Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 4 - 10 March 2021 Issue 1861

News

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1861

4 - 10 March 2021

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 26 - 29 FREE • GRATIS

IT’S LOOKING GOOD!

SPAIN’S Tourism minister Reyes Maroto announced that bookings for the government-subsidised holidays for pensioners should begin in September.

“Older persons were the first to be vaccinated and we are confident that the programme can recommence,” Maroto said dur-

RECENT MEETING: Hosbec president Toni Mayor and secretary general Nuria Montes with Generalitat president.

ing a recent visit to Castellon.

The Valencian Community is always a favourite destination for Spain’s holidaying pensioners, the minister pointed out: “Without a doubt, this programme will help to reactivate tourism.”

The Imserso holidays barely cover hotels’ outgo-

ings, but they help to keep the low-season industry ticking over and bring cash to quiet winter resorts.

C osta B lanca hoteliers’ association Hosbec welcomed Maroto’s news and urged the central government to start preparing now so that all is ready for the autumn.

Turn to page 2 »

2 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

NEWS

Singer kickstarts her career Winter visitors set to return during the pandemic from Front page »

ANNA AKOPYAN is a young musician who has lived on the Costa Blanca for seven years.

“Although I have made music my whole life, I only

started releasing songs in 2020, once I finished my studies at Laude Lady Elizabeth school in Benitachell,” she told the Euro Weekly News.

Her music career was born during a global pandemic, Anna explained.

“Before harsh local limitations, I was performing at my parents’ restaurant, La Granada in Calpe but my last show was stopped due to Covid-19 restrictions.”

This did not prevent Anna from performing and she switched to giving concerts with live streams on the internet, connecting with her worldwide audience.

Most of her listeners are in the US which is where her label, Estabrook road Records is based.

She released her debut album ‘Change Your Body’ this year, writing and performing all the songs, a fusion of alternative, pop and blues.

“I’m really looking forward to performing locally once the Covid restrictions are lifted and reaching a wider audience here in Spain with ‘Change Your Body’,” Anna said.

Speaking to Europa Press, Hosbec secretary general Nuria Montes revealed that in the past, 180,000 of an annual 900,000 Imserso packages have been allocated to the Valencian Community, with 160,000 going to Benidorm alone.

Hosbec now wants to see this winter’s offer increased to 1.5 million, with a corresponding increase for Benidorm’s quota.

“We believe there is sufficient demand,” Montes said.

AUTUMN DATE: Pensioners due to return to the Costa Blanca on government-subsidised holidays.

Fiestas on hold

VALENCIA’S regional government ruled out celebrating upcoming fiestas.

On the same day that Generalitat president Ximo Puig revealed his de-escalation plans for the Valencian Community, the central government confirmed that fiestas including the much-anticipated Fallas, would not be celebrated this year.

“We have to avoid creating a festive atmosphere because currently we are not in a position to have any kind of gatherings,” Puig said, following an interdepartmental meeting.

Ana Barcelo, who heads the regional government’s Health department, revealed plans to meet mayors from the Valencian Community’s three provinces to ensure a common approach to the approaching fiestas.

“The public administrations need to maintain coordination to avoid situations that are incom-

FALLAS DELAYED: The Valencian Community’s principal fiestas will have to wait. patible with the moment in which we are living and the current restrictions,” Barcelo said.

“We are not in a position to celebrate fiestas,” Puig said.

“What happens in the future will depend on the progress of the pandemic,” he continued.

“Until mass vaccination occurs and we are immunised, it is very difficult to plan fiestas, especially large-scale ones. We have to wait and be very careful when setting a schedule,” the regional president said.

Preliminaries to Calpe’s N-332 footbridge WORK has started on constructing Calpe’s new D7 road.

Beginning in Avenida Diputacion and finishing in the Benicola‐ da neighbourhood, this road must be finished before a proposed footbridge can be built over the N‐332 main road.

The existing road will disappear once work begins and a re‐ placement is needed to provide access for Bencolada residents using Avenida Diputacion.

It will also be an improvement on the present D7 as it will have pavements, pedestrian crossings and LED streetlighting, the town hall said.

The footbridge will provide a safe link for pedestrians between the residential area and Line 9 railway station located on the oth‐ er side of the N‐322 with Calpe’s town centre.

Although more traffic uses the AP‐7 motorway now that tolls have been lifted, the N‐332 is still one of the busiest and most dangerous main roads in Spain and a succession of local govern‐ ments have requested a footbridge for decades.

Freemasons donate to HELP

THE Arenal Deportiva Lodge donated €250 to HELP of De‐ nia and Moraira to help many needy families suffer‐ ing difficulties.

These are mostly caused by the Covid pandemic and are particularly pressing for those unable to work at pre‐ sent.

Candida Wright, president of the Denia and Moraira HELP organisation, thanked the Lodge for their donation which was used to assist 104 people, including 14 babies, belonging to 35 local families.

The cash was used to buy items that included nappies and baby formula as well as fresh meat, frozen fish, fresh vegetables and other essen‐ tial supplies.

Visitor-friendly lookout spot THE area adjoining Benidorm’s Cross at the top of the Sierra Helada has been made ready for future tourists.

The La Cruz lookout, 217 me‐ tres above sea level, is one of Benidorm’s iconic and most‐visit‐ ed spots, Benidorm mayor Toni Perez pointed out.

“Over the past few months we have worked to make it more ac‐ cessible, in keeping with a town that is friendly, comfortable and visitor‐friendly.”

As well as repainting road mark‐ ings and adding streetlighting, the town hall’s Public Spaces depart‐ ment has installed three stone benches and seating in the picnic area in addition to the bench with the BenidormTeEspera (Benidorm Awaits You) logo.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

NIBS EXTRA Equality call LA NUCIA Town Hall joined the #Juntes8MDonesMarinaBaixa collective’s International Women’s Day initiative. With largescale gatherings still barred owing to the pandemic, public and private participants in the campaign are displaying placards with different themes drawing attention to the need for genuine equality and an end to discrimination.

No crime REGIONAL Health chief Ana Barcelo said that politicians, union members and even a bishop who jumped the queue and received the anti-Covid vaccine out of turn will not be prosecuted. Although they were shameful, she said, this was not exactly highway robbery and they had committed no crime.

Canine guides FIFTEEN young people aged between 12 and 16 are participating in Alfaz Town Hall’s Edukadogs dog-assisted therapy programme directed at pupils with learning, personal, social or family issues. The pupils who completed last year’s course are now mentoring companions as they begin their own training as canine guides.

Side-lined REGIONAL rail operator FGV will construct two €1.462 million underground sidings at the Luceros and Mercado TRAM stations in Alicante City. As there are only two tracks in use at Luceros this will prevent holdups on the frequently-used Alicante-BenidormDenia run, enabling the trains to run to schedule.

Rest assured ALTHOUGH the Valencia region’s Upper Court (TSJ) recently annulled the region’s Pativel law protecting unbuilt coastline, the Generalitat intends to fight the ruling. Arcadi España who heads the Territorial Policies department assured residents in coastal areas that they could rest assured that virgin land would not be developed.

Mask up ONLY 300 people will be allowed at any one time in Calpe’s Peñon de Ifach national park, the mostvisited in the Valencian Community, with reservations made beforehand. As the paths to the top of the 332-metre outcrop are narrow, masks must also be worn to ensure social distancing.

4 - 10 March 2021

Facelift for La Vila church tower

VILLAJOYOSA Town Hall is contributing €50,000 towards restoring the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion’s belltower.

T ogether with the parish’s own funds, this should cover the cost of restoring the 16th century fortresschurch’s tower and repairing the bells.

“The town hall was quite clear about collaborating on this project,” La Vila’s mayor Andreu Verdu said.

“The church has played a fundamental role in Villajoyosa’s history, as a place of worship and peace for many Vileros. It is also an important part of festivities like H oly W eek and the M oors and C hristian,” the mayor added.

VILLAJOYOSA CHURCH: Belltower needs restoration.

Parish priest Fr Juan Jose Ortega announced that he was “very excited.”

The belltower was a “very visual” element of 16th century Villajoyosa that was always present in its tourism and cultural profile, Fr Ortega said, pointing out that it had not been touched for centuries.

The Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion tower has never undergone any aesthetic modification, but has merely been repaired when necessary to prevent masonry from falling to the streets below, the town hall explained.

Instead, the current plans centre on a comprehensive restoration of all elements, including the belltower’s original façade.

DIY Volunteers needed ANIMAL shelter Akira are looking for vol‐ unteers.

Small maintenance jobs crop up regu‐ larly, the Moraira‐based charity ex‐ plained, and they would love to hear from volunteers with DIY skills or those willing to help with some of the regular jobs at their shelter in Benissa.

For further information, email secre tary@akira.com or call 648 853 019.

Reduced to powder THE Valencia region’s used PPE and dis‐ posable hospital gowns are currently stored in refrigerated lorries in Valencia and Alicante.

They are now being tested for coron‐ avirus and disinfected following a 72‐ hour isolation period.

Once pronounced entirely free from any trace of the virus, the material will be taken to an industrial waste plant to be ground up via thermal processing and disinfected once more.

Initially the Generalitat selected Ji‐ jona’s Piedra Negra plant but the town’s mayor, Isabel Lopez, has opposed the scheme, alleging the ageing plant’s ‘defi‐ ciencies.’

The Generalitat has yet to confirm where the pulverisation process will be carried out or whether the resulting powder will still be taken to the Cemex cement plant in San Vicente for incinera‐ tion as planned.

The Cemex installation was chosen as it has one of the region’s best operating and environmental records, Health de‐ partment sources revealed.

The Generalitat will continue process‐ ing Covid waste, as the obvious choice, the autoclave steriliser in Vall d’Uixo (Castellon) cannot absorb the amount of PPE generated by the pandemic.

“Akira’s many regular volunteers come to help and support the dogs, walking them, helping with feeding, hanging out with them and helping with maintenance. In fact our volunteers help wherever they are needed,” said Akira’s president, Lin de Stefano.

Throughout 2021, Akira will continue to celebrate adopters and owners who create happy endings for all the dogs

who have had a poor start in life.

“Share your own Happy Ending stories with us. We’d love to hear from you!”

Akira said, “Just submit a photo of your dog, or you and your dog, to akira newsletter@gmail.com and tell us in 100 words how you and your new friend came together.”

To learn more about Akira, visit their www.akira‐animals.com website.

River Algar project nears completion NON‐NATIVE reeds on the Algar riverbanks in Altea are being replaced by environ‐ mentally‐friendly local species.

The third and last phase of the joint project between the CIEF Forestry section belonging to the Generalitat’s Environment department and Altea’s own Environ‐ ment department is now concluding after reaching the Sogai bridge.

Toni Marzo, CIEF director, accompanied by Altea’s Environment councillor, Jose Orozco, watched as the last of the reeds were removed.

They are being replaced by 400 riverbank and aquatic plants raised in the Gener‐ alitat’s CIEF and El Palmar nurseries.

“What we are doing is giving support to the operations that Altea Town Hall has carried out along the Algar for some time,” Marzo said.

“We have eliminated 3,000 square metres of common reeds, aggressive invaders that displace native riverbank species which are also a natural firebreak.”

Marzo also pointed out that these traditional plants, shrubs and trees consume less water than reedbeds, they produce more biomass and at the same time drain away more carbon dioxide.

Ready for emergencies BENISSA’S Local Police now belong to the net‐ work of responders to the 112 Emergencies number.

Other Marina Alta municipalities including Calpe and Denia provide this service and, fol‐ lowing a recent morning of testing and analy‐ sis, Benissa can now join them.

“Our officers will now have all the informa‐ tion they need on the same screen when deal‐ ing with an emergency instead of having to make several phone calls to verify details,” Pe‐ dro Cobos, Benissa’s Police Chief, said.

Easter mobility GENERALITAT president Ximo Puig in‐ dicated that he intends to restrict mobility over Easter.

He also called on the central gov‐ ernment to provide guidance on a co‐ ordinated approach to Holy Week.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty due to the different variants of the virus, and vaccine deliveries,” he said.

“We must be extraordinarily pru‐ dent and think carefully,” Puig added.

“We ask the local authorities, who are the ones that decide, to make fu‐ ture forecasts with extraordinary pru‐ dence.”

EWN

3

Unfragrant smell in Javea THE recent bad smell near the Gorgos rivermouth in Javea was a clear sign that sewage was present.

The often‐dry water course was full of noi‐ some, turbid water and municipally‐owned Am‐ jasa, which is responsible for Javea’s water and main drainage, immedi‐ ately inspected the area’s pumping station.

This revealed that the pumps sending wastewa‐ ter to the treatment plant had continued to function at all times, prompting Javea’s Services councillor Kika Mata to order an in‐ vestigation into the spill.

Municipal sources quoted in the local Span‐ ish press suggested that this could possibly be linked to the wet wipes that litter the nearest sec‐ tion of coast, the Primer Muntanyar, after every bout of bad weather.

Despite campaigns and official entreaties, the public continue to dispose of these down their toi‐ lets, causing blockages and expensive problems for the sewage system.

‘Dutch Primark’ Zeeman opens in Benidorm ‘DUTCH Primark’ Zee‐ man opened a new store in Benidorm, adding to its 17 branch‐ es in the Valencian Com‐ munity.

While other retailers are cutting jobs and closing shops, the Dutch multinational producer of low cost clothing and textiles has been ex‐ panding its empire, opening up in Alicante and Elche in recent months.

“The Benidorm store helps us to consolidate ourselves in the Valen‐ cian Community, a re‐ gion that has welcomed us with open arms,” the company’s sales director in Spain said. “Zeeman’s welcome in Spain has been better than good.”

4 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

ATM Fugitive Captured NATIONAL POLICE in Benidorm, arrested a fugitive who had a European Arrest Warrant out against him for robbery with explosives, and arms trafficking.

The arrested man is accused of being one of the leaders of an organisation specialising in the robbery of ATM machines, using explosives and responsible for as many as 73 ATM machine robberies.

National Police officers were contacted through the ENFAST network - European Network of Fugitive Search Teams - about an international operation involving the Carabinieri of Milan, Italy, investigating the criminal organisation.

The man located by the National Police and arrested in Benidorm is reputed to be one of the leaders of the Italian criminal gang but was living in Spain, where he ran a restaurant. A simultaneous raid in Italy, the Carabinieri also arrested nine more suspected gang members.

Mercadona Bonuses MERCADONA has said thank you to its staff by paying €409 million in bonuses.

From March 1, some €336 million will be dis‐ tributed, after €43 million was already paid out to staff in April “in recognition of the commit‐ ment and extraordinary effort shown during the beginning of the health crisis that the country is experiencing.”

Sharing profits is part of a pioneering new HR strategy, including a five‐day work week to ensure a good work‐life balance for employ‐ ees.

NEWS

4 Million Unemployed

THE effects of the pandemic, the increase in restrictions and the lack of a reopening horizon has pushed unemployment above the four million mark - the highest since May 2016. The total number of unemployed is now 4,008,789.

By sectors, the drop in employment has once again occurred notably in Hospitality, which lost another 25,894 jobs; The loss of employment in Commerce (-20,009) and in administrative activities (-6,671) also contributes to the total.

The only sector that is making a recov-

ery is construction, which added 22,698 jobs.

ERTEs remain at very high levels: 899,383 are still in temporary employment, 28,903 less than in January according to revised data from the ministry of employment.

Sixty per cent of the workers protected by this temporary employment system belong to the five sectors hardest hit by the crisis and by administrative restrictions: accommodation, food and beverage services, travel agencies, air transport and gambling.

No Gifts For Police

THE Valencian Police Headquarters has issued an internal statement prohibiting all officers from accepting gifts from private citizens or groups, after a video posted on social media shows two officers accept‐ ing flowers from a member of one of the notorious ‘ultra’ groups. The person behind the demonstration at which police were given the bou‐ quet is one of 28 members of fascist groups prosecuted for participating in attacks on a civic march on October 9 last year.

