Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 27 January - 2 February 2022 Issue 1908

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 32 - 35 27 Jan - 2 Feb 2022

Thumbs down ORIHUELA City Hall has pre‐ sented formal objections to plans for a solar power plant directly adjoining the town centre of its outlying Torre‐ mendo district. Residents and environmentalist groups also oppose the project which they termed “an attack on the neighbourhood, its land and future plans.”

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE GOAL

Photo credit: Torrevieja town hall

Issue No. 1908

Turn to page 2 » FITUR ANNOUNCEMENT: Eduardo Dolon and Rosario Martinez outlined sustainability goals.

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27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

Cold day for fishing CARP‐R‐US kicked off their new Murcia Cup series on the Rio Segura in Murcia’s city centre.

“At this time of year the venue can be very cold as most of it remains in the

shade all day. Added to which, the temperature when we met was only two degrees and warm clothing was need‐ ed,” Car‐R‐Us secretary Steve Fell said.

“The match itself was very

strange,” he continued. “The pegs near the first road bridge and below produced fish, but the further upstream you went, the harder the fishing.

In fact, two upstream pegs sadly failed to produce a fish or even a bite.”

Alan Smith won the match from the peg immediately up‐ stream of the road bridge with an excellent 17.50 kilos.

Steve Fell (9.93 kilos) was sec‐

ond while Jackie Breslin (7.92 kilos) was third and Terry Screen (1.95 kilos) came fourth with a single carp.

“The club recently held its 2020‐2021 Presentation Meal at Giovanni’s in Almoradi.

Congratulations to all the win‐ ners and a huge thank you for an excellent meal,” Steve said.

For more information, visit the www.carp‐r‐us.weebly. com website.

Tearaways trash park THE Local Police in Rojales are investigating a spate of vandalism in the El Recorral nature preserve.

Notices have been graffitied as well as the public toilets, offi‐ cers revealed, signs marking out the Environmental Trail have been damaged, and rocks thrown into the one of the lagoons.

Wooden picnic tables were ripped from their foundations and moved elsewhere while the vandals had used a saw to remove the legs of another.

Rojales’ Culture and Heritage councillor Inmaculada Chazarro lamented the damage inflicted on a green space “that belongs to us all” and whose upkeep cost the town hall a “a considerable amount.”

The councillor also called on the local population to contact the Local Police if they witnessed vandalism anywhere in the town.

NEWS

More jobs in Orihuela UNEMPLOYMENT in Ori‐ huela has fallen by 13 per cent compared with a year ago.

Victor Valverde, councillor responsible for Employment, revealed that there were cur‐ rently 5,283 residents official‐ ly registered as unemployed in the city, 778 fewer this time last year.

“This takes us back to pre‐ 2020 figures before the onset of the pandemic which de‐ stroyed so many work op‐ tions,” Valverde said, explain‐ ing that over the past year his own department had taken part in various officially‐fund‐ ed employment pro‐ grammes.

These included the Valen‐ cian Community’s 2014‐20 European Social Fund scheme, as well as the RE‐ ACT‐EU programme, which made it possible for city hall to engage 195 people to work in different local admin‐ istrations. The services sector continued to provide most job opportunities, Valverde said, accounting for 64 per cent of the area’s unem‐

Photo credit: Orihuela city hall

JOB OPPORTUNITIES: Orihuela City Hall organises training schemes to improve employment prospects.

ployed, but providing 69 per cent of new jobs.

“Eighty‐six per cent of the new contracts are tempo‐ rary,” the councillor admit‐ ted.

Valverde stressed that his department would continue to make all possible efforts over the coming months to help Orihuela’s jobless find work.

“We intend to do this by improving their employment prospects with new training schemes,” the councillor said.

“We shall also seek new funding which will enable city hall to carry out more pro‐ jects aimed at reducing the negative events of recent years.”

from Front page »

Ambitious plans to improve TORREVIEJA has received a €3 million grant from Brussels that will help the town achieve its sus‐ tainability goals.

Mayor Eduardo Dolon revealed the good news while attending Madrid’s international tourism fair, Fitur, where he was accompanied by Tourism councillor Rosario Mar‐ tinez.

Torrevieja, along with 10 other municipalities, was chosen from 45 Va‐ lencian Community can‐ didates vying for a share in the European Union’s Next Generation eco‐ nomic recovery package introduced to assist member states adversely impacted by the pan‐ demic.

“This investment will allow Torrevieja to put into practice ambitious plans for improving its tourist offer via sustain‐ ability and digitisation,”

Dolon said.

The three‐year sustain‐ ability project focuses on 12 key points split into the four sections of Green Transition, Ener‐ gy‐efficiency, Digital Transition and Competi‐ tivity, the mayor ex‐ plained.

Initiatives include a network of bicycle lanes to encourage the use of sustainable transport be‐ tween the town centre, the Salt Lakes national park and the municipal sports complex amongst other tourist attractions.

Energy‐efficiency is an‐ other priority, Dolon added, with a €380,000 allocation for illuminat‐ ing the municipality’s most emblematic loca‐ tions, including the port’s Dique de Levante break‐ water.

Charging stations throughout the town for electric vehicles are also

contemplated in the plan, the mayor said.

Rosario Martinez high‐ lighted the importance of digitising Torrevieja: “Over the past year we have worked towards becoming a Smart Tourism Destination, cre‐ ating a Digital Transfor‐ mation office to promote the use of green energy,” the councillor said.

Wi‐fi will be available on all Torrevieja beach‐ es, Martinez revealed, ensuring that residents and visitors can have an internet connection at all times.

Smart tourist signage throughout the munici‐ pality also features in the town hall plans, as well as its smart city platform ‐ basically a ‘system of systems’ to integrate in‐ formation and provide an all‐encompassing overview of all its sys‐ tems.

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NIBS EXTRA No solution MURCIA’S agricultural grow‐ ers who, like their southern Alicante counterparts, de‐ pend on water transfers from the Tajo‐Segura, announced that they are planning a mas‐ sive protest on February 16.

They oppose the central gov‐ ernment’s intention of reduc‐ ing supplies and maintain that substituting these with desalinated water would be exorbitantly expensive.

Drunk driver A DRIVER who registered four times over the permit‐ ted limit crashed into a moped that had stopped at traffic lights in Petrer late on January 22. The moped rider was unhurt, but the motorist now faces a fast‐track court case with a fine and loss of driving licence.

Foreign bodies TORREVIEJA Town Hall’s Cen‐ sus and Statistics department announced that according to its records the municipality has started the year with 87,901 inhabitants. Of these, 49, 807 (56.6 per cent) are Spanish, although the re‐ maining 38,094 (43.4 per cent) come from 123 coun‐ tries, principally Britain, Rus‐ sia and the Ukraine.

Jihad charges TWO Moroccan brothers, de‐ tained last November in Pilar de la Horadada for promot‐ ing jihad and terrorism, have been freed after spending 60 days in a Madrid detention centre for foreigners. They await deportation once the frontiers reopen with Moroc‐ co, although their lawyer in‐ tends to appeal against this measure.

All change AS agreed following the lack of an overall majority for any political party after the 2019 municipal elections, Daya Nueva’s mayor Teresa Mar‐ tinez (Ciudadanos) has re‐ signed. In office since 2011, she has now handed over to Pablo Girona (PSOE) as well as vacating her seat on the council.

27 January - 2 February 2022

Playa Babilonia SOS THE regional Partido Popular party (PPCV) called for more protection for the Valencia region’s coast.

Speaking in Guardamar after meeting Playa Babilonia property owners affected by the Coastal Law, the party’s Ecology and Development secretary Elena Albalat, said the PP spoke for thousands of residents in the Valencian Community - “and Guardamar in particular” - whose homes were in danger.

“There is an urgent requirement for action all along the coast,” Albalat declared.

The president of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez needed a global strategy for all municipalities, AN Orihuela residents’ asso‐ ciation is registering as a po‐ litical party with the Min‐ istry of the Interior.

One of its members, Ro‐ man Jimenez, formerly president of the CLARO party, explained to the Spanish media that the nu‐ cleus of the Partido para la Independencia de Orihuela Costa PIOC (Orihuela Costa Independence Party) have different nationalities, re‐ flecting the area’s cos‐

Photo credit: PPCV ENCROACHING SEA: Guardamar property owners need solutions.

she continued.

“There’s been enough inaction, it’s time to do something once and for all,” Albalat declared after having spent a week talking via Zoom with PP mayors and spokespeople from municipalities where, like

Birth of a new party mopolitan character.

The latest figures reveal that on January 1 this year 29,550 Orihuela residents ‐ 35.7 per cent of the total ‐ were born outside Spain and the majority, many of them British, live in Orihuela Cosa.

“In a few years’ time, we shall have the same popula‐ tion as Orihuela city,”

Voucher scheme PILAR DE LA HORADADA’S Christmas shopping voucher scheme brought €204,820 in extra takings for 158 local busi‐ nesses.

A total of 10,000 vouchers worth €30 were available to residents aged over 18 who were registered on the munici‐ pal Padron. Finance councillor Mari Carmen Garcia revealed that 6,827 of the 7,143 vouch‐ ers that were eventually issued

Guardamar, properties are threatened by eroded beaches and encroaching sea.

Elisa Diaz, the PPCV’s Environment spokeswoman in the regional parliament Les Corts, pointed out that the parliamentary committee created to focus on storm risks should talk to affected homeowners and hear about their experiences firsthand.

“The problem is far-reaching, because the storms and lack of infrastructure are eating away beaches, sand and properties,” she added.

“It is essential to strike a balance between protecting both the coast and people’s homes.”

had been presented by partici‐ pating businesses on January 5 and were paid within 10 days.

“This was record time for a public administration, thanks to the efforts and dedication of employees in the town hall’s Commerce, Audit and Treasury departments,” Garcia added.

Most of the vouchers were spent on food, shoes, clothes and accessories, electrical appli‐ ances and eating out, she said.

and finally...

ONCE again the Vega Baja prepares to mark World Cancer Day on Friday, February 4. Maria and the Pink Ladies and Panthers will be hosting an event held on and around Zenia Boulevard’s stage area where there will be live entertainment from some of the coast’s favourite entertainers, supported by Simon Morton from Sunshine FM. The group raises funds for Alicante Province’s cancer charity AACC and also raises awareness of cancer and the support available both before and after diagnosis. The La Zenia event kicks off at 12 noon and there will be a minute’s silence at 1pm to remember all those who have lost the battle to cancer, but also to support those still fighting the disease. Members of the public will be able to book an early detection cancer test with the Pink Ladies on the day as they continue to press home the vital ‘Early detection saves lives’ message.

Jimenez said. “We want to retain our links but on equal terms.”

He pointed out that Ori‐ huela Costa generates be‐ tween 50 and 60 per cent of the municipality’s income: “Nevertheless, approxi‐ mately 15 per cent returns here.”

Jimenez announced that the next municipal elections

will see a list of candidates composed of Orihuela Costa residents’ associations, the CLARO party and PIOC. “What unites us is a de‐ sire for economic indepen‐ dence,” declared CLARO’s current president Antonio Cerdan.

“For the first time the coast will have a joint list giving it a voice at city hall, as we are increasingly aware that supporting the existing parties is senseless.”

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Winter veg THE Campo de Elche area expects to produce more than 20 million kilos of win‐ ter vegetables this year.

Elche’s mayor Carlos Gon‐ zalez, accompanied by Rural Development councillor Fe‐ lip Sanchez and the local and provincial presidents of the ASAJA agricultural union, vis‐ ited the official launch of the campaign that was held at the Algoros civic centre.

Gonzalez drew attention to agriculture’s significance in Elche’s social, cultural and economic life, congratulating growers and employees for the ‘tenacity and resilience’ with which they faced the problems they encounter during each campaign.

The mayor also assured them of city hall’s support, pledging ‘unwavering’ sup‐ port for the Tajo‐Segura wa‐ ter transfers, which the cen‐ tral government intends to reduce.

“We are totally aware that this irrigation water is essen‐ tial and we are going to con‐ tinue backing your claims,” Gonzalez declared.

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NEWS

Tuesdays in Mazarron NATO thanks Spain AGE CONCERN COSTA CALI‐ DA recently contacted the Eu‐ ro Weekly News to clarify its Tuesday activities.

“Our Social Centre opens from 10am until 1pm every weekday with a programme of activities each day,” ex‐ plained Age Concern’s Gail.

“The centre usually has the same activity on the same day of the week,” she said.

“However we have decided

to split three activities over three weeks in February.”

February 8: Open as usual for anyone to drop in.

The Vintage Store will be open from 10am until 1pm.

Afternoon tea and Bingo from 2pm until 4pm.

February 15: Craft master‐ class with a local craftsperson.

There is a nominal fee of ap‐ proximately €5 and partici‐ pants will be able to take

home what they make. The first craft session will focus on polymer clay, beaded earrings and a bracelet.

The Vintage store will be open from 10am until 1pm.

February 22: Coffee morn‐ ing with an invitation to come along, chat with like‐minded people and enjoy delicious tea, coffee, home‐made cakes and treats.

The Vintage store will be open from 10am until 1pm.

February 28: The centre will be open for anyone to drop in for a cuppa and a chat. The Vintage Store will be open from 10am until 1pm. Age Concern Social Centre, 2B Avenida de los Covachos, Camposol Sec‐ tor C, Mazarron (Murcia).

ON January 23, Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary‐ General of NATO, conveyed his thanks to Pedro Sanchez, the president of the Spanish Government, for the coun‐ try’s ‘vital contribution’ to the Atlantic Alliance. This was in reference to Spain de‐ ploying the frigate ‘Blas of Lezo’ to assist with the crisis in Ukraine.

Posting on his Twitter ac‐ count, he wrote, “I have spo‐ ken with President Pedro Sanchez to prepare the NATO summit in Madrid. I have thanked him for Spain’s vital contribution to NATO, the lat‐ est example being the deploy‐ ment of the ‘Blas de Lezo’ frigate.” The frigate, which set sail from its Galician base in Ferrol, will join one of the NA‐

BLAS OF LEZO: The frigate is to assist with the crisis.

TO groups, the SNMG‐2, in the Mediterranean Sea. This group includes naval units from different allied countries that are heading to an area of the Black Sea, in the midst of the crisis be‐ tween Russia and Ukraine.

Stoltenberg reiterated the union between Spain and the Atlantic Alliance, both in the current crisis, and with a view to the upcoming 40th Sum‐ mit of NATO. This will take place in Madrid, on June 29 and 30.

Royal couple split PRINCESS CRISTINA and hus‐ band Iñaki Urdangarin have an‐ nounced their split days after allegations of his involvement with another woman ap‐ peared in a Spanish magazine.

The recent media furore over the disgraced brother‐in‐ law of King Felipe was clearly enough for 56‐year‐old Princess Cristina which resulted in a joint statement made to Spanish press. “By mutual agreement, we have decided to cease our marital relation‐ ship. Our commitment to our children remains intact. Given that this is a private decision, we ask for the utmost respect from all those around us,” the pair announced on January 24.

The couple were effectively living apart as Princess Cristina is now based in Switzerland, but she did travel back to Spain for Christmas and spent some time with Urdangarin and the children before returning to Geneva where she has kept a dignified low profile.

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Pet shop Catholic Church to return assets Wife blames blaze Brexit shock ON Monday January 24, a blaze broke out in a pet shop in Barcelona killing most of the animals inside. Several neighbouring families had to leave their homes due to the blaze to ensure their safety and two people needed medical treatment due to smoke inhalation.

A total of 10 firefighter teams were sent to tackle the blaze before it was eventually put out at around 5.30am.

Once the blaze had been ex‐ tinguished the local families were able to return to their homes. An investigation has been launched to discover the cause of the fire, which had tragic consequences.

SHOP FIRE: Most of the animals perished inside.

ON Monday, January 24, the Span‐ ish government and the Episcopal Conference came to the agree‐ ment that the Catholic Church would return almost a thousand assets that had been wrongfully registered under its name be‐ tween 1998 and 2015. The meet‐ ing took place between President Pedro Sánchez and the president of the Spanish Episcopal Confer‐ ence, Cardinal Juan José Omella.

At least 3 per cent of the approxi‐ mately 35,000 property assets which the Church formally regis‐ tered under its name did not actual‐ ly belong to it, but this was permit‐ ted due to the reform of the Mortgage Law implemented by the ex‐president José María Aznar.

“The analysis has revealed a col‐ lection of assets that the Church considers as belonging to a third party, or as having unclear owner‐ ship,” said the official statement.

There are almost a thousand such assets, but sources from the Min‐ istry of the Presidency, led by Félix Bolaños, later confirmed that the list does not include any large tem‐ ples.

This is the first agreement mutu‐ ally reached by the two institutions.

AGREEMENT: That property assets would be returned.

The topic has been talked about for some time: it was one of Sánchez’s electoral promises in 2020, and the

PSOE had long been demanding a solution to the conflict over the Church’s assets.

