Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca North 18 - 24 March 2021 Issue 1863

News

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1863

18 - 24 March 2021

COSTA BLANCA NORTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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

VACCINATION SOLUTION

THE anti-Covid vaccine is free and available to everybody living in Spain via the state health system.

But that means some members of the Valencian Community’s non-Spanish population face a huge obstacle. If they want the vaccine they need a Population Information System (SIP) health card, although many residents with private health insurance have never applied for one.

What to do?

Marina Baja municipality Alfaz del Pi, aware that mass vaccination is the only safe route to ensuring a return to life as it was before March 2020, has provided an answer.

“We want to help people ac-

ALFAZ VACCINATIONS: Martine Mertens and Health councillor Marisa Cortes discuss strategy for issuing SIP cards.

cess the vaccine and the first step is formalising interest in being vaccinated,” said Residents of Other Nationalities councillor, Martine Mertens.

“They should communicate this to the Public Health System and then wait their turn like everybody else.”

Both permanent and temporary residents can apply for the necessary SIP card at Alfaz’s

Health centre between 9am and 2pm on weekdays, she announced.

They should present a certificate showing that they have been registered on the municipal Padron for at least three months.

They will also need their passport or ID document as well as a European health card or that of their private health insurance.

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18 - 24 March 2021

Tons and tons of fish INSTALLING the largest fish farm in the Valencian Community has begun off Campello.

The Valencia region already farms more fish than any other Spanish region, much of it in Alicante

Province. Overall output will increase by 50 per cent once the fish farm in front of Cala Lanuza and the Lloma de Reixes is up and running, producing an annual 5,000 tons of bream, bass and seabass.

The General Directorate

for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries authorised Niordseas, part of the Avramar group, to install the fish farm last December, with the approval of Spain’s Environment Ministry.

The complex of cages will occupy 144 hectares - equivalent to 200 football pitches 3.6 nautical miles (6.6 kilometres) off the coast and is expected to be completed by June, Greece-based Avramar confirmed.

It will also create 45 jobs and Campello’s mayor Juanjo Berenguer has welcomed the project: “It’s good news, as it will bring employment and investment,” he said.

Following the ‘devastating effects’ of Storm Gloria on other installations in January 2020 the company chose Campello as the cages will be better-sheltered and protected, the company said.

Avramar has footed the €7.6 million bill so far and any future grant from the Generalitat will arrive via EU funds.

All change in Teulada-Moraira POWER changed hands at Teulada‐Moraira Town Hall earlier this month, after Mayor Rosa Vila lost a censure vote.

Vila had headed a Compromis‐PSOE‐Nonaligned coalition since June 2019, but two socialist councillors Hector Morales and Alejan‐ dro Llobell crossed the council chamber floor to pave the way for the Partido Popular’s Raul Llobell.

Raul Llobell accused Vila and the other Compromis councillors of “demonstrating an authoritarian attitude throughout her mandate” while the two socialists maintained that the former mayor “failed to respect commitments agreed at the start of the legislative term.”

At the first meeting held after the changeover, the new team vot‐ ed to reduce councillors’ pay 11 per cent, prompting the ex‐mayor to emphasise that she was not going to “enter into discussions about salaries.”

Compromis, now in opposition, together with three non‐aligned councillors, have begun by criticising the “aggressive cleaning” of the Moraira coastline.

Heavy machinery was used in some places to remove the piles of washed‐up Posidonia Oceanica (Neptune Grass) which until now have been left as a natural barrier to protect the beaches against erosion during bad weather.

Opportunity for skateboarders LA NUCIA’S Buda Skate Shop donated six renovated skate‐ boards and some inline skates to the Social Welfare and Sports departments.

Owner Quique explained that he wanted children whose parents could not afford a skateboard or skates still to be able join in the classes at La Nucia’s Skate School.

All those interested in learning more about the Monopatines Solidari@s initiative should contact La Nucia’s Sports depart‐ ment in the reception area at the Sports complex, or ring 966 896 564.

NEWS

from Front page »

Vaccination solution Once their details are verified and they have been issued with a SIP card, Alfaz’s residents can expect to be contacted and given a vaccination date, following the pattern set out by the regional government’s Health department.

Precedence is based on age and not the date when a SIP card is issued, the councillor added. She also stressed that, as for all members of the population, vaccination dates are dependent on supplies received.

This is Alfaz’s answer to the problem faced by residents without SIP cards, although other municipalities with a large number of foreign residents are likely to follow suit as the vaccination process picks up speed.

Alfaz residents with queries or wanting more information should contact the Residents of Other Nationalities department, the town hall said.

No escape from dog park LA NUCIA’S Montesol canine park has become a handy shortcut for residents wanting to shop at a nearby supermarket.

Unfortunately, many of the people who cut across the park forget to close the gate securely, and dogs that have been taken out for a run can escape unseen.

To solve the problem, the town hall has now provided a double entrance at Calle Oraval. One gives access to the canine park and the other to an independent footpath that links Calle Oroval and Calle Corb.

This has now been provided with streetlights and is surfaced with cement instead of the previous gravel.

Access to the dog park has also been improved with the addition of cement steps in Calle Corb and a ramp at the Calle Oroval entrance so that petowners - many of them elderly do not have to negotiate steep banks.

Referring to the €10,000 improvements, La Nucia’s mayor Bernabe Cano commented that these were proof of the town

CANINE PARK: La Nucia’s mayor and councillors try out the new steps. hall’s commitment to listening to residents’ requests and suggestions.

“They are all meticulously dealt with, analysed and where possible acted upon,” Cano said.

Plane trees threatened THE emblematic plane trees that line Denia’s Calle Marques de Campo are in a ‘delicate’ state, according to experts.

A company recently engaged to prune the trees later told the town hall’s Parks and Gardens councillor, Domingo Domenech, that they had detected seven trees which were seriously affected by fungus.

One is said to be beyond help, and it will be necessary to determine what treatment - if any - can be applied to the others.

The town hall is now calling in specialists to carry out an exhaustive study that will include examining the interior of the trunks to assess their state of health, Domenech announced.

The same survey will inspect other Denia trees that are also infected, including two jacarandas in Calle Carlos Senti and another tree adjoining the Casa de Cultura on Plaza de Jaume I.

NEWS

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NIBS EXTRA Recycle it FINESTRAT now has recycling points for used cooking oil in the Old Town, La Cala and the Balcon de Finestrat and Terra Marina urbanisations. Residents have been asked to decant used oil into closed plastic bottles before depositing them in one of the four orangecoloured recycling containers.

Picture perfect ONLY 58 couples were married in Javea last year, compared with 120 in 2019. The drop was attributed to Covid travel restrictions, as couples from as far away as Valencia, Madrid and Bilbao frequently choose to marry in Javea owing to its Instagram-worthy backdrops for their wedding photos.

More stalls AS the Valencian Community’s stringent anti-Covid restrictions are gradually eased, all traders may again set up their stalls at Denia’s weekly open-air market in the Torrecremada district on Mondays and Fridays. In compensation, the town hall has cut the market’s customer-capacity by half to maintain social distancing.

Fire scare ARSONISTS in San Juan town set fire to furnishings removed from the publicly-owned Tiempo Libre residence which is currently being demolished. The vandals struck when operatives had left the site to have breakfast, although the local fire brigade had the fire under control before it could spread further.

Temporary halt LINE 1 and Line 3 trams which link Alicante City’s Luceros station with Benidorm and Campello will stop running after the first trains on Sunday March 21 until 11.30am. A temporary bus service will cover this section of the route while engineers substitute the trams’ overhead power lines.

Too late SPAIN’S central government announced that it hopes to speed up administrative procedures and bring forward statesubsidised Imserso holidays.

Pensioners’ winter breaks usually begin in the autumn and Valencian Community hoteliers, pressing for an early start, claimed that the government cannot now reactivate them in time for the summer.

18 - 24 March 2021

Some prudent optimism GENERALITAT president Ximo Puig recently admitted that the Valencian Community’s antiCovid precautions were “the most cautious in Spain.”

These followed the guidance of experts and were also based on experience acquired over the last year, Puig said, as he insisted that “responsible de-escalation” was essential to prevent having to backtrack later.

The regional president also voiced prudent optimism when referring to the Janssen one-dose anti-Covid vaccine suitable for all ages.

Now authorised by the EU, it is due to reach the Valencian

INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEETING: Generalitat announced slightly relaxed measures.

Community in April, Puig revealed.

This was great news, he declared, enabling the mass vaccinations that will herald a re-

turn to normality.

Puig was speaking after the regional government’s latest interdepartmental meeting that preceded the hoped-for relaxation

of some restrictions.

A return to 100 per cent capacity for bar and restaurant terraces and 30 per cent occupation inside were received with relief by the hospitality sector.

People may go to the gym once more and visit swimming pools. Up to 10 children are allowed in play centres and celebrations involving 20 people outdoors and 15 in the interior are now permitted.

The regional government had eased the strict rules to “facilitate work and economic activity,” Puig said. “It will also allow a little more social life and lift people’s spirits,” he added.

Cycle lane for Old Altea Road ALFAZ Town Hall will compulsorily pur‐ chase 7,966 square metres of land ad‐ joining the Camino Viejo de Altea.

It will be used for a bicycle lane and pavements between the section of the CV‐753 that connects Albir and Benidorm.

Paying for the 5.5‐metre strip of land running parallel to the Old Altea Road,

will cost €946,477.

Alfaz’s mayor Vicente Arques de‐ scribed the project as “relevant to the municipality’s urban and social develop‐ ment.”

As the road has heavy traffic, the envi‐ ronmentally‐friendly bicycle lane will al‐ so bring improved road safety, he added.

Visiting the road with Toni Such and

Oscar Perez, respective Urban Develop‐ ment and Technical Services councillors, the mayor explained that the town hall expects to obtain Generalitat funding via the EU’s Regional Development Fund (Feder).

“As this will almost certainly be ap‐ proved this summer, we should be able to start work by then,” Arques said.

A smart way to cross

Waiting list onslaught

CALPE now has a ‘smart’ zebra crossing between Avenida de los Ejercitos Españoles, Calle Corbeta and Calle de L’Esport.

The crossing’s sensors detect pedestrians who are about to cross and in turn light up signs that alert approaching vehicles to their presence.

The crossing provided by Pavapark, the company that runs Calpe’s ORA Blue Zone paid parking system, has been installed at a point where traf‐ fic is at its heaviest, the conces‐ sionary explained.

Calpe’s mayor Ana Sala, to‐ gether with Traffic councillor Domingo Sala and Pavapark representatives, recently visit‐ ed the crossing to see it in ac‐ tion.

It is one of the innovations that include an app to pay Blue Zone parking by phone and in‐ formation about the number of available parking places in real time that are included in the town hall’s route map to make Calpe a pioneer in “smart mu‐ nicipality” technology, Sala ex‐ plained.

AS the number of Covid‐19 cases begins to descend, some hospitals are able to resume post‐ poned operations and diagnostic procedures.

At Alicante General hospital, doctors and nurses are again working in the afternoon outside their normal hours to reduce waiting lists, with priority given to operations not requiring overnight stays. Medical staff at the Marina Baja hospital in Villajoyosa are also working after‐ noons, getting through the accumulation of delayed appointments for Ophthalmology and Or‐ thopaedic patients who do not need to be admitted.

At present, according to the regional Health department, there is an average 115‐day wait for an operation in Alicante Province, 20 days more than last month.

Any old iron A very different ballgame

MORE than 50 cast‐iron manhole covers and storm drain gratings have disappeared from Javea’s streets and an urbanisation.

These are already being replaced and Ser‐ vices councillor Kika Mata has filed an official complaint with the Guardia Civil.

As well as the expense involved ‐ the stolen covers were worth around €10,000 ‐ the councillor pointed out that the resulting holes in the roads put both drivers and pedestrians at risk. The Local Police have stepped up pa‐ trols and called on residents to contact them if they noticed suspicious movements on ur‐ banisations or saw manhole covers being re‐ moved.

Meanwhile the Guardia Civil are not only trying to identify the thieves but also the deal‐ ers who are buying the stolen material, pre‐ sumably for scrap.

BENIDORM’S Valencian Ballgame stadium is to be the vaccination centre for teachers and non‐ teaching staff at Marina Baja schools.

More than 5,000 are eligible for the anti‐ Covid shots that are due to start on Thursday March 18 at the Jose Perez Devesa Carrer de Pi‐ lota.

The vaccinations will be carried out in four sessions, attending to 1,500 people each time, Marina Baja Health Area sources said.

The same sources also revealed that vaccinat‐ ing the teachers is going to be a “dress re‐ hearsal” for the mass vaccination programme which is set for for April onwards, although this depends on the Valencian Community receiving its promised supplies.

EWN

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Fiestas aren’t what they used to be SIXTEEN Marina Alta towns issued a com‐ munique regarding this year’s fiestas or, more correctly, the lack of them.

“Owing to uncer‐ tainty about local fi‐ estas in 2021 and the lack of clear direc‐ tives from the Gener‐ alitat, various Marina Alta municipalities decided to unite in a common front,” the statement declared.

Eighteen council‐ lors met via Zoom to discuss the situation and learn more about their neighbours’ views regarding the fiestas situation.

Although local fies‐ tas were still some months away, the current situation sug‐ gested there could be no massively‐attend‐ ed events, they con‐ ceded.

Instead, they agreed the accent would be on open‐air cultural events with set numbers, social distancing and health and safety measures.

Inevitably, there could be none of the makeshift bars or open‐to‐all‐comers clubhouses that are inseparable from lo‐ cal fiestas.

“Nobody likes this situation but we have to adapt and accept that, for the time be‐ ing, fiestas won’t be what they were,” the councillors declared.

Each municipality had its own fiestas and idiosyncrasies but Covid‐19 affected them all in the same way, they pointed out.

“We shall go on adapting to circum‐ stances and regula‐ tions. Whatever hap‐ pens we hope to be able to count on co‐ operation and re‐ sponsible conduct,” the statement ended.

