Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 6 -12 May 2021 Issue 1870

News

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1870

6 - 12 May 2021

Long wait AFTER 17 years of prefab classrooms, the €6.84 million contract to build Torrevieja’s Colegio Amanecer primary school has now been put out to tender. Construction will take 14 months and the school should be ready for the 2023-2024 academic year.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

ROYAL VISIT

Skate parks OWING to ‘great demand’ Orihuela is to have three skateparks. The first, in La Aparecida, should be ready within two months, announced Sports councillor Victor Bernabeu, while two more are planned for inside the city as well as Orihuela Costa.

Doctor’s orders WITH the return to ‘new normality’ when the State of Alarm ends on May 9, the regional Health department is preparing for a return to person-to-person visits, while telephone with health professionals will, where possible, be reserved for follow-up consultations.

Doggy heaven BIGASTRO has opened a 3,000square metre dogs-allowed park that is divided into two sections.

One has an agility course, benches and shady areas with trees while the other is an enclosure where the dogs will be able to run free.

Turn to page 4 » BUDDING SCIENTISTS: Spain’s King Felipe speaks to pupils attending the Princesa de Girona awards.

FREE • GRATIS

Don’t turn off the tap

XIMO PUIG, president of the Generalitat, declared at the weekend that theTajo‐Segura water was “absolutely non‐ne‐ gotiable.”

He was speaking in Benferri where he visited a water de‐ posit belonging to the local Community of Irrigators who need the water that arrives via the Tajo‐Segura pipeline for their crops.

This water generated €3 billion of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product and 105,000 jobs, Puig pointed out.

Guaranteeing water for the Vega Baja and Alicante was fun‐ damental, he continued, although the central government planned to slash their allocation.

“We shall work with as many people as possible to convince them that we cannot give up the Tajo‐Segura water and we must do this knowing that there are others who don’t think the same way,” the Generalitat president said.

“We are not in favour of confrontation or partisanship but we are in favour of overcoming a situation that could ultimate‐ ly create instability where irrigators and growers suffer most.”

Puig revealed that he intended to meet Pedro Sanchez, president of the central government who, like him, belongs to the PSOE party.

“I’m going to work, as I’ve been doing from the outset, to stabilise this situation,” he pledged.

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6 - 12 May 2021

Graffitists stopped in their tracks ELCHE Local Police arrested five graffiti artists for causing damage to half a kilometre of Renfe train carriages.

An investigation began in February 2019, when the train operator filed a complaint with the National Police in Alcoy and Valencia after around 50 carriages were vandalised.

After several months of investigations and joint work by both bodies, five graffiti artists were identified, and on March 8, they were all arrested.

“The graffiti carried out has caused damage to almost half a kilometreof train carriages, and those responsible face an alleged crime of damage… pun-

Advice for expats ADVICE, help and guidance on all aspects of living in Spain is on offer in a series of free briefings.

Essential information on all aspects of living in Spain, such as residence/TIE rules, Spanish taxes and inheritance rules, Modelo 720 requirements, investments, pensions, Spanish wills, Spanish fu‐ neral system and much more besides will be pro‐ vided.

There will be briefings on Wednesday, May 12, at The Portobello Kitchen in Villamartin Plaza, on Thursday, May 20, at The Chiefs On Broadway Pueblo Bravo Quesada and on Wednesday, May 26 at The Stray Sod La Fuente Centre Campoamor, all starting at 10.30am.

Current Covid guidelines and regulations are strictly adhered to, so registration is vital due to limits on numbers.

You can reserve your places at www.expat briefings.com or email: info@expatbriefings.com.

ishable by a prison sentence of one to three years,” said Elche Police in a statement.

“Renfe faces this problem on a daily basis, and these acts of vandalism cause delays and cancellations to services, security problems, damage to reputation and a large economic cost.”

Buffets are back

COSTA BLANCA hotels, restaurants and ban‐ queting rooms welcomed the Generalitat’s decision to allow buffet meals once more.

Now that buffets are no longer barred on anti‐Covid grounds, clients may again serve themselves although strict health and safety regulations remain in place.

Hoteliers’ association Hosbec pointed out that reopening the buffets would allow ho‐ tels to reduce overheads while maintaining quality.

The ‘assisted buffet’ compromise in‐ creased the cost of each meal by up to 40 per cent, requiring twice the number of waiting staff, and doubling the time that clients took over a meal, Hosbec’s secretary general Nuria Montes said.

“Everybody likes to go up to the counter to look at the food and choose or to try a lit‐ tle first, but direct table service made this very complicated,” she pointed out.

NEWS

All police systems go!

TORREVIEJA’S Local Police re‐ cently updated their 092 and 112 operations room.

After the local force adapted to the TETRA system ‐ the mo‐ bile network for dealing with emergencies ‐ the operations room needed to be completely reorganised and adapted to the latest Public Safety methods and technology, explained the town hall’s Public Safety and Emergencies councillor Federi‐ co Alarcon.

LOCAL POLICE: Operations room has been updated.

There are now 12 screens and three sets of high‐tech equipment to complement the 112 emergency number, he added.

A very showery April ALICANTE Province has just said goodbye to the wettest April in 20 years.

According to Alicante University’s Climatology Laboratory, rainfall was 40 per cent above average for April while sun‐ light hours were below average.

Alicante City, for instance, registered 48 millimetres of rain compared with an average 29 millimetres.

During this period, Torrevieja has had 220 millimetres of rain, followed by Elche (170), Villena (167), Orihuela (156), El‐ da (110) and Alicante City (100).

Climatology Laboratory director Jorge Olcina, explained that throughout April there had been considerable instability and cold air masses in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

“Instability brought those cloudy days and fewer hours of sunlight,” Olcina said.

Coming months will see the ROMA communications’ sys‐ tem between patrol cars merged with yet another sys‐ tem, the improved VYRIATO fixed traffic cameras and CCTV. During this time the Public Safety department will also in‐ stall a three‐metre multi‐screen video wall, Alarcon said.

The councillor also pointed out that the adapting of the op‐ erations room has been carried out by municipal employees, using town hall resources from the Police, Innovation and Ser‐ vices departments, coordinated by one of the Local Police offi‐ cers.

As well as the obvious sav‐ ings in man‐hours and efficien‐ cy, this has brought savings of more than €5,000 to the town hall budget, Alarcon revealed.

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NIBS EXTRA No shortcut

That’s odd MUSHROOMS appeared in the sand dunes on El Altet beach, which Alicante University’s Climatology Laboratory described as most unusual, owing to the time of the year as well as their location. Their ‘peculiar’ location was the result of cooler than usual weather and abundant rain, the Laboratory said.

No comfort DOCTORS on 24-hour shifts at the Vega Baja hospital’s A & E complained about conditions of their six-square metre rest rooms with damp walls. The Sindicato Medico union criticised the “lack of consideration” towards them as well as doctors on call in similar conditions at local health centres.

Mystery death THE body of a paddle-surf instructor who disappeared in Torrevieja last Saturday was found three later. The Guardia Civil confirmed that the 40year-old Spanish man, an experienced instructor, had drowned while practising the sport but beyond revealing that there were no signs of violence, gave no further details.

Sour grapes THE mayors of the seven Vinalopo towns that produce most of Spain’s dessert grapes asked the central government to reduce the rate of IRPF income tax that growers must pay. Prices have fallen and many are failing to cover their costs, they claimed in a joint letter to Madrid.

Not fair ELCHE’S mayor Carlos Gonzalez described Diputacion president Carlos Mazon, as “arbitrary” on learning that Alicante City is planning a second conference centre, costing €45 million. Despite Mazon’s assurances that Elche’s promised centre would still be built, Gonzalez claimed that the city was, as always, being sidelined.

Steve braved the shave ACCOMPANIED by well-wishers, Steve Hibberd at long last Braved the Shave.

“At the start of lockdown, like many other blokes, I refrained from shaving. Haircuts were not an option, which is where my brainwave comes in,” Steve told the Euro Weekly News.

As his mother had succumbed to Alzheimer’s two years previously, he decided to raise funds by not shaving or cutting his hair for a year.

“Alas, Covid restrictions meant that a year was extended to almost 14 months, by which time I was literally tearing my hair out.”

Having secured the services of an experienced hairdresser plus the facilities of The

GUARDIA CIVIL investigators believe that the fire which af‐ fected Torrevieja’s two salt lakes could have been deliber‐ ately started.

They have found at least two possible sources for the fire that was treated as poten‐ tially dangerous from the out‐ set, owing to its proximity to a residential area.

The operation, which mo‐ bilised four firefighting aircraft

Photo credit: Steve Hibberd

REHABILITATING an Aguamarga overpass obliges drivers to make a 12-kilometre detour to cover 400 metres of the N-332.

Those leaving Alicante City for Urbanova must take this alternative route throughout May and into June while Spain’s track operator ADIF repairs the road bridge over the AlicanteMurcia railway line.

6 - 12 May 2021

SHORN: Steve Hibberd minus 14 months’ growth of beard and hair Club in Quesada, it just remained to give the event maximum publicity.

He was overwhelmed at the amazing generosity of friends and family here on the Costa Blanca and in the UK, Steve said.

Andy and Tony at the Club also held a tombola whose proceeds will be given to chosen charities.

“Thanks to the kind people who donated prizes and/or money, I have so far raised €2,085 for the Alzheimer’s Society UK, and €300 for AFA Torrevieja. This includes the €200 I saved by not having a haircut or shave for all those months,” Steve said.

Anyone wishing to donate to these worthwhile causes, may do so via his Alzheimer’s Just Giving page (www.JustGiv ing.com /fundraising/STEPHEN-HIBBERD3) or to Steve in person.

Suspicions surround Lagoon fire and firefighters from the Bajo Vinalopo, Vega Baja,Vega Sur and Forestry brigades, was di‐ rected from the air by a coordi‐ nation helicopter.

The fire was first spotted at 4.30pm on Saturday May 1 by drivers on the CV‐905 who alerted the Emergency services to the column of smoke rising

from vegetation between the two lagoons and near an ad‐ joining urbanisation.

High winds with gusts reach‐ ing 40 kilometres an hour com‐ plicated the operation, but al‐ though the blaze was stabilised by 9pm and the air‐ craft withdrew as night fell, firefighters kept watch until

next day to ensure that the flames did not reignite.

The fire was finally pro‐ nounced extinguished at 3pm the following day by which time Guardia Civil investiga‐ tors were speaking to resi‐ dents from houses in the area adjoining where the fire start‐ ed.

No perimeter Come back another other year closures THE Valencian Community’s perimeter will reopen on May 9 when the State of Alarm ends.

Speaking earlier this week, Gen‐ eralitat president Ximo Puig con‐ firmed that the restrictions pre‐ venting residents from leaving the region and barring others from en‐ tering it will be lifted.

Puig also added that as the Covid situation was favourable at present, the regional government had no plans to order its own clo‐ sures at provincial or local level as had happened during the worst days of the third wave of the pan‐ demic.

What was under review, he ad‐ mitted, was whether or not to re‐ tain other measures including the curfew which, if it remained in place, could be shortened.

“All these questions will be anal‐ ysed according to epidemiological reports,” Puig stressed.

“The situation has improved and is advancing thanks to the vac‐ cines,” he said.

“But the virus is still here, peo‐ ple are still dying and patients are still being admitted to hospital.”

FLAMINGOS began arriving at the Torre‐ vieja lagoons in February and March to mate and nest as they did in 2020.

The pandemic year was the first time flamingos had nested there and they pro‐ duced 1,200 chicks, more than in any oth‐ er of their Valencian Community colonies.

But this time they decided not stay and

Instant info in Rafal RAFAL Town Hall is providing the Local Police with tablets and PDA pocket com‐ puters.

“We want to modernise and make of‐ ficers’ work more easy and improve the service we provide for the local popula‐ tion,” explained Rafal’s Public Safety councillor Laura Velasco.

The Local Police will also be able to check up on cars and connect directly with the General Traffic Directorate for instant information on the identity of the owner, whether the vehicle has passed its ITV vehicle inspection and if it is insured.

The new IT equipment will also simpli‐ fy fine procedures, Velasco said.

disappeared some days later, making for habitually quieter lagoons like those of Fuente de Piedra in Malaga and Petrola in Albacete.

Torrevieja and La Mata suited the flamingos last year, but not only because of lockdown and the absence of humans.

Industrial activity had stopped at the salt beds owing to unnaturally high water levels following the floods of September 2019 and Storm Gloria in January 2020.

This created small islets in the strip of land between the lagoons, keeping them safe from predators, while there were plenty of brine shrimps for them to feed on.

