Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 20 - 26 May 2021 Issue 1872

News

The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1872

20 - 26 May 2021

All-out war A FUMIGATION team equipped with a long-range nebuliser cannon, three spray guns, a zodiac dinghy, motorcycle, a quad bike and a drone will scour Elche to eliminate plagues of mosquitoes from hard-to-access zones.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

HANDS OFF

Cheap choice SOLAR energy companies are going inland to the Medio and Alto Vinalopo in search of dry, sunny, flat and cheap land near to power stations to keep construction costs as low as possible.

Open days ROJALES Town Hall is organising open days until May 22 so that the public can visit the 18th century windmill, which cost €39,000 to restore, as well as other museums inside the municipality.

PROVINCE-WIDE PROTESTS: Pilar de la Horadada defends Tajo-Segura water.

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FREE • GRATIS

An additional Blue Flag

WITH 153 Blue Flags awarded for its beaches and ports, the Valencian Community has more than any other Spanish region.

Seventy‐four ‐ one more than last year ‐ are located in Alicante Province and it has received that extra flag thanks to Santa Pola’s Playa de la Ermita, in front of the Virgen del Rosario chapel.

The beach, which is 279 metres long and 26 metres wide meets each of the stringent standards required by the European Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) that each year awards the coveted Blue Flags.

Nor is Playa de la Ermita the only Santa Pola beach en‐ titled to a Blue Flag as these also fly at the Cala del Este, Santiago Bernabeu, Llevant, Tamarit and Varador beach‐ es.

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Good news for Torrevieja U3A TORREVIEJA’S branch of the U3A advised members that inperson monthly meetings are due to recommence on Friday May 28.

This first meeting will provide members with up-to-date information, as well as music from an entertainer. Drinks and food will be available from the bar areas.

The jam and book stalls should

also be available, and members will be able to make bookings for forthcoming events.

It will be a good chance to catch up once again with old friends in a face-to-face environment as members look forward to getting back to some semblance of normality.

The meeting will be held at the Los Angeles Bar in Torrevieja and

all existing Covid rules regarding meetings will be adhered to.

Full details of the meeting will be provided in the Torrevieja U3A’s monthly newsletter and can also be found on their Facebook page and the www.torre viejau3a.org website.

Several activities that have been on hold are now restarting with details on their media sites.

Pregnant Women & Vulnerable Adults PREGNANT women and vulnerable adolescents aged between 12 years old and 15 years can now be vaccinated in Spain according to a report published by the Min-

istry of Health.

The decision was approved last Tuesday as the seventh vaccine strategy update was approved by the Public Health Commission.

Free to roam around WITH the State of Alarm restrictions lifted, the GER firefight‐ ers’ rescue unit is already being called out more often.

Alicante Province’s Fire Brigades Consortium revealed that between April 6 and May 14 they were called out on 11 occa‐ sions, although more than half of the callouts took place be‐ tween May 9 and 14 once regional perimeters reopened and larger groups were allowed on excursions.

The report includes pregnant women and states that, “In general, no increased risk of severe Covid has been detected as a result of being pregnant, beyond the risk conditions that the woman presents.” The report proposes that for pregnant and breastfeeding women, the messenger RNA technology vaccines should be used. This means the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and it suggests that pregnant women should be vaccinated as appropriate “according to the prioritisation group.”

NEWS

A prickly problem ORIHUELA’S Environment council‐ lor Damaso Aparicio visited Valen‐ cia City, looking for a solution to the Arizona cactus colonising the Sierra.

With the invasive, non‐native cactus extending to Monte San Miguel and the city centre, Apari‐ cio, accompanied by regional MP Elisa Diaz, formally registered a pro‐ posal requesting action on the part of the Generalitat’s Agriculture de‐ partment.

Aparicio also revealed that Ori‐ huela has complained to the re‐

REQUESTING ACTION: Protected natural areas have been neglected.

gional Ombudsman and the Min‐ istry of the Environment.

“Should the regional govern‐ ment fail to respond and ignores Orihuela’s request we shall file a complaint with the European

Debt mounts up A LOCAL property owner applied to the courts to freeze Torrevie‐ ja Town Hall’s bank accounts.

According to reports in the Spanish media he decided to start proceedings after the town hall failed to pay the rent on two of his properties used as council offices and he was owed €83,000 plus €20,000 in interest.

The problem goes back some years to the time of the present local government’s predecessors when the courts found in favour of the proprietor after he increased the rents.

The court order was based on failure to act owing to lack of hu‐ man resources and communication between departments at the town hall, but not liquidity, municipal sources have explained.

Union that could result in a fine for the Spanish government,” Diaz warned.

“These protected natural areas have been neglected and are an example of the way the regional government spends nothing on their upkeep but prefers to prohib‐ it,” the MP added.

The Sierra de Orihuela was colonised 40 years ago by this ag‐ gressive and invasive species of cac‐ tus which has done significant damage since then, Diaz said.

“Between 2010 and 2013 im‐ portant work was carried out on eradicating 99 per cent of the cac‐ tus with European funds,” she said.

“Now, owing to the regional ad‐ ministration’s negligence and a to‐ tal absence of maintenance, it is still present in the Sierra, moving pro‐ gressively into other areas.”

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NIBS EXTRA No permit ELCHE City Hall ordered the closure of a bar terrace in Altabix following a complaint from a neighbour who maintained that it lacked a licence.

Her suspicions were later confirmed by the Local Police who found that the owner did not have a permit for outside activity.

Tourist influx FOUR THOUSAND police officers were deployed along the Costa Blanca over the first weekend of full mobility between regions. By Friday evening traffic leaving Madrid had increased by 42 per cent as Alicante Province’s National Police, Guardia Civil and Local Police forces prepared for 200,000 short-stay tourists.

Pedal away ORIHUELA will have a network of bicycle lanes connecting outlying districts with the centre. Although it will be financed by the Diputacion provincial council, city hall has already awarded the contract for a 3.5-kilometre lane linking Orihuela and Montepinar as far as the roundabout on the old CV-870.

New offices TORREVIEJA Town Hall is providing the Agamed water company with municipal land to build new offices, according to Spanish media reports. Until now Agamed, in which the town hall has a 24 per cent holding, has paid an annual rent of €100,000 for its Caballero de Rodas offices.

Port centre ALICANTE port will have a €200,000 reception centre run by the Red Cross for irregular immigrants arriving by boat from North Africa. Although discussed in the past, the Covid pandemic and the need to carry out immediate PCR tests brought the initiative forward, the central government’s subdelegate explained.

Hot stuff LAST Sunday, May 16, the temperature rose to 37.8 degrees in Elche, which made it the city’s second-hottest day in the month of May for the last 120 years, Spain’s Met office Aemet confirmed. It was also the highest temperature registered anywhere in Spain so far this year.

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Donkey needed help THE Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre in Rojales has seen more than enough cases of neglect and abuse over the years.

But as new cases come in, they still shock co-founders Sue and Rod Weeding and pull at their heart strings.

Despite being so strapped for cash in the current climate and with their charity shops struggling to bring in money for the rescue centre, the couple could not say no when they had yet another call from the police.

They had found a donkey in a skeletal condition, covered in sores and tied up with heavy

RESCUED: Shackled donkey saved from certain death. metal chains by the river in Algorfa.

“We have 122 animals to care

for and feed,” Sue said. “But if we had said no, this poor creature would still be tied to a palm

tree with no food or water.”

The Rescue Centre are the first point of contact for the authorities when dealing with cases of animal abuse and neglect.

Despite close ties with the police and town halls, they still receive no funding or financial support.

Everything comes from Rod and Sue’s own pockets or through public donations, but with more mouths to feed they need help more than ever.

For more information on the Rescue Centre’s work, volunteering or to make a donation, visit www.easyhorsecare.net website.

The Celts’ President’s Prize 2020 THE Celts Club de Golf had a fabulous day for their much‐delayed President’s Prize 2020.

This was played on their home course, La Serena Golf in Los Alcazares, and was won by Ritchie Heaton.

The sun beamed down with a sweltering 37 degrees and, unusually, little or no wind.

The new greens are progressing nicely and much credit must go to the reduced hard‐

Problem-free weekend THE regional government emphasised “absolute normality” throughout the Valencian Community now that the State of Alarm has ended.

Tourist areas on the coast as well as inland were soon crowded, not on‐ ly because of the absence of restric‐ tions on mobility between regions, but also due to high temperatures more usual in August than May. Gabriela Bravo, who heads the Generalitat’s Justice, Interior and Public Administration department, expressed her satisfaction that de‐ spite the presence of far more people in the region, there had been no seri‐ ous incidents.

“People who travelled to the coast observed all Valencian Community regulations,” pointed out Bravo, who congratulated the security forces for their “magnificent work.”

Despite the absence of serious inci‐ dents, police wrote out 1,597 fines on the nights of Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15, of which 735 corre‐ sponded to Alicante Province, 773 to Valencia and 89 to Castellon.

Taking into account the number of visiting tourists and the owners of second residences from all over Spain, this was relatively low, Gener‐ alitat sources maintained.

working staff as these are less than nine months old.

Celts Golf members felt they were really lucky to have such a fine facility while the Jun‐ ta heartily thanked all those who supported the tournament and attended the meal after‐ wards.

Camillus and his team of Philip, Alan and Terry merited a special thank you and con‐

gratulations for their sterling work. Thanks al‐ so to the treasurer Denis and secretary Susy.

There is a waiting list at the moment for membership at La Serena, however member‐ ship of The Celts is always available. For more information about the club or entering a team in any of the federation events, send an e‐mail to johnobrienalicante@gmail.com or call 615 466 398.

On the road to ruin

SANTA POLA’S fishing community re‐ cently staged a demonstration in protest at EU directives that will restrict trawling in protected areas.

More than 100 fishermen congregat‐ ed at Santa Pola port complaining about the measures that came into force in 2020, handing out hooters to make as much noise as possible.

“We are fishmen, not delinquents,”

they argued, while the president of San‐ ta Pola’s fishing guild called on the gov‐ ernment to reverse the ministerial or‐ der that curtails the bottom trawling which is opposed by conservationists owing to the damage it inflicts on the seabed.

“If this plan goes ahead it will ruin us because we will only be able to fish for six months of the year,” they predicted.

Keeping in touch THANKS to a Caixabank Foundout grant, Pilar de la Horadada Town Hall has acquired 32 tablets for a senior citizens’ project.

Councillor Mari Carmen Gracia explained that despite the difficult times we live in, the Senior Citizens department were able to take part in workshops with daily online sessions.

Pilar’s older residents could see and talk to each other and, for some of them, the tablets were the only way of seeing the faces of their children and grandchildren, Gracia said.

The tablets have a flat‐rate internet connec‐ tion and users can contact family and friends and take part in courses and workshops aimed exclusively at Pilar’s older residents.

A matter of pride ORIHUELA City Hall is appeal‐ ing against a court ruling an‐ nulling its €891,178 beach bars contract.

A company that failed to win the contract questioned city hall’s decision, a com‐ plaint that was upheld by the judge examining the case.

Orihuela’s municipal ex‐ perts who evaluated the bids for the contract had not cor‐ rectly assessed all technical re‐ quirements, he agreed.

City hall was appealing this decision as it wished to de‐ fend its employees’ technical judgement, explained Beaches councillor, Luisa Bone.

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Alicante Speed Cameras A R E C E N T report from Spain’s Direc‐ torate General of Traffic (DGT), has re‐ vealed that their data shows that there are two speed cameras in the province of Ali‐ cante in the Commu‐ nity of Valencia which are among the coun‐ try’s top 50 most pro‐ lific radars when it comes to speeding fines handed out.

They say that the camera located on the N‐332, at Km140, in the municipality of Villajoyosa (La Vila Joiosa) is the one that clocked the most speeding drivers, reg‐ istering 14,581 viola‐ tions in 2020, which works out to around 40 fines per day, and places the camera in 27th position in the list of cameras around the country.

Just behind that one comes the cam‐ era located on the A‐ 70, near the San Juan (Sant Joan) tunnel at Km2, which is in 35th position, having regis‐ tered 13,731 speeding infringements.

In fact, the DGT re‐ veals that seven cam‐ eras in the province of Valencia are among the ones which issued the most fines during 2020, with one cam‐ era located at Km5 on the V‐13 apparently registering more than 130 speeding offences every day in 2020.

This report comes just as new speed reg‐ ulations came into force throughout Spain on urban roads, where one lane of traffic in each direc‐ tion will be limited to 30kph an hour, while those with two or more lanes of traffic in each direction will remain at 50kph.

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Leave our water L A S T Sunday May 16 saw demonstrations throughout southern A licante, opposing proposed cuts in vital water supplies.

Municipalities and public administrations of all political colours are united in condemning the central government’s unilateral decision to reduce the amount of water reaching the area via the Tajo-Segura pipeline.

Regional president Ximo Puig, who belongs to the P S O E party, is pressuring the Ministry of the Environment to rethink plans to increase the Tajo’s ecological flow - required to maintain the river’s ecosystem – while reducing Alicante’s water.

S o, too, is C arlos M azon from the P a r t i d o P o p u l a r p a r t y w h o i s p r e s ident of Alicante’s provincial council,

the Diputacion.

They and mayors throughout southern Alicante are agreed that there should be no reduction in the water that is essential for the crops that make an important contribution to the local and national economy.

O ne of those is M ayor J ose M aria Perez who headed last Sunday’s demonstration in Pilar de la Horadada in his tractor.