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18 - 24 March 2021

ON SALE

THE Original Charity Shop, Javea, is launching it’s ever popular end of season sale on Monday, March 22, with plenty of bargains on a range of items such as: excellent quality ladies and gents clothing, jewellery, shoes, bags, ornaments, pictures, various household goods, electrical appliances, bedding, curtains, furniture items, toys and much more.

Marked items will be subject to a 50 per cent discount until the sale ends on Saturday, April 3. Everyone loves a bargain, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to grab one or two - and don’t forget: it’s all for a good cause.

In preparation for the changeover to spring/summer items please note the following: There will be no take-in whatsoever during the week beginning Monday, March 29 to Saturday, April 3. From Monday, April 5 we look forward to taking in all your suitable articles for spring/summer. Donations are very gratefully accepted at all times.

We have all Corona safety measures in place so you can feel confident that your shopping experience at The Original Charity Shop will be a safe one. Find us on Carrer de Nancy 1, in Javea’s Arenal. We are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm. And don’t forget out Charity Library in Javea Park where you will find a vast selection of books at great prices.

For more information visit our web page: charityshoplibrary.com or email: info@chari tyshoplibrary.com.

NEWS

Gas Bottles Increase

THE price of a 12.5kg butane gas bottle increased by 4.96 per cent on Tuesday March 16, making the price €13.96 per bottle, the third consecutive price rise, the highest the price has been since Jan‐ uary 2019.

The Ministry for the Ecological Transi‐ tion and the Demographic Challenge claims that the regular bi‐monthly price review that is conducted, bases the bot‐ tle prices on the international price of the raw materials of propane and bu‐ tane involved, which saw a 17.02 per cent increase, as well as the increased cost of freight and the fluctuation in the money markets of the Euro against the US dollar.

This week’s price rise comes on top of similar rises of just under 5 per cent each

GAS: Highest price since 2019. time in November and January, after the months previous to November had shown a decrease in price, when the government had made the decision to suspend the bi‐monthly reviews during the height of the pandemic.

Winter Returns to Costa Blanca

IT would appear that the distinctly spring-like reprieve is coming to an end as winter temperatures are set to return to the Costa Blanca for the San José holiday. According to the Climatology Laboratory of the University of Alicante (UA) the thermometers will begin to drop drastically today, Thursday March 18.

A ‘very powerful’ arctic air mass is set to arrive, affecting practically all of Europe, possibly bringing rain but most definitely bringing the cold. According to the UA, while there is still ‘a lot of uncertainty’ regarding rainfall, the worst case scenario would be an extended period of ‘dry cold’, which could be ‘quite harmful’ to crops at this time of year.

U3A MARINA BAIXA AGM FOLLOWING the Committee Meeting on Monday March 15 and receiving confirmation from the town hall that the meeting can go ahead, the decision to hold the AGM on Monday March 22 was agreed, to be held at the Casa de Cultura, Alfaz del Pi. Our priority is to ensure the well‐being and safety of our members and we are asking everyone to adhere to the safety protocols that we will be conducting.

As you are already aware we are seeking to co‐opt a Vice President and a Press Officer at the AGM. If you are interested in volunteering to take on either of these posi‐ tions please let the Secretary know.

For information on all the latest updates, please check the web page and online Newsletter.

If you have not heard of this Association and would like to join them, you can be assured of a very warm wel‐ come.

Please visit the website www.u3amarinabaixa.com to find out more information, there is also a Facebook page.

If you do not have internet access please contact their secretary Joan Flint on 966 808 591 or mobile 663 637 167 for more information.

NEWS

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18 - 24 March 2021

Dog attack

A 72-YEAR-OLD man was attacked by three dogs and sustained serious injuries to his face and arms.

The attack took place in the town of Pedralba, and the victim was said to have lost part of his nose and had significant injuries to both of his arms and leg.

It was initially unknown if the dogs belonged to any of the houses near the villa where the victim resides in the El Madroñal area of the town or if a pack of stray dogs attacked him.

However, it was later confirmed that they belonged to his neighbour and had jumped over a metal fence to attack the victim when he was tending to a small corral where he keeps chickens and ducks.

The owner of the dogs, aged 25, rushed to help the victim as soon as he heard him shouting, also jumping over the fence, despite being barefoot as he had been sleeping at the time.

He prevented the man from sustaining more serious injuries by getting the dogs off him and locking them on his property again.

A team of paramedics assisted the wounded man on the scene, and after initial treatment, he was

taken to La Fe Hospital in Valencia in the advanced life support ambulance requiring surgery on his face.

The dogs are Labrador cross breed, which are not listed as potentially dangerous, and all of them are microchipped.

Terrace tax waived LAST December all parties on Teulada Council voted in favour of suspending the municipal tax on occupying public areas.

This measure has now come into effect for 2021 as the town hall once again waives the tax usually paid by local shops for displaying wares on pavements and by the hospitality sector whose terrace tables occupy public spaces.

Part of the Reactiva Teulada-Moraira plan, this was introduced to help alleviate the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, although the town hall will lose €200,000 by forgoing the tax.

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Vaccination Update

SPAIN’S Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, said that she expects that all people over the age of 80 should be vaccinated against Covid by the end of March as the vaccine rollout steps up a gear.

“We are at a very important

turning point and a horizon of hope.” The Minister added that the one-shot Johnson & Johnson jab is due to be delivered to Spain in mid-April, which should speed things up even further.

On the run-up to Holy Week,

No Girls allowed

THREE DOGS: Attacked man who was taken to hospital.

EWN

LESS than a week on from the commemoration of Internation‐ al Women’s Day, it seems that workplace inequality is still caus‐ ing problems in Spain, as was ex‐ perienced by a student of the La‐ bor University of A Coruña.

She is the only woman in a class of 19 men and is also the top student in the programme, yet she was refused a work placement while all of her male counterparts were accepted.

The reason? She is a woman and the traditionally male‐dominat‐ ed workplace of welders simply doesn’t have the facilities to ac‐ commodate her.

“My dream is to become a welder,” the young student told Spanish daily Informacion. “There are 20 in the class, 19 boys and me. Everyone has gotten prac‐ tices except me. They told me there were no changing rooms, clothes or bathrooms for girls.”

Through support from her fel‐ low students, tutors and a HVAC and welding teacher, the young woman was eventually able to secure a placement at a more‐ open minded establishment, but her mother said the initial rejection was still a bitter pill to swallow.

“She came home with tears in her eyes. As a woman, as a mother and as a feminist, my blood boiled,” the furious mum said.

“She decides to go for it in a man’s world, and it turns out that she is the best in her class.

Then she wonders why she can’t do the same as everyone else.”

the Minister defended the decision to close perimeters, claiming that the measures are the result of “the experience” lived and the “learning” of the third wave. She also said that no community wants a repeat of what happened at Christmas and over the celebration of the Three Kings, after which a huge increase in infections occurred.

“The important thing is to look forward to the future and give a message of certainty to the public,” the minister said. “The policy aims to give certainty and confidence, from a coordinated action, from a minimum of common understanding of those who are at the forefront of health responsibility, and that is what we have agreed for the feast of San José and Holy Week.”

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18 - 24 March 2021

NEWS

Spanish French dual nationality SEPE website back online

SPANISH President, Pedro Sanchez, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, have signed an agreement that will allow dual citizenship.

Thanks to the agreement which was signed during the Spanish-French summit on Monday, March 15, in Montauban, France, Spanish citizens who want to obtain French nationality would not first have to renounce their own as had happened until now. According to the calculations of the Spanish President, this could benefit more than 350,000 Spaniards in France and some 160,000 French citizens in Spain.

This is Spain’s first dual nationality agreement in Europe, although there were already several in place with countries in the Ibero-American space, that is, those who have Spanish or Portuguese as one of their official languages.

AGREEMENT: Signed by two presidents.

There are currently dual nationality agreements in place with Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and 12 American countries: Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Bolivia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Colombia.

Nasal Spray Benidorm withdrawl Triathlon Theft

THE Taffix nasal spray, which claimed to stop any type of virus getting through the nasal cavities, has been withdrawn by the Spanish Agency of Medicines due to the doubts from the clients and scientists.

An investigation is being carried out at the European level into the spray, leading Spanish health authorities to remove it from sale.

The spray had promised protection from contracting viruses, however Spanish health experts say its effectiveness had not been scientifically proven after carrying out various studies.

The news comes after the World H ealth O rganisation ( W H O ) announced countries should carry on giving the AstraZeneca vaccine following concerns over side effects.

THE National Police in Benidorm have arrested two people after the Slovak national professional triathlon team reported the theft of an MTB bicycle with an estimated value of €5,000. The team are staying in a hotel in the centre of town during training for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. The distraught athlete told police that not only was he worried about the high value of his bike, but the loss of this valuable piece of kit seriously disrupted his strict training schedule.

The Marina Baixa area is often chosen by professional cycling teams and other sports disciplines, such as triathlon, for the preparation of international events, world championships and Olympic games.

Once the theft was reported, officers from Group V of the Judicial Police Brigade of the Benidorm Police Station launched an investigation and managed to locate the alleged perpetrators within 24 hours. The stolen bike was also recovered undamaged and returned to its relieved owner.

THE State Public Employment Service (SEPE) website is once again giving users appointments and the pre-application service for individual benefits is also up and running.

Services on the website were partially restored on Monday, March 15, following a cyber attack on Tuesday March 9 that left the agency’s online services down for a week.

Experts from the National Cryptological Centre, the State Public Employment Service

Soon open

(SEPE) and the General Secretariat for Digital Administration have worked tirelessly to get the services running as normal as soon as possible with the maximum safety conditions, according to the Ministry of Employment. Other functions on the web are still not available, but the service to get an appointment in an unemployment office is available and so is the first step to apply for benefits.

The other functions should be restored gradually as experts

THE Calpe/Benissa Lions have been aware that during the last several months unemployment has been a financial burden to so many families.

They have therefore maintained a substantial donation each month to Caritas Calpe, Caritas Benissa and also the Red Cross.

The total amount donated by the Lions has been a staggering €45,000!!

Our second-hand shop in Pinto Sorolla, Calpe, has sadly been closed during this time but we are happy to announce that we shall be opening shortly and will therefore be very grateful to receive any donations.

We are always in need of good quality clothes, shoes, books, Bric-a-Brac and small items of furniture.

If you have anything to donate which cannot be held on to until we reopen please call 639 637 520.

work as quickly as possible.

Deadlines for requesting benefits have been extended.

The Director General of SEPE, Gerardo Gutierrez, said the security problem had been contained. He ruled out that the agency’s computer applications or confidential data had been affected. The situation, he said “will not affect the rights of applicants for benefits, since the deadlines will be extended by as many days as the applications are out of service.”

Not fare!

PEDRO BRITOS, head of the Vice Ministry of Transport, con‐ firmed on Monday March 15, that at least 15 public transport companies have been denounced and sanctioned after slash‐ ing the frequency of their buses.

Hundreds of passengers have reportedly taken to social media over the last few days to air their anger at having to use ‘overcrowded public transport’ because of the cuts.

Britos told Monumental 1080 AM a series of meetings are to be held with transportation companies to “correct the problem and strengthen the areas where the regulated ones occur to avoid crowds.”

“We are going to take actions so that no worker lacks the service to get to work and then home. We cannot deny the sit‐ uation, we have 15 companies sanctioned for not complying with the frequency,” he said.

Britos added that “there are transport companies that have declared bankruptcy and that they are working on quick solu‐ tions to cover the itineraries.”

The minister also told the radio station that the govern‐ ment is “finishing some adjustments’ to plans for the Armed Forces to step in “to transport citizens” and reinforced night timetables in light of new restrictions.

He warned that all companies at fault have been sanc‐ tioned and “sanctions will continue for those that do not com‐ ply with the service.”

NEWS

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State Of Alarm

THE Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, said on Friday, March 12 that she is not ruling out extending the current state of alarm beyond the May 9 deadline, but has reiterated that “the current objective” of the Ministry is to get the Covid cumulative incidence rate down below 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

In an interview with RNE, Ms Darias said that once that figure is reached, Spain can once again begin thinking about a “normal scenario.”

When asked directly if the State of Alarm would be extended, she said: “We will have to see, now what we are doing, is lowering the incidence.”

It will all depend, she said, on the “exemplary behaviour of citizens. The way is not to look back,” said Ms Darias.

The Ministry has already decided to close perimeters during Easter and the San Jose bridge to prevent people from travelling, and Madrid has finally agreed to abide by the rules after several days of going back and forth.

The deputy minister of Public Health Madrid, Antonio Zapatero, did, however, insist that he will appeal the decision.

18 - 24 March 2021

EWN

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Catalonia Welcomes Refugees

M U N I C I P A L I T I E S in C atalonia will support newlyarrived refugees to integrate into their new communities by inviting them into their homes for a year. Each of the selected towns will receive one family and the local council will secure work for one or two members, which will be subsidised by the Servie d’Ocupacio de Catalunya (SOC).

The pilot programme has already selected 20 towns to begin receiving their guests by the end of the year and the initiative aims not only to help those in need but also to stop rural depopulation and enrich the areas culturally.

“The challenge was to find out how these families could reach a micro-village and we give them housing and work for at least a year,” according to Xavier

Covid Aid package

THE Spanish government have given the green light to the much-anticipated €11 billion financial aid package designed to support the industries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the full details were published in the BOE on March 13. Under the new decree, €7 billion will be provided in direct aid. €2 billion will go directly to the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands as these regions depend heavily on tourism and are deemed to be the worst affected by the pandemic; the remaining €5 billion will be shared out amongst the autonomous communities.

The fund is to be distributed between SMEs and the self-employed, but sadly falls short of the compensation being doled out throughout much of the rest of Europe. Each community will be permitted to distribute non-refundable grants of between €3,000 and €200,000 to freelancers and companies that have lost at least 30 per cent of their income in 2020 compared to the turnover of 2019.

Autonomous communities should receive their portion of the aid within 40 days, and will then have until December 31 of this year to distribute it appropriately.

Camps, a member of the A M C (L’Associacio de Micropobles de C atalunya) board of directors.

They began by reaching out to 337 municipalities to see which were inter ested in being part of the

initiative. After developing their short-list, two or three families will then visit the villages to see where they ‘can best fit in.’

A European programme will also be put in place to

monitor the families once their one year employment contract ends, with the hope being they will remain in their new communities and find other work or set up their own businesses.

