Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 30 September - 6 October 2021 Issue 1891

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 30 - 33

30 Sept - 6 Oct 2021

The right road THE number of tourists visiting Cuevas del Almanzora tripled this summer.

July and August saw 80 per cent occupancy for the town’s tourist accommodation while more than 4,500 people made enquiries at Almanzora’s Tourist Information Office and the Tourist Information point in Villaricos.

“Despite the restrictions and limitations of the pandemic, summer 2021 has been really good,” said Cuevas mayor Antonio Fernandez Liria.

Hundreds of people were also introduced to the town’s historic and cultural heritage through dramatised and conducted tours, the mayor said.

This confirmed that the town hall’s tourism initiatives were bearing fruit and Cuevas del Almanzora was on the road to becoming a point of reference for intelligent, quality tourism.

COSTA DE ALMERIA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

RESIDENTS’ SUPPORT Photo credit: Almanzora Group of Friends

Issue No. 1891

News

The people’s paper

Turn to page 4 » IOM VISIT: Migration experts provide free legal advice on residency process.

FREE • GRATIS

Lighting up time MOJACAR’S lighthouse officially entered into service on the night of Wednesday September 22.

As its rotating lamp was turned on, the Garrucha installation it replaced went dark. The move was necessary as the neighbouring town’s lighthouse, built 140 years ago, is now dwarfed by buildings and is no longer easily visible to shipping during daylight.

The new lighthouse’s lamp, which can be seen from a distance of 24 sea miles (44.4 kilometres), stands at the municipality’s highest point on the northern side of the Cerro del Moro Manco hill in Mojacar’s Marina de la Torre area.

The €280,000 installation was carried out by the Almeria Ports Authority (APA) and financed by the Inter-port Compensation Fund.

As the Mojacar beacon was switched on, Mojacar’s mayor Rosa Maria Cano emphasised the new location’s importance.

“This puts Mojacar on navigation maps throughout the world,” she declared, while adding that the lighthouse would be a further attraction for tourists and visitors to the municipality.

The now inoperative Garrucha lighthouse is not destined to disappear, revealed the APA’s president Jesus Caicedo.

“Together with Garrucha Town Hall and mayor, we shall look for alternative uses for the building,” he said.

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

WATER-SKIING: Anything is possible at this year’s Wake-camp.

NEWS

Sitwake returns to Spain THE SitwakeCrew, B‐Life and Cuevas del Almanzora Lunar Cable Park host the second Wake‐camp between October 4 and 8.

During this time Cuevas will establish itself as the Sitwake capital of Spain, welcoming par‐

ticipants from Spain, Poland, France, Belgium, Germany and Finland who are eager to enjoy the Lunar Cable Park facilities for water‐skiing and other water sports. The SitwakeCrew was created by Olivier Forgerit and Jari Nieminen to promote and develop Sitwake among people who are physically disabled due to an accident or illness.

Olivier and Jari want to share

the wonderful experience of sport with people who live, or have lived, through the same or‐ deal.

B‐Life was founded by four friends linked to sport and na‐ ture who did not agree with the way adaptive sports were being treated. Instead, they decided to do it their own way, without distinctions or limits of any kind.

This second Sitwake event is

not to be missed but there are only a few places left and fur‐ ther information and registra‐ tion are available on the https://asociacionblife.org/2021 /07/19/october‐shred‐wake‐ camp/ website.

To learn more about both as‐ sociations visit the @Sitwake Crew Facebook page and the www.asociacionblife.org web‐ site.

James (Jim) Lyford Franklin October 18, 1934 - August 11, 2021 JIM FRANKLIN died peacefully at home in his beloved Bedar on August 11.

As a small boy Jim was passionate about film, drawing cartoons (mostly Mickey Mouse) and filming them on an antiquated camera. At school he was frequently told that he would amount to nothing, but became a successful BBC producer.

Aged 18, Jim did his National Service in the RAF where he spent most of his time under‐ ground in a telephone exchange, writing scripts. National Service completed, he was determined to join the BBC, prepared to sweep floors if necessary.

Instead, his first job there was as a Light En‐ tertainment director, going on to receive a BAFTA for his work on Michael Palin’s Ripping Yarns and helping to win a Silver Rose of Mon‐ treux. Film editing then was physically lengthy and laborious but Jim mastered it, making The Goodies ride their triple tandem down a verti‐ cal cliff face and across a beach in a continuous shot.

Jim and Janet met and fell in love at a local theatre group, marrying in 1964. After 32

Photo credit: Bill White

Photo credit: Olivier Forgerit

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JIM FRANKLIN: Died peacefully in Bedar on August 11.

years Jim took early retirement from the BBC and he and Janet discovered Bedar, their home for the next 29 years.

Sadly, dementia took hold three or four years ago, but Jim was still very happy and ac‐ companied by Janet would sit in the PAWS‐ PATAS Turre outlet, watching the world go by.

Typically, he made conquests among the la‐ dy shoppers who regularly chatted to him and referred to him as their boyfriend.

A gentleman to the end, Jim will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

NEWS

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NIBS EXTRA Free charges ROQUETAS’ three free charging stations for electric vehicles were used approximately 1,200 times by 300 drivers between May and the end of August, half of whom were from outside the province. These encouraging figures demonstrated that the public was increasingly choosing sustainable, environmentally-friendly transport, said Roquetas Town Hall.

Major gripes ENERGY companies, mobile phones and bank commissions are Almeria Province residents’ biggest bugbears, the UCA consumers’ association revealed. There were fewer complaints about mortgages and house purchase contracts, while restricted mobility during the pandemic reduced problems for the travel sector although UCA predicted that these would gradually increase.

Fine threat HUERCAL-OVERA’S Local Police force has launched a campaign against fly-tipping and officers have already written out the first fines for residents who persist in dumping unwanted rubbish of any type on public or privately-owned.

Fines range from €700 for minor transgressions to €3,000 for a serious offence.

Jobs safe SPAIN’S postal service, Correos, announced that it will not dismiss staff currently assigned to logistics and handsorting at its Almeria City mail handling centre. Once all of the province’s logistics processes have been moved to Granada, the Almeria employees will carry out other duties at different local offices.

Recycle plan THE Green Week campaign is planting a tree for every kilo of small electrical goods handed in for recycling. Currently in Almeria City for the fourth consecutive year, the Ecolec Foundation has installed a container and collection point for unwanted items in Plaza del Educador until today, Thursday September 30.

THE Indalo Players were re‐ cently pleased to announce their first meeting for some time.

“It was so good to see and hear from members old and new,” Indalo member Bill White told the Euro Weekly News afterwards.

Everybody had a great time reading the latest murder mystery, Murder in the Pan‐ to, another original play writ‐ ten by Bill.

This was taken from an idea by fellow member Jane Jordan Read and tells the sto‐ ry of a dreadful murder com‐ mitted during the pan‐ tomime, Jack and the Beanstalk.

Of course, as in all Indalo

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

Murder in the Panto Photo credit: Bill White

PLAY-READING: Indalo Players enjoy their introduction to Murder in the Panto.

Players’ productions and especially as this is set in a panto, there will be lots of humour, song and colour to cheer up a chilly winter

Taps run dry ANDREA LOWE, a Euro Weekly News reader, recently contact‐ ed us about Velez Rubio’s ongoing water situation.

Andrea lives in a rural area where the water supply has been intermittent throughout the summer. Her last quarterly water bill was €11 compared with an average €25, revealing how lit‐ tle had flowed from the taps.

As we spoke last week, the water was off yet again.

“I’m used to it,” a resigned Andrea said.

A water butt provides water for the loo while a water cooler and bottled water are there for drinking or cooking, but she and her family are denied the pleasure of showering whenever they choose. Earlier this month when Andrea and her neigh‐ bours were without water for 10 days, the town hall delivered tankers of water to their deposit. But, as Andrea pointed out, the town hall’s suggestion that residents installed individual de‐ posits and pumps is self‐defeating. Not everyone can afford one and taps would soon run dry in houses without them, es‐ pecially those furthest from the deposit. Frustratingly, the town hall received the go‐ahead for an infrastructure solution from the Diputacion and the Junta some time ago.

Inexplicably, it was taken no further and with the problem unsolved, Andrea and her neighbours never know what will happen they next time they turn on a tap.

Work-related hazard EMPLOYEES of FCC Medioam‐ biente do not receive a warm welcome when collecting re‐ cycling containers in Almeria City’s Calle Araez Pacheco.

Lorry drivers told the CSIF trade union and the FCC works committee that when collecting the containers and paper recycling bins they have received “multiple” attacks in recent months.

“An alleged aggressor throws glass bottles from an apartment block in this

street,” CSIF sources told the local media. “On one occasion he or she even threw an elec‐ tric toaster.”

Police are now investigating the attacks that only occur when a driver climbs down from the cabin.

The 145 drivers admit that they are afraid to carry out their work, said the CSIF sources, calling on FCC to guarantee safety measures and protection for the em‐ ployees.

evening.

“We hope to stage a few performances before Christ‐ mas but much depends on future restrictions, so watch

this space,” Bill said.

Casting for the play will take place at some time dur‐ ing the next couple of weeks, he added.

“If you want to act up and have fun or if you are happy helping backstage with scenery, props and wardrobe, then come and join the Indalo Players,” he said.

For more information about the group, contact Bill at williamwhite9552@ aol.com or on his mobile, 671 810 819.

Golfers raise funds for Food Bank TAVERNERS GOLF SOCIETY, who play out of Arboleas, recently held a three‐day tour in Alcazares in the Mar Menor (Murcia).

The 52 golfers and their wives included Jim Purches and Tony Rook, who found‐ ed the society 18 years ago.

Whilst there, a raffle was held in aid of the Arboleas Food Bank, raising €600 thanks to prizes donated by local businesses and bars as well as anonymous contri‐ butions.

The society’s captain, John Evans and president Tony Rook, later applauded all the members for their generosity.

Fix needed MIGUEL ANGEL CASTEL‐ LON, an MP for Almeria in the central parliament in Madrid, intends to call on the government to carry out comprehensive repairs to the A‐7 in the Levante area.

The surface on the Ni‐ jar‐Huercal‐Overa sec‐ tion is badly deteriorat‐ ed and inadequate for a motorway, the MP ar‐ gued.

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The numerous prizes in‐ cluded an overnight stay for two, which was donat‐ ed by Hotel Costa Narejos and won by Mr and Mrs Jackson.

The Golf Society’s com‐ mittee members spent ev‐ ery euro of the money raised on supplies at local supermarkets. This includ‐ ed the basic needs that are usually taken for granted including rice, pasta, puls‐ es, washing powder, milk, hand soap, biscuits, tooth paste and much more.

Committee members were “well pleased” to see the Food Bank so well run, especially its distribution system, they said after‐ wards.

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Osaia’s on her way OSAIA REDING, the 17‐year‐old Mojacar international kite‐ surfer has added an‐ other championship to her collection.

Osaia stopped off briefly in her home town after winning France’s freestyle Kitesurf Champi‐ onship, a classifying heat for the world championships.

She explained that she was bound for Tarifa (Cadiz) and the World Youth Club, the second ‐ and definitive ‐ com‐ petition for the world championship which Osaia hopes to win for the third consecutive year.

Mojacar Town Hall is one of Osaia’s sponsors and Sports councillor Francisco Garcia presented her with t‐shirts bearing the town’s sports lo‐ go while pledging support from all the local population.

Isaia’s next goal is the Spanish junior championships next year, with the prospect of taking part in the adult cat‐ egory in two years’ time and, she hopes, representing Spain in the 2024 Olympics.

and finally...

AN Almeria heroine. Captain Maria Jesus Perez De Zafra Vargas was the only female pilot involved in Spain’s Kabul evacuation operation in August.

Roquetas‐born Maria Jesus, who pilots an Airbus A400M, is one of the few women possessing a licence for this type of military transport aircraft, twice the size of the Hercules 130s that were withdrawn earlier this year.

Talking to the Spanish media Maria Jesus, who studied architecture before joining the Air Force, admitted that she was not entirely satisfied with the Afghanistan mis‐ sion.

“There were thousands who could not leave the coun‐ try,” she lamented.

But more than half of those who escaped were wom‐ en and children, Maria Jesus said.

“As a woman, I feel proud to have taken part in the op‐ eration in that respect,” she declared.

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from Front page »

Advice on residency applications FRANCINE CARTER VENNIN, Foreign Af‐ fairs councillor at Albox Town Hall, con‐ tacted the Almanzora Group of Friends in March this year.

She asked if the group could provide a venue for the International Organisa‐ tion for Migration (IOM).

The IOM has been funded by the UK government to provide assistance with the residency process for UK Nationals living in Spain. As part of this campaign, the IOM has been providing practical support, both in‐person and online, to help individuals to complete applica‐ tions, where access to information is limited and application processes can be complex.

“We were happy to assist,” said the Group’s president, Shelagh Murdoch Copeland.

“Several times this year, the IOM’s le‐ gal advisor has visited our centre in Al‐ box to provide in‐person residency sup‐

port to UK nationals.”

They provided free legal advice about the residency process and the TIE, helped applicants to complete the nec‐ essary forms and made appointments in Almeria for these to be processed.

Their help was much appreciated, She‐ lagh said.

The IOM’s legal advisor is returning to Almanzora Group of Friends’ Albox centre to assist others on October 14 and 15.

To make an appointment email UK nationalsSP@iom.int putting Albox Ap‐ pointment as the email subject.

