus in Spain began on December 27, and at the time of writing, 1,103,301 people had re­ ceived the first dose and more than 49,000 have received the second dose.

If you are wondering whether you will have any problems getting the vaccine in Spain because you’re not Spanish, the an­ swer is no.

The Spanish Ministry of Health made it clear in the Vaccination Plan that there will be no distinction between Spanish citi­ zens and foreigners, and that they will give the jab to everyone living in the country regardless of their legal status.

This includes illegal immigrants, home­ less people and anyone not registered on the Spanish Social Security System and/or without a health card, although it is un­ clear how they will be alerted.

However, it is not likely to include tourists or owners of holiday homes in Spain.

The government has also made it very clear that the vaccine will be FREE, and there will not be priority for people with

private health insurance.

The government has stressed that peo­ ple should wait to be contacted by the Health Authorities of the region in which they reside.

It is as yet unclear how people will be alerted that their time has arrived to re­ ceive the vaccine and where they need to go to get it, but to make sure you are in the system, ensure that you are on the padron (the local population census at your town hall), that your documents are updated with your current address and that your local health centre has you on their register. You will also most likely be asked to provide proof of identity and resi­ dence when you are given the vaccine.

The only group that is unlikely to be vac­ cinated against Covid­19 in Spain are chil­ dren.

A register will be kept of people who are called to get the vaccine but do not wish to do so.

The regional health authorities will be updating information periodically and we will publish more details as we have them.

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FEATURE

Inheritance tax in Spain and the concept of Chattels THE Inheritance Tax in Spain, is a personal tax (not relevant to companies), payable by the ben­ eficiaries of an inheritance. We want to talk about the definition of chattels in inheritance tax in Spain.

The concept of chattels.

The word Chattels (‘ajuar’ in Spanish) is defined as the set of furniture, belongings and clothes used in the home.

For the purposes of inheritance tax in Spain (IHT), article 15 of the Law says: The chattels will be part of the estate and will be valued at 3 per cent of the amount of the de­ ceased’s relict estate, unless the interested parties assign a higher value to it, or reliably prove it doesn’t exist or that its value is less than that resulting of the ap­ plication of the referred percent­ age.

Therefore, the IHT law does not define what chattels are but only explains its calculations, say­ ing that it will be 3 per cent of

the estate.

The chattels in the Spanish civil code.

On the other hand, in the Spanish civil code, it refers to the chattels (article 1321), as the clothes, furniture and belongings of the common habitual resi­ dence and excludes from it jew­ ellery, artwork, historical objects and other items of extraordinary value.

The problem of chattels for in­ heritance tax.

Thus, on the one hand, for civil purposes, the chattels (ajuar) re­ fer to movable property, etc linked to the habitual residence and personal use.

But for tax purposes, the inher­ itance tax rule bases its calcula­ tion on 3 per cent of all assets even if they are not for personal use.

For example, if the estate is formed of commercial properties and investments, from the civil point of view the estate is nothing to do with chattels. For tax pur­ poses however, it would be con­ sidered that the value of the chat­ tels is 3 per cent of the value of those items.

Change of doctrine of the Spanish Supreme Court (SC).

We must highlight the court decision dated 03/10/2020, Reso­ lution number: 342/2020.

In it, the Supreme Court changed its doctrine, stating that the chattels in the inheritance tax in Spain must be interpreted as follows: 1. As the movable assets as­ signed to the service of the family home or to the personal use of the deceased.

2. That for the purposes of its

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

calculation, 3 per cent should be charged on the assets related to private or personal use of the de­ ceased, excluding others. So, no 3 per cent need be charged on all of the estate as previously.

3. Therefore, money, shares, real estate assets (investments) or other intangible assets, should not be considered for the calcula­ tion of the 3 per cent.

This new interpretation is much more beneficial for individ­ uals, which will mean a fiscal sav­ ing in inheritance tax.

Likewise, if you have paid in­ heritance tax; the chattels calcula­ tion could be reviewed, and you could get part of the tax paid back.

You can check our services re­ lated to wills, inheritances and In­ heritance and Donation Tax and contact us through our website www.white­baos.com.

The information provided in this article is not intended to be le­ gal advice, it merely conveys infor­ mation related to legal issues.

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28 January - 3 February 2021

NEWS

Outrage over queues CHAMPAGNE SALES

THE Municipal Police in Madrid are still investigating a party at Barceló Theatre on Thursday, January 21, in which dozens of people gathered ‘dancing, jump­ ing and singing’ without a mask or social distancing.

But just 24 hours after the party was shut down, pho­ tographs have appeared on so­ cial media of long queues of people waiting to get into the nightclub despite a continued upward curve in infections and a curfew.

Just after 7pm on Friday night, January 22, several dozen peo­ ple queued outside the well­ known disco, and the images were shared through social net­

HIT RECORD HIGH

IN BREACH: The long queues outside a well-known disco. works, sparking outrage.

“After the scandal over the images of the Covid party at the Barceló Theatre, 24 hours later they are about to start a new party. Brainless people who only

look at their navel and authori­ ties who look the other way,” wrote one furious tweeter.

In a statement on Friday, the Barceló Theatre said it regretted the content of the images and explained that “immediately af­ ter” the images were shown, staff “expelled” the group of people from the premises “as quickly as possible... for breach of health regulations.”

The club said the gathering was a “spontaneous reaction from the public” and took place in a "”very specific area,” while adding that it will “reinforce the necessary internal measures” to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

CHAMPAGNE sales in Washing­ ton rose to record two­year highs as people discovered Trump was out.

The proprietors of liquor stores and many other shops recorded record sales of bubbly at the moment the people knew of ex­President Trump’s depar­ ture. More Champagne was sold in 48 hours than on two previ­ ous New Year’s Eves, which is an astonishing amount.

Clearly ecstatic Democrats de­ cided to let the good times roll and buy and drink as much as they could, breaking all previous records for Champagne sales in the city in one day.

Even pharmacies in the city say they were flooded with peo­ ple asking where they could buy a bottle of the fizzy stuff from.

The thought that for just one day in a city in November you could sell more Champagne than was sold on two New Year’s Eve nights is unthinkable, but clearly, that’s how happy or relieved the people were.

CHAMPAGNE: People celebrated Trump’s departure.

Just failing to comply AT around midday on Tuesday, January 19, the police reported, a man was seen coming out of a house in the Bellavista area of Sevilla by officers carrying out actions to prevent drugs sales and consumption. He was not wearing a mask and was thought to have gone to the area to buy drugs.

The officers approached him to ask him for ID and search him, and he became very hostile towards them, refusing to provide ID and attacking them while he shouted insults at them. His part­ ner, who was with him, also began to shout at the officers and encourage residents in the area to prevent the police from doing their job, so they began to throw items and stones at them from the surrounding balconies and terraces.

The police had to call in back­up and the man was eventually arrested, charged with failing to comply with health laws and for drugs possession, as the officers found cocaine and hashish hid­ den in his clothes.

Mistaken Identity TRUTH is stranger than fiction sometimes, and that could cer­ tainly be said about a bizarre case of mistaken identity in a

Galicia nursing home that saw a funeral being held for the wrong person, a mistake that wasn’t noticed for nearly two weeks.

Eighty­five­year­old Rogelia Blanco and Concepcion Arias, both residents at the San Bar­ tolome nursing home in Galicia, were transferred to hospital by ambulance on the same day af­ ter being diagnosed with coron­ avirus. Sadly, one of the ladies passed away while being treat­ ed at the centre of Pereiro de Aguiar in Ourense.

Staff at the nursing home welcomed ‘Concepcion’ home and posted an obituary and held a funeral for ‘Rogelia’.

Imagine their surprise when, some 10 days later, Rogelia, who lives at the nursing home with her husband Ramon, was spotted walking around the centre, very much alive.

The mortified staff then had to inform Concepcion’s family that she was the person who had sadly passed away and been buried.

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28 January - 3 February 2021

NEWS

Subsidised Business Loans Murcia Health Councillor

THE Generalitat of Valencia has announced that loans will be available for businesses in Costa Blanca subsidised up to 30 per cent from Thursday, January 21.

The regional government has made available €50 million.

According to the Valencian In­ stitute of Finance (IVF), loans of

between €15,000 and €750,000 will be made available to those hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, such as the hospitali­ ty industry, sport and leisure and travel agents.

The President of Valencia, Xi­ mo Puig, held a meeting on Wednesday, January 20, with

the Minister of Finance, Vicent Soler, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Francesc Colomer and the director of the Valencian In­ stitute of Finance, Manuel Illue­ ca, to begin rolling out the aid; it is the largest aid effort for these sectors that any autonomous government has made.

is forced to resign MURCIA Health Councillor, Manuel Villegas, has been forced to resign after it was revealed that he authorised Covid-19 vaccines for himself and other senior officials, breaching protocol.

The region’s President, Fernando Lopez-Miras, defended him, saying that his work up to now had been “exemplary.”

With him, Villegas apologised to the people of Murcia and pointed out that it was because of the fuss caused by the opposition that he had been forced to leave.

Just hours earlier, he had said that he would not be resigning, but in his latest appearance, he explained that he would be going back to cardiology.

The delay in Lopez-Miras and

MANUEL VILLEGAS: Authorised vaccine for himself.

Villegas coming forward with the statement regarding his resignation, meant that Murcia was not present in the Interterritorial Health Council at which it was decided that curfew would continue to be at 10pm.

Earlier in the day, Villegas had apologised to “anyone who felt offended” and explained that the fact that he and other members of the Murcia Re-

gional Health Council had received the vaccine when some of the groups at risk had not yet had it, was due to a misinterpretation of the Spanish Ministry of Health’s guidelines, which say that “other healthcare personnel” could receive the vaccine. He claimed that they had understood by this that the whole health care system should receive it.

Elche Hospital Sues THE General University Hospital of Elche has rubbished claims made by Maria Angeles Medina, President of the Valencia Society of Family Medicine (SVMFiC) and doctor at Vinalopo Hospital, that the over­crowded hos­ pital has been forced to use its chapel as a morgue for people who have died from coro­ navirus. In an interview with La Sexta Noche on Saturday, January 23, the doctor said that the chapel “is being used as a morgue” and that it “is now a checkpoint for the coffins that have to be transferred to the funeral home because they are accumulating.”

The Ministry of Universal Health and Public Health has confirmed on Sunday, January 24, that it will take legal action against Ms Medi­ na.

Hospital officials themselves reported on Saturday that eight beds had been moved in­ to the chapel as part of the emergency contin­ gency plans, but that these beds were to ac­ commodate non­Covid patients.

Vinalopo Salud distanced themselves from the doctor’s comments by writing on social media that “the personal statements of this professional do not represent the centre.”

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NEWS

Advertising Feature

InterOptics - experience a visionary approach VISION is one of the five senses we rely on the most.

We perceive up to 80 per cent of all impressions by means of our sight, and it goes without saying that protecting our vision is highly important.

So it’s comforting to know there are specialists like InterOptics in Alfaz del Pi on the Costa Blanca to ensure we have the best care possible with all the services of a professional optician at your fingertips.

The opticians, which celebrates its fifth anniversary in Alfaz in May, is more than an outlet for glasses, it’s a care centre that specialises in eye care and audiology.

“We are a health centre with extensive experience working in Africa and dealing with all types of eye conditions,” said Manager and Optician-optometrist Faye Gallagher, who works side-by-side with Optometrist Juan Jose Alcazar.

“Our main objective is to try to solve people’s visual and hearing problems and we offer complete and professional eye and hearing tests for free.

“There are a lot of opticians that sell glasses, and that’s all they do. We do that, but we also look into the health side of things, such as eye pressure and checking

INTEROPTICS: Me & Juanjo. for diabetes.

“We carry out complete exams to look into the pathologies of the eyes to look for eye diseases and disorders. InterOptics is a clinic that also sells all types of glasses. We are about caring and problem solving and if we detect problems that need to be dealt with we can refer clients to a GP.” And in light of the current health crisis,

Faye is quick to assure that all safety precautions are taken at the clinic, and always have been due to the nature of the team’s work.

“We have all the protocols in place and have always been strong on hygiene and disinfecting, we are a medical environment with extensive experience dealing with contagious infections, such as conjunctivitis which is highly infectious.

“The clinic has been affected like everybody by the pandemic, but we can’t complain. We have remained open throughout as we provide an essential service.

“We want people to know we are here and have everything prepared to ensure clients feel calm and safe.”

