Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 25 February - 3 March 2021 Issue 1860

News

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1860

25 Feb - 3 March 2021

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

FREE • GRATIS

A GENERALITAT LIFELINE BETTER news at last for the Valencia Community’s beleaguered nightlife industry.

Pubs can expect direct aid of €7,000 from the regional government while discos will each receive €28,500.

Of all the region’s sectors, these have been hit hardest by anti-Covid restrictions, opening for barely three months since March 2020.

“The Valencian government wants to provide an urgent response to this sector’s exceptional circumstances,” the region’s vice-president Monica Oltra announced.

“We want to help the sectors and the people that have been most impacted by the health

allocated to the other.

Speaking recently during a visit Castellon, Generalitat president Ximo Puig also admitted that the nightlife sector had “suffered especially” during the Covid crisis.

“The ERTE temporary redundancies have helped a lot,” he said, “but after so much time, direct help was also necessary to ease the situation.”

HELP NEEDED: Generalitat president Ximo Puig admitted that the nightlife sector has suffered. restrictions,” she said, adding that the leisure industry has been “tremendously affected.”

Alicante Province has 230 registered pubs with and without live music or entertain-

ment, and 70 discotheques, dance halls and night clubs.

The €7,000 grant covers venues licensed as pubs as well as those with live music or entertainment. Discos and similar

will receive €28,500 each.

The Generalitat has allocated €8 million in aid, of which €3.5 million - 44 per cent of the total - goes to Alicante Province.

Applications can be made between March 2 and April 2.

Generalitat sources revealed that if funds set aside for one of the two categories are not used up, these will be

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Improving the Segura’s flow THE Confederacion Hidrografica del Segura (CHS) is clearing inva‐ sive, non‐native reeds from the

banks of the River Segura in Ro‐ jales.

The CHS, which is responsible

Torrevieja concert postponed THE Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra (OST) postponed the third con‐ cert of this season, scheduled for Saturday February 27.

The decision was taken in view of the Covid pandemic, an OST communique explained, even though the risk of infection in auditori‐ ums has been proven to be low.

“With the safety of the audience and the musicians in mind, the next concert will take place on Saturday June 19 at 7pm in the Torre‐ vieja Auditorium,” the statement continued.

Tickets are available from the OST office in Calle Vicente Blasco Ibañez 23, on Mondays between10 am and 1pm and the Centro Cul‐ tural Virgen del Carmen, on Wednesdays between 11am and 2pm.

They can also be ordered online from the https://orquestasinfoni cadetorrevieja.com website or at the Auditorium box office two hours before the concert.

for all rivers and watercourses in the Segura Basin, is spending €149,940 on substituting the exist‐ ing reeds for more resistant native species over the next 15 months.

Work is being carried out downstream of the town centre and affects an area of 6,000 square metres that covers both of the steep riverbanks.

This is a pioneering project in the area and will, the CHS ex‐ plained, improve the flow of the river by preventing reeds from ac‐ cumulating under bridges and in weirs.

These invariably worsen condi‐ tions during periods of torrential rain and in the past have con‐ tributed to situations where the Segura has burst its banks.

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Normality is priority THE effects of Brexit on Costa Blanca tourism have hardly been felt, experts claimed.

With anti-Covid measures restricting mobility and with most hotels and holiday accommodation closed, the sector is currently more concerned about de-escalation.

Only when this has been achieved can the industry start to think about winning back British clients, sources said.

Quoted in the Spanish media Nuria Montes, secretary general of the Costa Blanca hoteliers’ association Hosbec, said Brexit was irrelevant at present.

“We have had no British tourists since last July when their government imposed obligatory quarantine on all those returning from abroad,” Montes said.

“Our priority now is returning to normality and if there are no obstacles to free movement, we should be able to recover them. They are loyal clients,” she added.

TORREVIEJA: Obsolete permit required when buying property.

Pedro Javier Soliveres, president of the Alicante Province Promoters Association (Provia), agreed that members had not noticed Brexit, but described the military permits situation as “worrying.”

Although an obsolete formality, this permit is still required when house-buying in Torrevieja, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horada and San Miguel de Salinas.

“The British buy 800 properties annually and we do not know how this will work out,” Soliveres said.

Drying up Ferry service Better future for cat colonies ONLY Almeria Province is at greater risk of desertifi‐ cation than Alicante, an Environment Ministry re‐ port revealed. The Ministry warned that 94,360 hectares of Alicante land are affected with another 89,989 hectares at serious risk, amounting to 40 per cent of Alicante Province’s total area of 581,000 hectares. Not only erosion but low rainfall, forest fires and rising temperatures are also to blame.

PILAR DE LA HORADADA’S two ambulances will col‐ laborate with the health centre during the vaccina‐ tion campaign. They will ferry residents whose mo‐ bility problems prevent them from getting to the Health centre, the town hall said. In other munici‐ palities this service is provided by the Generalitat’s 112 ambulance service but Torre de la Horadada de‐ cided to use its own ambulances so residents were not forced to wait several days for their jabs.

SANTA POLA Town Hall and the Gatos Santa Pola association will work together on controlling the local cat colonies.

A two‐year agreement be‐ tween both parties will centre on the Trap, Neuter and Return sys‐ tem once Gatos Santa Pola have

carried out a census of the town’s strays, explained Santa Pola’s Environment councillor Jorge Diez.

The town hall will also pass an animal protection by‐law which, as well as well as protecting ani‐ mals from ill treatment will also

provide Gatos Santa Pola volun‐ teers and local residents with permits allowing them to look af‐ ter the cat colonies.

Vets are also to be offered the opportunity of collaborat‐ ing on the neutering scheme, Diez said.

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NIBS EXTRA Turning blue ORIHUELA applied for a Blue Flag for the Paseo Cabo Roig path between La Caleta and Cala Capitan. Orihuela Costa’s 11 beaches all have Blue Flags, said Beaches councillor Luisa Bone, who explained that Sendera Azul status goes only to municipalities that already have Blue Flag beaches.

Happy ending SAN FULGENCIO is encouraging the local population to adopt the cats and dogs found on the town’s streets. Since last July, when a new concessionary began proving the collection service, 13 strays and seven animals living in the shelter have found homes or were reunited with their owners.

Time out THE AVE high speed train between Elche and Madrid takes 140 minutes against 155 from Alicante City although there are fewer daily trains. Elche AVE passengers wanting a more extensive timetable can take a free local train to Alicante which would add another hour to their journey.

Road safety TORRELLANO Town Hall spent €40,000 on improving road safety on the first section of the thoroughfare that links the municipality and the airport.

Pedestrian crossings are clearly marked and there is better signposting as well as a 50-kilometre per hour speed limit and a ban on parked lorries.

Choked up VEGA BAJA artichoke growers are still recovering from the September 2019 storms which ruined 60 per cent of their crops. Ninety per cent of the plantations were uninsured and without official help growers recently lamented that they cannot afford to buy plants and fertiliser or prepare their fields.

Cover-up ELCHE City Hall asked the regional government’s permission to cover ‘as soon as possible’ archaeological remains from the Moorish era adjoining the municipal market. This would enable a speedy return to normal, as the current fenced-off area is adversely affecting businessowners and the public, the Urban Development party maintained.

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An 11-day water ordeal BEVERLEY SHUTE from Rojales, has running water again after 11 days.

Last summer she and her husband had no water for a week owing to their insurance company’s inaction following a leak.

Repairs were carried out but some days ago the leak returned and Beverley was again beset by delays.

She is 66, her husband is 71 and they were managing by filling buckets from the swimming pool and climbing 12 steps into the house.

The insurance company promised to send a plumber but

REPAIRS NEEDED: But at least she has running water again, Beverley said.

when he arrived, he said he would return next morning as he needed to access her neigh-

bour’s property.

He finally arrived at 8pm, took a photo to show to an assessor

whom he said would be in touch.

So began a saga of phone calls, promises and broken appointments.

“In the end I was really cross and finally spoke to somebody at the insurance company who said our situation would be treated as an emergency,” she told us on Friday February 19.

A plumber did come that afternoon, Beverley told us the next day, and repaired the leak. He said he would return to repair the surround to the water mains, but without specifying when.

“I’m not holding my breath,” Beverley said.

Current activities on hold AGE CONCERN COSTA CALIDA’S normal monthly activities are currently on hold ow‐ ing to the coronavirus restrictions.

That included the Take That Tribute at Zambuca Restaurante in Mazarron which will be rescheduled as a delayed Valentine’s event as soon as possible. Tickets already purchased will be honoured.

Meanwhile, there were thanks for all who participated in or supported the New Year’s Day Swim. Sponsorship money is still being collected with more than €2,850 al‐ ready received and more to come.

“We are still here for advice and informa‐ tion, shopping and medicine collection, so give us a call if you need help,” they said.

All phone lines will be manned as usual and the Drop‐in Centre will be open on Tuesdays between 10am and 1pm by ap‐ pointment only for anybody wanting an in‐ person chat with one of the team.

“Ring 634 344 589 for an appointment and please remember masks are compulso‐ ry,” Age Concern said.

A smart Plant a tree campaign move ORIHUELA has completed the first phase of installing its own fibre‐optic network included in the Smart City project.

This in turn is included in Orihuela’s Integrated Sus‐ tainable Urban Development Strategy (EDUSI) part‐fi‐ nanced by the EU’s Regional Development Fund (Feder).

“We are providing the town hall with its own in‐ frastructure which, more than a data communications system, is intended to bring savings and prevent munici‐ pal systems and services from overlapping,” an‐ nounced Orihuela’s Mod‐ ernisation and New Tech‐ nologies councillor, Sabina‐ Goretti Galindo.

These include controlling streetlights, traffic cameras and providing the public wi‐ fi service, Galindo said.

“The project has been planned with the future in mind, interconnecting mu‐ nicipal resources,” she added.

ALMORADI’S usual National Tree Day events had to be modified this year, while taking an entirely different approach.

For more than 20 years, Almoradi’s National Tree Day has been directed at the town’s schools but in 2021 the pandemic made it impossible to carry out the usual activities explaining to pupils the importance of trees to the ecosystem.

Instead, the Plant a Tree, Plant Life campaign

was transferred to 60 Almoradi’s shops, where in collaboration with the town hall’s Commerce De‐ partment, customers were given seedlings of rose‐ mary, cypress and other trees along with their pur‐ chases.

As well as commemorating National Tree Day in an entirely different way Commerce councillor Car‐ men Berna pointed out that the campaign was also another way of helping to boost local shops.

Easter mobility Additional health THE Valencian Community will enforce mo‐ bility restrictions over Easter to prevent a surge of infections Generalitat president Ximo Puig, an‐ nounced his intention of discouraging travel and containing the spread of Covid‐19.

It would be a very complex time, as the Community would run the risk of losing the ground it had made up in reducing coron‐ avirus numbers, he said.

Puig revealed that agreement will be made between the various regions and the government at the Interterritorial Council meeting today, Thursday, February 25.

“We think that there should be agree‐ ment amongst everyone because it is very important to consolidate now. If we consoli‐ date, we will probably have more opportuni‐ ties in the coming months towards normali‐ sation with more vaccinations and greater capacity to contain the pandemic,” he ex‐ plained.

centre needed SANTA POLA intends to ask the regional govern‐ ment for a new health centre in Gran Alacant.

The town hall will also ask the Generalitat to es‐ tablish a year‐round, 24‐hour SAMU emergency ambulance service.

Santa Pola has more than 33,000 registered in‐ habitants but the local population increases to 59,000 during the high summer, pointed out Santa Pola’s mayor Loreto Serrano.

“It is fundamental for a tourist municipality like Santa Pola to have an adequate health service,” she said.

The existing health centre has been remodelled but needs enlarging, Serrano explained.

“This is insufficient for attending to Gran Ala‐ cant, which has a registered population of more than 11,000 but has a huge number of visitors and temporary residents from other Spanish regions,” the mayor said.

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Save the sparrows!

TORREVIEJA’S SOS Gor‐ riones aspires to protect or recover the town’s ur‐ ban birds in general and sparrows in particular.

The overall bird popu‐ lation inside towns and cities has fallen by 12 per cent over the last 20 years while the number of sparrows has been re‐ duced by more than 20 per cent.

In a bid to halt the de‐ cline the town hall, to‐ gether with Agamed, which supplies the mu‐ nicipality’s water, and the Faunatura association, has launched SOS Gor‐ riones.

Nesting boxes, specifi‐ cally designed to suit dif‐ ferent species, have been installed throughout the town by a support net‐ work of Torrevieja’s schools that includes those for pupils with spe‐ cial needs.

High-speed police chase ALICANTE’S Local Police recently arrested a 40‐ year‐old man after a high‐speed pursuit through the city streets at 11.20am.

Cops spotted the man making a U‐turn when he came across a checkpoint at Calle Maestro Mar‐ ques, breaking a red light to get away.

Officers took after him in a lethal chase through several central streets until the driver spun out of control on Calle Mae‐ stro Marques, colliding with another car as he drove in the wrong direc‐ tion.

The man fled on foot, but officers quickly caught up and arrested him.

The car he was driving was reported stolen in Valencia and the de‐ tainee, who had more than 30 previous arrests, now faces several charges which include ve‐ hicle theft, forgery, driv‐ ing without a licence and dangerous driving.

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NEWS

MACA Makeover Chocs Up and Away ALICANTE Museum of Contem‐ porary Arts has had a make‐ over with a new exhibition of its Mediterranean collection The Museum of Contempo‐ rary Art of Alicante (MACA) has been closed since February 1, and curators are taking the op‐

portunity to shake things up and develop new exhibitions which highlight the Mediterranean col‐ lections, as well as carrying out some essential renovation work to the property itself, which is the oldest building in the entire city.

The second floor of the muse‐ um permanently houses part of the Fundación Mediterráneo collection and MACA is prepar‐ ing a new exhibition, entitled ‘Over time 3,’ in which more than 200 of the paintings cur‐ rently displayed will changed.

Woman Held Captive A WOMAN of Algerian nationality was res‐ cued by the Guardia after more than a year imprisoned in a garage under her captor’s home in Agost, and forced to work seven days a week without being paid. The wom‐ an was lured to Spain on the promise of a contracted job and Spanish residency.

After more than a year, she managed to send a message to her son in Algeria; he contacted a friend in Catalonia who alerted

the Local Police. Officers said that the woman was found malnourished and living in ‘subhuman conditions.’

The Women‐Minors Team (EMUME) of the Guardia Civil arrested a 50‐year‐old man and 44‐year‐old woman, also of Alge‐ rian nationality, for human trafficking, labour exploitation and illegal detention.

The pair was released on bail after being charged.

PALLETS: Of chocolate were stolen and sold.

A 36-Y E A R-O L D has been arrested on the Costa Blan‐ ca for stealing a lorry full

of chocolate worth €250,000. The National Po‐ lice were called in by the

Spain’s Floating Wind Farm

SPANISH utility giant Iberdrola has applied to the EU’s Next Generation scheme for a grant to build a 300MW floating wind farm over the next few years. If the plan goes ahead this year, it will be the biggest floating wind farm in the world and will create 2,800 jobs every year until completion in 2026. While the exact location of the new venture hasn’t been specified, Iberdrola has been considering sites in Andalucia, northern Galicia and the Canary Islands for the €1 billion venture.

Floating wind farms create an offshore electricity source which is both powerful and clean. Unlike traditional offshore models, which are installed in sea beds close to the coast, floating wind farms can be erected far out in the ocean, meaning they are far more powerful and less intrusive. The world’s first floating wind farm was constructed off the east coast of Scotland in 2017 and yields 30 megawatts of energy - enough to power 20,000 homes, according to Clean Choice Energy.

owner, who had only hired a new driver eight days previously. The man had collected the shipment of chocolate from Germany, but failed to show up in Elche.

Police used the GPS tracker built into the lorry to find the thief, and locat‐ ed the vehicle aboard a ship. Further examination of the locating software showed that the driver had already deviated from his route and sold 13 pallets of the chocolate, which offi‐ cers were able to recover.