SPAIN has said it will consider a ‘green corridor’ for vaccinated British tourists if there is no EU agreement on vaccination passports, the country’s tourism minister has said, as the European commission prepared to table a proposal for leaders later this month.

Fernando Valdés said his govern-

Hopes raised

ment would seek to find agreement on a common system among the 27 member states to allow tourism to restart.

However, he said Madrid would probably open bilateral talks with non-EU countries if that failed.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Police Images A JUDGE has recognised the right to record the police to avoid situations of abuse, but not to upload recorded images to social media.

The ruling made in a Pamplona Court recognises the right of a citizen to record the actions of the police to prevent or report abuse, but warns that uploading it to social networks may entail ‘an irregular use of images’ and ‘unjustified media exposure’ of the officers. The Constitutional Court began to analyse a few months ago the use of recordings of police actions in the framework of the study of the Citizen Security Law, known as the ‘gag law,’ largely endorsed by the TC. This law sanctioned as a serious offence the ‘unauthorised’ use of data or images of officers that could endanger their security, that of protected facilities or the success of an operation, but later eliminated that ‘unauthorised’ subsection considering it contrary to the prohibition of prior censorship, contained in the Constitution.

10 per cent deported DEPORTATIONS of illegal immigrants in 2020 ac‐ counted for less than 10 per cent of the arrivals. Be‐ tween January 1 and December 3, 2020, 37,213 im‐ migrants entered Spain illegally.

Meanwhile, according to the Interior Ministry, 3,190 were deported, just 8.5 per cent.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande‐Marlaska, in charge of executing deportations, would not reveal the identity of those deported or which country they have been sent back to.

The coronavirus pandemic, with its border con‐ trols, has had a decisive impact on the figures, as for several months, it has been impossible to de‐ port people.

Algeria, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal all have agreements in place for repatriation of illegal immigrants according to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4 - 10 March 2021

Masks still mandatory

DESPITE the official regional gazette of Valencia stating on Fri‐ day February 26, that the use of masks would no longer be neces‐ sary if a distance of 1.5 metres could be maintained, in the evening, the regional Health De‐ partment made it clear on Twitter that this had been a mistake.

The Health Department, with Ana Barcelo at the helm, an‐ nounced that wearing a mask will not be optional, even if 1.5 metres can be kept. Barcelo clarified that the use of masks will continue to be mandatory in all situations in

MASK MISTAKE: Their use will continue to be mandatory. which it was until now.

The only change would be that

masks would no longer be manda‐ tory for individual open‐air sports.

New Vaccination Strategy THE Ministry of Health has published its fourth update on the Vaccination strategy against Covid-19 in Spain on February 26, which includes a number of changes.

In agreement with the Public Health Commission, the country will now begin vaccinating those in the 70 to 79 years age group, followed by people aged 60 to 69. Next in line for the coronavirus jab will be those under 60 who fall into the high-risk category, and then people aged between 56 and 59.

This phase is based on Central Government’s expectation of a far higher quantity of vaccine doses being available in the coming weeks and months.

HOUSEHOLD appliances will now have new labels with a QR code providing more information.

As of March 1, the A +++, A ++ and A + labels that we were used until now will no longer exist, so instead of ranging from A+++ to D, the categories will range from A to G. Ovens, hoods and dryers will continue to be labelled in the previous way.

Once the populations above have been immunised, the AstraZeneca vaccine will be rolled out to people between 45 and 55 years of age.

Furthermore, the official statement says that, after reviewing clinical studies, it is now recommended that people under the age of 55 who have previously tested positive for coronavirus, will only receive one dose of the Covid vaccine, six months after their diagnosis.

For those over the age of 55 who have had the virus and already received their first jab, a second dose will be administered once they have completely recovered and are symptom-free.

EWN

5

Labora Rewards

THE Ministry of Sus‐ tainable Economy, through Valencia’s Employment and Training Service, Labo‐ ra, has launched a unique initiative to promote the conver‐ sion of temporary con‐ tracts into permanent ones through Labora’s job improvement scheme. Through the subsidies, employers will be given a grant of €11,340 for any man, or €12,600 for any woman or person in a vulnerabl e group, whom they transfer to a permanent contract.

A subsidy of up to €25,000 will be given if the person hired suf‐ fers from a serious dis‐ ability or is a victim of domestic violence.

The grants can be requested until April 30, 2021 through the Labora website.

New energy labelling Appliances can be sold with the old label until November 30, 2021.

No product labelled with the new classi‐ fication will, today, be at the top level of efficiency. In fact, a refrigerator previously listed as ‘A +++’ will correspond to a ‘C’ in

the new labelling.

The new labels have been launched without any device classified in class A, to allow room for improvement and the high‐ er categories are not saturated, like be‐ fore.

6 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

Unicaja And Liberbank Merger

Agreement reached.

UNICAJA BANCO and Liberbank will both hold their respective general shareholder’s meetings on March 31, during which they will approve the merger of the two entities, with the companies reporting this action to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) on February 25, a decisive step so that the operation can obtain their approval and become a reality.

Unicaja Banco will initially retain a 59.5 per cent share of the group resulting from the merger, with Liberbank retaining the remaining 40.5 per cent share, after the exchange equation that appears in the agreement reached at the end of December by the boards of directors of both entities, which will create the fifth-largest bank in Spain, with assets of €109,000 million.

Electricity Bills Fall 21 Per Cent SPAIN’S electricity bills have fallen by an average of 21 per cent in February.

According to Spain’s Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), the av‐ erage bill fell by 21 per cent from €70 to €55.

The OCU says the price of electrici‐ ty fell for those who have a regulated rate contract, and that the reduction was explained by a “return to nor‐ mality in energy prices, left behind by

the strong rises in January coinciding with the storm.”

The OCU announced that, like the previous increases, this decrease will only benefit households with a regu‐ lated rate contract; roughly 40 per cent of all consumers.

For the rest of the consumers, their bill will depend on the type of con‐ tract they have with their energy company.

Bookings Soar By 90%

WITH vaccination campaigns bringing closer the opening of borders, hotel chains such as Meliá Hotels Interna‐ tional, have seen reservations skyrock‐ et for the summer season by British tourists to around 90 per cent.

The de‐escalation announcement has strongly encouraged hotel reserva‐ tions from the United Kingdom, which as of February 25 are well above those made on the same dates in 2020.

“The months with the highest de‐

mand so far are September, followed

by August, October, July, June and May, coinciding with the times when it is estimated that herd immunity will be expanded in Europe and normalis‐ ing the situation,” added a source from Meliá.

This rise has also been seen in the airline sector, with airlines such as easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair experiencing increases in ticket numbers of up to 600 per cent in some cases.

Steroids Gang Stopped THE National Police has dismantled an organisation, dedicated allegedly, to trafficking anabolic drugs, narcotic substances, and the theft of hormon‐ al substances from hospitals.

The five phase investigation, re‐ sulted in the arrest of 31 people and the recovery of 510,000 doses of an‐ abolic steroids, 163g of cocaine, 3,328g of marihuana, and 13g of hashish.

Investigating officers identified two persons seen to be the main members of the organisation, a 56‐ year‐old man who owned a sports nutrition store, and another 53‐year‐ old man involved in distribution.

A third party was identified, a 36‐

year‐old Bulgarian citizen, deemed the main supplier, who owned a warehouse in Llosa de Ranes, Valen‐ cia, as well as a group stealing hor‐ monal substances ‐ the most sought‐ after products ‐ from hospitals.

A raid on the warehouse, discov‐ ered 500,000 doses of anabolic steroids. Police carried out six more raids on gyms and sports nutrition stores, and arrested the group steal‐ ing from hospitals.

During the operation centred around establishments in the Valen‐ cian Community and the Murcia re‐ gion, two drug trafficking gangs oper‐ ating out of Benidorm and Murcia were also dismantled.

NEWS

EU Speeds up Vaccine Drive ACCORDING to new re‐ search, the EU may be able to vaccinate 75 per cent of adults by the end of August, two months earlier than pre‐ viously thought.

New supply agreements and increased production has meant the EU may now be able to speed up their rollout, according to Lon‐ don‐based research firm Airfinity Ltd. Jacob F Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Insti‐ tute for International Eco‐ nomics, told one publication: “The onus in my opinion is on member states to prove that they can manage a rapidly ac‐ celerating roll out.”

Spain has already adjusted its vaccination programme in an effort to be able to roll out more doses, announcing they will only give one dose of vac‐ cines to those who have pre‐ viously had the virus.

Politicians are now calling on Spain’s central govern‐ ment to ensure enough vac‐ cines arrive.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

Tobacco Takedown

THE Guardia Civil snared and broke up a criminal gang responsible for the forgery and distribution of tobacco in an ‘Operation Sanforo,’ reported elmira.es.

In a press release, the Guardia Civil said the alleged perpetrator had been under surveillance since the start of the year.

The Organised Crime and Anti-Drug Team (EDOA) of the Guardia Civil undertook an ‘arduous and complex’ investigation which established that

a group was using a warehouse on an industrial estate in Cordoba to store large quantities of tobacco and distributing it to smaller-scale logistics centres.

A raid of the premises seized 33 pallets containing a total of 494,500 packs of counterfeit tobacco from two well-known brands, with a market value of €2,178,900.

The man inside the warehouse at the time of the raid was arrested. The police say further arrests have not been ruled out.

Online Increase Flexitarians’ THE pandemic has seen an unprecedented rise in online shopping. One in three Spaniards now reportedly shops online at least once a week, an increase of more than 10 points compared to before the crisis, according to the Adevinta report ‘Digital Pulse.’

With 62 per cent of citizens preferring not to go to physical stores, food supplies, pharmacy and restaurant or takeaway deliveries gained most popularity online.

The report also reveals that the budget for online purchases has increased. One in four Spaniards spend between 21 and 50 per cent of their budget online, almost double what was registered before coronavirus. Forty per cent of people say that they will continue to shop more online from now on.

SINCE the beginning of the pandemic, the police in Spain have reported an increase in the number of pets being illegally imported and sold on to unsuspecting buyers.

According to the Foundation for Advice and Action in the Defence of Animals (FAADA), puppy and kitten mills, where

Rise in Spain

ACCORDING to a recent study by Bonduelle, the ‘flexitarian’ diet has gained weight in Spain as health-conscious Spaniards swap meat for veg.

The Radiography of Plant Nutrition study found trends moving towards ‘flexitarianism’ - that is, eating more plant products than meat, without giving it up completely. The number of people adopting this diet was up to 42 per cent compared with 24 per cent in March last year.

In the last two years, Spaniards increased the vegetable options in their diet by 14 per cent, with meat products, falling by 5 per cent. Thirty per cent of Spanish people admitted to having modified their diets since the beginning of the pandemic.

Puppy Problem animals are bred on an industrial scale and often in horrific conditions, are most often found in Eastern European

countries and supply the entire Spanish market.

“Tragically, four out of five puppies transported to Spain die en route, yet the profit is still there, such is the difference in the cost to raise them with no regulation compared to puppies raised by ‘regulated’ breeders.”

EWN

7

Christian Women Demand Equality CHRISTIAN women across Spain and around the world are demanding equality within the church, and ‘Christian Women in the Church’ have called a demonstration on March 7, outside Granada’s Cathedral.

Spain is set to see a series of

protests brought about by the ‘indignation and non-conformity in the face of the situation of invisibility’ which they feel Christian women experience worldwide.

The women hope to bring an end to the ‘exclusively male’ image of God, ‘Christian Women

in the Church’ explained to Europa Press “we want a Church where leadership is shared between women and men.”

March will see protest rallies in Granada, Madrid, Sevilla, Barcelona, Bilbao, Gran Canarias, Santiago de Compostela, La Rioja and Valencia.

8 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

‘Baby Box’ Request Pipper tackles

THE President of the Madrina Foundation has called for ‘Baby Boxes.’ With 40 babies aban‐ doned every year in Spanish hospitals, and teenage preg‐ nancies on the rise, the founda‐ tion is asking for the measure, already used in other coun‐ tries, to be introduced in Spain.

Conrado Gimenez, told na‐ tional Spanish daily ABC that a

lack of information for young girls faced with an unwanted pregnancy as well as pressure from their family and their en‐ vironment, may lead them to abandon a baby for lack of re‐ sources.

Current legislation requires identification when giving a ba‐ by up for adoption so that in the future that child can exer‐

Guernica Goodbye THE United Nations has removed the tapestry of Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ after 35 years hanging outside the Security Coun‐ cil meeting room at its headquarters in New York.

The reproduction work was requested back by its owner, the son of former US Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller.

A United Nations spokesperson said in a statement “We thank the Rockefeller family for having loaned this powerful and iconic work of art for more than 35 years.”

The tapestry, hung in 1985, was a reproduction made un‐ der the supervision of Picasso himself, and commissioned by the Rockefeller family after Picasso refused to sell them the original.

The original piece, painted in 1937 depicts the bombing of the Spanish city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. It is considered one of the world’s most powerful anti‐war paintings and is on display at the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid.

cise the right to know who its mother is. “The right to life of the babies must prevail over the right to know their biologi‐ cal mother,” said Gimenez.

The ‘Baby Box’ is a system of specially adapted cribs at hos‐ pitals, NGOs and foundations where instead of being aban‐ doned to die, a baby can be placed anonymously inside an incubator with sensors that set off a silent alarm when a baby is placed inside. The emergen‐ cy services are then alerted.

The Madrina Foundation 24h helpline, 914 490 690, and website ww.madrina.org/ayu da_SOS is there to help any mothers in a situation of cri‐ sis.

poop offenders

ACCORDING to a study carried out by ‘Pipper on Tour’ based on official data from the capital cities of all provinces, only 992 fines were issued for leaving dog excrement on the streets throughout 2019.

Despite fines ranging from €60 to €600 (€750 and €1,500 in Madrid), on average councils give two fines per month. Malaga and Huelva issue the most fines, while Albacete, Cuenca, Jaen, Lugo, Pontevedra, Tarragona, Teruel and Zamora did not fine anyone.

City councils claim that the difficulty lies in catching the of‐ fenders red‐handed either without baggies or failing to pick up droppings. Malaga, the only capital city which prosecutes offend‐ ers by analysing the DNA of the droppings, issued 262 fines in 2019.

Pipper the ‘influencer’ dog has begun a campaign on social me‐ dia with the slogan ‘Let no one dirty our image’ and the hashtags #YoCumplo and #NiUnaCacaSinMulta.

Facebook Selling Amazon Forest POLITICIANS throughout Britain took to social media on Friday, February 26 accusing Mark Zuckerberg’s company of facilitating the sale of large chunks of the Amazon forest, some the size of 1,000 football fields, through illegal adverts.

The BBC broke the story when they discovered several ads on Facebook marketplace purporting to offer plots of the Brazilian rainforest for sale.

Facebook said it was “ready to work with local authorities,” but added that: “Our commerce policies require buyers and sellers to comply with laws and regulations.”

In this case, the ‘laws and regulations’ refer to the sellers’ need to have a land title to the property for sale, which of course they don’t have, as the forest is a protected area.

NEWS

Reading At A High N OT o n l y h a s t h e number of people r e a d i n g b o o k s i n‐ creased in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic, but the figures have re‐ mained consistent even after confine‐ ment ended. A re‐ port, by the Federa‐ tion of Publishers Guilds of Spain (FGEE) and the Min‐ istry of Culture, re‐ vealed that the num‐ ber of people over the age of 14 who read in their spare time increased in 2020 and the number of frequent readers is on the rise. The time spent reading has in‐ creased to eight and a h a l f h o u r s c o m‐ pared with seven be‐ fore quarantine.

10 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

500 demo limit

THE government will only allow fewer than 500 people for March 8 feminist movements and have given instruc‐ tions for any protest with a forecast greater than 500 attendees to be dis‐ missed.