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18 - 24 March 2021

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Tyson Fury have signed contracts for a £200m (€233m) mega‐fight ‐ the biggest fight in boxing since Floyd Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao and the biggest fight in British boxing history.

The ‘Battle of the Brits’, which is set for the undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO heavy‐ weight world titles, has been confirmed by promoter Eddie Hearn with a date and venue to be announced in the coming weeks. Promoters Eddie Hearn, Bob Arum and Frank Warren will now look to complete a sep‐ arate site deal which will deter‐ mine where and when the event takes place.

They will also look at whether or not the two‐fight deal will be held in the same stadium.

“We’d like to get a site deal confirmed in the next month,”

Done Deal MEGA-FIGHT: The ‘Battle of the Brits’. advised Hearn.

“The hard part is always get‐ ting everybody to put pen to pa‐ per. But this was a major effort from all parties to get this over the line. You had rival promot‐ ers, rival networks and rival fighters.

“I actually feel we’ve done

the hard part.

“Speaking for myself, Antho‐ ny and his team at 258 manage‐ ment, I know how hard we’ve worked these last couple of months and I just feel that this fight is so big it’s not a difficult sell.

“We’ve already had ap‐ proaches from eight or nine sites.

“The offers have come from multiple countries in the Middle East, from Asia, eastern Europe and America.

“This is the biggest fight in boxing and one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

“It will be a major, major win for a country that wants to showcase itself.”

NEWS

Three Countries Could Quit The EU HERMANN TERTSCH, the Span‐ ish MEP believes that the ‘left radicals’ in the EU are pushing far too much for an increasingly in‐ tegrated bloc, a push which he claims can only have one result, that of the smaller countries re‐ belling against the likes of Ger‐ many and France, and eventually leaving, in the way that the UK did.

Mr Tertsch said, “The lefties in the EU are in a hurry because they know Europe is changing. If you see the attitude of the Dutch, Austrians and Finnish, they are slowly but surely adopting a posi‐ tion inside the European Union that is very similar to the position the UK has had in the last 10 years before they quit.”

He continued, “If things don’t change, if the majority doesn’t get a little bit of sense for the real feelings of the people in Europe, I think we will have more exits and not very far in time. We will have more exits and everybody will have to reconsider.”

Adding, “There is no way of bringing to a successful state of equilibrium with the plans they have for a big European state. It won’t happen because the na‐

TERTSCH: Thinks more exits will happen.

tional forces are really growing in an opposite direction.”

He said, “I think another conse‐ quence of Brexit is that smaller countries like Denmark, we are

stuck with Germany and France making decisions, very important decisions. And we will just have to follow those decisions and pay for them afterwards.”

New posts SPAIN’S national postal service Correos, wants to hire 735 people to increase its staffing levels ahead of the Community of Madrid’s early regional elections on May 4.

A meeting with unions is due to take place on March 22 to in‐ form of the employee reinforcement plan.

Their intention is to meet public service obligations during the electoral process, ‘fulfilling its functions as the operator designated by the State to provide the universal postal service.’

New recruits will assist in the offices, distribute shipments and take care of the logistical tasks.

“The initial planning of reinforcements may be increased ac‐ cording to the evolution of the electoral process itself,” said Corre‐ os in a statement.

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18 - 24 March 2021

NEWS

SUPPORT FOR UNDERPRIVILEDGED CHILDREN SPECSAVERS: Offering support to struggling families.

ASPIRING footballers will benefit from a €1,000 donation from Specsavers Ópticas to a grassroots football programme.

Benidorm Football Club has thanked Specsavers Ópticas Benidorm for the support towards its programme, which

Pill-cam trials

THE NHS is trialling miniature capsule cameras, which can be swallowed by patients and provide a cancer diagnosis within hours - helping to speed up cancer checks and catch more cancers early.

The imaging technology, in a capsule no bigger than a pill, can provide a rapid diagnosis.

Known as a colon capsule endoscopy, the cameras are the latest NHS innovation to help patients access cancer checks at home.

“Traditional endoscopies mean patients need to attend hospital and have a tube inserted whereas the new tech-

CAMERA: Size of a pill. nology means that people can go about their normal day,” said NHS England.

An initial group of 11,000 patients in England will receive the capsule cameras in more than 40 parts of the country.

The NHS said it has prioritised cancer care during the coronavirus pandemic and the

latest figures show that hospitals carried out more than two cancer treatments for every patient they treated for Covid-19.

In December 2020, more than 25,000 patients were reportedly treated for cancer and more than 200,000 people had checks - 13,000 more than the same month the previous year.

NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “As we come out of ‘peak Covid’ and the disruption of the pandemic, the NHS is now pushing ahead with genuine innovation to expand services for many other conditions.

encourages children to play sport, especially among underprivileged families. The sponsorship will cover all the fees and sports equipment for two children to play at the club throughout the season.

Store director, Jorge Martinez de Lizarduy, said the store was compelled to support such a worthy community initiative.

“Our children are the future of Benidorm and we need to help them as much as we can in these difficult times. I believe all kids should have the opportunity to play sports, as it helps them to develop both physically and emotionally as well as providing a much-needed distraction from the difficulties they are suffering. The aim of our sponsorship is to take the financial pressure off two families who are struggling and enable these vulnerable children to do what they love the most this year.”

Specsavers Ópticas Benidorm is donating €500 per child to cover all their costs for the year.

Jorge continues: “In addition to the financial sponsorship, we’ve committed to check the eyes of all the children playing at the club. Good vision is crucial for the kids to perform at their highest level and play safely, so we will be working with the club to implement a testing programme for the children playing across the ages and levels.

“Last but not least, we’ve offered all the members’ parents and close relatives a 30 per cent discount on glasses at the store. We know how many families are struggling due to the lack of tourism which drives Benidorm’s economy.

So, we wanted to do our bit to make things easier and make essential eye care more accessible.”

Benidorm FC ’s president, José Santiago López, thanked Jorge and his team for their collaboration and support when he visited the store to officially sign the agreement.

Specsavers Ópticas Benidorm is located on Calle Gambo 2, is open Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm, and on Saturday mornings from 10am to 1pm.

For more information about Specsavers Ópticas visit www.specsavers.es or call the store on 965 859 577.

NEWS

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Made in Spain

VACCINE: Important for manufacturing industry.

ACCORDING to reports, Spain could begin manufacturing the Sputnik V vaccine.

Spain’s Ministry of Health said the country is one of the candidates to manufacture the Russian vaccine.

According to reports, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) is in talks with several companies with facilities that have the capacity to produce them.

Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF, which markets the vaccine around the world, said he had already reached agreements with production facilities in Italy, Spain, France and Germany to produce Sputnik.

However, a spokeswoman for Health said she is not aware that there are any agreements.

The company signed the first agreement with RDIF to manufacture the vaccine in Europe in Italy with pharmaceutical company Adienne, as confirmed by the fund and the ItalianRussian chamber of commerce.

This move is an important step for the Russian drug, since one of the requirements of the European Union to approve, buy and distribute vaccines among their countries is that they have manufacturing capacity on European soil.

18 - 24 March 2021

Raising cancer funds

A SPANISH cop is to run 180km to fund Jaen’s first palliative unit for children with cancer.

National Police officer Miguel Echevarria, based in Linares, plans to complete his marathon in 24 hours to raise funds for Jaen Hospital in collaboration with the organisation Pídeme La Luna (Ask For The Moon).

He will set off from La Guardia de Jaén on March 20 and end in the Bulevar park in the capital, and has already raised around €15,000.

After spending an afternoon with children with cancer, the father‐of‐two told Cope: “It was something very special” and prompted him to do some‐ thing to help.

He decided to collaborate with the charity association Pi‐ deme La Luna, and is inviting other runners to take part in his challenge.

Runners can buy a bib for €10 and up to 80 people can take part in different sections of the route, complying with Covid security measures estab‐ lished by the health authori‐ ties.

SPANISH COP: To run 180 kms in 24 hours.

€3 M to Control Migration

THE Guardia Civil Support Command, the financial representative of the Guardia Civil, had applied for the grant for their AMIGO‐ 2019 operation within the European Commission’s Internal Secu‐ rity Fund (FSI), which was approved with a maximum grant of €3,046,170.25.

The AMIGO‐2019 operation, which covers the expenses of the activities of the Guardia Civil in response to the migration situa‐ tion in the south of Spain, was put in place due to the increase in migration from north Africa. They are responsible for the surveil‐ lance of coasts and borders in Spain and use a large number of re‐ sources to manage migration, which has increased in recent years. They said: “To maintain the level of assistance and oper‐ ability of the units deployed there, it was decided to develop an operation that would allow the established deployment to con‐ tinue, replenishing the resources used.”

The Internal Security Fund 2014‐2020 covers different missions related to the protection of the southern border of Europe and the management of migration. It finances mainly the deployment of personnel to control immigration, as well as the costs of trans‐ portation, cleaning and food for staff.

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Illegal Racing Gathering THE Local Police of Jerez de la Frontera in Cadiz Province, last Sunday March 7, broke up a gath‐ ering of around 400 people who were attending a con‐ centration of illegal motor‐ bike racing on the derelict grounds of the old sugar factory in the Jerez district of Guadalcacín.

Officers discovered a home‐made racing circuit built out of old car tyres, with two cars and two motorbikes being confis‐ cated for not having any valid insurance, and around 100 fines were given for failing to comply with the coronavirus re‐ strictions. Many of the people tried to flee as soon as the police were spotted approaching, leaving behind large amounts of alcohol which they had been also con‐ suming illegally in public.

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18 - 24 March 2021

Ilegal broadcast Network dismantled.

THE National Police disman‐ tled a network for illegally broadcasting audiovisual content that had been downloaded more than 100 million times with suspected illicit gains of around €5 mil‐ lion.

The operation was carried out with the Andorra and Portuguese police, EUROPOL,

Property scam fraudster NATIONAL POLICE have arrested a 33‐year‐old fraudster in Zaragoza who was wanted throughout much of Spain.

The person under investigation always operated through the same modus operandi, making use of a well‐known internet por‐ tal for buying and selling flats, where he asked for an amount of money that was always well below the market price.

At least three people had made complaints against him once the scam had been carried out and they had paid him amounts ranging between €200 and €2,100, although more are expected to come forward.

Police in Madrid had identified the perpetrator, but not his lo‐ cation, and a national search and arrest warrant was issued which resulted in him being found and taken into custody in Zaragoza. He has since been released with charges.

He has a criminal record for similar crimes for which he had been arrested in several locations throughout Spain.

INTERPOL and EUROJUST. The investigation began in October 2018 as a result of complaints filed with the Na‐ tional Police by the ACE ‐ Al‐ liance for Creativity and En‐ tertainment, the Professional Football League and the Pre‐ mier League for unauthorised broadcasting of audiovisual content, subject to Copy‐ right.

The police found that the person in charge of the app, called Mobdro, was residing in Andorra and managed the network from there.

They also found there were three other people in‐ volved who were promoting the app on web domains in Spain. They did not in fact have a direct relationship with the person in Andorra but had managed to set up a site which provided access to the app from which they ben‐ efited financially.

The police have withdrawn the app from the platforms on which it was available in Spain and Portugal.

NEWS

Advertising Feature

Caring from the heart

JOANNES DE DEO 2.0 has been a household name on the Costa Blanca since the 90s after being formed by the owner Joannes de Deo, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away in August 2018.

After working at Joannes de Deo for the last 12 years, it seemed to the clients and employees the most obvious solution, if I, Irene, continued to run the company.

With our loyal team of professional staff and our hearts in the right place, we are able to offer you the desired care to suit your every need. We cover areas around Denia, Javea, Benissa, Jalon, Moraira, Calpe, Altea, Albir and Benidorm.

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ments and we shall do our utmost to comply.

You can find us at: Carretera de Ondara 20, 03740 Gata de Gorgos, Alicante Tel: +34 965 756 264/+34 650 457 306 www.joannesdedeo.com info@joannesdedeo.com

Ryanair Adds New Spanish Flights IRISH airline giant Ryanair announced on Thurs‐ day March 11 that it will be opening up Costa Blanca to the Spanish islands by creating nine new connections and a total of 70 routes, a whopping 40 per cent more than summer 2020, and up to 800 weekly flights from Spanish air‐ ports, all operating from July 1.

“As vaccination against Covid‐19 intensifies in

the coming months, domestic traffic in Spain is expected to be the first to skyrocket this sum‐ mer,” Ryanair said in a statement.

The new routes will link Alicante with Ibiza, Lanzarote and Menorca. In the Costa del Sol, the airline will operate between Menorca, Sevilla and Malaga, as well as a new route between Fuerteventura and Valencia.

NEWS

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18 - 24 March 2021

Prison for using spy-cam A spy device was installed.

A CUBAN resident of Palma, aged 32, is facing two and a half years in prison for using a spy camera in the home of his sister and brother-in-law.

According to the public prosecutor, he could hear and see what was happening in the apartment despite no

Suspension of AstraZeneca Vaccines SPAIN’S Ministry of Health has announced the suspension of all AstraZeneca vaccines as of Monday, March 15. Although some 814,278 doses of the jab have been used in Spain without incidence, the Health Minister convened an emergency meeting to halt the administration of any more of the vaccines for a minimum of 15 days. The decision to temporarily ban all use of the jab comes after several other European countries halted their inoculations over fears of potentially lethal blood clots.

Having previously declared the vaccine safe, Spain’s Health Minister, Carolina Darias, convened the meeting at which it was agreed that Spain would no longer administer the AstraZeneca vaccine until a thorough investigation into side-effects has taken place. This is in spite of the fact that the European Medicines Agency has insisted that “the benefit-risk is still considered positive” and that “we do not see any problem in continuing the vaccination campaign with AstraZeneca”.

longer living there.

He denied having made any profit from the recording, and said that the device did not record any audio or video, just a motion sensor to warn him if anyone approached his room, where he kept valuable items.

He explained that he didn’t trust his sister’s partner, suspecting abuse as well as fearing for his belongings. He had been forced to leave the home because they couldn’t get along and they knew the camera was there.