The Spanish national, who has several previous convictions, was appre‐ h e n d e d a n d i s b e i n g d e‐ tained by the Orihuela In‐ vestigating Court of the Guardia.

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Dolphin Days Dolphins were spotted frolicking just off the coast on Saturday, February 20 as a “pod” swam very close to the shore between Cabo Roig and Dehesa de Campoamor beaches.

The dozen or so dolphins came within four kilometres of the shore.

In Guardamar del Segura, a wom‐ an videoed the pod of bottlenose dolphins following a boat capturing some extraordinary footage. The video quickly went viral after being shared by MeteOrihuela. Photos of the extraordinary scene were also shared more than 10,000 times.

While dolphin and whale sight‐ ings are not entirely uncommon in the Valencian Community, it is un‐ usual for someone to obtain such up close and personal footage.

Hospitality Loses The SUPERIOR COURT has denied a bid by the Castellon Hospitality Association (Ashocas) to reverse the closure of bars and restaurants in the Valencian Community.

It was rejected by judges at the Valencia Superior Court of Justice (TSJCV) on February 19. Ashocas legal team ar‐ gued for the immediate reopening of the hospitality sector; however, the ruling determined that the closure order, in place since the middle of January, is “an effective measure to combat the community transmission of the coronavirus” and that opening bars and restaurants before the current restrictions are re‐evaluated would constitute a “serious disturbance of public interest.”

The next meeting of the Interterritorial Committee, is set to be held today (Thursday, February 25). The president said that the experts will examine the data and if the num‐ ber of Covid infections continues to decline they will con‐ sider relaxing restrictions, most likely including a gradual reopening of the hospitality and leisure industries from March 2.

Mercadona Tips MERCADONA tips the scales on social media as shoppers scramble to be in the know about new products.

Savvy shoppers have been joining the thou‐ sands of customers on social media pages dedi‐ cated to the much‐anticipated yellow ‘NEW’ signs which indicate novel products on the shelves. Incredibly, the supermarket has more

than 370,000 followers on Instagram and 216,000 on Twitter.

Spanish daily Informacion took a look at some new products. Mercadona has added to its al‐ ready substantial vegetarian selection, with a new range of vegetable‐based burgers and breaded vegetables. Another product launched is a new ‘extra spicy’ chorizo sausage.

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Tit-For-Tat ‘Water Wars’ UK Government ministers are in discussions to ban European bot‐ tled water imports into Britain, after EU officials banned the im‐ port of live shellfish, including mussels, oysters, clams and cock‐ les, to EU member states.

‘Water Wars’ might be only the beginning, with a senior govern‐ ment source telling The Telegraph, “There is thought being given to where we can leverage in other areas. We have continuity arrange‐ ments, we can stop these which means they won’t be able to sell their produce here.”

The EU had also secured a temporary agreement on the impor‐ tation of seed potatoes until the end of June, but now the UK looks set to end a number of continuity arrangements with Europe. This ‘escalated contingency planning’ comes as a direct result of Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety refusing to meet George Eustice, the UK Environment Secretary when requested, in an attempt to resolve the shellfish dispute.

BANNED: The import of live shellfish to EU member states.

NEWS

Spain Picking Crimes Against The Crown Up Speed WITH only five other coun‐ tries across the globe having fully immunised more peo‐ ple, Spain has established it‐ self as one of the forerunners in administering the second dose of the coronavirus vac‐ cine.

Israel, which is setting the pace for the rest, is in the lead with almost a third of its population fully vaccinated against Covid already.

Next comes the US with 4.83 per cent, followed very closely by Denmark accord‐ ing to the figures published

by Our World In Data at Ox‐ ford University.

However, experts warn that there is a downside to prioritising the administra‐ tion of the second vaccine.

Since countless studies have shown that just one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna jab, for instance, provides effective immunity against the virus.

It could be argued, there‐ fore, that it would be wiser to increase the time between vaccines in order to immu‐ nise more people in less time.

SPAIN’S Minister of Equality, Irene Mon‐ tero, has announced her intention to launch a novel ‘feminism entrepreneurship school’ as part of her Strategic Subsidy Plan with the aim of offering ‘personalised ad‐ vice and support to women from a feminist perspective.’

Spain saw the biggest growth in unem‐ ployment among women in the entire Euro‐ pean Union during 2020, at 18.4 per cent.

THE Local Police in Murcia have launched an investigation in‐ to a 40‐year‐old man from Alhama for alleged crimes against the Crown.

An ‘ex officio’ investigation ‐ where no official complaint has been made ‐ was begun, after the individual posted a photo on Facebook of the monarch, accompanied by the comment ‘guillotine for King Felipe VI.’ The man has not been arrested.

The matter will be investigated further before being handed over to the courts, who will decide if legal action should be tak‐ en.

In Spain, slandering or insulting the monarchy is a serious of‐ fence, carrying a custodial sentence of between six months and two years, or a hefty fine, depending on the severity of the crime. The law was very recently implemented with the incar‐ ceration of Catalan rapper Pablo Hasél on February 16 for glo‐ rification of terrorism and insults to the Crown The Ministry of Justice recently announced its intention to reform the law, establishing ‘dissuasive’ rather than custodial penalties for crimes against the Crown.

Plan for ‘Feminist School’ Last January unemployment grew by 27,962 among men compared with a staggering 48,254 women.

“If you are a woman or a girl, you are go‐ ing to find, even today, many more difficul‐ ties to dedicatingyourself to an area of study or a profession linked to the scientific

field. Even to believe that you can dedicate yourself to it. Some of the barriers that you are going to encounter have to do with roles, with macho stereotypes and, also, with a great absence of female referents, visible to the whole of society and recog‐ nised by society,” Ms Montero said.

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Vaccine Passport

EFFECTIVENESS: New evidence is coming through all the time.

EXPERT Dr Sarah Chan, a bioethicist at Edinburgh University, has warned of concerns over proposed vaccine passports, saying the jabs are, “not 100 per cent effective in 100 per cent of cases.”

Speaking to one media outlet, she said: “Proof of a person’s having been vaccinated doesn’t at the moment 100 per cent guarantee that they can’t catch Covid. Vaccines offer some protection, but they’re not 100 per cent effective in 100 per cent of cases.

“But more importantly, it doesn’t, on the evidence that we have at the moment, mean that these people don’t still pose a risk to others in terms of passing the disease on.

However, Dominic Wilkinson, professor at Oxford University, said: “I think there’s evidence coming through all the time about the effectiveness of the vaccine and its reduction in the spread of the virus.

“There’s evidence released earlier this month on the Oxford vaccine and its influence on the spread of the virus.”

Worst incidence worries easing THE Community of Madrid lifted border closures in 31 basic health areas and seven localities on Monday, February 22.

The announcement made on Friday February 19, by Deputy Minister of Public Health and Covid‐ 19 Plan, Antonio Zapatero said, “The downward trend is consolidating. Today’s accumulated inci‐ dence data is 427 per 100,000 inhabitants. We reg‐ istered a decrease of 52 per cent compared to two weeks ago.” The Community of Madrid recently re‐ laxed Covid measures put in place despite being the Community with the worst cumulative inci‐ dence rate in the last 14 days.

Not ‘high risk’ GERMANY has removed Spain from its list of ‘high risk’ countries as of February 21. Spain is no longer considered a high incidence area classed as a ‘reg‐ ular risk zone.’ The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) of virology together with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior included the amendment in their weekly update.

The German government lowered Spain’s risk, although it will still require travellers to take a negative test after at least five days in quarantine.

The move will include the whole of Spain, includ‐ ing the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

Since January 24, Spain had been classed as a ‘high incidence area,’ with travellers banned from entering the country, exceptions included essen‐ tial travel, transnational workers or those with residence in Germany.

NEWS

Tourism Is Key THE Minister of Industry, Com‐ merce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, announced that 2021 would be the year Spain begins to recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pan‐ demic, with tourism a key factor.

“Without tourism, there will be no recovery,” she said, “and if there is, it will be slower.”

At a SER Andalucia meeting on February 18, she went on to say that with the current target of vaccinating 70 per cent of the population by summer, herd im‐ munity could be achieved and thus the Central Government is now focused on developing the options of vaccination passports, safe travel corridors and the opening of international borders in order to “recover international tourism.”

Finally, the minister an‐ nounced that the Spanish Gov‐ ernment is working closely with the European Union, OECD and the World Tourism Organisa‐ tion to develop a global action plan around the re‐establish‐ ment of tourism and with the aim of making travel “safer, more sustainable and of higher quality.”

Mars to Spain SCIENTISTS from Spain, are playing an active role in the NASA mission to Mars. Spain’s Laserlab houses a high-tech instrument known as a Supercam, which will transmit sound waves and data of Perseverance’s impact with rocks and minerals from the surface of the red planet to be reproduced in the UMA’s simulation chamber.

The chamber measures 12 metres in length, two metres in diameter and weighs 20 tonnes, and simulates the temperature, pressure and solar radiation on Mars.

The UMA Laserlab, based at the University of Malaga is headed by Professor Javier Laserna who told Sur In English, “This mission is an intellectual challenge of the first magnitude.”

He explained that the calibration card mounted on the Perseverance, contains the names of all the scientists who have participated in that part of the mission, which means, “Our name, and that of Malaga is already on Mars.”

The professor added, “The rover will send a lot of data during its mission. Simulating them here and analysing them by reproducing the conditions on Mars will take a long time.”

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Victim Turns Detective Covid TikTok STOLEN PUPPIES: Found in the Welsh countryside.

Fake Amazon scam THE Guardia Civil’s cybercrime team is warning the public to be aware of a new scam.

The con involves a mass emailing appearing to be from Amazon, which looks authentic but links to a fraudulent website.

The emails use Amazon’s logo and what appears to be an Amazon customer service email address, with the subject ‘You have a package located in the Amazon distribution centre,’ among other lines.

The recipient is asked to take part in a survey to be eligible for products for a nominal amount, but in order to benefit, they must provide personal and bank details. According to the cybercrimes team, this is the sole objective.

“If you have received an email of these characteristics, you have accessed the link and provided your credit card details, contact your bank as soon as possible to inform them of what happened.

“In addition, we recommend that you remain vigilant and periodically monitor the information that is published about you on the Internet to prevent your private data from being used without your consent.”

B R E E D E R, Tony Cronin decided to turn amateur detective after five of his dogs and two litters of puppies were stolen. Not only did he find his own dogs, but recovered many others.

After receiving a tip-off about where the suspected criminal gang was located, he drove out to C armarthenshire, W ales in search of his missing pooches, where he made the shocking discovery of around 70 dogs, all stolen, many of them valuable pedigrees and worth up to £40,000.

Tony said, “It was really very well hidden which is why they use it, and as we were going up the track a huge group of dogs came out to greet us.

“Right in the middle of the group was one of my own dogs running towards me, her tail was between her legs as she was frightened.”

Phenomenon

BENJAMIN GEORGE is a 31year-old English man who moved to the Costa del Sol as a young child, going to school in Spain, learning the language and culture, and developed a passionate love for his adopted country and its way of life.

After contracting Covid BenBen’s videos have gone viral. jamin installed TikTok on his mobile and taught himself to use it. He uploaded his first TikTok video, on January 20, which instantly went viral.

Benjamin’s outspoken video criticises British compatriots who, he says, unfairly criticise Spain and its government, whilst continuing to live in Spain, enjoying all that it has to offer.

The video has made Ben something of an online phenomenon, going from five followers to over 23,000 in just one month and with further TikTok videos going viral.

Benjamin who is the Regional Sales Manager at Euro Weekly News, has been contacted by several Spanish national newspapers, wanting to interview the young British man, who so vehemently defends Spain and its culture.

Benjamin’s videos are not to everybody’s liking, leading to ‘hate messages’ on his social media, but he is unperturbed and says he will continue posting videos and messages about things that he is passionate about, and ‘his country.’ He states in his publications, ‘This account is for Spanish patriots, if you are not, do not come here.’

Benjamin George @b.George.89

NEWS

Clear Approval THE USE of clear face masks to aid lip reading has been approved by the Spanish government.

The Spanish Confederation of Families of Deaf People (Fiapas) has greeted the news of the new ministerial order from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs with approval.

According to Ideal, the order released in the Official State Gazette (BOE) establishes a framework for transparent masks.

Fiapas, explained, “The order means having a legal framework of reference to ensure the health and safety of consumers in this area, and also does not leave a vulnerable group such as the hearing impaired unattended.”

Traditional non seethrough masks create accessibility challenges for people that are hard of hearing, deaf or have other disabilities.

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Third Refuse Deficit Shame ACCORDING to Pentagon officials, one in three US military are declining the Covid vaccine de‐ spite high infection rates within the forces.

At a Congressional hearing, Major General Jeff Taliaferro revealed the US Defence Department maintains the classification of Covid vaccines as optional, as the Federal Drug Administration has yet to give its full approval.

Stressing that the figures are based on ‘very early data,’ he said that so far ‘somewhere around two‐thirds of the territory’ had been immunised.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told re‐ porters that the “military basically mirrors the acceptance rates of American society,” adding that whilst most vaccinations are mandatory for military personnel, the fact the Covid vaccines have been approved on an emergency level, means they cannot be forced upon people.

SIR PHILIP GREEN’S fashion retail Arcadia Group Ltd, according to financial documents seen by The Guardian, apparently had a pension deficit of £510 million when it collapsed last November.

Creditors were reportedly owed £800 million when the company called in administrators, as shown in a statement prepared by Arcadia’s board, which was sent to all creditors this week.

The news comes as administrators begin consul‐ tations on the closure of three of Arcadia’s distribu‐ tion centres, which could lead to more than 1,000 job losses.

Jake O’Malley, from workers union GMB, said, “A century of history and hundreds of good jobs down the pan while Philip Green is living it up on his private yacht and the administrators pick the bones of the business clean. GMB will fight tooth and nail to make sure workers get what they deserve from this mess.”

Television Takedown NATIONAL POLICE have dismantled an organ‐ isation illegally providing paid television ser‐ vices over the Internet. They have arrested five people who, according to the police, could have obtained illegal profits of around €1 million per year.

Police carried out three searches in which they seized 10 decoders, seven smartphones, two computers, two tablets, 28 Ethereum cryptocurrencies and €1,250 in cash

The network included a content provider, in Barcelona, and resellers, around Spain who bought the signal and sold it to about 20,000 people, at a higher price, advertising the ser‐ vice on websites, social networks and sales portals.

The content provider had satellites dishes and decoders from national and foreign sup‐ pliers to obtain content which he mixed and resold.

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NEWS

Epic Bronze document N AT I O N A L P O L I C E i n Madrid have recovered a unique legal document made in bronze which is more than 2,000 years old.

The bronze epigraphic plate of Roman origin is an imperial decree from the Emperor Tiberius, regulating the privileges and financing of soldiers and veterans, promulgat‐ ed immediately after the death of Caesar Augustus.

An investigation began when it was spotted on‐ line through an auction house.

The current owners, from an antique shop in Sevilla, lacked documen‐ tation to support its legal provenance.

The bronze piece had also not been included in the inventory of archaeo‐ logical assets established by the Historical Heritage Law. A judge agreed for the bronze plaque to be seized as a precaution

More than 2,000 years old.

and ordered that the plaque be studied and a suitable final destination for it be found.

The presence in the Iberian Peninsula of such documents, of enormous legal, historical and ar‐ chaeological significance, is scarce.

Sánchez summer target SPAIN’S President Pedro Sánchez has reaffirmed the goal for 70 per cent of the country to be immunised against Covid by the end of June.

“We are working tirelessly so that at the end of this semester about 20 mil‐ lion people in this country are vaccinat‐ ed,” he said on Tuesday, February 23.

Sánchez confirmed that 80 per cent Sánchez is confident. of those over 65 who live in residences have already been vaccinated and that the country is on track to reach its objective.

Communities have administered more than 3.6 million doses to date and 1.2 million people have received both doses, which places Spain as the fourth country in the EU in number of doses per 100 inhabitants and the sixth in the world with the highest percentage of the popula‐ tion vaccinated.