Current criteria established by the Ministry of Health, set 500 people who meet the health requirements as the maximum admissible for any rally.

In an interview on Onda Cero, gov‐ ernment delegate in the Community of Madrid, Jose Manuel Franco, said, that so far, the requests received have been authorised because they met with the requirements. If there are proposals of more than 500 people for feminist marches on March 8, they will be asked to reflect and find other ways to demonstrate.

Protests of no more than 500.

In 2019, March 8 concentrations reached about 375,000 people, a record for Spain.

Despite the pandemic looming, around 120,000 took to the streets in 2020, just five days before the State of Alarm was officially declared through‐ out the country.

€15 million fine for Spain SPAIN has been fined €15 million by the Eu‐ ropean Commission (EC) for failing to incor‐ porate the data protection directive into law by two separate deadlines, in May 2018 and March 2019.

Additionally, the government will be forced to pay €89,000 for each additional day the Spanish law isn’t amended to reflect the European directive.

The Spanish Government argued that “very exceptional institutional circum‐ stances” made it impossible to write the new rules into law as at the time, they were only dealing with day‐to‐day matters as they waited for the new government to be formed.

However, the EC didn’t accept the excuse and insisted that the heavy daily sanctions reflect “the seriousness and duration of the infringement.”

“By the judgement on Thursday, February 25, the court declares that Spain has failed to fulfil its obligations,” the court stated.

Police Reject AstraZeneca

ACCORDING to media reports, the Confederation of Local and Autonomous Security has asked the government to stop giving the vaccine to Local Po‐ lice, claiming the jab is less effective than others and that it causes side effects.

The organisation, representing more than 100,000 local and regional police in Spain, are fol‐ lowing the lead of the French, who discontinued

NEWS

use of the vaccine to police and health workers fol‐ lowing reports of side effects.

Police claim the jab can cause strong flu symp‐ toms, as well as headaches and high fevers.

The Generalitat of Catalonia recently began to administer the AstraZeneca to the Mossos de Es‐ cuadra and claim their officers are reporting side effects similar to those in France.

Cabify joins WiBLE SPANISH App Cabify has come to an agreement to offer the car‐sharing ser‐ vices of WiBLE on their plat‐ form. WiBLE’s fleet of hy‐ brid cars in Madrid will be available to users of Cabify in a per‐minute rental sys‐ tem.

WiBLE hope the partner‐ ship will help reduce the use of private vehicles and free space on the roads.

Cabify already has the op‐ tion of electric scooters and motorbikes through App MOVO, bikes via subscrip‐ tion service Bive, and parcel delivery services.

2% Refusal THE Health Ministry has an‐ nounced that so far only 2 per cent of Spaniards offered the Covid‐19 vaccine have re‐ fused to take it, including peo‐ ple unable to have it for medi‐ cal reasons.

According to senior health official Silvia Calzon, the data being seen is really positive said, “This demonstrates the acceptance and confidence the whole of Spanish society has in vaccination.”

So far in Spain 1.2 million people have received both doses of the vaccine. As of February 24, 2.1 million peo‐ ple from priority groups in‐ cluding frontline medics, over 80s and nursing home resi‐ dents and staff had received their first dose of the vaccine.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

Winning Dolls ‘Romance THE GUARDIAN has praised Spanish toy maker Miniland for a collection of dolls with facial fea‐ tures typical of Down Syndrome, which was awarded ‘Best Toy of 2020’ by the Spanish Associ‐ ation of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ).

The dolls are made in the cradle of Spain’s toy industry, Onil in Alicante, and the collection of dolls was reportedly the first in the world with Down Syndrome. It is fitting that they come from the location of the country’s first doll factory more than a century ago. This time, Onil is getting known for being inclusive as well as hand‐making their dolls.

The dolls’ creators were concerned at first that the doll would not be well‐received, as they are aimed at any child, not only for those with Down Syndrome, but they have been very popular.

They aim to help children understand the value of coexistence through playing, promoting empa‐ thy and tolerance.

Scam’

POLICE have arrested two women and one man for running an online dating scam pos‐ ing as wealthy singletons and targeting vic‐ tims on dating apps such as Tinder or other social networking sites.

The Guardia Civil of Lliria apprehended the scammers in Alicante, who had pocketed an astonishing €72,000 from victims.

The Technological Crimes team found that the scammers posed as senior executives in large multi‐national organisations and spent many months building relationships to en‐ sure compliance. Just as they were scheduled to fly to Spain to meet their new online part‐ ner, they would fake an emergency, such as being detained abroad and in need of bail money, which they would ask their victim to wire to them.

Fake PCR investigation

POLICE are investigating two travel agencies which allegedly falsified negative PCR tests for clients who wanted to travel.

Twenty-seven clients and the owner of the agency in Mataro are under investigation and the three managers of the agency in Santa Coloma de Gramenet

have been arrested.

Mataro police station received a call from a person who had wanted to book a trip through the agency saying he was offered a false certificate of negative PCR for €85. Police uncovered 15 falsified documents ready for travel in March.

In Santa Coloma, emergency services received reports of an agency doing the same thing.

Commissioner Joan Carles Molinero said that so far this year 85 scams have been detected, 54 in January and 31 in February, mainly involving medical centres and care homes for the elderly.

EWN 11

Vaccination Passport Will Soon Be Reality

ANGELA MERKEL, the Ger‐ man Chancellor, spoke follow‐ ing a virtual meeting of the 27 UE state’s leaders, of the unanimous agreement to de‐ velop a system to allow move‐ ment throughout member states.

Ms Merkel also stated that annual flu‐like vaccination might be necessary, “Due to the mutations, we may have to spend many years in the sit‐ uation of having to vaccinate over and over again against the coronavirus as we know about the flu.”

She said that all 27 member states had been experiment‐ ing with prototypes for a vac‐ cine passport and that it had been agreed they should all devise a single system “for the summer, that could make travel within the European Union possible.”

The European Commission will define the technical condi‐ tions for this system, expected

to be operational ‘in the coming months’ and ‘for the summer.’

President Macron of France called for “unity and coordina‐ tion,” saying “We must pre‐ vent each country from devel‐ oping its own system,” stressing there are “legal and

ethical issues” in implement‐ ing, without violating the rights of citizens, and that by summer, young people will not yet be vaccinated, so the vaccination certificate “should not be a condition” to be able to travel.

A lot Of Bull THE Spanish Supreme Court ruled against professional bull‐ fighter Miguel Ángel Perera on when he attempted to regis‐ ter one of his performances as copyright intellectual proper‐ ty. Mr Ángel Perera wanted to immortalise his kill of 539kg bull Curioso back in 2014, claiming that if bullfighting is con‐ sidered an art, then his performance, for which he received the defeated animal’s ears, should be registered as an origi‐ nal artistic creation.

The court found that bullfighting is too difficult to precisely or objectively define, despite the fact that the spectacle no doubt wows and excites thousands of people. The judge felt that it was impossible to determine if the particular moves and manoeuvres used by the matador in that performance were, in fact, original.

12 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

Waiting for Millions BAR WAITER: Could face eight years in prison.

A 95-YEAR-OLD woman left €1.5 million to a waiter who now stands accused of getting the elderly woman to sign a will naming him heir, just two weeks before being declared mentally incapable.

Accused Julio CV claims he had a close relationship with the woman who breakfasted at the bar where he worked every day. He also says that her niece; heir before the will was changed, had “abandoned” her elderly aunt. The elderly woman had reportedly treated him like a son and given him expensive gifts.

Her niece claims that her aunt had Alzheimer’s and advanced primary degenerative dementia which annulled her capacity to properly manage her assets. The niece’s lawyer noted that 12 days after the will was signed, the woman entered a care home and shortly after had a psychotic break.

If found guilty, the waiter could face up to eight years in prison and a fine to be paid over 24 months.

Freezing Freedive

A CZECH freediver has broken the existing world record by swimming below a solid sheet of ice for an amazing 81 metres, wearing noth‐ ing but goggles and swimming trunks and whilst holding his breath for well over two minutes.

Swimming underwater.

David Vencl, lasted for two min‐ utes and 42 seconds beneath the icy lake in the village of Lahost with water at a numbing 3 Celsius.

Speaking afterwards David said, “It was faster than I expected.”

Due to coronavirus restrictions the location had been altered as originally the plans involved a glacial lake in Austria.

The previous world record had been set by Denmark’s Stig Avall Severinsen in 2017 where he swam for 76.2 metres.

Pizza tracking

THE Supreme Court in Spain has confirmed the National Court ruling which established that Telepizza delivery staff are not obliged to use their own mobile phone, as it is a breach of their rights. The Telepiz‐ za Tracker project forced delivery staff to provide a personal mobile phone with an internet connection to facilitate their geolocation while delivering.

An appeal was filed against the National Court ruling which the Supreme Court declared null as the project violated the privacy rights of workers, as claimed in the dispute filed by the unions CC OO and UGT. Telepizza argued that the system simply allowed clients to know the location of their order in real time. But had also said that if the ge‐ olocation system was not working, staff would be given a deadline to repair it or lose their job.

NEWS

Lidl Email Scam

THE National Police have warned of the latest scam whereby fraudsters pose as Lidl representatives in order to swindle personal details out of them. Cybercriminals tell victims they are entitled to the much‐coveted Mon‐ sieur Cuisine food processor for reward points and to claim the prize, they must complete a form with per‐ sonal details, including bank account numbers; after pay‐ ing a €2 charge, victims re‐ ceive an error message, at which point the scammers have access to all their most private information.

Police have pointed out a couple of clues which alert to the phishing scam. Firstly, the subject of the email appears as ‘[Notification] ‐ Appoint‐ ment 02/19/2021: Recipient’s name.’ Officials also say that poor grammar and mis‐ spellings should be a dead giveaway. Lastly, the emails address the person generically rather than by name, a detail that a real Lidl representative would have access to.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Flight Ban Extended

THE Spanish government announced another travel ban extension for travellers from the UK - moving it from March 2 until at least March 16. The extension of restrictions also covers Brazil and South Africa - with passengers on flights from Brazil and the Republic of South Africa having to undergo a 10-day quarantine in Spain.

Flights from any airport located in the United Kingdom to any air-

port located in Spain, with or without intermediate stops, may only be carried out in the case of aircraft that carry exclusively Spanish or Andorran nationals, or residents in Spain or Andorra. However, a negative PCR test or similar carried out within 72 hours prior to arrival is also required.

This is the fifth time that Spain has extended its restrictions on arrivals from Britain.

Women More Compliant

A RECENT survey by the Data Science for Covid‐19 working group of the Generalitat Valenciana, has revealed that women have suffered the greatest psychological impact from the pan‐ demic but also, are better at complying with the restrictions.

The study revealed that 90 per cent of women regularly disin‐ fect their hands compared with 85 per cent of men, and a high‐ er percentage of females admit to adhering to mask‐wearing rules, avoiding group gatherings and limiting close contacts than their male counterparts. The longitudinal study was almost a year long with more than half a million participants.

Men outdid women in only two areas: their willingness to be vaccinated (76 per cent versus 73 per cent) and installing a Covid tracking app (38 per cent as opposed to 32 per cent).

4 - 10 March 2021

Documents Network Dismantled THE National Police has dismantled a network op‐ erating in the Malaga and Cadiz provinces, that was offering foreign citizens residence and work per‐ mits in exchange for mon‐ ey, issuing them with fake contracts and documents.

Investigations by the Unit Against Illegal and False Immigration Net‐ works (Ucrif), discovered the existence of a perfectly structured organisation made up of at least five people, three of whom were lawyers.

A statement from the National Police, said that the network charged the immigrants amounts rang‐ ing from €2,000 up to €4,500.

Seven people were ar‐ rested, the investigation continues and police say they are not ruling out new arrests.

EWN 13

14 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

Mortgage loan nullification when the money

paid is lower than the capital declared

THERE are many reasons why a mortgage loan could be nulli‐ fied by a judge. Some loans are against the Usury Law of 1908 and these usurious loans usual‐ ly have: • A much higher interest rate than the normal market ones.

• Invariably foresees an abu‐ sive delay in interest.

• It is also possible that it could be nullified because the amount of principal declared is actually more than the amount originally paid over.

The Supreme Court ruling 302/2020 In the court decision indicated above, the Supreme Court de‐ clared that a mortgage loan con‐ tract be declared void in accor‐ dance with article 1 of the Usury Law, which states that it will be nullified if: ‘The contract in which it is stated that a greater amount has been received than the one ac‐ tually delivered, whatever its en‐ tity and circumstances.’

Thus, in this court decision, and other previous ones, the

Supreme Court speaks of a ‘counterfeit or untrue loan.’ It is the one by which, in a fraudulent way, a hidden profit is obtained, by the lender. Declaring that a greater amount has been lent than that actually delivered.

There will not be in a voided mortgage loan, when: • Interest is charged in ad‐ vance.

• It includes amounts to be discounted for services done.

• Nor if an amount is withheld to pay debts, or expenses.

This then means that the loan has been properly executed.

Forged or untrue loan In this case, it was pointed out that an amount had been paid to the client, partly by cheque and partly in cash and included a part that was for brokerage ex‐ penses, provisions for expenses, interest, etc.

But in reality, what was being

hidden, is that it was being de‐ clared as an amount received, greater than that which was ac‐ tually paid.

The Supreme Court reaches this conclusion, due to consider‐ ation of various circumstances: • The information concerning the amount of advance payment of interest, was not advised to the client, (the borrower).

• It was not explained, what the intermediation service was being charged for.

• There was a failure to speci‐ fy what expenses were to be paid from the amount withheld.

• The amount withheld was disproportion to the principal of the loan.

Consequences In the event that a bigger amount is declared as being re‐ ceived than the actual amount paid then a mortgage loan nulli‐ ty could be declared.

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

This means: • Borrowers or clients must return the amount actually re‐ ceived.

• Voiding of the mortgage on the property. The property would be free of charges.

• The lender must repay any amounts received from the bor‐ rower.

• In the event that a foreclo‐ sure procedure has been initiat‐ ed it must be cancelled.

Conclusion If you have been the victim of a false loan, (if it was declared that you had been paid more money, than that actually re‐ ceived), you should know that you can legally claim the mort‐ gage loan nullity.

If you have questions about an abusive contract, check our courts services and contact us through our website: www.white‐baos.com.

The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, it merely conveys in‐ formation related to legal issues.

16 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

NEWS

Processionary threat

Face masks in the car

T H AU M E T O P O E A P I T Y OCAMPA caterpillars have already started to appear and the National Association of Environmental Health Companies ANECPLA warns that there will be more than ever.

Restrictions due to the

WHEN people jump in the car they are eager to remove their masks.

But, depending on who is with you, this could lead to a fine from the police or Guardia Civil for not comply‐ ing with the rules.

If all the vehicle’s occu‐ pants do not live together, masks must be worn, with a possible fine of up to €100 if caught disobeying.

Children under six years old are exempt from mask wearing either in private or public spaces, this also ap‐ plies to anyone who has a medical exemption.

Fines can also be given if your removed mask is block‐ ing driving visibility.

coronavirus pandemic led to many usual treatments carried out to prevent the appearance of the caterpillars being suspended, and restrictions on products used to control the caterpillars.

The caterpillars are covered in hairs which are ex-

Endesa Profits Up SPANISH electricity company Endesa multiplied its profits by more than eight in 2020, up to €1.39 billion. The net profit of the company in 2020 was a rise of 715.2 per cent compared to the €171 million profit of 2019, despite a reported deterioration of assets generation in non‐peninsular territories of €253 million.

Endesa’s CEO, Jose Bogas, said the group has achieved “a solid op‐ erational and financial performance in a year that has been full of challenges at all levels derived from the impact of the pandemic.”

tremely poisonous to animals. Minimal contact can cause dermatitis, eye lesions, hives and allergic reactions to histamine.

