Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 24 - 30 March 2022 Issue 1916

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 28 - 31 24 - 30 March 2022

DON’T FORGET to go forward one hour at 2am on Sunday

New sports installation TORREVIEJA Town Hall has approved a new sports area in Plaza de Oriente, popularly known as La Ermita.

“This installation will provide a safe area for play and sport in general in a public space much‐ used by young people,” Urban Services council‐ lor Sandra Sanchez said.

The sports track, which has a €8,591 bud‐ get, will also enable the town hall to make better use of the plaza, while encouraging the local population and visitors to enjoy its facilities, she added.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

PAELLAS FOR PEACE Photo credit: Paellas Por la Paz

Issue No. 1916

Turn to page 2 » ALICANTE MISSION: Cooking paella for refugees and bringing five to safety.

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24 - 30 March 2022

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Cooking from 10am until 10pm DAVID and Xavi Juan Diaz, Andres Sanchez, Eduardo Cisneros and David Carretero left Alicante on Friday March 11, bound for Prze‐ mysl (Poland) near the Ukraine border.

They were weighed down with enough rice, meat, olive oil, peppers, tomatoes, chickpeas and garlic to make a daily 1,500 portions of paella for Ukrainians fleeing their invaded country.

The five friends had also made up their minds to bring back refugees on the return journey to Spain, Eduardo Cisneros told the Spanish media.

“We decided to go early in March, outraged by the war and what was happening,” he said, explaining the origins of their Paellas Por la Paz initiative.

Thanks to collaboration from friends and local companies they had three tons of food with them when they arrived after 40 hours’ driving in Przemysl, 20 minutes from Medyka.

The five friends ‐ one of whom owns a restaurant ‐ set up their stall in the open air outside a humanitarian aid centre which also provides hot food for the refugees. For the next five days they produced paella from 10am until 10pm.

“They ate rice all day!” Eduardo said. “They loved our fuet dried sausage, ham, and cured tuna, too.”

The five friends left on March 19 and, as they had hoped, they were able to bring back five people with them, after completing the stringent vetting introduced to prevent people trafficking.

“We were up very early to go to the railway station to collect a grandmother, her daughter and two granddaughters as well as another girl who arrived in a state of shock after her house was bombed,” Eduardo said. “All they have is what they stand up in, and little more.”

NEWS

New role for old buildings ALICANTE City Hall hopes eventually to take over the old train sheds at the La Marina station.

Last January the Urban Development department informed the regional gov‐ ernment of its plans to use the build‐ ings for performing arts events and re‐ hearsals, exhibitions and other cultural activities.

Owing to the complex’s closeness to the sea, a sailing school was another option.

The Generalitat has shown willing‐ ness to cede buildings for the suggest‐ ed uses, but has made it clear that the

Photo credit: Juan Santos Calderon

TRAIN SHEDS: Future use as offices and cultural centre.

train sheds ‐ fine examples of early 20th century railway architecture ‐ would re‐ main the regional government’s prop‐ erty.

Officials explained that the region’s

rail operator FGV intended to occupy part of the complex as administrative offices and for running the Tram net‐ work.

Once these needs were covered, the remaining installation could be convert‐ ed for leisure or cultural activities, the Generalitat said.

If Alicante City Hall is allowed to go ahead with its plans, one of the build‐ ings, which is of no architectural value, will be demolished as it occupies land ceded by the port which must be re‐ turned in its original state, city hall sources said.

Another Cala Mosca angle THE CLARO party’s Bob Houliston described as “prepos‐ terous” claims that building 2,200 new homes on Orihuela Costa would be environmentally‐friendly.

“It would constitute the loss of the last green area on 16 kilometres of Orihuela coast, endangering a rare flower and snail protected by European Union directives,” Houliston said.

The CLARO president dismissed the promise of an ex‐ tensive micro‐reserve offering the two species “unparal‐ leled protection” as unbelievable: “It flies in the face of the neglect shown to their protection before any building has even taken place.”

Houliston explained that CLARO presented the original

petition with over 7,000 signatures to the European Par‐ liament in 2010 and succeeded in halting the develop‐ ment.

The party recently submitted a complaint to SEPRONA, the Guardia Civil’s environmental unit, denouncing the neglect of the two species. “They were originally protect‐ ed by mesh fencing which has been allowed to collapse over the years and no longer prevents walkers, cyclists and dogs from destroying their habitat,” Houliston said.

Seprona has now passed on CLARO’s complaint to the Public Prosecution department as well an Orihuela court in order to establish whether an offence has been com‐ mitted.

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NIBS EXTRA Work practice ORIHUELA City Sall will pro‐ vide work practice for Voca‐ tional Studies pupils at the San Jose Obrero school. This will give them some idea of the kind of work they would like to do in the future and help them access the em‐ ployment market, Human Resources councillor Luisa Bone said.

Safer Pilar PILAR DE LA HORADADA’S two new roundabouts that give access to the town cen‐ tre from the CN‐332 are now open. Infrastructures coun‐ cillor Rufino Lancharro said that together with the re‐ cently‐inaugurated round‐ about near Playa de las Higuericas, they would im‐ prove road safety and re‐ duce speed limits in each area.

Good payers TAX authority Hacienda’s latest statistics revealed that Callosa Town Hall settled its bills within an average 3.8 days during 2021’s last quar‐ ter. This was a vast improve‐ ment, Finance councillor Tri‐ no Grau said, compared with last year’s third quarter when the town hall took 7.43 days to pay suppliers.

Digital nomads HOUSE prices in Alicante Province have risen and are the highest since the proper‐ ty crisis of 2008, with a 100‐ square metre property now costing an average €171,300.

Real estate company Inver‐ sia attributed this in part to the rise in digital nomads of all nationalities relocating to the province.

Growth spurt AS Holy Week processions return after the pandemic’s two‐year interval, specialists who make the penitents’ robes and hoods are over‐ whelmed with work. Ori‐ huela tailor Jose Francisco Saez said this was especially noticeable in adolescent brotherhood members who had grown out of their robes over the last two years.

24 - 30 March 2022

Early detection is a lifesaver MARIA WILSON and her Pink Ladies recently met Helen Marshall in Entrenaranjos (Orihuela).

They were there to collect a significant amount of money that Helen Marshall had raised for the fight against cancer.

Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer following an Imed appointment arranged via the Pink Ladies’ Early Detection programme.

Earlier, Helen had contacted Joyce Da Silva, the Pink Ladies’ volunteer secretary, after discovering a lump in her breast and Joyce fortunately arranged an emergency appointment for the same day.

Within 48 hours Helen’s

Photo credit: Maria Wilson

AMAZING DONATION: Grateful Helen Marshall presents Maria and her Pink Ladies with €5,398.

own GP arranged a biopsy at Torrevieja hospital which confirmed that she had cancer and she immediately underwent a very aggressive form of chemotherapy.

Helen feels that her visit to the Pink Ladies’ AACC office

Age Concern Costa Calida newsletter THE grand total for Age Concern Costa Calida’s New Year’s Day swim is finally in, raising €3,200 despite Covid‐19 and jellyfish.

The popular €1 sales at the Vintage Store and Mar‐ ketplace have raised €600 this year while the monthly Menu del Dia event raised more than €100.

• April 5: Spring Fayre, entrance €1, in the Social Centre garden between 10am and 2pm with goods from local artisans and craftspeople, plus a cake stall and tombola.

Stalls are available at €10 for local craftspeople who are asked to bring their own tables. Book with a call, text or WhatsApp to +44 7869 914057 or via Messenger on the Age Con‐ cern Costa Calida Facebook page.

• April 12: The monthly quiz night is back at the Blackbull at 6pm with an in‐ formal quiz, delicious food, lots of laughs and prizes at just €8.

• April 20: Age Concern’s

revised Christmas Party at Trevi Bar on Camposol B Commercial Centre from 1pm.

• April 26: Afternoon tea with home‐made bakes from 2 to 4pm in the Social Centre garden, weather permitting. A budget after‐ noon out at €3 including bingo card.

Age Concern Social Cen‐ tre, Avenida de los Cova‐ chos, 2B Camposol Sector C, Mazarron . Enquiries, ring 634 312 516.

Email: ageconcerncosta calida@gmail.com Face‐ book: Age Concern Costa Calida

in Playa Flamenca saved her life and set about raising as much money as she could to help the fight against cancer.

With support from the Entrenaranjos and Laguna Green communities, Helen and her own circle of friends

have raised €5,398 and are still counting. The total amount will be donated to the AACC to help the fight against cancer.

“It’s absolutely amazing this very brave lady has raised so much money in these difficult times, especially as she is still undergoing chemotherapy,” said Maria, AACC Orihuela Costa’s president. “Helen’s case highlights that early detection saves lives.”

For an early detection screening, ring the Pink Ladies (865 942 795), email info@pinkladies.es or visit www.pinkladies.es.

“Or just call into the Playa Flamenco office Monday to Friday between 10am and 1pm,” Maria said.

Councillor attends protests ORIHUELA’S Agriculture coun‐ cillor Victor Valverde joined the Madrid protests in de‐ fence of agriculture and the countryside on March 20.

According to official esti‐ mates, approximately 100,000 demonstrators from every Spanish region marched from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Environ‐ ment Ministry, although the organisers placed this at 400,000.

All were calling for a better future for rural communities and the activities that support them.

“Both Orihuela’s mayor Emilio Bascuñana and I have always been on the side of the growers and those who need irrigation water, sup‐

River Seco spruced up PILAR DE LA HORADADA’S Youth department recently organised a clean‐up operation for the River Seco in Pinar de Campoverde.

Volunteers, who included Pilar’s mayor Jose Maria Perez, Envi‐ ronment councillor Pedro Moya and Equality councillor Susi Sanchez collected 598 kilos of rubbish between them.

The area they cleared was the little‐visited River Seco tributary, Maja de las Vacas, which fly‐tippers have used for years as a dumping ground. “Now that the area has been cleared, there is less likelihood of rubbish and litter being swept down the Rio Seco walking route during heavy rain,” Pedro Moya said.

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porting them when they need to demand their rights from the administrations,” Valverde said.

“Agriculture is one of the principal driving forces of our economy and we cannot al‐ low it to be neglected.”

The agricultural sector’s fu‐ ture was at stake, the council‐ lor continued, and city hall would continue to ask for ur‐ gent measures to alleviate the damage caused by years of drought.

“All the administrations should be helping farmers and growers but instead we have to come out in their de‐ fence to counteract rising prices, the Tajo water plan, the cost of desalinated water and unfair competition amongst other problems,” Valverde said.

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Important dates TORREVIEJA is preparing to remember and cele‐ brate the Queen’s Jubilee and the Falklands Re‐ membrance in a grand way. There will be pomp and ceremony as well as fun and excitement, promised Tony Jenkins, chairman of the Royal Naval Association (RNA) in Torrevieja.

The local branches of the RNA, Royal Marines and the Royal British Le‐ gion have formed a joint collective under the ban‐ ner of the Torrevieja Com‐ bined Services Group to resource, promote and or‐ ganise spectacular events for civilians and services persons alike.

“So clear some space in your calendar for the Plat‐ inum Jubilee celebrations on June 3 and 4,” Tony said. Events will include ‐ but are not limited to ‐ a bazaar, fashion show, for‐ mal dinner and a Corona‐ tion‐style street party with music from that era.

June 14 sees the Falk‐ lands Remembrance, honouring all those who served and perished in this conflict.

Parading of Standards, a Requiem church service and laying of wreaths take place in the morning, with a ticket‐only three‐course dinner, pictorial eulogy and musical rendition for a limited number in the evening. More details of both events and contact details will be published in early April, but as both cel‐ ebrations are open to the general public, tickets should be booked early.

and finally...

THE traditional Easter camp‐out will again be al‐ lowed in Torrevieja’s Eduardo Gil Rebollo recreation area between April 14 and 25.

Requests should be made to the town hall’s torre‐ vieja.sedelectronica.es website before April 8, Torre‐ vieja mayor Eduardo Dolon announced.

Applicants should also complete the Responsibility Statement, accepting liability for any damage they might cause, while undertaking not to hookup to streetlighting, light fires or throw away rubbish while respecting by‐laws protecting the environment, plants and trees.

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U-turn on electricity A PROPOSAL to cap the cost of electricity has been scrapped by the Spanish and Portuguese Ministers of the Envi‐ ronment.

On Friday March 18, Teresa Ribera, the Min‐ ister of the Environ‐ ment, along with her Portuguese counterpart, Joao Matos Fernandes, announced a joint pro‐ posal aimed at capping electricity prices. Their plan was to set a limit of €180/MWh, which was to be presented to the European Commission.

The idea has now been abandoned due to a lack of support from other EU member

states. It is unclear what new measures, if any, can be proposed to the EU. Aelec, the employers’ association of the large electric utilities, has de‐ manded government in‐

tervention. “Use Euro‐ pean funds, and avoid measures that may af‐ fect the energy that has already been purchased by consumers,” the as‐ sociation said on March 18.

Road to rail A NEW €120 million scheme to encourage freight traffic in Spain to shift from road to sustainable rail transport has been ap‐ proved.

The scheme, which will run until June 2026, aims to promote rail as a more envi‐ ronmentally friendly means of transporta‐ tion, as well as contributing to the greening of rail transport.

The support will take the form of direct grants to compensate freight companies for the cost difference between road and rail transport based on the actual volumes of freight shifted from road to rail transport The EU’s Margrethe Vestager said on Mon‐ day March 21: “The €120 million scheme ap‐ proved today will contribute to improving the competitiveness and greening of rail freight transport in Spain. It will also sup‐ port the shift from road to rail, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, while limiting possible distortions of compe‐ tition.”

and finally...

