Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 4 - 10 March 2021 Issue 1861

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The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1861

4 - 10 March 2021

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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LUCKY THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN Almeria Province towns will have a share in a Diputacion allocation of €5.4 million.

Alboloduy, Alhabia, Alhama de Almeria, Almeria, Arboleas, Balanegra, Garrucha, Huecija, Pechina, Turre, Tabernas, Velez-Rubio and Vera will all see improvements to infrastructure and services, the provincial council announced.

The Diputacion gave the goahead at the corporation’s last meeting which has assigned €5.407 million to this project, together with another €1.4 million approved last September and will benefit roads and the water supply amongst other im-

will be used to update infrastructure and level up services while creating jobs and wealth,” Gimenez declared.

Neither were there any political divisions, as all Diputacion members from all parties gave their unanimous backing to the projects.

The councillors gave the goahead at the same meeting for

BETTER LIVING: Diputacion packages bring improvements to smaller municipalities. provements to 18 Almeria municipalities.

The cash has arrived via the Diputacion’s Planes Provinciales and Planes Extraordinarios that are allowing the provincial council to forge ahead in reach-

ing its targets for equal opportunities and halting depopulation in the smaller municipalities.

Fernando Gimenez, Diputacion councillor responsible for the President’s Office congratulated the provincial council’s

Public Works department for the speed with which it has handled the Extraordinary Investment Plans and Provincial Plans.

“They have pushed through and processed €6.9 million that

Support Local Commerce THE PSOE of Albox has asked the town hall to support local commerce.

The global coronavirus pandemic has hit many Spanish towns hard but in the recent third wave Albox has been one of the hardest hit, as local businesses and ‘non-essential’ activities were forced to close over the space of several weeks.

The Socialist party have called on Albox’s Town Council and in particular the Department of

Commerce to help local businesses. They asked them to create special initiatives in the hope of boosting local commerce after the economic issues that many businesses have faced during the recent weeks.

The Socialist party recalled that last November they designed ‘a proposal so the budget that had not been spent on the Albox Fair which could not be held - would be used to boost local commerce and support the most needy resi-

dents.’ They said unfortunately this proposal “was not heeded and fell directly into oblivion.”

Many local municipalities including Húercal-Overa, Vera, Olula del Río and Tíjola are being helped by local councils, and the PSOE believes the same should occur in Albox.

They highlighted the fact that, “We, the people of Alboja, are the first ones who have to support our neighbours and show solidarity, but we believe the town hall

should lead this initiative and set an example, allocating specific resources.” They have also offered to collaborate in designing any such initiatives.

the Diputacion’s 2021 Plan Cultural with an increased €5.4 million budget and backing for Almeria culture professionals while promoting the province’s historic patrimony and intangible heritage.

Nor has sport been left out, with plans to provide installations and services in all the province’s municipalities.

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JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ TERUEL criticised de‐ lays in confirming when work would start on Torrecardenas hospital’s new Outpa‐ tients department.

Speaking during the last session of Andalucia’s regional parliament, Sanchez Teruel, who is secretary general of the PSOE socialist party in Almeria and a regional MP, recalled that the Outpatients’ project was one of the pre‐

‘Outpatients department delayed’ claim vious Junta’s projects.

The present regional government’s pre‐ decessors had taken the first steps towards constructing an 8,000‐square metre Out‐ patients department by putting the project out to tender in 2018, Sanchez Teruel said.

Instead, with the change of regional

government in 2019, the contract was can‐ celled and the Junta announced a new ten‐ der.

Consequently, the new process will be delayed by at least two years, Sanchez Teruel complained.

“It is not even clear whether the Health

Drones do some work MOJACAR’S Local Police and Bomberos de Lev‐ ante organised a course on handling drones for Local Police forces and firefighters.

Amended regulations for using drones came into effect on January 1 this year and the first section of the recent course ‐ also attended by other police forces and fire brigades ‐ centred on studying and analysing the new rules.

The second part focused on flying the drones in situations commonly encountered by police

POLICE recovered nine prize‐ winning linnets stolen last month in Almeria City.

The songbirds were located after a bird‐owner reported that 26 linnets worth €9,000 had been stolen from his home in the Alquian district.

or firefighters that included assisting in all types of emergencies and searching for missing per‐ sons.