In other words, the flamingos arrived, found that conditions were perfect and remained, unlike 2021 when they looked round and decided to move on.

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No-one to complain to FRED DE JONG, who lives in La Siesta, recently con‐ tacted the Euro Weekly News, frustrated by town hall inaction.

He explained that dur‐ ing periods of heavy rain his road becomes what he described as “a streaming canal.”

The rainwater running downhill brings mud and other rubbish: “It is always dirty after the Gota Fria and not only in our street,” Mr de Jong said.

This situation worsened three years ago, he told us, after the town hall overlaid open spaces fur‐ ther uphill with pebbles.

“They didn’t realise that the water has such force that it brings down the stones with it,” he ex‐ plained.

“Most of the pebbles remain in the street, en‐ dangering cyclists and mo‐ torists, damaging cars and creating a great amount of dust.”

Mr de Jong and his neighbours, who are also affected by the situation, have tried without success to ring the town hall and inform the Environment department of the prob‐ lem but have never man‐ aged to get through.

“It’s very irritating,” he said. “The pebbles have been there for more than three months as the road sweeping machine cannot pick them up.”

He also pointed out that he and his neigh‐ bours paid their taxes and it was the town hall’s re‐ sponsibility to ensure that the street was clean.

Online advice for Brits ORIHUELA’S International Residents recently organised two online webinars for all of the municipality’s international residents.

The first was aimed mainly at British residents, addressing doubts arising from Brexit.

The second webinar dealt with residence permits, income tax returns, tourist rents and tax‐ es that non‐residents need to pay.

“We continue to encourage the participation of foreign citizens in the different areas of mu‐ nicipal life, in addition to providing care and advice,” International Residents councillor Mariola Rocamora emphasised.

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from Front page »

Royal visit ANTI-COVID restrictions imposed a less tumultuous welcome than usual for Spain’s King Felipe during his recent visit to Alicante City.

There was no walkabout, but he waved through his car’s open window as he arrived at the Las Cigarreras cultural centre for the annual Fundacion Princesa de Girona awards.

Nevertheless, an entire detachment of the National Police’s elite Prevention and Response Unit (UPR) was brought in while police were positioned at street level and on rooftops.

The Foundation, presided by King Felipe’s daughter, the Infanta Leonor, presents yearly awards for Science, Art and Literature, Businesses and Social Affairs as well as an International category.

This year’s Science prize went to pioneering bio-technologist Cesar de la Fuente Nuñez

from La Coruña (Galicia) who leads a Pennsylvania University team that uses artificial intelligence to create computer-generated antibiotics capable of fighting deadly superbugs.

Although King Felipe did not make an official speech, he spent three hours at Las Cigarreras, talking not only to local, provincial and regional politicians but also to pupils and students taking part in the event.

Amongst them were pupils aged 16 and 17 from Fray Ignacio Barrachina high school in Ibi who will represent the Valencian Community in the national finals thanks to their game making science a fun subject.

To offset King Felipe’s inevitably low-key visit, Alicante City mayor Luis Barcala invited him to return in June for the start of the Ocean Race and the inauguration of an extension to the Rey Felipe VI business incubator.

NEWS

Hefty penalties MOBILE PHONES: Are not allowed to be held in your hand while driving under the new law.

SPAIN’S General Traffic Department (DGT) has recently announced a number of changes to the H ighway Code which will come into force from May 11, including alterations to the points system on driving licences and speed limits including hefty penalties for the use of mobile phones, G P S , headsets and radar trackers.

The new law will see an increase in the number of points which can be deduct-

ed from your licence from three to six along with a €200 fine for anyone who has a mobile phone in their hand while driving, whether they are using it or not.

B ut in a major change, motorists will be penalised for using mobiles on conference too, an offence which will carry a €200 fine and the loss of three points.

The same applies to the use of G P S and headsets while driving which, accord-

ing to the new regulations, ‘causes a distraction and is, therefore, a serious offence.’

The only exception to the rule is the use of transmitter systems when giving motorcycle driving lessons, and in the corresponding exam.

T he only way to legally use a mobile phone while driving is to use an approved hands-free system integrated into the car.

Cloth vs surgical masks CLOTH face coverings are as ef‐ fective as surgical masks at pro‐ tecting against Covid according to researchers from the Univer‐ sities of Bristol and Surrey.

A study has found that well‐fit‐ ting, three‐layered cloth masks can be as effective at reducing the transmission of Covid‐19 as surgical masks.

Face coverings suppress the onward transmission of the virus through exhalation and protect the wearer on inhalation.

In a paper published by the Physics of Fluids journal, the re‐ searchers detail how they looked at how liquid droplets are cap‐ tured and filtered out in cloth masks by reviewing and mod‐ elling filtration processes, includ‐ ing inertial impaction.

Inertial impaction does not fil‐ ter as a sieve or colander does ‐ it works by forcing the air in your breath to twist and turn inside the mask so much that the droplets can’t follow the path of the air.

Instead, the droplets crash in‐ to fibres inside the mask to pre‐ vent inhalation.

The team found that, under ideal conditions and dependent on the fit, three‐layered cloth masks can perform similarly to surgical masks for filtering droplets ‐ with both reducing ex‐ posure by around 50 to 75 per cent.

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Ordered to close down again SERGI CAMPILLO, the deputy mayor of Valencia and councillor for Urban Ecology, on Monday May 3, ordered the immediate closure of one of the city’s most iconic attractions, the Gulliver Park, which had only just reopened again, having been closed since March 2020.

According to a press publication, throughout the day, several families complained about their children suffering itching sensations after using the attractions, including the slides, so the town hall launched an investigation and the subsequent finding pointed to the paint used to re-

Spain Films Banned Series IN an exciting development for TV series production in Spain, Netflix has an‐ nounced that it will be mak‐ ing an adapted version of hit show ‘If Only’ after it was censored in Turkey when authorities discovered one of the main characters was gay.

Rather than changing the plot entirely and removing the character, Turkish screenwriter Ece Yörenç de‐ cided to look for alternative countries for filming that didnt have the same censor‐

ship rules, and Spain came out on top.

Yörenç will act as consul‐ tant to screenwriter Irma Correa, and the show will be renamed ‘Si lo hubiera sabido’ ( If I had Known).

The new series follows the story of a young woman who has become disillu‐ sioned with life after being married for 10 years.

The supernatural thriller will see her return to her youth and, somewhat ironi‐ cally, rewrite the script of her life.

coat the various facilities.

Mr Campillo said the opening was undertaken only after the endorsement of the technical reports from the engineers of the Autonomous Organisation of Parks and Singular Gardens, who were in charge of the maintenance works.

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Drunk While Riding A Bicycle W I T H the pandemic gripping the country, and mobility restrictions in force, many people have gone out and purchased a bicycle, sometimes as an alternative means of travelling locally instead of using their car, or for others, it has been a new form of coronavirus exercise, as you might have noticed if you go for a walk along the seafront and every few

GET FIT: But make sure you stay safe. minutes have to step out of the way of a cyclist com-

‘Safe partying’ HUNDREDS ‘partied safely’ as part of a clinical test ‘Abrir Girona’ (Open Girona) at the weekend, without having to so‐ cial distance ‐ though they had to wear FFP2 masks at all times.

Around 250 partygoers enjoyed La Mercè Electrónica Festi‐ val at La Mercè Cultural Centre in Girona as part of the pilot project that aimed to get people back on the dance floor safely in ‘spaces with low capacity for transmitting the virus.’

At 5pm on Saturday, May 1, as the doors opened, all of the revellers had to present a digital certificate which confirmed they had been vaccinated or had tested negative in an antigen test.

The five‐hour ‘techno’ festival saw five DJs take to the stage and a chill‐out area with bar service was set up where it was possible to have a drink, but smoking was not allowed.

ing along the pavement.

I n the G uardia C ivil information about this, on the website www.nn332. es, under alcohol limits and penalties section, it very clearly says that cyclists cannot circulate with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.5 grams per litre, or alcohol in expired air greater than 0.25 milligrams per litre, and if you get stopped, and exceed those figures, you could end up with a fine ranging from €500 up to €1,000 it said.

NEWS

Darkness Into Light BRIGHTNESS and hope as Darkness Into Light Costa Blanca and ADIEM Sentit Fundacion Torrevieja met once again for the first time since the pandemic.

Two local groups working together to address mental health issues and suicide prevention awareness campaigns in Costa Blanca.

The Darkness Into Light team presented ADIEM with a donation from fundraising activities that took place before the pandemic, as well as meeting the ADIEM team to discuss Mental Health awareness and campaigns once restrictions are lifted.

Luis Gonzalez from ADIEM Sentit Fundacion commented “we want to thank Pieta House and DIL Costa Blanca once again for the opportunity to be a collaborating entity on the Costa Blanca and to raise funds, which will help us reach the objectives of our foundation and help users and their families in their

needs. Suicide prevention and the fight against stigmas in mental health unite us on this path and we want to congratulate Pieta House for the work they carry out, not only on the Costa Blanca but throughout the world.”

Come and join the DIL Team on Saturday May 8 at La Zenia Beach.

Given current restrictions, the annual walk has been postponed again this year. However, the team will be present from 7.00am on Saturday May 8 at La Zenia beach. The team invites anyone who would like to join us as we stand (socially distanced in yellow tshirts) to watch the sun rise together.

For more information visit https://www.darkness intolight.ie/about or https://www.facebook.com/DIL CostaBlanca ADIEM Sentit Fundacion, visit http://adiem.org/

Every little helps farmacias CONFRIDES‐L’ABDET Town Hall’s income was recently reduced by €200 a month.

Local mayor Ruben Pico decided to waive the €200 that pharmacist Jose Manuel Zaragoza pays each month to occupy munic‐ ipally‐owned premises.

The last council meeting approved the four‐year agreement in a move that Pico trusts will ensure that the farmacia can re‐ main open. “Losing essential services is a fac‐ tor that has favoured the exodus of the

young,” Pico said. Farmacias are a symbol for villages.”

The Confrides‐L’Abdet farmacia also helps, in a modest way, to create employ‐ ment as Zaragoza also employs a part‐time assistant from Confrides.

The two linked mountain villages in the Marina Baja have a combined population of 187, of whom roughly half are elderly. They would have problems going elsewhere for their medication, Pico pointed out.

“It is one of my obligations as mayor is to take necessary decisions,” he explained.

“If we don’t help each other, we run the risk of finding ourselves without residents,” Pico warned. Jose Manuel Zaragoza makes the 45‐minute journey to and from Con‐ frides each day from his Altea home, high‐ lighting the difficulties that threaten rural farmacias. “Most of us with farmacias like these aren’t in it for business,” Zaragoza said, “but because of a vocation to serve.”

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‘Double Call’ Scam VISHING: Used to get the user’s data or to change provider.

Speed limits SPAIN’S DGT has revealed an exception to new speed limits from May 11.

The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) recently announced changes to Spain’s Highway Code with a series of modifications set to come into force from May 11.

These include changes to the points system of driving li‐ cences, road assistance rules, the wearing of a seatbelt and hel‐ met, overtaking and speed limits in cities and towns.

With regards to the latter, the speed limit on urban roads has been reduced to 30km per hour in an attempt to cut down on the number of accidents, and 20km per hour on roads with a single carriageway.

But not all roads are going to change their generic traffic limit.

According to DGT, there are roads that will maintain their maxi‐ mum speed.

These are urban roads with three lanes in each direction, one being a cycle lane, in which ‘the generic speed limit does not change, it will be 50 km/h,’ explained the DGT in its tweet.

SPAIN’S Organisation of Con‐ sumers and Users (OCU) is warn‐ ing of a new type of telephone con known as the ‘double call’ scam, in which those targeted are first threatened with a price increase in their rates to get victims to change their phone supplier, impersonat‐ ing the companies and even the OCU itself.

The double call scam is actually a ‘vishing’ technique, in which cyber‐ criminals impersonate companies to get the user’s data or, as in this case, to change telephone provider.

How to avoid becoming a victim of the scam: Firstly, verify with your phone company if these increases are real.

If you are offered a good offer over the phone, always ask them to send it to you in writing by email.

Remember that if you decide to contract a new rate over the phone, you have 14 calendar days to withdraw from the contract.

Be wary of those who do not identify themselves properly. And be even more suspicious of anyone who uses the name of OCU to en‐ courage you to agree to a contract, product or service.

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NEWS

Tax returns now due BRITS in Spain are being told what they can claim against their tax returns.

According to the press, while the date by which residents in Spain can file their tax returns is June 30, many people do not know what can be claimed against their returns.