Sánchez remains confident that the ‘extraordinary deployment’ of the vaccine will see 70 per cent of the population immunised in four months time.

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Beaches Smoke-Free Trial BANNED: Smoking on the beaches in Barcelona.

BEACHES in Barcelona will be smoke-free this summer as the city council plans to ban smoking citing public health hazards. Initially, it will be banned in four of the 10 city beaches - Sant Miquel and Somorrostro, in Ciutat Vella, and Nova Icària and Nova Mar Bella, in Sant Martí. The pilot

scheme will be in operation during high season between May 29 and September 12.

Authorities said the ban is not focused on punishing those who smoke on the beach - and won’t directly result in fines - but is more about raising awareness. Instances of non-compliance could be handed over to the Guardia Urbana Local Police who will be able to instruct people that smoking is banned in the area. However, if the beachgoer still does not comply, the Local Police could issue a fine, for disrespecting authorities rather than breaking the ban.

NEWS

En Masse Teen #DeleteFacebook arrested AFTER Facebook banned the sharing of news from Australian pub‐ lishers, #DeleteFacebook and #BoycottZuckerberg were trending as outraged users shared their final posts before leaving Facebook for good.

Facebook announced it would prevent Facebook’s 13 million monthly Australian users from reading and sharing news, in re‐ sponse to Australia’s proposed Media Bargaining law, which would force tech companies like Facebook and Google to compensate news companies to feature their content. Google has already come to an agreement with the government. Facebook say the Media Bargaining law could become an expensive precedent that other countries are likely to follow. However, millions of Australian users who rely on Facebook as their primary source of news were out‐ raged at the move, sparking the massive backlash.

China And Russia To Sign A Deal CHINA and Russia are reportedly about to sign a historic deal to build the Inter‐ national Lunar Research Stations (ILRS), a moonbase, that theoretically by the early 2030s should be able to provide a base for a long‐term robotic presence on the Moon, with the possibility of short‐ crewed missions.

This first moonbase will allegedly be located at the lunar South Pole, and has the potential for other nations to get in‐ volved, who would contribute their own spacecraft. If rumours of the European

Space Agency’s interest in joining the project are true then that would be an‐ other segregation blow for the United States, with NASA and Rocosmos, Rus‐ sia’s state corporation for space activi‐ ties, both vying for the top spot as the international leader of space pro‐ grammes.

NASA spearheaded the Artemis Ac‐ cords scheme, which proposed a global legal framework for mining on the moon, which the Russians had compared to ‘colonialism.’

A 15‐YEAR‐OLD boy has been arrested by the Guardia Civil as the alleged perpetrator of libel and slander in Burgos, after falsely accusing his teach‐ ers of being ‘rapists’ and ‘paedophiles.’

During the 2019‐2020 academic year, he posted an image of a teacher, with a girl who had injuries, insin‐ uating that they were caused by the teacher. He used obscene phrases and false claims, in posts refer‐ ring to the school and teachers, such as: ‘student rapists’, ‘let them go you damned paedophiles’ or ‘the rapists who work in that brothel’ accompanied by photos which were sexu‐ al in nature. An investiga‐ tion discovered that the publications all came from the same account man‐ aged by a single person on a single network. The teenag‐ er was detained and will ap‐ pear in a Minors Court.

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25 February - 3 March 2021

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NEWS

Brexit, currency transfers and the law AS we adjust to life post‐Brexit there are many things to consider, but if you need to move mon‐ ey abroad there is one particular change that it’s essential to be aware of.

The free movement of services came to an end at the close of the transition period, with service providers instead having to comply with the different rules of the EU member states in order to operate legally.

Of particular note to people making interna‐ tional money transfers is the fact that UK finan‐ cial service firms lost their financial services pass‐ ports on January 1, 2021.

What is a financial services passport?

Before Brexit the ‘passporting’ of financial ser‐ vices meant that firms were able to operate in the European Union (EU) and European Eco‐ nomic Area (EEA) under a UK‐based licence.

For example, a company authorised by the Fi‐ nancial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK could use this licence to work with customers based in any other country in the EEA. However, as the UK has now lost these pass‐ porting rights, any financial services firm (includ‐ ing currency transfer providers) must have a valid EU licence if they want to continue working with customers in the EU/EEA. The Royal Decree On December 29, 2020 the Spanish Royal De‐ cree‐Law 38/2020 was published.

This Decree outlines measures for the adap‐ tion to the status of a third State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period.

The Royal Decree came into force on January 1, 2021 and includes a specific section about fi‐ nancial services and how firms from that sector can work with customers based in Spain moving forwards.

According to the Royal Decree: ‘From January 1, 2021, UK authorised entities will be subject to the relevant Spanish legislation and applicable regimes in respect of third coun‐ try firms. UK entities will have to obtain a new authorisation to operate in Spain.’

The Bank of Spain (Banco de España) is the FX supervisory authority in Spain and can impose penalties on any currency providers who fail to comply with the decree in order to safeguard the interests of customers.

Understanding equivalence You may have heard some discussions in the media about ‘equivalence’ ‐ whereby the Euro‐ pean Commission can open up market access for some UK‐based service providers.

The European Commission can grant a coun‐ try equivalence if it views the country’s laws as being similar in intent and purpose to the laws of the EU, but it can also withdraw equivalence on 30 days’ notice if the situation changes.

While this is good news for some sectors, fi‐ nancial services are subject to different equiva‐ lence regimes and the level of access offered is far narrower than passporting permitted.

It should also be noted that equivalence oper‐ ates in fewer areas, covers fewer services and is less secure than passporting.

International currency transfers are one of the financial services not covered by equivalence, so the provider you use must still have a valid EU li‐ cence if you’re going to continue working with them.

What do you need to know?

Any currency transfer provider offering their services to customers based in Spain must be regulated by a relevant EU authority.

If they aren’t licensed appropriately and in ac‐ cordance with the Royal Decree they cannot re‐ new contracts with existing customers or solicit new customers. They must also have concluded working with existing customers based in Spain

by June 30, 2021.

If you’re using a currency transfer specialist to move money to or from Spain and they haven’t sent you any communications regarding a change of licensing post‐Brexit, get in touch with them to find out whether or not they have a valid EU licence. This is a simple question and something they should be able to answer in‐ stantly.

As mentioned previously, this licence must be with a relevant EU‐based regulator, like the Bank of Spain (Banco de España), and your provider should be able to tell you their licence number.

If your provider is only authorised by the FCA they will be unable to continue servicing your re‐ quirements from June (and should inform you of that fact) so you will need to find a new currency transfer company in order to ensure the security and continuity of your payments.

When switching providers find a currency company that is licensed to operate in Spain.

You may also want to check things like their on‐ line reviews, whether or not they’ve won any in‐ dustry awards and when they were established.

You may find that by moving providers you actually end up working with a company whose customer service and range of products is better suited to your needs, so start looking into your options now.

Residents of Spain choosing a currency ex‐ change company post‐Brexit If you don’t currently have an FX company to work with and you’re a Spanish resident please ensure you only enter into an FX agreement with an EU regulated FX company. As a Spanish resident you won’t be covered by the FCA or Bank of Spain post‐Brexit if you enter into a new contract with a non‐EU regulated company.

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25 February - 3 March 2021

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Golden Leaves

recognised as the leading choice for consumers with BSI Kitemark Customer Service Accreditation LEADING funeral plan provider, Golden Leaves, has been recognised as the top choice for consumers after becoming the first independent firm within Europe to se‐ cure the prestigious BSI Kitemark Customer Service Accreditation.

Launched in 2017, the BSI Customer Ser‐ vice Kitemark Accreditation was created to help consumers easily identify organisations that are proven to deliver an exceptional customer service experience, whilst award‐ ing deserving businesses with a prestigious accreditation that proves they can adhere to relevant British and International standards.

Widely recognised as a reputable FPA reg‐

ulated funeral plan provider, Golden Leaves is committed to educating consumers on the real value of funeral plans and their capabili‐ ty to help control rising funeral costs, whilst ensuring their customers can plan for the in‐ evitable without anxiety and concern.

Now the only independent firm within the funeral planning industry to secure the BSI Kitemark Accreditation, Golden Leaves was awarded the accreditation in December 2020 following a rigorous assessment pro‐ cess, where the firm was required to demonstrate its competency against BS 8477: 2014 Code of practice for customer service, ISO 10002:2014 Quality manage‐

ment Customer satisfaction Guidelines for complaints handling in organisations, ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, as well as validating its own customer service feed‐ back metrics.

This comes just six months after Golden Leaves were successfully shortlisted for both the UK Customer Experience Awards and SME National Business Awards, and nearly two years after the firm became the only in‐ dependent funeral plan provider to achieve BSI ISO 9001 for Business Excellence.

Barry Floyd, Managing Director for Golden Leaves, confirmed: “At Golden Leaves, we are dedicated to delivering the highest stan‐

dards in customer service and feel incredibly proud that this has been recognised by our new prestigious and globally recognised BSI Kitemark Accreditation.

“For decades, we have worked tirelessly to establish our reputation as a stand‐out fu‐ neral plan provider that genuinely cares for our customers and their loved ones, and we are proudly confident that this latest accred‐ itation will reinforce our reputation for the provision of quality, innovative and cost‐ef‐ fective funeral plan products for both exist‐ ing and future customers.”

Golden Leaves has been at the forefront of the funeral planning sector both in the UK and Europe since the late 1980s and has played a major role in the development of FPA (the Funeral Planning Authority).

For more information, visit www. https://www.goldenleavesinternational.com/

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

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

EWN 19

Spain’s budget and taxation in 2021 Taxpayers in Spain are affected by two annual government budgets: the state budget and the regional one. The autonomous communities in Spain can adjust the local half of the income tax rates and adapt rates and allowances for wealth tax and succession tax.

The Spanish General Budget Law for 2021 was approved in December and applies from 1 January.

This was the first state budget to be approved since 2018. It is forecast to raise an additional €5.5 billion in tax revenue, which will be welcome after its collection shrank by 7.6% in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Income taxes Previously, the top rate of personal income tax applied to income over €120,000. Now the government has introduced a new income band for general earnings over €300,000. The state tax rate for this band is 24.5% for income received in 2021, compared to 22.5% previously.

This is only the state half of the

Over €200,000 – 26% If you expect to earn a high level of investment income, it is worth taking specialist, personalised advice to find out if you can use compliant arrangements to reduce your tax liability.

Wealth tax

By Brett Hanson, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks

income tax rates and around the same is applied again at regional level. The combined top rate in Valenciana is now 54%, while in Murcia it is 47.4%.

Savings income is taxed separately to general income and a new 26% rate has been introduced for income over €200,000 The 2021 rates are: Up to €6,000 - 19% €6,000 to €50,000 – 21% €50,000 to €200,000 – 23%

The state budget introduces a higher rate of taxation for those with substantial wealth.

Worldwide wealth up to €10,695,996 is taxed the same as last year, with progressive rates from 0.2% to 2.1%. But now the top state rate for wealth above €10,695,996 has increased from 2.5% to 3.5%.

This increase only applies where the local autonomous community does not apply its own rates, which may or may not change from last year depending on the local budget.

Valenciana now also has a top rate of 3.5% and in Murcia it is 3% (no change from 2020).

There are two state allowances per taxpayer: a main home allowance of up €300,000 plus an individual tax-free allowance of €700,000. Note however that in Valenciana the individual allowance is reduced to €500,000.

able for individuals who become Spanish tax resident as a result of an assignment to Spain. Whereas last year they paid income tax at a flat 24% rate, from 2021 income over €600,000 is taxed at 47%.

Reducing your tax liabilities

Wealth tax will now be applied indefinitely. This tax was effectively abolished in 2008 but reinstated on a temporary basis during the financial crisis in 2011. It has been extended in successive budgets and will now be considered a permanent tax.

Inheritance tax There are no changes to Spanish succession and gift tax at either state or regional level. Again, it pays to review your assets and take specialist advice to understand how the rates and allowances in your region will affect your heirs and establish how you can reduce this liability for them.

Beckham law This is a special tax regime avail-

It is certainly worth asking a specialist, cross-border adviser to review your investment portfolio, pensions and other assets. They can evaluate your current tax liabilities, consider your personal situation and objectives, and look at what Spanish compliant arrangements would work for you and how much tax you could save.

The tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

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

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25 February - 3 March 2021

NEWS

Drivers Stepping Down MI6 LGBT+ Apology Paid to Go Green A STATEMENT released by Buckingham Palace on February 19 confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are for‐ mally stepping away from their roles and responsibilities as part of the British monarchy.

The Buckingham Palace statement read: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family.

“Following conversations with the Duke, the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the re‐ sponsibilities and duties that come with a life of public ser‐ vice.

“The honorary military appointments and Royal patron‐ ages held by the Duke and Duchess will therefore be re‐ turned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of the Royal Family.

“While all are saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

APOLOGY: From the new head of MI6, Richard Moore.

THE new head of MI6 has apologised publicly to officers who were dismissed from the spy agency before 1991.

Richard Moore, also known as C, ac‐ knowledged that “committed, talented, public‐spirited people had their careers and lives blighted” when MI6 operated a “wrong, unjust and discriminatory” ban on LGBT staff in its ranks.

The practice of dismissing openly ho‐ mosexual agents ran across Britain’s three spy agencies, most notably in the case of Alan Turing.

The mathematician and codebreaker was forced out of GCHQ in 1952 after he was convicted for having a gay rela‐ tionship.

He was subjected to chemical castra‐ tion and subsequently killed himself years later.

MI6 still had work to do to become a “fully inclusive employer,” he added, where people could “always bring your true self to work. Diversity makes us more effective; inclusion makes us stronger,” added Mr Moore.

IN an attempt to reduce congestion, a new govern‐ ment initiative will offer drivers £3,000 in ‘credits’ to give up their cars, which they can then use on elec‐ tric scooters or bikes, as well as public transport.

A two‐year trial will be‐ gin this spring in Coventry funded as part of the ‘fu‐ ture transport’ initiative.

Those with diesel cars manufactured before 2016 and petrol before 2006 will agree to give up their vehi‐ cles for the duration of the trial and be given ‘credits’ instead.

Many people, including AA president Edmund King, question the timing of the initiative. On February 17, U S c a r g i a n t Fo r d a n ‐ nounced its plan to only sell electric passenger ve‐ hicles in Europe by 2030.

Mr King said: “The mon‐ ey would probably be bet‐ ter spent on providing electric charging points for those without off‐street parking rather than giving mobility credits for ser‐ vices that people will use when they need to or feel safe to.”

NEWS

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Saudi Arabia Targetted THE Spanish Tourism Office is now targeting tourists from Saudi Arabia, which will allow inter‐ national flights from May. It’s first step was to ap‐ point travel specialist AVIAREPS as its joint market‐ ing and public relations representative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the goal of expand‐ ing its engagement and promotional activities, and

Last of Franco THE Assembly of Melilla gave the green light on February 22 for the removal of the last statue of Franco.

This follows a proposal of the re‐ gional government supported by the three parties that make it up ‐ Coali‐ tion for Melilla (CPM), PSOE and Citi‐ zens (Cs) ‐ and the non‐attached deputy and former president of Vox, Jesús Delgado Aboy.

The PP, the majority group in the regional Chamber, has abstained, and Vox, which only has one seat, has voted against.

The three parties of the regional government celebrated the approval of this proposal, with which, accord‐ ing to the majority party of the Exec‐ utive, CPM, Melilla begins ‘a path to‐ wards a full democracy,’ since the statue meant ‘that the city was frozen in the past.’

to excite potential holidaymakers.

With its close proximity to Morocco and other Arabic speaking countries as well as its Moorish her‐ itage, Spain has the potential to be an ideal destina‐ tion for Saudi tourists with hotels able to employ Arabic speakers who will understand the cultural and religious needs of these tourists.

