Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 13 - 19 May 2021 Issue 1871

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 24 - 27 ISSUE NO. 1871

13 - 19 May 2021

Full-sized FOR the first time in over a year, all stalls are allowed to set up in Huercal-Overa’s openair markets thanks to the municipality’s favourable Covid situation, the town hall announced. This applies both to the vegetable and general markets held each Monday and Thursday.

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WALK FOR LIFE

Speak up VERA Town Hall and Almeria’s Chamber of Commerce are between them organising an English course focusing on daily terms used in the hospitality industry and shops. The free classes are aimed at helping the under 30s who are not working or studying to find employment.

New museum CUEVAS DE ALMANZORA’S Fishing Museum, whose opening was postponed owing to the health crisis, is due to open in late May. Dedicated to fishing in ancient times, exhibits found at the Phoenician settlement in Baria will illustrate the historic importance of fishing in the area.

Turn to page 4 » HOT WORK: Slim Well Spain getting ready to burn some calories.

FREE • GRATIS

Water war intensifies

AGRICULTURAL growers who need the Tajo‐Segura pipeline’s wa‐ ter for irrigation are bitterly opposed to the central government’s intention of reducing supplies.

This will affect agriculture in Alicante, Murcia and Almeria and all concerned announced that they would take to the streets in a bid to reverse the Environment Ministry’s decision.

Members of Almeria’s Mesa del Agua (Water Committee) and the Federation of Irrigators (FERAL) joined the first protest in Mur‐ cia last weekend. So, too, did Aranzazu Martin Moya, the Junta’s delegate to Almeria for Agriculture.

FERAL’s president Jose Antonio Fernandez Maldonado lament‐ ed the central government’s decision to ‘unilaterally’ change the Tajo‐Segura pipeline regulations.

“This will cause serious harm to irrigators in the Almanzora area,” he predicted.

Increasing the Tajo’s environmental flow ‐ needed to maintain the freshwater ecosystem ‐ in Aranjuez (Madrid) was ‘unjustified’ and would require releasing more water from the Buendia and En‐ trepeñas reservoirs that feed the Tajo‐Segura pipeline, Fernandez said. Reducing the amount of water transferred to Almeria and south‐east in general would also increase evaporation in the reser‐ voirs and benefit nobody, he added.

Ultimately this would result in a “a desert and unemployment,” the FERAL president warned.

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13 - 19 May 2021

NEWS

Persistence pays A fertile More midwives required plan ante Health District has three, but needs another 11, while the Almeria Health District should have an ex‐ tra 14 midwives in addition to the present nine. Pri‐ mary care centres needed more midwives, Satse maintained. “The attention and care these spe‐ cialised nurses provide for women should not be limited to giving birth,” a spokesperson said.

ROQUETAS’ new hospital is closer to becoming reality. The regional government announced that it has now put out to tender the contracts for its site management, project management and health and safety co‐ordination.

The conditions for the construction contract are expected to be an‐ nounced within days. “We have been asking for this hospital for 15 years, a request that has been resolved within two years, following the change of government,” said Roquetas mayor Gabriel Amat.

Director general of Andalucia’s Health Service (SAS) Diego Garcia, who is from Roquetas, praised Amat’s persistence and commitment to the hospital project.

“Roquetas will give a great leap forward as a town with a health in‐ frastructure that will provide a great service for the Roquetas popula‐ tion and the Poniente area,” Garcia declared.

Humanitarian mission THE Aita Mari set sail from Adra on Saturday May 8, heading for the central Mediterraneo on its fifth hu‐ manitarian mission.

The ship is returning after a refit in Adra with a crew of 12 that includes rescuers, health professionals and journalists.

Originally a Basque tuna‐ fishing vessel, the Aita Mar now belongs to the non‐gov‐ ernment organisation, Hu‐ manitarian Humane Rescue (SHM), and after leaving Adra was heading for a technical stop in Corsica, after which it will make for the central Mediterranean.

“This zone is the most deadly challenge for the mi‐ grants,” an SHM spokesper‐ son said.

Photo credit: SHM

NURSING union Satse claimed that Almeria Province needs at least 55 more midwives.

Coinciding with International Midwives’ Day, the union told the provincial Spanish press that the province currently has 21 midwives.

The Poniente Health District has nine although ideally there should be at least 30 more. The Lev‐

AITA MARI: Taking on supplies in Adra.

In the last month humani‐ tarian organisations operating in the Mediterranean have witnessed thousands of peo‐ ple leaving the African coast in overloaded boats, they added.

This year more than 504 people are known to have died while attempting to reach Europe, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

VERA Town Hall and the Codeur Lab are working on re‐ cycling sewage sludge as a fer‐ tiliser. This will serve a double purpose, as eliminating the sludge has been a problem ev‐ er since the waste treatment plant opened in 2009, ex‐ plained Vera’s deputy mayor Alfonso Garcia.

He is also a director of Codeur Lab, a joint venture that has had a laboratory in the local sewage farm (EDAR) since 2017, analysing an annu‐ al 1,000 samples that include different types of water and agricultural soil as well as sludge.

The project was a demon‐ stration of commitment to‐ wards the environment on the part of both the town hall and the company, Garcia said.

“With this solution we can dispose of the sludge and at the same time improve agricul‐ tural production,” he said.

“The town hall needs to head initiatives that from the point of view of sustainability create ecological benefits cou‐ pled to progress.”

Codeur has now launched a pilot scheme, applying sludge that has been treated, sani‐ tised and stabilised to crops in the area to assess the results and, above all, Garcia stressed, the benefits to agriculture and the soil.

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NIBS EXTRA Small mercies A GUARDIA CIVIL officer was hurt after falling seven metres in San Jose (Nijar) while pursuing a group of illegal immigrants.

He was admitted to Torrecardenas hospital with several injuries although unofficial sources confirmed that these were not grave since his bulletproof waistcoat protected him from serious harm.

Port makeover FOLLOWING the inauguration of new moorings for the smaller fishing boats at Almeria port, the skippers’ disused premises as well as old buildings adjoining the dry dock will be dismantled.

The shipyards will also be demolished, apart from the area occupied by Loha, the port’s last remaining boatbuilder.

Clean sweep SEVENTY-FIVE municipalities with fewer than 3,500 inhabitants will receive road-sweeping machinery and heavy lorries for carrying out minor public works.

The €500,000 scheme, funded entirely by the Diputacion provincial council, has been introduced to improve infrastructure inside small towns and help them provide better basic services for residents.

Buzz off EL EJIDO’S Agriculture and Environment department called on the local population to cooperate on eliminating mosquitoes as temperatures rise. Fifteen thousand leaflets and 200 posters remind residents that it is vital to observe a “code of good practices” to control and eradicate these plagues, the town hall said.

Safe walking A BUSY 800-metre section of the road linking the Puerta Corazon and El Parador in Vicar is to have pavements and a bicycle lane, providing a safer connection between both districts for those on foot. Work has already begun and is expected to take a month to complete.

Local man ALMERIA City’s mayor Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco formally greeted Luis Columna, the senior judge who will preside the Provincial High Court. He is also Almeria-born and this was the first time in almost 40 years that this position will be occupied by a someone from the province, Fernandez-Pacheco pointed out.

13 - 19 May 2021

A step towards independence ROQUETAS mayor Gabriel Amat and Marta Bosquet, Speaker of the regional parliament, recently visited a newlyopened apartment for those with Asperger’s.

There to greet them was the Asociacion Asperger’s director, Amparo Garcia, who received thanks from Amat and Bosquet.

“Amparo deserves all the help we can give her,” Amat said. “She never works for herself but for others and everything that is good for Roquetas and Almeria can always count on my cooperation.”

Bosquet pointed out that it was up to the public administrations to set an example of work-related and social integration, like the apartment project.

“For users this means a great advance in their daily lives as well as a great advance for their

APARTMENT VISIT: Amparo Garcia, Gabriel Amat, Marta Bosquet and Alvaro Janssen. independence,” Amparo Garcia explained. “This is what we want, to bring them into the world of employment and from there towards independence and an autonomous life.”

The visitors also spoke to one of the apartment’s occupants, Alvaro Janssen, who told them of his parents’ happiness for him: “They have seen that I can take control of my own life,” he

said.

Alvaro’s flatmate Pablo Cutillas was absent during the visit, he told them, precisely because he was working and could not take time off.

Bee massacre in Pulpi hives AT least 24 million bees belonging to more than 300 hives have died in Pulpi.

Initial investigations suggest that the disaster was caused by careless application of insecticides on orange trees in the Cuesta de los Valeros district. These are used to prevent pollination, which in turn produces

fruit without pips.

Discussing the environmental dis‐ aster on Canal Sur, Jesus Manzano, a legal expert on beekeeping, de‐ clared that abusive use of insecti‐ cides and pesticides had to be stopped.

T h e s o l u t i o n l a y w i t h t h e c o n‐ sumers, who should refrain from

buying fruit like mandarins that do not have pips, Manzano said. “Pips demonstrate that nature is function‐ ing.”

Bees are fundamental in pollinat‐ ing flowers and forming fruit, and their absence would plunge humani‐ ty into an unprecedented ecological disaster, the expert warned.

A good place The more the merrier to work FORBES magazine placed Cantoria‐based Grupo Cosentina amongst Spain’s 50 best employers for the third year running.

The company’s commitment to people and hu‐ man capital as its principal asset had once more been recognised by the magazine, the multina‐ tional marble firm said.

Cosentinto’s nomination was especially rele‐ vant owing to the effects and consequences of the 2020 pandemic, the company pointed out.

This was a year when companies and, above all, their human resources departments faced the challenge of introducing “extraordinary mea‐ sures.”

Owing to the exceptional situation, Forbes named the 50 companies in alphabetical order “in deserved recognition of their employees’ out‐ standing work.”

What did not change was the process that Forbes used to compute the rankings which was based primarily on employees’ opinions, Cosenti‐ no pointed out.

LUBRIN has received the Spanish Federation of Large Families’ seal of approval.

It is now numbered amongst municipalities classed as an ade‐ quate destination for family leisure and tourism.

The municipality’s architecture, history, the careful upkeep of its surroundings and its gastronomy have combined to make its con‐ ducted tours the most successful in the area, explained Lubrin’s mayor Domingo Ramos during his recent meeting with Celia Ro‐ driguez‐Hesles, president of Almeria’s Large Family Association.

“Lubrin has everything a large family needs, from breakfasting on local products, to visiting a petting farm or seeing how the local honey, olive oil and cheeses are made.”

Recognised as heroes VERA recently recognised the huge achievement of three Local Police officers who saved the life of an elderly man.

Called out to a fire in the town centre, Andres Magaña, Salvador Parra and Jose Antonio Fuentes did not think twice when they learnt that a man ‘of advanced years’ was trapped inside his home.

Braving the blaze they entered the burning building and were able to evacuate him safe and sound, later earning themselves a unani‐ mous council vote congratulating them ‘publicly and officially’ for their heroism.

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Guardia Civil to the rescue AN anti‐vice operation in Almeria and Alicante resulted in four arrests last month.

The investigation be‐ gan in October 2019 when two Venezuelan women approached a Guardia Civil patrol in Roquetas, seeking help.

They explained they had been lured to Ali‐ cante with offers of work and all travel ex‐ penses paid but were forced into prostitution, working in brothels owned by their “em‐ ployers,” a Spanish cou‐ ple.

This was the only way they could repay their air fares costing €1,500 and €2,300, they learnt.

Their earnings went directly to the Spanish couple aged 34 and 35 who added their board, lodging and clothing to what they owed.

Matters came to a head when clients com‐ plained to the owners about the women burst‐ ing into tears during “services.”

As a result, they were turned out into the street, with nothing but what they were wearing and warned that they must still pay off their debt.

They contacted friends in Europe who sent an immediate mon‐ ey transfer and gave them a Roquetas ad‐ dress where they could stay.

Increasingly fright‐ ened by their former employers’ threatening phone calls, they went to the Guardia Civil, trig‐ gering the investigation.

This resulted in the arrest of the Spanish couple as well as two Latin American women involved in recruiting and exploiting the vic‐ tims.

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13 - 19 May 2021

Walking to Saliente ON May 16 Richard Clarke and 10 other crazy people are starting at Bar Wassy in Albox and walking 17.2km to Saliente Monastery.

A steep climb and all to raise funds for Walk for Life cancer charity. Also Bryan North will be doing the journey two and half times on his bike. Richard said “I hate walking so this is going to be a huge challenge for me! Please if you can sponsor us let me know, it’s for a great cause. W4L.” Last year Richard walked from Ar‐ boleas to Los Gallardos for Walk for Life and in 2018 he and his son Oli did the 417km Camino de San‐ tiago to raise money for charity.

If you want to sponsor Richard pop into his office, Calida Homes in Arboleas.

NEWS

from Front page »

What a Wonderful Weekend for Walk for Life MAY 8 would have been the 10th anniversary of the Walk. Once again, the Walk was not possible and has been replaced by the 6k Any Way Challenge.

People can do anything, but many have chosen to walk the Walk 6k route.