The tax return, known as la declaracion de la renta, is normally completed by anyone who lives in Spain for more than 182 days a year.

For those who divide their time between several countries or have property or businesses in other countries, international tax treaties show where a person is a resident for tax purposes.

Those who are tax resident in Spain who earned €22,000 and over in 2020 must file a return.

However, experts are saying that some people are unsure on what can be claimed against their tax returns and although much of the tax deductible expenses depend on the criteria and regulations of each autonomous community, there are some common deductions

Claiming expenses. on bills related to education or self-employed income.

Self-employed people can claim back some expenses related to where they work, including electricity, water, internet or telephone bills.

They can also claim back some medical expenses, including deductions for their own and their family’s health insurance premiums for children under 25 up to a maximum of €500.

Those who are self employed can also deduct clothing that is used exclusively for work, as well as for public transport costs or work trips. They can also claim back for training expenses, including for conferences or learning materials.

Other deductible expenses include banking services, salaries of employees or the payment of independent external services in Spain.

Norwegian Air Announces Layoffs NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE announced to its workforce on Monday, May 3, that it intends to initiate a collective dismissal procedure for 1,191 workers from its bases in Spain in the coming days, which would affect 85 per cent of its workforce in the country.

As reported by the USO union and confirmed by the company, the airline, immersed in a deep crisis due to the impact of the pandemic, plans to stop operating long-haul flights from Barcelona, and intends to undertake a ‘brutal cut’ of shorthaul operations, with the closure of three of its five bases.

Norwegian has announced its intention to render the bases in Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife ‘inoperative.’

The company has said it will maintain the operational bases of Malaga and Alicante, although one aircraft will operate from each of them during this year.

Norwegian estimates that “for the summer of 2022 and, under the scenario of six aircraft based in Spain (three in Alicante and another in Malaga), it will need crew members in the region of 215 personnel, including pilots and cabin crew.“

NORWEGIAN: Is cutting its services in Spain.

One Million Fines Remain Unpaid WITHIN the first 100 days of the first State of Alarm, the State security forces and other bodies imposed more than a million fines on citizens for breaching the restrictions against the coronavirus that attracted fines of between €600 and €30,000 depending on the severity of the case.

Ten months later and the government has confirmed that 20 per cent of the sanctions have been processed or are in the system and waiting to be processed. However, there is not much information about the remaining 80 per cent of the fines.

In addition, nobody can clarify whether those that are not processed will expire and will end up being annulled, while ministers warn that many of them could end up not being valid due to statutory time limits etc.

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NEWS

BULLFIGHTING Returns Third Country travel ban

THE Spanish capital of Madrid saw the return of bullfighting to the famous Las Ventas bull‐ ring on Sunday May 2, with a well‐publicised charity run that saw a crowd of 6,000 people attend this sold‐out first return, complete with coronavirus protocols to try and guarantee safety, and a capacity of only 40 per cent al‐ lowed inside the bullring.

They watched some top‐ class fighters including En‐ rique Ponce, Julián López El

BULLRING: Was only filled to 40 per cent capacity.

Juli, José María Manzanares, Miguel Ángel Perera, Paco Ureña and the rejoneador

New Royal Yacht To Be Commissioned ACCORDING to reports, a new yacht named after Prince Philip will be commissioned by the government. It will be the succes‐ sor to HMY Britannia.

From 2011 until his death in April this year, the Duke of Edin‐ burgh was Lord High Admiral and served in the Royal Navy dur‐ ing the Second World War. It could cost as much as £200 million to build the vessel, with MPs requesting that the ship be built in the UK. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister has an exciting vision for shipbuilding in this country and is commit‐ ted to making the UK a shipbuilding superpower.”

The yacht would be used to promote British trade and inter‐ est around the world and would also host meetings on board.

Diego Ventura, as well as Guillermo García, a student of the José Cubero Yiyo Bullfight‐ ing School, all of whom gave their services free.

The bulls for this event were provided by top suppliers, in‐ cluding El Capea, Juan Pedro Domecq, Garcigrande, Victori‐ ano del Rio, Fuente Ymbro, Jandilla, and El Parralejo, all part of the charity offering, with no money exchanging hands.

All proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to those in the bullfighting sector most affected by the pandemic, with a ‘Row 0’ also set up, where attendees could make a financial contribution while not being able to attend in person.

THE Spanish Government has again extended restrictions on entry into Spain by air for pas‐ sengers from countries outside the European Union and the Schengen Area until May 31.

The Ministry of the Interior revealed on April 20 that the country will consider lifting the entry restrictions on non‐es‐ sential travel from European countries while extending the existing restrictions on entry to

Spain from countries where Covid‐19 variants have widely spread.

The new order, which fol‐ lowed one that expired on April 19, was effective until May 3, 2021, but the measures have been extended again for a further 28 days.

As from May 1, travellers coming, with or without stopovers, from India, Brazil, South Africa, Botswana, Co‐

Promising April SPAIN’S Health Ministry has reported fewer than 3,000 deaths last month for the first time since September 2020, a significant drop that experts attribute to the roll‐out of vaccines and may indicate that the country has seen the worst of the pandemic.

In an update on April 30, the ministry confirmed there were 2,757 Covid‐related deaths in April, the first time there have been less than 3,000 fatalities in six months.

In the last 30 days, as more than eight million doses of vaccine have been administered, mortality has plum‐ meted from the more than 200 deaths per day reported in March to around 90 last month.

The Carlos III Health Institute is still analysing the da‐ ta, which can take three weeks, but the trend appears to be promising, reports El Pais.

moros, Ghana, Kenya, Mozam‐ bique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zim‐ babwe, Peru and Colombia may only enter national terri‐ tory if they are ‘persons resi‐ dent in Spain or Andorra.’

Other exceptions are Span‐ ish citizens and their “spouse or partner with whom they maintain an analogous conju‐ gal union registered in a public registry, and those ascendants and descendants living under their care, provided they are travelling with or to join them.”

“They may also do so if they are transport personnel, sailors and aeronautical personnel re‐ quired and it is necessary to carry out air transport activi‐ ties,” added the ministry.

And this applies to “diplo‐ matic, consular, international organisations, military, civil protection and members of hu‐ manitarian organisations, in the exercise of their functions” or “persons who can document reasons of force majeure or sit‐ uation of need, or whose entry is permitted for humanitarian reasons.”

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Balearics on the TV A NEW documentary series exploring piracy in the Balearics is being filmed in Mallorca by Canal History, IB3 and Mapa films. Filming locations around the island will include the Caves of

Drach, Bellver Castle, Almu‐ daina Palace, Poble Espany‐ ol, Cap de Pera Castle, Cap Blanc, Alcudia Beach, Pollen‐ sa and on board the Galera Rafael Verdera sail‐boat ‐ which dates back to 1841.

Concerns Over Brits’ Holidays BRITS in Spain have spoken of concerns over the risk of losing money after travellers in the UK are being told to book holidays before the government has published its list of green list coun‐ tries.

However, expats have said they are concerned that the move could see family and friends losing money if they book holidays to Spain and it is then not placed on the UK government’s green list of countries not requiring quarantine to travel to.

Travellers to green list countries will still have to take PCR tests to go abroad, however.

The UK government is due to announce which countries Britons can travel to from May 17 without having to quarantine when returning to the country, however officials are warning that prices are likely to rise once the list is published.

Several airlines are offering refunds if customers have to can‐ cel holidays however, with Jet2’s Holiday Refund Guarantee of‐ fering a refund to customers if the company has to cancel a holi‐ day.

The documentary, ‘Pirates in the Balearics,’ will dive in‐ to the details of piracy in the Mediterranean and the im‐ pact it had on the Balearic Islands. The documentary will depict where bloody battles took place, with the islands being the perfect strategic point to attack, take refuge and make preparations for attacks on other ports in the Mediter‐ ranean.

Broadcast in four episodes and through writers, the military and historians, the series will discover how pri‐ vateers played a pivitol role in the power disputes in the Mediterranean. It will also investigate the most impor‐ tant battles and incursions and the impact they had on the inhabitants of the is‐ lands.

The documentary will broadcast on Canal HISTO‐ RIA, via Movistar+, Voda‐ foneTV, OrangeTV, Virgin Telco, Euskaltel, R, Telecable and Local Cable and on IB3 Televisió.

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Robot cooks paella Nestle cut 600 jobs SPAIN has created the world’s first robot that cooks paella!

There’s a fine art to making paella, one of Spain’s most‐ loved traditional Valencian dish‐ es, and for those of you who have tried it at home, things can go horribly wrong.

But two Spanish companies have teamed up to create a robotic arm which can pull off the perfect paella without burn‐ ing a grain of rice.

The world’s first robotic paellero was unveiled at a hospi‐ tality industry fair last month,

and is already stirring up plenty of interest.

A joint project between the young company br5 (Be a Robot 5) and the paella stove manufac‐ turer Mimcook, the robot has at‐ tracted attention from hotel and restaurant chains, as well as a Japanese firm.

Not surprising really as the robotic arm means all that is necessary is to place sofrito, rice, stock and seafood into a paella pan, and the robotic arm, which is hooked up to a computerised stove, will do the rest.

Br5’s founder, Enrique Lillo, told the Guardian the invention is the latest in a long line of labour‐saving devices that “save humans drudgery and allow them to focus on creativity.”

“It’s a multifunction robot: right now it cooks rice because it’s hooked up to a Mimcook, but you could hook it up to a fry‐ er so it fries potatoes, or you could attach a grill so it can cook burgers, or an oven so it can cook pizza or croissants,” said the engineer, who named his company after the robot from the 1986 film Short Circuit.

CHOCOLATE confec‐ tioner, Nestle, is plan‐ ning on cutting 600 jobs in the UK, to close a factory and move the produc‐ tion of some of their products to Europe.

Nestle slashing jobs.

New Apple warranty APPLE now has to offer at least a three‐year warranty on their products in Spain after the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a new national consumer protection standard.

The recent approval means the extension of the existing war‐ ranty period to a mandatory three years. The move aims to bring the country a step closer towards a circular economy, according to Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

It is not yet known when the new regulation will take effect, however, it has been confirmed that it will have an impact on all new Apple devices sold in Spain, including Mac devices, iPad and iPhone models.

As well as the extended warranty coverage, manufacturers will also be required to keep spare parts for a minimum of 10 years ‐ this is up from five. The limitation period will also be ex‐ tended from three years to five.

There are further details in the new consumer protection regu‐ lations, such as allowing customers to choose whether they would like a replacement device or a repair on a defective prod‐ uct.

Officially, Apple only offers a one‐year warranty on iPhone products, in addition to local rights provided by country‐specific consumer laws.

The Swiss‐owned firm is plan‐ ning the closure of its site in Fawdon, in Newcastle, at the end of 2023. This will entail cutting around 475 jobs and a further 98 job cuts in York.

A spokeswoman said the company “regrets the uncer‐ tainty” the changes will have on workers and their families.

However, the confectionery gi‐ ant added: “Nestle Confec‐ tionery has an ambitious busi‐ ness strategy in the UK and these proposals are intended to support our long‐term success in an increasingly competitive category.”

However, the GMB union’s national officer Ross Murdoch said it was “sickening” that lives and families were “being ruined in a ruthless pursuit of profits.”

He added: “Nestle is the largest food producer in the world, with astronomical profits. It can afford to treat workers right. In‐ stead, they’ve allowed factories to deteriorate, outsourced pro‐ duction overseas and now slashed 600 jobs.”

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NEWS

Adventure Parks Reopen

AFTER Catalonia’s Procicat civil protection body lifted the coron‐ avirus restrictions on amusement parks, PortAventura World, the theme park located just south of Tarragona, will reopen its doors for the first time on May 15 since October 16, 2020, while its Caribe Park will reopen on June 23.

The company will reopen Por‐ tAventura and Ferrari Land, and the Colorado Creek, plus the PortAven‐ tura, and Gold River hotels, which had all been originally scheduled to reopen on March 27, but had to be postponed due to the extension of the restrictions.

After spending €5 million on se‐

WATER PARK: Is set to open up again on June 23. curity measures, PortAventura World will be hoping that every‐ thing keeps heading in the right di‐ rection, but they will still enforce the mandatory use of face masks, and there will be a limit on the ca‐ pacity allowed into each facility.

Barcelona’s Tibidabo amuse‐

ment park will also reopen to the public on May 15, with health mea‐ sures in place for both visitors and staff, as agreed by the relevant local authorities, with some of the regu‐ lar activities being adapted to suit the current restrictions, and the use of more outdoor shows.