“Local agriculture is at stake and without water our area will become the desert of Europe,” Perez predicted.

“Besides, if there were as many water recycling plants in M adrid as there are in Levante, there would be water to spare and no need to increase the ecological flow,” he pointed out.

NEWS

A great afternoon A VE Day celebration on Saturday May 8 at the Maypu Restaurante in Puerto de Mazarrón was a great success. As well as a great afternoon they also raised €269 to help towards Age Concern Funds.

In addition, they were delighted to receive a cheque for the grand sum of €2,000 from the local charity Making a Difference. This is much needed help towards funds during this pandemic. Thank you to Christine Burgess who presented the cheque at the lunch and grateful thanks to all at Making a Difference. Photos can be seen on Facebook.

Although all regular monthly activities at the Drop in Centre have been put on hold, Age Concern are still available for advice and information, shopping and medicine collection, so give them a call if you need help. All phone lines as listed below will

be manned as usual. If you would like an in-person chat with one of the team, please feel free to drop in to the Centre which is open at present every Tuesday between 10am and 1pm. Masks are compulsory.

Age Concern are also looking for volunteers to help either in their office for a couple of mornings a week or to assist with arranging their monthly lunches with the local restaurants or simply to give a helping hand to their clients, perhaps a drive to a hospital appointment or to get their shopping from the local supermarket or pharmacy? If you would like to volunteer for any of the above and meet the friendly team, please give Isabel Stewart a call on 634 344 589 or send an email to ageconcerncosta calida@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you.

Age Concern Drop in Centre, Calle Valencia 12, Camposol A, Mazarrón Enquiries - 634 344 589 - Volunteer Coordinator - 634 312 516 Lifeline Puerto de Mazarron Area - 634 325 408 Equipment Loan - 634 306 927 (Lines Open 10am - 4pm Mon - Fri) email: ageconcerncostacalida@gmail.com Facebook: Age Concern Costa Calida

Sanatorium Untouched

FONTILLES, a small walled town, hidden in the moun‐ tains, in the natural area of the Vall de Laguar, in the province of Alicante, is home to a pri‐ vate foundation that opened in 1909, which in the 1950s was inhabited by 450 leprosy

patients, whereas today, just 12 patients remain there, with the condition eradicated in Spain, only around 10 or 12 new cases are diagnosed each year, and can be cured.

A facility for treating leprosy needed plenty of ventilation,

and a good supply of water, making Fontilles the perfect location, where slowly the small town was transformed into the complex it is today, with pavilions for men and women, rooms for married couples, a Jesuit church, a bar, a farm, plus a theatre.

There is also a nursing home with a rehabilitation hospital for postoperative patients, with chronic or terminal pathologies, and the complex also houses a dozen former leprosy patients, and a labora‐ tory specialising in this bacteri‐ al infection, with the local au‐ thorities arranging placement for the elderly, and risk groups, normally having be‐ tween 110 and 125 residents at any one time.

Since the start of the pan‐ demic, there has not been a single case of coronavirus in any of the residents in the Ali‐ cante sanatorium, and no deaths, with every resident having been vaccinated, and the foundation’s resident pro‐ fessionals are proud of this statistic.

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EU citizens’ border ordeal in UK

EU people have been hand‐ cuffed at British airports, forced to sleep in parked buses, and refused access to medication after being denied entry into the coun‐ try under Brexit law, ac‐ cording to reports.

AS, a 20‐year‐old dual na‐ tional of Italy and Brazil, was denied entry to Luton Airport with her Brazilian husband on May 8. She was handcuffed at the airport and left in a van overnight before being transported to Colnbrook detention cen‐ tre, where she remained for seven days before being de‐ ported to Italy.

Silvestre’s sister, who has lived in Liverpool for two years, said she received “no information whatsoever if they were OK or where they were” after their arrival, until her sister called from a phone given to her at the centre the following morn‐ ing.

Silvestre’s sister alleged that immigration workers at the airport declined to

give her the birth control pills she needed to manage her polycystic ovary syn‐ drome, as well as her hus‐ band’s blood pressure medicine.

Others who have been

turned away in recent months as the govern‐ ment’s ‘hostile climate’ im‐ migration policy has been extended to EU residents, say they have been refused access to medicine.

Refused Covid Jab

ACCORDING to the press it has been reported that local Spanish authorities are turning people away from medical centres because they do not have the valid European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) or private health insurance ‐ despite the Spanish Health Minister repeatedly saying the vaccine is available to anyone living in the country.

The report claims that Spain has gone back on their com‐ mitment ‘due to Brexit’.

A British man living in Spain, John McKenzie, who has a heart condition and diabetes, claimed he was refused registra‐ tion at his local health centre in El Sauzal, Tenerife four times since vaccination rollouts began.

Brits who reside in Spain can access the country’s national health care system if an employer or the individual pays into the public insurance scheme, register an S1 form issued in the UK, or have valid EHIC or GHIC documentation.

Those residing in Spain prior to December 31, when the withdrawal agreement came into force, also have access to the country’s health service. Permanent residents who have resided in Spain for five years or more are already entitled.

New Speed Limit Memes

WITH the new speed limits in urban areas coming into force last week, social networks have been awash with criticising memes.

Photos, videos and Tweets have been filling up newsfeeds on Twitter, making it obvious how the country feels about the new rules, and how creative the Spanish can be!

One humorous Twitter comment read : “I’m going at 30km/h and a lady knocks on my window to tell me that I had forgotten my coat in a bar. Incredible.”

Jokes aside, the new regulations for speed limits aim to reduce accidents on the road. According to a study, the new limits will contribute to 15 to 30 per cent in the reduction of global acci‐ dents, particularly involving vulnerable users including pedestri‐ ans, mobility scooters and bicycles and driving at a slower speed can also reduce the severity of injuries suffered to those in an ac‐ cident With the new speed limits that came into effect on May 11, drivers will now face up to €600 fines for non‐compliance. In the case of less serious violations, the driver will not face points be‐ ing taken off their licence.

Eurovision 2021

THE Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will take place in Rotterdam this year. The Dutch city was due to host the Contest in 2020 before the event was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid‐19 pandemic. The Semi‐Finals took place on Tuesday May 18 and continue tonight, Thursday May 20 with the Grand Final taking place on Saturday May 22.

The venue is Ahoy in Rotterdam, which has hosted several big events, including the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2007.

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Transgender women allowed to play rugby AFTER the French Rugby Federation board unani‐ mously voted to go against World Rugby guidelines, transgender women will be eligible to play rugby in France’s domestic competi‐ tions from next season.

In October, the sport’s global governing body an‐ nounced that it “does not recommend” transgender women play contact rugby.

Any transgender women must be risk‐assessed be‐ fore being allowed to play domestic rugby, according to draft plans released by England’s Rugby Football Union in March.

The French Rugby Feder‐ ation (FFR) stated that transgender women could play if they could prove that they had been on hor‐ mone therapy for at least 12 months and that their testosterone levels were less than five nanomoles per litre.

Run for mental health ON Saturday May 15, UK government staff and fam‐ ily members around the world took part in a unique, 24‐hour global marathon relay to support global and local mental health charities. So far over £15,000 has been raised in support of Mind and more in support of local charities, including here in Spain.

At 08.00 (CET) HMA Hugh Elliott’s wife Toñi picked up the virtual baton from Riyadh and over 30 people from across the Spain Network then joined the run, kicking off their mile at 10‐minute intervals, accom‐ panied by children and assorted animals.

RAISING FUNDS: In support of Mind.

Participants included HMA Hugh Elliott, Consul‐ General Lloyd Milen, as well as staff from the Embassy in Madrid, the Department of Inter‐ SPANISH police said they had to clear more than 9,000 revnational Trade and consulates in ellers from Barcelona’s city centre streets and the nearby Alicante, Barcelona and Palma. beach on Sunday, May 16, so as to prevent dangerous overRunners across the world crowding on the first full weekend after Covid-19 restrictions chose different ‘batons’ depend‐ were lifted. ing on the country with the fan Many in the crowd (mainly youths) had taken part in mass being the baton of choice here in drinking sessions known as ‘botellones’, police said. Culture Spain.

Minister José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, speaking at an event To find more about the work in Madrid, urged young people to continue to follow social of Mind or to make a donation distancing rules. visit: https://www.mind.org.

The Spanish government recently lifted a six-month State uk/. of Alarm on May 9 at midnight (22.00 GMT), so this was the See more of the action at: first chance for revellers to party throughout the weekend. https://www.instagram.com There are still some restrictions in place. In Catalonia whose /p/CO5XBdQj3Ue/ capital is Barcelona, bars and restaurants are open from 7am Further information: Debbi until 11pm and the maximum number of people allowed at Christophers; 673 596 770 tables is four.

Follow us online: www.gov. uk/fcdo

Cleared Over 9,000 Party Revellers

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Is This The End Of Face Masks?

FERNANDO SIMÓN, the director of the Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), on Monday May 17, hinted that the mandatory wearing of masks in outdoor spaces could soon be lifted, saying that it is a decision that could be made in a matter of “not many days.”

Mr Simón indicated, without giving specific dates, that the government and communities, in the next few weeks, will be in a position to review the catalogue of measures that the autonomies can apply, depending on their epidemiological situation, which can include instructions regarding the use of masks, saying, “the evolution of vaccination and the epidemic tells us that it may not take long to make clear proposals to remove the mask in some specific situations.”

The minister pointed out

that this could occur when the AI of the communities falls below 150 cases, and today, the general AI stands at 151 cases per 100,000 inhabitants at 14 days, but there are still eight communities that are above that bar: the Basque Country, Madrid, Navarra, La Rioja, Catalonia, Aragon, Andalucia, and Melilla.

He also hinted that the mask relaxation could occur in spaces where there is already a high vaccination coverage, as with nursing homes, but not in any places frequented by people who have not yet been vaccinated, stressing, “We have to be aware that we are going to be there soon, but we have to go step by step, we can think about taking off the mask outdoors, but not indoors or in highly vaccinated groups but not in all social groups.”

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Detectives find bones Out of stock problem

DETECTIVES searching for a teenage girl feared mur‐ dered by Fred West have found what they believe to be bones.

Using high‐tech equip‐ ment, they also discovered dark blue material matching a coat 15‐year‐old Mary Bastholm was wearing when she vanished 53 years ago.

The major breakthrough

Police search basement.

Cabbie Found Dead

TRAGICALLY a cabbie has been found dead at Heathrow airport as desperate drivers are being forced to live in their taxis in a bid to get fares.

The 56‐year‐old cabbie was discovered dead as he waited at Heathrow airport. Cabbies have been forced to wait extensive pe‐ riods in order to pick up even a single fare each day as the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has severely affected travel.

It is believed that the man, who was discovered in his sleeping bag in the back of his taxi had been dead for a staggering three days before his body was finally discovered. The shocking discov‐ ery was made and both police officers and an ambulance crew at‐ tended the scene. Sadly though he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesperson for Heathrow airport commented on the sad incident and said, “We are aware of and saddened by this inci‐ dent. Our teams are on hand to support with any police en‐ quiries.”

comes days after a 39‐ strong police team led by three archaeologists began excavating the basement of a café in Gloucester, half a mile from the West family home at 25 Cromwell Street.

They are specifically analysing an area to the side of the basement which builder West converted into toilets. The material and suspected bones are trapped under a partition wall.

A source said: “Camera images clearly show materi‐ al which matches the navy blue coat Mary was wearing when she was abducted. In addition, there are images of what look very much like human bones. Great care is being taken to sift through the surface to preserve any potential evidence.”

Fred West was a regular at the café, where Mary worked as a waitress before she went missing in 1968, and he often did building work in the area.

THE UK is said to be running out of building supplies. Will beer be next?

Building firms and DIY enthusiasts across the UK are facing a shortage of supplies that have sent prices sky-rocketing and made delays inevitable. To add insult to injury, British pubs could be on the verge of a beer shortage as demand is expected to exceed supply as lockdown restrictions are eased.

Projects large and small across the UK have been derailed by Covid, Brexit and the Evergreen tanker getting stuck in the Suez Canal in March.

Builders are driving hundreds of miles around the country in an attempt to pick up just a small portion of the stock they need to stay in business or deliver their work on time.

Homeowners are also seeing their budgets go out the window as the cost of timber and steel joists has increased by 80 per cent. Even paint costs a

third more than it did in 2020.

MDF which used to take only one week to arrive after an order was made, now takes six weeks. Roof ties, previously available within the month, now involve a

wait time of six months.

Meanwhile, British pubs were dreading a shortage of beer when indoor drinking returns this week and thousands of revellers return to their locals.

VAT Rate Demos

HUNDREDS of people have joined in protests against the VAT rate for hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons in Andalucia on Monday May 17. Currently the VAT rate is set at 21 per cent but protesters believe that the government should change to a re‐ duced VAT rate of 10 per cent for beauty salons, barbers and hairdressers.

According to the organisers, protests were carried out in many provincial capitals across Andalucia and in Algeciras too. The demonstrations were organised by the ‘Creer en Nosotros’, or Be‐ lieve in Us platform.

The organisation plans to continue fighting until they get the lower VAT rate, but the date of the next demonstration has not been set yet according to Berrios.

The rally took place in various locations in Cordoba and the square which is situated in front of the Granada Town Hall.