InterOptics is open six days a week, and in addition to offering a complete care package, sells glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, varifocals, and hearing aids, along with eye and ear treatments and cleaning products.

“We have a state-of-the-art assembly workshop so that your glasses are always perfect and in addition, we have a 24-hour service in stock single vision lenses because we understand the urgency of running out of glasses,” added Faye.

Carrer Prínceps d’Espanya 17, 03580 l’Alfàs del Pi, Alicante. • 965 033 038 • info@interoptics.es • www.interoptics.es Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm • Saturdays 10am to 1.30pm • Sunday closed • (June, July and August closed on Saturdays)

FEATURE

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28 January - 3 February 2021

EWN 21

4 things Brexit has changed for UK nationals in Spain What does the post-Brexit landscape look like for UK nationals who live or enjoy spending time in Spain? Here are 4 key things that changed on 1 January.

1. UK nationals are ‘third country’ nationals by default When the transition period ended, UK nationals lost the freedom to study, work and live in the EU. Fortunately, Britons who can prove they were legally settled in Spain in 2020 can maintain citizens’ rights protections under the Withdrawal Agreement.

This provides the right to come and go in Spain, with broadly the same access to benefits as citizens for as long as you remain resident here.

However, these rights will only apply to Spain. To unlock the freedom to live and work in any EU country, you need to become a full Spanish citizen (possible after ten years’ residence).

2. Non-EU residents can

By James Johnson, Associate Partner, Blevins Franks

only stay for a limited time Coronavirus restrictions aside, UK nationals without Spanish residence or EU citizenship can still travel to Spain visa-free – but only for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

This covers the entire Schengen zone, which includes most EU countries plus some EEA states. So if, for example, you stay in a Spanish holiday home for June to August, you will use up your allowance in one go

and be unable to re-enter Spain – or any other Schengen state, for any period of time – until the end of November.

Calculating your allowance is not so simple. As the time is treated as a rolling period, you need to count 180 days backwards from arrival and track your stay to ensure you will not exceed 90 days at any point. When planning trips to Europe, you therefore need to take extra care to avoid illegally overstaying or being denied entry.

strate you have “sufficient” annual income to support yourself and any dependents without relying on the state.

While this has always been a condition of EU residence, it has not always been enforced.

The income thresholds for non-EU/EEA nationals are also generally higher than for EU citizens.

There are special visas and fast-track residence programmes – such as the ‘golden visa’ – that can make moving to Spain much easier, so explore your options.

3. Applying for Spanish residence is now less straightforward Pre-Brexit, Britons did not always face stringent rules to become EU resident and could apply ‘in country’.

Now, those wanting to live in Spain have to meet the legal immigration requirements and provide the correct documentation to the relevant consulate/embassy in the UK before moving.

You also need to demon-

4. UK financial arrangements may not work as before Unless they have arrangements in place to work in the relevant EU country, UK banks, advisers and other financial providers may no longer be able to legally service EU residents. This is because Brexit dissolved automatic ‘passporting’ rights for UK financial services in the EU. So if you live in Spain and

Self-Employed Aid T H E Spanish government has offered a glimmer of hope for self-employed people (autonomos in Spanish) by making two amendments to their Covid relief efforts for freelancers, sole traders and business owners.

The original coronavirus aid package introduced by

the government in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, required the selfemployed to show that they had suffered a 75 per cent loss in earnings compared with the same quarter the previous year.

This was in direct contrast with those who were em-

ployed on contracts, as they were entitled to a standard ERTE payment of 80 per cent of their gross pay initially.

Under new government regulations, however, the self-employed will only have to show a 50 per cent loss of income due to Covid restrictions.

Millionaire Jabs for private YouTuber doctors needed

SPANISH entrepreneur and YouTuber, Ro­ muald Fons, recently made a whopping €1 million over a period of seven days by selling 1,500 subscriptions to his CreceTube course for €700 a pop. Fons specialises in digital mar­ keting, and his viral videos and courses teach others how to master the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and get more hits on the inter­ net.

His YouTube channel naturally appears at the top of a Google search, and he aims to show others just starting out the best ways to improve the content of their videos.

Fons currently employs 41 staff at his BIGSEO Agency and charges clients a whop­ ping €30,000 a year.

THE Board of Directors of the College of Physicians of Castellon (COMCAS) has called on the Ministry of Health to specify the date of the start of the vaccina­ tion of doctors who practise in private health, both on their own behalf and on behalf of others.

They argue this a ‘requirement’ due to the ‘lack of response and actions’ by the Administration.

As COMCAS has indicated in a statement, the re­ quirement is due to a situation of ‘uncertainty’ due to the ‘lack of information’ that doctors practising in the private sector receive.

Like them, the Board of Directors of COMCAS warns that with the accumulated delay “one of the priorities of the first phase of the vaccination plan that includes immunising front­line health personnel in the public and private sectors is not being ful­ filled.”

have a UK-based adviser, check your position. Also, if you have UK bank accounts or other investments, you may be restricted from making changes, such as moving funds or applying for new services. And in some cases, you may find UK assets and investments attract a higher tax bill now they are nonEU/EEA assets.

In any case, you should regularly check your tax and financial planning remains suitable for your family’s circumstances. Talk to a locallybased, cross-border specialist who can help you take advantage of available opportunities and ensure you are you are suitably prepared for this post-Brexit world.

Blevins Franks accepts no liability for any loss resulting from any action or inaction or omission as a result of reading this article, which is general in nature and not specific to your circumstances.

You can find other financial advisory articles by visiting our website here www.blevinsfranks.com.

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NEWS

Biden Reverses Trump Transgender Ban DONALD TRUMP’S controversial ban on transgender people serving in the military has been overturned by President Joe Biden. The president signed the executive order on Monday January 25 and stated “all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United

ALL AMERICANS: Can now serve in the Armed Forces.

WhatsApp in Hospital THE Residential Care Unit of the Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell (Barcelona) has launched a WhatsApp account for communication between families and elderly patients.

This initiative is aimed at relatives who are unable to visit due to restrictions or work during visiting hours, and for elderly patients without the use of a mobile phone, as reported by the hospital on Monday January 25.

The aim is to ‘respond to the difficulties of communication and accessibility that can occur in the exceptional circumstances’ that are being experienced during the pandemic.

However, the hospital has made it clear that it is not a service to replace usual contact via telephone with the care teams.

The families, once the patient is admitted, receive an SMS message with the telephone number to which they can send messages and which will be received by the patient, who will be the only one authorised to communicate with them.

Currently, at Taulí there are limitations on visits for all hospitalised patients, with the exception of those in Paediatrics, Mental Health and ICU/semi-critical care, each with their own schedules and regimes.

States should be able to serve.

“This is reinstating a position that previous commanders as well as the secretaries have supported and what I’m doing is letting all qualified Americans serve the country in uniform.”

He also commented that “Transgender personnel, if qualified in every other way, can serve their government in the United States military.”

The order was signed by the president as he met with Lloyd Austin, the new Defence Secretary, before Austin’s official swearing-in. The military also showed their support for the reversal of the order as the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, General Mark Miley was in attendance.

The administration commented that “President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity.”

Not everyone was in support of the decision as Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas took to Twitter and tweeted “Another ‘unifying’ move by the new Administration?”

NEWS

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28 January - 3 February 2021

EWN 23

Giant Fireball Over Madrid Organ Donation Network

STUNNING: Streaking across the sky.

Counterfeit Rum THE Guardia Civil’s Operation HITSMO has dismantled a mas­ sive international criminal gang who specialise in smuggling counterfeit alcohol into Spain.

The operation began in Cadiz back in 2019 when officials spotted bottles of fake rum in a wholesalers, and an investiga­ tion by the laboratory of the Criminalistics Service of the Guardia Civil found that these same counterfeits were in re­ tail outlets throughout the country.

The operation led to the seizure of more than 225,000

bottles of counterfeit rum, val­ ued at €3.5 million, and the ar­ rests of 24 people charged with crimes against Industrial Prop­ erty. The investigation, con­ ducted in conjunction with the European Anti­Fraud Office (OLAF), discovered that the booze was produced in the Do­ minican Republic, bottled in Honduras and then shipped to Spain, complete with fake la­ bels from China.

The counterfeit plonk was then distributed to large wholesalers throughout the country.

EARLY in the morning on Thurs­ day January 21, an asteroid hit the Earth’s atmosphere, at the staggering speed of 120,600 km/h. This then created a sight that could be seen in many parts of Spain, a giant fireball flying through Madrid’s sky.

While a stunning sight, it was not entirely unusual as on Janu­ ary 13 another fireball was spot­ ted streaking across the sky over Andalucia and towards Moroc­ co. This ball of fire passed through the sky at a speed of 65,000 km/h, at a much more viewer friendly hour than the Madrid one. The Andalucian meteor was seen at just after 10pm.

Madrid’s ball of fire shot thought the sky at 3.56am and was detected by the La Hita me­ teor observation station in La Puebla de Almoradiel which is in Toledo. The SMART project which is part of the Andalucia Astrophysics Institute (IAA­CSIC) recorded the event. They aim to study how the Earth’s atmos­ phere is effected by objects in space and they use constant sky monitoring to accomplish this.

THE Covid­19 pandemic has had many negative effects in the health sector but one not on everyone’s radar is the delay of the integration of private health­ care into the Spanish network for organ donation. Organ dona­ tion cannot be overlooked as it saves many lives each year.

In 2019 the Spanish National Transplant Organisation (ONT) celebrated its 30th anniversary and in January 2019 the Minister for Health, Consumption and So­ cial Well­being, María Luisa Carce­ do said “The ONT is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019 and do­

ing so by beating its own record once again after reaching a rate of 48 donors per million population and surpassing 5,300 organ trans­ plants, including all­time highs in kidney and lung transplantation.

“Donations from non­heart­ beating donors also increased by 10 per cent, consolidating their position as the main driving force behind the increase in organ do­ nations: one in three donors are now asystolic donors.”

The integration agreement was made in February 2019 and later approved in September, but the pandemic has delayed

the project.

On Monday Secretary of State for Health, Silvia Calzón said that she is working on the integration.

According to forecasts the inte­ gration would increase the num­ ber of organ donations by 10 per cent, which would result in an ad­ ditional 400 transplants each year. The pandemic has severely hit Spain and that has had a knock on effect on the number of trans­ plants carried out.

According to the ONT in 2020 over 1,000 fewer transplants oc­ curred than in 2019, and dona­ tions have fallen drastically.

Polish retail giant arrives BUDGET shoppers and job seekers alike will rejoice at the news that Polish retail giant Pepco is opening two new stores in Spain, one in Alicante and the other in Castellon, set to be up and running in the spring. The store, often called a Polish version of Primark, offers affordable clothes for men, women and children, as well as household items, toys and accessories.

Pepco opened its first store in 2004 and has since expanded all over Europe, with more than 2,100 outlets in Italy, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia and may more.

Pepco’s Director of Operations, Marcin Stanko, said that “Spanish consumers will have the opportunity to visit our stores and we are sure that our products will attract their interest and meet their expectations.”

The low-cost company currently employs around 20,000 people throughout central and northern Europe, and the immediate plans are to open 10 stores in Spain, creating more than 100 jobs. Pepco is currently looking for commercial premises in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

GERMANY

Unfair trade

Male chicks

TRADE bodies in Denmark are complaining to the government about what they see as unfair advantages given to supermarkets which are increasing their ranges of non-food goods to the financial detriment of small local shops which are tied up in red tape.

CHICKEN farms across the world slaughter male chicks after hatching as they are not suitable for eating but in 2022, Germany will be the first country to ban this practice and farmers will have to identify and destroy eggs bearing males.

NETHERLANDS

FRANCE

Heading home

High times

MANY were caught out by the sudden lockdown across the world and the Dutch Government has announced that during 2020, its diplomatic missions managed to assist 50,000 people to return back home after being stranded abroad compared to zero in 2019.

POLITICIANS from across the political spectrum are launching a public consultation to discover the general view of whether cannabis should be legalised and if, as they suspect, the response will be overwhelmingly in favour, they plan to lobby parliament for a change.

BELGIUM

NORWAY

Biden bonus

Skål

FOLLOWING the election of Donald Trump, the Café Zeezicht in Antwerp stopped the sale of all American products including Bourbon, Coca Cola and Tabasco, but has now announced that with Joe Biden elected as president the ban has finished.