1.5M AstraZeneca Doses SPAIN’S government has sent 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines across differ‐ ent regions, meaning that during this week Spain will have given two doses of vaccines to five million people.

The doses will be joined by 1,750,000 fur‐ ther from Pfizer.

Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, said the doses will mean Spain will have vacci‐ nated five million people.

The news comes after it emerged that

100 per cent of all those over the age of 80 in Spain have now received at least their first jab and 78 per cent have received both doses.

It was also revealed that 67 per cent of those aged between 70 and 79 have also re‐ ceived both doses.

The vaccination of people aged 60 to 69, who have been given the AstraZeneca drug, has accelerated with almost half of this age group having received their first dose.

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Easier For Juvenile Immigrants To Become Resident THE Spanish Secretary of State for Migration has implemented a change in the Immigration Law to facilitate the procedures for thousands of unaccompanied foreign minors and juveniles who arrive in Spain irregularly.

The objective is to make the set of rules that apply to immigrant children and adolescents more flexible and easier to obtain their residence and work permits. Without docu-

ments, hundreds of children are subject to recurrent targets of far-right attacks and are doomed to marginalisation.

The reform focuses especially on juveniles, the most unprotected before the law was passed, and unravels the bureaucratic knot that minors face when they turn 18 years old.

The new law aims to end a dynamic that is constantly repeated: that is those young peo-

ple who have not been documented in reception centres as required by law go, overnight, from being protected children to adults in an irregular situation.

The new law prevents foreign children and adolescents from having to renew their permits annually. The first authorisation will be valid for two years and the renewal will cover you for another five years if still a minor.

New law for minors.

4-day working week SINCE the outbreak of the Covid pandemic working from home has become the norm for millions of workers and the crisis has highlighted the fact that

roles and industries previously deemed unsuitable for flexible working can be adapted.

The Spanish Government announced last month plans to in-

Blocking access FAR right Vox has committed to blocking access to abortion and euthanasia in Madrid. As reported in El Pais, the far-right Spanish party has said it will commit to a series of demands made by the ultraconservative Catholic organisation Hazte Oír (Make Yourself Heard) ahead of the Madrid regional elections on March 4.

The six demands includes blocking access to the right of abortion and euthanasia, and also to repeal regional laws that protect people against discrimination because of their sexual orientation.

Rocío Monasterio, VOX candidate, has backed the farright agenda. The catholic lobby also wants women who are thinking about an abortion to be asked if they would like to hear the heartbeat of the foetus. This is a controversial practice that Gádor Joya, Vox deputy, has been demonstrating already outside of abortion clinics throughout the region.

Hazte Oír is also calling for a repeal of all of the regional laws that give protection to LGBTQ+ people against discrimination. This would mean an end to the ban on ‘conversion therapy’, which aims to treat homosexuality as a disease that can be cured. These practices were banned by the very laws that Hazte Oír wants repealed.

vest €50 million in an experiment to test whether there would be advantages in changing to a four-day working week without damaging the economy.

It is anticipated that the Government will invite some 200 companies throughout the country to take part in the three-year experiment starting later this year.

But a study on Business Flexibility and Competitiveness released by the Adecco Group Institute and the Cuatrecasas Institute of Legal Strategy in HR, in which 500 Spanish companies were surveyed - the majority believe the move would not work.

For 74 per cent of the firms consulted, it is “impossible to implement the four-day working week in the short term,” although 14 per cent see it as feasible as long as the salary is proportional to the time worked.

The remaining companies (12 per cent) believe that it could even be achieved, maintaining the current salary level.

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Tapas Bar challenge Champagne is protected.

TAPAS bars in Barcelona, called champanillos may see a legal challenge from the Champagne region of France if the European Court of Justice responds to a legal opinion that was published on Thursday 29 April.

The industry body that represents Champagne makers in France has made a complaint

Indian Variant In Vigo THE Galician Health Service, Sergas, confirmed on Saturday May 1, the discovery of the B1.617 (Indian variant) subvariant 2 of coronavirus in three of the five crew members of the Prometheus Leader ship which had docked in Vigo, with Sergas assuring that the outbreak is controlled and that the two sailors hospitalised in the Vithas Fátima in Vigo are stable.

After the outbreak was reported on the ship, which docked on Thursday April 29 in the Vigo Trasatlánticos Port, all 22 crew members were tested for coronavirus, with five returning a positive result by the Microbiology Service of the Álvaro Cunqueiro de Vigo Hospital, and two were admitted.

The Singapore-flagged cargo vessel has a crew made up of Filipino and Indian nationals, and had arrived in Spain from Southampton in England, and now with the crew all quarantined, it must remain in the port, unless its owner decides to replace the crew and continue for it to continue on its route.

that the Spanish bars violate their designation protected under EU law by using a name similar to and derived from ‘Champagne.’

The court’s advocate general has said that even though the EU law is in place to prevent protected designation of origin (PDO) products from “all parasitic commercial practices,” which includes services, “does not constitute ‘use’ within the meaning of that regulation, of the PDO ‘Champagne’.” In this case the use of the word ‘champanillo.’

Champanillo comes from the Spanish word for Champagne, ‘champan’, with the diminutive at the end making a word meaning ‘little Champagne’.

The advocate general’s opinion added a warning that, if a champanillo has a sign or a featured link to Champagne then this could infringe the protected Champagne name.

Opinions from the advocate general are considered by the court, though it is not bound to follow them.

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New EU Regulation A N E W E uropean U nion regulation relating to new vehicle tyres came into force on Saturday, May 1, which requires all tyre manufacturers and vendors to display a sticker containing the relevant information relating to that tyre, when sold in the EU. This new system of marking is designed to give the end-user, the vehicle owner, an increased knowledge of the full specifications of any tyre they might be looking to purchase, regarding safety, health protection, plus the economic and environmental efficiency of the tyre.

Each sticker must contain

the full manufacturer’s commercial name, plus all the relevant information regarding the tyre’s wet grip, external rolling noise, and rolling resistance, while also including a Q R code that can be scanned to give direct access to the EU product code database, with the exact identification number and article number of the product.

A lso contained in the sticker must be the tyre size, load, and speed index, along with a diagram explaining the tyre’s use in snow, and another diagram depicting its use on ice, and will also be mandatory for lorry tyres.

Primavera Sound festival returns BARCELONA’S Primavera Sound music festival, one of the biggest in Europe, will resume next year in an expanded version after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

The event will take place on June 2‐5 and June 9‐12, doubling its usual length with around 400 shows across two line‐ups that will include major names on the scene.

The industry has been one of the hardest hit by the global pandemic, with concerts and festivals cancelled all over the world, but it is hoped that vaccination campaigns and the easing of restrictions will slowly allow a return to normality.

Around 220,000 people attended Primavera Sound in 2019, with half of them coming from outside Spain and the majority of them British.

The festival was due to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2020, and hopes are high next year’s event will be bigger and better than ever.

NEWS

Toll charges THE Spanish Govern‐ ment has agreed with the European Union a new Recovery Plan in which ‘it will review the financing of high‐ capacity roads and an income system will be established that guar‐ antees the necessary funds for the conserva‐ tion of the state road network.’

Spain has said it will press ahead with its economic recovery plan despite an expect‐ ed delay in the arrival of European Union sup‐ port funds, financing initial investments via government borrowing, President Pedro Sanchez said on Tues‐ day, April 27.

The Community Exec‐ utive now has two months to evaluate the plan and, if it gives its approval, the Member States will then have four weeks to approve it by qualified majority.

Although it does not e x p l i c i t l y s a y s o , g o v‐ ernment sources have mentioned on other oc‐ casions that the objec‐ tive would probably be to establish a payment system for use on the highways and roads in Spain.

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WhatsApp Privacy Policy WHATSAPP is again at the cen‐ tre of controversy as it delays it’s planned privacy policy. The terms of service has become one of the biggest controversies that the company has suffered since its inception over 10 years ago.

In February 2021, changes in the data collection and informa‐

tion that Facebook would send meant that many users stopped using WhatsApp and even start‐ ed a campaign against it.

Now, a new message sent to users who have not yet accepted these changes announces that the time for acceptance of these conditions is delayed until May 15.

Nose iD App for Dogs AS reported by D P Review, Iams are to launch a new app, NoseiD, that can reunite lost dogs with owners through nose scanning. The company plans to use smartphone cam‐ eras to scan dog’s noses, acting as a unique fingerprint, al‐ lowing someone to track the lost dog back to its owner.

Losing a dog can be a very stressful and traumatic experi‐ ence, for both dogs and owners. Iams says of the app: “The app helps you capture your dog’s unique nose print and guides you through what to do in case your buddy ever gets lost. It can even help people who have found your dog get in touch with you faster.”

Unlike microchips, NoseiD isn’t at all intrusive (it should be said, however, microchips are a great idea for pets should they become lost or stolen). Owners take a photograph of their dog’s nose, with the dog facing the camera head‐on.

Owners can also include photographs and a physical de‐ scription of their dogs on the app, helping to speed up the process of reuniting owners and lost canines.

How is WhatsApp changing?

WhatsApp has now published a chart series which help to un‐ derstand what this is about, but in Europe, the privacy policy is different from that of the rest of the world. The data that What‐ sApp shares with Facebook is much more limited thanks to the General Data Protection Regula‐ tion (GDPR).

WhatsApp have made it clear in their latest statement that, “there are no changes in data ex‐ change practices in the Euro‐ pean region (including the Unit‐ ed Kingdom) arising from the updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.”

Shared data is limited.

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Scrambling to get residency AS many are still scrambling to get their Spanish residency, TIE (Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero) completed after the Brexit withdrawal, it has become apparent that third parties are taking advantage of some British people’s desperation.

One EWN reader told us “I contacted a law firm in Valencia to enquire about how much it would cost me for them to assist me with getting my residency, I had tried to look through all of the information I needed and was a bit overwhelmed with getting my documents together. I arrived before the withdrawal agreement came into force on January 1 this year and had been told it wouldn’t cost much to have a gestor help me.

“The lawyer quoted me €1,500 (£1,302.57) for the help which I thought was extortionate. I then went to my town hall for advice and they gave me a list of gestors in the area, I went to one of them who has sent my residency application and quoted me €120 (£104.21) for the service.

“I think it’s worrying that other firms are charging so much and

preying on the fact people are so confused and stressed about applying for the residency.”

Of course, there will be variants in the fees due to the documents the gestor may need to assist applicants with obtaining, however, such a huge difference

in price does beg the question of whether some third parties may be taking advantage of Brits who are desperate to acquire their residency in Spain.

You can get free help via Age in Spain and Citizens Advice Bureau Spain.

Medical School Applications AS a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, Spain has seen an increased interest in health and well-being, diet and fitness, but the health crisis has also had an impact in the choices youngsters are making about their future careers.

According to data released by the Department of Universities, applications to study Medicine at Valencian public colleges has jumped by a substantial 30 per cent for the 20212022 academic year.

According to Jesús Andicoberry, coordinator of the Valencian Community of the State Council of Medical Students (CEEM), while Medicine has always been a popular course, the reasons for the increased demand this year are twofold: “The romanticisation of the profession and the humanitarian raison d’être of Medicine, which lies in helping others.”

The upsurge may seem surprising since the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the stressful working environment for those in the medical profession, who, for more than a year now have put their own lives at risk in order to treat those less fortunate.

One attraction may be the fact that a university course in Medicine sees students receive six continuous training years, compared to a maximum of four offered by other courses.

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Economic Recovery Plan To The EU SPAIN has said it will press ahead with its economic recov‐ ery plan despite an expected delay in the arrival of European Union support funds, financing initial investments via govern‐ ment borrowing, President Pe‐ dro Sanchez said on Tuesday, April 27.

The Community Executive now has two months to evalu‐ ate the plan and, if it gives its approval, the Member States will then have four weeks to ap‐ prove it by qualified majority.

Spain formally presented its recovery, transformation and resilience plan to the EU with

details of the reforms and in‐ vestments, amounting to €70,000 million, which it plans to execute between 2021 and 2023 with the help of the aid from the European recovery fund.

“We have received the re‐ covery plan from Spain,” said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the social network Twitter. The European funds will help “to finance the coun‐ try’s recovery through projects related to the ecological and digital transition, cohesion and gender equality,” said Von der Leyen.

The 348‐page Spanish plan is structured around four pillars: green transformation; digital transformation; social and terri‐ torial cohesion; and gender equality, the community execu‐ tive specified in a statement.

In addition, the Commission added, it includes measures on sustainable mobility, energy ef‐ ficiency in buildings, clean ener‐ gy, digital skills, digital connec‐ tivity, support for the industrial sector and SMEs, and social housing.