In the meantime, anybody who is having difficulties completing their resi‐ dency paperwork can contact the IOM on the following email uknationalssp@iom.int or telephone (0034) 648 642 543. The line is open Monday to Thursday, from 3.30pm to 5pm.

NEWS

Low police numbers blamed THE Jucil union said that a lack of officers is encouraging people traffickers to bring immigrants to Almeria, and the general secretary, Ernesto Vilariño, says that this is due to the lack of funding for the Guardia Civil and a deficit of 300 officers.

Jucil communications secretary, Agustin Leal, spoke about the problem posed by il‐ legal immigration, pointing out that throughout 2020, 417 boats arrived in Almeria and this year there are already “more than 400.”

He added that of the around 7,000 immi‐ grants which arrive on the Andalucian coast, almost 5,000 land in Almeria.

He also claimed that a lack of facilities forced immigrants arriving in Spain into

ALMERIA: Problems with illegal immigration.

crowded centres without food and water.

He said: “All the routes from the Sahel and Maghreb that used to go to Italy now do so to Spain.”

The official is now asking the Spanish gov‐ ernment for more money and better facili‐ ties to tackle immigration to Almeria.

EU universal phone charger THE EU has proposed a common charger for electronic devices, to the annoyance of Apple. They claim the move will cut down on waste and make life simpler for consumers.

Apple, which compels users to buy a unique charger for their devices, has hit back. The Silicon Valley giant claimed the proposal will deter innovation.

However, the EU is pressing ahead and expects Apple to change its charging sys-

tems by 2024.

“Years of working with the industry on a voluntary approach already brought down the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to three within the last decade, but could not deliver a complete solution. The Commission is now putting forward legislation to establish a common charging solution for all relevant devices,” the EU said on September 23.

A political alliance THE centre‐right Partido Popular (PP) president of Andalu‐ cia, Juanma Moreno, and his socialist counterpart in Valen‐ cia, Ximo Puig have formed an unlikely political alliance to secure regional financing reform. Both autonomous com‐ munities claim they are missing out on billions in funding from the national government.

The current system, Moreno says, is short‐changing An‐ dalucia millions every day and has led to a cumulative debt of more than €10 billion. He met with Puig, a member of PSOE, at the Palacio de San Telmo on September 21. The move surprised observers as Spain’s political environment becomes more fraught ahead of regional elections due to be held next year. At the meeting, Moreno and Puig signed an institutional declaration calling for a new regional financing model, which demands the government distribute funds by population.

Their campaign for reform also has the backing of Murcia and Moreno hopes to get the Basque Country and others onside. While Madrid has yet to jump fully on board, a spokesperson for Diaz Ayuso, a leading contender to replace Pablo Casado, the current leader of the PP, confirmed she approves of the reform effort.

The Commission is proposing a harmonised charging port for electronic devices, with the USB-C as the common port.

This will allow consumers to charge their devices with the same charger, regardless of the brand.

English abandoned BILINGUAL schools in Spain are abandoning En‐ glish and 90 public schools in Spain have decided to re‐ turn to teaching in Spanish.

The schools have said that the “Students don’t think; they only memorise.”

The Junta de Castilla y León created a bilingual pro‐ gramme in 2007 and the Antonio Allué Morer school was one of the first to join.

Headteacher Enar Rubio ex‐ plained that it was an ex‐ traordinary opportunity at the time, but it has not worked out well.

The children found sub‐ jects such as science and his‐ tory too much for them when taught in English. Stu‐ dents have struggled to un‐ derstand the lessons. This means that the students stopped learning and mem‐ orised facts instead.

NEWS

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

Readers’ poll

Spain’s economy improving

THE Euro Weekly News asked its readers whether they thought Spain’s economy was improving following the pan‐ demic after it emerged that ex‐ ports from the country had in‐ creased by 20 per cent.

In total, an encouraging 100 per cent of readers said they thought businesses were start‐ ing to look busier again after many were forced to close dur‐ ing pandemic restrictions last year.

Spain’s government has since being trying to reinvigo‐ rate the economy and it has emerged that exports from the country grew by 21.7 per cent in the first half of 2021 com‐ pared to the same period last year.

Exports reached €179.529 billion, while imports also rose by 20.1 per cent to €186.524 billion.

In July, Spanish exports in‐ creased by 13.6 percent over the same month in 2020, reaching €26.568 billion, a record high for the month of Ju‐ ly. Imports rose by 18.9 per cent year‐on‐year to €28.165 billion.

Of the main trading partners, the increases in sales to Italy, France and Portugal stand out.

Compared to pre‐pandemic levels, the rate of change re‐ mains positive, with exports up 5.1 per cent compared to July 2019.

The increase in exports in

Lidl investing LIDL, the popular Ger‐ man discount supermar‐ ket chain, has announced that it will invest €1.5 bil‐ lion in Spain between 2021 and 2024.

The supermarket chain, which currently has more than 17,000 employees and 630 shops across Spain, is planning to open over 150 new locations and four logistics hubs by 2024.

“This ambitious expan‐ sion plan responds to our firm determination to continue boosting our business in Spain,” Imanol Zabala, manager of Lidl Expansion & Real Estate in Spain, said in a statement.

BUSINESS: Is starting to look busier again after the pandemic.

Spain in July even outstripped the UK’s increase at 7.7 per cent, as well as Germany at 12.4 per cent and France’s at 8.5 per cent.

The main positive contribu‐

tions to the annual rate of change in exports came from energy, non‐chemical semi‐ manufactures, chemicals and food drink and tobacco prod‐ ucts.

and finally...

A COUPLE has decided against having children so that they can pamper their pet pooches with £20k worth of luxuries. Claire Kelly Johnston and husband Stuart from Scotland have three pampered pooches named Cup‐ cake, Teddybear and Popcorn, and they each get £60 worth of new clothes every week, alongside also being treated to bacon and sausages on the weekends.

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Cadet death accusation THE Unified Association of the Spanish Military (AUME) have accused the Ministry of Defence of denying them information surrounding various events including the death of a cadet. The 22‐year‐old is re‐ ported to have died of heat stroke at the Zaragoza Mili‐ tary Academy.

The AUME have claimed that the Ministry has reject‐ ed requests for the informa‐ tion to be communicated di‐ rectly or made available to military personnel, and those who look after the rights of military personnel.

The AUME said: “Silencing the professional associations and withholding information from the military constitutes the ministry’s choice of a perverse path, which could lead to obfuscation already experienced in the past un‐ der a dictatorial regime.”

Earlier this month the AUME demanded an investi‐ gation into the cadet’s death. They also announced that they are prepared to

take legal action to ensure that the death is investigated thoroughly. They also want

information from any inves‐ tigation to be made available to the cadet’s family.

Netflix continues filming A PRODUCTION compa‐ ny has spent days in Sevilla filming scenes from ‘If only I had known’, starring Megan Montaner, a Netflix se‐ ries that was banned in Turkey for including a gay character.

The filming of the se‐ ries began at the end of July and until last week it was possible to see the

film crew deployed in the capital.

Scenes have been recorded in Triana, in the Murillo Gardens, and in different streets across the city. In total, the film crew are spending al‐ most a month in Sevilla where, previously, the Boomerang production company had searched for suitable locations.

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Evictions down Alicante solar commitment EVICTIONS in Spain are down 21 per cent on 2019, but they are at their highest level since the ban on evicting vul‐ nerable people was introduced by the government.

Despite the fact the number of evictions have fallen, the num‐ ber of applications for repossessions which are being filed before the courts has reached a four‐year high.

The Spanish govern‐ ment brought in social protection measures after the coronavirus pandemic began to re‐ duce evictions and protect the vulnera‐ ble. The number of evictions grew as nor‐ mality returned. This number is still below

Repossession filings are high.

t h a t recorded before the coronavirus pan‐ demic began.

According to the q u a r t e r l y r e p o r t , Ef ‐ fects of the Economic Crisis in Judicial Bod‐ ies, from the General Council of the Judicia‐ r y ( CG P J ) , p u b l i s h e d this week, between April and June this year over 11,000 evic‐ tions were carried out. This is 21 per cent less than the same period in 2019.

The majority of evic‐ tions were due to non‐payment of rent.

The social and eco‐ nomic protection measures the Spanish government put in place in April 2020 has helped keep the number of evictions low.

ALICANTE has committed to energy self-sufficiency with plans for a 2.45 megawatt solar plant.

The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, announced plans for the future development of a solar plant capable of providing 2.45 megawatts. The solar plant has been included in the 2022 budget and will increase energy self-sufficiency dramatically.

The council has also reviewed 14 projects worth €104 million, which are part of the integral plan for the reuse of treated water. According to the council: “The solar farm will enable the generation of renewable energy on a six-hectare plot of land owned by the company. At the drafting stage, it is a 2.45 MWp photovoltaic solar plant, with a generation capacity of 5 GWh/ year, an energy self-sufficiency of 18 per cent and an estimated useful life of 30-40 years.”

Barcala commented on the importance of protecting the environment and the use of renewable energy. He explained: “This project, along with others,

Plans for a solar plant.

demonstrates Aguas de Alicante’s firm commitment to renewable energies and the preservation of the planet.

“It is important to take steps to achieve energy self-sufficiency by promoting photovoltaic installations, while at the same time developing projects for the integral reuse of treated water and zero discharge into the sea, which will improve the irrigation of agricultural fields and green areas and also the quality of coastal waters.”

King’s La Palma message THE island of La Palma will face struggles, but King Felipe said he believes the island will rebound. Speaking after a tour of the disaster area with Queen Letizia and President Pedro Sanchez, King Felipe said he had been deeply moved by the struggle of the island’s residents.

Lava from the Cumbre Viejo has destroyed hundreds of homes and hundreds of hectares of farmland. The King expressed his “solidarity and affection” to the inhabitants of

this “beautiful island.” He added, “We have to do everything in our power to help these families, it will cost a lot to return to normality, but La Palma will succeed.”

The King and Queen visited El Fuerte barracks, which is acting as temporary housing for people who have been evacuated from their homes. They also visited Todoque. Their itinerary concluded in Los Llanos de Aridane, where they met with residents of La Palma who have lost their homes.

US praise for minimum wage LABOUR Secretary Martin J Walsh has praised Spain’s new minimum wage and the role of unions.

Minister for Labour Yolanda Diaz and US Labour Secretary Martin J Walsh have held a bilateral video conference. In it Walsh praised Spain’s new mini‐ mum wage which Diaz, de‐ spite opposition, increased by €15 per month. Labour Secretary Walsh said the minimum wage means “more participation, more consumption, more money in people’s pockets. It is a moral obligation to do so.”

Walsh is a former union

STATS

leader and was mayor of Boston. He was appointed to President Joe Biden’s cabinet in March 2021 and was the last departmental secretary to join.

Diaz and Walsh have pledged to continue to work jointly on “decent wages, fair working conditions, greater security and health at work and equality and non‐discrimination, ele‐ ments.”

Walsh described the ef‐ fort as “inseparable from quality employment and es‐ sential to improve the social welfare of both countries.”

Both Walsh and Diaz,

$872 million

NEWS

Tourism jobs growth EMPLOYMENT in the Spanish tourism sector continues to recover with almost 100,000 new em‐ ployees in August com‐ pared to the same month last year.

Jobs in the tourism sector grew by 4 per cent year‐on‐ year in August to 2,336,501 employees, 91,405 more than a year ago. This is the third consecutive month that this year‐on‐year growth has been recorded, according to data published

by Turespana.

Employment in the tourism sector accounts for 12.3 per cent of all workers in Spain.

The Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said: “The data is positive, and shows the trend of recovery in tourism employment has been con‐ solidated in August with higher growth.

“Despite this improve‐ ment, it is still necessary to extend the safety shield provided in sectors whose activity has not yet nor‐ malised due to the slow re‐ covery of international mo‐ bility, as is the case of tourism,” she added.

In August, employment in hotels and catering, and travel agencies/tour opera‐ tors as a whole increased in almost all Autonomous Communities, with the ex‐ ception of the Canary Is‐ lands, the Community of Madrid, the Basque Coun‐ try and La Rioja.

In absolute figures, the largest increases were in the Balearic Islands (+19,716 new registrations), Andalucia (+18,956), Catalo‐ nia (+11,100) and Valencia (10,839). who is a member of the left‐ wing Podemos party ‐ a key element of the coalition government ‐ reiterated their shared belief that unions play a vital role in representing the interests of workers.

Cars.com is the highest selling domain name ever recorded. It went for a whopping $872 million.

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NEWS

Readers’ poll

Readers revolt over squatters

THE Euro Weekly News’ readers have come out strongly in favour of Spain changing its laws to make it easier for homeowners to remove illegal squatters.

In its Sunday de‐ bate, the EWN asked readers whether they thought Spain should change its laws following an increase in squatting and with homes illegally oc‐ cupied across the country.

A majority of 94.3 per cent of readers said that Spain should, with the is‐ sue sparking an impas‐ sioned debate as well as some horror stories from those whose own homes had been illegally occupied.

Just 5.7 per cent of people said the laws did not need

that don’t have through tax, they have earned the right for the law to support them not work against them.”

Several read‐ Remove illegal squatters. ers also shared their own sto‐ changing. ries of dealing Claire Murray said: “If it’s with squatters, angry at the not your house and you time and costs involved in have no contract to stay removing them. there, then of course they David Varely said: “Hav‐ should throw them out.” ing experienced squatters Meanwhile, David Stead in my home here in Spain said: “The law should be for three years, yes they made easier for property should change the law. owners to reclaim their “If squatters have no property from people who contract or escitura then have no right to be depriv‐ get them out. It has cost ing them of it. me a lot of money through “Those that have and the courts and I am still have worked for it al‐ paying to repair the dam‐ ready subsidise those age.”