First off on Friday morning, May 7 was Jo Page and Maria Elena Heed. Many people turned out to wave at them along their route and to put money in the collection box. Jo and Maria were sponsored by local businesses.

By 4.30 in the afternoon, it was very hot. Thirty-three people from Slim Well Spain set off in groups of six. Their leader Toni Harrington estimated that they would burn at least 400 calories, what she didn’t realise was that they would raise over €2,200 and still counting. Maureen Boulton was unable to join her friends in this group because she is wait-

Agnel and Devina De Sousa of All Asia, Amigos Market walked with the slimming group.

Jo and Marie Elena had a lot of encouragement along the way.

ing for a knee operation, but she did the distance in her own time, in her street, on her crutches, sponsored by the Quiz at The Heather’s Restaurant. She raised €350 of the total.

On Saturday morning, May 8 at 9am Stuart Copland did the Walk in just under

an hour. He does it every year in memory of his wife Vicky and he always wears the same pink and grey shirt.

It was really hotting up at 10am when Richard Bond of Smooth FM radio set off accompanied by Carrie Ann Earl. She also did the Walk with the slimming group

the day before and is doing another one down on the coast in a week’s time.

Richard and Smooth FM have got many sponsors, but he also took a collection box into all the bars on the way. At least that’s why he said he went into all the bars!!

On Sunday morning, May 9, Melanie Rayner ran the Walk course in 38 minutes, equalling her time last year. Is there anyone who can beat that time? The Challenge runs until July 3 and you can get a sponsor form by messaging Walkforlife Arboleas on Facebook or at Total Entertainment Arboleas and Albox. If you can’t get sponsors a small donation is fine - every little helps.

The team at Walk for Life want to thank everybody who has taken part and all the wonderful people who will be doing 6k their own way in weeks to come.

Fairground Demonstrations WEEKLY demonstrations and roadblocks are planned to be held in the Almeria capital to protest the lack of support by the Almeria Council. The Association of Fair‐ ground Entrepreneurs of Almeria

and Province (Aefap), are set to hold these demonstrations in protest against the lack of support for setting up ‘mini parks’ which have suffered from ‘more than 18 consecutive months’ without ac‐

tivity due to the ongoing Coron‐ avirus pandemic.

The association’s representa‐ tive, Mercedes Domínguez, ex‐ plained, “We have presented our project in Almeria and we have no reply and no appointment. We are desperate.” The delegate has spent weeks demanding to meet with the mayor of Almeria, Ramón Fernández‐Pacheco, and the councillor for Culture, Diego Cruz, to address the issue.

Roadblocks have been organ‐ ised for today Thursday May 13 on the Ronda road by the organi‐ sation. The roadblock will take place between 10am and 1pm, in front of the mayor’s office in protest of Almeria Town Hall’s ‘in‐ action’ regarding ‘granting a per‐ mit to install mechanical fair‐ ground rides in the form of an amusement park’ according to Eu‐ ropa Press.

The pandemic has affected the sector and the initiative aims to ‘generate work and employment.’

If ‘there is no meeting with the mayor and we do not find a solu‐ tion to the more than 18 consecu‐ tive months without work and without generating income’ then further demonstrations will be held on May 20 and 27.

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13 - 19 May 2021

Get Ready for the Beach GET ready to hit the beaches in Almeria, but be prepared for some Coronavirus restrictions to be put in place.

Almeria’s 13 coastal municipalities are currently working on Covid-19 protection plans to ensure that all beachgoers this summer are safe from the potentially deadly virus.

Like last year, Coronavirus beach restrictions will still be necessary as the president of the Junta, Juanma Moreno,

announced on Thursday May 6, to ensure that all beachgoers remain safe. This year though there is one important change, the Andalucian Government will not be hiring the controversial beach guards.

For areas at alert level 4 local councils will need to maintain beach closures for leisure and recreation activities ‘with the exception of fishing or other individual ac-

10 Million Tourists

THE Junta de Andalucia has said they are expecting between eight and 10 million tourists in Andalucia this summer.

As reported by the press, the vice president of the Junta de Andalucia and Minister of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration, Juan Marín, has said this summer: “Andalucia expects to host between eight and 10 million tourists.”

Marín has initiated the Forum for Innovation and Knowledge, Andalucia, Origin and Destination in Malaga, which aims to improve the tourism model through innovation and technology. The tourism sector’s turnover plummeted by over €13 billion (£11.3 billion) and had over 100,000 job losses due to the health crises.

tivities, between 10pm and 7am the following day’ as reported Ideal.

Andalucia Guarantees

MARIFRÁN CARAZO, the Minister of Development, Infrastructures and Spatial Planning, announced the ‘most absolute rejection’ of tolls and has ensured that the Junta de Andalucia will guarantee that ‘not a single one will be paid’ on the roads across the region.

The statement was made to journalists in Sevilla after being asked about the implementation of tolls on Spanish highways, an initiative that is part of the package of structural reforms that the government of Spain offered to the European Union in order to gain access to funds from the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The government, which is scheduled to bring in tolls in 2024, has calculated a payment per kilometre at €0.1.

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Taekwondo Club

WELL DESERVED: Five students won their next belts.

DESPITE all the restrictions, the social distancing, mask wearing and constant disinfection of any‐ thing that could be touched and shared, the Mo‐ jacar Taekwondo club proudly announced the fi‐ nal stretch of its spring grading on Saturday May 8.

After many hours of training, showing great fighting spirit, precise technical skills, powerful board breaking display and the ability to carry on, no matter what, five students were awarded their next well deserved belt. This included the granting of a black belt to junior student Maite Scheyvaerts, and also the promotion of Miss Lily Miles‐Kirby, Mr Oliver Cole, Mr Emilio Vera and Miss Lucia Maldonado.

All of this under the supervision and guidance of the second Dan black belts head instructor, Mr Serge Dewrée and instructor Ms Laura Lin‐ schoten, and approval of 4th Dan technical advi‐ sor Mr Michael Williams.

Junior and adult classes Wednesday and Friday 16:30 to 18:00 at Platino Gym on Mojácar Playa.

Europe Day celebrations

ALMERIA marked Europe Day with speeches from Javier Aureliano Garcia, president of the Diputacion provincial council and the Euro MP Dolors Montser‐ rat.

Europe Day on May 9 marks the anniversary of the day in 1950 when Robert Schuman, then France’s For‐ EUROPE DAY: Young musicians from eign minister, set out his Almeria’s Municipal School of Music ideas for political coopera‐ and the Arts (EMMA) playing the EU antion that would make war them, Ode to Joy. unthinkable between European nations. tiatives on efficient use of water.

Seventy‐one years later, Garcia Meanwhile, Dolors Montserrat was able to affirm, “Almeria grows praised the drive of Almeria’s popu‐ with Europe and Europe grows with lation: “You grow in the face of ad‐ Almeria.” versity. You are an example of go‐ The provincial council put all the getting,” she declared, while EU’s opportunities for development reminding her audience what Europe and growth within reach of Almeria meant to Almeria and the rest of residents, he pointed out.

Spain.

Many of the Diputacion’s major “If Spain did not belong to the EU, projects were possible thanks to Eu‐ we wouldn’t be getting vaccinated rope, Garcia said. These included the today,” she said.

‘Youth employment versus depopu‐ The event ended with the public lation’ scheme enabling young Alme‐ on their feet as musicians from rienses to open businesses inside Almeria’s Municipal School of Music their municipalities, and the Life Al‐ and the Arts (EMMA) played Eu‐ chemia and Life Phoenix research ini‐ rope’s anthem, Ode to Joy.

NEWS

How the Breathalyser Works ACCORDING to the National Road Safety Observatory of Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), which is the government department responsible for the Spanish road transport network, one in every four fatal road accidents is due to alcohol and is the second-highest cause of accidents in the country.

This is the reason why regular controls are carried out on the roads said the DGT - in an effort to prevent this statistic from growing - by specially trained officers from the Guardia Civil’s Traffic Group (A G T C), which involves the use of the Breathalyser system of testing drivers for excess use of alcohol or drugs.

Two types of breathalyser are used, with different sensitivities, one for approximation or indicator, which detects the presence of alcohol; and another evidential one, which confirms the first result and specifies the exact amount of alcohol in expired air. Its operation must always be certified by the National Metrology Institute.

Fees and penalties, according to the DGT: The Road Safety law establishes the maximum levels of alcohol allowed for drivers (0.25 gm/l in air and 0.5 gm/l in blood), as well as the total prohibition of driving with the presence of drugs in the body. When a driver exceeds these limits in a control, there is an administrative infraction and these sanctions are applied (fine and loss of points).

ALCOHOL • 0.25-0.50 mg / l -> €500 and four points.

• + 0.5 mg / l -> €1,000 and six points.

• Repeat offenders -> €1,000 and four or six points depending on the rate.

DRUGS • Presence of narcotics -> €1,000 and six points.

But in the most serious cases, driving with positive alcohol or under the influence of drugs, as well as refusing to take the test, can constitute crimes against traffic safety with prison sentences of up to six months and deprivation of the right to drive from one to four years.

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13 - 19 May 2021

RENFE Monopoly Ends THE National Spanish Rail Network (Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles, or RENFE) has lasted a stagger‐ ing 80 years without having any competition, but the rail service was opened to others in December 2020. It was ex‐ pected that the French low‐ cost rail service Ouigo would

enter the market and this has finally happened.

The new service Ouigo, is part of the French National Rail Society, also known as the SNCF Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français.

This could be great news for travellers as the French firm aims to undercut RENFE

Infoca New Helicopters BRINGING Andalucia to the forefront of firefighting in Spain, Infoca now has three brand new Super Puma helicopters, which will replace their previous Bell 412 helicopters, with the new models capable of carrying more firefighters, and also has a larger capacity water tank for fighting forest fires.

Built at the Airbus factory in Cadiz, which has a five-year contract with the Junta de Andalucia, the helicopters cost around €3 million (£2.6m). These helicopters also offer a higher level of security to the firefighters during any incident, and will be located at the three bases of Jerez del Marquesado, in Granada, Cartama in the province of Malaga, and, Madroñalejo in Sevilla, which means that Andalucia has more of these state-of-the-art helicopters than any other autonomous community in Spain.

Also, seven new fire engines were unveiled, at a cost of €2.38m (£2.06m), with six more planned for 2022.

prices, and the Spanish firm is sure to respond.

The first lucky travellers to benefit from Ouigo will be those travelling between Madrid and Barcelona, which is one of the highest travelled routes within Spain.

Competition will be fierce though as the route is also covered by air by Iberia, and RENFE already runs the AVLO service.

It is suspected that the French company will soon branch out to offer other routes in Spain.

The trains running on the Madrid to Barcelona line will have a staggering capacity of over 500 travellers and have a buffet car, which at present travellers will not be able to benefit from, as due to the ongoing Coronavirus pan‐ demic they are currently closed.

Prices will vary from €9 all the way up to €79 depending on time of travel and when tickets are bought.

To read more stories like this go to ww.euroweeklynews.com

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THE Spanish government, through Pedro Sanchez, recently presented to the EU, proposals for tax and labour reforms that the EU requires if Spain wants access to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan - a fund that includes €79.5 billion in subsidies available until 2023.

The fiscal reform is ‘across the board’ and is set to increase per-

NEWS

Spain’s New Tax Reforms sonal income tax, wealth tax, inheritances, the price of diesel, and much more. This will of course affect British expats, who, before knowledge of the tax hikes were expecting to live in Spain on a fixed budget that

AstraZeneca Vaccine Contract THIERRY BRETON, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market stated on Sunday May 9, that the European commission will not be renewing the contract for coronavirus vaccines with AstraZeneca after June.

This news comes only shortly after the European commission started legal action against AstraZeneca as they had been said to not be honouring the con‐ tract for the supply of coronavirus vaccines, and that they also did not have a plan which was consid‐ ered “reliable” to ensure deliveries were made in a timely manner as originally promised.

Brussels had already sent a legal letter on March 19 to AstraZeneca which was considered to be, “the first step towards the courts.” A conflict reso‐ lution process is included in the contract between the European Union and AstraZeneca but it has been deemed that this has not given a satisfactory result, so the “EU decided to initiate a legal proce‐ dure that has led to the termination of the con‐ tract renewal.”

could afford them a decent lifestyle without too many headaches and not too much tax!

Here below is the breakdown of a tax reform that affects all taxpayers in Spain, some more than others.

The report sent to the European Commission lists the tax increases that it plans to put into force in the first quarter of 2023, which will bring Spain’s tax levels more in line with neighbouring countries.

There will be a ‘gradual increase of the tax system’s maximum contribution base,’ which in practice will result in a greater tax burden for those lucky enough to earn more than €2,400 net per month.

The contribution base, in Spanish, la base de cotización, is the gross monthly remuneration, including prorated bonuses, that a worker receives. At the moment, the maximum contribution base is €4,070.10 gross per month. Workers who earn more than that amount are exempt from paying tax on the remain-

PEDRO SANCHEZ: Has proposed tax and labour reforms.

der of their income.