No. 10 party investigation THE Metropolitan Police are set to investigate ‘a number of events’ that took place at No 10 and Whitehall that allegedly broke coronavirus lockdown rules.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has been under pressure to investigate the alleged parties.

The Commissioner commented on the losses caused by the pandemic: “I ab‐ solutely understand there is deep public concern about the allegations that have been in the media over the last several weeks.

“Many people including Londoners, and indeed my colleagues have made huge sacrifices and they’ve suffered considerable loss during the pandemic.”

A BRITISH woman has blamed post‐ Brexit paperwork for her French hus‐ band being unable to enter Britain for nearly a year. The 67‐year‐old Brit had spent 30 years living abroad with her French husband.

The couple sold their house in France last year and thought it would be easy to enter the UK. They only ex‐ pected it to take 15 days for them to get a family permit for entering the UK. The couple had packed every‐ thing as they got ready for the move.

Nearly a year on and they are still waiting. The British woman said: “We packed everything up. We sold the house. And it’s just non‐communica‐ tion from the Home Office. My hus‐ band went through a phase of being very depressed about the whole thing. He said: ‘What is the Home Of‐ fice waiting for, for me to die?’”

The pair had enjoyed a wonderful 30 years in France, but had wanted to head to the UK. “We feel like we are a victim of Brexit and there is nothing we can do about it. We are just wait‐ ing. We can’t get on with our lives,” she added.

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Experts warn of 7th wave SOME virologists have pre‐ dicted how the Covid pan‐ demic scenario may devel‐ op in the coming months.

Joan Cayla, a member of the Spanish Society of Epi‐ demiology, declared to Medical Writing that “we are at risk of the seventh wave arriving before East‐ er.” Meanwhile, experts in the UK have warned the seventh wave could arrive in the summer.

Cayla stated that “think‐ ing about these parties, everything is very con‐ trolled, which implies tak‐ ing great care for the good of health and the econo‐ my.”

Emergency physician

Miguel Gutierrez gave a more optimistic stance: “The percentage of vacci‐ nations and a very conta‐ gious but less violent vari‐ ant have been key factors in the celebration of Christmas.

“Surely, we will be fac‐ ing a Holy Week with pro‐ cessions in the street and relative normality, but in the contexts of large crowds, the mask will have to be used,” he added.

Another virologist, Vi‐ cente Soriano, a former adviser to the WHO said: “By Easter, this is over.”

Soriano bases his stance on the appearance of an‐ tiviral drugs.

NEWS

Pedro Sanchez excluded from call ON January 24, it was re‐ vealed that US President Joe Biden held a video conference as ‘a response to Russia’s military escala‐ tion on Ukraine’s bor‐ ders.’

Biden’s video call in‐ cluded Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commis‐ sion; Charles Michel, the President of the Council; French President Em‐ manuel Macron; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi; Poland’s Andrzej Duda; and British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

But Biden did not in‐ clude Spanish President, Pedro Sanchez. This is re‐ markable when you con‐ sider Madrid will host the NATO summit next June.

Only last week, defence Minister Margarita Robles announced the advance

shipment of warships and Air Force fighters to join the 350 soldiers already deployed on the Russian borders.

This action does not do a lot for relations be‐ tween Madrid and Wash‐ ington, when you recall

how it took Biden at least six months to get round to calling Sanchez after taking office. Only during the evacuation of Kabul did Biden make contact to ask for the use of the Rota and Moron bases for stopover flights.

Taliban talks in Oslo A DELEGATION led by Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in Nor‐ way on January 24 to begin talks with western govern‐ ment officials and Afghan civil society amid a worsening hu‐ manitarian crisis in the coun‐ try.

The three days of discussions are taking place behind closed doors at a hotel in the snow‐ capped mountains above Nor‐

wegian capital Oslo. Day one will see the Taliban representa‐ tives meet with women’s rights activists and human rights de‐ fenders from Afghanistan and Afghan diaspora.

The Taliban’s deputy minister of culture and information, tweeted a voice message in which he expressed hopes for “a good trip full of achieve‐ ments.” He goes on to thank Norway, who he hopes will be‐

come a gateway for improved relations with Europe.

This is the first trip the Taliban have taken to the west with representatives having held meetings in Russia, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, China and Turk‐ menistan.

It is likely that the Taliban will press for the release of assets frozen by western countries and the USA, with $10 billion currently being held back.

resolution • Plan a holiday.

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NEWS

Specsavers guide dogs’ donation SPECSAVERS ÓPTICAS has donated €7,730.47 to the ONCE Foundation for Guide Dogs (FOPG), which will be used to continue the work being done by this charity to allow these animals to be the eyes of the blind. The optical group has been fundrais‐ ing for FOPG since March 2020, with all nine Spec‐ savers Ópticas stores in Spain contributing to the total. This well exceeds the target of €5,000 set at the beginning of the campaign and will support the im‐ portant work of the FOPG and the services it pro‐ vides.

Jorge Martínez de Lizarduy Araico, of Spec‐ savers Ópticas, said: “We are passionate about pro‐ tecting vision and offering the best care for customers with visual deficiencies, so our collaboration with FOPG has been the perfect way to give back and ensure those people with vision loss in Spain get the help and resources they need.”

FOPG: The optical group has been fundraising for the group for years.

The Managing Director of FOPG, Maria Jesús Varela, commented: “Specsavers Ópticas’ active involvement in our work, throughout this fundraising campaign and donation, is a sign of appre‐ ciation for what we do and a show of support for peo‐ ple with severe visual im‐ pairment in this country.”

Specsavers Ópticas is an optical group with stores on the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and in Mallorca. They hold regular charitable cam‐ paigns such as this and offer

complete visual health as‐ sessments as part of their eye tests, free of charge.

Find out more about Specsavers Ópticas here: www.specsavers.es.

Fundación ONCE del Per‐ ro Guía (FOPG) is a welfare foundation created by ONCE in 1990 with the pur‐ pose of breeding and train‐ ing guide dogs for people with severe blindness or vi‐ sual impairment.

Find out more about FOPG here: www.perros guias.once.es.

Brits quitting jobs BRITS are quitting their jobs at a rate not seen for decades. The information comes at a time when many companies are struggling to find the skills they need.

According to data, people are resigning at the highest rate since 2009 with ‘histori‐ cally elevated levels of work‐ ers leaving the labour mar‐ ket entirely.’

The phenomenon is not unique to the UK, with the so‐ called ‘Great Resignation’ happening around the world in the wake of the pandemic.

In the US, where the govern‐ ment produces official data on the so‐called ‘quit rate’, a record 4.5 million people re‐ signed in November.

UK employers are strug‐ gling to both hang on to and to recruit staff, with redun‐ dancies at their lowest level since the mid‐1990s. The number of open vacancies is at the same time, the high‐ est on record.

Businesses in the UK and elsewhere are resorting to a range of tactics to try and overcome the staffing issues, offering everything from higher wages to more flexi‐ ble working conditions.

Included in these tactics is a pilot among 30 businesses who are trialling a four‐day work week, with one of the organisers saying the policy could help employee reten‐ tion.

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Dead man’s pension claim attempt AN investigation has begun after the dead body of a man was taken into an Irish post office in ‘an attempt to claim his pension’. Reports say the body was ‘propped up’ by two other men until they were questioned about the well‐being of the

pensioner, at which point they fled.

A man had called in to the Irish post office on Sta‐ plestown Road in Carlow and asked to collect a pen‐ sion on behalf of an elderly man. That request was re‐ fused as staff told him the

pensioner had to be present in order to release the mon‐ ey.

A short while later, two men reappeared with a man in his 60s and came to the counter. When the group approached, a member en‐ quired about the well‐being of the man.

At that point, the two oth‐ ers dropped the man on the floor and fled the post of‐ fice. An investigation has been launched to determine if the man was already dead when he was brought to the post office.

NEWS

Meat Loaf dies aged 74

MEAT LOAF: Passed away after contracting Covid-19.

Stowaway survives 11-hour flight ACCORDING to Dutch military police at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, a stowaway was discov‐ ered on a flight which arrived from South Africa on Sunday January 23. The man was found in the front wheel section of a Boeing 747 Cargolux Italia freight plane.

Flight data shows that this aircraft departed South Africa, and stopped in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The full journey would have taken 11 hours to complete. The Dutch police would not comment on when they believed the man entered the space.

“The man is doing well considering the circumstances and has been taken to a hospital,” said Joanna Helmonds, a spokeswoman for the Royal Dutch military police, who oversee border con‐ trol in the Netherlands. There was no information about the man’s nationality, or age.

“Our first concern, of course, was for his health. This is definitely very unusual that someone was able to survive the cold at such a height ‐ very, very unusual,” added Ms Helmonds.

MEAT LOAF, whose real name was Michael Lee Aday, sold more than 65 million al‐ bums around the world and played Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He passed away on January 20 after contracting Covid‐19.

The statement announcing the death said: “Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side.

“Daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends have been with him through‐ out the last 24 hours. We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man. From his heart to your souls… don’t ever stop rocking!”

The late rocker had spoken out against vaccines and mask‐wearing and declared before his death: “If I die, I die, but I’m not going to be controlled.”

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Adventurer found dead in boat Queen returns to Sandringham AN attempt by intrepid 75‐ year‐old French adventurer Jean‐Jacques Savin to row across the Atlantic Ocean sin‐ gle‐handedly ended in tragedy on Saturday, January 22. The former paratrooper was found dead in his capsized boat by Portuguese maritime officials.

His support team confirmed the terrible news on his Face‐ book page: “Unfortunately, this time the ocean was stronger than our friend, who loved sail‐ ing and the sea so much.”

Savin had apparently sent

SAVIN’S BOAT: His body was found inside the cabin.

out distress signals on January 20 and 21. His overturned eight‐metre‐long rowing boat was discovered off the coast of the Azores, in the North At‐ lantic by the crew of a mar‐ itime search vessel.

They sent divers down to check, and Savin’s body was discovered ‘lifeless inside the cabin’. No information has yet been released about his cause of death, or the circumstances surrounding his boat capsizing.

Nanoplastic pollution is global NANOPLASTIC pollution has now been de‐ tected all over the globe as a new discovery of particles at both of the Earth’s poles show his‐ toric deposits spanning 50 years. The nanoparticles are smaller and more toxic than microplastics, which have already been found across the globe, but the impact of both on people’s health is unknown.

The new analysis of a core taken from Greenland’s ice cap showed that the nanoplas‐ tic pollution has been occurring for at least 50 years. Surprisingly, a quarter of the particles were from vehicle tyres.

Nanoparticles are very light and are thought to be blown to Greenland on winds from cities in North America and Asia. The nanoplastics found in sea ice in McMurdo Sound in Antarcti‐ ca are likely to have been transported by ocean currents.

Plastics are one part of the chemical pollu‐ tion that is increasing across the world. On Tuesday January 18, scientists reported that the levels had passed the safe limit for humani‐ ty. Plastic pollution has been found in the fur‐ thermost reaches of the planet, from the sum‐ mit of Everest to the bottom of the ocean.

ON Sunday, January 23, the Queen travelled from Windsor Castle to Norfolk by helicopter.

The Queen had seen her San‐ dringham Christmas plans can‐ celled as Covid cases rapidly in‐ creased.

According to reports, the Queen was to be staying at

Wood Farm. During Prince Philip’s retirement, he spent lots of time at Wood Farm. This is the first time that the monarch has stayed there since the Duke of Edinburgh died.

The Queen will mark her Platinum Jubilee on February 6.

It is expected that she will still

be in Norfolk at this time. The Queen has had plenty to deal with lately, particularly the Prince Andrew sex scandal, while Prince Harry has threat‐ ened legal proceedings to en‐ sure that he has police protec‐ tion when he and his family visit the UK.

Protests across Europe ON Saturday January 22, several European capitals saw thousands of protestors take to the streets to demonstrate against the use of vaccine passports and numerous other re‐ quirements that governments have imple‐ mented in the hope of ending the coron‐ avirus pandemic. Athens, Helsinki, London, Paris, and Stockholm were among those cities where protests took place.

In Paris, marches attracted hundreds of demonstrators protesting the introduction of a new Covid‐19 pass. This measure will severely restrict those who are unvaccinated who will be banned from bars, cinemas, sports events, leisure venues, and domestic

flights.

Around 3,000 demonstrators reportedly marched through central Stockholm in Swe‐ den, where vaccine certificates are required to attend indoor events with more than 50 people. The protest was organised by the Fri‐ hetsrorelsen ‐ or Freedom Movement ‐ and saw demonstrators congregating in a main square in the city.

Representatives of the neo‐Nazi Nordic Re‐ sistance Movement were reported to have at‐ tended, carrying a banner. This group has been closely associated with violent be‐ haviour at previous events and was closely monitored by the police.

resolution Start doing yoga.

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Liverpool Sun boycott still on A BUS company has re‐ sponded with lightning speed after customers drew attention to ad‐ verts for The Sun in its bus shelters across Liver‐ pool.

Ste Brown, a local cab driver, was one of the first people to message Merseytravel regarding the adverts for the news‐ paper which has been boycotted throughout Liverpool since the Hills‐ borough disaster.

Mr Brown was going to his first job of the day in Bootle when he saw one of the offending ads in a bus shelter, saying it left

OFFENSIVE: Adverts are to be removed immediately.

him “lost for words.” He took a picture and then took to Twitter.

He spoke about his

‘disgust at the insensitivi‐ ty’ of the company re‐ sponsible for the bus shelters, a third‐party ad‐

vertiser named Clear Channel. “The boycott of that rag in this city is well‐documented as are the reasons for it,” he said.

Mr Brown contacted Merseytravel who said: “Regarding enquiries about adverts appearing for The S*n on bus shel‐ ters. We have made con‐ tact with the external contractor responsible for advertising on bus shelters and have asked that these offensive ad‐ verts are removed imme‐ diately. We will provide an update as soon as we can.”

NEWS

Idris Elba discussed for Bond role JAMES BOND bosses have confirmed that 49‐year‐old ‘Luther’ star, Idris Elba, is on their radar to fill the iconic 007 role left vacant by Daniel Craig. Rumours have been flying around since Craig’s recent farewell in ‘No Time To Di’, having played the secret agent since 2006.

Two people have the final say in who will be cast as Bond: Barbara Broccoli, the executive producer, and Michael G Wil‐ son, her half‐brother. It is a decision that will not be taken lightly, but they have admitted that Elba’s name has cropped up in discussions.

“Well, we know Idris, we’re friends with him, and he’s a magnificent actor. And, you know, it’s been part of the con‐ versation, but it’s always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat,” said Broccoli in a re‐ cent interview.

Broccoli always stressed that there is no huge rush to fill the vacancy, “I think we have decided that until ‘No Time to Die’ has had its run… we’re not gonna think about or talk about anybody else.”

Bionic eye lets woman see IN a ground‐breaking operation, an 88‐year‐ old grandmother has become the first person in the UK to receive a bionic eye implant. The woman suffered from dry age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), which caused her to lose sight in one eye.

The operation, part of a Europe wide trial, took place at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

The procedure, which has allowed her to de‐ tect signals in her eye, involves a 2mm‐wide microchip being insert‐ ed under the retina and special glasses contain‐

ing a video camera.

They are connected to a computer worn around the waist.

Using AI algorithms, the computer identifies the main object picked up by the camera. The result is then projected as an infra‐red beam through the eye to the microchip, which con‐ verts it into an electrical signal and passes it to the brain.

After receiving the im‐ plant the grandmother said: “I am thrilled to be the first to have this im‐ plant. I am excited at the prospect of enjoying my hobbies again.”

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NEWS

Dog saved by drone sausage JACK RUSSELL‐whippet cross Millie was saved by Denmead Drone Search and Rescue when they attached a tasty piece of sausage to a drone to lead her to safety.

Millie went missing on a walk in Havant, Hampshire, recently after escaping from her lead. Following several days of searching, she was located on local mudflats.

However, the tide was quick‐ ly coming in and there was no way to access the area.

Rescuers from Denmead Drone Search and Rescue had to swiftly come up with a way to lure the pooch out of the dangerous area be‐ fore it was too late.

“We had to think fast, one of our fully qualified drone pilots suggested attaching food to the drone, to try and lure her out of the danger area. After checking CAA regulations, and the MTOW of the drone we had 6oz to play with, so we attached a 2oz sausage to the drone.

We managed to lure Millie 300m over into a safety zone.”

RESCUED: Millie was found on local mudflats.

Another energy firm collapses UK ENERGY firm Together Energy has collapsed, marking the latest gas and electric supplier to go bust and affecting 176,000 customers.

Last year, 28 energy suppliers collapsed under the huge increase in wholesale natural gas prices, which rose by about 350 per cent since the beginning of the year. Industry regulator Ofgem will now need to find a new supplier for customers that have been af‐ fected. Those who used Together Energy as their supplier will not have their gas and electricity cut off and they will be contacted with their new supplier when one has been appointed.

Funds that have been paid into their account are also protected.