Meanwhile, his brother-inlaw said that the accused knew what he and his partner were talking about and says that the details he gave the police could only be known if he listened to their conversations.

The defendant denied this and explained that his sister had told him about the abuse.

If found guilty, he could also face a fine of €5,400 for a crime against privacy.

His sister, who reported him, refused to testify in court.

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18 - 24 March 2021 IN this time of crisis, many people are accumulating debts that they will sadly nev‐ er be able to pay.

Even so, legally they have the possibility to cancel the debts in Spain and start afresh without carrying debts forward thanks to the Second Chance Law, which was approved in 2015.

Exoneration of the unsatis‐ fied liability or forgiveness of debts (BEPI) This is the mechanism, by which unpaid debts are can‐ celled or forgiven, provided that certain requirements are met.

The idea is that a person with debt has a new opportu‐ nity allowing them to start over, without the accumulated debts preventing them from having a business or becoming solvent again, for the rest of their life.

Personal or subjective re‐ quirements For the forgiveness of debts or BEPI exoneration, several re‐ quirements must be met: ‐ The debtor must be a per‐ son as the rules do not apply to companies, only to individuals. ‐ They must be considered as a good faith debtor, so;

FEATURE

How to annul debts in Spain Second Chance Law ‐ the bankruptcy or insolven‐ cy does NOT have to be de‐ clared GUILTY ‐ They must not have been convicted of crimes against property, falsification of docu‐ ments or against social securi‐ ty, etc.

Objective requirements (ar‐ ticle 488) ‐ In principle the special in‐ solvency process creditors (such as the fees of the bankruptcy administrator, etc) and the privileged credi‐ tors (mortgages, etc), must be paid. ‐ The individual must have tried to reach a prior out‐of‐ court agreement, before the start of the bankruptcy pro‐ cess.

Possibility of cancelling debts even if privileged credi‐ tors cannot be paid Although in principle the

payment of these creditors is required, it is possible that debts may be forgiven, even if that part of them cannot be paid.

This could happen with the waiver base on a payment plan.

To do this, the following re‐ quirements must be met: 1. The debtor should not have rejected within the four years prior to the declaration of insolvency, a job offer ap‐ propriate to their ability.

2. Not having breached the duties of collaboration and information during the bankruptcy procedure.

3. Not having obtained the benefit of exoneration of the unsatisfied liability within the last 10 years.

In addition, even if the pay‐ ment plan is not fulfilled, it is possible to request the forgive‐

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

ness of debts when a part of the income of the debtor has been used to try to comply with the approved plan, even if it has not been possible.

Conclusion The second chance law is a legal vehicle to obtain the can‐ cellation of debts that cannot be paid.

By this, the person involved can move forward without the burden of accumulated debts.

It is only available for use by individuals not companies.

Therefore, if you have debts that you cannot pay and you are prepared to liquidate your assets to cancel the debts in Spain and be able to start over from scratch, thanks to the second chance law you can do it.

Contact us via our website www.white‐baos.com and we will help you.

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

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18 - 24 March 2021

£26M bullion robber dies broke

THE brains behind £26M Brink’s‐Mat bullion robbery has died broke, aged 78.

Despite masterminding Britan’s biggest robbery at a ware‐ house on Heathrow’s perimeter in 1983, Brian ‘The Colonel’ Robinson was ‘cheated’ out of his share and never received a penny on his release from prison.

The stolen 6,800 gold ingots, diamonds and cash would be worth £100 million (€117 million) today.

The crime that shook the nation left a trail of eight murders and a worldwide hunt for the loot.

Armed raiders got away with £30 million worth of pure gold after Robinson recruited his brother‐in‐law, warehouse guard Tony Black, who went on to shop him to police. Robinson was jailed for 25 years together with co‐ringleader Micky McAvoy.

But on his release, he ‘didn’t get a tanner’ having been ‘cheat‐ ed’ by the ‘people he trusted,’ according to an associate.

His funeral has been delayed by family and friends until April 12 so that a wake can be held on a licensed premises.

Bears With A Future

THE brown bear has been experiencing a slow comeback in northern Spain in recent years, and a new campaign launched by the European Life programme has set an objective to encourage population growth even further. ‘Bears with a future’ aims to protect the species from the effects of climate change by planting some 150,000 additional trees and large shrubs in their habitat.

According to the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species, the brown bear in this country faces two distinct climatic challenges. Firstly, the rise in global temperatures means that bears aren’t hibernating for as long each year, exposing them to more dangers. Secondly, irregular harvests of native fruits such as blueberries have severely depleted their food supply.

The project has a total budget of €2.58 million, will have a contribu‐ tion from the EU of almost €2 million and will last until March 31, 2025.

The aim is to ensure the animals have enough food that they don’t have to come too close to humans and to educate the public about this en‐ dangered species.

NEWS

Freed After Stabbing Friend

OFFICERS: Found blood stains at the scene.

A WOMAN has been freed by a court in Malaga after allegedly stabbing her friend 17 times.

The incident is said to have taken place at a hostel in Puerto de la Torre where the women

were staying with several friends, celebrating a birthday.

Police say that after consuming a few drinks, the detainee, 25, allegedly attacked her friend, 28, with a sharp object, before guests in an adjoining room called police.

After officers arrived, the victim was no longer there as she has been taken to hospital by a friend due to her injuries.

Police say blood stains found at the scene show the assault could have started in the room before moving outside.

After looking around they found a knife and another sharp object, with experts now working to determine which weapon was used.

The detainee was also assisted by the health workers, since she had some minor injuries, including scratches.

The victim was treated at Malaga’s Regional Hospital for 17 stab wounds, however none of them reached her vital areas and they were not very deep.

The woman was discharged several hours later.

NEWS

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18 - 24 March 2021

Royal Mail Sunday Delivery

ROYAL MAIL has announced it is beginning a Sunday par‐ cel delivery service to help

Sculpture Awards

A COMPETITION to create a sculpture award that not only reflects the commitment and efforts shown throughout Andalucia in the area of conservation, but also reflects the spirit of the PAMA for the Andalucian Environment Awards has been announced.

People in Andalucia continue to work hard to prevent climate change and protect the environment and these awards aim to recognise that.

The awards also hope to inspire companies, organisations and scientists throughout Andalucia to actively partake in the Andalucian Green Revolution and join in with the fight against climate change. The awards hope to encourage individuals to join in too, as no contribution to the environment is too small.

The competition deadline is 2pm on April 8.

major retailers tap into the online shopping boom. The company said it hoped to ‘usher in a new era’ of trust‐ ed, seven‐day‐a‐week deliv‐ eries when the scheme be‐ gins next month. The postal service, which said this week that revenues had soared in the past year, has delivered a total of 496 million parcels in the last three months of 2020 ‐ an all‐time high.

Customers are now used to Sunday deliveries, which

are part and parcel of ser‐ vices offered by online retail‐ ers such as global giant Ama‐ zon. Royal Mail will start off with a number of as‐yet‐un‐ named major retailers before expanding over the year.

A new parcel hub, with the capacity to process a million parcels a day, is being built by the Royal Mail in Daven‐ try, Northamptonshire ‐ it is the second ‐ and largest ‐ parcel hub constructed to date.

Spaniards Stay At Home THE number of young Spanish remaining in the family home instead of moving into their own place has increased consider‐ ably since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Youth in Spain 2020 Report conducted by the Institute of Youth (Injuve).

This is hardly surprising, since the study also found that a large portion of Spaniards aged between 15 and 29 are also more worried about their job prospects and financial future than ever before.

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18 - 24 March 2021

Ball of fire

ANOTHER ball of fire was seen crossing the skies ofsouthern and central Spain at a speed of 140,000 km/h at around 1.51am on Monday, March 15.

It was caught by SMART project detectors from the observatories of Calar Alto (Almeria), Sierra Nevada (Granada), Sevilla of the Andalu‐ cia Institute of Astrophysics and La Hita in Tole‐ do.

It was seen in the south and centre of Spain, over the Mediterranean Sea and in the north of Morocco.

The rock was part of a comet which upon im‐ pacting the atmosphere at such a high speed be‐ came incandescent at a height of 111 kilometres over the Mediterranean, about 70 kilometres from the coast of Andalucia. It travelled south‐ west and went out at a height of 69 kilometres above the sea, about 29 kilometres from the coast of Morocco.

Endangered Species

THE Edmaktub associ‐ ation, a team of biolo‐ gists who investigate the rare and endan‐ gered species of fin whales, has reported spotting five of them swimming off the Catalan coast near Garraf.

FIN WHALES: Spotted off the Catalan coast.

Fin whales can reach up to 24 metres in length and is the largest whale that regularly transits the Mediterranean. The ‘Fin Whale Project’ has been running now for the past eight years, researching the huge mammals that inhabit pelagic areas, that is, in the open sea but at shallow depth, and sporadically, in coastal areas of temperate or cold waters, and stars in seasonal migrations to feed and reproduce.

A spokesman for Edmaktub pointed out that this species of the mammal trav‐ els annually to the Catalan‐Balearic Sea to feed, although this year, they have ar‐ rived earlier than expected, and the biologists took the opportunity to observe, photograph, identify and film the five fin whales, using a drone, about six miles off the coast of Vilanova y la Geltrú, Barcelona.

NEWS

TikTok causes controversy

MEMBERS of the National Police force and Guardia Civil are upset by the use of social media, especially TikTok, which they say damages the image of the forces.

Both forces have taken to using TikTok, as the Interior Ministry says that it is a way to reach a sector of the population which spends its life watching videos and doesn’t respond well to rules and orders.

Like forces in other countries, the Spanish National Police and Guardia Civil have included numerous dance routines, such as the famous

‘Jerusalema challenge’, as well as performances and other content which many find inappropriate and believe shows them behaving in a ‘ridiculous’ manner.

Social media for the forces is handled by their Communication Departments and this controversy has mainly involved the head of the department for the National Police, Antonio Nevado, who responded to criticism by saying that his team was doing an incredible job.

A photo had been posted by one of the police unions comparing the work of an officer heading into a dangerous situation and another in a TikTok video, suggesting that it was unfair that both were earning the same salary. They added that police who “want to dance or be clowns should go to the disco or the circus, but they should leave their uniforms in their lockers or at home.”

Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, refuses to accept comments about the videos discrediting the forces and maintains that the aim is to bring them closer to the younger population.

The critics are not denying that the channels reach the youths, but they object to the image which is being portrayed, which they say is not serious and does not reflect their work or the fact that they are a figure of authority.

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18 - 24 March 2021

Advertising Feature

RESIDENTS IN SENIOR RESORT CIUDAD PATRICIA NOW ALSO VACCINATED AS widely reported, the residents of Ciudad Patricia’s nursing home (the high-risk priority group) received their Covid caccinations earlier this year. On March 11, it was the turn of the remainder of the residents living independently in Ciudad Patricia’s retirement apartments to receive their first vaccination.

After different requests by the management of Apartamentos Ciudad Patricia and the medical team of the Geriatric and Rehabilitation centre, the Valencian Health Authority finally agreed that all residents could be vaccinated at the same time within the Resort. To prepare for this, an area in the Central Building was set aside and all vaccinations were carried out in accordance with the relevant requirements.

This was welcomed by all as another positive step on the road to post-Covid normality and as a reflection of the ongoing measures the resort management takes to maintain the health and well-being of everyone at Senior Resort Ciudad Patricia.

CIUDAD PATRICIA: Vaccinations have now taken place in accordance with relevant requirements.

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Coastal Concerns Hunters A C C O R D I N G to a new re‐ port, ‘Impacts and risks de‐ rived from climate change in Spain,’ published by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demo‐ graphic Challenge, climate change is leading to a dra‐ matic rise in sea levels which is threatening the coastal ar‐ eas of the country.

The sea level is currently rising up to three centime‐ tres each year, and the ex‐ perts predict that by 2100 it could rise by as much as 53 centimetres globally, which would affect countless coastal towns and cities around the world.

In Spain, the situation

varies significantly from re‐ gion to region.

The Spanish Mediter‐ ranean coast shows ‘high’ or ‘very high’ vulnerability to extreme events such as flooding, according to the report. While the flood level is expected to increase by around 6 per cent in the Ca‐ nary Islands by 2040, the level is as low as 2 and 3 per cent in the rest of the Mediterranean coast and the Gulf of Cadiz.

Throughout Spain, signifi‐ cant beach declines are ex‐ pected, especially in the Cantabrian Sea, Galicia and the Canary Islands, according to the report.

Record-Breaking Weekend THE Andalucian ski resort of Sierra Nevada has had a record‐ breaking weekend as the ski resort welcomed around 18,000 visi‐ tors over Saturday March 13 and Sunday March 14. This is the maximum capacity that is currently allowed due to coronavirus restrictions. It is thought that the good weather boosted the number of skiers as the resort had over 75 kilometres of slopes open over the weekend.

NEWS

The Andalucian resort, managed by Cetursa, reported that both Saturday and Sunday reached full capacity. This meant that the Sierra Nevada resort had a record‐breaking weekend.

The resort is open to all Andalucians that live in a town that does not have a perimeter closure in place due to the coron‐ avirus. One further restriction is that visitors must have pre‐ booked their ski pass in advance by the Internet.

Face Trial

IN Malaga, two men, who were arrested after hanging a podenco dog from an olive tree before throwing it off a cliff because ‘it was no longer useful for hunting,’ have been slapped with legal actions by Partido Animalista (PACMA) and 12 other animal rights groups who are seeking the maximum sentence possible for crimes of animal abuse with aggravated cruelty resulting in death.

On February 6, a person witnessed the horrific act of cruelty and contacted the Guardia Civil; the dog’s microchip led officers to its owner, who was arrested for drunk driving.

According to a statement from the Guardia Civil, he “was very aggressive, actively resisting identification, threatening and seriously disobeying the officers, for which he was arrested.”

A short time later his accomplice was arrested, and he was the one who told officers they killed the dog because they no longer had any use for it.

22 EWN

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18 - 24 March 2021

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49 million viewers INTERVIEW: The couple said they were under huge pressure.

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FEATURE

MEMBERS of the Guardia Civil’s nature branch, Seprona, said they have arrested or investigated more than 300 people over the last year as part of their role preventing crimes against animals, discovering more than 1,200 prohibited hunting methods and nearly 180 animals that were poisoned.