HORRIFIED by the images emerging from Ukraine, profession‐ al tennis player and philanthropist Roger Federer said on Fri‐ day March 18 that he was donating $500,000 (€451,000) for Ukrainian children harmed by the war. He said having children makes you even more aware of how terrible the situation in Ukraine is.

NEWS

Living in Spain made easier A WEEK‐long campaign aimed at English‐speak‐ ers in Spain was launched on March 21.

The campaign sign‐ posts new sources of in‐ formation and up‐to‐ date guidance to help people settle comfort‐ ably and get the most out of living here.

“Age in Spain has been advising and guid‐ ing English‐speaking res‐ idents and newcomers for 30 years,” said Age in Spain’s chief executive, Helen Weir.

With a volunteer management board and a small core staff, it has a country‐wide network of volunteers delivering information and addi‐ tional support via its In‐ foline.

“We’re also inviting people to visit our www.ageinspain.org/liv inginspain website and Facebook page, or call our 932 209 741 infor‐ mation line,” she added.

Speaking ahead of the campaign launch, the British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, said: “I welcome the launch of this campaign which is designed to help those who already live in Spain, as well as those considering moving here.

“Spain is a wonderful, welcoming country to make your home but it is vitally important that people understand what they need to do to live here, recognising that some things may be quite different from their home country.

“Do take the time to look through these re‐ sources, as well as con‐ sulting our own Living in Spain guide on the www.gov.uk website,” he added.

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Heathrow chaos FURIOUS Heathrow pas‐ sengers have slammed the “worst‐ever” pass‐ port control queues with claims they faced a “mile‐long” line on Tues‐ day March 22.

Passengers took to so‐ cial media to share pho‐ tos of hundreds of peo‐ ple waiting at Terminal 5.

Conservative Lord and Defra minister Richard Benyon tweeted: “In a queue about a quarter of a mile long at Heathrow.

No one telling us about what the problem is. No staff on hand at all. I am embarrassed that for so many this is the first ex‐ perience of the UK.” One traveller com‐ mented: “What’s with passport control at T5 this morning? Ridiculous.

At least one hour wait.”

Another frustrated passenger said: “Arrival lines at Heathrow at least a mile long.”

24 - 30 March 2022

Plane crash in China A BOEING 737 nosedived into the ground on Monday March 21 killing all 132 people on board and, according to flight data, was travelling at 560kph when it hit the ground.

The accident, which crashed into a moun‐ tainous area in southern China, looks set to be the country’s most deadly plane crash for decades.

The plane of route from the city of Kun‐ ming to Guangzhou plunged into a thick for‐ est of bamboo on a hillside in Guanxi province.

Flight MU5735 left the south‐western city of Kunming at 1.11pm and had been due to land at Guanzhou at 3.05pm. According to

GIBRALTAR authorities de‐ tained a luxury yacht on onday March 21 as it docked in the British Overseas Territory. The 72‐metre Axioma is believed to be owned by Russian billion‐ aire businessman Dmitrievich Pumpyansky.

Pumpyansky owns TMK, the largest steel pipe manu‐ facturing company in Russia, and is currently on a list of people sanctioned by the Eu‐ ropean Union and Great Britain.

A statement from a Gibral‐

BOEING 737: Plunged to the ground.

data from FlightRadar24, the six‐year‐old Boeing 737‐800 was last tracked at 2.22pm.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the aircraft, with 123 passengers and nine crew aboard, had lost contact over the city of Wuzhou.

Yacht detained tar Government spokesperson said the Axioma had asked permission to dock in the port, and on its arrival it “was con‐ firmed to be the subject of an arrest action by a leading inter‐ national bank in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar.”

Without specifying any legal claims from creditors against the boat’s owner, or the vessel itself, the statement on March 21 added: “The vessel is now

subject to arrest by the Admi‐ ralty Marshal until further or‐ der.”

The yacht was flying a Mal‐ tese flag. A British Virgin Is‐ lands holding company called Pyrene Investments is named as the owner.

Hundreds of Russian oli‐ garchs and government offi‐ cials have faced sanctions since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24.

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Solely on Boris’s orders A SENIOR official at the Foreign, Common‐ wealth and Develop‐ ment Office (FCDO) has become the second whistleblower to come forward over the Afghanistan evacua‐ tions. According to Josie Stewart, it was “widespread knowl‐ edge” that the decision to evacuate Pen Far‐ thing’s animals “came from the prime minis‐ ter.”

Raphael Marshall pre‐ viously blew the whistle on the issue and said that it was the PM who made the decision on Nowzad. Stewart now claims that the foreign affairs select committee has been lied to by civil servants.

Stewart said on March 21: “I have tried

to imagine but cannot conceive of any way this could have been an honest mistake. I feel a strong sense of moral injury for having been part of something so badly managed and so focused on managing reputational risk and political fallout rather than the actual crisis and associated human tragedy.

“From what I heard and saw, Nowzad staff were included as a late addition only in re‐ sponse to this ‘PM deci‐ sion’. This occurred against the previous judgement of officials. I do not find it credible that Philip Barton, or those who drafted his letter dated January 17, 2022, would not have been aware of this.”

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NEWS

Platinum pub hours Hero dog at work

TO celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, pubs will be allowed to stay open an extra two hours.

The government has con‐ firmed that pubs in England and Wales will be given a two‐ hour licensing extension and

boozers will be able to serve drinks until 1am during the Ju‐ bilee weekend.

The Platinum Jubilee cele‐ brations will mark 70 years on the throne for Queen Eliza‐ beth. The extension will apply on June 2, 3 and 4.

Terror threat lowered THE Northern Ireland‐related terrorism threat level has been lowered from severe to substantial. It is the first time the threat level has changed in 12 years.

Substantial means that a terrorist attack is likely and might well occur without further warning. The decision to change the threat level has been taken by MI5, indepen‐ dently of government ministers.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said: “This is the first time the threat level in Northern Ire‐ land has changed since 2010 and shows the significant progress that Northern Ireland has made, and continues to make, towards a more peaceful, more prosperous and safer society.

“It is a testament to the ongoing commitment to protect‐ ing the peace process and tackling Northern Ireland‐related terrorism, and the tremendous efforts of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and MI5 for their hard‐won gains over the past decade.

“However, it is not a time for complacency. There is still a minority who wish to cause harm in Northern Ireland. As ev‐ er, the public should remain vigilant and report any concerns they may have to the police,” he added on March 22.

The opening hours have been extended to allow peo‐ ple to “celebrate the longest‐ reigning monarch in the Unit‐ ed Kingdom,” Home Office minister Kit Malthouse said on Monday March 21.

An impact assessment is being put together to go along with the extension or‐ der.

To mark the occasion, Lon‐ don will host a Platinum Ju‐ bilee Pageant. The event will feature acts from across the UK and the Commonwealth.

It is expected that more than 5,000 people will be involved in the pageant’s perfor‐ mances which will feature music, circus acts, theatre shows and street arts.

Pubs will serve for longer.

A JACK RUSSELL terrier has become a hero in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. His name is Patron and he is in charge of sniffing out and detecting mines and explosives laid by Rus‐ sian troops.

Dressed in a tiny mili‐ tary vest, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service (DSNS) have hailed him as a vital member of their team.

Patron has already helped deactivate more than 90 explosive de‐ vices, the DSNS said on Saturday March 19.

“By the way, he likes cheese a lot, so our boys are taking advantage of the occasion and are p a m p e r i n g h i m , t o l o‐ cate the mines and ex‐ plosives,” they added.

There are believed to be more than 750 dogs working in mine detec‐ tion programmes in some 23 countries.

PATRON: Has helped deactivate more than 90 explosives.

Hipra vaccine HIPRA laboratories are hoping to put the first Spanish Covid‐19 vaccine on the market in June.

Carles Fabrega, director of the company’s Human Health divi‐ sion said they hope to get the green light from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in May or early June.

Hipra would then enter the industrial manufacturing phase which, after months of preparing the antigen, would last just over two weeks.

According to Fabrega, researchers are currently evaluating the vaccine’s ‘safety and tolerability’ before presenting the final doc‐ umentation to EMA. Some 3,000 volunteers have worked in the Hipra laboratories in Girona and research carried out in different hospitals in Spain with some 2,500 people has already been completed.

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Madeleine investigation THE 11‐year investigation

by Scotland Yard into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann may come to an end this year.

In May 2011, four years after she vanished, the Operation Grange inquiry was launched. Its funding is set to run out on March 31 but the file could be re‐ opened if significant new evidence comes to light.

A request has been sub‐ mitted to the Home Of‐ fice by the Metropolitan Police asking for a final grant. If approved, that would carry the inquiry on to the end of Septem‐ ber and bring the total ex‐ penditure on the investi‐ gation to approximately £13 million.

May 3 will be the 15th anniversary of Madeleine vanishing in 2007 from a holiday apartment in Pra‐ ia da Luz on Portugal’s Al‐ garve. She was just three years old at the time.

24 - 30 March 2022

Becker in court TENNIS legend Boris Becker is on trial in London over charges relat‐ ing to his bankruptcy. He is accused of concealing his Wimbledon and Australian Open trophies, several properties and around £1.8 million.

The court case, which opened on March 21, is the latest twist in the former Wimbledon champion’s trou‐ bled post‐playing career that ended in bankruptcy in 2017. At the time his debts were estimated to be in the region of £50 million.

The 54‐year‐old, a six‐time Grand Slam singles champion, faces a max‐ imum of seven years in prison if found guilty.

The court was told in preliminary hearings that Becker owned a flat in Chelsea, London, as well as two properties in Germany, which were undeclared between June and Octo‐ ber 2017.

Becker is also accused of removing hundreds of thousands of pounds by transferring it to other accounts, in‐ cluding to former wife Barbara Becker and estranged wife Sharlely Becker.

The court also heard that he hid 75,000 shares in Breaking Data Corp, an artificial intelligence firm.

BECKER: Faces prison if found guilty.

Becker denies nine counts of fail‐ ing to disclose his assets, seven charges of concealing property, two counts of removing property re‐ quired by the receiver, five counts of failing to disclose details of his estate and one count of concealing debt.

Resident in London and fluent in English, Becker apparently will use an interpreter when giving evidence in a trial expected to last three weeks.

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Professional diesel bonus IN an attempt to bring to an end Spain’s lorry driver strike, the government has approved a €500 million package to sub‐ sidise diesel for ‘professional use’.

Following a meeting with the National Committee for Road Transport (CNTC), which does not represent striking lorry

drivers, on March 18, Minister of Transport, Raquel Sanchez, said: “We have focused on ef‐ fective and efficient measures.

That they follow the structure of what has been adopted in other countries. A bonus in the price of professional diesel, so that it has a real and effective impact on carriers.”

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NEWS

NASA debut NASA has debuted its new Space Launch System with the giant rocket taken down to the pad at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to conduct a dummy count‐ down.

NASA has plans to send a test rocket around the moon later this year ahead of plans to send a manned mission within the next five to seven years.

The enormous rocket, al‐ most 100 metres tall, is de‐ signed to be much more powerful than the Apollo ve‐ hicles of the late 1960s and 1970s with the ability to travel beyond the moon as well as to carry significantly more equipment.

ROCKET: Was moved on a massive mobile launcher.

The rollout on Friday March 18 gave NASA the first oppor‐ tunity to see the rocket and all its different elements fully stacked together.

The rocket was moved on a massive mobile launcher that is over 120 metres high and weighs more than 5,000 tons.

Hocus pocus A 71-YEAR-OLD who became the UK’s first official witch af‐ ter being given permission by Inland Revenue to use the term on her tax return, has filed her first return including income and expenses for po‐ tions and spells.

Cassandra Latham‐Jones was given what is believed to be unique approval to register as a self‐employed ‘village witch’. That registration al‐ lows her as a self‐employed ‘witch’ to write off certain tax‐ deductible expenses including ingredients for potions.

Latham‐Jones has been a witch and official wise‐wom‐ an for the village of St Buryan in Cornwall for more than 30 years. The trained nurse and

qualified counsellor offers ser‐ vices including tarot card reading, rituals, sea magic, dark arts, spells and wart charming. In addition, she car‐ ries out other duties such as counselling and community services.

She says she became a witch after meeting fellow witches and maintains she is “no different from anyone else in the service industry” but with “slightly unusual ex‐ penses.”

“They told me I needed to register with the Inland Rev‐ enue, so that’s what I did. It turns out I was a bit of a pio‐ neer because no one has done it before,” she said on Sunday March 20.

Lego Zelensky AN American company, Citizen Brick, has pro‐ duced a Volodymyr Ze‐ lensky Lego figurine that has so far raised more than €130,000 for vic‐ tims of the war in Ukraine.

The company, which overprints Lego and oth‐ er figurines, sold the miniature Zelenskys for €90 each along with Molotov cocktails in the Ukrainian colours for €9.

Funds raised were do‐ nated to Direct Relief and other charities and the toys are now sold out.

Lego, whose figurines were used and who wishes to remain apoliti‐ cal, said on Thursday March 17: “This initiative has absolutely nothing to do with the Lego Group.

It’s the work of an inde‐ pendent retailer which has no connection to the company.”

Priests and nuns THE number of Catholic priests and nuns in Spain is in steady decline, accord‐ ing to the Spanish Episco‐ pal Conference (CEE).

Members of the priest‐ hood fell by 12.3 per cent and the number of nuns has decreased by 19.8 per cent since 2015.

During the same period the number of working monasteries fell by 109.

The issue for the church is twofold. The number of priests and nuns retiring or

dying is increasing while the number of people joining seminaries is falling. In 2019, there were 1,203

seminary students but only 1,028 signed up for the cur‐ rent academic year, the CEE said on Sunday March 20.

and finally...