STATS

100

A typical sneeze travels at around 100 mph.

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NEWS

UK evacuates staff from Ukraine THE UK has begun with‐ drawing staff working at the UK Embassy in Kiev along with their families.

The evacuations are in re‐ sponse to the growing risk from Russia.

The United States is also evacuating non‐essential staff from their US em‐ bassy, while family mem‐ bers have already been told to leave Ukraine.

The UK Foreign Office said on January 24: “Some embassy staff and depen‐ dants are being with‐ drawn from Kiev in re‐ sponse to growing threat from Russia. The British Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work.”

The foreign office has said that the Ukraine capi‐ tal is still calm, but it high‐ lighted that: “Events in [the country] are fast moving.”

Commenting on the United States’ decision to start evacuating family members, Scott Anderson, a former adviser for the

KIEV: Events are moving fast in the capital city.

US Embassy in Baghdad stated: “This is not a good sign. The basic logic here is to do whatever you can to reduce the number of people you will have to evacuate if/when hostili‐ ties really start in earnest.”

Tests scrapped for vaccinated WITH the number of cases of omicron going down, Covid tests are to be scrapped for all fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England from February, the gov‐ ernment has said.

The requirement for all vaccinated travellers to do lateral flow tests upon arrival in England will be scrapped from 4am on February 11, stated Trans‐ port Secretary Grant Shapps. This will come into ef‐ fect before the half‐term break.

“That means that after months of pre‐departure testing, post‐arrival testing, self‐isolation, additional expense, all that fully vaccinated people will now have to do when they travel to the UK is to verify their status via a passenger locator form,” said Shapps to MPs. Travellers must have received two doses of an ap‐ proved vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine.

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Reduce risk A STUDY published in Frontiers in Nutrition looked at the medical records of 473,957 people through the UK Biobank and found that regular drinkers of red wine have a reduced risk of Covid‐19 in‐ fection.

The study, which looked at drinking habits and coro‐ navirus history during the pandemic, said that people who consumed five or more glasses of red wine per week were up to 17 per cent less likely to be at risk from the virus, when compared to non‐drinkers.

According to the study, scientists have said that the reduced risk could be the result of the drink’s high polyphenol content, which can inhibit the likes of the flu and other respiratory conditions. The study also found that people who drink one to four glasses of either white wine or Cham‐ pagne a week could lower the risk from coronavirus by up to 8 per cent.

Rare gold fortune AN amateur metal detectorist is celebrating after finding one of England’s earliest gold coins, now worth a fortune, in a field in Devon.

Michael Leigh‐Mallory discovered the rare coin in a field in He‐ myock, Devon, in September. The King Henry III penny was made with gold imported from North Africa and is slightly less than an inch wide. Only eight such coins have been discovered, and this was the first to be found in 260 years.

Leigh‐Mallory did not know just how rare the coin was until he shared a photo of it on Facebook and it caught the eye of a spe‐ cialist at Spink Auctioneers, London.

Experts have said that the Henry III penny shows the first ‘true’ portrait of an English monarch on the throne since William the Conqueror. Almost all these coins were destroyed after Henry III’s death.

The coin was auctioned off to a private bidder for a price of £648,000. Leigh‐Mallory will split the money with the landowner and will put his share towards his children’s future.

Bitcoin drops THE value of Bitcoin fell more than 50 per cent since hitting a record high in November.

“Margin positions being liq‐ uidated caused a wave of ad‐ ditional sell pressure, as assets that had been held as collater‐ al were forcibly sold to pay for margin loans,” said Hayden Hughes, the CEO of Alpha Im‐ pact in Singapore.

Bitcoin fell to $34,042.78 on January 22, while other digital assets, including Ethereum, Cardano and Solano also dropped. This recent sharp decline of the world’s biggest cryptocurrencies has wiped out more than $600 billion off the market value, and over $1 trillion from the aggregate crypto market.

NEWS

US troops on standby

US TROOPS: Are getting ready for deployment into Eastern Europe.

IN a Pentagon press confer‐ ence on Monday, January 24, John Kirby, the US De‐ fence Department spokes‐ man said that the Biden ad‐ ministration had 8,500 troops on standby for de‐ ployment into Eastern Eu‐ rope.

“This is really about get‐ ting folks ready to go,” said Kirby, explaining that ground forces make up the majority of the troops. He stressed that in the case of a ‘deterio‐

rating security environment,’ or if NATO activates the NA‐ TO Response Force, then the US troops are ready to move.

A message sent to families of US Embassy staff, instruct‐ ing them to leave Kiev, has been met with a backlash from Oleg Nikolenko, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “While we re‐ spect the right of foreign na‐ tions to ensure safety and security of their diplomatic

missions, we believe such a step to be a premature one, and an instance of excessive caution.”

A State Department offi‐ cial had said over the week‐ end, “Given that the Presi‐ dent has said military action

by Russia could come at any time, the US government will not be in a position to evacuate US citizens. So, US citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accord‐ ingly.”

resolution • Drink more water.

FEATURE

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27 January - 2 February 2022

EWN 19

How does inflation impact your retirement savings?

“Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair”.

This quote by American author and humorist Sam Ewing may make you smile, but it is a good example of the impact of inflation over the passage of time and underlines a serious threat to our long-term financial security. Ronald Reagan used a more hard-hitting description: “Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man”.

Many people do not realise how damaging inflation is to their wealth over the longer term; it is easy to become complacent after years of low levels. But it is surging in many countries and in fact even low levels impact your wealth and retirement income over time – you may not notice the effects each year until it is too late.

Official figures are based on a basket of goods containing a representative selection of items for

In December 2021 consumer prices rose 6.5%, jumping from 5.5% in November and the highest rate for 30 years. A year previously it was -0.6%. The main culprit was electricity fees, but food also rose significantly. The ‘base effect’ was also a factor as the figure 12 months previously was unusually low.

By Fiona Keogh, Private Client Manager, Blevins Franks

people across all ages and incomes. It rarely reflects our own personal inflation rate. As an illustration, a personal annual rate of 4% would reduce the spending power of 100,000 (Euros or Pounds) to around 67,000 after 10 years. After 20 years it will have lost around 55% of its value and after 30 years your 100,000 would have the purchasing power of around 30,000 today.

High inflation in Spain and UK

In the UK Inflation reached 5.4% in December 2021, the highest rate for almost 30 years.

In comparison, the Bank of England’s main interest rate was just 0.25% in December. It has been below 1% since March 2009.

Will inflation remain high?

Many of the factors behind this surge are related to the pandemic and expected to be temporary.

As economies opened unevenly after lockdowns, companies have been struggling to keep up with rapidly rising demand as they rebuild their supply chains. Short-

ages of many goods have pushed prices up. In addition, electricity prices rose sharply.

The Bank of England expects inflation could reach about 6% by spring 2022, then start to come down, but warns some prices may remain higher than in the past. The European Central Bank also expects inflation to reduce over 2022 as supply gradually catches up with demand.

Protecting your retirement savings To generate returns that outstrip inflation, you need to invest in assets that historically generate returns in excess of inflation over time. Reduce risk to your capital by working with a wealth management adviser to follow a disciplined investment process: • Establish your goals and time horizon.

• Determine your attitude to risk objectively.

• Construct a suitable, well-diversified portfolio to achieve your

objectives.

• Use quality investment managers.

• Review your portfolio to keep it on track.

• Be patient and stick with your plan.

You need a tax informed investment strategy with the potential to provide capital growth higher than inflation and where your money is legitimately protected from unnecessary taxation.

This can be achieved with a diversified investment portfolio, based on your objectives, circumstances and risk profile, held within a tax-efficient arrangement which is compliant in Spain.

All advice received from Blevins Franks is personalised and provided in writing. This article, however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation or investment advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevins franks.com.

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NEWS

Drag advert pulled SAMSUNG has pulled a new advert showing a Muslim mother expressing support for her drag queen son after backlash from some parts of the Muslim community. The Samsung drag queen advert was taken down after some social media users alleged it was “an attempt to push LGBT ideology.”

Samsung wrote in a Facebook post that it was aware that the video “may be per-

ceived as insensitive and offensive.” The Samsung drag queen advert was meant to promote the company’s new wearable products, like noise-cancelling earbuds and a smart watch with a heart rate monitor.

It filmed several participants’ reactions as they listened to heartfelt recorded messages from their loved ones. One of the pairs of participants featured a Muslim

woman wearing a headscarf as she heard a message from her son, who was a drag performer. “You are just unbothered having people looking or judging you differently, having a son that does drag,” he tells her in his message.

The scene caused some parts of the Muslim community in Singapore to lash out, saying that it was insensitive to religion.

Free tap water for Spain IN the summer of 2020, the news of free tap water in restaurants went a bit unnoticed.

However, the Waste Law created then has now been approved in Congress.

As stated in the preliminary draft of this law: “Consumers, clients or users of its services will always have to be of‐ fered the possibility of consuming non‐ packaged water free of charge and com‐ plementary to the offer of the same

establishment.”

It does not seem that there will be more specific instructions on the appli‐ cation, so it will be up to the customer to ask for that free tap water. In some cities, this will be complicated by the taste of the water and it will also re‐ quire a period of adaptation, so that hospitality establishments get used to guests asking for pitchers of water to accompany food or as a complement to other drinks.

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NEWS

William to represent Queen Mum in 3-day A&E delay AT the request of the For‐ eign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Prince William will repre‐ sent the Queen in a visit to Dubai, UAE, on February 10.

On the day of the Duke of Cambridge’s visit, the UK will mark its National Day at the ongoing EXPO 2020 in Dubai.

During the National Day, the UK will take over the whole of the EXPO site to showcase talent coming from across Britain.

William will take part in the celebrations, which are also set to feature the pass‐ ing of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay.

Her Majesty launched the tour of the Baton in Octo‐ ber last year at an event that was held on the doorsteps of Buckingham Palace.

William will also use his trip as an opportunity to engage with leaders from the government, conserva‐ tionists, and young Emi‐ ratis.

His trip also provides an opportunity to showcase the Earthshot Prize on the world stage.

The duke launched the

initiative in October 2020 with hopes to inspire and promote solutions to the five biggest issues the Earth is facing.

Madrid one of world’s best cities VARIOUS different lists have ranked Madrid as one of the world’s best cities, and it was even described as ‘the European dream’ thanks to its lifestyle and beauty.

In 2021, Madrid received the prestigious title of Cultural Landscape from UNESCO. It was al‐ so named best travel destination (World Travel Awards), best city to visit at Christmas (eBook‐ ing), best destination (Time magazine) and the ninth‐best destination for investment (Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation in Japan) – in other words, Madrid boasts a long list of such titles.

On Friday January 14, the market research company Euromonitor International ranked Madrid in fourth place on its list of the world’s 10 best urban destinations.

It came in behind Paris, Dubai and Amster‐ dam, but ahead of Rome, Berlin, New York, London and Barcelona. It also was in first place for sustainability.

A BRITISH mum‐of‐two said she was made to wait on a chair for three days in her local A&E department while in excruciating pain.

Leah Rees was taken by ambulance to the Grange Uni‐ versity Hospital in Cwmbran on Sunday, January 16, af‐ ter suffering an ankle injury while out with friends. After initially being triaged, given an X‐ray and a leg cast, the 26‐year‐old said she was told to stay in the emergency department and wait for a bed to open up on a ward.

However, she said she ended up spending a “night‐ mare” three days on an “uncomfortable” chair in the unit where she was advised not to eat or drink as she needed an urgent ankle operation.

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We are sorry that Ms Rees was not happy with the care that she received and we have been in contact with her to discuss her treatment plan and any concerns regarding our TREATMENT: Woman left in terrible pain. services.”

Ireland’s St Patrick’s bonuses IRELAND has announced a four‐day St Patrick’s Day weekend as a thank you to the country for the sacrifices made dur‐ ing the Covid pandemic.

A new public holiday will take place this year on March 18, the day after St Patrick’s Day, meaning that it creates a long weekend and workers will be off from Thursday until Sunday.

They are going to keep the new holi‐

day, but in future years it will move to St Brigid’s Day, February 1. Ministers have also signed off on a tax‐free £800 bonus which will be paid to frontline health‐ care workers to thank them for their ser‐ vice.

The money will be paid to all workers, ambulance staff, student nurses and De‐ fence Forces members who were drafted in to assist with the vaccination roll‐out.

NEWS

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27 January - 2 February 2022

Jihadist group arrested SPANISH security forces have arrested the leader of a strongly radicalised jihadist group in Algeciras, along with another three members in Murcia. They allegedly con‐ sidered themselves ‘soldiers of the caliphate’, and pos‐ sessed a large amount of ex‐ tremely harsh propaganda material.

As reported by the National

NATIONAL POLICE: Arrested the group’s leader.

Police on Friday, January 21, the ringleader, who had found and indoctrinated the other

Rising crisis causes electricity price rise THE escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine is already caus‐ ing the price of electricity to rise in Spain, which is currently at its second highest of 2022. This could get worse should a conflict break out as the price of gas would be affected.

Around 35 per cent of the electricity consumed today in Spain will come from combined cycle power plants, which use gas as a main source of production. Specifically, of the total 848 GWh gen‐ erated, 302 GWh have been produced from gas.

“A Russian attack on Ukraine would have some very important consequences for gas, especially in Europe,” stated Gonzalo Escrib‐ ano, an expert in energetic geostrategy.

An armed conflict could cause supply problems, either due to the destruction of infrastructure or due to a unilateral decision made by Russia as a means of retaliating against international sanctions.

three, has already been placed in provisional prison, by order of a judge of the National Court.

Their investigation, which culminated on January 17 with the arrests, began 18 months ago. Experts in the fight against terrorism had detected an in‐ dividual aligned with the pos‐ tulates of the Islamic State (IS).

He was spreading radical ma‐ terial on social networks, with violent, jihadist content.

As reported by police sources, the leader is an indi‐ vidual known for his extreme radicalism, who had formed a closed and exclusive group.

At first, he exercised the functions of a religious refer‐ ence, but later went on to in‐ doctrinate in the most radical and violent postulates of IS.

EWN 23

Student plans his next trip A BRIT student evacuated from Afghanistan is planning his next danger‐ ous trip. The student likes to visit ‘the most dangerous cities’ in the world.

Birmingham’s Miles Routledge had to be evacuated from Kabul in August. He was stuck in the country as the Taliban took over. The daring traveller now plans to travel to Ukraine. The area is increasingly dangerous and Russian troops have gathered at the border.

Miles has visited many dangerous places and has even visited Chernobyl.

H U N D R E D S of supply teachers in Valencia have worked fully or partially unpaid since the start of the school year in Valen‐ cia, causing tensions to rise.

Since the school year be‐ gan in September, more than 500 supply teachers at public and semi‐private schools have either only partially received their salary or they have not re‐ ceived it at all.

When he was in Kabul, he claimed he faced insurgents close to the airport.

Miles explained: “I’ve been to Ukraine before so I’m hoping to see something new. I want to see the war. I want to see the feelings of both sides, their opinions and hopefully I’ll see the critical point of the conflict, if it is to come.”

After his last trip, he faced much criti‐ cism but decided that disapproving people were not going to put him off his travel plans.

Unpaid teachers The Partido Popular (PP) spokesperson for Educa‐ tion, Beatriz Gascó, claimed the affected sup‐ ply teachers are tired of the government’s avoid‐ ance of dealing with the situation: “There are al‐ ways excuses, such as Covid, a new programme, bureaucracy, the incorrect interpretation of the rules

or absences among staff who deal with salaries.”

The unpaid teachers must face extremely diffi‐ cult personal situations. “If you have to rent a flat to substitute teach in a town where you don’t live, you have to go into your own savings in order to work,” explained one of the af‐ fected teachers.

resolution Do more strength training to build muscle.

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NEWS

Longest suspension bridge Bridge to be 4,608m long.

TURKEY presented plans for the world’s longest suspension bridge at the FITUR 2022 fair in Madrid.

The Dardanelles Bridge will be located south of

End of free tests ACCORDING to documents sent between UK health agen‐ cies, free lateral flow tests for Covid will be scrapped from July as the government plans to live with the virus.

Ministers have been urging Brits to take the rapid tests reg‐ ularly in a bid to slow down the spread of Omicron; however, the government now plans to ‘ramp down the universal test‐ ing offer’ and only allow key workers to access the free tests.

Officials have said that an online ordering system will be ready by the end of June where Brits can purchase the tests, these will reportedly cost the government £30 for a pack of seven. Downing Street previously said it would stop offering the free tests ‘at a later stage,’ and although the tests are free to the public, they have cost the government billions of pounds. Over eight million lateral flow tests were taken over the space of one week amid record high cases at the begin‐ ning of the year. But infection rates have slowed down since.

STATS

7

Most people fall asleep in 7 minutes.

the cities of Gelibolu and Lapseki, crossing the Dar‐ danelles Strait, about 10 kms south of the Sea of Marmara. At a length of 4,608 metres, it will con‐ nect Malkara with Canakkale, forming an al‐ ternative route for the passage of the Strait of Is‐ tanbul. The project is an important part of the new 324km Kınali‐Tekirdag ‐ Canakkale‐Savastepe mo‐ torway project.