Mojacar’s Local Police were the first in Alme‐ ria Province to operate a drone unit and 12 offi‐ cers now possess licences to pilot drones after completing a demanding course that required a working knowledge of aeronautics, terminology, use of radios and control tower communica‐ tions.

Bird theft solved Police immediately linked their disappearance to a simi‐ lar robbery reported in a near‐ by street and subsequent in‐

vestigations led them to a sole suspect with an extensive po‐ lice record. He admitted steal‐ ing the linnets and returned nine of them, still in their cages, to their rightful owners, but confessed that he had sold all the others.

department has drafted a new project or ‘is about to do so’ in a bid to give credibility to the tender’s announced date,” he said.

“The Outpatients’ department will not be built during this legislative term,” the politician warned. “And neither will Roquetas hospital,” he predicted.

A diplomatic meeting THE central government’s sub‐delegate to Almeria recently re‐ ceived Guinea‐Bissau’s ambassador to Spain, Abel Coelho Men‐ doça.

The ambassador, the most senior member of Guinea‐Bissau’s diplomatic mission to Spain, signed the Sub‐Delegation’s Book of Honour and received a plaque from Manuel de la Fuente Arias recognising the excellent relations between both countries.

At present a third of the 4,551 Guinea Bissau’s residents in Spain live in Almeria.

Thirty‐one per cent are located in Roquetas de Mar, El Ejido (30.6 per cent) and Vicar (10.3 per cent). The majority are employed in the agricultural sector and almost three‐quarters are male.

During his visit, the ambassador was keen to learn more about Almeria Province’s intensive agricultural methods and expressed his hopes that local firms might in the future develop organic agriculture projects in Guinea‐Bissau.

He also explained that Guinea‐Bissau’s president Umaru Sissoco Embalo, elected last year on a reformist platform, has high hopes that immigrant workers will be able to return to their own country once the economic situation improved.

At present Guinea‐Bissau is ranked 169 out of 185 in worldwide GDP per capita listings.

NEWS

Archaeological

Boom A FEW weeks ago in Vera, remnants of pottery and a masonry wall were discov‐ ered along with bones. The Cerro del Espíritu Santo de Ve‐ ra, is home to the ancient me‐ dieval city of Bayra where all the discoveries were made.

Macael has its own site, Macael Viejo which has been worked on for around four years, and Mojacar too has an archaeological site, where the remnants of an ancient city have been discovered.

Interest has grown in ar‐ chaeological sites recently, the ultimate aim though has to be to turn them into viable tourist attractions.

The Pilar de Jaravia geode in Pulpi and its gypsum crys‐ tals are a good example. The unique Geode has so far at‐ tracted over 50,000 visitors, with town mayor, Juan Pedro García, saying “It could have been twice as many or more if this pandemic had not ar‐ rived.”

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NIBS EXTRA Open again WATER has returned to the fountains and network of ornamental channels at the Alcazaba in Almeria City following two months of work to put the circuit in working order once more. The fortified monument of Moorish origin reopened last month and can be visited every day except Monday.

New lighting MOJACAR Town Hall’s Energy Efficiency will spend €656,631 on new streetlighting to reduce bills, greenhouse gas emissions and light pollution. Ninety-five per cent of the funding will come from Spain’s Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDEA) and the Diputacion, with the town hall contributing the remainder.

Stolen pallets THE Guardia Civil arrested a Viator resident following a twomonth investigation into the theft of 90 wooden pallets worth €1,080 from a Vicar shopping centre. After keeping watch, officers linked the thefts to a hired van habitually seen when the pallets disappeared, later identifying and arresting the driver.

Pedal on UNTIL March 7, Adra’s Local Police are paying special attention to cyclists in the town centre and on the outskirts, reminding cyclists of the importance of helmets and reflective clothing.

Police are also examining their bikes, ensuring that they pose a danger neither to owners nor other road users.

RTVE chief ALMERIA-born Jose Manuel Perez Tornero was named as the future president of the stateowned broadcaster Radio Television Española. Perez-Tornero is a journalist, a professor at the University Autonomous of Barcelona and a UNESCO adviser as well as an EU consultant on audio-visual public services and digital literacy.

Good taste SERON ham recently figured in the popular Boom quiz show, shown each weekday evening on Antena 3. Contestants who had to identify Spanish towns with the Protected Geographical Identification (IGP) label unhesitatingly named Seron, along with Mallorca, famous for its sobrasada, and Cantimpalos which is known for chorizo.