Symptoms in dogs include swelling of the muzzle and head, intense itching and excessive drooling. If they eat one, the poison can cause necrosis resulting in death.

Be extremely cautious in areas with pine trees and if you suspect your pet has come in contact with a processionary caterpillar, get them to the vet immediately.

Do not touch the caterpillars yourself and be especially careful that children do not touch them.

Festival go ahead READING AND LEEDS FESTIVAL 2021, scheduled to take place from August 27 to 29, is now expected to go ahead following the UK Government’s roadmap an‐ nouncement.

“Following the government’s recent announcement, we can’t wait to get back to the fields this summer, LET’S GO!” tweeted organisers.

Tickets have been on sale since last summer, despite organisers not knowing for sure whether or not it would go ahead.

But following Boris Johnson’s announcement on February 22, where he said he hopes to lift all Covid re‐ strictions by the end of June, organisers are once again advertising tickets.

Headline acts confirmed include Stormzy, Disclosure, Liam Gallagher and Catfish and the Bottlemen, with ‘many more’ still to be announced.

Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival has confirmed it will not be going ahead in June.

18 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

NEWS

Creative Superhero Inspires Pandemic AN inspirational, nine year-old Spanish boy Gonzalo Zafra, came up with a creative idea to improve the quality of life for people with hearing impairments.

The idea to integrate an ‘Assistant’ into his cochlear implant - which transforms acoustic signals into electronic signals, was a winner at the MED-EL international competition ‘Ideas to Listen,’ staged to mark International Cochlear Implant Day, celebrated on February 25.

“Just as Iron Man has JARVIS, his assistant with artificial intelligence, I would like to have RONDIS, an assistant integrated into my RONDO 2,” he said.

GONZALO: Suffered from severe hearing loss at birth.

“Some examples of what he could do would be to tell me the weather in the morning, remind me what I have to do according to my calendar, receive messages directly from my parents or control the volume

based on ambient noise,” explained Gonzalo.

At birth, Gonzalo was diagnosed with severe hearing loss deep in the left ear and finally had to have an implant.

Lower Prices MERCADONA is to lower its prices and rules out a price war with competitors such as Aldi and Lidl.

The Coronavirus saw cost increases on lots of everyday items due to logistical issues with many supermarkets stopping any promotions or offers for months, but now food prices are starting to fall. Market leader Mercadona say their reductions will be be‐ tween 10 and 25 per cent particularly in the areas of fresh food such as vegetables, fish and meat and explained “always Low Prices is our strategy to have competitive prices without entering into promotional battles or aggressive offers, which in the medi‐ um term do not benefit the sector.”

Florencio García, Retail Director at Kantar is predicting that some supermarkets will be entering into price wars in the coming weeks

Ninis

Not studying or working.

ACCORDING to Spanish daily ABC, the percentage of youths between 15 and 29 years old who are neither studying nor working rose to 17.3 per cent in 2020, 2.4 points higher than the previous year and is the first rise in seven years The percentage of what in Spanish is known as ‘ninis’ (ni es‐ tudian ni trabajan) is calculated based on data from the Active Population Survey, published by the Ministry of Education with information from the National Institute of Statistics.

The Ministry has said that this has broken with the downward trend seen since 2013, when the percentage reached its highest at 22.5 per cent. They blame the pandemic for this rise.

White Lion to be seen soon THE first white lion in Spain to be born in captivity, free of diseases was born at the Mundo Park, Sevilla on February 5.

He now weighs almost three and a half kilos and will continue to be artificially fed until he is three months old.

A white lion previously born in captivi‐ ty had hydrocephalus and died after a month.

The Mundo Park animal centre in Guil‐ lena, Sevilla reported that the cub will soon be officially presented, following checks by vets which confirmed that he is healthy.

He will be named the White King and once he reaches three months old he will live with his parents in an area where he can be seen by the public.

20 EWN

4 - 10 March 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

ATMs for The Community IN a bid to fight financial exclusion, customers of eight small and medium banks will be able to use Euronet ATMs. Customers of Bankinter, EVO Banco and Grupo Cajamar will soon be able to use ATMs

Arabic In Classrooms THE Ministry of Education is working in collabo‐ ration with the UK, France, Morocco and Portu‐ gal to promote language programmes, one of which is based around the Arabic language and Moroccan culture.

Minister of Education Isabel Celaá has been criticised for the new Language Programmes af‐ ter the controversial ‘Celaá Law’ was approved last November, for promoting foreign languages when the new law removes the reference to Spanish as a vehicular language in education.

Ms Celaá pointed out that “more than 60,000 students benefit each year from one of the four national language programmes” across Spain.

Currently, Arabic is taught in 354 Primary and Secondary schools in 11 autonomous communi‐ ties and more than 7,100 students participate.

Although aimed at Moroccan students ‐ and funded by the Government of Morocco through the Hassan II Foundation, the Ministry of Educa‐ tion points out that it is open ‘to those interest‐ ed in learning the Arab culture and language.’

throughout Spain managed by Euronet. A further five financial entities signed the agreement: Triodos Bank, Grupo Caja Rural/Banco Cooperativo, Eurocaja Rural, Laboral Kutxa and Caixa Guissona.

The ‘ATMs for the community’ initiative will see ATMs installed in rural areas already facing ‘financial exclusion,’ which worsened during the pandemic, as many Spanish banks were forced to close branches According to the Bank of Spain the number of ATMs has been falling, especially during the pandemic. Spain had just under 50,000 ATMs at the end of the third quarter of 2020.

Roller-Blade Armed Police THE Pakistan city of Karachi, is set for the deployment of rollerblading armed police. The armed unit will patrol Pakistan’s largest city, armed with Glock pistols in a bid to combat crime and beat harassment.

The 20 cops undertook rigorous training on their skates to keep up with thieves in the city’s streets. It is also hoped that they will also chase motorcycles.

Pakistan is not the only country to use rollerblading cops as in Paris they have been patrolling the city for around 20 years and tourists are eager to see them and grab a few selfies.

22 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

International Women’s Day

Strong Women in Business HERE at the Euro Weekly News we like to champion strong women, and with International Women’s Day fast approaching we thought it was the perfect time to put the focus on five of the women in business we know best from across Spain. Each in charge of their own seriously successful company, we wanted to find out how they have led their businesses through the pandemic, learn a little bit more about what makes them successful, as well as taking the chance to hear their most inspiring advice for any other women thinking of starting their own business.

Corinne Green from Estepona Furniture World, Costa del Sol

Heidi Jungreuthmayer and wife Sam Lewins from Black Flame, Costa Blanca North

You have been in business on the Costa del Sol for years. How did it all start out?

We are a family business which started about 25 years ago, but not always with the same name. We’ve now been trading as Estepona Furniture World for 15 years in the industrial estate.

We started out mainly with flooring and carpets and now we sell everything for the home.

You have expanded a lot over the years then, how did that come about?

We started off with something we knew about already and then we expanded and learned as we went along. We began with flooring but we began to see the need for everything else for the home and we have just progressed from there.

It is all trial and error, but if you offer a good service people will always be happy and we offer a complete service. A lot of is also down to your staff and how good they are with customers. A good percentage of our staff have been here for 15 years and they feel dedicated, which really helps.

And how has the pandemic affected your business?

We are now doing a lot more digitally whereas in the past the majority of business was face to face.

We have had to change the way we work a bit and are now offering an online store as well.

You know how to keep a successful business running in the long-term, what advice do you have for someone just starting out?

Do the research well from the beginning for the product and location.

It is difficult but also try to start from scratch correctly with all your paperwork. It also really helps to either learn the language or work with someone who speaks good English and Spanish.

You own two large restaurants, how did you get started?

We started 30-odd years ago with Monroes in Moraira, which was owned by my dad. Then about 15 years ago I bought a place in Pedreguer, which we also called Monroes.

When Sam and I got together we did up the Pedreguer restaurant, updating it to a modern look and changing the name to Black Flame. When my father sadly died last November and we took over Monroe’s in Moraira we thought the best way forward was to do a similar thing as we did in Pedreguer and update the place, and we are now reopening as The Winchester.

It sounds like you have updated and expanded a lot since you started out then, tell us more!

The businesses had both been themed restaurants, but we thought it was time for a revamp. We know it’s important to keep our existing customers happy, but we also want to attract new ones and it has worked really well.

And how has the pandemic affected the businesses?

We noticed fewer tourists last year but we do have a lot of locals so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, and we have found people have always got money for a beer or a drink.

We also offer takeaways and we’ve noticed they’ve been a lot busier than in previous years.

It sounds like you are an expert at keeping a business successful over many years, do you have any tips for anyone just starting out?

The benefits of owning a business are making money and choosing your own hours, but you also have the responsibility to deal with everything when things are bad. So I would say to think about it carefully before you start a business and be prepared to work hard, because you get what you work for.

Emma Mennie from Premier Removals, Costa Blanca South You run a large removals company, how did that start out?

My parents first started the business about 16 years ago. When they set up after moving to Spain I was based in England, and for the first few years I was working with them driving lorries from the age of 21.

I eventually moved to Spain two years ago and took over the business. Now we have three lorries in Spain, two in the UK and a fleet of other vehicles, mainly carrying out removals from England to Spain, as well as in Portugal and France.

And how has the pandemic affected business?

We traded the whole way through the pandemic, sticking to all the laws and disinfecting everything.

We thought the pandemic might have slowed things down, but we haven’t noticed any change and we’re actually getting busier at the moment, doing 11 or 12 hour shifts.

Has it changed the way you work at all?

I do more video moves now, calling clients from their house, and going round with them to make sure they’ve got everything they need.

The estate agent always stays for the first part of the meeting and a lot of agents recommend us. We then take everything to the warehouse and pack everything up.

When things like this happen in the world it’s the time to pull together, so we’ve also been helping other traders out to try to keep everyone in business.

You sound like you have a real enthusiasm for being in business, do you have any advice for other women thinking of starting their own company?

For me the most successful businesses are the ones that involve something you love, that you’re passionate about.

I love driving lorries and meeting people and helping. We’re part of peoples’ dreams of moving their families and when they get to their homes they are so excited.

Linda Rowe from Second Time Around Shop, Axarquia You have owned and run very successful businesses in Spain for many years, tell us about your current shop After many years running British food store Arkwrights, when we sold we didn’t think of starting another shop, but when we sold in October by June we had another business! Now we have the Second Time Around Shop and people bring second-hand items which we sell on a commission basis. We believe everything deserves a second chance!

It sounds like you are experts in running a shop, how did it all start?

We started off small at farmers’ markets selling English food and within two years we had a large premises, it was quite an achievement.

We already had a large customer following from the markets and people had been asking us for a while to open a shop.

We began to outgrow our properties and we eventually opened a large shop in Puente de Don Manuel. When we first opened you could have had a party in the aisles, but it didn’t take us long to fill it.

Now at the Second Time Around shop people still come from Torrox and Nerja to give us things because they know us, and people still call me ‘Mrs Arkwright’ when they see me in the street.

What do you think helped your businesses grow?

I’ve always advertised heavily and when I overheard someone mentioning Arkwrights on the plane once I knew we’d cracked it.

We have also always made our businesses all about the customer. We treat our current business the same way as Arkwrights, we’re here to help people. If we’re closing at 2pm and people are going to be late, we stay open. That’s part of being a small shop.

And how has the pandemic affected business?

We have found we are working a lot of hours now still, but not as many as with the previous shop.

You obviously love being in business, what words of wisdom do you have for anyone else starting their own venture?

Think of your customer first, and look after the little customer as much as the big one. I also believe you should put people before money.

Mary Willoughby from Darrmar Demolition & Waste Removal and Darrmar Storage, Mallorca Tell us a little bit about your business, how did it start?

There are two parts to the business and I run them alongside my husband, Darren.

One area is our demolition and waste removal, which we have been doing for about 12 years now. My responsibility is to operate all the financials and make sure the guys have got the right health and safety equipment and licences.

The second part of the business is one I actively manage, a storage company that I’ve been running for four years with a second-hand shop at the front.

It sounds like you have expanded a lot since you started, what do you think the key is to your success?

When we started 12 years ago it was just my husband and one other man, but as we have become well-known on the island we were able to expand. Any money we’ve made we have put straight back into the business, buying things like more vans, more tools, more machinery; so we were able to expand.

The pandemic has been tough on many businesses, how did you make sure Darrmar continued to be a success?

Over the last year we did have a flow of work coming in but it wasn’t like the year before. That just meant we diversified to find other things to keep us busy though, and when we have periods where there’s not so much work our boys are busy chopping up trees from land clearance jobs ready to sell as firewood. We’re really grateful and happy that we’ve been able to survive. It hasn’t been easy but by careful planning and hard work we’ve been able to.

You have obviously built two very successful businesses. Do you have any words of wisdom for any readers thinking of starting their own venture?

I think if people have found something that could take off it’s a good time to take it forward, and if you’ve got a good product I think it’s going to be time for it to fly.

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN NIBS

DENMARK

FRANCE

Crafty perk

Diplomatic fallout

GPs in Denmark have worked out if they send an email to patients advising that they have tested negative for coronavirus, (even though they will have received the results days earlier) surgeries can make money. So far, this practice has cost taxpayers Kr23.4m (€3.146 m.

NETHERLANDS Illegal tests

AN investigative website Investico has revealed many Dutch companies are illegally testing East European workers for alcohol and drug use even though just drivers and those in charge of public transport may be tested and only by a doctor with results kept confidential.

BELGIUM Mask fear

FOUNDED in 1992 as a symbol of Franco Turkish cooperation, Istanbul’s Galatasaray University appears to have been hit by the fall out between Turkish President Erdogan and Emmanuel Macron. Now six French professors have not had their work permits renewed and are likely to be expelled.

NORWAY Eurovision snack

MUSIC critic Anders Grønneberg said that he would eat one of singer TIX’s headbands if he won the nomination to represent Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest and true to his word, despite refusing to apologise for criticism he ate the headband served in a crepe on TV.

FINLAND

A LEAKED report from Sciensano, the Belgian Institute for Public Health suggests that the 15 million fabric face masks given to pharmacists by the Belgian government in 2020 could be unsafe as they may contain nanoparticles of silver and titanium dioxide that when inhaled could be dangerous.

Green snow

GERMANY

SWEDEN

Bikini ban

Dirty rat

TWO German beach volleyball stars Karla Borger and Julia Sude have announced they will not compete in an international tournament in Doha, Qatar as they have been told they can’t wear bikinis by the International Volleyball Federation, not the Qatari Government.

WITH heavy snowfalls around the country, there is significant work and cost for the Finnish Government in clearing snow in urban areas with an added environmental cost when it is transported out of town so a new green snow melting device is now being tested.

THE city of Gothenburg has a rat problem and will be trialling 50 new rubbish bins which don’t have side openings (placed there to stop fly posters) to make access more difficult and will also be placing 14 electronic traps within the sewer system.

4 - 10 March 2021

EWN 23

24 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

Meatless Menu Meltdown Too ‘Fat’ For Jab SCHOOL MEALS: No more meat on the menu.

THE city council of Lyon in France has decided to take meat off the menu at local schools.

But the measure, which does not affect fish or eggs, has unleashed a political battle.

Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, tweeted “Let’s stop putting ideology on our children’s plates!” He added “Let’s give them what they need to grow well. Meat is part of that.”

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted “In addition to the unacceptable insult to French farmers and butchers, it is clear that the moralistic and elitist politics of the Greens exclude the working classes. Many children often only have the chance to eat meat within their school lunches.”

The reason, according to Mayor Gregory Doucet and Lyon Council, is the need to speed up service and meal shifts in canteens during the pandemic and keep a distance of two metres between children in the dining room.

