Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 11 - 17 February 2021 Issue 1858

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The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1858

11 - 17 February 2021

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

FREE • GRATIS

HELP VERA’S LIONS

THE Vera and District Lions Club need help in assisting the Vera food bank, which has suffered during the pandemic.

Vera Lions have supported the food banks that support people in Vera and Turre for many years, as‐ sisting with payments for the lorries that deliver the food, Ceri Norman told the Euro Weekly News.

The club has also made regular monthly payments to both food banks along with extra financial support when required. The Vera Lions have also paid for urgent maintenance of their van as well as the vehicle’s insurance.

Ceri explained that Vera’s food bank has approached the Lions as they cannot pay their current bill for deliveries by the lorries that bring the essentials for distribution between Vera and Turre.

HELPING OTHERS: Vera and District Lions Club members outside their charity shop.

They have suggested that Vera Lions buy the van from them so they can free up much‐needed cash. The club has now agreed to purchase the van from the food

bank and loan it back to them free of charge, while taking on the vehi‐ cle’s maintenance and insurance.

This will allow the food bank to pay for previous supplies and pur‐

chase more once they are relieved of the financial burden of running the van.

This purchase will also help the Vera Lions when collecting items

It wasn’t only Christmas ALMERIA City mayor Ramon Fernandez‐ Pacheco ‘categorically’ rejected sugges‐ tions that municipal Christmas events helped to spread Covid‐19.

Talking to Europa Press he insisted that nobody was infected at any of these events. “City hall made every possible effort to guarantee the safe‐ ty of Almeria’s population,” he de‐ clared during a visit to a mobile Covid

testing unit.

“Christmas in Almeria was a safe Christmas, don’t let anyone be mistaken about that, although what happened in‐ side people’s homes or in their private lives is another matter.”

The only aspect where city hall might have failed was not knowing how to make people aware of the need to com‐ ply with health and safety regulations in

private, Fernandez‐Pacheco argued.

The mayor nevertheless conceded that the rise in Covid‐19 cases was not entirely due to the population’s care‐ lessness over Christmas.

“There are other factors, including more contagious strains that have af‐ fected our city and province in a differ‐ ent ‐ or more special ‐ way than in other territories,” he said.

for the charity shop which in turn enables them to continue support‐ ing the community while providing transport for the loan of wheelchairs and other equipment.

“We will also be able to support other community groups if re‐ quired,” Ceri said.

During the Covid situation, Vera Lions have helped food banks, town halls and other groups to pro‐ vide food for those in need with cash donations of more than €7,000.

In their current situation they cannot hold fundraising events and their charity shop has had to close yet again while their biggest event, Party in the Park, was cancelled last year.

So that they may continue to of‐ fer help and purchase the van, Vera Lions has set up a GoFundMe page, which can be reached via a link on the Vera and District Face‐ book page.

“Our target is €2,500 which will allow us to purchase the van, pay insurance and the other costs in‐ volved in transferring the vehicle,” the Lions said.

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11 - 17 February 2021

Treacherous

rivers to be tamed

THE central government’s Environment department has practically completed three projects to channel the Adra and Antas rivers and the Almanzora’s tribu‐ taries.

Once carried out, they will prevent further flooding in Adra, Vera and Pulpi which have all suffered in the past when their respective rivers have burst their banks.

Manuel de la Fuente, sub‐delegate to Almeria, ex‐ pressed satisfaction at the news, which he said under‐ lined the central government’s commitment to the province.

He also drew attention to the three projects’ “spe‐ cial relevance,” explaining that they had been revised to ensure a reduced impact on the environment. The resulting solutions had been agreed with the Junta and the Adra, Vera and Pulpi town halls, De la Fuente added.

Adra mayor Manuel Cortes also expressed satisfac‐ tion on learning that the river was to be adequately channelled, something that Adra residents had fought so long for.

“Now it is a step closer to become a reality,” Cortes said after learning that the contract to draft the chan‐ nelling plans would be put out to tender before the end of February.

Electrifying news HUERCAL‐OVERA’S Local Po‐ lice force now have Tasers.

Local mayor Domingo Fer‐ nandez emphasised that the town hall would continue to equip officers with new re‐ sources.

“These will help them to car‐ ry out their jobs efficiently while having a direct impact on providing the public with more safety,” the mayor said.

Officers receive specific train‐ ing in handling the tasers as well as instruction in the type of situation where they may or not be used.

The tasers incorporate cam‐ eras that are activated as soon

NEW EQUIPMENT: Huercal-Overa mayor Domingo Fernandez presents the tasers. as the devices are in use, Fer‐ nandez explained, recording every procedure that officers carry out. This footage is then submitted to the authorities, guaranteeing that usage is “cor‐ rect and proportional.”

As well as the Tasers the Huercal‐Over police will soon

be receiving drones as well as a new car, as the town hall grad‐ ually renews their fleet of vehi‐ cles.

“We are constantly listening to what headquarters tells us, supplying our officers with new material and new technology,” the mayor added.

Missing girl found SIXTEEN‐YEAR‐OLD Adela Simon Castillo, missing from her home for seven days, has been found.

On leaving the high school she attended in Almeria City’s Los Molinos district her mobile went dead and when she failed to return home, her family reported her miss‐

ing to the Guardia Civil.

Spanish media sources reported that when the National Police located Adela in Murcia City’s El Carmen neighbourhood, she was well and in the company of per‐ sons whose identities have not yet been re‐ vealed.

NEWS

Helping agriculture get ahead ROQUETAS is in line for multimillion Brussels’ grants for local agriculture.

Mayor Gabriel Amat and Agriculture council‐ lor Rocio Sanchez recently met Manuel Alias, the Junta’s secretary general responsible for Eu‐ rope’s Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Sus‐ tainable Development funds.

Topics discussed included the €123 million from Andalucia’s Fruit and Vegetable Producers’ Programme (OPFH) that the Junta’s president Juanma Moreno announced during his last visit to Almeria Province.

There will also be a €40 million addition to the €60 million already allocated from the Mod‐ ernising Agricultural Operations confirmed by the Junta’s Agriculture chief, Carmen Crespo.

“Junta backing for our agriculture, has been very important since Juanma Moreno became president. Here at the town hall we are offering all our help in telling local growers and business‐ es about this funding,” Amat said.

“At a time like this when we face such difficult health and economic crises, Administrations need to unite to help productive sectors to forge ahead.”

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NIBS EXTRA Free masks ALMERIA’S provincial council began distributing 2.1 million free face masks, commencing in Los Gallardos where every resident received two masks.

Distribution will continue in every municipality with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants while the remaining masks will go to Diputacion employees, social bodies and employees of the PFEA agricultural programme.

Pandemic help NIJAR Town Hall paid out €499,698 last year to assist 923 self-employed residents who were affected by the coronavirus pandemic. These grants were covered by the province-wide total of €9.751 million made available to 14,662 applicants that included direct aid as well as help with rents and overheads.

Disco fight A MAN with six previous convictions, two of them for bodily harm, received a 14-year sentence for knifing two disco doormen in Mojacar in 2018. He and a group of friends started a fight that culminated in the stabbing after they were asked to leave by the security guards.

Going far POPE FRANCIS appointed Almeria-born Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano as the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Fr Cruz Serrano, who was ordained in 2001 and entered the Vatican’s diplomatic service in 2004, is qualified in Canon Law and speaks English, Italian, French and German.

Far off ACCORDING to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), by January last year there were 99,440 Almerienses living outside the region compared with 100,809 in 2019. Almost 50 per cent (50,846) live in Catalonia, followed by the Valencian Community (13,013), Murcia (11,573) and Madrid (10,436).

Lucky numbers ALTHOUGH no-one took the Primitiva Lottery’s first prize on February 4, a Garrucha resident was one of three punters who each won the second prize of €78,477 for five correct numbers, plus the complementary number. The coupon was processed in the Lottery Administration in Garrucha’s Calle Mayor.

ALMERIA Province’s hospitality sector is in a ‘desperate’ situation, business-owners warned.

Diego Garcia and Isabel de Juan, president and manager of the Association of Hospitality Entrepreneurs (ASHAL), recently expressed their concerns to the Junta’s delegate to Almeria, Maribel Sanchez Torregrosa.

Stressing the ‘desolate panorama’ they have faced since Christmas, they asked for urgent, direct aid for bars, cafes and restaurants.

“If the hospitality industry was responsible for Covid-19 contagion, closing establishments should have reduced the number of cases,” the ASHAL representatives pointed out.

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Bars aren’t to blame Photo credit: ASHAL

NEWS

MEETING: ASHAL’S president and manager with Junta delegate Maribel Sanchez Torregrosa.

“That has not happened. On the contrary, recent studies reveal that 35 per cent of cases occurred within the family, 6.1 per cent at health centres, 5.4

per cent in the workplace, 1.6 per cent in schools and only 1.5 per cent in bars and restaurants.”

ASHAL’s executives stated

Chance Negratin water encounter transfer likely TWO huge adult fin whales were spotted some days ago in Garrucha a few hundred metres from the shore.

As they swam, they pro‐ duced moments of excitement and apprehension by passing under the boat of the person who was videoing them.

“They’ve gone under the boat! They’ll capsize us!” he shouted to the rest of the crew, before adding “How wonderful!” as they contin‐ ued their peaceful journey in footage that can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=m3y0uT‐4‐wE on YouTube.

RAIN during the first two weeks of January has raised levels at the Negratin reservoir.

It held 213 cubic hectometres at the begin‐ ning of last week and as water has continued to reach the dam this now has increased to 216 cubic hectometres, Almeria’s Irrigation Federa‐ tion announced.

This exceeds the minimum amount required for a water transfer, Federation president Jose Antonio Fernandez Maldonado said.

A meeting of the Negratin Monitoring Com‐ mittee this week is expected to authorise the transfer of water that was halted last Septem‐ ber owing to the reservoir’s low levels.

The exact amount has yet to be confirmed al‐ though Fernandez Maldonado said that he was confident of receiving the usual amount of 50 cubic hectometres “or something very close to it.”

that according to the Ministry of Tourism, the central government has already transferred more than €1,500 million of the €1,881 million allocated to the Junta de Andalucia.

“How much of this will go to the hospitality and tourism sectors, and when will it be available?” they wanted to know.

ASHAL, which will continue campaigning for direct aid, has now requested a meeting with Manuel de la Fuente, the central government’s sub-delegate to Almeria, to explain the situation and its members’ needs.

Full team needed THE Comisiones Obreras union (CCOO) claimed that Vera’s 061 Emergency Service is understaffed.

Vera would not have a big enough unit to provide an adequate response in a serious emergency, a CCOO statement warned, as the union requested a full Advanced Coordination Team (ECA) that included an UVI intensive care ambulance with a doctor, nurse and paramedic.

The ECAs were created to treat emergency patients in an unstable condition where an ad‐ vanced response was required.

“That is how they function in other Andalu‐ cia provinces where ECAs were introduced some years ago,” the union said.

“Six months after Vera’s 061 unit began op‐ erating, it still does not have a full team,” CCOO complained.

Animal by-laws questioned ALMERIA City Hall councillors voted in favour of new by‐ laws substituting those of 2004.

They include using the Trap, Neuter, Return system to con‐ trol the number of stray cats living in the city’s colonies.

Despite this advance, there are fears that it could mean the end of 80 per cent of the existing colonies, as the by‐ laws stipulate that they should ‘preferably’ be located on fenced land that is not near schools, health centres

ADRA police are currently checking and controlling lorries and buses inside the town.

The campaign, which began on February 8, continues until February 14 in line with the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) programme for 2021, explained Adra’s Mo‐ bility and Public Safety councillor Patricia Berenguel.

“Collaborating with the DGT is essen‐ tial,” she said. “This contributes to reducing the number of people who are injured or

or care homes for the elderly.

The Ciudadanos, PSOE and Podemos parties expressed their doubts about these pro‐ visos although Margarita Co‐ bos, city hall’s Environmental Sustainability councillor insist‐ ed that the by‐laws would

benefit the animals.

The new regulations were finally approved with votes from Partido Popular, Vox and no‐aligned councillors. Pode‐ mos voted against the mo‐ tion, while Ciudadanos and the PSOE socialists abstained.

Lorries and buses checked killed in traffic accidents and also reminds the drivers of heavy vehicles of the impor‐ tance of their rest periods and excessive loads.”

Adra’s Local Police are stopping buses and all types of lorries, independently of the country where they were registered, Berenguel revealed.

They are on the lookout for speeding, over‐heavy cargoes and using mobiles, to‐ gether with driving under the influence of drugs and drink.

There are also checks on the number of hours that drivers have been at the wheel together with their papers and those of their vehicle.

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Swordfish versus Shark CARBONERAS resident, Mari Carmen, was walk‐ ing on the beach when she saw a three‐metre shark struggling in the sand.