WHEN most of us are getting shorter, one old lady has bucked the trend as the Eiffel Tower grows by six metres. On Tuesday March 15 a new digital radio antenna was attached to the top of the Paris monument, raising the height of the steel structure to 330 metres. The new antenna, a DAB+ (digital audio) was air‐ lifted onto its peak by helicopter, in a delicate operation.

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NEWS

Queen’s Guard faces jail Shane Warne funeral A 19-Y EA R-O L D mem‐ ber of the Queen’s Guard faces prison after g o i n g AW O L t o j o i n Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Military police arrest‐ ed the young man after he returned to the UK. The Queen’s Guard had protected the Queen at Windsor Castle before he went AWOL. According to one pub‐

Guard went AWOL.

Sea quake RESIDENTS of Aberdeen in Scotland and Shetland were left in shock on Monday March 21 after a sea quake was felt 311 miles away from its epicentre in Norway.

The British Geological Survey revealed that the quake had registered in with a magnitude of 4.9 in the early morning shortly after 5.30am.

One Aberdeen resident said that they felt “three waves of vibration in around three seconds,” accord‐ ing to the British Geological Survey.

The Norwegian Sea quake’s epicentre was 112 miles away from Shetland and 86 miles from Nor‐ way.

lication, the Ministry of Defence is “hugely re‐ lieved” the soldier has come to his senses and returned to the UK. A military source said that the soldier had seen “the error of his ways.” The source added: “He was in touch with his chain of command, who told h i m t h a t h e h a d t o r e‐ turn.

“He knew he would be in trouble but was also told in no uncer‐ tain terms that it would be worse the longer he stayed out there.”

A British ex‐service‐ man who had spent time with the teenager said he had just wanted to use his training. The ex‐serviceman com‐ mented: “He said he h a d b e e n t o t h e Fa l k ‐ lands for six months, but was bored in the UK and wanted to see some action and use his training.”

FAMILY and friends said goodbye to cricketing legend Shane Warne on Sunday, March 20 at the St Kilda Foot‐ ball Club in Melbourne, Aus‐ tralia.

Warne’s son Jackson kissed the coffin, which was covered with a St Kilda Saints scarf, as he said goodbye to his father.

Only around 80 people at‐ tended the private funeral. TV

host Eddie McGuire was MC for the service. In a tribute to Warne, he said: “The reason why he was so loved is be‐ cause he was fallible, he was Superman. He did the things you dreamt of doing as a kid.

“The magic part about Shane Warne was that he sprinkled his gold dust every‐ where he went.”

McGuire reminisced and

revealed: “He didn’t become a hermit, he brought his friends into everything in life.

He would go to Michelin star restaurants and order pizza in.

“He could walk with kings but never forgot those who walked around the streets of Melbourne.”

Warne died following a heart attack in Thailand on Friday, March 4.

Amazon purchase of MGM AMAZON continues to build its invest‐ ment in the film and movie industry as the EU competition regulator has ap‐ proved its purchase of MGM Holly‐ wood.

The regulator said that the deal pre‐ sented no competition concerns.

Amazon announced in 2021 that it wanted to expand its video streaming service and that to do so it would be buying MGM for $8.45 billion (€7.65 bil‐ lion).

The deal, which many expected would run into problems with EU regulators, was given the go‐ahead with the Euro‐ pean Commission saying that the sale

“would not significantly reduce compe‐ tition” in European markets, including for movie and TV production.

The commission added that despite holding the rights to successful franchis‐ es, including James Bond, MGM cannot be considered “must‐have” and is “not among the top production studios.”

One of the oldest studios in Holly‐ wood, MGM has faded in stature over the years falling down to ninth in the ranking of top Hollywood film studios.

The company does however still have a vast catalogue that includes many fa‐ mous characters such as Rocky and RoboCop.

Royal tour ROYALS William and Kate have launched a Caribbean charm offen‐ sive on a tour to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed in Belize on Saturday, March 19, but the start of the trip was disrupted by a small group of protesters.

Around 20 people at‐ tended a protest at a ca‐ cao farm. Prince William is the Patron of the Flora and Fauna International charity which owns the farm’s land.

The protesters said the land is ancestral so belongs to the public and is not “Crown land”.

The couple’s itinerary was changed as a result.

However, the rest of the tour proceeded as planned with a radiant Kate being dubbed “the belle of Belize.”

ROYALS: On a tour to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Red Nose Day DESPITE rising living costs and the after effects of the pandemic, the British have once again opened their wallets and purses as Red Nose Day raised £42 million (€51 million) for charity. By contrast £55 mil‐ lion (€65 million) was raised in 2021.

Some of the funds raised will benefit organisations providing aid to those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Broadcast from the BBC studios in Salford for the first time, the show included a star studded line‐up with comedy sketches by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

A number of stars had to pull out of the show due to Covid‐19 including host Zoe Ball, Kylie Minogue and Joel Dommett. Other famous faces joining the fundraising event included Tom Holland, Courteney Cox, Lulu, Paul Rudd, Chris Kamara, Vic Reeves, Jeff Goldblum, Clive Myrie, Jamie Dornan and Gordon Ramsay.

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Leona Lewis pregnant Arnie calls SINGER Leona Lewis is ex‐ pecting her first child with her husband Dennis Jauch and the couple is said to be “over the moon.”

Leona came to fame in 2006 when she won X Fac‐ tor. Speaking before the couple wed Lewis re‐ vealed: “We’re so ready to do this. Dennis is the most kind, considerate person I’ve ever met. He’s been my rock through my crazy ups and downs and every‐ thing I’ve gone through in my life.”

She later described the pair’s Buddhist wedding ceremony as “just the most beautiful day, full of

for peace

SINGER: Expecting her first child.

love.”

“It was so special to be able to bring together ev‐ eryone we love. There were a lot of tears. The

room already had so much good energy and having all the love in there was really powerful,” she added.

FILM star and ex‐Califor‐ nia Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has taken to social media to make an impassioned plea to Russian troops in Ukraine warning them to not be like his father.

Schwarzenegger’s fa‐ ther fought for the Nazis in the Second World War leaving him broken physically and mentally, according to the Austrian‐born actor.

In a video message

posted on Thursday March 17, the 74‐year‐ old spoke of his “affec‐ tion and respect” for the Russian people ever since meeting his hero bodybuilder Yuri Petro‐ vich Vlasov at the young age of 14.

Urging them to learn from the plight of his Austrian father, he said there are “moments like this that are so wrong and then we have to speak up.”

In a direct mes‐ sage to Russian troops in Ukraine, he warned: “Every bullet you shoot, you shoot a brother or sister.”

NEWS

Ghastly Madeley GMB fans want ‘ghastly’ presenter Richard Madeley ‘permanently’ re‐ placed and instead want Martin Lewis to take over the role. Madeley was absent on Monday March 21 and Lewis filled in for him, to the delight of many viewers.

One viewer wrote on social media: “I can’t watch Mon‐Wed when ghast‐ ly, tactless, Toryboy Richard Madeley is on. He’s got no depth of knowledge and is unwatchable. The other two have empathy and interesting back‐ grounds.” Madeley has admitted to alienating fans before: “I remember once, on a perfect summer’s morning I was walking along the cliff near our house in Cornwall and as I came round a bend in the path, I saw this large man coming towards me.

He said, ‘I just want you to know that everything you’ve ever done, ev‐ erything you’ve ever said, everything you ever will say or do, I loathe and despise.”

Finnish bliss THE annual World’s Happi‐ est Countries survey has ranked Finland as the world’s happiest country for the fifth year in a row Its neighbours Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Ice‐ land also score well on healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support in times of trouble, low corrup‐ tion and high social trust, generosity in a community where people look after

each other and freedom to make key life decisions.

Spain ranks 29th and the UK ranks 17th.

Both Ukraine and Russia are in the bottom half of the table and Afghanistan takes bottom place.

Jan‐Emmanuel De Neve, the report’s editor, said: “The rankings are a stark re‐ minder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims.”

NEWS

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The Queen is hiring THE Queen is hiring for a Buckingham Palace makeover and for the right applicant £30,000 could be on offer.

Her Majesty is looking

for a painter and decora‐ tor to help complete a makeover at her iconic London address.

The Palace has more than 700 rooms and the

Transatlantic dialogues ON ARRIVAL: Refugees will undergo simple tests.

UKRAINIAN refugees en‐ tering Spain will not have to fill out the Spain Travel Health security document to prove that they have been vaccinated against Covid‐19, the Ministry of Health announced on Fri‐ day, March 18.

They will however have to undergo a symptom check on arrival by sea or air, and those not already jabbed will be adminis‐ tered the vaccine.

The measures were giv‐ en the green light by the Public Health Commission ‘given the exceptional situ‐

ation that Ukraine is expe‐ riencing’.

Each refugee “will be of‐ fered vaccines according to age and risk condition, and in the case of children and adolescents, vaccina‐ tion against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough, and Haemophilus influenza B,” the Ministry added. Special attention will be paid to pregnant women, or people in a sit‐ uation of vulnerability.

Across Spain, 5,500 hospi‐ tal beds have been made available for refugees, of which 1,184 are paediatric.

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BRITAIN and America are set to launch a series of new transatlantic dialogues to deepen mutual trade and invest‐ ment ties.

The first dialogue was to take place in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 21‐22 with the second to take place in the UK later in spring. The events will bring together government ministers, senior officials, trade unions, businesses and civil society from both sides to discuss ways the UK and US can work together.

International Trade Secretary Anne‐Marie Trevelyan said: “The US is our biggest trading partner. Our thriving relationship already delivers so much for our economies, businesses and people. Now, more than ever, we recognise the power of deepening trade ties with like‐minded allies around the world.

“This new UK‐US dialogue is a symbol of our ambition to work even closer with businesses and workers to promote in‐ novation, inclusive economic growth and support jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

“These events are a huge opportunity to make it even easi‐ er, quicker and more cost‐effective to do trans‐Atlantic trade, but also to tackle the most pressing challenges we face like congested supply chains and climate change,” she added on March 16.

decorator will be respon‐ sible for adding ‘decora‐ tive finishes’.

The deadline for the full‐time position is Sat‐ urday April 3. The Buck‐ ingham Palace renova‐ tion is expected to cost £369 million.

The makeover is con‐ troversial though as more than 100,000 peo‐ ple have signed a posi‐ tion saying that the Royal family should cough up the cash for the refurb.

The advert reads: “It’s adding the decorative finishes, for people to appreciate for years to come. Working in such uniquely historic envi‐ ronments means you’ll have the opportunity to expand your existing skills.

“You’ll regularly handle specialist wall coverings, sign‐writing and use spe‐ cialist paint finishes, such as marbling and gilding,” it adds.

and finally...

DINO’S IN THE SAND is the new sand festival in Belgium’s Mid‐ delkerkse which will run from July 1 to September 11 this year.

In 2021, there were more than 100,000 visitors who turned up to the first festival of its kind in the town and organisers were staggered by the response. This year, it’s moving to a new loca‐ tion on the beach at the Arthur De Greefplein to try to ensure that residents are not inconvenienced by the number of peo‐ ple who turn up and with 6,000 tons of sculpting sand available there should be plenty of exhibits to be viewed.

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NEWS

Sharon Osbourne show SHARON OSBOURNE will front her own prime time current affairs panel show, The Talk, on Talk‐ TV. The new show will see Sharon team up with her good friend, Piers Morgan, who has his own show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, on the channel.

Rebekah Brooks, Chief Executive of News UK, the company responsible for launching TalkTV, said: “Sharon has built a unique and hugely successful me‐ dia career, combining strong views and opinion with a lot of warmth and fun. Her unbounding ener‐ gy will make her show compelling viewing, and we are delighted to give her a new home at Talk‐ TV.” Sharon will welcome five famous faces onto her show for one hour each weeknight to debate top‐ ics including crime, poli‐ tics, health, and entertain‐ ment.

Teaming up with Piers.

The show will air later this spring. “I’m excited to be working with News UK, the panel, and my good friend Piers. Watch this space for some exciting and lively debates,” Sharon said on March 17.

Historic aid allocation SPAIN will allocate a total of €31 million for humanitari‐ an aid, of which €23 million will go to Ukraine and €8 million to other countries in the region through a com‐ prehensive emergency humanitarian response package.

The allocation, the largest in Spanish history and channelled through the Spanish Agency for Internation‐ al Development Cooperation, will respond to appeals from the United Nations and other international organ‐ isations in the shape of an extraordinary call for hu‐ manitarian action grants for NGOs, as well as the provi‐ sion of an emergency hospital for possible deployment in border countries.

After the first shipment of more than 20 tons of medicines, equipment and medical supplies to Poland on March 2, a convoy of 30 tons of humanitarian aid was sent to Moldova and a second shipment of medicines and medical supplies to Ukraine, in coordi‐ nation with the Ministry of Health, worth almost €1 million. More direct assistance is envisaged as the needs of Ukraine and neighbouring countries become clearer.

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www.euroweeklynews.com THE number of affiliated workers linked to tourism activities increased by 305,246 workers in February, reaching a total of 2,309,687, according to figures released

by Turespana.

At the end of last month, those employed in tourism accounted for 11.7 per cent of the total number of em‐ ployees in the national econ‐ omy and the year‐on‐year growth trend in the number

NEWS

More tourism jobs of affiliates that began in June last year continued, reaching a year‐on‐year rate of 15.2 per cent.

“The good employment figures in the tourism sector show that the protection plan rolled out by the gov‐ ernment to protect business‐ es and workers, as well as

the health management of the pandemic, have proved effective and have allowed us to maintain and also gen‐ erate new jobs in a key sec‐ tor of our economy,” said the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto on Thursday March 17.

Suits you sir THE UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced a major shake‐up to the basket of goods used to calculate in‐ flation.