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Boutique hotel for Rodalquilar NIJAR Town Hall is processing an application to build a boutique hotel in Rodalquilar in the Cabo de Gata national park.

Its eight rooms, lounge, terrace and swimming pool that cover an area of 315.45 square metres will be partly built on the 163.10 square metre site of ‘pre-existing constructions.’

An old water deposit, ac-

cording to the plans, will be converted into a swimming pool.

“The project aspires to meet growing demand for this type of installation in the summer and the winter, taking advantage of Almeria’s mild climate,” maintained sources quoted in the local Spanish press.

The proposed hotel located on the El Playazo road will oc-

cupy specially-protected nonbuilding land which, according to the national park’s environmental regulations, is zoned for ‘agricultural crops.’

The project, according to the Spanish press, was admitted for processing at the December 30 council meeting after several modifications required by the environmental authorities.

Province assists Friendly gesture convalescent from Los Amigos therapy RICHARD WOOD and Malcolm Armstrong, ALMERIA residents have donated more hyperimmune plasma to treat Covid‐19 patients than any others in Andalucia.

Statistics recently released by An‐ dalucia’s Transfusion Medicine net‐ work revealed that 310 Almeria pa‐ tients who had recovered from Covid‐19 gave plasma last year.

A total of 602 Andalucia patients, of whom three came from Almeria, received plasma in ‘convalescent therapy’ in 2020.

The treatment involves selecting moderately infected patients in an early phase of Covid‐19 and admin‐ istering plasma from donors after their recovery from the coron‐ avirus.

In absence of a known cure for Covid‐19 the world’s leading hospi‐ tals have turned to plasma therapy, a procedure that has already been used successfully in other pan‐ demics.

CUEVAS DEL ALMANZORA will celebrate International Wom‐ en’s Day next Monday, March 8, with a programme in‐ evitably influenced by the pan‐ demic.

Social Welfare and Equality councillor Melchora Caparros outlined social media and on‐ line initiatives that included the ‘Mujer tenia que ser…’ (It had

both members of FC Los Amigos Walking Football Club, recently presented a €250 do‐ nation to the mayor of Turre, Martin Morales Fuentes.

The Los Amigos members explained that the donation, which was made in apprecia‐ tion of being allowed to use the facilities at Turre football ground, would be given to the town’s Proteccion Civil organisation.

Also present was Marisa Freeman, the lo‐ cal Proteccion Civil fundraiser.

Photo : Los Amigos Walking Football Club

NEWS

DONATION: L/R Richard Wood, Martin Morales Fuentes, Malcolm Armstrong, and Marisa Freeman.

Defence shot down in flames ANDALUCIA’S Upper Court of Justice (TSJA) upheld a Berja man’s four‐year sentence for deliberately starting a forest fire in 2019.

Although flames consumed only 2,100 square metres of woodland, the fire was in danger of spreading to nearby houses and required urgent action by 30 firefighters and a firefighting aircraft.

The accused, nicknamed El Tallo, must al‐ so pay a fine of €6 per day for 20 months, the TSJA confirmed, rejecting his defence lawyer’s claims that the fire was in fact caused by the witness who gave evidence against his client.

The tribunal dismissed the lawyer’s argu‐ ment as “nothing more than wild specula‐ tion lacking the merest scintilla of evidence” without producing “information or ele‐ ments” capable of calling the sentence into question.

The court also pointed out that the wit‐ ness would been ‘an utter imbecile’ to have started a fire in a zone adjoining his own cor‐ ral with chickens that later died in the blaze.

No going back for equality to be a woman…) campaign fo‐ cusing on the important role of Andalucia’s women.

There will also be a competi‐ tion for pupils in their last two years of primary school enti‐ tled ‘Las profesiones no tienen genero: que te gustaria ser de

ADRA restaurateurs intend to apply for direct aid via the recently‐announced Plan Diego Garcia.

The Diputacion provincial council’s scheme, which provides direct aid for Almeria’s cafés, bars and restaurants, al‐ so aims to promote locally‐grown fruit, vegetables and other items.

Applications can now be made for the Diputacion grants ranging from €2,000 to €5,000 with the proviso that a certain amount is spent on Almeria Province pro‐ duce.

Plans are now on public display and construction is expected to take 18 months to complete once work begins at the site.