During their investigations, officers also found explosives, firearms, silencers and drugs.

Police say they carried out more than 900 inspections last year in in hunting farms and livestock farms, investigating 337 people and detecting more than 2,600 administrative infractions and 320 crimes.

Among the crimes, they found several cases of endangered species being killed, as well as various animal poisonings.

MORE than 49 million people worldwide watched Meghan and Harry’s bombshell interview, according to US network CBS. And the figure - which includes viewers via TV and streaming looks set to rise with the interview, which aired in the US on Monday, March 8 and the UK the following day, the highest-rated entertainment special since the 2020 Oscars ceremony in February.

The tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey saw the couple reveal they felt under immense pressure from the Firm and were hounded by the media, along with claims of racism and neglect by the Royal Family.

The Queen responded to the interview on Tuesday, March 9, saying she was “saddened” that Meghan and Prince Harry were so unhappy in the last few years and that allegations of racism would be investigated internally.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” read the statement on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

Best in the world

ELEVEN Spanish hospitals are among the 200 best in the world, according to the World’s Best Hospitals 2021 list by American publication Newsweek.

Six of them are located in Madrid, two in Catalonia, and one each in Navarra, Andalucia and Valencia.

The six in Madrid are La Paz, Gregorio Marañon, 12 de Octubre, San Carlos Clinic, Ramon y Cajal and the Jimenez Diaz Foundation.

For the third consecutive year, Newsweek, together with research firm Statista, has published the list of World’s Best Hospitals 2021.

It shows 2,000 health centres in more than 25 countries that stand out for their commitment to excellence, as well as for their prestigious doctors, nursing care and use of cutting-edge technology, amongst other parameters.

The international and national rankings are based on recommendations from medical experts, surveys of patients and professionals.

The two in Catalonia are the Barcelona Clinic Hospital, which

has the best position of all the Spanish hospitals on the list at 38, and Vall d’Hebron, and the others mentioned in Spain are

the Navarra University Clinic, the Virgen del Rocio Hospital in Sevilla and La Fe Polytechnic in Valencia.

Netflix plans Spanish Bird Box A SPANISH movie spin-off of Netflix 2018 supernatural thriller hit Bird Box, which starred Sandra Bullock and was directed by Susanne Bier, is in the pipeline, and shooting of the as yet unnamed film is expected to start toward the end of the year in Spain.

Original producers Dylan Clark and Chris Morgan will reportedly return but will add a distinctly Spanish flavour.

Bird Box remains one of Netflix’s most-watched original movies ever, with Bullock portraying a mother trying to protect herself and her two children from mysterious creatures that force people to kill themselves if they lay eyes on them. There has been talk of a sequel for some time, with the author of the source novel Josh Malerman claiming last year that the follow-up was in development.

Narco Submarine Intercepted THE National Police, working in conjunction with the authorities in Colombia, Holland, Portugal, the UK and the US, as well as Europol, have delivered a crushing blow to the international drug trade by seizing a huge nine-metre long submarine in Andalucia, the first of its kind to be intercepted in Spain. A total of 52 people have been arrested and 30 have been admitted to prison without bail.

The submarine was discovered in an industrial warehouse in Malaga and has the capacity to transport as much as two tonnes of cocaine. The vessel, which did not submerge completely once in the water, was designed to look like a pleasure craft to any patrols searching from the air.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 March 2021

€12,000 in fines

A LORRY driver in Vigo faces fines amounting to €12,000 for committing multiple offences.

He was stopped by Local Po‐ lice, when they saw him swerv‐ ing from one lane to another, in‐ vading the path of oncoming vehicles on the road.

When stopped, the officers found that there were two peo‐ ple in the vehicle, aged 38 and 42, with the latter being the

owner of the vehicle.

According to reports, the lor‐ ry had serious faults and was transporting perishable goods (potatoes) without a delivery note or invoice providing the origin of the product and lacking the necessary public service transport card.

The tyres did not have the correct pressure and were severely worn, the suspension

was in poor condition, the insur‐ ance and ITV had expired and it had no back brakes or indicator lights. The front bumper was broken and had sharp edges and the front licence plate was illegible. The tacograph was not being used properly either.

Based on all of this, the lorry was immobilised and it was also found that the fuel used in the tank was not regulation.

Wines and Liquors Award

OVER 50 products compete for the Sevilla Province Wines and Liquors Award, an initiative which aims to promote greater awareness of the products and promote tourism in the local area.

This year’s competition will see a stunning variety of wines and liqueurs on offer as over 50 products from 14 wineries have been entered for the Wines and Spirits Award.

The competition aims to promote the products and increase sales along with promoting the province’s wine culture as a tourist experience.

The president of the Provincial Council, Fernando Rodríguez Villalobos explained how the awards will go ahead despite the global coronavirus pandemic and explained that, “In the current crisis scenario, these awards are even more important, both in terms of supporting our agro‐in‐ dustry and boosting tourism in our region.”

The competition will have five categories which include still and sparkling white wines; still red wines; delicatessen, aromatised and sweet wines; singular wines from the province of Sevilla, and traditional liqueurs.

This year’s tastings will be held on March 24 and 25 with the award ceremony due to be held in April.

EWN 23

24 EWN

18 - 24 March 2021

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

FRANCE

Future roadmap

Cultural protest

SPEAKING on television, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen promised that she planned to confirm a national reopening schedule for the country by no later than Tuesday March 23. From then on, there will be guidelines as to when bars, restaurants, cinemas and places of higher education can reopen.

PROTESTORS occupied three of France’s national theatres to demand that cultural venues which have been closed since October be reopened. They argue that if shops and other businesses have been allowed to accept customers then the same should be true for entertainment.

NETHERLANDS

NORWAY

High taxes

War hero

A REPORT by NRC newspaper suggests that for at least a decade, the Oost-Nederland police illegally shared criminal information and personal details of people suspected of illegal cannabis cultivation with the Tax Authority which then calculated likely illicit income and sent out tax bills.

ERLING LORENTZEN, husband of the late Princess Ragnhild, has died in Oslo aged 98. He joined the resistance against the Nazis and eventually went for training in Scotland before returning to undertake acts of sabotage and later married the Princess in 1953.

BELGIUM What a hoot IN protest about the difficulty of complying with mobility rules in Brussels which makes it very difficult to own a car, hundreds of motorists drove around Brussel-Noord station to hoot their horns. It is estimated that 150 taxis, 80 motorcycles, and 50 drivers in cars took part.

GERMANY Terminal closure FIRST started in 2006 and dogged by delays and accusations of corruption, the Berlin Brandenburg airport finally opened in October 2020, becoming the only commercial airport in the country’s capital, but passenger numbers are far less than expected so its T5 will close for one year.

FINLAND Airport scare A MILITARY exercise at Helsinki Airport went disastrously wrong when two armed military police officers mistakenly went into the main passenger area rather than the closed off area where they should have been. Two frightened passengers who the officers thought were targets had guns pointed at them.

SWEDEN Dog smugglers TWO people, who were stopped by customs officers in December have been jailed for six months by a Malmo Court after they were charged with illegally trying to import nine French bulldogs and four other dogs which had not been inoculated against rabies.

FINANCE Fastest growing SPANISH temporary work platform Jobandtalent has obtained an investment of €100 million from a Japanese company to add to €88 million received from French investor Infravia. With €500 million turnover, the company has been named one of the fastest growing European businesses by the Financial Times and Statista.

GDP down COMMENTING on the fact that UK Gross Domestic Product dropped a further 2.9 per cent in January, INFINOX, spokesperson Ulas Akincilar, told City AM “The UK economy may look like a punch-drunk boxer hanging off the ropes, but the blows are doing less damage each time.”

Malaysian imports SPAIN is one of the major markets for the import of palm oil, bio diesel and rubber from Malaysia and this appears likely to continue to grow. In general terms, Spain imports around €1 billion worth of Malaysian products annually and exports just over €600 million.

Massive losses HAMMERSON, the owner of the Bullring and Brent Cross shopping centres as well as Bicester Village Outlet Centre has indicated that it will need to sell more of its properties in order to continue after losing £1.7 billion (€1.87 billion) in 2020.

McDiversity THE Spanish division of burger giant McDonald’s is taking a ground breaking step in introducing procedures to manage and assist sexual diversity. Faced with a changing world and the need for equality, its 35-point plan includes ways of assisting staff who look to initiate gender reassignment. It is assumed that if this caring attitude for staff needs is successful it will be introduced across the bulk of the network of McDonald’s outlets in more than 100 countries subject to whatever local laws may apply.

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 18 - 24 March 2021

€7 billion

is the amount that the Spanish Government plans to give to companies and the self-employed by way of pandemic aid.

UK pet boom over lockdown Imports and

ONE industry that is going to see a definite upturn in business is that connected with pets as British house‐ holds ramped up pet own‐ ership according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA).

There are now an esti‐ mated 34 million pets in the UK including 12 mil‐ lion cats and 12 million dogs, 3.2 million small mammals such as guinea pigs and hamsters, three million birds and 1.5 mil‐

lion reptiles. There are al‐ so five million aquaria.

This equates to 17 mil‐ lion households responsi‐ ble for a pet’s welfare. No‐ tably, over a third (38 per cent) of new owners claimed that having a new pet was like having a new baby and almost a fifth (17 per cent) of families with children admitted that training was more chal‐ lenging than expected.

Almost two thirds (59 per cent) of new owners

LEGALLY SPEAKING

are aged 16 to 34 and 56 per cent of new pet own‐ ers have children at home.

Although 74 per cent claim their pet has helped their mental health through the pandemic, the annual PFMA study raises pet welfare con‐ cerns, especially as al‐ ready 5 per cent of all new pets have been given up as people were unable to cope.

The big fear now is that whilst the decision to buy

a pet during lockdown seemed a sensible and caring option, when peo‐ ple start returning to work the new pets are suddenly going to find themselves in a completely different and often newly isolated environment.

In the meantime how‐ ever, an increase of around 10 per cent in new pets is going to see com‐ panies like Pets at Home enjoy significant addition‐ al turnover.

Inditex does it again

Can they get Covid Jab? We had our residencia appointments can‐ celled last year because of the pandemic and we have been waiting since August for anoth‐ er. We registered our intention online to apply for residencia before December 31. We are reluctant to go back to the UK in case we obtain an appoint‐ ment when we are away. We are hoping we can have a Covid‐19 jab here. We have been told that we can register at our local health centre with our Padron, NIE and passport. Can you confirm this? I have also been told our EHIC cards are okay until expiry date.

F T (by email) It is correct that your European health YOU AND THE LAW care cards are valid IN SPAIN until their expiry date. However, your chances of obtaining a Covid vaccination on the Spanish health system are not good. Earlier information given online referred only to persons with Covid symptoms and seeking treatment. This was misinterpreted and does not refer to persons simply wanting a vaccination. You wish to apply for a TIE card as a non‐EU citizen to reside in Spain and the date to do this has been extended beyond June 30 for an indefinite period.

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.

ALTHOUGH for years Netflix publicly accepted that people tended to share their password with friends, tough competition is making the company recon‐ sider its position.

When you sign up for their online streaming you have to create a password, not just to protect you, but also to ensure that others can’t take advan‐

exports down

Credit: Gpccurro CC

BUSINESS EXTRA

26

Inditex Uterqüe store in Valladolid.

EVEN the pandemic can’t stop the incredible growth of the world’s largest fashion retailer, Spain’s Inditex which made a €1.1 billion profit in 2020.

Yes, sales did drop by 28 per cent from €28.2 billion to €20.4 billion but online sales grew by 77 per cent to €6.6 billion and in the circumstances, a €1.1 bil‐ lion profit is certainly a great achievement for the group.

According to Chairman Pablo Isla, “Inditex has emerged stronger after such a challenging year thanks to the amazing commitment dis‐ played by everyone here at the company.”

Zara and Zara Home contin‐ ue to be the most lucrative of the group’s businesses but all

divisions saw significant sales despite the fact that at one time during 2020 every single one of its 6,829 stores was closed at some stage during the year.

It even managed to launch 25 additional online platforms throughout the world and 29 new stores as well as donating huge amounts of resources to different governments, chari‐ ties and health services in a bid to assist in the fight against the pandemic.

Looking at Spain, it in‐ creased its purchasing from home suppliers and spent some €4 billion with them as well as paying tax (much of this in Spain) amounting to €4.8 billion.

Netflix checks

tage of watching the Netflix pro‐ grammes free of charge.

In the agreement that you enter into with the company (but probably never read) it does state that account details should not be shared with any‐

one outside of your household.

Research studies however suggest that out of its 200 mil‐ lion plus subscribers worldwide, as many as 40 million may share their password with friends, so Netflix is actively requesting

confirmation from viewers whether they are in a house‐ hold which includes a sub‐ scriber.

Everyone who watches Net‐ flix, using a particular password can be traced to the subscriber

EXPORT of British goods to the European Union fell by 40.7 per cent in January according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) whilst imports also fell.

The UK spend was £5.3 billion (€5.8 billion) down on European products, but spent £8.9 billion (€9.8 billion) less on European imports in the first month fol‐ lowing new trading rules intro‐ duced due to Brexit.

The ONS suggest that this is a temporary blip as companies get used to new rules and partly be‐ cause many had stocked up with European made goods prior to December 31, 2020.

Luxury ice cream ITALIAN company Ferrero Rocher is to launch ice cream versions of the famous chocolate as well as Raffaello brands made in Spain.

Initially to be marketed in Aus‐ tria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, it will be manufactured in the Ice Cream Factory Comaker plant in Valencia Province which it acquired in 2019 through its Ferrero Ibérica subsidiary.

Once these test markets have shown that there is a demand for these distinctive ‘luxury’ chocolate ice cream brands, they will be rolled out across Europe and beyond. and whilst it may be complicat‐ ed, the company could police who is watching without having paid.

The problem for Netflix is that in the USA, its largest mar‐ ket, there are so many new platforms such as Disney+, Amazon Prime, and HBO MAX it can’t afford to have so many ‘freeloaders’.