She rang the 112 Emer‐ gency Services who con‐ tacted Equinac, the ma‐ rine wildlife rescue association. They in turn rang Mari Carmen to talk her through returning the shark to the water as they set out for Carboneras.

Mari Carmen, who lat‐ er told the Spanish media that she is terrified of sharks, literally rolled up her sleeves and with the help of two passers‐by re‐ turned it to the water.

Despite their efforts, by the time the Equinac spe‐ cialists reached the beach, the shark had twice re‐ turned to the shore and, following its last attempt, died through lack of oxy‐ gen.

Feuding families THE Guardia Civil arrested 10 people on charges which included attempted manslaughter following a pitched battle between two Pechina families.

Officers called in as the violence escalated arrived at a property belonging to one of the families to find it deserted, although the ground was littered with pieces of brick, glass bot‐ tles, stones, bullet casings and bloodstains.

They also discovered bullets embedded in a wall and the floor.

Three people involved in the fight were later treated at the Benahadux health centre for various injuries, bruises and knife wounds with one person later trans‐ ferred to Torrecardenas hospital.

Ten were detained as a result of the Guardia Civil investigations, including a man who was wanted by the Almeria criminal court and is now remanded.

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Brits Brace for Tax Rises BRITS are set to be slapped with ‘huge tax rises’ to pay for the Covid‐shaped hole in the accounts, a top economist has warned. Head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul John‐ son, said that the economy will be smaller for years to come, but public spending will carry on growing regardless.

He said Chancellor Rishi Sunak will have to jack‐up tax‐ es to plug the shortfall and pay for the ballooning health and social care budgets. However, the PM said he does not ex‐ pect big tax rises in next month’s Budget, but rather lat‐ er on in the year.

Boris Johnson told the Trea‐ sury Committee: “I think it is pretty unlikely that taxes won’t rise as a fraction of national in‐

CHANCELLOR: Will need to plug the shortfall. come. There are three reasons for that. One is that probably the economy will be smaller in three or four years’ time than it would have been without the pandemic having oc‐ curred.

“That will mean less tax rev‐ enue and at least the same level of spending demand.

Secondly, I think there will ac‐ tually be a higher level of spending demand. It seems to me unlikely that we will accept

the same level of spending on health, education and social care as it looked like we would before.”

Britain’s public debt has passed £2 trillion pounds (€2.277 trillion), pushed up by emergency spending on Sunak’s coronavirus job reten‐ tion scheme, tax cuts for busi‐ nesses and consumers and even a dining‐out subsidy to coax people back into restau‐ rants.

NEWS

Builder kidnap A COUPLE kidnapped a builder who was renovating their home in Valencia because they didn’t like the result.

The pair claimed the construc‐ tion worker had cheated them out of €9,000 but police were not convinced, and they were ar‐ rested and charged.

The man and woman, aged 37 and 40, allegedly held the builder at their home in Xireivel‐ la and threatened to kill him if he didn’t return the cash.

When officers arrived, they found another builder who said the victim had called him on his mobile. A woman then ap‐ peared claiming she and her husband were having problems with a contractor who had cheated them out of €9,000.

Police found the husband and the builder inside the couple’s home. The victim said he had been asked to visit the house to discuss a few issues but the cou‐ ple had then locked the doors, became aggressive and de‐ manded the money back.

The couple were arrested, and will appear before the courts.

February 15 Hotel Quarantine Measures FOLLOWING the recent announcement that trav‐ ellers permitted to enter the UK from a ‘red list’ of high‐risk countries would be ‘met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine,’ it has been confirmed that ‘Quarantine Hotel’ measures will come into force on February 15. With pressure mounting over a lack of details it was further an‐

nounced that Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, would take personal charge of the implementa‐ tion. The government said commercial specifica‐ tions had been made available to hotel firms and other providers, and contracts were expected to be signed early next week. Passengers will have to pay for their own stay in isolation.

Phone Scam Warning

ACCORDING to the Office for the Security of Inter‐ net Users (OSI), fraudsters are sending text mes‐ sages claiming to be from shipping company SEUR and asking victims to pay for postage.

Users are asked to pay a small amount of money for shipping costs, normally around €1.90. They are then redirected to a web page which appears to be belong to SEUR but which is a fake site, where their personal and bank details are stolen.

OSI advises users who have received a similar message to contact their banks as soon as possible.

“If in doubt, contact the company or service in‐ volved directly or with trusted third parties, such as the State Security Forces (FCSE) and the Internet Us‐ er Security Office (OSI) of INCIBE. The organisation added: “Type the company’s URL directly into the browser, instead of reaching it through links from third‐party pages in emails or text messages. In this specific case, you must access the official website of SEUR to check the location of shipments or other services that it makes available to you.”

NEWS

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Phase 1 Complete

SPAIN is nearing the end of phase 1 of the vaccination campaign. So how are the figures looking?

The latest data from the Ministry of Health shows that almost all of the resi‐ dents of nursing homes are now fully immunised, and most healthcare workers

have also received at least one jab. In addition, the Ca‐ nary Islands, Murcia and Navarre have begun vacci‐ nating vulnerable adults that don’t live in full‐time care, with the process ex‐ pected to be rolled out in the rest of Spain by mid‐ February.

Summer Hols F E R N A N D O V A L D ES, Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism, has given renewed hope that the country will welcome holidaymakers this summer.

Speaking to Informacion, Valdes said “We’re putting all our efforts into making sure we have a decent sum‐ mer from a health and tourist point of view. By summer we want to see a gradual recovery of international tourism beginning with our European neighbours,” he continued.

President Pedro Sanchez previously stated he wanted to have 70 per cent of the population vaccinated against Covid before the tourism sector is reopened, something he didn’t see happening until the end of summer.

However as Spain enters into Phase Two of the vacci‐ nation rollout plan, things are looking optimistic for 2021.

The data also showed that all regions have adminis‐ tered more than 70 per cent of the doses they have re‐ ceived, with authorities blaming the lack of supply rather than capacity to ad‐ minister for the slower‐ than‐ideal rollout rate.

Phase two of the vaccina‐ tion plan will begin with the over 80s, and officials are set to meet the week begin‐ ning February 15 to decide which other groups to pri‐ oritise.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether the Span‐ ish President Pedro Sanchez’s self‐imposed tar‐ get of vaccinating 70 per cent of the population by the summer can be achieved.

With four million vaccine doses expected in February and a further 2.7 million due in March, it is hoped that some 3.3 million people, or 7 per cent of the population, could be vaccinated in com‐ ing weeks.

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11 - 17 February 2021

Captain Sir Tom Moore Coin

JOHNSON & JOHNSON announced they have applied for emergency autho‐ risation from the United States Food and Drug Administration, and will do the same with the European authorities within weeks.

The EU signed an agreement in Octo‐ ber to purchase 200 million doses. If ap‐ proved, 20 million doses will come to Spain, which has already signed a deal to buy the jab. The ‘one dose’ vaccine, last week was shown to have ‘overall effi‐ ciency’ in preventing moderate and se‐ vere Covid infections in a trial across

SIR TOM: Raised over £32 million during lockdown.

THE possibility of a new coin in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore has been raised in Parliament by former minister Caroline Nokes. Speaking to the Commons she said, “Captain Sir Tom Moore taught us that tomorrow is a good day.

“Can I ask (Mr Rees-Mogg) as Lord President of the Privy Council to use his influence to bring about a commemorative coin for this remarkable national treasure and a debate in this House?”

Mr Rees-Mogg responded to the comments and explained that, “(Ms Nokes) has the most brilliantly obscure knowledge because the ap-

New one dose jab

proval of all coins does indeed come before the Privy Council on the suggestion of the Royal Mint.

“I hope that as Lord President I do see a proposal from the Royal Mint in due course.”

Sir Tom became an icon for many during the Covid-19 pandemic as he raised over £32 million for the NHS during the first lockdown.

After he sadly passed away on Tuesday February 2, Boris Johnson encouraged the whole of the UK to join in and clap for Sir Tom at Prime Minister’s questions, and many throughout the UK paid tribute to a much admired man.

three continents and 44,000 volunteers.

The vaccine was shown to have around 72 per cent effectiveness in its United States trials, 66 per cent in Latin America and 57 per cent in South Africa.

Although the effectiveness is below the 95 per cent shown by the Pfizer and Moderna jabs, Johnson & Johnson’s ver‐ sion is administered in just one dose and can be refrigerated at higher tempera‐ tures. Makers of the Russian jab Sputnik have also asked the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for authorisation to mar‐ ket their formula.

Nightlife endangered THE UK’s Night Time Industries Associ‐ ation (NITA) claims the UK clubbing scene is on the brink of ‘extinction’ with the vast majority of venues un‐ likely to survive past the end of the month without government support.

The closure of live music and events looks likely to enter its second year in March, and the NTIA has issued a new warning that if the government doesn’t act now, 80 per cent of Britain’s nightclub businesses may col‐ lapse within weeks.

The association carried out a survey

of 100 clubs revealing that half of the establishments are in more than three months’ rent arrears.

Two‐thirds had made 60 per cent of their staff redundant by the end of 2020, and over 80 per cent said they would not survive past February. Al‐ most half (43 per cent) said they have received no financial support.

“The failure so far of the UK Govern‐ ment to recognise the devastating im‐ pact of their actions on this sector is a tragedy for UK culture,” said NTIA Chief Executive Michael Kill.

NEWS

‘Electronic noses’ Covid-19 detection THE latest in Covid‐19 de‐ tection is an electronic nose that can ‘smell’ it on the breath and detect the virus within minutes. The test consists of blowing into a plastic bag that is then anal‐ ysed by ‘electronic noses’ which detect Covid‐19 through artificial intelli‐ gence technology using par‐ ticles in the breath.

Indonesia has become one of the first countries in the world to use GeNose detectors at transport sta‐ tions.

Dutch authorities have al‐ so launched a similar de‐ vice, called SpiroNose, which, according to tests, identifies negatives with certainty in 70 per cent of cases and is inconclusive in the remaining 30 per cent.

A group of researchers from the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid are de‐ veloping sensors that detect coronavirus through bio‐ markers in the breath, with a technique similar to a breathalyser test.

Vaccine rejected for Over 55s FERNANDO SIMÓN, the director of the Centre for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) in Spain, an‐ nounced that after a meeting of Tthe Public Health Commission of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, it has been agreed that the AstraZeneca vac‐

cine will only be administered to people be‐ tween 18 and 55 years old.

This forces changes in vaccination plan‐ ning for the health authorities, since the lim‐ itations imposed include the active popula‐ tion. People will have to be differentiated by age group with those under 55 receiving

AstraZéneca’s, and those older than 55 re‐ ceiving the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) had issued a statement saying that the vac‐ cine was safe for people over 65, but stating that it was up to each member state to make their own decision about the use.

UK ‘Pandemic Profiteers’ plan C H A N C E L LO R Rishi Sunak plans to tax retailers and tech companies whose profits have soared during the pandemic, with an on‐ line sales tax; while plans are also being drawn up for a one‐off ‘excessive profits tax.’

According to Sunday Times’ reports, citing leaked emails, Sunak is unlikely to announce these taxes at the budget announcement due March 3. Instead, the propos‐ als are likely in the second half of the year.

The Office for National

Statistics said borrowing hit £34.1 billion last month, about £28 billion more than the same month a year ago.

This took the budget deficit ‐ the gap between spending and tax income plus other receipts ‐ to nearly £271 billion for the first nine months of the financial year, a rise of more than £212 bil‐ lion compared with the same period last year.

The Office for Budget Re‐ sponsibility (OBR), has esti‐ mated borrowing will hit £394 billion by the end of the financial year in March.

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Pensioner rows 3,000 Miles Rapid Strain ID

FRANK ROTHWELL, a 70-yearold pensioner from Oldham, England, completed an incredible one-man 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat, to raise money for research into Alzheimer’s Disease, in honour of his brother Roger who died from the disease aged 62.

Frank set out from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12, rowing all the way across the ocean to Antigua in the Caribbean, where he was reunited with his wife of 50 years Judith in time for Valentine’s Day. The Guardian reported that Frank’s epic, unassisted trip has

INCREDIBLE: A one-man journey across the Atlantic. raised around £720,000 so far for Alzheimer’s Research UK, and Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has pledged to double the first £500,000 of donations.

Frank, who is now the oldest

person to ever cross the Atlantic single-handedly said “While rowing, I received heartbreaking messages from people who have had similar experiences to my own, I hope I’ve helped other families in some way too.”

Boohoo Done Deal IN a £25 million (€28.5 million) deal that will see 214 stores permanently close and 2,450 jobs axed immediately, fashion giants Boohoo have acquired three brands from Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia, which entered administration in December.