Card charge question

CAN an establishment refuse to charge you by card in Spain?

The latest ‘National Survey on the Use of Cash 2020’ carried out by the Bank of Spain shows card payments are the pre‐ ferred means of payment in the country.

At the moment more than half of all pay‐ ments are made by card. According to da‐ ta from Visa, 84 per cent of consumers don’t leave home without their bank card.

Many establishments in Spain though do not accept cards for payments. Some places do accept cards, but only above a minimum purchase amount, this is often

set at €5 or €10.

This is because banks charge businesses for using card payments. For a small busi‐ ness this can prove to be expensive. But many people question whether it is legal to refuse card payments.

According to Yahoo Finance: “With the law in hand, it can be said that any com‐ mercial establishment is completely free to decide whether to accept a means of payment other than cash.

It is therefore legal to refuse to charge by card or to impose a minimum amount for accepting this form of payment.”

Bird protection threat THE EU is threatening legal action against Spain for failing to protect birds in Andalucia.

The EU Commission has called on Spain to fulfil its obligations under the Birds Directive, the Habitats Di‐ rective and a previous rul‐ ing of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

In November 2016, the Court of Justice of the Euro‐ pean Union ruled that Spain had failed to take ap‐ propriate steps to avoid the deterioration of natural habitats and the distur‐ bance of protected bird

species caused by the con‐ struction of a railway line crossing through the special protection area of Camp‐ inas de Sevilla in Andalucia.

Spain said it identified a number of mitigation and compensation measures to

offset the damage caused and implement the Court judgement.

However, almost five years after the judgement, Spain has not yet fully im‐ plemented those mea‐ sures.

and finally...

ASTRAZENECA has announced plans to build an ad‐ vanced manufacturing facility in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland, at a cost of €306 million creating up to 100 jobs and more indirect supply jobs.

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EU fish warning

THE EU has warned Spain and France that they are not doing enough to stop the wasteful practice of discarding fish.

Known as the landing obligation, a commitment was introduced during the last reform of the common fisheries policy in 2013 to end the wasteful and unsustainable practice of discarding, when unwanted catches are returned to the sea.

Spain and France are also accused of failing to ensure the control and enforcement of the obligation that all catches of species subject to catch limits and, in the Mediterranean, species subject to minimum sizes, are brought and retained on board fishing vessels and then recorded, landed and counted against quotas, where applicable.

“Effective control and enforcement of fishing activities at sea and the accurate recording of catches and discarded quantities are essential for the implementation of the landing obligation and for supporting the long-term sustainability objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy. It is also important in order to prevent, deter and eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing,” the EU said on September 23.

Spain and France have two months to address the shortcomings.

NEWS

Sustainable economic recovery Video doctor detained

MINISTER for Labour, Yolanda “We are aiming for an incluDiaz has called for an inclusive sive and sustainable recovery in and sustainable ecomomic rewhich young people and womcovery. en play a key role and leave beSpeaking at the Inter-Amerihind the precariousness to can Conference of Ministers of which they have been subjectLabour of the Organisation of ed,” she said.

American States (OAS), Diaz “Consensus with social partsaid the only path to a sustainners has allowed Spain to make able economic revcovery must progress in social and economic DIAZ: We must support it. include decent and quality empolicy. In times of crisis, social diployment. She decribed how the socio-econom- alogue results in responsible, effective and lastic crisis caused by Covid-19 hit the most vulnera- ing solutions. We want to and must continue to ble in society, young people and women. support it,” she added.

Covid denier birth

A PREGNANT Covid denier turned up at a hospital in Va‐ lencia accompanied by her lawyer. The woman did not want to wear a mask and did not want to undergo a PCR test. Staff at the Hospital La Fe in Valencia had to don PPE equipment and activate the anti‐Covid protocols.

The woman was isolated and treated as if she had Covid because she would not be tested or wear a mask.

The case was delicate as the

woman admitted being a Covid denier. She denied all the health protocols put in place due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The woman was isolated to avoid potentially passing the coronavirus on to other people. She successfully gave

STATS

1968

birth, but she has now de‐ nounced the hospital for treating her in a degrading manner.

The hospital and the staff were forced to protect them‐ selves as the woman does be‐ lieve that the coronavirus ex‐ ists.

In 1968, McDonald’s introduced The Big Mac and hot apple pie.

A DOCTOR was detained for se‐ cretly recording patients’ body parts in Sevilla. The doctor left his mobile phone in his shirt pocket and recorded patients without their knowledge.

Officers from the Guardia Civil in Sevilla’s Osuna arrested the 64‐ year‐old doctor after a patient claimed that he had videotaped her during an examination. The doctor has already been imprisoned. He used his mobile phone to record images of body parts including breasts, buttocks and other even more sensitive areas.

It is thought the doctor could have recorded over 100 victims dur‐ ing the last two years. Police offi‐ cers carried out five searches in Es‐ tepa, Moron de la Frontera, Badolatosa and Sevilla City. They discovered a video on the mobile phone that should prove the com‐ plaint made by the woman as well as a spy pen, several laptops and various storage devices.

The doctor recorded patients on home visits as well as at his surgery.

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Divers’ gold discovery TWO free divers discovered gold coins dating from the fourth and fifth centuries in what is said to be one of the largest hauls of Roman gold coins in Europe.

The divers initially discov‐ ered eight coins. This led to the retrieval of 53 gold coins from the seabed of the Por‐ titxol de Xabia in Alicante, ac‐ cording to the University of Alicante.

The gold coins have been analysed by scientists from the Institute for Research in Archaeology and Historical Heritage at Alicante Universi‐ ty (INAPH). They dated the coins to the late Roman peri‐ od. Specifically, the coins have been dated between the end of the fourth and the start of the fifth century.

The coins are so well pre‐ served that their inscriptions can even be read. This has al‐ lowed them to be identified.

The divers, Luis Lens and Ce‐

Coins were on the seabed.

sar Gimeno, made the initial discovery, which set in progress the mechanism set out by the General Direc‐ torate of Culture and Her‐ itage for discoveries like this.

Archaeologists from the UA and the GEAS of the Guardia Civil, retrieved the rest of the coins and other artefacts with help from the town council of Xabia.

The head of the UA team of underwater archaeolo‐ gists, Professor of Ancient History Jaime Molina com‐ mented that: “This is one of the largest sets of Roman gold coins found in Spain and Europe.”

NEWS

Beware Bizum scam B I Z U M has become one of the most used payment methods in dozens of countries, however, police are now warning that thou‐ sands of messages are being sent posing as victims’ contacts to try to steal €50 in a new scam.

To carry out this scam, the thieves send a message via Whats App to thousands of random numbers, mak‐ ing victims believe that it is a contact in their phone book. The mes‐ sage says that they

have sent €50 to the victim through Bizum in error.

The person who is posing as the Whats App contact tells the victim to return the €50 through Bizum, howev‐ er, the person sending the message is a scam‐ mer who receives the money.

In the past there have been several scams with this method, so the police advise that you should not trust anyone who asks for payment outside of the legal channels.

and finally...

QUALITY STREET have released a new treat, and it is here in time for Christmas. They are launching a new Crème Caramel Crisp with white chocolate, but if you want to get your hands on the new Quality Street you will need to head to John Lewis, where their pick and mix selection will be back.

NEWS

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

More Correos ATMs

OV E R the next three years C orreos intends to install 1,500 ATMs in branches throughout Spain. According to their plans 300 of these will be installed in small towns with between 500 and 3,000 inhabitants that are in rural areas or do not have

ATMs: To be installed in small towns and rural areas.

Glasses in classes THE Glasses in Classes scheme that tackles poor eyesight in English schools has been expanded. It is hoped thousands of children will receive two free pairs of glasses to help improve their reading and writing. Around 30 per cent of children who need glasses have not even been to an optician.

According to the government: “The scheme will be adapted for five disadvantaged areas in England, under the Opportunity Area programme. This will reach more than 9,000 pupils in at least 225 schools. Children identified as needing glasses will receive one pair for home and one for school, helping them concentrate in the classroom and improve their literacy skills.”

STATS

0.3%

0.3% of solar energy from the Sahara is enough to power the whole of Europe.

their own bank branch.

This will also include towns that are set to lose their bank branches over the next few months.

The company hope to choose a supplier who will be responsible for both the installation and the provision of the devices.

At the moment it is planned that the AT M s will be installed in places that are accessible to the public 24 hours a day or that they will be installed in post office entrance halls where they will be available during opening hours.

It is hoped that the installation of the AT M s will begin in early 2022 and the project is expected to take around three years to complete.

I nitially the contract will be awarded for five years, but this could possibly be extended.

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Readers’ poll

Expats demand more travel freedom EURO WEEKLY NEWS’ read‐ ers have overwhelmingly voted to say that they think travel restrictions should be lowered.

An impressive 100 per

cent of readers who took part in the EWN’s poll over whether they thought it was time for the UK government to allow people to travel freely again said they

thought it was time to drop restrictions.

Taking to Facebook to share their views, readers argued that travel should re‐ open.

Brian Rae said: “As long as they have been tested be‐ fore they come to Spain is

good enough for me.”

Meanwhile, Jill Swain said: “It is time to move for‐ ward.”

Expats in Spain had been among the most affected by the UK’s travel restrictions, with the high costs of PCR tests, vaccination require‐

Covid will become weaker

LEADING scientists are sug‐ gesting that given time Covid‐19 could eventually become more like the virus‐ es which cause the common cold each winter.

Speaking to the Royal So‐ ciety of Medicine, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert ex‐ plained how viruses tend to get weaker with time: “We normally see that viruses be‐ come less virulent as they circulate more easily and there is no reason to think we will have a more virulent version of Sars‐CoV‐2. We tend to see slow genetic drift of the virus and there will be gradual immunity develop‐

ing in the population as there is to all the other sea‐ sonal coronaviruses.”

She added, “We already live with four different hu‐ man coronaviruses that we don’t really ever think about very much and eventually it (Covid) will become one of those.

Oxford University’s Pro‐ fessor Sir John Bell expects that Covid will appear more like a common cold in spring 2022. Speaking to Times Ra‐ dio, Sir John said: “If you look at the trajectory we’re on, we’re a lot better off than we were six months ago.”

Travel rules caused outrage.

ments and quarantine rules putting many off from making the journey back to see family and friends.

England’s travel rules also caused outrage around the world after it emerged that vaccinations given in various countries are not being recognised. Latin America and Africa criticised the gov‐ ernment’s decisions and claimed the travel rules are discriminatory.

One diplomat from Latin America explained that the rules are unacceptable and said: “There isn’t a single person I have spoken to who isn’t angry about this.

People are perplexed.”

They added: “How can a Pfizer or Moderna or As‐ traZeneca vaccine that is ad‐ ministered [in Latin Ameri‐ ca] not be enough for someone to be allowed in?”

and finally...

ROLLS-ROYCE has announced its intention to sell off their Spanish ITP (Industria de Turbo Propul‐ sores) aero arm for €1.7 billion. The company’s shares leapt by more than 10 per cent after the an‐ nouncement. The Basque‐based business will be sold to a group headed by the private equity giant Bain. This is the latest move in a disposal pro‐ gramme, as the company tries to raise funds.

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Education figures THE lowest levels of upper sec‐ ondary educational attainment across the EU were recorded in the Spanish regions of Ceuta (50 per cent) and the Balearic Islands (65 per cent), and the Portuguese Azores (62 per cent), according to EuroStat.

In 2020, 84 per cent of the EU population aged 20‐24 years had at least an upper secondary level of education. This is an increase of 7 per cent compared with 2002 (77 per cent).

The three regions that recorded the highest share of young people aged 20‐24 years with at least an upper secondary level of educa‐ tion were all Greek: Thessalia and Ipeiros (both 99 per cent) followed closely by Dytiki Makedonia (98 per cent). The highest shares of women aged 20‐24 years with at least an upper secondary level of education were recorded in Thes‐ salia in Greece (100 per cent), Jad‐ ranska Hrvatska in Croatia and Ipeiros in Greece (both 99 per cent). Meanwhile, the highest shares of men were recorded in three Greek regions: Dytiki Make‐ donia and Ipeiros (both 99 per cent) and Thessalia (98 per cent).

NEWS

Andalucia disability funds Media law AGREEMENT SIGNED: Juanma Moreno said the money will help the welfare state to recover from the pandemic.

THE Junta de Andalucia and the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 have signed an agree‐ ment for €450 million to be allocated to depen‐ dency and disability over the next three years.

Specifically, €125 million will reach the Andalucian community this year, €154 million in 2022 and €171 million in 2023.

The Andalucian president, Juanma Moreno, ex‐ plained the money will help the welfare state to re‐ cover from the collateral effects of the pandemic and economic recession. He stressed: “The time has come to undertake a great revolution in the social services of Andalucia, optimising and dignifying the care economy. And marking a ‘before and after’ in

the way in which service is provided to the elderly, the disabled, and children and adolescents at risk of poverty.”

“We speak, in total, of around 2.6 million Andalu‐ cians, 30 per cent of our population, to whom we are going to significantly improve the response we offer with greater agility, effectiveness and efficien‐ cy through 39 actions grouped into four lines of ac‐ tion,” he added.