MICROSOFT Joins Battle MICROSOFT has stepped into the ongoing Facebook news controversy and thrown its weight behind European publishers calling for an Australia‐style system to force platforms such as Google and Facebook to pay news or‐ ganisations for content.

Microsoft announced that they could team up with media industry groups like the Euro‐ pean Publishers Council to lobby for such a poli‐ cy, which lawmakers around the world are cur‐ rently considering.

The European Publishers Council’s chairman, Christian Van Thillo, said in a statement, “We welcome Microsoft’s recognition of the value that our content brings to the core businesses of search engines and social networks.”

25 February - 3 March 2021

EWN 21

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25 February - 3 March 2021

Trafficking Ring Dismantled THE National Police in conjunction with Europol have succeeded in dismantling a nationwide people trafficking ring. In total, 17 members of the gang have been arrested and two trafficked women were released.

The huge criminal organisation allegedly trafficked women of Russian and Polish nationality for sexual exploitation. The base of operations was in Alicante and Valencia, but had branches in Poland,

Germany, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Russia.

The investigation began when a victim came forward. She told officers that the girls and young women were lured to Spain, Germany and the UK with the promise of work; and were immediately put to work as prostitutes. Police discovered that the criminals paid large amounts of money to obtain medical certificates showing that their victims had to travel for essential health reasons.

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Speed Bust DRUGS: Had a street value of around €1m.

POLICE from the Guardia Civil have intercepted 23 kilos of speed which was about to be distributed from northern Spain.

Officers arrested two men in Spain after seizing the drugs, with a street value of around €1 million.

The detainees are two brothers, aged 41 and 34, residents of La Rioja Baja who used their parents’ home as a nursery for the drugs that they later sold.

‘Operation Kinoko’ seized drugs equivalent to more than 90,000 doses of speed with which they could have earned close to €1 million, and arrested two men for drug trafficking.

Police power MADRID has tightened its control of tourist accom‐ modation to combat ‘pandemic phenomenon’' of ille‐ gal parties breaching Covid regulations.

“This activity violates the current regional regula‐ tions, which strictly prohibits meetings of non‐resi‐ dents in homes and is framed within the regional gov‐ ernment’s measures to prevent the spread of Covid‐19,” said the regional government.

The Minister of Justice, Interior and Victims, En‐ rique Lopez, signed an order that empowered Local Police to carry out inspections of tourist accommoda‐ tion.

“In this way, as the order states, officers from the region’s 112 Local Police Corps will be able to carry out ‘verification tasks’ and surveillance in order to en‐ force compliance,” added the goverment in a state‐ ment.

NEWS

Islands Pilot possible REGIONAL governors of Mallorca and Ibiza were reportedly in meetings in Madrid with Maria Reyes Maroto, the Spanish Tourism Minister, on Friday February 19, where they asked her to allow a pilot scheme to be trialled this summer, to get British holidaymakers back to the islands.

Iago Negueruela, the islands’ tourism minister who attended the meeting with Francina Armengol, the region’s president, confirmed, “We have offered to become one of the first parts of Spain where the vaccine passport is trialled.”

He added, “We showed with last year’s pilot that we can work effectively and the Spanish government’s response to our proposal was very positive. We will focus our efforts from now on in becoming a lead region in the implementation of immunity certificates to facilitate mobility.”

Ski & Snowboard successful return SOME 7,400 skiers visited Sierra Nevada on its reopening weekend. With most of the province now open to move between towns, 4,900 visitors were registered on its sunny reopening on Saturday February 20, and a further 2,500 on a cloudy Sunday, which ended with a fall of snow. Visitors are still not allowed from other provinces.

According to Cetursa, the company which manages the Sierra Nevada ski resort, there were between eight and nine slopes open, amounting to 47 skiable kilometres over five of the six areas that make up the complex.

The Spanish Snowboard Cross and Ski Cross Cup will be held this weekend after the earlier Club Nazari ‘Baches’ (bumps) Trophy and the Reyes Santa Olalla Baches Trophy had to be cancelled due to high winds.

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25 February - 3 March 2021

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Ashes to ashes?

Not necessarily. There are many special ways to use them WHILE we typically think of cremation as a way to send off a loved one who passes away, with their ashes either kept or scattered after that there are now many different special options, some of which you may never have imagined.

Some people may dream of going into space throughout their lives, but of course only a few ac‐ tually do so. However, now, space burial is an op‐ tion that could allow them to fulfil that dream and spend eternity in space.

Space burial consists of launching samples of cre‐ mated remains into space.

This doesn’t mean that the remains are simply scattered in space so as not to cause space debris, instead, the ashes remain sealed in small capsules until the spacecraft burns up upon re‐entry into the Earth’s atmosphere or reach their destinations, such as the Moon.

Only small amounts are used, to avoid causing mass in space and also to make costs more afford‐ able.

As well as cremation jewellery, which is a popu‐ lar option to carry a little bit of a loved one with us

forever, a less known option exists, called Memory Glass. This is a solid glass orb infused with a loved one’s cremated remains. Hand‐made and available in a variety of different colours, each orb uses only a small amount of ashes, so multiple family mem‐ bers can request them as a keepsake. This is not the only form of art which can be made using ash‐ es, as they can be added to paint and used to cre‐ ate a painting depicting a significant place or mo‐ ment, or a popular option is to have it included in a portrait of the deceased.

Another option is solidifying the cremated re‐ mains of a loved one to create a stone. The cremat‐ ed remains can be made into smooth stones that can be given to family members. The polished rocks can then be carried in a pocket, displayed on a shelf at home or in another significant place and they can be kept close always. The number of stones created will depend on the amount of ash provided and the appearance of them will vary nat‐ urally in shape, colour and texture, making each one uniquely special. The solidified remains are an alternative to conventional ashes which can be car‐

ried with us or seen at all times.

Many people get a tattoo in memo‐ ry of a loved one, but it is also possible to have tattoo ink made which con‐ tains a small amount of their ashes, so when it is used to create a tattoo, it will mean that the person can be carried close to use for ever after.

Ashes can surprisingly be compressed into a vinyl record which can hold a recording of your choice and can actually be played to remember that person. This can be an ideal way to remember a music lover, include a track which had special meaning or also hold the recording of the person’s voice.

For those who prefer the more traditional scat‐ tering of ashes but want to give it a more original feel, there is the option of doing a skydive and scat‐ tering the person’s ashes over a specific landmark or location while doing it.

Travelling around the world or to a specific place is many people’s dream, but unfortunately, it is one that can’t always be realised during life. If your

loved one had a place they wanted to go, you can try and take them there. If you have a memorial object containing their ashes, you can carry it with you, but even if you have a traditional urn with remains, although you will have to see what the policies of airlines are on letting you travel with them, it is an option. You may then want to scatter the ashes in that place.

While holding a celebration of the person’s life, why not let off fireworks? Ashes can be added to them and will then be scattered over the area once the fireworks go off.

Finally, especially for children who have lost a loved one, there are memorial stuffed toys which have a compartment in which to place a small amount of ashes in a bag and can also be person‐ alised with a recording of the person’s voice.

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

NEWS

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Sweet Surrender A MAN in the UK has handed himself in to police so he could get away from the people he was living with in lockdown.

Inspector Darren Taylor from Sussex Police said the man was wanted by police and turned himself in to get some ‘peace and quiet’ from the people he lived with.

He said: “Peace and quiet!

Wanted male handed himself in to the team yesterday afternoon after informing us he would rather go back to prison

Man handed himself in. than have to spend more time with the people he was living with!

“One in custody and heading back to prison to serve some further time on his own.”

Divorcees auction Dog A DIVORCING couple put their dog up for auction after they were unable to agree who would keep it. The dog, a Boston Terrier called ‘Boss’ was valued at almost €3,500 in a court in Lugo, but an animal rights associa‐ tion wants the auction stopped, claiming that it is ille‐ gal. The auction is scheduled to end on March 3. The minimum bid has been set at €1,715.

The couple can stop the process if they change their minds.

The Franz Weber Foundation, claim it is against EU regulations which classify animals as ‘sentient beings.’

However, the court in Lugo has said the auction is legal, and as it is common to auction cows and horses, so a bid cannot be stopped just because we find dogs ‘cuter than other animals.’

25 February - 3 March 2021

EU Students 40 per cent drop STATISTICS from the Uni‐ versities and Colleges Ad‐ missions Service (UCAS) show a 26,010 drop in the numbers of students from the European Union look‐ ing to study in the UK this September. A 40 per cent drop in EU applicants since Brexit.

It is suspected the figures have been impacted by the removal of tuition fee loan and grant support for Euro‐ pean students, amend‐ ments to post‐study work rights, and the slashing of ‘home’ status for fees charged to those in the EU. However, a rise in appli‐ cations from students from Ireland, and non‐EU coun‐ tries like India, China and America, has led to an over‐ all rise in UCAS applications of 8.5 per cent.

EWN 25

Best Effort Mystery IT would appear that the UK’s contract with AstraZeneca contains the same clause that caused controversy after it was blamed for difficulties with the EU vaccine campaign.

The contract does not guarantee supply and instead states that ‘best reasonable efforts’ will be used in the supply of the vaccine to Britain. Britain is expecting 100 million doses of the Covid-19 vac-

VACCINE CAMPAIGN: Is not a commitment, it’s a best effort. cine to be delivered.

Last month, AstraZeneca announced that due to production problems in Belgium it would be

reducing deliveries to the EU and Pascal Soriot, chief executive said “It’s not a commitment we have with Europe, it’s a best effort.”

Stolen Identities ‘Cheeky’ Fund A MAN was arrested for using 44 false identities to commit fraud in shopping centres and scam up to €1 million. An investigation began after a department store reported fraud in a store card application.

Police identified the man who had extensive knowledge on financial markets and techniques used by credit card companies. He produced false docu‐ ments, and lived under false identities making it diffi‐ cult to identify him or connect him to his crimes.

The National Police report that he got credit cards using details belonging to dead or non‐existent peo‐ ple, and used them to defraud between €250,000 and €1 million in Madrid, Murcia, Almeria and Sevilla.

Officers searched his address in Almuñecar, Grana‐ da, and found computers, laser printers, plastic card printers and a hydraulic press used to make forged documents.

A FURLOUGHED dad set up a ‘Cheeky’ GoFundMe page to pay for a wild week in Las Vegas. Bar manager Josh Hodder, from Paignton, Devon, has been on furlough since November.

Josh created the GoFundMe page when he ‘was bored’ and is asking for £7,000 in donations to pay for the trip. The Vegaslover, has visited the city three times already and describes it as ‘Disneyworld for adults.’

Any money received will go towards outlandish plans such as trips to a gun range, dune buggy rides, limousine and helicopter rides - and no doubt to pay for a hefty alcohol bill!

Josh has so far not received any donations.

26 EWN

25 February - 3 March 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

FRANCE

Bomb scare

Extremism

FOLLOWING reports that a suspicious package had been found outside the US Embassy in Copenhagen, the road was closed and a bomb disposal unit using a special robot attended the scene and safely removed a bottle wrapped in duct tape.

THE French Government is tackling radicalism at both ends of the spectrum and after tightening up laws against Islamic extremists it has now vowed to close down anti-migrant organisation Generation Identity which sits on the right wing of French politics.

NETHERLANDS

NORWAY

Curfew law

Scooter accident

THE Dutch Parliament is being recalled prior to the March General Election in order to pass emergency legislation after a court ruled that the imposition of a curfew in Holland was illegal and existing legislation did not allow it to be enforced.

A MAN driving an electric scooter who collided with a female pedestrian in Oslo last year has been sentenced to 18 days in prison and banned from driving for a year in the first case of its kind.

BELGIUM Tragic accident

FINLAND Baby boom

IN Roeselare, a 76-year-old was pumping water from a well when his dog jumped in and as he tried to save the animal, he too fell in. By the time that a member of his family discovered him, the man had drowned.

DOCTORS in Southern Finland have indicated that they expect the number of February and March births to increase by at least 10 per cent compared to last year and put this down to the pandemic and lockdown, although rates in Oslo are normal.

GERMANY

SWEDEN

Safer walking

Bad alcohol

FOR years, cars in Berlin have been driving faster and with almost no laws protecting pedestrians, politicians believe it is time to change the rules.

From now on, traffic signals will give pedestrians more time to cross the roads.

POLICE in the area of Uppsala have taken to social media to warn youngsters about the danger of what they refer to as ‘bad alcohol’ as counterfeiters are selling fake bottles of Smirnoff Vodka which are filled with dangerous methanol.

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Business rates DUE to the vagaries of the financial situation thanks to the pandemic, the UK Treasury has announced that it will postpone publishing its final report on business rates from July to much later in the year when it expects there to be greater clarity in the economic future.

Bank loss THE NatWest Group, formerly RBS with majority shareholding still with the British Government has revealed that it had an operating loss of £351 million (€386 million) for 2020 but despite this, it has decided that it will proceed with payment of a dividend as future trading is positive.

Hotel sale FACING significant debts estimated at around €200 million, Catalan family-owned hotel chain Selenta is trying to sell five of its hotels in Spain at an asking price of €400 million to allow it to settle outstanding debts and inject liquidity into the business which has suffered from the pandemic.

Santander venture NOT content with being one of the most successful banks in Europe, the Santander Group has decided to enter online retail under the Santander Boutique brand name in Portugal, offering a range of locally sourced goods such as bags and jewellery as well as fitness equipment.

Employee vaccinations THE UK Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said that it may be legal for companies to insist on new staff being vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition of their employment. His view, shared by Downing Street, according to the BBC is that it would be discriminatory to insist that current employees should be inoculated as this would not be covered in their current contracts of employment. It was during an interview with ITV that the Justice Secretary indicated his view about both existing and new staff vaccinations.

28

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 25 February - 3 March 2021

€11.2 million

is the amount that Danish company Podimo which launched in Spain last year has raised to fund competition with Amazon and Spotify podcasts.

‘They’ve never had it so bad’ WHILST Vice President of the Government and Min‐ ister for the Economy Na‐ dia Calviño is doing the rounds talking about the future, the Bank of Spain has revealed that the country’s debt is the high‐ est in more than 100 years.

Understandably, like so many other countries around the world, Spain has had to cope with the huge losses of revenue caused by the Covid‐19

pandemic and the need to support industry and workers for nearly one year.

This means that with al‐ most no tourism and the hospitality industry in tat‐ ters, the government has run up its national debt to €1.31 trillion, that’s €131,000,000,0000, an in‐ crease in the year of €112.438 billion.

Prior to the pandemic, the European Union was highly critical of the Span‐

LEGALLY SPEAKING Can he work in the garden?

Our apartment is on a large urbanisation.

We live on the ground floor. Since we owned it the gardeners have worked mini‐ mal time in our part of the gardens. Our part of the gardens seldom looks attractive whereas the rest of the estate does.

We have complained many times but nothing changes. I started working in OUR part of the gar‐ dens and improved it a lot.

Now I am told that I am not permitted to work in the gardens anymore, one of the reasons being that I was not insured, I do not use machinery here only my own hand tools.

So I would like to know whether I am breaking the actual law by working part time in our garden to keep it in good order?

P C (by email) You your‐ self are not breaking any YOU AND THE LAW law, but the ad‐ IN SPAIN ministrator and president of your community would be in violation of the law if they allowed a person who is not an em‐ ployee and therefore not insured to work in the gar‐ den.

DAVID SEARL

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

ITALIAN energy company E ni has signed an agreement with X - E lio for the acquisition of three photovoltaic (solar power) projects in southern Spain.

The companies have also entered into discussions for a larger strategic collaboration for the development of renewable pro-

ish debt ratio which crept above 100 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and by 2019, this had been reduced to 95.5 per cent, but by December 2020 it had shot up to 117.1 per cent and could continue to rise.

There are great plans ahead for the economy but so much depends up‐ on the European Union transferring money from the Emergency Relief Fund and despite promises no

significant amounts have been received, only sug‐ gestions that Spain needs to implement additional policy changes.

Whilst this is being con‐ sidered, debts can only continue to mount and ac‐ cording to EURACTIV, with a population of 46.9 mil‐ lion, if each Spanish resi‐ dent is responsible for the debt, then the individual owes €29,700, which is more than the average an‐ nual wage!