Boohoo boss Mahmud Kamani, bought the Debenhams brand in a £55m deal that also excluded its high street sites, leading to the likely loss of up to 12,000 jobs. After rival Asos recently saved flagship brand Topshop from collapse, Boohoo will now take

over Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton.

Boohoo John Lyttle, CEO, commented: “Acquiring these well-known brands in British fashion out of administration ensures their heritage is sustained, while our investment aims to transform them into brands that are fit for the current market environment.

Approximately 260 jobs will be moving with the brands to Boohoo, mainly in head office functions. such as brand design, buying and merchandising, and the digital part of the business.

WITH new strains of the coronavirus popping up and the South African variant recently detected in Spain, the Virology laboratory of the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA) has developed a pioneering system to distinguish different strains in under an hour.

Santiago Melón, head of the laboratory, said: “We saw that to study any virus in-depth, the interesting thing is to do sequencing and to know its structure and composition. We noticed that these three specific

variants had a common position that varied with respect to the strain that was circulating: position 501 of the spike of the protein that binds to the receptor.”

As reported by SER, researchers essentially designed a PCR system ‘that discriminated the variant that had the 501 mutation from the usual strain.’ They have about 2,000 samples analysed. “We have tried to apply this system to all the samples that test positive and in 90 per cent we know if they are British or not.”

Mountaineer peaks at 80 CARLOS SORIA has managed to summit 11 of the world’s 14 highest peaks - since turning 60 years old. Carlos is now 81 years old and is not stopping his mountaineering plans.

Covid-19 upset Carlos’ plan to complete his 14 highest peaks challenge last year but undeterred, Carlos has his sights set on this year and says he will pay tribute to victims of the pandemic.

“I want to pay tribute to the people of my age around the world who have died from this virus - the people who are having a bad time in care homes and who are very scared.

“I’m going to take a little bunch of flowers and leave it on the summit as a tribute to all the people who have died due to this terrible situation.”

NEWS

Cops Fine Irish Holidaymakers COPS have nabbed two Irish holidaymakers using fake ‘essential travel’ documents purportedly from their employer.

As is required at Irish airports, two travellers handed over letters from an engineering company stating that they had urgent business they needed to attend to in Europe.

However, when officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau stationed at Dublin Airport checked with the company that allegedly wrote the letter, bosses said they’d never heard of the two travellers.

Since the Irish government can’t technically stop people from going abroad, the pair caught their flight, but will have €500 fines waiting in their letter boxes when they get back home.

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11 - 17 February 2021

NEWS

Call to Eurovision confirms return Boycott

MORE than 180 human rights groups have penned an open let‐ ter calling on the world to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics, set to be held in 2022, as a stand against the country’s rights viola‐ tions. The organisations, maintain that, while previous Games in China were intended to strength‐ en international relations, the sit‐ uation has actually deteriorated.

The open letter read: “The IOC (International Olympic Commit‐ tee) refused to listen in 2008, de‐ fending its decision with claims that they would prove to be a catalyst for improved human rights. As human rights experts predicted, this decision proved to be hugely misplaced; not only did China’s human rights record not improve, but violations increased substantially without rebuke.

“Now, in 2021, we find our‐ selves back in the same position with the IOC who are refusing to act despite the clear evidence of genocide and widespread and worsening human rights fail‐ ures.”

BLAS CANTÓ: Will represent Spain this year.

THE Eurovision 2021 organisers confirm that it will return between May 18 and 22, and that they hope contestants will sing in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, as planned.

The final decision on the format will be announced in the coming weeks, with hopes for a socially distanced event be-

ing possible, with contestants performing on the same stage and journalists able to cover the event from Rotterdam.

If representatives from any country were unable to travel, they would be able to record a live performance and send that in order to participate.

Another option is for only

recorded performances to be presented and live connections from the festival headquarters would be maintained between performances.

Spain will be represented

by Blas Cantó, who will sing one of two proposed songs which will be chosen by the public.

Covid And Fertility WHILST new side effects from Covid‐19 con‐ tinue to be uncovered, a new study suggests that the male reproductive system could be af‐ fected by coronavirus.

Although not conclusive, the report from researchers at the Huazhong University of Sci‐ ence and Technology in Wuhan, China, indi‐ cated that male fertility post‐infection, should be studied further. The report states “We propose that there is an urgent need to track male Covid‐19 patients during their recov‐ ery.”

A recent study by the Justus‐Liebig‐Universi‐ ty in Germany and Allameh Tabataba’i Univer‐ sity in Iran found that sperm from men who had contracted Covid‐19 was much slower than men who had never had coronavirus and that their sperm count was also reduced.

“Although these effects tended to improve over time, they remained significantly and ab‐ normally higher in the Covid‐19 patients, and the magnitude of these changes were also re‐ lated to disease severity,” claimed lead re‐ searcher Behzad Hajizadeh Maleki.

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Instagram hackers INSTAGRAM has disabled and removed hundreds of stolen accounts as attacks from hack‐ ers in order to steal and resell them escalate.

The hackers attempt to ob‐ tain usernames with handles of fewer than five letters that would be valuable for resale and accounts with high follow‐ ings, verification badges or de‐ sirable usernames become valuable for resale.

Their security team is wor‐ ried that hackers have become more active, more violent and are using threat tactics.

Recently, more aggressive methods have been used both on and offline, including extor‐ tion with hacked nude pho‐ tographs, or in some US cases, hackers call the police to report a bomb threat or shooter at the account holder’s home, sending a SWAT team to the address.

The company has promised to protect vulnerable accounts against future attacks by get‐ ting them to sign up for a new Facebook Protect program in‐ cluding tougher password se‐ curity threat monitoring.

Baby Pandas Make Debut TEN loveable baby panda cubs aged from four to six months old have made their first public appearance in early celebration of the Chinese lunar New Year on February 12.

China is extremely proud of its efforts to preserve a species that for many years was considered endan‐ gered, and is a symbol of China. A recent count found only 44 panda cubs known in the world; half thought to have been bred in China.

Keepers shouted a message to the gathered crowds: ‘Newborn baby pandas from the class of 2020… wish you a happy New Year and lots of good luck in the Year of the Ox.’

Milkman Style LOOP, an online shopping platform delivering brand‐ name groceries and house‐ hold goods in reusable packaging, is committed to reducing plastic waste.

Loblaw’s senior vice‐ president of plastic waste reduction, Ian Gordon, said that the so‐called ‘milkman model’ is a “great example where you look to the past and see a great opportunity to solve a problem.”

Everyday essentials usu‐ ally purchased in single‐use containers will be available in refillable glass or metal containers and delivered in reusable tote bags. When finished, empty containers are placed back in a Loop tote, picked up, sanitised, refilled and shipped out again.

The delivery service is currently available through Tesco in the UK, Carrefour in France, Kroger and Wal‐ greens in the USA.

NEWS

EU And China Agreement Pixel health checks THE European Union and China are close to complet‐ ing a historic investment agreement after an online video meeting between European trade representa‐ tives and Chinese business experts and en‐ trepreneurs.

The China‐EU comprehensive agreement on invest‐ ment (CAI), is now awaiting the final regulatory ap‐ proval, but figures from both sides have already been keen to identify promising fields that can be explored for future trading.

The director general of the China Centre for Region‐ al Economic Cooperation, Zhang Jianping, comment‐ ed, “With market access relaxed, I think it brings a certain competitive pressure to Chinese companies.

This will force them to invest in research and develop‐ ment, and find ways to retain talent.”

He added, “I think it’s a good thing to have pres‐ sures to survive when it comes to market competi‐ tion.”

FROM March, Google’s Pixel phones will include a function allowing cameras to measure the heart and respiratory rates using artificial intelligence techniques based on movement and colour changes.

Although the function will initially be available only on the Pixel model, the aim is to expand it to other Android phones in the future.

Google warned that these systems have not been designed to carry out medical diagnoses, but simply to help people who wish to improve their health and well-being.

Measurements can be stored on the phone and integrated in the Google Fit App.

Camels Get The Hump A SAUDI ARABIAN beauty contest has disqualified several camels for using Botox.

A veterinarian was caught performing plastic surgery on a dozen humped contestants prior to a huge U A E camel competition. According to reports, another clinic was also

found surgically reducing the animal’s ear size to appear more ‘delicate.’

“They use Botox for the lips, the nose, the upper lips, the lower lips and even the jaw,” Ali Al Mazrouei, the son of a prominent Emirati breeder, said, “It makes the head more inflated so when

the camel comes it’s like, ‘Oh look at how big that head is.

It has big lips, a big nose’.”

Getting disqualified from the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is certainly something to get the hump over, with more than €26 million in prize money for the beauty contest alone.

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Amazon 10-Hour Night Shifts Epstein Fund Out Of Cash IT has been reported by Motherboard that workers in an Amazon warehouse are being required to work 10‐hour overnight shifts or they could lose their jobs.

Known internally as ‘megacycle’ shifts, these graveyard shifts are meant to improve efficiency, and usually start around 1am, fin‐ ishing at midday. Other Amazon sites have allegedly already made the transition.

Jen Crowcroft, a spokesperson for Ama‐ zon said in an email to The Verge, “We offer a wide range of job opportunities at Ama‐ zon sites and we are working with each as‐ sociate directly on the option that best sup‐ ports them.”

A group representing Amazon workers at the warehouse, Amazonians United, said the schedule was “unworkable.”

Love It Or Queen’s Choice Hate It? A LIMITED-EDITION Marmite ‘Dynamite’ is set to launch, in time to set tables on fire on Valentine’s Day. Available at Sainsbury’s and online retailers for a limited time, the new flavour is designed not to blow your top immediately, but to add a gradual chilli kick.

Sophie Allan, brand manager at Marmite described the new offer‐ ing as, ‘A taste explosion which needs to be handled with care,’ and said “We’ve ignited breakfast tables before with our Marmite Peanut Butter, but this is set to send shock waves in kitchens up and down the country.”

THE Queen has appointed the former MI5 Chief as the royal household’s top offi‐ cial.

Her Majesty the Queen has formally appointed 59‐ year‐old Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, as the top official in her roy‐ al household, the Lord Chamberlain, where he will New royal top official. replace Earl Peel aged 73, who was due to retire at the end of 2020 after 14 years in the posi‐ tion, but stayed in the job while his successor was searched for.

Baron Parker was the Director‐General of MI5 until last April, a role he commenced in 2007, after leading the Security Service’s re‐ sponse to the July 7 London terrorist attacks and the 2006 transat‐ lantic aircraft plot, and he will soon step into the £90,000‐a‐year part‐time role of ensuring that everything runs smoothly in the Queen’s household.

A COMPENSATION programme to provide money to dozens of women abused by financier Jef‐ frey Epstein has abruptly sus‐ pended payouts, saying it has temporarily run out of cash.

The announcement by the Ep‐ stein Victims’ Compensation Pro‐ gramme blamed the suspension on uncertainty about the liquidity of estate assets needed to finance payouts. Officials said the fund

would have up to $630 million (approx €525 million) when it started its operations last June, but the shutdown abruptly stopped after only $50 million (€41.70 million) had been paid out.

The fund was established after Epstein, 66, killed himself at a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while he awaited trial; to provide an alternative to pursuing

Brits ‘Drug-Fuelled Shooting Spree’ A BRITISH man was arrested after allegedly going on a ‘drug‐fuelled shooting spree’ in Thailand. Thirty‐three‐ year‐old Benjamin Robert Simpson reportedly took drugs with a speedboat’s captain before the pair set off around Koh Samui.

During the boat ride, the suspect is said to have fired several rounds of a handgun towards the luxury five‐star hotel he was staying in. Witnesses said hotel staff ducked in fear while the shots were fired, before calling police.

After searching the man’s hotel room, officers found a 9mm Beretta pistol loaded with 31 bullets and a revolver handgun with 49 bullets, a plastic bag believed to contain 6.85 grams of methamphetamine and several meth pipes.

The captain of the speedboat, Geerati Glinubol, was ar‐ rested at the hotel at the same time as Simpson.

claims through the courts. The programme’s 150 claims to date far exceeded initial expectations of about 70 claims.

The fund’s administrator said the suspension of payouts was necessary to protect those who have not yet resolved their claims.

Luxury Icon’s New Routes SINCE its foundation in 1886 with its Paris to Istanbul journey, the Orient Express has become im‐ mortalised as the world’s most iconic and luxurious train service.

The train’s new owner, Belmond Hotels, has introduced new routes and additional luxuries for trav‐ ellers keen on old‐school travel when the pandemic subsides.

New departure points have been announced in Geneva, Brus‐ sels, Amsterdam, Rome, and Flo‐ rence ‐ and for those who can af‐ ford them, the train has three new Grand Suites in carriages lov‐ ingly restored from the 1920s.

Luxuries include underfloor heating, a 24‐hour butler, cutting edge showers, fine dining, and Champagne on tap.

