Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 11 - 17 March 2021 Issue 1862

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The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1862

11 - 17 March 2021

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATION

ALMERIA’S provincial council, the Diputacion, and the Junta de Andalucia are joining forces to combat climate change.

Diputacion president Javier Aureliano Garcia and Carmen Crespo, who heads the Junta’s Environment department, recently signed a collaboration agreement on behalf of both administrations.

The Diputacion and the regional government are now committed to working together on the Climate Change Plan that will eventually be required of every municipality in Andalucia.

Almeria’s Diputacion was the region’s first to sign up to the project, Crespo revealed.

“We have acted before the law required it,” she said,

JOINT AGREEMENT: The Junta and Diputacion will work together on combating climate change. adding that the Diputacion agreement put Almeria municipalities at an advantage by giving them more time to produce their plans.

There would also be eco-

nomic help from both the Junta and Diputacion to cover the cost of drafting the plans, the Environment chief said.

The head of the Environment department also emphasised

the region’s “vocation” of fighting climate change. “This is especially true of Almeria, which is affected to a considerable degree by this phenomenon,” Crespo said.

New enticement for filmmakers F I L M I N G A L M E R I A , the province’s film office, has launched Localizaciones 360 on its website.

Users can explore eight different Almeria locations suitable for all types of audio-visual projects in Macael, Bacares, El Ejido, Pulpi, Nijar and Tabernas, moving through 360 degrees.

More locations will be gradually added to complete a province-wide inventory

for national and international filmmakers.

The initiative is especially practical at the present time, eliminating the need for travel now that anti-Covid restrictions would otherwise prevent production companies from checking out locations first-hand, explained Manuel Guzman, the Diputacion’s councillor for Culture and Filmmaking.

“Localizaciones 360 is a landmark in promoting our

province as a natural film set for all kinds of audio-visual projects,” he said.

“It is a creation of enormous quality that has been carried out by Almeria experts, headed by Nico Fernandez and his company.

Because as well as its fantastic scenery, our magnificent professionals make Almeria so special for filmmaking,” Guzman added.

“They are in increasingly well-qualified and the de-

mand for them in the audiovisual sector continues to grow.”

Localizaciones 360 can be accessed on the www.filmin galmeria.es website.

“The great diversity of Almeria’s territory, which encompassed desert, coastal areas and mountains, made it the ideal province for making a start on the climate change action plans,” she continued.

“These will set out the guidelines that can put on the table the measures needed to make this fight a reality,” Crespo declared.

Thanking Crespo for this latest step that the Junta had taken on behalf of Almeria, Diputacion president Javier Aureliano Garcia declared that the province had progressed from being overlooked to occupying a prominent place on the Junta’s agenda.

“This has been translated into actions and projects that

benefit all Almeria residents,” Garcia said.

“Thanks to this agreement the Diputacion and the Junta can work with the province’s town halls, putting in place environmental initiatives that will combat climate change.”

This, Garcia said, would also involve town halls in projects that included environmental education, advising the business community and identifying new opportunities for Almeria Province companies.

The Diputacion president also stressed that Almeria was already known worldwide for using its natural resources in agriculture.

“An environmental conscience is part of Almeria’s DNA,” he declared.

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11 - 17 March 2021

Tourist Guide in Sign Language STUDENTS from the Alhadra Secondary School in Almeria have created a tourist guide of Almeria to help people with hearing disabilities get to know the area. Antonio Jiménez Ros‐ ales, the regional delegate of Education and Sport of the Jun‐ ta de Andalucia in Almeria along with head of the Educa‐ tional Planning Service, Matilde Romero visited IES Alhadra to

learn more about the project called ‘Almería in LSE.’ During the project students have created material for users of Spanish Sign Language (LSE) and the guide showcases Almeria in an inclusive manner.

Jiménez spoke about the project and explained how it “has a real impact on the lives of people with hearing disabili‐ ties, combining learning pro‐

cesses and community service in a single project.”

He also went on to say that, “this initiative launched by the teachers of Communicative Mediation of the IES Alhadra is perfectly articulated so that the students of this Dual Voca‐ tional Training are trained to work on the real needs of the environment with the aim of improving it.”

Employability programme ROQUETAS’ Municipal Information Centre for Women (CMIM) has a new service.

This is aimed at helping gender violence vic‐ tims enter the employment market, explained Maria Angeles Alcoba, Roquetas councillor re‐ sponsible for the Women’s Delegation.

“Owing to their situation of vulnerability they need specific and specialised attention outside the usual jobseekers’ services,” she said.

The new service, whose announcement was timed to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8, has received fund‐ ing from the central and regional govern‐ ments.

“The CMIM continues to make progress and

this service to improve gender violence vic‐ tims’ quality of life is a very important step forward,” the councillor said.

“The service focuses on improving their em‐ ployability as well as that of collectives who experience particular difficulty in finding jobs,” she continued.

“Our method is carried out with a pro‐ gramme of social and job‐related insertion that takes into account the specific needs of each woman.”

The programme also seeks to increase their self‐esteem and the self‐confidence that they need to take an active part in the process that will eventually help them to enter the employ‐ ment market.

NEWS

Walking amongst Nature HUERCAL-OVERA is the gate‐ way to Andalucia and is set be‐ tween the provinces of Murcia and Almeria. The town has a stunning variety of things to do and places to visit, amongst which there are plenty of activ‐ ities for people who enjoy na‐ ture.

The global coronavirus pan‐ demic has seen many people take to exercising away from indoor spaces and instead ex‐ ercise outdoors in order to en‐ joy the fresh air and hopefully stay safe. Huercal‐Overa has plenty of options for people’s leisure time.

For walkers looking for a gentle route they can take ad‐ vantage of the Via Verde which runs along Almanzora’s old railway. It also links the

Photo credit: Huercal-Overa town hall

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VIA VERDE: Huercal-Overa’s Green Route follows the old railway track town with the region of Mur‐ cia. The route is considered of low difficulty which makes it ideal for friends and family and young ones. The route runs for many kilometres and is suit‐ able for people with reduced mobility.

The Via Verde also known as the Greenway is home to many runners and cyclists too.

Hikers looking for a little more of a challenge can find many different hiking routes from the town and these in‐ clude the Ruta de los Encinares, the Subida al Cabezo de la Jara, the Sendero de Huércal‐La Vieja, the Sendero La Sierrecica, La Santa and the Minado‐Castillo de Huercal‐Overa.

Brothers Fake Car Theft All lit up TWO brothers are being investigated by Guardia Civil in Almeria after faking the theft of a car over fears of a reprimand from their father.

The brothers aged 17 and 20 decided after they had an acci‐ dent in Nijar without first getting their father’s permission to take the vehicle, that they would invent a story and pretend that car had been stolen.

The younger brother had been driving at the time of the inci‐ dent, but escaped uninjured.

The Guardia Civil were able to recover the car following an ex‐ tensive search operation, but found that it did not appear to have been tampered with. Documents found inside the car also corresponded to two men, who turned out to be the brothers.

A fine situation BETWEEN August 2020 and February 2021, Almeria Province police issued 15,800 fines for not wearing face masks or using them incorrectly.

According to Junta sources quoted in the provincial media, face mask flouters outnum‐ bered citizens fined for smok‐ ing in public places or failing to provide a valid excuse for ignor‐ ing the curfew.

By the end of last month, a total of 18,589 fines issued in Almeria Province for infringing anti‐Covid health and safety measures were referred to the Junta’s Health and Families de‐ partment.

The majority ‐ 9,532 ‐ came from the province’s municipal Local Police forces and the re‐ mainder from the National Po‐ lice and Guardia Civil.

Well-connected SONIA FERRER TESORO, an MP for Almeria, stressed the central gov‐ ernment’s commitment to closing the digital gap in rural areas.

Madrid has allocated €9.5 million to extend a broadband connection to more than 22,300 homes and commercial premises, Ferrer said.

“We intend to close the digital gap and provide equal opportunities for all, regardless of the locations where people live or where they work,” Ferrer said.

FLOODLIGHTING at the Castil‐ lo de Villaricos in Cuevas del Almanzora is in line for an in‐ ternational prize.

Also known as the Torre de Cristal (Glass Tower), El Castil‐ lo was built by Carlos II in the 18th to defend the Mediter‐ ranean coast against incur‐ sions by English privateers, the Turks and Barbary pi‐ rates.

Now it has been shortlist‐ ed by International Dar‐ cawards in its Low‐budget Ex‐ terior Illumination category and will be competing with designs from the UK, Italy, Russia, India and Australia amongst others.

He was “profoundly satis‐ fied” on learning that El Castillo was in the running for such an outstanding interna‐ tional award, Cuevas mayor Antonio Fernandez said.

“When we decided to illu‐ minate the monument we wanted to offer a night‐time tourist attraction and we’ve achieved that, without a doubt,” the mayor said.

The Villaricos project re‐ ceived funding from the re‐ gional government’s Energy Agency and the award win‐ ners, who will be chosen by lighting professionals in an online vote, will be an‐ nounced on April 29.

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NIBS EXTRA Unlicensed GUARDIA CIVIL officers who stopped a 55-year-old man out shooting partridge in Nijar found that he lacked both a hunting licence and a licence for the shotgun, which belonged to his brother. On identifying him, they also discovered that he was fined earlier for driving without a licence.

Still there BOTH belong to the Partido Popular party, but months of confrontation between Roquetas mayor Gabriel Amat and councillor Francisco Gutierrez finished with the latter leaving his post at the head of the Urban Development department.

He will retain his council seat but will only attend council and committee meetings.

Job done SPAIN’S rail operator Adif, has finally finished the three-year renovation of Almeria City’s unused 19th century railways station. The €2.51 million cost was met by the Ministry of Culture but the station’s future is undecided although city hall hopes to use the building for cultural or other purposes.

Never forget LA MOJONERA Town Hall will commemorate the babies born in the town during 2020 by planting a coppice of trees that will include a plaque with their names. Originally intended to mark their births in the pandemic year, the town hall hopes to continue the practice each year.

Big buy ALMERIA City Hall has informed Spain’s postal service Correos of its interest in buying its former main office building in the city centre. The Urban Development councillor announced that the acquisition had been given the go-ahead and both parties are planning to begin negotiations “in the weeks ahead.”

Busy road ADRA Town Hall will install a roundabout at the crossroads between Avenida Mediterraneo and Camino del Ingenio.

Describing this intersection as “conflictive,” Adra’s mayor said the €50,000 project, which is to be part-financed by the Diputacion provincial council, would improve traffic flow on the busy road.

SADLY, it is unlikely that the 10th anniversary of Arboleas’ Walk for Life cancer charity fundraiser will be possible.

Last year the six-kilometre Any Way challenge that replaced the Walk was a great success, raising over €6,000 and due to be repeated in 2021.

But it can still be done alone, with family and friends in small groups, walking, running, cycling, pushing a buggy, a

11 - 17 March 2021

Walk the Walk wheelchair, swimming or on a treadmill.

“You can even walk The Walk route,” the organisers said.

“Do it all at once or spread it out over several weeks, once a week or once every day for a week. You can do three or eight

Budget surplus put to good use VERA’S €5.5 million Budget surplus will be used for several major projects this year.

Alfonso Perez, the town hall’s Finance councillor, explained that this cash can be used thanks to a Cabinet decision ‐ later ratified by the Spanish parliament ‐ that allows local governments to use Budget surpluses for municipal projects during 2021.

This includes €200,000 in aid for the self‐employed and small businesses hit by the pandemic, particularly in the hospital‐ ity sector.

What amounts to a cash injection will also be used for a €1 million all‐purpose building in Avenida de las Naciones, re‐ modelling the town’s roads and renewing infrastructure.

Children’s playgrounds are to get a facelift, publicly‐owned Casas Palaciegas will be converted into municipal buildings while Vera’s beaches can look forward to cement walkways instead of the wooden versions that must be renewed each year.

ADRA residents who are dis‐ abled or lack transport are as‐ sured of getting their anti‐ Covid vaccinations.

“No Adra resident has so far missed a vaccination appoint‐ ment for lack of resources,” de‐ clared the town hall’s Health councillor Patricia Berenguel.

The severely disabled who cannot reach the vaccination

kilometres, as it really is up to you.”

The challenge entails doing the Walk between Saturday May 8 and Saturday July 3 and persuading friends and family to sponsor participants.

Sponsorship forms are available from the website

www.walk4lifearboleas.com or email w4lifesweet@btinternet. com.

“Let us know what your challenge is, and we will put you on our website and Facebook page,” the organisers said.

“Then let us know when you have completed it and we will tell everybody. A photo would be good,” they added, “But please observe current social distancing and lockdown rules.”

Change a dog’s world CHRISSIE CREMORE, committee member and acting vice‐president of the PAWS‐ PATAS animal shelter in Los Gallardos, re‐ cently contacted the Euro Weekly News.

Prompted by the paper’s Puppy prob‐ lem article about the notorious puppy mills, she felt she just had to comment.

“These puppy and kitten mills are ‘fac‐ tory style’ breeding facilities that put profit above their welfare,” Chrissie told us.

“They are housed in appalling condi‐ tions with improper medical care and are often very sick and behaviourally trou‐ bled as a result,” she continued.

“The mothers are kept in cages, bred over and over again for many years.

When no longer profitable, they are ei‐ ther killed, abandoned or sold at auc‐ tion.”

Chrissie is an animal lover who puts words into action at PAWS‐PATAS and explained that adopting from a shelter is far more transparent.

“I rescued my dog in the UK 10 years ago and she is adorable. I know many people who have rescued as well, and

Photo : LPAWS-PATAS

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ARTURO: He now has a forever home thanks to PAWS-PATAS. the dogs seem to know that they have been saved. They are so loving.”

“When you adopt you save an animal from existing in a shelter and you change its world.”

To learn more about PAWS‐PATAS, email dogs@paws‐patas.org or cats@paws‐patas.org. For details regard‐ ing adoption, volunteering or donating, visit their www.paws‐patas.org website.

Vaccination appointments kept centre receive the vaccine at home, the councillor said.

“If necessary, the Health de‐ partment has a service provided by the Red Cross, Social Services or Proteccion Civil to help those with difficulties or in a vulnera‐ ble situation get to the vaccina‐

tion centre,” Berenguel said.

She added that PSOE council‐ lor Teresa Piqueras, who had called for free taxis for pension‐ ers and the vulnerable, dis‐ played a “worrying” lack of in‐ formation regarding the vaccination process.

Help with bills APPROXIMATELY 260 Carboneras residents will receive financial help in paying household bills.

The town hall has set aside €161,607, a hefty increase on the €50,000 allocation in last year’s Budget that will provide maximum aid of €800 instead of €300.

Jose Luis Amerigo Fernandez, Carboneras mayor, explained that the local government wanted to assist those facing difficulties in pay‐ ing bills owing to the Covid‐19 crisis.

“Carboneras residents with the most problems can rest assured that they can count on the town hall to help them overcome this diffi‐ cult moment,” Amerigo said.