Moreno has insisted that the Andalucian commu‐ nity is a leader in the provision of dependency, both in beneficiaries and in aid. It also has the largest net‐ work of social health centres in Spain, with a total of 1,375 that attend to about 36,000 people.

STATS

€262.61 billion

worth of products are exported by Spain each year.

warning

SPAIN is among 19 countries the EU is urging to implement EU digital and media laws as legal action is launched.

The European Commission is taking legal action against 19 Member States, including Spain, for failing to deliver the benefits of EU digital legislation in the area of audio‐visual media and telecommunications.

“These Member States are required to transpose into their national laws two new sets of rules, without further delay: the Audio‐Visual Media Services Directive and the European Electronic Communications Code, and inform the Commission about this transposition.

Both Directives are crucial for the EU’s digital transition, after having been commonly agreed by Member States, and had to be transposed by end‐ 2020,” the Commission said.

The deadline for transposing the Eu‐ ropean Electronic Communications Code into national legislation was De‐ cember 21, 2020. The Commission sent letters of formal notice to 24 Member States on February 4, 2021. Only Bul‐ garia and Denmark notified the full transposition by the end of August, joining Greece, Hungary, and Finland who had already transposed before.

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NEWS

FACTS DON’T LIE

IT is our mission to deliver what you want to read, from local news and charity events to national stories and far‐ reaching international issues.

But unlike other publica‐ tions, EURO WEEKLY NEWS brings you all our great con‐ tent FREE OF CHARGE, in print and online.

There are no pay‐walls, no restrictions and no limit to the number of articles you can read. We give it all to you, free of charge ‐ 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. Every Thursday, in all cir‐ cumstances, our print edition is available. It gives you all the up‐to‐date news and the features you love. Our writ‐ ers work day and night to bring you the latest news from Spain and around the world, as it happens. If you can get the best stories from

us for free, why would you pay to read them elsewhere?

But it’s not just news, we cover a wide range of topics.

Whether you go online or read the paper, you will all have your favourite pages.

Many flick straight to our free puzzles, while others head to their column of choice.

We offer guides to what’s going on near you and infor‐ mation about local business‐ es. You can always find what you need, from a restaurant

or real estate agent to a rental car or remembrance service. We bring readers and advertisers together ‐ there’s really no need to go anywhere else.

Our passion is to give you what you want ‐ with no lim‐ its, whenever you need it.

That’s why all our content is free.

The result? More website hits, more page views and a higher ranking than any of our competitors.

The FACTS DON’T LIE!

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SPAIN is spending less on research and development per head despite government pledges about going green and adopting hi-tech.

In 2020, the total government budget allocations for research and development across the EU stood at €100,786 million, equivalent to 0.8 per cent of GDP. Over the

NEWS

R & D drop Spain vaccine sale last decade, the largest percentage increases in government budget allocations for research and development per euro, per person were recorded in Latvia (from €14 in 2010 to €42 in 2020), Greece (from

€62 to €148) and Estonia (from €77 to €141).

In contrast, these allocations decreased in Portugal (from €92 in 2010 to €71 in 2020), Spain (from €179 to €144), Romania (from €17 to €15), France (from €253 to €235), Ireland (from €181 to €175) and Finland (from €387 to €373).

In 2020, government budget allocations for research and development at an EU level stood at €225 per person, a 22 per cent increase compared with 2010 (€184 per person). The highest allocations were recorded in Luxembourg (€648 per person), followed at a distance by Denmark (€519) and Germany (€443). On the other hand, EU countries with the lowest research and development budget allocations per person were Romania (€15 per person), Bulgaria (€21), Hungary (€39) and Latvia (€42).

SPAIN sells vaccines at cost to New Zealand and Fiji. The ongoing coronavirus vaccination programme in Spain is progressing well, and Spain are committed to helping other countries too.

The Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, spoke on Wednesday, September 22 and explained how Spain has been able to sell coronavirus vaccines to both New Zealand and Fiji at cost price. These doses of vaccines have come from surplus stocks held in Spain.

In Catalonia, the question of what to do with expired vaccine doses has been raised.

Nearly 70,000 doses of the vaccines are sat in refrigerators, but they have expired.

At the moment it is not yet known if they will be able to be used or not.

Across Spain the autonomous communities have about seven million doses of coronavirus vaccines in stock which has led the health ministry to pause the normal weekly shipments in recent days. This will enable Spain to optimise stock levels in storage.

The government were able to sell 250,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to New Zealand. Spain has not made a loss on

VACCINE: Spain holds a surplus stock.

these vaccines as it was able to sell them at the same price that they were acquired for.

The Spanish government are committed to donating around 7.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Latin American countries.

Darias has highlighted the importance of helping countries in Africa where only 3 per cent of the population are fully vaccinated.

Darias is hoping that deliveries to these countries will increase.

STATS

4.7+ billion

In January 2021, there were 4,783,503,852 (4.7+ billion) internet users.

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! y a s r u o y e v a H

AS a loyal reader of the Euro Weekly News, you are the reason we keep doing the job we love. We strive daily to create a newspaper that satisfies your need to access local, national and international news.

That’s why we are redesigning the Euro Weekly website to ensure it rivals the best worldwide news sites and continues to be the most popular English news website in Spain.

The site will be bigger, better and faster, yet still provide your favourite articles, updated by the minute, along with new and exciting features.

However, it wouldn’t be fair to you, our loyal readers of 20 years, to not have your say. Everything we create is with you in mind, so we are giving you the opportunity to shape the future of our website.

Just spend a few moments filling out the questionnaire in the link below so we can read your thoughts and suggestions. In return,

www.euroweeklynews.com

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Fill out our survey for a chance to win a trolley dash worth up to €300 at Overseas Supermarket all participants will be entered into a prize draw to win a trolley dash worth up to €300 in Overseas Supermarket vouchers.

We can’t wait to hear your feedback and look forward to incorporating your ideas into the NEW Euro Weekly News website launching in the coming weeks!

Survey closes on October 21.

TROLLEY DASH: Worth up to €300 to be won.

Head to the following link to have your say: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V683DG7

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NEWS

Brits energy bill BRITS may face a mul‐ ti‐billion pound bill to bail out energy firms after warnings the gas crisis could return. Ex‐

perts have even sug‐ gested that the UK could return to a three‐day week to pre‐ vent blackouts of cru‐ cial services. Ministers have not ruled out stepping in and helping out suppliers.

Foreign office minis‐ ter James Cleverly said that the government will do everything they can to “protect con‐ sumers” and that they hope that energy firms will be able to “stay afloat organically through their own ef‐ forts.”

However, when ques‐ tioned on the issue, he did not rule out a bailout for the sector.

Mr Cleverly com‐ mented that: “The pri‐ ority is to make sure that we protect provi‐ sion for consumers and ensure they aren’t hit

by a significant in‐ crease in gas prices.

“Those discussions will be ongoing. Exactly how we do that will be up for discussion of course, but those are our priorities,” he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping the problems faced by en‐ ergy companies will be temporary and said: “People should be reas‐ sured in the sense

there are a lot of short‐ term problems around the world caused by gas supplies and short‐ ages.”

Julian Jessop of the Institute for Economic Affairs think tank said: “The poorest house‐ holds should be pro‐ tected from soaring bills, but the taxpayer should not be expected to write a blank cheque to bail out energy com‐ panies.”

PACKAGING: Will have to be wrapped differently.

Ban on plastic containers THE Spanish govern‐ ment wants to regu‐ l a t e t h e u s e o f p l a s‐ tics and promote their recycling to the point of prohibiting fruits, vegetables, and drinks from being sold in plastic packag‐ ing and containers by 2023.

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge is reported‐ ly preparing a royal decree to regulate packaging and waste which will state that by 2023 it will be for‐ bidden to sell fruits and vegetables in plastic containers and that beverages are to be offered in reusable containers in all retail establishments.

The larger retailers

must offer up to sev‐ en different types of packaging and dedi‐ cate part of their space to bulk sales so that consumers will be able to store goods in their own bags or containers, bottles in‐ cluded.

The measures, fo‐ cused on the reuse of p a c k a g i n g a n d r e c y‐ cling, will impact con‐ sumers mainly in these two aspects. In the case of retailers, in addition to the rel‐ evant changes in recy‐ cling, they will have to set up zones and inventory to meet these demands, while manufacturers will have to work out how to increase the per‐ centage of recycled plastic.

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

Giant salami

Hippy culture

GREENPEACE Denmark activists have blockaded a feed factory in the Port of Aarhus by chaining themselves to giant tree trunks painted to look like salami to stop the feed reaching the millions of pigs that end up as Danish Crown’s sausages and cutlets in supermarkets around the world they say.

KNOWN throughout the world as a hippy commune in Copenhagen, Christiana is celebrating its 50th anniversary of occupation of a former Danish Army Barracks which took place in 1971 and has been going strong more or less ever since, although most recently the pandemic caused some problems.

THE NETHERLANDS Lost Atlantis

Corona pass

RUNNING until October 31, the Doggerland Exhibition at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden has 200 artifacts dredged from the bottom of the North Sea, as it formed a land bridge between the British Isles, Belgium, the Netherlands and southern Scandinavia before being struck by a tsunami.

DUTCH junior economic affairs minister Mona Keijzer has been removed from her post after she gave an interview to the Telegraaf newspaper in which she said she had great doubts about the newly introduced coronavirus pass now required to gain entry to restaurants, bars and theatres.

BELGIUM Product ban

Kanye believe it?

FOR the second time in a month, Belgian shops are having to remove dozens of food items from their shelves because they contain small traces of ethylene oxide which is banned by the European Union, even though it is normally included in order to prevent mould and to tackle salmonella.

THE Belgian Press is agog with speculation about whether American rapper and former Kardashian husband Kanye West is purchasing a property in Wijnegem, near Antwerp after being photographed with numerous minders, since he is a good friend of Belgian interior architect Axel Vervoordt.

GERMANY Sick pay

Passport control

ALTHOUGH a possible change of government means that it may never actually happen, the Ministry of Health has announced that certain unvaccinated workers will not receive sick pay if absent from work due to coronavirus infection. This is due to take effect in November after the current election.

THE Global Passport Power Rank 2021 has reviewed passports from around the world and their power in allowing holders to enter another country either without a visa or guaranteed to be given one on the spot upon arrival and Germany comes out top with 106 countries.

FRANCE Facelift cancelled

PETA Power

FRENCH rail operator SNCF has announced that it has now cancelled controversial plans to renovate Europe’s busiest train station, Paris Gare du Nord, in time for the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris due to an escalation in likely costs which could rise from €500 million to €1.5 billion.

AFTER years of lobbying and demonstrations

by Animal Rights activists PETA, the latest fashion house to agree to ban the use of fur in its clothing is Yves Saint Laurent, which according to parent company Kering will completely phase out fur from its 2022 collections onwards.

NORWAY No peeing

Billionaire list

A NEW sign has been set up at one of the most frequently visited spots along the NorwegianRussian border where visitors stop to take selfies.

The ‘No peeing towards Russia’ sign on the road towards the village of Grense Jakobselv is considered a preventive message with CCTV cameras able to spot miscreants.

EVERY year, Norwegian journal Kapital publishes its rich list of the 400 wealthiest Norwegians and in 2021, for the first time ever, all 400 are Krone billionaires (Kr10 = €1), so the poorest is worth €100 million and the richest, believed to be the wealthiest ever at €11.4 billion.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND

Brexit Permit

TikTok bombs

IT is estimated that some 5,000 British passport holders live in Finland and due to Brexit, they were required to apply for Finnish residency before Thursday September 30, but according to the Finnish Immigration Service Migri by the end of August just under 4,000 applications had been received.

FINNISH police are warning against the dangers of a new trend popular with Finnish teens who are making bombs by pouring a mixture of easily obtained chemicals into a plastic bottle and placing them in public spaces before filming them exploding and uploading to TikTok.

IRELAND Eat your sprouts

Sheep walker

ACCORDING to a report from the Irish press, research suggests that some children and adults who say that they can’t stand vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and broccoli may not just be picky eaters, but enzymes contained in the vegetables may combine with bacteria in the mouth to make them taste bad.

MORE than 50 years ago, Irishman Danny Tim O’Sullivan moved from Kerry to London with £10 in his pocket and formed his own successful business, becoming a freeman of the city of London which on September 26 saw him walk sheep across Southwark Bridge.

ITALY Vatican ban

Robinson Crusoe

REPORTEDLY at the request of Pope Frances in an effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19, access to any part of the Vatican City from Italian soil will only be permitted if the person wishing to visit holds an acceptable document showing that they have received both vaccinations.

SETTING off to sail to Polynesia, former teacher Mauro Morandi stopped at the deserted Sardinian Island of Budelli and stayed there alone for 33 years. Eventually he was evicted and returned to civilisation and discovered he liked it and at 82 has even found a girlfriend.

PORTUGAL Sick pay

No Planet B

ALTHOUGH a possible change of government means that it may never actually happen, the Ministry of Health has announced that certain unvaccinated workers will not receive sick pay if absent from work due to coronavirus infection. This is due to take effect in November after the current election.

STUDENTS across Portugal joined in the Fridays for Future campaign by demonstrating in major cities throughout the country on September 24 demanding action to combat climate change and the pollution of the planet as well as cancellation of debts arising from extreme weather events.