The Creer en Nosotros platform believes that “tens of thou‐ sands of hairdressing and beauty salons in the coming months’ could risk closure without VAT reforms going ahead.

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‘Misleading’ Privacy Policies WHATSAPP users will have noticed a recent intensifica‐ tion of pop‐ups in your mo‐ bile, nudging you to agree to the app’s new terms of ser‐ vice, involving the rollout of their new privacy policy that was delayed, and was due to come into play on Saturday May 15.

Critics warn that this will lead to more data sharing with its parent company Facebook, which received a blow on Thursday May 13 after Ger‐ man regulators temporarily banned the update.

Unfortunately for What‐ sApp, they have come up against Johannes Caspar, who is the Hamburg Data Protec‐ tion Commissioner, an expert lawyer in privacy and constitu‐ tional law and considered to be one of the 20 most influen‐ tial men in the European

JOHANNES CASPAR: Claims policies are misleading.

Union.

Germany has prohibited Facebook from processing the data of WhatsApp users, a measure ‘with immediate ef‐ fect’ in the German territory, and it is something that will be raised to the European Da‐ ta Protection Committee, to extend this ban to all of the European Union member states.

Johannes Caspar’s press re‐ lease claims that WhatsApp’s

new privacy policies and con‐ ditions are “misleading and show considerable contradic‐ tions” and he points out that “even after a detailed analysis, it is not clear what the conse‐ quences for users will be,” and that “consent is neither free nor informed,” which basically means that “WhatsApp obliges you to accept the new terms as a condition to contin‐ ue using the functionality of the service.”

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International Space Station Mix Up AN International Space Station astronaut has upset some people in Spain after getting his traditional Spanish dishes mixed up.

The astronaut unfortunately upset many Spaniards after commenting on social media. While carrying out space missions many astronauts on the International Space Station keep their social media followers up to date with stunning images of the Earth.

Shane Kimbrough took to Twitter to share a photo taken from the International Space Station as it flew over the Spanish city of Salamanca.

The NASA commander posted on social media and said “Hello Spain! We flew over Salamanca recently and the Tormes River was in plain sight.

“I wish we had some space paella to enjoy here!”

The post caused outrage among some Spaniards though as paella is not from Salamanca. Twitter users quickly responded to hit back at for him having mislabelled the dish typical of Valencian gastronomy. In Salamanca the typical rice dish is chanfaina.

Other Twitter followers insisted that he had good intentions and defended him.

Mini-Heatwaves

IT was forecast that temperatures in the Andalucian capi‐ tal Sevilla were to stay above 35 degrees all week. Are mi‐ ni‐heatwaves a taste of things to come?

According to the forecast, day time temperatures were to reach as high as 38 degrees Celsius with nights being as warm as 18‐20 degrees.

Last week, when temperatures began to rocket, resi‐ dents and weekend visitors ‐ many escaping from Madrid for the first time since the State of Alarm lifted ‐ could be seen looking for shade around the city’s famous tourist spots including the Cathedral and the Real Alcazar.

Coastal areas like Cadiz and Huelva were to see temper‐ atures as high as 30 degrees Celsius, few clouds and low winds making it an ideal time for the first swim of the year for many domestic tourists and residents.

Temperatures are rising across Europe and last year was the hottest ever year for the continent. Even more worry‐ ingly, the average temperature in Spain could rise by as much as five degrees by the end of the century, climate ex‐ perts warn.

Royal Aides’ request REPORTEDLY aides at the Palace have said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should give up their Royal titles after a shocking podcast where Prince Harry said that growing up in the Royal family was like “a mixture between The Tru‐ man Show and being in a zoo.”

Harry hopes to “break the cycle” when it comes to his own children though after he hit out at his father Prince Charles on the Armchair Expert Podcast.

Speaking to host Dax Shepard the Roy‐ al spoke of his pain and suffering and ex‐ plained that, “When it comes to parent‐ ing, if I’ve experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffer‐ ing that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered, I’m going to make sure I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on.”

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20,000 People from India ACCORDING to reports the UK ‘allowed 20,000 people to fly in from India’ despite mutant Covid variant warn‐ ings.

The mutant variant from India is now believed to be

dominant in multiple areas of England and so far four Brits have died after be‐ coming infected. It is now feared that the end of lock‐ down restrictions on June 21 could be delayed due to

the new strain.

Criticism has been raised at Prime Minister Boris Johnson, stating that he should have banned travel from India earlier than he did. According to the Sun‐ day Times over 20,000 peo‐ ple could have flown into the UK from India before it was added to the UK Red list on April 23.

It has been revealed that over 100 people carried the Indian Covid variant into the UK between late March and late April.

It has been alleged that Johnson may have put po‐ litical reasons ahead of safety and delayed adding India to the red list for po‐ litical motives.

The source who made these allegations told the Sunday Times that, ‘It’s very clear that we should have closed the border to India earlier and that Boris did not do so because he didn’t want to offend Modi (Indian Prime Minister).’

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All Summer Holidays pulled ONE of Britain’s largest online holiday sales portals ‘On The Beach’ has announced that it is halting all sales of summer holidays until at least September, due to the continued uncertainty surrounding travel, with Portugal, one of the UK’s ‘green list’ countries announcing on Thursday May 13 that they are extending their ‘state of calamity’ until May 30.

Simon Cooper, the firm’s chief executive, said “There’s nothing we want more than to be able to send customers on holiday, but with the current number of unknowns, we don’t think that now is the right time for customers to book new holidays departing in the next few months.”

Mr Cooper added he believes that even if ‘On The Beach’ went ahead and sold holidays, which then had to be cancelled, its profits risked being outweighed by “administrative costs and loss of goodwill,” telling the press that many would-be holiday-

makers have been “jaded” by the bad experience of their 2020 holidays when many had booked only to have them cancelled due to the shifting travel restrictions.

He stressed their online

travel agent would not be offering foreign holidays to ‘green list’ countries because “it is very likely that we will see regular fluctuations in destinations’ traffic light classifications.”

Fake Driving Licences A NETWORK that sold nearly 2,000 fake driving licences was identified on Tuesday May 11. This is the largest operation to be carried out against an organised network in Catalonia. The Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police are collaborating to bring down the organisation that allegedly sold fake driving licences. There is expected to be around 9,000 arrests made throughout the region and the rest of Spain.

The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia has claimed that the organisation issued fake cards to people who have never previously had one or had lost one, and charged them between €4,000 (£3,435) and €10,000 (£8,589) per licence.

The case was initially opened in 2020 due to a police complaint and there have now been 1,845 drivers identified across Spain who have a licence obtained through the criminal organisation. This means that some of these people have never had any official accreditation, examination or processing.

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The 90-day rule Tea Will Taste different A LETTER recently received from a very upset UK-based reader about the 90/180 day rule concerning visits to Spain has highlighted a problem which needs addressing.

In 2013 the couple purchased a second home in Murcia so that they could enjoy the much milder winters and used to spend from October to March which was beneficial to their health.

Now, since Brexit (which incidentally they didn’t vote for) they can only stay for 90 days rather than their usual six months which means that quite understandably they are upset and seriously considering selling their property and purchasing a new one elsewhere.

In their letter, they suggest that Spain is being short sighted by introducing this regulation especially as they know of people in a similar situation who are spending money during the Spanish ‘down season’ and can’t understand why this rule is being enforced.

Sadly, what they don’t appreciate - and it is quite difficult to fully

SAME RULE: These are the 26 Schengen member States. understand why this situation should exist - is that this is not Spain being difficult, but a rule established for every member of the Schengen zone.

This means that British citizens who were allowed to stay almost indefinitely can now only spend 90 days out of 180 days across the Schengen zone This means that many of the more obvious choices for resettlement within relatively easy flying times from the UK and in the sunnier climates such as France, Greece, Italy, Malta and Portugal are in exactly the same situation as Spain.

Many other European Countries allow just 60 to 90 days visit unless you have a student visa and the only way round the problem is to purchase a Gold Visa (in Spain the minimum requirement is €500,000 in real estate) or to apply for residency which would allow you to travel between the UK and Spain.

There are of course tax implications in taking residency in Spain, but as this couple have owned a property here since 2013, it may be an option but they would need to take advice from a local lawyer and be prepared for quite a long wait.

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A RECENT report from the charity organisation, Chris‐ tian Aid, has said that Kenya ‐ the African country that is the world’s largest exporter of black tea ‐ is facing a crisis that could challenge a great British in‐ stitution, the tea drinkers.

According to their research, extreme weather conditions in Kenya are causing more errat‐ ic periods of rainfall, meaning the country suffers droughts and then mass floods, which, combined with rising temper‐ atures will affect the amount of land that stays workable for growing tea plants, and the change in climate will also af‐ fect the production of the leaves that are turned into black tea.

Their report has also pre‐ dicted that as a result of cli‐ mate change, by 2050, tea production will drop by around 39 per cent, as grow‐ ing conditions will not be opti‐ mal, and Fiachra Moloney, of PG Tips maker Unilever, added, “In East Africa, where so much of our tea comes

from, climate change is putting the livelihoods of the people who grow tea for us at risk.”

Speaking to the press, a tea farmer from Kericho in Kenya’s Western Highlands, 72‐year‐old Richard Koskei,

said climate change is “a real threat. We cannot predict sea‐ sons anymore, temperatures are rising, rainfall is more er‐ ratic, more often accompa‐ nied by unusual hailstones and longer droughts which was not the case in the past.”

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Health Ministry Report SPAIN’S Ministry of Health has just published its sev‐ enth update on the vaccina‐ tion strategy that was ap‐ proved on Tuesday, May 11, by the Public Health Commission.

The Ministry says it be‐ lieves that the AstraZeneca

and Janssen vaccines can be administered to people with a history or risk fac‐ tors of thrombosis‐blood clots, but advises against them for those with a histo‐ ry of thrombocytopenia (low platelets) induced by the anticoagulant heparin.

Cycling Mandatory Training JOSEP MATEU, the president of the RACC, in his presentation of the third RACC Urban Cyclist Barometer in Barcelona, raised the issue of whether people might soon need to take some sort of test before they are allowed to ride a bicycle in the streets.

It is a known fact that since the beginning of the pandemic, the use of bicycles soared - in some cities such as Madrid and Barcelona above 100 per cent during the de-escalation months - to the point many bike suppliers ran out of stock.

Mr Mateu said he thought that there was definitely the need to promote training and knowledge of urban traffic regulations among cyclists and scooter users, and has proposed the creation of a ‘titulin’ or compulsory card which certifies the rider has at least basic knowledge and skills.

He said the results of a survey, showed 38 per cent of cyclists admitted to having no knowledge of the traffic regulations, 36 per cent used some type of headphones while cycling, and 24 per cent admitted using their mobile phones.

They believe that these patients have already de‐ veloped antibodies against the PF4‐heparin complex and “there could be a greater risk of generating antibodies against the com‐ plex PF4‐component of the vaccine involved,” given the similarity of their patho‐ genesis.

This fresh update and ad‐ vice includes pregnant women and minors be‐ tween the ages of 12 and 15 in vulnerable and high‐ risk situations. In the up‐ date of the vaccination strategy, it was also re‐ called that the teaching staff of pre‐school, primary, and secondary education have already been priori‐ tised to be vaccinated, not only with respect to the rest of the population but also, of other teaching staff such as high school and high school university, to protect them while teach‐ ing in the classroom sur‐ rounded by children and adolescents.

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Not Paid Royal British Legion Centenary since March SADLY, cleaning workers at Barajas airport have not been paid since March, a situation which is said to be affecting some 90 families.

The workers belong to the company Rentevic who are charged with cleaning aeroplane interiors. Workers at the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport have now worryingly not been paid since March.

Price reduction policies have regrettably been seen in the area of public tenders for cleaning services for some time now, and the Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption of UGT (FeSMC UGT) Madrid has been warning against the negative effects that this could have.

The union has called for Aena to step up and ‘immediately’ end the contract with Rentevic. They also expect Aena to find a solvent company able to provide the services required.

RETIRED Lieutenant General James Bashall, the national president of the Royal British Legion led a ceremony on Saturday May 15, where he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, to mark the centenary of the charity organisation.

This ceremony took place at 9am, the exact same hour that the charity organisation was formed 100 years ago, with similar wreathlaying ceremonies taking place all over the UK. Earlier in the day, the Prince of Wales had hailed the charity, saying, “There are few organisations which hold a place at the heart of society in the way the Royal British Legion does. For 100 years, the Royal British Legion has been a constant, through the annual Poppy Appeal, leading the nation in remembrance, and providing a life-long commitment to every veteran and their families.”

Caixabank Staff Protest Cuts CAIXABANK, Spain’s biggest domestic lender since its recent takeover of rival Bankia, has seen hundreds of employees gather in protest outside the bank’s shareholder meeting. The meeting was held in Valencia on Friday and protesters complained as thousands of jobs are set to be cut.

The Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) union took to social media in order to share a video of protesters including some who were seen to wear the faces of Caixabank

executives on their masks.

The protest took place outside of V alencia’s P alacio de Congresos where the shareholder meeting was being held.

While ordinary folk feared losing their jobs, shareholders at the annual meeting decided that the new C aixabank C hairman Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri, was worthy of a staggering fixed salary of €1.65 million. Shareholders voted for this, and even voted for a bonus of up to €200,000 too.

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Laying Off employees TELECOMS firm, Orange, is going to lay off up to 485 of their employees in Spain over the next few weeks, Reuters has reported. The company made the announcement on Friday, May 14, citing years of decreasing income due to Spain’s hypercompetitive and increasingly cheap telecommunications sector.