THE controversial results of a new Italian study sug‐ gest that overweight and obese people may not be as well protected by the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

The research on overweight healthcare workers, found that they produced around half the amount of antibodies as people of a ‘healthy’ weight.

The research is yet to be peer reviewed, and many other Covid experts have claimed that the numbers look ‘suspiciously high’ and that the study may not have used a large enough sample of people.

The 248 participants were vaccinated with two doses of the jab at Rome’s Istituti Fisioterapici Ospi‐ talieri and their antibody levels after seven days showed that people in the ‘normal’ weight range had a blood antibody concentration of 325.8 com‐ pared with 167.1 for those in the overweight catego‐ ry.

Patient Portal

QUIRÓNSALUD’S patient portal exceeded three million users following the release of new features during the coronavirus pandemic.

So far during the pandemic the application has been used over four million times. Hundreds of thousands of appointments have been scheduled and hundreds of thousands of digital consultations carried out. Avoiding the need for users to physically attend a hospital. The app has also seen nearly two million medical records downloaded too. Users can access their medical history, see diagnostic results from tests, book and modify appointments and keep in touch with their specialists. All without having to leave home.

NEWS

‘No Time To Die’ THE release date of the latest James Bond film, ‘No Time To Die,’ has reportedly been brought forward after the announcement about the ease of UK lockdown restrictions.

Originally scheduled to be premiered in April 2020, the release was postponed until October 2021.

But, Digital Cinema Media’s Content Business Director, Tom Linay said in a recent tweet, “It looks like No Time To Die is now released on September 30 in the UK. #JamesBond.”

A number of high-profile names have been touted as the next Bond, including Idris Elba, James Norton, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy, Sam Heughan, and Bridgerton star RegéJean Page.

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Stamp duty BUYERS and sellers of homes in the UK will hope that a report in The Times which suggests that the suspension of stamp duty on the sale of some property will be extended from the end of March to the end of June allowing savings of up to almost £15,000 (€16,500) is correct.

Social security THERE may be some good news for the self-employed in Spain as the government is considering allowing a more flexible range of contributions to Social Security rather than the high set monthly amount, often in excess of €300.

Any shortfalls would be addressed at the end of the year.

Huge loss IAG which owns a number of airlines including British Airways and Iberia saw a dramatic drop in business revenue in 2020, as it announced that sales were down by €7.8 billion compared to 2019 and losses amount to €6.9 billion with the only bright spot being the increase in cargo flight income.

26

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

€40 million

is the amount that fantasy football platform Sorare has raised with investments from Barcelona footballer Antoine Griezmann and the co-founder of Reddit.

Primark £1.1bn drop in sales THE Irish based Primark company which has more than 320 stores around the world has an‐ nounced that it expects to have lost £1.1 billion (€1.21 billion) in 2020 sales.

The closure of its UK stores (where it has the largest presence) due to the lockdown and the pandemic is the primary cause of the loss and the fact that it has no online presence.

So, when it reopens its 153 stores in England on April 12 and Scotland April 26 if all goes well, it will be offering last year’s stock, with an es‐ timated value of at least £400 million (€440 mil‐ lion) to its customers.

With fashion being so fickle, it may well be that it will have to make reductions on its already low‐priced clothes to persuade customers to purchase.

LEGALLY SPEAKING

The lack of any online options is explained by the fact that the costs of starting up from scratch would be so high that the company would have to increase its prices, but as price is one of its most important selling points, this is a non‐ starter.

Happily, for owners As‐ sociated British Foods which is one of the largest manufacturers of sugar and baker’s yeast in the

world, the lockdown has seen sales of its grocery brands which include Kingsmill Bread, Twinings Tea and Ryvita grow so it can afford to weather the financial storm.

In the Republic of Ire‐ land, where the clothing division was first set up, it is known as Penneys, but had to change the name for overseas use due to the rights of American store group J C Penney.

Bank of Spain warns EU

Can they prohibit pets?

I live on a complex of 24 villas. The com‐ munity statutes state that if any owners let their property the tenants are not al‐ lowed to keep pet animals. One owner says he will let to tenants with two dogs and there is nothing the community or administrators can do about it.

Is this correct in law?

C J (by email) Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernández de Cos.

Fewer mortgages THE pandemic has clearly had a negative effect on property sales in Spain as according to the National Institute of Statistics, the number of mortgages granted in 2020 decreased by 7.6 per cent at 333,721 which is the lowest figure since 2017, although the average value of each mortgage increased.

Dia supermarkets THINGS are beginning to look up for troubled Spanish supermarket Dia which is owned by a Russian investor through holdings in Luxembourg as losses were halved in 2020. Despite closing 457 across its operations in Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain, it increased sales by 0.2 per cent to €6.882 billion and losses dropped by 7.54 per cent to €363.8 million.

Even devaluation in Argentina and Brazil didn’t really hurt income and online sales have shown a growth benefiting also from its arrangement with Santander Bank to accept the Bizum payment App online.

The own‐ er is basi‐ cally correct when YOU AND THE LAW he says that the IN SPAIN community can do nothing about keeping pets in the house. Even if it appears in the original statutes or in community rules, the prohibition of keeping of pets in the house or apartment is regarded as a breach of property rights. However, their activity once outdoors can be regulated. This would be the use of community gar‐ dens or pathways for example. Even if a pet remains in the private garden of the villa behind a fence it might bark incessantly or approach the fence in a threatening manner and this behaviour can be cen‐ sured. The question then becomes how, in practical terms, can you put any punishment into effect?

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.

SEVILLA water company Emasesa is running a pilot project to generate clean energy using the juice from some of the 50,000 orange trees growing in the streets of the city.

It is forecast that this year’s harvest will be 5.7 million kilos which is an increase of more than 35 per cent over last sea-

THE Governor of the Bank of Spain, Pablo Hernández de Cos has said that the Euro‐ pean Union needs to take ac‐ tion now to be alert to the fi‐ nancial risks across the EU due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic.

He suggests that some form of deposit guarantee fund should be created as banks across the 27 member states are likely to see signifi‐ cant bad debts from individ‐ uals and companies due to the lack of earnings in 2020.

In addition, he advises commercial banks to pre‐ pare by cutting costs, be‐ coming more efficient and increasing their use of new

technology as Europe emerges from the restraints of the pandemic.

Many banks have taken sensible precautions by mak‐ ing provisions in their ac‐ counts for larger than fore‐ cast bad debts and Spain in particular has taken this on board having experienced and learnt from its serious fi‐ nancial difficulties caused by the last financial crisis.

He and other analysts think it unlikely that the Spanish economy will really start to recover until 2022 and the tourism sector which is so important to Spain will need to get back into gear before recovery takes off.

Oranges generate energy son and disposing of the fruit which drops on pavements all over Sevilla is a problem.

Now, the water company is continuing an experiment whereby some of these bitter oranges are collected and by extracting the juice, electrical

energy is created through biogas which will then keep the water plant supplied with green electricity.

Approximately 50 per cent of the juice and 50 per cent of the peel are extracted from the orange, and for each ton

of orange approximately 500 litres of juice and 500 kilos of peel are generated.

The husks and the part that cannot be used is taken to a composting machine for transformation into compost that is reused in the fields of

5G bandwidth options THE Spanish Government is tak‐ ing its time with the releases of 5G bandwidths, but has just earned €42 million from its lat‐ est sale.

Having started sales of 5G rights five years ago, it sold an‐ other tranche in 2018 and the latest batch has been sold in equal shares to Orange and Telefonica.

This means that currently, Or‐ ange controls the largest block of 5G bandwidth followed by Telefonica, Vodafone and Más‐ Móvil.

In March of this year another batch estimated at being worth more than €1 billion will be up for grabs and it is rumoured that Vodafone and MásMóvil may merge to consolidate their 5G capacity.

Closer economic ties THE Foreign Ministers of Spain and Morocco held a video con‐ ference on Tuesday February 23 to discuss strengthening of eco‐ nomic and other ties between the two countries.

It was originally planned that Arancha González Laya would travel to Rabat to meet with Nasser Bourita on December 17 2020, but this meeting was can‐ celled due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic.

The two ministers called for far closer cooperation as strate‐ gic partners in a post pandemic world due to their close vicinity, opportunity for investment and the number of Moroccan citi‐ zens now settled in Spain. the province.

The objective is the future use of all the bitter orange production of the city for the generation of clean energy and so far, using waste product, the energy generated in the Emasesa treatment plants in 2020, was equivalent to the annual consumption of almost 5,800 homes.

28 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

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

LONDON - FTSE 100

See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 1

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.136,50 +3,50 Admiral Group 3.176,0 +49,0 Anglo American 2.879,0 -19,0 Antofagasta 1.818,50 -14,00 Ashtead Group 3.897,8 -120,2 Associated British Foods 2.403,0 +6,0 AstraZeneca 6.954,0 -26,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 567,40 +6,20 Avast 466,08 -1,12 Aveva 3.482,0 +41,0 Aviva 370,50 +1,90 B&M European Value Retail SA548,40 +5,20 BAE Systems 491,30 +1,60 Bank VTB DRC 0,956 -0,009 Barclays 160,66 -0,68 Barratt Developments 698,37 +0,37 Berkeley 4.294,0 +29,0 BHP Group 2.303,50 -9,50 BP 291,00 -6,55 British American Tobacco 2.556,0 +9,5 British Land Company 503,60 +2,60 BT Group 127,55 +1,20 Bunzl 2.252,0 -3,0 Burberry Group 1.835,0 -3,5 Carnival 1.628,2 -25,3 Centrica 54,34 +0,46 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.287,0 +10,0 Compass 1.497,50 -7,50 CRH 3.200,0 +25,0 Croda Intl 6.306,0 +2,0 DCC 5.830,0 -20,0 Diageo 2.881,5 +7,5 DS Smith 401,30 -2,00 EasyJet 1.011,69 +9,69 Experian 2.333,0 +16,0 Ferguson 8.514,0 -22,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.360,0 +5,0 Fresnillo 901,40 -1,20 GlaxoSmithKline 1.208,20 +7,60 Glencore 295,05 -1,30 Halma 2.316,5 +9,5 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.542,00 +12,00 Hikma Pharma 2.247,00 -1,00 HSBC 420,75 +0,60 IAG 206,20 +0,90 Imperial Brands 1.381,05 +14,05 Informa 543,80 0,00 InterContinental 5.082,0 +8,0 Intermediate Capital 1.775,00 +2,00 Intertek 5.608,0 +128,0 ITV 114,40 -0,30

% CHG. +0,31% +1,57% -0,66% -0,76% -2,99% +0,25% -0,37% +1,10% -0,24% +1,19% +0,52% +0,96% +0,33% -0,98% -0,42% +0,05% +0,68% -0,41% -2,20% +0,37% +0,52% +0,95% -0,13% -0,19% -1,53% +0,85% +0,44% -0,50% +0,79% +0,03% -0,34% +0,26% -0,50% +0,97% +0,69% -0,26% +0,04% -0,13% +0,63% -0,44% +0,41% +0,78% -0,04% +0,14% +0,44% +1,03% 0,00% +0,16% +0,11% +2,34% -0,26%

NET VOL 2,42K 0,94K 175,20K 2,49K 29,70K 2,43K 168,16K 26,49K 1,54K 0,46K 78,77K 15,18K 149,81K 76,30K 1,11M 26,28K 5,30K 255,38K 648,40K 131,91K 2,86K 1,63M 19,35K 13,13K 59,71K 147,13K 8,25K 62,38K 20,26K 6,63K 3,28K 6,47K 7,27K 94,91K 43,31K 5,46K 32,37K 15,00K 49,13K 224,35K 2,41K 3,59K 2,38K 61,52K 1,76M 4,15K 116,50K 5,33K 0,35K 1,01K 93,77K

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

225,90 3.201,5 692,50 271,90 38,95 9.832,0 442,30 171,25 1.784,50 828,20 185,15 7.598,0 32,43 2.190,00 2.749,0 723,27 1.461,50 6.101,2 1.717,50 477,20 597,80 6.300,0 111,55 6,96 1.440,81 1.441,0 1.379,6 677,60 572,20 1.865,00 14,76 3.521,6 1.205,99 924,80 2.235,0 1.401,00 1.518,00 10.985,0 1.353,50 1.210,00 472,20 319,25 172,21 222,86 451,83 3.810,8 886,00 124,02 3.448,0 879,80

CHANGE(P) +1,70 +36,5 +5,00 +1,90 -0,05 +118,0 +1,60 +1,00 +13,00 +5,40 -0,40 +28,0 -0,10 +14,00 +20,0 +3,40 +7,50 +60,0 +13,00 +1,30 +8,20 -3,0 +0,15 -0,09 -23,69 -25,6 -24,6 +0,20 +3,20 -41,00 -0,13 +10,6 +20,99 +5,20 +21,0 +11,00 +7,00 +45,0 +8,50 +8,00 +2,20 +0,95 +5,66 +0,26 -0,97 +36,8 +10,00 +0,38 -15,0 +6,20

% CHG.

NET VOL

+0,76% +1,15% +0,73% +0,70% -0,14% +1,22% +0,36% +0,59% +0,73% +0,66% -0,21% +0,37% -0,31% +0,64% +0,73% +0,47% +0,52% +0,99% +0,76% +0,27% +1,39% -0,05% +0,13% -1,25% -1,62% -1,75% -1,75% +0,03% +0,56% -2,15% -0,91% +0,30% +1,77% +0,57% +0,95% +0,79% +0,46% +0,41% +0,63% +0,67% +0,47% +0,30% +3,40% +0,12% -0,21% +0,98% +1,14% +0,31% -0,43% +0,71%

234,88K 7,15K 34,41K 55,63K 6,15M 22,01K 27,00K 94,59K 27,88K 404,66K 169,06K 4,33K 56,09K 12,83K 19,27K 17,43K 177,85K 64,59K 105,26K 89,82K 107,03K 176,50K 1,14M 81,79K 21,27K 28,67K 33,91K 22,14K 44,29K 2,14K 139,61K 3,41K 384,48K 15,26K 0,96K 12,59K 3,60K 3,14K 47,51K 3,22K 194,21K 47,50K 1,31M 239,16K 173,36K 12,57K 69,14K 145,08K 14,67K 45,01K

0.86492

1.15582 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.20101 Japan yen (JPY)......................................128.312 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.1014 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4361 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.345

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 1

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 176,41 2.081,51 3.146,14 227,04 127,79 224,39 219,76 102,05 45,92 49,90 264,91 329,92 261,62 206,22 120,74 62,88 159,32 150,50 208,25 72,38 236,94 137,65 124,29 217,54 718,43 334,65 55,36 216,63 131,37 194,98

CHANGE +1,35 +44,65 +53,21 +2,12 +6,53 +12,38 +3,88 +2,05 +1,05 +0,91 +7,29 +11,69 +3,28 +3,87 +1,81 +2,10 +0,86 +3,33 +2,11 -0,24 +4,56 +2,87 +0,76 +1,04 +42,93 +2,43 +0,06 +4,24 +1,45 +5,94

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) +0,77% 1,84M +2,19% 1,41M +1,72% 2,73M +0,94% 2,18M +5,39% 116,31M +5,84% 18,74M +1,80% 2,87M +2,05% 10,44M +2,34% 17,40M +1,86% 13,90M +2,83% 22,16M +3,67% 2,96M +1,27% 4,53M +1,91% 2,54M +1,52% 5,72M +3,46% 28,50M +0,54% 10,55M +2,26% 14,85M +1,02% 2,83M -0,33% 12,02M +1,96% 25,33M +2,13% 5,72M +0,62% 7,74M +0,48% 14,03M +6,36% 27,14M +0,73% 4,20M +0,11% 20,55M +2,00% 6,98M +1,12% 11,54M +3,14% 10,71M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 1

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+4.59% +1.72% +134.65% +2.36% +2.19% +2.86% +6.36% +5.43% +9.65% +4.27% +5.57%

756,422 2.73M 12.97M 1.30M 1.41M 25,647 27.14M 55,195 10.04M 768,038 1.77M

-46.35% -4.81% -1.06% -2.31% -0.34% -4.96% -4.25% -23.71% -2.82% -9.94% -54.88%

10.46M 15.80M 818,688 737,631 359,962 704,247 1.74M 434,298 795,568 1.06M 47.99M

Most Advanced MercadoLibre Inc. Amazon.com Inc. Morphic Holding Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Tesla Inc. First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A Zoom Video Communications Inc. MicroStrategy Inc. Lam Research Corp.