For example, if a person has a contribution base of €5,000 per month, then they are not taxed for the extra €929.90 they have earned.

This modification of the maximum contribution bases, which the Spanish government aims to carry out gradually over the next 30 years, will also cause ‘a modification of the maximum pension so as not to alter the contributory nature of the tax system.’

Another part of Pedro Sánchez’s government plans for the country’s ‘tax harmonisation,’ places emphasis on wealth (patrimonio), inheritance (suce-

siones), and gift (donaciones) taxes.

These tax rates are currently decided by the Spanish State, however, all of the country’s 17 regions have the right to apply exemptions or conditions to make them more beneficial or detrimental to taxpayers, with the general trend generally being towards the former but this could soon change, however.

“In the area of taxation on wealth, there are significant improvements to be made, both from a technical point of view and from the perspective of implementing a coherent redistributive policy at a national lev-

el,” reads the government document.

There is a “need to apply wealth taxation in a more coordinated way between the different regions to guarantee a minimum and coordinated level of taxation, avoiding harmful tax competition between the different autonomous communities.”

The Spanish government has also hinted it intends to gradually phase out ‘La declaración conjunta,’ which is a tax law that allows couples who are married or with children to file their personal income tax return together.

According to financial experts, the cancellation of this tax option would affect two million households in Spain and would have negative and detrimental effects on divorced people and pensioners.

There has been so much negative reaction to the announcement in fact that Spain’s second Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Affairs Minister Nadia Calviño has since referred to the publication of the annulment of joint tax returns as a “misprint.”

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13 - 19 May 2021

Save the World I T appears that eating insects could apparently save the world, but would you be willing to not only try them, but eat them as a main source of food.

Many people are coming to terms with the fact that the way the world currently eats is not sustainable, and that a fundamental shift will have to be made in the future in order to prevent half the world being underweight, and the other half becoming obese.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e E AT Lancet international commission “civilisation is in crisis.” The commission looked into the global food chain in 2019 and issued a warning that the human race could be heading for ecological disaster.

Research has shown that in the U K many people are willing to try out eating insects and the edible insect market is expected to grow dramati-

Could you eat this? cally over the next few years. Getting someone to test out eating an insect though is a long way off from it becoming a stable source of food.

There is much hype surrounding the future of food that is both good for the environment and healthy for your body.

Many businesses are in-

vesting in the hopes that conscientious consumers will make sustainable choices for their food in the future.

Last year the world’s first synthetic chicken nugget was given approval by the Singapore Food agency, although many people will not be queueing up to try this.

NEWS

Happy Constitution Day to our Norwegian friends ON Monday, May 17, we will say Happy Nasjonaldagen to all our Norwegian friends on the Costas.

It is Constitution Day, an offi‐ cial public holiday in Norway, which the Norwegians also call Syttende Mai (May 17) or less frequently, Grunnlovsdagen (Constitution Day).

Origins The Norwegian Constitution was signed on this date in 1814 and declared Norway an inde‐ pendent kingdom.

It was first celebrated by stu‐ dents and some other groups, and because the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to mark the day, it was banned for a few years.

This changed in 1829, follow‐ ing the Battle of the Square, al‐ though it wasn’t until 1833 that it became official. The first Chil‐ dren’s Parade to mark the day was in 1864, although until 1899, only boys were allowed.

Celebrations The day is not marked in a mil‐

PARADES: Mainly involving children.

itary manner, but instead with parades mainly involving chil‐ dren who wave the national flag while they walk through the streets, often stopping to visit se‐ nior citizens and war memorials, where flowers are often laid.

It is a way of bringing young and old together, and explaining to children the importance of the sacrifices that others have made for the country. People wear ribbons with the national colours, red, white and blue, as well as traditional garments.

The largest is held in the capi‐ tal, Oslo, and many people come from all over the country to take part and watch, as well as it be‐ ing televised. The parade passes by the Royal Palace and the Roy‐

al Family greets people from the balcony.

A day for children Parades usually end with the children singing the national and royal anthems and there is also time for them to shout, make noise, play games and eat treats.

Some places let off fireworks too.

The Norwegian communities abroad often celebrate Constitu‐ tion Day, especially in the United States and Canada, but also in an increasing number of countries worldwide.

Poet Henrik Wergeland is credited with having made the day a celebration for children rather than an occasion for mili‐ tary or patriotic activities.

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NEWS

Speed Control Campaign Bizum Scam warning SPAIN’S General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) announced in a statement that it was going to launch a speed control campaign between May 10 and 16, a period in which traffic officers will intensify the monitoring of compliance with the speed limits established on all interurban roads.

The DGT has emphasised that road traffic accident data shows that excess speed is a key factor in road accidents, being the prevailing cause in 23 per cent of fatal accidents in 2019, where more than 300 people died in accidents in which speed was one of the concurrent factors.

As this will be a preventive campaign, the existence of all controls will be made obvious to drivers, either through variable message panels above the road, or circumstantial vertical signage when the road does not have such panels.

They reiterate that this type of campaign is designed to raise awareness among drivers about the importance of respecting established speed limits, maintaining that such limits are still necessary on

PAYMENT APP: Money can be sent to individuals within seconds, but is subject to fraud.

PREVENTIVE: Controls will be obvious. the roads given their direct influence on accidents.

The DGT also reminded drivers that on May 11, the modification of article 50 of the General Traffic Regulations will come into force with regard to speed limits in urban areas, whereby the limit will be 20kph on roads that have a single carriageway and pavement, 30kph on roads with a single lane in each direction, and 50kph on roads with two or more lanes in each direction.

BIZUM is an app that makes pay‐ ments simple and immediate. For example, money can be sent to individuals in a matter of three seconds. If the amount is small, some banks do not request an ex‐ tra PIN. For large quantities, Bizum usually sends a message with a code that needs to be in‐ putted to process the payment.

The maximum amount that can be sent per day is €1,000 (£867), however, you can receive up to €2,000 (£1,735) per day. The speed of the payments and the option to send these small amounts has led to Bizum being an easy target for different types of fraud.

One of the most widespread types of fraud, as reported this week at the La Rioja Superior

Headquarters, is when the alleged buyer ‐ in this case, of a vehicle ‐ contacted the seller to make a de‐ posit on the purchase for the amount of €400 (£347) through the Bizum app. The seller then ac‐ cepted the procedure, however, instead of making the payment, the buyer sends a request of the €400 payment to which the seller accepts and unknowingly sends over €400.

Subsequently, when realising the error the seller attempts to contact the alleged buyer to re‐ quest the money back and the buyer does not reply. This was re‐ ported to the police.

Another case, which is a more widespread example, is where the victim receives a phone call from their company (supposedly) offer‐

ing to lower their bill or offer them a gift. When the victim accepts the offer, they then have to provide their bank account details and the scammer associates these details with Bizum. As a PIN number is re‐ quired to carry out the transaction, the victim, believing it is a code to activate the offer, provides the PIN and transfers are made.

These are the recommenda‐ tions to follow so as not to fall for the scam: • Contact the bank directly to take the corresponding security measures • Regularly monitor informa‐ tion online about yourself to make sure it cannot be used with‐ out your consent • File a complaint at the near‐ est National Police Headquarters.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

A MAN has been able to prove that it is possible to unlock his Samsung Galaxy phone using the tip of his finger that was severed two weeks ago.

The index fingertip of Kieran Higgins was unfortunately severed during an industrial accident.

He lives in Spain and is a semi-retired auditor.

Higgins has been keeping his fingertip in medicinal alcohol since the accident and now alleges that he can use the severed digit to unlock his mobile phone. Speaking to The Register, Hig-

13 - 19 May 2021

A Useful Severed Fingertip gins explained his cunning plan to put his severed fingertip to good use. He explained, “I devised a cunning plan to register the fingerprint on my brand new shiny whatsit.”

“I extracted [the fingertip] from its grave of

medicinal alcohol, dried it off and... eureka! ... managed to register my dead finger on my phone.”

Unfortunately though the fingertip was too damaged to be reattached in hospital and medics

Worry Over Planned Tax Increases THE Spanish government is planning to hit airlines with a new tax from 2022 onwards, but this couold hit tourism too. The controversial plans have angered airlines who operate in Spain, and claim that the move would “be dev‐ astating for tourism.”

The new tax proposals were sent to Brussels as part of documents in order to pre‐ pare for incoming reconstruc‐ tion funds, with the aim of compensating for the aviation industry’s negative effects on the environment, via increas‐ ing taxes.

The measure had previous‐ ly been submitted for public consideration last year, al‐

AIRLINES: Will face new tax.

though this was put on the backburner when the Coron‐ avirus pandemic started.

This comes at a time when the ongoing pandemic is causing the biggest crisis for

the airline industry in history.

The plans have raised strong objections from airlines.

Javier Gándara, president of ALA, the association that brings together many airlines

who operate in Spain, said that domestic flights repre‐ sent “little more than 10 per cent of total emissions and many of them are essential, because they provide connec‐ tivity” between Spanish is‐ lands and the Spanish main‐ land.

He went on to propose al‐ ternatives to taxes and said, “Rather than taking resources away from the industry via taxes, we need to invest in more sustainable aviation with alternatives to paraffin such as electricity or hydro‐ gen, scale up the production of biofuels and develop in‐ frastructures so that aviation emits less.”

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were only able to bandage what remained of his injured finger and send him home with antibiotics and painkillers as reported The Mail Online.

He decided to keep his injured fingertip and explained to The Register that, “Keeping evidence and stuff is always a good idea.'”

“You never know when it’s gonna turn nasty.

So I kept it in case anybody asked me first... because insurance companies never like to pay out.”

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Spain Ramps Up Vaccine Plan THE EU has concluded a deal with BioNTech/Pfizer for up to 1.8 billion extra doses of its Covid‐19 vac‐ cine, according to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

This comes as Spain’s President Pedro Sanchez is due to present on Friday at

Ursula von der Leyen.

Summer Festival 2021

AFTER a year marked by Covid, the Barcelona summer festival returns with an edition marked by optimism, safe culture and a creative drive.

“Grec Festival 2021 is characterised by the effort to revitalise the cultural sector and support theatres, companies, local talent and creation, contemporary drama and languages,” said the city council, adding that “special attention has been given to the proposals led by women, who account for 55 per cent of the programme.” From June 27 to July 31 , the Grec 2021 Festival will offer around 100 shows of performing arts, music and cinema in 37 locations around the city.

Half of the festival will take place outside the main Montjuïc stage, in museums such as the CCCB, the Macba, the Museum of Natural Sciences and the Ethnological and World Cultures Museum.

There will also be shows at public facilities such as the Palau de la Musica, the Mercat de les Flors and theatres such as Borràs, Condal or Tantarantana.

To find out more, visit the InfoBarcelona website.

a European Union summit in Porto, calls for the removal of trade barriers and logisti‐ cal hurdles to reduce a glob‐ al shortfall in vaccine pro‐ duction.

Several areas in Spain are now making appointments for people in the 55‐60 age group, who will receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, as a decision has not yet been made on the use of the Janssen drug.

“Happy to announce that the EU Commission has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million dos‐ es (+900 million options) with BioNTech/Pfizer for 2021‐2023,” she tweeted from an EU summit in Por‐ tugal.

“Other contracts and oth‐ er vaccine technologies will follow,” she promised.

Ms von der Leyen said Eu‐ rope is preparing the next stage of its response includ‐ ing giving booster shots, al‐ lowing for vaccination of children and teenagers, and dealing with possible es‐ cape variants.

NEWS

£20 COVID Tests TUI has said it is ready to cut the cost of Covid tests to make them more affordable for UK travellers flying to green list countries this sum‐

mer. The holiday agent has announced today that it will subsidise the cost of manda‐ tory testing, which could save UK holidaymakers hun‐

Capital lifts curfew FOLLOWING the end of the State of Alarm at midnight on Sunday, May 9, the regional Madrid government has allowed bar and restaurants to open until 12pm - with last customers at 11pm - and agreed they can reopen at 6am.

There will no longer be a curfew imposed at night, and the ban on meeting in private homes has been lifted, reports El Pais.

However, the Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, has recommended that meetings in private spaces be limited only to cohabitants and has again called for “prudence and individual responsibility” to stop the spread of Covid.

The decision to extend the hospitality sector’s opening hours was made to try to tackle and control the problem of illegal parties in homes, streets - known as botellóns - and in established venues.

Despite the end of the State of Alarm, the regional government will maintain the perimeter confinements by basic health areas, which will have to be ratified from now on by the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid.

dreds of pounds.

This comes a day before the government is expected to reveal the classification of each country following the new traffic light system that will be in place on May 17, the same day that is set to relax the travel ban from the UK. Those countries allowed on the government’s green list will be quarantine free ‐ this will mean that people can travel without the need to quarantine on return.

According to TUI, the packages are targeted at passengers travelling to green and amber list coun‐ tries and will range between £20 and £90, depending on destination.

When travelling to and from a green country, the £20 ‐ €23 package will be ap‐ plicable which will include a pre‐departure lateral flow test and a PCR test on day two after their return.