RUSSIA Sale of art

FC Sheriff

ALTHOUGH Sotheby’s has been selling Russian art to foreign collectors and foreign and Russian art to Russian collectors for several decades, it has never made sales in the country until now, as it hosts an exhibition and sale of works in Moscow during the last week of September.

THE name FC Sheriff is causing headlines as this obscure football club from the breakaway proRussian separatist enclave of Europe’s poorest country, Moldova, Transnistria, which has recently beaten Shakhtar Donetsk and then faced Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, was founded by a former policeman, hence the name.

SWEDEN Vladimir Putin Nyet

Dragon Regiment

A SWEDISH couple were determined to name their child after their favourite politician, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, but were disappointed when the Swedish authorities refused to allow the use of that name as they have a regulation which says that first names can only be names that cannot cause offence or distress.

IN 1980, King Carl XVI Gustaf visited the military camp of Arvidsjaur to inaugurate Sweden’s Norrland’s Dragon Regiment, K4 which was disbanded in 2004. Now, almost to the day in September 41 years later he returned to the same site to officially re-establish the regiment.

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Inflation ACCORDING to European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, in a speech made on Friday September 24, the recent rise in inflation seen in the majority of euro zone countries will be temporary and is currently fuelled by the rise in energy prices, but will drop.

Amazon fears AMAZON in the UK has warned the British Government that it fears it will find it very difficult to cope with the likely Christmas demand unless something is done to solve the problem of the lack of delivery drivers when even it cannot recruit.

Uterqüe demise NO matter how successful you are in business, there is always the chance that you will make a mistake and it seems with Inditex, Spain’s largest clothing retailer, time has run out for its youngest and smallest brand Uterqüe, which will be merged into Massimo Dutti.

Global Finance A FINANCIAL index published by Z/Yen Group and think-tank China Development Institute puts New York at the top of Global Finance Centres, but despite expectations of a fall following the implementation of Brexit, London retains second place, whilst nearest EU rival is Paris in 10th place.

Good news GOOD news for those aged under 36 looking to purchase their first home, as Spanish bank Ibercaja is offering a 95 per cent mortgage. There are similar offers for older purchasers in the bank’s Vamos portfolio, but those under 36 can also expect to be able to borrow at very low rates of interest in either fixed or variable mortgages. This should be very helpful for those who normally have to find a deposit of up to 20 per cent as well as pay 10 per cent extra for taxes and legal fees.

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STAT OF WEEK

SO far six small British low‐cost energy suppliers have gone bust during September leaving nearly 1.5 million UK consumers in the lurch.

However, happily for them, un‐ til such time as new companies are introduced, the British Gov‐ ernment is ensuring that cus‐ tomers still have access to gas.

If wholesale prices go up, then logic suggests that the retail prices would match those increases thus ensuring additional profit for ener‐ gy suppliers, but there is a deadly catch which is why the smaller fish are going to the wall and larger suppliers are likely to apply for Government support.

€1.6 billion

is the amount that Australian group Sandfire Resources is to pay to purchase Minas de Aguas Teñidas copper mine in Huelva, subject to Spanish Government approval.

UK Gas prices The UK regulator, Ofgem, sets a cap for energy prices for con‐ sumers on default tariffs and re‐ views it twice a year and bills were already set to go up for house‐ holds from October 1 following Ofgem’s most recent cap increase.

The way smaller suppliers were able to exist and operate at a prof‐ it was because they were under‐ cutting their larger rivals but as wholesale prices increased, so their margins were cut consider‐ ably, meaning that eventually they would be selling gas at prices

LEGALLY SPEAKING

lower than they were paying so they have bailed out.

As the larger companies are asked to take over the supply to customers of the companies that have closed, even if on the short term, they in turn will be losing money which is why they will be asking for Government support.

In the long term it is more than likely that customers of the closed companies will have a nasty shock as their prices will be brought into line with those charged by the major companies.

How to pre-plan a funeral

Is a vice president required?

At an AGM does a newly elected president need to select a vice president at that meeting, later or at all?

B J (Costa del Sol) Planning your funeral.

There is no DAVID SEARL legal re‐ quirement for a YOU AND THE LAW community of prop‐ IN SPAIN erty owners to have a vice‐president. Many small communities elect only a president. The only officer required by the Law of Horizon‐ tal Property is the president. A vice president can be infor‐ mally named at any time, if no member protests. Howev‐ er, as regular readers of this column will be aware, this simple naming of a vice president can cause problems lat‐ er. In order to have an authorised signature at the bank, the vice president must be elected at the AGM by a major‐ ity vote and he must be specifically authorised to access the community bank account in order to make deposits and transfers. If the community has a licensed property administrator, he will be authorised by the terms of his contract. Both the administrator and the vice president must then be registered with the bank as authorised sig‐ natures. We have seen cases where the president be‐ comes incapacitated and the vice president is unable to access the bank because he has not been authorised.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

CRICKETS are Kosher according to Is‐ raeli company Hargol as well as Halal and have opened the first commercial grasshopper factory breeding these edible insects.

Crickets, grasshoppers and locusts are all from the same family, Or‐ thoptera, and apart from differences in wingspan and antennae are very simi‐ lar and in certain countries in Africa and the Middle East have been staple

WHILE pre‐planning a funeral may feel like a daunting task, making sure your wishes are carried out after you die can save consid‐ erable time and money for your loved ones.

But how do you go about planning your funeral?

1. Make sure you have a Spanish Will.

For expats with property or assets overseas it is essential to have a correct and locally compatible Will in Spain.

Golden Leaves’ partners are on hand to help put your Will to‐ gether so you can make sure your wishes are carried out.

2. Decide what to do with your remains.

When the time comes, it is important to know what you want to happen to your remains. Do you want to be cremated or buried? Have your funeral in Spain or be repatriated back to the UK? 3. Choose a pre‐paid funeral plan.

Choosing the right pre‐paid funeral plan for you is one of the most important parts of planning a funeral.

Golden Leaves International have three pre‐paid funeral plans, offering everything from a simple cremation to a repatriation ser‐ vice.

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

Crickets are Kosher foods for centuries.

The difference with this new start up is that Hargol recognise that people may be averse to eating insects, but if they can be converted into different types of food, then they become more appealing.

As the world looks to find cheaper sources of protein which do not harm the environment, experiments are tak‐ ing place to create laboratory meat and this is another sustainable option.

Launching first in Israel will be a se‐ lection of different foods including

Food shopping MANY of us complain about the rise in prices when we visit the super‐ market, but rather than guess, the Spanish Nation‐ al Institute of Statistics (INE) has been comparing prices between August 2020 and August 2021.

There haven’t been many ongoing reductions in price and in fact most food items have not in‐ creased by a huge amount, but the largest gains are sunflower oil at a massive 33.1 per cent, closely fol‐ lowed by olive oil with a 25.3 per cent uplift.

Soft drinks are up by 10.3 per cent but fruit at 5 per cent, eggs at 3.6 per cent and mutton at 3.5 per cent have done quite well, as has fish at just 3.2 per cent.

Tipping law THE growth in payment by card in the UK during the pan‐ demic has made it easier for companies to withhold tips from staff in pubs and restau‐ rants.

On Friday September 24, the British Government an‐ nounced that it would intro‐ duce legislation to make it ille‐ gal for employers to withhold tips from workers.

The move is set to help around two million people working in one of the 190,000 businesses across the hospitali‐ ty, leisure and services sectors, where tipping is common place and can make up a large part of their income.

Over the years, some very well‐known companies have been accused of withholding part or all of the tips paid by customers. burgers, falafel, energy bars and fruit gums, all produced from grasshoppers.

The company also offers a rich protein powder for use in drinks and other foods.

According to the company, com‐ pared with beef production, grasshop‐ per farming reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 99 per cent, water con‐ sumption by 1,000 times and arable land usage 1,500‐fold.

32 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

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C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 27

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.299,50 1.323,50 Abrdn 252,39 255,00 Admiral Group 3.345,0 3.443,0 Anglo American 2.566,5 2.675,5 Antofagasta 1.405,00 1.472,50 Ashtead Group 5.728,0 5.966,0 Associated British Foods 1.915,3 1.915,5 AstraZeneca 8.829,0 8.899,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 601,60 617,20 Avast 569,22 578,80 Aveva 3.909,0 3.987,0 Aviva 404,50 405,70 B&M European Value Retail SA591,00 600,60 BAE Systems 570,40 570,40 Bank VTB DRC 1,366 1,374 Barclays 185,32 186,92 Barratt Developments 683,55 689,56 Berkeley 4.480,0 4.539,0 BHP Group 1.870,00 1.901,80 BP 326,90 327,50 British American Tobacco 2.658,0 2.680,5 British Land Company 497,50 509,20 BT Group 161,95 162,00 Bunzl 2.484,0 2.506,0 Burberry Group 1.824,0 1.855,0 Carnival 1.725,4 1.738,6 Centrica 55,02 55,30 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.472,4 2.493,0 Compass 1.544,00 1.544,00 CRH 3.626,0 3.679,0 Croda Intl 8.646,0 8.896,0 DCC 6.294,0 6.338,0 Diageo 3.484,0 3.511,5 DS Smith 426,10 435,60 EasyJet 703,20 709,40 Experian 3.211,0 3.314,0 Ferguson 10.550,0 10.755,0 Flutter Entertainment 15.305,0 15.630,0 Fresnillo 791,60 793,40 GlaxoSmithKline 1.398,80 1.399,20 Glencore 330,75 336,60 Halma 2.962,0 3.082,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.395,00 1.413,50 Hikma Pharma 2.400,00 2.430,00 HSBC 379,40 382,15 IAG 183,18 183,32 Imperial Brands 1.540,00 1.550,50 Informa 556,00 560,80 InterContinental 4.868,0 4.874,0 Intermediate Capital 2.119,00 2.157,00

% CHG. 1.299,00 252,30 3.344,0 2.563,0 1.400,00 5.720,0 1.881,0 8.778,0 601,00 567,40 3.904,0 403,40 590,80 566,20 1,360 184,62 682,82 4.476,0 1.867,40 323,85 2.653,5 496,00 159,00 2.480,0 1.820,5 1.650,4 54,32 2.473,0 1.503,50 3.621,0 8.640,0 6.294,0 3.481,0 425,80 685,40 3.206,0 10.550,0 15.240,0 789,00 1.393,40 330,35 2.961,0 1.392,00 2.393,00 378,35 176,32 1.537,50 553,20 4.810,0 2.119,00

NET VOL 105,77K 205,59K 55,99K 794,46K 95,14K 67,94K 3,35M 163,84K 104,28K 222,53K 27,54K 745,09K 108,87K 472,72K 123,79K 6,04M 35,50K 16,16K 1,11M 7,52M 203,98K 355,69K 1,80M 93,52K 53,76K 220,11K 2,17M 28,20K 438,66K 70,86K 25,42K 12,14K 247,74K 282,33K 1,08M 134,42K 33,71K 19,08K 60,94K 703,65K 4,38M 115,36K 87,88K 48,57K 2,64M 11,59M 78,30K 193,00K 258,85K 16,58K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Intertek ITV 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 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 Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP

5.074,0 109,85 294,70 2.778,0 696,40 280,45 45,53 7.772,0 739,40 180,90 1.838,50 915,40 219,35 8.222,0 31,13 1.755,50 2.753,0 643,40 1.415,00 5.849,0 2.183,00 581,60 706,00 4.792,0 142,16 8,56 1.565,50 1.565,6 1.568,6 746,40 1.643,00 18,12 3.640,0 1.459,34 1.251,63 2.668,0 1.337,00 1.378,00 15.715,0 1.630,50 1.564,49 431,20 166,10 258,60 334,80 3.993,9 1.002,00 114,34 3.429,0 993,11

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

5.166,0 110,95 297,00 2.813,0 701,40 282,30 45,95 7.916,0 740,00 183,90 1.881,50 923,20 220,30 8.264,0 31,58 1.780,50 2.779,0 646,40 1.443,00 5.910,0 2.216,00 595,80 725,60 4.900,5 142,68 8,59 1.569,81 1.570,0 1.572,8 756,60 1.648,00 18,15 3.710,0 1.468,86 1.266,50 2.709,0 1.349,00 1.394,50 16.145,0 1.644,50 1.595,00 432,70 167,80 259,95 334,90 4.008,0 1.019,50 114,40 3.432,0 1.001,77

5.068,0 109,45 294,60 2.773,0 694,40 279,90 45,35 7.762,0 735,80 179,65 1.836,50 914,70 218,80 8.204,0 31,12 1.753,00 2.746,0 642,40 1.410,50 5.827,0 2.182,00 581,40 705,40 4.782,0 135,74 8,45 1.551,90 1.542,8 1.542,4 746,20 1.643,00 17,93 3.640,0 1.455,49 1.251,50 2.668,0 1.336,00 1.374,50 15.715,0 1.629,50 1.565,00 429,00 165,90 258,45 330,00 3.990,5 999,80 113,66 3.394,0 991,75

22,03K 460,54K 148,08K 37,41K 90,06K 436,94K 20,38M 41,50K 87,52K 483,05K 77,42K 362,56K 1,22M 11,76K 168,82K 73,83K 38,82K 106,43K 1,85M 75,56K 142,71K 168,19K 205,78K 501,41K 31,50M 1,07M 934,51K 944,13K 1,45M 175,56K 0,97K 629,11K 6,23K 275,78K 104,11K 20,75K 83,94K 37,83K 5,68K 97,53K 92,55K 441,84K 1,30M 1,23M 491,19K 206,22K 99,25K 4,63M 48,18K 38,19K

1.17313

0.85397

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ......................................1.16895 Japan yen (JPY)......................................129.625 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0854 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4361 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.053

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 27

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 181,04 2.852,7 3.425,52 213,61 146,92 221,39 196,82 100,60 56,73 53,89 352,96 390,85 337,49 219,19 137,49 54,22 164,36 163,04 246,42 73,61 299,35 149,59 143,55 285,63 774,39 407,08 54,37 231,59 143,17 176,00

CHANGE -0,49 +16,1 +9,52 -1,44 +0,09 +0,29 +0,20 +0,54 +0,04 -0,15 +7,00 -1,01 +1,58 -0,51 +0,76 +0,19 -0,50 +1,86 +1,64 +0,56 -0,21 -9,99 -0,64 +7,77 +20,75 -0,95 -0,05 +3,28 +0,40 -0,25

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) -0,27% 2,06M +0,57% 741,74K +0,28% 2,07M -0,67% 1,91M +0,06% 53,16M +0,13% 6,44M +0,10% 2,10M +0,54% 8,16M +0,07% 12,31M -0,28% 9,66M +2,02% 18,74M -0,26% 1,79M +0,47% 1,99M -0,23% 1,94M +0,56% 2,94M +0,35% 12,95M -0,30% 4,40M +1,15% 9,67M +0,67% 2,48M +0,77% 14,71M -0,07% 14,59M -6,26% 26,85M -0,44% 4,99M +2,80% 13,29M +2,75% 21,20M -0,23% 1,91M -0,09% 12,15M +1,44% 6,45M +0,28% 4,45M -0,14% 5,63M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES S EPTEMBER 27

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

Most Advanced Vail Resorts Inc. White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. Markel Corp.