Most Declined Ontrak Inc. Airbnb Inc. Cl A CoStar Group Inc. Wix.com Ltd. Booking Holdings Inc. iRhythm Technologies Inc. Icon PLC BioVie Inc. SBA Communications Corp.

Denali Therapeutics Inc. Athenex Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Currency outlook: Pound storms to multi-year highs on economic optimism, euro pressured by slow vaccine rollout

LOOKING AHEAD: The euro looks set to remain sluggish in the coming month.

ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

Euro EUR/GBP: Down from £0.88 to £0.86 EUR/USD: Unchanged at $1.21 The euro remained on the back foot through much of February, as the mood to‐ wards the single currency continued to sour amidst concerns over the EU’s vaccination programme.

So far, the vaccine rollout in Europe has continued to lag well behind that of the UK and US. Alongside the stubbornly high infec‐ tion rate in places like France and Germany, which had delayed easing plans, EUR in‐ vestors have grown increasingly concerned about the trajectory of the Eurozone’s eco‐ nomic recovery.

However, in spite of this, recent EUR data releases have been largely robust, with the euro deriving some modest support from a rebound in Eurozone inflation, and stronger‐ than‐expected German GDP figures.

Looking ahead, the euro looks set to re‐ main sluggish in the coming month, so long as the EU’s vaccination drive continues to disap‐ point.

Pound GBP/EUR: Up from €1.12 to €1.16 GBP/USD: Up from $1.37 to $1.41 The pound enjoyed significant support in February, with Sterling outperforming other G10 currencies as it was turbocharged by hopes for a strong economic recovery in the UK in 2021.

This has been underpinned by the UK’s success in its vaccination rollout, and a steady fall in the infection rate over the past month.

Reinforcing this optimism was the unveil‐ ing of Boris Johnson’s roadmap for exiting lockdown. While the PM’s plan wasn’t as ag‐ gressive as some traders would have liked, his promise that things will be ‘incomparably bet‐ ter’ by the summer still cheered the pound.

Turning to March, the focus for GBP in‐ vestors at the start of the month will be on the publication of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget, which could send the pound even higher on the assumption that the Chancellor will extend the government’s fiscal support to protect jobs.

US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from £0.73 to £0.70 USD/EUR: Unchanged at €0.82 The US dollar has mostly moved in step with US Treasury yields in recent weeks, which has largely helped the currency curb its losses amidst a prevailing bullish trend, which may have otherwise driven the safe‐haven ‘Greenback’ sharply lower.

Driving bond yields to a one‐year high in February have been hopes for a strong re‐ bound in the US economy this year in re‐ sponse to growing optimism over the next round of US stimulus.

On the other hand, USD exchange rates have been tempered somewhat by a dovish Federal Reserve, which has signalled US mon‐ etary policy will remain accommodative for the foreseeable future.

Looking ahead, the US dollar could receive a boost in March if President Biden’s $1.9 tril‐ lion stimulus package is finally passed, on the hopes the included relief cheques could spur a sharp increase in consumer spending.

Currencies Direct have helped over 325,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your cur‐ rency transfers.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca.

Telephone UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com.

4 - 10 March 2021

EWN 29

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

Feeling uncomfortable in my own skin

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT THE thud of toys hurtled from the prams of the wokers, echoed throughout the land last week as common sense finally prevailed and the odious little would be terrorist Eee Bagum lost her appeal to return to the UK. Heaven only knows how much in fees the legal leeches have actually squeezed out of the British tax payer to fund her shenanigans, but given the result I feel it was almost worth it. Frankly, I never even believed the baby she professed to have birthed was anything more than a sympathy ploy. The woman who always appeared to stick to her like glue every time she paraded the child before the cameras was, I always felt, more likely to be the real Mother. The fact that after it had served its purpose the child mysteriously ‘died’ did nothing to change my opinion.

No doubt her lawyers and their woke partners will now be probing other methods of appeal and ‘uman right issues to further line their pockets of greed and

SCHOOL HEADMASTER: Not exactly what I would like to be influencing any of my children. naivety, after all there’s still another couple of hundred cowardly toe rags lining up to be ‘rehabilitated.’ Let ‘em all rot I say.

Perhaps that will deter others from taking the same bloodthirsty route.

Not only is the British culture being eroded, but our glorious English language is

also becoming a target for the conversation corrupting brigade. ‘TH’is no longer pronounced with the tongue between the teeth; which subsequently turns it into the ‘F’ or ‘V’ sound, and ‘G’ is also fast fading into ‘K’. Examples of this are Nuffink, Somefink and Bruvver. ‘T’s’ are also becoming

unpopular. People are now lookin’ for a be’’er life. Or wannin’ to ‘elp uvvers, and last year ITV welcomed us to ‘I’m a Celebri’y Get me Auht of ‘Ere’! Make yo’ll wanna give up dunnit?

This week a further example of British cultural erosion also came to my notice.

Howden Junior School in Yorkshire has decided to drop their House titles named after Admiral Nelson, Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh and rename them Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzi (the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban) and Joe Biden’s inauguration poet Amania Gorman!

Now I have nothing against tattoos, nor am I a prude, but the sight of the grinning bearded individual who instigated this ruling, photographed wearing jeans with his shirt sleeves rolled up to display a pair of ‘full sleeve’ tattooed arms, wasn’t exactly my idea of the school principal or headmaster I would like to be influencing any of my children! Even America is getting in on the act. Yale University is considering dropping William Shakespeare from its curriculum for being ‘too white’ and ‘too male’.

Now I believe in each to his own and everyone being equal but why am I, as a white heterosexual male beginning to feel uncomfortable in my own skin? Innit!

I’m enjoying the ‘battering’ Salmond is giving to Sturgeon at the moment. Caviar she most certainly aint ‐ oops, sorry ‐ isn’t!

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.

32 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Green funeral – return to nature

ENVIRONMENTAL concerns are on many people’s mind and that has led to a growing trend for sus‐ tainable and green funerals.

There are many ways we can reduce our impact on the environment, such as green burials, eco‐ friendly urns and caskets for cremation and options which are waste free.

Some of these options for going green, even af‐ ter death, can be as simple as sending digital invites to a funeral or memorial. Nowadays, with email and social media as options, there is no need for paper to be involved. This will save trees and lower funeral expenses.

Encourage others to be more environmentally friendly too by not printing the details.

At the funeral or memorial service, if you’re hav‐ ing a programme, you could include it in the same email or social media publication, or you could have a QR code made with the details which atten‐ dees can scan with their smartphone to access the details. For those who may not have access to a smartphone or not understand the technology, you can project the programme during the service.

There is also a growing tendency to avoid formaldehyde to preserve the body, such as dry ice, and products which are formaldehyde‐free and

use other alternatives such as iodine.

If you are thinking of giving token gifts to the at‐ tendees of the memorial and environmental issues are on your mind, then why not give the guests something which can have a positive effect on na‐ ture, this could be saplings or seed packets, and there are more novel options, such as blooming re‐ membrance cards and plantable thank you cards, which are recycled paper cards which contain seeds. They can be put into the ground, the card will decompose and the seeds will grow. Another beautiful and eco‐friendly option is biodegradable confetti: it is natural and dye free, and can also be

made from real, dry‐frozen petals or from other materials such as rice paper. This confetti is water‐soluble and non‐toxic.

Better‐known and increasingly popular green products for environmentally friendly funer‐ als are biodegradable cremation urns or caskets which naturally become one with nature over a short space of time.

When marking the passing of a loved one, if you are holding a celebration of their life, you may be thinking of offering food. This is another area where you can keep things green. Choose organic

foods produced in healthier ecosystems where the land, water and air are protected. It’s not only about the food. There are also organic beverages, including wine, sparkling wines and beers. Where possible, shop locally and buy seasonal products which haven’t travelled for miles to get to you. It will be tastier and fresher and there will not have been so much energy used in storing and trans‐ porting it. Local products will often come with less packing, or will have minimal packaging.

When shopping for food, if you need to look further afield, also choose Fair Trade, this ensures that those who harvest and handle the goods have been ensured a proper wage and working conditions.

Don’t overdo the amount of food so that there will not be so much wasted, and try to choose options which won’t spoil so quickly. If there are any leftovers, hopefully you can compost them or make sure that you dispose of them ap‐ propriately.

As well as providing plantable gifts for those at‐ tending the memorial, another very popular option is to plant a tree for a loved one, if possible, plant it in a significant place where it can also be visited and tended to.

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

THURSDAY 4 MARCH

4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Ready, Steady, Cook The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Pooch Perfect Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance BBC News at Ten

4:30pm

4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:05pm 9:35pm 10:00pm

Ready, Steady, Cook The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Tommy Cooper at the BBC MasterChef EastEnders Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance

4:45pm

6:25pm 6:35pm 6:40pm 6:45pm 7:15pm 7:45pm 8:30pm 9:20pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Celebrity Mastermind Catchpoint The Wall Pointless Celebrities Casualty Line of Duty BBC News

8:45am 9:45am 1:00pm 1:30pm 3:10pm 5:15pm 6:15pm 9:15pm 10:00pm

3:20pm 4:35pm 5:35pm 5:50pm 5:55pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

FilmPlanes: Fire and Rescue Life in Colour BBC News BBC London News Weather Commonwealth Day Countryfile Life in Colour Antiques Roadshow Bloodlands BBC News

4:45pm

3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

Moving On Escape to the Country Ready, Steady, Cook The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News Panorama EastEnders Would I Lie to You? MasterChef

5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 8:50pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

Escape to the Country Ready, Steady, Cook The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City Island Medics Caroline Aherne at the BBC

4:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Escape to the Country Ready, Steady, Cook The Bidding Room Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News Party Political Broadcast The One Show The Bidding Room The Repair Shop Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance

4:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

11:00pm

FRIDAY 5 MARCH

SATURDAY 6 MARCH

SUNDAY 7 MARCH

MONDAY 8 MARCH

TUESDAY 9 MARCH

WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH

5:15pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:45pm

11:00pm

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:25pm 11:55pm

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

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

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 10:35pm

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 Harry Potter: A History of Magic Your Garden Made Perfect

4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm

Tenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale The Martin Lewis Money Show: Live

4:00pm 5:00pm

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Natural World Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Athletics Raiders of the Lost Past with Janina Ramirez Later - with Jools Holland Newsnight

2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:30pm

ITV News London Judge Rinder Tenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Vera

4:00pm 5:00pm

Pooch Perfect Athletics Talking Pictures FilmThe Ipcress File FilmThe Cruel Sea Interior Design Masters Athletics Top of the Pops Dave Allen: the Immaculate Selection Dave Allen on Life

1:54pm 1:55pm 5:00pm 5:25pm 6:25pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 8:00pm

ITV London Weather ITV Racing Live You've Been Framed!

Tipping Point: Lucky Stars ITV News and Weather ITV News London Celebrity Catchphrase Ant and Dec‘s Saturday Night Take Away NewThe Voice UK ITV News and Weather

3:25pm 3:55pm 4:25pm

Athletics: European Championships My Unique B&B The Americas with Simon Reeve Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins The Ranganation Felix Dexter in Douglas Frankie Boyle's Tour of Scotland

2:25pm 2:39pm 2:40pm 4:25pm 5:30pm 5:50pm 6:00pm

4:20pm

7:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm

ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather Jurassic Park III Tipping Point: Lucky Stars ITV News and Weather ITV News London The Chase: Celebrity Special Dancing on Ice McDonald & Dodds ITV News and Weather

Royal Recipes Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B Mary Berry Everyday Mastermind Only Connect University Challenge Miss World 1970: Beauty Queens and Bedlam

3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm

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

4:00pm 5:00pm

Back in Time for...

The Wonder of Animals Royal Recipes Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure Interior Design Masters DNA Family Secrets

2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

ITV News London Judge Rinder Tenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale For the Love of Britain Million Pound Pawn

4:00pm 5:00pm

Back in Time for...

The Wonder of Animals Royal Recipes Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure Inside the Factory The Terror The Terror

3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:25pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

Judge Rinder Tenable ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London Party Political Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Britain's Busiest Airport Heathrow

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm

9:30pm 11:25pm

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

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

5:10pm 6:15pm 7:15pm 7:45pm 11:00pm

4:40pm 6:30pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

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

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm

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 Luxury Holidays: How to Get Away This Year Stand Up and Deliver

2:45pm 3:15pm

Neighbours A Gourmet Detective Mystery: Eat, Drink and Be Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Highland Vet This Week on the Farm

8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 3:00pm

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 Grayson's Art Club Gogglebox The Last Leg

5:00pm

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

9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 3:00pm

Four in a Bed Four in a Bed A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Grand Designs Location, Location, Location Channel 4 News The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Knight and Day

2:20pm 4:30pm 6:20pm 6:25pm

Me Before You Beethoven's 2nd 5 News Weekend Cruising with Jane McDonald Susan Calman's Grand Day Out Inside the World's Greatest Hotels Paul Burrell: Servant to Celebrity

8:00am 9:00am 10:00am

Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn A Place in the Sun Channel 4 News A New Life in the Sun: Road Trip The Great Pottery Throw Down The Great

12:40pm 1:10pm 1:35pm 2:00pm 4:30pm 6:40pm 8:55pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Friends Friends Friends Rio Lobo Dante's Peak Twister 5 News Weekend Million Pound Homes Rich House, Poor House Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun

10:00am

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

3:20pm 5:00pm

House of Deadly Secrets Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights Traffic Cops 22 Kids & Counting

10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm

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 Stand Up To Cancer The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer

3:20pm

FilmThe Beach Murders: Garage Sale Mystery Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight GPs: Behind Closed Doors Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly

8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm

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 Stand Up To Cancer Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it

3:15pm 5:00pm

Killer Reputation Cruising with Jane McDonald 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys Police Interceptors The Killing of James Bulger Countdown to Murder

8:00am 9:00am 11:05am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm

5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

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

8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

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

5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

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

6:30pm 9:00pm 12:00am

7:00pm 8:00pm 11:30pm

1:00pm 3:45pm 6:00pm 8:45pm 11:30pm 12:00am 1:00am

12:00pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 8:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 12:00am

11:00pm 12:00am

6:30pm 9:30pm 11:00pm

Total Goals Total Goals Total Goals The Football Show The Football Show Live PGA Tour Golf Live Pakistan Super League Live Premier League Live Premier League Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Live PGA Tour Golf Live Pakistan Super League The Women's Football Show Live EFL Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Live EFL Live Premier League Live Premier League Live Premier League Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Scottish Premiership Live Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live PGA Tour Golf LPGA Tour Golf Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Live: Good Morning Football Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live MNF Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Players Championship Live Golf Vodcast Sky Sports News Sky Sports News America's Cup Sailing The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Players Championship Live Live Premier League The Players Championship Live Sky Sports News

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

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

You have to laugh don’t you?

MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

Views of a Grumpy Old Man WHEN we purchased our first property here, over 20 years ago, we needed a Spanish bank account. To get a credit card I had to deposit the same amount as the credit limit. Although the bank has changed its name at least three times and rules and regulations are so different I’ve just left it there.

I got an email saying that they no longer need my money in a deposit account and would I like to put it in my current account or draw it out - basically it’s costing them money to have it there.

As going anywhere at the moment is an adventure I masked up and off I went.