“We are using all possible resources to assist the municipality’s so‐ cial and economic recovery.”

Calling on her to “leave provocation aside,” Berenguel suggested that she could in‐ stead concern herself with ask‐ ing Spain’s government to send more vaccine doses and speed up the immunisation of Adra’s population.

New role for old theatre PLANS for a €258,973 rehabilitation of El Ejido’s former theatre have now been approved.

The building will be converted into a centre for cultural, social and youth‐orientated purposes, El Ejido mayor Francisco Gongora announced recently.

“This answers the town’s need for a multi‐purpose in‐ stallation that will help to reduce the digital divide with cultural, leisure and recreational activities,” Gongora said.

These would be principally directed at the young as well as other collectives and associations, he explained.

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Monumental Garden Whale MOJACAR resident’s monu‐ mental garden whale is aston‐ ishing in its own right, but it al‐ so hides a secret inside.

Bernardino Cortés Torres is an accomplished artist and spent his youth watching cetaceans in the Indian Ocean.

Bernardino began the creation of his whale in 2012 and at that point in time nobody would have been able to guess what he was planning for the future of his garden.

The life‐size whale that Bernardino has lovingly built in his garden in Mojacar has taken around nine years to complete.

Bernardino also known as Nino, will soon become an oc‐ togenarian and has recently finished painting his giant gar‐ den whale. The whale mea‐ sures in at a staggering 32 me‐ tres long, and he has created it all by himself with every drill, weld and bolt being placed by his own hands and using only recycled materials.

He explained how he has kept going with the project and said, “As I do it alone, I al‐ ternate it with other things because otherwise I run the risk of getting tired.”

Prawns on the menu again AFTER four weeks of biological standstill, the province’s fishing fleets can again bring in shellfish catches.

The obligatory recovery peri‐ od, which affected all of An‐ dalucia’s Mediterranean ports, involved 82 boats and 410 crew members, of whom 150 ‐ in‐ cluding boat‐owners and crews ‐ were based in Almeria Province.

The end of the obligatory close season was hardly notice‐ able during the first three days, owing to bad weather that kept boats in port.

But at last the local fishing sector is landing the prawns and crayfish that, once auc‐ tioned at harbourside fish mar‐ kets, are once again on the menu at the province’s bars and restaurants.

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11 - 17 March 2021

BA Plans Rapid Antigen Tests BRITISH AIRWAYS is offering discounted test kits from government-approved Covid-19 testing provider Qured, at an ‘exclusive’ price of £33 (€38.18).

Qured will deliver rapid antigen tests to travellers, who can take the kits with them to be used anywhere in the world. Following a video consultation with a health advisor, results will be available within 20 minutes and they will guide the customer through taking a nose and throat swab and processing the sample.

Verified results are available after 20 minutes, and the customer can download a ‘fit to fly’ certificate if the test is negative.

Qured said its test kits “remove uncertainty for customers who may be unsure how to source a pre-departure test while in a foreign country.”

BA customers have access to

SELF TESTING: The kit can be used anywhere. preferential rates with several Covid-19 testing providers offering a range of PCR, lamp, antibody and antigen testing options.

Before they fly, passengers due to fly on selected routes can upload their test results to the VeriFLY app - a mobile travel health passport. This will certify their test certificates before departure.

The app is currently available to those who are eligible to travel between London and the US and Canada. It is also available on all inbound routes to the UK with BA.

NEWS

‘Solidarity Challenge for Autism’ 2021

THE ‘Solidarity Challenge for Autism’ in Almeria will see cyclists taking in the views from 15 municipalities in the space of only 16 hours.

Both the Provincial Council and the City Council of Almeria have joined forces as part of the new ‘Solidarity Challenge for Autism 2021.’

The challenge will see six amateur cyclists pass through 15 municipalities in order to raise funds and promote projects from the Astea Autism Association of Almeria. This is the first time the challenge will take place in the province and the cyclists will cover over 320 km while they raise money.

The event is being supported by the sportswear brand Bioracer Spain, along with around 20 other companies. The non-stop race will see the amateur cyclists tackle nearly 6,000 m gain in altitude and over 300 km.

All necessary precautions will be taken and the event will start from the Mediterranean Games Stadium on April 2 at 5am. The route will take in views from many municipalities across Almeria and also the stunning views from the peaks of Alto de Velefique, Tetica de Bacares and Calar Alto in Almeria.

The amateur cyclists will be supported by a physiotherapist, and two assistance vehicles.

The provincial deputy for Social Welfare, Ángeles Martínez explained that, “this is a challenge that will give visibility to autism, will raise funds and will show the charms of the province of Almeria.”

Sevilla Oranges to Queen of England THE Real Alcazar in Sevilla, Eu‐ rope’s oldest functioning royal palace, has brought back the tradition of sending a crate of oranges to the Queen of Eng‐ land, a tradition, which was lost early in the 20th century, with the fruit then being used for marmalade for the Queen.

Hugh Elliott, the British am‐ bassador to Spain, said the fruit would be made into the marmalade in his residence.

He wrote a letter of thanks to the Alcazar’s direc‐

tor, Isabel Rodriguez.

In it he said the oranges were “enormously appreciat‐ ed” and the result would be “a blend of our cultures.”

Built in the 12th century, the Real Alcazar is surrounded by around 7,000 square me‐ tres of gardens with 1,053 or‐ ange trees and 39 lemon trees.

A specialised firm has al‐ ready begun the 2021 harvest, with a budget of €17,837.

Rodriguez told one publica‐

tion another official had told her about the lost tradition of sending Sevilla oranges to the British royals in 2019.

She added: “Last year we got in touch with the hon‐ orary consul in Sevilla, Joe Cooper, and we prepared a 20‐kilogram crate of oranges from our trees.

“This year, however, it was the consul in Sevilla who visit‐ ed us last week to pick them up and send them to Madrid once more.”

Caminito del Rey Reopens SPAIN’S famous attraction, El Caminito del Rey (the King’s Pathway), located in El Chorro, near Ardales in the province of Malaga, will reopen tomorrow, Friday, March 12, after a few weeks of forced closure, due to the mobility restrictions imposed by the authorities due to Covid-19.

The hanging walkways attached to the rocks of the Desfiladero de Los Gaitanes (Los Gaitanes Gorge) can once again be visited by nature lovers and thrill-seekers, walking on what in the past has been labelled ‘the world’s most dangerous walkway,’ pinned along the steep and sheer walls of the vertical gorge.

Tickets are currently on sale, through www.caminitodel rey.com enabling people to vis-

it this natural enclave until, so far, April 4, limiting the dates at the moment purely in the event that a new closure occurs, but the website gives full information about full refunds or changes of tickets in the event of any new closure.

For the time being the attraction will only be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with the exception of Easter (March 29 - April 4) where the facility will remain open every day, with the opening hours of 9am to 3pm daily, until March 28, and then after that date, extended from 9am til 4pm.

General admission is €10 per person, but there is the option of an English and Spanish-speaking tour guide for €18.

NEWS

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11 - 17 March 2021

Lorca Museum Celebrates

THE museum first opened its doors on March 7 in 1992 in what was a much awaited and

anticipated addition to the city of Lorca. The opening saw people gather in the Plaza de

First female president

THE Chamber of Barcelona has elected its first female president.

Mònica Roca has become the first woman to head the public law corporation, which has a 135 year history and has seen 32 presidents.

Roca was already acting president, but has secured her position ROCA: President. with 32 of the 42 votes cast, with candidate José María Torres receiving just four. There were six blank votes.

Roca has been acting president since December 14, 2020, after Joan Canadell made the leap into politics to join the candidacy of JxCat in the Catalan elections of February 14, obtaining a seat in Parliament. In the extraordinary plenary session held on Monday, March 8 - International Women’s Day - in the Chamber of Commerce, Jaume Aragall was also elected as a member of the executive committee, with 31 votes in favour and four blank.

In her speech, Roca said her objective as president will be to “influence” public administrations to legislate in favour of companies.

Don Juan Moreno. The museum was officially opened when the ribbon was cut by Carlos Collado Mena, the president of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia along with José Antonio Gallego López, the mayor of Lorca.

The museum is located in the centre of Lorca and the building dates from the late 16th to early 17th century. Lorca’s museum is home to 10 different rooms which take you through a fascinating journey of archaeology throughout history. The museum helps visitors travel ‘from the Palaeolithic through to the construction of Lorca Castle, including Romanisation,’ it also showcases the ‘Iberian and Moorish cultures’ according to Spain.info.

The museum is now considered an indispensable cultural organisation that not only exhibits, but also conserves the archaeological heritage of the town. The museum is open to the public and visitors can see Lorca’s history in a Covid safe environment.

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11 - 17 March 2021

Appeal for missing 17 yr old

A GIRL, 17, has been reported missing from her home in Barcelona since Monday, March 1.

Sandra Plazas Prados is described as 1.63 metres tall, 65 kilos, with long, straight, black hair and green eyes and wellbuilt.

She was wearing jeans, a military style jacket and white trainers with a turquoise stripe when she was last seen.

She was going to a course in the Raval area of Barcelona

when she was last seen, but according to her sister’s Facebook post regarding her disappearance, she did not arrive.

People have claimed to have seen her in the area.

Anyone with information can call 674 926 577, 112, the National Police, the Mossos d’Esquadra or the Guardia Urbana.

MISSING: In Barcelona.

Fines for no ITV

THE General Traffic Depart‐ ment (DGT) has confirmed that it will fine drivers whose vehicle has not passed its ITV (Technical In‐ spection of Vehicles, equiva‐ lent to the MOT).

In the past months, due to the pandemic and its mobility restrictions, many people are using their vehicles less and may have forgotten about the ITV. There is also a backlog caused by the first State of Alarm, during which ITV stations were closed, and drivers whose vehicles should have undergone the ITV test during lockdown have been given an extended deadline.

However, this may not get them out of being fined, even if they can prove they have got an ap‐ pointment for the ITV. Some Guardia Civil officers

from the Traffic Department may be understanding, but by law, they can fine you, although the fine can later be appealed.

What some drivers may be unaware of is the fact that you don’t have to be stopped while driving to get a fine.

Any registered vehicle in circulation must under‐ go the ITV test, so even if you’re not using it, if your ITV is out of date or you didn’t pass the test and have failed to get it checked again, you can be fined. If a vehicle has not been taken for its ITV within the deadline, the fine is €200 (€100 if paid quickly).

Driving with a vehicle which got a negative result at the ITV, a €500 fine.

Driving with a vehicle which got an unfavourable result at the ITV, a €200 fine (€100 if paid quickly).

NEWS

Tobacco Sales Fall

THE coronavirus affected many businesses as the State of Alarm forced many premises to close. Tobacconists though were among the shortlist of those allowed to remain open during the State of Alarm.

The government could have had multiple reasons for keeping them open including the avoidance of illegal sales, and the fact that closing them could have badly affected nicotine addicts. The fact that they remained open also would have prevented people from hoarding cigarettes and tobacco.

Even with the tobacco shops remaining open sales still fell.

Spain has registered a drop in sales in the last two decades and in Valladolid the trend was even more pronounced in 2020.

Data released by the Tobacco Market Commission which in turn reports to the Ministry of Finance revealed that sales in the province fell by 4.6 per cent last year. This means that 2020 saw a level of sales that was almost half that of the 51 million packs of cigarettes that

PANDEMIC: People are quitting or smoking less. were sold in 2002.

Many people have used their time during the pandemic to quit smoking or to smoke less, and according to the Ministry

of Health, “the decrease in frequency is more pronounced among younger people, students, people on ERTE and people living with family.”

Mercadona Face Masks SPANISH retail giant Mercadona has responded to the demand for masks which provide higher levels of protection than the reusable cloth ones they have provided to date, and have announced that FFP2-type self-filtering masks will go on sale this week. These masks are categorised as personal protective equipment (PPE) and according to the Ministry of Consumption, work by “filtering the air inhaled and avoiding the entry of polluting particles into our body.” They have already been rolled out in 1,600 stores across Spain.

The new model on sale in Mercadona is non-reusable and currently available for adults only, but it boasts a total of five layers and a bacterial filtration efficiency of more than 94 per cent, according to the packaging.

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11 - 17 March 2021

Royal Yacht Docks In Malaga

PRINCE ABDULAZIZ: On its fourth visit to Malaga.

THE magnificent Prince Abdulaziz, the royal yacht of Saudi Arabia docked in the southern pier of Malaga port, just before midnight on Wednesday March 3, after sailing from Gibraltar.

This is the Prince Abdulaziz’s fourth visit to Malaga, and it is not known if any member of the Saudi royal family is on board.

This luxurious vessel is ranked number eight in the list of the largest private yachts in the world, being built in 1984 in the Danish shipyards Helsingor Vaerft. It underwent a reform in 2005, and then a second reform was carried out over an 11month period in the Cartagena Navantia in 2018.

The Prince Abdulaziz holds the record as the largest yacht built in the entire 20th century, having the distinction of being the largest pleasure boat in the world, and was reported to have been built at a cost of around €450m, with its original design carried out by Maierform Maritime Technology, a German company, with its interiors being signed by David Hicks, the designer of private boats.

NEWS

Run Pushed Back

THE Elche Half Marathon, which was scheduled for this Sunday, March 14, has been suspended due to the Covid‐19 pandemic.

The organisation, formed by the Decathlon Athletics Club and Elche City Council, has an‐ nounced that the 49th edition of the race will be held, if the pan‐ demic allows it, on October 17.

The previous year’s event was also suspended and then can‐ celled last year due to the pan‐ demic. It was first scheduled to take place on March 15 and then on October 18.

Speaking at the time, the De‐ cathlon Elche Athletics Club, ex‐ pected the highly‐anticipated event to experience a good turnout for what they said was

Elche Half Marathon.

the “most important half marathon in the province.”

Last year, the Elche Half Marathon, said to be the oldest in the world, had already exceed‐ ed the record number of registra‐

tions from the previous year. The organisation has once again been forced to change its date and sadly push it back to October.

Fingers crossed the event will run this year.

No to wolf being protected species NINE regions have joined forces to prevent the wolf from being a protected species throughout Spain.

Castilla y Leon, Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, Aragon, Andalu‐ cia, Madrid, Murcia, the Basque Country and the autonomous city of Ceuta, together with agricultural organisations Asaja, CO‐ AG and UPA have promoted a common project to demand that the government withdraw the approval procedure of the order that intends to include wolves on the List of Wild Species under the Special Protection Regime (LESPRE).

In an open letter, they defend managing the Iberian wolf from the point of view of respect for the rural world, social con‐ sensus and coexistence with livestock.

They ask that, once the process for changing the legal status of the wolf is suspended, a process of dialogue and consensus be opened by the Minister for Ecological Transition and Demo‐ graphic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, in which all parties are in‐ volved, with the aim of negotiating a global management plan for the Iberian wolf that guarantees its preservation as well as the future of extensive livestock farming.

World Nature Day in Pulpi

THE town council collaborated with the Geoda de Pulpí, the Tourism Association ‘Isla de Terreros’ and the Environmental Association ‘El Garbancillo,’ in order to deliver a stunning day out for everyone with an environmental based guided tour through San Juan de los Terreros.