To read more stories like this go to ww.euroweeklynews.com

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No More Masks AS reported by Spain’s Na‐ tional Organisation of Con‐ sumers (OCU) has asked the central government and re‐ gions to lift the order on mandatory masks outdoors ‐ except for when there is close

contact with other people and there is no guarantee of social distancing.

The OCU has highlighted that “The constant obligation is an ineffective measure at the present time that causes

citizen fatigue with a counter‐ productive result,” and asks that the mask use rules be modified and clarified.

According to the OCU, the scientific evidence that was collected since the beginning of the pandemic makes it nec‐ essary to look back at some of the prevention measures that were put into place when there was more uncertainty about the transmission of the virus.

The group has warned of the public’s “tiredness” around having to constantly wear a mask in the open air. They have also urged for care home and residence visitations for the elderly to be “standard‐ ised,” considering nearly all of the residents, users and work‐ ers have already been vacci‐ nated.

The OCU stresses that visita‐ tions to care and residential homes are vital to maintaining the mood and the mental well‐ being of residents and the fam‐ ily members that want to visit them.

NEWS

Airbnb Increasing In Demand T O U R I S T accommodation platform Airbnb has reported a significant increase in demand for accommodation in Spain. With the State of Alarm having ended on May 9, travellers can now move freely around Spain.

A irbnb has also reported a 30 per cent increase in searches being carried out by those over 60 years of age. The company wants to ensure that as the number of vaccinated people increases and conditions improve, senior travellers can make more plans to see family and friends as many have had to shield themselves during the health

crises due to the higher risk of suffering serious complications brought on by the virus.

Many seniors are wanting a guarantee of health security that is offered by a rental home, thus, the number of searches for this type of accommodation has increased.

According to Airbnb, the elderly are also searching for accommodation that allows them to travel with their pets. They have revealed that the most sought-after feature by Spanish guests over the age of 60 is ‘pet friendly’ accommodation.

Spaniard Deported from France A SPANIARD has been deported from France after pushing a woman down the stairs of the Metro in Paris on April 17. As reported by M alaga H oy, a video showing the young man pushing the woman went viral on social media platforms.

The video shows an aggressive man arguing

heatedly at the top of the stairs of the Porte de la Chapelle station.

The argument is believed to have been over a mobile phone that ended up smashing onto the ground.

T he argument appears to have started when the man is talking on a mobile phone and the woman is upset with him, the woman then hits him and the individual responds by pushing her down the stairs entering the Metro station.

The reaction of the

Spaniard has been met with anger amongst the French, with the Minister of Citizenship, Marlène S chiappa, describing his actions as “inadmissible street harassment and disgusting physical aggression.”

The Paris police prefecture said on its Twitter account that the perpetrator was “under an obligation to leave the territory,” and was deported back to Spain on May 2.

He is now “forbidden to enter and stay on F rench territory.”

ABBA returns BJÖRN ULVAEUS, one of the songwriting geniuses behind the legendary Swedish hitmakers ABBA has informed Australian publication The Herald Sun, that the four original members of the iconic group have been in the studio in Stockholm, Sweden, and are discussing the band’s reunion.

Ulvaeus said on Saturday May 8, “There will be new music this year, that is definite, it’s not a case anymore of it might happen, it will happen,” revealing that the four of them are still good friends, and will release their first music since 1981.

Joined in the studio by Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, and Frida Lyndstad, Björn knows they are going to be making music that their fans have been waiting for, for such a long time, as he explained, “The four of us stand in the studio for the first time in 40 years and there’s just something in knowing what we’ve been through. It’s hard to describe, but there are such strong, strong bonds between us.”

Abba split at the height of their success in 1982, but they did reveal last year that they would be recording five new songs in 2021, after originally announcing in 2018 that they were planning on going into the studio, but now it has been confirmed for sure.

Thanks to the pandemic, the song releases of’'I Still Have Faith In You’, and ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’, had to be delayed, along with the planned ABBAtar hologram tour.

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A Number 1 Album At 80 AT 80 years old, S ir T om Jones has become the oldest man to have a number one album in the U K. As reported by the Evening Standard, this is S ir T om’s fourth number one album and his first since the release of Reload in 1999.

Sir Tom is also now the oldest artist to top the O fficial C harts C ompany rankings with an album that is new material.

The overall record for being the oldest person to top the charts is the late D ame V era Lynn, with We’ll Meet Again - The V e r y B e s t o f V e r a Ly n n .

Her album was number one in 2009 when she was aged 92.

Fans have been celebrating Sir Tom’s achievement on social media, with one Twitter user joking: ‘Congratulations to Tom Jones! Should Top of the Pops be renamed Top of the Grandpops?’

NEWS

Iglesias Leaves Politics T H E Podemos leader and former deputy prime minister Pablo Iglesias has announced he is leaving the political stage for good.

Ayuso secured a landslide victory on Tuesday, winning 65 seats in the 136-seat Assembly (up from 30 seats in the 2019 election). Podemos won 10 seats (up from seven in 2019). Ponytailed Iglesias, 42, said to reporters on Tuesday evening (May 4): “I’m leaving all party politics - I won’t be an obstacle for the renewal of leadership our political force needs.

“We have failed, we have been far from putting together a sufficient majority,”

PABLO IGLESIAS: Leaving all party politics for good. said Iglesias. “When you are no longer useful, you need to know when to withdraw,” he added.

Speaking after the conservative People’s Party (PP) triumphed in the Madrid regional election in which he had stood as his party’s can-

No Covid Tests GIBRALTAR has confirmed that UK tourists will not need to be tested for Covid-19 after May 17 which is when international travel is planned to resume.

Fabian Picardo, the ‘Rocks’ Chief Minister said the British Overseas Territory is ready to offer a ‘great British staycation in the Mediterranean’ after travel restrictions are eased in Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown.

Gibraltar, which is close to the south coast of Spain, became the first nation to fully vaccinate its entire adult population in March after achieving the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe.

Gibraltar is home to 33,000 people and has had 4,286 cases as well as 94 deaths. According to data from Gibraltar Government, the last positive resident case of the virus was detected on March 23 and that person had recovered by April 8. After that, there were no active resident cases on the Rock.

didate, Iglesias said the time had come for him to “leave my post and leave politics.”

However, the former politics lecturer added that he remained “very proud” to have led “a project that changed the history of our country.”

It was not an empty boast as, during the seven years since Podemos was born from the fury of Spain’s indignados movement, the farleft, anti-austerity party has transformed the country’s politics.

After breaking through in 2014’s European elections, Podemos - together with the now moribund, centre-right Citizens party - brought an end to four decades of dominance by the duopoly of the PP and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE).

Megan Markle’s Royal Title THE QUEEN, 95, has been urged to instruct her lawyers to contact the publishers of Meghan’s 40‐ page children’s storybook to have the title of the former working royal blotted out. Meghan, 39, this week announced she had written a book to mark Archie’s second birthday on Thursday May 6.

On the front cover, the author’s name is listed as ‘Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex’ ‐ something which sent some royal fans into a frenzy now that she is no longer a working member of the Royal Family. A year on from Megxit and two months after the Sussex‐ es’ bombshell interview with Oprah was aired, many royal watchers said it is high time the Queen put her foot down and re‐ moved Harry and Meghan’s titles.

To read more stories like this go to ww.euroweeklynews.com

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Covid killer mask AS reported by Ideal, on Thursday, May 6, the Catholic University of Va‐ lencia (UCV) presented a mask that is capable of inactivating SARS‐CoV‐2, influenza and multi‐resis‐

tant bacteria ‘in less than a minute.’ The presenta‐ tion took place at the Va‐ lencia Carlos Campus.

The masks have been developed in collabora‐ tion with Valencian com‐

pany Visor Medical and the research has been o n g o i n g b y t h e U C V B i o‐ materials and Bioingeria Laboratory, led by Pro‐ fessor Ángel Serrano, since the start of the pandemic.

Several months ago, re‐ searchers from the Uni‐ versity and in collabora‐ tion with researchers from the United King‐ dom, South Korea and Norway, developed fil‐ ters for masks that are capable of inactivating SARS‐CoV‐2 and multi‐re‐ sistant bacteria in less than a minute.

An anti‐Covid nasal spray using carbon nano‐ materials and benzalkoni‐ um chloride is also being developed by the Bioma‐ terials and Bioengineer‐ ing Group led by Serrano and the University of Louisiana.

NEWS

Raspberry Flavour Banana THE exotic fruit that is grown in the Canary Islands is now also appearing on the Peninsula.

We are seeing more and more exotic fruits in our supermarkets, such as lychees, passion fruit and tamarinds, but the most recent is the red banana which, unlike the rest, doesn’t come from the other side of the world, but from the Canary Islands.

The red banana is not of the Cavendish variety, like the traditional Canary Island banana, and as well as the exterior colour difference they also have a different flavour. They are slightly smaller and have a tougher ‘bright purple, between purple and brown’ skin.

However, the interior of the fruit looks much like a normal banana, although, there is a slightly pinkish tone to it. The texture is very similar, but the flavour has subtle hints of red fruits, particularly raspberry.

Despite the premier of the red banana on the Peninsula, it is possible to find this variety in

Spain outside of the Canary Islands. “In the microclimate of Almuñecar the plant has adapted extraordinarily, in fact, it is much more robust than the other types of plantains and bananas that we grow,” explains Manuel Mateos, head of Tiendadefruta.com.

They are priced at €3.2 per

From the Canary Islands.

Hero rescues his neighbour A MAN in Spain has been called a hero after a dramatic rescue scaling a two-storey building to rescue his elderly neighbour who was about to plunge to her death from a balcony - almost 10 metres from the ground.

Twenty-four-year-old Camilo Medina scaled the building to rescue the 80-year-old neighbour who had become stuck on the balcony in Calahorra, in the La Rioja region, on Monday May 3. It is believed that the woman, suffers from Parkinson’s disease.

Medina said of the event: “I was in the store with my mother when my father came in saying that a lady was about to fall out of the window. “Without thinking, I took the ladder from the store, climbed to the first-floor balcony and kept climbing up however I could. Police officers arrived not long after, however, they could not enter the flat due to it being locked from the inside and Medina could not locate the keys. The woman’s son-in-law was called and was able to get into the flat.

To read more stories like this go to ww.euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

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13 - 19 May 2021

Muslims go to church Celebrating Ramadan.

New Maximum capacities WITH the end of the State of Alarm on Sunday, May 9, the president of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, announced the new maximum capacities for beaches, swimming pools and shows.

On Thursday May 6, the head of the regional government explained that municipalities in alert levels one and two will have audiences or spectators separated from each other by one seat in bullrings, shows and theatres. In municipalities that are in alert level three and four, a distance of 1.5 metres will need to be used between people.

With regards to swimming pools and beaches, there will no longer be a limit on hours, however, there will be a mandatory distance of 1.5 metres between groups that are out of the water.

From Sunday May 9, nightclubs are now able to stay open until 2am, however, the use of dance floors will only be permitted in areas in alert level one and users must wear masks.

AS reported in Premier Christian News, a church of Santa Anna in the centre of Barcelona has opened its doors to Muslims who are celebrating Ramadan so that they can eat and pray together.

The current coronavirus restrictions in Barcelona means that the venues where the Muslim community would usually celebrate the religious festival are closed.

Muslims do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, only breaking their fasting when the sun has set with a meal called Iftar.

People are very happy that Muslims can do Iftar in a Catholic church, because religions serve to unite us, not to separate us.

However, the campaign has not been welcomed by everyone, with people on social media complaining. The church responded to criticism in a Tweet: “As always when there is novelty there is criticism. As we are still in a pandemic the Association of Moroccan Women asked us for the possibility of celebrating Iftar for the homeless. Because we can do so, we welcome this celebration. Fraternity is about being welcoming.”

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

FRANCE

Harald Bluetooth

Great War

MORE than 100 years ago, a collection of Viking remains said to be linked with Harald Bluetooth mysteriously disappeared from the National Museum of Denmark. Now, thanks to some clever sleuthing by two archaeologists they have been found stored in a mislabelled box in the museum.

IN 1914 the 16-year-old William Swift joined the army and was sent to France, losing his life in 1917. Now a couple living in Noeux-les Mines in northern France have discovered a letter from his parents as they were renovating their property and have tracked down his descendants.

NETHERLANDS

NORWAY

Pavlov’s Dog

Joining PESCO

SCIENTISTS in Holland have taken 150 bees and conditioned them to recognise the smell of coronavirus using the Pavlov’s Dog methodology by feeding them sugar water whenever exposed to the virus. They believe that these bees could sniff out the virus in developing countries.

EU defence ministers have voted to allow Norway, Canada and the United States, to join the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) group designed to ensure seamless movement of military equipment across the EU in response to crises which was formed after Trump threatened to reduce support of NATO.

BELGIUM Two hour curfew FOR several months the curfew in Brussels started at 10pm and for the rest of Belgium at midnight but on Friday May 7, the people of Brussels were required to start curfew as usual at 10pm but then came out at midnight as curfew was cancelled.