FACING significant opposition in Parliament, the government has reversed its nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol in restaurants, although the ban will continue in bars which don’t serve food and a final decision may be made by local councils.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

Merca-donations MERCADONA donated the equivalent of 283,000 trolleys of food to almost 300 soup kitchens and 60 food banks in 2020.

The supermarket giant doubled its donations of food to social entities projects compared to 2019, gifting 17,000 tonnes of products to soup kitchens, food banks and other charities across Spain and Portugal.

The company also made additional donations throughout the year, such as the deliveries made in March and April to the Field Hospital set up at the Ifema Fair in Madrid to cope with Covid demand.

“Part of Mercadona’s Social Responsibility policy is to return to society part of what it receives from it. Thanks to this commitment, different institu-

Germany bans use of fabric face masks GERMANY has banned the use of fabric masks and will insist upon the use of either surgical masks or FFP2 to access public transport, shops or any of the few administrative offices which remain open.

Following a meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional presidents, it was decided that only professional masks offer acceptable levels of protection. The French government has also recommended not using fabric masks.

Lockdown in Germany, affecting the catering sector, leisure, culture, sports and commerce except supermarkets and pharmacies, as well as schools and nurseries, will remain in place until at least February 14.

tions and social entities throughout the territory receive the support and collaboration of the company to help those who need it most,” said the supermarket chain in a statement.

In Spain, Mercadona collaborates with the Spanish Federation of Food Banks ( FESBAL) and the Banco de Productos Acompartir

VAT Cut N’ Snip

THE owners of beauty salons, hairdressers and barbers on Wednesday, January 20, sent a manifesto to the Subdelegation of the Government demanding a reduction in the VAT rate from 21 per cent to 10 per cent. Owners have appealed to the government to grant concessions that will allow them to keep their businesses open.

The beauty sector as a whole has planned a protest involving 77 Spanish cities on January 20 as a plea to the Executive to aid the ‘agonising situation’ they find themselves in.

EWN 25

26 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

NEWS

Tons of meat confiscated

THE Guardia Civil, along with the collaboration of the ‘Vitan­ za operation’ have confiscated and destroyed thousands of ki­ los of meat destined for Mala­ ga.

In total 122,000 kilos of meat were involved in the illegal op­ eration. The accused were rela­ belling meat products and false­ ly redating the packages to suggest they were fresher.

The operation took place in three locations ­ Madrid , Told­ eo and Malaga and it’s under­ stood a group of meat compa­ nies involved in the distribution to stores across the provinces were involved. In total 10 com­ panies were found to be explicit

ILLEGAL: Thousands of kilos of meat were destroyed.

in the mislabelling and handling of meat products and also alter­ ing the point of origin of the product.

Frozen chicken, beef, pork and rabbit were the main prod­ ucts affected by the illegal han­ dling which the Madrid health body was investigating, and the Food Safety and Hygiene de­ partment of Madrid and An­ dalucia were jointly investigat­ ing, in this multi­million euro fraud.

Connecting patients

Pharmacies carry out antigen tests

THE Regional Hospital of Malaga has launched the ‘Massimo Colombi Programme’ and bought eight new tablets to connect Covid patients in isolation with relatives.

The initiative honours the recently deceased nurse who led the acquisition of online resources to promote communication between patients and their environment.

With this purchase, the hospital increases the devices within the Centre’s Humanisation Plan that are added to those donated by companies and institutions in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The devices have been made available to patients who do not have phones, who do not know how to use them or who, for reasons of admission, cannot do so due to health problems.

The hospital’s Director of Nursing, Carmen Bustamante, explained that from the beginning of the pandemic they were aware of the need to connect patients with their families.

“It began to be done thanks to the generosity of our professionals, who gave up their tablets or managed to make the isolation of these patients less harsh.

“Later, thanks to the solidarity of the people of Malaga, we began to receive devices that facilitated this connection in a more orderly fashion and in more floors and units.

“We have no doubt that emotional well-being contributes to a patient’s recovery,” she added.

The management of the Regional University Hospital of Malaga has decided that the project be called ‘Massimo Colombi Programme,’ in tribute to the nurse and union delegate of UGT who recently died of Covid.

THE Madrid Regional Government published an order on Thursday, January 21, so that pharmacies can begin antigen testing under the terms which were stipulated by the Ministry of Health, for screening in areas with a high rate of Covid-19 infections, if PCR tests are limited.

This is part of the regional Health Strategy, and the President of Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, said that the rapid tests would also be carried out in dental clinics.

The government has not authorised citizens to go to the pharmacy or dental clinic to get the test of their own accord, as Madrid regional government had proposed.

Diaz Ayuso said that the tests would be in pharmacies from February 1, and anyone who is authorised to have the test will have the information on their health card, as well as the test results. The health card will also be used to confirm which people have received the vaccine.

FINANCE Closed down THE hospitality industry in the UK has taken a knock in 2020 with 9,930 pubs and restaurants closing but perhaps surprisingly, 3,995 new venues having opened and it appears likely that major companies such as Wetherspoons are ready to pick up cheap fitted premises.

American interest US investment group Fidelity which owns a lot of Spanish stock has revealed that it has, for the first time, purchased shares in Endesa and now controls 1 per cent of the energy giant’s stock with its holding valued at €230 million.

Double standards THE cancellation of this year’s Glastonbury Festival has raised the matter of why the UK Government has introduced Covid-19 indemnity for films but not for music festivals which are currently unable to obtain cancellation insurance.

GDP forecast ANALYSTS at Spanish bank BBVA have lowered their growth forecast for Spain’s 2021 GDP from 6 per cent to 5.5 per cent but believe that the fastest rises by autonomous communities will be seen in the Balearic and Canary Islands.

Pets at Home UK specialist retailer Pets at Home with more than 450 stores seems to be riding the Covid-19 storm as trading figures for the last quarter of 2020 have improved by 18 per cent.

Income for that period was £302 million (€332 million) and the group has adapted to the lockdown by giving customers greater choice and flexibility.

As a designated essential retailer, they have launched a one-hour Click and Collect service across all of their stores and a Deliver to Car service across more than 150 outlets.

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 28 January - 3 February 2021

€300 million

is the amount raised for the MAPRE and Abante infrastructure fund, €100 million more than anticipated when first launched.

Competitive mortgage rates

Spain’s top tourist fair returns FOR many years, the FITUR international tourism fair has taken place in Madrid in January with partici­ pants from all over Spain as well as overseas.

Due to the Covid­19 pandemic the 2021 fair had to be postponed, but thanks to the fact that the national government has declared FITUR an Event of Exceptional Public Interest it will, subject to any last­ minute hitches, run from May 19 to 23 at the IFEMA

centre in Madrid.

So important is the tourist industry and this fair to the Spanish econo­ my that the declaration was included in Spain’s Na­ tional Budget and will be applicable for the next three years, although it can be extended.

This special legal status will enable FITUR to pro­ mote private sector partic­ ipation and will also help strengthen public­private cooperation links, bringing

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Can they reside nowhere?

My wife and I are British subjects. We have been travelling around Europe for the last three years, simply as tourists. We have no wish to register as resident anywhere, especially not where that will give us a taxation obligation. I as­ sume that British subjects can still visit as tourists to Spain?

We last arrived in Spain 4½ months ago and have been pretty much locked down since then. We now wish to travel to London to get Covid vaccinations, and then go from London to Dubai and back to Spain. Having been vaccinated, will we be allowed back into Spain before driving to Portugal? We will have spent less than 90 days from the beginning of the year in Spain. Will we have any problem enter­ ing Portugal? Thank you for any clarification.

S L (by email)

Your 90­day stay in Spain is not based YOU AND THE LAW on the calendar IN SPAIN year. It is 90 days in a 180­day period. You have already exceeded that limit. Further, this is an EU rule so you should not be al­ lowed to enter another EU country, like Portugal, until you have been absent from the entire EU for 90 days.

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.

THE total market value of all cryp­ tocurrencies went down by about €82 billion over a 48­hour period after the world’s top digital asset, bitcoin, slumped around 10 per cent last week.

Bitcoin was trading at €25,776.29 per token having lost nearly 10 per cent day to day, according to Coin­ marketcap.com. The world’s num­ ber­one cryptocurrency dropped al­

companies together to support recovery that has already produced such positive results in other ar­ eas of the economy.

IFEMA is working on the contents of FITUR Especial Recuperación Turismo (FI­ TUR Tourism Recovery Special Edition) and the fair will focus on the need to revitalise Spain’s lead­ ing industry to enhance its position as one of the foundations of the econo­ my.

The organisers say that it is important to empha­ sise how, over its 40­year history, FITUR has grown and consolidated its posi­ tion as one of the most ef­ fective tools for promot­ ing, developing, innovating and boosting the tourism industry in Spain.

Last year it attracted 11,040 companies from 165 countries and regions, 150,089 trade visitors and 111,089 visitors from the general public.

Raising living wages MULTINATIONAL brand Unilever has announced a wide­ranging set of commit­ ments and actions to help build a more equitable and in­ clusive society by raising living standards.

Unilever’s main commit­ ments include: Ensuring that everyone who directly provides goods and services to the company earns at least a living wage or income, by 2030.

Spending €2 billion annually with suppliers owned and managed by people from un­ der­represented groups, by 2025.

Pioneering new employ­ ment models for our em­ ployees, and equipping 10 million young people with essential skills to prepare them for job opportunities, by 2030.

Alan Jope, Unilever CEO, ex­ plained, “The two biggest threats that the world current­ ly faces are climate change and social inequality.

“The past year has un­ doubtedly widened the social divide, and decisive and collec­ tive action is needed to build a

Credit: UN Women/Ryan Brown flickr

BUSINESS EXTRA

28

Alan Jope Unilever CEO committed to change. society that helps to improve livelihoods, embraces diversi­ ty, nurtures talent, and offers opportunities for everyone.

“We believe the actions we are committing to will make Unilever a better, stronger business; ready for the huge societal changes we are expe­ riencing today ­ changes that will only accelerate. Without a healthy society, there cannot be a healthy business.”

This is the first major com­ pany to make this commit­ ment and the announcement was welcomed by Oxfam who are now dedicated to work alongside Unilever to assist in the implementation of the new programme.

WITH 1.4 million cus­ tomers, Openbank, the on­ line bank which is owned

by Grupo Santander is look­ ing to increase its share of the Spanish mortgage mar­ ket.

Its latest offers, sees a se­ ries of different fixed rates depending on the size of the loan against the value of the property.

The offers include an in­ terest rate from 1.45 per cent for those who finance up to 50 per cent of the val­ ue of the property for a max­ imum term of 10 years, then from 1.6 per cent for those borrowing between 51 and 70 per cent and interest of 1.7 per cent for those who wish to finance up to 80 per cent of the value.

John Lewis Partnership THE John Lewis Partnership has announced the early re­ payment of the £300 million (€330 million) HM Treasury and Bank of England Covid Corporate Financing Facility which was due for repay­ ment on March 15.

Despite the problems of the last year when John Lewis stores were closed for several months, the Partner­ ship believes it has sufficient liquidity going forward.

Trading during the peak months which included Black Friday and the Christ­ mas period, held up better than anticipated and as a re­ sult, they expect full­year profits to be ahead of expec­ tation.

Cryptocurrencies down most 18 per cent over the week.

Bitcoin has seen a wild rally in re­ cent weeks, briefly hitting $41,940 (€ 34,447.63) earlier in January be­ fore its recent sharp drop and the second most expensive cryptocur­ rency by market value, ether, was

also down around 10 per cent dur­ ing the same period.

Despite the latest drop, bitcoin has still seen rises over 150 per cent in the past three months.

Experts tied its rally to a number of factors, including growing inter­

est from large institutional in­ vestors.

Bitcoin’s recent price surge was also boosted by massive investor outflow from gold, which is com­ monly the preferred inflation hedge for traders.