Cryptocurrency warnings

Funds could flow from euro to bitcoin.

HOT on the heels of warnings against cryptocurrencies from the Bank of Spain and Nation‐ al Securities Market Commis‐ sion (CNMV), Spanish Minis‐ ter Ana de la Cueva joined in.

During the recent Online Fintech Summit 2021, the Sec‐ retary of State for the Econo‐ my and Business Support warned against currencies like Bitcoin saying they carry “a risk of default, given that the user does not have the pro‐ tection offered by traditional payment systems against a default by the counterparty.”

As her statement contin‐ ued, she made it clear that the Spanish Government did‐ n’t just worry about the risk to investors but also disparaged the fact that such holdings

can be neither supervised nor sanctioned.

Clearly worried that those with money to disguise could well invest it in cryptocurren‐ cies, which have shown a sig‐ nificant growth in value over the past years, the Spanish Government has indicated that legislation will be intro‐ duced to require Spanish resi‐ dents to declare their hold‐ ings and gains made.

This is bound to become an increasingly more vexing problem for the government as it seems likely that Spanish commercial banks will in the not‐too‐distant future look to either introduce their own blockchain currency or try to partner with an existing pro‐ ducer.

Italian energy company jects in Spain, where Eni is aiming to grow its renewable sources.

According to the agreement, the transfer of the projects will be subject to customary authorisation starting from the second

quarter of 2021 and E ni will be responsible for the construction of the plants and for the sale of the electricity.

This agreement adds to the other recently signed

by E ni gas e luce, a sub-

sidiary of Eni, with Grupo Pitma for the acquisition of 100 per cent of A ldro E nergía Y S oluciones S L , which operates in S pain and Portugal selling electricity, gas and services to household customers as

Uber decision UK Supreme Court justices have ruled against ride‐hailing giant Uber and said that drivers should now be classed as work‐ ers.

Seven justices ruled on the latest round of a long‐running fight between Uber operating companies and drivers on Fri‐ day, February 19 after a previous hearing in July.

Uber operating companies, who said drivers were contrac‐ tors and not workers, appealed to the Supreme Court after los‐ ing three earlier rounds of the fight. Justices dismissed Uber’s appeal in a decision that the GMB union said was “historic.”

Lawyers said the ruling will have widespread implications for the gig economy. An employ‐ ment tribunal ruled in 2016 that Uber drivers were workers, and were entitled to workers’ rights.

Awaiting refunds CONSUMER organisation WHICH has advised that as many as two million potential holidaymakers are still out of pocket due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic which saw many flights cancelled.

Last year the British Govern‐ ment was advising people not to travel, but if they took that ad‐ vice and the flights they were booked on still took off, then they will have problems in trying to obtain refunds.

Looking to the future, the group suggests that it would be unwise to make any bookings until it becomes clear that travel will go ahead and suggests it would be prudent to choose package holidays which may be safer than flights only. well as large, medium and small businesses.

Moreover, Eni is about to finalise agreement for the amicable settlement of a dispute relating to Union Fenosa Gas, after which it will begin direct supply of natural gas in Spain to the industrial and thermoelectric sectors.

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 22

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.125,50 1.132,00 Admiral Group 3.062,0 3.062,0 Anglo American 2.897,5 2.925,0 Antofagasta 1.892,00 1.907,50 Ashtead Group 3.946,6 3.971,2 Associated British Foods 2.360,0 2.360,0 AstraZeneca 7.233,0 7.260,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 601,48 601,48 Avast 475,40 482,94 Aveva 3.708,1 3.713,2 Aviva 364,60 365,90 B&M European Value Retail SA573,40 574,40 BAE Systems 462,00 462,00 Bank VTB DRC 0,950 0,950 Barclays 152,50 153,32 Barratt Developments 675,00 676,00 Berkeley 4.313,0 4.313,0 BHP Group 2.316,00 2.337,00 BP 272,10 273,10 British American Tobacco 2.541,0 2.546,5 British Land Company 464,16 464,90 BT Group 129,00 130,80 Bunzl 2.258,6 2.274,0 Burberry Group 1.826,2 1.827,5 Carnival 1.453,0 1.471,0 Centrica 51,64 51,82 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.293,6 2.300,3 Compass 1.408,50 1.414,00 CRH 3.090,0 3.138,0 Croda Intl 6.412,0 6.458,0 DCC 5.984,0 5.984,0 Diageo 2.946,5 2.976,1 DS Smith 376,60 379,70 EasyJet 842,38 851,00 Experian 2.436,0 2.460,0 Ferguson 8.634,0 8.670,0 Flutter Entertainment 13.935,0 13.970,0 Fresnillo 978,80 988,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.206,40 1.213,60 Glencore 305,56 309,80 Halma 2.441,0 2.468,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.498,00 1.500,50 Hikma Pharma 2.333,00 2.341,00 HSBC 428,05 428,90 IAG 167,80 168,72 Imperial Brands 1.386,71 1.386,71 Informa 502,80 502,80 InterContinental 5.102,0 5.140,0 Intermediate Capital 1.878,00 1.883,00 Intertek 5.600,0 5.629,4 ITV 108,80 109,65

% CHG. 1.125,50 3.043,0 2.882,5 1.872,50 3.946,6 2.341,0 7.206,0 596,60 475,40 3.706,8 362,60 570,60 457,04 0,950 149,15 668,00 4.282,0 2.310,00 270,80 2.530,1 460,50 127,70 2.256,0 1.818,5 1.430,5 51,21 2.279,1 1.398,50 3.090,0 6.400,0 5.952,0 2.926,4 375,20 827,00 2.435,0 8.606,0 13.605,0 974,80 1.201,80 303,39 2.435,6 1.486,00 2.325,00 426,00 163,95 1.366,50 499,00 4.997,0 1.859,00 5.600,0 108,50

NET VOL 15,89K 0,55K 10,13K 123,72K 2,82K 6,90K 130,38K 1,74K 4,89K 3,52K 424,09K 61,01K 50,15K 3,30K 669,68K 124,56K 0,73K 439,29K 2,29M 11,99K 6,42K 985,98K 2,43K 7,23K 20,59K 340,13K 3,29K 121,46K 22,80K 1,89K 0,59K 13,86K 65,88K 99,11K 123,86K 4,61K 35,01K 16,18K 62,07K 475,99K 0,86K 43,78K 4,71K 120,59K 1,49M 20,40K 48,43K 10,11K 12,01K 0,20K 51,06K

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

229,50 3.106,0 613,80 263,45 37,99 9.762,0 410,20 169,53 1.788,50 848,20 179,85 7.582,1 35,00 2.463,00 2.758,0 702,20 1.405,50 6.036,0 1.735,00 487,10 622,60 6.373,0 97,92 6,79 1.391,70 1.392,0 1.340,7 676,31 587,70 1.848,00 14,59 3.467,0 1.322,44 974,60 2.243,1 1.425,00 1.471,50 11.165,0 1.401,50 1.205,50 492,90 324,30 161,95 226,40 361,90 3.868,7 905,60 130,66 3.419,3 832,60

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

229,50 3.120,0 617,20 263,60 38,12 9.798,0 411,20 169,55 1.797,50 848,40 180,15 7.642,0 35,03 2.495,03 2.758,0 702,20 1.410,50 6.058,0 1.744,00 493,00 633,60 6.406,0 99,58 6,81 1.398,50 1.401,2 1.345,6 676,60 591,00 1.857,00 14,60 3.467,0 1.331,00 987,40 2.249,0 1.428,50 1.480,50 11.230,0 1.401,50 1.207,00 494,00 326,50 162,05 226,80 362,61 3.888,1 912,20 130,72 3.432,0 833,40

227,60 3.090,0 608,90 261,20 37,53 9.669,0 406,10 166,90 1.785,50 840,80 178,35 7.560,8 34,76 2.381,40 2.719,0 695,00 1.384,50 6.004,0 1.712,50 465,00 622,40 6.352,0 96,38 6,78 1.388,40 1.388,4 1.335,8 676,31 585,31 1.846,00 14,55 3.467,0 1.316,00 971,00 2.231,5 1.407,00 1.471,50 11.160,0 1.394,55 1.200,50 491,10 323,80 159,15 225,12 356,40 3.848,3 901,60 129,98 3.364,0 826,20

55,23K 14,66K 18,56K 29,59K 3,00M 16,14K 25,46K 13,86K 13,49K 238,88K 265,55K 0,53K 161,57K 14,39K 15,58K 18,11K 173,00K 53,46K 150,41K 214,07K 43,83K 162,46K 1,16M 27,29K 5,20K 205,14K 71,92K 0,05K 11,52K 0,56K 59,14K 2,21K 174,58K 54,05K 6,81K 98,56K 7,21K 2,60K 17,49K 15,74K 117,29K 82,00K 296,55K 136,32K 180,18K 24,52K 7,55K 1,26M 1,65K 41,27K

0.86575

1.15489 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.21169 Japan yen (JPY)......................................128.175 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0897 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4365 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.289

currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830 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 22

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

PRICE 176,54 2.101,14 3.249,90 231,69 129,87 217,47 209,91 95,80 45,68 50,11 261,56 315,62 279,64 203,56 118,99 63,01 162,98 148,02 212,24 74,31 240,97 142,02 127,12 246,56 781,30 324,58 56,45 204,73 138,34 183,65

CHANGE 180,77 2.130,53 3.333,50 233,15 130,71 217,64 211,46 96,38 46,61 50,83 270,27 316,78 283,91 206,83 120,76 63,26 165,96 148,84 215,73 75,51 243,86 145,50 129,44 249,39 796,79 328,85 57,40 209,53 139,42 184,78

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 176,20 2,99M 2.097,41 1,46M 3.245,75 4,31M 230,85 2,47M 128,80 87,67M 209,15 12,42M 202,70 4,94M 94,65 8,91M 45,58 25,12M 49,97 15,97M 260,15 25,62M 310,23 2,75M 279,44 4,08M 203,32 2,43M 118,38 6,58M 61,85 28,29M 162,91 8,19M 145,86 11,97M 211,97 3,18M 74,26 11,82M 240,18 25,26M 141,50 7,49M 127,02 8,28M 245,98 4,65M 777,37 18,96M 324,11 2,31M 56,35 18,69M 203,76 15,01M 137,67 12,20M 182,79 8,83M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 22

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+6.72% +14.06% +5.12% +3.87% +1.47% +1.65% +13.89% +3.57% +14.52% +31.22% +1.02%

2.38M 17.15M 40,658 1.15M 353,821 16,902 16,952 1.70M 3.57M 3.93M 475,667

-2.35% -13.09% -2.26% -0.81% -0.76% -6.87% -2.01% -5.90% -5.21% -2.84% -5.14%

4.31M 2.51M 746,343 1.90M 1.46M 974,131 4,099 2.11M 1.21M 1,856 463,197

Most Advanced Trade Desk Inc. Cl A Baidu Inc. ADR First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A MicroStrategy Inc. Booking Holdings Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Sabre Corp. 6.5% Pfd. Lam Research Corp.

Everbridge Inc. The9 Ltd. ADR MercadoLibre Inc.

Most Declined Amazon.com Inc. Quidel Corp.

Intuitive Surgical Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C Stamps.com Inc. Atrion Corp.

Appian Corp. Cl A Universal Display Corp.

Daily Journal Corp.

Kinsale Capital Group Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Smart City Cluster expands Roadmap for the Smart City.

UNICAJA BANCO and the Spanish based Smart City Clus‐ ter, an alliance of more than 150 companies and institu‐ tions have entered into an agreement for the develop‐ ment of smart cities.

The organisation is already in collaboration with about 50 Spanish cities and this tie‐up looks to promote technology and innovation initiatives as well as sustainable finance, within the framework of pro‐ moting smart cities.

Smart cities are those based on sustainable urban planning and the application of technol‐ ogy and innovation to their management and services to achieve more efficient, sus‐ tainable and comfortable cities.

The intention is that Unicaja which is committed to sustain‐ ability will be assisted by Smart City Cluster to seek op‐ portunities to finance projects which requirable investment in sustainable programmes.

The objectives of this re‐ cently signed agreement are to define policies and actions of common interest around smart cities, strategically plan future development paths for cities and promote research, development and innovation of products, processes and services associated with smart urban infrastructures.

The agreement looks to pro‐ mote the exchange of scientif‐ ic‐technical knowledge be‐ tween the Cluster, universities, technology cen‐ tres and the bank in order to promote training activities re‐ lated to smart urban infras‐ tructures.

There are also plans to or‐ ganise events for the promo‐ tion of smart cities and urban technologies, as well as collab‐ oration in environmental poli‐ cy, low carbon economy, ener‐ gy efficiency, sustainability, sustainable cities and the pro‐ motion of the information so‐ ciety.

New payment App OPERA, a Norwegian company has launched a new fintech called Dify in Spain which allows virtual payment and access to a virtual debit card issued by Mastercard.

Dify provides customers with a free payment solution for online shopping including cashback and there are plans to add many more personal finance features to the operation.

When customers use the Opera browser to shop on partner websites, they will receive cashback and if they pay for goods using their Dify cards - which can be managed with Google Pay - they will receive additional cashback.

This initiative, is part of Uni‐ caja Banco’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy and re‐ flects its ongoing commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

BUSINESS EXTRA 2021 job losses THE Centre for Retail Research has revealed that UK retailers with 10 or more high street outlets, have laid off 27,096 staff and announced closure of 1,023 stores since the start of the year and it looks as if this could be the ‘tip of the iceberg.’

Fishy figures FIGURES released by the Catalonian Department of Agriculture suggest that since the lockdown the amount of fish consumed at home in the region has increased dramatically with many respondents saying that they miss eating fish in restaurants and that it is relatively easy to cook at home.

Yacky don’t THE UK supermarket Iceland has sacked its director of corporate affairs, Keith Hann, after he made a series of offensive Twitter comments about Wales and the Welsh, as the group has no wish to upset or alienate any of its customers.

25 February - 3 March 2021

EWN 31

32 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

FEATURE

Hypocrisy is the worst offence of all LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT SO hundreds of young African boys have been kidnapped in Nigeria, I wonder what fate awaits these poor innocents? Ransom, death, slavery?

The last time this happened was a couple of years ago, when over 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from another school in that unfortunate country. Despite ransoms being paid, over a hundred still haven’t been returned.

It’s a fairly safe bet to assume they have found their way into the hands of traffickers or sex slave traders. So where’s all the outcry from the BLM and ‘wokers’. Where all the hysteria and recriminations of the UK government for not DOING something? Is it only certain black lives that matter? Too far away to bother about?

Not really. When you consider the furor surrounding George Floyd in America, the difference in the distance from the UK is a mere couple of thousand miles or so.

Nothing at all in these days of travel and instant communication.

BLACK LIVES MATTER: However, I wonder, is it only certain black lives that matter?

No it’s all too selective for my liking.

When you consider black society in America preferring to be called African Americans and those in the UK constantly

referring to their African heritage, you truly would think there would be some kind of outcry for the country of their ancestors.

Hypocrisy is what it’s called; in my opinion

one of the worst offences of all.

Anyway I was delighted to see that several clubs, including Brentford have discontinued the racist provoking ‘knee’ at

their football matches. I think it would be an idea for other teams to take note. When the fans are allowed back, I believe they’ll find they have no choice! It is racial instigating nonsense and causing far more unrest than it quells, the sooner it is outlawed the better.

It was brought to my attention last week that people of BAME (black asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds, accounted for more than 26 per cent of all on screen TV presentations ‐ despite representing just 12 per cent of the population.

Interestingly, there are however only 5 per cent of minorities working on the production side. Is it not beyond the realms of possibility, that by casting a whole glut of ethnic actors ‘on camera,’ those of the profession involved in off camera activities, ie production and executive management etc, are protecting their own corridors of power?

After all how can they be accused of any racism or ethnic exclusion if they are able to point out the high numbers of minority performers they are casting on screen? Just a thought.