I remember years ago if you turned up at a bank with a mask on they would press an alarm and the police would come and arrest you. Now the police come if you don’t have a mask! I turned up for my meeting bang on time but still had to wait ‘cos the geezer I was seeing was still at lunch which peed me off straightaway. It’s just rude!

He arrived and looked about 12 years

old. We go through the pleasantries and I told him I’d like to put the money in something that might earn some interest. He then hit me with this bombshell I have to complete a questionnaire to assess how able I am to understand what I’m being told about the risk.

He asks my level of education, do I have any degrees and what jobs I ’ve had. I explained I was expelled from school at 14, have no real education, have never had a job as I ’ve always worked for myself and I retired at 50 after selling the fourth largest chain of video shops in the UK. He was not impressed and informed me that the best I could look at was a risk between 1-5. I couldn’t look at the 6-10 options.

He tried to explain that this was all because people had been suing the bank because they hadn’t understood the risk.

After an hour I’d lost the will to live and chose the investment I thought was OK. After some more explaining, which by now I wasn’t even listening to; he told me I needed to sign some papers. I left the bank with 69 PAGES of documents and as of today’s date my savings have dropped €100. Have to laugh don’t you? e-mail: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

4 - 10 March 2021

EWN 35

36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

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

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urging its readers to sup‐ port local businesses in the community by going local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feed‐ ing online giants and su‐ perstores.

This lockdown and with M o t h e r ’ s D a y a n d Ea s t e r upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky independent busi‐ nesses in your area.

Due to the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic, you may have to support many local busi‐ nesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are un‐ able to get out due to health reasons or lockdown restrictions.

The joy of shopping lo‐ cal means that indepen‐ dent businesses can help support the local commu‐ nity.

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper else‐ where or online, consider where your money is ac‐ tually going.

By shopping at an inde‐ pendent 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 sup‐ port local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a fami‐ ly’s legacy, often passed

To advertise here contact us on:

951 386 161

4 - 10 March 2021

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

down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the generation before.

Fo r t h o s e s t o r e s w h i c h 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 inde ‐ pendent 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 communi‐ ty spirit and get to know our neighbours again.

You could also consider purchasing 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 lo‐ cal studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their ca‐ reer path.

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

Choosing to spend your money locally will really make a difference in the re‐ covery of the local econo‐ my. When we buy local, our money stays local, and it strengthens the local econ‐ omy 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 create locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees.

Data shows that local re‐ tailers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14 per cent for na‐ tional 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 produce and sells it to local cus‐ tomers. The farmer pays its

local employees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This ex‐ ample illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial founda‐ tion for our neighbours and communities.

Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportunities for people within our community.

Studies show, locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more em‐ ployees over time.

A fantastic example of how to support your local community is with a Chari‐ ty Gift certificate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause.

Just remember to follow the latest government ad‐ vice and any guidance busi‐ nesses have to keep every‐ one safe.

EWN 37

38 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

LIVE IN MALAGA AND TELEWORK

CONSULAR MATTERS

THE Malaga City Council has launched a project called ‘WorkBay’ within mu‐ nicipal actions to contribute to the economic reactivation of the city, as well as to attracting and retaining tal‐ ent and productive investment. The aim is to attract telecommuters from both within Spain and from other countries to the city.

The campaign includes, on the one hand, digital promotion actions, with the dissemination of audiovisual ma‐ terial on social networks, as well as the provision of a website where you can find out about the advisory services that are offered.

The project has a website, www.malagaworkbay.com, which of‐ fers information on services, trans‐ portation, accommodation, etc for the transfer of teleworkers to Malaga. It is available in different languages: Span‐ ish, English and German.

TELEWORKING: To attract telecommuters from other countries too.

Those in charge of the Investors Of‐ fice will attend to all the queries re‐ ceived by this channel and will adapt the services to the effective demands of professionals interested in tele‐ working from Malaga.

Malaga WorkBay is based on the experience that many teleworkers have brought to the city that stands out for the qualities that Malaga has such as quality of life, communica‐ tions, international schools, the multi‐

culturalism of the city, the productive fabric and, above all, the open charac‐ ter of the people of Malaga. The British market despite Brexit is one of the priority markets in this project.

‘Malaga WorkBay’ makes different services available to teleworkers to help them develop their business from Malaga. On the one hand, infor‐ mation is provided on the coworking spaces managed by the municipal company Promálaga.

These facilities are located in the centre of Malaga and in the Technolo‐ gy Park, offering different spaces for teleworking, as well as meeting rooms and complementary services. All Malaga coworking sites that want to join the project will be able to do so, thus completing the offer of spaces that the city has.

Likewise, the Investor Office of the Malaga City Council will assist and ad‐ vise all those who want to establish themselves in Malaga and will pro‐ mote synergies with companies of dif‐ ferent nationalities and with local brands.

The ‘softlanding’ services that will be offered are related to the search for a place to work or for meetings, search for a school, as well as all those information and advisory services on the procedures related to arrival in our city.

It should also be noted that within the framework of ‘Malaga WorkBay’ we are working with tourist housing entities and other types of establish‐ ments in order to make a battery of

homes and spaces available to tele‐ workers to facilitate your move to the city.

This initiative is open to adding oth‐ er establishments in the productive fabric of Malaga that consider that this customer profile could be interesting for their activity, thus reorienting their market and diversifying the offer.

I was born in Malaga and I have had my law office, Just Law Spanish Solicitors here for some 30 years in addition to being the Danish Consul for Andalucia. I also have considerable experience of company formation here in Spain. I am proud to say that Malaga is one of the best cities in the world to live in, since in addition to the climate it has a variety of interna‐ tional schools, as well as a good health system, proximity to airports, the cost of housing and the low crime rate. So these have been some of the qualities that have recently led the prestigious American magazine Forbes to place Malaga among the top 20 cities in the world where to live, invest and work.

Marisa Moreno Castillo Lawyer and Consul for Denmark • www.justlawsolicitors.com • contact@justlawsolicitors.com

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

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

39

TIME OUT

TIME OUT

40

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

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

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

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

41

TIME OUT

TIME OUT

42

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

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

44 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

FEATURE

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.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

DEPRESSION: There are things you can do yourself to help boost your mood.

MASSAGE: Makes you feel good.

GIVING a massage will not only make your partner feel good, but it will make you feel pretty good too.

That’s according to researchers who got couples to spend 15 minutes giving their partner a massage two or three times a week. They found that couples who did this showed significant improvements in their well‐being, stress and relationship satis‐ faction.

The study, which involved 38 couples, reports those who gave the massage felt around 9 per cent better overall, compared to 12 per cent for those who received the massage. It measured their mental well‐being during a three‐week course where they were taught massage skills and three weeks after it had finished.

Nine out of 10 couples in the study said they would recom‐ mend mutual massage.

EWN 45

Boosting your mood simply and easily DESPITE the seemingly endless sun‐ shine, sand and sangria lifestyle we can benefit from by living in Spain, ev‐ eryone feels down from time to time, no matter how much the sun shines.

Whilst it is a natural part of life, sometimes these feelings can get stronger and last longer, leading to more serious bouts of de‐ pression.

It can be difficult for people to accept that they are de‐ pressed, and studies have shown that many peo‐ ple, es‐

Mutual massage is good for both of you

4 - 10 March 2021

pecially men, will try and hide their symptoms rather than address their feelings.

More serious symptoms of depres‐ sion can be continual feelings of sad‐ ness, guilt, worthlessness and fatigue as well as weight loss, persistent aches or pains and insomnia and anyone suffering from these should seek med‐ ical advice, but there are things you can do yourself to help boost your mood.

Go for a walk. Numerous research has been done over the years which shows that exercise can lift your mood. Even just a short walk outside in the fresh air can make you feel more positive.

Get some light. Natural, outdoor light not only helps regulate the body’s rhythm which aids sleep, it

also provides vitamin D. Without enough vitamin D in the body it can lead to feelings of tiredness and de‐ pression.

No more sugar. Although the sugar rush from chocolate and sweets can give us an immediate mood boost, this can also lead to a later crash and low blood sugar can contribute to feeling down which then leads to a vi‐ cious cycle as it can make you crave sweet snacks.

St John’s Wort. This traditional herbal remedy has been used for cen‐ turies to lift mood and some studies have shown in people with mild to moderate depression it is just as effec‐ tive as anti‐depressants.

Try yoga. Weekly yoga classes have been shown to reduce depression in the largest study of its kind, with symptoms being reduced by half.

However, the US researchers said the biggest results were seen after six months of classes, so it is maybe not a quick fix.

46 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

By Clinica Britannia

Gut Dysbiosis THERE are trillions of harmless bacteria living in our Gastroin‐ testinal tract (GI) called micro‐ biota, which while living in har‐ mony have a positive effect on our health. If the GI is invaded by harmful bacteria an imbal‐ ance called Dysbiosis is caused, having a knock‐on effect to our well‐being.

Some common symptoms of Dysbiosis are diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, con‐ stipation, excessive gas, nausea, fatigue, and halitosis. Food sen‐ sitivities to gluten, sugar, eggs, soy, corn, nuts, and dairy amongst others are often some of the common trigger foods.

Unlike a food allergy where the reaction usually occurs with‐ in minutes, the symptoms can be delayed for a few days after ingesting the trigger food. An

Stability - A scary concept for someone with Bipolar MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED

example of this is a gluten or peanut sensitivity.

People who suffer food sen‐ sitivities can go a lifetime with‐ out ever knowing they have one due to delayed reaction times and symptoms that often mirror common ailments of cer‐ tain immune diseases.

Dysbiosis can also be the root

cause of seemingly unrelated disorders such as hormone im‐ balance, autoimmune disease, joint aches and pains, weight, and inflammatory disorders.

Take a simple blood or stool test to help diagnose if you suf‐ fer with food sensitivities or al‐ lergies or have an imbalance of bacteria in your gut.

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

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

HEALTH & BEAUTY

STABILITY is still such a scary thing for me.

The mood swings feel scary, being out of control, the explosive outbursts of crying and periods where every little thing made me feel irritable and agitated.

But there comes a time - where I am stable and being stable scares me even more!

I’m pretty open about having bipolar disorder, but it’s not something that I bring up frequently. The past few years have been a cycle of happiness, fun and fast highs followed by crashing, ugly, dark lows, with little grey area in between.

Lately, I’ve felt as though something was wrong with me. I haven’t been flying and I haven’t been crashing. I’ve been suspended in mid-air. It’s kind of boring here (because the highs can be fun, even if they are destructive), but I’ve come to realise this weird feeling is stability. I’ve realised this is most likely how the average person without a mood disorder functions on a daily basis.

I also realised that I’ve been taking my medication regularly, which was something I used

to struggle with, I’d self medicate when feeling low, thinking an extra two pills here and there wouldn’t make a difference, I have now not had a drink since October 25 last year, not one single drop of alcohol!

Stepping into this new stability is like walking outside to fresh air after being locked up inside all day. It’s like being afraid of flying and finally landing after a long flight. It’s something beautiful that I didn’t even know existed in the first place. Like I said, at times it feels boring.

I’m not constantly worrying, going from one place to another or writing at four in the morning. I’m also not staying in bed for hours on end, spending my days crying or wishing that I just won’t wake up.

While I know I’ll always experience ups and downs as a natural part of life and having a mood disorder, I think I’ll stay in this land of stability for awhile, or I’d like to think I will be able to.

There will always be a part of me that waits for the next crash, the next fall, but for now I’m going to enjoy this new feeling. STABILITY Love Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

Be gentle to keep your brain sharp WANT to stay sharp during your retirement in Spain? Then book into a tai‐chi or yoga class as re‐ search has found that gentle ex‐ ercise can help boost the brain power of the over 50’s.

Experts in Australia said they found that doing a 45‐minute ses‐ sion at least once a week helped to improve cognitive skills such as thinking, attention and memory.

Other activities such as gentle aer‐ obic activities like swimming and resistance training, are also beneficial, but it was the an‐ cient Chinese art of tai‐chi that was found to be particu‐ larly helpful as it was easier for older people to undertake.

It is estimated that around 200 million in China people prac‐ tise the gentle sport daily as the slow exercises and movements help build muscle and bone, improve balance and strengthen joints. It also requires concentra‐ tion, which could

be one of the reasons it helps brain health.

The team of researchers, from the University of Canberra, stud‐ ied and assessed 39 published studies that tested the impact of exercise on the brain health of those aged over 50.

They found ‘physical exercise significantly improved cognitive function in adults older than 50 years.’

GENTLE EXERCISE: Can improve cognitive skills.

Get checked out for safer sport activity WE all think we must par‐ take in lots of physical activi‐ ty to remain fit and healthy, but there are risk factors in‐ volved, such as sudden death syndrome, which can arise during everything from football to running marathons.

The Sports Medicine Unit of HLA Clinica Vistahermosa in Alicante said sport is syn‐ onymous with health and in recent years recreational sports has increased, but said it should not be forgot‐ ten that competitive sport is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular com‐ plications such as myocar‐ dial infarction or sudden death in susceptible individ‐ uals.

The clinic recommends those due to embark on an increased fitness regime or take up physical sports, should undergo a medical assessment first.

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

MODERN GLOBAL COMMUNITY Dear Sir, Whilst this newspaper has almost become a necessity for a lot of British readers with its informative content, I am sure many others like myself are tiring of the continuous rants week after week in Leapy Lee’s column. He has stated previously about complaints that he is not racist but I’m afraid his weekly comments prove otherwise, why can’t he just accept that everyone everywhere is now part of a global community, he seems to be stuck in a time warp on the kind of comments that were in use 50 years ago.

As an example of togetherness I have watched TV soaps like Eastenders for donkey’s years, in the words of Clark Gable I don’t give a damn, it doesn’t matter in the slightest who the characters are, what colour they are, where they come from, they are all part of a modern UK global community who are trying to do their best to be a part of and it’s Leapy Lee and I’m afraid many like him in their ideology that are the problem, just let these people get on with their lives. I would just like to make one comment on the BLM movement though, if they made one mistake it was the use of the letter B, it would have been more meaningful to have chosen the letter A to represent that All lives matter, by labelling it Black it has played into the hands of the racists brigade.

Yours Ramon Osborne, Los Alcazares

Dear Leapy Do you think it is right that Spanish banks should be deducting money from our little state pensions? This must be illegal. They seem to be doing all they can to punish the British people. Let’s see what happens and we all get fed up and go home. Enough is enough. We have been bullied by those Brussels bullies for over four years. We do not need this lot to replace them. What do you think, you always talk a lot of sense.

Regards Mrs J Blakeley

CHARGES CHANGE In response to Jean Girad concerning the above. My bank has also charged for a transfer, but it appears that the UK State Pension and UK Teachers Pension are exempt from charges. Or the bank have not charged for Jan or Feb, hope it lasts.

Martin Carter, Malaga

BENJAMIN GEORGE It was great to see a bigger and brighter newspaper once again with more news and ads ... hopefully a sign of things to come.

Better days ahead

CORRECTIONS

It looks as though Spain is getting back on the right road again - with a record number of UK tourists already booking their summer holidays.

I wholeheartedly agree with Benjamin George who has developed a passionate love for his adopted country, its people and its way of life.

Having lived in several places in Spain, I know exactly how he feels.

My wife Margaret and I just can’t wait to come back to our favourite country . . . and if there is any editorial work for me, all the better!

David Anderson

NAIL ON THE HEAD Dear Leapy, Nail on the head, squarely struck. ‘Leapy says it where others wouldn’t’ :-) Best wishes to you, keep on doing the hard work. A good few of my friends are ‘Keeping the faith.’

Simon Briscoe

‘WE ONLY WANT TOURISTS’

PENSION PROBLEM

THERE have been so many conflicting opinions about the return of tourists to Spain that it is very difficult to plan ahead.

The fact is however that it appears that there is a genuine light at the end of the tunnel for all of those who have suffered so much from lockdown in the UK and lack of visitors in Spain.