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Over 5 million vaccinated SPAIN’S vaccination programme progressed at a good pace last weekend with 766,003 doses being administered - the highest number ever managed in a weekend.

More than five million people have now received their full double doses (5,098,903- 10.7 per

cent of the population). The programme has met the objective that the government had set for the first week of May. According to the forecasts, 10 million people should be immunised by the beginning of June.

Spain has so far registered 3,540,430 cases and 78,293

deaths with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, after reporting 16,353 cases and 77 deaths over the weekend which are lower than those of the same day last week.

Four possible cases of the Indian strain of the coronavirus are being investigated on a ship which arrived at the port of Bilbao on Sunday May 2. The four have been isolated in a hotel, al-

though at the moment they are not seriously ill and the rest of the crew, 17 other people, are being kept in quarantine on the ship.

Worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic continues, adding 3.2 million deaths and more than 153 million infected people.

To date, one billion doses of the Covid vaccine have already been administered in about 190 countries worldwide.

Boris Johnson’s Mobile Number €180 million losses THE UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s mobile number has reportedly been available online for 15 years, causing security concerns for the government.

Former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts said there was an “increased risk” of crimes by hostile states or criminal gangs if Boris Johnson’s number has been available.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “It’s obvi‐ ously a serious situation. It carries a security risk. And he was warned about it. That tells its own story.”

He added: “I think a lot of people will be concerned not just about who’s got the number but who’s been using it.

Labour MP Rachel Hopkins said the availability of the PM’s phone number had “obvious security and lobbying implications.”

She also suggested there was a risk of “blackmail” for the Prime Minister.

ALGERIE FERRIES, is the company that operates the Alicante‐Oran fer‐ ry crossing, which before the pandemic, was making 120 crossings an‐ nually from Algeria to the Spanish port city, with each trip bringing an in‐ come of around €1.5 million to businesses in Alicante and surrounding cities such as Elche.

This means that the region’s shops and warehouses have incurred loss‐ es of around €180 million thanks to the pandemic stopping these cross‐ ings, an enormous loss for a region that is suffering one of the biggest drops in GDP in Spain, along with one of the highest increases in unem‐ ployment. The Djazair II passenger ferry would make the 10‐hour trip from Algeria, and arrive from Oran at 8am, with 1,200 passengers and 300 mostly empty transport vehicles, which would then proceed to the various outlets and industrial estates on the immediate Spanish mainland before returning at 8pm in the evening . Felipe Garrigós, a customs officer, and the owner of the company of the same name, explained, “They come to buy a lot of clothes, footwear, they know perfectly where to find the best deals. Also food products, a lot of perfumery and cosmetics, as well as household appliances and mobile phones.”

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Madeleine McCann Main Suspect

CHRISTIAN B: The main suspect accused of Hazel’s rape.

GERMAN police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann say the main suspect in the case, Christian B, looks certain to be charged with rape in the ‘next three months.’

Christian Brueckner has been accused of the rape of Hazel Behan in Praia de Rocha, three years before the disappearance of Maddie McCann on May 3, 2007. German authorities now say they are confident of charging Brueckner in connection with the case by the end of summer.

Behan, 37, who has waived her right to anonymity, contacted British police after reading in the news about a similar sex attack by Brueckner. The then-20-

year-old was attacked in her apartment in Praia da Rocha on the Algarve, a 30-minute drive from where Madeleine was abducted.

In a separate development, Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher claimed German prosecutors think they are ‘special’ and ‘better’ at solving crimes than UK and Portuguese police.

Brueckner, 43, is currently serving a seven-year prison term for raping a 72-year-old American in Praia da Luz in 2005.

He was convicted in December 2019. Mobile phone records show that Brueckner was in Praia da Luz on the night Maddie disappeared.

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Low PCR Prices on offer RYANAIR: Offering a discount.

Animal Cruelty A 27-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for eight months at the Gibraltar Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty of cruelty to animals, in what a spokesperson for the local veterinary clinic de‐ scribed as the worst case of neglect and cruelty it had seen to an animal in 32 years.

Dyson Lima, had taken his dead German Shepherd, ‘Rooke’, to the vet’s clinic on October 27, 2019, and the state of neglect was so bad that the Royal Gibraltar Police were informed by an Animal Welfare Officer, and he was later arrested and charged with the crime of cruelty to animals.

Lima claimed in his court hearing that his dog had suddenly deteriorated in health over the weekend, a claim that was reject‐ ed by Stipendiary Magistrate, Charles Pitto, as photos were shown displaying the dog’s emaciated body, with the shape of its rib cage exposed.

Expert witnesses described how the Alsatian dog was clearly ill‐treated and neglected to such an extent that it would have gone through ‘extreme suffering’ before it died, while another witness described the dog as looking like images he had seen from concentration camps in the Second World War.

EXPATS are speaking of hopes of seeing family and friends again this summer after Ryanair announced it was offering low PCR test costs.

Brits in Spain have been speaking of their hopes of seeing family again this summer after Ryanair announced cheap PCR tests for travellers.

According to the press, Ryanair is offering half price PCR tests for its passengers, reducing the costs to £60 (€69).

Ryanair’s discount for passengers will be available on both pre-departure tests, and testing kits for days two and eight once a holidaymaker is back in the UK. The airline has said that discounts will be available to UK-based customers only.

Expats had previously reported concerns that the price of PCR tests, which can cost up to £214 (€246), could stop some from being able to afford to see family and friends this summer.

The news comes after a study found that Brits in the UK would pay up to €57 for PCR tests for travel.

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EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

FRANCE

Sustainable beer

Manslaughter?

IN order to celebrate the fact that it has become Denmark’s first CO2 neutral brewery, Svaneke Bryghus has launched a new beer, appropriately named Game Changer which comes in a white and green can. The brewery has solar panels on the roof and is 100 per cent organic.

HAVING received requests for assistance from the relatives of three people who died of blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccination, French prosecutors are reviewing evidence following postmortems to decide whether they should bring charges of involuntary manslaughter against the company.

NETHERLANDS Party on POLICE in Holland were hard pushed to deal with the thousands of young people who decided to enjoy impromptu parties in Amsterdam, Breda, Haarlem and Utrecht to celebrate the King’s birthday on April 27, ignoring safety rules and riot police arrested 50 people in Amsterdam alone.

BELGIUM Crazy price

NORWAY Munch bunch AFTER considerable delay, made worse by the pandemic and the unavailability of chosen fire doors, the new MUNCH Museum has finally been completed and is expected to open to the public in Oslo by this autumn once the 20,000+ paintings, prints and drawings are hung.

FINLAND

ALTHOUGH the saying goes ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’ it certainly does for one house plant in Ghent where a 15cm tall rare Monstera Adansonii variegate (Swiss cheese plant) was sold for €1,799 as it had white and yellow leaves compared to €10 for green leaves.

Recovery plan

GERMANY

SWEDEN

Court order

Explosive whale

IN response to an action taken by environmentalists against the German Government a court has ruled that the country’s 2019 climate protection act is in part unconstitutional as it doesn’t give details of how greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced after 2031.

AFTER the corpse of a humpback whale appeared off the beach of Mörbylånga, locals started to turn up to have a look. The local council has however warned people to keep away as there is a strong possibility that internal gases could make it explode.

A DECISION has been made by the Finnish Constitutional Law Committee that any vote in favour of the European Union €750 billion recovery plan will have to be approved by a two-thirds majority of MPs. If this is not achieved the plan could be cancelled.

6 - 12 May 2021

EWN 27

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Negative territory SPAIN’S Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 taking it back into negative territory according to the National Institute of Statistics. GDP is defined as the final value of the goods and services produced in a specified period.

Cryptocurrency ALTHOUGH Bitcoin commands all of the headlines due to its massive increase and fall in value, US bankers JP Morgan suggest that the second most popular of this type of digital asset, Ethereum has not been badly affected and continues to rise in value having exceeded €2,300.

British boom AS part of Barclays Bank first quarter report, CEO Jes Staley has indicated his belief that the British economy is on course for its biggest economic boom since 1948 as the country’s vaccination programme allows consumers to go out and spend what they have saved during the pandemic.

Retail sales THE Spanish National Institute of Statistics has released good news about March retail sales which rose by 18.1 per cent, a significant reversal following 12 months of decline attributed to the pandemic and closure of many shops for so long.

Dixons Airport closures ELECTRICAL retailer Dixons Carphone is to close airport store business Dixons Travel after it was hammered by the pandemic and the end of tax-free tourist shopping from January 2021.

The stores will be the first major casualty of the post-Brexit ‘tourist tax’, which was bitterly fought by retailers, hospitality and other tourism-dependent businesses. Experts said the 35 Dixons Travel stores would be the first of many closures, possibly triggering off tens of thousands of job losses.

In London, there are eight Dixons Travel outlets at Heathrow and four at Gatwick.

28

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 6 - 12 May 2021

€1.12 billion

is the profit earned by Spanish bank BBVA in the first quarter of 2021 which is slightly more than earned in the first quarter of 2020 prior to the lockdown.

Property taxes down IN a bid to help stimulate the economy and to gener‐ ate taxable income, the Junta de Andalucia has re‐ duced two taxes with im‐ mediate effect until the end of 2021.

First there’s the Transfer Tax which is payable when‐ ever a ‘second‐hand’ prop‐ erty is sold which ranged from 8 per cent to 10 per cent and will now be charged at a flat rate of 7 per cent regardless of the

price or make up of the property.

Until the Decree‐Law 7/2021 of April 27 came in‐ to effect, there was an 8 per cent tax on properties selling for up to €400,000, 9 per cent on the next €300,000 and 10 per cent on anything higher, there‐ fore the more expensive the property, the bigger the saving.

New builds are not in‐ cluded as they attract an

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Can they cut trees?

Who is responsible for trimming danger‐ ously overgrown trees in a Community?

If trees are outside my fence but so tall one is leaning towards the busy road and likely to fall on my house or road? Community says I cannot touch the trees because they are the other side of my fence. The town hall said exactly the same. Nobody is allowed to trim or cut trees anywhere. Administrator said first it was town hall responsibility. Another time he said it was Junta de Andalucia. A committee member told me that we pay for trimming of trees in our fees. There are many big trees cut down to two meters or less all over our Community.

J O (Costa del Sol) All of the answers to your questions YOU AND THE LAW are correct. The IN SPAIN basic rule is that you cannot trim or cut down trees on your land. The en‐ forcement of this rule might fall to any of the official bodies you mentioned, depending on the circum‐ stances. If a tree is likely to cause danger, you must seek permission from the body in charge. It appears that the two‐metre stumps around your community have been illegally cut.

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.

IN a speech given on April 29, Pablo Hernández de Cos, Governor of the Bank of Spain warned that many businesses were still finan‐ cially vulnerable having seen incomes decline dur‐ ing the pandemic.

He admitted that the out‐ look has improved, but warned that despite the

element of IVA (VAT) and at the moment, with prop‐ erties you shouldn’t be hit with two separate taxes.

The same Law also saw a reduction of Stamp Duty to 1.2 per cent from 1.5 per cent which is charged on the notarisation of any document that has an economic value and un‐ like Transfer Tax, a new build does require that the deed of sale be no‐ tarised and recorded in

public registries.

There has been a great deal of building across An‐ dalucia, especially on the Costa del Sol and it is hoped that these reduc‐ tions will encourage the sale of properties generally throughout the au‐ tonomous community.

This information was provided by Marbella based JCA Abogados, but other lawyers will also be able to advise.

A stressful time

Prepaid plans.

WHEN someone passes away in Spain, their relatives must carry out several procedures in a short space of time.

Doing this abroad, in a for‐ eign language, makes this painful time more difficult; which is why it makes sense to have a prepaid funeral plan to handle things for you.

If someone dies of natural causes, call the Emergency Ser‐ vices (112) for a doctor to certi‐ fy the death. Make sure you have the person’s ID. If the death is not due to natural causes, the Local Police must be called (092).

Once the doctor has issued

the Certifi‐ cado Medico de Defuncion, the funeral parlour (tanatorio) should be contacted to take the body. Within 24 hours, take the temporary certificate to the civil registry office (Reg‐ istro Civil) to get the official death certificate. Get several copies. You will then need the burial or cremation licence from the Civil Registry office, as in Spain, this should go ahead within 48 hours of death.