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

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

THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY

FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY

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Ready, Steady, Cook The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News Party Political Broadcast The One Show The Bidding Room MasterChef Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance BBC News at Ten

4:00pm 5:00pm

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Life Meerkat Manor Meerkat Manor Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Inside Culture with Mary Beard Nigella: At My Table Your Garden Made Perfect

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Cheers King of Queens Live Test Cricket Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Lose a Stone in 21 Days with Michael Mosley Stand Up and Deliver Back

Life Royal Recipes Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Inside the Zoo Gardeners' World Raiders of the Lost Past with Janina Ramirez Later - with Jools Holland

NewTenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Vera ITV News at Ten and Weather

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Mike & Molly Cheers Cheers King of Queens Live Test Cricket Mend It for Money The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Grayson's Art Club Gogglebox

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ITV London Weather Six Nations Live Tipping Point: Lucky Stars ITV News and Weather ITV News London Celebrity Catchphrase Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take Away The Voice UK ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather

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The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Live Test Cricket Location, Location, Location Channel 4 News Star Trek: Into Darkness Star Trek Beyond

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ITV London Weather The Lost World: Jurassic Park ITV News and Weather ITV News London The Chase: Celebrity Special Dancing on Ice McDonald & Dodds ITV News and Weather ITV London Weathe

The Simpsons A Taste of Italy Live Test Cricket A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Grand Designs Channel 4 News A New Life in the Sun: Road Trip The Great Pottery Throw Down

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Judge Rinder Tenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Love Your Garden Coronation Street

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A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now? Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Dispatches Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites

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Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B Inside the Zoo Interior Design Masters DNA Family Secre

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ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale For the Love of Britain Million Pound Pawn Marcella ITV News at Ten and Weather

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A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now? Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Secret Safari: Into the Wild 24 Hours in A&E

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Bitesize Daily for Secondary The Nine to Five with Stacey Dooley Royal Recipes Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B Inside the Zoo My Hero The Terror The Terror

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Judge Rinder Tenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London Party Political Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury

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Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now? Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it Extraordinary Escapes

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ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale The Martin Lewis Money Show: Live Piers Morgan’s Life Stories

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Behind Closed Doors Brideshead Revisited Final Score Flog It! Interior Design Masters Perry and Croft: Made in Britain My Hero Dad's Army Billy Connolly: Made in Scotland

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Songs of Praise Flog It! This Beautiful Fantastic The Real Marigold Hotel Cornwall: This Fishing Life The Americas with Simon Reeve This Farming Life Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins

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The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B Mary Berry Everyday Mastermind Only Connect University Challenge

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Killer Cove Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight How to Garden with Carol Klein This Week on the Farm Murder in a Small Town

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Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show Kate Humble's Coastal Walks Gregg Wallace's Fun Weekend

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Access About Time Me Before You 5 News Update Me Before You 5 News Weekend Cruising with Jane McDonald Inside the World's Greatest Hotels Zara and Anne

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My Icon Live NRL Super League Gold Saturday Social Soccer A.M. Live EFL Live Premier League Live Premier League Live Premier League One Punch: Whyte v Povetkin

FilmMiss Potter Access Miss Potter 5 News Weekend Film2012 5 News Update Film2012 Million Pound Mega Motorhomes Rich House, Poor House Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun

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Goals on Sunday Super Sunday Matchday Live EFL Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live World Golf Championships

Neighbours FilmA Lover Betrayed Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights Traffic Cops

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A Stolen Past Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight GPs: Behind Closed Doors Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild

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Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Gillette Soccer Special Live EFL Whyte v Chisora: Bad Blood

Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys The Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders

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Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Live Premier League Live Premier League The Gloves are Off Fight Night

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The Football Show The Football Show Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live World Golf Championships Live World Golf Championships Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live World Golf Championships Live World Golf Championships Live EFL Sky Sports News

Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Sky Sports News Live MNF

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.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

EWN 35

Which gear are you driving in?

Which gear do you tend to find yourself

ROBERT SHALLIS

WHICH gear do you tend to find your‐ self in the most? Forward, reverse or neutral?

All three gears of course have their uses but it’s important to se‐ lect them carefully in order to have a healthy balance and a smooth ride to get to where you need to be in life. Many of us tend to be in re‐ verse gear, living too much in the past, dwelling on previous events and experiences.

There is no doubt that dropping into reverse and revisiting the past from time to time can be a wonder‐ ful place to be as happy memories are priceless. However, negative memories are a place that we should move on from, to be used as life lessons in which to progress and grow. Resentment, guilt, anger or whatever it may be certainly do not deserve or need to come along

REMEMBER: You are in the driving seat of your life, so enjoy. for the journey forward. Leave it in your rear‐view mirror until it fades into the distance.

So how does being in neutral

gear benefit us? Well, this is actual‐ ly the most powerful and useful gear. Although, the assumption would be that it has no real direc‐

tion and is very much in a station‐ ary position.

Being in neutral is stopping, relax‐ ing, taking a breath and taking note of where you actually are, it’s being in the present moment, a time to be mindful and really appreciate life and all it has to offer. It is giving yourself a break from the all‐con‐ suming challenges life throws at you and deciphering, what is most im‐ portant to you, what you ‘really’ want in life and ‘why.’

A helpful exercise is to give your‐ self a moment in the day where you can escape and just sit down, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Let go and forget about frustration, an‐ noyance, disappointment and wor‐ ry ‐ anything that has been causing some kind of tension and simply re‐ lax. This will give you renewed en‐ ergy to help drive you forward.

We all deserve a break so why not take a few moments each day for yourself. Mahatma Gandhi fa‐ mously said: “The future depends on what we do in the present.” So slow down, park up and enjoy to‐

day as that is all we really have.

Stepping up a gear and accelerat‐ ing into the future can be exhilarat‐ ing as we all need goals and dreams to aim for. Progressing towards a worthy goal is key as it drives us forward and keeps our hopes alive especially if it has true purpose. If you know where you’re going, you know why you’re getting up in the morning.

It is important however not to ‘defer’ but enjoy life in the now. Ac‐ celerating too fast to a future goal, objective or dream and believing that life will be so much better is when you need to remind yourself which gear you are driving in.

So, how are you going to allow yourself to be driven? Use all three gears to your benefit and acceler‐ ate into a new version of yourself to get to where you need to be whatever destination you choose.

But remember, you are in the driving seat of your life so don’t for‐ get to enjoy the journey along the way.

Rob Shallis / www.robshallis.com

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

36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

FEATURE

GO LOCAL

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 shop‐ ping this year, instead of feeding online giants and superstores.

This lockdown and with Moth‐ er’s Day and Easter upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen‐ dent 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 local community.

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on‐ line, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than 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 sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent

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

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 gener‐ ation before.

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 in‐ dependent store and compete 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

To advertise here contact us on:

951 386 161 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

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

perhaps pre‐paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift. Helping people allevi‐ ate stress and worry , give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times.

Choosing to spend your mon‐ ey locally will really make a differ‐ ence in the recovery of the local 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 everyone who is a part of each transaction.

For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing pro‐ duce.

First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn prepares the fresh pro‐ duce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restau‐ rant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbour‐ hood hardware store. This exam‐ ple illustrates how the recircula‐ tion of money in the local economy leads to a stronger fi‐ nancial foundation for our neigh‐ bours and communities.

25 February - 3 March 2021

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

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.

EWN 37

38 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

DURING the pandemic everything’s gone on‐ line. From virtual meetings and teaching on‐ line to socialising on a screen, many of us have spent a lot of time logged on. But with inter‐ ruptions from pets and children ‐ and even someone catching fire during a virtual meet‐ ing ‐ not everyone’s completely mastered it yet.

As meetings across the UK have been forced onto Zoom, proceedings were bound to get fractious. But one Cheshire parish council meeting went viral after it descended into ab‐ solute chaos as power‐hungry councillors ac‐ cused each other of ‘appalling behaviour’ and acting like ‘laughing hyenas.’ This surely beats all those canny school pupils who have been logging in for their 9am Zoom lessons then switching off their cameras and having a snooze!

Zoom meetings join a long legacy of enter‐ taining digital blunders. Last year, we wit‐ nessed the curse of the over‐zealous toddler in‐ terrupting a Sky News correspondent during a live recording to demand a biscuit. And who can forget his embarrassment when Robert

FEATURE

ZOOMING OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC

ZOOM MEETINGS: Have become a way of life for many people.

Kelly’s small daughter interrupted his earnest BBC interview about South Korea in 2017?

But if that wasn’t enough, last year Zoom ‘jazzed’ itself up by adding a wacky filter mode.

Now you can add a cartoon overlay that effort‐

lessly transforms you into a rabbit, pirate, pig, Frenchman, chef...

Or a cat. By now the whole world must have seen the video of the Texas lawyer entering in‐ to a virtual legal hearing only to realise that a

filter had turned his entire face into a wide‐ eyed kitten. “I’m not a cat!” he pleaded with poker‐faced colleagues as his huge kitten eyes darted around, stricken with feline panic.

So your Zoom filter, like your Zoom back‐ ground, can now instantly reflect your entire personality. Apart from the animal filter, there’s the black‐and‐white and the default zoom filters.

But if you can’t be bothered with all that but still want to ‘glow’ on‐screen, all is not lost.

Switch on your Zoom beauty setting (bottom left hand corner of your screen), pinch your cheeks, and sit well back.

Job done. Here to help as always!

Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.no ra‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

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

You couldn’t do it for one day!

MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man THE Prince of Wales and Camilla released a video, via the Clarence House Twitter account, in which Prince Charles set some outdoor challenges for kids that involve planting seeds and decorating pebbles.

“This week marks February half-term for many in the U K , so why not take some time to explore your local area to see what is happening in the world around you with The Prince of Wales’s Nature Challenge,” read the tweet.

He gave his advice from the gardens of some castle he lives in where he’s never had to pay a bill in his life or even have to carry money. Just imagine little Johnny living in his 27th floor, two bedroom flat with his three brothers and a single mum who is tearing her hair out ‘cos she’s lost her job as the local coffee shop she worked in has closed down.

Now home schooling her kids with the one laptop they own and dodgy broadband and Johnny is saying, ‘Mum let’s go out and do some pebble decorating and name some birds.’ Here’s the Mr Grumpy

rules for the geniuses that keep turning up on TV to give advice or explain what people have to do to survive. Before you give us advice you have to be able to answer this three-part question without googling answers. How much is a loaf of bread, a litre of milk and a dozen eggs? If you can’t answer that question you are not qualified to advise me so piss off!

In the video, Charles said he was “frustrated” by not being able to go outside as much as usual during what’s been “a hard year for everyone.” Not for you Charlie boy, just a slight inconvenience at the most. This applies to all MPs and every TV expert, all on full pay, sitting in their Zoom meeting, all competing for the best bookshelf background. You can all jog on and try living how the people you are advising do. You couldn’t do it for one day.

I suggest that Prince Charles and all the others find a way of getting every kid that needs one, a laptop and an internet service that works properly, just for starters. Disgusting that a year on and many are still without these basics needed for online education ‘cos the pathetic government can’t find a way to keep schools open!

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

39

www.euroweeklynews.com • 25 February - 3 March 2021

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YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) You are in a romantic mood but something is missing from the picture. It is not that you are feeling the need of having more than one string to your bow, it is more that you are tired of using the same old arrows. So, what is out there to fire your imagination?

Something really new will not miss the mark with you.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) This is a brilliant week for money and business. Mars is influencing you to be more upfront and practical in your approach. You may feel changes coming on that you would rather deny. Burying your head in the sand is not an option. Take the bull by the horns and you could be surprised at your success.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) You will see the lighter side of life this week when you discover that someone is holding a torch for you. You are flattered and vaguely interested. Your combination of intelligence and humour make you a delightful companion. Venus smiles on all your close relationships and you seem to be able to do no wrong. .

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) There is much to be tackled this week, but you are wary of making full-on decisions.

Taking things one step at a time is the best policy because it gives you space to consider the options. There is a restlessness about you that is hard to pinpoint. Perhaps you are feeling positive but have to hold fire because of others. This is frustrating, but try to relax.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Energy levels go up and down and you seek to ration yours by not going all-out physically.

It is still possible to be quite dynamic while planning.

Indeed, your clear vision impresses a colleague. If you are due for promotion then some good news is likely.

Blow your own trumpet rather than wait for others to do it for you.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) The changes affecting you for the past few weeks continue but you are now getting better at managing their direction.

Someone wanting you to take

a logical action should not be allowed to push you forward.

When to act will be clear to you.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone who has been unhelpful in the past suddenly steps forward. Could you have been wrong about them?

Probably not. Keep a clear mind when with them. Saturn influences you to be more organised before a bout of indecision strikes.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The influence of Venus and Jupiter brings you the influence and status that you deserve. It’s not that you haven’t worked towards it but now you start to see the benefits. There is an urge to improve your appearance and surroundings to fit in with the ‘new you.’

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) During the past few weeks you may have gained a different perspective on life.

Your need for a close attachment and harmony in your life should not be underestimated or denied in the name of practicality.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) To be truly happy you need to build on your partnerships.

Keep these in balance and everything else will fall into place. Life has taught you some rather harsh lessons recently. The upshot of that is you now feel more in control and more secure.

SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21) There is an all-consuming need to see some reward for all your efforts. There will be those who will tell you that you need to push harder for success. Perhaps you need to be with more like-minded people. Certainly being with the wrong colleagues can bring your spirits down.

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

ALLURE APIECE BATEAU BONNET CARROT COLEUS CURFEW DEAFEN EMPLOY ESCORT FEALTY FIXATE FOLLOW (10) HOBBLE INHERE LATTER SOLEMN TEETER TROUPE

LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY Sat 20 February

3-16-18 24-36-56

BONUS BALL

10

IRISH LOTTO Sat 20 February

16-27-34 35-37-45

BONUS BALL

28

EURO MILLIONS Tue 16 February

BONUS BALL

6

05-09-25 29-30

7

Fri 19 February

BONUS BALL

04-12-25 46-48

7 12

EL MILLON: KTN12745

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) When needed you are sure to be positive this week. On a project, ‘striking while the iron is hot’ springs to mind. There is much fun to hand but it must be ‘work first’ at the moment. Some opportunities do not come twice and you need to be aware of them when they present themselves. Spend some quality time with your loved ones.

TIME OUT

LA PRIMITIVA Thurs 18 February

BONUS BALL

01-03-09 29-36-41

37 3

JOKER: 0202869 Sat 20 February

BONUS BALL

02-05-07 38-43-44

37

JOKER: 0624146

1

TIME OUT

40

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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, 3 represents J and 24 represents T, so fill in J every time the figure 3 appears and T every time the figure 24 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 Many (6) 3 Voces (6) 8 Tie (neckwear) (7) 10 Baile (pieza, arte) (5) 11 To bring (5) 12 Más sucio (7) 13 Never (5) 15 Season ticket (5) 20 Ya (7) 22 Codo (5) 24 Mitos (5) 25 Desconocido (7) 26 Cazador (6) 27 Coñac (6)

Down 1 Flowerpot (6) 2 Burden (5) 4 Más viejo (5) 5 Song (7) 6 Father-in-law (6) 7 Fall (physical action) (5) 9 Sour (f) (5) 14 Squeeze (hug) (7) 16 Recreo (escolar) (5) 17 Calor (afecto) (6) 18 Jarabe (líquido) (5) 19 Veinte (6) 21 Nave (de iglesia) (5) 23 Marrón (5)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION • LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION QUICK Across: 1 Students, 8 Again, 9 Chain, 10/15 Ball gown, 11 Latest, 13 Repeat, 18 Erase, 19 Ideal, 20 Starting.

Down: 2 Trail, 3 Deny, 4 Nectar, 5 Share, 6 Constantly, 7 Hamburgers, 12 Camera, 14 Peaks, 16 Ocean, 17 Gift.