Cultural interaction as well as trade relations with European countries, the Balkans and especially Greece, and Bulgaria, will be positively affected.

With the connection of the Kınalı‐Tekirdag ‐ Canakkale‐Savastepe mo‐ torway to the Gebze‐Izmir motorway around Balıke‐ sir, the distance between tourist centres such as Izmir, Aydın, and Antalya with European countries will be shortened, and the tourism sector will be im‐ proved.

NEWS

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EWN 25

Superbug warning Ignored by health service WORLDWIDE, infections caused by antibiotic‐resis‐ tant bacteria are killing 1.2 million people a year, more than AIDS, malaria, or cancer of the lung, tra‐ chea, and bronchi.

This type of microbe al‐ so infected almost five million people who died in hospitals from other causes, according to data from the study on a pan‐ demic that has been go‐ ing on for years and that

threatens to become a nightmare much greater than Covid.

Those responsible for the study said that in less than 30 years, superbugs will kill 10 million people each year ‐ three times more than the estimate for Covid in 2020.

The research, published in the medical journal The Lancet, has analysed data from 204 countries, the most comprehensive

study of its kind to date, according to its authors.

The most worrying thing about this data is that there is hardly any cure for these deadly in‐ fections. There is only one vaccine for one of these pathogens.

In the rest of the cases, doctors are often help‐ less, as the bacteria has become immune to all first‐line antibiotics, such as penicillin.

Blasphemous KitKats removed A RANGE of KitKats have been taken from shelves by makers Nestle, after accusations of hurting religious senti‐ ments in India. The special editions fea‐ ture images of Hindu deities on the wrapper and was created as part of a global campaign of ‘KitKat Travel Breaks.’

The range was supposed to showcase the works of local artisans from different places around the world, but the Indian version of the range provoked an online backlash as they featured images of Hin‐ du deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra

and Mata Subhadra.

Many people expressed anger at the thought of the wrappers being thrown into ‘dustbins, drains, gutters’ or being trodden underfoot, which would be a huge sign of disrespect to the gods and the Hindu faith.

Currently, there is heightened aware‐ ness and greater tensions surrounding the depiction of the Hindu faith in India.

The rise of Hindu nationalism has seen many accusations of blasphemy levelled at books, TV shows and adverts, as well as the chocolate bars.

THE death of a Spanish wom‐ an who had spent a week calling her local health centre in Castilla y Leon with no an‐ swer has sparked outrage among those who knew her and has led them to file a for‐ mal complaint.

The family of a 63‐year‐old woman who died on Tues‐ day, January 18, at her home in Valladolid filed a lawsuit against the public health sys‐ tem of Castilla y Leon (Sacyl).

On January 12, the woman reportedly began to feel un‐ well and called 112 to ask for medical assistance. They re‐ ferred her to her local health centre, but every time she tried to call and make an ap‐ pointment, she found that the line was busy.

She continued to make calls over the next few days and took a rapid antigen test from the pharmacy to rule out Covid (it was negative).

WOMAN DIED: After repeatedly phoning in vain for assistance.

She tried to get assistance at the speciality centre Arturo Eyries, but she was still unable to get medical assistance.

The woman’s elderly moth‐

er later found her daughter’s lifeless body after her children tried to contact her via tele‐ phone and obtained no an‐ swer.

Escaped lab monkeys killed POLICE in the US launched a search for three lab monkeys which escaped after a lorry carrying 100 of them was in‐ volved in a crash. The lorry carrying the monkeys collided with a dumper lorry on Friday January 21 in Montour Coun‐ ty, Pennsylvania.

The monkeys went on the run at around 3.30pm local time but were later located and killed. No injuries were re‐ ported in the crash. The long‐tailed macaques are in de‐ mand for coronavirus vaccine research.

resolution Add one new exercise move to your fitness regime.

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FEATURE

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Then once their application for car, bike or home insurance has been approved, Línea Directa will pay the reward straight into the bank account following payment of next or first premium. See terms and conditions at lineadirecta.com.

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BEST PRICE. BETTER COVER.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 January - 2 February 2022

Snout sensation ERIS: Internet sensation.

SOME people have even questioned whether the photos of the adorable dog with the world’s longest nose are real, but the nose is characteristic of the breed.

One of the many ways in which different breeds of

Ambulance driver over the limit AN ambulance driver in the province of Granada is under investi‐ gation, after arriving 90 minutes late to pick up a patient, and sub‐ sequently testing positive for alcohol, according to a report from Granada Local Police. The incident occurred on January 20.

Court proceedings are being carried out against the driver, for an alleged crime against road safety, while providing an emergen‐ cy service. The incident took place at 1.15pm, and the report said he was driving the vehicle “with an alcohol level in exhaled air greater than 0.15 mg/l, which is the maximum allowable level for professional drivers.”

Specifically, the driver produced his first breathalyser result of 0.62 mg/l at 1.41pm, followed by another of 0.65 mg/l at 1.53pm.

A witness said they had observed the driver arrive 90 minutes late showing “obvious symptoms of being under the influence of alcoholic beverages.”

dogs can be distinguished is by their noses ‐ one of their most important tools, as their sense of smell allows them to receive important information and detect ob‐ jects and people in their en‐ vironment.

While some dogs are brachycephalic (they have flattened noses that can cause problems such as a low tolerance for exercise, snoring, difficulty breathing, panting while resting, sleep apnoea, coughs and sneezes), others have long noses that give them certain advantages for breathing and exercising, as is the case with Spanish sighthounds or border collies.

Eris, however, is a four‐ year‐old Borzoi dog who has become an internet sensa‐ tion on Instagram thanks to her nose, considered to be the longest in the world. Her Instagram account has more than 250,000 followers, and her owner shares her daily adventures with the world.

EWN 27

Anti-vax propaganda THE majority of anti‐vax propaganda posted online and to social media is created by just 12 so‐called influencers, new research has found.

Differing from those people who label them‐ selves vaccine‐hesitant, anti‐vaxxers usually use aggressive methods to push others not to get certain jabs that are designed to help pre‐ vent disease.

The list was compiled by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and found most of the figures, who claim to be political or

medical leaders, are based in America.

The research was used to inform social me‐ dia platforms of how widespread the different material is and this led to some of the posts be‐ ing removed. However, many articles and videos still remain available to view now. Critics of the harsh methods say that they believe loopholes are being exploited by the creators. If the anti‐vax propaganda is published under a different name or on a page hosted by another user, their content is not removed.

Jellyfish invasion Down Under BEACHGOERS in Australia have witnessed what ex‐ perts described as a “gobs‐ macking abundance” of bluebottle jellyfish washed up on the sand in January.

Biologist and jellyfish ex‐ pert Dr Lisa‐Ann Gershwin said the beautiful creatures were at the mercy of the wind and have been found all along Tasmania’s east

coast, along the New South Wales’ coast, in parts of Vic‐ toria and even South Aus‐ tralia.

Although Dr Gershwin said it was normal for the wind to be bringing the jel‐ lyfish to shore and that Cy‐ clone Seth could have con‐ tributed, she also noted that “we are seeing a lot, even before Seth came in.”

While the sight of the bluebottles may be fright‐ ening for swimmers, Dr Gershwin described them as “very beautiful and inter‐ esting.”

She said the population of bluebottles was higher in the summer due to the breeding in warmer months, but wind was a key factor.

STATS

27,000

Around 27,000 trees are cut down every day to make toilet paper.

28 EWN

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27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

Alan Carr to divorce ALAN CARR has con‐ firmed that he and his husband are to divorce after more than a decade together.

The comedian married Paul Drayton in 2018, with singer Adele per‐ forming at the wedding ceremony at her Los An‐ geles home. The pair is‐ sued a statement con‐ firming the split.

“After 13 years as a couple and three years of marriage, Alan Carr and Paul Drayton would like to announce they are separating,” they said. “They have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to di‐ vorce and go their sepa‐ rate ways. We request that their privacy is re‐ spected at this sensitive time.” The split comes months after Alan Carr confirmed his husband was seeking treatment for alcoholism after “falling off the wagon.”

Breast cancer new drug A NEW breast cancer won‐ der drug that can melt away tumours in weeks has finally been given the go‐ahead for distribution to Scottish NHS patients. It is hoped that this new move signals the begin‐ ning of a wider rollout for pa‐ tients across the UK. The drug was initially de‐ clined by the National Insti‐ tute for Health and Care Ex‐ cellence (NICE) in October last year, much to the dis‐ may of experts and patient groups. The watchdog had concerns over the way the drug, tucatinib, had been studied even though it showed huge promise for women with advanced HER2‐positive breast cancer.

This is a form of the disease that is very difficult to treat, so new advances in medicine regarding it are highly sought after.

But last week the Scottish Medicines Consortium an‐ nounced it would fund the twice‐daily tablets for wom‐ en who had failed to re‐ spond to other medications

NEWS

Lord of the Rings series

NEW DRAMA: Is set thousands of years earlier.

WONDER DRUG: Has finally been given the go-ahead.

and had seen their cancer re‐ turn. The decision came just days after new trial results were unveiled showing that tucatinib, in combination

with chemotherapy and an‐ other drug, trastuzumab, al‐ so known as Herceptin, held the disease at bay for longer and boosted survival time.

THOUSANDS of Spanish farmers, cattle breeders, hunters and opposition sup‐ porters took to the streets of Madrid on Sunday, January 23, to protest their oppo‐ sition to rural policies put in place by the government. The demonstrators say the environmental and economic policies are harming rural communities across the country. Sunday’s protest was organised

by Alma Rural 2021, a platform repre‐ senting over 500 rural organisations from

AMAZON Prime Video has teased the new title of its up‐ coming Lord of the Rings TV series.

Amazon Prime Video’s new upcoming multi‐seasoned drama, titled The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, is set thousands of years prior to the events of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings books.

According to Amazon, the series will bring a narrative sur‐ rounding the forging of the rings to TV screens. A video on Twitter announcing the title shows molten metals crafting out silver letters spelling out the name.

A voiceover can be heard reciting Tolkien’s famous Ring Verse, describing the intended recipients of the 20 Rings of Power.

Spanish farmers march on Madrid all corners of Spain. Members of opposi‐ tion parties, ranging from centrists to far‐ right supporters, also attended to speak their mind against Spain’s left of centre government. The timing of the demo is important as early elections are due in Castilla‐Leon, just northeast of Madrid.

There, proposals against depopulation and agricultural policies are taking centre stage in the discussions before the ballot.

Carlos Bueno, head of Alma Rural 2021, said the protest aimed to highlight rural concerns amid what he called “ideologi‐ cal” attacks from the government. Con‐ cerns ranged from regulating prices for agricultural products to protections for those who breed cattle for bullfights and more subsidies for rural industries.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 January - 2 February 2022

EWN 29

End of French restrictions Adele postpones Vegas shows

MOST Covid restrictions in France will end in February, the government announced on January 21. The curbs were out in place to stop the spread of the Omicron variant but even as the country registered more than 400,000 infections over the past 24 hours, it is still planning on letting them go.

“There is a hopeful evolution, although we do not ignore the tensions in our health sys‐ tem,” French Prime Minister Jean Castex said in an appearance together with Health Minister Olivier Véran.

Despite there still being high numbers of hospitalised people, the lessening of the French restrictions is justified by the behaviour of the virus, the prime minister said. He spoke of the

CURBS: Are coming to an end.

Omicron variant being less serious than Delta, but still warned that it is “not just simple flu,” as it is creating many more hospitalisations than a normal flu season.

Brussels’ green proposal opposed SPAIN has allied itself with Austria, Denmark, and Lux‐ embourg, in opposing the European Commission’s proposal to consider nucle‐ ar energy and gas as ‘green’.

Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Minister of Ecological Tran‐ sition, along with the heads of the other three coun‐ tries, has sent a letter to the European Vice Presi‐ dents Frans Timmermans

and Valdis Dombrovskis: the Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simpson; the head of Financial Services, Mairead Guinness; and Environment Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkivicius.

These four signatories warn that the EU’s propos‐ al is ‘a step back’, and a ‘wrong signal to the finan‐ cial markets’. The letter was signed by Teresa Rib‐ era, along with her coun‐

terparts in Austria, Den‐ mark and Luxembourg, Leonore Gewessler, Dan Jorgensen, and Claude Turmes, respectively.

In this letter, the four ministers express their ‘deep concerns’ about the Brussels proposal, claiming that it ‘puts at risk’ the en‐ ergy transition of both the EU and the rest of the world. This idea has gener‐ ated an intense debate.

BRITISH pop star Adele took to Twitter on January 20, to announce tearfully that her Las Vegas residency, due to start the next day, was post‐ poned.

Speaking from her hotel, the 31‐year‐old megastar ex‐ plained her situation to her 27.1 million fans with an apol‐ ogy: “Hiya, listen, I’m so sorry but my show ain’t ready.

We’ve tried absolutely every‐ thing we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you, but we’ve been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and Covid.

“Half my crew, half my team are down with Covid, they still are,” she continued.

“I’m sorry it’s so last minute, we’ve been awake for over 30 hours now trying to figure it out, and we’ve run out of time, and I’m so upset, and I’m really embarrassed. I’m so sor‐ ry to everyone that’s travelled again, I’m really really sorry.”

But the singer assured ev‐ eryone, “We’re on it, we’re going to reschedule all of the dates and I’m going to finish the show.”

MEGASTAR: Adele apologised to her 27.1 million fans.

Cross-channel cable rejected A CROSS-CHANNEL power cable project has been rejected by the UK government despite the energy crisis currently ravaging Europe. In the face of soaring prices, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has decided to reject Aquind’s plans to create a new electricity link between the UK and France.

The project would have connected Normandy in France with Portsmouth in England, where campaigners have been protest‐ ing against the development for years. The proposal was contro‐ versial as company director, Alexander Temerko, has previously donated more than £1 million to the Conservative Party.

If the cross‐Channel power cable project had been given the go‐ahead, it would have reignited the Tory sleaze row that start‐ ed last year. But a letter published on the Planning Inspectorate website showed Mr Kwarteng had decided to ‘refuse develop‐ ment consent’ having considered his obligations under the ener‐ gy National Policy Statement.

STATS

75

McDonald’s sells 75 burgers per second.

30 EWN

27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

Copenhagen expands

Name changes

DESPITE some lone protesters, Copenhagen mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen and other dignitaries turned up on January 18 to symbolically shovel the first soil in the bid to create the new man-made island of Lynetteholm which will become a new district set within Copenhagen Harbour.

IN 2006, a new law made it much cheaper for people to change their first names and for some reason, 2021 saw 6,285, according to Danmarks Statistik, picking a new first name, the highest in 15 years. Of those making the change, more than two-thirds were women.

THE NETHERLANDS Tongue in cheek

Virtual letter box

TONGUE in cheek and scissors in hand, a number of hairdressers have been invited to set up shop alongside orchestras in 70 concert halls throughout Holland in protest about the fact that they may not open to the public whilst ‘essential’ services can.

A LARGE number of households in Holland have ja/nee stickers on their letter boxes, making it clear that they don’t want junk mail, but direct mail association MailDB wants to introduce an online alert system which households can use. This will cut down production costs.

BELGIUM Weasel words

North Sea water

THERE is often an uneasy peace between humans and the animal world and the latest breach concerns Belgian martens and weasels who with a growing population seem to have taken a liking to electric cars where they chew cables causing serious damage.

FORGET expensive bottled water, Belgium has become the first country to extract drinking water from the North Sea, having installed a desalination plant which should come fully online by 2025 in an attempt to ensure that in the event of future droughts there won’t be a problem.

GERMANY No thanks

Benin booty

FORMER German Chancellor Angela Merkel has turned down an offer by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take up a job as the chair of a high-level UN advisory body on global public goods, both her office and UN sources said.

IN 1897, a British Punitive Expedition sacked the city of Benin and removed huge quantities of artefacts with a large proportion being sold at auction to German buyers. Now, the Nigerian authorities have announced that 1,030 pieces are to be returned by Germany during 2022.

FRANCE Paris catwalk

No hijab

AFTER two years of no Paris Fashion Week, designers and brands decided that enough was enough, so 17 menswear houses kicked off the week with runway shows and these are due to be followed by a number of top haute couture shows despite the ongoing pandemic.

THE French Senate has voted in favour of banning the wearing of hijabs in sports competitions, arguing that headscarves can put at risk the safety of athletes wearing them. The amendment to a proposed law was opposed by the French Government but could still be overturned.

NORWAY No Royals

Norwegian bubbles

THERE is controversy as to whether Norway should compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics due to China’s human rights record and the Royal Family has announced that no member will be attending either event due to fears of infection, but they will watch on TV.