The developers maintained that the hotel was of ‘public use and social interest,’ pointing out that tourism is a principal source of income for Cabo de Gata and the adjoining area.

mayor?’ (Professions don’t have a gender: what do you want to be when you grow up?).

As it does each year, a ban‐ ner on the town hall balcony will declare ‘En igualdad ni un paso atras’ (No going back for

equality), Caparros an‐ nounced.

The councillor explained that the local government had set itself the fundamental aim of working towards “real and effective” equality.

“Equality involves us all,” the councillor declared, calling for involvement from all mem‐ bers of Cuevas’ population.

Easing a difficult situation Adra’s mayor Manuel Cortes, accom‐ panied by the town hall’s Economic De‐ velopment and Commerce councillors, recently spoke online to the Diputacion president, Javier Aureliano Garcia, thank‐ ing him for the initiative.

“This aid is so necessary for our bar and restaurant owners whose finances were depleted when businesses were closed to prevent the spread of Covid‐

19,” Cortes said.

The Diputacion initiative would ease the sector’s difficult situation, Adra’s mayor said.

“Meanwhile, the town hall will contin‐ ue to pitch in to help a sector which, as well as being synonymous with employ‐ ment, is an important part of our tourist offer linked to Adra’s gastronomic tradi‐ tions.”

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Wastewater plant agreement MOJACAR Town Hall recently called an extraordinary plenary meeting whose agenda includ‐ ed approving the new wastew‐ ater treatment plant (EDAR).

This can now be built thanks to an agreement between the regional government’s Sustain‐ able Development department and the town halls of Bedar, Los Gallardos, Garrucha, Mojacar and Turre.

The EDAR wastewater treat‐ ment plant has been a long‐ standing request and work should have commenced in 2007. Instead, this did not begin until the new Junta de Andalu‐ cia made it a priority to guaran‐ tee viable main drainage for Almeria’s Levante towns, Mo‐ jacar’s mayor Rosmari Cano said.

The €24,189,531 project’s ba‐ sic objective is guaranteeing ad‐ equate water management while providing the area with modern infrastructure capable of dealing with an ever‐increas‐ ing population that is expected to reach 53,800 by 2036, Cano added.

Flood defence THE central government will spend more than €9 million on providing defences for the Bajo Almanzora desalination plant.

The installation was put out of action by the floods of 2012 and the protection project will be the first step towards a total rehabili‐ tation that will eventually permit the plant to provide water for domestic consumption and crop irrigation.

At the same time, the Carbon‐ eras desalination plant will be made more energy‐efficient, Almeria senator Antonio Mar‐ tinez revealed, following a meet‐ ing with the central govern‐ ment’s Environment minister Teresa Ribera.

Also under discussion were the €23 million that Madrid will spend on channelling the Adra, Antas and Rambla de Charcones rivers to prevent a repetition of the disastrous floods which have occurred in the past during peri‐ ods of torrential rain.

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NEWS

‘Top 100’ Women Leaders

Juan Carlos Pays His Bill

TWO businesswomen based in Almeria are candidates for the ‘Top 100’ Women lead‐ ers in Spain. Both Pilar Martínez‐Cosentino, execu‐ tive vice‐president of the Cosentino Group, and Rosario Martín, president of La Unión Corp are in the run‐ ning for the prestigious awards.

The ranking was first cre‐ ated in 2011 by Mujeres&cia with the aim of recognising and making visible notable women in their fields.

Final rankings will be de‐ cided by a panel of experts along with public votes, and votes are open until March 16. This year in the first week alone around 30,000 mem‐ bers of the public voted.

FORMER Spanish King Juan Carlos, who fled the country in August 2020 and went into self-imposed exile amid a raft of tax scandals, has paid close to €4.4 million to Spain’s tax authorities in a bid to settle his undeclared income. According to officials, the disgraced former monarch reportedly paid €678,000 in interest and fines back in December.

According to his lawyer, the latest tax bill is for “several travel expenses and other services” related to Zagatka, a Liechtenstein-based private foundation owned by the former king’s cousin, Alvaro de Orleans.

While Juan Carlos continues to be investigated by the Spanish and Swiss authorities, under Spanish law, if he pays back what is owed he will be exonerated of any crime.

Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son, King Felipe, who is Spain’s current monarch, and has been residing in the United Arab Emirates ever since.