GERMANY Clubbing it THE Berlin Building Committee voted unanimously to request the German Government to change the status of the city’s numerous clubs from entertainment sites to cultural sites. If approved, this will give these clubs greater legal protection and some reduction in noise level restrictions.

FINLAND Bumpy ride FINNISH police believe that they have uncovered a black market in the sale of often stolen bicycles with some suspects selling between 7,000 and 10,000 bikes over a four-year period and no tax has been declared on the profits from their sale.

SWEDEN Dead wrong A 33-year-old man from Gothenburg visited a local hospital as he had sprained his finger but a few weeks later was amazed to discover that he had been declared dead when a letter addressed to his estate arrived at his home. All is now resolved.

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Gary Lineker ACCORDING to Personnel Today, HM Revenue and Customs has accused TV pundit and former footballer Gary Lineker of having a £4.9 million (€5.4 million) tax liability as he should be considered a ‘disguised employee’ of both the BBC and BT Sports between 2013 and 2018.

Fewer jobless SPAIN lost 137,500 jobs in the first quarter of the year, according to a recent survey published by Spain’s National Statistical Institute (INE) but as more people return to work following the easing of the State of Alarm, unemployment fell by 16 per cent.

Garden insurance IT is estimated that British households spent more than £8.5 billion (€9.35 billion) on purchasing items for their gardens during lockdown according to research by MoneySuperMarket but many of those have overlooked the fact that expensive purchases should be declared for insurance and may not be covered.

Increased charges THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has come out strongly against plans by Spanish airport authority AENA to raise charges at its 46 Spanish airports by 5.5 per cent and said that this “could damage Spain’s economic and employment recovery from Covid-19.”

Mercosur talks ONE of the negative aspects for Spain as part of the EU is the fact that it generally has to abide by EU regulations concerning trade and tariffs. This is particularly important to the country with regards to Latin and South America where language and cultural ties give Spain an edge with trade. For several years there have been discussions between the EU and the Mercosur countries (which includes all of the main South American economies) but because nothing has happened the Chinese are gaining ground and Pedro Sánchez has reportedly written to the EU urging this be resolved quickly.

24

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 13 - 19 May 2021

€1.067 billion

is the amount that troubled IAG, owner of Aer Lingus, BA, Iberia and Vueling lost in the first quarter of 2021.

Diamonds are forever JEWELLERY manufacturer Pandora is phasing out all mined diamonds from its products and will in future be promoting the sale of lab‐cre‐ ated diamonds.

The Danish company which employs 26,000 people worldwide and uses mainly recycled gold and silver, has become a top name in rea‐ sonably priced collectable jewellery since 1982.

There has been much talk about ‘blood diamonds’

which have been dug up us‐ ing slave labour or stolen dur‐ ing civil wars in Africa but now, it is possible to be abso‐ lutely certain that the dia‐ monds in the new Pandora Brilliance collection are actu‐ ally made in a laboratory.

Aiming to transform the market for diamond jewellery with affordable, sustainably created products, Pandora Brilliance is initially intro‐ duced in the UK with global launch expected in 2022.

LEGALLY SPEAKING

The Pandora Brilliance col‐ lection was available from May 6 in the UK with prices starting from £250 (€275) and each stone ranges from 0.15 to one carat in weight.

The diamond jewellery market is expected to contin‐ ue to grow, and lab‐created diamonds are outpacing the industry’s overall growth.

Lab‐created diamonds are identical to mined diamonds but grown in a laboratory rather than being excavated.

According to Pandora, they have the same optical, chemi‐ cal, thermal and physical characteristics and are graded by the same standards known as the 4Cs ‐ cut, colour, clarity and carat ‐ be‐ fore being set within the Pan‐ dora Brilliance collection.

The lab‐created diamonds in the collection have been grown with more than 60 per cent renewable energy on av‐ erage and by 2022 will be 100 per cent carbon neutral.

We speak your language

Can they block account?

Our community bank account has been blocked until I give details of my personal pension income as president to the Caja Rural.

This comes as we try to change our account to a local bank branch and install a new administrator.

The three of us had to sign an astounding number of documents and now this. Is it not a violation of the Data Protection Act? The new administrator gave me no notice. Can you advise?

24/7 Helpline.

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.

ON May 6, World Password Day is celebrated, an event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of having secure passwords that protect personal infor‐ mation.

Data from the Acierto.com comparator says that very few people or companies know how to properly pro‐

WHEN choosing a funeral plan in Spain, one of the most im‐ portant reasons is being able to speak to someone in your own language.

Golden Leaves knows how important it is to have as little worry as possible at such a dis‐ tressing time, which is why the emergency helpline is available 24/7 and your call will always be answered.

The main language used by Golden Leaves is English but the team is multilingual.

Between 9am and 5.30pm from Monday to Friday, the of‐

fice based in Spain takes the calls in English. At other times, there is a specialist out‐of‐ hours team based in the UK manning the phones so that your call will be dealt with pro‐ fessionally whatever the time, by real people, not automated messages.

In any case, the Golden Leaves team will take action immediately and begin to act upon the plan which you had in place.

Your plan comes with an emergency contact card with all relevant numbers.

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

Strong passwords needed tect their computers and Apps that need passwords.

Among the most common mistakes is the use of per‐ sonal data or obvious words, simplicity, not combining let‐ ters and numbers, and so on.

Another common failure is

to use the same password for different services, some‐ thing that more than half of the respondents do.

At work, the issue be‐ comes especially tricky in times of pandemic, when many companies have been

SPANISH Minister of Eco‐ nomic Affairs, Nadia Calvino has written a foreword in the Spanish Video Game Associa‐ tion yearbook confirming the government’s support of the video game industry.

She says that the situation resulting from the pandemic has accelerated the process of digitalisation in Spain, which means that the pre‐ sent and future of employ‐ ment, trade, commerce, business contacts and leisure are digital.

Video games have estab‐ lished themselves as a widespread consumer prod‐ uct almost 16 million video gamers in the country, 46 per cent of whom are women and Spain is in the top 10 in the world in terms of market size, with a turnover that ex‐ ceeds €1.7 billion.

10p plastic bags

M G (Costa del Sol) 1. It is, un‐ fortunately, quite normal for any YOU AND THE LAW change in bank ac‐ IN SPAIN counts to produce all the confusion you have described. And when the account is a Community of Property Owners, with various persons having authorised signatures, even more so.

2. The bank’s request for your pension details seems extreme but it is not a violation of the Data Protection Act. Only a mis‐ use of your personal information would be that.

3. Blocking your account without previous warning is also ex‐ treme.

4. As to what you can do now, my advice is to establish a close personal relation with your new administrator and also with your local bank manager. Make sure the bank has your tele‐ phone number.

Video Game support

forced to digitise at full speed and implement tele‐ working in record time which has also resulted in the lack of training for em‐ ployees, the failure to imple‐ ment the appropriate securi‐ ty systems and barriers and

FROM May 21 in England, the minimum charge for plastic bags will increase from 5p to 10p per bag, and will be appli‐ cable to all businesses regard‐ less of size.

This is already in place in Scotland and Wales and the As‐ sociation of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the long‐ awaited extension of plastic bag charging to all businesses which will provide consistency for consumers and further op‐ portunity for retailers to raise money for good causes.

Environment Minister Rebec‐ ca Pow said, “The introduction of the 5p charge has been a phenomenal success, driving down sales of harmful plastic bags in supermarkets by a re‐ markable 95 per cent.” the absence of clear action protocols.

Limiting the use of com‐ mon passwords is also im‐ portant so avoid 12345678 and date of birth or name and other similar practices, but do include special char‐ acters mixing uppercase and lowercase and the longer, the safer.

26 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

13 - 19 May 2021

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

LONDON - FTSE 100

See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES M AY 10

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.244,50 1.252,50 Admiral Group 2.973,0 2.981,4 Anglo American 3.429,5 3.509,0 Antofagasta 1.912,00 1.927,50 Ashtead Group 4.801,0 4.817,0 Associated British Foods 2.347,3 2.366,9 AstraZeneca 7.703,0 7.718,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 567,80 574,60 Avast 462,30 470,00 Aveva 3.300,0 3.342,4 Aviva 411,10 413,76 B&M European Value Retail SA578,40 580,80 BAE Systems 507,80 511,86 Bank VTB DRC 1,364 1,388 Barclays 184,44 185,00 Barratt Developments 788,20 790,80 Berkeley 4.869,0 4.876,0 BHP Group 2.414,25 2.417,50 BP 316,58 319,13 British American Tobacco 2.817,3 2.841,2 British Land Company 543,20 545,29 BT Group 169,85 170,60 Bunzl 2.332,0 2.351,0 Burberry Group 2.168,0 2.190,0 Carnival 1.610,2 1.640,4 Centrica 57,76 57,95 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.548,0 2.559,0 Compass 1.602,00 1.640,50 CRH 3.655,0 3.659,0 Croda Intl 6.706,0 6.744,0 DCC 6.180,0 6.222,0 Diageo 3.255,0 3.278,5 DS Smith 428,20 430,10 EasyJet 1.063,84 1.086,04 Experian 2.780,0 2.802,0 Ferguson 9.510,0 9.518,0 Flutter Entertainment 14.360,0 14.645,0 Fresnillo 930,71 941,36 GlaxoSmithKline 1.352,64 1.356,30 Glencore 328,50 330,00 Halma 2.576,5 2.604,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.745,47 1.758,03 Hikma Pharma 2.339,00 2.347,00 HSBC 450,05 451,20 IAG 209,00 214,20 Imperial Brands 1.607,50 1.621,00 Informa 570,60 578,40 InterContinental 5.072,6 5.148,6 Intermediate Capital 2.113,00 2.150,00 Intertek 6.072,0 6.178,0 ITV 126,43 127,23

% CHG. 1.241,00 2.956,0 3.420,0 1.896,50 4.777,0 2.347,3 7.668,0 564,80 459,60 3.288,0 410,59 576,60 507,20 1,364 182,88 782,80 4.799,0 2.387,50 315,80 2.814,2 539,06 169,20 2.324,0 2.164,0 1.607,4 56,54 2.546,0 1.599,00 3.644,0 6.698,0 6.162,0 3.253,5 426,60 1.047,00 2.772,0 9.398,0 14.360,0 921,40 1.349,32 323,30 2.571,5 1.742,99 2.334,00 448,85 207,64 1.607,00 570,40 5.068,0 2.113,00 6.068,0 125,46

NET VOL 29,41K 4,29K 47,79K 224,35K 23,18K 6,21K 237,25K 94,48K 335,28K 7,01K 172,56K 50,04K 92,50K 73,45K 5,99M 183,75K 80,09K 596,86K 806,31K 24,28K 42,93K 1,72M 37,33K 32,13K 112,78K 698,78K 21,35K 147,74K 17,27K 6,78K 22,36K 125,41K 300,76K 221,11K 90,38K 18,86K 3,51K 134,49K 113,98K 11,76M 30,87K 11,15K 15,07K 1,53M 3,01M 112,66K 61,86K 4,54K 6,26K 10,00K 196,55K

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

254,14 3.272,0 746,60 286,00 47,23 7.096,0 478,64 166,85 1.951,50 931,50 200,90 8.276,0 36,88 1.974,80 3.207,0 740,80 1.592,50 6.350,0 1.891,00 487,40 596,40 6.767,0 106,02 7,23 1.430,0 1.431,61 1.372,5 684,00 631,20 1.863,00 17,11 3.605,0 1.195,00 1.011,86 2.497,0 1.566,36 1.599,50 11.951,8 1.493,71 1.385,50 518,80 280,00 181,05 227,85 441,22 4.250,4 988,80 142,18 3.248,6 990,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

254,40 3.289,0 749,20 288,00 47,37 7.176,0 502,20 170,15 1.976,50 931,50 203,60 8.310,0 36,89 1.984,50 3.246,0 741,80 1.595,00 6.364,0 1.910,50 489,80 606,00 6.786,0 107,95 7,26 1.447,1 1.447,75 1.386,4 684,00 634,80 1.870,00 17,11 3.623,0 1.210,00 1.013,43 2.503,0 1.573,50 1.632,50 11.984,6 1.495,50 1.392,00 520,20 282,20 182,05 228,80 454,60 4.261,3 990,00 142,50 3.308,0 992,00

252,10 3.263,0 741,60 285,85 46,79 7.074,0 477,80 166,75 1.949,50 925,30 200,60 8.254,0 36,50 1.950,50 3.194,0 736,00 1.583,50 6.333,0 1.887,50 483,90 594,40 6.694,0 105,19 7,19 1.431,2 1.430,50 1.371,5 683,60 630,40 1.860,50 17,07 3.590,0 1.191,50 1.008,75 2.487,0 1.561,81 1.597,00 11.951,8 1.484,59 1.379,50 516,20 279,00 179,10 226,00 441,22 4.232,1 982,40 141,84 3.241,0 986,80