CRYPTIC

Across: 1 Limp, 3 Passport, 9 Mustang, 10 After, 11 Paste, 12 Endear, 14 Shrank, 16 Cuckoo, 19 Patron, 21 Wants, 24 Acton, 25 Allowed, 26 Stressed, 27 Tsar.

Down: 1 Lamppost, 2 Moses, 4 Angles, 5 Sward, 6 Outback, 7 Tern, 8 Tavern, 13 Consider, 15 Realtor, 17 Unwell, 18 Inmate, 20 Ranks, 22 Newts, 23 Pays.

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Solapa, 4 Cows, 8 Rubio, 9 Acuerdo, 10 Promise, 11 Thick, 12 Desempleado, 17 Espía, 19 Look for, 21 Bañista, 22 Ancho, 23 Ella, 24 Horses.

Down: 1 Stripe, 2 Labio, 3 Profile, 4 Court, 5 Worried, 6 Caterpillar, 7 Rocky, 13 Español, 14 Enojado, 15 Herbs, 16 Brooms, 18 Ansia, 20 Faces.

CODE BREAKER

BOGGLED

FUTOSHIKI

uteri uric duet drip drips tier tree true trick trip trips trig tapir taps tire tick tics tips rete retie rite rick rips rigs kiss atrip cruet crud cite citer cigs writ write wood hate hater hair hairdo haps hire hick hips pate pater pair pita picture pick pics pigs phat gird gips scree scrip scrips shire shirt shirk ship spat spate spit spite spire spirt spick

NONAGRAM agar aged agin bang berg bing brag brig dang ding drag dreg egad gain garb gean gear gibe gird girn grab grad gran grid grin raga rage rang ring adage again anger badge barge began begin being binge bring deign dirge garda gibed giber grade grain grand grind raged range reign ridge agenda baaing badger banged banger barged baring binged bridge danger daring earing engird gained gainer gander garbed garden girned graben grande ranged reding regain ringed abridge bandage barding bargain beading bearing brigade brigand grained reading abrading badinage bearding breading drainage gardenia BARGAINED GABARDINE

HEXAGRAM

WORD LADDER

1 INGEST 2 HITHER 3 TROUPE 4 CAREER 5 SPLASH 6 TROPHY 7 STANCE 8 ALLURE 9 TANNER 10 TALCUM 11 TREBLE 12 DYNAMO 13 SCALAR 14 BEYOND 15 ODIOUS 16 TABLET 17 SODIUM 18 MORTAR 19 MARAUD

LOCK LACK LARK PARK PART CART

KAKURO

SUDOKU

www.euroweeklynews.com • 25 February - 3 March 2021

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

Costa Blanca TODAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA

WEATHER

BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

TOMORROW

DENIA JAVEA CALPE

Malaga TODAY: MAX 20 MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11

Alicante TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11

Almeria TODAY: MAX 21,MIN 10 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 18 10 Sun 18 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 Fri 19 9 Sat 19 10 Sun 19 11 Mon 17 11 Tues - 18 10 Wed 18 11

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

Madrid TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 9 Fri 17 8 Sat 16 7 Sun 17 7 Mon 17 8 Tues 17 9 Wed 17 10

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 17, MIN 9 Fri 16 8 Sat 16 7 Sun 15 7 Mon 15 8 Tues 16 9 Wed 16 10

41

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.

ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

SATURDAY

DENIA JAVEA CALPE ALTEA BENIDORM ALICANTE

ORIHUELA TORREVIEJA

S: Sun

C: Cloudy

Th: Thunder

Cl: Clear

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

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

TARGET:

SCORING:

Average: 20 Good: 28 Very good: 40 Excellent: 51

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 Late returning from feud revolutionaries caused (7) 5 Refuse to fight (5) 8 Sixth in examination of little importance (7) 9 First Lady in France creating excitement (5) 10 Reportedly located and named (5) 11 Opens Sunday People first and reads (7) 12 Examiner from Australian states territory (6) 14 Assume running wild makes one smile (6) 17 The state of a man not getting upset (7) 19 Conservative requests sizeable wine vessels (5) 22 English horse little Edward urged on (5) 23 Tale Eve spins to bring cheer (7) 24 Some useless information for a tennis champion (5) 25 Ship's cooking pot (7) Down 1 Revised topic relating to the eye (5) 2 Decree cited in error (5) 3 Dead breeze, the French taper off (7) 4 Silent characters sign up (6) 5 Fears about becoming more secure (5) 6 About the meat, son discloses (7) 7 Sherpas translated groups of words (7) 12 Moderates fits of anger (7) 13 Eagles drifting round North African country (7) 15 Cheat me out of a knife (7) 16 Rotter set out with trainee soldiers (6) 18 They assist in the formulation of ideas (5) 20 Crowd on move in Foyle's War maybe (5) 21 Lead the way for the ranch animal (5)

TIME OUT

42

www.euroweeklynews.com • 25 February - 3 March 2021

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

SUDOKU

QUICK

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9.

There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Across 1 Deliver a quick blow to (5) 4 Permit (5) 7 Recalls (9) 8 Provide evidence for (in law) (4) 9 Place of worship (6) 12 Attach firmly (6) 13 Automobiles (4) 16 Kin (9) 18 Tall, narrow building (5) 19 Conceals (5)

Down 1 Chooses (5) 2 Easily agitated (7) 3 Religious song (4) 4 Military forces (6) 5/17 Keep out of sight (3,3) 6 Squander (5) 10 Expressed approval of (7) 11 Preferable (6) 12 Foremost (5) 14 Closes (5) 15 Nocturnal flying insect (4) 17 See 5

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

LOST

QUIZ BACK BATH

NOTTINGHAM 1. Built by Sir George Coppin in 1605, which royal residence in London was formerly known as Nottingham House?

2. Kevin Keegan was a member of which German football team that lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the 1980 European Cup final?

3. The county of Nottinghamshire borders South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south and which county to the west?

4. What is the name of the home ground of Notts County FC, who have played there since 1910?

5. What is the nickname of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club's limited overs team?

6. Which actor played the part of the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves?

7. Which actor, born in Nottingham in 1949, is best known for her role as chalet maid/Yellowcoat Peggy Ollerenshaw the 1980s sitcom Hide-Hi? 8. Which English novelist, poet and short-story writer, born in Nottingham in 1928, is best known for his debut novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and his early short story The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, both of which were adapted into films?

9. Which river, the third-longest in the UK, flows through Nottingham?

10. Which UK beauty retailer and pharmacy chain was established in Nottingham in 1849?

NONAGRAM

RACHEL AND FRIENDS

Not a lot of people know that… every single Bramley apple is descended from the same tree in a Nottinghamshire garden. Bramley apples are so popular in Japan that in 2012 a group of Japanese tourists flew to the UK

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: 11 Good: 16 Very good: 23 Excellent: 29

Answers 1. KENSINGTON PALACE, 2. HAMBURG (full name HAMBURGER SV), 3.

DERBYSHIRE, 4. MEADOW LANE STADIUM, 5. NOTTS OUTLAWS, 6. ALAN RICKMAN, 7. SU POLLARD, 8. ALAN SILLITOE, 9. RIVER TRENT, 10. BOOTS UK LIMITED (formerly BOOTS THE CHEMISTS), trading as BOOTS

44 EWN

25 February - 3 March 2021

Still tired?

STILL waking up feeling tired and groggy despite going to bed early?

Well it could be that you woke up during your sleep cycle.

Scientists say an average adult has sleep in 90‐minute cycles meaning there are five or six a night and if you wake up during this cycle it can leave you feeling tired and lethargic, so to try and optimise your sleep it is important to work out the best time to nod off and a ‘sleep calculator’ predicts just that.

Blind retailer Web Blinds created the ‘sleep calculator’ based on it taking an average of 14 minutes to fall asleep, which aims to help peo‐ ple know when the best time to go to sleep is for when they have to get up, ensuring they wake up re‐ freshed.

For example, if you need to wake up at 7am, the sleep calcula‐ tor believes that you should try and sleep at the beginning of a sleep cy‐ cle at either 9.46pm, 11.16pm, 12.46am or 2.16am.

SLEEP CYCLE: Ensures you wake up refreshed.

www.euroweeklynews.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Don’t you think we would, if we could MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED “TAKE care of yourself so you can get healthy.”

I know this is said with love, but it can be damn frustrating. Don’t you think if we could somehow stop having symptoms, we would? Society wants us to exercise more, eat a balanced diet and stay positive to help stop those depressive and manic symptoms.

However, telling us to sleep eight hours when we are manic or think positively when we are depressed feels impossible. We are doing the best we can in a complicated and exhausting situation.

Ever thought about helping us celebrate what we have achieved?

Sleeping five hours instead of three, getting through one day without crying, healthy eating one meal instead of none or seeing life is worth living after weeks of not wanting to be here.

They might not be what society deems healthy, but it’s our reality.

We spend our time thinking if we trick ourselves into believing that if we force ourselves beyond what we are physically and emotionally capable of, we can be ‘normal.’ This often ends with out-of-control symptoms and can cause more damage, whether it’s exhaustion caused by going out with friends when depressed, or sleeping three hour naps just to escape the million thoughts running through our minds.

To appear healthy, we stubbornly push through the symptoms, is a car crash waiting to happen. We

desperately want to work more than 30 hours a week and not have to take seven pills a day to curb the symptoms, wake up feeling happy everyday, but that’s how it is. We spend most of our time imagining magically waking up and being considered healthy.

What if healthy meant being patient and gentle with ourselves? Crying without feeling weak or experiencing unprovoked irritability without guilt? Accepting we are not always going to be well enough to leave the house when we are anxious or do laundry when we are exhausted, but loving ourselves anyway? Maybe if healthy could be more about patience, acceptance, compassion.

Let me know if you can relate, email me your story on the email below or follow me on Facebook @mswillowbipolar.

Love Ms Bipolar X

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

Going loco for coconut oil LOVED by models Gisele Bund‐ chen and Miranda Kerr, co‐ conut oil is becoming some‐ thing of a beauty must‐have on the dressing tables of fash‐ ionistas around the globe.

This yummy‐smelling oil is being praised by beauty editors for its soothing and moisturis‐ ing properties; and there are lots of ways to use it.

First, the science bit. Co‐ conut oil contains high levels of several beneficial acids; lauric, caprylic and capric acids.

These chemicals have antifun‐ gal, antibacterial and anti‐viral quali‐

ties, making the product a bril‐ liant natural cold‐sore remedy.

These acids also reduce inflam‐ mation, helping those who suf‐ fer from acne.

Taken internally; either eat‐ en straight off the spoon or used in cooking, coconut oil boosts levels of ‘good’ choles‐ terol, helps to fight infection and improves the immune sys‐ tem.

The product, which has a sol‐ id, frosting‐like texture at room temperature, melts with the warmth of your hands and makes an excellent all‐round moisturiser. Its natural antioxi‐ dant levels will

help ward off the effects of pol‐ lution and delay wrinkles on both the face and body.

The oil makes a gentle and effective eye make‐up remover and a great natural lip balm.

Used before going in the sun, it provides natural low levels of SPF, and will nourish your skin at the same time. Used on nails, coconut oil will mois‐ turise your cuticles, and mas‐ saged into the ends of hair will tame frizz and soften split‐ ends.

Better still, the whole family can enjoy this multi‐purpose natural remedy. The oil is bril‐ liant as both a shaving and af‐ ter‐shave cream and when used on beards will soften bris‐ tles. Babies’ bottoms will also benefit as coconut oil helps clear up nappy rash. Gargled in the mouth, a 2015 study found it can decrease plaque levels and reduce gum disease.

Fans also claim it helps to whiten teeth.

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous and want to have a go at some kitchen sink chemistry, why not try mixing equal parts of sugar and co‐ conut oil to make a natural body scrub? If you have a favourite aromatherapy oil, you could also try adding a cou‐ ple of drops to a handful of co‐ conut oil and make a massage lotion, or mixed with pepper‐ mint oil in a small pot you can create your very own lip balm for on the go.

If you’re thinking of trying coconut oil for any of its uses, though, it’s worth bearing in mind there are several differ‐ ent qualities, and organic, vir‐ gin products will give you the best results. Hydrogenated co‐ conut oil is unhealthy to cook with and oily rather than mois‐ turising if used on the skin or hair.

Browse local chemists though and you’ll find most medium‐sized shops should of‐ fer a good quality oil.

COCONUT OIL: A beauty must-have.

EWN 45

Exercise - a load of hot water?

RESEARCH at the National Centre of Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Loughborough in the UK has concluded that soaking in a hot bath achieves similar health benefits to that of exercise, such as a 30‐minute walk or jog.

Dr Steve Faulkner conducted the study in which 14 men cy‐ cled for one hour and then soaked in a 40ºC bath for the same duration; both activities intended to raise participant’s body temperature, allowing the study team to monitor and compare the calories burned between the two tests.

Although cycling was shown to burn more calories, the hot bath burned as many calories as a 30‐minute walk, which is around 140 calories.

Dr Faulkner told UK charity The Conversation that “Many cultures swear by the benefits of a hot bath, but only recently has science began to understand how passive heating (as op‐ posed to getting hot and sweaty from exercise) improves health.”

46 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

Joyful and Soulful Sounds JOYFUL is bringing a new show ‘Belter Souls’ to the Torrevieja Auditorium.

Joyful introduces its new show ‘Belter Souls,’ a production in which the company conveys all the energy and power of their unique voices as it guides the audience through the history of black music.

This fusion, featuring the force of a gospel concert, with a backdrop of spectacular staging, combines fun and dramatic energy - making this new show from Joyful capable of moving and captivating audiences.

Belter Souls is the perfect formula to get spectators to sing, dance, smile and get excited through the energy that emerges from the stage.

The Torrevieja Auditorium welcomes the group on May 1 at 9pm and tickets are on sale for a single price of €20 via www.bacantix.com - just search for Joyful!

The following discounts apply: 100 tickets for Amigos del Auditorio (20 per cent discount) and 50 retired tickets (50 per cent discount). Not cumulative.

SOCIAL SCENE

Punk Rocking Murcia SCOTTISH Punk Band The Ex‐ ploited are ready to rock Murcia.

The Exploited, who emerged from the British punk scene of the late 70s, icons of the UK82 movement that gave rise to street punk, are set to return stronger than ever ‐ offering a show loaded with hits from their 40‐year history ‐ as they get ready to rock the Garaje Beat Club in Murcia on April 21.

The band is made up of ex‐

squaddie Wattie Buchan (vo‐ cals), Big John Duncan (guitar), Dru Stix (drums) and Gary Mc‐ Cormack (bass). Right from the start, the early 1980s, there was no toning these Edinburgh punks down, no diluting their music for public consumption.

The Exploited were punk rock.

Wattie Buchan, in true punk rock style, will not let his recent health problems get in the way of performing at the show and

the audience will be treated to a lively performance from a band who have sold more than 750,000 copies of their eight al‐ bums independently around the world.

Joining them on this tour will be the French act Lion’s Law and Rat‐Zinger from Bilbao.

Tickets are available via www.compralaentrada.com ‐ just search The Exploited ‐ and cost €20.

Trudy Lynn in Alicante TRUDY LYNN and her Blues Band are ready to brighten up Alicante.

Considered the first lady of Houston blues soul and the emotional heir to Etta James and Koko Taylor, Trudy Lynn visits Alicante Principal Theatre on March 12 accompanied by harmonica player Steve Krase.

With 13 solo albums released, five Blues Music Awards nominations and a member of the Houston Music Hall of Fame, Trudy began her career in the mid-1960s singing for Albert Collins and opening for Ike and Tina Turner.

One of her most recent albums ‘I’m Still

Here’ was released in May 2006 and was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2007 in the ‘Best Soul Blues Album’ category. Lynn herself was nominated as ‘Best Soul Blues Artist.’

In 2014, Lynn was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the ‘Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)’ category. Her album, Royal Oaks Blues Cafe, reached number one in the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart in September 2014.

The show starts at 8.30pm. Tickets cost between €15 and €30 and can be purchased via www.entradas.instanticket.es by searching Judy Lynn.