The two women from Almeria are taking part in the businesswomen category along with other names such as Isabel García Bardón, president of Fuerte Hoteles;

María José Soriano, CEO of Porcelanosa; Juana Roig, dig‐ ital director of Mercadona; Lourdes Gullón, president of Galletas Gullón and Marisol Turró, founder of Sercotel.

Almeria’s Richest People BOTH Manuel Lao and Francisco Martínez Cosentino from Almeria have again been listed as being among the richest 200 people in Spain in the El Mundo newspaper annual rich list.

In the highest Almeria ranking comes Manuel Lao Hernández in 37th place, followed by president of Cosentino Group, Fran‐ cisco Martínez Cosentino‐Justo who is in 85th place.

Lao is the ex‐owner of Cirsa, and has been seen in the rich list for many years. He sold Cirsa, which was the first betting com‐ pany created Spain in 2018, for a staggering 2,560 million. This has kept Lao in the top 40 for many years.

The rich list is calculated using both published and official da‐ ta and is based on the net worth of the companies. It uses the Mercantile Register along with the CNMV and the European registers to calculate the fortunes.

Radiotherapy Renovation THE Torrecárdenas University Hospital has been able to finish the renovation of three radiotherapy units, for cancer treat‐ ment. The renovation was listed by the hospital as one of the highest priorities for 2021.

The renovation consisted of the replacement of one of the oldest linear accelerators that the hospital uses. A new bunker was also constructed and later in the year the bunker will be‐ come home to new state‐of‐the‐art cancer fighting technolo‐ gy. The improvements were made possible by a donation made by the Amancio Ortega Foundation, which awarded €40 million to the Andalucian Health Service (SAS), and Almeria was lucky enough to receive €4 million.

The new technology means that the Almeria hospital has at its disposal state‐of‐the‐art technology to help improve sur‐ vival rates and the quality of life of patients with cancer.

Firefighters in Quarantine SIX Almeria firefighters are in quarantine after rescuing an infected woman from a horrific car crash where the car somersaulted several times after crashing through a guardrail and leaving the road.

The six firefighters will have to remain in preventative self‐isolation after they made a heroic rescue where a woman had suffered serious injuries in an accident. The accident occurred heading towards the Cabo de Gata on the AL‐3115 road at Ruescas.

Due to the seriousness of the accident she was admitted to the Torrecárdenas hospital in Almeria where she later tested positive for the potentially deadly coronavirus.

Members of the rescue team will now have to remain in quarantine due to the possibility that they were infected when they rescued the woman from the vehicle.

€500 Low THE number of €500 notes in circulation was reported in January this year to be 17.98 million, the lowest since February 2002.

According to the Bank of Spain all the €500 notes in circulation in January amount to €8.9 billion, 1.4 per cent less than the previous month and 15.7 per cent less than a year earlier.

The European Central Bank agreed in May 2016 to stop producing €500 notes and they stopped being issued by the Bank of Spain in January 2019. However, they are still legal tender and will maintain their value indefinitely.

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Equality Demand 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.

Non-EU travel ban SPAIN’S central government has extended a ban on non-essential travel to countries outside the EU until March 31.

The announcement, which will see non-essential trips to outside the EU banned for another month, also sees current controls over

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 ani-

the border between Spain and Portugal will also be extended until March 16.

In other parts of the country, Andalucia has extended restrictions on mobility between provinces and on opening hours of commercial and hospitality sectors until March 5.

Puppy Problem mals 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.”

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

From March 1, some €336 million will be distributed, after €43 million was already paid out to staff in April “in recogni‐ tion of the commitment and extraordinary effort shown dur‐ ing the beginning of the health crisis that the country is expe‐ riencing.”

Sharing profits is part of a pioneering new HR strategy, in‐ cluding a five‐day work week to ensure a good work‐life bal‐ ance for employees.

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 recovery 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.

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.

Hopes raised 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 government 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

New energy labelling Appliances can be sold with the old la‐ bel 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 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

the new labelling.

The new labels have been launched without any device classified in class A, to allow room for improvement and the higher categories are not saturated, like before.

Online Increase 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.

10 per cent deported DEPORTATIONS of illegal immigrants in 2020 ac‐ counted for less than 10 per cent of the arrivals.

Between January 1 and December 3, 2020, 37,213 immigrants 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 controls, has had a decisive impact on the figures, as for several months, it has been impossible to deport people.

Several countries have agreements in place for repatriation of illegal immigrants.