167,84K 14,70K 60,65K 455,23K 14,02M 30,43K 24,73K 369,04K 39,94K 380,84K 2,07M 1,40K 42,47K 24,51K 98,31K 172,77K 176,20K 44,87K 254,91K 230,44K 113,70K 72,82K 2,38M 40,93K 44,64K 22,53K 103,02K 514,85K 120,50K 1,37K 8,68K 11,25K 471,27K 5,32K 19,35K 11,31K 46,71K 0,42K 120,79K 19,40K 222,07K 218,48K 800,22K 1,17M 422,28K 26,07K 51,75K 3,77M 9,36K 149,72K

1.15682

0.86302

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.2145 Japan yen (JPY)......................................132.335 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0946 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4362 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................9.9631

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 10

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 203,07 2.398,69 3.291,61 254,21 130,21 235,47 240,99 110,02 53,43 54,51 319,08 370,89 339,25 228,79 145,46 57,67 168,50 161,24 234,84 78,41 252,46 137,81 135,15 216,50 672,37 417,65 58,72 232,12 140,20 184,84

CHANGE 203,87 2.416,41 3.330,89 255,73 131,26 235,91 241,89 110,67 53,68 54,77 322,94 371,65 339,81 229,70 146,14 58,01 169,18 161,50 235,72 78,66 254,30 139,36 136,03 221,25 690,00 419,02 59,07 233,22 141,72 185,12

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 201,24 1,84M 2.390,00 1,16M 3.289,07 4,71M 251,78 2,51M 129,48 78,97M 227,99 12,82M 233,16 3,33M 107,70 10,27M 52,22 24,15M 54,16 10,64M 318,75 15,92M 360,93 3,38M 335,53 3,00M 226,37 1,96M 144,57 7,00M 57,24 19,96M 167,83 5,32M 157,02 14,26M 233,99 1,41M 77,89 11,68M 251,17 27,03M 134,72 10,57M 134,77 6,30M 215,09 5,77M 660,22 23,47M 414,07 1,85M 58,60 15,68M 230,71 4,53M 139,32 7,80M 181,51 6,89M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 10

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+8.02% +2.09% +2.41% +11.55% +3.66% +7.10% +2.61% +0.73% +3.64% +9.35% +1.04%

1.13M 381,586 642,304 16.76M 250,288 2,625 718,916 1.16M 330,664 4.46M 1,860

-7.49% -61.95% -0.45% -5.25% -10.78% -6.99% -8.81% -13.64% -4.49% -3.51% -38.63%

2.93M 41.43M 4.71M 273,960 2.97M 9.34M 687,275 210,165 2.04M 546,828 25,398

Most Advanced Trade Desk Inc. Cl A Booking Holdings Inc. MercadoLibre Inc. Roku Inc. Cl A CoStar Group Inc. II-VI Inc. 6% Pfd. Charter Communications Inc. Cl A Alphabet Inc. Cl C Zebra Technologies Corp. Cl A BioNTech SE ADR Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A

Most Declined Insulet Corp.

ChemoCentryx Inc. Amazon.com Inc. ICU Medical Inc. Appian Corp. Cl A Beyond Meat Inc. Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc. Cl A Universal Electronics Inc. Mirati Therapeutics Inc. Stamps.com Inc. Golden Arrow Merger Corp. Cl A

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

World Cheese Awards

FOUR-DAY FESTIVAL: Cheese is an important export product for Spain.

THE Guild of Fine Food has an‐ nounced that the World Cheese Awards will be held in the Spanish Principality of As‐ turias this year, taking place in Oviedo on Wednesday November 3.

Having extended Oviedo’s tenure as World Cheese Capi‐ tal following the event’s post‐ ponement as a result of the Covid‐19 crisis, the 33rd edi‐ tion of the competition will now form part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021, run by the Instituto del Queso, in partnership with the Principali‐ ty of Asturias and the City Council of Oviedo.

This will be an opportunity for the global cheese commu‐ nity to come together after a year of unprecedented chal‐ lenges for cheesemakers and the industry as a whole as the World Cheese Awards will be

at the heart of a four‐day festi‐ val dedicated only to cheese.

The competition is set to be bigger and more international than ever before, following the record‐breaking 3,804 entries from 42 different countries judged in Bergamo, Italy in 2019.

According to a US Depart‐ ment of Agriculture report, Spain exported $593 million (€492.5 million) in 2020, main‐ ly to Europe but around 20 per cent went to other countries and with some 100 different types of cheese produced in the country the industry uses up around 28 per cent of Spain’s milk production.

John Farrand, managing di‐ rector of the Guild of Fine Food, commented: “Following the trials and tribulations of the past 12 months, we’re de‐ lighted to be making plans for the World Cheese Awards’ re‐

Second-hand clothes CONTINUING its commitment to sustainable fashion, George at Asda in the UK has announced it will be launching a new second-hand vintage fashion range in its stores, giving a new lease of life to pre-worn garments.

In partnership with vintage fashion wholesaler ‘Preloved Vintage Wholesale,’ the new concept will be rolled out across the UK, with customers able to buy vintage, retro and second-hand branded pieces, preventing thousands of tonnes of garments going to landfill each year.

Following a successful trial in Asda’s sustainability store in Leeds, George is now launching the sustainable fashion partnership in a further 50 of its stores.

turn to Spain. The cheese world has felt the economic impact of Covid‐19 in a big way, so this year’s competition holds greater significance than ever before.”

BUSINESS EXTRA Boohoo closures AFTER more than 200 years of trading, the last of the 101 Debenham stores on British high streets and shopping centres will close its doors as the brand, which was purchased

by Boohoo in January for £55 million (€60.5 million) goes online only.

Profit boom VALENCIAN based technology multinational Power Electronics which has a very strong presence in the USA has reported sales for 2020 at €490.7 million which is an increase of some 42 per cent over 2019 results. It sees long term growth in the field of battery production.

Buy back THE Frasers Group which is controlled by Newcastle United Football Club owner Mike Ashley and trades under such brand names as Sports Direct and House of Fraser has announced that it is prepared to spend up to £60 million (€66 million) to buy back its own shares.

13 - 19 May 2021

EWN 27

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

13 - 19 May 2021

FEATURE

Conspiracy theorists abound

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT CONSPIRACY theorists are everywhere.

Wearing my columnist hat, I have over the years, researched and investigated large numbers of these theories; from Queen Elizabeth 1 being a man, to Area 51, the assassination of Kennedy, the death of Princess Diana and the Twin Towers attack etc.

One thing I endeavoured to do is to always retain an open mind. This can give you a clear advantage over these theorists ‐ it is the one asset they most definitely do not possess! Once a CT has its teeth into something, irrespective of any proof to the contrary, they are virtually impossible to shake off.

With this in mind I thought I would delve a little further into the psyche of the compulsive theorists and what makes them actually tick. According to one school of psychiatry the paranoia that drives individuals to constantly scan the world for dangers and imagines the worst from others, is a throwback to Neanderthal times.

To mitigate threats from other tribes, these ancient humans needed to be suspicious of everything and everyone,

ONE THEORY: That the earth is flat. merely to survive. The doctors also reached the conclusion that many theorists were people who retained manipulative unusual patterns of thought, practised Machiavellianism, were insecure, lonely or stressed, which made them more inclined to believe in conspiracies and the supernatural.

These suspicious people are of course not always in the wrong. Although some of

their theories, ie that the earth is flat or the moon landing didn’t take place ‐ are laughable; there have been a number of instances where they were proven to be correct.

That the FBI was spying on John Lennon (True). Project Sunshine, where the US government was accused of stealing dead bodies to test for radiation after a nuclear explosion. (True). That as far back as 1950

tobacco companies were fully aware smoking was lethal and could cause cancer. (True) That you can be spied on through your laptop camera. (True ‐ and worrying!)

On the other hand some of their theories can be highly dangerous. Those who believe the Covid pandemic doesn’t exist could, if they were in charge, be responsible for the deaths of millions.

In 2016 the personal mail of John, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager was hacked.

He was found to have ordered large numbers of pizzas. The conspiracy theorists decided that these orders were a code for a child sex ring run by the members of the diplomatic party. The shop who supplied the pizzas was subsequently attacked by a man with a semi‐automatic rifle! It was a miracle no one was killed. It ultimately transpired that Podesta really liked pizzas!

All I can say to the conspiracy theorists is keep believing what your heart and mind tells you. But please don’t patronise and pour scorn on others who hold a different point of view. What about turning your efforts to the biggest conspiracy theory of all; that we are merely figments of our own imagination? Now that is one I would truly like your views on. Good hunting!

Keep the Faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland.

To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

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

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THURSDAY 13/05 FRIDAY 14/05

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Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Dragons' Den Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

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

Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show A Question of Sport Enders Would I Lie to You? Have I Got News for You This Time with Alan Partridge BBC News at Ten

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A Cup: The Road to Wembley BBC News BBC London News Weather MOTD Live: FA Cup Final I Can See Your Voice Pointless Celebrities Casualty BBC News Match of the Day

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FilmCars 3 Dynasties BBC News BBC London News Weather Countryfile Antiques Roadshow Call the Midwife The Pursuit of Love BBC News BBC London News Weather

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Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City For Love or Money The Pact BBC News at Ten Regional News Weather Match of the Day

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Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Panorama The Repair Shop The Great British Sewing Bee BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

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WEDNESDAY19/05

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The Best Dishes Ever Eggheads Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great British Railway Journeys Rick Stein's Long Weekends Great British Menu Saved by a Stranger Mock the Week Mandy

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great British Railway Journeys MOTDx Inside Culture with Mary Beard Saving Lives at Sea Great British Menu Gardeners' World Later - with Jools Holland

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All That Glitters: Britain's Next Jewellery Star Emin/Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed Highland Road Rescue Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs Dad's Army TOTP2: John Lennon Special John Lennon: A Life in Ten Pictures Lennon: The New York Years

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Diving: European Aquatics Championships Dames: Talking Pictures Tea with Mussolini Rick Stein's Taste of Shanghai This Farming Life Journeys into the Wild Gods of Snooker Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final Snowfall

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Eggheads Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great British Railway Journeys Nigellissima Between the Covers Great British Menu: The Finals Motherland Inside No 9

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great British Railway Journeys The Best of RHS Chelsea Flower Show Great British Menu: The Finals The Psychedelic Drug Trial Live at the Apollo Newsnight

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ITV Evening News Emmerdale Britain's Filthy Streets Tonight Emmerdale Britain's Brightest Celebrity Family?

Britain's Biggest Families: 31 Kids and Counting the Pennies TV News at Ten and Weather

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Countdown The Answer Trap A Place in the Sun Four in a Bed Beat the Chef The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Dog House NewTaskmaster Frank of Ireland Frank of Ireland

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How Do Pop Songs Work?

Ultimate Cover Versions at the BBC Top of the Pops: 1990 The Old Grey Whistle Test Story Old Grey Whistle Test: '70s Gold How Do Pop Songs Work?

Ultimate Cover Versions at the BBC Top of the Pops: 1990

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FEATURE

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13 - 19 May 2021

EWN 33

EMBARRASSING EMAIL GAFFES sign from a recruitment firm after he replied to an employment inquiry that had also been sent to 4,000 other people, copy‐ ing them all in. He told the individual: ‘You are too stupid to get a job, even in bank‐ ing.’ Oops, again!

But the original viral email blunder dates from 2000 when City lawyer Bradley Chait forwarded an explicit email from a Claire Swire to his colleagues. It spread across the country and then globally. Mr Chait later said it was a hoax by col‐ leagues. Yes, right!

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

EMAILS can be irritating, can’t they? Espe‐ cially the passive‐aggressive ones.

Ones like: ‘Not sure if you saw my last email.’ (Translation: I know you saw my last email, but you still haven’t done whatever was mentioned in it. I’m trying politely to ask you to do it this time.) Or: ‘Any up‐ dates on this?’ (Translation: I don’t really want an update, because I know what the situation is. Nothing has happened. I want you to do what you are supposed to do and then ‘update’ me that you have finally done it.) ‘Please advise.’ (Translation: What the **** is going on?)

‘Passive‐aggressive’ is an interesting con‐ cept, isn’t it? It means a type of behaviour that avoids direct confrontation whilst be‐ ing rude or sabotaging or undermining.

For example: ‘That’s an unusual jumper.

Not many people can get away with that

EMAIL BLUNDERS: Have you ever written one that you regret sending? shade with your skin tone.’ ‘You’ve done very well, given your level of education.’

‘It’s good that you have the time to... (in‐ sert activity here, such as exercise, paint, read...) despite your children/family’ imply‐ ing a neglect of your family whilst having time to indulge your own pleasures. And the classic ‘I’m not angry/upset; I’m just hurt.’

But have you ever written an email you regret sending?

When Radio 5 Live signed Andy Gray and Jonathan Pearce for the 2002 World Cup, the executive editor of BBC sports news emailed a colleague: ‘I think they’re both c***s,’ copying in 50 staff, including Gray and Pearce. Oops!

In 2011 Gary Chaplin was forced to re‐

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, pa‐ perback and audiobook. All profits to Cos‐ ta del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

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

34 EWN

13 - 19 May 2021

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FEATURE

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36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

13 - 19 May 2021

FEATURE

The animal welfare and the Law CONSULAR MATTERS AS Danish consul, practising lawyer and having adopted two rescue dogs, animal welfare is something close to my heart. Andalucia is considering a law to stop animals being abandoned and having to be put down.