Much like other European rivals, the telecoms firm has been facing increasing concerns aside from the health crises’ impact on the sector, investing extensively on infrastructures including fibreoptic cabling, finding it difficult to fund its 5G network upgrade.

Reducing their workforce will be extremely important for Orange to ensure that the firm can keep up with competitiveness in the face of structural changes, the statement also said, noting that negotiations with labour unions would be starting within the next few days.

ORANGE: Reduce their workforce.

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Was Spain The Biggest Star In The Crown?

NETFLIX’S The Crown is up for a prestigious Spanish award for filming much of seasons three and four in Andalucia.

The blockbuster series is in the running for best international production shot in Spain at the glitzy Spanish

Film Commission Fitur Screen awards on May 21 after the Andalucian Film Commission nominated it.

The Crown, which costs $13 million to produce per episode, kicked off in 2016 with Claire Foy starring as a young Princess Elizabeth.

Bungee Jump Goes Wrong A BUNGEE jump went wrong in Sevilla, after a man suffered a fall during the extreme sport.

Emergency services were successfully able to rescue the 34-year-old man after a bungee jump went wrong Man landed on a cliff. and he was left on a cliff.

Emergency services rescued the man before he was taken by helicopter to Sevilla’s Virgen Macarena University Hospital after being injured in the fall.

The 112 Emergency Services were alerted to the accident by the Public Health Emergency Company (EPES 061) and due to the fact that the man was in a difficult to access position on a cliff, firefighters were asked to help in the rescue.

He was rushed to hospital by an EPES helicopter which was waiting to transfer him to Sevilla’s Virgen Macarena University Hospital to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained in the accident.

Seasons three and four fast forward in time to Prince Charles’ early years and illfated marriage to Diana Spencer.

In 2019 it moved filming to Spain taking advantage of Andalucia’s varied landscapes to stand in for Australia, Greece, and even parts of America.

The area around Tabernas in Almeria was the setting for Charles and Diana’s getaway weekend in rural Australia during a gruelling tour of the country. El Toyo, also in Almeria, was used to stage shots of Brisbane airport. The Palacio de Congresos in Torremolinos made a convincing Los Angeles Airport.

Sotogrande and several towns in Cadiz were also used as locations for Princess Margaret’s tour of America in 1965.

In Jerez, the Finca La Penuela was used as a set for homes in America and the Convent of Santo Domingo set the stage for Prince Philip’s mother’s time in Greece.

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www.euroweeklynews.com SPAIN is still ranked top in the world for the most blue beach flags with 713 across the country on beaches, ports and tourist boats. There are 615 on beaches, 96 for ports and two for tourist boats. Spain has held this title since 1994.

Spain regained nearly all of

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Top In World its blue flags in 2020 that it had lost in 2019, with 589 flying the distinction and leading the world rankings ahead of Italy,

Explosive New Corrie Storyline

THE Rovers Return, the legendary boozer on the fa‐ mous cobbles of Weatherfield since back in 1960, at the heart of Coronation Street, is to be at the centre of an explosive new storyline from the writers of ITV’s long‐running soap, where it will be put up for sale by Johnny Connor when he comes out of prison.

The Sun has gained access to photos from the set of Corrie, that show an estate agent’s board fixed on the wall of the iconic pub, after Connor, locked up for a historic armed robbery in the soap, gets early release from prison and comes home to find out that his screen wife Jenny has slept with B&B guest Ron‐ nie Bailey while he was inside.

Realising that his marriage is over, the landlord, in a fit of temper, contacts a local estate agent and puts the pub on the market, but as yet, the identity of the new owner has not been revealed, in a storyline that is bound to shock fans of the soap.

Greece, France, Turkey and Portugal.

With 615 flag on beaches, this is 25 more than held last year. There are also up to nine inland beaches on the list this year, for example, Playa Dulce de Orellana in Orellana la Vieja and La Dehesa in Cheles, both in Badajoz, and Virgen de la Nueva in San Martín de Valdeiglesias (Madrid); Those of As Pontes (A Coruña) and Ardales (Malaga) have been added.

Malaga Province has been awarded 34 of the blue flags for beaches along the coastline this summer, with a further five obtained by local marinas including Benalmadena, Caleta de Velez (Velez-Málaga), Estepona, La Duquesa (Manilva) and Marbella.

The remaining two flags are assigned to sustainable boating in Benalmadena, as reported by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), exceeding the 30 blue flags achieved in 2020.

Hundreds of Protesters

TWO men detained by British immigration of‐ ficials in Glasgow were eventually released af‐ ter a seven‐hour peaceful standoff between hundreds of protesters and Scottish police.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon slammed the “unacceptable” action by Britain’s Home Office to detain the Indian men, especially as it came during celebrations for the Muslim holiday of Eid al‐Fitr, in an area hit by the pandemic.

The UK Home Office said in a statement that the men were detained “in relation to suspected immigration offences” and had been released on bail pending further en‐ quiries.

Police were first called to Kenmure Street in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, at about 10am where the Immigration Enforcement van with the men in it was surrounded by protesters, including neighbours of the men.

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Asked to Provide Your Pin? IF you have ever been online shopping and you have been asked to provide your pin this may send shivers up your spine as we have always been taught, never give your pin number or password to any‐ one.

The world of online shopping is changing though and online shopping protocols have been updated in a bid to make them more secure. This could even include being asked for digits of your PIN number.

In recent years the use of

Online shopping changing. cash has diminished especially during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic as many shops have pushed consumers to use their

Date Is Fixed For The End THE Plenary of the Congress of Deputies approved on Thursday May 13, the first Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition in Spain, which is designed to combat global warming and the greenhouse effect, and has as one of its main targets, the motor industry.

A definite date was fixed during the session for the end of the sale of combustion engines in Spain, by the year 2040, meaning that no more petrol or diesel-powered vehicles will be sold after that date, including hybrids, with Article 14 of the law stating that every vehicle must be powered exclusively by energy that emits zero grams of carbon dioxide.

card rather than hand over cash in a bid to lower infection rates. According to the ‘Report on trends and innovation in means of payment’ which has been put together by the Pay‐ ment Innovation Hub, the use of debit and credit cards now totals 47 per cent of transac‐ tions made.

In Spain alone in 2019 there were over 85 million cards in use and this number will un‐ doubtedly grow. Increased se‐ curity measures often termed ‘enhanced customer authorisa‐ tion’ can slow down the shop‐ ping process online, but are there to make things more se‐ cure for you and protect your money. When making a pur‐ chase online you could now be asked to provide two different pieces of information at a mini‐ mum.

It is always worth remember‐ ing though that you should nev‐ er be asked for your full pin number, only for a couple of the digits. If you are asked for your full pin number, ensure that you never provide it.

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Cathedral Restoration Finally Completed THE Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a famous centre of pilgrimage for many, has finally had the last piece of scaffolding, and the final crane removed, which have been covering its beautiful baroque façade for the last eight years.

Starting the difficult and arduous task back in 2013, the building which had become dilapidated due to the weather was gradually brought back to life, and now the renovated cathedral looks like new, with its gleaming stonework and stunning design once again visible to

the multitudes of people who flock to this shrine of worship each year.

Restoration is due to start on another part of the building soon, that of the museum section, but that will not affect the main body of the building, with this being the Xacobeo Year, and pilgrims will be venturing on the famed Camino de Santiago, to reach the Plaza del Obraidoiro and admire their destination in its full splendour, after spending eight years visiting only to find it hidden by scaffolding.

NOW UNCOVERED: The beautiful baroque façade.

Cryptocurrency Market Plunges ELON MUSK has made a sudden decision to stop accepting bitcoin as payment for his Tesla brand of cars, triggering a sharp plunge in the cryptocurrency markets around the globe as a result.

As a result of Musk’s decision,

markets fell by around 12 per cent, to less than $50,000, on Wednesday May 12, but did recover slightly on Thursday May 13, according to Coindesk.

Musk’s decision has caused confusion, bearing in mind he had

Holiday Refunds

UK travel firms have been warned that they need to inform travellers of their rights with regards to refunds. The holiday industry has been warned by the UK’s competition regulator forcing TUI, Europe’s biggest travel company, to be more transparent with their customers on getting a refund.

On May 13, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had contacted 100 package tour companies to remind them of their obligation to offer refunds for cancelled holidays and return the cash within two weeks.

The warning from the CMA follows an announcement from the UK about easing restrictions on holidays, with travellers from England permitted to travel to a dozen ‘green list’ destinations from Monday, May 17. The ‘green list’ includes Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Israel and Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira, and two British overseas territories in the Atlantic.

The repeated failure of travel firms informing customers of their right to cash refunds if a booking is forced to be cancelled has caused concern for the regulator. The CMA has received over 23,000 complaints about issues with refunds since March 2020.

directed Tesla to buy $1.5 billion (£1.06 billion) in Bitcoin for its corporate treasury earlier this year.

The Tesla CEO, who has been a vocal bitcoin advocate until now, based his sudden change of direction on the “high environmental cost” to the environment of the manufacturing of bitcoins, as he tweeted, “We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel.” Michaël van de Poppe, a crypto analyst and trader based in Amsterdam, said, “When bitcoin tops out and the bubble bursts, all those glory hunters will move away to another market,” referring to the speculators who jumped on the frenzy of bitcoin’s success.

Shares in Tesla also dropped by 4 per cent after Musk’s news broke, and it is also causing a lot of discussion on social media due to the fact that Musk says burning coal is bad for the environment whilst his company mines lithium and cobalt for use in his electric cars.

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Three Ways To Avoid Paying Toll THERE are three ways to avoid paying tolls on Spanish roads and if you are in one of these

three groups, you will be able to drive through ‘scot‐free’ ac‐ cording to the DGT.

FluBot Police Warning Issued POLICE in Spain have issued a FluBot virus alert. The virus arrives by SMS and can take over control of your mobile phone, and steal information including your banking details.

The FluBot is a dangerous Trojan virus and to date a minimum of 60,000 Android devices have been attacked across the world. In Spain this has forced both National Police and the Mossos d’Esquadra to take to social media platforms in order to warn people about the malicious SMS message.

FluBot has been seen in various countries around the world but has mainly cropped up in Spain, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the UK and in Poland. This does not mean that it will not be spreading to other countries around the globe though.

The virus arrives on your phone by an SMS message alleging to be from a delivery company including Correos along with FedEx and DHL. In the message it is claimed that a package has been received and that the user needs to click on a link. At this point a fake tracking app is installed on the mobile device which sets out to steal personal data and credentials from the victim.

The malware app steals both credentials and user’s contact details and then sends them to a remote server. The Trojan does not stop here though as it steals your contacts so it can then send infected SMS messages to all your friends and family.

So far it is believed that around 11 million phone numbers have been collected in this manner.

The Spanish Government proposed in the Recovery, Transformation and Re‐ silience Plan sent to Brus‐ sels, a controversial measure with which it intends to im‐ plement tolls on motorways and motorways from 2024, with the idea of dealing with the maintenance and up‐ keep of the Road Network of the State, which already has an accumulated deficit of some €8,000 million.

However, those who are within one of these three groups will be free to use the pay road tolls, according to the DGT. Navarro said “for exam‐ ple, the daily commute due to work, the guy who has to take the highway every day to go to and from work, he is exempt from payment ‐ the trips required for study rea‐ sons as well ‐ also as an ex‐ ample, the grandmother, when she goes to the doctor, is also excluded. That is to say, that there is a certain margin of manoeuvre.”

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You Deserve Spain

FORTY‐FIVE million tourists are expected this summer as Spain launches the Turespaña ‘You de‐ serve Spain’ campaign. The Min‐ ister of Industry, Tourism and

Trade, Reyes Maroto, has high‐ lighted the fact that the Spanish government expects Spain to re‐ ceive a staggering 45 million tourists this summer offering

Avoiding Blood Clots RECENTLY concern around blood clots and thrombosis has increased dramatically, but here are some foods to help you avoid the problem and help ease your mind. It is possible to help combat thrombosis by having some healthy lifestyle habits and certain foods can help you avoid a blood clot.

According to experts at the Spanish heart foundation, thrombosis happens when a blood vessel is obstructed by a clot, they explained that, “it is made up of elements of the blood such as platelets, red blood cells and a connecting tissue called fibrin.”

The foundation also highlighted the fact that a healthy lifestyle can be used to help prevent the worrying, but rare condition. They highlighted that, “daily aerobic exercise, a healthy Mediterranean diet low in animal fats, salt and, above all, sugar” can help prevent thrombosis.

The Mediterranean diet is already known to have considerable health benefits as it includes food such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and olive oil that can have a positive effect on cardiovascular health. These foods also affect blood cholesterol levels in a healthy manner.

Other foods that help are garlic, beetroot, onions, soya and pistachios.

confidence, security and quality.

The ongoing Coronavirus pan‐ demic has seriously affected tourism recently, but this summer things are looking up according to Maroto, who has confidence in the vaccination plan. The Minister believes that conditions are now in place for Spain to begin wel‐ coming tourists in a safe manner.

The advertising campaign will be focused on positioning Spain as the main holiday destination for foreign markets such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Poland and the Nether‐ lands. The campaign though has come at a cost of around €8 mil‐ lion, but proves Spain’s commit‐ ment to bringing in tourists once again.