A MEMBER of the Norwegian Parliament has tabled a suggestion that rather than serve Champagne or similar sparkling wines at Embassy receptions around the world, that the Foreign Office should require them to serve the Norwegian equivalent, cider.

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND

Sweet surprise

Novel vehicles

AFTER announcing that it was considering moving its production from two existing Finnish locations, if agreement can be obtained from unions, confectionery and food giant Fazer has confirmed that it was surprised to receive approaches from some 50 municipalities offering them a home.

THE Helsinki police department has confirmed that it has acquired two allterrain vehicles (ATVs) for use on daily patrols at a cost of €20,000 per vehicle.

They have a top speed of 80kmh and are ideal for street and off-road activity.

IRELAND Extra holiday

Released on bale

FOR the first time, the Republic of Ireland will enjoy a public holiday named after a female saint. February 1 is St Brigid’s Day and from next year will be an annual public holiday in memory and recognition of those who died during the pandemic.

A PONY which was taken into custody by Garda in Co Monaghan for allegedly ‘playing havoc with traffic on the Main Street’ was offered the chance of ‘bale’, but instead of replying ate it before being returned to its owner according to a tweet by local officers.

ITALY Free accommodation

Secret daughter

A FORMERLY deserted property in the Sicilian village of Sambuca, voted Italy’s most beautiful, was purchased and restored

by Airbnb who are now offering it free of charge for one year for up to four people who must rent one room out via Airbnb but keep the profits.

ELENA CURTI, the last of the secret children of Italian Fascist dictator Mussolini, died aged 99 at her home north of Rome on Monday January 17. Never recognised officially by ll Duce as his daughter, Elena was born days before he swept to power.

PORTUGAL Stressed out

Fuel tax

A STUDY by British sleep professionals eachnight has concluded that Portugal is the third most stressed country in Europe, mainly due to a high divorce rate and unemployment rates. The only countries where the inhabitants are more stressed are apparently Latvia and Serbia.

A TEMPORARY discount on the fuel tax (ISP) introduced by the Portuguese government in October (to compensate drivers for the increase in VAT revenue) of 2c per litre on petrol and 1c on diesel was due to end on January 31, but will be extended.

RUSSIA First straw

Quiet please

A SET of Bronze Age gold and silver tubes discovered in southern Russia more than a century ago and originally referred to as sceptres may actually be metal straws used for communal beer drinking, researchers have recently concluded and if so, are likely to be the oldest surviving examples.

ACCORDING to the Moscow Times, authorities in the Rostov region of southern Russia, have issued new regulations concerning civil marriages which ban loud conversations, laughter, wearing of dirty shoes and rearranging furniture. The bride and groom are however allowed to smile and have their photographs taken.

SWEDEN Drone sightings

Gender equality

AFTER drones were sighted flying over three Swedish nuclear plants earlier in January, they have now been spotted over both the Royal Palace in Stockholm and Drottningholm Palace on the island of Lovön, which is the residence of the King and Queen currently isolating due to Covid.

THE definition of ‘men's violence against women’ described by the Swedish Gender Equality Authority is so wide that it can incorporate violence in lesbian same-sex relationships, where no men are present or situations where men are actually victims as reported by Sputnik.

27 January - 2 February 2022

EWN 31

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Breakdancing ALWAYS good for a fun quote, Wetherspoons’ boss Tim Martin told Sky News he was “breakdancing round my living room” when Covid‐19 restrictions were eased after admitting that sales over the Christmas period were poor due to Plan B guidance on staying at home.

Inflation fears BANK OF ENGLAND Governor Andrew Bailey told a committee of MPs on January 19 that he was worried that rising inflation was likely to last longer than originally forecast due to ongoing fears that unprecedented increases in the cost of natural gas could continue until 2023.

Rates holding SPEAKING on French radio on January 20, Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank has confirmed that she has no intention of taking “rapid and ruthless” actions such as an increase in interest rates in the eurozone, as she still believes that the rising rate of inflation is temporary.

Stealthy involvement USING the services of Banco Santander, Galician based Disashop ‐ which is involved in the supply of equipment for online payments ‐ has amassed 20 per cent of the shares of Paypoint which allows cash payments at 28,200 UK outlets and is now its largest shareholder.

Close vote UK shareholders continue to flex their collective muscles, this time trying to stop a £550,000 bonus for WH Smith chief executive Carl Cowling. The actual vote saw 46 per cent against payment whilst the balance of those who voted won the day and the payment will go through. It appears that he was lucky as 7 per cent abstained and many of those who voted against were unimpressed with the fact that the company had taken furlough and business rate relief and was still trading below pre‐ pandemic figures.

32

www.euroweeklynews.com • 27 January - 2 February 2021

STAT OF WEEK

€2.5 million

is the amount that Spanish DIY chain Bricomart is to share with most of its 4,000 plus employees to help them cope with inflation.

Investment in Caribbean venture HUGE new investment in the Spanish hotel chain, Grupo Piñero, means the company will be able to invest €176 million in the Caribbean islands of Do‐ minican Republic and Jamaica.

The Mallorcan based private com‐ pany was founded in 1977 and its most senior officers are members of the Piñero family which specialises in holidays and hotels in the Caribbean but was affected by the pandemic.

Three organisations, Inter‐American Development Bank (IDB) Group pri‐ vate sector arm, IDB Invest, and Banco Popular Dominicano will help to fi‐ nance the upgrade and reopening of

hotels in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica with the active support of the governments of both countries.

The agreement was possible as the three institutions share the belief that tourism can help local economies grow while simultaneously encourag‐ ing inclusive and sustainable tourism.

Commenting on the deal which was announced in Madrid at the Fitur Tourism Fair, Jamaican Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said “Tourism is the world’s fastest and most immediate convertible econom‐ ic activity. Therefore, this particular ac‐ tion today is so critical to the develop‐

ment of the Caribbean and the world.

“A statement is being made here about how we create the debt rear‐ rangement and the financial infusion to enable faster recovery. That fast re‐ covery must not be irresponsible, and that’s why the elements that deal with sustainability and resilience are so important.”

The company owns 27 hotels worldwide, including the Bahia Principe Grand, which is the largest hotel in Jamaica, so its reopening once updated following closure due to the pandemic, will be a welcome boost to the island’s economy.

Tackle rising funeral Can they limit spending? costs with a guarantee LEGALLY SPEAKING

In our community AGM we voted to limit spending by the president to €1,000. Now he has spent €6,000 and even used much of the money to pay for repairs of the stone walls enclosing our private gardens, which all of the townhouses have.

He says he can legally do this and our administrator backs him up. Is there anything we can do to bring him under control?

D W (Costa Blanca) Properly, DAVID SEARL the com‐ YOU AND THE LAW munity should IN SPAIN have voted to au‐ thorise the repairs.

Nevertheless, if the repairs seem to be urgent, the president can authorise the expenditure. You seem to be under the impression that your gardens are ‘private’. They are not in fact private. They are prop‐ erty of the community. Your private property ends at the outside wall of the building. Your garden space is assigned for your private use, but it is owned by the community. So your president has not used community funds to repair private walls. Even one community member can go to court against the president if he claims that his private interests are prejudiced by the president’s action.

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

FOR years the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona was Europe’s most important meeting place for all involved in latest technology, but the pandemic almost wiped it out.

Cancellations came in thick and fast from Asia, even before global lock‐ down and the 2020 fair had to be can‐ celled completely.

Things were slightly better in 2021 with a mix of face‐to‐face exhibitors

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MWC Barcelona and a virtual exhibition helped by the fact that the Spanish Government made overseas visitors temporary ‘technical experts’ so that they could gain entry to the country.

Now it is due to return to Barcelona in its old format from February 28 to

March 3, but with major companies such as Sony deciding not to send a contingent, it’s feared that its time may be past. Many small businesses have found trading difficult over the last two years, even with the benefit of online sales, so potential company visitors

New BT charges BT customers in the UK can expect to see price rises on their mobile and internet packages of more than 9 per cent from the end of March, although the resulting price should be held for the follow‐ ing 12 months.

Some two years ago the company committed to annu‐ al increases of 3.9 per cent plus inflation and as this now stands at 5.4 per cent, the to‐ tal increase will be a huge 9.3 per cent, although this is only expected to add an average £3.50 per month to customer bills.

Working from home and downloading of TV has seen a significant increase in usage and with the majority of data plans unlimited, BT needs the increased income to expand.

Cauliflower crisis A CAULIFLOWER grower in Lincolnshire was all geared up to supply UK supermarkets with hundreds of thousands for Christmas, but the weath‐ er struck and left them with‐ out anything to pick.

Cauliflowers enjoy cold weather, but August and September were too warm for them, so they ended up flowering a month late mean‐ ing that they weren’t ready to be served with the sprouts on Christmas Day and supermar‐ kets had to import stocks.

Now the growers find themselves with half a million of the ripe vegetables on their hands, so are having to drop wholesale prices rather than dump them, meaning that UK consumers can enjoy making cauliflower cheese at half the normal cost. may be deterred by the cost of passes which vary in price from €768.90 to €4,614.50, although these prices in‐ clude access to workshops and presen‐ tations. It costs a huge amount of mon‐ ey to stage an event of this size with profits made from the sale of exhibition stands, but if there are insufficient ex‐ hibitors, then the organisers may well have to review their future commit‐ ment to the show.

34 EWN

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27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page

C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 24

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.342,24 1.367,50 Abrdn 233,40 237,90 Admiral Group 3.135,0 3.172,0 Anglo American 3.347,0 3.418,0 Antofagasta 1.432,50 1.448,50 Ashtead Group 4.997,0 5.092,0 Associated British Foods 2.012,0 2.054,0 AstraZeneca 8.664,0 8.741,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 676,40 684,00 Avast 602,00 603,00 Aveva 2.908,0 2.969,0 Aviva 428,52 433,27 B&M European Value Retail SA540,12 545,40 BAE Systems 598,20 599,20 Bank VTB DRC 1,014 1,080 Barclays 196,43 198,48 Barratt Developments 635,60 658,00 Berkeley 4.196,0 4.320,0 BHP Group 2.386,50 2.411,50 BP 377,05 383,65 British American Tobacco 3.179,8 3.181,5 British Land Company 538,80 543,60 BT Group 192,65 193,15 Bunzl 2.717,0 2.740,0 Burberry Group 1.913,0 1.944,5 Carnival 1.343,8 1.375,2 Centrica 69,58 71,22 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.588,1 2.604,0 Compass 1.662,50 1.684,50 CRH 3.689,0 3.761,0 Croda Intl 7.954,0 8.152,0 DCC 6.254,0 6.350,0 Diageo 3.723,0 3.753,5 DS Smith 372,20 376,80 EasyJet 610,20 637,60 Experian 3.000,0 3.060,5 Ferguson 11.535,0 11.755,0 Flutter Entertainment 10.580,0 10.900,0 Fresnillo 828,00 833,20 GlaxoSmithKline 1.641,00 1.646,00 Glencore 395,85 403,50 Halma 2.447,0 2.485,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.329,50 1.345,00 Hikma Pharma 2.006,64 2.043,00 HSBC 503,40 505,20 IAG 151,85 157,22 Imperial Brands 1.752,00 1.756,00 Informa 541,80 558,00 InterContinental 4.798,0 4.908,0

% CHG. 1.342,00 233,20 3.125,0 3.346,0 1.422,00 4.984,0 2.010,0 8.660,0 673,40 599,60 2.903,0 428,25 539,00 592,60 1,014 196,42 635,20 4.194,0 2.381,50 376,65 3.118,0 538,80 188,20 2.701,0 1.906,5 1.343,8 69,46 2.585,5 1.660,50 3.688,0 7.936,0 6.242,0 3.708,5 371,50 600,20 2.991,7 11.510,0 10.570,0 826,40 1.638,40 395,60 2.442,0 1.318,00 2.001,00 502,70 151,76 1.728,50 541,80 4.798,0

NET VOL 91,98K 311,75K 51,30K 534,26K 74,77K 97,16K 95,71K 132,22K 20,37K 99,32K 1,60K 406,56K 192,02K 956,02K 226,50K 2,09M 595,78K 31,24K 1,12M 6,16M 87,32K 16,53K 3,68M 41,09K 67,50K 134,23K 3,72M 9,99K 123,18K 94,90K 25,98K 18,15K 355,83K 208,14K 1,23M 13,56K 51,91K 75,25K 64,65K 556,37K 5,52M 85,50K 197,94K 35,09K 2,52M 5,28M 263,52K 246,40K 32,13K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Intermediate Capital 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 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

1.861,49 5.352,0 110,65 284,90 1.952,5 787,00 287,10 51,24 7.488,0 733,40 152,60 1.839,00 1.080,00 236,95 7.298,0 26,84 1.384,50 2.442,7 668,20 1.278,50 6.488,0 2.246,00 521,00 665,40 5.375,0 115,98 6,98 1.795,0 1.797,1 789,80 1.556,50 11,82 3.335,0 1.063,30 1.288,50 2.881,0 1.240,00 1.537,50 12.825,0 1.549,50 1.559,00 506,40 150,75 289,55 244,16 3.895,2 1.063,00 123,94 3.019,0 1.169,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.917,50 5.416,0 113,30 286,40 1.971,0 791,80 290,80 51,75 7.588,0 736,00 156,95 1.864,50 1.083,00 239,40 7.484,0 28,35 1.412,55 2.530,0 679,20 1.301,50 6.497,0 2.262,00 526,80 668,60 5.437,0 118,98 7,23 1.815,8 1.817,6 797,60 1.567,00 12,47 3.409,0 1.083,00 1.300,50 2.896,0 1.253,77 1.554,50 13.100,0 1.558,00 1.590,00 513,60 157,65 290,30 251,30 3.898,5 1.069,99 123,94 3.097,0 1.188,50

1.861,00 5.330,0 110,55 284,10 1.951,5 786,40 287,10 51,05 7.476,0 732,00 152,55 1.839,00 1.077,00 237,00 7.280,0 26,72 1.378,50 2.442,0 667,80 1.278,00 6.381,0 2.236,00 520,40 660,20 5.326,0 115,90 6,95 1.791,4 1.792,6 788,20 1.556,00 11,80 3.334,0 1.060,50 1.283,50 2.864,0 1.238,30 1.533,00 12.785,0 1.546,50 1.558,50 506,20 150,75 287,05 244,20 3.840,0 1.057,23 119,14 3.020,0 1.168,50

33,41K 19,04K 624,13K 219,32K 62,60K 80,82K 1,40M 22,63M 67,58K 75,79K 374,02K 61,89K 582,99K 1,84M 29,24K 466,25K 39,72K 176,01K 174,62K 214,90K 167,09K 249,08K 437,01K 232,46K 347,02K 5,79M 217,10K 1,07M 1,16M 297,21K 1,93K 2,46M 10,44K 2,12M 146,24K 29,16K 29,16K 36,58K 7,18K 221,00K 46,40K 381,99K 1,89M 1,38M 487,63K 2,48M 15,13K 27,61M 53,34K 524,15K

1.19531

0.83691

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1325 Japan yen (JPY)........................................128.58 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0327 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4437 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.116

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 24

COMPANY 3M American Express Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Dow Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com The Travelers UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walgreens Boots Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 172,65 158,74 227,72 162,41 205,44 214,09 126,91 56,68 60,45 56,72 343,91 349,10 205,10 129,35 52,04 164,87 145,08 254,59 79,98 296,03 142,95 162,62 218,63 162,61 461,17 53,16 205,93 52,50 140,19 137,38

CHANGE 176,02 161,88 231,46 166,33 213,79 217,51 128,40 58,34 61,30 57,77 348,99 360,09 209,60 131,87 53,13 167,99 147,51 258,46 81,52 304,11 146,36 165,35 224,77 167,08 470,79 53,90 215,60 53,46 142,26 141,87

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 172,56 3,47M 157,68 3,76M 227,31 3,53M 162,30 121,54M 204,57 11,28M 212,42 3,51M 126,23 12,89M 56,61 25,79M 60,40 26,52M 56,54 6,16M 340,72 4,80M 347,18 7,56M 204,96 4,41M 129,27 5,88M 51,95 46,08M 164,47 10,49M 144,27 20,55M 253,68 3,71M 79,24 18,06M 295,61 56,15M 142,85 7,49M 162,10 10,90M 218,25 8,87M 162,26 2,19M 461,07 4,03M 53,07 25,24M 205,82 16,14M 52,20 7,74M 140,06 8,58M 136,63 33,76M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 24

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+100.00% +55.31% +31.31% +30.25% +27.76% +25.38% +20.30% +16.88% +16.43% +15.94% +15.11%

56.68M 11.70M 321.79K 2.95M 23.97M 151.00K 1.34M 517.73K 617.50K 38.22K 208.89K

-52.50% -28.10% -24.95% -24.70% -24.35% -22.86% -22.14% -21.79% -21.48% -21.32% -21.28%

16.08M 28.46M 6.40K 860.83K 164.69K 53.88K 12.95M 58.65M 2.34M 8.38M 1.28M

Most Advanced Blue Star Foods Pintec Tech CF Acquisition Dave Inc Save Foods Vistas Media Acquisition Company Aridis Pharma Mainz Biomed BV Eco Wave Power Global AB Mesa Royalty Trust Gelesis Holdings

Most Declined Oceanpal ReTo Eco-Solutions Immuron Renovare Environmental RYB Education Wah Fu Education Amesite Netflix Core Scientific DatChat Stronghold Digital Mining

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Important meeting for Spanish President

The two leaders met in Madrid.