There are general laws covering the whole country regulating the animal well‐being including the different as‐ pects such as the welfare of wild, farm, zoo and circus animals. Endangered species have special protection eg, the Lynx.

Now the Regional Government of Andalucia is going to make a step for‐ ward and have said that this wish to promote the protection, well‐being, and responsible ownership of animals is in its territory. The law will regulate movement, access to public spaces and transport and recreation areas. In this sense, it is possible for municipalities that have a beach in their municipal

DOG ADOPTION: I would recommend visiting one of the many shelters available in your area. area to make spaces suitable for dog access, also including access to estab‐ lishments and public transport. For eg, Fuengirola has been declared as a dog friendly municipality.

Also the treatment of pets in situa‐ tions of gender violence and pets of

homeless people, establishing that An‐ dalucian public administrations facili‐ tate those people who enter emergen‐ cy centres, shelters or sheltered flats.

They can do it with their pets, provided they are duly identified and registered in the corresponding registry.

In addition the regime of abandoned and lost animals is regulated, with new features such as the regulation of urban feline colonies, also creating a specific section of feline colonies in the Central Registry of Companion Animals.

Likewise, this draft law proposes

concrete measures that allow progress in reducing cases of abuse and neglect through education and awareness pro‐ grammes and sterilisation campaigns, while providing a solid and updated sanctioning regime that acts as a deter‐ rent.

The main points are that the animal that is to be adopted must be sterilised before it comes into season for the first time, unless a vet says otherwise. Pri‐ vate breeding or sale is to be made ille‐ gal and animals must be registered be‐ fore they can be rehomed.

If you are considering getting a dog here in Andalucia, I would recommend visiting one of the many shelters. In or‐ der to adopt my podenco and galgo, I had to enter into a contract to have them sterilised. As I said this this is just a proposal and if this does become law, I will let you know.

To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

Marisa Moreno Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors and Consul for Denmark. Est. 1992 www.justlawsolicitors.com contact@justlawsolicitors.com

What is holding you back?

ROBERT SHALLIS HAVE you ever had a wonderful idea or had a compulsion to achieve something amazing? Some‐ thing you think about day and night, and become excited to the point where you cannot sleep by imagining the outcome you desire?

You find it consuming your thoughts in a positive and fun way giving you renewed enthusiasm and a new sense of hope for the future.

You invest hours, weeks, months, sometimes even years of your time and energy only to find that the dream starts to fade away, your en‐ thusiasm diminishes and a sense of so‐called reality knocking at your door saying to you ‘what were you thinking? Don’t be so silly, you can’t do that.’

This is all too often the pattern for many of us resulting in that feeling of disappointment in ourselves, re‐ sentment and eventually thoughts of ‘what if, if only.’

So why is it that we spring out of the starting blocks, fired up, full of

NEW IDEAS: Allow things to really start happening for you. energy, excitement and enthusiasm only to fall at the last few hurdles and on many occasions, the first few?

When an idea is new and exciting it gives us Faith and belief making it feel so very real, achievable and

possible, but the problem is, that powerful enemy ‘doubt’ starts to edge its way in, gently reminding us of the potential difficulties that lie ahead in achieving your dream. It builds that invisible wall in front of us stopping us from continuing any

further. Confidence and the assur‐ ance of the dream have all but dis‐ appeared.

So, what is the answer, how do you overcome the things that hold you back, how do you break through that invisible wall and finish the race?

The key is ‘awareness.’ Once you become aware of your thoughts and feelings around certain situations and events, you can then notice and catch yourself and switch back to where you need to be, change track and head back on the right path dis‐ missing the usual obstacles always trying to get in your way which can be anything from a related financial challenge to a jealous or overcau‐ tious friend outlining the many rea‐ sons why you shouldn’t be following your desires.

There will always be reasons to hold you back but the key is to re‐ member that it is only yourself hold‐ ing you back, everything else are just external distractions to help feed your doubts and fears until they prevail over that exciting initial

belief you once had in your dream and yourself.

Change is never easy as we’re not used to it and when the payoff for change feels overwhelming, we then tend to retreat.

The important thing to also re‐ member is that if you do fail at something, it simply means you have not reached the desired out‐ come, you are not a failure, if any‐ thing you are a success for trying as learning from one’s failings is the route to success.

So, notice what’s holding you back and know that you and only you can overcome that battle with‐ in. You can let life live you and let things happen to you or begin to live your life and allow things to re‐ ally start happening for you.

Rob Shallis www.robshallis.com To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

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

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

THIRD WORLD MY wife and I bought a house in Algorfa village for our daughter and her four children in February 2020. The electricity had been cut off but we were assured by the agent and our solicitor that it wouldn’t be a problem to have it reconnected. Almost 18 months later we have no electricity connected. Some work has been carried out due to supply from the neighbours, but they stopped it as it was going on too long. Personally I believe it’s disgraceful that a young family cannot have one of the necessities of life. I never thought that Spain was a third world country, but I’m not convinced.

Thank you Brendan Staunton Costa Blanca

minority of likewise voters would be an understatement. There were more Muslims than any other race/religion. What chance have we got getting our chosen candidate elected? None! In many areas of London the government has allowed the excess immigration of Muslims to take control of our councils. Westminster Council is one of them. Any available flats are disproportionately given to Muslims. Our local primary schools are the same. I am not anti anyone, but I can see what the French generals are worried about.

Keep the faith, Bill

Vaccines

Although born and raised in England, I consider myself as European because it’s a big wide world out there and I’m not what’s come to be known as a ‘Little Englander’.

Sadly this term can be applied to a lot of British pensioners who move to Spain, or any other European country. So many among this generation feel an entitlement to land grab, as if they own the place, and want everything British when living in a European country of their choice. This view has spawned from the days of our Empire when we ruled the waves to quote the saying. This view is ultimately childish, arrogant, and infantile, to say the very least.

But since Brexit things have changed, British immigrant expats are having to leave Spain for example, to avoid illegal immigrant status after Brexit. British pensioners now can only stay without a permit in most EU countries for 90 days out of every 180 days. In short since Freedom of Movement has been abolished by Brexit, Brits living in other EU countries are now regarded as illegal immigrants if they don’t go through the correct process to become a legal citizen of the EU country they have set up home in.

Euro Weekly News, I read your article ‘Easier Appointments’ today with much frustration.

I am a resident of Mallorca, but have private health insurance.

So I am not registered in the Spanish health system.

So when I try to apply to get a vaccine, that’s all I get told: “Sorry , you don’t have a health card, you cannot get vaccinated.”

I feel I am being treated like a second class citizen.

Anthony Lynch Resident of Mallorca for three and a half years.

No chance Hi Leapy, Love your articles in Euro Weekly, always level headed, straight to the point facts that no other journalist has the balls to write. Just voted in the local elections at my polling station in Pimlico, London. I am a white, English hetrosexual man. To say I was in the

Letter to the editor

SOME FREEDOM WITH the removal of the State of Alarm we must all now hope that life will begin to return to some semblance of normality.

In the majority of the Autonomous Regions, curfew has been removed and bars and restaurants are allowed to stay open longer which has to be a major shot in the arm for the hospitality industry.

As more people are allowed to congregate on tables in those same restaurants it rather looks as if there will be an added bonus as communion celebrations which are

CORRECTIONS

I am wondering how many of these immigrant expats actually voted Leave in the EU referendum in 2016? How many of them have shot themselves in the foot? I do not feel sorry for these people, I feel pity for them.

If we Brits have learnt anything from the result of the June 2016 EU referendum vote, it is that referendums should be held ‘only’ when there is clarity about the options on offer.

It has to be remembered that this referendum was initiated because the then British Tory leader David Cameron wanted to appease the European sceptics in his party.

The 2016 referendum vote was not held for the good or benefit of this country.

If a second EU referendum were to be held, it would be vital that the detail of each of the options was made clear to the general public.

In 2016 the options were not made clear. Far from it ! The options by the Leave campaigners were based on lies, misinformation, and deceptions. Those responsible should be in jail.

As we are finding out on virtually a daily basis, not all Leave voters could have known what they were voting for, unless they voted against immigration, then they are getting their wish.

Recent figures show that in the UK, 22,000 EU nationals have left our National Health Service since the EU referendum was held in 2016.

Also responses by 88 NHS hospital trusts to freedom of information enquiries revealed that the 22,600 EU nationals leaving the service over the past three years included 8, 800 nurses and midwives, and Royal College of Nursing figures reveal a shortage of 10,000 doctors. The number of EU nationals quitting the NHS increased to 8,540 the year after the EU referendum in 2017, and that the NHS started fighting this virus with a shortage of 50,000 nur-

OUR VIEW

part of Spain’s culture will also return with much larger numbers of customers.

It has been made clear that the end of the State of Alarm does mean that the crisis of the pandemic is over and we will still have to wear masks for a while and also observe social distancing as much as possible, but it’s great to see we are heading in the right direction.

Next target has to be vaccination and it appears that around five million (just over 10 per cent of Spain’s population) have received at least one injection and it seems that after

a very slow start, the organisation is getting better as is supply of the vaccine around the country.

The main need now is that people do act sensibly and don’t imagine that we are out of the woods, especially looking back to Christmas and the New Year which resulted in a spike in infections.

The important thing is to embrace the lifting of the most irksome restrictions whilst still observing the need to be level-headed and follow sensible precautions in order to protect ourselves and others.

ses.

Now that the full negative consequences of leaving the EU grow more and more stark as the days, weeks and months pass that livelihoods are at stake here, ask the farmers, the fishermen, the hauliers, meat exporters, and small businesses, anybody trying to export to the EU. I believe it is essential that a second EU referendum vote is held so that now people can make an ‘informed’ decision about whether they want to rejoin Europe, or they do not ?

A second referendum is neither anti democratic, nor does it make a mockery of democracy.

On the contrary, another vote by an ‘in-

formed’ British public is the democratic and common sense thing to do.

I have put together a petition on social media care of a site called 38 Degrees, for Parliament to hold a Cross Party Debate and hopefully decree a second European referendum vote.

My petition may not be successful, but I always say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Anybody with access to the internet, and who would like to sign my petition, should email me at the following address: michaelthompson533@btinternet.com and I will forward them the petition link.

Yours sincerely, Michael Thompson

From our Facebook

Isabel Papa Bauset It’s definitely too early. Already there are huge crowds of people and not wearing masks. This is a great shame because this isn’t over yet and before we know it we’ll be locked up again. Please take care.

Norman Shaw Yes far too early, we will pay for it eventually, some villages and towns are still struggling to keep figures below the 500 limit (which during the alarm would have meant boundary closures) but not any more.

Nicki Burgess As long as everybody is sensible should be ok!

Chris McGovern We have to try very hard to get on with our lives otherwise we will end up with most of the small shops and restaurants gone forever, so where will all the unemployment money come from?

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

40 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

13 - 19 May 2021

FEATURE

GO LOCAL

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

During this lockdown, we challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, mar‐ kets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky independent business‐ es in your area.

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

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

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

Many local stores support local charities, support and sponsor local sports teams and in many cases the small independent stores are actu‐ ally much more than just a small high street shop, they’re a family’s legacy, often passed down through numerous gen‐ erations and support not just the current owner but the generation before.

For those stores which are new, that extra couple of eu‐ ros spent there are supporting someone’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‐order your meat from a local butch‐ er and get your spuds from a local greengrocer, let us re‐ vive that community spirit and get to know our neigh‐ bours again.

You could also consider purchasing gift vouchers from

local businesses to help them over the coming weeks, think‐ ing outside the box can often lead to some fantastic ideas.

Why not buy a meal for two, an hour’s tattoo time at a lo‐ cal studio, a hair cut at a local salon or an online study course for someone looking to change their career path.

As people are struggling with finances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift perhaps pre‐

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FEATURE

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

paying a family member’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift.

Helping people alleviate stress and worry , give the gift of peace of mind through these difficult times.

Choosing to spend your money locally will really make a difference in the recovery of the local economy. When we buy local, our money stays lo‐ cal, and it strengthens the lo‐ cal economy in two ways.

First, buying local keeps mon‐ ey circulating within the local economy.

Studies have shown that lo‐ cal businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as

they create locally owned supply chains and invest in their employees.

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

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

First, they sell to a local restaurant, which in turn pre‐ pares the fresh produce and sells it to local customers. The farmer pays its local employ‐

ees and the restaurant uses revenue from sales to buy supplies from a neighbour‐ hood hardware store.

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

Buying local also fuels new employment and job opportu‐ nities for people within our community. Studies show, lo‐ cally owned businesses em‐ ploy more people per unit of sales and retain more employ‐ ees over time.

A fantastic example of how to support your local commu‐

nity is with a Charity Gift certificate, why not donate to your loved one’s favourite cause.

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

EWN 41

42 EWN

13 - 19 May 2021

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

A big welcome to all THE team at The Salon, formerly Wave‐ lengths, in Albox, would like to offer a huge welcome to all our clients, new and existing.