They commemorated World Nature Day which was on Wednesday, March 3. The commemoration saw locals join in for a hike that took place along the local clifftops in the area.

Locals from the ‘Mar de Pulpí’ Property Owners Club joined in and took in the views as they walked the cliffs of Honduras to the beach of Los Cocedores. Participants in the day’s events also stopped for a visit with the ‘Isla Negra’ Diving Club in Pulpí to discuss environmental matters. The diving club gave an informative talk about the various environmental activities that they are involved in, which includes cleaning the seabed in the area in collaboration with the ‘Isla de Terreros’ Tourism Association.

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NEWS

Dr Seuss Banned Goya Awards Blunder

FURIOUS sellers of six iconic Dr Seuss children’s books found that they were blocked from selling them on eBay, receiving a message informing them that they had violated the compa‐ ny’s ‘offensive material poli‐ cy,’which bans content that promotes ‘hatred, violence or discrimination.’

The news comes after Dr Seuss Enterprises announced earlier in the month that it would no longer publish certain books because of ‘racist and in‐ sensitive imagery.’

BANNED: Six books.

The six books now on the ‘banned’ list are ‘And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street’, ‘If I Ran the Zoo’, ‘McEl‐ ligot’s Pool’, ‘On Beyond Ze‐ bra!’, ‘Scrambled Eggs Super!’, and ‘The Cat’s Quizzer’.

The decision to cease print‐ ing the books came after a 2019 study published in the journal ‘Research on Diversity in Youth Literature’ found 43 out of 45 characters of colour across 50 of the books had ‘characteristics aligning with the definition of Orientalism.’

Kilimanjaro On Bikes AN all‐female expedition will set out to scale Mount Kilimanjaro, in June, by climbing 5,895m on their bikes. If the restrictions allow, a group of seven women will head for Tanzania, among them two athletes from Alicante, Lola Martinez and Gloria Pérez.

As part of ‘The Magic of Kilimanjaro’ initiative, the women will take a few days to acclimatise to Africa before beginning the ascent. The journey will be six different stages and take place during the winter season in the southern hemisphere, so the weather conditions should be favourable.

Their path will pose a challenge as in several places it will be impassable for bikes so the women will have to carry them.

As well as giving a voice to women in Tanzania, the initiative will raise funds through the ‘Bike‐ forgirls’ project, which purchases bicycles for young women who often have to travel long dis‐ tances to get to school.

IN an extremely embarrassing blunder for Spanish channel RTVE, several men could be heard making sexist comments about the celebrities arriving at the Goya awards on their live Facebook feed of the event on Saturday night, March 6.

As the stars were photographed walking the red carpet and RTVE streamed it live on social media, the unidentified ‘commentators’ laugh and joke while calling one woman a ‘wh**e’ while approving of another because she doesn’t look like a ‘skeleton.’

TV and radio presenter Sergio Lopez published the unfortunate incident on Twitter shortly before the station removed the video from Facebook, and

it quickly went viral. It is not known who the men are, but given their proximity to the microphone many media outlets have suggested that they could well have been working at the gala at the Soho Theatre in Malaga.

Speaking about one actress who was posing for a photo, one of the men said: “Introduce her to me, man! She is good right? Well, I tell you one thing, she is the best of them. The others... they were all skeletons.”

Referring to singer Nancy Peluso, another commented that she looked like “a wh**e” because of her tattoos. “I’d say this one charges,” he added, before repeating the slur.

Leroy Merlin Creates jobs

HOME decor giant Leroy Merlin has announced its plan to cre‐ ate 5,000 new jobs across its stores in Spain, reiterating its commitment to guarantee the immediate availability of prod‐ ucts and an unbeatable cus‐ tomer experience.

The company has said that the majority of job opportuni‐ ties will be for staff working in their terrace and garden depart‐ ments, an area which has seen increased demand since the be‐ ginning of the coronavirus pan‐

demic and one which is certain to grow as the weather im‐ proves.

The Director of learning De‐ velopment, Celia Cisneros, ex‐ plained the incorporation of new workers.

“We want to continue offer‐ ing the best customer service so that they can continue creating environments where they can live better.

“For this, our collaborators are the force that helps us to re‐ spond in real time to the de‐

mands of our customers,” she said.

New staff will receive spe‐ cialised training depending on their department and will be of‐ fered contracts from March to August.

Gender Equality at home WITH the onset of the coron‐ avirus pandemic in early 2020, most people saw their lives altered beyond recogni‐ tion, with one of the main changes being the amount of time spent in the home. A striking observation is that the health crisis seems to have had a very negative im‐ pact on the perception that Spanish women have of gen‐ der equality in the home.

According to a study con‐ ducted by DMY and pub‐ lished in Spanish daily 20 minutos, while 59 per cent of women felt that equality had been achieved at home in 2019, this figure dropped to just 45 per cent in 2020. The survey coincided with the cel‐ ebration of International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8, and on a positive note, 51 per cent of Spanish women surveyed feel that equality in politics has im‐ proved in the past year, com‐ pared with 48 per cent in 2019.

The men questioned paint a more positive picture, with more than 60 per cent believ‐ ing that equality in every area of life has improved over the last three years.

NEWS

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Electric first Vaccine Side Effects

SPAIN is set to see its first electric car factory in a publicprivate consortium with SEAT-Volkswagen and Iberdrola.

The Minister of Industry, Reyes Maroto, has announced the creation of the first electric car factory in Spain revealing the consortium is open to other partners.

During a speech at the 28th Federal Congress UGT-FICA, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism said the project aims to “transition towards the electric and connected vehicle” which she claims will guarantee that there are “the infrastructures and facilities necessary to manufacture autonomously and competitively.”

Maroto said the move is a government commitment to enable Spain to become a “leader in the automobile industry” at a global level, with a focus on sustainable mobility.

“We have worked together with three priorities: protecting the health of workers, protecting the productive fabric and employment and launching a Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan to promote a battery of investments,” she said.

The minister also spoke of a pact by the industry to diversify, balance and modernise the productive structure and promote strategic sectors.

For this, she said, the coalition government already has a “draft of the bases of the State Pact that must be approved by the High Level Industry Forum for submission to Congress.”

This is a “good moment,” she added, to approach a pact that will give “stability and reinforce productive capacities.”

SEVERAL members of the Na‐ tional Police in Sevilla called in sick or were forced to leave work early on Thursday, March 4 after receiving the Oxford‐As‐ traZeneca Covid vaccine the day before. The vaccination cam‐ paign for the Security Forces be‐ gan in Sevilla on Wednesday, March 3 with officers of the Na‐ tional Police in the mass vacci‐ nation centre at the Hispalense University in Los Bermejales.

The vaccinating of the staff should be completed within a couple of weeks, and officers of the Guardia Civil will follow.

Officials have insisted that the side effects being experienced by the officers are within the ex‐ pected range and should last no longer that 24 hours; however, the very nature of the illness makes carrying out police work very difficult. The majority of offi‐ cers are receiving the As‐ traZeneca jab which is well‐ known for producing unpleasant side effects such as fatigue, mus‐ cle pain and fever. The remaining officers aged over 55 will receive a different jab, most likely the Pfizer vaccine, at a later date.

NATIONAL POLICE: Have been receiving the vaccine.

Evictions In Spain Drop

A NEW report published by the General Council of the Judicial Power (CGPJ) on Thursday, March 4 showed that mortgage fore‐ closures and evictions plummeted by 45.6 per cent in Spain in 2020 compared with the previous year. The figures of course co‐ incide with the coronavirus pandemic; while the State of Alarm is decreed, the government has put a halt to such procedures.

According to the study, the number of renters evicted last year was down 42 per cent from 2019, while 51.3 per cent fewer peo‐ ple lost their homes due to foreclosures.

The latest ‘Report on the effect of the crisis on judicial bodies’ revealed, however, that there has been a marked upturn in exe‐ cutions or embargoes filed in this same period, which increased by 17.5 per cent to 20,460 proceedings. This is the first rise since 2012, although the records are still far lower than the 91,622 recorded that year.

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Workmen left hanging A CABLE connecting a mobile scaffolding snapped and two workers plummeted to the first floor where they were left hanging.

The two men who were working on the facade on the third floor, fell sharply but thankfully their safety har‐ nesses stopped them plung‐ ing to the ground and they were left hanging a few feet from the ground in a street in Torrente.

Dozens of passers‐by wit‐ nessed the terrifying moment at around 1pm on Wednes‐ day afternoon, March 3.

Witnesses alerted the emergency services.

But before firefighters ar‐ rived, a man who was passing by with a van and carrying a ladder inside his vehicle, stopped and helped the two workers to safety.

They were both taken by ambulance to the General Hospital of Valencia where they were treated for differ‐ ent cuts and bruises.

It’s not known what caused the cable to snap.

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Improved authority for teachers A LAW to recognise the authority of teachers in Andalucia has taken a step towards approval after passing the first debate in Parliament.

I mbroda has said that teaching staff are a “sacred and key element on which

to base the much-needed transformation of the education system in A ndalucia.”

H e said that the aim of the bill is to ensure a proper climate of coexistence in schools while guaranteeing the students’ right to their

education.

He also pointed out that nowadays, unfortunately, teachers have gone from being an unquestionable figure to being constantly discredited and questioned in each of their decisions, which puts their authority in question.

In the 2018/19 academic year, he said, there were more than 12,600 physical attacks on education staff.

The Council for Education and S ports reports that there are 34,000 situations, including attacks, insults and humiliation of teachers every year in state schools in Andalucia, which are seriously affecting coexistence. This means that on average, 30 per cent of teachers suffer an attack of some kind which affects their work and well-being.

I mbroda said he didn’t want to be an alarmist, but pointed out it would be hypocritical to deny that attacks on teachers have grown significantly in the last decade.

NEWS

Locals come together

RESIDENTS of all ages in Alcala de Henares in Madrid joined forces on Sunday, March 7, to repaint a feminist mural targeted by vandals.

The mural was found to have been vandalised just 24 hours before Women’s Day. Locals came to show their support and their discontent over the attack committed against the work of art which demands equality for women.

One of the artists who participated in painting the original mural, Celia Escobar, explained that it was vandalised at around 6am by unknown people but painted later in the day, with the help of locals.

The aim was to fill it with “beautiful, positive messages” she said, as opposed to the hate of

IN what is a truly unique experience visitors are able to visit the wonders of Pulpi’s geode and it has even been awarded the ‘Covid-19 Ready’ seal. In order to visit the natural wonder reservations can be made on the website at www.geoda pulpi.es.

The geode is located in the Levante Almeriense region and is a truly unique twist to the municipality. Visitors are able not only to view the stunning geode but also visit beautiful beaches

the vandals, but she explained that it was not clear if it would be restored. For now, it will remain as it is, and “when things calm down, we will see what we do, if we repaint it again,” Escobar said.

It has the images of 10 pioneering Spanish women, Clara Campoamor, Ana Maria Matute, Margarita Salas, Blanca Fernandez Ochoa, Maria Zambrano, Maria Isidra de Guzman, Catalina de Aragon, Dolors Aleu, Francisca de Pedraza and Gata Cattana.

Escobar said that the mural was painted by “men and women who want equality” and that as “the message of hatred was very powerful throughout Spain, it is necessary to send other messages that are in favour of feminism.”

Covid Safe Tourism Pulpi

in the area, and view the remains of monuments from the Lower Medieval period.

The geode was discovered in December 1999 and is the second largest in the world. It is also the only one that people are able to visit. After visiting the mines in the area, you can descend to see the geode.

The journey is not for the fainthearted though as you have to descend a vertical 15 m

etres down a spiral staircase.

The Pulpi geode is an excellent example of a natural resource that has been turned into a tourist attraction. The Pilar de Jaravia geode in Pulpi and its gypsum crystals are unique and so far it has attracted over 50,000 visitors. According to the town mayor, Juan Pedro García, “It could have been twice as many or more if this pandemic had not arrived.”

Earthquake Detected in Pechina AN earthquake was detected in the town of Pechina. According to the National Geographic Institute (IGN) the Pechina earthquake came in at 2.9 on the Richter scale with the epicentre being recorded to the north-east of the town. In a provisional estimate provided by the IGN, the earthquake was thought to have occurred at a depth of five kilometres.

The tremor which would have been felt by the local population took place at just before 7pm on Tuesday, March 2, and according to the initial data recorded by the IGN they classified the earthquake’s intensity as being “weak.” The quake would have been felt inside buildings in the towns of Tabernas and Huercal de Almeria too.

NEWS

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11 - 17 March 2021

Student, 24, offered support

CARLOS ALEGRE, a 24‐year‐old student who was praised for his dedication after being snapped studying in the lamplight while he waited for an order for deliv‐ ery, has been offered at least three grants.

According to reports, he has been contacted by companies in Alicante, Toledo and Belgium, of‐ fering him grants and internships to reach his goals. He is currently studying mechanics at the EMA

CARLOS: Has been offered grants and internships.

Alligator For Sale

THE Alicante Guardia Civil have rescued a large 1.6-metre alligator living in terrible conditions from a farm in Sax. The animal rescue department of the police, Seprona de Monovar, became involved when they were notified that the reptile had been put up for sale on a buying and selling site for €2,000. When officials arrived at the property, they found that the dangerous animal could easily have escaped to the nearby Vinalopo river, where it would have posed a serious risk to the frequent walkers and people who play sport on the river bed.

Working in coordination with the College of Veterinarians and the Official Export Inspection,

Surveillance and Regulation Service (Soivre), the Seprona officers were eventually able to identify the property where the alligator was being kept and conducted a search on Monday, March 1, where in addition to the reptile, they discovered a Harris’s eagle.

The owner of the farm was unable to produce any legal documentation or licence for the alligator, but he did have transfer papers for the eagle.

The alligator, who appeared to be in reasonable health despite being kept in unsuitable conditions, was transferred to the Rio Safari Zoo in Elche, but the farmer was allowed to keep the eagle for the time being while officials continue to investigate.

Competicion school in Malaga, and will soon begin the practical side of his studies.

Meanwhile, he works as a de‐ livery rider for Uber Eats, but said that as he is forced to wait a lot of the time, he likes to take advan‐ tage of that situation to study, a view which was applauded by many after his photo went viral on social media.

His photo was taken by a Local Police officer who shared it, then it was shared on a Guardia Civil Facebook group by another offi‐ cer who said “while some are smashing windows, ransacking businesses and destroying the streets to support a repeat delin‐ quent, others find a way and make time whenever they can to build a promising future for themselves.”

Within hours, the image, which has become a symbol of dedication, was shared thou‐ sands of times.

While many have applauded him, others asked why he should be forced to study in such condi‐ tions or why he should have to accept a job like the one he has to make a future for himself.

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Impersonating a CNI officer leads to arrest NATIONAL POLICE offi‐ cers in Xàtiva, Valencia, have arrested four peo‐ ple, three women, and one man, aged between 19 and 36 years of age, on charges of shoplifting items from a commercial establishment, with one man charged with al‐ POLICE: Arrested four people. legedly posing as an un‐ dercover CNI officer.