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Detained in Dubai

Red Wine Prices Plummet

A BRITISH woman faces up to two years in a Dubai prison or a hefty fine after her flatmate reported her to the police for sending a WhatsApp message saying “F*** You,” claiming she had been “offended.”

Foreigners can receive lengthy prison terms in Dubai for swearing, something campaign group and UAE legal experts Detained in Dubai, say is “a huge problem.”

The Brit, who has been in Dubai since 2008, was stopped at the airport when she tried to return to the UK to start a new job and is now awaiting trial.

GROWING tensions between Australia and China and a huge hike in trade tariffs mean Aussie wine producers will look to Europe to export the majority of their red wine stock, at a hugely discounted price.

“We’ve got to try to re-attack those markets,” Ciatti Australia director and grape broker Matthew Tydeman said.

“But we now have to realise that we’re competing against Chile and Spain and Argentina for the price points, and those price points are a lot cheaper than what we’re seeing in Australia at the moment.”

NEWS

Judge’s sexist slur A SPANISH judge who was accidentally recorded de‐ scribing an abuse victim with a sexist slur will not face dis‐ missal following a ruling by Madrid’s Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruled that, as the offensive record‐ ing had taken place without the consent of the judge, the magistrate would not face dismissal. However, his re‐ marks were ‘unequivocally offensive and unacceptable.’

In June 2018, following a divorce hearing that involved domestic abuse allegations, the court’s recording system was left on without the

MADRID COURT: Judge will not face dismissal after its ruling. judge’s knowledge. As he left the chambers, he was recorded describing the vic‐

tim with a derogatory sexist slur ‐ the English language equivalent of which is con‐

sidered very offensive.

Although the judge ‘used expressions and referred to the complainant in terms that were unequivocally of‐ fensive and unacceptable,’ the remarks were considered private conversation. When the recording surfaced he im‐ mediately withdrew from the case and offered his apolo‐ gies to the subject of his re‐ marks.

Anti-Mask Police A SPANISH police officer faces six years unem‐ ployment without pay after refusing to wear a mask while on duty.

Alicante Council confirmed the officer could face suspension from work, without pay, for a period of up to six years for refusing to wear a mask while on shift. The police officer was also filmed at several anti‐Covid demonstrations and even spoke out publically against the gov‐ ernment’s coronavirus restrictions.

Speaking at a rally, the officer said: “You

know what I am playing for. I don’t care if my mayor comes. There are people who have died for their ideals, and I believe in this.” He also posted another video, complaining of the harshness of the sanctions proposed. “Six years for not putting on a mask, you’re clear, be good, because later they can put this on you. If they give me six years for the mask, I will go crazy.

“There’s no fear,” the officer added, “if they give me six years I’ll be back for retirement.”

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NEWS

£15M Tindall Claiming Furlough

MIKE TINDALL: Is married to Zara Phillips.

MARRIED to the Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Phillips, Ruck magazine, last year listed ex England player Mike Tindall as fourth‐richest rugby player in the world, worth an estimated £15.7 million .

It is believed Tindall is the on‐ ly member of staff at Kimble Trading Ltd, whose accounts filed in December state, “The company has taken advantage of all available government aid in order to support the business and its employees through the crisis.”

The Sun hired a forensic ac‐

countant, reporting, “Under normal circumstances, Mike Tindall appears to make most of his money through share divi‐ dends and interest‐free loans from his company. Over the years he has ‘borrowed’ nearly £330,000, and every year he adds to this ‘debt’.”

He continued, “It’s a way of taking money out of the busi‐ ness while paying less tax in the short term. He will also pay him‐ self a small salary, small enough that he won’t have to pay Na‐ tional Insurance on it, probably around £730 a month.”

‘Virtual Kidnapping’ Threat Phone Scam THE Guardia Civil took to Twitter to warn of a new ‘virtual kidnapping’ phone scam.

Criminals call victims from an unknown number claiming to have kidnapped a loved one. Using SCAM: Report to police. threats like, “We have kidnapped your son ... pay or you won’t see him again.”

Gangs demand anything between €2,000 and €10,000 ransom in exchange for ‘releasing’ the person they claim to have kidnapped.

The police warn never to hand over money or any personal details to these criminals. The Guardia Civil advise the following if you receive a ‘virtual kidnapping’ call: • Look out for calls from unknown numbers • Listen and let the caller speak. If they are a stranger hang up • Never hand over personal details, your location or your contact details • Don’t make payments to the kidnapper • Check whether the family member or friend who has supposedly been kidnapped is ok • Report the crime to the authorities The Guardia Civil urged anyone receiving a ‘virtual kidnapping’ call to report it to police on 062.

NEWS

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Border Brothel Raid SPANISH police have de‐ nounced 19 French people who allegedly crossed into Spain in order to visit a brothel in Girona.

Police handed all involved fines for not complying with Covid rules at a hotel in Girona where police had been carrying out an investigation into hu‐ man trafficking.

Police identified 39 clients inside the establishment when

it was raided, as well as 21 women who they interviewed to investigate if they had been trafficked for the purposes of being sold into the sex trade.

The joint operation between the National Police and the Mossos d’Esquadra took place after a tip off about prostitu‐ tion at a hotel where Covid re‐ strictions were also being breached, according to media reports.

Dairy Milk Moves to UK

CHOCOLATE giants, Cadbury announced its intentions of transferring the production of the iconic ‘Dairy Milk’ from Germany to its main UK factory in Bournville, Birmingham, in 2022.

Mondelez, who own the brand, have invested around £80 million into its Bourneville site. It will take over 2022 production of the 12,000 tonnes of chocolate used each year making Dairy Milk bars; enough for 125 million bars of chocolate. The move, whilst not creating any new jobs, is seen as a huge boost for post‐Brexit UK business, Kwasi Kwarteng, the UK Business Secretary described it as “a sweet piece of news.”

11 - 17 February 2021

Wolf hunting banned THE State Commission for Natural Heritage of the Ministry of Ecological Tran‐ sition and Demographic Challenge has included all wolf populations in Spain on the list of species under special protection.

From this week, wolves will cease to be a species which can be hunted any‐ where in Spain.

The proposal required a double vote because the first one was a tie.

Eventually, a majority, nec‐ essary to adopt the decision, has given it the go‐ahead, giv‐ ing all wolf populations throughout the national terri‐ tory the same status.

The proposal will now be submitted to Minister Tere‐ sa Ribera, to order it be made a law.

The turtle dove has also been proposed for addition to the list, but two votes were held and both were tied, so for now it will not go ahead.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

FRANCE

Schools reopen

Company of Possibilities

ALTHOUGH Covid-19 has claimed its first child victim, a 10-year-old, the Danish Government has decided to reopen schools for the youngest four grades of children with effect from February 8 with older children due to return February 28.

AN organisation in Lyon, is appealing to local businesses to give up at least a day’s paid annual leave so that their employer donates the money to The Company of Possibilities to fund projects that help the homeless.

NETHERLANDS

NORWAY

Carry the can

Wizz Air

THE Dutch Government has announced that as the numbers of discarded drink cans rose to 150 million last year that with effect from 2023 it would instruct retailers to add 15c refundable deposit to the cost of each can sold.

THE Hungarian based low frills airline Wizz Air has announced that due to the Covid-19 pandemic that it will close its Trondheim Airport base which it only opened last autumn, but will continue to operate flights out of Oslo.

BELGIUM

FINLAND

Feline fury

Taxi cost

ACCORDING to an animal behaviourist at Ghent University, cats are getting fed up with coronavirus restrictions as they are creatures of habit and their lives are being disrupted by adults and children spending more time at home making a noise.

THE Finnish Health Authority says that if someone is too ill to drive, doesn’t own a car or can’t travel by public transport they may reclaim the cost of a taxi up to €25 each way to attend a coronavirus test.

GERMANY

SWEDEN

Parliamentary bid

Mr Vegas

A SYRIAN refugee who had to flee as he had been targeted by the Assad regime arrived in Germany in 2015 and now Tareq Alaows, standing for the Green Party, hopes to become the first Syrian to be elected to Germany’s parliament.

MALTA based online casino company Mr Vegas has been granted a five-year online gaming licence by the national regulator, Spelinspektionen so that Swedish customers will be able to visit its MrVegas.com and MrVegas.se websites.

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FEATURE

BRITISH AND BREXIT SINCE the start of 2021, the British have definitively lost their status as EU citizens and are considered as third-country nationals. This means that the general immigration regime regulations will apply to them, without prejudice to the possibility that at some point a special mobility regime may be agreed for them, which remains to be seen.

EXCEPTION TO THE GENERAL RULE There is an exception to this general rule which affects British nationals who were resident in Spain before the end of the transitional period on December 31, 2020. In this sense, British citizens who possessed a green card or EU citizen’s certificate before December 31 will have an extension until June 30, 2021 to ‘exchange’ it for a foreigner’s identity card (TIE), which is the new document that certifies resident status as a third-country national.

In both cases, they must submit the TIE application at the police station corresponding to their place of residence and prove their status as EU residents before December 31.

NEWCOMERS Those arriving in Spain from now on will initially be subject to the general immigration regime as third-country nationals. Consequently, and unless there is a last-minute bilateral or multilateral agreement, British nationals wishing to settle in Spain must apply for a non-lucrative residence visa at the Spanish Consulate corresponding to their geographical location in the United Kingdom and provide proof of financial stability, accommodation in Spain, absence of a criminal record, health insurance and no illnesses that could have serious repercussions on public health, like any other third-country national.

Once they have received their residence visa, they may travel to Spain and must apply for a Foreigner’s Identity Card (TIE) at the police station corresponding to their place of residence, where they must present their residence visa.

SELF EMPLOYED WORKERS AND BUSINESSMEN Those wishing to set up a business in Spain or work as self-employed must also apply for a residence and self-employment visa at the Spanish Consulate in the UK. For this purpose, they must have facilities in Spain to carry out their activity (eg premises, office, warehouse, etc) and prove sufficient financial means to do so.

Furthermore, they must submit an establishment project stating the activity they intend to carry out in Spain, the planned investment, the expected profitability and the creation of employment.

Once they have obtained the self-employ-

POST BREXIT: The British people have lost their status as EU citizens and are now considered third-country nationals. ment visa, they must travel to Spain, register with the Social Security Self-Employed Workers’ Scheme (Régimen de Trabajadores Autónomos de la Seguridad Social) and apply for the Foreigners’ Identity Card (TIE) at the police station corresponding to their place of residence.

GOLDEN VISA Another option for the British from now on is the Golden Visa, which is the investor’s residence permit granted to investors who buy property in Spain for a price of more than €500,000.

It will also be available to British nationals who deposit €1 million in a Spanish bank and those who buy shares in a Spanish company for a sum of over €1 million, among other cases.

Likewise, those who justify a business project to be developed in Spain and which is considered and accredited as being of general interest may also obtain the Golden Visa.

The Golden Visa has a number of advantages; among them, it allows you to work in Spain without having to apply for an additional permit, you do not have to live in Spain for a minimum annual period, you can travel to any Schengen country, you can obtain it very quickly, and the first residence card is valid for two years and subsequent cards are valid for five years.

The holder has just three obligations: to maintain at all times the investment that granted

them the right to obtain it, to maintain valid health care insurance for the entire duration of the residence permit, and to be up-to-date with their tax obligations in Spain.

SALARIED EMPLOYEES Those British nationals wishing to work as salaried employees will be the worst off. If, as seems likely, the general immigration regime is applied to them as third-country nationals, it will be very difficult for British nationals to obtain a job in Spain, except in very exceptional cases that fall within those occupations that are difficult to fill as published by the Spanish National Employment Service, or in some very restricted cases where there is no job seeker registered with the Spanish Employment Institute (INEM using its Spanish abbreviation) for the position applied for. It should be noted that national employment status is the determining factor in whether an immigrant can work in Spain, and British nationals will now be subject to this factor, with some exceptions such as children and spouses of residents, positions of trust, highly qualified personnel, and a few other cases.

As a consequence, in the future, British nationals who want to work will be able to do so by means of the ‘arraigo’ system by proving that they have lived in Spain for the last three years with short trips that do not exceed a maximum of 120 days in total over the last three years.

This is the formula followed by immigrant workers from non-EU countries and this is the formula that, unless there is a bilateral or multilateral agreement, the British will most likely have to follow, and I would advise them to register with their local council as soon as possible in order to gain time.

HOMEOWNERS AND TOURISTS As far as British homeowners in Spain and those who want to visit as tourists are concerned, they will not be able to stay in Spain for more than 90 days within a period of six months and will need a passport to enter, although I do not think they will be required to have an entry visa.

In any case, I am sure that the most important principle that will henceforth govern the relations of British citizens with all EU states will be the principle of reciprocity. However the British authorities treat EU citizens, that is how EU countries will treat British citizens.