Meredith Corp.

MSCI Inc. Salesforce.com Inc. Clearwater Analytics Holdings Inc. Palo Alto Networks Inc. AutoZone Inc. Direxion Daily Regional Banks Bull 3X Shares TransDigm Group Inc.

7.37% 1.47% 1.17% 25.42% 1.19% 2.80% 40.94% 1.52% 0.42% 3.13% 0.98%

1.22M 16.07K 25.53K 4.59M 214.96K 13.37M 11.93M 2.01M 218.49K 357.9K 213.96K

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Cl A -0.07% Cable One Inc. -2.42% Deckers Outdoor Corp.

-8.96% Shopify Inc. Cl A -2.21% NVR Inc. -0.49% Wells Fargo & Co. 7.5% Non-Cum. Perp. Conv.-1.25% Boston Beer Co. Cl A -2.11% Danaher Corp. 5% Mand. Pfd. Series B -0.61% Nike Inc. Cl B -6.26% Generac Holdings Inc. -2.07% Waters Corp.

-2.12%

890 42.17K 1.07M 868.37K 18.52K 18.93K 182.01K 181.01K 26.91M 533.91K 316.99K

Most Declined

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Shock figures on Spanish economy

Credit: La Moncloa flickr

NADIA CALVIÑO: The minister for Economic Affairs may have to review forecasts.

SHOCK figures released

by Spain’s National Statis‐ tics Institute (INE) on Thursday September 23 show that the economy grew by just 1.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2021.

This is less than half of the July estimate of 2.8 per cent and suggests that the full year fore‐ casts which were to show a bounce back to pre‐pan‐ demic levels by the end of this year are incorrect.

This has caught both the government and fi‐ nancial bodies by surprise as on September 21, the Bank of Spain comment‐ ing on a slight increase in inflation, suggested that this would be corrected

by November of this year.

In addition, noting sup‐ posed better than expect‐ ed results from the hospi‐ tality sector, it also forecast that the econo‐

my would return to pre‐ pandemic levels this year.

On the same day, the Organisation for Econom‐ ic Co‐operation and De‐ velopment (OECD) pub‐ lished its interim GDP growth predictions for all members of the G20 Group, which suggested that Spain could see growth of 6.8 per cent this year, running only behind China, Turkey and Argentina and well ahead of the Euro 17.

Two areas that may be responsible for the revi‐ sion of the figures could be firstly due to the unex‐ pected rise in gas and electricity costs, (al‐ though they are likely to bite more deeply into the third quarter figures) and the fact that the hospitali‐ ty and retail sector had been downgraded from a 5.4 per cent positive to negative 0.4 per cent.

Sabadell Bank jobs SABADELL BANK is to get rid of another 1,936 Spanish employees before the end of 2021, despite facing some opposition for CCOO union.

At one time getting a job in a Spanish bank was considered a long-term career which offered those working there many benefits. At the end of last year, Sabadell came to an agreement with the CCOO union to dispose of 1,800 workers, mainly through early retirement and now wants to lose a further 1,936 employees, the equivalent of 12.5 per cent of its entire staff.

BUSINESS EXTRA Green adverts THE UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is to release new guidance to ensure advertisements don’t mislead people about the environment and how green or eco-friendly different brands may be. Earlier this year it banned a Ryanair campaign which claimed the airline had the lowest CO2 emissions.

Privatised airports WITH Aena and Ferrovial already having assets and management agreements in Brazil, both are considering entering bids to manage newly privatised airports in that country, although the likely cost to participate could be as high as €1.4 billion which is a significant investment.

Pret expansion DESPITE being criticised for cutting staff benefits, British sandwich and coffee chain Pret a Manger has plans to expand the business, hoping to open 200 new outlets and employing an additional 3,000 people as office staff start to return to their places of work.

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

EWN 33

34 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT DESPITE what the CO2 alarmists would have us believe; our glorious planet has been warming up for thousands of years.

Although the air polluting emissions released by the vehicles and factories of modern society are certainly unacceptable, the prophets of alarmist doom have managed to have us all running around like headless chickens in pursuit of worldwide solutions that are not only near impossible, but, despite what Saint Greta and her followers would have us believe, rather like throwing a cup of water on a forest fire!

What we should be doing is concentrating on an adaptive response to the potential advantages of global warming.

It is my belief that all things in creation have an equally positive and negative side ‐ Ying Yang, Newton etc. If this were not the case the whole planet and all that reside on it would have disintegrated eons ago. With this in mind, I decided to do a little research into the positive effects of so‐called global warming. The results were eye opening to say the least. According to reports some 70 countries or more stand to gain by the

Wake up

changes in our climate. In the main, countries that exist further to the north of the planet are those set to benefit the most.

Russia’s Siberia and Alaska could likely become vast fertile areas that could be developed at extremely reasonable cost.

China would also profit by bringing rain to its northern drought areas and easing the flooding in the south. Canada, most of the Netherlands, Iceland and even North Korea are all set to benefit as the earth’s temperature warms up. Unfortunately, most of Europe and the southern most parts of the USA don’t fare so well.

Flooding, monsoons, tornadoes, crippling heatwaves and severe weather fluctuations will be the order of the day. None of this is a present‐day phenomenon. Human civilisation goes back some 10,000 years or so. Over the last 400,000 years, long before we started changing the planet, there have been several periods of warming and cooling. Ice core readings show that CO2 measurements have at times been 10 per cent higher than current levels, with global temperatures similar and even lower than they are today. There is simply no

correlation between the two events. Left wing and Liberal governments believe power to stop climate change rests in controlling people. Their solutions to the problems always give more power to ever growing government bureaucracy.

Well, I don’t buy it. While we are succumbing to the pathetic brainwashed protesters and snarling Thunberg demonstrations, the West is slowly but surely being taken over by Eastern forces attacking from all sides and on all levels. Our enemies ‐ using every opportunity to take advantage of our ridiculous mistaken priorities are infiltrating Western civilisation at a far more dangerous rate than global warming or CO2 emissions. Time to wake up and tackle the true problems that threaten our existence on this wonderful planet.

Keep the faith.

Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com expatradioscotland. Mondays and Fridays 1pm till 4.

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

Travel

Full of charm CULTURE LINK: This bridge in Girona was built by Gustav Eiffel just before be built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

A HUB of Catalan culture in its own right, Girona is packed to the brim with museums, galleries and stunning buildings. The historic centre built by the city’s abundant wealth during medieval times has been well preserved over the centuries, surviving wars, sieges and revolutions.

The best way to see the city is to take a walk along the medieval walls, known as the Passeig de la Muralla, that border the city centre and offer great views.

Girona has one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in all of Europe called El

Call, which is a maze of narrow, cobbled streets that look just how they would have 500 years ago when the Jewish population occupied this area of the city.

Another highlight that should not be missed is Girona Cathedral, which has a picturesque long staircase leading to the entrance that was used as a location to film Game of Thrones.

The city has its own small airport but there is also a high-speed train service that links Girona to the Catalan capital of Barcelona, so it makes a perfect destination for a quick day trip.

THURSDAY 30/09 FRIDAY 01/10

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MONDAY 04/10

SUNDAY 03/010 SATURDAY 02/10

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WEDNESDAY 06/10

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BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Shop Well for Less Ambulance BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather

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The One Show Question of Sport EastEnders Richard Osman's House of Games Night Would I Lie to You? The Cleaner BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather

6:15pm 7:00pm

BBC London News; Weather Weather Question of Sport The Hit List Strictly Come Dancing Blankety Blank Casualty BBC News Weather Match of the Day Tonight with Target

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BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Countryfile The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet Strictly Come Dancing: The Results The Mating Game Ridley Road BBC News

3:40pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 6:30pm 7:00pm

BBC London News; Weather The One Show Panorama EastEnders The Goes Wrong Show Silent Witness BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather

5:30pm

BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Holby City My Family Silent Witness BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

5:30pm

Party Political Broadcast By the Conservative Party The One Show Boots and Beards Our Lives The Repair Shop 28 Up: Millennium Generation BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

4:45pm 5:30pm

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Take a Hike Iolo: The Last Wilderness of Wales The Hairy Bikers Go North Don't Exclude Me QI Newsnight Weather

9:00pm

Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Take a Hike MOTDx Inside Culture with Mary Beard Gardeners' World The North Water Newsnight Weather

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

A House Through Time Super League Play Off Highlights Meet the Moose Family: Natural World Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2021 The Spice Girls at the BBC Later - with Jools Holland Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and the Murders of Biggie and Tupac

8:00pm

Flog It! Jay's Yorkshire Workshop Saving Lives at Sea Villages by the Sea London Marathon Highlights Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Chris and Meg's Wild Summer

8:00pm

Glorious Gardens From Above Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two River Walks: The Deben Mastermind Only Connect University Challenge Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution

9:00pm 10:00pm

Glorious Gardens From Above Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Saving Lives at Sea Dementia & Us Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

8:00pm

Curiosity Glorious Gardens From Above Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Your Home Made Perfect Catching a Predator Mock the Week

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Looking for Mr Bond: 007 at the BBC Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Mark Kermode: Secrets of Cinema: Spies Secret Agent Selection: WW2 Motherland Great British Railway Journeys Looking for Mr Bond: 007 at the BBC

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... Sings Bond TOTP: 1991 TOTP: 1991 Shirley Bassey at the BBC Diamonds Are Forever: The Don Black Songbook The Old Grey Whistle Test: Billy Joel in Concert Classic Albums: Carly Simon - No Secrets TOTP: 1991 TOTP: 1991

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FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

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

THERE are lies, there are damned lies, and then there’s a viral statistic claiming Prince William is the sexiest bald man in the world. The internet was recently awash with the headline‐grabbing ‘study’ claiming the, err, ‘hairless heir’ is more attractive than Stanley Tucci and Vin Diesel. Who could be behind this astonishing verdict?

The answer is not, as some people won‐ dered, Buckingham Palace’s PR department.

Rather, the study was run by a medical tourism facilitator that connects UK patients with hair transplant surgeons in Turkey!

But here’s another ‘MOBO’ study (Mas‐ ters of the Bleeding Obvious. OK, Illinois Uni‐ versity) that found that drunk people are less likely to social distance than sober ones.

If only masses of photos of drunks falling over each other on Saturday nights had pre‐ pared us for this revelation! The physical dis‐ tance between drinking strangers decreased by 1cm per three‐minute interval, the study found, while those on soft drinks didn’t get closer at all. Amazing! Who’d have guessed?

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

HEY! STUDY UNCOVERS YET MORE USELESS BITS OF RESEARCH! PRINCE WILLIAM: The sexiest bald man in the world?

According to yet another survey, 11 per cent of young adults believe Margaret Thatcher was PM during the First World War. If you think that’s bad enough, a 2015 survey claimed that 20 per cent of young‐ sters believe fish fingers are fingers from ac‐ tual fish.

And then there are all these research ‘studies’. Household cleaning products are as bad for lung function as smoking claims one recent ‘study’. And was it just yesterday we were told processed foods cause an in‐ crease in various sorts of cancer? What doesn’t, it seems?

Modern living exposes us to a range of chemicals that wouldn’t have been present in primitive societies. But life expectancy in times past was much lower than today. On balance, the contemporary world, although it presents new dangers, offers us the prospect of living well beyond the biblical three score plus 10. Fortunately, few believe these scare stories in any case ‐ we’ve been saturated with enough doom and gloom this past year.

Finally, in other news, researchers discov‐ er a link between The Pope and Catholicism.

‘Nuff said.

Nora Johnson’s crime thrillers ‘The Sen‐ tinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribu‐ tion’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson. net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback & audiobook. All profits to Costa 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.

Advertising Feature

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EWN 37

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38 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

FEATURE

THE KEY TO HAPPINESS Have you ever Imagined your ideal self, the best version of you?