The ONS said that lifestyles and pat‐ terns of expenditure have changed be‐ cause of the Covid‐19 pandemic and its impact on working practices with a shift away from work wear to exercise gear, as more and more people work from home and more and more people look to a healthier lifestyle.

Disappearing from the basket are men’s suits to be replaced by blazers and jackets, and appearing in the basket are sports

bras. Sam Beckett, the head of economic statistics at the ONS, said: “The impact of the pandemic is still evident in our shop‐ ping habits. With many people still work‐ ing from home, demand for more formal clothing has continued to decrease.

“So, men’s suits disappear from the bas‐ ket and are replaced with a formal jacket or blazer. Last year’s lockdown living saw an increase in the number of us working out and exercising. That has continued in‐ to 2022 with the addition of the sports bra into the basket reflecting greater spending on sports clothing,” he added on March 15.

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NEWS

Fur free Europe Sanchez in Rome NO MORE: A ban on fur is now under consideration.

France lifts restrictions FRANCE has lifted Covid‐19 restrictions requiring peo‐ ple to use masks indoors and show their Covid‐19 vac‐ cination passport. The restrictions were lifted on March 15.

Face masks will however still be compulsory on pub‐ lic transport, in hospitals and for visitors to care homes.

President Emmanuel Macron’s flagship vaccine pass‐ port scheme is also coming to an end with people no longer required to show proof of vaccination to enter a restaurant, go to the gym or board a train. The sys‐ tem, which asked people to show they had been inoc‐ ulated against Covid‐19 or had a recent negative test, was first introduced in July 2021.

France has one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe with more than 90 per cent of the public vacci‐ nated.

AN initiative called Fur Free Europe, which is looking to ban fur production across the EU, is under considera‐ tion and can now begin col‐ lecting campaign signatures.

The initiative also asks for a ban on placing fur and prod‐ ucts containing it on the EU market, according to a state‐ ment from the European Commission. The Commmi‐ sion said on March 16: “The European Citizens’ Initiative fulfils the formal conditions and as such considers that it is legally admissible.”

Following registration, if a European Citizens’ Initiative, which was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agen‐ da‐setting tool in the hands of citizens, receives one mil‐ lion signatures of support within one year ‐ from at least seven different mem‐ ber states ‐ the Commission will have to react. The Com‐ mission can decide to take the request forward or not, but it will be required to ex‐ plain its reasoning.

PRESIDENT Pedro Sanchez travelled to Rome to meet with the Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi, the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, and the Prime Minis‐ ter of Greece, Kyriakos Mitso‐ takis, to discuss the high cost of electricity.

The meeting was an at‐ tempt to coordinate their po‐ sitions ahead of a European Council meeting on March 24 and 25.

“Today, the governments of Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal are telling our Eu‐ ropean colleagues that we are working together, in light of the discussion at the next European Council in Brussels next week, on spe‐ cific, feasible and imple‐ mentable proposals that will have immediate effects in reducing electricity prices,” Sanchez said on Fri‐ day, March 18.

“Since September 2021, in the European Union, the gov‐ ernment of Spain has been defending the need to inter‐

vene in the market to act on the origin of the problem of the high prices of the current energy market, which re‐ quires separating the price of

gas from that of electricity, as well as making joint purchas‐ es, diversifying supply and committing to renewable en‐ ergies,” he added.

Lost boys found TWO young brothers who became lost in the Amazon jungle during the rainy season have been found after nearly four weeks. The indigenous boys aged six and eight, got lost trying to catch small birds on February 18.

Glauco and Gleison Ferreira were taken to hospital with malnutrition, but it is believed that they will make a full recovery.

Hundreds of residents spent weeks looking for the two boys, who disappeared at the worst possible time of year with the rains making walking and searching difficult in the muddy and murky conditions.

The search was called off on February 24 but eventu‐ ally a man cutting wood found them on March 18 just six kilometres from the village of Palmeira, where the boys live in the Lago Capana protected land reserve.

STATS

90%

About 90% of all people live in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Take control of your finances in an uncertain world The last few years have emphasised how uncertain life can be. Brexit and the pandemic have now been followed by the worrying and upsetting events in Ukraine.

Life feels more uncertain again.

This perhaps makes it more important for us to take control where we can, particularly when it comes to our family’s long-term future and security.

So here we take a look at the key wealth management considerations we should review from time to time.

Pension planning Our pension funds are usually key to our long-term financial security, so take care to do what is right for you. The UK pension freedoms may no longer be ‘new’, but they can still cause uncertainty when deciding what to do with yours, and each option has pros and cons. You also need to establish the local tax implications and what works best for Spain residents.

Many expatriates have chosen

By Fiona Keogh, Private Client Manager, Blevins Franks

to transfer UK pensions to Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) for the advantages they can offer. But they do not suit everyone – you may find it more beneficial to reinvest your funds into Spain-compliant investment arrangements or leave your pension in UK. Also, the UK has recently made changes which make transferring to QROPS more difficult. Take personalised, regulated pensions advice.

Your savings and investments It is impossible to control what happens in the markets, what geopolitical events may cause volatility or prices to rise; we can’t know what interest rates will be ten or twenty years from now.

But we can take steps to build an investment portfolio that: • is based around our risk profile, circumstances, time horizon and objectives; and • includes suitable asset allocation and diversification to control risk; and • is designed to provide capital growth over the longer term to beat inflation so you can maintain your spending power through retirement.

the plan can pay off.

Geopolitical events, like those we’re currently seeing, can cause unsettling market turbulence, but it’s not time for knee-jerk reactions or shortterm changes - history has shown that ‘timing’ markets is incredibly difficult. Investing is a marathon not a sprint, so being patient and sticking with

Tax planning The way you structure your assets and wealth can make a significant difference to your tax bill. You need to make sure your arrangements are structured appropriately for your life in Spain as well as your particular aims, circumstance, goals and risk appetite.

Estate planning While we cannot avoid death, with good estate planning we can control who receives our assets and when. Is your legacy on track to go to your chosen heirs according to your wishes and with minimal taxation?

Take care to understand the succession laws and inheritance tax in Spain, as well as the pros and cons of using the EU succession regulation ‘Brussels IV’ to override ‘forced heirship’ rules.

You need a strategy that achieves your wishes while making the process straightforward and tax-efficient for your heirs.

Are you taking advantage of tax-efficient structures available in Spain? Besides tax savings, these may offer additional benefits such as currency and income flexibility and estate planning advantages.

Ultimately, cross-border tax and financial planning is complex. While you can do some groundwork yourself, you will benefit from talking to a specialist adviser with in-depth knowledge of the Spanish tax regime and its interaction with UK rules. They can help you take advantage of available tax, investment, pensions, and estate planning opportunities to ensure you do what works best for you and your family, today, tomorrow and the future.

Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change. Individuals should seek personalised advice.

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

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Increased interest rates THE Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Commit‐ tee has voted in favour of increasing the interest rate from 0.5 per cent 0.75 per cent. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, further increases could be seen this year.

Eight members of the committee voted in favour of the move on Thursday March 17.

Minutes from the Mon‐ etary Policy Committee meeting said: “Given the current tightness of the labour market, continuing signs of robust domestic cost and price pressures,

RATES INCREASE: Bank of England committee voted in favour.

and the risk that those pressures would persist, most members of the Committee judged that a 0.25 percentage point in‐ crease in Bank Rate was

warranted at this meet‐ ing.

“UK activity had been somewhat stronger than had been expected at the time of the February Re‐

port and there had been indications that the cur‐ rent tightening in the labour market might not reverse direction as quickly as had been ex‐ pected.

“The effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would likely accentuate both the peak in inflation and the adverse impact on activi‐ ty by intensifying the squeeze on household in‐ comes,” the minutes added.

NEWS

Green drones THE Royal Air Force (RAF) has launched its first successful drone us‐ ing an alternative to fossil fuel. Under Project Vermeer, the RAF flew a four‐metre drone with synthetic fuel. Synthetic kerosene is entirely fossil fuel‐free, made by mixing raw materials with high sugar levels, such as food waste, with bacteria to create an oil sub‐ stance that is then converted into aviation fuel using chemicals and heat. Air Vice Marshal Lincoln Taylor said: “The RAF needs to en‐ sure that we are at the forefront of technology to safeguard our own resilience and operational capability, whilst minimising our damage to the environment.

“Fuel scarcity and cost will only ever increase in its impact on our operations and synthetic fuels for our aircraft are one potential solu‐ tion to this situation as we look to secure the objectives of the next generation RAF of tomorrow,” he added on Wednesday March 16.

As the process does not require large‐scale infrastructure, synthetic kerosene can be made anywhere, making it an attractive option for military deployments around the world.

Improving energy efficiency THE government in Madrid has agreed to distribute €170 million to Spain’s au‐ tonomous regions to improve energy effi‐ ciency and the circular economy in compa‐ nies in the tourism sector.

The Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said on March 16 that the funds come from the Next Genera‐ tion EU programme and will contribute to reducing energy costs and the carbon foot‐ print. The government expects that this

€170 million will be able to finance more than 2,600 actions in the accommodation sector, helping to improve efficiency and re‐ duce consumption in the face of soaring electricity prices.

Minister Maroto said that the investment is in addition to the €570 million fund for im‐ proving tourism competitiveness, which will finance actions to improve energy and light‐ ing in tourist establishments, and to develop the circular economy.

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Major supply crunch IN the face of the emerging global energy crisis triggered by Rus‐ sia’s invasion of Ukraine, practical ac‐ tions by governments

and citizens could achieve significant re‐ ductions in oil demand in a matter of months, reducing the risk of a major supply crunch,

according to the Inter‐ national Energy Agency (IEA).

T h e I E A’ s 1 0 ‐ p o i n t plan for achieving this includes reducing speed limits on high‐ ways by at least 10kph, as well as introducing ‘car‐free Sundays’ in cities.

They also want to promote car sharing and restrict access by car to large cities based on licence plate num‐ bers.

Teleworking at least three days a week would save some 400,000 barrels, includ‐ ing the effect of reduc‐ ing the impact of using car air conditioners in summer.

If all 10 measures were adopted, it would lower oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day within four months, the IEA said on Friday, March 18.

GLOBAL chipmaker Intel has unveiled plans for a new plant in Germany as part of its plans to spread its pro‐ duction capacity across Eu‐ rope. The €17 billion plant is part of a planned €80 billion investment programme for the next 10 years that will see plants being established in a number of other Euro‐ pean countries.

Intel said on March 15 that their goal is to create “a next‐generation European chip ecosystem” that will help tackle the ongoing glob‐

NEWS

Intel’s new plant Planning expansion.

al shortage of semiconduc‐ tors, as well as work to ad‐ vance the technology.

A shortage of semiconduc‐ tors has plagued the conti‐ nent’s car making industry

with demand from east Asia affecting supply, an issue the company hopes to resolve by making the EU self‐suffi‐ cient.

The initial investment is said to be in the region of €33 billion, of which €17 bil‐ lion will go to the new plant, with the remainder being used to improve facilities in Ireland and to establish a de‐ sign and research centre in France.

Spanish shipbuilding boost THE government has approved the Strategic Project for Naval Recovery and Economic Transformation (PERTE), which aims to mo‐ bilise a total investment of €1.46 billion and contribute to the creation of around 3,100 quality jobs.

The Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said the project is based on public‐private partnership and will allow the transformation of the naval indus‐ try’s value chain through its diversification towards marine renewable energies, the de‐ velopment of low‐emission ships, its digitali‐ sation, the improvement of its environmen‐

tal sustainability, as well as the training of its workers.

Maroto said on Wednesday March 16 that the project responds to the govern‐ ment’s commitment to promoting a driving industry for our economy, which will also contribute to Spain’s industrial autonomy.

The Naval PERTE will promote the collab‐ oration of the different industrial actors, contribute to the modernisation of the sec‐ tor and increase its competitiveness by around 15 per cent, with an annual growth rate in the naval industry of 9 per cent, Maroto added.

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Password sharing NETFLIX is cracking down on password sharing and users could soon be charged extra for sharing passwords outside of their household.

Netflix features include sep‐ arate profiles and multiple streams on its standard and premium platforms, but some people are sharing ac‐ counts between households, to the company’s financial detriment.

Includes separate profiles.

The streaming company said in a statement on March 16: “For the last year we’ve been working on ways to en‐ able members who share out‐

side their household to do so easily and securely, while also paying a bit more.”

According to Netflix, the first option is to add an extra member at a reduced cost.

The other is to transfer a pro‐ file to a new account.

Netflix added that they will be testing out the new fea‐ tures in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru before “making changes anywhere else in the world.”

Inclusive Britain THE British Government has published its land‐ mark Inclusive Britain strategy to tackle racial and ethnic disparities and ensure fairness across the UK. Inclusive Britain was developed in response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Dispari‐ ties’ independent report which made 24 rec‐ ommendations to tackle ethnic disparities.

Minister of State for Equalities Kemi Bade‐ noch said: “I strongly believe that Britain is the fairest and most open‐minded country in the world, but there is more we can do to foster in‐ clusion and enable everyone to reach their full potential.

“We are building trust through improving po‐ lice scrutiny, promoting fairness in the work‐ place with new evidence‐based resources that work, tackling serious youth violence which dis‐ proportionately affects certain communities, and fostering inclusion by designing a new Model History Curriculum telling the story of the making of modern Britain.

“The causes behind racial disparities are com‐ plex and often misunderstood. Our new strate‐ gy is about action, not rhetoric and will help cre‐ ate a country where a person’s race, social or ethnic background is no barrier to achieving their ambitions,” he added on March 17.

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NEWS

Portable battery A BRITISH company has launched what it believes is a world first, a portable electric vehicle battery pack that will allow drivers to recharge their car wherever they are.