To ensure your family has fi‐ nancial and emotional support when you pass away, enquire about the different prepaid fu‐ neral plans available.

www.goldenleavesinternational.com enquiries@goldenleaves.com Facebook: goldenleavesspain

Bank of Spain warning fact that the Spanish Gov‐ ernment had helped con‐ siderably with loans and fi‐ nancial support such as ERTE, the economy was still heavily indebted and the solvency of many compa‐ nies both large and small

was under scrutiny.

Effectively many owe more money and have less income to service their debts which increases the possibility of defaults and bankruptcy.

This in turn could re‐

bound upon the banks who could face some losses if companies do go under, even though part of the loans given during the crises may be underwritten by the Government.

He believes that not only

Cuban trade blockade IT was in 2019 that the Don‐ ald Trump Administration passed the most stringent laws trying to block not just American companies but others around the world with trading with Cuba.

During the Obama admin‐ istrations relationships were established and sanc‐ tions started to be relaxed and due to the long‐stand‐ ing relationship with Cuba, Spanish businesses saw it a decent potential market.

With the election of the new President many Span‐ ish politicians believe that the blockade should be stopped and the council of the Andalucian town of Ara‐ hal has written to the Na‐ tional Government demand‐ ing that it takes action to protect Spanish/Cuban commercial interests.

Staff shortage AS British diners get ready to return to reopened bars and restaurants in May, owners are finding it difficult to recruit staff according to a recent BBC re‐ port.

It appears that many former workers have left the hospitali‐ ty industry due to the lock‐ down and many European workers have left the UK due to Brexit.

Popular recruitment website caterer.com literally has thou‐ sands of hospitality jobs situat‐ ed throughout the UK on offer and also warns that ‘no shows’, people who make reservations and then don’t turn up, could also hit restaurant profitability, especially if ‘walk‐ins’ are not allowed. must the Government look at those who need contin‐ ued financial assistance, but lenders also have to consider the reform of debt structure to try to ensure that the minimum number of businesses face closure.

Banks also need to con‐ sider their bad debt provi‐ sions.

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

6 - 12 May 2021

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LONDON - FTSE 100

See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES M AY 3

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.282,00 1.284,50 Admiral Group 3.129,0 3.246,0 Anglo American 3.070,0 3.141,0 Antofagasta 1.865,50 1.911,00 Ashtead Group 4.651,0 4.734,0 Associated British Foods 2.308,0 2.325,0 AstraZeneca 7.715,0 7.867,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 570,20 574,60 Avast 477,70 485,20 Aveva 3.480,0 3.538,0 Aviva 400,30 400,70 B&M European Value Retail SA565,80 567,20 BAE Systems 506,20 509,00 Bank VTB DRC 1,326 1,330 Barclays 175,50 180,24 Barratt Developments 772,00 778,00 Berkeley 4.627,0 4.678,0 BHP Group 2.184,50 2.217,00 BP 303,00 307,45 British American Tobacco 2.682,0 2.695,0 British Land Company 518,40 522,00 BT Group 164,95 165,55 Bunzl 2.327,0 2.339,0 Burberry Group 2.061,0 2.091,0 Carnival 1.681,4 1.702,0 Centrica 56,66 56,66 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.502,0 2.533,0 Compass 1.572,50 1.592,50 CRH 3.427,0 3.494,0 Croda Intl 6.764,0 6.822,0 DCC 6.284,0 6.430,0 Diageo 3.251,0 3.279,0 DS Smith 420,80 427,50 EasyJet 1.036,00 1.042,00 Experian 2.792,0 2.805,0 Ferguson 9.132,0 9.256,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.840,0 15.435,0 Fresnillo 823,60 839,20 GlaxoSmithKline 1.339,60 1.348,80 Glencore 295,20 301,20 Halma 2.588,0 2.599,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.719,50 1.722,50 Hikma Pharma 2.440,00 2.468,00 HSBC 452,80 457,00 IAG 202,80 205,15 Imperial Brands 1.507,50 1.512,00 Informa 562,20 567,60 InterContinental 5.152,0 5.230,0 Intermediate Capital 2.186,00 2.196,00 Intertek 6.138,0 6.176,0 ITV 121,00 121,50

% CHG. 1.269,00 3.124,0 3.064,5 1.865,50 4.643,0 2.279,0 7.502,0 566,60 477,60 3.473,0 397,60 551,60 501,40 1,286 174,62 762,00 4.601,0 2.183,50 301,75 2.632,5 513,20 163,25 2.305,0 2.050,0 1.654,0 55,60 2.499,0 1.552,00 3.416,0 6.722,0 6.262,0 3.246,5 417,40 1.007,00 2.768,0 9.058,0 14.765,0 820,20 1.330,80 294,90 2.561,0 1.667,00 2.379,00 448,95 198,00 1.473,50 555,20 5.130,0 2.108,00 6.062,0 119,40

NET VOL 1,50M 486,18K 3,19M 1,65M 750,46K 773,85K 3,37M 2,30M 3,02M 420,44K 6,36M 2,80M 6,81M 3,82M 133,10M 2,54M 308,12K 3,70M 53,34M 5,04M 2,25M 23,22M 821,06K 810,92K 1,24M 17,53M 354,12K 2,76M 612,82K 249,40K 430,57K 2,10M 2,63M 2,04M 1,72M 416,66K 440,08K 1,63M 7,81M 24,46M 569,77K 1,14M 743,34K 30,79M 19,54M 2,43M 2,39M 295,54K 875,34K 251,36K 11,03M

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

237,70 3.250,0 720,80 272,40 45,44 7.400,0 466,00 162,90 1.965,00 910,60 196,60 7.802,0 33,93 2.097,00 3.132,0 711,40 1.534,50 6.451,0 1.879,50 500,40 614,00 6.076,0 104,62 6,91 1.364,11 1.365,0 1.299,0 682,40 638,00 1.821,00 15,74 3.608,0 1.259,00 1.005,50 2.477,0 1.570,50 1.625,50 11.815,0 1.468,00 1.361,50 519,60 277,50 179,60 221,00 430,70 4.231,5 968,20 136,80 3.244,0 975,60

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

238,60 3.295,0 724,80 274,20 45,72 7.502,0 471,90 166,75 1.990,50 914,90 197,70 7.908,0 35,38 2.193,00 3.165,0 717,60 1.544,00 6.461,0 1.882,50 504,40 619,40 6.164,0 105,44 7,05 1.380,90 1.381,0 1.311,6 683,20 643,20 1.840,00 15,92 3.644,0 1.288,00 1.011,00 2.480,0 1.574,50 1.638,00 11.925,0 1.472,50 1.369,50 527,00 279,10 181,05 221,70 431,30 4.262,0 969,80 137,84 3.314,0 994,20

235,10 3.224,0 709,20 270,80 45,14 7.372,0 456,80 162,25 1.951,50 894,30 194,15 7.794,0 33,93 2.089,00 3.108,0 709,20 1.522,00 6.350,0 1.861,00 495,80 610,20 6.062,0 101,46 6,90 1.360,40 1.360,6 1.293,4 682,20 636,20 1.816,50 15,70 3.568,0 1.256,50 997,00 2.422,0 1.543,00 1.622,00 11.780,0 1.454,00 1.343,50 516,40 272,50 178,60 219,75 421,70 4.192,5 947,00 135,32 3.232,0 974,20

6,14M 538,32K 1,66M 11,87M 184,48M 1,00M 1,73M 7,68M 1,19M 6,00M 15,21M 534,98K 2,02M 1,32M 723,70K 1,29M 3,34M 1,29M 2,60M 2,70M 1,95M 2,71M 34,35M 2,25M 6,44M 6,44M 9,03M 2,69M 1,94M 12,66K 3,34M 233,07K 2,08M 1,62M 796,07K 3,70M 1,45M 135,88K 1,69M 1,38M 9,82M 4,81M 21,04M 17,64M 3,23M 3,15M 2,00M 57,44M 659,49K 2,60M

1.14845

0.8695

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.20385 Japan yen (JPY)......................................131.995 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0989 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4361 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.004

currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 3

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 197,14 2.410,12 3.467,42 239,64 131,46 234,31 228,11 103,07 50,91 53,98 325,08 348,45 323,67 223,04 141,88 57,53 162,73 153,81 236,08 74,50 252,18 132,62 133,42 230,32 709,44 398,80 57,79 233,56 139,91 186,02

CHANGE 198,99 2.427,14 3.554,00 240,66 133,56 236,77 228,39 105,39 51,23 54,27 329,82 352,82 325,84 223,58 143,83 58,43 164,33 154,49 236,29 75,08 253,08 133,88 133,67 234,50 715,47 401,86 57,86 235,93 139,99 186,32

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 196,13 2,51M 2.402,16 1,96M 3.462,50 7,01M 234,20 3,42M 131,07 109,84M 232,70 10,38M 224,88 3,95M 102,97 13,73M 50,41 19,93M 53,69 14,91M 324,50 26,33M 347,20 2,10M 321,61 3,12M 221,04 2,22M 140,55 8,87M 57,07 30,73M 162,52 9,08M 153,01 11,71M 233,87 2,64M 73,48 17,23M 249,60 30,95M 132,05 5,64M 132,27 9,19M 229,52 5,02M 666,14 40,76M 398,35 2,33M 56,96 16,86M 232,29 10,26M 139,11 6,56M 183,54 7,87M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 3

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+4.79% +2.08% +7.87% +4.32% +4.14% +4.48% +4.80% +0.98% +10.18% +9.44% +2.99%

40.76M 669,770 2.08M 2.06M 3.07M 2.74M 3.51M 119,059 105,867 4.38M 2.59M

-1.64% -2.40% -8.44% -1.41% -2.78% -6.98% -3.20% -0.81% -2.63% -1.09% -8.35%

2.24M 34,724 2.74M 328,219 150,985 15,084 1.37M 1.96M 455,621 271,379 7.12M

Most Advanced Tesla Inc. Equinix Inc. Five9 Inc. Willis Towers Watson PLC Atlassian Corp. PLC Cl A Fortinet Inc. BioNTech SE ADR First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A NVE Corp.

Overstock.com Inc. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Most Declined Alphabet Inc. Cl A Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A DexCom Inc. Booking Holdings Inc. CoStar Group Inc. II-VI Inc. 6% Pfd. Lam Research Corp.

Alphabet Inc. Cl C Trade Desk Inc. Cl A MercadoLibre Inc. Skyworks Solutions Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Currency outlook: Euro firms as EU vaccine rollout accelerates

POUND: Sterling started off strong in April, but struggled to sustain these gains.

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

Euro EUR/GBP: Up from £0.85 to £0.86 EUR/USD: Up from $1.18 to $1.20 The euro stumbled at the end of March as EUR investors were unnerved by a resurgence of coronavirus cases throughout Europe, and the subsequent renewed restrictions in France and Germany.

However since then, we have seen the euro steadily climb higher throughout April. EUR gains have been partly due to a pullback in the US dollar but are mostly attributed to the accel‐ eration of the EU’s vaccine rollout.

Increasingly positive EUR data releases have also lent support to the single currency recently.

Looking ahead, the immediate focus for EUR investors will be on the Eurozone’s latest GDP release. This could put considerable pressure on the euro as the preliminary figures from the first quarter look set to confirm the bloc suffered a double‐dip recession over the winter.

Pound GBP/EUR: Down from €1.16 to €1.15 GBP/USD: Up from $1.38 to $1.39 The past month has seen the pound trade in a wide range as optimism over the reopening of a large portion of the UK economy was coun‐ tered by profit taking and vaccine concerns.

Sterling enjoyed a strong start to April, with the news that the UK government would be proceeding with its plan to reopen the economy on April 12 helping propel the GBP/EUR ex‐ change rate to a one‐year high of €1.18.

However, the pound struggled to sustain these gains as it was undermined by a bout of profit taking as well as concerns over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has seen wide use in the UK. Turning to May, the Scottish parliamentary elections will be a key focus for GBP investors as a strong showing for the Scottish National Party could raise the possibility of another indepen‐ dence referendum.

US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from £0.72 to £0.71 USD/EUR: Down from €0.84 to €0.83 The US dollar came under considerable pres‐ sure throughout April, mostly as a result of a se‐ ries of dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

These saw Powell mostly dismiss concerns over rising inflation, whilst also suggesting that the Fed’s next rate hike is unlikely to take place until at least late 2022.

Also denting USD exchange rates has been a weakening of safe‐haven demand in recent weeks as an improving global economic outlook has helped to lift the market mood.

Looking ahead, the upcoming US GDP figures could provide a boost to the US dollar in the short‐term, amidst expectations for a healthy expansion of growth in the first quarter. Howev‐ er, the longer‐term outlook will largely depend on market sentiment, with USD likely to suffer if the mood becomes increasingly upbeat.