The incident occurred in mid‐February, in a clothing store in Xà‐ tiva, when the man allegedly tried to pass himself off as a CNI of‐ ficer, explaining to the store’s security guard that he was there af‐ ter a tip‐off about a robbery that was going to take place .

The man allegedly showed the guard a plaque‐emblem fixed to his belt, so he automatically believed the man was an under‐ cover officer and accompanied him outside the store to talk, dis‐ tracing the guard, giving the women the freedom of the store to steal clothing to the value of €750.

Once the garments had been safely stolen, one of the women went to the fake CNI officer to inform him that she had received a message about the ‘robbers,’ who were apparently heading for Valencia, and that they should go quickly, in order to try and catch them.

As soon as the security guard realised what had happened, a check of the store’s camera footage quickly showed the modus operandi used by the four criminals, and police officers were able to identify and arrest the suspects, three of whom had previous police records.

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Bitcoin Could Replace All Currencies AS national currencies are al‐ ready showing extreme signs of weakness, people will soon start measuring the price of things in terms of bit‐ coin, says Jesse Powell, CEO of cryptocurrency trading ex‐ change Kraken.

He told Bloomberg that bitcoin will eventually be a global currency because “you have to think it’s going to infinity.”

“I think true believers will tell you it’s going all the way to the moon, to Mars, and eventually it’ll be the world’s currency,” Powell added.

According to Powell, “In the near term, people see it (bitcoin) surpassing gold as a store of value, so I think a million dollars as a price tar‐ get within the next 10 years is very reasonable.

“Bitcoin believers expect the cryptocurrency to re‐ place fiat money and the market capitalisation of all national currencies com‐ bined could make up its worth,” he said.

NEWS

Birth Rate Falls Rollout ‘Could End Pandemic’

ACCORDING to new figures, Spain’s birth rate fell by 23 per cent in the year following the beginning of the pandemic.

In December and January, 13,141 fewer births were registered than in the same period the previous year, a drop of 22.6 per cent.

In total, 45,054 babies were registered in December and January, according to information from 3,929 computerised civil registries in Spain, covering 93 per cent of the

country’s population. The drop follows an ongoing decrease in the number of births in Spain, with the 360,617 births in 2019 being the lowest figure since records began at the Spanish National Institute of Statistics in 1941.

Guillermo Antiñolo, director of the maternal-fetal unit at the Virgen del Rocio Hospital, in Sevilla, said he had seen a 40 per cent reduction in deliveries attended in the last 12 years, from 9,000 in 2008 to just over 5,000 in 2020.

Swifts Migrate To Spain THOUSANDS of swifts are currently making their way across the African continent towards the Iberian Peninsula to return to their old breeding grounds in Spain. The little birds, whose population is sadly in serious decline, cross thousands of kilometres of deserts, mountain ranges and seas to spend their breeding season here after over‐win‐ tering in the warmer climes of Africa.

Aside from the breeding season, swifts spend most of their lives in the air, going months on end without perching. These dynamic little birds can reach top speeds of 100 km/hr and live for 12 years, travelling some 144,000 kilometres in their lifetime.

However, the swift population has faced a troubling decline in recent years, with data from the SEO / BirdLife spring monitoring programme showing that the number of common swift in Spain has decreased some 27.2 per cent in the last 22 years.

A SPANISH expert has claimed the vaccine rollout could end the pandemic.

Dr Antoni Castells, medical director of the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, said: “If we manage to extend the vaccine, it is the end of the pandemic.”

Speaking about the situation, he said: “Like all health centres, we suffered from a shortage of protective equipment and respirators.

The avalanche of patients overflowed the healthcare structure around the world and we had to manage as best we could, the first months were really dramatic.

“In the first wave, the number of patients with non-Covid pathology dropped drastically. We were confined at home and patients were afraid of catching it if they came to the hospital. This was one of the concerns we had from the first moment.

“We are especially proud that the hospital never stopped treating non-Covid patients, although the total capacity was limited to a third.”

He added: “The favourable part of the pandemic is the appearance of the vaccine and the start of vaccinations.”

DR ANTONI CASTELLS: Proud hospital did not stop nonCovid treatments.

5000 people concert MANY may consider the thought of a concert with 5,000 people scary, but the idea will be trialled on March 27.

Barcelona will welcome 5,000 people to the Palau Sant Jordi for a concert of the Love Of Lesbian group.

During the concert there will be none of the normal Covid-19 prevention measures as we know them, as social distancing will not be required. Concert goers will be required though to wear an FFP2 mask and undergo certain requirements before the concert.

A series of preliminary checks will be carried out and this will include an antigen test and also a temperature check before entering the concert. The announcement was made on Friday, March 5 at an event which was being held at Barcelona’s Estadi Olímpic. The event was also attended by representatives of Health and Culture of the Generalitat, and Ada Colau, the mayor.

A smaller trial concert took place last December at the Sala Apolo, this time with around 500 people in attendance.

It is hoped that the concert will allow new protocols to be established and used in the future at other concerts.

Organic growth SPAIN is the world’s 10th biggest market for organic products in terms of the total value of organic sales and the 11th when it comes to the percentage of organic consumption.

A report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food shows how the organic farming sector continues with its strong growth process and is becoming an important differentiated food sector within the entire Spanish food system.

The estimated value of organic production at its origin surpassed €2.3 billion in 2019, up 8.32 per cent on the previous year.

More than three quarters of this corresponds to organic production of plant origin and a quarter to that of animal origin.

The data shows that on average, each person in Spain spends €50.22 on organic products, with the most spent on fruit (15.5 per cent) and fresh vegetables (13.9 per cent).

FRUIT & VEG: An important food sector.

Exports reached €995 million while imports totalled just over €1.07 billion.

General Director of the Food Industry, Jose Miguel Herrero, said Spain is “moving towards a sustainable model that is committed to the environment,” adding that after the summer, the ministry will carry out its “most important campaign to promote organic production.”

Chef Jose Andres will be the face of the promotional campaign that will be launched under the slogan: ‘The richest country in the world.’

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Whiskey Winnings

PROPER NO. TWELVE: A popular whiskey brand.

UFC’S Conor McGregor looks set for a huge payout after his whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve was the subject of takeover talks from Mexican tequila company Becle ‐ who own Jose Cuervo Tequila.

The takeover of the brand the superstar helped create has been rumoured since last week, however, further de‐ tails have emerged with Becle reportedly taking full control of the company ‐ having already bought a 20 per cent share of the brand initially before upping their stake to 49 per cent last year.

This investment and potential takeover of Conor McGre‐ gor’s whiskey brand is set to give the 32‐year‐old Irishman and his manager Audie Attar, under parent company Eire Born Spirits, a split of £112m (€130 million) ‐ if Becle’s in‐ tentions of acquiring the remaining 51 per cent of the com‐ pany, which would give them total control, takes place.

If the deal goes through, Becle will have control of a very popular whiskey brand as the Proper No. Twelve drink, which was named after McGregor’s hometown Crumlin sit‐ uated in Dublin 12, has been selling extremely well since its launch in 2018.

WhatsApp images will self-destruct

INSTANT messaging app WhatsApp is testing new features to allow messages with images to disappear after 24 hours.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is testing whether it can allow these messages to disappear after 24 hours, as announced by WABetaInfo on Twitter.

They later clarified that the feature has been supported for a few months, and is enabled if selected by a user. Disappearing WhatsApp messages became available to everyone in November 2020 although screenshots can still be taken and the sender is not alerted about this.

If the features are finally included, they will be similar to the existing seven-day auto-delete feature. The aim is to improve user security and privacy, but with ongoing complaints regarding their new privacy rules, it has been met with mockery.

It would make it impossible for photos to be exported or copied from the chat, although

there is no function to detect screenshots. The exact release dates have not been mentioned.

The images will ‘self-destruct’ when the user exits the conversation.

It can be selected when sending an image with an icon on the bottom left, and if selected, will

alert the user that it will disappear.

Those who receive a ‘self-destructing’ image will receive a blurred miniature in the conversation, and before opening them, they are also alerted about the fact that they will disappear.

Victim faces fine A WOMAN from Lugo who was run over is facing a fine of €1,000 because she was drunk at the time at the time of the accident.

The victim was walking along the street with a blood alcohol level that was double the maximum allowed (0.58 milligrams per litre).

Local Police officers travelled to the scene of the accident, who verified that the vehicle had hit the woman on a pedestrian cross‐ ing. Breathalyzer tests were carried out on both the driver and the pedestrian, but only the latter was positive. She had to be tak‐ en by ambulance to a hospital in Lugo to be treated for her in‐ juries. The current road safety law establishes that, in addition to drivers, other users of public roads, such as pedestrians, are re‐ quired to undergo a breathalyzer test when they are involved in a traffic accident or commit a violation of traffic regulations.

Users of the roads can face fines of up to €1,000 even if they are not driving, if they are tested and the result is positive, or if they refused to undergo testing.

NEWS

New Dad at 73 LEGENDARY news presenter Jon Snow and his wife Dr Precious Lunga 46, welcomed a baby boy on March 2 ‐ who was carried by a surrogate after ‘numerous medical setbacks and miscar‐ riages.’

The presenter, who has front‐ ed the Channel 4 news since 1989, spoke to PA news agency, stating: “In our desire to seal our now 11 years of marriage with a baby, my wife suffered numer‐ ous medical setbacks and mis‐ carriages.

“Consequently, we will al‐ ways be deeply grateful to our surrogate, who carried our em‐ bryo to term.

“Amid these challenging times, we feel doubly blessed to be able to celebrate our good fortune.”

This is the Channel 4 presen‐ ter’s first child with Precious, who he married in 2010, howev‐ er, he already has two daugh‐ ters with his former partner, hu‐ man rights lawyer Madeleine Colvin, who he was with for 35 years before they split.

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11 - 17 March 2021

Asleep in middle of road

A DRUNK driver was arrested after falling asleep in his car in the middle of the road in Zaragoza.

Local Police reported that at around 1.25am on Sunday, March 7, they found a car in the middle of the street in Las Fuentes district. The engine was running and the lights were on, when the officers found the driver asleep inside. The driver, aged 39, was given an alcohol test, which confirmed he had been drinking. He was arrested and charged with a crime against road safety and later released and summoned for a rapid trial.

Donkey rescued by helicopter FIREFIGHTERS from Madrid used a helicopter to rescue a donkey called Olivia that was trapped in brambles and wires in the town of El Boalo.

A spokesman for the 112 Emergency Services said that the animal is owned by a livestock association in the area that called at 4.45pm on Thursday, March 4, after finding the animal trapped. They said that she had been missing since that morning and explained that she is quite ‘mischievous’ and a real ‘escape artist’ while the other donkeys are not.

Firefighters travelled to the area, and found the MALAGA City Council has said it wants to ban casinos within 500 metres of schools.

The news was announced

by Malaga’s councillor for Land Management, Raul Lopez, who has said the council is likely to approve the measure.

donkey was ‘very exhausted’ and could not be moved without the help of a helicopter.

A vet had to be brought in to sedate her so that she could be harnessed and airlifted to the livestock shed.

She belongs to the ‘Dejando Huella de Mataelpino’ Association and although no one knows for sure exactly how old she is, because she had no documents when she arrived from a town south of Madrid, they think she is about 16 years old.

Light Aircraft Crash PLANE CRASH: Emergency services attended the scene.

TWO people have tragically been confirmed dead after a light aircraft crash in La Iglesuela del Tiétar, Toledo.

The crash occurred shortly after midday on Sunday at the town’s aerodrome and an investigation is being carried out into the incident.

According to sources from the Castile-La Mancha 112 emergency services the incident was reported at shortly before 1pm on Sunday March 7. It was also confirmed that both occupants of the aircraft had sadly died.

Emergency services attended the scene of the accident in hopes of recovering people alive, but sadly both occupants who had to be freed from the aircraft by firefighters from the town of Santa Olalla in Toledo had not survived.

Casino ban within 500m of Schools Several other towns in Andalucia have already put this in place, and will include a ban on the opening of betting shops and casinos within 500 metres of all schools, sports

areas and green fields, however it does not have the backing of the Junta de Andalucia The Ministry for Finance said: “Municipalities cannot regulate minimum distances

or limits over the opening of gambling establishments, hence the Ministry… has informed the municipalities that promote changes… they cannot carry out this type of ac-

tion because they do not have the powers to do so.”

Councillor Lopez responded saying, “We must defend local competition. We are not regulating gambling, we are not limiting the powers of the Junta, it is a matter of urban regulation.”

EWN 17

Alonso Fully Recovered FERNANDO ALONSO is now fully recovered from the bicycle accident he suffered in Switzerland and will be 100 per cent prepared for the Bahrain cartesting that starts at the weekend, according to Laurent Rossi, the CEO of the Alpine team that he is racing for this season.

Rossi said, “Fernando told us immediately, almost after the accident, that he would be in Bahrain, and that has been confirmed now by the doctors, so it seems he was right. He is absolutely fit and we are looking forward to seeing him in the car next week.”

Rossi admits that the rapid recovery of the Spanish rider has surprised the team, who did not expect to see him 100 per cent fit so soon, saying, “He had an accident with his bicycle, which is rarely minor, but he was lucky.”

He added, “He only suffered jaw injuries, so beyond the jaw surgery and necessary care, the rest is perfect. Fernando is completely in shape. We are even surprised that he recovered so quickly.”

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NEWS

Politicians Back to Prison

A COURT in Catalonia has ruled that the seven Catalan independence politicians must go back to prison after a judge overturned a previous ruling.

The news will see former vice president Oriol Junqueras; former directors Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Raül Romeva and Joaquim Forn; and the leaders of the ANC and Òmnium social entities, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart all return to prison after the judge overturned an earlier ruling that had allowed them to be semi-released.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has withdrawn former Catalan prime minster Carles Puigdemont’s immunity, allowing a European arrest warrant against him to be reactivated.

The move to lift the immunity passed in the European parliament vote with 400 votes in favour, 248 against and 45 abstentions, will see an arrest warrant suspended since January 2020 become active again.

At the same meeting, the parliament also voted to re-

move immunity from former minister Antoni Comin and Clara Ponsati.

The decision allows the authorities to restart extradition processes against the three MEPs who have been wanted by the Spanish justice 2017.

The Catalan independence

politicians have all been accused by Spain’s central government of holding an illegal independence referendum which saw large numbers of Catalans vote and widespread protests against the police who tried to stop them.

Zero Jail for Dog Abuse CHARLENE LATHAM, 31, from Ilfracombe in Devon has avoided jail after pleading guilty to the attempted drowning of her dog Bel‐ la in the River Trent.

The horrific act caused much controversy in January 2020 when luckily Bella the dog was pulled from the water by passer‐by, Jane Harper, after Latham had taken a large rock and a carrier bag and attached them to Bella’s lead before she threw her into the river.