Ricardo Bocanegra Lawyer and Gestor www.bocanegra.com Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 65. 2-4 29601 Marbella, Málaga +34 952 775 812 informacion@bocanegra.com

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FEATURE

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

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urg‐ ing its readers to support local businesses in the community by going local through the lock‐ down 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, butchers, greengrocers and all of the won‐ derfully quirky independent

businesses in your area.

Due to the Covid‐19 pandem‐ ic, you may have to support many local businesses by order‐ ing 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 lo‐ cal community.

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on‐

line, consider where your mon‐ ey 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 lo‐ cal charities, support and spon‐ sor local sports teams and in many cases the small indepen‐ dent stores are actually much more than just a small high

street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the generation be‐ fore.

For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros spent there are supporting someone’s dream and ambition, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task. It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an independent store and com‐

11 - 17 February 2021

SPENDING LOCALLY: Will make a difference to the local economy.

pete with the multinational and chains.

So be sure to pre‐order your meat from a local butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us revive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again.

You could also consider pur‐ chasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path.

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

peace of mind through these dif‐ ficult times.

Choosing to spend your mon‐ ey locally will really make a dif‐ ference in the recovery of the lo‐ cal economy. When we buy local, our money stays local, and it strengthens the local economy in two ways. First, buying local keeps money circulating within the local economy.

Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they cre‐ ate locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees.

Data shows that local retailers return 52 per cent of their rev‐ enue back into the local econo‐ my, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain retailers.

Money circulating through the local economy benefits ev‐ eryone who is a part of each transaction. For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce.

First, they sell to a local

restaurant, which in turn pre‐ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This example illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and communi‐ ties.

Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportuni‐

ties for people within our com‐ munity. Studies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and re‐ tain more employees over time.

A fantastic example of how to support your local community is with a Charity Gift certificate, 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.

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FINANCE Wind power SPANISH renewable energy firm Iberdrola through its United Kingdom subsidiary Scottish Power is looking to work with DP Energy in order to expand into the Republic of Ireland with a potential spend of €10 billion on creating offshore wind farms.

Refund INSURANCE company Linea Directa, a subsidiary of Bankinter which is particularly successful in the Spanish car insurance market has announced that it plans to reimburse up to €100 to selfemployed customers who have covered fewer kilometres than planned due to lockdown.

Take over INDIAN industrialists are investing across Europe and the latest anticipated takeover is

by Jindal who are paying €100 million to add the Cordoba-based manufacturer of plastic packaging SP Group to its portfolio.

Minimum wage ACCORDING to figures released by the European Statistical Agency (Eurostat), the minimum monthly wage of €1,108 (in 12 payments rather than 13) is one of the highest in the eurozone making Spain the seventh highest out of 21 countries.

Brexit blues A REPORT by the UK Road Haulage Association suggests that UK exports to the EU via sea freight dropped by 68 per cent in January 2021 and that 75 per cent of lorries returning to Britain are empty.

Boohoo ALTHOUGH the brand names of Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis will live on following a £25.2 million (€27.7 million) takeover by online fashion retailer Boohoo, their 214 stores will be closed with the immediate loss of 2,450 jobs.

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 11 - 17 February 2021

€1.2 trillion

is the amount of money that the European Central Bank expects to be transferred from the UK to European subsidiaries following Brexit.

Pandemic research investment

Cost of Spanish energy sufficiency A REPORT produced by Abay Analysts for Green‐ peace estimates that it would cost €197 billion to transform Spain’s energy production over the coming years.

The investment to be made, equivalent to 4.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), would be fi‐ nanced almost equally by the public and private sec‐ tors.

The model envisages a rapid advance towards the

decarbonisation of the ener‐ gy system and its transfor‐ mation into a greener, fairer and more equal one and suggests that the availability of European funding is a unique opportunity to trans‐ form the system.

The report indicates that in order to achieve the de‐ sired results, the Spanish Government would need to approve 117 measures to re‐ cover and transform the country into a green nation.

These measures, while fa‐

LEGALLY SPEAKING

How do annuities pay?

I am a tax resident in Spain. When I was 40 years old and working in England I pur‐ chased an annuity to mature when I was 55 years old, when I retired to Spain. After reading the section on taxing annuities on the Tax Agen‐ cy website, I YOU AND THE LAW have been IN SPAIN declaring 28 per cent of this an‐ nuity. Is this correct? The Tax Agency say that I should declare the full amount. After reading your EWN column I now know that I should not have added it to my NHS pension, but asked my gestoria to declare it on the investment part of the tax form. Is this correct?

cilitating maintenance or job creation and social protec‐ tion, would provide a strong impetus to combat climate emergency and biodiversity loss, which would help build a more resilient society.

Investment would be car‐ ried out, almost equally, by the public (53.7 per cent) and private sectors (46.3 per cent) but it envisages that just 37 per cent of the pro‐ posals would require fund‐ ing.

Others would be intro‐

duced due to a radical change in policy, including emphasis on the role of women as one of the main values for the system to change sustainably.

Mario Rodríguez, director of Greenpeace Spain, said, “Apart from partisan ideolo‐ gies and strategies, the polit‐ ical will to change things is fundamental, because the planet and people need not only take economic mea‐ sures, but also vision for the future.”

Red not white Credit: Pixabay

BUSINESS EXTRA

26

FCUK share boost

DAVID SEARL

Yes, it is correct that payments from an an‐ nuity are declared in the separate section of your tax form for investment or capital gains income, called in Spanish ‘ahorros’ or savings. And, yes, you declare the full amount of the payments. Then you calculate the reduction based on your age when you began re‐ ceiving payments. And, yes, you will be taxed on 28 per cent of the income. If your gestoria was unaware of this, perhaps you should find a Spanish tax consul‐ tant to do it.

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

THE UK division of US exercise group Peloton has warned customers on its website that there are significant delays in supplying equipment, although it does not explain why.

According to a BBC report, the problem, which has irritated many consumers, has been caused by a combina-

MISLEADING: White pigs but red meat.

TO coincide with World Cancer Day (February 4), in‐ ternational pressure group Animal Equality made a for‐ mal complaint against In‐ terporc which promotes the sale of meat from the White Capped Pig. The basis of the complaint is that Spain’s Interporc has been promoting the meat from the pigs as white meat, considered a healthier alter‐ native to red meat, when it is actually red.

Using the findings of a 2015 report presented by the International Cancer Re‐ search Centre, it argues that eating red meat is associat‐ ed with the development of colon and bowel cancer and

in its definition of what con‐ stitutes red meat, pork is clearly identified.

Animal Equality argues that advertising and pro‐ moting the sale of meat from selected pigs as being white is misleading and in breach of consumer laws in Spain.

If the complaint is upheld

by Spain’s Consumer Min‐ istry then Interporc may be fined and required to amend its claims.

The sale of Spanish pig meat is worldwide and last year generated €2.1 billion by way of taxes according to Interporc and therefore gave a significant contribu‐ tion to the economy.

Peloton delivery delays tion of Brexit, ‘global shipping delays’ and increased demand.

With significant TV advertising and the ongoing lockdown in the UK, there has been a huge demand for the product which offers both a

A NEW investment fund based in Luxembourg, Vector Innova‐ tive (VF) is looking to collect $300 million (€250 million) over the next 19 months to in‐ vest in pandemic related in‐ dustry.

Target companies include pandemic protection, future healthcare, aiding and sup‐ porting precision medicine, highly advanced point of care and AI technologies to support the global economy, sustain‐ able healthcare, and life longevity. Specialist invest‐ ment advisors with knowledge of the industries under consid‐ eration who have recourse to international bodies have been recruited to spotlight potential new and existing businesses.

treadmill and a static exercise bike with online coaching from the USA. With an overall increase in interest in staying fit and gyms closed in so many areas, at home exercise is becoming increasingly more popular

and Peloton has become one of the major ‘must haves’ for those who need a way of keeping fit and exercising.

The product is normally shipped by sea from Californian ports but because of congestion there, the company

THE company with the un‐ usual initials FCUK (French Connection UK) has been struggling for some time, but has received takeover en‐ quiries from two potential buyers.

Now it has confirmed that it has received enquiries from a consortium of Spotlight Brands, which owns Sweaty Betty and Gordon Brothers International, which now owns Laura Ashley.

The other interested party is Go Global Retail with HMJ International Services.

With 78 stores and more than 1,000 staff, the current main shareholders are founder Stephen Marks and Frasers Group, the main vehi‐ cle for Mike Ashley, owner of Newcastle United Football Club. has consigned a percentage of orders by air, but this is an expensive undertaking especially as the machines are quite large and relatively heavy.

In the short term this may not be a major problem for a company which forecasts turnover for 2020 at $4.08 billion (€3.34 billion).

28 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 February 2021

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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 8

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.179,50 1.180,50 Admiral Group 2.909,5 2.949,0 Anglo American 2.569,5 2.582,5 Antofagasta 1.505,50 1.505,50 Ashtead Group 3.877,0 3.891,0 Associated British Foods 2.270,0 2.279,5 AstraZeneca 7.298,8 7.310,8 Auto Trader Group Plc 576,60 580,60 Avast 503,50 507,00 Aveva 3.675,0 3.675,0 Aviva 344,20 344,80 B&M European Value Retail SA560,60 566,80 BAE Systems 476,00 479,00 Bank VTB DRC 0,978 0,982 Barclays 149,00 149,08 Barratt Developments 698,20 710,40 Berkeley 4.319,0 4.406,0 BHP Group 2.094,50 2.099,00 BP 256,00 256,75 British American Tobacco 2.680,0 2.686,0 British Land Company 455,40 461,80 BT Group 124,67 124,95 Bunzl 2.390,0 2.396,5 Burberry Group 1.763,0 1.774,5 Carnival 1.356,8 1.392,0 Centrica 51,70 52,38 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.280,0 2.280,0 Compass 1.466,00 1.473,50 CRH 3.130,0 3.161,0 Croda Intl 6.450,0 6.455,5 DCC 5.690,0 5.711,0 Diageo 2.981,5 3.005,5 DS Smith 367,20 372,40 EasyJet 809,22 824,22 Experian 2.612,0 2.621,0 Ferguson 8.778,0 8.804,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.300,0 14.440,0 Fresnillo 1.015,00 1.047,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.280,16 1.283,31 Glencore 263,75 265,89 Halma 2.470,0 2.472,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.618,00 1.638,50 Hikma Pharma 2.326,00 2.339,40 HSBC 391,82 393,15 IAG 157,00 160,90 Imperial Brands 1.447,00 1.452,00 Informa 515,00 522,84 InterContinental 5.064,0 5.108,0 Intermediate Capital 1.788,00 1.801,00 Intertek 5.744,0 5.752,0 ITV 109,25 110,50

% CHG. 1.169,00 2.893,0 2.550,0 1.487,00 3.849,0 2.256,5 7.217,0 574,80 499,00 3.578,0 341,20 556,40 472,20 0,974 146,68 690,80 4.269,0 2.071,50 252,10 2.670,5 451,30 123,20 2.343,8 1.759,0 1.347,5 51,58 2.257,0 1.452,50 3.121,0 6.384,0 5.676,0 2.966,0 362,00 798,00 2.579,0 8.676,0 14.280,0 1.000,92 1.266,00 260,33 2.363,0 1.615,00 2.323,00 386,80 155,70 1.438,50 512,84 5.034,0 1.779,00 5.640,0 108,95

NET VOL 62,99K 0,88K 669,44K 132,19K 46,40K 2,59K 50,88K 103,50K 10,92K 21,06K 866,60K 227,72K 54,63K 64,74K 1,29M 588,22K 57,71K 547,54K 1,86M 15,69K 320,36K 2,50M 0,96K 42,58K 38,31K 386,78K 2,34K 267,62K 63,91K 0,26K 1,55K 398,20K 683,84K 451,83K 304,50K 27,15K 45,71K 17,60K 397,37K 917,47K 395,11K 6,45K 1,20K 179,60K 2,12M 26,38K 3,90K 84,14K 46,36K 14,35K 151,45K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

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

233,90 2.929,6 618,00 260,70 37,89 9.634,0 428,50 175,40 1.789,50 851,40 173,75 7.970,0 34,51 2.770,00 2.770,0 702,00 1.247,49 6.231,4 1.832,00 512,00 612,40 5.718,9 92,00 6,67 1.351,40 1.350,8 1.290,0 677,82 594,00 1.854,00 14,73 3.528,0 1.360,00 960,20 2.282,0 1.553,00 1.509,50 11.450,0 1.456,50 1.171,50 452,00 316,00 163,30 243,00 335,00 4.010,0 897,34 134,40 3.270,0 811,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