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

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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 15

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.174,00 1.174,27 Admiral Group 2.955,0 2.959,0 Anglo American 3.033,5 3.040,3 Antofagasta 1.743,50 1.754,50 Ashtead Group 4.246,0 4.261,0 Associated British Foods 2.444,0 2.447,0 AstraZeneca 6.963,6 6.963,6 Auto Trader Group Plc 562,00 564,20 Avast 453,40 454,00 Aveva 3.443,0 3.452,0 Aviva 391,99 392,60 B&M European Value Retail SA535,80 537,18 BAE Systems 506,71 507,21 Bank VTB DRC 1,010 1,011 Barclays 180,54 181,64 Barratt Developments 748,40 757,11 Berkeley 4.328,6 4.344,0 BHP Group 2.185,00 2.186,50 BP 322,51 324,85 British American Tobacco 2.671,0 2.673,7 British Land Company 515,50 516,40 BT Group 140,30 141,15 Bunzl 2.265,0 2.268,0 Burberry Group 2.142,4 2.168,0 Carnival 1.716,0 1.728,0 Centrica 53,90 53,97 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.386,1 2.390,1 Compass 1.618,00 1.621,50 CRH 3.465,7 3.481,4 Croda Intl 6.262,0 6.270,0 DCC 6.050,0 6.074,0 Diageo 3.039,0 3.040,8 DS Smith 410,00 411,50 EasyJet 1.023,91 1.038,34 Experian 2.440,0 2.444,2 Ferguson 8.962,0 8.990,0 Flutter Entertainment 16.711,0 17.000,1 Fresnillo 946,00 947,38 GlaxoSmithKline 1.269,34 1.272,00 Glencore 293,61 293,80 Halma 2.310,0 2.312,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.527,51 1.537,88 Hikma Pharma 2.209,00 2.210,00 HSBC 429,27 430,63 IAG 214,42 215,94 Imperial Brands 1.408,50 1.411,50 Informa 573,60 580,40 InterContinental 5.258,0 5.258,0 Intermediate Capital 1.916,00 1.923,00 Intertek 5.366,0 5.366,0 ITV 121,85 124,75

% CHG. 1.165,78 2.945,0 3.001,3 1.729,50 4.190,0 2.434,0 6.899,8 561,00 449,80 3.426,0 390,35 535,40 502,90 1,009 179,73 747,80 4.302,1 2.165,50 321,47 2.649,2 508,78 138,55 2.249,2 2.139,0 1.700,4 53,50 2.367,7 1.589,00 3.465,7 6.202,0 5.980,0 3.008,5 408,30 1.015,87 2.420,0 8.916,0 16.475,1 932,36 1.259,77 290,70 2.275,0 1.525,98 2.192,00 428,22 213,15 1.399,60 572,40 5.196,0 1.902,00 5.300,0 121,65

NET VOL 5,82K 9,52K 11,54K 43,17K 29,93K 17,30K 16,63K 62,16K 45,33K 4,00K 110,96K 7,46K 116,95K 23,67K 1,10M 9,07K 1,90K 141,10K 314,55K 12,54K 9,48K 1,92M 0,72K 7,23K 42,86K 209,34K 0,72K 154,46K 0,73K 13,15K 3,88K 14,42K 198,59K 44,29K 6,07K 6,52K 47,01K 12,53K 46,42K 608,34K 26,11K 3,48K 18,23K 99,30K 1,44M 23,12K 81,87K 23,69K 16,93K 3,96K 297,06K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

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

236,64 3.166,0 685,70 293,19 41,62 7.568,0 471,50 179,80 1.860,00 841,80 189,95 7.798,8 33,12 2.119,40 2.948,0 738,00 1.544,74 6.232,0 1.740,50 472,14 562,11 5.751,0 115,12 7,83 1.578,20 1.579,4 1.515,8 678,40 597,00 1.812,00 15,95 3.419,0 1.150,99 913,40 2.247,0 1.397,49 1.544,50 11.665,0 1.396,00 1.254,00 494,80 293,89 181,18 223,69 438,72 3.990,0 892,40 133,91 3.491,8 903,60

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

237,09 3.173,0 687,90 293,34 41,80 7.646,0 477,01 181,20 1.867,50 844,60 192,40 7.798,8 33,19 2.131,00 2.972,0 742,20 1.546,19 6.240,0 1.741,00 472,98 563,70 5.763,8 116,87 7,85 1.583,61 1.584,4 1.520,6 678,60 598,20 1.817,00 15,95 3.428,0 1.156,50 919,40 2.266,0 1.399,69 1.547,00 11.730,0 1.398,20 1.258,00 495,90 293,90 183,72 224,10 440,44 3.994,1 899,60 134,36 3.493,6 904,80

235,60 3.160,0 681,50 289,90 41,40 7.510,0 467,84 178,80 1.853,00 837,80 189,95 7.711,0 32,64 2.104,14 2.944,0 738,00 1.539,00 6.186,0 1.722,00 467,18 560,48 5.670,6 114,45 7,81 1.575,90 1.575,9 1.512,8 677,60 593,40 1.807,00 15,66 3.404,0 1.138,56 910,80 2.246,0 1.388,50 1.526,50 11.630,0 1.381,11 1.252,00 492,00 290,00 180,37 222,30 433,71 3.959,0 892,40 133,36 3.461,2 898,80

39,82K 16,58K 42,81K 424,31K 6,36M 38,38K 36,28K 74,90K 30,09K 180,27K 349,01K 2,25K 520,88K 12,36K 21,93K 38,55K 29,48K 35,70K 166,10K 28,90K 14,13K 10,87K 1,53M 326,44K 10,39K 18,06K 41,99K 96,04K 56,00K 2,76K 347,41K 20,35K 249,51K 90,46K 10,30K 8,27K 13,42K 2,52K 16,42K 21,70K 382,46K 80,60K 134,62K 263,09K 292,82K 18,72K 39,85K 498,69K 9,53K 65,24K

0.85642

1.16631 Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.19295 Japan yen (JPY)......................................130.175 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.1091 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4364 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.065

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 15

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 184,92 2.061,92 3.089,49 230,36 121,03 269,19 229,00 111,56 48,82 50,36 268,40 348,81 273,10 214,38 127,61 62,90 159,60 156,15 212,34 74,60 235,75 140,45 128,14 212,21 693,73 356,02 55,63 224,36 134,12 197,16

CHANGE 186,21 2.090,26 3.098,98 230,76 121,17 269,72 229,02 112,70 48,99 50,68 269,74 350,00 273,81 215,39 127,68 63,30 160,31 157,63 214,24 74,89 235,82 140,91 128,82 213,85 694,88 356,82 56,17 226,54 134,52 198,41

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 184,27 2,69M 2.047,55 1,73M 3.045,50 2,42M 228,69 1,75M 119,16 88,11M 253,50 35,26M 218,12 4,76M 110,72 10,93M 48,47 15,20M 50,20 17,60M 264,02 20,60M 343,64 2,44M 266,76 4,19M 213,20 1,84M 126,61 4,01M 62,24 20,17M 159,19 5,47M 155,07 12,85M 211,42 2,82M 73,99 10,97M 233,23 22,65M 138,60 4,14M 127,65 6,52M 209,30 6,11M 666,14 33,58M 351,99 2,09M 55,61 22,00M 223,42 8,17M 132,08 9,48M 195,18 13,25M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 15

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+1.65% +1.89% +8.07% +2.29% +2.05% +10.34% +4.48% +10.15% +1.75% +5.13% +14.10%

404,711 92,609 8.89M 55,014 718,136 38.02M 5.56M 370,533 391,882 312,914 214,409

-2.50% -2.41% -8.45% -0.77% -1.31% -2.46% -6.61% -1.01% -5.10% -19.90% -3.69%

1.73M 1.69M 5.24M 2.42M 472,835 467,552 9.28M 2,093 2.59M 4.12M 1.65M

Most Advanced Booking Holdings Inc. First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A Novavax Inc. Amerco Equinix Inc. ViacomCBS Inc. Cl B Airbnb Inc. Cl A ViacomCBS Inc. Cl A O'Reilly Automotive Inc. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. Silverback Therapeutics Inc.

Most Declined Alphabet Inc. Cl C Alphabet Inc. Cl A Ulta Beauty Inc. Amazon.com Inc. MercadoLibre Inc. MicroStrategy Inc. DocuSign Inc. Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A Okta Inc. Cl A Poshmark Inc. Cl A Coupa Software Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Delivery riders are employees

PIONEERING DECISION: Minister of Labour Yolanda Díaz explains the legislation.

LAST September the Span‐ ish Supreme Court ruled that a delivery rider for Glo‐ vo should be recognised as an employee not a self‐em‐ ployed worker.

This meant that the Span‐ ish Government had to take action to recognise this de‐ cision and it has now an‐ nounced that a new law will be introduced to regu‐ larise the situation of food delivery drivers for not just Glovo, but Deliveroo and others.

Only recently, the UK courts made a similar deci‐ sion with regards to Uber drivers and it seems that this will become an area which will be reviewed by the majority of govern‐ ments throughout Europe.

Although the Spanish Government has taken its time to prepare legislation and has consulted the ma‐ jor companies in both main‐ line and what is know as the ‘gig’ industries as well

as trade union leaders, it appears to be looking to go further than initially ex‐ pected.

Announcing the decision, Minister of Labour Yolanda Díaz said that the legisla‐ tion (which should be com‐ plied with within 90 days) is pioneering and part of a modernisation of the labour market.

What was groundbreak‐ ing was her later observa‐ tion that “Algorithms must serve people and labour rights. With the new legisla‐ tion, workers’ representa‐ tives will be able to access the employment impact of algorithms and artificial in‐ telligence systems on all platforms.”

This means that if it ap‐ pears that certain drivers are being favoured over others, it will be possible for representatives of other workers to demand access to the programming of allo‐ cation of work.

EU checks postponed CHECKS on some EU goods coming into the UK will be delayed by six months in order to give businesses more time to prepare.

The official government explanation is that the new timetable would help firms recovering in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whilst it is difficult for businesses to bring certain British goods into Spain following Brexit, physical checks on products such as meat and dairy products entering the UK from the EU due from July will now begin in January 2022.

APS, the association rep‐ resenting companies in‐ volved with digital plat‐ forms has indicated that they oppose this particular part of the new legislation as it could hurt Spain’s digi‐ tal economy expansion.

BUSINESS EXTRA John Lewis THE John Lewis Chairman Sharon White has warned of further ‘painful’ store closures as the company reported its first ever annual loss as the 2019 profit of £146 million (€160.5 million) turned into a £517 million (€568.5 million) loss in 2020 due to the pandemic.

MWC shock ALTHOUGH it was hoped that the Mobile World Conference would take place in Barcelona after being cancelled last year, its future hangs in doubt as megabrands Ericsson, Facebook, Nokia, Oracle and Sony have now pulled out of the June show and others may follow.

Coaled feet ENCOURAGED by environmental group charity ShareAction and pension funds, HSBC Bank has indicated that it will stop financing projects which include the use or mining of coal by 2040 provided that 75 per cent of shareholders vote in favour of the decision.

18 - 24 March 2021

EWN 29

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 March 2021

FEATURE

The whine-fest was pure pantomime LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT THIS week I intended to give advice on the upkeep of your Azaleas. Dream on!

On second thoughts, I decided I’d better toe the journalistic line and scribe my views on a subject that has probably occupied more columnists’ grey matter than the death of Lady Diana and the abdication of King Edward put together.

Yes, of course I’m referring once again to THAT interview. Last week I wrote a few lines decrying the whole charade, however that was only after viewing the first carefully selected trailers that had ‘leaked’ out.

Later, after seething through the whole painfully contrived event, I felt even more convinced that this was a clever PR exercise, designed to do nothing more than absolve Ms Meghan from the majority of public opinion, which considered she had captured and lured a young impressionable man from his loving family and was subsequently

PR PROJECT: No Oscars for their recent performance.

using him to further her own career and raise her status in Hollywood society.

Well, to my mind, the plan to restore this young lady’s ever so important

‘celebrity integrity’ failed miserably. This was a calculated and extremely expensive Public Relations project from the very outset and was undoubtedly

the result of many meetings between Ms Oprah, her PR department and Ms Markel. (Harry was probably issued with a script to peruse at home!)

The whole intelligence insulting debacle involved a cast consisting of three people, one of the richest black women in America; a mixed race Hollywood soap actress, married into Royalty and a young, privileged and utterly spoiled Prince.

The ‘shoot’ took place under the California sunshine in the gazebo of a millionaire friend, just a stone’s throw from their own respective multi‐million dollar mansions and showed them discussing as to how discriminated against and victimised they all were! I mean, just how much of mugs do they take us all for?

One of the main problems faced by the PR people was to somehow reverse public opinion that her split with (yet another) family ‐ was not due Meghan’s connivance or manipulation. No Oscars in that direction either.

I thought their performances were mediocre and almost laughingly implausible. They would never have

gotten a series out of it.

Even the usual racist accusations and close up of Oprah’s ‘jaw drop’, which was always intended to be a show stopper, was badly delivered and lacking in authenticity. They hadn’t even coordinated their individual scripts.

Anyway, if my own family was prone to having three nipples and I wondered if a new born family member would follow the same trait; it wouldn’t make me a ‘nipple’ist’, merely a curious in‐ law.

No this whole whine‐fest was pure pantomime. Those who are interested in body language will, I’m sure, also have noticed that throughout the whole discussion, it was her Ladyship’s hand resting firmly on top of his, pinning it securely to the arm of the chair. Position normal I would ascertain!

Late Sunday newsflash. Relatives of George Floyd have been awarded $25 million! There you are, his life was worth something after all!

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com.

Expatradioscotland. Mon. Wed. Fri.

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

32 EWN

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18 - 24 March 2021

FEATURE

Advertising Feature

A gift in memory of the departed

THERE is no rule saying that a gift must be taken to a funeral or memorial service, but it is a simple and meaningful way to show the relatives of the deceased that we share their pain and join them in remembering their loved one.

Funeral flowers are a simple yet beautiful option, such as a bouquet or wreath, or even a single flower, but nowadays, other options are also gaining popularity, especially those which are more lasting in time than fresh flowers.