Bella has been cared for by the RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre in Nottingham and she is now ready to find her fur‐ever home.

Ella Carpenter, manager at Radcliffe Animal Centre explained, “We are both proud and privileged to have cared for Bella over the past 14 months.

“At times we thought she just wouldn’t make it, with her age and underlying health conditions all against her. But Bella has fought every day, showing enviable strength and courage, not wanting to give up her fight to recover.

“We hope that she will now be able to live out the rest of her life with the love and respect that she has always deserved and are looking for that special forever home for Bella.”

Economy Will Improve this Year GROWTH: Expected to recover after last year’s downfall.

THE Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) said experts believe Spain’s economy will improve this year.

The organisation, which believes there could be GDP growth up to 5.7 per cent this year, said it believes vaccinations will allow restrictions to be lifted and demand to increase.

The OECD said it thinks Spain will recover after its economic downfall last year became the largest in the Euro zone.

Its GDP projections are now in line with those from the European Commission, but are behind those from Spain’s central government, which suggest the country’s GDP will grow by 7.2 per cent this year.

The OECD said: “There are still considerable risks, but rapid progress in the vaccination process will allow the restrictions to be lifted faster and improve the confidence and spending of citizens.”

Spain is now expected to be the country with the biggest economic growth this year after France, whose economy is expected to grow by 5.9 per cent.

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New Delivery Company Scam

SPANISH police are warning of the latest scam where fraudsters pose as a parcel delivery service in order to get their vic‐ tims to click on a malicious link.

According to Spanish officials, it has emerged at the beginning of March that the new ‘SMSing’ scam is in play, which sees the perpetrators posing as compa‐ nies such as Fedex, Correos or DHL and messaging people to tell them there is a package waiting. The fraudster’s mes‐ sage then directs the victim to follow an internet link, which automatically down‐ loads an app to the mobile or computer which gives the scammers access to per‐ sonal data. In addition, the malicious app can then install a banking Trojan that al‐ lows the criminals to access data from the most sensitive accounts.

In a statement, the National Police rec‐ ommended paying particular attention when receiving an electronic communi‐ cation and not acting impulsively by clicking on the links. They added that there are usually some clues in the mes‐ sages that indicate all may not be as it seems, such as unusual links which may have been shortened or have a different domain name to the company.

Officials also advised customers to on‐ ly use the official websites of the delivery companies to track their packages or make enquiries.

Buddhist Community

THE ongoing global coronavirus pan‐ demic has caused a change in work‐ ing habits for many as people have taken to working from home and us‐ ing videoconferencing to carry out meetings. There are many people though that are getting tired of the constant video calls over Zoom, Mi‐ crosoft teams and other software.

The Buddhist community in Barcelona though have made the most of the issues and found a unique selling point for their re‐ treats. In a bid to attract customers to spend time at their silent monastery they are trying to tempt them away from constant calls and ‘Zoom fatigue.’

They wrote, “Tired of so many

SILENT RETREAT: Disconnect and breathe pure air.

Meet, Zoom and Teams meetings? If you need to disconnect, breathe pure air and find your internal bal‐

Police Voice Their Discomfort THE Asociación Pro Guardia Civil ‐ APROGC ‐ in Andalucia, has sent an official letter to Juanma Moreno, the President of the Junta de Andalucia, in which they express their displeasure at no mention being made about the work of the Guardia Civil dur‐ ing the pandemic, neither in the comments nor in the videos shown, during the cer‐ emony at the Real Maestranza theatre in Sevilla on February 28, which awarded the titles of Favourite Son and Medals of Andalucia 2021.

In the letter, they showed their discomfort at the Andalucia Day celebratory speech having remembered all police forces, except that of the Guardia Civil.

ance once more, give yourself the gift of an Inner Peace Retreat and recharge your batteries!”

Although not everyone will be tempted with a silent retreat, scien‐ tists are backing the notion of ‘Zoom fatigue.’ Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab have pub‐ lished a study on the effects of video‐ conferencing and the phenomenon they have called ‘Zoom fatigue.’

They have found that additional stress can be created from calls where people constantly see a mosa‐ ic of faces and spend all day sat in a chair, rooted to the computer.

NEWS

Courtyards Festival THE regional government of Cordoba is hopeful that this year the famous Festival de los Patios ‐ or Courtyards Fes‐ tival ‐ will be able to cele‐ brate its 100th year on May 3 to 16 if the health situation continues to evolve favourably. One of the most popular destinations in the world, Cordoba depends heavily on tourism and is feeling the effects of already having Holy Week celebra‐ tions, the Cordoba Fair and Cruces de Mayo cancelled.

“We have to learn to live with the virus and continue working,” the Delegate of Tourism, Isabel Albas, told Traveler.es. “The good thing about this festival, and what differentiates it from other events, is that patios are out‐ doors.”

The Courtyards Festival is a tradition that began in 1918 and celebrates the art of elaborately decorating out‐ door areas with hundreds of colourful plants and flowers, and about 50 courtyards par‐ ticipate every year.

NEWS

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11 - 17 March 2021

Drone over strategic buildings

A DRONE was intercepted

by National Police after it was spotted flying over Congress and other strate‐ gic buildings in Madrid.

National Police fined the man operating the drone af‐ ter he was located in Plaza de Cristina when landing the drone.

The drone was detected on Saturday, March 6, at around 5pm, by command centre drone detection alert systems. A warning was is‐ sued as the device was flying over strategic buildings such as Congress, the Ministry of Health and the Prado Muse‐ um.

The officers travelled to the area and set up a search operation, which located the man operating the drone, which was seized.

The officers have pro‐ posed a fine for the man for flying the device in a re‐ stricted area, lacking docu‐ mentation and authorisa‐ tion, as well as lacking both the aircraft and the control command identification plates.

DRONE SEIZED: After flying over a restricted area.

1 in 4 fear dying

A SURVEY of 3,000 Spanish people found that almost 25 per cent have regularly experienced a ‘fear of dying due to coron‐ avirus,’ with a breakdown showing that this applied to 28 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men.

By age, those who have felt the most fear of dying from Covid are aged between 55 and 64 years old (26 per cent).

The figures are far higher when it comes to fear a family member or loved one may die of the virus with 69 per cent, while 72 per cent admitted that they have ‘a lot of concern’ that a family member or loved one is or may become infected.

The survey was carried out by the Centre for Sociological Re‐ search (CIS) to determine the mental health of Spaniards during the pandemic, and also includes questions related to the mental health.

Thirty‐six per cent admitted to having ‘cried regularly’ (53 per cent women and 17 per cent men), with those aged between 18 and 24 accounting for 43 per cent of the total.

Since the start of the pandemic, 42 per cent have had prob‐ lems sleeping, 52 per cent feel more tired/lethargic and 39 per cent have experienced more headaches/dizziness/fainting.

And two‐thirds of those surveyed said they feel far more con‐ cerned about their health than before the pandemic.

EWN 21

Venomous Snakes found

POLICE in central Spain found 45 venomous snakes in a house af‐ ter the owner was bitten by one of the animals.

The suspect reportedly first told police he was walking in a field when he came across the snake. The animal was later found on the road several hours later after it had been run over in the area. After investigating, po‐ lice allegedly found the man col‐ lected exotic animals on his farm.

Upon obtaining a search warrant, police accessed the farm, finding 45 snakes and 12 scorpions.

Exotic animal specialists were called in to catalogue the ani‐ mals, finding more than 30 species of reptiles, including two green mambas, a king cobra, a boa constrictor and other snakes.

They also found 12 deadly scorpi‐ ons as well as food for the ani‐ mals, including a freezer full of mice and small animals.

After finding the man was un‐ able to prove where the animals came from, officers from the Guardia Civil’s nature protection service, Seprona, confiscated them before handing them over to a zoological centre approved to breed and keep the animals.

SNAKES: Were found on a farm together with other exotic animals.

Podemos Investigation THE National Court in Spain has announced that it has opened an investigation into charges of inducing violent protests in de‐ fence of jailed rapper Pablo Hasel against the deputy and spokesman for Podemos, Pablo Echenique. According to Spanish daily OKDIARIO, Judge Jose Luis Calama has initiated preliminary proceedings following complaints filed by Vox claiming that Echenique committed a “crime of public disor‐ der” when he tweeted his support for “the young anti‐fas‐ cists” who engaged in days of violent protests in Barcelona.

In the midst of the violent clashes where countless protestors were arrested and dozens of civilians and police of‐ ficers were injured, the spokesman wrote on Twitter: “All my support for the young anti‐fascists who are de‐ manding justice and freedom of expression in the streets. Yes‐ terday in Barcelona, today at Puerta del Sol.” Vox sued Echenique for “having encouraged and clearly in‐ dicated the carrying out of these serious violent actions, and thereby committing a crime of incitement to the commission of crimes of alteration of public order (article 559 CP) and even the aggravated modality contemplated in article 579 CP.”

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK Sahara dust

FRANCE Brazilian beef

SIXTY-ONE years ago, the French Government detonated four nuclear bombs in the desert of Algeria and now, a cloud of Saharan nuclear dust has entered into Danish airspace making for some very attractive sunsets. Happily, the amount of radioactivity is not considered likely to be dangerous.

RELYING upon a 2017 law concerning loss of livelihood, indigenous people from Brazil and Colombia have sued retailer Casino in a French court claiming that it is selling beef linked to land grabbing and deforestation in the Amazon. Casino denies the allegations and insists that it is opposed to such activities.

NETHERLANDS Going Dutch

NORWAY Wolf packs

TWO years ago, the European Medicines Agency moved 83 per cent of its staff from London to Amsterdam due to Brexit, but the transition for mainly English speaking staff has not been as easy as expected due to the pandemic and many are finding it difficult to learn Dutch.

A CONTROVERSY concerning the culling of wild wolves in Norway has now found its way to the Supreme Court which must decide whether or not the decision to eradicate two packs in 2018, where farmers scared of the predators, allowed hunters to kill them was lawful or not.

BELGIUM Dr No WORRIED about social media comments on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccinations, Belgium’s Order of Physicians has told doctors that if they have personal doubts, they should not share them as by doing so could contribute to the spread of conspiracy theories which would be bad for the vaccination campaign.

FINLAND Sniffer dogs at airports AFTER spending around a year training dogs to sniff out coronavirus on passengers, the Customs department has discovered that they will not now be allowed to operate as a special clause was left out of legislation making the use legal.

GERMANY Under suspicion

SWEDEN Vegan Volvo

ACCORDING to German magazine Der Spiegel, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has placed the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the largest opposition party in parliament under surveillance prior to the elections. Whilst BfV refused to comment, its parent Interior Ministry would neither confirm nor deny the idea.

SWEDISH vehicle manufacturer Volvo has announced that not only will it stop producing any oil fuelled cars (including hybrids) by 2030, it also intends to remove leather from its new models and will also aim to use 25 per cent of recycled material by 2025.

FINANCE Bankers fight ITALIAN banker Andrea Orcel, who is due to take over as UniCredit CEO is expected to appear in court in Spain with his lawyers demanding that Santander Bank either installs him as its CEO or pays damages in the sum of €112 million for allegedly breaking a commitment made to him.

M&S Bank THE UK retailer Marks & Spencer is shutting current and saver accounts for its banking customers by this summer as well as closing all of its in-store bank branches. It will continue as a bank as it has three million customers, but only 150,000 hold current accounts, hence the decision.

New builds THE Catalan developer Jordi Llauradó Conejero has announced that he is purchasing 20 per cent of Extremaduran property company Civitas Pacensis, which is planning to create 8,000 new homes in the Badajoz area and has already revealed plans for its Campus Civitas development which puts people first.

London Stock Exchange UNDAUNTED by the fact that the London Stock Exchange (LSE) saw Amsterdam overtake it as Europe’s largest share trading centre, its latest report shows that the organisation saw an increase in pre-tax profits of 5 per cent to £685 million (€753 million) for 2020.

Ikea hub SWEDISH company Ikea has indicated that it will locate one of its four global digital hubs in Madrid where it is expected to employ at least 100 members of staff. The plan is for this office to develop new business concepts for Ikea Business (which targets companies and the self-employed), the Ikea Food division and its ‘customer experience’ sector. With the other three hubs based in Holland, India and the Philippines, the Madrid office will be looking at ways to improve online marketing and create an Ikea App

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 11 - 17 March 2021

€1,480

is the price of a single loaf of bread from the Pan Piña de Algatocin bakery in Malaga which bakes edible gold and silver into the crusts for the very rich.

Blockchain Business Council

Amazon opens UK grocers HAVING started to com‐ pete with the supermar‐ kets in the UK with its on‐ line grocery business, Amazon on March 4 took things a step further by opening it’s first food store outside of the USA. Amazon Fresh offers a range of food in its Ealing Broadway store and cus‐ tomers simply use the Amazon App to enter, put all of their items into Amazon Fresh bags and walk out with no queue‐

ing and no stopping at a till to pay.

Thanks to the technolo‐ gy in use in the store, when customers scan in on arrival, their chosen method of payment is noted and as they place items in their bags, so the bill is prepared and once they leave, the charge is made directly via the App. Initially, there will be around 10,000 different items available to cus‐ tomers, either from Ama‐

LEGALLY SPEAKING

zon’s own ‘by Amazon’ brand or from items sup‐ plied by Morrisons and Booths and it is even pos‐ sible to buy hot food as well as special ready made meals.

It is not as big as an out‐of‐town superstore but should have every‐ thing available that high street shoppers would want to purchase.

Whilst there may be no long queues to check out, one of their safety mea‐

sures is that at certain times there will be a max‐ imum of 20 customers given admittance to the shop, which could mean queues outside or lost business as shoppers look elsewhere.

Certainly, this new ven‐ ture by tech savvy and very rich Amazon is bound to give competi‐ tors something to think about especially if they expand across the coun‐ try.

Supplying new technology Credit: El Corte Inglés

BUSINESS EXTRA

24

Can they cancel AGM? The Pandemic prohibition of large gather‐ ings has created many problems for com‐ munities and the AGM. The HPL specifies that the AGM must be held at least once a year and indicates the agenda. So our 2020 AGM was cancelled and we were asked to pay community fees based on a budget not agreed by the owners.

We have now been asked by the President and Ad‐ ministrator to pay for 2021 the same as last year.

We have not received a budget for this year or ac‐ counts for the year 2020. There is no provision in the HPA for postal voting or online meetings. Is the community of owners the supreme authority?

R P (Costa del Sol) The com‐ munity is not above the law YOU AND THE LAW but it must find a IN SPAIN way to obtain op‐ erating funds.

Some communities have decided to mail out the agenda and the accounts and others have used emails and voting by email. These are not ‘legal’ but if no one protests the results will stand. However, if the president and administrator simply take matters into their own hands with no attempt to consult or inform the members this can be challenged.

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.

ALERT to the fact that it needed to try to replace some of the income lost from tourism, in May of last year the Spanish Government introduced new tax breaks for foreign film producers.

With a relatively strong understanding of the techniques of filmmaking here in Spain, there are plenty of technicians

JOINT VENTURE: Signing of the new agreement.