236,00 2.929,6 635,10 261,20 38,25 9.642,0 435,40 176,55 1.804,50 859,00 175,40 7.978,0 34,76 2.829,00 2.796,0 707,28 1.247,49 6.252,0 1.840,50 512,20 615,80 5.733,2 94,76 6,72 1.362,75 1.362,2 1.295,0 678,20 597,00 1.859,00 14,89 3.531,0 1.371,00 967,20 2.294,0 1.559,00 1.516,00 11.465,0 1.474,00 1.177,00 453,80 316,00 166,50 246,80 344,18 4.029,0 907,20 134,90 3.332,0 820,00

233,30 2.865,3 613,71 257,90 37,51 9.478,0 426,30 174,25 1.770,00 849,40 171,40 7.856,0 34,36 2.750,41 2.759,0 699,40 1.231,77 6.186,0 1.824,50 505,00 604,60 5.693,1 91,14 6,65 1.341,50 1.341,4 1.280,2 677,69 591,60 1.853,00 14,70 3.512,0 1.357,00 951,40 2.266,0 1.546,50 1.489,00 11.225,0 1.453,50 1.165,00 444,20 311,70 163,00 241,20 334,08 3.994,7 896,40 132,88 3.244,0 805,80

364,78K 1,52K 5,61K 827,52K 30,18M 53,49K 163,80K 1,23M 269,57K 567,80K 4,84M 30,34K 92,19K 5,10K 1,54K 5,91K 46,16K 86,80K 203,27K 132,06K 114,97K 49,11K 2,80M 317,46K 478,39K 42,28K 140,37K 2,00K 115,94K 3,42K 596,21K 22,90K 495,95K 70,77K 45,91K 42,29K 53,44K 9,75K 195,59K 77,28K 900,10K 20,00K 1,76M 1,14M 259,98K 106,86K 173,31K 5,64M 17,02K 108,11K

0.87735

1.13947 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.20282 Japan yen (JPY)......................................127.037 Switzerland franc (CHF) .........................1.08359 Denmark kroner (DKK) ...........................7.43608 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.2699

currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 8

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 179,01 2.098,00 3.352,15 236,32 136,76 207,93 193,00 89,26 48,08 49,65 268,10 293,50 278,86 202,92 121,79 58,18 164,45 137,98 212,58 75,80 242,20 145,11 129,57 238,89 852,23 324,51 55,32 208,77 144,36 181,16

CHANGE 179,23 2.102,51 3.377,00 238,88 137,42 213,20 194,33 90,47 48,34 49,78 269,17 297,24 281,76 203,87 121,81 59,08 165,44 139,49 214,18 76,98 243,28 145,57 130,10 239,36 864,77 333,48 55,68 210,13 144,85 182,32

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 176,70 1,82M 2.059,33 1,54M 3.302,71 3,62M 235,38 2,42M 135,86 75,69M 206,66 9,55M 190,01 2,24M 88,64 8,02M 47,50 25,49M 49,27 12,74M 265,67 12,45M 292,19 2,94M 277,81 2,39M 201,28 1,87M 120,52 4,57M 58,12 23,43M 163,86 9,50M 137,38 10,05M 212,01 2,60M 75,41 13,27M 240,42 18,05M 141,29 6,15M 129,03 5,06M 236,41 5,02M 838,97 18,57M 323,48 7,23M 55,17 12,07M 208,66 10,28M 142,53 6,82M 179,33 6,64M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 8

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+5.28% +1.73% +1.71% +4.92% +7.59% +15.23% +1.31% +12.72% +18.72% +0.63% +108.33%

766,672 1.54M 1.49M 4,556 9.76M 3.18M 306,392 979,473 2.40M 3.62M 3.33M

-20.05% -3.87% -29.37% -1.22% -4.70% -1.88% -5.86% -2.20% -55.73% -19.80% -2.11%

2.86M 53,030 21.95M 210,561 346,127 1.24M 23.16M 775,508 18.33M 173,194 890,442

Most Advanced MicroStrategy Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl C Alphabet Inc. Cl A Atrion Corp.

Zoom Video Communications Inc. Seagen Inc. MercadoLibre Inc. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. Fulgent Genetics Inc. Amazon.com Inc. Vor Biopharma Inc.

Most Declined Twist Bioscience Corp.

Amerco Cassava Sciences Inc. CoStar Group Inc. Paylocity Holding Corp.

Lam Research Corp.

Peloton Interactive Inc. Monolithic Power Systems Inc. ATA Creativity Global ADR Pro-Dex Inc. KLA Corp.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Credit: Sint-Sixtus abbey

Very little aid for hospitality

Empty hotels need customers.

HOSTELERÍA DE ESPAÑA has analysed the figures compiled by the regional associations on the actual state of aid to the ho‐ tel and catering industry.

The figures show that, ac‐ cording to the latest data from January 14, only 24 per cent of the total number of Au‐ tonomous Regions have re‐ ceived part or all of the aid allo‐ cated.

This data also shows that more than 40 per cent of the Autonomous Regions have been partially or totally closed for more than 100 days (Aragon, Cantabria, Catalonia, Castile and Leon, La Rioja, Mur‐ cia and Navarre).

The average amounts allo‐ cated for the hotel and catering industry are around €1,500 and these amounts are one‐off pay‐ ments.

There are notable differences

in the management of the dif‐ ferent Autonomous Regions, es‐ pecially in the speed of the pro‐ cedures for accessing this aid as while Catalonia has already re‐ ceived the full amount for night operating businesses, La Rioja has not yet received anything.

In view of the lack of direct aid, the hotel and catering sec‐ tor is filing claims for damages through two law firms, with Eci‐ ja in charge of claims for the Au‐ tonomous Regions and Indem‐ niza is preparing the claim at national level.

The Spanish Hotel and Cater‐ ing Industry continues to de‐ mand aid at national level and wants to be advised of the plans of the Autonomous Re‐ gions and the amounts that will be paid to assist this ailing in‐ dustry which is so important to the economy.

The expenditure that it has

Corrupt countries EVERY year, German-based NGO Transparency International publishes its views on how corrupt each country in the world is deemed to be.

Its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) does not rely on any formal review of government data or scientific study but is based on surveys conducted by private organisations or other NGOs, nevertheless it is quite well-respected worldwide.

According to its latest publication, Denmark and New Zealand lead the way for the least corrupt countries whilst the UK comes in at 11 and Spain at 32.

incurred to comply with hy‐ giene regulations should also be taken into account.

BUSINESS EXTRA Oil slips OIL companies are facing massive losses thanks to the pandemic in 2020 with Royal Dutch Shell losing €18.2 billion compared to profits of €13.36 billion in 2019. Another well-known name to suffer is BP with losses of €4.76 billion.

Herbal investment CELLULAR GOODS, a company which uses cannabis compounds to make skincare products has just sold a number of its shares to footballer David Beckham’s investment company prior to applying to float on the London Stock Exchange.

Bank fined SPAIN’S National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) is fining Caixa Bank €2 million after deciding that it had acted contrary to banking regulations as it considers that it neglected to warn clients on the dangers of certain complicated investments.

11 - 17 February 2021

EWN 29

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 February 2021

FEATURE

Sorry for all the doom and gloom

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT IN my opinion the Chinese are the most dangerous race on the planet. Subjects, who live under the iron boot of communism, are like ants or bees following the orders of the Queen. On their own they are weak and vulnerable.

Working together for a common cause, they are virtually unstoppable.

Over the years, this ancient race of people, with their inscrutable and patient leaders has slowly but surely managed to infiltrate the West, with far more success and subtlety than the jihadi terrorists who have impregnated our society.

From the innocuous Chinese restaurants and emporiums of cheap goods to the high financiers of Wall Street and the city of London they are everywhere. Most of their companies in the West are state‐owned enterprises, including the multi supply stores, whose staff are trained in China and schooled in the language of whatever country they are designated to take up their

THE FUTURE: China is the biggest threat to western democracy the world has ever seen. employment.

These stores are only allowed to buy their stock from China and are totally autonomous. By selling a complete cross section of cheap goods, their purpose is to undermine and disrupt local businesses.

Beijing’s clamp down in Hong Kong and the recent announcement that they are instructing schools to teach children from the age of six that they must always

show allegiance to the state, plus the severe punishments that can ensue should they not follow the rules, is blatant brainwashing and of course ensures that future generations will not be westernised and unmanageable as the young people of Hong Kong have become. Their technology, particularly in the cyber world, is second to none, and the Chinese Communist parties, who lie with monotonous predictability, were

almost certainly the source of a number of huge cyber‐attacks on the West. They are a nuclear power and can send rockets into space.

Whether intentionally or accidently, China is undoubtedly responsible for the recent pandemic, that has severely damaged a multitude of economies and spread fear all over the planet. They are too astute to be actual warmongers, but I do believe in the not too distant future

they will begin to flex their military muscles and endeavour to ‘take back’ Taiwan.

Whatever the future holds I think China is the biggest threat to western democracy the world has ever seen. Can they be stopped? Somehow I doubt it, there are after all 1.4 billion of them! If they join forces with Putin’s Mafia, I think we can stick our heads between our legs and bid adieu to our posteriors.

Ah well, ain’t life grand? Sorry for all the doom and gloom. On the up side, can we all antagonise the BBC and British media in general by giving Boris and his team a great big cheer and many congratulations for their wonderful handling of the vaccine handout? At the time of writing nine million doses already administered. I can see the teeth marks on Ms Sturgeon’s aporran from here.

Mind you, the lady can certainly take a little consolation from this year’s rugby team. Well done Scotland. We’ll have you next time!

Keep the faith Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com ecpatradioscotland.com Mon. Wed. Fri.

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

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4:35pm 5:20pm 6:20pm 6:50pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:05pm

11:00pm 12:50am

10:00pm 11:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

3:15pm

NewCountdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast NewIt's a Sin The Last Leg

2:45pm 3:15pm

Four in a Bed Mend It for Money A Place in the Sun Secret Safari: Into the Wild Location, Location, Location Channel 4 News Crocodile Dundee The Little Stranger Warcraft

4:25pm

Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Grand Designs: Living in Channel 4 News Crocodile Dundee II The Great Pottery Throw Down The Great Celebrity Gogglebox

3:20pm 4:20pm 5:20pm 5:25pm 6:35pm 6:40pm 8:00pm

A New Life in the Sun Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Devon and Cornwall Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles Catching a Killer Confessions of a Serial Killer

3:15pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Secret Safari: Into the Wild 24 Hours in A&E NewFirst Dates

3:15pm

Countdown 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 Extraordinary Escapes The Mum Who Got Tourette's

2:15pm 2:45pm 3:15pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

5:25pm 6:30pm 6:35pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

9:00pm 10:00pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Cruising with Jane McDonald Deadly Lullaby 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Paul Merton in China Adrian Dunbar's Coastal Ireland The Disappearance of Shannon Matthews

9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 11:30am

Neighbours Cruising with Jane McDonald FilmKiller Ransom 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show Susan Calman's Grand Day Out

10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 5:45pm 8:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am

Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Live: Good Morning Football Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Netball Superleague Live EFL Sky Sports News Sky Sports News

Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly 5 News Weekend Cruising with Jane McDonald Britain's Most Expensive Houses with Sally Lindsay Secrets of the Royal Palaces

6:00am 7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 11:05am 11:30am 1:00pm 3:45pm 6:00pm 8:45pm 11:00pm

Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News America's Cup Sailing Sky Sports News Soccer A.M. Live EFL Live Premier League Live Premier League Live Premier League Live Fight Night

Made of Honour Marley and Me Access Marley and Me 5 News Weekend Greatest Hits of the The Wonderful World of Chocolate Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday

7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 11:05am 12:00pm 3:00pm

8:30pm 12:30am

Sky Sports News Goals on Sunday America's Cup Sailing Super Sunday Matchday Scottish Premiership Live Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports News

Cruising with Jane McDonald FilmCradles for Cash 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights Police Interceptors A&E After Dark

10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 8:00pm 12:00am

Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Netball Superleague Live MNF Sky Sports News

Cruising with Jane McDonald Hailey Dean Mysteries: Dating Is Murder 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Highland Vet Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild

10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 9:00pm

Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Checkatrade Trophy Live EFL

Home and Away Neighbours Cruising with Jane McDonald Dating to Kill 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Ice Road Truckers Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords

11:05am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 9:00pm 11:30pm

The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Checkatrade Trophy Live EFL Soccer Special PostMatch

3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 9:00pm 12:00am

5:00pm

Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Football Show Live International T20 Cricket Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live PGA Tour Golf Live PGA Tour G Sky Sports News

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

34 EWN

11 - 17 February 2021

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Eco Funerals are Evolving

ENVIRONMENTAL issues are a major concern for many people all over the world and Spain is no exception.

This concern for nature is not something which only leads them to make alternative choices throughout their lives, many are also concerned about the impact that their remains have on the environment after death.