Imagine your superhero, or altar ego smiling and waving at you.

TONI C. EASTWOOD OBE, MBA

#TheWomanBeyond WHEN I’m working with women the first thing I ask is what do you want to achieve, or what’s your ultimate goal, and I am so amazed that the response is almost always the same, “I want to be Happy”, “to be fulfilled”.

It’s not because we are women that we want fulfilment and happiness, it’s because we are human. Common Hu‐ manity, we have a universal drive for what Aristotle and Cicero after him sug‐ gest ‘MANS’ (we all know the Greeks and Romans were obsessed by the male form!!) ultimate goal the highest good (summon bonum), was to achieve happi‐ ness. So we haven’t changed much in 2,400+ years.

Can you see her?!

(I’m being serious. Take a long slow breath, 10 seconds should do it and bring that especially awesome you to life in your mind.)

I haven’t gone mad, honest, here’s how this works: That ideal version of you is pretty much watching you all day ev‐ ery day. The Stoic philosophers called this “the Other.” Modern theologians would call it your conscience.

In those ancient days, another name for the highest version of yourself was ‘daimon’, a sort of inner soul and guiding spirit that exists within each of us.

I love that, and I have worked hard on what that looks like for me, I have even named her!! Being or getting clear on our identity and who we want to BE, has

proven to be the number one tool in helping us to live happier lives and to flourish.

Ancient philosophers considered your relationship with this inner soul THE most important thing in life. They said that if you want to be happy you need to be on really good terms with your dai‐ mon.

In fact, their word for happiness was eudaimōn which literally means ‘good soul.’

All of which begs the question: How’s your relationship with your inner soul?

steps forward into your next big idea or begin to awaken your dreams. Give her a swift flick off!!

So, my parting question for you this week or most importantly for today (and every day): What’s one little thing you can do to +1 that relationship today? Get clear, what’s your BEST SELF, Name her and let me know.

Ahh yes I hear you, what’s the name of my Eudiamon? Well, she is the Zen War‐ rior Goddess. ¡Hasta luego!

Stay Focussed, Keep Positive and Choose to +1 in Every Moment.

You won’t be surprised ‐ the worst ver‐ sion of ourselves ‐ The Demon ‐ stems from the etymology of eudaimōn!! So, watch that little pesky shoulder sitting fleabag, this is the one that whispers in your ear, “you are not good enough”, the one that says “who do you think you are” when you are about to take those

Love, Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps Toni x

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

Please do get in touch if you have any questions. Follow me, chat and share your thoughts and network with other fabulous women in my Visionary Women Facebook Group.

@tonieastwood

@SixSecretsToSuccess @VisionaryWomen

Advertising Feature VOSS HOMES

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On the edge of the village of Santo Petar walking distance to two bars / restaurants, four mins drive to Taberno village and 12 mins drive to Huercal-Overa town and 45 minutes to the coast.

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way for four or more cars. There is a large garage workshop and covered parking. To the front of the property is a large, tiled terrace area with above ground pool and plenty of room for sunbathing, eating out and enjoying the views.

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COUNTRY HOUSE: Renovated and decorated to a high standard.

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another living room. From this living room a passageway leads to four bedrooms/three doubles and one single. One of the doubles has an ensuite shower room. The rest share a family shower room. This makes ideal guest accommodation and has independently controlled underfloor heating.

A door and external stairs take you up to the large sun roof with 360º views of the open country side and village.

Voss Homes is a British family-run business with offices in the thriving, market town of Huercal-Overa and La Alfoquia village (Zurgena). We concentrate on selling properties around HuercalOvera, Zurgena, La Alfoquia and Taberno.

For more information and to arrange a viewing of VH1600 Casa Bonita please call Voss Homes on 0034 950 616 827 or 0034 678 002 006 or email enquiries@vosshomesspain.com.

www.euroweeklynews.com • 30 Sept - 3 Oct 2021

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

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

BATTLE WITH BANKS From our Facebook

TIE CARD: Evidence of residency.

I wonder if anybody else has a story of banks bullying customers over the TIE card. There is a lot of concern among the expats as evidenced by Facebook expat group posts that customers are being threatened with having their bank accounts frozen unless they produce a TIE card as evidence of residency.

You can, I’m sure, imagine the devastating effects of such action and the ensuing stress this would cause.

My wife and I find ourselves among this group and have questioned the policy with the bank’s own online help chat who say that we are not required to produce a TIE and that the green residency card is sufficient, which is also as stated in the Brexit withdrawal agreement. However the local branch are still insisting that we do get the TIE card and that our account will be frozen at the end of the year unless it

WHAT A SHAME AS a company we made it clear at the time of the Brexit vote that we were in favour of remaining within the European Union as we believed it would be detrimental in the short term to the UK should we leave.

Having been disappointed by the vote and the fact that so many long-term migrants here in Spain and other countries were unable to vote, we still had to accept the decision and get on with business here in Spain whilst keeping touch with friends and family in the UK.

CORRECTIONS

is produced. It is my hope that if your paper was to highlight this practice then the banks would soften their aggressive, unreasonable and illegal threats which are causing so much unnecessary stress.

Regards, R Robinson

Say it how it is!

SQUATTERS: Most people agree that they should be removed.

Mira Spiteri Definitely the law should be on the side of the owners, NOT squatters!!!

Claire Murray Dear Leapy Lee You really do… Say it where others fear to tread or only think it!

Thank you!

Kind regards, Dawn

OUR VIEW

There is no doubt that the pandemic was an unexpected and untimely disaster for everyone but it now seems that Britain has been ‘knocked for six’ by the combination of Brexit finally biting at the beginning of this year and the pandemic.

Life goes on, but just nine months after the UK finally bowed out of the European Union the reports that are appearing about shortages of petrol and diesel due to the lack of HGV drivers, the potential of empty shelves at Christmas and the closure of numerous low-cost energy suppliers

are truly disturbing.

Spain, despite its own faults, seems to be in a much stronger position than Britain and although fuel and electricity prices are rising rapidly, there appears to be no shortage of goods in the shops (unless of course you want to buy some British foods that aren’t making it over here).

People move to different countries for different reasons but it does seem that those of us in Spain didn’t make a bad decision, although we wish our original homeland a speedy recovery.

If it’s not your house and you have no contract to stay there then of course they should throw them out.

Karen Howarth Yes they should. I have heard some horror stories from people who have had squatters in their property. It appears that squatters have more rights than property owners, which definitely needs addressing and changing.

Shirley Ashworth I don’t think there should be a law!!! They broke into a house so they should be removed and put in jail.

Emma D’Aubrey Yes they should change the law.... but also look into WHY the squatting situation is so high.... we could all name several reasons, but is the government willing to do something about the WHOLE problem here??

Patrick J Byrne Ridiculous situation in the first place, if you enter or break into another person’s property it should be a criminal offence, no new laws needed, just common sense.

Bill Stewart Yes and held responsible for the damage, disorder and mayhem they can cause.

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

46 EWN

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

Because you’re worth it

WHO doesn’t love autumn? Milder temper‐ atures, snugglier clothes and the changing landscape can all make for an enchanting time of year. But what may be enjoyable for us sadly isn’t always great for our hair.

Open fires, central heating and windy weather can all dry out our locks, leaving them looking dull and unhealthy. And with a season full of social events ‐ from fireworks and Halloween to Christmas and New Year ‐ this change in the appearance in our hair comes at an inconvenient time.

Luckily, there is plenty we can do to limit the damage this time of year can bring (and even better news, it doesn’t involve spend‐ ing hundreds of euros on new products). The first thing you can do to protect your hair ‐ af‐ ter using a good quality shampoo and condi‐ tioner suited to your particular hair type ‐ is to dry your hair as quickly as possible after it has been washed.

Wet hair is much more fragile than when it is dry because its cuticles swell as they take on water. This repeated action in itself caus‐ es damage over time as well as leaving you vulnerable to hair breakage while it is wet.

Try to remove the majority of water from hair quickly by using a microfibre towel ‐ which is much more absorbent than a nor‐ mal towel ‐ leaving it on in a turban style for up to 10 minutes. Next, it is important to seal moisture into your hair so it isn’t stripped

HAIR CARE: Limit the damage that this time of year can bring.

away by heat, cold or wind.

This is as simple as using a hair serum, leave‐in conditioner, or even a light natural oil such as jojoba oil on your hair.

Finer haired types should use products sparingly as they can weigh you down, re‐ moving volume.

Finally, if you are going to use heat to style your hair, don’t skimp on the heat protectant which will limit the damage caused. Make sure to turn your hairdryer, tongs or straight‐ eners down to a lower heat level before fin‐ ishing with a shine spray or a small amount of serum leaving you party ready.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Good gout news

DESPITE years of speculation to the contrary, scientists have now discovered gout is not caused by poor diet.

The painful and potentially debilitating condition affects around one in 40 people in the UK, causing inflammation of the joints. It was previously thought wine, red meat and beer could be to blame for the disease but re­ searchers have discovered that is not the case.

A study by the University of Otago, New Zealand, found genetics were instead to blame for how likely a person was to develop the illness. The researchers analysed 16,760 people living in the United States who had Euro­ pean ancestry. Urate is a salt produced in the body when it breaks down compounds called purines. High urate lev­ els­ known as hyperuricaemia­ are associated with a high­ er risk of having gout as uric crystals build up in a person’s joints causing inflammation. It had previously been hype­ ruricaemia was determined by what foods a person ate.

The scientists instead found genes were in fact responsi­ ble for 23.9 per cent of a person’s urate count.

The study found while some foods such as beer, wine, spirits, potatoes, meat, eggs, and cheese could raise urate levels, it only did so by 1 per cent.

Professor Tony Merriman, lead researcher, said, “our data challenge widely held community perceptions that hyperuricaemia is primarily caused by diet, showing for the first time that genetic variants have a much greater contribution to hyperuricaemia than dietary exposure.”

Scientists from Keele University responded to the study, saying the misconception that gout was caused by poor lifestyle meant that correct medication was some­ times not offered, explaining, “when patients develop gout, they are frequently given inaccurate or conflicting in­ formation which trivialises gout and misrepresents its causes and treatment.”

HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

Brain food

WITH life expectancy ever in‐ creasing, many of us are look‐ ing for ways to improve our quality of life and reverse any damage caused by an un‐ healthy lifestyle.

Fortunately, researchers in Spain have found a way of re‐ versing brain damage brought about by high‐fat diets.

A study at the Jaume I Uni‐ versity in Castella de la Plana found mice which were given high levels of fat developed damage to their nervous sys‐ tem similar to that in Alzheimer’s patients, but that this was reversed when they were fed a plant hormone.

This hormone, abscisic acid, was found to reduce inflam‐ mation in the part of the brain where we store memories.

Researchers believe this ef‐ fect may be caused because abscisic acid helps regulate in‐ sulin levels which, when out of balance, can cause inflamma‐ tion in insulin receptors in the hippocampus, the region of

the brain which governs long‐ term memories. Inflammation of the nervous‐system and un‐ regulated insulin levels are both linked to Alzheimer’s Dis‐ ease and other forms of de‐ mentia. The study’s author, Al‐ berto Ribes Navarro, explained: “We have been able to prove that the expression of proteins required for the prop‐ er functioning of insulin de‐ creases in neuro‐inflammatory situations induced by a high‐fat diet.” He added: “With the ad‐ dition of abscisic acid to the high‐fat diet it is possible to re‐ balance the regulation of these genes, even helping them reach normal levels.”

Abscisic acid is found in a plant’s xylem (the stem) and is used by plants to help with growth and development of tolerance to harsh conditions.

The hormone is found natu‐ rally in fruit and vegetables.

A past study into the acid also found it played a role in regulating blood sugar,

which could in turn help delay the development of diabetes.

Ana Maria Sanchez, who head‐ ed up this latest study, shows how this new evidence goes even further, even undoing damage caused by an un‐ healthy lifestyle.

She concluded: “We have verified how a vegetable hor‐ mone, abscisic acid, is able to counter the negative effects that a high‐fat diet has on the central nervous system.”

REPAIR: Fruit and vegetables can reverse damage.

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

EWN 47

48 EWN

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

DAVID WORBOYS WE have much in common with our western neighbour Portugal but, across the Pyrenees, France is another world. Indeed, although located at the heart of western Eu‐ rope, France is totally different from all its major neighbours and this is what makes it unique.

French cuisine, with its bisque d’homard, foie gras, escargots, grenouilles (frogs’ legs), boeuf Wellington, and Crepes Suzette is exclusive to France and French restaurants abroad. It has the world’s greatest brandies (Cognac and Armagnac) and wines (Bur‐ gundy, Bordeaux, Alsace and Provence).

France is more advanced than Spain and better organised. Spanish history and culture have a signifi‐ cant Arabic influence and conse‐ quently so does its language, mak‐ ing it distinguishable from French.

Italy has a grammatically similar lan‐ guage to French but, apart from the Alps and the Dolomites, is very much a southern country.

LA BELLE FRANCE French people and villages are somehow different.

Spain and Italy suffer from an in‐ herent culture of corruption and large regions are impoverished, compared with northern Europe and France. Neither Italy nor Spain is nearly as influential on the world stage as France.

Like Italy, Germany shares the Alps with France, but is nevertheless totally different. It has a bland coast‐ line in the far north, totally different cuisine and a more pragmatic non‐ Latin mentality. Across the Channel,

34 kilometres from Calais, lies Eng‐ land ‐ a different world, separated from continental Europe, physically, politically, culturally and gastronom‐ ically.