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

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6 - 12 May 2021

EWN 31

32 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

6 - 12 May 2021

FEATURE

Heaven forbid they would fight

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT SOME 25 years ago (yep) I wrote that if we didn’t recognise the ‘enemy within,’ one day it will all be far too late. At that time I likened it to large numbers of Germans being allowed to integrate into our societies before the Second World War. Had that situation arisen we would have been defeated and under the domination of Adolf Hitler before you could say Jackboot! Thankfully, we were not at the time influenced by woke lefties and the culture of the politically correct. Well we are now!

If we don’t do something to overrule these naïve numbskulls I’m afraid there is a strong chance that our children will never know the peace and freedom millions of our ancestors fought and died for. What I have noticed of late is the increasing numbers of highly placed military and Secret Service personnel appearing on our media outlets.

Many tell of the changing face of war and are warning that in the so‐called ‘grey zone’ the temperature is rising rapidly and we are simply not giving it enough attention. Cyber‐attacks and

the blatant assassination attempts on foreign soil by the Russians, Chinese and Saudis should be raising red flags but they are not. We prefer to concentrate on organisations akin to the BLM, or whether we should ‘take the knee’ or promote diversity and political correctness to levels of pure insanity. And it’s not only in the UK. Last week a thousand members of the French military, including 30 ex generals, published a letter stating their concern that huge areas of their cities had become no go Muslim enclaves.

They also chastised the Macron government for constantly refusing to acknowledge that immigration was mainly at the root of their civil disobedience and terrorist attacks.

Of course the lefties immediately dismissed the letter as ‘far right propaganda’ which is akin to accusing someone of racism, the usual card these people flourish when an argument they have no answer for tends to disagree with their own biased views. Well to my mind it’s high time we put the wokers out and the awakes in! These high ranking military

personnel are not ‘far righters’ they are intelligent professional experts, warning us of very possible civil or worldwide war. Our complacent politicians really do need to get a grip and start listening to these men and women who, when it hits the fan will be our first and last line of defence. The very least we can do is to give them our full cooperation and support.

Of one thing I can assure you, if it does kick off, the wokers, the lefties and those they choose to support, will desert us in droves. Heaven forbid these people would actually have to fight FOR the country that succours them.

‘So now it’s ‘Shedding’! Apparently, any contact with males who have had the ‘jab’, is now interfering with the menstrual cycle of their partners. No change there then.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.com.

Mon. Wed. Fri. 1am till 4.

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

WARNING: Many tell of the changing face of war.

4:15pm 4:45pm 5:45pm 6:15pm 7:00pm

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TUESDAY 11/05

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FEATURE

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END OF THE LINE FOR LANDLINES? 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

ARE you a mobile phone devotee or are you still, err, attached to your landline?

Mobile and online calls are increasingly being made while the amount of time Brits spend mak‐ ing landline calls has fallen by more than 60 per cent in the last seven years. Although most UK families still have a landline connection, only 54 per cent actually use their landline to make calls.

The only reason some have a landline is be‐ cause it is part of the contract and, in rural areas, there’s no fibre optic cable anyway. Reportedly, nearly half of under‐25s don’t have a landline. But then, how many under 25s can afford a place to warrant having one installed?

As for scam calls, scammers target both landline and mobiles with programs that just dial random numbers until someone answers.

Romance fraud (scamming someone out of money by pretending to want a relationship) increased during lockdown. According to UK Fi‐ nance, there was a 20 per cent increase in bank transfer fraud linked to romance scams in 2020 compared to 2019 and £68m lost ‐ an‐

other increase on the previous year.

But apart from the fake recorded messages from ‘Amazon’ or ‘HMRC’, beware the ones try‐ ing to gather personal information or sell you fake computer protection, home appliance guaran‐ tees or loft insulation that all start by telling you your name and address in order to delude you in‐ to thinking they are genuine. Having got this info straight out of the phone directory, of course.

We are told that every call made today is on record somewhere in some gigantic ‘provider’ database. We are also told our ISP ‘footprint’ re‐ mains available even if we personally wish to delete it. We are bombarded online to protect our privacy, we accept cookies, then must update new ‘security features’ constantly. Yet the sim‐ plest tracing of spam calls on any phone is almost impossible. Why? However, should you get a text from someone claiming to be the First Lord of the Treasury say‐ ing they can ‘fix’ things for you, it probably IS gen‐ uine...

Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘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.nora‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cude‐ ca cancer charity.

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

6 - 12 May 2021

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6 - 12 May 2021

FEATURE

GO LOCAL

T H E E U R OW E E K LY N E W S is urging its readers to support local businesses in the community by go‐ ing local through the lockdown and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and super‐ stores.

During this lockdown, we challenge you to re‐ discover your local high streets, markets, butch‐ ers, greengrocers and all

of the wonderfully quirky independent busi‐ nesses in your area.

Due to the Covid‐19 pandemic, you may have to support many local businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect ser‐ vices they can operate if you are unable to get out due to health rea‐ sons or lockdown re‐ strictions.

The joy of shopping lo‐

cal means that indepen‐ dent businesses can help support the local com‐ munity.

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

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

Many local stores sup‐ port local charities, sup‐ port and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small in‐ dependent stores are ac‐ tually much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed

down through numerous generations and support not just the current owner but the genera‐ tion before.

For those stores which are new, that extra cou‐ ple of euros spent there are supporting some‐ one’s dream and ambi‐ tion, and also the courage it took them to step out alone, which is no easy task.

It takes quite a large chunk of money to set up an independent store and compete with the multinational and chains.

So be sure to pre‐or‐ der your meat from a lo‐ cal butcher and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us re‐ vive that community spirit and get to know our neighbours again.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Growing on you IF you are thinking of taking your beard to the next level this summer, now is a good time to think about what style you want to achieve so you can begin creating your masterpiece.

Beards generally tend to be trimmed neatly to create sharp cuts and an elegant appearance. However, increasingly many men have been letting their beard grow long, bushy and full.

These messy but masculine facial hairstyles work beautifully with many men’s hairstyles. In addition, there are so many ways to combine stylish haircuts and beards, including the transition between head and face hair.

Depending on your genetic, it netics and lifestyle it could take a few months to grow a thick beard. But once you have achieved the length you long for you can begin to play around with it.

There are many different ways to wear a long beard. The best long beards should be full and thick, with no irregular parts.

The great thing about full beards is that they are versatile and look great with short, medium and long hair.

They can even be combined with handlebar whiskers for a modern touch.

If your plan is to stylise a full beard this year, you will surely want to invest in some quality beard oil or balm to keep your facial hair soft. But be careful not to brush too much or become impatient, as you will never be able to grow your beard to your full potential.

LONG, BUSHY & FULL: Achieve your length and then experiment.

HEALTH & BEAUTY MS BIPOLAR UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED IT’S tempting, isn’t it? Automatic almost. The go-to word you want (and will) use for someone who is in a good mood one day and in a bad mood the next.. A mood-shifter in a matter of minutes. I know it’s tempting, I’ve used the word myself, and I felt like the hugest hypocrite in the world!.

The word itself defines an illness - one that can be earthshaking, mind-twisting, troublemaking and at times uncontrollable.

Yes, the illness can convince you out of a happy and healthy life.

Being bipolar can make a person seem to have split personalities or to be high one minute, low the next.

But whenever I have heard ‘bipolar’ used out of context, it is not labelling

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6 - 12 May 2021

EWN 45

Dont throw the word ‘bipolar’ around an actual person with the condition. It is labelling someone who is a terror one day, and then a saint the next.

The concern is not that calling a person ‘bipolar’ is an insult to people who are bipolar. It is that people who wrongly use the term are transforming the term ‘bipolar’ into an insult. It is always used negatively. . “She’s always in a bad mood. Oh, she must be bipolar or something.”

(A sentence often followed by laughter.)

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

“He’s bipolar. He’s happy one day, then, angry the next.”

Anyone can get carried away with the use of the catchy phrases. If he or she actually did struggle with bipolar disorder and you joke, “Are you like bipolar or something?” What then? You

don’t know if that person is barely holding on to every little bit they can, in order not to crumble.

I am writing in hopes people refrain from using a term that can prove dangerous if said to or around the wrong person. A

term that can hurt or harm. A term that gets under my skin sometimes and makes me shake my head and makes me hope they are teaching kids about mental illness in schools these days.

Love Ms Bipolar x

We all know we never learned about it growing up.

But now that we have the knowledge, we have the power. And now that you know, I hope you reconsider your tendency to throw the term around.

46 EWN

6 - 12 May 2021

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SOCIAL SCENE

Festival of fun

THE countdown is on to ‘Aid the Costas’ festival of fun The ‘best in music’ will be showcased at Villamartin Plaza on the Costa Blanca in a matter of weeks in a festival of fun to raise money for local causes.

Aid the Costas was postponed due to the pandemic, but organisers promise the event will be worth waiting for when it finally goes ahead on May 22 (12 noon) and May 23 (from 9pm).

From 1pm, the line-up will showcase local talent, along with two huge cash raffles with the chance to win €1,000 in each.

There will also be fun for the children with bouncy castles and face painting.

“Aid the Costas is an awesome festival of music raising money for four charities very much in need of our help,” said organisers.

“Huge acts the V M P All Stars and the Dr & The Medics will headline on the day, we are doing what we

CHARITY DAY: Full of live music and entertainment. do in the Orihuela Costa helping those that need our help,” said organisers.

We are hosting an awesome charity day full of live music and entertainment for what will be the biggest charity day on the Costa Blanca.

“Come on down and enjoy the fun - but if you can’t make it, you can help us raise money by donating to our big charity raffle and get a chance to win €1,000!

“And even if you cannot attend, you can buy your raffle tickets here safely online. No matter where you are in the world we can send you your winning money!,” added V illamartin Plaza.

The event is in aid of the Apanee centre for disabled children in Torrevieja, the Franciscan Men’s Shelter in Gandia, the Little Pod Association for animals and the San José Obrero Orphanage.

6 - 12 May 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com

SPONSORED BY

Mature pets prefer to relax at home IF you have mature pets, you’ll know that often their sense of adventure diminishes.

They often prefer routines in their daily ex‐ ercise, their eating and resting times. It is worth remembering that if you are planning a trip later this year. Perhaps you are already making plans for a post pandemic get away.

Even if you are planning just a short trip you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Mature pets may benefit from staying behind so they can follow their rou‐ tines at home. So, 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 homeowner 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

STAYING HOME: Ruby loves to sleep in the same spot every afternoon. started right now.

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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.

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

HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter while we were away in Canada and we were delighted with the care and attention that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person.

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

CAT’S tails are fascinating, seem‐ ing to appear as if they have a life of their own. They look like an antennae or some kind of de‐ tector that speaks a language all of its own.

In fact, the cat’s tail can open up a world of information to the owner, making them better equipped to care for it. It is worth paying more attention to the tail movements, as it reveals their moods and intentions.

In general, a whipping tail makes most people instinctively stay away, as this action has the effect of making the cat look ex‐ tremely majestic and powerful.

This is an accurate response as it actually means that they are on high alert, nervous or potentially aggressive and it’s a brave person that even thinks about touching them.

Pussycat’s telling tails Vets advise owners to pay at‐ tention to the whole body and not just focus on their tails. A cat that’s asleep can still tap their tail, which is due to dreaming or it could just be resting and focusing on something.

A straight tail and hooked tip means that the cat is calm and greeting you, but a straight‐up

tail signals aggressiveness. If they have an arched back and a puffed‐out tail, it means they’re afraid of something and with a tail that curves downwards, they are on the defence.

A cat is calm when the tail is in a low and neutral position and fi‐ nally if it decides to suddenly bolt, it’s just letting off some steam.

47

PETS

Advertising Feature

One of the main reasons for lameness in dogs is patella luxation THE patella is a small bone that sits in a groove (trochlea) in the femur in the knee. This is essential for the perfect functioning of the limb and in the case of patella luxation, it comes out of the trochlea. Most of the time it comes out towards the inner (medial) face of the knee and in less than 20 per cent it occurs towards the outer (lateral) face. It occurs mainly in small breeds or toys. It is due to a poor alignment of the limb as a result of poor development of the animal, and can affect one or both limbs. It is a congenital pathology. Sometimes it can be caused by trauma.