Burial is so common in many cultures that most of us have never even stopped to think about what other options there may be, but there are several up and coming variations which may change the way we look at what happens to our bodies after death.

Some eco‐friendly options which could be‐ come the norm in the future include having the body encased into a ball made of concrete which will then be plunged to the ocean bed to serve as food for coral reefs.

If the decision is to be buried, many may decide not to opt for traditional embalming, as the fluids used contain chemicals which can be toxic to the soil and air. New types of caskets will also be a more common option, including those made of paper or cardboard, very green options such as bamboo and banana leaf, or even wool.

Speaking of green, how much greener can you

get than having your remains placed in a type of pod from which a tree will sprout. Bodies can also be decomposed to turn them into fertile soil.

Alkaline hydrolysis is another option which is taking off in the US and we will be hearing more about. Also known as resomation or water crema‐ tion, the process involves dissolving the remains in hot pressurised water, leaving behind only bone which can be crushed and given to the person’s relatives in the way which ashes normally would be.

When it comes to burials, it goes without say‐ ing, that with growing populations everywhere in the world, something we will be looking at in the future are ways to save space. The way things are going in Europe, many traditional cemeteries will be full within the next decades.

In other parts of the world it is already a huge problem, with land in burial grounds in Hong Kong being more expensive than land for housing.

A solution which has been suggested there to deal with the problem is a floating graveyard. A project has been proposed called Floating Eternity, which would be in the sea and reachable by ferry.

It would dock on the mainland for celebrations to honour ancestors.

Meanwhile in Taiwan, the decision has been

made to take remains upwards, literally, with a 20‐ storey skyscraper named the True Dragon Tower which when it is at full capacity will be able to hold the ashes of 400,000 people. Not far from São Paulo, Brazil, the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica holds the remains of tens of thousands of people in vaults arranged on top each other like an apart‐ ment complex. Paris has also presented plans for skyscraper cemeteries, but it is unclear whether it will see the light.

In Norway, where space has also be‐ come very scarce, an even larger vertical cemetery has been pro‐ posed in the capital city which would become its tallest building.

In Spain, as in Greece, the space problem is something which has been dealt with for decades. The norm here is for relatives to rent a niche, which if you have ever visited a cemetery either on the Costa or in‐ land areas, you will see is already set vertically into the walls of the site.

The bodies decompose there for several years, giving families a place to grieve, place flowers, have their relative’s details on the covering stone and a specific place to pay their respects. Howev‐ er, unless they make other provisions, the remains

are later moved to a communal burial site and the niche is then rented again.

In the UK, some cemeteries reuse graves more than 75 years old, and the practice has al‐ ways been used in Belgium and Germany, as well as in Portugal, although this has only been record‐ ed officially since 1962.

Many areas in Spain have different types of cemeteries, which can be used by the expat com‐ munity, but the future may see cremation and burials change radically.

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FEATURE

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EWN 35

Advertising Feature

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37

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Putting all of your eggs in one basket is rarely to be advised. It should particularly be avoided this week. For the sake of speed and ease it will be tempting to take short cuts and make decisions that are bland. These will, of their nature, not be of the ‘good’ or ‘great’ categories. You are capable of better.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) How you feel about someone will change dramatically during the week. This will surprise you.

Thinking about it logically, though, you have been missing the point for some time.

Someone who you always thought of as a friend turns out to be much more. How you deal with this is very much an individual thing.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) With your engine revving and the road ahead clear, a sense of great freedom is with you.

There are those for whom this week is a chance to really make headway. For some, though, it is an irksome task. The difference is that some of you are taking a negative attitude.

Make sure that yours is positive and you will have a chance to make real progress

TAURUS (April 21 - May21) Wanting to put things right with someone close is a good instinct to have.

It would certainly give you peace of mind. Indeed, this should be a quiet and peaceful week and one that is long overdue. Being successful in business is only one part of success. The light is dawning that what you have always wanted has changed.

GEMINI (May 22 - Juny 21) Someone very special could come into your life. You must, however, be at the ball to meet the prince.

This opportunity for happiness is not going to jump up and bite you. A phone call could be the start of it all.

Accept invitations and get out and about. Be aware of what is going on so that you can be in the right place at the right time.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) What is the reason that you are being held back? Are you sure that you are, in reality, being held back at all? These are not trick questions. Being honest with your answers this week will lift a cloud from your horizon.

Perhaps you are seeing ghosts when there are only shadows.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) With high energy you are seeking to get as much done as possible in a small amount of time.

Rather than go at it ‘hammer and tongs’, it could be easier.

Let someone help you out.

They will find it satisfying and so you will both be happy.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) You are freer than you imagine.

Your imagination is letting you down a bit at the moment. Not for some time have opportunities been throwing themselves at you like this. The question is not if you should take up an offer but rather which one you should choose.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Give others the benefit of the doubt and your infinite patience this week. Situations will change from minute to minute.

It would be a waste of energy to take anything at facevalue.

Time is often the first thing to solve many problems. As with health, given a few days simple things will sort themselves out.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Although you are only too aware that you are capable of great good when you put your mind to it, it would be wise to bide your time this week. You may not realise that you are expending too much energy until your weary head hits the pillow.

Be kind to your body. Some things that are taken for granted should not be so. This can lead to neglect. In neither home nor business is this recommended.

SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21) It may seem that everyone wants your attention at the moment. There are times when you would like nothing more than to go away and clear your mind. This is not only possible but essential. You need some quiet moments. Even a day away can renew your spirits and energy.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) So strong have been the practical considerations of late that you have been in a bad position. You need to live more for the ‘now’ and less for the ‘tomorrow’. Of course, life should be a mixture of both but sometimes it all gets a bit jumbled. Getting a few hours peace and quiet on your own may be all that you need.

Getting enough sleep is also important in this situation.

TIME OUT

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

ARCANE ARREAR BEHEST BLANCH BLUISH FREEST JOYFUL LOAVES MARVEL MEMBER MORTAL MUTTER MYRTLE NUANCE (10) REOPEN SCANTY SMOOTH SPLINT TIPTOE

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 6 February

27-28-32 39-46-52

BONUS BALL

6

IRISH LOTTO Sat 6 February

1-9-22 34-41-43

BONUS BALL

20

EURO MILLIONS Tue 2 February

BONUS BALL

9

18-20-35 38-48

12

Fri 5 February

BONUS BALL

12-19-37 44-45

2 6

EL MILLON: KLC00439 LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 4 February

BONUS BALL

05-09-11 33-46-49

10 2

JOKER: 1464402 Sat 6 February

BONUS BALL

07-15-22 37-41-42

28

JOKER: 6007044

5

TIME OUT

38

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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, 24 represents V and 25 represents P, so fill in V every time the figure 24 appears and P every time the figure 25 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 Vendedor (6) 3 Vuelo (6) 8 Jubilado (7) 10 Lioness (5) 11 Rueda (5) 12 School (7) 13 Deporte (5) 15 Glasses (for drinking) (5) 20 Insect (7) 22 Hasta (5) 24 To spin (5) 25 Respirar (7) 26 To tear up (6) 27 Panadería (6)

Down 1 Pajitas (6) 2 Litro (5) 4 Lila (5) 5 Rude (discourteous) (7) 6 Bolsita de té (3,3) 7 Bordes (de asientos, andenes, pañuelos) (5) 9 Regla (para trazar líneas) (5) 14 Desserts (7) 16 Divertir (5) 17 Jengibre (6) 18 Peines (5) 19 Soñoliento (6) 21 Letter (mail) (5) 23 Título (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK

BOGGLED

Across: 1 Depth, 4 Skips, 7 Petroleum, 8 Real, 10 Blend, 13 Cover, 14 Tell, 17 Dangerous, 19 Ended, 20 Lifts.

Down: 1 Depart, 2/18 Put off, 3 Hook, 4 Steals, 5 Immense, 6 Save, 9 Avoided, 11 Penned, 12 Closes, 15 Duke, 16 Heal.

isthmi this than thin tonne tone atone anoint anon nonfat none nonet stoa stone shaft shot shoat shone shim shin sinh hits hist hats haft hots hoist hone hint oats oath oaths ohms often fats foist font mist mishit mint mitt mitre iota info infer nisi nims nitre tenon tennis tref tree jinn jinnee free feet reft reef heft

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Adam, 3 Esoteric, 9 Javelin, 10 On tap, 11 Colon, 12 Teller, 14 Nomads, 16 Thatch, 19 Primer, 21 Masai, 24 Usurp, 25 Cremona, 26 Listener, 27 Feud.

Down: 1 Adjacent, 2 Anvil, 4 Sanity, 5 Troll, 6 Retreat, 7 Copy, 8 Planed, 13 Thailand, 15 Marquis, 17 Hammer, 18 Creche, 20 Maple, 22 Slope, 23 Pull.

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Scarves, 5 Fifth, 8 Magro, 9 Luckier, 10 Event, 11 Sinus, 12 Llamar, 14 Gansos, 18 Crisp, 20 Rough, 22 Iglesia, 23 Licor, 24 Besos, 25 Tostado.

Down: 1 Semanal, 2 Angle, 3 Violeta, 4 Salute, 5 Focas, 6 Friends, 7 Hurts, 13 Anillos, 15 Abuelas, 16 Salario, 17 Breast, 18 Climb, 19 Pasas, 21 Hacha.

CODE BREAKER

FUTOSHIKI

NONAGRAM enol envy gent glen gone inly into lent lien line ling lino lint lion loin lone long noil note only oven tine ting tiny tone tong tony vein vent vine vino viny envoi envoy eying given glint ingle ingot inlet lento levin lingo linty liven lying novel ovine tigon tinge tying veiny vinyl vying gently legion lenity loving tiglon tingle tingly toeing toying voting lentigo levying novelty vetoing violent LONGEVITY

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 EDGING 2 ORIENT 3 SPREAD 4 OBTAIN 5 GARAGE 6 SUNDRY 7 DANGLE 8 INBRED 9 AMIDST 10 LABOUR 11 MARINA 12 SERIES 13 REASON 14 SCHIST 15 RADIUS 16 ANNEAL 17 PIECED 18 ERRANT 19 PARLEY

ROOM ROOT SOOT SPOT SPIT SPIN

KAKURO

SUDOKU

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Almería TODAY VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA

WEATHER

MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ROQUETAS

ADRA

TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ROQUETAS

ADRA

SATURDAY VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

ROQUETAS

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Malaga TODAY: MAX 21 MIN 9 Fri 21 12 Sat 20 11 Sun 20 10 Mon 19 10 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 9

Alicante TODAY: MAX 22, MIN 10 Fri 22 10 Sat 21 10 Sun 19 13 Mon 18 11 Tues - 19 11 Wed 19 10

Almeria TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 11 Fri 19 13 Sat 19 12 Sun 18 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 17 11 Wed 17 11

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 11 Fri 20 11 Sat 21 11 Sun 20 11 Mon 20 10 Tues - 17 10 Wed 17 11

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 18, MIN 8 Fri 17 9 Sat 14 9 Sun 14 8 Mon 13 8 Tues 16 9 Wed 15 8

Mallorca TODAY: MAX 32, MIN 21 Fri 30 23 Sat 32 21 Sun 32 21 Mon 31 22 Tues 30 22 Wed 29 21

Madrid TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 8 Fri 15 8 Sat 15 7 Sun 14 7 Mon 13 8 Tues 13 9 Wed 12 9

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 9 Fri 16 9 Sat 15 9 Sun 14 10 Mon 13 10 Tues 13 8 Wed 13 8

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

39

TIME OUT

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

BOGGLED How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules?

• The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

• Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms.

• No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice.

• No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

TARGET:

SCORING:

Average: 19 Good: 26 Very good: 38 Excellent: 49

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 Speak about odd love for a sausage (7) 4 Dealt with policeman and journalist (5) 7 Prince not beginning to wrap a range of items (5) 9 She can't possibly punish (7) 10 Nice tax break is incorrect (7) 11 Some fourteen termites go in (5) 12 The head of government ran New York for a relative (6) 14 Support for young animal (4,2) 18 Hard bits from plums? (5) 20 President that's kind of green (7) 22 Clothes were first in jumble (7) 23 A woman liked it here? Not entirely (5) 24 Romeo gets colleague to perk up (5) 25 Strange person accommodating head of Government is a parasite (7) Down 1 Thus a monarch is very wet (7) 2 There's a limit in over-generalising (5) 3 Cathy’s rocking the boats (6) 4 End reveals words of advice, as expected (5) 5 Bottoms and top, that's a quick change! (3,4) 6 Foreign currency found in a remote part (5) 8 Long story about the capital of Ecuador (5) 13 Almost venerate a large naval officer (7) 15 Get up about noon and use mouthwash? (5) 16 Criticise the river cat (7) 17 Pleased to be given directions to open spaces (6) 18 Stirred up regal beer (5) 19 Spread out and point before drama (5) 21 Due to circumstances, the account was still unsettled (5)

TIME OUT

40

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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

Down 1 Be without (4) 2 Previously (7) 3 Complete (5) 4 Make better (4) 8 Parallelogram with four right angles (9) 5/19 Exit a computer (3,3) 9 Unchanging and unmoving (5) 6 Units of area (5) 10 Requests information about (4) 7 Rich and abundant meal (5) 14 Uncommon (4) 11 Cardigan (7) 12 Lets fall to the ground (5) 15 Large, humped ruminant (5) 13 Keen (5) 18 Outstanding (9) 16 Use teeth to cut into something (4) 20 Frequently (5) 17 Very strong wind (4) 21 Costing nothing (4) 19 See 5

WORD LADDER

1 False statements (4)

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

WILD

QUIZ BACK PAIR

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS 1. ‘Blood and Fire’ is the motto of which Christian church and international charitable organisation, founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth?