Essentially a spare battery in a suitcase, the battery pack will fit in the average car’s boot for use when needed. The ZipCharge Go, which will be available for delivery early

2023, was designed like a rolling suitcase and is intended to provide a backup when a charging point is not available.

According to research con‐ ducted in the UK more than a third of the population would not consider an electric vehicle because of concerns about keeping it charged. The unit us‐ es state of the art bi‐directional charging that allows the bat‐

SUITCASE SIZED: Will fit in the average car boot.

tery to be fully charged within one hour providing extra mileage of roughly 32 to 65 kilometres depending on the car.

Reception centres open SPAIN has opened four reception centres for Ukrainian refugees, including a centre in Ali‐ cante.

The Minister for Inclusion, Jose Luis Escriva, said the government is committed to a “rapid deployment of Reception and Referral Cen‐ tres in Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante and Mala‐ ga to facilitate the care of displaced persons and offer emergency shelter to those who need it.

“We have strengthened our reception net‐ work, in coordination with other public ad‐ ministrations and third sector entities, and with a new family reception programme.

Spain has been one of the fastest European countries to transpose this directive and also one of those that has adopted it most exten‐

sively, as we have extended the subjective scope of application to groups that we consid‐ er should also be protected,” he said.

The reception centres are multifunctional.

“Firstly, they receive displaced persons from Ukraine and give them an initial orientation.

Secondly, they enable the completion of work and residence permit procedures within 24 hours and finally, they decide on the refer‐ ral of those in need to the most suitable places available, following in‐depth inter‐ views,” Escriva said.

“For this reason, the creation of these Re‐ ception, Care and Referral Centres makes it possible to centralise all these functions in a single place, facilitating the care of displaced persons,” he added on March 15.

Amazon Prime AMAZON has been accused of intentionally making it harder to quit Prime.

The company is alleged to have launched a project code‐named ‘Iliad’ to bam‐ boozle Prime users with questions and offers before they could eventually get to the web page where they could end their subscription.

Figures included in leaked documents show that cancel‐ lations dropped by up to 14 per cent with fewer mem‐ bers navigating through to the final cancellation page.

Whilst the initial project is no longer in use, a version of the original is still active to‐ day.

Multiple complaints have been filed in a number of countries asking for investiga‐ tions to be opened into Ama‐ zon Prime’s cancellation pro‐ cess.

Amazon denies any wrong‐ doing. Jamil Ghani, Vice‐Presi‐ dent of Amazon Prime said: “Customer transparency and

trust are top priorities for us.

“By design we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for and to cancel their Prime membership. We

continually listen to customer feedback and look for ways to improve the customer ex‐ perience,” he added on March 15.

Ukrainian drivers UKRAINIAN refugees’ driving licences will be valid in Spain for at least one year, the government announced on Tuesday, March 15.

The new measure was approved by the Director Gen‐ eral of Traffic, Pere Navarro, and is a “response to the ex‐ traordinary and exceptional nature of the situation creat‐ ed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the magnitude of the massive influx of displaced persons.”

Under the new rules Spain recognises the “validity of the Ukrainian driving licence to drive in Spain for a period of one year after obtaining temporary protection, as long as the driving licence is valid and the holder is of the age required in Spain to obtain an equivalent Spanish li‐ cence.”

Ukrainian licence holders will also be able to swap their driving licences for a Spanish licence if they choose to.

STATS

38

The largest snowflake ever recorded was 38cm across.

26 EWN

24 - 30 March 2022

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

Little Mermaid

No smoking

COPENHAGEN’S iconic statue of The Little Mermaid became an unexpected casualty of the Russian invasion of Ukraine when on Sunday, March 13, it was sprayed with the letter Z (currently recognised as support for Russia) followed by an equal sign and a swastika.

INTENT on eliminating the culture of smoking from Denmark, the government intends to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2010 and after, so that eventually it will become a smoke free country, although recreational cannabis smoking is illegal there but still takes place.

THE NETHERLANDS New epidemic

Blaming Russia

NOW that the country seems to have learnt how to keep Covid-19 more or less under control, Holland is now officially in the grip of a flu epidemic, with the number of people diagnosed with the disease ‘rapidly increasing’, according to national health institute RIVM.

BOTH The Netherlands and Australian governments have announced that they are taking legal action against the Russian government as they present arguments to the International Civil Aviation Organisation blaming Russia for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 caused by rebels firing a Russian supplied missile.

BELGIUM In tune

Shrimp champion

ABOUT 100 violinists, mainly children, with the youngest being four years of age, took part in a mobile concert in the streets of Antwerp to support Ukraine and to raise money for the victims of the Russian invasion on Saturday March 12.

THE Royal Order of Horse Shrimp Fishers has chosen self-styled ‘shrimp town’ Oostduinkerke as the site for the first Belgian shrimp peeling championship which is due to be held on June 26, with participants expected from across Belgium and even France where the world championship is held.

GERMANY Inaugural flight

Chip boom

FOR historical reasons, there were never many flights between Berlin and the USA due to the problems with East Germany and all flights stopped in March 2020, but on March 28 2022, United Airlines will start its first flight from Berlin BER Airport to Newark in New Jersey.

ALTHOUGH it’s not a short-term solution, US micro chip manufacturer Intel said that it is to invest €17 billion in building a new site in Magdeburg by 2027, possibly influenced by financial support as well as a huge requirement from German automobile manufacturers.

FRANCE Secrets revealed

Corsican autonomy

AS workers prepare to rebuild the spire of Notre Dame damaged in the 2019 fire, the cathedral is revealing new secrets, including several previously unknown tombs and a human shaped sarcophagus made of lead, which archaeologists believe dates back to the 14th century.

WORRIED by an insurgence of violent nationalism on the island of Corsica, birthplace of Napoleon, the French government has finally announced that it may be prepared to discuss some form of autonomy for the island in the event that it is returned to power following the upcoming elections.

NORWAY NATO chief

Bomb shelters

NATO’s popular Norwegian secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg has been the subject of some controversy as he was recruited to become Governor of the Bank of Norway, but now he is reportedly being urged to extend his stay at NATO after October 1.

A LAW requires that all Norwegian bomb shelters should be ready for use within 72 hours of an alert, but due to the end of the Cold War the majority have been used as storage and there is only space for half of the population.

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND

UK visit

Migratory birds

PRESIDENT Sauli Niinistö spent March 14 and 15 first attending a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force, a military coalition of like-minded countries in Northern Europe and then visiting Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street to discuss Ukraine and ongoing relations between the two countries.

RESEARCHERS at the University of Helsinki can now correlate the habitats of migrating birds based on the thickness of snow so that when it is deep, more settle near warmer urban areas but when the covering is light, they prefer to be out of town in arable lands.

IRELAND Guest of Honour

Republican heirloom

HOLLYWOOD actor John C Reilly known for many roles including his portrayal of Oliver Hardy was international guest of honour at the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin. His father who is Irish used to take him to the parades in Chicago and he still goes whenever he can.

A LOCK of hair belonging to republican leader Michael Collins sold for £18,000, whilst a revolver said to have been carried by him when rescuing future Irish president Éamon de Valera from Lincoln gaol in 1919 sold for £9,000 in a Belfast auction on March 15.

ITALY Flow restricted

Pick your own

ITALY’S longest river, the Po is losing much of its flow after 100 days without rain, according to the water authority and the level of some of its tributaries, including Trebbia, Secchia, and Reno are at their lowest since 1972.

FORGET Amsterdam, as Rome’s TuliPark, which allows visitors to pick their own tulips, reopened on Tuesday March 22 until the middle of April (or until all tulips have gone) and visitors will have a choice of thousands of tulips from more than 100 different varieties.

PORTUGAL New routes

Tighter rules

AFTER scrapping a number of Lisbon flights as the Portuguese government wouldn’t give up TAP routes, Ryanair has introduced four new routes for the summer, Faro to Madrid and Valencia, as well as Porto to Bergerac, in France, and Ponta Delgada to Nuremberg, in Germany.

FOLLOWING criticism from the Sephardic Genealogical Society, effectively saying it was too easy for Jewish people such as Roman Abramovich to obtain Portuguese citizenship if they could trace relatives to the 16th century, the government intends to require applicants to show a real connection with Portugal.

UKRAINE Marks and Spencer

Signs removed

CONSERVATIVE MP Alicia Kearns who was speaking about Marks and Spencer and their still open stores in Russia parodied their advertising slogan saying “this isn’t just food this is blood and rape food,” whilst the company explained that the stores were run by a Turkish based franchise.

BRITAIN’S Ministry of Defence said on Thursday March 17 that the Russian invasion had stalled partly due to the fact that many of their vehicles could not cope with off-road conditions, which meant that they had to stick to roads where signs had been removed and bridges destroyed.

SWEDEN Iconic Zlatan

Bird hotel

EVEN at the age of 40, Swedish idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an important part of their football team and has been called up to the squad trying to qualify for the World Cup. If they beat the Czech Republic he will play against Poland.

TWITCHERS will love a new room known as the biosphere which has been suspended amongst the pines of the Treehotel in the area of Harads. The glass dome containing furniture and a double bed is covered by 350 bird nesting boxes.

24 - 30 March 2022

EWN 27

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Madrid investment ALLIANZ Real Estate has made its second PRS (private rental sector) investment in Spain with the ac‐ quisition of nine prime residential buildings in the Chamartín district of Madrid for €185 million, follow‐ ing its first investment in Barcelona and Madrid last year.

In administration SHIRTMAKER TM Lewin has been forced to call in UK administrators for the second time in less than two years, as more people work from home and therefore don’t need so much formal wear. Hav‐ ing closed its 150 shops, it em‐ ployed 50 staff for its online only business.

New name IN order to promote its commit‐ ment to renewable energy, Ence Energia a subsidiary of Spanish pulp producer and energy group Ence has changed its name to Magnon Green Energy, the group announced on Wednesday March 16 and will introduce a new, self‐ explanatory logo.

Chef wars TV celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo will be the avatar face of a new cooking‐themed play‐to‐earn game Big Town Chef and he is looking for investors in the game which will allow players to pro‐ duce their own fresh vegetables, trade virtual ingredients and com‐ pete in cook‐off battles.

Air Europa THE on/off sale of Air Europa to IAG is back on again as a new agree‐ ment is in place between IAG sub‐ sidiary Iberia and the airline owned

by Globalia. In return for a seven‐ year unsecured loan of €100 million to Globalia (subject to approval from its current lenders), Iberia will have the exclusive rights to negoti‐ ate an agreement to purchase dur‐ ing the coming 12 months. If at the end of the loan period, it is not re‐ paid in full then IAG will be entitled to take a 20 per cent share of Air Europa. In addition, in the event that a bid comes in from any other airline, IAG will have preference if it matches the offer.

www.euroweeklynews.com • 24 - 30 March 2022

28

STAT OF WEEK

£807 million

was the reported turnover made by UK pub chain Wetherspoons for the last six months of trading to January 31 which resulted in a £13 million loss.

P&O Ferries sack 800 staff THURSDAY March 17 was a day of turmoil at P&O Ferries after it was revealed that the company would be making major redundancies fol‐ lowed by an announcement that its 800 sailing staff would be losing their jobs with immediate effect.

Early on that day, all sailings were suspended ahead of a major an‐ nouncement from the company as rumours circulated that the compa‐ ny, which has 20 ships, would be go‐ ing into liquidation, although this was denied by the company.

According to the British press, a P&O Ferries spokesperson said: “We have made a £100 million (€119 mil‐ lion) loss year on year, which has been covered by our parent DP World. This is not sustainable. Our survival is dependent on making swift and significant changes now.

Without these changes there is no future for P&O Ferries.

“These circumstances have result‐ ed in a very difficult but necessary decision, which was only taken after seriously considering all the avail‐ able options.

“As part of the process we are starting today, we are providing 800 seafarers with immediate severance notices and will be compensating them for this lack of advance notice with enhanced compensation pack‐ ages.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I am very concerned about the news from P&O Ferries this morning and we will be speaking to the company today to understand the impact on workers and passen‐ gers.

“Important to note other opera‐ tors continue to run cross Channel routes, so passengers and goods can flow, but I am working with the Kent Resilience Forum to min‐

imise disruption.”

It is understood that the company will initially be using agency staff to reinstate its services within the next week or so and will be recruiting for‐ eign sailors to secure its long‐term future.

After the announcement of the redundancies, the Nautilus union chief said: “The news that P&O Fer‐ ries is sacking the crew across its en‐ tire UK fleet is a betrayal of British workers. It is nothing short of scan‐ dalous given that this Dubai owned company received millions of pounds of British taxpayer’s money during the pandemic.

“There was no consultation and no notice given by P&O. Be assured the full resources of Nautilus Inter‐ national stand ready to act in de‐ fence of our members. We believe it is in our members’ best interests to stay onboard until further notice.”

What is a Green Funeral Plan?

IF you are a lover of nature and conscious of the environ‐ ment, consider a Green Funeral Plan with Golden Leaves.

A Golden Leaves Green Funeral Plan can be paid for with a one‐off sum or in monthly instalments for a fixed term period of up to five years, making it an environmen‐ tally friendly, as well and financially friendly, option.

A Green Funeral Plan with Golden Leaves can include options for natural and biodegradable coffins made of sustainable materials including wood, willow and wool.

There is also an option for a Reflections coffin, which can be personalised with a design or image of your choosing.

There are three categories that you can choose from: the Glade, Meadow or Woodland. Each of these Green Funeral Plans differs in the level of services provided by the funeral director, the number of vehicles required and the style of coffin selected.

GREEN: Options for natural or biodegradable coffins.

To speak to the friendly team at Golden Leaves or to find out more, email enquiries@goldenleaves.com today.