Restaurants in many of the tourist areas are opening again (although sadly every region has seen closures and businesses failing), but those who have come through the last year can at least hope that 2021 will be

From our Facebook

Hi, As a further update to the lack of work opportunities for ‘Brits’ in Europe, I have received this quote from my son, from a director of a recruiting agency ‘This position is only open to people who can work in the EU without the need of a visa.’

This tells me that as a British citizen who has the ability to work in Europe but can’t, that he will need a visa to work in Europe.

I’m guessing those Brexiteers didn’t have a clue what effect it would make to thousands of people’s lives and subsequently causing them to lose their jobs indefinitely within Europe.

I keep getting told by various UK people who are residents of Spain that why don’t you go back to where you came from, we don’t need you here, we only want tourists.

As far as the supposed trade deal that the UK and Europe came to some agreement on, that’s also affecting thousands of businesses both those that sell products from the UK in Spain and those hauliers that can’t bring anything into Europe. There are a lot of supermarkets here in Spain that have empty shelves and I would assume the same as elsewhere in Europe.

It may seem everything is fine on the UK side, but Europe is going to run out of space in their waste dumps soon.

Yours sincerely, Mrs V Henderson

OUR VIEW

that much better.

The most important thing that should inspire confidence is the level of vaccinations which take place over the next few months.

It is clear that after seeming to be completely bemused and ineffectual, the British Government has finally got itself in the forefront of vaccinations and assuming that the medical opinion is correct and these inoculations will save lives, then British travellers should be ready to leave the UK again by the end of June, although the curfew and hospitality opening times will

have to be seriously reviewed.

Spain is not faring so well as it hasn’t been able to get hold of the volume of vaccine that the UK has, even though the population here is so much smaller, but unless there is an unexpected further spike in infection, the country should be ready to welcome tourists back and see the economy start to respond, albeit slowly.

Mental health has been a problem, but once we are all able to get out and about on a regular basis then people should start to feel less depressed, so let’s look forward with hope and confidence.

Kim Price Considering when she was last interviewed and asked about Daesh, she still did not denounce nor condemn what they’ve done or stand for! That would suggest that she’s still a massive threat to having Semtex strapped to her and her causing huge loss of life here.

Derek Bates Never, there are probably enough hiding in this country already.

Brenda Finney NO. Where is she getting the money from to fight the case???

David McAllister Absolutely not, but what will happen to all the empty barracks?

Margaret Rushworth No more tax payers’ money should be spent on this person. No top lawyer should agree to take her case. No she should not be allowed back in. She gave up her birth right to being British when she made her decision.

Chris Shelley Palmer Surely if she came back she would be charged and put in prison, why bother. She is not an innocent young girl and nobody should treat her that way.

Tracey Parkes How many bloody appeals does she need!

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

PETS

50

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

SPONSORED BY

Are you taking your Covid puppy for longer walks now?

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 next year’s 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‐ day. House‐sitters see your advert, they re‐

Finding the right care for puppies is important. 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 subscrip‐ tion to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa

Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either 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.

Fluff, fleas and fertility AT this time of year, cats will be shedding hair like there’s no tomorrow and this process repeats itself in autumn as well as spring. There are ways to reduce the amount of hair that accumulates in your home, by brushing your cat’s coat on a daily basis.

When the days get longer, female cats’ hormones are stimulated and they come into heat, getting pregnant as young as five to six months of age. Male cats become fer‐ tile around the same time. It’s a good idea to get your cat spayed or neutered. It helps to keep numbers down, re‐ duces transmission of disease, and keeps them closer to home, rather than fighting in the streets.

The warmer weather encourages fleas, so it’s wise to protect your cat, even before the weather changes. The garden and outside areas can be dangerous to your cat, so make sure that fertilisers, pesticides and chemicals are put away. If an area has been sprayed with toxic material, then it’s best to keep the cat away until it has lost its po‐ tency. Plants could also be a danger, including lilies, tulips, lily of the valley and azaleas.

Like humans, pets can also suffer with allergies, so look out for excessive scratching, hair loss and skin rashes. Vac‐ cinations are also very important for your cat. If, in any doubt, always consult your vet, especially if they are dis‐ playing unusual behaviour.

Pine Caterpillars BETWEEN the months of Febru‐ ary to April the processionaries (pine caterpillars) migrate from their nests (bags) in the pines to their burial area to form the chrysalis that will give rise to the butterflies at the end of sum‐ mer.

The fact that they are in pro‐

cession on the ground attracts dogs, least of all cats. The hairs released by caterpillars contain a capsule with a toxin called ‘tau‐ matopein.’

Hair in contact with the skin or mucous membranes of dogs re‐ leases the toxin causing severe inflammation, generally on the

Advertising Feature face, lips, mouth and tongue, in these cases causing the dog to scratch his face and salivation.

If the contact with the toxin has been intense, it can cause se‐ vere necrosis and infection of the tissues with loss, for example, of part of the tongue. Sometimes it can cause severe laryngeal ede‐ ma that can even lead to death.

Eye injuries can also occur.

This can happen not only by getting close to the caterpillars but also by the release of hairs in‐ to the environment from the bags of the pines by the wind.

If you live near pine trees or af‐ ter a walk near a pine forest and you observe these symptoms in your dog, if possible wash your dog’s mouth thoroughly with water. Do it with gloves as there may be hairs without releasing the toxin yet and that can cause irritation of your hands and arms.

In any case, go immediately to the vet for the appropriate treat‐ ment.

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

SERVICES

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

AIR CONDITIONING

CHIMNEY SERVICES

REMOVALS & STORAGE

POOLS

PLUMBERS

EWN 51

52 EWN

4 - 10 March 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

PLUMBERS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

MOTORING

SOLAR ENERGY

SERVICES

SERVICES

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

TV & SATELLITE

TV & SATELLITE

EWN 53

CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS

APP REPAIRS WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call BlueSky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (WhatsApp) (290860)

BUY & SELL PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

CAMPING

CARE HOME

www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly Spanish speakers for interpreter service, and car owners. Tel President 607 387 040, Welfare 607 386 964, Interpreters 607 385 842, Equipment 663 495 396. We are an English speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis, we also organise social events for members. We meet every Thursday at 10.30 in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm. It is opposite the Foietes Car Park where there is a Wednesday market. Everyone welcome. It is 400m from Benidorm tram station and on bus routes 1 and 8. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis.

(288658)

CLUBS/SOCIETIES

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

ELECTRICIAN

El Campello Christian Community Evangelical Church Life and Family Sunday Service in English at 10.00 a.m. and a Spanish Service at 11.45am. C / San Bartolomé 35 bajo, No.6 campellocc@gmail.com www.elcampellochristiancom munity.org For more information call Juan Zuniga – 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 63 94 26 (English) THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10:30 am Followed by a time of Fellowship Everyone is welcome. Come as you are!

For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmer er@hotmail.com, www.cen trosaron.com (10008)

GOLD WANTED

MB ELECTRICS. Approved electrician. Any electrical repair. Iberdrola paperwork. Affordable prices.

Miquel 655 282 175 www.mbelectrics.es (288732)

FOR SALE/WANTED WANTED 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 MISTER Fix-It handyman, available in Jalon Valley area, hourly rates, 657 189 519 (290302)

4 - 10 March 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbey gateinsure.com (2887610)

SITUATIONS VACANT Blue Square Real Estate is currently searching for property sales agents from Denia to Gandia area and Inland. Please email hr@blue-square.com your CV (291470)

LEGAL

HEALTH & BEAUTY CHIROPODIST/PODIATRIST, Philip Mann, clinics in Benissa, Moraira, Javea, Calpe and Albir. 686 912 307 (282699)

www.iurisunited.net Lawyers. Tax advice and bookkeeping. All Gestoria Services. Experts in Brexit and Residence Permits. NIE Numbers. FREE 1st.consultation.

Ask Oliver. Tel: 606 051 000 info@iurisunited.net (291473)

METAL WORKS

NEED YOUR PETS TAKEN CARE OF? Not kennels, just a friendly home. Large fenced area. 699 790 080 Altea (288697)

SUPPORT for a better present and happier future. Call Tanya, Counsellor/Psychologist 634 354 892 www.feel goodcs.com (291137)

WWW.WIGS-R—US.ES Indoor Market Rincon de Loix, Benidorm. Monday-Saturday 10-3. We also have Scrunchies, Extensions, Ponytails. Catalogue orders.

Private appointments after 3pm. 681 049 502 (290625)

PLUMBING

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

MOTORING

INSURANCE FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686116297 (WHATS APP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsurancein spain.com or email tracey@sosinsurancein spain.com (290495) BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes.

Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@bene ficialinsuranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuran ceinspain.com for online quote. (290871) MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now!

(200726)

STRUCTURAL SURVEYS P&H Painting Services over 25 years experience.

Calpe and surrounding area.

Call 676 178 347 for your FREE no obligation quotation

PETS

COUNSELLING

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

COMPUTERS

CHARITY

54

RIGHT PLUMBER - plumbing & drainage for a honest, affordable, professional service call 656 303 236 (288474)

PROPERTTY PROPERTY WANTED RETIRED couple looking for long term rental in La Marina Baixa – prefer two beds.

Needed urgently – call Janice on 0044 7736 251 800

MARK PADDON BSc Hons.

MCIOB, CAAT - LOCKDOWN REMOTE WHATSAPP VIDEO ADVICE available for reduced fee Tel: 653 733 066 / 962 807 247 www.costablancasurvey ors.com (288711)

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

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

WANTED

REMOVALS/STORAGE

AUTO BASTIAN mobile mechanic. Tel 608 860 725.

(290725) 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.fwreu rocars.com info@fwreurocars. com (291355) WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance.

Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market.

For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

PAINTERS/DECORATORS DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator. Established 35 years in Moraira. ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (290369)

KLF TRANSPORT REMOVALS AND STORAGE. VAN GOING TO ENGLAND AND BACK TO SPAIN. SPACE AVAILABLE BOTH WAYS. ALSO, LOCAL REMOVALS FROM A SINGLE ITEM TO FULL HOUSE. TEL: 604 129 344 (290323) BENIDORM and surrounding areas. Two-man removal. 678 067 163 (289675) TRANSCONE TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS Fortnightly collection & deliveries to & from UK. All areas covered from Alicante to Valencia. Tel. 603 307 962, (0044) 7925 553625 Email aaronrichards88@live.co.uk (290322)

REFURBISHMENT REFURBISHMENT We specialise in refurbishing homes and restaurants. For more information please visit us on www.muxasari.com/english/ or Tel: 687 070 164

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

XXX RELAXATION Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section.

Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing.

READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.

XXX VARIOUS VIAGRA / KAMAGRA / CIALIS. BEST PRICES. FREE DISCREET DELIVERY. ALL AREAS COVERED. TEL: PETER 644 139 274 (291419) MALE/FEMALE viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order.

604 385 476. viagra4you19@ gmail.com

MOTORING

www.euroweeklynews.com

4 - 10 March 2021

EWN 55

Hyundai Kona Hybrid - making eco sense ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack M OT O R I N G tastes have changed and so many buy‐ ers now want versatile transport that caters for the commute, the school run and weekend activities. If you don’t fall for the charms of a larger SUV then crossovers such as Hyundai’s Kona make per‐ fect sense.

The Kona looks modern, stylish and rather smart, during my time with the car it drew many admiring com‐ ments and glances. With its pronounced arches, slim, elongated headlamps and dominant grille it’s a thor‐ oughly contemporary look.

Starting prices for the range begin at €24,345 (£21,060) with mild hybrid technology but the full‐fat hybrids start from €27,455 (£23,750), there’s a full elec‐ tric range too. My choice was the full fat hybrid which is powered by a 1.6‐litre

four‐cylinder petrol engine aided by an electric motor in the conventional hybrid mode we’re used to these days. It’s a combination that provides eco benefits with‐ out the range compromise with many EVs. The Kona is a class act and its interior generally has a quality feel and is well spec‐ ified. My mid‐range Premi‐ um version at €30,691 (£26,550) comes with pow‐ ered and heated seats, heat‐ ed steering wheel, head‐up display, smart cruise con‐ trol, privacy glass, climate, powered and heated door mirrors, auto lights and wipers, navigation and a de‐ cent sound system with An‐ droid Auto and Apple Car Play.

On the road the hybrid combination works well with the six‐speed dual clutch auto gearbox and progress is both smooth and refined. Not always the case with dual clutch gear‐ boxes. A slightly higher seating position and decent

seat and steering adjust‐ ment means most people should find a comfortable driving position. Add in all that kit which comes as standard and the Kona is a nice place to be whether for the commute, school

run or weekend jaunts.

There’s good interior space and a sensibly sized boot despite those hybrid batteries, which in some cars can lead to restricted space. It’s an easy drive thanks to that auto gearbox,

smart cruise control and nicely weighted steering.

The ride comfort is good but unless you choose the new Kona N this isn’t a thrash it round the country lanes kind of car.

Hyundai is an increasingly

stylish range even with their more ordinary cars that buy‐ ers of mere transport would look to buy. The company has upped the game as far as hybrid and electric cars are concerned and the Kona is a fine example.

SPORT

56

4 - 10 March 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

Europa League 2021 Round Of 16 Draw Is Made THE Europa League 2021 draw for the round of 16 was made at the HQ of UEFA in Nyon, Switzerland.

As always, the matches will be played over two legs at home and away, but due to coronavirus restrictions, some teams might have to play their home tie in a sta‐ dium in another country.

The first legs of the round of 16 will be played on Thursday, March 11 and the second legs will be played on Thursday, March 18.

UEFA will draw the quar‐ ter‐final and semi‐final ties on the same day this season, scheduled for March 19, and the final will take place in Poland at the Stadion Miejs‐ ki in Gdansk on Wednesday, May 26.

Manchester United were drawn against AC Milan in the most high‐profile tie of the draw, which could see Zlatan Ibrahimovic back at Old Trafford again.

Arsenal, who beat Benfica

in the last round, face the side who eliminated them from the competition last season in Olympiakos, while AS Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk, Champions League regulars in recent seasons will play one another.

Elsewhere, Jose Mourin‐ ho’s Tottenham Hotspur, who breezed through the last round 8‐1 on aggregate, face Dinamo Zagreb, while Slavia Prague’s prize for eliminating Leicester City is a clash with runaway Scottish Premiership leaders, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.

Granada and Molde, who produced arguably the two most impressive results in the round of 32 in eliminat‐ ing Napoli and Hoffenheim respectively, face each other in the round of 16.

Elsewhere, Ajax are up against Young Boys of Switzerland, while former Champions League semifi‐ nalists Dynamo Kyiv and Spain's Villarreal face off.

Rivaldo Urges Lionel Messi To Sign For Man City BARCELONA’S legendary Brazilian superstar, the great Rivaldo, has urged Lionel Messi to make the summer move to Manch‐ ester City when his contract expires.

The Argentinian star has been linked with a move to the Pre‐ mier League leaders throughout the season, having expressed a desire to leave last summer, and it is thought that he will defi‐ nitely leave at the end of this season, with few clubs able to af‐ ford to take him, especially since the pandemic caused so much financial hardship among football clubs around the world.

Speaking to Betfair, the Barca hero said, “Pep Guardiola has one of the best squads in Europe and Manchester City are in in‐ credible form right now after 19 consecutive wins, jumping to a 10‐point lead in the league and taking a solid step forward in Eu‐ rope this week.”

He continued, “City are a very rich club and that allows them to sign the best players in the world. For that reason, they would be a very solid destination for Lionel Messi if he leaves Barcelona.”

Adding, “Mix the great moment of form they’re going through with the fact that Guardiola has already coached Messi with huge success, and it’s clear that the English club would become even stronger with the Argentinian star on their ranks. In fact, with Messi, they would be the favourite to win any competition.”