Come and visit our newly refurbished Salon where Stylists Debbie and Patsy, who have a wealth of experience, can care for all your hairdressing needs, from cut‐ ting to perming and all types of colouring.

We also offer several different condition‐ ing treatments.

Whilst Nadia is on hand to take care of a range of beauty services including Mani‐ cures, Pedicures, Waxing, eyebrow shap‐ ing and colouring.

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THE SALON: For a professional service.

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13 - 19 May 2021

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Frictionless What does ‘recovery’ look like? thighs on you MS BIPOLAR

AS things steam up outside, now is the time of year to fold your tights away into the bottom drawer until autumn.

However, with the donning of summer dresses and the baring of legs, the heat of the sun can cause some unwelcome and unpleasant chaffing.

This rubbing of skin-on-skin is often unavoidable as most women’s inner thighs do touch.

However, it can be painful so remedies must be found to alleviate any discomfort. Some swear by Vaseline but a cheap and cheerful solution is to use roll-on deodorant. Yes, the very same one you have at home and use for your underarms.

Of course, the fact that roll-on deodorant will stop you from sweating is no great news. But, this deodorant will also act as a lubricant, and will even continue to work once it’s dry.

Save your tired legs from chaffing, allowing you to enjoy your fashion to the full.

UP AND DOWN WITH BALANCE UNEDITED

NO SWEAT: Use some roll-on deodorant to lubricate your thighs.

I’D like to say I’m in recovery from my bipolar disorder. I’m stable, I have a job, I take care of my family and I’m able to function somewhat successfully in this world, I know this won’t last forever, therefore I am going to hold on to every little bit of happiness and peace I can get.

What does recovery look like? It looks like you or me, to be honest. It looks like an average Joe going to work each day. It looks like your typical mama cooking dinner for her daughter.

It also looks like doctor visits every month and lots of pills. It looks like going out with friends and catching yourself smiling and laughing, and surprising yourself that you are actually enjoying yourself.

It’s making plans and not feeling daunted by them.

In the midst of this recovery, I’ve been writing this column over the last

18 months, and have blogged my journey to where I am now. I believe in being authentic and real, and telling the real story, no matter how ugly I think it is.

I’ve been on this journey for 10 years now and I know people look up to me for how much I’ve overcome. People need to see the highs of mental ill-

ness just as much as they need to know and understand the dips.

I feel I can give hope to others, I am living proof that it is possible to find some happiness, a breathing space to enjoy the little things in life.

I may fall again, but I know I can rise as I regain control of my internal demons, and take control once again.

But for now, I am just going to enjoy being me, with this I’d like to say I’m having a break from being Ms Bipolar, this isn’t forever, but for NOW! I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to read my columns, to write your lovely letters of encouragement and for sharing your stories with me. Please know that you can still write to me on Facebook on @ Mswillowbipolar should you feel like you need any guidance.

Thank you to the EWN team for giving me the opportunity to tell my story and being so supportive on my journey!

You will see me again!

Love always, Ms Bipolar x

msbipolar@euroweeklynews.com

50 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

13 - 19 May 2021

DAVID WORBOYS YOU can see her in one of the most famous and successful movies in his‐ tory but not as the leading lady. The leading man and woman in this film are highly respected stars but not among the all‐time Hollywood greats. In this movie our actress plays a relatively minor role and she is not a household name.

She did, however, have a remark‐ able career in cinema dating from 1942 (aged 20) to 1991 (aged 69).

She took top billing over Charlton He‐ ston in a 1954 film and Robert Cum‐ mings in 1973. During the course of her career, she has shared top billing with the following leading men. Erroll Flynn and Robert Taylor (both three times), William Holden, Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, Stew‐ art Granger, Humphrey Bogart, Glenn Ford, Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Jeff Chandler and Maurice Chevalier. She died in 2013 at the age of 91.

She was considered one of the top beauties of Hollywood’s golden age.

After the release of ‘The Naked Jun‐ gle’ with Charlton Heston in 1954,

LEADING LADY

HOLLYWOOD HISTORY: Eleanor Parker symbolises a lost golden age. she was described as ‘La caballera mas sensual de la historia del cine.’

She is best known for her role, at the age of 46, as Elsa Elberfeld, the woman who threatened to break up a potential romance that most cin‐

emagoers wanted to succeed. Elsa is better known as Baroness von Schraeder in ‘The Sound of Music.’

The actress is, of course, Eleanor Parker.

The Rogers and Hammerstein clas‐

sic was made in 1968 and almost ev‐ erybody I know has seen it at least three times. Its appeal lies partly in its setting, both time and place, and partly in the fresh innocence of its plot.

FEATURE

The opening scene, shot from the air, zooms in on some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth. The film deals with the soul‐searching dilem‐ ma of love versus spiritual calling.

There are enduring family problems and a determination to resolve them in the face of hostility. We have com‐ edy, suspense and some wonderful songs. And all this against the back‐ ground of the Anschluss in 1938. It is also based on characters who exist‐ ed.

Despite a celebrated Hollywood history, Eleanor Parker is mostly re‐ membered today for a relatively short appearance in the shadow of Julie Andrews. But the role of the Baroness is beautifully played with restrained emotion and elegant dig‐ nity. She is essential to the develop‐ ment of the unlikely love that tri‐ umphs for the main characters.

By the time the Golden age of Hol‐ lywood succumbed to television, Eleanor Parker had been an integral part of its legacy. She symbolises a lost golden age.

To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

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

PETS

52

www.euroweeklynews.com • 13 - 19 May 2021

SPONSORED BY

Caring for your Covid Puppy DID you buy or rescue a puppy during the Covid lockdown? Many pet lovers did. So now you need to find sitters to care for your pup while you are away this holiday.

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 plan‐ ning just a short trip you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Ma‐ ture pets may benefit from staying be‐ hind so they can follow their routines 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 philosophy 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

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Reptiles for beginners REPTILES can make excellent pets but can be expensive and difficult to care for.

Some reptiles can be unsuit‐ able for novices as they have very specific dietary and environmental needs, not to mention some can grow to an unmanageable size.

There are however, some rep‐ tiles that are suitable for begin‐ ners, but they still require a signifi‐ cant investment in equipment.

Thorough research before de‐ ciding on one of these pets and getting your enclosure set up be‐ forehand is essential.

The Iguana is not a great choice due to their size, tendency to be‐ come aggressive at maturity and their specific dietary and environ‐ mental needs. However, Leopard

Geckos are considered to be ideal for the novice as they are relative‐ ly small and easy to care for.

With snakes, the biggest obsta‐ cle for many owners is their di‐ etary needs. Owners must be will‐ ing to feed whole prey such as mice or rats. They do have the ad‐ vantage of only needing to be fed once a week or less so they can be left on their own for a few days.

Corn snakes and Ball pythons are usually easy to care for and docile so make an ideal choice.

However, Ball pythons have a rep‐ utation for refusing to eat so a feeding demon may be required.

Turtles are another option but it can be challenging to meet the housing and environmental needs of most turtles.

Urinary problems in dogs and cats HERE are some signs that may lead you to think that your dog or cat has a urinary tract problem: Change in urine colour and increased turbidity Presence of blood in urine Strong smell of urine Straining or pain when urinating He urinates at home or in the case of the cat outside the litter box Needs to be let out more often (Increased amount or frequency of urination) Licking the vulva or penis Fever Lethargy Higher water consumption.

Vomiting Changes in appetite Weight loss What Causes Urinary Tract Problems in Dogs?

There are many causes of lower urinary tract problems, such as: Inflammation or infection of the bladder or kidneys Presence of stones, crystals, or cellular debris in the bladder or ure‐ thra Trauma, congenital anomalies or cancer in the kidneys, ureter, blad‐ der or urethra.

Prostate disease Spinal cord abnormalities Diagnosing urinary tract problems requires your veterinarian to do a physical exam that includes checking the kidneys and bladder. They will also likely perform a urinalysis. A urine culture, blood tests, ultra‐ sound, or X‐rays may also be necessary, depending on findings. Some‐ times it is even necessary to perform a CT scan for more complex pathologies.

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BUILDERS

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MG3 - a budget car that’s fun!

MG was an iconic British car, but in terms of new models is now an iconic British badge. Taken from the ashes of the Rover Group the Chinese car maker SAIC owns MG and produces a small range of cars and SUVs in petrol, hybrid and all‐electric.

The main models are SUVs, understandable given their popu‐ larity, and just two cars, one of which is the MG3 supermini.

This five‐door hatchback is a smart and equipment laden model at, by today’s standards, a bargain price. The two models start from €14,166 (£12,300) with standard equipment includ‐ ing air conditioning, power win‐ dows, DAB sound system with Apple Car Play, Bluetooth, re‐ mote steering wheel controls, eight‐inch colour touchscreen, hill hold and auto door locking.

The higher trim version at €15,663 (£13,600) adds naviga‐ tion, cruise control, parking sen‐ sors and sports seats.

The Achilles heel of the MG3 is its engine, a four‐cylinder, 1.5‐ litre petrol unit that is best de‐ scribed as old school technology.

Mated to a manual five‐speed gearbox the combination is ade‐

quate, but lacks sufficient power and at cruising speed you always find yourself going for a sixth gear that isn’t there.

At 70mph the MG sits at around 3,200 rpm, which makes things a tad busy where a more relaxed gearing pattern would help. The need to work the en‐ gine also doesn’t help the econo‐ my, my mainly local driving week saw a 7.2 l/100km (39mpg) aver‐ age.

On cross country roads the MG comes alive with decent steering and a slightly firm sus‐ pension set‐up that keeps the car sitting quite flat through energet‐ ic cornering. The power is at the higher end of the engine’s rev range and with a nice gear change makes it a fun drive.

The nearest equivalent Ford Fi‐ esta will set you back an addition‐ al €5,407 (£4,695), that’s a sub‐ stantial difference. Of course, the Fiesta will depreciate less, most likely prove more durable on the quality front and drive better.

Keep the MG for a longer time though and allied to that cheaper price tag it makes for an appeal‐ ing proposition.

Despite some misgivings the

MG is an endearing car, it han‐ dles well, is good fun and very well priced. It’s comfortable with a good driving position and for those on a budget the cheapest way to get a new car that is a bit different, to the normal mass of budget cars, and actually doesn’t look like a budget model.

13 - 19 May 2021

EWN 55

SPORT

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13 - 19 May 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

Lewis Hamilton Wins LEWIS HAMILTON won the Spanish Grand Prix on Sun‐ day May 9, at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, for the seven‐time champion to claim a record‐equalling fifth win in a row, extending his lead over Max Verstappen to 14 points, after an almighty battle with the Dutchman, who had to be content with second place in the end.

Hamilton had started the race on pole, alongside the Dutchman, but as the light turned green, it was Ver‐ stappen who got the drop on the Brit, firing his Red Bull down the inside of Hamilton’s Mercedes, forc‐ ing him to go wide, and roar‐ ing off in the lead on Turn One, and by the end of the first lap he was al‐

ready 1.7 seconds ahead.

Fortune favoured Hamil‐ ton when Yuki Tsunoda’s Al‐ phaTauri seemed to simply stop at Turn 10 for no rea‐ son, and the safety car came out until the race got going again on Lap 9, where Ver‐ stappen

again left the rest of the field standing as he took off, as reported by skysports.com.

Pit stops played a big part in the race, and with a set of fresh tyres, the Brit closed Verstappen down until he pounced on Lap 60, charging up to the Red Bull with DRS and braking late into Turn One to regain the lead, tak‐ ing the chequered flag al‐ most 16 seconds clear of the young Dutchman, with Valt‐ teri Bottas of Finland in third, and France’s Charles LeClerc in fourth.

The seven-time champion.

UEFA Europa League 2021 Final

Final to be held on May 26.

VILLARREAL, the ‘unfancied’ team from Spain’s La Liga have realised their European dream and reached the final of the 2021 UEFA Europa League, playing out a 0‐0 draw against Arsenal, at the Emi‐ rates stadium in London, on Thursday May 6, to win 2‐1 on aggregate.

Arsenal’s worst‐case scenario was that they need‐ ed one goal to draw level on aggregate and take the match to extra time, but it was never going to be, as the line of yellow shirts held solid at the back for the Spaniards, and it looked unlikely that the Gunners could hit the net anyway, the closest coming from a shot that hit the post from Pierre‐Emerick Aubameyang. Even with the game running away from

them, Mikel Arteta’s men simply didn’t look up for the fight, apart from Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe firing efforts wide early in the second half, and an Aubameyang header that hit the post again towards the end. This result looks like ending Arsenal’s unbro‐ ken run of 25 seasons in European football, and com‐ ing at the hands of Unai Emery, the manager who they sacked in 2019, it must feel terrible for those in the halls of power at the Emirates.

With the other semi‐final ending in an 8‐5 aggre‐ gate win for Manchester United over Serie A club Ro‐ ma, Villarreal can look forward to one last European exploit in the final in the fabulous Stadion Miejski in Gdańsk, Poland, on Wednesday, May 26.