THERE is a new player in the telecommunications sector in Spain as Más‐ Móvil and El Corte Inglés have signed an agreement to market mobile phone and fibre services to con‐ sumers.

This joint venture will be promoted under the Sweno banner and in a joint state‐ ment the two groups con‐ firmed that after several months of discussion an agreement which will be advantageous to both com‐ panies and customers has been signed.

The agreement, signed on March 4 by Víctor del

Pozo, CEO of El Corte In‐ glés, and Meinrad Spenger, CEO of MásMóvil Group, will allow El Corte Inglés to market these services in the confidence that clients will be secure in the knowl‐ edge that two strong and trusted organisations are involved.

Although full details of the services to be offered are awaited, it has been re‐ vealed that this agreement will be helpful for El Corte Inglés as it expands its of‐ fers aimed at options for the new generation of smart home products which continue to grow.

Spain attracts filmmakers and locations which make it attractive to film around Spain and filmmakers are very aware of the fact that there are an estimated 450 million Spanish speakers around the world.

Now, despite the lock-

downs and State of Alarm, foreign producers are attracted by the increased cap on tax credits and the fact that rebates for local spending have risen from €3.28 million to €10.8 million.

Netflix has been an impor-

tant purchaser of Spanish language films and TV series and not only supplies its Spanish speaking outlets, but also dubs into other languages hence the worldwide popularity of creations such as Money Heist now in its fifth season.

THE Government of Gibraltar has strengthened its ties with the Global Blockchain Business Council which has members from 76 different countries and territories.

Gibraltar Minister, Albert Isola has been appointed Ambas‐ sador of the GBBC for 2021 and participated as a speaker in the Virtual Summit for Members of the EMEA region.

Gibraltar joined the GBBC which was launched in Davos in 2017 in November 2020 as an observer and has now been ac‐ cepted as a full member.

Blockchain technology looks to decentralise the storage of data so that such data cannot be owned, controlled or manipulat‐ ed by a single entity and sup‐ ports cryptocurrency such as Bit‐ coin.

Female health workers WITH International Women’s Day on March 8 and the impor‐ tance of health services across Europe over the past 12 months, UK company Lenstore has anal‐ ysed the best countries for wom‐ en to work in.

According to the report which takes into account a number of different factors including aver‐ age annual salary, hours worked and holidays, France offers the best opportunities for women health professionals with the UK in sixth place and Spain in ninth.

There is a big disparity in pay between the sexes in Spain with the average male annual salary €37,400 and female salary at €28,270.

Almost every region in Spain is trying to attract filmmakers and the Canary Islands with a somewhat different tax regime has enticed big names like Apple TV and HBO to its shores.

Whilst movies won’t replace tourism, the industry is certainly helping to plug part of the hole in the economy.

26 EWN

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11 - 17 March 2021

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COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.143,50 1.145,50 Admiral Group 2.928,0 2.967,0 Anglo American 2.944,5 2.968,0 Antofagasta 1.728,50 1.753,50 Ashtead Group 3.927,0 3.940,0 Associated British Foods 2.377,0 2.399,0 AstraZeneca 6.906,0 6.927,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 553,40 555,00 Avast 436,60 445,40 Aveva 3.355,0 3.368,0 Aviva 394,19 395,00 B&M European Value Retail SA535,60 539,80 BAE Systems 493,55 495,46 Bank VTB DRC 0,952 0,967 Barclays 174,72 175,23 Barratt Developments 723,40 724,54 Berkeley 4.359,0 4.367,0 BHP Group 2.201,00 2.227,00 BP 322,05 324,56 British American Tobacco 2.594,0 2.630,0 British Land Company 510,80 514,60 BT Group 139,25 141,40 Bunzl 2.175,0 2.185,5 Burberry Group 1.866,0 1.888,5 Carnival 1.619,0 1.640,0 Centrica 52,34 52,50 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.350,0 2.362,5 Compass 1.576,21 1.584,00 CRH 3.319,0 3.335,3 Croda Intl 6.070,0 6.106,0 DCC 5.928,0 5.928,0 Diageo 2.918,5 2.944,7 DS Smith 405,70 405,70 EasyJet 1.013,24 1.013,24 Experian 2.355,5 2.366,2 Ferguson 8.464,0 8.506,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.610,0 14.895,0 Fresnillo 890,16 901,67 GlaxoSmithKline 1.233,44 1.248,20 Glencore 287,35 289,25 Halma 2.241,0 2.251,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.516,50 1.526,48 Hikma Pharma 2.197,00 2.201,02 HSBC 448,00 447,89 IAG 211,76 211,99 Imperial Brands 1.391,50 1.410,00 Informa 564,40 567,00 InterContinental 4.955,0 4.965,0 Intermediate Capital 1.825,00 1.825,00 Intertek 5.394,0 5.422,0 ITV 119,85 119,85

% CHG. 1.137,00 2.912,0 2.926,5 1.718,50 3.913,0 2.359,0 6.853,0 550,40 435,00 3.334,0 390,99 531,60 486,60 0,952 173,11 713,74 4.305,0 2.195,00 321,24 2.582,0 501,00 137,00 2.164,0 1.864,5 1.604,5 51,74 2.348,5 1.563,50 3.303,5 6.032,0 5.848,2 2.910,5 399,70 991,28 2.345,5 8.402,0 14.535,0 885,72 1.231,73 284,90 2.227,0 1.510,00 2.182,04 443,30 207,25 1.378,50 553,00 4.894,0 1.803,00 5.378,0 117,85

NET VOL 38,78K 39,03K 230,91K 80,02K 49,04K 28,99K 270,68K 150,71K 58,53K 11,02K 267,33K 215,29K 68,13K 52,05K 1,25M 21,87K 15,90K 334,30K 1,87M 361,70K 122,26K 3,49M 3,12K 52,30K 113,66K 1,05M 3,15K 13,17K 2,42K 15,11K 0,35K 31,41K 317,50K 121,45K 4,35K 46,34K 16,32K 23,36K 196,24K 2,58M 39,43K 13,67K 1,10K 196,93K 2,80M 182,73K 75,34K 24,33K 17,68K 24,20K 162,96K

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

228,50 3.205,0 680,06 282,00 41,17 7.940,0 430,70 175,10 1.768,00 821,60 190,80 7.476,0 29,48 2.048,00 2.968,0 746,00 1.485,49 6.166,0 1.699,00 474,70 558,61 5.906,0 112,39 7,46 1.566,31 1.564,6 1.507,8 677,60 588,62 1.792,00 14,99 3.345,0 1.019,94 877,75 2.214,0 1.362,00 1.509,00 10.780,0 1.306,50 1.230,00 509,40 312,50 173,18 221,46 432,10 3.845,7 885,80 125,58 3.497,0 895,60

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% CHG.

NET VOL

230,80 3.205,0 686,20 283,30 41,28 8.104,0 431,40 176,85 1.769,50 832,60 192,50 7.498,0 29,71 2.102,00 2.975,0 750,20 1.487,50 6.286,0 1.712,00 484,30 564,84 5.947,0 112,99 7,46 1.577,70 1.578,0 1.518,0 678,80 594,21 1.796,00 15,03 3.353,0 1.055,90 878,15 2.235,0 1.367,50 1.510,00 10.900,0 1.324,00 1.231,50 509,40 314,10 174,50 223,90 432,76 3.880,9 892,40 125,58 3.497,0 896,60

227,90 3.172,0 678,60 280,30 40,29 7.932,0 416,00 173,90 1.754,97 819,20 187,60 7.400,0 29,48 2.041,00 2.883,0 735,20 1.476,50 6.166,0 1.692,00 472,80 555,06 5.874,0 109,54 7,41 1.562,01 1.563,0 1.502,4 677,40 585,89 1.789,00 14,88 3.325,5 1.013,00 870,10 2.211,0 1.351,00 1.498,50 10.705,0 1.301,50 1.213,00 500,00 308,90 171,50 220,51 422,84 3.837,3 882,80 124,82 3.433,0 888,60

174,85K 22,83K 13,11K 906,62K 17,57M 100,13K 166,20K 435,73K 6,70K 377,95K 2,52M 13,32K 0,78K 76,95K 137,65K 136,21K 19,20K 103,51K 213,66K 236,29K 28,37K 237,28K 3,68M 43,62K 28,13K 36,73K 176,12K 205,77K 24,77K 1,81K 115,85K 1,88K 1,48M 27,71K 15,83K 119,98K 23,41K 4,01K 124,08K 45,45K 40,63K 476,67K 300,79K 433,33K 327,31K 30,29K 120,64K 433,53K 30,85K 111,95K

0.85992

1.16346 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.18862 Japan yen (JPY)......................................128.911 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.1093 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4359 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.190

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 8

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

PRICE 180,80 2.108,54 3.000,46 227,73 121,42 223,22 220,16 109,00 46,25 50,79 264,28 327,37 253,52 206,58 122,83 60,74 156,10 150,91 207,37 73,13 231,60 133,35 125,98 210,76 597,95 347,10 56,00 215,41 129,12 189,99

CHANGE 181,56 2.118,11 3.009,00 228,15 121,94 229,92 220,78 109,13 46,74 50,95 265,45 335,58 254,20 207,46 123,75 61,18 156,69 153,49 208,23 73,41 233,27 133,68 126,33 212,35 627,84 348,29 56,20 216,10 129,75 190,57

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 176,95 2,26M 2.046,42 2,20M 2.881,00 5,39M 221,45 3,02M 117,57 153,77M 213,80 20,03M 211,50 3,60M 106,15 23,64M 45,27 33,20M 49,90 21,31M 255,61 26,82M 316,47 3,74M 246,59 6,35M 201,78 2,86M 120,25 6,95M 58,51 39,51M 153,13 8,33M 147,97 18,47M 202,96 3,61M 72,01 11,68M 226,46 41,87M 129,19 5,96M 122,55 10,49M 203,22 11,41M 539,49 89,40M 335,02 4,56M 54,92 23,60M 209,63 7,58M 126,75 11,36M 183,34 10,27M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 8

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+3.95% +3.10% +2.90% +5.30% +3.50% +0.77% +5.50% +4.01% +3.57% +3.19% +10.59%

435,602 2.65M 2.20M 1.31M 56,353 5.39M 128,078 612,890 2.22M 78,229 5.83M

-2.04% -3.94% -3.78% -6.13% -5.19% -20.40% -4.67% -15.51% -4.54% -5.11% -2.36%

18,461 1.35M 89.40M 1.88M 28,811 65,567 2.69M 464,042 6.90M 9.44M 4,394

Most Advanced Booking Holdings Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C CoStar Group Inc. First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A Amazon.com Inc. Credit Acceptance Corp.

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. Lam Research Corp.

Amerco Novavax Inc.

Most Declined Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A MicroStrategy Inc. Tesla Inc. MongoDB Inc. II-VI Inc. 6% Pfd. Tian Ruixiang Holdings Ltd. Cl A Coupa Software Inc. ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. Okta Inc. Cl A CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Cl A Daily Journal Corp.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

USA drop Scotch Whisky tariffs

WELCOME NEWS: Karen Betts of the Scotch Whisky Association.

ONE quickish concession following the election of Joe Biden as US President has seen a four‐month sus‐ pension of the 25 per cent tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on the import of Scotch Whisky.

Amongst other exports also now allowed into the US tariff free are cheese, pork, cashmere and ma‐ chinery.

It comes in response to the suspension of UK tariffs on certain goods effective from January 1, 2021 when Britain ceased to be part of the European Union.

The argument and tit for tat measures came about as the US Government was ac‐ cused of giving financial support to Boeing and Eu‐ rope of giving support to Airbus.

The matter will still have to be resolved between the UK and US in the long term, but in a joint statement the

UK and the US said that the suspension would “ease the burden on industry and take a bold, joint step to‐ wards resolving the longest running disputes at the World Trade Organisation.”

Karen Betts, head of the Scotch Whisky Association, said the industry has lost around £500 million (€550 million) in export sales to the US in the 16 months that the tariffs were in place and welcomed the news.

The USA in particular is worried about the possible emergence of new compa‐ nies producing aircraft from countries such as China which could cause serious competition to Boeing so therefore wants to resolve disputes with the UK to en‐ sure solidarity.

In the meantime, the Eu‐ ropean Union will have to consider its position, possi‐ bly with a view to helping

Record unemployment THE month of February is traditionally the transition between the fall in employment after the Christmas period and the increase in jobs ahead of Easter.

This year however is unusual in that the figures for unemployment have more than doubled compared to the same time last year.

The effects of the pandemic, the increase in restrictions and the lack of a reopening horizon for the holidays, has helped pushed unemployment to 4,008,789 - a level that Spain hasn’t seen since May 2016.

to find a settlement benefi‐ cial to both Airbus and Boe‐ ing.

BUSINESS EXTRA Apple App AFTER complaints from App developers that Apple’s terms and conditions are unfair and anti-competitive, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will undertake an investigation into the organisation’s dominant position in order to decide whether consumers have had to pay higher prices for apps.

Rato review FORMER Minister and President of Bankia, Rodrigo Rato may be in hot water again as a new investigation is taking place which has seen a court consider additional allegations of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion also connected with his role at Bankia.

Underpaid pensions THE UK Department of Works and Pensions has admitted that it has identified underpayments of pension to some older women which will cost around £3 billion (€3.3 billion) between now and 2026 with some of the underpayments going back to 1992.

11 - 17 March 2021

EWN 27

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 March 2021

FEATURE

Any chance we can now get a break?

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT IF ever there was less of an exponent of the old adage ‘never a borrower or a lender be,’ it has to be the British Government. They have now managed to borrow and create a deficit of some £393 billion!

As a pure layman in these high financial dealings and with my curiosity well and truly aroused, I decided to try and discover where, or who on earth they turn to when they require these astronomical sums.

Actually it’s all pretty simple. What they do is print ‘Bonds’. Although this sounds very grand, all these bonds are is a rather posh IOU! The moneylenders who buy these ‘markers’ and charge the appropriate interest of course, are generally those who control the likes of pension funds, banks or insurance companies. There are however also a number of private individuals who also purchase bonds. Yes, I’ll bet there are.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out who those might be! It gets even more

BRITISH GOVERNMENT: Where does all the money come from?

complicated by the fact that deficit, although linked, should not be confused with debt. The government is actually in debt to the tune of £2.11 trillion! Have you nodded off yet? These astronomical sums seem to roll off the tongues of politicians so easily these days, that a mere million or

two now seems like so much chicken feed.

With this observation in mind, let me attempt to give you some idea of just how much a billion pounds actually is. If you earned one pound sterling a second, you would have a million in two weeks. If your aim is a billion, at the same rate of saving it

would take 32 years to reach your goal! If you’re Jim, a normal working person earning a respectable £16.50 an hour and doing 39 hours a week, it would take 60 million hours to earn a billion ‐ that’s nearly 7,000 years!

Just to give you some idea of ‘us and

them,’ Facebook founder Zuckerberg earns as much as Jim’s yearly income in one and a half minutes. Jeff Bezos, who created Amazon, earns it in 35 seconds!