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

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C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 25

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3I Group 1.153,50 1.153,50 Admiral Group 2.959,0 2.959,0 Anglo American 2.633,7 2.650,0 Antofagasta 1.515,50 1.519,00 Ashtead Group 3.846,0 3.853,0 Associated British Foods 2.264,3 2.264,3 AstraZeneca 7.860,0 7.853,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 581,60 584,00 Avast 528,50 528,50 Aveva 3.851,0 3.852,0 Aviva 350,60 352,50 B&M European Value Retail SA523,40 523,40 BAE Systems 477,89 481,94 Bank VTB DRC 0,957 0,957 Barclays 143,47 145,25 Barratt Developments 693,35 698,00 Berkeley 4.460,0 4.478,0 BHP Group 2.115,50 2.129,00 BP 289,33 291,30 British American Tobacco 2.753,0 2.755,0 British Land Company 438,00 443,20 BT Group 135,20 135,25 Bunzl 2.426,2 2.445,2 Burberry Group 1.748,0 1.764,0 Carnival 1.254,6 1.275,0 Centrica 50,12 50,68 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.275,0 2.282,0 Compass 1.378,50 1.395,50 CRH 3.230,0 3.233,0 Croda Intl 6.510,0 6.548,0 DCC 5.840,0 5.858,0 Diageo 2.915,7 2.918,2 DS Smith 385,50 388,00 EasyJet 741,38 770,61 Experian 2.627,2 2.647,0 Ferguson 9.152,0 9.182,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.390,0 14.455,0 Fresnillo 1.100,38 1.101,59 GlaxoSmithKline 1.395,39 1.397,40 Glencore 273,50 274,85 Halma 2.591,0 2.591,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.668,50 1.681,00 Hikma Pharma 2.519,74 2.519,74 HSBC 403,80 404,05 IAG 144,49 149,20 Imperial Brands 1.661,00 1.661,00 Informa 512,20 516,40 InterContinental 4.694,0 4.739,0 Intermediate Capital 1.743,79 1.746,57 Intertek 5.610,0 5.610,0 ITV 105,94 106,75

% CHG. 1.143,50 2.945,0 2.633,5 1.507,50 3.839,0 2.245,0 7.803,4 576,60 527,00 3.833,0 349,85 521,00 477,40 0,957 143,30 693,35 4.451,0 2.112,50 289,30 2.735,0 438,00 134,45 2.420,3 1.746,5 1.254,6 50,10 2.269,0 1.378,50 3.200,0 6.474,0 5.832,0 2.905,9 383,30 735,80 2.627,2 9.128,0 14.355,0 1.094,50 1.385,60 273,50 2.569,0 1.649,00 2.481,00 403,45 143,82 1.650,91 512,20 4.694,0 1.742,41 5.600,0 105,94

NET VOL 26,30K 2,51K 3,51K 5,73K 8,78K 0,07K 4,31K 93,55K 0,13K 2,87K 43,09K 24,30K 4,74K 0,11K 138,21K 3,39K 0,51K 112,76K 132,99K 46,11K 24,42K 545,95K 0,55K 7,50K 5,75K 145,65K 5,07K 0,62K 13,12K 4,01K 1,59K 3,13K 9,83K 124,20K 0,35K 2,78K 18,82K 1,37K 22,55K 47,47K 6,10K 11,07K 0,38K 28,84K 1,22M 3,91K 0,73K 9,03K 0,59K 0,95K 24,85K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

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

249,10 3.020,2 630,80 266,10 34,95 9.152,0 422,10 175,14 1.828,50 881,00 156,05 7.892,0 35,16 2.702,61 2.713,0 702,60 1.394,50 6.282,0 1.859,50 531,40 631,80 5.913,0 101,50 6,60 1.412,81 1.412,0 1.351,4 678,00 620,21 2.022,00 14,44 3.497,0 1.298,84 978,20 2.352,0 1.661,50 1.504,00 11.755,0 1.552,32 1.193,00 466,00 309,80 158,01 243,64 343,75 4.392,0 935,00 128,54 3.085,9 793,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

249,46 3.020,2 636,20 267,25 35,27 9.152,0 424,50 177,30 1.832,50 881,20 156,85 7.910,0 35,28 2.704,00 2.720,0 702,60 1.399,00 6.294,0 1.862,00 531,40 632,80 5.926,0 103,90 6,62 1.418,11 1.421,6 1.363,0 679,00 625,00 2.024,00 14,57 3.508,0 1.298,84 978,40 2.352,0 1.661,50 1.508,00 11.755,0 1.559,50 1.198,50 468,90 310,80 159,84 244,20 372,82 4.395,0 935,60 129,10 3.137,0 800,00

248,17 3.005,0 630,80 265,80 34,89 9.092,0 417,60 175,14 1.828,50 872,20 155,75 7.874,0 35,09 2.691,00 2.705,0 698,60 1.391,00 6.276,0 1.855,00 528,60 628,60 5.903,0 101,43 6,56 1.405,51 1.406,0 1.350,0 677,80 617,77 2.018,00 14,41 3.486,0 1.289,00 975,00 2.341,0 1.651,00 1.502,42 11.700,0 1.551,70 1.186,50 466,00 307,90 158,01 242,34 342,38 4.365,0 931,80 128,28 3.080,0 792,60

34,07K 2,92K 20,02K 82,45K 2,83M 3,92K 2,07K 35,40K 0,06K 208,82K 77,74K 0,12K 7,38K 4,16K 5,84K 7,39K 7,67K 13,94K 62,78K 34,39K 11,85K 2,31K 569,59K 219,50K 45,70K 139,59K 7,34K 7,29K 47,78K 2,06K 326,44K 2,33K 157,28K 10,18K 2,23K 12,30K 0,49K 0,86K 3,86K 9,21K 4,35K 47,53K 22,73K 105,57K 227,00K 86,07K 8,49K 641,65K 2,77K 62,98K

0.88812

1.12297 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.21771 Japan yen (JPY)......................................126.317 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.07796 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.43972 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.2961

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 25

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 169,04 1.901,05 3.292,23 253,50 139,07 205,84 191,94 91,73 44,77 48,49 274,50 289,39 284,00 202,25 118,61 56,66 163,55 133,79 213,38 80,98 225,95 139,35 130,00 225,77 846,64 347,55 57,47 202,02 146,33 172,78

CHANGE CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 170,20 167,24 2,35M 1.910,95 1.881,76 1,27M 3.321,91 3.283,16 2,82M 255,23 250,56 1,87M 139,85 135,02 114,46M 206,70 204,27 7,51M 192,82 189,31 2,03M 92,03 89,83 7,81M 44,89 44,23 14,64M 48,94 48,49 15,40M 278,47 272,00 21,95M 290,59 285,50 2,57M 285,08 277,87 4,50M 204,46 201,39 3,50M 120,70 117,36 38,06M 59,62 56,65 85,73M 165,16 161,87 8,14M 134,40 132,20 12,93M 214,14 211,17 2,20M 81,43 80,76 9,00M 230,07 225,80 30,17M 141,88 139,31 4,15M 131,47 129,99 7,20M 227,79 223,75 10,19M 848,00 828,62 20,07M 354,62 347,54 2,59M 57,69 56,76 16,36M 205,33 201,80 7,32M 147,34 145,12 6,41M 175,25 171,89 9,52M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 25

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+10.87% +5.40% +1.28% +5.39% +11.08% +5.67% +4.90% +6.92% +18.07% +10.08% +3.51%

1.13M 7,688 515,839 710,669 1.75M 2,818 292,828 1.25M 7.10M 4.34M 214,047

-6.84% -2.07% -5.98% -1.74% -0.45% -2.53% -2.91% -1.79% -2.99% -6.12% -2.38%

1.77M 356,695 186,113 296,521 2.82M 7.55M 495,373 690,685 290,243 171,956 2.59M

Most Advanced MicroStrategy Inc. Atrion Corp.

MercadoLibre Inc. SVB Financial Group Appian Corp. Cl A Daily Journal Corp.

BeiGene Ltd. ADR Quidel Corp.

Stitch Fix Inc. Cl A Affirm Holdings Inc. Cl A Amedisys Inc.

Most Declined Intuitive Surgical Inc. Booking Holdings Inc. Credit Acceptance Corp.

CoStar Group Inc. Amazon.com Inc. Netflix Inc. O'Reilly Automotive Inc. Align Technology Inc. Universal Display Corp.

World Acceptance Corp.

Autodesk Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Credit: Sint-Sixtus abbey

Trappist beer available

Trappist Westvleteren ready for shipping.

FOR years, beers brewed by Trappist Monks of the Bene­ dictine order have been con­ sidered some of the best in the world, but sales have been hit by the pandemic.

The monks of the Sint­Six­ tus abbey in Westvleteren in Belgium are to start deliver­ ing their beer although it is rationed to a crate of 24 bot­ tles for any one order.

It is only 18 months ago that they went online but still required customers to regis­ ter, place an order and collect their beer by car at appointed times having first confirmed their car registration number.

Then because of the lock­ down, the monks, who have the motto ‘brew to live, not live to brew’ had to suspend sales for several months.

Now they are back brewing sufficient to cover the needs

of the monastery and are also allowing collection again on the same terms although those who come to the monastery grounds, will be allowed 48 bottles.

There are just 14 monaster­ ies allowed to brew and sell Trappist beers, six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands and one each in Austria, Italy, the UK, France, Spain and the United States.

Although not as well­ known as the Chimay monastery which brews beer and sells cheese, the Trappist Westvleteren brew has achieved an aura of quality around its three different styles of beer, one blonde and two dark.

With relatively small pro­ duction, the monks will only sell their beer to private indi­ viduals in order to ensure

Foreign investment SPAIN’S Trade Secretary, Xiana Méndez, took part in the Eleventh Spain Investors Day (SID) economic forum in which she encouraged foreign companies to invest in Spain.

A new website has been set up encouraging investors to discover more about the way in which the Spanish economy is finding its feet again following a difficult 2020.

According to website eurasia.com, the minister said “In terms of Spanish international trade, the downward trend of our exports is moderating. In October 2020 (latest monthly figures available), exports grew by 8.74 per cent on the previous month.”

that as many as possible can enjoy their product at reason­ able prices.

BUSINESS EXTRA Back in business BANK OF ENGLAND Governor, Andrew Bailey speaking online said he expects that Britain’s economy will recover strongly as the country rolls out the vaccination programme at gathering speed suggesting that Britain will therefore be back in business quickly.

Solar power SPANISH energy supplier Iberdrola has struck a 10-year deal to supply solar powered electricity to French food manufacturer Danone’s 29 locations in Spain at a sum estimated at several million euros from a new facility currently being built.

Falkland Islands ONE result of Brexit is that as the UK Overseas Territories were not included in the Withdrawal Agreement, the Falkland Islands will see an immediate cut in EU subsidies and it is likely to encourage Argentina to renew its sovereignty claims.

28 January - 3 February 2021

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28 January - 3 February 2021

BOOHOO To Purchase Debenhams store ONLINE fashion retailer Boohoo are lining up the purchase of troubled department store chain Debenhams, for a reputed cut­price £50 million, according to reports.

Administrators for Debenhams, the FRP Advisory, had a few days ago allegedly said they were talking with ‘third parties re­ garding the sale of all or parts of the business,’ but apparently, neither company would comment on that.

The flagship 242­year­old Debenhams store on London’s Ox­ ford Street started the liquidation process back in December 2020 after a potential take­over rescue deal fell through, al­ though Debenhams itself had been in administration since April of last year, allegedly having already been in financial dif­ ficulty long before the pandemic.

Home Covid Tests GERMANY’S Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn wants to change the rules and lift the so­called ‘doctor’s reserva­ tion’ for the tests so that consumers can buy the Covid tests in the pharmacy themselves and take them at home.

According to Jens Spahn: “Tests for self­application [at home] will play a decisive role in containing the pandemic in the future.”

The North­Rhine Pharmacists’ Association welcomes Spahn’s plans: “Studies show that [laypeople] also achieve good test results,” said association boss Thomas Preis.

The test is expected to come as a spit and gargle test, “this makes handling easier than swabbing the throat with a cotton swab.”

FEATURE

Feel free to speak freely LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT QUITE frankly, I believe the new Netflix series of Bridgerton is a long way from the lighthearted ‘bit of fun’ the makers and actors would have us believe. This grossly inaccurate ‘historical’ piece, sets yet another precedent of dangerous appeasement which now seems to have no bounds in its relentless erosion of British history and its heritage.

In this series, set in the Regency period, many of the main characters are depicted as black aristocracy. Even the Queen Charlotte is portrayed by black actress Golda Rosheuvel.