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Unicaja And Liberbank Merger 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.

EU Speeds up Vaccine Drive

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.

Agreement reached.

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 Or‐ ganisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), the av‐ erage bill fell by 21 per cent from €70 to €55.

The OCU says the price of electricity fell for those who have a regulated rate contract, and that the re‐ duction was explained by a “return to normality in energy prices, left behind by the strong rises in Jan‐

uary coinciding with the storm.”

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

For the rest of the consumers, their bill will de‐ pend on the type of contract 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 International, have seen reservations sky‐ rocket for the summer season

by British tourists to around 90 per cent.

The de‐escalation announce‐

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ment has strongly encouraged hotel reservations from the United Kingdom, which as of February 25 are well above those made on the same dates in 2020.

“The months with the high‐ est demand so far are Septem‐ ber, followed by August, Octo‐ ber, July, June and May, coinciding with the times when it is estimated that herd immu‐ nity will be expanded in Eu‐ rope and normalising the situa‐ tion,” added a source from Meliá.

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

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.

A C C O R D I N G to new research, the EU may be able to vaccinate 75 per cent of adults by the end of August, two months earlier than previously thought.

New supply agree‐ ments and increased production has meant the EU may now be able to speed up their rollout, according to London‐based re‐ search firm Airfinity Ltd. Jacob F Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Eco‐ nomics, told one publi‐ cation: “The onus in my opinion is on mem‐ ber states to prove that they can manage a rapidly accelerating roll out.”

Spain has already adjusted its vaccina‐ tion programme in an effort to be able to roll out more doses, an‐ nouncing they will on‐ ly give one dose of vaccines to those who have previously had the virus.

Politicians are now calling on Spain’s cen‐ tral government to en‐ sure enough vaccines arrive.

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Cabify joins WiBLE SPANISH App Cabify has come to an agreement to of‐ fer the car‐sharing services of WiBLE on their platform.

WiBLE’s fleet of hybrid cars in Madrid will be available to users of Cabify in a per‐ minute rental system.

WiBLE hope the partner‐ ship will help reduce the use of private vehicles and free space on the roads. Cabify already has the option of electric scooters and motor‐ bikes through App MOVO, bikes via subscription ser‐ vice Bive, and parcel deliv‐ ery services.

Patient Portal

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

So far 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 seen nearly two million medical records downloaded too. Users can access their medical history, see diagnostic test results, and book appointments, all from home.

2% Refusal THE Health Ministry has announced that so far only 2 per cent of Spaniards offered the Covid‐19 vaccine have refused to take it, including people un‐ able to have it for medical reasons. According to senior health official Silvia Calzon, the data being seen is really positive said, “This demonstrates the ac‐ ceptance 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 people from priority groups including frontline medics, over 80s and nursing home residents and staff had received their first dose of the vaccine. Also only around 45,000 people had refused to be vaccinated.

4 - 10 March 2021

500 demo limit THE government will only allow fewer than 500 people for March 8 feminist movements and have given instructions 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 re‐ quirements as the maximum admissible for any rally.

In an interview on Onda Cero, government delegate in the Community of Madrid, Jose Manuel Franco, said, that so far, the requests re‐ ceived 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.

In 2019, March 8 concentrations reached

Protests of no more than 500. 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 throughout the country.

Police Reject AstraZeneca ACCORDING to media re‐ ports, the Confederation of Lo‐ cal and Autonomous Security has asked the government to stop giving the vaccine to Lo‐ cal Police, claiming the jab is less effective than others and that it causes side effects.

The organisation, represent‐

ing more than 100,000 local and regional police in Spain, are following the lead of the French, who discontinued use of the vaccine to police and health workers following re‐ ports of side effects.

Police claim the jab can cause strong flu symptoms, as

well as headaches and high fevers.

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

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€15 million fine for Spain SPAIN has been fined €15 mil‐ lion by the European Commis‐ sion (EC) for failing to incorpo‐ rate the data protection directive into law by two sep‐ arate deadlines, in May 2018 and March 2019.

Additionally, the govern‐ ment will be forced to pay €89,000 for each additional day the Spanish law isn’t amended to reflect the Euro‐ pean directive.

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

However, the EC didn’t ac‐ cept the excuse and insisted that the heavy daily sanctions reflect “the seriousness and duration of the infringe‐ ment.”

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

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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.