THERE was an important meeting for Spanish Presi‐ dent Pedro Sánchez when he welcomed new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Madrid on January 17.

Although both countries have enjoyed relatively friendly relationships, the ‘old’ Germany under Angela Merkel was renowned as one of the most frugal during the economic slump starting in 2008 and Spain was often criticised for its inability to balance the budget.

Now, with a left leaning Chancellor leading a govern‐ ment comprised of both left and right, Sánchez hoped for support in his plan to relax the EU’s fiscal rules but this was not likely to be achieved during their first meeting.

They did however have a number of areas to discuss such as the pandemic, vac‐ cinations, climate policy, migration and of course the EU recovery fund from which Spain will be a major

Credit: La Moncloa flickr

beneficiary.

Germany is Spain’s second largest commercial customer and its main supplier, with a trade balance that in 2020, the worst year for some time due to the pandemic, exceed‐ ed €63 billion and there are currently more than 1,325 German companies installed in Spain and around 260 Spanish companies in Ger‐ many.

Both countries see the oth‐ er as important allies on a number of fronts and the two leaders confirmed that during the first half of 2022 a Ger‐ man‐Spanish Summit will be held to discuss ways of ex‐ tending the relationship.

Spain is of course a major destination for German tourists with some 11 million visitors being received in pre‐ pandemic years and thanks to membership of the Euro‐ pean Union, people from both countries are able to set‐ tle in the other and work without problems.

Save queueing FOLLOWING the experiments by both Amazon and Tesco during 2021, UK supermarket chain Aldi is to open its first checkout‐free supermarket in Greenwich where people can shop without having to scan a product.

In fact, it will be cash and credit card free with shop‐ pers enrolling as customers online logging payment de‐ tails and then being able to simply fill their bags and be charged later.

Facial age recognition cameras will be installed in order to ensure that underage drinkers don’t get their hands on alcohol (although there will be a member of staff on hand to check ID if necessary).

BUSINESS EXTRA Lifeline extended BRUSSELS plans to extend temporary permission for European banks and fund managers to use UK clear‐ ing houses until June 2025, thereby removing a threat to the stability of fi‐ nancial markets according to an announcement by the European Commis‐ sioner for Financial Ser‐ vices.

Bailing out INVESTMENT Group Atit‐ lan which focuses mainly on Spain and Portugal is in the process of selling approximately 9,000 hectares of land devoted to almond and olive culti‐ vation, as well as two mills managed by sub‐ sidiary Elaia to the De Pra‐ do Group for an undis‐ closed sum.

Lidl appeal AFTER withdrawing its €360 Monsieur Cuisine Connect kitchen robot from sale due to an in‐ junction by Vorwerk, the German company that owns Thermomix, Lidl has won an appeal in the Provincial Court of Barcelona which has de‐ clared that there is no breach of patent.

27 January - 2 February 2022

EWN 35

36 EWN

27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT YOU simply must feel sorry for the poor old British Queen. I’ve always been a staunch supporter of the UK monarchy. To my mind the institution (but not necessarily all its members!) is the rock that holds the pride of the nation together.

The whole world looks on in awe and no small amount of envy, as the Royal lineage continues with magnificent pageantry and splendour to preserve all the centuries of the history it represents. It more than pays its way, earning millions for the country through the tourist industry alone.

This year, the head of the family is due to celebrate her Jubilee year.

She has now dutifully and impeccably served the nation as the longest reigning monarch in history.

Unfortunately, apart from her longevity, she hasn’t much else to celebrate. The country she rules over is, despite the recent easing of regulations, still in the grip of a devastating and seemingly unrelenting pandemic.

Her Grandson has turned traitor and run

www.euroweeklynews.com

The Queen off with a two‐bit actress and is set to publish his own ‘kiss ‘n tell’ book, no doubt to sully his grandmother’s special celebratory year.

Her Majesty has also had to strip her favourite son of all his Royal titles and patronages as he faces accusations and a possible trial for sexual abuse. Her weak leaders are still allowing mass immigration, the ever‐rising numbers of which already threaten the very infrastructure of the nation. The Commonwealth is gradually falling apart. Scotland is threatening to break up the UK. Her out of touch Prime Minister looks like he’s facing resignation after considering there were separate laws for his cabinet and the rest of the public. Two of her closest lifelong friends recently died: The Duchess of Grafton and Lady Farnham aged 90! And just a few months ago, after 70 years of marriage, she lost her beloved husband.

Through it all her Majesty, who is now 95 years old, has retained the

same quiet dignity and poise she has presented to the country and its subjects since her accession to the throne. I wonder how many tears this Lady has shed in the privacy of her own small apartment tucked away in a corner of Buckingham Palace.

The iconic pictures of her loneliness in Westminster Abbey on the day of her husband’s funeral will tear at the heartstrings for many years to come. God bless Queen Elizabeth. She truly does deserve a great deal more happiness than has been meted out so far. Let us hope the British public can lift her spirits and show her just how much they truly think of her in this, her special celebratory Jubilee year.

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

TV & Film Review by Laura Kemp

Munich: The Edge of War MUNICH: The Edge of War tells a fictional story between two university friends as Eu‐ rope stands on the brink of the Second World War in 1938. The movie is streaming now on Netflix.

This thriller, adapted from Robert Harris’ 2017 novel, de‐ picts British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s desper‐ ate attempts to negotiate with Adolf Hitler to avoid war.

The movie begins at Oxford University in 1932, where we are introduced to best friends Hugh, played by George MacKay (1917), the enthusias‐ tically pro‐Nazi German Paul, and Paul’s girlfriend Lena ‐ who is later found to be Jew‐ ish and ends up bed‐ridden af‐ ter being captured by Nazis.

Six years later, when Ger‐ many and the rest of Europe are on the brink of war, Hugh is now a private secretary to

Neville Chamberlain, played

by Jeremy Irons, and Paul is now a diplomat, opposed to Hitler’s rising. Paul receives a secret document from his lover and becomes involved in a clandestine plot to arrest the Fuhrer.

Tensions mount as one of Paul’s old friends who is now one of Hitler’s bodyguards, played by the amazing August Diehl (Inglorious Basterds), becomes suspicious of him.

If you’re a fan of films like Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy you’ll enjoy this movie, but at two hours long it failed to keep me gripped throughout despite some tense mo‐ ments, particularly the last third of this film.

However, it is successful in portraying the rise of Nazi Germany and the secrecy amongst those who wanted to take down the regime.

THURSDAY 27/01

7:30pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 11:30pm

SATURDAY 29/01

FRIDAY 28/01

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:10pm 7:13pm 7:15pm 8:00pm

9:30pm 10:30pm

MONDAY 31/01

SUNDAY 30/01

6:00pm 6:05pm 6:10pm 7:10pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm

WEDNESDAY 02/02

TUESDAY 01/02

10:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 8:50pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm

BBC London News; Weather Party Political Broadcast The One Show EastEnders Dragons' Den The Apprentice BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather

6:15pm 7:00pm

BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show A Question of Sport Would I Lie to You? EastEnders Death in Paradise BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

5:15pm

Superman & Lois BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather The Weakest Link Big Night of Musicals by the National Lottery Michael McIntyre's The Wheel Casualty

2:00pm

BBC London News; Weather Weather Countryfile Around the World in 80 Days The Green Planet Call the Midwife The Tourist BBC News BBC London News; Weather

12:45pm 1:15pm

Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Panorama EastEnders Kelvin's Big Farming Adventure The Responder

4:15pm

BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Holby City Garden Rescue The Responder BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

5:15pm

Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show We Are England The Repair Shop The Responder BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

6:15pm 7:00pm

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7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:15pm

Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great Coastal Railway Journeys Hairy Bikers: Route 66 Winterwatch Survivors: Portraits of the Holocaust The Apprentice: You're Fired!

Newsnight

8:00pm

Tennis: Australian Open Highlights 2022 Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great Coastal Railway Journeys Hairy Bikers: Route 66 Winterwatch QI XL Live at the Apollo Newsnight

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

John Wayne: Talking Pictures The Searchers Match of the Day Live: Africa Cup of Nations Flog It! Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs Inside the Factory The Perfect Morecambe & Wise Elaine Paige at the BBC

10:00pm 10:50pm 11:45pm 12:25am

Rick Stein's Cornwall Wild West: America's Great Frontier Rio Bravo Lilies of the Field The Black Stars of Film: Talking Pictures Ski Sunday Match of the Day Live: Africa Cup of Nations Andi & Miquita Oliver's Caribbean Connections

8:30pm

Tennis: Australian Open Highlights 2022 Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great Coastal Railway Journeys Hairy Bikers: Route 66 Winterwatch Inside the Factory The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk

8:00pm 8:30pm

Mexico: Earth's Festival of Life Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great Coastal Railway Journeys Hairy Bikers: Route 66 Great British Menu The Decade the Rich Won Toast of Tinseltown Newsnight

8:00pm 8:30pm

Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Great Coastal Railway Journeys Remarkable Places to Eat Great British Menu Inside the Factory The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk

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1:20am 2:10am 3:05am

Railways: The Making of a Nation Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain Rancho Notorious Young Guns How the Wild West Was Won with Ray Mears Inside Cinema Handmade in Africa Railways: The Making of a Nation

7:00pm 7:25pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

ITV News London Party Political Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Smart Motorways: Hitting the Brakes?

Tonight Emmerdale The Martin Lewis Money Show: Live Martin Clunes: Islands of the Pacific

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Junior Bake Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Dog House Screw First Dates Katie Price's Mucky Mansion

3:15pm

Sounds of the Seventies The Shirley Bassey Show TOTP: 1992 TOTP: 1992 Mystify: Michael Hutchence INXS: Live Baby Live Australian Hits at the BBC Top of the Pops TOTP: 1992 TOTP: 1992

3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 11:20pm 11:50pm

Dickinson's Real Deal Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Midsomer Murders ITV News ITV News London

1:30pm 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Steph's Packed Lunch Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Junior Bake Off The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

2:15pm 2:45pm 3:15pm

Hidden Assets Hidden Assets Parkinson: The Interviews Africa's Great Civilisations Africa's Great Civilisations Around the World in Eighty Days Castles: Britain's Fortified History

2:30pm

ITV Racing: Live from Cheltenham You've Been Framed!

The Chase: Celebrity Special ITV News and Weather ITV News London Celebrity Catchphrase The Masked Singer Ant & Dec's Limitless Win The John Bishop Show

10:30am 12:35pm 1:05pm

The Simpsons The Simpsons Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul Four in a Bed Live Formula E Channel 4 News The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies The Gemini Man Xxx: The Return of Xander Cage

6:00pm

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs Live Gallagher Premiership Rugby Union ITV News and Weather ITV News London Dancing on Ice The Good Karma Hospital Trigger Point ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather

2:30pm 4:25pm 6:15pm 7:15pm 7:45pm 8:45pm

Megamind Peter Rabbit Chateau DIY Channel 4 News Luxury Holidays For Less The Great Pottery Throw Down Celebrity Hunted Gogglebox Walter Presents: Cry Wolf Big Game

6:05pm 6:10pm 7:00pm 7:05pm

The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Bradley Walsh and Son: Breaking Dad Coronation Street Keeping Up with the Aristocrats ITV News at Ten and Weather

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Four in a Bed The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Great Cookbook Challenge 999: What's Your Emergency?

Race and Medical Experiments: What's the Truth?

3:15pm

9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

5:00pm 5:30pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:30pm 10:30pm

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1:35am

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1:25am 1:55am

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5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

7:25pm 7:35pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 10:30pm 11:30pm

The Sound of Petula Clark BBC Proms Memories: Andrew Lloyd Webber - Imagine Fern Britton Meets Barbara Dickson Sings Musicals Nicole Kidman: This Cultural Life The Sound of Petula Clark

3:00pm

Canal Boat Diaries Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain The Impressionists Painting and Revolution Eye of the Storm Arena: Desert Island Discs This Green and Pleasant Land: The Story of British Landscape Painting Canal Boat Diaries

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

Canal Boat Diaries Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain Keeping Up Appearances Yes, Prime Minister The Secret Life of the Motorway India's Frontier Railways India's Frontier Railways Booze, Beans & Bhajis The Story of the Corner Shop

4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Wonders of the Border Coronation Street Secrets of the Krays ITV News at Ten and Weather

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Geordie Hospital 24 Hours in A&E Davina McCall's Language of Love

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain Patagonia Digging for Britain Misha and the Wolves: Storyville Horizon: A Week without Lying - The Honesty Experiment Canal Boat Diaries Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs Coronation Street The Bay ITV News at Ten and Weather

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it Katie Price's Mucky Mansion

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

3:30pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:14pm

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9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:30am

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

Mystery 101: An Education in Murder Watercolour Challenge 5 News at 5 Neighbours Winter Road Rescue Go Veggie and Vegan with Matt Tebbutt Our Great Yorkshire Life Critical Condition A&E After Dark

2:30pm 3:00pm

Home and Away Neighbours Murder, with Love: Hailey Dean Mysteries Watercolour Challenge 5 News at 5 Neighbours Winter Road Rescue The World's Most Scenic River Journeys Kate Humble's Coastal Walks

8:00am

Holidaying with Jane McDonald 5 News Weekend Catherine Inside the World's Greatest Hotels Secrets of the Royal Palaces Posh Weekends with Sally Lindsay When TV Goes Horribly Wrong

6:00am

5 News Update 50 First Dates 5 News Weekend Inside Legoland: A World of Wonder Inside the McVitie's Biscuit Factory Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Hotel Benidorm QE2: The World's Most Luxurious Hotel

7:00am

2:00pm 4:30pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 12:40am 4:45am 5:00am

Live European Tour Golf Live European Tour Golf Live EFL Live EFL The Gloves are Off Live NFL Live NFL EFL Highlights Sky Sports News

A Beautiful Place to Die: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery Watercolour Challenge 5 News at 5 Neighbours Winter Road Rescue Catching Britain's Speeders Traffic Cops The Teacher Casualty 24/7

1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 1:00am 2:00am

Transfer Talk Transfer Deadline Day Transfer Deadline Day Transfer Deadline Day Transfer Deadline Day The Transfer Show Transfer Deadline Day Transfer Deadline Day Live EFL Transfer Deadline Day Sky Sports News Sky Sports News

Watercolour Challenge 5 News at 5 Neighbours Winter Road Rescue GPs: Behind Closed Doors Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly The Teacher Gabby Petito Peter Tobin: A Life of Evil

10:00am

Good Morning Sports Fans The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Sky Sports News Scottish Premiership Live The Gloves are Off

Watercolour Challenge 5 News at 5 Neighbours Winter Road Rescue Dream Home Style with Sophie Robinson You are What You Eat The Teacher People Like Pus It's Your Fault I'm Fat

10:00am

7:00pm

8:00pm 11:00pm 1:00am 1:30am 4:00am

8:30am 8:45am 1:15pm 2:30pm 8:00pm 11:30pm 2:00am

8:00am 1:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

8:00am

11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 11:00pm

11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 11:30pm

Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League The Hundred 2022 Fixture Announcement Vodcast Live WSL Live PGA Tour Golf Live: TNT Pre-Game Show Live NBA Live NBA Good Morning Sports Fans My Icon: Nasser Hussain Live Big Bash League Live European Tour Golf Live ICC Under-19s World Cup Cricket Live EFL Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports News Live European Tour Golf Live European Tour Golf Scottish Premiership Live Gillette Soccer Saturday Live EFL Live AFCON African Cup of Nations

Good Morning Sports Fans The Football Show The Football Show Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Live Pakistan Super League Sky Sports News Scottish Premiership Live The Gloves are Off

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

T H I S week my family lost another of its greatest characters when my uncle passed away.

A personality so large and a person so constant in our lives that the gap he leaves behind is immense.

H owever, it shouldn’t be the gap that we think of when a person leaves this world, but the space they filled when they were here and still do even when they are gone.

The thought of that warmth and joy should not be clouded by the fact they are not here in person any more, our grief shouldn’t obscure our memories.

I n the same way, we shouldn’t think about death only when it happens otherwise we will lose ourselves when it does. Death is a recurring theme across all of our lives because it happens to us all.

Even before times of pandemic and war, even when life is somewhat peaceful, people still die.

CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD To ignore this fact or try to remove ourselves from the occurrence will only make the grief and emotion worse when it does inevitably arrive. “ G rief that has been calmed by reason is calmed forever,” said Seneca.

While I don’t believe that grief is ever truly gone, I do believe this statement, that your grief can be calmed and shaped into something you can live with more easily but only if you face it head-on.