A SERIES of new laws concerning road transport of goods went through the Spanish Parliament without any votes against on Thursday March 17.

This decree was first debated last year but clearly came to prominence due to the road haulier’s strike which is beginning to have some ef‐ fect and was championed by Minis‐ ter of Transport Raquel Sánchez.

Although the strike is not support‐ ed by the main driver’s unions, there are still a significant number of inde‐

Hauliers strike pendent drivers who are deter‐ mined to cause disruption so that their demand for a reduction in fuel costs is acted on.

The new laws will make it easier for lorry drivers to work in as much as they will not be required to load and unload lorries, nor will they

have to stick to agreed prices if fuel costs increase prior to the work be‐ ing undertaken.

Until such time as there is a posi‐ tive reduction in fuel prices howev‐ er it seems unlikely that the hauliers will be placated and will continue to travel in convoy to

Finnish cooperation THE Finnish Government is keep‐ ing a close watch on the Spanish recovery plan which focuses on green and digital transitions and has made it one of the biggest re‐ cipients of the EU recovery pack‐ age.

Thanks to this and the fact that Finland is heading on a similar path, the Minister for Develop‐ ment Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari, accompanied by a business delegation, visited Madrid from March 20 to 23 to promote cooperation between Spain and Finland.

During the four‐day visit, he met with a number of different Spanish ministers and introduced them to the 14 Finnish companies travel‐ ling with him which have expertise in different kinds of digital solu‐ tions.

Another food concept THE successful UK arm of Dallas based Wingstop which has more than 1,700 locations worldwide, announced on Thursday March 17 that it now has its eyes set on the Spanish market.

It plans to open four ‘ghost kitchens’ in Madrid, the first two as early as March 31 to offer a de‐ livery only service in Spain’s capital city before intending to expand across the country opening restau‐ rants through a franchise model.

“We are excited to bring the flavour of Wingstop to Spain ini‐ tially, leveraging a delivery‐only method. By embracing our en‐ trepreneurial spirit, in just 12 weeks from planning to execu‐ tion, we’re getting Wingstop in front of consumers in Madrid,” said Wingstop Vice President EMEA, Lisa Paton. slow traffic generally.

After reports of intimidation of drivers who are continuing to work, the government has announced that it plans to mobilise 23,000 police offi‐ cers in order to ensure driver’s safety and to break up jams.

The matter of reviewing fuel prices for hauliers which is apparent‐ ly being considered by the govern‐ ment will be the deciding factor as to whether the strike continues for any length of time.

30 EWN

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24 - 30 March 2022

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

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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 21

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.359,00 1.366,00 Abrdn 206,70 209,40 Admiral Group 2.594,5 2.614,0 Anglo American 3.790,5 3.804,5 Antofagasta 1.689,00 1.693,50 Ashtead Group 5.482,0 5.520,0 Associated British Foods 1.751,5 1.755,5 AstraZeneca 9.560,0 9.569,3 Auto Trader Group Plc 680,60 682,00 Avast 571,00 572,20 Aveva 2.549,0 2.611,0 Aviva 427,40 428,20 B&M European Value Retail SA582,20 583,20 BAE Systems 722,04 733,60 Bank VTB DRC 0,010 0,010 Barclays 171,10 172,18 Barratt Developments 570,00 570,20 Berkeley 4.128,0 4.145,0 BHP Billiton Ltd 2.645,67 2.651,50 BP 371,40 371,60 British American Tobacco 3.173,5 3.197,0 British Land Company 518,00 520,80 BT Group 180,05 180,20 Bunzl 2.880,0 2.885,0 Burberry Group 1.737,0 1.740,5 Carnival 1.337,8 1.347,0 Centrica 79,85 79,90 Coca Cola HBC AG 1.708,0 1.737,5 Compass 1.703,50 1.709,50 CRH 3.441,0 3.470,0 Croda Intl 7.558,0 7.594,0 DCC 5.884,0 5.892,0 Diageo 3.735,0 3.744,5 DS Smith 335,60 340,40 EasyJet 525,60 542,00 Experian 3.050,0 3.063,0 Ferguson 11.075,0 11.075,0 Flutter Entertainment 9.354,0 9.570,0 Fresnillo 732,20 745,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.609,00 1.610,91 Glencore 489,80 492,55 Halma 2.521,4 2.543,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.043,00 1.051,00 Hikma Pharma 2.066,00 2.082,00 HSBC 501,00 503,50 IAG 140,94 142,44 Imperial Brands 1.604,50 1.617,00 Informa 591,80 597,00 InterContinental 5.260,0 5.278,0

% CHG. 1.350,50 206,50 2.570,0 3.666,5 1.636,50 5.462,0 1.740,0 9.506,7 674,40 569,00 2.521,0 422,40 578,20 720,00 0,010 170,56 560,60 4.096,0 2.599,50 363,50 3.166,5 516,60 178,35 2.868,0 1.700,0 1.328,4 78,62 1.693,5 1.693,00 3.428,0 7.496,0 5.862,0 3.726,0 334,10 522,20 3.038,0 11.000,0 9.328,0 730,00 1.602,80 480,55 2.510,0 1.028,00 2.053,00 498,50 139,70 1.601,50 589,40 5.214,0

NET VOL 90,89K 394,34K 44,86K 391,74K 183,96K 50,59K 52,12K 11,52K 269,36K 101,04K 48,45K 577,18K 84,62K 1,60M 0 4,60M 502,14K 35,95K 374,85K 7,03M 352,95K 158,73K 1,35M 21,56K 116,63K 61,65K 1,74M 104,42K 229,35K 264,50K 23,24K 10,69K 263,51K 289,47K 721,37K 111,32K 20,12K 30,44K 101,39K 95,85K 4,24M 37,52K 118,95K 61,88K 3,27M 3,63M 206,73K 558,31K 30,21K

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 Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Shell 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

1.739,50 5.148,0 84,00 264,40 1.921,5 767,40 274,81 49,05 7.940,0 761,60 131,60 1.540,50 1.136,11 216,80 6.478,0 1,89 1.142,00 2.270,0 638,30 1.087,50 5.833,0 2.308,00 511,00 676,20 5.721,0 93,47 0,60 698,80 1.436,50 0,0453 3.262,0 1.013,00 1.325,50 2.961,0 1.992,8 1.257,36 1.508,50 12.815,6 1.684,50 1.474,00 508,00 145,18 278,74 236,40 3.447,9 1.088,70 128,18 2.786,0 1.079,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.763,00 5.168,0 85,00 265,40 1.927,0 770,60 277,60 49,53 8.100,0 765,00 133,15 1.565,00 1.138,80 218,60 6.504,0 1,89 1.198,50 2.302,0 642,00 1.107,00 5.892,0 2.314,00 512,60 679,60 5.731,0 93,95 0,60 708,00 1.440,00 0,0453 3.279,0 1.014,50 1.331,50 2.969,0 1.998,0 1.267,00 1.510,50 13.025,0 1.694,50 1.484,50 510,40 145,95 279,55 238,10 3.451,0 1.093,00 128,22 2.809,0 1.087,00

1.735,50 5.122,0 83,74 262,60 1.904,5 764,40 274,50 48,91 7.896,0 761,00 130,75 1.538,00 1.129,00 214,40 6.446,0 1,89 1.142,00 2.259,0 636,80 1.067,50 5.832,0 2.295,00 507,80 672,79 5.572,0 92,76 0,60 697,40 1.425,50 0,0453 3.245,0 1.000,00 1.321,00 2.933,0 1.954,2 1.251,50 1.494,50 12.810,0 1.678,50 1.466,00 503,60 144,30 277,60 229,80 3.404,0 1.083,00 127,10 2.779,0 1.067,00

31,47K 19,93K 1,44M 258,30K 55,88K 125,87K 1,27M 30,41M 66,66K 74,86K 907,64K 69,14K 352,12K 3,81M 19,92K 0 230,83K 123,55K 234,38K 523,35K 67,82K 420,18K 384,50K 19,98K 339,33K 7,37M 0 101,33K 3,06K 0 54,40K 905,99K 239,31K 36,78K 1,75M 200,98K 97,83K 6,11K 217,06K 108,99K 179,25K 1,23M 1,24M 1,26M 482,11K 120,95K 6,87M 31,80K 655,15K

1.18982

0.84105

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0960 Japan yen (JPY)........................................131.89 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0302 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4415 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................9.6671

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 21

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 148,32 190,72 236,25 163,98 192,83 220,91 161,73 55,97 60,10 62,39 345,38 340,74 194,72 128,76 47,45 174,84 140,10 238,92 79,11 300,43 131,24 150,15 218,80 180,31 506,12 50,80 219,11 47,36 145,44 140,30

CHANGE 148,45 191,00 236,40 164,48 193,38 221,70 161,73 56,42 60,30 63,43 346,77 340,74 194,92 128,93 47,60 177,00 140,85 239,19 79,74 301,00 131,46 150,87 219,58 180,48 510,68 52,29 219,26 47,45 145,57 140,73

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 145,22 7,88M 184,84 8,71M 232,75 7,62M 159,76 123,96M 190,10 12,81M 218,00 4,10M 158,78 23,18M 55,54 51,72M 59,71 30,08M 61,81 9,51M 337,30 5,74M 332,30 9,39M 189,80 8,73M 126,37 7,46M 46,35 46,13M 173,66 13,78M 138,46 23,06M 235,99 5,31M 78,63 21,04M 292,73 43,07M 126,70 10,27M 148,24 15,54M 208,30 12,17M 177,27 3,94M 501,56 5,04M 50,80 70,17M 210,29 14,57M 46,47 11,36M 144,11 10,39M 138,30 11,20M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 21

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+73.55% +59.77% +54.90% +54.21% +52.42% +50.28% +42.04% +41.40% +39.86% +38.05% +36.29%

11.09M 412.01M 34.97M 301.72K 134.69K 23.00M 70.00M 1.30M 4.80M 2.10M 2.60M

-37.75% -31.63% -28.95% -26.94% +-25.00% -22.78% -22.50% -22.32% -20.75% -20.69% -18.13%

87.80K 2.77M 4.02M 2.63M 23.37K 1.81M 5.74M 973.09K 964.77K 286.04K 656.35K

Most Advanced BEST Didi Global Zhihu Connect Biopharma Holdings Rezolute Redbox Entertainment StoneCo 36Kr Holdings Lizhi Redbox Entertainment 111 Inc

Most Declined Bt Brands Neptune Wellness Solutions Nymox Pharmaceutical Bright Scholar A Immuron Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holding Ambac BigBearai Holdings HTG Molecular Diagnostics Surrozen OpGen

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Inditex profits up again

Credit: Inditex

PROFITS INCREASE: Óscar García Maceiras and Pablo Isla revealed the figures.

THE Inditex bandwagon just keeps rolling on and 2021 final figures have re‐ turned to pre‐pandemic levels with turnover of €27.72 billion, up 35.8 per cent on the previous year.

As net profit increased by 193 per cent to €3.24 bil‐ lion, executive chairman, Pablo Isla, said on Wednes‐ day March 16 that, “after two years of pandemic, this set of results demonstrates the incredible ability to adapt to any circumstances that characterises all the people who work here, borne from their commit‐ ment and talent.”

The group’s CEO, Óscar García Maceiras, singled out “the leadership demon‐ strated by the company on the digital transformation front in recent years, this places us in an unrivalled position to offer an excep‐ tional level of engagement with our quality and sus‐ tainable fashion.”

Although the bulk of rev‐ enue is still generated in‐ store, online sales reached €7.5 billion, accounting for 25.5 per cent of total sales, reinforcing the company as a global leader in ecom‐ merce.

Despite all of its invest‐ ments in stock, stores, staff, distribution centres and on‐ line development, the group’s net cash stood at a record €9.3 billion at year‐ end, having increased by 24 per cent during the year.

The company outper‐ formed its sustainability targets for 2021, specifically for the use of renewable energy ‐ accounting for 91 per cent of total consump‐ tion.

It opened 226 stores in 40 markets during the year and on January 31, 2022, employed 165,042, up from 144,116 the previous year, with more than 80 per cent of the contracts being per‐ manent and there is no

Sales down UK grocery supplier Ocado has reported a slump in sales in the three months to the end of February 2022.

It believes that there are three main reasons, first‐ ly more people were returning to work and there‐ fore were not ordering so much for home delivery.

Secondly, ever‐increasing prices have made them consider their spend and thirdly because they were able to return to bars and restaurants as restrictions were eased, they were spending more outside of the house.

Although not dramatic, sales dropped 5.7 per cent to £574.7 million and the company is now reducing its annual growth sales forecast to around 10 per cent.

gender pay gap with three times more women than men employed.

BUSINESS EXTRA Sanctions ON March 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on the phone to his Spanish counter‐ part José Manuel Al‐ bares Bueno about the situation in Ukraine and made it clear that China does not support the in‐ vasion, nor should it be affected in any way by sanctions brought against Russia.

Inflation continues AT the same time as raising the base interest rate to 0.75 per cent on Thursday March 17, the Bank of England warned that due to the ongoing situation in the Ukraine and the rise in energy costs it expects inflation to jump to 8 per cent or more.

Primark online ALTHOUGH it has held out for years, the hugely popular low priced Pri‐ mark clothing store is to ‘bite the bullet’ and of‐ fer an online service due reportedly to a drop in sales during the pan‐ demic and aggressive marketing from Chinese competitor Shein.

24 - 30 March 2022

EWN 31

34 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 March 2022

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT “WHOEVER controls the media controls the mind,” observed 60s’ icon and The Doors’ front man Jim Morrison. He wasn’t alone in this observation of course.

Many, even William Shakespeare, have voiced similar sentiments. Malcom X once reflected: “The Media is the most powerful entity on earth; they can make the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent ‐ that’s power.”