To me the whole presentation is misleading and offensive. With the exception perhaps of Dido Elizabeth Bell, who was the daughter of a British naval officer and a Caribbean slave, (and is herself the subject of a new historically correct movie to be released later this year) there were no black members of British aristocracy at that time, or even any other historical period, unless you

count the occasional Moor in the Tudor era. It’s all very well for those responsible to shrug it off as ‘a bit of fun’ or ‘we were all simply having a laugh,’ they fail to take into account that to many of today’s youngsters, movies and presentations of this ilk are the nearest they get to learning anything at all about the culture and heritage of the country they live in.

You simply cannot trust the woke and left wing influenced teachers that abound in the British education system, to teach its ever increasing ethnic pupil base the true historical past of the UK. They are too busy being ‘ashamed’ and trying to erase or airbrush the more dubious actions of our ancestors, instead of proudly teaching of the magnificent achievements and constructive input they have given to the world. Don’t take my word for it.

Leicester University has just announced they are planning to decolonise their English language studies by shelving works of English literature that they consider ‘too white’! Chaucer and his important works of Canterbury Tales and Beowulf are among the first to

go. You really do wonder where it is all going to end. Briefly returning to the casting of the farcical Bridgerton, can you imagine the furor and protests that would have ensued should they have cast a white woman in the role of Whitney Houston? Or Benedict Cumberbatch as Mandela? Ludicrous?

No more than casting a black woman as the Queen of England! Once again, I’m fully prepared for the accusations of racism I am bound to receive for this piece.

The irony is that I am so utterly against racism, I cannot help but speak out when I see it, this evil doctrine constantly practised under the guise of the so­called diversity and equality which is utterly destroying the heritage of a once great country; and in doing so not only biting the hand that feeds it, but positively gnawing on it.

Thanks for all your comments. Feel free to speak freely. And whatever you do always ­ 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.

THURSDAY 4:45pm

28 JANUARY

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TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY

WEDNESDAY 3 FEBRUARY

The Farmers' Country Showdown The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News Party Political Broadcast The One Show EastEnders Pooch Perfect Death in Paradise

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Celebrity Best Home Cook Best Bakes Ever Joan of Arc Talking Pictures Flog It! The Real Marigold on Tour Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Stormborn Comedy Connections Dad's Army QI XL

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ITV Racing Live Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals Lingo ITV News and Weather ITV News London Celebrity Catchphrase The Masked Singer The Voice UK Paul Sinha's TV Showdown

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Celebrity Best Home Cook Le Mans The Train Flog It! Lightning Ski Sunday Cornwall: This Fishing Life Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve

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ITV London Weather South Africa with Gregg Wallace Kindergarten Cop ITV News and Weather ITV News London The Chase: Celebrity Special Dancing on Ice Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

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Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge Mastermind Only Connect University Challenge Cornwall: This Fishing Life

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Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Life Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Rick Stein's Secret France Interior Design Masters This World

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Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale South Africa with Gregg Wallace Joanna Lumley's Home Marcella

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Black and British: A Forgotten History Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Life Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Rick Stein's Secret France This Farming Life

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Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Cornwall and Devon Walks with Julia Bradbury Coronation Street

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Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Secret Safari: Into the Wild Location, Location, Location Channel 4 News Independence Day Deadpool 2 Warcraft

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Shut-Ins: Britain's Fattest People

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A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it Grand Designs Britain's Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire

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Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Paul Merton in China Natural History Museum: World of Wonder Hadrian's Wall with Robson Green

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Jesse Stone: Sea Change 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The World's Most Expensive Cruise Ship Susan Calman's Grand Day Out The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys

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The Proposal 5 News Update The Proposal 5 News Weekend Cruising with Jane McDonald Posh Hotels with Sally & Nigel Secrets of the Royal Palaces When the Middletons

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Friends Friends Friends Greatest Hits of the The Great Plague: Outbreak 5 News Weekend The Wonderful World of Cake Filthy House SOS Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday

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Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Goals on Sunday Goals on Sunday Live European Tour Golf Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports News

Cruising with Jane McDonald Dangerous Bestie 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights Police Interceptors The Drowning

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Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live Abu Dhabi T10 Sky Sports News Scottish Premiership Live Sky Sports News

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Live European Tour Golf Live Test Cricket Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live PGA Tour Golf Live PGA Tour Golf Live NBA: LA Clippers @ Miami 28.01 Live America's Cup Sailing Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live Abu Dhabi T10 Live Abu Dhabi T10 The Women's Football Show The Transfer Show Live EFL Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports News Live NBA: Milwaukee @ New Orleans 29.01 Live Test Cricket Live EFL Live EFL Live Premier League Live Premier League Live NBA: Portland @ Chicago 30.01 Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live NBA: LA Lakers @ Boston 30.01

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36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

FEATURE

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

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to support local businesses in the com­ munity by going local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super­ stores.

This lockdown and with Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butch­ ers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky inde­ pendent 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 services they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lockdown restrictions.

The joy of shopping local means that independent busi­ nesses can help support the local community.

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or online, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an independent

store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way.

Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actu­ ally much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, 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 support­ ing someone’s dream and am­ bition, 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 multinational and chains.

So be sure to pre­order your meat from a local butch­ er and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us re­ vive that community spirit and get to know our neigh­ bours again.

28 January - 3 February 2021

You could also consider purchasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, think­ ing outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas.

Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a lo­ cal studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path.

As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre­ paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping people alleviate stress and worry , give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times.

Choosing to spend your 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 lo­ cal economy in two ways.

First, buying local keeps mon­ ey circulating within the local economy.

Studies have shown that lo­ cal businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned supply 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 retailers.

Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of each transaction. For exam­ ple, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce.

First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn 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 supplies from a neighbour­ hood hardware store. This ex­ ample illustrates how the re­ circulation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and com­ munities.

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.

A fantastic example of how to support your local commu­ nity is with a Charity Gift cer­ tificate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause.

Just remember to follow the latest government advice and any guidance businesses have to keep everyone safe.

EWN 37

38 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

Expat Military Permission BREXIT is set to cause yet more complications for British expats in certain areas of Costa Blanca as a pre-constitutional law known as the Francoist law will require property buyers to apply for special approval from the military.

The Provincial Association of Promoters (Provia) warned on Wednesday, January 20, that non-EU citizens wanting to purchase properties in areas of military interest will require a special permit issued by the Ministry of Defence, which could delay the sale of some 800 homes per year. According to Provia, most of these properties are located in Torrevieja, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada and San Miguel de Salinas.

Portable Chapel Lost THE Granada town of Montefrio is mourning the loss of its rather unique, centurylong tradition.

For more than 100 years, a ‘portable chapel’ of patron saint of the municipality Virgin de los Remedios, travels from home to home, spending two hours in each house before being passed on to a neighbour. Sadly, during the coronavirus lockdown in

March, the Virgin went missing, and locals fear she may be forgotten in a house of someone who passed away from Covid.

Local women, Concepción Pérez and Pilar Carralcasar, both aged 75, have launched a Facebook campaign to locate the effigy so that she can once again visit homes in the municipality and offer comfort to those who are unwell.

DAVID WORBOYS IN the late 90s I saw a Bentley Continental with Swiss plates parked right in front of the entrance to the prestigious Negresco Hotel in Nice. The registration number sent out as much of a statement as the location and the automobile itself: GE 1.

This scene encapsulated everything to do with wealth, privilege and status. But was the owner entitled to park in this cov­ eted spot or just flaunting his or her im­ age? Was he or she a person of consider­ able means and influence or a high­ ranking official in Geneva? And had such status or wealth been acquired ethically or to the detriment of others?

The issue of ‘personalised’ number plates is particularly interesting in the UK. Today motorists pay obscene sums for the unashamed flaunting of ‘success.’ The genuinely successful Richard Fauntleroy­ Clavering may feel in need of an extra ego­ boost and therefore pay over £100,000 for RFC 1, possibly unaware that this tribute to himself could feed a needy family of four for several years. Or it could buy an Aston Martin for a less successful but loyal friend.

There was a time when the objective seemed to be inspired by humour. As the

FEATURE

VANITY PLATES

PERSONALISED PLATES: If find them a distasteful waste of money. figure 1 was virtually indistinguishable from the letter I, those able to afford it would buy registration numbers such as HOP 1N, COM 1C, NAT 10N and SOD 1T. It may be acceptable to substitute I with 1 and O with 0 but these are surely the only reasonable interchanges.

What is truly pitiable is the public ad­ mission of failure by those unable to af­ ford the real thing. The recently advertised asking price for COL 7N was £55,000. It seems obvious that the 7 is meant to rep­ resent the letter I in Colin. But the price for COL 1N would probably be unaffordable to Colin. Similarly, Allan, who cannot stretch to ALLAN, will have to make do with ALL 4N, hoping that his peers will in­ terpret the 4 as an A. Likewise S is substi­ tuted by 5, G by 6, Z by 2 and H by 8. LA66

ARD is a desperate attempt at the word ‘laggard.’ GL45 SES means ‘glasses’ and it’s yours for £3,495.

The statement sent out is ‘I’ve fallen behind. I’d like to have a meaningful vani­ ty plate that spells an actual word or name but I can’t afford a proper one. This is the best I can do.’ Even assuming any friend or neighbour to be impressed by this, what is the point? There is, of course, nothing wrong in owning an expensive car ­ or any other quality possession ­ so long as it is honestly earned and not flaunted.

The sole purpose of a costly number plate is self enhancement and, given our growing awareness of the billions of des­ perately underprivileged fellow beings worldwide, I find this particular waste of money distasteful.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

EWN 39

Who’s pulling your strings?

ROBERT SHALLIS DO you see yourself as the puppet or the puppeteer? The person in control or the person being controlled? All too of­ ten in life, we allow our strings to be pulled in one direction or another, al­ lowing things to happen to us rather than taking control and allowing things to happen for us.

However, sometimes it can feel im­ possible to control something outside of ourselves and therefore, allow it to influ­ ence and effectively manage our lives which is what many of us tend to do.

‘Oh well, it is what it is, what can I do about it?’ Is a very familiar response for those who feel they have no real influ­ ence and effectively relinquish responsi­ bility.

A famous General once said: “I cannot trust a man to control others who can­ not control himself.”

The key aspect of that quote is that as much as we can feel governed by our so­

BREAK FREE: Take control and start to look at things differently.

called puppet masters, we actually have more control than we think. We have control of ourselves by way of our atti­ tude towards dealing with situations. Of course, there are many things that we cannot control, but just because we can­ not control them, to varying degrees, we do not need to allow them to determine our well­being, that is entirely our choice, hard as it may seem at times, it is impor­ tant to remember.

We cannot control other people’s deepest thoughts and emotions no more can they us. What we have com­ plete power over are our very own thoughts, feelings and emotions, and in turn, actions. It starts with us, so under­ standing ourselves is the key to cutting the all controlling strings that, if we allow them will determine our daily lives.

So how do you free yourself from the puppet master and break free? Well firstly, it’s important to know that chang­ ing the way we view a situation can easi­ ly change our thoughts and opinions around it.

With the current pandemic, many people feel trapped and helpless, buying into the constant conspiracy theories

and the doom and gloom surrounding it.

Others are focused on a more positive outcome and choose not to buy into the everyday drama and negativity which is so prevalent at the moment.

Breaking the habit of the attachment to the current drama is key because only then can you start to attach yourself to a more positive, healthier, happier out­ come. You would have then freed your­ self from that all controlling negative way of being. Our thoughts create our feel­ ings so what better time to start thinking differently in order to feel different.

It’s a choice we all have. Once you start to look at things in a different way, a more positive way, then those things ac­ tually start to look different to you. This is why two different people can experi­ ence the very same thing, yet perceive it completely differently.

So, take note of your behavioural pat­ tern and thoughts, especially in the cur­ rent climate. Take control and break free from the puppet master. Let go of those all too familiar negative assumptions and know that you now have a choice to cre­ ate a different reality.

Rob Shallis www.robshallis.com

Advertising Feature FUNERALS are mostly sad, dark and depressing but it really doesn’t need to be that way. They can be warm-hearted, wonderful, quirky, and most importantly personal, personalisation is a great way to turn a funeral into a celebration of life. Golden Leaves can help you preplan a funeral that is unique to you.

ONE of the most common requests from peo­ ple who talk about their funeral plans is ‘no black.’ While some will just ask for people to wear their favourite colour or their favourite sports team’s kit, many have more specific re­ quests, such as Hawaiian shirts or even multi­ coloured wellies. One Glastonbury fan had the unique request everyone who attended their funeral wore wellies in honour of a shared love of the festival, one lady request­ ed the funeral service be decorated with fruits and vegetables instead of flowers and why not... It’s your day after all.