25 February - 3 March 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com

SPONSORED BY

Even Covid puppies need a hug or two IF you are one of the many households that took in a new puppy during the Covid pan‐ demic, then your young pet will need special care and attention when you go on holiday.

Even if you are planning a short trip, plan ahead.

Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sitters, if you have trips planned later this year. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philosophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSit Match.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for your next holiday Covid permitting.

Do you need a pet sitter in 2021? Then get started right now.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee.

You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holi‐

Look for a pet-sitter well before you leave on holiday. day. House‐sitters see your advert, they re‐ spond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter…

HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention

that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person.

Ros Morris – Dog owner How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com ‐ Choose a membership plan ‐ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on sub‐ scription to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89

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

Chiari Syndrome SCRATCHING the neck or rub‐ bing his face incessantly without apparent reason can be a sign of a major neurological disease Chiari Syndrome is a malfor‐ mation of the hindbrain, or brainstem associated with myelomeningocele, and can cause hydrocephalus and sy‐ ringomyelia.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are the most affected breed.

There are actually several breeds such as Brussels Griffon, York‐ shire Terrier, Chihuahua, Mal‐ tese and Staffordshire Bull Terri‐ er.

A change in their mental ac‐

In Costablanca Sur: Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante www.resonanciaveterinaria.es

tivity, extreme sensitivity to touch in the neck, chest, shoul‐ ders, head, and back and simple anticipation of pain upon being handled. They may begin to cry out when jumping or running, when defecating.

Now that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is readily available,

Advertising Feature the deformity associated with Chiari Malformation may be demonstrated. MRI may help to predict the expected severity of clinical signs. Radiographs are generally not very useful for di‐ agnosing the Chiari Malforma‐ tion. For more information scan the QR.

47

PETS

Our chatty feathered friends PERHAPS not the best choice for anyone with a feline prowling the house, a bird can be a fantastic, life‐long companion.

With their cheerful and inquisitive natures, many people don’t realise how much a bird can add to the home. They are incredibly social animals, often compared to human toddlers in terms of their big personalities.

The most popular feathered pet is the common parakeet, or budgie, and it makes a wonderful companion for anyone new to keeping birds. They are gentle, docile, and quieter than oth‐ er parrots, but can learn to mimic speech.

The budgie is also budget friendly, their diets extending to fresh fruits and vegetables. Their smaller size also makes them a little easier to clean up after than their larger cousins.

For those that don’t mind a noisier home environment, a cu‐ rious Cockatiel is ideal.

Caring for a bird is a life‐long respon‐ sibility, with average life expectancies span‐ ning from 10 to 20 years.

BUDGIES: Gentile and docile.

48 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

AIR CONDITIONING

APPLIANCES REPAIRS

AIR CONDITIONING

BUILDERS

GATES

BALUSTRADES

BLINDS

BOILERS

SERVICES

ELECTRICAL

DRAINS

ALARMS

WINDOW TINTING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICES

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

PLUMBERS

POOL MAINTENANCE

EWN 49

PAINTERS/DECORATORS

GRILLS

CB PROPERTY CARE

Painters & Decorators

Established in Spain since 2004

MOTORING

LOCKSMITHS

Fully Legal & Insured • Interior & Exterior • Balustrades & Grills • Best Quality materials used • Price Quoted is price paid • Honest & Reliable

Tel. : 965 709 846 608 686 283 Lawrence 691 919 306 Chris costablancapainting@gmail.com

50 EWN

25 February - 3 March 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

SERVICES

REMOVALS & STORAGE

POOLS

WANTED

SERVICES

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

ENERGY

TV & SATELLITE

PLUMBERS

EWN 51

CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS

BUILDING SERVICES J & J PAINTERS. Inside - outside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (287797)

BUY & SELL P R I V A T E collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

CARE HOME

CHARITY A L C O H O L I C S ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 6 4 8 1 6 9 0 4 5 or Costa B lanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 6 7 9 3 8 5 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer.

Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail.c om (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462)

CARS WANTED

CHARITY

52

C H U R C H SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight. com.(10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various lodges meeting up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact Harry Palmer Membership Committee. Tel: 966 712 326 or email: 2palmers.quesa da@gmail.com (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 ( Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 ( Tel 965 704 282).

We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook.

You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com.

We also have a 24hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Sevices at 10am and 11:30am. All nationalities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273.

For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icator revieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information see our website w w w. l a s i e s t a e va n g e l i calchurch.org (10005) P H I L I P SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information.

(95459) www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH 1359. The association supports the welfare needs of ex-members of the RAF and their dependents. Due to ongoing covid-19 restrictions we cannot hold General Meetings at the moment.

In normal times we provide a social hub for members and hold lunches every month. To fund Welfare we raise money through the Wings Appeal. To find out more contact Chairman Tony at tony.elaine.cuenta@gm ail.com. For Welfare contact Andy on 0034 711 00 86 84. For general information on RAFA visit www.rafa.org.uk. .(238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION - Why not make this year the year you volunteer?

See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.co m. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control.

It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a 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, http://branches.britishle gion.org.uk/branches/ori huela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.u k. (95457)

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.secretary@rbl .community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664.(10004) ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996.

(95455) STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email strokesupport group@hotmail.com, website: torreviejastrokesup port.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188.

(95461)

THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate future due to Covid-19.

Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)

CHIMNEY SWEEP PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP Sooty & Son, Family Business established over 60 years. 660 478 881 (290229)

DAMP PROOFING RISING DAMP / ROOFING REPAIRS www.elec tro-os.com info@electroos.com 619 666 363 (287819)

ELECTRICIAN M R F I X I T . For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (285091)

FOR SALE/WANTED W A N T E D Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

GARDENING SERVICES DAVID THE TREE GUY Cutting, trimming & removal of trees. Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm areas.

722 652 173 (289581)

GENERAL SERVICES HANDYMAN available, Painting, Gardening, small removals, shopping/collections. Santa Pola, Gran Alacant, El Altet & La Marina areas. No job too small. Affordable & reliable. Tel 711 073 074 (291407)

THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information.

(253807)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

CLASSIFIEDS GOLD WANTED

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

MOBILITY

HOME IMPROVEMENTS BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434.

(288012)

FOR SALE: TGA Vita Lite Mobility Scooter colour dark blue front basket included. 119cm x 62cm, good condition. Quick Sale €550, Contact: 606 406 159 (291464)

MOTORING

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QUALITY LHD & RHD Vehicles bought & sold.

All paperwork undertaken quickly & professionally.

Immediate payment for all purchases. Mobile / WhatsApp +34 600 726 221 Office +34 965 687 946 www.fwreurocars. com info@fwreurocars. com (291355)

FOR SALE W E ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

MUSIC TUITION P I A N O , Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher.

Please call 606 984 535 (288015)

PERGOLAS TAILOR MADE, durable canvas, sails, umbrella, spa and CAR COVERS. Mazarron based, and serving the Costa Blanca too. Mail Order and Ordering online 667 879 399 krugercanopies@yahoo. co.uk (288651)

25 February - 3 March 2021 S P A M A GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting re-homing.

Phone Gail 962 896 118.

Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at w w w . s p a m a - s a f o r. blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

PET CHARITY PLUMBERS EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorsecare.net www.easyhorsecare.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706) GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community.

Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, dewormed, de-flead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709) P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepas pain.com (95708)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

SITUATIONS VACANT

M R F I X I T . For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (285091)

POOL MAINTENANCE POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (283443)

EWN 53

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54 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 February - 3 March 2021

All-New Nissan Qashqai THE all‐new Nissan Qashqai mix‐ es striking attraction with ele‐ gant design.

With more than three mil‐ lion units of Qashqai sold since Nissan invented the car in 2007, the car company recent‐ ly unveiled the all‐new, third‐

generation Qashqai.

For this new iteration, Nissan has retained the guiding princi‐ ples that have driven the con‐ cept, design and development of the two previous generations of Qashqai: elegant design, en‐ hanced packaging and efficient

powertrain, combined with ele‐ vated quality and a driving expe‐ rience from a higher segment.

On the exterior, the Qashqai’s enhanced body stance is more purposeful, with prominent shoulder lines, an extended wheelbase and imposing 20‐ inch alloy wheels introduced to Qashqai for the first time.

The front end of the all‐new Qashqai sports is an enlarged Nissan V‐Motion grille, finished in chrome with a secondary pin‐ stripe of satin chrome to em‐ phasise its precision. This is flanked by slim, full LED ad‐ vanced matrix headlamps with boomerang signature daylight running lights.

From the side, the new Qashqai appears more athletic and dynamic, with a single ‘fast line’ that strikes through the car from the front to the rear, giving a very horizontal presence to the car, but also conveying a sense of dynamism.

The new Qashqai will be available in 11 body colours with five two‐tone combinations, cre‐ ating 16 variations to choose from.

FEATURE

Electric Lifestyle THE Hyundai IONIQ 5 has redefined Electric Mobili‐ ty Lifestyle.

Hyundai Motor Company launched the IONIQ 5 midsize CUV during a virtual world premiere event on Tuesday, February 23.

As the first model in Hyundai’s new IONIQ brand dedicated to battery electric vehicles (BEV), IONIQ 5 sets the benchmark to redefine the electric mobility lifestyle with sustainable and innovative features.

IONIQ 5 is built upon Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated BEV architecture called Electric‐Global Modular Platform (E‐GMP), enabling it to have unique proportions on an elongated wheelbase.

With E‐GMP, IONIQ 5 offers innovative interior de‐ sign with eco‐friendly materials in many touch‐ points, strong performance mated with ultra‐fast charging and a Vehicle‐to‐Load (V2L) function as well as advanced connec‐ tivity and driver assistance features that will offer the ulti‐ mate in‐car experience while ensuring safety.

IONIQ 5’s progressive design represents a depar‐ ture from past norms, ex‐ ploring a new design free‐ dom offered by a dedicated BEV platform. By evoking the daring attitude of Hyundai Pony, the com‐ pany’s first production car IONIQ 5 highlights

Hyundai’s 45‐year journey to become a part of cus‐ tomer’s lifestyles, creating a common thread from past to present and future.

The front of the car is equipped with Hyundai’s first clamshell hood that minimises panel gaps for optimal aerodynamics with the front and rear forms of the vehicle merging together at its doors, offering another example of Hyundai’s ‘Parametric Dynam‐ ics’ design first seen on the all‐new Tucson.

The strong C‐pillar shape, inspired by Hyundai’s ‘45’ EV concept, gives IONIQ 5 a commanding pres‐ ence clearly identifiable from a distance.

Customers can choose from nine exterior colours, including five nature‐inspired hues exclusive to ION‐ IQ 5. The interior has three colour options.

IONIQ 5: Has been launched worldwide.

MOTORING

www.euroweeklynews.com

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack ALTHOUGH to most of us €34k (£30k) seems a lot of money for a car, it’s no longer the pre‐ serve of prestige models, there are more than a few top‐end ‘ordinary’ models that tip the financial scales at €34k (£30k).

A case in point is Toyota’s RAV4. Their longstanding SUV (or Recreational Activity Vehi‐ cle) has been a feature of the price lists since 1994. Its pre‐ sent incarnation is a world away from that first model, as you would expect given it’s over 25 years since the original was launched.

Five trim levels with the op‐ tion of all‐wheel‐drive on four

RAV4: A smooth, refined drive.

25 February - 3 March 2021

EWN 55

RAV4 has a premium feel to it of them and a single petrol 2.5‐ litre, four‐cylinder engine.

Prices start from €35,534 (£31,090) with a good level of standard equipment including auto lights, wipers and mirrors which are powered, heated and auto folding. There’s cruise control, reversing camera, re‐ clining rear seats and Apple Car Play/Android Auto along with DAB and Bluetooth.

All the RAV4s are a mix of that 2.5 litre, four‐cylinder petrol engine with electric as‐ sistance, both plug‐in and non‐ plug‐in. In standard hybrid form ie non‐plug‐in you can

choose between all electric or hybrid and the reassurance of knowing that there’s a petrol engine to take away any range anxiety. In non‐plug‐in hybrid form you won’t go very far on pure electric, so it is probably better to leave the car to de‐ cide.

My test model was the mid‐ range Excel in two‐wheel‐drive form, non‐plug‐in hybrid and priced at €40,431 (£35,375).

It’s noticeable from the mo‐ ment you slide behind the wheel there’s a quality feel with tactile materials and a re‐ finement that could easily see the RAV4 carry a much more premium badge.

Standard fare includes all the aforementioned items as well as heated leather seats and steering wheel, front and rear parking sen‐ sors, satel‐ lite naviga‐ tion and adaptive cruise

control in a very decent equip‐ ment list.

On the road there’s a decent amount of power and the CVT works well with little of the racing engine revs you some‐ times get with this kind of au‐

tomatic box, unless you floor the throttle of course when it becomes all too obvious.

The ride quality over the worst surfaces is a little fidgety but the larger wheels on the Excel don’t help, but it’s some‐

thing that certainly won’t con‐ cern most people.

It’s a smooth and refined drive with a superb driving po‐ sition, excellent fuel economy and plenty of space for passen‐ gers and luggage.

SPORT

56

25 February - 3 March 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

Premier League Results And Round-up For Sunday, February 21 THE Premiership’s surprise package of the season, West Ham United, moved up into the fourth Champion’s League spot with a fine 2‐ 1 derby day win over Tottenham at the Lon‐ don Stadium, thanks to goals from Michail Antonio after only five minutes, and Jesse Lingard once again on target for his new club on 47 minutes.

Lucas Moura managed to head a goal to reduce the deficit for Jose Mourinho’s men after 64 minutes, but the Hammers survived a late onslaught to climb up into that all‐im‐ portant fourth spot.

In the match at Villa Park, it was the visi‐ tors Leicester City who nicked the three points with a 1‐2 victory over Aston Villa, to go up to third, four points clear of West Ham. Goals from the usual sources of James Maddison on 19 minutes, and Harvey Barnes after 23 minutes, secured the points, with Bertrand Traore volleying home a loose ball after 48 minutes, but Leicester totally con‐ trolled the game, with Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers saying his squad has a “greater calmness” this season.

Over at the Emirates, leaders Manchester City stay 10 points clear after a 0‐1 win over Arsenal, extending their record‐breaking un‐ beaten run to 18 matches, with Raheem Ster‐

England Women Win

ST GEORGE’S PARK: Ellen White scored a hat-trick.

PREMIER LEAGUE: West Ham surprised. ling scoring the only goal of the game with a rare header after only three minutes, as Ar‐ senal stay in 10th position.

Manchester United were comfortable 3‐1 winners at Old Trafford against Newcastle, with Marcus Rashford opening the scoring af‐ ter 30 minutes, only for Allan Saint‐Maximin to score a deserved equaliser.

The match turned on 57 minutes when Daniel James re‐established the lead for United before Rashford then earned a penal‐ ty as he drew a foul from Joe Willock, with Bruno Fernandes stepping up to notch his 22nd goal of the season, leaving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men 10 points adrift of neigh‐ bours City.

ENGLAND marked interim boss Hege Riise’s first game in charge with an emphatic 6‐0 win against Northern Ireland on Tuesday, February 23.

Riise, who took over from David Beckham’s new Inter Mia‐ mi manager Phil Neville, will be encouraged by the team who showed no sign of rust despite not playing together for 11 months.

Playing on the Sir Bobby Charl‐ ton pitch at St George’s Park,

Ellen White helped herself to a wonderful hat‐trick in a game that marked Jill Scott’s 150th cap for her country.

Goals from Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly and Ella Toone se‐ cured a significant victory over their home nation’s opponents.

Riise will lead the England team until Sarina Wiegman ar‐ rives after the Olympics. Wieg‐ man, named FIFA women’s coach of the year in December for her work with the Netherlands, was

appointed last August to lead England at the EURO and through the qualification pro‐ gramme for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. England Women next face Canada on April 13 in a friendly at a venue to be decided.

Qualifying for the 2023 Wom‐ en’s World Cup, to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand, should also commence this year.

However, there is still no offi‐ cial date for the draw.