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

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You can’t just cancel the past MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

Views of a Grumpy Old Man SO another week’s gone by, and time to catch up with my grumpiness. Where to start? How about the Dr Seuss books - six of them banned because of racial overtones? I noticed Green Eggs and Ham wasn’t on the list. Surely the reference to ham is insulting because it may offend members of the Muslim and Jewish faiths.

Then we have Mr Potato Head now just being called Potato Head. What’s the matter with people? These join the hoo-ha about Gone With the Wind. I read this week about the reediting of a scene from Fawlty Towers - a totally politically incorrect masterpiece of humour of its time.

We know that Love Thy Neighbour was racist but nearly everyone appreciated that it was the racist character that was made to look like the ignorant idiot that he was. As with Alf Garnett and his homophobic, misogynistic, racist character and his rants, we laughed because we all knew someone like him. You can’t just erase them.

You learn from it.

Tom and Jerry, the classic cat and mouse cartoons, some made more than 70 years ago, now carry a warning for subscribers to Amazon Prime

Instant Video. What about the animal cruelty to Bugs Bunny? Elma Fudd has been banned from carrying a gun but can still go after Bugs with an axe. Looney Tunes is the right name for it. Hold on isn’t the word looney offensive?

There have been claims of racist stereotyping in the depiction of a black maid in the cartoon series. Amazon’s warning says such prejudice was once ‘commonplace’ in US society. Tom and Jerry, once a staple of children’s British television, is being presented with a cautionary note about ‘ethnic and racial prejudices.’

Uncle Ben’s rice had to have a name change because of racial stereotyping. Over the years many brands have retired their packaging mascots because of various groups complaining.

Aunt Jemima Eskimo Pie, Tony the Tiger both changed. What about Mrs Earlswood pickles?

They have a woman’s face on the jar. I think she looks Jewish because they used to be called kosher pickles, but do you know what, I’m not offended.

There are American sports teams that have changed their names like Cleveland Indians who lost their logo and the Atlanta Braves and so it goes on and on.

You can’t cancel the past - it happened. I agree some stuff should be changed but you have to draw the line somewhere - don’t you??

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

18 - 24 March 2021

EWN 35

36 EWN

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18 - 24 March 2021

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

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

NEWS that fake reviews for products sold on Amazon’s Marketplace are being sold online ‘in bulk’ isn’t surprising. The consumer group Which? found websites selling fake reviews from £5 each and incentivising positive re‐ views in exchange for payment or free prod‐ ucts. Which? even caught UK businesses buy‐ ing five‐star Google reviews in its own recent ‘sting’ operation.

But fake reviews have been a problem on eBay, Facebook, Amazon and TripAdvisor for years. Data suggest a huge rise in fake reviews during the first lockdown.

With Italy’s antitrust authority fining TripAd‐ visor €500,000 over its ‘defamatory’ hotel re‐ views, maybe it’s time to take stock of some of its highs and lows.

First off, there were the threats from some in the travel industry. Like the Broadway Ho‐ tel, Blackpool, that charged a couple £100 af‐ ter posting a critical review describing it as a ‘filthy, dirty rotten stinking hovel run by mup‐ pets.’ (Only to be surpassed by New York’s Union Street Guest House’s surcharge of

FEATURE

CONSUMERS DEMANDING MORE & MORE FREEBIES - WHATEVER NEXT?

CUSTOMER REVIEWS: Data suggests there has been a huge rise in fake reviews. $500 for negative reviews.)

Naturally, this backfired spectacularly for both hotels with numerous mocking reviews on TripAdvisor. Don’t you just love it when bad businesses blame the customer and, instead of

fixing the problem, get uppity when the ensu‐ ing firestorm of bad publicity erupts? You have to give them five out of five for canniness.

The BBC should have sent a production crew up to Blackpool to do a remake of Fawlty Tow‐

ers. Script not needed. Can’t you just picture Basil scrolling through his TripAdvisor reviews!

TripAdvisor never ceases to amuse. From the fake reviews of the non‐existent Brixham restaurant Oscar’s, and spoof reviews (the Inn, Bethlehem and the Grand Budapest Hotel, Re‐ public of Zubrowka) to the ‘alarmingly prolific’ reviewers on its Chinese website.

Now, I know all businesses are having a real‐ ly rough time in this pandemic but so are con‐ sumers. So, wouldn’t it be in everyone’s best interests to treat all websites with more care ‐ and caution?

PS. I’ll certainly be recommending this unbi‐ ased article! Five stars!

Warning: this column may not be written by a real person.

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.

Advertising Feature

Two routes to Spanish Residency after Brexit THREE months on from Brexit ‐ and not yet through the pandemic ‐ but it’s clear many Britons are still hoping to move to Spain. For some, cooped up after a long, hard winter, the appetite is even stronger. Things have changed but we can still move to Spain, just like Americans, Australians and South Africans do.

As third‐country citizens, Britons not employed by a Spanish company currently have two main routes to residency, the Golden Visa and the Non‐Lucrative Visa.

The Golden Visa is the quickest way to residency if you have at least €500,000 to spend on a property (without a mortgage), or if you have already bought a home of that value, since 2013.

Each family member needs to apply. It requires that you have private healthcare cover, no criminal record, an NIE (fiscal number) and proof of property ownership through the title deed, or preliminary con‐ tract.

The application can be made through a Spanish Embassy or Consulate directly.

Many are spending less than €500,000

on a property, or renting a home rather than buying. The Non‐Lucrative Visa is the option. As the name suggests, this visa is

not for people working (for a Spanish com‐ pany) but suitable for retirees.

There is a minimum income criteria: €27,115 per year, plus €6,778 per each de‐ pendent. The key is proving a reliable, on‐ going source of income, whether from pensions, investments or employment. Pri‐ vate medical insurance is required ‐ al‐ though for over‐65s in receipt of a UK state pension they can still access healthcare through the S1 healthcare entitlement cer‐ tificate.

This visa is obtained through the Spanish Consulates in the UK before leaving for Spain.

With either visa route, you will then need to apply for TIE (foreigner’s identity card) and register with the Padron (census) in your local municipality within a month of arriving in Spain.

Sun Lawyers is able to help you through the visa application process. For questions about visas and residency post-Brexit: email admin@sun-lawyers.com

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 March 2021

GO LOCAL

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urg‐ ing its readers to support local businesses in the community by going local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding on‐ line giants and superstores.

With this lockdown and Easter upcoming, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky independent businesses in your area.

Due to the Covid‐19 pandemic, you may have to support many lo‐ cal 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 lockdown re‐ strictions.

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

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

By shopping at an independent store you’re putting food on a lo‐ cal 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 lo‐ cal sports teams and in many cas‐ es the small independent stores

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

are actually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous genera‐ tions and support not just the cur‐ rent owner but the generation be‐ fore.

For those stores which are new, that extra couple of euros spent there are supporting some‐ one’s dream and ambition, and al‐ so 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 compete with the multi‐ national and chains.

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

You could also consider pur‐ chasing gift vouchers from local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, thinking outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas. Why not buy a

meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a local studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path.

As people are struggling with fi‐ nances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift per‐ haps pre‐paying a family mem‐ ber’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 econo‐ my. When we buy local, our mon‐ ey stays local, and it strengthens the local economy in two ways.

First, buying local keeps money circulating within the local econo‐ my.

Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create

locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees.

Data shows that local retailers return 52 per cent of their rev‐ enue 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 example, let’s look at a local farmer growing produce.

First, they sell to a local restau‐ rant, which in turn prepares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its lo‐ cal employees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbourhood hardware store. This example il‐ lustrates how the recirculation of money in the local economy leads to a stronger financial foundation for our neighbours and communi‐ ties.

Buying local also fuels new em‐ ployment and job opportunities for people within our community.

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

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

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

EWN 37

38 EWN

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18 - 24 March 2021

FEATURE

Get vaccinated to be able to travel LETTERS FROM

CANARIES CANARIAN president Ángel Torres’ call for vaccination passports, prompted by his desire to save the summer season after losing a sec‐ ond winter season, is now echoed

by Angela Merkel and stands a good chance of success. Get vacci‐ nated if you’d like to travel again is the clear message.

Meanwhile, lay off illegal bingo.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria police, after a tip off, caught 32 bingo play‐ ers ‘in the middle of a game, ignoring social distancing and smoking.’ Fines and denuncias followed.

Risking it for bingo?? Although the game does, or did, enjoy a racier im‐ age in Spain. Years ago, in Alicante, in very ritzy company I was whisked off ‘to gamble in secret.’ The chauf‐ feur knocked once and we slipped in, to find Alicante’s rich and famous playing… bingo.

Still in the eastern province, wel‐

LANZAROTE: Work has been given the go-ahead. come news of approval for the pro‐ posed €31 million port extension in Fuerteventura’s capital Puerto del Rosario.

Work, over 17 months, will extend the southern end of the port’s outer jetty and provide a new jetty for pumping fuel ashore.

At nearby Lanzarote’s Mirador de Guinate, the construction of a

SIVE (Spanish capitals), an Inte‐ grated Exterior Vigilance System, has been given the go‐ahead after the Minister of the Interior’s call for… ‘an urgently needed means of guaranteeing the EU’s southern border.’ Use of small, unsafe boats to cross from Africa to Europe via the Canaries continues, to escalat‐ ing argument between the Ca‐

naries, Spain and the EU. Across the channel from Fuerteventura, on La Graciosa, Victo‐ riano Hernández moves into his fourth month tied to the railings of the municipal council office. He’s still waiting for the necessary licence to carry out the work necessary to di‐ vide the house he wishes to share with his ex‐wife.

Let’s save the summer season.

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

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ADVERTISING

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EWN 43

Advertising Feature

SolarNRG, a Dutch company specialised in solar energy systems, now also provides economical solutions with battery storage WHO are we?

Michael van Gaalen (worked at So‐ larNRG Nederland) and his father Hen‐ ry founded the company in 2019 after the government applied new laws and regulations for solar energy systems.

This makes the purchase of a solar energy installation interesting for pri‐ vate individuals.

With 17 years of experience and more than 470,000 sold solar panels, we can say that we have extensive ex‐ perience in the field of solar energy in‐ stallations.

How interesting is a Solar energy installation?

Besides the fact that you are doing nature a favour with your green print, solar panels are very interesting as an investment for you personally or for your company, because we live in a country where we have sun almost every day, your investment return in an average of six to seven years. In the best case, therefore, a return of 16 per

SOLAR ENERGY: Solar power is an ideal investment, but good advice is especially important. cent on an annual basis, not even con‐ sidering that the electricity price in‐ creases every year.

Solar power is an ideal investment, but every roof is different and good advice is especially important. We have more than 17 years of experi‐ ence with the most diverse roofs. Do you want high efficiency panels? Or do you go for aesthetics? Or do you opt for the most economical solution?

In addition to experience, we have a wide range of products, so that we can easily put together a solar power system that perfectly suits your situa‐ tion and wishes.

Can I have a grid connection with a battery pack and how does that work?

Yes, that is possible storing the un‐ used energy in a battery pack.

After installing a solar energy sys‐

tem with a battery pack, the panels generate electricity that is consumed by the electrical equipment in the house, often more is generated than consumed and this excess energy is now sent to the battery and stored.

This energy can be used at a later stage, for example when there is no sun for a while or for the evening and night.

If the battery is 100 per cent full and

the panels still generate more than is consumed by the electrical equipment in the house, this electricity goes to the grid and the supplier pays you for the energy supplied (currently approx.

0.05 euros per kWh).

Is a Solar energy system with a bat‐ tery pack expensive??

A few years ago, there were expen‐ sive systems, but the price of the bat‐ teries has been reduced to such an ex‐ tent that it is interesting to opt for an installation with batteries.

I want to have now a Solar energy system but, in the future, I want to con‐ nect a battery pack, is this possible?

Yes, this is possible, but you must be aware that you need a Hybrid in‐ verter that is not a regular one.

Is your interest aroused?

Visit our website www.solarnrg.es and fill in the form for a customised quote or send an email to info@so larnrg.es, ask your questions, we will be happy to answer them.

Where is SolarNRG located? - SolarNRG: Carretera Nacional 332, Partida Cap-Blanch 70-8, 03590 - Altea +34 966 941 849 - www.solarnrg.es - info@solarnrg.es

44 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 March 2021

DAVID WORBOYS QUEEN ELIZABETH has devoted her life to serving her country as an exem‐ plary monarch. Perhaps she could have abdicated graciously at the age of 80 and given her eldest son a taste of power, but she appears to regard her sovereignty as a duty for life. She is uni‐ versally admired as a successful monarch.

Having said that, she and her consort preside over an odd family dominated by formality, tradition, and protocol.

Through the media, the atmosphere in which they live comes across as cold, outdated and unnatural.

Forty years ago, it is into this situation that Princess Diana was inveigled. As she gradually revealed her warmer, hu‐ man personality she was eventually to be isolated, effectively ostracised and eventually silenced.

Although not of royal blood, Diana was British and white. On her death, the outpouring of grief by the general public was phenomenal ‐ in marked contrast to the cool reaction at the Palace.

A generation later, her son, Prince Harry was one of the most popular and

FEATURE

THE GREAT ESCAPE ROYAL FAMILY: When Princess Diana was rejected she had no one to turn to, while Meghan at least had the support of her husband. personable of all the royals. His person‐ ality was a breath of fresh air among the formal stuffiness of most of his immedi‐ ate family. And then he fell in love with and married a beautiful woman.

Unlike his mother, Harry’s new wife, Meghan Markle, was neither British nor ‘white’. (Neither, of course, was Dodi Fayed). Not exactly what the establish‐ ment had in mind.

She is also a divorcee. But the Royal

Family already has a fair number of di‐ vorcees, all of them British and white.

The Prince may have had an idea of the kind of existence that awaited Meghan. It seems likely that he may have shared with her his concerns about life within the Royal Family.

However, neither of them could have been prepared for the vitriol displayed by the general public and the main‐ stream and social media, once they had

married. This time, the reaction of the public has been very different.

When Diana was rejected she had nobody to turn to and no means of es‐ cape. As efforts were made to extradite Meghan, she at least had her husband to support her. And did the Prince of Wales, in his role as Harry’s father, really refuse to take calls for help from him?