Arrive in style Unconventional transport is a popular re­ quest. Why have a hearse when you can arrive in an old fire engine, an old fashioned milk float or a horse drawn carriage?

The Ashes What to do with the ashes is a question

Be Bold most people look to have sentimental mean­ ing, people’s ashes being made into jewellery has become a very popular trend and with new technology it’s now possible that from your ashes can grow a beautiful diamond, or sometimes they’re put into a firework to ‘go off with a bang!’

Make it personal Most of us don’t like talking about death, and it is a conversation we’ll avoid, often until it’s too late. But, if you want a funeral personal to you, now is the time to make your plans, and the Golden Leaves team of experts are waiting to help you, they are also offering €150 off all pre­paid funeral plans through the month of December making it even more af­ fordable. The team at Golden Leaves have over 30 years’ experience, so no matter your requests we are sure they will be able to help you.

Create a memory table One of the essentials of any personalised fu­

neral service is a memory table. We love memory tables because you can do so much with them. You could even make multiple memory tables that are set­up like ‘stations’ to repre­ sent different chapters or passions in your life. The possibilities truly are endless here.

Sow seeds of love In many cultures and traditions, planting a tree is a way of symbolising important occa­ sions, including birth, marriage, and death.

Embrace the tradition by either packaging seeds for a particular plant that service guests can bring home to plant their memorial tree or flower, or gathering attendees together for a joint planting in someplace special.

Create ‘Fun Fact’ Cards A funeral service is a once in a lifetime chance to celebrate the life you’ve lived, tell your story, and share all of the unique details that made you who you were. But sometimes this is hard to do in just an hour­long funeral

service. Fun fact cards are an in­ teresting way to spice up your fu­ neral programme, all you have to do is simply print them out and easily incorporate into your funeral service, or give them away at the wake afterwards to encourage positive conversations and memories.

When you leave behind your loved ones, having a funeral plan in place provides not only peace of mind knowing they avoid the finan­ cial burden, but it allows them time to grieve and support one another without the stress of organising a funeral and trying to guess how you would like things. Whilst planning your fu­ neral may appear to be a morbid thing to do, it can actually remove a huge weight from your shoulders in knowing you have taken care of your family through what will be a very diffi­ cult time for them.

www.goldenleavesinternational.com • info@goldenleavesinternational.com • Facebook: goldenleavesspain

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

CORREOS SCAM RE the scam of the Correos texts, I had two last Monday 18/Tuesday19 telling me my shipment was on its way. Two different numbers, I thought it was a scam, as Correos wouldn’t text, they leave notification in my mail box, plus I wasn’t expecting anything, I text back, no texts, call me, no one did.

I rang from an outside landline, and both numbers, were unavailable, I heard no more, but on Friday 22/ Saturday 23, another two texts, different numbers, telling me from DHL, a packet was on its way, click here to track, of course I didn’t, and just deleted. So just a warning, they will try different ways and I was quite happy when I saw in your paper that the police were aware. Let’s hope people stay aware of these scammers.

Thank you.

V Imosdi

OUR VIEW Overcome frustration IT seems that frustration is becoming more and more of an indicator of the mood of people not just in Spain but around the world.

For almost a year in Europe, we have had to cope with the problems of the Covid-19 pandemic and there is no doubt that politicians made a number of mistakes as they went through the learning process of coping with the effects.

Despite those who declare that the vaccine is potentially more dangerous than the illness and that it is a secret way of injecting microchips into people’s bodies, this has to be the way forward.

We need protection against the virus and although there will doubtless be some who suffer serious side effects, the majority are likely to benefit from the protection that it is claimed that the vaccine will give.

If we have any hope of returning to some form of normality then we do have to act responsibly and not ignore the restrictions which whilst irritating, are more likely to protect lives than make them worse.

Violent demonstrations achieve nothing and just go to make matters even worse, although to peacefully demonstrate about lack of work or assistance from local or national government is in many ways healthy for society provided some form of social distancing takes place.

Therein lies a problem - how do you persuade say 1,000 demonstrators to keep apart from each other in order for their right to free speech to actually mean something rather than become a fuse for yet another spike in infections?

There is no correct answer to dealing with the pandemic, but there are plenty of incorrect ways of making it worse.

CORRECTIONS

From our Facebook

Jackie Butcher Yes asap.

Ello!

Hope you’re well boss. I was pleased to read your piece in the Euro Weekly News. You’re right to raise questions about Covid vaccines. My sister has worked as a senior researcher at one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world for over 20 years and this is what she said about Covid vaccines recently: “I’ve said to loads of people who’ve asked me that there is no way in the world that I would have a vaccine that has been rushed through the process in a year or two.

“I’ve never worked with vaccines but traditional chemical medicines eg Ibuprofen typically take at least 10 years from first concept to patient. Even with pharma companies ‘streamlining’ the process in the last decade it still always takes at least six years. That’s mainly because proper 3-phase clinical trials take time - time to actually perform them, and time to evaluate them and monitor them for potential adverse events.

“The world has gone mad and people are generally too trusting and a bit silly!”

Love your work!

Regards, Kevin

Vaccinations Dear Leapy While I usually agree with most of what you have to say and applaud you for having said it, I really do think that you should have kept this week’s comments to yourself. I speak to you as an 80-year-old when I say that I think you are being a complete woos but, more to the point, a dangerous one. The statistics you quote are minuscule when compared to the number of vaccinations carried out and the sooner the majority get it the better for us all. There are enough ignorant nutters out there spreading dangerous clap-trap and the last thing we need is such an influential voice as yours adding to the disinformation!

Regards K Turner

HAVE YOUR SAY All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

Frances Fearnley Have it.

Sue Peers Yes definitely would... only way we will ever get out of this nightmare although when will the over 60s be getting it in Spain?

Isabel Papa Bauset Definitely not. I have so many allergies so I would probably delay it as much as I could. I know Phizer and Moderna is a no no for me.

Paula Wilkes Definitely have it, the sooner the better.

Maureen Watson Yes god knows when we’ll get it out here in Spain, the sooner the better, got to get things sorted so everyone can open up again for business.

Brent Wilkinson Try the UK government. Already vaccinating prisoners!! Not the officers... or the law abiding public. You really couldn’t make it up.

Linda Freese Of course! The best scientists in the world have worked on producing this vaccine. It’s the only way out of this pandemic.

Tina Fisher I would have it, I wish it was available six months ago, then maybe the four members of my family that died might have had a fighting chance.

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

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) This is a time to consider finances and keep your options open.

Someone who tries to get a fast decision out of you by pushing you into a corner is doing you no favours. You will decide what (if anything) needs to be done when you are good and ready.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Keep things simple. Getting involved in other people's problems is not for you at the moment. It may be necessary to delay a decision to give yourself time to think. Could you manage a few days away somewhere?

Maybe you could stay with a friend or relative. You need some peace and quiet on your own.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Although things are going pretty well, there are some things that could be just a little better organised. The time and money that this saves could be small, but it's the ongoing positive attitude that counts. There have been times recently when you have wondered if your progress on a certain matter would ever start up again.

TAURUS (April 21 - May21) It is better if you don't get involved in any high profile, high risk business deals. Success is not assured. This is a time for financial consolidation.

Count your pennies and see the pounds collecting in the future. On a cold winter’s night it can give a pleasant glow to realise your action during the summer is keeping you warm.

GEMINI (May 22 - Juny 21) Partnerships see you leap ahead on something that was a bit stuck in the mud. A leap in your bank balance follows. Some quick decisions may be called for so it is better to share responsibilities, whatever the outcome. You have a chance to show just how clever you can be, but do it because it gives you personal satisfaction rather than to impress.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) After a hectic start to the week, things seem to have slowed down.

Look carefully at what has happened, but remember that there is no point in worrying over something that you cannot change.

Sitting tight and waiting for this period to pass could be the best solution.

Certainly, it will prove less stressful than fighting a losing corner.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Money is good and this can make you over-confident. Beware bank managers offering loans in large amounts. Nothing is for free and you need to look carefully at interest rates right now. Another, more personal, investment also needs looking at right now. Are things going exactly the way you want them to?

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Aim a bit higher than usual and you may be surprised at your success. When seeing the bigger picture, you realise that it is not so daunting after all. If one person can do it, then so can another. It is a matter of how you approach it.

What you have to ask yourself this week is why you should accept the minimum when the maximum is so close by.

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 (DOCTOR) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ARDENT DOCTOR (10) ECHOES FERRIC HECTOR HORROR METEOR MOROSE RASTER RETORT SCANTY SPEEDY SPOTTY STANCH STEREO TEETHE TERROR TETHER THIRST

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) With so much going on, you are in danger of burning yourself to a frazzle. You won’t realise until you have done it, so make a point of getting some peace and quiet, preferably both of them at the same time. Relax and don't even think about things that are unchangeable.

Time will sort out most things for you.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Although things seem fine, this is not a time to overstretch your finances. Spending a lot this week without thought is problematic later. This is a week of shifting and changing and that certainly means your finances. The other area is your social circle, where people come and go, sometimes without warning.

SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21) This is not a particularly lucky week for you, so I would certainly advise caution. Gambling is not recommended. Being clever with money is as much about not spending it as about how you spend it. .

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Look at the long-term picture when considering money matters. What seems like a good deal now may not be so a few years down the line. Someone who appears to be telling a lie may simply have either misunderstood or have the wrong information.

TIME OUT

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 23 January

1-6-25 45-49-52

BONUS BALL

56

IRISH LOTTO Sat 23 January

5-11-15 19-33-40

BONUS BALL

8

EURO MILLIONS Tue 19 January

BONUS BALL

5

25-27-31 35-43

6

Fri 22 January

BONUS BALL

08-16-42 44-47

6 7

EL MILLON: JXW44709 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 21 January

BONUS BALL

08-14-31 42-43-44

20 4

JOKER: 8514098 Sat 23 January

BONUS BALL

5-11-22 28-30-42

26

JOKER: 7747157

7

TIME OUT

42

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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, 1 represents J and 20 represents W, so fill in J every time the figure 1 appears and W every time the figure 20 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 Food (things to eat) (6) 3 Dormido (6) 8 Links (7) 10 Seaweed (plural) (5) 11 Meadow (5) 12 Refugiado (7) 13 Used (stamp, syringe) (5) 15 Command (5) 20 Octubre (7) 22 Chupete (de niño) (5) 24 Bit (piece) (5) 25 Lamb (7) 26 Currency (6) 27 Garganta (6)

Down 1 Body (of person, animal) (6) 2 Fine (legal) (5) 4 Personal (personas) (5) 5 Ocupado (7) 6 Cartel (6) 7 Usuarios (5) 9 Nube (de humo, insectos, polvo) (5) 14 Sentarse (3,4) 16 To burn (5) 17 Fondo (de mar) (6) 18 Ladrillo (5) 19 En barco (2,4) 21 Ancho (5) 23 Fear (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Swamp, 4 Bible, 7 Abandoned, 8 Song, 9 Helped, 12 Settee, 13 Toes, 16 Immediate, 18 Enter, 19 Sorts.

Down: 1 Shoes, 2 Against, 3 Peak, 4 Badger, 5/17 Bon mot, 6 Ended, 10 Pioneer, 11 Leader, 12 Spine, 14 Shuts, 15 Cats.

BOGGLED

ENGLISH-SPANISH

onion noon ninth nice neve nebs neep neeps vino vine vice venin vein vees veep veeps beige beiges bees beep beeps beef begin beget beet been befit seven seen seep once incite icon evict eves evince even peen peeve peeves petit none nine cone coin confit conte cine cite give given gives genic gees gift feet fees thief teen tees tepee titi ethic

Across: 1 Parecido, 4 Crow, 8 Acera, 10 Seagull, 11 Cremosa, 12 Moho, 14 Apoyar, 16 Lluvia, 19 Foam, 21 Equator, 24 Oriente, 25 Farol, 26 Ears, 27 Montañas.

Down: 1 Planchar, 2 Clavo, 3 Desear, 5 Rough, 6/23 Well done, 7 Marmol, 9 Enero, 13 Barriles, 15 Almond, 17 Voter, 18 Cerezo, 20 Odiar, 22 Unfit.

NONAGRAM

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Slap, 3 Sanction, 9 Enforce, 10 Rapid, 11 Aglow, 12 Tripod, 14 On call, 16 Sleeps, 19 Leeway, 21 Three, 24 Loafs, 25 Ringlet, 26 Disperse, 27 Dyed.