2. Daniel Hillard was the ‘real’ name of which Robin Williams’ 1993 film character?

3. The 1991 reissued version of Light My Fire was the only UK top 10 hit single for which American rock band?

4. What name is given to a mixture of gases (mostly methane) that form in coal mines and become explosive when mixed with air?

5. What name is given to the phenomenon in which a luminous electrical discharge appears on a ship or aircraft during a storm?

6. What was the title of the 1981 British historical drama film that was based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams?

7. Which archipelago that takes it's name from the Spanish for 'Land of Fire' is situated on the southernmost tip of South American mainland?

8. Which British animated comedy children's series, first broadcast on S4C on November 1, 1987. and a few weeks later on BBC 1, is set in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy?

9. Which novel by Tom Wolfe, first published in 1987, is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City and centres on three main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish assistant district attorney Larry Kramer, and British expatriate journalist Peter Fallow?

10. Who was the Roman god of fire?

NONAGRAM

RACHEL AND FRIENDS

Not a lot of people know that… forest fires move faster uphill than

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

TARGET:

audreyquinton99@gmail.com

Average: 9 Good: 13 Very good: 18 Excellent: 23

Answers 1. SALVATION ARMY, 2. MRS DOUBTFIRE, 3. THE DOORS, 4. FIREDAMP, 5. ST ELMO’S FIRE, 6. CHARIOTS OF FIRE, 7. TIERRA DEL FUEGO, 8. FIREMAN SAM (SAM TÂN in Welsh), 9. THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, 10. VULCAN

42 EWN

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Advertising Feature VOSS HOMES

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Around the villa are easily main-

tained gardens mostly laid to gravel and tiles. To the front is a storage shed and gated drive way plus plenty of safe on road parking. To the rear is the private, main part of the garden with recently refurbished 8m x 4m swimming pool and amazing country views.

Voss Homes is a British family-run business with offices in the thriving, market town of Huercal-Overa and the village of La Alfoquia.

For more information or to arrange a viewing of VH 1471 please contact Voss Homes on 0034 950 616 827 or 0034 678 002 006 or email info@vosshomesspain.com / www.vosshomesspain.com

Nobody is 100 per cent sure MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I’VE tried to keep away from writing about Covid because there seems to be so many different views. I am more inclined to follow the science than the conspiracy theories but, having said that, there are so many different opinions that it’s hard to know what to believe. I constantly see figures of people dying with Covid. The interesting thing here is the use of the word ‘with’ and not ‘of’.

The whole situation of whatever you have or had is irrelevant if you tested positive for Covid 28 days prior to dying of say cancer or heart failure. You, according to the statistics, died of Covid. So I find that confusing. Then there’s the daily updates where the experts kind of answer prepared questions. The problem here is the answers, a lot of the time, are “if this happens, then we expect that might cause this to happen”. So the ‘could’, ‘might’, ‘we think’, ‘it’s possible’ etc is all just a bit of guesswork.

I must emphasise I am not anti-vaccine. I

have my flu and pneumonia jabs every year. I love a pill and I’m quite happy to inject myself every day with my insulin. What I am is anti being forced to have something I’m not entirely sure has been tested enough. France and Germany are now saying the ‘vaccine’ has not been tested enough on folks in my age group. Why don’t they give it to all the youngsters first?

After all, they are the ones that are out and about wanting to party and mix. Most of us oldies are at home a lot more anyway.

What’s the point of giving it to us first?

But what I really don’t like is seeing that, if you don’t have the vaccine, some are suggesting you could be segregated, might not get a job or be able to use trains, buses, supermarkets or aeroplanes. Spain will keep a register of those who decline the jab which will, they say, be confidential. If it’s confidential why do you need a register?

Remember, nobody actually 100 per cent knows what the vaccine is going to do longterm. Vaccinated or not you may still get and possibly spread the virus. Plus, how will you differentiate between people who have and people that haven’t? I know, let’s make them wear an armband or badge maybe even tattoo a membership number on their arm!!!!

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Science of eating THERE are all kinds of fad diets doing the rounds, promising the world only to come crumbling apart like a tender chunk of car‐ rot cake. But changing the focus to when and how often you eat, rather than only what, can bring serious slimming rewards.

The word fasting naturally brings negative connotations to mind. As though you were punish‐ ing yourself, or going on a religious retreat. But when you consider that the benefits of a fast ‐ im‐ proved digestion, fat‐burning, in‐ sulin resistance ‐ come into play after just 12 hours, it’s a different proposition.

The word ‘breakfast’ refers to breaking the evening fast. Try sim‐ ply leaving a 12‐hour space be‐ tween dinner and breakfast and

FASTING: For between 14 and 18 hours will put your body into fat-burning mode.

you’ll notice a major difference if you’re used to grazing throughout the day. If you’re feeling braver then a 14‐18 hour fast puts your body into fat‐burning mode.

Once you feel comfortable, with reduced hunger pangs and

sugar cravings, try a longer fast.

Here the benefits are even stronger as your body begins the process of autophagy, renewing and repairing on a cellular level.

Speak with your doctor first be‐ fore attempting such a fast.

11 - 17 February 2021

EWN 43

PETS

44

www.euroweeklynews.com • 11 - 17 February 2021

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FIVE STAR CARE AT THE FIVE BONE HOTEL THE Five Bone Hotel in Turre, owned and run by Mark and Anita Naylor, is continuing to operate due to the overwhelm‐ ing support of their loyal customers.

They have earnt this support by simply loving their work, which shines through all that they do, as well as their com‐ bined 45 years of professional animal care experience. Anita has been a dog and cat groomer for 25 years and was a British trained veterinary nurse while Mark has run kennels for 20 years.

They regard their business not only as work but as a voca‐ tion and this is reflected in their dedication. This complete commitment means they spend a lot of time there so it is not necessary to book an appointment to view the facilities. Just arrive during opening hours which are: Mon ‐ Sat 09.30 ‐ 12 30 and 18.00 ‐ 19.00 Sunday ‐ 09.30 ‐ 10.30 Closed fiestas Set within extensive gardens, on offer to your pet is a se‐ cure, clean, individual space where they can have their own comforts from home and they will find ample stimulation, fresh air, freedom and companionship.

In addition, hygiene, comfort and security are top priori‐ ties at The Five Bone. There is a large field where the dogs can run freely and the cattery has a completely wired in patio garden to allow each cat to explore safely under supervision.

The Five Bone is one of the few government registered and licensed animal boarding establishments in Almeria, there‐ fore the facilities meet or exceed all legal requirements.

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DOG GROOMING: Treat your dog to a jacuzzi spa. lar inspections (never failed!).

The grooming parlour has the only canine ozone jacuzzi spa in Almeria. This has many benefits, including wound heal‐ ing, treating seborrhea, parasitic dermatitis, calms eczema and itching as well as the aromatherapy treatments .

Anita has also recently started ultrasonic teeth cleaning for dogs, especially good for dogs that can’t have an anaesthetic.

You would expect so much dedication and experience to be expensive, but the prices for both boarding and grooming have remained extremely competitive: Small dogs €6.75 per day Medium dogs €7.50 per day Big dogs €8.25 per day Cats board from €6 per day

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If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can

46

be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be.

If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, www.britishlegion.org.uk/cou nties/spain-north ZURGENA Branch meeting on the first Thursday, Coffee Morning on the third Thursday and Buffet & Quiz Night on the last Tuesday of the month all at The Heathers La Alfoquia, for further details please email zurgenarblsecretary@y ahoo.co.uk - (253989)

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MOTORING

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Nissan Leaf is a sound EV choice IT led the EV charge and is still a hard act to beat.

It led the EV charge but the Leaf is not Nissan’s first electric vehicle. The company’s electric ambitions go back to the 1940s and finally reached series pro‐ duction with the Leaf in 2010.

Since it debuted the Leaf’s range has gradually been extended and today there are two versions with 168 or 239 miles of range.

In the real world of course you would be lucky to reach that goal, but the Nissan has the po‐ tential to get reasonably close to its limit given the right driving situation. EVs don’t like motor‐ ways because there’s less brak‐ ing which means less regenera‐ tion so the battery doesn’t get as much charge. Move into an ur‐ ban scenario and things change for the better. Having said all that the Leaf offers greater jour‐ ney length for its price than many EVs. It also provides prac‐ ticality, seating for up to five people and a boot to match.

Prices start from a very com‐ petitive, for an EV, €30,316 (£26,845) on the lead‐in 40 kwh model with a range of 168 miles.

My test e+ Tekna model

(€39,202/£34,710) has the ar‐ guably more practical 62 kwh battery with a 239 mile range.

Standard fare is good with even the entry level model and in‐ cludes such items as auto lights and high beam assist, auto wipers, adaptive cruise control, Apple Car Play and Android Au‐ to, DAB radio, Bluetooth, naviga‐ tion and a plethora of safety kit.

There’s some impressive tech on the Leaf including e‐Pedal that allows you to just use your right foot as when you ease off the throttle the car brakes. De‐ pending how quickly you ease off decides on the level of brak‐ ing, so it’s fairly easy to learn to feather the throttle. It’s one of those things where until you’ve experienced it you wonder what’s the point.

Try it and you realise just how easy it makes the driving.

Add an Eco mode, along with increased regenerative braking, and there are plenty of opportu‐ nities to maximise range. Prices for the longer range 239 mile model start at €36,923 (£32,695) and bring increased specification and performance.

The Leaf set the trend and

continues to be a sound EV choice. In some areas it shows its age against more digital com‐ petitors but personally I’d rather have buttons than digital. If you want an affordable EV combin‐ ing practicality and decent equipment levels then the Leaf is a hard act to beat.

11 - 17 February 2021

EWN 47

SPORT

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11 - 17 February 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

100 Goal Man Slight Setback

PATRICK BAMFORD scored his 100th career goal as Leeds United were able to secure all three points and move into the top half of the Premier League table after a 2‐0 victo‐ ry over Crystal Palace on Monday, February 8.

The home side got off to a perfect start when Jack Harrison scored in the third minute of the game following a deflect‐ ed shot that beat Palace keeper Vi‐ cente Guaita.

Palace had their chances through‐ out with Eberechi Eze missing the best one on 67 minutes, firing a cutback from Michy Bat‐ shuayi high over the bar.

The Leeds United de‐ fence held firm under

late pressure to earn their seventh clean sheet of the season after for‐ mer Chelsea player Patrick Bam‐ ford scored another league goal on 52 minutes to double the lead for the home side.

The result secured a 10th top‐flight win of the sea‐ son for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Both of these sides re‐ turn to Premier League action once again next weekend.

Leeds travel to London to face Arsenal on Sunday February 14 whilst Crystal Palace host Burnley on Satur‐ day February 13.

BAMFORD: Scored his 100th goal.

CELTA VIGO: Move up a place to 10th.

A HOME draw against Celta Vigo on Monday, February 8 has slowed Atletico’s push for their first La Liga title since 2014.

The 2‐2 draw still means that Diego Simeone’s side remains top, eight‐points clear and with a game in hand over second‐place side, Barcelona. Real Madrid are currently level on points with Bar‐ ca back in third.

Luis Suarez continued his amazing goalscoring form with a

goal either side of half time, but it wasn’t enough to secure victory for the league leader as a late strike from Facundo Ferreyra earned a point for Vigo. Suarez was unable to inspire Atletico’s ninth win on the bounce despite levelling the match in the first half, cancelling out a goal from Celta front man Santi Mina who deservedly headed the away team in front after 13 minutes.

Atletico took the lead shortly

after the restart when the Uruguayan popped up again, burying a low cross from Renan Lodi, but it wasn’t enough for the home side, as in the 89th minute, Ferreyra was left unmarked in the Atletico box to slot home past Jan Oblak.

Atletico will face Granada next time out. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo move up a place to 10th and they will welcome Elche on Friday February 12.