Ever feel you’re in the wrong job!?

Well, at the time of writing I’ve only heard extracts from THAT interview. The only royal ambitions this young lady harboured was to be a member of Hollywood royalty. Well she has undoubtedly achieved this. She is now at the top of the LA celebrity pecking order and earning very nicely thank you.

With unfailing predictability the racism card soon popped out of the ‘Vuitton.’ The claims there were ‘concerns’ about the colour of the baby she was expecting can also be observed as speculation. Millions of people throughout the world, both black and white were following this train of thought. Most of it was not connected with racism, merely curiosity of something that, despite the rubbish in Bridgeton, had never been experienced in the royal household before. Is there any chance that this privileged couple of whingers can now give us a break? Somehow I doubt it.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

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

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

I don’t see a happy ending MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

Views of a Grumpy Old Man IN a wide-ranging interview Harry and Meghan described painful discussions about the colour of their son’s skin, losing royal protection and the intense pressures that led the Duchess of Sussex to contemplate suicide. Of course, there has been a massive backlash. Obviously there are two sides, sometimes three to every story, but I actually believe Meghan and Harry’s side. Let’s be honest they can only lose in this situation. They have already lost financially, titles and security for their child, soon to be children, and themselves.

Their accusations aren’t that outrageous.

We have witnessed a lot of this before with Princess Diana. The Palace ‘Firm’ are notorious for being totally out of touch with the real world. Charles has plenty of previous, he was carrying on with Camilla through his courtship and marriage, so, for me, has absolutely no credibility and, according to Harry, Charles is not even taking his phone calls. The big difference here is that Meghan is mixed race and the racist element is a massive problem.

We have all read about Prince Phillip’s gaffs over the years. Although Meghan and Harry

both said that it was not the Queen or Phillip that made the outrageous comment about the possible skin tone of their baby. So it has to be another senior Royal. Meghan’s dad was interviewed by Piers Morgan and if it was a court drama it was obvious that Morgan was leading the witness. I can’t stand Piers Morgan’s way of just dismissing everything Meghan says because she dropped him as a mate.

He also is not in a position to discuss whether remarks are racist or not or argue with members of his own team, who are actually mixed race when they confirm what it’s like to be on the receiving end of those comments. You can’t make the comparison of saying, ‘I wonder if the baby will have your nose or your colour eyes or hair.’ It’s just not the same.

Harry and Meghan want to be in control of their own lives but The Firm once again don’t come out of it well. Royal interviews that aren’t tied to a specific topic are rare, and prior televised sessions have often proved problematic. Prince Andrew’s 2019 BBC interview about his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein led to his own departure from royal duties after he failed to show empathy for Epstein’s victims. This is just my view, and I’m sure you all have yours, but I don’t see a happy ending here.

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

11 - 17 March 2021

EWN 31

THURSDAY 11/03 FRIDAY 12/03 SATURDAY 13/03

7:00pm 7:30pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:05pm 9:35pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 6:10pm 6:20pm 6:25pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:45pm 8:30pm 9:20pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

MONDAY 15/03

SUNDAY 14/03

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WEDNESDAY 17/03

TUESDAY 16/03

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BBC News at Six BBC London News Party Political Broadcast The One Show EastEnders MasterChef Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

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Live Six Nations Rugby Union BBC News BBC London News Weather Countryfile Antiques Roadshow NewTop Gear Bloodlands BBC News BBC London News Weather

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6:15pm 7:00pm

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Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Ready, Steady, Cook MasterChef Bill Bailey: Limboland BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather The Surrogates

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure Your Garden Made Perfect Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Funny Festival Live Harry Hill's Lonely Island Newsnight

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B MOTDx River Walks Gardeners' World Hidden Treasure: The Comedy Vault Later - with Jools Holland Newsnight Weather

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FilmUp Periscope Flog It! DNA Family Secrets Interior Design Masters The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook Top of the Pops QI XL Billie: In Search of Billie Holiday Whiplash Jazz Divas Gold

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Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam The Joy of Painting All Creatures Great and Small Hancock Mark Lawson Talks To Around the World in 80 Treasures The Joy of Painting Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam

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Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam Sounds of the Sixties Top of the Pops: 1990 Top of the Pops: 1990 Meat Loaf: In and Out of Hell Eric Burdon: Rock 'n' Roll - Animal Luke Goss Introduces: Robert Plant: By Myself Southern Rock at the BBC

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 11:20pm

Alaska - Earth's Frozen Kingdom Voyages of Discovery Man in Room 301 Man in Room 301 Vikings Glastonbury 2014 Country Kings at the BBC Top of the Pops: 1990 Top of the Pops: 1990 Voyages of Discovery

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This Farming Life The Americas with Simon Reeve Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins Brazil with Michael Palin The Ranganation Beep Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies Festival of Funny: Short

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B Mary Berry Everyday Mastermind Only Connect University Challenge Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Have I Got a Bit More News for You

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Best House in Town Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure Interior Design Masters DNA Family Secrets The Ranganation Newsnight Weather

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Richard Osman's House of Games My Unique B&B The Hairy Bikers' Northern Exposure Natural World The Terror The Terror Newsnight Weather Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

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FilmThe Plank The Many Faces of Twin Sisters: A World Apart Got Life!

Opera Mums with Bryony Kimmings The Many Faces of Twin Sisters: A World Apart Alaska - Earth's Frozen Kingdom

5:35pm 5:55pm 6:00pm

Walk the Line The Joy of Painting Fake or Fortune?

The Story of Welsh Art Storyville Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories The Joy of Painting Walk the Line Fake or Fortune?

The Story of Welsh Art

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The Joy of Painting Yes, Minister The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Ireland's Treasures Uncovered Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan Man in Room 301 Man in Room 301 The Joy of Painting

5:30pm

Walk the Line The Joy of Painting Armada: 12 Days to Save England Elizabeth R Elizabeth I's Secret Agents Some People with Jokes TOTP2 Songs of Ireland The Joy of Painting

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ITV News London Party Political Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale The Martin Lewis Money Show: Live Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly ITV News at Ten and Weather

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Stand Up To Cancer The Dog House The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer Naked Attraction Gogglebox Friday Night Dinner

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Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Vera ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London McDonald & Dodds Ideal World

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

Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Grayson's Art Club Gogglebox The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer First Dates The Purge: Election Year Come Dine with Me

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

ITV News and Weather ITV News London Six Nations Live Six Nations Live Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take Away The Voice UK ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather The Jonathan Ross Show: Special Guests Lucy

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Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Work on the Wild Side A Place in the Sun Grand Designs Channel 4 News The Hobbit: The Peterloo American Ultra Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA

3:30pm

ITV News and Weather ITV News London The Chase: Celebrity Special Dancing on Ice NewGrace ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather Harry Redknapp's Sandbanks Summer DNA Journey Six Nations Highlights

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Mother's Day Channel 4 News A New Life in the Sun: Road Trip The Great Pottery Throw Down The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer Gogglebox Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Ramsay's Kitchen

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Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Love Your Garden Coronation Street Unforgotten ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London

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

Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Dispatches Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer Two Sisters, One Body The Undateables

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

Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale For the Love of Britain Bear & Jonny Wilkinson's Wild Adventure 2020: The Story of Us ITV News at Ten ITV News London

5:00pm

Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now? Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer The Circle The Sex Clinic

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

The ChaseThe Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Britain's Busiest Airport - Heathrow Coronation Street DNA Journey ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London

5:00pm

A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now? Four in a Bed Drawers Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death The Circle

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Hidden In Plain Sight Casualty 24/7 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Highland Vet This Week on the Farm The Killing of James Bulger Shoplifters: At War with t the Law

6:00am 7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 9:30am

5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show Kate Humble's Coastal Walks Gregg Wallace's Fun Weekend Britain's Favourite 80s Songs That's S

8:00am 12:00pm 12:30pm

The Von Trapp Family: A Life of Music Oliver!

Access Oliver!

5 News Weekend Cruising with Jane McDonald Susan Calman's Grand Day Out When the Spencers Met the Monarchy

9:25am 9:30am 10:00am

Sweet Home Alabama 5 News Weekend FilmThe Battle of Britain 5 News Update FilmThe Battle of Britain Happy Campers: Brits on Holiday Rich House, Poor House Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Britain's Favourite 80s Songs

10:00am

5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights Traffic Cops 22 Kids & Counting Casualty 24/7 Critical Condition Plastic Surgery Knifemares

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

5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight GPs: Behind Closed Doors Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild Secrets of the Mega Landfill

10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm

Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys Police Interceptors NewRose: Making a Monster Countdown to Murder Manchester's Killer Nurse: The Stepping Hill Poisonings

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

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6:30pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:15pm

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Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live European Tour Golf The Players Championship Live Sky Sports News NFL: Total Access Live NBA: Boston @ Brooklyn 11.03 Live Formula 1 The Football Show The Players Championship Live Live International T20 Cricket The Players Championship Live Sky Sports News NFL: Total Access Live NBA: Denver @ Memphis 12.03 Super League Gold Sky Sports News Live European Tour Golf Live EFL Live Premier League Live Premier League The Players Championship Live Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live European Tour Golf Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Live Renault Super Sunday Formula 1: Drive to Survive Formula 1: Drive to Survive Sky Sports News Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Sky Sports News Live MNF NFL: Total Access NFL: Total Access Sky Sports News The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Live International T20 Cricket Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Gillette Soccer Special Live EFL Soccer Special PostMatch The Football Show The Football Show Live: Good Morning Football Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Gillette Soccer Special Live EFL Soccer Special PostMatc

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34 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 March 2021

FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Take advantage of cashback offers with Liberty Seguros

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36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 March 2021

FEATURE

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

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

This lockdown and with Mother’s Day an Easter up‐ coming, 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 pan‐ demic, you may have to sup‐ port many local businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or lock‐ down restrictions.

The joy of shopping local means that independent

businesses can help support the local community.

Although it may be a euro or two cheaper elsewhere or online, consider where your money is actually going. By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a local family’s table, and there is no better time than now to give back to your community by making a small gesture and shopping in this way.

Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actu‐ ally much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, of‐ ten passed down through nu‐ merous generations and sup‐ port not just the current owner but the generation be‐ fore.

For those stores which are new, that extra couple of eu‐

ros spent there are support‐ ing 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 chains.

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

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

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11 - 17 March 2021

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

to change their career path.

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

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

Studies have shown that lo‐

cal businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees.

Data shows that local re‐ tailers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to just 14 per cent for national chain retailers.

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

farmer growing produce.

First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn pre‐ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employ‐ ees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbour‐ hood hardware store.

This example illustrates how the recirculation of mon‐ ey in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foun‐ dation for our neighbours and communities.

Buying local also fuels new

employment and job oppor‐ tunities for people within our community. Studies show, lo‐ cally owned businesses em‐ ploy more people per unit of sales and retain more em‐ ployees over time.

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

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

EWN 37

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11 - 17 March 2021

FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Somewhere beyond the sea

THE sea seems to go on forever, much as we feel about the memo‐ ries of our loved ones. This and the calming effect which it can have on people are among the reasons that for centuries people have chosen burials at sea.

For many people, looking at the sea when they are going through a difficult time can help them to feel at peace. Just listening to the sound of the waves and feeling the sea breeze can blow some of the pain away from the mind and soul. Add to this the knowledge that in a way their de‐ ceased loved one is part of that vast blue expanse, can make them feel close to them and seek guidance from them.

About 71 per cent of the surface of our planet is water, and we are deeply linked to it, not only because studies show that the first life forms most probably came from the water, but also because we are made up of it too, about 60 per cent. So while we

usually hear the sentence ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’, we could also say ‘water to water’, as our lives be‐ gin surrounded by water in the womb, so returning to the water af‐ ter death completes the circle of life.

While sending the bodies of the deceased out to sea is a well‐known practice of the seafaring people of the past, notably the Vikings, it may have been carried out in earlier stages of history. Of course, the same practices are not used nowa‐ days, but there are natural burials which include placing cremated re‐ mains inside concrete coral reef balls which are ceremoniously placed in the sea as part of a reef ecosystem.

These balls are used to repair dam‐ age to coral reefs, and to provide new habitat for fish and other sea life.

This option is kind of an urn, scat‐ tering of ashes and sea burial all combined into a permanent and en‐ vironmentally friendly tribute to the

life of a loved one.

A more literal interpretation of burial at sea is also used where it is permitted, which is also seen as nat‐ ural when no formaldehyde is used.

There are organisations which organ‐ ise such burials, where the deceased is placed in a shroud and, where au‐ thorised, the body is placed in the

sea where it will de‐ compose naturally or be consumed by animals.

This can be done from a ship or aircraft, and is quite common amongst those who have been in the Navy.

However, the most common op‐ tion involving the sea as a place of

rest is to take the cremated re‐ mains to a special and meaningful location in the water, and some families hire boat services to do so.

A type of urn has been created which floats before disintegrating so that the loved one’s ashes enter the water in a gradual and graceful way. Another innovative option is an ice urn, which con‐ tains the ashes and floats on the water before obviously melting to spread the ashes.

Doing so may seem inoffensive but remember that a per‐ mit may be needed to avoid any possible fines for en‐ vironmental reasons. In Spain there are funeral homes which have the necessary permits or can advise rela‐ tives on where they can allow the re‐ mains of their loved one to become one with the sea.

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

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FEATURE

Which gear are you driving in?

Which gear do you tend to find yourself

ROBERT SHALLIS

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

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

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

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

So how does being in neutral

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

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

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

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

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

day as that is all we really have.

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

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

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

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

Rob Shallis / www.robshallis.com

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

PUBS AND THEIR SIGNS DAVID WORBOYS

A R E T I R E D comedian in our village opened a pub and tried to register its name as The Three Poofs. Even in the lib‐ eral swinging 60s, freedom of expression did not extend that far. Perhaps he would have got away with The Two Poofs. To‐ day, the very idea of anybody even sub‐ mitting such an application is about as likely as a pantomime horse winning the Grand National.

The identification of inns by their names and their signs goes back to the middle ages, when many houses displayed a sign, often denoting some heraldry, which indi‐ cated that the premises were under the special care and control of a nobleman or landowner. The sign would portray a vivid image that impressed the theme on the memory. Hence the names were taken from images incorporated in coats of arms, family crests etc.

PUB NAMES: Some of today’s alternatives make a refreshing change.

Alternatively, The Plough, The Harrow and The Stag all conjure up rural images of a bygone age. But many new pubs and signs which opened in the modern era are not tied by such traditions.

Why, in the last hundred years, has the more recent naming of pubs been so unad‐

venturous ‐ so repetitive? In the 60s there were hundreds of pubs in England called The Crown, The Bell and The Swan. Not so many were called The Stetson, The Foghorn or The Puffin. The Duke of Wellington is still proving far more popular than The Mayor of Huddersfield. The

George is preferred to The Cuthbert.

With a little imagination there could have been so many colourful alternatives.