Down: 1 Sheraton, 2 Awful, 4 Averts, 5 Corgi, 6 Improve, 7 Nods, 8 Trowel, 13 Assented, 15 Cretans, 17 Litany, 18 Cyprus, 20 Waste, 22 Rally, 23 Fled.

CODE BREAKER

FUTOSHIKI

acne aeon ante aunt cane cant cent cone corn cran earn etna narc near neat note once rant rent roan rune runt tarn tern tone torn tuna tune turn unco unto acorn antre atone caner canoe canto cento conte cornu count crane crone enact nacre narco noter oaten ocean ounce recon reran rerun tenor toner tuner canter cantor carton contra cornea corner cornet craton errant nature nectar octane ornate outran rancor ranter recant return toucan trance turner centaur counter courant currant current enactor rancour recount trounce uncrate courante RACONTEUR

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 CONVEY 2 BICKER 3 GEYSER 4 FORMAL 5 SPARKY 6 KAISER 7 MERCER 8 SWAMPY 9 CARROT 10 CAMERA 11 TWINGE 12 BUREAU 13 IDEATE 14 FOURTH 15 ABSURD 16 SLEEPY 17 SUPERB 18 DERAIL 19 HUBRIS

WOOD WORD WARD CARD CARE CAGE or

KAKURO

SUDOKU

WOOD WORD WORE WARE WAGE CAGE

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Costa Blanca TODAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA

WEATHER

BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

TOMORROW

DENIA JAVEA CALPE

Malaga TODAY: MAX 19 MIN 8 Fri 16 8 Sat 17 9 Sun 18 9 Mon 19 10 Tues - 17 10 Wed 17 11

Alicante TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 9 Fri 16 8 Sat 16 8 Sun 17 8 Mon 17 9 Tues - 19 9 Wed 19 9

Almeria TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 10 Mon 20 11 Tues - 19 11 Wed 19 13

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 18 9 Sun 17 8 Mon 19 8 Tues - 17 10 Wed 17 8 Mallorca TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 7 Fri 16 7 Sat 17 8 Sun 17 8 Mon 19 9 Tues 19 7 Wed 19 8

43

TIME OUT

FUTOSHIKI

BOGGLED

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.

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.

ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

SATURDAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 5 Fri 16 9 Sat 16 9 Sun 14 8 Mon 14 8 Tues 14 9 Wed 14 8 Madrid TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 8 Fri 14 8 Sat 14 7 Sun 15 7 Mon 15 8 Tues 16 9 Wed 16 10

2 6

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 9 Fri 15 9 Sat 15 9 Sun 17 11 Mon 17 11 Tues 17 9 Wed 17 10

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

TARGET:

SCORING:

Average: 15 Good: 21 Very good: 30 Excellent: 39

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 Interwove bits of wasp, lice, dragonflies (7) 5 Sun comes back behind motorway takeaway (5) 8 Poison found in additive? No matter (5) 9 Noticed it's blemished (7) 10 Taking a chance, hide in oil platform (7) 11 Former international the French deport (5) 12 Weary Judge's dead weird (5) 14 Grim extract from a Boris Pasternak novel (5) 19 Defamatory statement in journal, I believe (5) 21 Former lover sat for a photo uncovered (7) 23 American university found a revised version in a solid condition (7) 24 An agreement to let easel out (5) 25 Catches wriggling sprat (5) 26 A thousand flowers for teachers (7) Down 1 Cut-off by northern river (6) 2 Joins the golf club (5) 3 Get together for the harvest (7) 4 Possibly signed drawing (6) 5 Some worried about round animal (5) 6 Navy attire designed to be more dapper (7) 7 Wet patch of turf on animal's lair (6) 13 Bishop's warning about a prairie province (7) 15 Drinks spilt, EP ruined (7) 16 Out-of-date pork-pie perhaps (3,3) 17 Rarely sold me mince (6) 18 Vipers' counting machines (6) 20 Lends cash to build salon (5) 22 Georgia, for example, in poor taste (5)

TIME OUT

44

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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 Despise (5) 4 Bowl for washing (5) 7 Cease (9) 8 Twilight (4) 10 Rebukes (6) 12 Poem of 14 lines (6) 13 Dull and dreary (4) 16 British army rank (9) 18 Fixed (5) 19 Assistants (5)

Down 1 Steer clear of (5) 2/17 Souped-up car (3,3) 3 Uncommon (4) 4 Intelligent (6) 5 Defamation (7) 6 Requirements (5) 9 Carrying a tune (7) 11 Honour (6) 12 Not drunk (5) 14 Additional payment (5) 15 Prima donna (4) 17 See 2

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

HALT

QUIZ BACK KITE

SHARK ATTACK 1. ‘Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear and it shows them pearly white’ are the first lines of which Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht song, a 1959 UK number one hit single for Bobby Darin?

2. What name is given to a young shark: calf, kit or pup?

3. Which 1957 Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage New York street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds?

4. Which 1980s British television game show hosted by Bruce Forsyth was based on, and played similarly to, the American show Card Sharks?

5. Which Australian golfer was nicknamed the Great White Shark?

6. Which award-winning Italian-American actor voiced the character Don Lino in the 2004 Dream Works computer-animated comedy film Shark Tale?

7. Which slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark is the largest known extant fish species?

8. Who was the author of the 1974 novel Jaws, which tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a small resort town and the voyage of three men trying to kill it?

9. With which professional sport would you principally associate Sale Sharks?

10. What was the title of Feargal Sharkey’s only UK number one hit single, which reached the top spot in November 1985?

Not a lot of people know that… the gnathodynamometer, invented by J N Snodgrass, is an instrument for measuring the force exerted in closing the mouth. Sharks are baited into biting hard plastic sheets, which are brought to the laboratory. The depth of the indentations shows the force of the bite

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 L) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET:

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

Average: 15 Good: 21 Very good: 30 Excellent: 38

Answers 1. MACK THE KNIFE, 2. PUP, 3. WEST SIDE STORY, 4. PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT, 5. GREG NORMAN, 6. ROBERT DE NIRO, 7. WHALE SHARK, 8. PETER BENCHLEY, 9. RUGBY UNION, 10. A GOOD HEART

21 - 27 January 2021

to read more visit

45

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Advertising Feature

Calpe Dental uses the best technology ARTICLES about dentistry have never cornered the market in glossy magazines or newspapers because for many people the den­ tist’s chair still inspires fear.

Nevertheless, teeth are impor­ tant and they must be cared for, or as Cervantes wrote in Don Quixote, “Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a dia­ mond.”

So let me begin by welcoming readers to the Calpe Dental Cen­ tre for advanced dentistry.

I am Dr Joel Weinberg, original­ ly from South Africa and have over 40 years of clinical experi­ ence.

I have practised for 20 years in London and in Calpe for 15 years.

My philosophy as a dentist is to provide high quality gentile den­ tistry in a relaxed and professional environment.

COMPOSITE VENEERS: Providing beautiful smiles time after time.

I am an implant specialist with 30 years experience providing suc­ cessful implants.

What really makes Calpe Dental stand out from other clinics on the Costa Blanca is our state of the art technology and expertise.

So what do we offer?

All X­rays that are taken are dig­ ital and we have the latest 3D di­ agnostic scanners that allow us to place implants on a virtual 3D

bone image as well as endodon­ tics diagnostics (root canal treat­ ment).

The 3D scanner is the future of dentistry.

Do you hate having gunky im­ pressions in your mouth? Well, no more of that as we have the latest 3D scanner so that your tooth is scanned and sent to the lab and within minutes your new crown is being made.

With the 3D scanner we can al­ so provide orthodontic treatment without braces.

Laser technology allows us to do safe and precise soft tissue management, gum treatments, tooth whitening and much more.

We also carry out a high pro­ portion of work under a dental microscope, which allows me to deliver treatment of the highest quality.

One of my specialities is the fit­ ting of hand­sculpted composite veneers. These veneers are smile changing and in many cases life changing for numerous people who have been embarrassed by their smiles.

This truly is my art and I’m very happy to provide beautiful smiles time after time.

We have an outstanding Hy­ gienist who is professional and gentle, and has a very loyal fol­ lowing of extremely happy pa­ tients.

We also have all the latest tech­ nology to keep our patients safe as we deal with this coronavirus crisis that has engulfed the world.

Come in for a free consultation and see what Calpe Dental has to offer.

We look forward to meeting you.

The Clinic is on Avenida Ejercitos Españoles, 16. Edificio Albamar Bajo, Calpe.

Call on 965 835 657 • 24- Hour emergency service on 628 095 249 • Website: calpedental.com

Work outs at work STRUGGLING to make time for exercise? Is working late meaning you are missing that trip to the gym? Well work should no longer be an excuse for not working out, as even if you spend most of your day slouched over your desk staring at a computer screen, you can still burn calories and tone up.

So what can you do around the office to help stay a little more active? Try these sim­ ple tricks to help shed a few calories: Step aerobics. Stop using the lift and take the stairs.

Climbing two steps at a time will burn 10 per cent more calories. On a break instead of sitting in the staff room, simply step up and down the bottom step for 10 minutes to get the heart beating.

Leg lifts. It is recommend­ ed not sit down for more than 30 minutes at a time, but if you have to, leg lifts at your desk can be beneficial to help keep the blood circu­ lating and to help strengthen leg muscles. Simply sit on the

OFFICE EXERCISE: You can still burn calories and tone up. edge of your chair with your arms by your sides, and ex­ tend one leg out. Flex your foot until your leg is parallel to your hips.

Wall push­ups. Whilst hav­ ing a natter in the kitchen try some wall push­ups which could help tone your arms.

Place your hands on the wall and bending from the el­ bows, push out from the wall and back in again.

Wall sits. A study by the University of Sydney asked a group of workers to increase the amount they stood or moved in a day by 60­90 min­

utes. At the end of the day people said they felt more energised by moving more, so try some wall sits to get you moving. With your back against the wall, slide down until your legs are bent at a 90 degree angle.

Shoulder shrugs. You don’t even have to leave your desk.

To prevent back ache, try shoulder shrugs, which work muscles of the back. Sit up­ right in a chair, pull your abs in tight and turn the palms of your hands upwards as you feel your shoulders roll back­ wards.

46 EWN

28 January - 3 February 2021

By Clinica Britannia

Your questions answered by a Specialist at Clinica Britannia A FRIEND of mine who used to smoke a pack of cigarettes for years has been just diagnosed with a lung cancer, apparently the cancer has already spread into the liver and brain.

I know the best way to prevent this problem is to quit smoking, the sooner the better, but I wonder whether it is possible to make a real early diagnosis in case the cancer has already developed?

Lung cancer is responsible for the Dr Vicente Mera. greatest number of cancer-related risk of lung cancer for triage into CT scanning. deaths worldwide, primarily due to the lack of a EarlyCDT-Lung can on average detect lung test capable of detecting early stages of this discancer four years prior to normal and has ease. Early CDT-LungTM is a commercially shown in a large NHS trial that it can reduce available blood test to aid in early detection of late-stage lung cancer presentation by 36 per lung cancer for high-risk individuals. Unfortucent. nately, 80 per cent of lung cancer cases are diIf you have any questions, email Dr Mera agnosed in the latest stages of the disease. personally on 545152@gmail.com and look out Nowadays, the EarlyCDT-LungTM is a simple for your answer in an upcoming edition. blood test to identify people with a heightened Appointments Landline: 965 837 553 / 965 837 851 • 24H/365D Emergency Number: (+34) 607 255 755 • Opening Times: Mon - Fri: 9:00am / 5:00pm

Clinica Britannia Calpe Av. Ejercitos Españoles 16 BIS, 1st Floor, Calpe

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Parts of my Bipolar life you can’t see MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED MANY parts of my bipolar disorder are visible to my friends and family because they show externally and those that know me will see the daily changes. My mood swings are obvious and my triggers are easy to spot - close family and friends even prevent situations for me now as they know it can be a trigger, but there are heavier parts about living with bipolar disorder that are invisible, even to those closest to me.

I hate myself most of the time, the girl (I say girl …

I’m 30 this year!!) when I’m stable is the girl I love the most, however I’m not this girl very often! When I’m depressed or manic I turn into someone I hate.

This means I have little respect for myself, my needs get ignored and I have no self-esteem most of the time. No one sees this because I don’t talk about it and pretend to love myself, no matter how I really feel.