These realities naturally haven’t escaped the leaders of both sides of this horrendous conflict in the Ukraine. Putin’s methods are painfully obvious; shut down all the media sources that disagree with the government ‐ job done. Ukraine’s approach has been a touch more subtle.

Of course, when your country is being destroyed by a monstrous regime and the bodies of innocent civilians litter the streets, the truth is there for all to witness.

That said, President Zelensky’s showbiz acumen is standing him in good stead. His simple green t‐shirt, which he wears for all his interviews and TV appearances, is no accident and has subsequently become an iconic symbol of his country’s struggle with Russian oppression. The picture of a citizen

Media punching the front of a tank convoy has been widely distributed around the world.

What I am not trying to do here is undermine the pure horror and horrendous criminal actions of the monster that is Putin or the tragic suffering of the Ukrainian people. What I am endeavouring to do is show how very important it is for the media to report all events in an unbiased and truthful way.

This is actually why the press hated Donald Trump. By his use of direct social media, he cut out these middle men and, to their absolute chagrin, virtually castrated their power of public manipulation in one fell swoop.

What is glaringly omitted from the reports of the West’s media are the true reasons Putin felt threatened by the Ukraine. There are in fact quite a number.

The country is highly disposed to far right extremism. Its neo‐Nazi leanings have been well chronicled and if you looked closely at a recently released picture of a female Ukrainian soldier, which was quickly taken down, you would have

clearly seen the Nazi Black Sun symbol on the front of her uniform.

Large numbers of their citizens belong to these fascist groups and they are highly trained, which is why they are doing such a remarkable job holding off the might of the Russian army. These groups pose a very real threat to all defenders of human rights, LGBT activists and left‐wing feminists. They are also anti‐sematic white supremacists. Putin is indisputably correct.

Living next door to one of Europe’s largest armies, with all its Nazi ideology, should indeed give him cause for concern, particularly if they are allowed to join NATO. His method of dealing with it is of course unacceptable.

Keep the faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com.

Expatradioscotland.com Monday‐Friday, 1pm to 4pm.

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

Bad Vegan documentary THE four‐part documen‐ tary series Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives on Netflix follows the criminal case of Sarma Melngailis, co‐founder of celebrity‐ favourite restaurant Pure Food and Wine and the ‘it’ girl of New York’s early 2000s vegan food scene.

This series has a minus‐ cule 28 per cent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, however, I think it deserves much higher than this.

Vegan superchef Sarma Melngailis opened her pop‐ ular NY restaurant Pure Food and Wine before meeting a man online who promised, through a bizarre sequence of gaslighting and brainwashing, to make her beloved dog Leon immor‐ tal. Very similar to Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, Sarma and her mother end up handing over millions of dollars to Anthony Strangis, aka Shane Fox, who called himself a black ops special‐ ist.

The story is told by Sarma herself and her former

members of staff, and we hear first‐hand how Strangis made her believe he was part of some sort of alternate spiritual world where ethereal beings are watching their every move and can somehow make Sarma’s dog immortal ‐ leading to the couple disap‐ pearing on the run for months.

We find that Sarma isn’t Strangis’ only victim and that he previously attempt‐ ed to convince his ex‐wife to poison their child with salt. Told in her own words, his ex‐wife is startling proof that Sarma hadn’t gone completely mad in believing Strangis and also highlights how it can be so easy for abusers to hide their mo‐ tives and convince others.

The story is a frightening look at manipulation, brain‐ washing and psychological abuse. Sarma is a likeable person whose staff adored her until she met Stringis and lost her sense of self and ultimately her success‐ ful business.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 March 2022

EWN 35

OUR PASSION FOR PETS DURING THE PANDEMIC nonverbal cues, which doesn’t indicate word recognition, let alone comprehen‐ sion. But what about guide dogs?

Guide dog assessment is first done at six or seven weeks based on character traits.

Then they go through first level training for about 15 months with a foster family before being assessed if they meet guide dog character and fitness requirements which are VERY tough. Finally, there’s a minimum of 20 standard commands they must master.

How about a dog for PM? There’s no competition from any party. They’d win best in show, paws down!

NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

AFTER another week of unremittingly grim news, here’s something a bit lighter: dogs have learnt to respond to human verbal and nonverbal cues and under‐ stand 200+ words and phrases. A fact doubtless of particular interest to all new dog owners during the pandemic.

Well, my dog has a vocabulary of 200+ words, responding to ‘walk’ ‘walk’ ‘walk’ even when said in 200 different ways each time. (There are expats who, after decades of living in their chosen country, understand fewer than 200 words of its language!). When she wouldn’t stop fol‐ lowing me around the house if she heard the word ‘walk’, I started spelling it in‐ stead. She then learnt to spell (she’s al‐ ready an expert at lip reading).

I’ve resorted to Spanish or French. But I think she cottoned on to the intonation so I now say ‘perambulation’. She hasn’t cot‐ Nora Johnson’s opinions

UNDERSTANDING: How about a dog for PM - there’s no competition from any party.

Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Be‐ trayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Ap‐ ple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer chari‐ ty.

toned on to that yet...

Now, it’s all very well to talk about dogs And of course, all dogs can count. Just and intelligence, but my cat, bless him, can try taking three biscuits from the tin and understand several languages and to show only giving them two. In fact, my dog can his superiority chooses not to engage with solve quadratic equations though her any of them. But have you ever seen a cat To read more articles from our columnists spelling is admittedly poor. I blame the sniffer, cat for the blind or police cat van? and to have your say in the comments go state of our modern education system. Or Critics claim dogs are simply ‘respond‐ to www.euroweeklynews.com Brexit. ing’ to their owner’s tone of voice and are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

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FEATURE

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CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD AS I have mentioned be‐ fore, I have a hard time understanding why a group of people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in and push to try to make the world a better place for the people in it, are la‐ belled as overly sensi‐ tive and weak.

While I know that the reason it is done by peo‐ ple holding the power is to keep the ones asking the questions in their place, why the ordinary person on the street parrots the same rhetoric is something I have a harder time with.

As times change and the world evolves, lots of the forward move‐ ment is for the better.

As people learn more about themselves and others, the momentum moves to create under‐ standing and empathy, but only if people let it and let down their guard.

For the large majority of our existence on this

24 - 30 March 2022

Change starts now planet, ignorance of the world as a whole was in‐ evitable. There were on‐ ly so many ways that communications could be made outside of peo‐ ple’s own small spheres, and that varied informa‐ tion could be shared be‐ tween diverse sections of humanity. As knowl‐ edge becomes more and more widely available, ignorance is increasingly a choice and it is one a lot of people make.

Instead of opening up to things that may chal‐ lenge their opinion or view of the world, peo‐ ple shy away or stay stuck repeating past mistakes. Instead of hearing out something that may make them feel uncomfortable, but that will ultimately help them grow and improve everyone’s experience, they place their heads in the sand and hide away from new things. This is cowardly snowflake be‐ haviour. Standing up,

being willing to learn from others, and making your voice heard when you are fighting against a corrupt system is not.

I don’t think the new generation and the peo‐ ple who have accepted them and their causes are sensitive at all. I think they have been able to look at the infor‐ mation that is available to them, understood that this is a world and a system that is only made to benefit very few people at the cost of everyone else, and have decided that enough is enough.

A lot of what people have grown up with that has been normalised is actually toxic, trauma‐ tising, and perpetuates injustice.

The world is changing and people are pushing for a better experience.

As Wales brings in a smacking ban this week, there are already cries of “it never did me any

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.

harm” ringing through the halls. I beg to differ.

If people can in one breath condemn teach‐ ing children about their

bodily autonomy and then talk about allowing people to continue physically abusing their children in the next,

EWN 37

something has gone wrong somewhere. Just because you had to live through it doesn’t mean it should be carried on.

It should stop here be‐ cause we know better now, so we can do bet‐ ter, for all of us.

This sentiment goes for much more than just smacking.

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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.

EVERYONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAR… Dear Editor, Readers are aware of Vladimir Putin’s satanic genocide in the Ukraine and the people there have three options: 1) Fight to the death 2) Flee if possible 3) Surrender and be carted off to death camps in Siberia Russian people watch State Television and do not know the reality of the war, plus their sons are sent to die in the Ukraine, fighting courageous men defending their own country.

We in the west are doing the best we can, but are limited due to the risk of Nuclear War! God bless the Ukraine and their families.

Yours sincerely, Brian

Such kindness This week I was introduced via a friend here in Mallorca to another aspect of this terrible war. A guy from Romania called Ovi. Ovi has a job, a home, family and is just a normal guy, like most of us, doing normal daily things, just as we do.

Ovi is proof of the flip side of this war and of the kindness of humanity at its greatest. On Saturday he borrowed a friend’s minibus at 3am and drove six hours to the Moldova/ Ukraine border to collect our family fleeing Odessa, three generations of women, children and grandparents.

Once he had the family loaded into the minibus, he drove three hours to his

THE WAR: It is not the people’s fault and they do not deserve it.

uncle’s home where he took the family in. They received food, showers and a warm, safe place to stay for two nights.

Finally Ovi drove them two hours to the nearest airport where we had arranged flights to Barcelona and onwards to Mallorca.

All he asked was money for fuel!

Ovi is a hero, he doesn’t need a gun, he helps fellow humans, neighbours, people who have lost EVERYTHING, people he doesn’t even know. A true inspiration and someone that has touched the hearts of all the refugees he is helping and all of us in Mallorca. Ovi and his family are helping lots of families every week.

Ovi is not alone of course and whilst we sit comfortably in our dwellings on our calm, safe island we should remember the world has a lot of people like Ovi and maybe, just maybe we could all strive to be more like them!

LORRY DRIVERS’ STRIKE ONE effect of any perceived crisis such as the lorry drivers’ strike is people flocking to supermarkets to stock up with what they consider to be necessities.

There have been reports in Andalucia in particular of empty shelves and a lack of some items such as fresh fruit and even toilet paper.

There seems to have been a groundswell of support on social media for those drivers who are taking action, although using your lorry to travel at slow speeds whilst using precious and expensive diesel to complain about the cost of it does seem a little counter-productive.

The Spanish government has taken note however and met with the National Committee for Road Transport (CNTC) with the intention of reaching a deal to end the strike. It appears likely that some €500 million in support by way of a

CORRECTIONS

From our Facebook

Can you imagine that? A world that actually cares about neighbours, friends and even strangers from another country in desperate need.

God bless our new friend Ovi and all the people caring for the refugees who don’t deserve this war.

We will take our whole family into our home now too, until a longer term solution can be found, we just need to find people like Ovi here in Mallorca willing to help resettle the refugees and make them feel safe and welcome.

This war is not their fault, they did not deserve this and neither did any of the everyday people of Europe. None of them wanted to leave their homes and lives.

I’ve never met Ovi, I hope one day I shall. But for sure, I will never forget his kindness to my family.

Sincerely, Martin

OUR VIEW

discount on diesel for ‘professional drivers’ is on the table.

The only problem is that the CNTC does not appear to have any control over the striking drivers, so a deal between a government that won’t speak to the drivers and an organisation that doesn’t represent them is somewhat suspect.

Still, we can hope that things are resolved quickly so that our friends in the hospitality industry, which is vital to the economy, don’t find themselves unable to serve hungry and thirsty customers on top of their ever-increasing costs caused by inflation.

Meanwhile, consumers continue to get the short end of the stick as diesel prices won’t be cut for them and they still have to cope with dayto-day price increases in so many areas.

REFUGEES: Should people be paid to offer them a home?

Debi Pye I do think the Ukrainians need help, it’s just terrible what is happening to them. I also think something needs to be done about the homeless in the UK. I’m currently doing 50 miles in March for Shelter. It upsets me how many people in the UK who are homeless and get no help from the government.

Thank god for homeless charities and good hearted citizens.

Lynne Hayward Unfortunately most people inc pensioners barely have enough to live on themselves.

Joanna Æ May People can’t afford to live with everything going up, of course they will need funding and £350 is not a lot really considering the amount it would cost to put them in a hotel. I do have compassion for these people as they are genuinely fleeing from war.

Beathe Olsen Wright £350/m is far more economical than scrambling to find them accommodation elsewhere. I just think that doing this should state ‘person in need’ and include any homeless/war veteran/ other refugee.

Valerie Hatcher How can you give money to them when you didn’t give it to the Veterans.

Edward Leto Is the same offered to families taking in any homeless person/ family or is the offer just for taking in Ukrainians?

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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FEATURE

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EWN 43

Advertising Feature

Retrospective Licences are straightforward WHAT TO DO IF A NEIGHBOUR BLOCKS YOUR VIEWS WITH AN UNLICENSED EXTENSION AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOUR UNLICENSED EX‐ TENSION AGAINST THE OBJEC‐ TIONS OF YOUR NEIGHBOURS. Suddenly a block wall creeps up your boundary wall blocking your views, suddenly your relationship with your neighbour tenses. As the wall rises, the conflict raises, no way back.

What to do? It’s the town hall that cares about planning infrac‐ tions. So the first and only simple step is to go to the town hall and fill in a standard registration form with your name and NIE number instructing them to inspect the property in question.

The town hall technicians are en‐ forced by law to investigate, and if they find the building work unli‐ censed, they will start a fining pro‐ cedure against the owner.

Moreover, if the building work

UNLICENSED EXTENSION: The owners of the work will be fined.

doesn’t meet the necessary plan‐ ning standards, they will also file a demolition order, which will also be registered at the land registry.

For the above reason, as you can imagine, the existence of a fining process will dramatically impact the value of any property.

The cost of fines will vary be‐ tween town halls, size of the exten‐ sion, etc, but can easily be over €300‐€600 per sqm. (eg a fine for a 20sqm shed, can very easily reach €6,000‐€12.000).