‘Romance Scam’ POLICE have arrested two women and one man for running an on‐ line dating scam posing as wealthy singletons and targeting victims on dating apps such as Tinder or oth‐ er social networking sites.

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

The Technological Crimes team found the scammers posed as se‐ nior executives in large multi‐na‐ tional organisations and spent months building relationships to ensure compliance. Just as they were scheduled to fly to Spain to meet their new online partner, they would fake an emergency, and ask their victim for money.

NEWS

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.

Winning Doll Collection THE GUARDIAN has praised Spanish toy maker Miniland for a collection of dolls with facial features typical of Down Syndrome, which was awarded ‘Best Toy of 2020’ by the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ).

The dolls are made in the

cradle of Spain’s toy indus‐ try, Onil in Alicante, and the collection of dolls was re‐ portedly 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‐re‐ ceived, as they are aimed at any child, not only for those with Down Syndrome, but they have been very popu‐ lar.

They aim to help children understand the value of co‐ existence through playing, promoting empathy and tol‐ erance.

Dolls have typical Down Syndrome facial features.

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EWN 13

Processionary threat Face masks in the car T H AU M E T O P O EA 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 coronavirus pandemic led to many usual treatments carried out to prevent the appearance of the caterpillars

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 com‐ pared to the €171 million profit of 2019, despite a reported deteriora‐ tion of assets generation in non‐ peninsular territories of €253 million.

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

being suspended, and restrictions on products used to control the caterpillars.

The caterpillars are covered in hairs which are extremely 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 ex-

cessive 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 announcement.

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

Tickets have been on sale since last summer, despite organis‐ ers 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 restrictions by the end of June, organisers are once again advertising tickets.

Headline acts confirmed include Stormzy, Disclosure, Liam Gal‐ lagher 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.

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 complying with the rules. If all the vehicle’s occupants 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 applies to anyone who has a medical exemption.

Fines can also be given if your removed mask is blocking driving visibility.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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NEWS

Creative Superhero Inspires Too ‘Fat’ For Jab Pandemic Ninis

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.

GONZALO: Suffered from severe hearing loss at birth.

“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.

“Some examples of what he

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 between 10 and 25 per cent particularly in the areas of fresh food such as vegeta‐ bles, 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 medium term do not benefit the sec‐ tor.”

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

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.

THE controversial results of a new Italian study suggest 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 antibod‐ ies as people of a ‘healthy’ weight.

The research is yet to be peer reviewed, and many other Covid ex‐ perts have claimed that the numbers look ‘suspi‐

ciously 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 Fisioter‐ apici Ospitalieri and their antibody levels af‐ ter seven days showed that people in the ‘nor‐ mal’ weight range had a blood antibody concen‐ t r a t i o n o f 3 2 5 . 8 c o m‐ pared with 167.1 for those in the overweight category.

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.

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 estudian ni trabajan) is calculat‐ ed based on data from the Ac‐ tive Population Survey, pub‐ lished 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.

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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.

Documents Network Dismantled THE National Police has dismantled a network operating in the Malaga and Cadiz provinces, that was offering for‐ eign citizens residence and work permits in exchange for money, issuing them with fake contracts and documents.

Investigations by the Unit Against Illegal and False Immi‐ gration Networks (Ucrif), discovered the existence of a per‐ fectly structured organisation made up of at least five peo‐ ple, three of whom were lawyers.

A statement from the National Police, said that the net‐ work charged the immigrants amounts ranging from €2,000 up to €4,500.

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

Women More Compliant A RECENT survey by the Data Science for Covid‐19 working group of the Generalitat Valenciana, has revealed that wom‐ en have suffered the greatest psychological impact from the pandemic but also, are better at complying with the restric‐ tions.

The study revealed that 90 per cent of women regularly dis‐ infect their hands compared with 85 per cent of men, and a higher percentage of females admit to adhering to mask‐wear‐ ing rules, avoiding group gatherings and limiting close contacts than their male counterparts. The longitudinal study was al‐ most 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).

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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.

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FEATURE

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

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urg‐ ing its readers to support local businesses in the community by going local through the lock‐ down and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super‐ stores.

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

Due to the Covid‐19 pandem‐ ic, you may have to support many local businesses by order‐ ing online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lockdown restrictions.

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

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or on‐ line, consider where your money

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

Many local stores support lo‐ cal charities, support and spon‐ sor local sports teams and in many cases the small indepen‐ dent stores are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s

legacy, often passed down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the generation be‐ fore.