I don’t want to push anyone away. Sometimes I’m mean or cold to those closest to me. I don’t intend to be this way, but it’s hard to control my negative emotions. I have no filter, meaning that my harsh comments can shock and hurt those I love, I don’t want to push people away, but my actions do so anyway and this makes it hard to pull those people.

At times, everything seems daunting. During a down episode, I’m more than depressed. I’m anxious and easily overwhelmed by life and everyday tasks. Even little things like cleaning the cat’s litter box or getting dressed seem like too much.

It’s hard to love. I feel a lot of emotions, some-

times all at once. Sadness, bliss, disgust and happiness can all affect my mood at the same time, and that leaves little room to love. I’m so focused on the negatives of my life that it’s difficult to romantically love someone. So I avoid it, I avoid meeting new people. I have avoided dating for over a year, it’s damaging but easier.

The side effects of my medication really bother me. If I want to try and maintain stability, I have to follow every rule by the book, ie, medication without fail every day at the same time and no alcohol. But the side effects of shakiness, excessive sweating and dry mouth, are unbearable. They are hard to deal with and still bother me immensely, even after having them for so long.

I worry about how I treat others. My irritability makes me anxious about what I say and how I treat others. I worry because I don’t ever want to hurt anyone, but I know that unintentionally, my words can anyway.

I worry about how I treat myself. During a depressive episode, I neglect myself and my basic needs. I worry about how I treat myself when I’m not stable.

Most of the time I feel like I don’t care about myself.

I want to love myself and treat myself in the way I deserve, but most of the time I just don’t care. If I swamp too low I end up hurting myself .

Living with bipolar disorder isn’t easy. Parts of my life with bipolar are not only unpleasant, but invisible to those around me. Even though I’m in pain nearly all the time, my disorder is only partially visible and understood. I’m hoping that telling you about these things will make you understand what lies beneath a suffering soul trying to be brave and SMILE. Love Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

Rancid tasting chocolate?

IT is a common known fact that American chocolate is not the best in the world.

Tasting distinctively different from the mostly favoured British or Swiss chocolate, most chocolate lovers say the sweet stuff from across the pond does not taste too great, but why is that? Well some experts claim it is because some brands of American chocolate contains a chemical that is also found in parmesan cheese, rancid but­ ter and vomit.

This is a result of putting the milk through a process called controlled lipolysis. This breaks

down the fatty acids in the milk and produces butyric acid which is the chemical that gives vomit its distinctive smell.

American chocolate also of­ ten contains fewer cocoa solids than British chocolate.

In the UK it must contain at least 20 per cent cocoa to qualify as chocolate, but in the USA this can be as low as 10 per cent.

AMERICAN CHOCOLATE: Tastes distinctively different from the British version.

48 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

28 January - 3 February 2021

FEATURE

Museo El Prado THE JANUARY BLUES - (ALMOST) OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR

T H E world-famous Prado Museum in Madrid has planned an enormous overhaul in 2021 which will see more works by women displayed in order to create a “more inclusive” Prado, according to the museum’s director, Miguel Falomir.

In all, collections from 18th century Europe, the Goya collection and paintings from the 19th century will be subject to a complete revamp.

The increase in more

works by women will be confined to the 19th century section and it’s understood that many will be new acquisitions, although officials haven’t released specific information yet.

Over the years the museum has made a big effort to display more work by women, including its current exhibition, Guests; however, many feminist groups have criticised the Prado for not going far enough to celebrate female artists.

BBC Line Up Jason Manford JASON MANFORD has morphed from a very funny standup comedian, into an all-round entertainer, with acting roles in TV sitcoms ‘Scarborough’ and ‘Benidorm’, through to theatre stage work in ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘The Producers’, onto a daytime quiz, ‘First And Last’ on BBC1.

Now Manford has been lined up by the BBC to host its brand new daytime quiz show ‘Unbeatable’, due to be screened later this year, where four contestants have to compete to give the best answer to a series of questions, according to The Sun. Jason admitted to being a lover of daytime TV quizzes, saying, “I know how important daytime quizzes are for a lot of people. I used to sit with my Nana Manford and mum watching them.”

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

JANUARY’S got a lot to answer for, hasn’t it? Christmas is over, it’s cold and dark outside (at least in the UK) and we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic. With New Year resolutions already foundering, we’re then hit by Blue Monday, reckoned to be the most depressing day of the year, and it’s a long time till spring!

To this list, add self­help books. I gave up on these years ago when I found they all said the same thing. A waste of money. Most people can work it all out for themselves.

One fact that can’t be ignored, though, is that levels of stress, de­ pression and anxiety among parents, carers and many others have in­

creased with the pressures of the lockdowns. Issues like difficulty re­ laxing, feeling hopeless and angry.

Many parents, especially those of secondary­age students, say they’re worried about their children’s fu­ ture, blaming contributory factors like prolonged screen time, disrup­ tion to daily routine, lack of exercise, stress of exams and frequent argu­ ments.

A few tips? If you find yourself in an argument, the chances are your opponent isn’t actually angry with you personally. You are just collater­ al damage. And in that moment you are the embodiment of their elderly parent’s missing second Covid jab or another three months of home­ schooling.

You are their outstanding rent, their disappearing career, their dwindling savings, while in America a person formerly in charge of nu­ clear codes is no longer deemed sta­ ble enough to have social media. (‘Putin just outplayed’ him, admitted a high­level administration official

recently ­ comparing the Russian leader to a chess grandmaster and Trump to an occasional player of draughts. Which basically says it all, doesn’t it?)

Readers regularly write to my website saying how much they’ve enjoyed following my column over the past 11 years ­ and how its regu­ lar appearance every single week provides, especially now, a kind of ‘normality’ in these uncertain times.

They like the sly humour as well as the occasional digs at slebs and politicians.

To all those readers, thank you ­ much appreciated.

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, paper­ back and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

A Lesson to be learnt here MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man HERE’S a horror story! My daughter want­ ed to spend Christmas with us. She booked flights which got moved from Gatwick to Heathrow. She got her nega­ tive Covid test and decided to come a day early and only had a few hours to sort out travel arrangements to the airport.

She decided to drive and park for 10 days using a meet and greet service. Top of Google was Nationwide Airport Parking Ltd which said that all cars were kept in a secure compound. When she arrived at the terminal the meet and greet desk in­ side didn’t have any record of her booking and said she should look outside for a dif­ ferent company. She had a red light mo­ ment but then thought she hadn’t read the ad properly but was desperate to come home so found the guy who took her car. She finished up staying for a month and kept extending the parking.

Trip over she flew home and a driver turned up with her car but didn’t get her to sign anything and left sharply. I got a call saying she thought her door was dented but couldn’t see properly and

would check when she got home. She called again, in bits, as she had received a letter from Slough police saying her car was reported being left in the street and had all four tyres slashed, every door pan­ el kicked in, a window smashed and a wing mirror hanging off and sent photos.

Nationwide had put four tyres on, re­ paired the window and glued the mirror and never told her! She ‘phoned the com­ pany straightaway who just said send an email. Since then there has been no re­ sponse from Nationwide.

Fortunately she is insured. Police, insur­ ance company and trading standards are all going after Nationwide and I’ve sent details to BBC Watchdog. Had she looked at Trustpilot she would have seen terrible reviews bar four or five from Pakistan where selling reviews is a big business. I spoke to Trustpilot about bogus reviews and Google about removing their ad.

Google would not give me any informa­ tion as ‘it breached data protection.’

I love how these scum are protected but the public isn’t! She also got in touch with her credit card company and looks like they will refund her and take away Nationwide’s credit card account. Lesson to be learnt here ­ before you book any­ thing online do your research first.

Email:mikesenker@gmail.com

PETS

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www.euroweeklynews.com • 28 January - 3 February 2020

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Leaving your pet at home? Fighting that

SOME pets don’t like change of any kind. They feel secure in their own space, near familiar smells and their bed. Even tak­ ing them to the vets can be a challenge. These pets are better off at home when you go away for a holiday, with a checked sit­ ter to look after them.

Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house­sitters if you have trips planned this year, to see family and friends or just to get away. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium ac­ count (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when need­ ed 3. Create a profile with pho­ tos of your pet and the house

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Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 20 per cent discount using coupon code P2020 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

cat smell!

YOU may not realise, but if you own a cat then your home probably smells like it. Unfortunately it can be dif­ ficult for us to discern smells when we live in the same environment. When it comes to life with a cat, it can be smelly, but it doesn’t have to be!

Here are some tips to reduce cat odour in your home.

You can begin by making sure you are using a litter which specialises in deodorising. Generally, the best for this is a litter which clumps together. Not only is this better at absorbing those smells, it is also easier to clean up when your little furball pays a visit to the tray. You should keep the tray in a large, open and well ventilated area, and always in the same place, as cats loathe change and may rebel and choose not to use it.

I know it’s not fun, but it is neces­ sary to scoop their litter daily, ensuring the smells have less time to linger. Fi­ nally, embrace the power of baking so­ da! It is a safe and natural deodoriser which can make a big difference in the smell. Sprinkle some in the litter box and it will really help!

LITTER TRAY: Keep it clean.

Advertising Feature

Treatment of joint injuries

THE Veterinary Hospital Mari­ na Baixa is the first veterinary centre in Spain to incorporate the Nanoscope device in the diagnosis and treatment of joint injuries of pets.

“It is an ‘all in one’ needle size arthroscopy system since

the Nanoscope, unlike con­ ventional arthroscopy sys­ tems, incorporates the light with camera HD in the head and LED technology.

The optic measures 1.9mm and can incorporate a cannu­ la that allow fluid injections

to improve the vision of in­ juries,” explains José Rial, head in Traumatology and Or­ thopedics of the Hospital Vet­ erinario Marina Baixa.

This ultra­slim arthroscopy system allows very small joints of small dogs and cats to be explored in a minimally invasive way.

It’s minimally invasive.

Costablanca Norte: Anicura Hospital Veterinario Marina Baixa

SERVICES

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28 January - 3 February 2021

AIR CONDITIONING

PLUMBERS

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28 January - 3 February 2021

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SERVICES

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28 January - 3 February 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

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Benidorm It is opposite the Foietes Car Park where there is a Wednesday market. Everyone welcome. It is 400m from Benidrom tram station and on bus routes 1 and 8 We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis. (288658)

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

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FRIENDSHIP

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28 January - 3 February 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

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For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

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28 January - 3 February 2021

to read more visit ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack BEING in the fortunate posi­ tion of regularly driving many different cars means you can often tell what a car will be like even before you get be­ hind the wheel. How it will perform, is it for car lovers or those who merely need trans­ port? Occasionally though you get a car that fools you.

A variant of a standard model normally so geared to being mere transport that you find yourself genuinely amazed at a standard car transformed into something truly great. The fact I’m talk­ ing about a Hyundai might well surprise many, but trust me this one’s a gem!

Manufacturers of Hyundai’s stature normally satisfy themselves with a few styling changes and splashes of vivid colour to grace a new sporting version of a standard model.

Well the Korean company went big with their ‘N’ line up and recruited an expert to their ranks, in the form of

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MOTORING

Hyundai i30 N Fastback previous BMW M Sport chief, Albert Biermann. You have to drive the i30N less than a mile to know the gamble has paid off handsomely.

In Fastback form the i30N shuns everything about its very competent, but rather ordinary standard stable­ mates for a car that offers more fun per miles than any­ thing I’ve driven in sometime.

Power comes from a 2.0­litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops just over 270 hp, drives the front wheels through a six­speed manual gearbox, has launch control, electronic limited slip differ­ ential, rev matching and five drive modes. It ably demon­ strates that the i30N means business.

The benchmark 62 mph is reached in a whisker over six seconds and a top speed of 155mph is available, but it’s not outright performance, terrific though it is, that makes this car such fun. You

can quite literally throw it in­ to corners and its grip inspires confidence, lift off and any unwanted wiggles can soon be brought back under con­

trol. It also sounds wonderful without being overly intrusive and having people check your baseball cap isn’t on the wrong way.

It’s very practical with space for four and their lug­ gage, thanks to those drive modes it rides comfortably enough to take your Mum

out on a Sunday as well as be­ ing able to take to the track, and has lots of toys to make the daily commute interest­ ing. It might not be up there with the premium badge brigade, and at €34,069 (£30,310) it isn’t cheap, but it’s so worth it!