France is the only country in both northern and southern Europe, with greater varieties of climate, to‐ pography and landscape than its neighbours. In the north is the re‐ gion of Brittany with its dramatic At‐ lantic coastline and glamorous Di‐ nard, while delightful Alsace is a

blend of all that’s best in France and Germany. Wonderful white wines to accompany the choucroute or onion tart, half‐timbered architec‐ ture in Colmar’s Little Venice and exquisite villages among the sur‐ rounding hills.

Further south, towards the Swiss border lies the picturesque town of Annecy, another charming ‘Little Venice’ not too far from Mont Blanc. Then it’s down through the Alps to the Cote d’Azur. This is

FEATURE

among the world’s most scenic coastlines from Menton via An‐ tibes, Vence and Sanary to Mar‐ seille. As we proceed further inland from the stately university city of Montpellier past the remarkable medieval fortress of Carcasonne, we reach the glorious countryside of Aveyron and Cantal, with their green hills, broad meadows and sunny forests.

France’s beautiful villages are very different from English ones and more varied. From Dambach, Riquewihr and Eguisheim in Alsace to Conques, Domme and Eze, they may be medieval, half‐timbered, floral or in spectacular locations.

From the Pyrenees to the Ar‐ dennes and from Saint Malo to Saint Tropez, France is quite distinc‐ tive from any of its neighbours.

Then there is Paris! The romantic jewel at the heart of its metropolis, steeped in history, art and culture.

The architecture, the great restau‐ rants, the pavement cafes and the shows are all enhanced by the slight mystique of simply being French ‐ and different.

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

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

NEWS

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THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to sup‐ port local businesses in the community by shopping lo‐ cally in recent times. Now things are heading back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by sup‐ porting local high streets, markets, butchers, green‐ grocers and all of the won‐ derfully quirky independent businesses in your area.

Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities what they are. They add unique character. They are convenient. And they offer excellent produce from known suppliers. The joy of shopping locally means that independent businesses can support the local communi‐ ty. You may find something a euro or two cheaper online but have you considered where your money is actually going?

By shopping locally you’re putting food on a local fami‐ ly’s table and there is nothing better than giving back to the communities

GO LOCAL have given us so much. Local stores support charities and they sponsor local sports teams. In many cases, they are much more than just a business, they’re a legacy.

They may have supported generations of the same family. Likewise, brand new local stores and bars may help the generations of the future fulfil their dreams and ambitions.

Remember, your local store is going up against multinationals and chains.

They can’t win that battle on their own. So give them your support. Spending your mon‐ ey locally w i l l make a real dif‐ fer‐

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

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

ence to the local economy.

Local businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro they receive at local level.

They create locally owned

supply chains and they invest in their employees.

So remember.

When you go shopping ‐ go local!

EWN 49

PETS

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www.euroweeklynews.com • 30 Sept - 6 Oct 2021

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Avoiding cat fights IF you have a cat you will know that they simply hate to be bathed. Any attempt to do so might lead to a real cat fight at home. This leads any cat owner to the question of

how to clean your dirty mug‐ gins after a night out on the prowl.

Cats are actually very clean animals. With their rough tongue, they can spend up to

more than four hours a day licking and preening every corner of their fur to remove dirt and entangled hair.

In addition to their person‐ al grooming, a good option is to use dry shampoo. You simply brush the foam into the cat’s fur to give it a good clean.

Household baby wipes are another alternative. Simply rub them over your cat as though you were stroking it.

This way, your cat can actual‐ ly come to enjoy this interac‐ tion.

Don’t forget to pay atten‐ tion to your cat’s eyes, ears and mouth.

Cats don’t like water.

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30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

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MOTORING

DGT sends letters to repeat ITV SOME vehicle owners in Spain can expect a letter in the post from the General Di‐ rectorate of Traffic (DGT) which this time might not be for a traffic fine, instead, it will most likely be a request asking you to take your vehicle for another ITV test, which of course has to still be paid for.

This request is one of the modifications made to the ITV test, as published in the BOE (Official State Gazette), more specifi‐ cally as stated in Royal Decree 265/2021, which was approved on April 13, and re‐ lates to any vehicles that have subse‐ quently been repaired after having been declared a ‘total loss’ by the insurance companies after an accident.

The Royal Decree 265/2021 states that any vehicle that was declared a ‘total loss’ must retake another ITV test, with this term of course relating to an instance where the cost of repairing a vehicle after an accident greatly outweighs the value of the vehicle, but some owners insist on still having their vehicle repaired for what‐ ever reason, with a lot of insurance com‐ panies nowadays already classing a vehi‐

cle as a ‘total loss’ when the cost of the re‐ pair already exceeds 75 per cent of the value of the car.

In this instance, the DGT is insisting the vehicle passes another ITV to prove its roadworthiness, and in the event of the vehicle failing the ITV then it must be re‐ paired and retested until it is deemed fit to circulate on Spanish roads, with a maxi‐ mum period of two months given to the owner during which to fix the vehicle and take it for a new ITV test.

Failure to comply can result in a fine of between €200 and €500, and whilst being repaired, the vehicle can only legally trav‐ el on the road to the garage, and then to the ITV centre, with a fine of €200 for any driver caught using the vehicle under any other circumstances, (although this is more interpretable).

In the event of the vehicle being consid‐ ered unfit to pass the ITV due to serious defects, it will be prohibited from using the roads, and can only be taken to the garage for repairs by the use of a tow truck.

ELECTRIC SCOOTERS: Madrid wants to limit the numbers in use in the city.

Insurance for electric scooters P E R E N AV A R R O, the head of the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT), revealed on Wednesday, Septem‐ ber 22, that some ad‐ ministrations have al‐ ready started to demand the imple‐ mentation of manda‐ tory insurance for users of personal mo‐ bility vehicles (VMP).

As Mr Navarro ex‐ plained while taking part in a debate on the challenges that cities face in terms of road safety and new forms of mobility, “The municipalities ask for it, and the Prosecutor’s Office as well. In Spain, com‐ pulsory insurance for VMPs is already on the agenda. France has already put it in place, and we like that model.”

When asked if the DGT has plans to re‐ lease specific data on accidents involving this type of vehicle, Mr Navarro replied that, “Without data, there is no road safety policy, it is what sets the path for them,” adding that the DGT is preparing a “power‐ ful” campaign, be‐ cause, “One of our main concerns is scooters on pave‐ ments.”

During the debate, Jaime Moreno, the general director of Land Transport of the Ministry of Transport,

Mobility and Urban Agenda declared that the Covid‐19 pandem‐ ic, “Has meant an im‐ portant change in the mentality of users, since the growth of bi‐ cycle use is unstop‐ pable, as is that of VMPs.” While Federico Jimenez de Parga, the Mobility coordinator of the Madrid City Council, explained that, “At present, in Madrid, there are 14 companies, with 4,800 scooters, but we want to limit it, as they have done in Paris, which only has three operators, with a max‐ imum of 15,000 scoot‐ ers (5,000 each),” con‐ firming that this measure will come in‐ to force within a year.

Finally, the general director of Vivaz, David Perez, affirmed that, “Mobility in cities in recent years is undergoing a total transformation. Our duty is to reflect on what challenges citi‐ zens will have to face.”

MOTORING

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ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack H O N D A’ S C R ‐ V b e g a n production in the mid‐ 90s and has proved a popular seller for those seeking a higher quality, large SUV. The Honda comes with a 2.0‐litre, four‐cylinder petrol unit that’s mated to a twin electric motor hybrid system that recharges on the move. The sys‐ tem automatically uses the most efficient drive whether electric, hybrid or engine. It’s a perfect compromise for those who see having to plug‐ in your hybrid or elec‐ tric car as a bit of a faff.

As one might expect from Honda, the CR‐V has a classy and quality feel throughout and feels like it will be on the road for decades to come.

The CR‐V will appeal to buyers who want sensi‐ ble and spacious trans‐ port, and if that sounds a bit boring you would be wrong. True it’s not

30 Sept. - 6 Oct. 2021

EWN 55

Honda CR-V - a touch of class! going to woo buyers of more sporty SUVs but it does feel special.

It’s remarkably spacious and there’s plen‐ ty of room for the fam‐ ily to stretch out, not to men‐ tion stow all their luggage. It c o m e s with good levels of standard equipment, even on the lead‐in model, and in‐ cludes auto lights and wipers, LED lights, intel‐ ligent adaptive cruise control, smart entry and start, climate and all the usual connectivity.

The range starts from €36,874/£31,470 and there are five trim levels with two and four‐ wheel‐drive and just one

Facts at a Glance Model: Honda CR-V EX 4WD Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol with self-charging hybrid system Gears: automatic Price: €47,361/£40,420 Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 9.2 seconds/Maximum Speed 180 kph (112 mph) Economy: 5.5 l/100km/51.4 mpg Emissions: 126 g/km Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

CR-V: Will appeal to buyers who want sensible transport.

2.0‐litre engine. As with most electric and hybrid vehicles the transmis‐ sion system is automatic, however the Honda uses a single fixed‐gear ratio creating a direct connec‐ tion between moving components.

While very smooth un‐

der hard acceleration ‐ the 2WD version reaches 62 mph in 8.8 seconds, so impressive for a low powered large car ‐ it is noisy. This is in direct contrast to lower speed city driving and cruising when the CR‐V is very quiet and refined.

O n t h e road it’s a genuinely nice drive and surprisingly nimble, the ergonomics are first class with a touch screen and instruments of ex‐ cellent clarity.

The transmission and drive modes ‐ EV, Econ and Sport ‐ are all switch operated rather than by levers and make for a compact and easy to use

driving environment.

Likewise gear position is also switch operated for drive, neutral, reverse and park.

The CR‐V may be dis‐ creet and sensible, as opposed to so many models that are overtly bold and‐in‐your‐face, but that’s the secret of its success. It’s a touch of class and class doesn’t have to announce its presence.

SPORT

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30 September - 3 October 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

Lewis Hamilton seals 100th victory Back to winning ways LEWIS HAMILTON took the chequered flag on Sun‐ day, September 26, in an eventful Russian Grand Prix in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, to become the first F1 driver in history to notch up 100 victories, crushing the dreams of young British driver Lando Norris in the process.

Norris started on pole, but lost the lead when Spain’s Carlos Sainz took him on the first lap, only for the dynamic young McLaren driver to regain the lead on Lap 13, where he stayed un‐ til just five laps from the end. However the heavens opened up and the error to

HAMILTON: Won an eventful Russian Grand Prix.

stay on the same tyres cost him a probable maiden F1 win, as his car became un‐ steerable at times, by which time the Mercedes team had put Hamilton on a new set of intermediate tyres and it was game over.

His team had asked him over the radio if he wanted to come in to change to in‐ termediate tyres, but the 21‐year‐old gave them a firm “no”, with Hamilton al‐ so telling the Mercedes team that the rain was not that bad, but being ordered

to pit anyway. A very wise decision which paid its divi‐ dend as the rain suddenly started to pour down, re‐ joining the race 14.7 sec‐ onds behind Norris, but within just five corners he had passed the McLaren and taken the lead.

This victory takes Lewis two points clear of his main rival, Max Verstappen, who had a stunning drive, start‐ ing 20th on the grid, but fighting his way through the field to an eventual second place, with his Red Bull

team right on the money with the tyre change when they saw the rain coming.

Carlos Sainz finished a very deserved third in the Ferrari, again stopping at just the right time to put the intermediates, with Daniel Ricciardo ‐ who won the previous race in Monza ‐ placing fourth in the other McLaren, ahead of Hamil‐ ton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas in fifth, and a brilliant drive from Fernando Alonso in the Alpine saw him take sixth.

BARCELONA returned to their old winning ways on Sunday, September 26, easing the pressure on under‐fire coach Ronald Koeman in the process, as they disposed of Levante UD 3‐0 at the Camp Nou. Koeman was absent, serving his two‐match touchline ban after his red card in the previous LaLiga game with Cadiz CF, which that left assistant coach Alfred Schreuder in command of operations .

Following drab draws in their last two games, a spark was need‐ ed to ignite this young Barca squad, with a fit‐again 18‐year‐old Ansu Fati back from a long‐term injury, and wearing the famous No10 shirt vacated by Lionel Messi.

Things couldn’t have started better than when Memphis Depay was felled in the box by Nemanja Radoja, for the Dutchman to calmly slot home the opener after just six minutes.

It was another Dutchman, this time Luuk de Jong, on loan from Sevilla, who grabbed his first goal for the club on 15 minutes, rac‐ ing onto Sergino Dest’s through ball to fire beyond Aitor Fernan‐ dez and double the advantage for the Blaugrana.

This was a brilliant show by the Barcelona team, though to be fair, Levante hardly put up any opposition, and had it not been for Fernandez, the result could have been an awful lot higher, but it did take until the 91st minute for a third goal to materialise.

Fati, on as a substitute for De Jong, marked his return with a sublime strike from outside the box, and said after the win, “I couldn’t have imagined a comeback like this. I’m so thankful to the doctors and physios who have been with me throughout all of this, and to the fans who have been unbelievable as well.”

Moving up to fifth in the table, this win should restore confi‐ dence to the Catalan giants, who find themselves five points adrift of Real Madrid but with a game in hand, and now travel to Lisbon on Wednesday, September 29 to play Benfica in the Champions League in the Estadio da Luz.