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

4 - 10 March 2021

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

chains.

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

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

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

peace of mind through these dif‐ ficult times.

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

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

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

Money circulating through the local economy benefits everyone who is a part of each transaction.

For example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce.

First, they sell to a local restau‐

rant, which in turn prepares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employees and the restau‐ rant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbour‐ hood hardware store.

This example illustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and communi‐ ties.

Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportuni‐

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

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

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

EWN 23

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES 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

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.

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.

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

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Casa Colina Vista is on the edge of the pretty hamlet of El Palaces, Zurgena. To the front is a driveway for three cars. To the side is a private, part covered terrace which makes a fantastic place to eat, relax and enjoy the stunning views over the neighbouring lemon groves, countryside and distant hills.

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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 31

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

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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

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

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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

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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

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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

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Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B Harry Potter: A History of Magic Your Garden Made Perfect

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

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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

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

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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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4 - 10 March 2021

Mutual massage is good for both of you MASSAGE: Makes you feel good.

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

That’s according to re‐ searchers 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 im‐ provements in their well‐be‐ ing, stress and relationship satisfaction.

The study, which involved 38 couples, reports those who gave the massage felt around 9 per cent better overall, com‐ pared 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 fin‐ ished.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

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

PETS

44

www.euroweeklynews.com • 4 - 10 March 2021

SPONSORED BY

Are you taking your Covid puppy for longer walks now?

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Pine Fluff, fleas Caterpillars and fertility

B E T W E E N the months of February to April the pro‐ cessionaries (pine cater‐ pillars) migrate from their nests (bags) in the pines to their burial area to form the chrysalis that will give rise to the but‐ terflies at the end of sum‐ mer.

The fact that they are in procession on the ground attracts dogs, least of all cats. The hairs released by caterpillars contain a cap‐ sule with a toxin called ‘taumatopein.’

Hair in contact with the skin or mucous mem‐ branes of dogs releases the toxin causing severe inflammation, generally on the 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 severe necrosis

and infection of the tis‐ sues with loss, for exam‐ ple, of part of the tongue.

Sometimes it can cause se‐ vere laryngeal edema 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 into the environment from the bags of the pines by the wind.

If you live near pine trees or after a walk near a pine forest and you ob‐ serve these symptoms in your dog, if possible wash your dog’s mouth thor‐ oughly 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 immedi‐ ately to the vet for the ap‐ propriate treatment.

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 preg‐ nant as young as five to six months of age. Male cats become fertile around the same time. It’s a good idea to get your cat spayed or neutered. It helps to keep numbers down, reduces 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 potency. Plants could also be a dan‐ ger, including lilies, tulips, lily of the valley and aza‐ leas.

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

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Kona Hybrid - making eco sense MOTORING tastes have changed and so many buyers now want versatile transport that caters for the commute, the school run and weekend activi‐ ties. If you don’t fall for the charms of a larger SUV then crossovers such as Hyundai’s Kona make perfect sense.

The Kona looks modern, stylish and rather smart, during my time with the car it drew many admir‐ ing comments and glances. With its pronounced arches, slim, elon‐ gated headlamps and dominant grille it’s a thoroughly contempo‐ rary look.

Starting prices for the range be‐ gin at €24,345 (£21,060) with mild hybrid technology but the full‐fat hybrids start from €27,455 (£23,750), there’s a full electric range too. My choice was the full fat hybrid which is powered by a 1.6‐litre four‐cylinder petrol en‐ gine aided by an electric motor in the conventional hybrid mode we’re used to these days. It’s a combination that provides eco benefits without the range com‐ promise with many EVs. The Kona is a class act and its in‐ terior generally has a quality feel and is well specified. My mid‐

range Premium version at €30,691 (£26,550) comes with powered and heated seats, heat‐ ed steering wheel, head‐up dis‐ play, smart cruise control, privacy glass, climate, powered and heat‐ ed door mirrors, auto lights and wipers, navigation and a decent sound system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

On the road the hybrid combi‐ nation works well with the six‐ speed dual clutch auto gearbox and progress is both smooth and refined. Not always the case with dual clutch gearboxes. A slightly higher seating position and decent seat and steering adjustment means most people should find a comfortable driving position. Add in all that kit which comes as stan‐ dard 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 au‐ to 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 buyers 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.

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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.”