In June the green digital certifi‐ cate is set to be launched which will aid travel within the European Union. It is believed that this, along with the vaccination pro‐ gramme progress in Spain “will make it possible to convey certain‐ ty to international travellers and present Spain as a safe destina‐ tion” commented Maroto.

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New Cascading Radars ADMIT it, we have all been guilty of suddenly seeing a speed camera or radar on the roads, and immediately hitting the vehicle’s brakes to slow down and avoid be‐ ing hit with a speeding fine, and then speeding up again

once we have passed the camera.

It was inevitable that the time would come when the authorities would get wise to this trick and bring out new technology to combat it, and they have, in the

A ‘Game-Changer’ IN what could be great news for travellers, British Airways are trialling a new Covid test which is said to be a ‘game changer’.

The new coronavirus test has been created by Canary Global, a medical technology company. The test is called the Pelican Covid-19 antigen test, and staggeringly it will take only 25 seconds in order to produce its results.

Raj Reddy, Canary Global’s chief executive, explained his hopes for the test and said, “We developed the test with the travel industry in mind, where speed, accuracy and ease of use are paramount.

British Airways are set to be the first airline in the world to trial the new ultra-rapid test. Sean Doyle, the British Airways chief executive spoke of the company’s commitment to testing solutions and explained that the airline is, “committed to exploring easy and affordable testing solutions to help our customers travel again.”

form of ‘cascading radars’.

This is such a simple method really, based on a second mobile kinemome‐ ter being positioned just a few metres after the first fixed‐radar, which, as soon as the driver accelerates away again, thinking he has passed the offending radar and can put his (or her) foot down, registers the vehi‐ cle’s speed and you are caught.

It is sometimes known for traffic police to position two or three of these devices at times, separated by a few kilometres, behind a warn‐ ing sign.

The DGT plans to incorpo‐ rate this system into their current network of radars located on the motorways and conventional roads of Spain, with 25,000km of road networks being cov‐ ered by around 1,500 radars and cameras located in sec‐ tions considered as danger‐ ous throughout the country.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

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EUROPEAN NIBS DENMARK

FRANCE

Mini Golf

Please quit

AS lockdown eases so a new concept in dining with sports is being opened in Copenhagen called Camping.

It’s a bar, burger restaurant and 14-hole mini-golf course all rolled into one building with the course designed by former European champion Anders Gudmundstuen.

THE French army’s chief of staff said that soldiers who had signed an open letter warning about the risk of civil war due to concessions to Muslims should resign from the Army as a matter of honour, but he did not threaten reprisals if they didn’t.

THE NETHERLANDS Falcon chicks

NORWAY Tractor protest

A PAIR of peregrine falcons who have taken over the bell tower of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam have surprised bird watchers firstly for settling in the centre of the city and secondly for producing two healthy chicks which they are currently feeding.

NORWEGIAN farmers drove their tractors to the Parliament Building in Oslo to show their anger at the fact that the government offered them less than half the amount of taxpayer support and subsidy they’d demanded whilst their cooperative leaders earn large salaries which farmers pay.

BELGIUM

FINLAND

Human Parcel

Parkinson’s study

EMERGENCY Services in the Flemish city of Mechelen were called in by a group of children after one of their friends, an 11-year-old boy had managed to shut himself in a Belgian Post Group parcel locker. He was freed unhurt by the fire brigade.

RESEARCHERS from the University of Helsinki have reported that following a study comparing infected and healthy patients, they believe that they have found the cause of Parkinson’s Disease which is due to the presence of hydrogen sulphide produced by intestinal bacteria which moves to the brain.

GERMANY Covid con POLICE in Germany are warning that there is a marked increase in the number of fake documents allegedly confirming that the holder has received two vaccinations against the virus. This means that potentially infected individuals could escape travel restrictions or access services that require negative tests.

SWEDEN Bear off A STUFFED bear, originally owned by King Oscar II in 1888 was donated to the Swedish Museum of Natural History and was loaned to the municipality of Rättvik 35 years ago. Now following a break-in, it has been stolen and its whereabouts are being sought by police.

20 - 26 May 2021

EWN 25

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Treasury requirement WITH effect from Friday May 14, tax advisers are required to declare to the Spanish Tax Agency details of new cross-border operations designed to mitigate tax obligations on behalf of their clients whilst confirming that they are neither illegal nor fraudulent.

Cheaper loans ANXIOUS to attract new customers, BBVA bank is slashing the interest rate charged on its Fast Online Loan business from 9.37 per cent to 3.97 per cent and potential borrowers will be able to apply to take advantage of this from now until June 9.

Better deal THE UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a 56-page consultation document entitled A New Consumer Duty in which it explains how it intends to expand its existing rules to ensure firms in the financial sector provide a ‘higher level of consumer protection consistently.’

Iranian discussions IRAN’S Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his Spanish counterpart Arancha González Laya in Madrid on May 13 at the start of a tour of different European Countries.

They exchanged views on the latest state of relations between the two countries in various political and economic fields during the meeting.

Reviewing the relations between the two countries in various areas, Zarif assessed the capacity of economic cooperation between them beyond the current condition and stressed the need to explore ways to expand cooperation in various economic fields by removing some existing obstacles.

STAT OF WEEK

www.euroweeklynews.com • 20 - 26 May 2021

€3.42 billion

is the turnover announced by Spanish telecom group Telefónica for the first quarter of 2021, slightly ahead of forecast.

Future ‘Britcoin’ Plan BRITAIN can use Brexit to build its own digital currency and experts believe it has the potential to boost the UK’s economy by an eye‐watering £90 billion, according to a re‐ port from the Express.

And the CityUnited project is urging Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to be bold and think big as they look to a fu‐ ture in which e‐commerce will increasingly take centre‐ stage ‐ emphasising the po‐ tential for the UK to get a

massive head‐start on the Eu‐ ropean Union.

China is already pushing ahead with its own plan to launch its Central Bank Digital Currency’ by the time of next year’s Beijing Winter Olympics ‐ and last month Mr Sunak announced the cre‐ ation of a task force aimed at exploring the possibility of Britain launching what he termed ‘Britcoin’.

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere, who sits on the CityUnited

LEGALLY SPEAKING

project’s advisory board, said: “State‐backed digital curren‐ cies are coming: that is not in doubt. The question is whether another country will get there early enough to of‐ fer an alternative model to China’s ‐ a model more root‐ ed in the principles of privacy and private property.

“Britain, with its concentra‐ tion of financial services ex‐ pertise, its fintech hub, and its common law system, is ideal‐ ly placed to be that country.”

CityUnited’s analysts be‐ lieve it is crucial that the UK is not left behind ‐ and has mapped out the way forward in its Aurora report, published last week.

Specifically, it proposes a CBDC for the wholesale sec‐ tor, representing the bulk of UK banking transactions, in‐ volving the BoE and City insti‐ tutions, followed by further enhancements designed for the retail sector, improving cost and efficiency

Feel secure while abroad

When is income tax due?

Last week’s EWN had an article saying that Spanish income tax would be due on amounts above €22,000. This amount refers to employees because their tax is deducted from their wage every month. I have always been under the impression ‐ and various websites agree ‐ that there is a tax‐free allowance of €8,100 for persons over 75 years old. Income tax is then paid on a sliding scale which starts at 19 per cent, depend‐ ing on amount earned. I have paid for the last 15 years. Have my accountants got it wrong?

Creditor offer DESPITE being declared bankrupt 12 years ago in September 2009, property developer and builder Nozar is still attempting to settle with creditors and has now received court permission to endeavour to reach an agreement whereby it will pay them €286 million.

26

T D (Costa Blanca) No, your accoun‐ tants have not got it YOU AND THE LAW wrong. The short ar‐ IN SPAIN ticle to which you re‐ fer was intended only to remind people that Spanish income tax is now payable in May and June. Only those persons who are employed at a salary less than €22,000 and have their tax already deducted will not have to make a declaration. The Tax Agency will do it for them and send them a provisional declaration for them to accept or amend if necessary. The article did not even touch upon the reductions and exemptions available to all taxpay‐ ers.

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.

DIXONS CARPHONE said that four becomes one as it rebrands back to the name first introduced in 1927 by bicycle shop (which sold radios), Cur‐ rys.

With effect from October of this year, Currys PC World, Carphone Warehouse, Team Knowhow and Dixons Carphone become one brand.

This is the latest move in a com‐ plete restructure which will see 300

ON May 12, the UK Depart‐ ment for Digital, Media Cul‐ ture and Sport wrote to the Premier League confirming that it had no objection to it rolling over its UK TV con‐ tracts.

Under normal circum‐ stances the rights would have been put to open ten‐ der, but ministers said they were “minded” to grant an exclusion order due to the problems to football caused by the pandemic.

The agreement of all the clubs and rights holders ‐ Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video and BBC Sport ‐ means the existing three‐ year deal will be rolled over and run until 2025.

Amazon UK investment

Rest assured.

WHEN you take a trip you should not have to worry about what might happen should you pass away.

With Golden Leaves Funeral Plans you can rest assured that if you die away from home your remains will be returned to your place of residence, if that is your wish, at no addi‐ tional cost.

As long as there are flights available, there are no limita‐ tions to which airports can be used for repatriation and there is no extra charge for trans‐ portation to get to the airport.

If you have travel insurance this usually includes repatria‐ tion. Golden Leaves would co‐ ordinate with the insurance company. Only if there were any extra costs would the next of kin be responsible.

You could also cancel the plan and get a refund minus 20 per cent of the plan purchase price. The Funeral Plans also in‐ clude cover in Ireland.

From anywhere in the world your relatives would simply need to make one call to Golden Leaves to put your desired plan into action.

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

Currying favour stores transformed, 13,000 uniforms upgraded and over 300 vehicle liver‐ ies changed in the UK and Ireland.

Just one store in Edinburgh has al‐ ready been unveiled with the new livery.

There will be a £190 million (€210

Premier League Football

million) increase in innovation invest‐ ment in 2021/22 in order to make shopping with Currys even easier for customers.

Changes include: Talk tech with tech people. The re‐ tailer will invest nearly £25 million

AMAZON announced on May 14 that it will create more than 10,000 new permanent jobs in 2021, taking its total UK workforce to more than 55,000 people by the end of year.

It also confirmed that it will invest £10 million (€11 million) over the next three years to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills and support the UK Govern‐ ment’s investment pro‐ gramme.

This training will be of‐ fered through Amazon’s Ca‐ reer Choice programme, where the company pays course fees for its employees who have expressed an in‐ terest in pursuing a career outside of the company. (€27.5 million) over two years in skills, well‐being and reward pro‐ grammes for colleagues to enhance the experience for customers, in store and via ShopLive, the 24/7 live video shopping service.

Currys will also launch RepairLive ‐ a market leading, virtual repair ser‐ vice to help get tech up and running again without the need for a home visit, which is currently being piloted.

28 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 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 17

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.244,50 1.256,50 Admiral Group 2.942,0 2.954,0 Anglo American 3.290,5 3.317,0 Antofagasta 1.756,50 1.796,00 Ashtead Group 4.997,4 5.026,8 Associated British Foods 2.279,0 2.308,0 AstraZeneca 7.858,5 7.871,8 Auto Trader Group Plc 548,40 554,20 Avast 443,60 448,50 Aveva 3.180,0 3.248,0 Aviva 408,60 411,30 B&M European Value Retail SA572,80 579,20 BAE Systems 521,60 527,60 Bank VTB DRC 1,298 1,336 Barclays 180,29 182,34 Barratt Developments 767,80 776,33 Berkeley 4.727,0 4.763,7 BHP Group 2.205,50 2.237,50 BP 309,65 313,23 British American Tobacco 2.810,0 2.842,5 British Land Company 527,80 537,00 BT Group 165,42 165,95 Bunzl 2.307,9 2.314,7 Burberry Group 2.101,0 2.125,0 Carnival 1.585,3 1.624,7 Centrica 55,02 55,11 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.530,0 2.534,0 Compass 1.514,50 1.562,00 CRH 3.615,0 3.635,0 Croda Intl 6.500,0 6.556,0 DCC 6.040,0 6.064,0 Diageo 3.344,3 3.367,5 DS Smith 420,54 424,54 EasyJet 994,58 1.028,06 Experian 2.649,0 2.667,0 Ferguson 9.238,0 9.330,0 Flutter Entertainment 12.625,0 12.830,0 Fresnillo 890,14 908,36 GlaxoSmithKline 1.367,14 1.376,20 Glencore 323,30 327,50 Halma 2.490,0 2.517,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.723,00 1.742,93 Hikma Pharma 2.374,00 2.381,00 HSBC 442,60 444,55 IAG 194,22 199,50 Imperial Brands 1.592,00 1.605,50 Informa 556,00 564,40 InterContinental 4.907,0 5.006,0 Intermediate Capital 2.040,00 2.069,00 Intertek 5.846,0 5.900,0 ITV 128,08 129,49

% CHG. 1.240,00 2.934,9 3.278,5 1.748,00 4.976,9 2.278,0 7.842,8 547,60 442,16 3.174,5 408,46 566,40 521,60 1,298 180,25 767,00 4.727,0 2.199,00 309,22 2.805,0 526,00 161,70 2.302,0 2.093,0 1.585,3 54,23 2.518,4 1.511,50 3.609,0 6.488,0 6.032,0 3.339,9 419,90 993,80 2.642,0 9.226,0 12.580,0 886,76 1.364,80 322,45 2.487,0 1.719,00 2.368,00 442,25 193,76 1.585,00 555,40 4.906,0 2.038,00 5.818,0 127,70