Attempts are being made to eradi‐ cate racism from football. What about

the family of the Head of the Common‐ wealth? Whatever the response of the Palace, who is to be believed? Assuming the allegations of Meghan are true, can her critics imagine what it must be like to live in such restrictive circumstances, surrounded by cold courtiers? The strip‐ ping of their royal titles seems a vindic‐ tive measure in response to the young couple’s search for an escape from a metaphorical cage into the real world.

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

46 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 March 2021

By Clinica Britannia

Blood Pressure Monitoring AN ABPM is a 24‐hour blood pressure monitor used to detect, measure and manage high blood pressure (hypertension).

Hypertension is when your BP reading is over 140/90.

When wearing the monitor, readings are taken every 20 to 30 minutes during the day and every hour at night with your heart rate be‐ ing checked at the same time. Our blood pressure can easily vary 10 per cent to 20 per cent dur‐ ing sleep.

Abnormal changes in BP that might go unno‐ ticed, are detected with the use of a ABPM. Many patients suffer with white coat hypertension.

This is when there is up

Trusting your own mind MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED

to a 30 per cent rise in BP when put in a medical environment, when the BP is actually normal.

Signs of Sleep Apnea which is a serious condi‐ tion causing your airway to repeatedly close dur‐ ing sleep, depriving your brain of oxygen until you gasp awake can also show up in a Mapa test.

Measuring signals from

the tip of your index fin‐ ger with a small light sen‐ sor which connects wire‐ lessly to your smartphone can also be used to give a positive di‐ agnosis.

In less severe cases your Dentist can craft a manibular splint to elevi‐ ate the problem, if more severe, further treatment will be prescribed.

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

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

HEALTH & BEAUTY

T O DAY, I know what feeling well is and I fight for it every day. Sometimes, I actually succeed.

When I try to explain what it’s like to be bipolar, I talk about trust, the one thing I think makes us different.

It’s hard to trust a mind that has let you down and caused you and the ones you love so much pain. It’s hard to trust a mind that has left scars on your body. It’s hard to trust that people will understand when you talk about your story. It’s hard to trust you’ll be well again.

One thought that always haunts me when I am well is “how long have I got until I’m not well again?” I can’t ever make grand plans to ac-

complish things because I am afraid, I am going to fall apart again. I tend to think it’s better not to try, but a life like this feels empty. I have to trust that I can accomplish something, despite the mood swings and the fear of not being well again.

For people with bipolar disorder, whose minds have fooled them more than once, who spend their lives dodging bullets it’s tough to put yourself out there. Every day, I promise I will try. I will trust that I am perfectly imperfect.

I won’t let the dull routine of staying safe and quiet become the status quo.

I will do what I can to the best of my ability.

I have come a long way in my recovery, and I have a story to tell.

Trust in your voice, and tell your story.

The world needs to hear it.

You are not alone Love Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

Try yoga to beat cancer effects

YOGA: Helps patients to be more relaxed.

Y O G A could help those with breast cancer particularly as it helps patients to be more relaxed and better able to cope with side-effects.

Two studies were presented at the U S cancer conference held in Chicago as researchers claimed the activity of yoga had numerous benefits.

As well as lowering the cortisol stress hormone, they reported that those who practised yoga found

they slept better and were not so exhausted, which is often a problem with cancer patients going through treatment and reduced pain levels.

The first study was carried out in New York with 321 patients, the majority of whom had breast cancer.

The second study was in Mumbai, India and looked at whether yoga can improve survival rates of breast cancer patients.

48 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

18 - 24 March 2021

Good or bad boredom?

B O R E D O M. What is boredom? Simply being fed up, having nothing to do at the weekend? Lacking enthusiasm in your work, being uninterested in things?

B oredom has many different levels and experiences and it can affect different people in different ways. It can be healthy, but can also be harmful.

Now, experts have suggested their could be up to five different types of boredom and the ‘wrong’ sort of boredom can be self-destructive and could lead to an earlier death.

A type of boredom known as ‘reactant’ is deemed the most harmful by experts. They say this involves strong negative feelings making people restless, angry and stressed.

This can also lead to long term boredom with people more likely to skip school or quit their jobs, as well as smoke, take drugs and binge drink; all factors that can reduce the life ex-

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Child dental care concerns

NHS dental care is free for children and yet a report has revealed that around 80 per cent of one and two-year-olds in England did not visit an NHS dentist last year.

For children up to the age of four, the figure was 60 per cent.

Dental experts recommend children start seeing a dentist as soon as their first teeth start to appear and should continue with annual appointments to help spot any potential problems early on such as tooth

decay. This was believed to be the cause of many of the 9,220 tooth extractions which were performed in hospitals on children aged from one to four some years ago.

Experts say 90 per cent of tooth decay problems are preventable with good oral hygiene. They are calling on the government to carry out more awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of dental check ups in young children and to remind them they are free.

Avoid sleeping beauty diet FED UP?: Boredom can affect different people in different ways. pectancy as it was found that the boredom leads to bad habits.

H owever, ‘indifferent’ boredom could be beneficial. This is the state where people are not actively doing anything, but they are calm and quiet and so allow their mind to wander off.

This has proven to boost

creativity and it is often recommended to allow children to be ‘bored’ so they can spend time with themselves, be more creative and stimulate their minds to play and be active without outside factors such as electronics and video games being given to entertain them.

EXPERTS are warning against the so-called ‘sleeping beauty’ diet.

The ‘diet’ advocates sleeping as long as possible so there are less hours in the day to eat.

Many women are also relying on sedatives and sleeping pills to enable them to sleep up to 20 hours a day and are at risk of overdosing and becoming addictive.

The diet could also have an impact on the mental health of followers unable to interact or socialise, spending most of the day in bed leading to social iso-

DIET WARNING: Sleeping for long hours, means less hours to eat. lation and potentially depression. It can also affect a person’s body clock and dieters are more likely to binge eat when awake.

Experts warn sleeping pills should always be used with caution. A study by Keele University found that as they can cause drowsiness and impaired balance, the risk of a fracture doubled in those who relied daily on sleeping pills to get to sleep.

A University of Washington study also showed a worrying link between sleeping tablets and dementia and researchers from Nottingham University found that sleeping pills increase the risk of contracting, and dying from, pneumonia during their study.

PETS

50

www.euroweeklynews.com • 18 - 24 March 2021

SPONSORED BY

Beginning to plan tentative trips away from home?

ARE you tentatively planning to get away 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 philoso‐ phy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a momeowner on House SitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting.

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

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

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Some bunny benefits RABBITS can be beneficial to own since they don’t need to be taken for a walk. They are very quiet animals, have dis‐ tinct personalities and are affectionate and interactive. It’s a good idea to spend a bit of time getting to know if their character is suitable for the family and to make sure you have time to play with them, before you make the com‐ mitment of owning one.

Rabbits can get very attached to their owners, in the same way that dogs and cats do. They recognise voices and their owner’s appearance and may even follow them around and jump on laps.

Rabbits don’t need a lot of room, but in their cage they need enough for them to stretch out completely, leaving room for a litter tray and a feeding station. They also need at least two hours of exercise each day, outside their cage.

Rabbits are easy to train, if the owner uses ‘positive re‐ inforcement training,’ which encourages them to learn certain behaviours by repeatedly rewarding them with special treats when they perform these behaviours.

Rabbits are eco‐friendly, because their food can be grown in the garden and hay can be purchased from local farmers. Their recycled litter paper and droppings can go on the compost heap. They are natural paper shredders, as their teeth continually grow and consist of toilet paper rolls, old phonebooks and cardboard boxes.

They use litter boxes and they are generally clean.

Advertising Feature

A great novelty in the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs OSTEOARTHRITIS is a disabling, non‐curable and progressive dis‐ ease that is concentrated in the joints, but in advanced stages it af‐ fects the general health of the dog and can be the cause of euthana‐ sia due to the loss of quality of life.

A multimodal management of the disease is necessary, which in‐ volves a combination of different medical therapies such as non‐ steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and analgesics, nutraceuticals, an adequate diet, weight control and exercise management, and some‐ times surgery.

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This factor is a key component in osteoarthritis pain and causes the release of pro‐inflammatory mediators. This will reduce the need for oral anti‐inflammatory medications that some dogs do not tolerate well. After one injec‐ tion of bedinvetmab, dogs with os‐ teoarthritis exhibited increased mobility and decreased pain.

José Rial, accredited AVEPA in Traumatology and Orthopaedics.

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

SERVICES

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18 - 24 March 2021

AIR CONDITIONING

CHIMNEY SERVICES

INSURANCE

POOLS

PLUMBERS

EWN 51

52 EWN

18 - 24 March 2021

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PLUMBERS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

MOTORING

SOLAR ENERGY

SERVICES

SERVICES

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REMOVALS & STORAGE

TV & SATELLITE

TV & SATELLITE

EWN 53

CLASSIFIEDS AIR CONDITIONING

ARCHITECTS

APPLIANCE REP WASHING MACHINE BROKEN? Call BlueSky Repairs for ALL your domestic appliance repairs. 626 430 671 (WhatsApp) (291565)

THE SALVATION ARMY English Speaking Church of Denia Worship Service. Sunday 10:30 am Followed by a time of Fellowship Everyone is welcome.

Come as you are! For more information: Dieter Zimmerer +34 698 609 658 or Barbara Zimmerer +34 652 319 810 Email dieterzimmerer@hotmail.com, www.centrosaron.com (10008) www.helpbenidorm.org and on Facebook VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, particularly Spanish speakers for interpreter service, and car owners. Tel President 607 387 040, Welfare 607 386 964, Interpreters 607 385 842, Equipment 663 495 396. We are an English speaking charity that assists residents and tourists of all nationalities in times of crisis, we also organise social events for members. We meet every Thursday at 10.30 in Jose Llorca Social Centre C. Goya s/n. Benidorm. It is opposite the Foietes Car Park where there is a Wednesday market.

Everyone welcome. It is 400m from Benidorm tram station and on bus routes 1 and 8. We loan out mobility and medical equipment including oxygen concentrators on a short-term basis.

(288658)

CLUBS/SOCIETIES

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

CAMPING

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

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

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

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

FOR SALE CHARITY El Campello Christian Community Evangelical Church Life and Family Sunday Service in English at 10.00 a.m. and a Spanish Service at 11.45am. C / San Bartolomé 35 bajo, No.6 campellocc@gmail.com www.elcampellochristiancom munity.org For more information call Juan Zuniga – 686 203 183 (Spanish) or Sue Bishop - 610 63 94 26 (English)

WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)

GARDENING SERVICES DAVID THE TREE GUY Cutting, trimming & removal of trees. Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm areas. 722 652 173 (289581)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

54

GENERAL SERVICES MISTER Fix-It handyman, available in Jalon Valley area, hourly rates, 657 189 519 (290302)

GOLD WANTED

18 - 24 March 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

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

LEGAL www.iurisunited.net Lawyers. Tax advice and bookkeeping. All Gestoria Services.

Experts in Brexit and Residence Permits. NIE Numbers. FREE 1st.consultation. Ask Oliver. Tel: 606 051 000 info@iurisunited. net (291473)

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance.

Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

PAINTERS/DECORATORS

MAN & VAN

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

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

SITUATIONS VACANT Blue Square Real Estate is currently searching for property sales agents from Denia to Gandia area and Inland.

Please email hr@bluesquare.com your CV (291470)

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

COUNSELLING

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P&H Painting Services over 25 years experience. Calpe and surrounding area. Call 676 178 347 for your FREE no obligation quotation (291475)

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DECORATORS W.D. GILMOUR. Painter & Decorator.

Established 35 years in Moraira.

ESTIMATES FREE. Call William on 609 691 776 or 966 490 602 (290369)

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ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack EVERYONE knows that Land Rover has a fine, and well de‐ served, reputation for off‐road ability. It seems that every other 4x4 takes second place to the Solihull masters of all terrain.

However, there’s another brand that has an equally fine reputation that precedes, indeed inspired, the genius of Maurice Wilks who founded Land Rover.

Jeeps are synonymous with the Second World War and it was their ability to traverse seeming‐ ly any kind of landscape that led to some of the best off‐road ve‐ hicles ever produced.

Part of Fiat and Chrysler Jeep still produce chunky Tonka‐toy like off‐roaders, with the excep‐ tion of the more stylistically smooth Compass, and my test

A well deserved reputation.

18 - 24 March 2021

EWN 55

Jeep Renegade - capable and likeable off-roader was the Renegade complete with plug‐in electric assistance.

Priced from €37,851 (£32,600) the Renegade 4xe offers all the usual charging options including a standard domestic socket. Be‐ ing a hybrid, smaller battery, on a domestic socket the charge time is as little as four hours.

For that you have a commut‐ ing range of around 26 miles, maybe more depending upon your driving style, and modes for hybrid, electric and e‐save (which helps charge the battery along with maximum braking re‐ generation). The battery comes with an eight‐year 100,000 mile warranty.

On the road the Renegade is probably one of the most practi‐ cal hybrids I have driven, with a decent turn of speed, 62 mph in just 7.1 seconds, and a smooth six‐speed auto‐ matic gearbox along with that all‐ wheel‐ drive abili‐ ty. That offers sim‐ ple dial tech‐

nology for the kind of surface you’re dealing with and even the ability to lock the system into low range for real mud‐plugging ability. In hybrid mode the transi‐ tion between electric and petrol is smooth and as long as the bat‐ tery isn’t extremely low e‐save

mode and maximum regenera‐ tion means you can see the bat‐ tery charge climb.

Standard fare is good with all the usual motoring accou‐ trements even on the lead‐in version with my €42,381 (£36,500) Trailhawk model espe‐

cially well appointed.

The Jeep feels durable and is nicely appointed, but it battles against the fact that at this price it’s in Discovery Sport territory, albeit mild hybrid form rather than plug‐in. The Discovery will be seen as a more premium

choice and I’m not sure the plug‐ in versus mild hybrid systems will make much difference.

It makes the Renegade’s job somewhat harder, which is a shame as the Jeep is one of the most capable and likeable off roaders you can buy.