An ongoing part of preparing ourselves for grief is Memento Mori - ‘remember that you will die’ - because when you keep death in mind, it helps you live while you are still here and appreciate others while they are here too.

W ithout even realising it, my aunt has

27 January - 2 February 2022

A part of life embodied a beautiful piece of stoic philosophy after my uncle passed. S he has asked people not to comfort her and send only condolences, but to write to her with memories of her husband and their feelings about the man that he was, rather than only focusing on the most mundane and ubiquitous part of our life’s process.

The past we share with people is ours to hold and we can look back with gratitude and be grateful that we got to share them.

Seneca also said: “If you admit to having derived great pleasures, your duty is not to complain about what has been taken away but to be thankful for what you have been given.”

We should not wait for someone to be gone before we make these lists of appreci-

To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com Claire Gordon’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

ation for them.

W e can, and should, sit down and write about who we are grateful to and the feelings of joy they

bring to our lives before we lose them.

A huge part of grief for many is a lack of clarity around their feelings for the per-

EWN 39

son. “I wish I’d have told them what they meant to me,” rings out as people leave and unspoken words are carried heavily by the people left behind. P lease take this column as a prompt to speak those words today and lighten your load.

40 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

FEATURE

GO LOCAL THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to sup‐ port local busi‐ nesses in the community by shopping locally in recent times.

Now things are heading back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by supporting local high streets,

markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky independent business‐ es 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

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

that independent busi‐ nesses can support the local community. You may find something a euro or two cheaper online but have you considered where your money is actually go‐ ing?

By shopping locally you’re putting food on a local family’s table and there is nothing better than giving back

to the communities that have given us so much. Local stores sup‐ port 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 fu‐ ture fulfil their dreams and ambitions.

Remember, your lo‐ cal store is going up against multinationals and chains. They can’t win that battle on their own. So give them your support. Spending your money locally will make a real difference to the local economy.

Local businesses recir‐ culate a greater share of every euro they re‐ ceive at local level.

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

So remember.

When you go shopping ‐ go local!

To advertise here contact us on:

951 386 161

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.

TIME IN SAUDI Hey Leapy, I like your article in the Euro Weekly, I also spent time in Saudi from 1991 till 2018 when I retired here with wifey to Catral near Alicante. Being in Saudi during the Gulf War was fun, seeing how the locals reacted to an American squaddie with a 45 on her hip driving a hummer. Going to dances where the USA boys dressed up as the Mad Mullas and played Let’s Go To The Mosque as a 12 bar song.

I planned to write a book as I have never seen one telling the real story of expat life. I was one of the biggest bootleggers around and even sold my business when I left. I have thousands of words in notes but need maybe a ghost writer or such to get going. I think it would make a great movie, Brad Pitt could play me, even a box set series. I Like Bill Bryson, maybe he would like a project, or if you know anyone?

Keep doing your stuff, I like it.

Best, George

Most interesting Please advise David Worboys that I found his Black and White article (Issue 1904) most interesting. Please pass on my above email address.

Michael

90-day stay You may remember that three months ago I wrote to you regar-

SAUDI ARABIA: Many years were spent here before retiring to Spain.

ding the Schengen Treaty restriction that limits a tourist stay to 90 days in 180. As I mentioned, this severely affects the tourist industry as motorhomers, who like to stay in Spain for the winter, are not always prepared to make the long journey south if they have to return within the 90-day ruling.

Add to that, the reluctance in buying or long-term renting a property if you are only able to live in it for three months at a time - the market diminishes. The UK allows European tourists to stay for up to 180 days in a year, and these can be consecutive days.

When people are asked to help reduce carbon emissions, the 90day limitation would appear to have the opposite effect. Many tourists (and I am one of them) will make two journeys in a year to visit their holiday home. Twice the fuel con-

STATE OF CONFUSION FOR some time, the international community appeared to be broadly united on the way to tackle the pandemic and generally introduced similar requirements for travel and work.

Now however this seems to be unravelling at quite a pace and even Autonomous Communities within Spain appear to be differing on whether they should require people wishing to visit hospitality outlets to present Covid passports.

In many cases, individual bars and restaurants are actually making their own decisions and, either ignore the need to show these passports or simply ask customers whether they have been vaccinated without requiring any proof.

To be accurate, managers of large chains are clearly being told to ensure that all requirements are enforced as there are financial penalties should any establishment be seen to be breaking the rules.

Britain is taking a very different stance to its neighbours, effectively cancelling all restrictions during January al-

CORRECTIONS

From our Facebook

sumption, twice the pollution! Multiply that a few thousand times!

The pandemic has affected people’s lives dramatically - and we know how swiftly Covid and its variants can spread. Should we be travelling more frequently across borders? Surely, it would be better for those who wish to visit Spain, to make the journey once - and then to stay put?

Add this to the critical effect this 90 days restriction has had on the tourist market and, surely, it would make more economic and environmental sense to forge a reciprocal agreement with the UK and allow tourists to visit for up to 180 days consecutively?

Already, inroads have been made to change the present restriction we need to keep up the pressure and not let the initial impetus die.

Thank you ‐ Ann

OUR VIEW

though recommending that masks be worn where there is a chance of possible infection.

Almost perversely there are reports of schools insisting that pupils should continue to wear masks, even though the government doesn’t require them to.

Some countries are penalising those who are unvaccinated and effectively making it so difficult to work and live within their community that they are effectively being blackmailed to be inoculated.

Others however recognise an element of freedom, encouraging people to be jabbed (or have the booster shot) but with no penalty if they don’t.

Some believe that masks are necessary to cut the number of infections whilst others suggest that they can cause as much damage to the body as Covid.

All in all, it is very confusing and hopefully, here in Spain we will soon all be subject to the same requirements once again.

BBC: What is your opinion?

Yvonne Green A lot of the younger generation don’t watch live time any more. They stream which is legal to do so except BBC iPlayer therefore you don’t need to pay for a TV licence. BBC could be funded through advertising like other stations.

Andrew Philip Coates The most respected broadcaster in the world and because of its charter it has to be unbiased, despite what people say... but it needs streamlining... there are areas of it which could be commercialised... BBC 1, Radio 1&2 and their website.

Martin Nerja Well as a Spanish newspaper it’s got nothing to do with you or anybody living in Spain as watching the BBC outside of the UK is illegal.

Le Barx Christophe Cancel the uber woke BBC and fund social care.

Andy Solomons Definitely an outdated concept now. The idea was good, and could still work if it was providing an interesting alternative to the rubbish ‘reality’ programmes on commercial channels.

Sadly, it no longer does this. All the money seems to disappear into a very few pockets.

Carol King Done really good stuff - arts/world etc but clearly biased - ie miles of lorries queued at Dover seen via Google Earth but not a peep !

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

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48 EWN

27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

TONI C. EASTWOOD OBE, MBA

#TheWomanBeyond PSYCHOLOGIST Angela Duckworth created the science of Grit. She shows anyone striving to succeed, whether that’s you, me, athletes, or entrepreneurs, the secret to outstanding achievement is NOT TALENT, Whoa!! but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls ‘grit.’

Fascinating, so why do some people suc‐ ceed and others fail? Angela explains talent is not a guarantor of success, her research, found that grit, a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal, is THE hallmark of high achievers in EVERY do‐ main. The great news is she also proved that grit can grow. She defines it as intense passion + intense perseverance.

In short, if you’re REALLY fired up about something and you’re willing to show up every day for however long it takes to make your dream a reality. She tells us that effort counts twice and offers this equation (yes another equation) to capture the essence of grit: Talent x Effort = Skill Skill x Effort = Achievement

www.euroweeklynews.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY

HOW TO BUILD YOUR GRIT See how that? Effort counts twice.

Yes, talent’s important but EFFORT is twice as important. You can have a super ‘talented’ ‘genius’ who puts in no effort and what do you get? Nothing, just a disappointed genius.

Or, you can have a modestly talented indi‐ vidual who HUSTLES and what do you have?

An extraordinary amount of achievement.

Effort counts twice. (Am I repeating myself?

Yes.) Calvin Coolidge said something similar: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with tal‐ ent. Genius will not; Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Here’s four tips to cultivate your Grit: Passion+Practice+Purpose+Hope.

Passion: You need to be intrinsically drawn to something. You’re not going to put in the required effort if you’re only kinda‐sorta inter‐ ested. (Period.) That said, we’re not talking about fireworks passion, the kind that comes

and goes. It’s about compass passion, the kind that guides your life for decades.

Practice: Passion isn’t enough. You need to do the work. Every. Single. Day. Gritty people design their life around their Passion.

Purpose: You want mature Passion and sus‐ tainable Grit; it can’t be all about you. Make it about something bigger than you. A purpose beyond yourself.

Hope: The path to Gritty, Heroic greatness, is bumpy, we’ll fall down, a lot, I know I have.

We need to have Hope, to see the future can be better than our present, we need to believe that we have the power to make it so, if we put in the required Effort.

Take a moment, how about you? What’s your Purpose? Do a quick inventory on these, think about how you can improve just 1 per cent today!

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

Love, Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps Toni x Toni Eastwood OBE, MBA #TheWomanBe‐ yond. Ignite Your Passion, Fulfil Your Dreams and Awaken Your Greatness!

Prepare to build your Grit. It’s not too late to get started on making 2022 your best year yet, staying focused and having the energy to put your best efforts in means you need to put self‐care at the top of your priority list!!! I’ve made this super easy for you with my 10‐Day Self‐Care Challenge, FREE E‐Book, so why not join me and my team and loads of our clients for our 10‐ Day Self‐Care Challenge. I challenge you to try a new self‐care activity for 10 days straight. I’ll provide you with easy self‐care strategies to try from day one through 10, all suitable for a busy lifestyle ‐ like yours. ‐ For more info and to receive your FREE copy straight to your in‐box, head on over to: https://quantumvantage.co.uk/ 10dayselfcarechallenge Don’t hold back another moment. You

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

tonieastwoodobe

WITH the sun starting to come out again, some of us may start to find our scalps ‐ one of the areas hardest hit

by UV rays and the elements ‐ in need of extra attention.

Scalp condition can have a large impact on the overall health of our locks, with an unhealthy scalp potentially leading to problems with hair

sixsecretstosuccess

Scalp care growth. Everything from sun‐ burn to product build‐up and imbalanced oil levels can re‐ sult in itching, flakiness, and dull hair appearance. Luckily, these problems can often be rectified using the right tools.

For those suffering from scalp discomfort, dryness, or oiliness, try a targeted treat‐ ment with ingredients includ‐ ing charcoal to remove impu‐ rities, spearmint and peppermint oils to soothe, and witch hazel to balance oil levels. Vitamin biotin also pro‐ vides nutrients to support healthy hair growth.

Boost the effectiveness of any products you do use with a scalp massaging tool. Creat‐ ed with rubber tips, these brushes can be used on all scalps, helping to build up and distribute shampoo better, stimulate blood flow, and ex‐ foliate. These tools also offer the added bonus of a relaxing massage experience, helping to lower stress levels; another factor thought to affect hair health.

Finally, for those with long hair, make sure to use a snag‐ free band when tying it up us‐ ing ‘dent‐free’ ties to glide over hair, rather than pinching it, resulting in less strain on the scalp and helping prevent hair breakage.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 January - 2 February 2022

EWN 49

Prepare for spring Look your best THE sun is coming out, the clocks are not far from springing forward and the wild flowers are out. That can only mean one thing, spring is al‐ most here.

Spring beauty is all about soft colours, dewy skin and glossy hair.

Months of winter cen‐ tral heating and cold weather can take their toll, leaving us with dry, dull locks and in need of some attention.

Regain your hair’s nat‐ ural gloss with a routine designed to rehydrate and repair damage, be‐ ginning with a shampoo which will help hair look its best with a combina‐ tion of hydrating oils, hyaluronic acid, and conditioning ingredi‐ ents.

Next, tackle the prob‐ lems of loss of moisture

SHINING BRIGHT: Regain hair’s natural shine.

and split ends with a concentrated treatment containing vegetable proteins to strengthen hair structure, helping it regain its natural shine.

To seal the deal, once a week and instead of your normal condition‐

er, protect all your good work at the same time as adding shine, with a top coat. This product works like a top coat af‐ ter a manicure to seal in shine and moisture and protect colour in the up‐ coming sunnier months.

BETWEEN festive events, vis‐ iting family, and cold tem‐ peratures, winter can feel like one of the longest sea‐ sons.

So why not celebrate its departure with a well‐de‐ served, at‐home pampering session?

Best attempted towards the end of the evening when relaxation benefits should re‐ sult in an uninterrupted night’s sleep, a DIY pampering session can help lower stress and restore dehydrated, stressed out hair and skin.

Begin by running a warm bath ‐ shown to help lower stress hormone levels ‐ con‐ taining a favourite oil or scent.

Or why not try a specially‐de‐ signed bath soak with salts to hydrate and soothe skin.

As you soak away your stress, why not take advan‐ tage of half an hour to your‐ self to pay some attention to one of the more neglected ar‐ eas of the body; the scalp?

Dampen hair before taking time to gently massage a

RELAXATION: Get ready for spring with a pamper-

scalp scrub onto the head un‐ til the product dissolves, be‐ fore adding more water for a rich lather. This mini‐massage will help to both unwind as

well as detoxing the scalp of any product build up, and can be used once a week in place of shampoo.

Next, apply a hydrating hair mask. As it takes effect, treat your body to the same glow‐ inducing exfoliation as your scalp and slough off the day with a gentle exfoliator.

After rinsing off, snuggle up in something comfortable and treat your skin to a mask.

Finally, the eyes are one of the first areas to show signs of stress and age, so why not pay them some extra atten‐ tion with some undereye gel patches?

50 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Valentine’s at the iconic Benidorm Palace THIS Valentine’s, Benidorm Palace is putting on a swoon‐ worthy weekend jam‐packed with unforgettable live enter‐ tainment and top‐class food.

The award‐winning venue is hosting its latest show Terra and the planet’s number one Elec‐ tric Light Orchestra (ELO) tribute band, ELO Again.

The weekend of fun kicks off on Saturday, February 12 with Terra, the latest gastro‐cultural offering from Benidorm Palace.

Terra is a dazzling show brim‐ ming with glitz, glamour, and a touch of magic. It pays tribute to planet Earth, uniting artists from all over the world on one stage to take you on an exhila‐ rating journey across five conti‐ nents.

The festivities don’t stop there. ELO Again will be raising the roof on Sunday, February 13, playing all the hits from one of the planet’s most beloved bands. On their latest ‘Re‐Dis‐ covery Tour’, ELO Again takes us

BENIDORM PALACE: For unforgettable live entertainment and top-class food.

back in time with an unparal‐ leled production for a truly au‐ thentic experience.

Savour the flavour of a Benidorm Palace dinner during the show. On the menu for Ter‐ ra is marinated chicken salad

with bacon, crunchy croutons and Gran Palace sauce, pumpkin cream soup, Iberian pork steak with five‐pepper sauce, potato gratin and sautéd vegetables.

Followed by the Chef’s special dessert and wine.

Alternatively, the Menu Gran Palace Plus ticket dishes up a main course of grilled fillet steak with port sauce, potato gratin, and sautéd vegetables.

You can enjoy a meal of chick‐ en/fish and chips while you rock

For more information or to book tickets, contact 965 851 660 or visit https://www.benidormpalace.com/en/tickets

out to ELO Again.

Benidorm Palace burst onto the scene in 1977 and has been bringing a special blend of elec‐ trifying entertainment and world‐class cuisine ever since.

From the Miss Spain Contest to the European Arts Forum, its iconic stage regularly welcomes renowned international artists like Lola Flores and Julio Iglesias.

Terra is on Saturday, February 12 at 8pm. Show tickets are €34, Show + Dinner tickets are €54, and for €64 you get the show and the Gran Palace Plus menu.

ELO Again are performing on Sunday, February 13 at 8.30pm.

Tickets are available from the Benidorm Palace Box Office for €30 with an option for chicken/fish and chips for €8.

Benidorm Palace is also offer‐ ing a special Valentine’s promo‐ tion of tickets to both Terra and ELO Again for the show only at just €55. Meal upgrades are available.

Politicians come and go MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I LOVE going out to eat - not just big fancy meals. I like just going for a coffee - any excuse really, but what does bother me is where I sit. I don’t want to be near the toilet or too near the front door and I certainly don’t want to be facing the wall whilst all the good stuff is going on behind me. But, of course, Mrs S doesn’t want to face the wall either so sometimes we do the side by side arrangement.

This doesn’t work if you have a table for two and it’s just a little table with two seats facing each other. So what I do is book for four and when I get to the restaurant I check out the seating and if it suits I’ll tell them we’re only two as our ‘friends’ couldn’t make it. I’ve never been moved yet.

Another tip I got years ago, from a friend in the trade, was to get a window seat near the street because you get bigger portions, as when people walk past they look in and think I’ll have to go there, look at the size of the portions - not

sure it’s true, but worth a try.