NET VOL 40,40K 10,22K 198,50K 173,14K 3,54K 25,75K 9,94K 28,22K 34,85K 2,09K 182,67K 325,73K 446,58K 113,13K 989,27K 119,27K 9,88K 323,81K 487,35K 140,45K 220,86K 13,20M 5,79K 43,17K 36,59K 179,26K 2,16K 318,27K 45,25K 11,57K 1,16K 10,58K 23,27K 126,64K 59,17K 16,46K 10,37K 39,65K 78,71K 2,08M 23,97K 9,12K 6,95K 1,86M 3,31M 91,38K 76,22K 13,24K 22,86K 11,75K 140,42K

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

262,80 3.243,0 728,18 282,40 48,22 7.218,0 494,10 162,15 1.923,00 934,57 192,64 8.094,0 36,85 1.948,50 3.141,0 737,71 1.518,00 6.362,0 1.854,00 470,10 574,20 6.142,3 104,39 7,21 1.401,4 1.401,00 1.344,2 683,90 643,40 1.756,50 16,38 3.528,0 1.140,89 1.001,00 2.511,0 1.520,50 1.561,00 12.140,0 1.545,78 1.374,50 497,90 270,20 176,50 231,85 423,60 4.304,4 985,60 141,07 3.129,0 979,80

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

263,04 3.252,0 732,14 285,00 48,45 7.274,0 501,80 166,05 1.945,50 942,10 193,70 8.214,0 37,17 2.002,00 3.177,4 740,60 1.531,50 6.384,0 1.860,50 473,70 580,20 6.205,0 108,36 7,35 1.419,2 1.417,90 1.360,5 684,10 650,60 1.762,50 16,51 3.550,0 1.150,00 1.005,50 2.540,0 1.529,00 1.573,00 12.285,0 1.552,45 1.381,50 506,20 272,50 179,35 232,13 432,50 4.924,0 996,00 142,06 3.205,0 987,80

259,20 3.234,0 726,25 282,30 48,10 7.206,0 491,60 161,95 1.919,50 934,00 191,85 8.070,0 36,71 1.948,50 3.140,0 735,20 1.516,50 6.339,0 1.850,50 469,30 572,40 6.129,9 104,26 7,21 1.399,6 1.399,50 1.342,6 683,80 641,20 1.753,00 16,35 3.517,0 1.134,39 1.000,50 2.511,0 1.517,50 1.559,50 12.125,0 1.538,00 1.374,50 497,50 270,10 175,65 231,15 423,10 4.289,9 984,80 140,17 3.128,0 979,00

106,69K 13,22K 10,14K 179,23K 18,54M 50,66K 124,78K 588,98K 32,05K 346,25K 794,11K 8,48K 39,59K 71,47K 2,75K 30,11K 197,45K 51,63K 71,04K 150,92K 100,52K 17,17K 1,88M 86,58K 223,15K 223,15K 71,16K 4,29K 127,92K 1,61K 266,09K 4,02K 294,70K 37,94K 31,38K 73,62K 10,86K 3,21K 51,01K 21,46K 635,49K 59,20K 600,89K 310,61K 664,00K 21,82K 46,29K 394,27K 26,98K 106,98K

1.16132

0.86155

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.2133 Japan yen (JPY)......................................132.555 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0950 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4362 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.030

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 17

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 204,38 2.316,16 3.222,90 251,38 127,45 228,47 242,23 109,47 52,90 54,73 315,94 368,77 323,63 227,36 144,68 55,35 170,22 164,01 231,72 78,29 248,15 135,93 138,01 217,66 589,74 409,80 58,69 226,94 139,52 173,70

CHANGE 205,12 2.321,14 3.228,86 254,59 127,89 228,81 243,35 109,82 53,22 55,10 316,85 369,51 327,32 228,23 145,69 55,85 171,61 164,45 232,64 79,15 249,18 136,68 139,10 218,27 592,87 412,59 59,26 227,51 140,24 174,91

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 203,01 1,48M 2.283,32 1,33M 3.183,00 3,33M 251,15 2,29M 125,85 81,92M 224,35 10,16M 240,08 2,04M 107,80 9,12M 52,60 14,79M 54,69 11,73M 309,08 19,25M 361,70 2,73M 321,86 4,00M 224,85 2,08M 143,96 2,75M 54,26 28,16M 170,17 5,80M 161,99 10,58M 230,47 1,94M 78,22 7,89M 245,49 23,90M 134,05 4,37M 137,67 5,99M 214,15 4,43M 570,46 33,37M 408,50 2,07M 58,67 13,77M 224,92 4,78M 138,43 5,36M 168,78 33,15M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 17

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

Most Advanced Booking Holdings Inc. Amazon.com Inc. Alphabet Inc. Cl C E-Home Household Service Holdings Ltd. Alphabet Inc. Cl A Broadcom Inc. 8% Pfd. Series A MicroStrategy Inc. MercadoLibre Inc. Charter Communications Inc. Cl A First Citizens Bancshares Inc. Cl A ASML Holding N.V.

+3.41% +1.94% +2.40% +1,100% +2.21% +2.80% +6.81% +2.04% +3.66% +2.94% +3.96%

340,396 3.33M 1.33M 1.66M 1.60M 4,637 561,638 473,013 1.09M 40,448 1.33M

-2.54% -0.58% -17.84% -10.33% -7.00% -29.74% -17.31% -4.78% -0.92% -0.66% -10.65%

11.75M 5,965 988,908 56,122 902,161 563,471 217,236 5,389 237,425 3,716 308,541

Most Declined Coinbase Global Inc. Atrion Corp.

VOXX International Corp. Cl A Big Rock Partners Acquisition Corp.

AbCellera Biologics Inc. Data Storage Corp.

Save Foods Inc. Midwest Holding Inc. Casey's General Stores Inc. Hingham Institution for Savings AudioEye Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Consum has good 2020

GENERAL DIRECTOR: Juan Luis Durich announced the company’s 2020 figures.

THE supermarket chain Con‐ sum which has a major pres‐ ence in Valencia, Murcia and Catalonia announced 2020 turnover of €3.3249 billion, 13.3 per cent more than the previous year.

According to General Direc‐ tor of the cooperative, Juan Luis Durich overall growth dur‐ ing the year was 10.4 per cent which is 7 per cent more than the average for the food distri‐ bution sector in Spain and profits reached €65.5 million.

The organisation is commit‐ ted to expand the number of Consum and Charter stores and also to build its online presence which is currently running at a loss with turnover of just €44.5 million.

The year 2020 was a much better one than originally fore‐ cast and turnover benefited from the lockdown with more customers visiting town and

city‐based outlets even though typical holiday destinations saw a reduction in sales.

The cooperative is now the sixth largest supermarket chain in Spain and its 2020 figures showed greater growth than many of its com‐ petitors which is why it is committed to continue to ex‐ pand with at least 37 new su‐ permarkets opening in 2021, together with a refurbish‐ ment of 44.

It currently employs 17,386 members of staff (an increase of 1,355 over 2019) of which some 72 per cent are women and 92 per cent are on some form of permanent contract.

Like John Lewis & Partners in the UK, staff are also owners of the business and in 2020, Consum distributed €71.5 mil‐ lion shared between worker members and bonuses.

Looking forward Consum

Climate Change Act AS the Spanish Parliament ratified the Climate Change and Energy Transition Act on May 13, it joins three other countries which now ban the search for new hydrocarbon resources.

Nicolas Entrup, Co-Director of International Relations at OceanCare, an international organisation for the protection of marine wildlife and its environment commented: “We applaud the Spanish Government and Parliament for today’s decision to ban oil and gas exploration.

“Spain is now within the group of progressive countries that are committed to putting an end to the era of fossil fuels and moving towards the decarbonisation of the economy, in compliance with the Paris Agreement.”

will continue to expand, but does not expect 2021 to be quite as successful as 2020.

BUSINESS EXTRA Looking up IN its annual report, the Bank of Spain says it expects to see the Spanish economy start to recover in the second half of 2021, but much depends on speed of vaccination and recovery of tourism whilst 2022 will see the bonus of the delayed EU Recovery funds.

Bank salaries SPANISH Minister of Economic Affairs, Nadia Calviño, has confirmed her belief that the salaries and benefits granted to senior managers in the financial sector should not just be linked to financial targets but also to the earnings of other employees and the quality of service offered to customers.

Backing Argentina SPAIN’S Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that his government supports the renegotiation of Argentina’s $45 billion (€37 billion) debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) saying that the penalties damage Argentina’s economic and financial situation following a meeting with President Alberto Fernandez in Madrid.

20 - 26 May 2021

EWN 29

30 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 May 2021

FEATURE

Violence is never the answer

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT DELIGHTED to see the opening of the GB News channel is now imminent. Andrew Neil, who left the BBC under a cloud after his popular show was dropped by the BBC, is spearheading this new channel, which promises to appeal to the ‘broad, proportionate spectrum of everyday people’ and to broadcast its news content with impartiality rather than the ‘biased woke wonders at the anti‐British BBC.’ The channel will broadcast for 24 hours and is being received with great enthusiasm by the general public.

Thousands of Tweets have been posted; large numbers have accused the BBC of being out of touch with the larger portion of the British public. Others have pointed out that its reversed racism policies are so woke orientated it is driving the people to despair. Well I can’t wait either.

Sky news is no better. I see no reason why GB News shouldn’t take millions of viewers from both of these left wing leaning programmes. Let’s hope they will finally be able to overcome the bias and stifling of the freedom of speech, which has been gagging the true feelings and

NEW CHANNEL: Will appeal to everyday people. opinions of the British public far too long.

They could start with a fair assessment of the tragic Israeli Palestine conflict, which has once again erupted into open bloody warfare. I’m not going to go into the whole history, or indeed give any views on this border/state issue; it is much too complex and would take far too long.

What I have witnessed once again is the

utterly biased reporting from the BBC. Without doubt, were Israel not the possessors of their anti‐missile defences, the sheer numbers of rockets launched indiscriminately into the country by Hamas, would by now have killed or maimed thousands of their citizens. Israel retaliated to the first onslaught from Hamas, by firing back as discriminately as possible against an enemy that uses

mainly civilian areas to launch its attacks.

Without the protection of an anti‐ missile system, of course the Palestinians are receiving far higher numbers of casualties than the Israelis. The BBC has pounced on these figures, presenting a constant stream of biased propaganda to once again demonstrate the ‘unfair’ superiority of ‘bullying’ Israeli which is costing the lives of so many innocent

women and children in Palestine.

Almost every report that comes out shows the carnage and destruction being wrought on the Palestinian people. Far less reporting comes out of Israel and if it does it is often carefully vetted to show leading Israeli figures reiterating their intention to ‘wipe out the threat of Hamas’ altogether.

Well, let us all hope and pray the awful escalation of this conflict is reversed as quickly as possible and the tragic loss of civilian lives halted before too many more women and children give their lives to a cause which will NEVER be resolved by violence. Dialogue is the only way out of this awful bloody mire, but with the Arab population committed to the complete destruction of the state of Israel, frankly I don’t hold too much hope for any of that in the foreseeable future.

Keep the Faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland. Mon. Wed. Fri. 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.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 May 2021

EWN 31

IS ‘PAPER-GATE’ FINALLY PAPERED OVER? wanted Tory donors to pay for the refur‐ bishment of his flat, in return for what has yet to be disclosed while he’s been willing to spend billions of taxpayers’ money on vanity projects, a ‘Boris Island’ airport for London, a ‘garden bridge’ over the Thames, aircraft paint jobs and even a new royal yacht.

Then, of course, there’s his latest wheeze ‐ to link Scotland and Northern Ireland via a tunnel or a bridge...

Boris’s problem is that he’s a Marmite figure. You either love him or loathe him ‐ he’s either an election winner or spinner of tales. Take your pick.

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

WITH Boris Johnson reportedly preparing for a decade‐long premiership after the re‐ cent series of historic Tory victories in Labour’s former heartlands, voters seem to have forgiven him for ‘Paper‐gate’ and the questions asked about the ‘lavish spending’ on redecorating his Westmin‐ ster flat.

I don’t know where you stand on this, but it has certainly led to a war of words.

There are those who maintain the PM’s job is the most underpaid in the country given his relative accountabilities and responsi‐ bilities. And for someone who could earn more in other ways (writing etc) and has commitments based on that earning pow‐ er, it’s a real and challenging pay cut.

We should pay our PMs, they maintain, a salary commensurate with their responsi‐ bilities, and certainly more than head teachers and senior civil servants. And defi‐

MONEY WANTED: For childcare, wallpaper and an expensive sofa please. nitely more than BBC journalists.

On the other side of the argument are those who maintain Boris took the job knowing the salary (£157,372 or five times the average wage), since topped up with royalties from his books (reportedly amounting to about £25,000 since he be‐ came prime minister). Plus, he and his fi‐

ancée apparently own two houses which presumably could be sold if he were in dire straits.

But what annoys yet others is his alleged behaviour in ‘asking around’ for money for everything from childcare to wallpaper and an expensive sofa (with a toddler and a badly‐behaved dog in tow!). Reportedly, he

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.

6:15pm 7:00pm

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

6:15pm 7:00pm

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Some silly recommendations MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I’M back. I needed a break, not from being grumpy, just from everything that’s going on at the moment, especially the way governments, politicians and all the TV experts are making some very vulnerable people terrified to do anything. Stop brainwashing people!