The Purple Penguin (rather than the Red Lion), The Thrush and Manhole (for The Rose and Crown), The Twenty Bottles (The Three Tuns), The Cleaner’s Knees (The King’s Arms or The Queen’s Head).

Of course, there are an increasing num‐ ber of pubs which have broken ranks. The Old Monkey in Manchester for example and The Old Devil near Maidenhead are re‐ freshing changes from The New Inn. The Ape and Apple (Manchester) and The Queen’s Head and Artichoke (London) are two further innovative examples. In Cornwall there is a pub called The Bucket of Blood; this is also the name of a beer brewed in the area, marketed as “a spooki‐ ly spicy red classic ale which has become a feature of Halloween. It is full with a malty toffee palate and a good bitter skeletal backbone finish.” Hmm, thanks, but I’ll go for a pint of London Pride.

I have also seen a pub with an advertise‐ ment outside. “Seven‐course Irish meal ‐ six pints and a potato.” It sounds more inviting than six potatoes and a pint.

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

www.euroweeklynews.com • 11 - 17 March 2021

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

I’m not a ‘ride or die’ kind of girl The drug of love MS BIPOLAR

UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED

I SCROLL through social media and see others posting about their #rideordie and #squadgoals. It makes me feel empty, boring and self-defeated.

I mean, I’m pretty cool. I can be fun.

I’m nice. I’m a good listener. I would drop everything to help someone who needed me. I can be spontaneous (at times!)

But on Fridays you will find me at home. You can also find me there Saturdays through Thursdays.

It’s easier to be home than make plans. And besides, making plans risks it going wrong or having to cancel because I am not feeling well and who needs one more thing to stress about anyway?

So I sit at home, in my comfy clothes, and scroll through social media watching everyone else on these last minute unplanned adventures and wonder why can’t I be like that ?

It’s the ultimate vicious circle, it seems.

My whole energy goes on getting through a normal day with not having a wobble that actually doing something that isn’t usually in my routine can send me into a complete meltdown.

Will an hour date with a few friends fill

my happy bucket, or drain me with stories that I simply don’t get because it’s not part of my lifestyle? The adrenaline rush of knowing gossip, and the desire to check out new bars and passion for high heels is simply not a part of me anymore.

But then I deal with the guilt. Guilt at missing out on being young. Guilt at not being involved with my friends. Guilt on not going on those fun nights out.

I’d like to shake these feelings away but it’s hard, emotionally it hurts. I long for having fun stories to tell.

Maybe it will ease up in time or maybe, I am not #rideordie material. I am however lucky that my friends stick by me through the good, the bad and the ugly.

Their love for me is unconditional as is mine for them.

And isn’t that what they really mean by #rideordie?

Love Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

IN LOVE: Meeting someone special can give you a buzz.

MEETING someone special and falling in love can give the same buzz as being high on drugs.

Findings have shown that those feelings of excitement, anticipation and butterflies in our stomach triggers certain brain cells and activates the ‘feel good’ hormone dopamine.

This chemical is also released after taking recreational drugs such as cocaine.

Researchers from Emory

University in Atlanta, USA, who carried out the study on prairie voles, which, like humans, are one of the few monogamous mammals, say they believe the findings give insight into how we can influence social interactions. T hey believe this may one day be used to benefit patients suffering from autism as by controlling the release of dopamine, it may help improve interactions in socially awkward people.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Worrying perception of obesity AS the number of those classed as obese is on the increase, perhaps even more worrying is the Spanish population’s perception of obesity.

A survey presented by the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (Seedo) said that 82.2 per cent of those who are obese do not recognise they have a problem and up to 12 per cent of them think they have a ‘normal weight.’

President of Seedo, Francisco Tinahones, warned this is “tremendously worrying” with obesity now affecting more than 20 per cent of society, twice as much as 25 years ago.

With obesity being linked to other diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and osteoarthritis, he pointed out the importance of “identifying the problem” so that measures can be taken to alleviate it.

“It is important to change the perception, to see that this is a problem and address it as a disease,” said Tinahones.

www.euroweeklynews.com

Housework workout NO time to exercise? Don’t worry, just do the housework.

Studies have found that doing the household chores burns more than 2,000 calories a week with cleaning the bath, doing the washing and hoovering the house able to amount to the equivalent of doing a gym session.

The findings also researched which chores are best for working out certain areas of the body.

So what jobs around the house are the most beneficial to burn calories and tone?

Scrubbing the bath Cleaning the bath with a bit of added elbow grease for 15 minutes can burn up to 100 calories, which is roughly the same as 30 jumping squats. This chore is great for toning arms and shoulder muscles.

Laundry Factoring in loading and

LAUNDRY: Can burn 78 calories. unloading the washing machine, hanging up the clothes and putting them

More children suffering B E I N G overweight, a poor diet and lack of exercise are all causing an increase in cases of hypertension in S pain, but not just in adults.

F igures from the S panish A ssociation of P aediatrics show that five out of every 100 children now have blood pressure higher than it should be for their age.

Although less than one in 100 have medically significant hypertension, if the situation continues in youngsters it significantly increases their risk of heart failure or stroke in adult life.

Long-term, it can also cause damage to the kidneys, eyes and other organs.

The figures were released last week to mark W orld H ypertension D ay where the Cardiology Department of the Hospital of Sant Joan, Alicante, warned of the increase of the cases of high tension in all the ages, not just in

11 - 17 March 2021

youngsters.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a chronic problem that often does not present clear symptoms so without regular checks it can go undetected. for a long time, leading

to more serious complications, such as a heart attacks, haemorrhages or cerebral thrombosis. H ypertension leads to a thickening and hardening of the arteries making it more difficult for blood to pass through them.

away, doing the laundry can burn 78 calories which is the same as doing 100

sit-ups.

Washing up Scrubbing away at the dishes can burn over 500 calories over a week if you spend 15 minutes doing it every night, around the same as swimming 2,500m.

Hoovering Giving your carpets a good clean can burn 90 calories in half an hour, which is the same as 15 minutes of kick-boxing. Depending on the size of your house, hoovering can also get you nearer to the daily recommendation of walking 10,000 steps.

Mopping and sweeping C leaning the floors for 30 minutes can burn 145 calories.

Gardening Half an hour of pottering in the garden can burn 213 calories, which is the same as 45 minutes of cycling on flat terrain. D igging also works your shoulder and abdominal muscles.

EWN 47

Who is to blame?

ARE you a doting grandparent?

Well try not to dote too much on the little darlings as you risk leading them into a life of obesity.

A new study claims that children who live closer to their grandparents are more likely to be obese as the older relatives shower their love in food.

The research was conducted by the University of Birmingham in England, as they examined the region of Guangzhou, in southern China and looked at those who left their rural homes where it is more common for grandparents to care for the children.

It is reported that around 15 per cent of Chinese youngsters and teenagers are overweight and the incidences were higher in those children who were left in the care of elders.

In China a chubby child is seen as a symbol of health, prosperity and success but the research said to prevent the rise of obesity there must be an understanding on the causes of childhood obesity.

50 EWN

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11 - 17 March 2021

FEATURE

HOLIDAYGATE - ANOTHER OBE FOR ME? NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

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

RECENTLY, I wrote here that I risked being awarded an OBE. That’s not an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, but the dubious honour of being ‘overtaken by events.’ I was writing then about Covid‐19 that carries that risk in spades.

But this week I risk another OBE, mention‐ ing the fraught subject of holidays ‐ after UK ministers got themselves in a right summer holiday tangle not so long ago.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said don’t book anything. But his colleague, Health Sec‐ retary Matt Hancock, previously told everyone about the ‘Great British Summer’ and that he’d even booked his own holiday to Cornwall.

So what’s the answer? One former minister tried to translate what they meant, suggest‐ ing: “Bottom line on holidaygate: travel abroad this year is not impossible. Holidays within the UK *are* likely by the summer, but

HOLIDAYS: If you book one this year, you do so at your own risk. the government can’t make a hard and fast statement to this effect at this stage. If you book, you do so at your own risk.”

As for Boris Johnson’s recent press confer‐

ence, there will be no firm review before May as to when international travel can restart.

So, everything crystal clear now?

Incidentally, during the recent UK cold spell,

an igloo was listed on a leading property web‐ site for a cool £250,000. The advert, which was later removed, said the ‘one bedroom house’ was on the fictional ‘North Pole Road’ in Clacton‐on‐Sea, Essex.

According to the listing, it would be a ‘great first home’ but buyers had to ‘be quick’ as the property ‘won’t be for sale long’ and was ‘showing signs of damp.’

Well, in normal times I might have popped along to Clacton‐on‐Sea to check it out, but not at the moment. Obviously, I could have Googled it, but I thought I’d opt for getting a life. By the way, you never hear the expression ‘I must get out more’ these days. I wonder why?

But right now, going on holiday is illegal anyway. Another one of those extraordinary sentences a few years ago I’d never have imagined writing...

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

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

PETS

50

www.euroweeklynews.com • 11 - 17 March 2021

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IF you are one of the many households that took in a new stray or rescued cats during the Covid pandemic, then your newly adopted pets will need special care and attention when you go on holiday later this year. Even if you are planning a short trip, plan ahead.

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

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One in 10 pets How fit is that doggy will develop a in the window? tumour in their lifetime CANCER is one of the biggest concerns for dog and cat owners. It is the leading cause of death in geriatric animals. For this reason, owners and veterinarians have been becom‐ ing aware of the need to provide special care for their pets.

There have been great advances in veteri‐ nary medicine and surgery, especially in the field of cancer treatment. Early diagnosis is essential. The checkup that is carried out on your pet every year should be more exhaus‐ tive from six years of age.

Any patient suspected of having a malig‐ nant process should be thoroughly investigat‐ ed by the veterinary team.

This information will help us to know which treatment to use and will inform us of the prognosis, time and cost necessary for the treatment.

We can only establish a complete thera‐ peutic protocol and with probability of suc‐ cess if we have information on the extent of the process. This way we can answer the pet owner’s questions about the prognosis and quality of life. Specific laboratory tests, ultra‐ sound, endoscopy, CT or MRI may be neces‐ sary.

SPRING is about new beginnings and brushing away the cobwebs, after being cooped up inside.

Dogs are out on the streets and in the parks with their owners, but are they protected enough?

The warmer weather could easily present issues for your dog’s health, including heartworm, so make sure the dog receives a year‐round month‐ ly heartworm preventive.

This is also the time of year for mosquitos, fleas and ticks; so protect your dog well in advance and your dog will thank you for it. It is worth asking your vet about the latest products in flea protection.

Dogs, like their owners, need exercise, especially after living the seden‐ tary lifestyle that winter encour‐ ages. However, don’t rush your dog, as he needs to warm up before doing anything too strenu‐ ous, otherwise he’ll end up with an injury.

Therefore, it is wise to build up a fitness regime gradually, giv‐ ing the dog time to adapt.

DON’T RUSH: Your dog needs to warm up before exercise.

11 - 17 March 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com

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Abarth’s limited edition gem!

ICONIC is a very overused word in many arenas but particularly in regard to cars. However, there are a few cars that can genuinely claim to be iconic and the Fiat 500 is certainly one of them. In its modern incarna‐ tion, like BMW’s MINI, it is her‐ itage reborn and continues to be a huge success for Fiat.

It is hard to believe it has been around since 2008 and in Abarth form is a particularly fun drive.

It’s not especially fast but really emphasises that cars don’t need to be fast to be fun. Priced from €20,488 (£17,760) the Abarth 595 line‐up is all powered by a 1.4‐litre turbocharged petrol en‐ gine driving the front wheels through either a manual or CVT automatic gearbox.

There’s a firm but still com‐ fortable ride with the benefit of confident cornering across more twisting roads. The engine is in various states of tune from 145 hp to 180 hp.

The Abarths come in five trim levels with each having distinc‐ tive paint finishes and badging depending on the particular edi‐ tion. There are hatchback and cabrio models along with a limit‐

ed edition Scorpioneoro which was my test model. The limited edition run is just 2,000 and it certainly looks distinctive with black paintwork and gold detail‐ ing wheels.

Priced at €25,777 (£22,345) the 165 hp Scorpioneoro offers standard fare such as navigation, Bluetooth, climate, power mir‐ rors, automatic lights, rear park‐ ing sensors, special Scorpioneoro carpet floor mats and headrest stitching plus a numbered plaque.

Where the 595 shows its age is on items such as seating which offers little adjustment, a steer‐ ing wheel only adjustable for height not reach and a design that means the interior is cosy.

What seat height adjustment there is comes via a lever adja‐ cent the handbrake ‐ not ideal ‐ because the door side of the seats are so close it is not possi‐ ble to fit it on that side. That said this is a car that was originally launched back in 2008.

Apart from looking the part the Abarth sounds gorgeous at tickover, not in a broken exhaust kind of way, but there’s a lovely burble from the exhaust and

once on the road pushing the revs the sounds continue to im‐ press. It has such character com‐ pared to many modern cars and also broad appeal. My young su‐ permarket delivery chap went into verbal overdrive when he saw it. This was one I was very sorry to hand back.

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Chelsea Keep Climbing CHELSEA have now gone 11 games unbeaten under new boss Thomas Tuchel after a comfortable 2‐0 victory over in‐ form Everton on Monday, March 8.

Everton came into the con‐ test at Stambridge on the back of a three‐game winning streak however, a Jorginho penalty and Ben Godfrey own goal helped the Blues open up a four‐point cushion in the race for the top four.

Kai Havertz was the star man for the home side and it was his deflected shot that got the ball rolling.

Havertz, who unimpressed under previous manager Frank Lampard, turned a Marcos Alonso cross towards goal, which took a wicked deflection off Godfrey, leaving Joran Pick‐ ford with no chance of stop‐ ping it.

The 21‐year‐old German was then tripped in the box after skipping around Pickford to earn his side a second‐half

THOMAS TUCHEL: The new boss of Chelsea. penalty, which Jorginho fin‐ ished neatly with his trade‐ mark hop, skip and jump.

Everton drop to sixth posi‐

tion in the Premier League, four points behind Chelsea who have some serious mo‐ mentum on their side.

Hammers Up WEST HAM’S wonderful season continues as sensational signing Jesse Lingard scores again to see off Leeds 2‐0 at the London Stadium ‐ a victory that sees the Hammers move up to fifth place.

Lingard, on loan from Manchester United, is enjoying life in London and was pivotal for West Ham on Monday, March 8, opening the scoring in the 21st minute when he con‐ verted the rebound from his own penal‐ ty.

The England midfielder was tripped by Luke Ayling and saw his penalty saved by Illan Meslier before making no mistake from the gifted opportunity.

Craig Dawson then doubled West Ham’s lead seven minutes later, capitalising on Leeds’ inability to defend set‐pieces, to bury a free header from a corner.

Patrick Bamford was guilty of missing some decent chances for the away side and substitute Rodrigo’s effort cleared off the line late on.

Interestingly, Dawson and Lingard have now been scorers of seven of West Ham’s last 13 Premier League goals ‐ to leapfrog Everton into fifth, two points off a top‐four spot.

LINGARD: Scored again.