Interesting little article I read about some restaurants in France becoming private members’ clubs so they don’t have to ask people for Covid passports. I do always applaud the way folks circumnavigate daft rules which are unnecessary and un-policeable. I’ve noticed here that nobody wants to check documents either citing the fact they don’t want to be peeing of their punters. Hopefully things will change soon.

Politicians come and go and are always telling us to do this or that. They’re all a Jack of all trades and master of none. One week they are Chancellor, the next Health Secretary and the fact is all the power lies with the civil servants who advise ministers. I dislike them all and they lie all the time, hence Partygate.

It takes me back to when I was in the video business and saying to one geezer ‘you are the fifth managing director of Warner Bros that has told me what I’m doing wrong with my business model. I’m still growing and you don’t have a clue when you are going to be replaced and what the next product is you are going to be an ‘expert’ in’.

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

27 January - 2 February 2022

Plastic and Feb fun day the sea?

WANT to know more about the problem of plastic in the sea, the causes and how you can help ‐ then visit the Plas‐ tic and the Sea exhibition on the first floor of Club Nauti‐ co, Santa Pola.

The exhibition, which is a collaboration between the Alicante Provincial Council and the Coastal Ecology Insti‐ tute, is open throughout Jan‐ uary from Monday to Friday

between 9am and 2pm and then again on Saturdays and Sundays between 9am and 2pm.

The exhibition focuses on the problem of plastics in the sea from a multidisciplinary point of view, including its origin, use, generation and recycling of waste, as well as the importance of social in‐ volvement in its reduction through small daily gestures.

Go dancing HAVE you ever thought about learning to dance Spanish style, to dance the salsa, bachata or kizomba?

The Joshua Iris Academy is offering a lesson for free, an opportunity with a skilled teacher to see whether you have what it takes, whether it’s something you would like to do. The classes are fun and

you will get to meet new peo‐ ple, learn how to improve your dance skills and most of all have some fun.

The offer is open to every‐ one, give them a call, take a friend and have a go. The academy is Bautista Street Bertomeu Sober 8 in Torrevie‐ ja and there is no obligation to sign up!

DESPITE the obvious chal‐ lenges that accompanied the pandemic, Cruz Azul Murcia have managed to continue providing assis‐ tance to pet‐owners.

But now they need your support!

They have organised (Jil‐ ly Roberts) a fun day that will take place on February 9 at Le Petit Bistrot in Calle Rio Nalón in Los Alcázares.

As the name says, the day promises to be great fun with a quiz, a raffle, bingo, an auction and en‐ tertainment from Spangles Ladies’ Harmony Chorus.

To top it all there will be Jil‐ ly’s home‐made Irish Stew!

This will be a popular event, so Cruz Azul have asked that you pre‐book your table/food as soon as possible to avoid disap‐ pointment. You can book by calling 603 285 123.

Cruz Azul Murcia exists

CRUZ AZUL: Fundraiser.

to provide veterinary care for the sick and injured pets of people in need and to promote responsible pet ownership.

If you would like to vol‐ unteer, donate or help raise funds they would love to hear from you.

Email info@cruzazulmur cia.com, visit their website www.cruzazulmurcia.com or better still come to the fun day and chat to one of the team.

EWN 51

Fancy some live music?

IF you enjoy nothing more than heading to a good venue for some good food, a few drinks and some excellent music then the Bar Ar‐ ianaz is certainly worth a visit. The live music venue offers music most nights, with a full schedule for the weekend of January 28.

Friday night at 8pm is the great Ben Valentine who covers ev‐ erything from Rod Stewart to the Stereophonics to Johnny Cash.

Saturday at 8pm is Chloe Leigh with her country, motown and soul show and on Sunday at 5pm you have Simon Jackson on key‐ boards. The bar is on Calle Escorpio 6 in Orihuela.

PETS

52

www.euroweeklynews.com • 27 January - 2 February 2022

SPONSORED BY

Who’s going to play with your dog while you’re away?

IF you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sitters. Per‐ haps you are already making plans for a stayca‐ tion get away. Even if you are planning just a short trip, you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Young pets in particular may benefit from staying behind so they can follow their rou‐ tines at home. So, plan ahead.

Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐ sitters, if you have trips planned later this year.

Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our phi‐ losophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a home‐ owner on HouseSitMatch. com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help on‐ line when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit ad‐ vert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting

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Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation!

Register as either a house-sitter or homeowner with a 50 per cent discount using coupon code SUPER50 an exclusive offer for readers.

To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com.

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Root canal therapy is a treatment which involves removing infected pulp from the root canal of the tooth, disinfecting the canal, and replacing the removed tissue with den‐ tal material. The root canal is accessed through the crown of the tooth.

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54 EWN

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PLUMBING

HAIR AND BEAUTY

POOL MAINTENANCE

STORAGE

SERVICES

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REMOVALS & STORAGE

PLUMBERS

27 January - 2 February 2022

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58 EWN

27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

REMOVALS & STORAGE

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SERVICES

SERVICES TV & SATELLITE

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27 January - 2 February 2022 WINDOW TINTING

INSURANCE

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WINDOW TINTING

CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS

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

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

CARE HOME CARE home in Torrevieja, family run, reasonable rates.

Carers available for your home. 697834934 (294568)

CARS FOR SALE

CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer.

Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail.com (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca?

There are various Lodges meetings up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glpvalencia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11:00am. All national-

CARS WANTED CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. English-speaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323)

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ities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information, including details of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005) PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Members Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk. Tel:0044 800 018 2361. (238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone

27 January - 2 February 2022 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be.

If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branch es.britishlegion.org.uk/branch es/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.ori huelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch.

For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.sec retary@rbl.community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664.

(10004)

CLEANING SERVICES RELIABLE, experienced home and deep cleaning service including key handovers plus many other services. Call +34 634 679 668 (292081)

ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (287514)

GOLD WANTED

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

If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

INSURANCE

THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188.

(95461)

CHARITY

THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate future due to Covid-19. To join the centre on ZOOM on a Tuesday evening at 7pm download the ZOOM App. To enter use ID Number 8451471869, then Password 3uf5TE. Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)

THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca.

Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807)

TESTIMONIALS

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

HOME IMPROVEMENTS BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (289486)

INSURANCE FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsurancein spain.com or email tracey @sosinsuranceinspain.com (294212) BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialin suranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsuranceinspain.com for online quote.

(294254)

CLASSIFIEDS

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

NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE, VHF/DSC-Radio or Radar Courses held in English invividual or small groups starts soon. 626 245 098 (294950)

LAWYER & SOLICITORS SOLICITOR. CRIMINAL LAW, drug cases, Private investigations, debt collection.

30 years’ experience. Mob 697 834 934 office 865 970 169 spancrimlaw@outlook.com (294976)

LOCKSMITHS ALARMS TORREVIEJA, Install & Repair all types of Alarms & CCTV. Call/Whatsapp 600 933 667 www.alarmastor revieja.com (294577)

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

MOTORING

PET CHARITY CARS WANTED Quality LHD & RHD Vehicles bought & sold.

All paperwork undertaken quickly & professionally. Immediate payment for all purchases. Mobile / WhatsApp +34 600 726 221 Office +34 965 687 976 www.fwreuro cars.com info@fwreurocars .com (294576)

FOR SALE WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market.

For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309.

(200726)

MUSIC TUITION If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161

INSURANCE

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

EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorse care.net www.easyhorsecare .net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)

27 January - 2 February 2022

PLUMBERS MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (287514)

POOL MAINTENANCE POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (286740)

SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting re-homing. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spama-safor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

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

WANTED

REMOVALS

EXPERIENCE the best with a 1hr unique massage with Veronica.

Shaving or permanent hair removal available. For appointments call 679 292 678 (293296) SPANISH lady - classic. Playa Flamenca, private house, 40 years, attractive. All erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie. From €40. Ana 657 603 495 (294477) TORREVIEJA CENTRE Girls big ass, tits & transvestite big cocks.

Credit cards accepted. 24hr appointments 691 128 099 (293695) ATTRACTIVE, Girlfriend, Escort, Professional Masseuse. Tel: 693 357 526 (293267)

GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, de-flead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709) P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com (95708)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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XXX MALE

XXX RELAXATION SPAS & JACUZZI

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

Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing.

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

SPANISH LESSONS LEARN SPANISH. Group lessons or one to one. Also available online. learnspanishi nenglish@gmail.com (294492)

MOTORING

XXX FEMALE SOPHIE naughty, slim, elegant, sexy French lady. 3 languages spoken. Visit all areas 693 357 526 (291686)

RELAXING MASSAGE FOR MEN - Mario qualified masseur in Alicante - Special Massage for Men - 7 days 10AM to 10PM - APPOINTMENTS visit: www.masajeyrelax.es/en or WHATSAPP 649 761 607 (294722)

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XXX VARIOUS Male/Female viagra, cialis, kamagra jelly, mixed trial packs available, all areas mail order.

604 385 476. viagra4you19@gmail.com KAMAGRA Gold 100mg plus Kamagra Jellies. Collection or Delivery. Roy – 602 579 481 (289485)

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27 January - 2 Febraury 2022

Price of used cars WITH the end of 2021 in Spain showing a marked in‐ crease in the prices of differ‐ ent supplies such as electric‐ ity and fossil fuels, obviously, vehicle prices were going to be affected

along the line as well.

Compared to 2020, newly manufactured vehicles, on average, have cost 3 per cent and 2.5 per cent more, in the case of passenger cars and motorcycles, respectively.

Prices in the second‐hand car market have also suffered an increase, but in a more exag‐ gerated manner, with sales prices, on average, increasing by 11.4 per cent.

In 2020, the average sale price of a second‐hand car was €15,631. In 2021, the price increased to €17,410, with the price gradually creeping up as the months went by, until ending Decem‐ ber 2021 at an average of €19,160.

Another source, the sec‐ ond‐hand vehicle association Ancove, showed the average price in December to be €11,912, which is 14.43 per cent higher than the same month of 2020. Cars more than eight years old had an average cost of €9,023, with these units being much more

affordable economically. The average age of the car fleet in Spain is apparently 13 years.

Sales of these vehicles, al‐ ways characterised by their low prices, and immediate availability, have been boost‐ ed by the microchip crisis which has resulted in a lack of stock of newly manufac‐ tured vehicles.

This has prompted drivers to look more closely at the used market, where there has reportedly been an in‐ crease of 6.5 per cent in searches in December last year. In the face of increased demand, this has inevitably pushed their value up in the market.

In total, a reported 2.14 million second‐hand cars were sold last year in Spain, which represents a growth of 8.56 per cent compared to 2020. In the month of De‐ cember 2021 alone, a total of 220,178 vehicles were trans‐ ferred, 23.7 per cent more than in the month of Novem‐ ber of the same year.

MOTORING

New low emission zones THROUGHOUT 2022, the Spanish government has made its intention very clear about reducing the impact of fossil fuel motor vehicles, and thereby, reducing pollution levels, both environmental and acoustic. Urban mobility and the organisation and reg‐ ulation of traffic in large cities will be a priority.

To contribute to the devel‐ opment of this objective, the DGT already released new vertical signage in the middle of last year. These are de‐ signed to aid with the reduc‐ tion of the most polluting traf‐ fic in the centres of Spain’s large cities.

It is a vertical sign which marks the perimeter of the Low Emissions Zones or ZBE (which are already used in Barcelona, for example).

In June 2021, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) published an instruction on Low Emission Zones, and oth‐ er regulations. This laid the foundations for the new rules, explaining how future access will work for vehicles in urban areas. According to the Cli‐

mate Change Law, starting next 2023, all towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants must set up a restricted traffic zone to reduce emissions, es‐ pecially in access roads to cen‐ tres. Thus, in these pollution‐ free perimeters, only vehicles bearing environmental labels from the DGT C, ECO, and 0 will be permitted to circulate.

The objective is that after the experiences in Madrid and Barcelona, drivers will know how to identify these

low‐emission areas more quickly and easily. In addition, the use of this new vertical sign helps to harmonise the regulations in all Spanish cities. These ZBE signs, in the words of the DGT, contribute both to the improvement of air quality, and the health of citizens, as well as to the miti‐ gation of climate change and noise pollution.

They also represent a stim‐ ulus for the energy efficiency of transport, promoting its fu‐ ture electrification.

MOTORING

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MENTION the Honda Civic and most people who know their cars will immediately start talking about the iconic Type R. For those who don’t know their Hondas, that’s the bonkers one with the mad spoiler on the back. There are a couple of other less bonkers versions, but also a very de‐ cent array of more workaday models that still offer great performance.

Most of the ‘standard’ range use a 1.0‐litre four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with ei‐ ther manual or CVT au‐ tomatic transmission.

My EX mid‐range Civic utilised the 1.0‐litre with CVT transmission.

With six trim levels, the top two use a 1.5‐litre turbocharged petrol unit, prices start from €27,072/£22,590 and there’s a decent level of standard equipment even on the lead‐in version. This in‐ cludes climate, auto lights and wipers, powered and heated door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise and Bluetooth.

Priced at €34,111/£28,465 my EX trim had heated front and rear seats, keyless entry

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack and start, adaptive damping, wireless charging, leather, auto dimming mirror, panoramic opening glass roof and LED headlights.

The Civic is a bit of a marmite

27 January - 2 February 2022

Honda Civic EX

a family car that’s a standout for all the right reasons car on the looks front with lots of angles and an overtly muscu‐ lar style. There’s plenty of space

The Civic handles extremely well.

Facts at a Glance Model: Honda Civic EX CVT Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol Gears: 7-Speed CVT automatic Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 11 seconds/Maximum Speed 199 kmh (124 mph) Economy: 6.6l/100km (42.2 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP) Emissions: 107 g/km (WLTP) Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

for both occupants plus their luggage and provides a very comfortable environment. Pre‐ vious Civics had a rather eccen‐ tric dash with two levels, things are more ordered now, and much better for it. It’s sensibly laid out without the rather mini‐ malist, a r ‐ guably bor‐ ing, look of some rivals.

The central touchscreen is a little on the small side but even so is clear and the instruments as a whole, and the driver in‐ strument cluster with a central digital speedometer is a lesson in clarity. Try and find the phone USB socket though and you’ll struggle, it’s too well hid‐ den behind the centre console and a bit too much of a faff to reach.

Predictably the Civic handles extremely well and the seven‐ speed CVT automatic transmis‐ sion is a smooth and quick shift‐ ing affair, one of the better

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CVTs. Road noise can be quite loud on rougher surfaces and if you push the Civic it has a suit‐ ably sporting engine note.

With striking looks, decent equipment and a good drive, not to mention my test car be‐ ing in a rather striking shade of blue, makes the Civic an ordi‐ nary family car that is different to the norm, a standout for all the right reasons.

SPORT

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27 January - 2 February 2022

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The Walking Football F1 vaccines mandatory League returns DESPITE there still being Covid restrictions in some areas, competitive walk‐ ing football returns with fixtures in the Costa Blan‐ ca Walking Football League.

On Friday January 28 Pinoso play Formentera in a League match.

Other clubs are resuming training sessions and friendlies and it is hoped things will be back to nor‐ mal in the not too distant future.

The Costa Blanca has seen a steady increase in the number of walking football teams over the past 12 months with new clubs emerging and clubs who had disbanded re‐ forming.

With this increase in clubs it can only benefit the sport on the Costa Blanca and the WFAI.

FORMULA ONE: There will be no exceptions.

CBWFL: The invitational cup is to be assessed.

While not quite the Cos‐ ta Blanca, WFAI are pleased to welcome their first clubs from the Murcia Region.

San Pedro Amigos from Mazarron and Camposol further inland have be‐ come the latest clubs to join the association. Within one hour travelling dis‐ tance from the Costa Blan‐ ca League clubs and Alme‐

ria’s three clubs, there is potential to form new leagues or extend the exist‐ ing league.

For more news of the growth of walking football in Spain, the CBWFL EGM where an assessment on the invitational cup will be made due to Covid, make sure you get YOUR copy of the Euro Weekly News.

F O R M U L A O N E drivers have been told there will be no vaccine exemp‐ tions for anyone at the Australian Grand Prix as organisers try to avoid a repeat of the Novak Djokovic saga from earlier this month.

The race is usually the season opener, but will be third on the cal‐ endar this year because of Covid planning restrictions. The Australian Grand Prix authorities have already told F1 drivers that they will not be allowed to compete if they are not jabbed.

Race chief executive Andrew West‐

acott insisted that rules are clear and all racers and staff must be fully in‐ oculated to attend. “The rules are simple to get into the country and the rules are simple to operate in Formula One,” Westacott said.

“To come into the event you’ll be 100 per cent vaccinated and there won’t be an exemption sought for anyone from anyone. Our arrange‐ ments have been in place well before the recent goings‐on at the Aus‐ tralian Open. These rules are under‐ stood by Formula One, they’re un‐ derstood by the FIA.”