Let me give you an example. I went to a funeral last week and, as funerals go, it was very unusual as everyone was to wear bright clothes and treat it as a celebration of the life of our friend. When we went inside there was seating for about 20 people and the rest of the pews had red and white tape criss-crossed over them. I was in my wheelchair so I was OK but there was a lady looking for somewhere to sit. So I said to her, sit there and she said, oh no I can’t, it’s got tape round it. So I said, yes it’s a bit of tape, move it, it’s not an electrified fence!

And guess what? She moved it and sat down. The point is how quickly we have become compliant to some very silly recommendations. What’s ridiculous is they have crammed 20 odd people into four pews and taped off the rest instead of having them all

open and spreading folks about.

Anyone been asked if they want the flu jab? I always get a message from my doctor telling me to come and get it but nothing this year. Only me? I’d love to know.

A couple of weeks ago I questioned the real use of Bitcoin and cyber-crime and hey ho this week in the USA, Colonial Pipeline Co paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers, contradicting earlier reports that the company had no intention of paying an extortion fee to help restore the country’s largest fuel pipeline.

The hefty ransom was paid in difficult-to-trace cryptocurrency hours after the attack, underscoring the immense pressure faced by the Georgia-based operator to get gasoline and jet fuel flowing again to major cities along the Eastern Seaboard. A person, familiar with the situation, said US government officials are aware that Colonial made the payment.

Once they received the payment, the hackers provided the operator with a decrypting tool to restore its disabled computer network. Apparently the tool was so slow that the company continued using its own backups to help restore the system. Did they waste $5m? The fact is if cryptocurrency didn’t exist this couldn’t happen.

See maybe this silly old fool does get the occasional thing right.

Email mikesenker@gmail.com

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

20 - 26 May 2021

EWN 33

34 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 May 2021

FEATURE

GO LOCAL

THE EUROWEEKLY NEWS is urg‐ ing its readers to support local businesses in the community by going local now that the lock‐ down has ended and for your all your shopping this year, instead of feeding online giants and su‐ perstores.

We challenge you to rediscover your local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen‐ dent businesses in your area.

Now that the Covid‐19 pan‐ demic appears to be under con‐ trol, it is a good idea to try and sup‐ port many local businesses by ordering online and making use of any click and collect services they can operate, especially if you are unable to get out due to health reasons or any other restrictions.

The joy of shopping local means that independent businesses can help support the local community.

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

tually going.

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

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

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

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

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

As people are struggling with fi‐ nances thinking about what friends and family may actually need is important too. Whilst it’s nice to give a glamourous gift per‐ haps pre‐paying a family mem‐ ber’s phone bill for the month would actually be a better gift.

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

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

First, buying local keeps money cir‐ culating within the local economy.

Studies have shown that local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro as they create locally owned supply chains and in‐

vest in their employees.

Data shows that local retailers return 52 per cent of their revenue back into the local economy, com‐ pared to just 14 per cent for na‐ tional chain retailers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

36 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

20 - 26 May 2021

FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Say goodbye to the sun tax and hello to cheaper electricity THE recent removal of Spain’s infa‐ mous ‘sun tax’ has paved the way for businesses and homeowners alike to generate their own electricity and make huge savings with solar PV pan‐ els.

Previously, the taxes levied on those who chose to generate their own solar energy, coupled with the cumbersome paperwork and legislation, made the use of solar PV panels a prohibitive op‐ tion.

Now that’s all changed and owners of both commercial and residential buildings are able to install solar roof panels and produce electricity without any additional taxes being imposed.

The changes even go a stage further, al‐ lowing consumers to be reimbursed for any surplus they generate.

But what does installing and using solar PV panels involve and what are the benefits? Martin Tye, CEO of Spain’s leading green energy company explains all.

“Solar PV panels are a fantastic in‐

SOLAR PANELS: Require very little maintenance.

ROOF PANELS: Are a fantastic long term investment. vestment as they result in massive cost savings, not just in the short term but in the long term too. Our solar PV pan‐ els come with a 20‐year fully compre‐ hensive guarantee so you have peace of mind that they will stand the test of time and continue to save you mon‐

ey,” Martin explained.

For those considering solar panels the first step is a survey of the roof, so that the design of the installation can be made.

“We use satellite technology that is so accurate we don’t actually need to

visit the property to conduct the survey.

This makes it a much more efficient process.”

Once designed and produced the Mariposa Energía team installs the roof panels and takes care of all the registra‐ tion paperwork. They also provide full maintenance support, although as Mar‐ tin explains, solar panels actually need very little maintenance.

“We take care of the entire process

and pride ourselves on excellent cus‐ tomer service, making it a smooth and easy process for anyone considering so‐ lar panels. As soon as the panels are in‐ stalled our customers see their energy bills dramatically reduce.”

And it’s not just money that the solar panels help to save. As a clean, green and completely renewable source of electricity, solar panels also help to save the future of our planet.

Reduce your costs and your energy bills with solar PV panels. Contact the friendly Mariposa Energía team today to find out more: call +34 951 120 830, email info@mariposaenergia.es or visit www. mariposaenergia.es

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IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK GO TO WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM FOR THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS

42 EWN

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20 - 26 May 2021

Munching in the Med LOVED the world over, the Mediterranean diet isn’t just delicious. It is a diet which has been proven to be beneficial for the heart, lowering cholesterol and even helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood

pressure.

Although the diet varies from region to region and country to country, it does share things in common.

In general, it contains a lot of fruits, vegetables, seeds, cereals and fish. And excludes a

lot of meat and dairy foods.

Don’t fret, however, if you don’t live along the Med. There are aspects of the Mediterranean diet you can incorporate into your cooking regardless of where you are.

Replace butter with healthy fats such as olive oil, and instead of salt flavour your food with herbs and spices. And reduce your intake of red meat, replacing it with lots of poultry and fish.

One of the wonderful surprises about the Mediterranean diet is that you can continue to enjoy your starchy foods, such as bread and pasta.

Nor do you have to decrease your intake of red wine, be it splashed in the pan for flavour or in the glass to accompany your favourite dish.

People who regularly enjoy a Mediterranean diet are said to have a longer life expectancy and stay in better shape.

So, make that extra effort in the kitchen, then sit back and reap the rewards under the sun.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Advertising Feature

Virtual dog walk rais DOG lovers have united with Specsavers Ópticas to help raise €1,325 through a virtual dog walk.

Hundreds of people took part in the charity event to support the important work of the ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs (FOPG). The charity breeds and trains guide dogs, so they can be placed free of charge with peo‐ ple who have severe visual im‐ pairment in the community, en‐ abling them to live the fullest lives possible.

Jorge Martínez de Lizarduy Araico from Specsavers Ópticas Benidorm, praised the public for their generosity and also thanked his colleagues across all nine Specsavers Ópticas stores for their efforts during the fundraising campaign.

“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in this fundraising

campaign and donated. This is a great step towards raising the €5,000 we have pledged to do‐ nate to FOPG at the end of the year. We will continue to collect

money in the stores for the rest of the year and would appreci‐ ate any donations in the collec‐ tion tins in our stores on the Cos‐ ta Blanca.

Specsavers Ópticas has stores in Calpe, Jávea, Torrevieja, Benidorm, Gua Specsavers Ópticas store and donate visit www.specsavers.es or visit

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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ses funds for charity RAISING FUNDS: For Guide Dogs.

“You can also donate online, please write SPEC in the box for your second surname so we can identify that it is part of our fundraising effort.”

The virtual dog walk took place between April 26 and May 2, to coincide with International Guide Dog Day (April 28). As part of the campaign, guide dog user

Daniel Lahitón explained why it is so important to be able to have his guide dog Gracie.

“They act as our eyes and give us so much independence,” he explained. “I would love it if many more people could have access to a guide dog, as it really has changed my life and I could‐ n’t live without her. Before I de‐ pended on my wife and my chil‐ dren so much, but now I am independent and I wish that many more people could have the same opportunity.”

Irene Garcia, Director of the ONCE Foundation in Fuengirola says that to breed, train and place a guide dog with some‐ one, it costs approximately €35,000. She was delighted to hear of the Specsavers Ópticas campaign and said that all con‐ tributions are welcome, as there is so much demand for guide dogs.

ardamar del Segura and La Zenia on the Costa Blanca. To find your nearest www.perrosguia.once.es to find out more about this fantastic charity.

20 - 26 May 2021

EWN 43

Bedroom entertainment FEELING drained isn’t the only consequence of failing to get a proper night’s kip.

Research has shown that sleep deprivation is linked to depression and bipolar disorder, among other things. So to keep your body’s natural sleep rhythm in harmony, incorporate these few suggestions into your bedtime routine.

For a start, stop staring at your mobile phone, or laptop in bed. In fact, get rid of them from your bedroom altogether, including the TV. Staring at the screen for endless hours will stop you from falling asleep, unless through sheer exhaustion.

This is because the screens on these devices emit a blue light that blocks the release of melatonin into your system, the very thing that tells your body to go to sleep.

In fact, research has suggested that it is best to switch off all electronic devices at least 90 minutes before going to bed.

However, if you simply can’t live without your bedtime fix then decrease the light on your

screen or use the night light option, if your device has one.

Create a routine as nighttime approaches which is conducive to sleep. Begin to darken your surroundings by dimming lights or using lamps around the house.

And why not entertain yourself by getting back into the habit of listening to the radio, reading a book or having a bath? Such pre-sleep habits will allow you to mentally unwind and prepare for a good night’s rest.

44 EWN

20 - 26 May 2021

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SOCIAL SCENE

Arts and Crafts Fair HOTEL MELIÃ VILLAITANA in Benidorm has added an authentic arts and crafts fair to their programme of cultural activities for the public in general: every Saturday afternoon a group of artisans will set up their stalls in the cen‐ tral square which is built like a typical Mediter‐ ranean village, to show and sell their work to guests and visitors from outside the resort.

Meliã Villaitana has asked the craft association Amata to organise the OIL PAINTINGS: Just one of the many stalls on offer. event, so that you can be sure that everything in the fair is hand‐ is near Terra Mítica. It counts with four made by the participants. To start with, and five star hotels, two golf courses, a there will be a dozen or so stalls, each spa, bars, restaurants, swimming pools one offering something different, which and sports accommodation. You can visit could be pottery or oil paintings, silver the fair every Saturday afternoon in May jewellery, embossed leather books and and June from 6pm till midnight (but bags, carved wood or beautiful glass ani‐ don’t forget the curfew!) and there is mals and jewellery, paper maché or plenty of free parking space near the bronze sculptures, hand‐made soft toys, fair. and lots more.

For more information about the fair Meliã Villaitana is situated in the y o u c a n p h o n e A m a t a ( t h e y s p e a k E n‐ Avenida Alcalde Eduardo Zaplana, which glish!) on 639 979 678.

SOCIAL SCENE

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Charity Day Fundraiser For Wheelchair-Bound Mum Of Three A CHARITY Fun Day is being held at Cafe Uno in Catral, Vega Baja, Alicante on Saturday, May 29, to raise money for a lift to be installed that will hopefully make life easier for Jodie, who is stranded in her apartment for almost 16 hours a day due to her disability.

Michael J Futter has agreed to have his lovely locks shaved off by local hair salon owner Paul Michael, while friend Jade Eastment will be attempting a 100km run - a Go-Fund-Me page has been set up for any donations here.

Thirty-three years old and mother to three wonderful children, Jodie lee Baxter has suffered epileptic fits since she was young and in 2018 had to be put into an induced coma when the seizures became worse.

Jodie had previously tried to obtain a bank loan for the stairlift, but was turned down as she is classed as a permanent invalid.

PAUL MICHAEL: Is shaving his head to raise funds.

JODIE: Wants to look after her family again.

“All she wants is to be able to look after her family again, get the children ready and take them to school without having to depend on everybody else,” explained Jade Danielle who organised the ‘Let’s help Jodie get her lift installed’ appeal.

“She does free translating to help people and raises money for charity. I know Jodie and she doesn’t like asking for help, but I’m asking for help so her life can return to some semblance of normality,” Jade said.

20 - 26 May 2021

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PETS Who’s looking after your pets this summer?

46

IT is worth remembering that if you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sitters. Per‐ haps you are already making plans for a staycation get away. Even if you are plan‐ ning just a short trip you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Mature pets may benefit from staying behind so they can follow their 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. 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 plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2021? Then get started right now.

How does it work?

HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual

SPONSORED BY

Choose sitters to suit your pets. fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets.

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

HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐ sitter while we were away in Canada and we

were delighted with the care and attention that HouseSitMatch took in helping us find the right person.

Ros Morris ‐ Dog owner How do you join?

Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com ‐ Choose a membership plan ‐ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on subscrip‐ tion to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with support at each step) = £89 pa

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

www.euroweeklynews.com • 20 - 26 May 2021

Advertising Feature

Why short-legged dogs have an increased risk of having a disc herniation PEOPLE think it is due to the long back, but the primary cause is a degeneration of the discs lying between the verte‐ brae. Not all short‐legged dogs have long spines. Dogs that suf‐ fer from intervertebral disc de‐ generation are chondrodys‐ trophic.

Dachshund, Basset Hound, Welsh Corgi, Coton de Tulear, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, English Bulldog, Pug, French Bulldog and Beagle are examples of chondrodystrophic breeds.