There are different grades of patella luxation, from grade 1 in which the patella is manually dislocated but returns to its normal place when pressure is released and the dog only limps sporadically to grade 4 where the patella always remains dislocated and cannot be replaced and limps always. In moderate and severe cases, surgery is required to correct the dislocation. Techniques vary depending on the case: trochleoplasty (deepening of the trochlea), transposition of the tibial tuberosity, medial demotomy and capsular imbrication. In grade 4, it sometimes requires correction of bony angular deformities. But my dog only limps a little. He takes a couple of steps with his leg raised but then he gets it right. It’s even funny. Is it absolutely necessary to op‐ erate? Yes, during the time this condition occurs, the patella constantly jumps from one side to the other, ulcerating the cartilage of the same and of the trochlea. That is why it is convenient to operate when young and not wait for an adult to have permanent lameness due to arthritis generated.

In Costablanca Sur: Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante

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BUILDING SERVICES J & J PAINTERS. Inside outside - clean - fast low cost. Torrevieja Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (290728)

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

CARE HOME CARE /NURSING HOME. COMPLETE PROFESSIONAL CARE. REASONABLE RATES. CALL 697 834 934 (291981)

CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to

CARS WANTED

CHARITY

Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca. org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail. com (95475)

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(1000 6) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various lodges meeting up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact Harry Palmer Membership Committee. Tel: 966 712 326 or www.euroweeklynews.com

52

email: 2palmers.quesa da@gmail.com (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja .com and also on Facebook.

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

We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and nonmembers on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Sevices at 10am and 11:30am. All nationalities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icator revieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information see our website w w w. l a s i e s t a e va n g e l i calchurch.org (10005) PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH 1359. The association supports the welfare needs of ex-members of the RAF and their dependents. Due to ongoing covid-19 restrictions we cannot hold General Meetings at the moment. In normal times we provide a social hub for members and hold lunches every month.

To fund Welfare we raise money through the Wings Appeal. To find out more

6 - 12 May 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

contact Chairman Tony at tony.elaine.cuenta@gmai l.com. For Welfare contact Andy on 0034 711 00 86 84. For general information on RAFA visit www.rafa.org.uk. .(238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@ gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control.

It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branches.britishle gion.org.uk/branches/ori huela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier.

More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk.

(95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.secretary@rbl. community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664.(10004) ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996. (95455)

STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email strokesupport group@hotmail.com, website: torreviejastrokesup port.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.aca costablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461) THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

INSURANCE

THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information.

(253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate future due to Covid-19.

Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)

ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge.

698 320 434 (285091)

FOR SALE 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 (291904)

GENERAL SERVICES Man & Van, small removals, shopping/collections. Painting, Cleaning / Window Services available. Santa Pola, Gran Alacant, El Altet & La Marina areas. No job too small. Affordable & reliable.

Tel 711 073 074 (291953)

CLASSIFIEDS GOLD WANTED

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

(288012)

www.euroweeklynews.com BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English.

BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialinsurancein spain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote.

(291458)

MOTORING

PIANO, Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (290217)

NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE: Courses held in English and starts soon. RYA VHF and Radar Courses. 626 245 098 (292333)

MISCELLANEOUS INSURANCE FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686116297 (WHATS APP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsurancein spain.com or email tracey@sosinsurancein spain.com (291396) www.euroweeklynews.com

SITUATIONS VACANT

MOBILITY FOR SALE: TGA Vita Lite Mobility Scooter colour dark blue front basket included.

119cm x 62cm, good condition. Quick Sale €550, Contact: 606 406 159 (291464)

QUALITY LHD & RHD Vehicles bought & sold. All paperwork undertaken quickly & professionally. Immediate payment for all purchases.

Mobile / WhatsApp +34 600 726 221 Office +34 965 687 946 www.fwreu rocars.com info@fwreuro cars.com (291571)

FOR SALE EuroWeekly News Contact us on:

951 386 161

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

MUSIC TUITION

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

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

6 - 12 May 2021

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and compa-

PERGOLAS

896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spa ma.org and view our new blog at www.spamasafor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

PLUMBERS MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge.

698 320 434 (285091)

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

SPAS AND JACUZZIS

EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorsecare.net www.easyhorsecare.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706) GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, de-flead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709) P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals.

Please call: 650 304 746.

For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com (95708) SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area.

500 animals awaiting rehoming. Phone Gail 962

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

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EWN 53

SEXY, elegant, mature, pretty, naughty Lady.

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

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54 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

6 - 12 May 2021

MOTORING

Toyota’s 10-Year Warranty Most searched for online TOYOTA Spain has announced its ‘Toyota Relax’ programme, which will allow Toyota cus‐ tomers to take advantage of a new extended warranty scheme of up to 10 years, or 160,000km, whichever comes first, at no ex‐ tra cost.

New Toyota vehicles come

with an official three year or 100,000km warranty on all parts and labour, and a similar five‐year warranty on all its hybrid vehicles, but with the introduction of ‘Toy‐ ota Relax,’ the only requirement is that you have your vehicle main‐ tained annually, or at every 15,000km, in one of the Official

Network of Toyota Spain Dealers, then you can benefit from up to 10 years warranty, until the vehi‐ cle reaches 160,000km.

Under this warranty system, Toyota customers will also bene‐ fit from the ‘Health Check’, which is an inspection of the vehicle’s general condition, including all mechanical and electronic parts, to give the driver peace of mind, and also to aid in detecting any possible problems at an early stage.

As a result of this extended warranty scheme, it allows drivers to benefit even if they don’t have a fully stamped service book, and the vehicle in question will only need to undergo the correspond‐ ing service to benefit from an ad‐ ditional year’s warranty.

By initiating this scheme, Toy‐ ota hopes to assure that their cus‐ tomers are their main concern, a ‘customer centric’ philosophy, in which they apply four objectives: to provide quick, efficient, and complete answers, to offer a re‐ sponse to each incident, to max‐ imise efforts in resolving doubts, and, finally, a special follow‐up to all claims, as reported by laopin iondemalaga.es.

THE top 10 most‐searched sec‐ ond‐hand cars online in Spain during 202 are listed below.

If you are thinking of pur‐ chasing a used vehicle, some interesting data has been revealed by the web‐ site Milanuncios that might help you find a better deal in the second‐hand market, as their data shows that a massive 12 million online searches were made on their website by individuals in the first three months of 2021.

Their data has shown that the most‐searched model of car is the German Volkswagen Golf, which was ranked as the ‘most popular’ by the web‐ site, notching up a total of 83,000 searches

in the first quarter of 2021, as reported by top Spanish publi‐ cation Europa Press.

The Volkswagen Golf is their five‐door model, and is priced at more than €20,000 as new, but in the second‐hand market, this car can be found for as little as €7,575.

In second position was the trusty BMW 3 Series, with 54,000 searches in the first quarter, which in the second‐ hand market was selling for on average, around €10,747, about 25 per cent of its cost from new.

Third place went to the Seat

León, having around 40,000 on‐ line searches, and could be found for an average price of €9,448.

If you are an Audi fan then the Audi A4 showed up in fourth place of the most‐ searched, with more than 39,000 searches, closely fol‐ lowed by the Seat Ibiza with 35,000 searches.

Rounding out the Top 10 most‐searched in Milanuncios were the Mitsubishi Montero, the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Citroën Berlingo, the BMW Se‐ ries 5, and the Ford Transit.

VW GOLF: Was the most searched for model online.

MOTORING

www.euroweeklynews.com

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack V O LV O’S high‐tech march towards electrification in‐ cludes plug‐in hybrid models that offer a more practical solution to those who cur‐ rently find pure electric isn’t for them.

The V60 is Volvo’s mid‐ size estate and despite the popularity of SUVs Volvo es‐ tates are still in demand, and for good reason. Forget any sign of utility because al‐ though these are load carri‐ ers (not in the same league as the square box Volvos of old but still pretty good) they are also packed with luxury touches.

Standard fare across all models are such things as auto dimming mirrors, auto

Classy, yet practical.

6 - 12 May 2021

Volvo V60 - modern and minimalist with a luxury feel lights, high beam assist, auto wipers, keyless start, cruise, electric and power folding door mirrors, leather, heat‐ ed front seats with electric adjustment and lumbar sup‐ port, heated wiper blades, dual zone climate control and as you would expect from Volvo there is a pletho‐ ra of standard safety kit.

Prices start from €39,994 (£34,855) and my test model was the T6 AWD Inscription (€53,648/£46,750 + a stag‐ gering €9,180/£8,000 of op‐ tions) which added, amongst many other items, ventilated seats, active lights that match the steer‐

ing, keyless entry/exit and remote opening power tail‐ gate, heated wiper blades add to the standard array of features.

Power comes from a 2.0‐ litre four‐cylinder unit mat‐ ed to an eight‐speed auto‐ matic gearbox and all‐wheel‐drive for any kind of weather. With added electric power the V60 pro‐ pels its rather large frame to the benchmark 100 kph (62 mph) in just 5.4 seconds and a maximum of 112 mph. In pure electric mode the Volvo can take you 48‐54 km (30‐ 34 miles) so enough for a commute, but whether you’re running a pure EV or a hybrid you really do need a home charging point to make EVs a practical proposi‐ tion.

G e a r changes are

smooth, the refinement is excellent and the V60 has an air of unruffled calm even when doing 112 kph (70 mph UK limit) on a motorway.

It’s one of those cars that you feel could take you from one end of the country to the other and you would emerge with no aches or

EWN 55

feeling in any way jaded. The interior is modern and mini‐ malist but at the same time has a look and feel of a luxu‐ ry car rather than a premium one. It’s an object lesson in how light interiors can look so classy yet remain practi‐ cal.

In case you haven’t al‐ ready gathered, I liked the V60, I liked it a lot!

SPORT

56

29 April - 4 May 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

Sevilla’s Title Hopes Are Blown Apart IN a must‐win LaLiga Santander match on Monday May 3, at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Sevilla, six points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid, hosted Athletic Club, and went down 1‐0, surely bringing the curtain down on their hopes of winning the title this season, for the first time since 1946.

Julen Lopetegui’s team was not short of chances, as Lucas Ocampos failed to bury a cross from Suso, and Unai Simon denying Sevilla’s top scorer, Youssef En‐Nesyri, on several occasions, but the first half was scoreless.

Growing in confidence, Ath‐ letic pushed more in the second half, with a low shot from Asier Villalibre going just outside the post, giving the home side a fright, which resulted in a counter‐attack almost being finished off by an Ivan Rakitic

IÑAKI WILLIAMS: Blasted a shot into the top corner. shot from outside the box.

Marcelino decided it was time to introduce the Williams brothers, with both producing chances, and Neco getting the ball into the net for Athletic Club, only to be ruled offside.

The hammer blow for Sevilla came in the 90th minute, as an‐ other counter‐attack by the vis‐ itors saw Iñaki Williams blast a shot into the top corner of the

net, and it was game over.

With this defeat, Sevilla re‐ main six points behind Atletico Madrid, and four adrift of Barcelona and Real Mardrid, with this weekend seeing two massive matches as the top four teams are in action against each other, with Barcelona hosting Atletico, and Sevilla travelling to play Real Madrid.

Valencia Back to Second BARCELONA made the short trip to the Mestalla in Valencia on Sunday May 2, knowing that only a win could keep them in the four‐horse fight at the top of LaLiga Santander, after both Madrid teams had won on Saturday May 1.

Once again, it was their Argentinian wizard, Li‐ onel Messi, who conjured up the goals to seal a hard‐fought victory that leaves Barca two points behind Atletico, with the two teams squaring up next weekend in a crunch fixture.

Barcelona could have been two up within the first 15 minutes had Pedri and then Araujo taken their opportunities better, with former Blaugrana keeper Jasper Cillessen keeping the latter at bay, and Valencia’s Uros Racic missing a good chance, in what turned out to be a pretty uneventful first 45 minutes.

A corner kick on 50 minutes opened the match up, as a Ter Stegen slip allowed Gabriel Paulista to head home for Valencia to put the home side ahead.

A handball by Antonio Lato after 57 minutes was Messi’s chance to level, but when Cillessen saved the Argentinian’s poor penalty, luckily Busquets was on hand to allow Messi to even‐ tually put the ball in the net for 1‐1.

With Barca pushing forward it was Jordi Alba who fed Frenkie de Jong, whose headed attempt was snuffed out but rebounded to Griezmann who

made no mistake on 63 minutes to put Barcelona 2‐1 up.

It was then time for the Messi magic show, as he curled a left‐footed free‐kick over the Los Che wall and into the net to make it 3‐1, after 69 minutes, though Valencia were not going to roll over, and a stunning long‐distance strike by Soler after 83 min‐ utes pulled them back to 3‐2, but, in the end, to see Barcelona edge Valencia and grab those vital three points.

MESSI: Sealed a hard-fought victory.