The discs consist of an outer ring, called ‘Annulus Fibrosus’ and a soft gelatinous core, called ‘Nucleus Pulposus’. The nucleus contains some molecules that are capable of attracting water and keeps it soft and elastic. In Chondrodistrophic breeds, the molecular composition of the nucleus changes and the water content drops. Its content be‐ comes calcified. The pressure exerted by this material causes

the fibres of the fibrous ring to break in its most dorsal part and allows the material to escape in‐ to the spinal canal, compressing the spinal cord.

The location of the spinal cord injury will affect the signs that the patient shows. Neck in‐ juries result in all four limbs be‐ ing affected. If the back is affect‐ ed, then only the hind limbs will be affected. Sometimes, one leg may be more affected than an‐ other. Signs can range from pain alone, to complete paralysis.

Radiographs are generally not accurate in confirming the diagnosis or the exact location of the disc extrusion/protrusion.

Rather, advanced imaging is re‐ quired. The CT scan could help to locate the disk herniation but Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very specialised imag‐ ing modality that is able to con‐ firm the location and severity of the disc extrusion/protrusion ac‐ curately.

In Costablanca Sur: Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante www.resonanciaveterinaria.es

Cooling down our feathered friends MANY of us have birds as pets but how can we best care for them when the sun is shining and the temperatures are soaring?

Heat stress, or heat prostration, is a serious problem during the summer months.

Birds have no sweat glands so cool themselves by rapid breathing with their mouths open or, by hold‐

ing their wings out slightly from their bodies. The underneath of a bird’s wing has no feathers and the main wing artery is located in that region. If a bird is running a fever or suffering from heat stress, this area will feel very hot to the touch.

If a bird is displaying the effects of heat stress, it needs to be cooled down with a gentle spray of water

or damping with a sponge under his wings, feet and beak. He should be taken immediately to a vet.

In mild cases of stress, or to cool a bird down, take a clean sponge and dip it in cool water squeezing onto the skin under each wing. Al‐ low the bird to drip dry in a cool, well‐ventilated area. Air movement is important to allow the bird to continue to cool down.

Birds kept in smaller cages love being sprayed using a fine hand mist of cool water. For large aviaries, installing a fogger to mist the entire area will have a massive cooling effect.

Birds require fresh water changed daily but on hot days the water can become warm. Birds won’t drink warm water so change the water a couple of times daily.

SERVICES

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AIR CONDITIONING

AIR CONDITIONING

BUILDERS

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EWN 47

BALUSTRADES

BLINDS

BOILERS

APPLIANCES REPAIRS

20 - 26 May 2021

AUCTIONS

ALARMS

INSURANCE

WINDOW TINTING

48 EWN

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20 - 26 May 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

GATES

SERVICES PAINTERS/DECORATORS

ELECTRICAL

GRILLS

DRAINS

PLUMBERS

CB PROPERTY CARE

Painters & Decorators

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Tel. : 965 709 846 608 686 283 Lawrence 691 919 306 Chris costablancapainting@gmail.com

SERVICES

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20 - 26 May 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

POOLS

POOL SERVICES

PLUMBERS

EWN 49

50 EWN

20 - 26 May 2021

REMOVALS & STORAGE

INSURANCE

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SERVICES

SERVICES

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ENERGY

INSURANCE

TV & SATELLITE

POOL MAINTENANCE

20 - 26 May 2021

EWN 51

CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECT

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

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

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

CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912

CARS WANTED

CHARITY

078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca. org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail.co m (95475)

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 w w w. g i v i n g l i g h t . c o m .

(10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various lodges meeting up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact Harry Palmer Membership Committee. Tel: 966 712 326 or email: 2palmers.quesa da@gmail.com (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope

52

de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja. com and also on Facebook.

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

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

To fund Welfare we raise money through the Wings Appeal. To find out more contact Chairman Tony at tony.elaine.cuenta@gmai l.com. For Welfare contact Andy on 0034 711 00 86 84. For general information on RAFA visit www.rafa.org.uk. .

(238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone

20 - 26 May 2021 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@ gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control.

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

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

(95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.secretary@rbl. community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664.

(10004) ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996. (95455) STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email strokesupport group@hotmail.com, website: torreviejastrokesup port.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473)

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.aca costablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461) THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information.

(253807)

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

GARDENING SERVICES DAVID THE TREE GUY Cutting, trimming & removal of trees. Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm areas.

722 652 173 (291904)

GENERAL SERVICES Man & Van, small removals, shopping/collections. Painting, Cleaning / Window Services available.

Santa Pola, Gran Alacant, El Altet & La Marina areas. No job too small. Affordable & reliable. Tel 711 073 074 (291953)

GOLD WANTED

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

Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)

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

698 320 434 (286558) For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

INSURANCE

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

(288085)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

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

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

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

MOTORING

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

SITUATIONS VACANT

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

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

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

BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@ beneficialinsuranceinspain.c om or visit www.benefi cialinsuranceinspain.com for online quote. (291458) STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygateinsure.com

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20 - 26 May 2021 PET CHARITY

SPAS AND JACUZZIS

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

Please call: 650 304 746.

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

500 animals awaiting rehoming. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spa ma.org and view our new blog at www.spamasafor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

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

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XXX RELAXATION Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section.

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54 EWN

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20 - 26 May 2021

MOTORING

Best-Selling 2nd-Hand Cars 10 Favourite Motorcycles SECOND-HAND cars in Spain appear to be recovering their usual sales tempo, although having said that, April sales are slightly down in relation to March, but in comparison to the corresponding period in 2019, it almost comparable, which is a very good sign in

the market considering we are just out of the State of Alarm.

The ratio of sales is 60‐40 in favour of diesel engines, and vehicles more than five years old are still the most sought‐ after, mainly for their more modest pricing.

According to data from coches.net, the top five best‐ selling models of second‐hand cars in Spain during April 2021 have been: • Renault Mégane (6,857 units sold and an average age of 12.9 years) • Volkswagen Golf (6,476 units sold and an average age of 14 years) • Seat Ibiza (5,771 units sold and an average age of 13.5 years) • Seat León (5,235 units sold and an average age of 10.1 years) • Ford Focus (5,149 units sold and an average age of 12.2 years) As shown by the figures, the average age of the most popu‐ lar best‐selling vehicles does not fall below 10 years old, a situation which the automo‐ bile industry is trying to change, by encouraging the public to instead buy cars less than five years old, to fall in line with the desire to cut pol‐ lution from vehicles, but, of course, a vehicle of five years of age is going to cost the con‐ sumer a lot more money.

J O S É M A R Í A R I A Ñ O , the Secretary‐General of the National Association of Companies of the Two‐ Wheel Sector (Anesdor), explaining data compiled by his company for the month of April 2021, re‐ vealed that a total of 17,019 light vehicles were registered, of which 14,517 units were motor‐ cycles, 1,672 mopeds, 268 tricycles, and 562 quadri‐ cycles.

According to Mr Riaño, “The data for the sector in April 2021 has been very close to that of 2019, figures that invite opti‐ mism. The impact of the pandemic continues to be a determining factor and whether in these circum‐ stances enrol‐ ments grow, we believe that when vaccination is completed and the situation normalis‐ es the market will be strengthened.”

Adding, “Citizens are showing that they are betting on the motorcycle both for their mobility and to enjoy their leisure time, and this is being translated into data favourable despite the complex social, economic, and health situation.”

The 10 best‐selling mo‐ torcycle models in April 2021 in the Spanish mar‐ ket, according to data from Anesdor were: 10. Honda X‐ADV regis‐ tering 225 units.

9. Sym Symphony 125 registering 257 units.

8. Yamaha XMAX 300 registering 284 units de‐ livered.

7. Kawasaki Z 900 with 295 units registered.

6. Honda Forza 125 reg‐ istered 295 units.

5. Honda SH 125I which registered 323 units.

4 . Ky m c o A g i l i t y C i t y 125 registered 431 regis‐ tered units.

3. Piaggio Liberty i‐Get ABS with 469 units regis‐ tered.

2. Honda PCX 125 with 503 units registered.

1. Yamaha NMAX 125 was the best‐selling motorcycle in Spain in the month of April 2021, with 718 units regis‐ tered.

All information as reported by laopionionde malaga.es.

TOP SELLER: The Yamaha NMAX 125.

MOTORING

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ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack FEW cars stick in the mind of someone who drives dozens each year; some better than others, and the original Ford Fo‐ cus was one of the few whose first drive is vividly recalled, from 1998. It was a game chang‐ er for anyone who enjoys the act of driving and has meant that every succeeding Focus has a lot to live up to, and rather stiffer competition. The good news is that the Focus is still a class leader in the fun factor league.

My test model, a (very) mildly sporty ST‐Line X Edition, pro‐ vides a slightly lower and firmer suspension but nothing extra under the bonnet, but

Very classy looking.

20 - 26 May 2021

Ford Focus ST-Line X Edition - a class leader in the fun factor league the Focus can still make the winding road home something to anticipate with relish.

Power comes from a 1.0‐litre EcoBoost, three‐cylinder tur‐ bocharged petrol engine with electric assistance, making it a mild hybrid. With 155PS ‐ there’s a lower powered 125PS ‐ the test car is priced at €31,217 (£27,160).

Give the car a gentle poke with the proverbial sharp stick and it will fairly gallop along, and it also feels lively and re‐ sponsive in corners, a lot like that now aged first of the line

from the last century, in fact. It passes the benchmark 62 mph in 9.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 131 mph. All this and a combined 52mpg.

The generous standard equip‐ ment list includes auto lights and wipers, auto dimming mir‐ rors, keyless entry and start, heated seats and steering wheel, power folding door mir‐ rors, heated windscreen, active cruise control, rear privacy glass, wireless charging, climate con‐ trol, navigation and Bluetooth and power adjustable driver seat.

On a more practical level, the newest Focus has found enough space in the back seat for

a couple of lanky adults to enjoy the ride and the boot is plenty big enough for family duties.

Ford has, thankfully, kept but‐ tons and knobs for features like adjusting the audio and heating

while giving the cabin a touch‐ screen feel elsewhere. It looks classy enough, if not something to give a Golf a sleepless night.

Classy styling highlights in‐ clude ST‐Line badging, smart al‐

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loy wheels, red brake calipers, a flat‐bottomed steering wheel, alloy pedals and red stitching on the upholstery and steering wheel. The ST‐Line offers a sporting look without the hard‐ er edge of the more perfor‐ mance versions and in the test car’s Desert Blue paint finish ‐ a €834 (£725) extra cost option ‐ looks very classy.

SPORT

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20 - 26 May 2021

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Zidane Leaves Real Madrid ZINEDINE ZIDANE has an‐ nounced that he will leave Spanish club Real Madrid at the end of this season, re‐ gardless of whether they fin‐ ish as LaLiga Santander champions or not.

Los Blancos currently trail city rivals Atletico by two points, with just two match‐ es left to play, so a slip up from Diego Simeone’s men in one of those last two games could let Real Madrid sneak in at the dying breath to steal a title that looked a certainty for Atletico when they were 11 points clear in January.

If Zidane can steer his team to a title win, he will become only the second Real Madrid coach to achieve the feat of successive titles since Leo Beenhacker, who won three leagues in a row be‐ tween 1987 and 1989.

He is also reportedly upset at the club’s lack of ambition to bring in big names like his fellow countryman, Kylian Mbappe from PSG, who he

CRUCIAL MATCHES

Luis Suarez made amends.

ZIDANE: Reportedly upset at the club’s lack of ambition. has long wanted them to sign.

His team has been deci‐ mated by injuries for most of the season, 60 injuries to be precise, which has not helped him, but even in that position he has still reached a European semi‐final and is one of only two teams left in

the fight for the Spanish league title.

Florentino Perez, the club’s president has been re‐ ported to be in favour of pro‐ moting their reserve team Castilla’s current coach, the club’s legendary player, Raul Gonzalez, to replace Zine‐ dine Zidane as head coach.

LALIGA SANTANDER will go down to the wire next weekend as both Madrid teams won on Sunday 15 May. Matchday 37 saw all the teams playing on the same day, with the same kickoff times, with Atletico Madrid at home to Osasuna, Real Madrid away to Athletic Club, and Barcelona at home to Celta.

Barcelona could only manage a 1‐1 draw at the Camp Nou, which now rules them completely out of the title race, but wins for both the Madrid clubs means the title now comes down to the results of next weekend, Matchday 38, the final round of matches this season, which in January looked a one‐ horse race when Atletico were 11 points clear.

Atletico went behind in the 76th minute when Ante Budimir headed home past Jan Oblak, who got his hand to the ball, but couldn’t stop it from going in‐

to the net. Just six minutes later, the scores were lev‐ elled when Renan Lodi slotted the ball home after cut‐ ting into the box from the left.

In the 89th minute, as tension built, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez made amends for several missed chances through the game as he fired home the win‐ ner to keep Atletico Madrid at the top of the table.

Real Madrid took until the 68th minute to go ahead in Bilbao, when a Casemiro cross was turned home by Nacho at the far post, with a nervy few minutes for Zinedine Zidane’s men as the goal was checked for a possible offside against Benzema.

However, Real Madrid clung on, to remain two points behind Diego Simeone’s city rivals, making next weekend’s matches crucial for both Madrid sides, with Real Madrid at home to Villarreal, and Atletico playing away at Valladolid.