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ating and can easily end up in a court case and demolition, so whenever denouncing, you are putting the owner in a lot of trou‐ ble.

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That being the case, the condi‐ tions to Obtain a Retrospective Li‐ cence for an extension built with‐ out a proper building licence are: ‐ In Murcia, to obtain a Retro‐ spective Licence the building work already done must be at least four years old. ‐ In Almeria, the building work needs to be over six years old. ‐ In Alicante, the building work needs to have been completed be‐ fore August 2010.

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Natural cosmetics CO S M E T I C products such as shampoos, soaps, creams and make‐up often contain numer‐ ous chemicals such as parabens, sulphates, ammonia and other substances that can have a harmful effect on our skin and the environment.

Natural cosmetics are an ideal solution to this because they bring us a wide range of benefits straight from nature. They con‐ serve all their active ingredients and are fully effective without any kind of chemical manipula‐ tion, nor do they contain any ir‐ ritating chemical preservatives, artificial perfumes or synthetic colouring. This means that they are ideal for those with sensitive skin, including children and pregnant women. Because of their gentle natural compo‐ nents, our skin tolerates them perfectly. They cause no side ef‐ fects, irritation or allergies. If you make the switch, your skin will thank you.

It is also important to do our part for the environment. Natu‐ ral cosmetics are made using en‐

NATURAL PRODUCTS: An ideal solution as they bring a wide range of benefits.

vironmentally‐friendly ingredi‐ ents, do not contain pollutants and are packaged in recyclable materials. They are cruelty‐free, meaning that they have not been tested on animals.

Purchasing natural and toxin‐ free cosmetics is key to dealing with the mistreatment of the thousands of animals that have to suffer in laboratories for the

testing of traditional cosmetic products. Doing our bit to pre‐ vent animal experimentation costs very little.

We should get used to check‐ ing the packaging of the prod‐ ucts we buy and try to become more aware of what our cosmet‐ ics contain. We should look out for seals that certify the natural origin of the ingredients.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Spring allergies SPRING is finally here. For many people, this does not just mean better weather and longer days, but pollen allergies that can signifi‐ cantly affect their day‐to‐ day lives. Symptoms may include a runny nose, con‐ stant sneezing, itchy eyes and wheezing.

Luckily, there are several tips and tricks that can help to reduce the unpleasant symptoms of allergies.

Here are a few of them: 1) Identify the type of pollen that is affecting you so that you can try and avoid it. There are as many types of pollen as there are plants.

2) Watch what you eat.

Some foods have an effect on pollen allergy sufferers.

For example, an allergy to birch pollen is associated with raw apples, peaches, pears and cherries.

3) Drink plenty of water.

It is essential to stay well‐ hydrated as you are con‐ stantly losing fluids.

Different pollen types.

4) Be aware of the times when the pollen count is highest and ventilate the house when it is lower, usually just before dawn or in the late afternoon.

5) There are some plants that can help to purify the air and remove pollutants.

If you are not allergic, you can buy areca palms, ferns, date palms, ivy, peace lilies, spider plants and dracae‐ nas.

6) Use a mask outdoors.

Take a shower when you get home and avoid rub‐ bing your eyes, as there may be pollen on your eye‐ lashes and eyebrows.

Sunflower oil alternatives T H E consequences of the current war in Ukraine are be‐ ing felt in the rest of Europe.

One such c o n s e ‐ quence is the in‐ creased price and lim‐ ited supply of sunflower oil, which has already led many people to look for alternatives.

How healthy a particular type of oil is can be determined by the type of fats it contains (saturated or un‐ saturated) and its smoke point, the temperature at which it starts to ox‐ idise and release harmful com‐ pounds.

Unsaturated fats are generally preferable to saturated fats, al‐ though more recent scientific evi‐ dence has begun to indicate that not all saturated fats are so harmful to health. The smoke point determines what each type of oil should be used for, as some oils may not be a prob‐ lem when used raw, but are not rec‐ ommended for frying.

How healthy is the oil that you use?

Olive oil, especial‐ ly extra virgin olive oil, is considered to be the healthi‐ est oil. It is mainly composed of mo‐ nounsaturated fats, which are good for the heart. However, its smoke point is relatively low, so it is best reserved for dishes that do not re‐ quire too much heat. Other oils rich in unsaturated fats are peanut oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil and organic soy oil.

Coconut oil is somewhat contro‐ versial. It is very high in saturated fats, but according to some studies, it may not have as negative an im‐ pact on health as previously thought. However, moderation is advised. Oils to be avoided include vegetable oil, margarine, corn oil, hydrogenated soybean oil and but‐ ter.

HEALTH & BEAUTY CO F F E E not only tastes great, but it also has many health benefits. While some of the benefits are due to caffeine, coffee contains many other nu‐ trients and components, which means that decaf‐ feinated coffee also has some remarkable bene‐ fits.

ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT Black coffee is rich in antioxidants, especially polyphenols, such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and coumaric acid, which pro‐ tect cells from the action of free radicals.

ACTIVATING THE MIND Caffeine is the compo‐ nent of coffee that stimu‐ lates and activates us.

Caffeine increases perfor‐ mance and concentration, energises us and improves cognitive functions such as memory.

OPTIMAL FOR ATHLETES A cup of coffee can im‐ prove athletic perfor‐ mance and has been shown to increase strength and endurance when drunk before a

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Black coffee

BENEFITS: Coffee can help to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

workout. Caffeine also helps to oxygenate the blood, which helps to im‐ prove circulation during physical activity.

FAT BURNING Caffeine accelerates ther‐ mogenesis, a metabolic process that helps the body burn more fat. It is also op‐ timal for preventing fluid retention.

PROTECTS AGAINST SE‐ RIOUS DISEASES One of the many bene‐ fits of coffee is that it helps to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, in‐ cluding liver, colorectal, skin and prostate cancer.

It has also been associat‐ ed with preventing cirrho‐ sis, heart disease, type‐2 diabetes and degenera‐

tive diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

RELIEVES HEADACHES Caffeine can help to control a migraine at‐ tack, but only in small quantities. This is due to its vasodilatory proper‐ ties, which help to com‐ bat headaches and in‐ crease the effect of painkillers.

EWN 45

46 EWN

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DAVID WORBOYS THINKING ALOUD OVER the years, there have been hundreds of best‐selling publications exhorting us to discover our best po‐ tential and inner strength through self‐examination.

The influence of these classic works has resulted in an increasing recogni‐ tion of life’s opportunities and our place in the universe. Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to win Friends and influence People’ of 1936, Napoleon Hill (‘Think and Grow Rich’, 1937), Norman Vin‐ cent Peale (‘The Power of Positive Thinking’, 1952) and Eckhart Tolle (‘The Power of Now’, 1997) have all shown us the way to achieve differ‐ ent interpretations of success.

Carnegie shows us how to relate to our fellow beings for the greater good of all of us. “A stranger is a friend you have not got to know yet.” Hill focus‐ es on achieving material wealth and, along with it, a richness in character.

Whereas Peale demonstrates that the way we think and believe deter‐ mines our achievements, Tolle ex‐ plains how we miss the point of our

FEATURE

SELF-ADVANCEMENT

Have they read ‘How to win friends and influence people’?

existence (the present moment) by dwelling in excessive reflection on the past and worrying about the future.

They are all saying we can call on our minds to believe we can achieve anything. The mind controls the body and its immune system. Self‐belief enables us to overcome illnesses, set‐ backs, grief and remorse.

We are encouraged to love and believe in ourselves as we nurture our bodies, minds and spirits. But self‐

love means being grateful for who we are; it does not mean regarding ourselves as superior to other people.

We are, after all, connected to all oth‐ er beings as individual parts of the universal energy.

We are all incarnated here for a maximum of 120 years, temporary custodians of all we possess and of all our knowledge, experiences and rela‐ tionships. All this will evaporate when the Grim Reaper calls time. Eventual‐

ly, the human body (our temporary encasement), will quickly succumb to the flames or the worms and will eventually cease to exist. But energy is indestructible.

In meditation we can feel the ener‐ gy within our inner body and through it we can sense how our spirit will sur‐ vive beyond mortality. This is very comforting.

In the past I have witnessed two very odd forms of parental incentivi‐

sation. Many years ago, in a crowded shopping centre, a mother was heard screaming at her eight‐year‐old son “I told you to come here, you stupid bastard!”

What kind of a self‐image is she hoping to cultivate in this young lad?

And what does it say about her own past moral standards? More recently, I heard another woman, in a pub, conscious of her son’s need for re‐ fined table manners, advising him to “wipe your mouth, you grubby little bugger.” Hmmm!

Most of those of us who seek im‐ provement need motivation, whether through books, yoga, Tai‐ Chi, religion or role models. Children, especially, need positive guidance and encouragement to become the best they can be. The future is in their hands.

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

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

FEATURE

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SUZANNE MANNERS THERE is nothing so exasperating as being told how to do something by someone with less experience than yourself. Male or female, young or old, but mostly male (this is not an equal opportunity rant). Once or 20 times I have listened to a male col‐ league explain to me how to correctly apply an initiative I myself have intro‐ duced into the workplace or talk me through a process I can follow fast asleep and with both hands full (wine glass and chocolate of course).

Mansplaining is a symptom of a con‐ trolling personality along with a sense of entitlement , an over inflated sense of self worth and deafness to other opinions. Manspreading on the other hand is just down right rude and an‐ noying. Whenever I see a man sitting wide legged on a bus or train en‐ croaching on the seat adjacent I want to batter them with an umbrella. Even worse are those fellows who sit with one ankle resting on the other thigh showing their next seat neighbour the sole of a dirty shoe (and don’t get me

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EWN 47

Explaining Mansplaining

HENRY VIII: A large man puffed with pride.

started on teenagers on buses with their feet on the seats). Taking up space in the world has been the abso‐ lute right of men for centuries,spurred on by evolution. Look at the size of a peacock’s feathers! While women shrink into themselves, sit demurely on half a seat, arms in, legs shut tight (and above the age of 50 just disappear), men will fill the space they inhabit with little regard for anyone else (exactly like a cat).

Take Henry VIII (“Please take him!” uttered Christina of Denmark who wished nothing more than to keep her‐ self and her head in Denmark). Holbein painted him as a large man puffed with pride, legs wide apart as if straddling the world, thrusting his bejewelled codpiece into the eye of the beholder.

His unfortunate wives had to suffer hours of mansplaining from the tyran‐ nical monarch who believed himself expert in all things political.

Today when reviewing the horrors in the world (past and present) and the extremes to which manspreading can evolve if left unchecked. Men who

mourn the past and whose dearest wish is to be viewed with the same fear as dictators and kings. Puffed up and prideful with their over inflated sense of entitlement, desirous of strad‐ dling the world. Nothing more than frustrated tyrants.

It may be a simplistic point of view but I believe that behind the bombast and the rhetoric are spoiled, self ob‐ sessed little boys who have never been told to “shut up and share.”

History is littered with the ashes cre‐ ated by the lengths to which men will go to puff up and increase the space they take up in the world. Man the pumps make me bigger and scarier and just a little bit ridiculous… like the thrusting codpiece of old, the tiny black moustache and death’s head in‐ signia, jack boot and red badge little bunched up fists crying “Me, me, me.”

This is why equality is so important.

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

Suzanne Manners’ opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

48 EWN

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FEATURE

GO LOCAL THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to support local businesses 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 inde‐ pendent businesses in your area.

Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities

what they are. They add unique character. They are convenient. And they offer excellent produce from known suppliers. The joy of shopping locally means that independent businesses can support the local communi‐ ty. You may find something a euro or two cheaper on‐ line but have you consid‐ ered where your money is actually going?

By shopping locally you’re putting food on a local fami‐ ly’s table and there is noth‐

ing better than giving back to the communi‐ ties that have given us so much.

Local stores support charities and they BUY LOCAL: By shopping locally, sponsor lo‐ independent businesses can help support cal sports the local community. teams. In many cases, they are much your support. Spending your more than just a business, money locally will make a they’re a legacy. They may real difference to the local have supported generations economy. Local businesses of the same family. Likewise, recirculate a greater share brand new local stores and of every euro they receive at bars may help the genera‐ local level. They create local‐ tions of the future fulfil their ly owned supply chains and dreams and ambitions. they invest in their employ‐ Remember, your local ees. store is going up against multinationals and chains.

So remember.

They can’t win that battle on When you go shopping ‐ their own. So give them go local!

50 EWN

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Travel Feature

Discover Benidorm

BIG ON QUALITY LOW ON PRICE

O N C E a small fishing village, Benidorm is now one of the most popular all-year-round destinations for Spanish and foreign holidaymakers.

Benidorm has plenty of hours of daily sunshine and rainy days are few and far between, making it the perfect destination for any time of year with plenty of things to do for single people, couples, families and retirees.

Whether you are looking to get involved in the local Spanish culture, make friends with fellow expats, relax on the beautiful Mediterranean beaches or bring out your adventurous side in one of the warmest areas in Spain, there’s something for everyone!

Catch a show at Benidorm Palace, wander through the beautiful and historic E l C asco A ntiguo de Benidorm, soak up the sun on one of the stunning beaches, try the incredible variety of cuisines in Benidorm’s many restaurants or spend a hot summer’s day at Aqualandia Water Park - the list is endless.

The perfect destination for any time of year.

With the huge range of accommodation and hotels in Benidorm, you are sure to find the perfect place to stay, from family orientated hotels with plenty of activities for the children, couple and adult only luxurious hotels, somewhere close to all of the local amenities and shops or an all inclusive hotel to relax by the pool with a sangria.

Benidorm is also incredibly easy to get to from the closest airport which is Alicante Airport. From there, you can catch a direct bus to the centre of Benidorm in less than an hour!

SOCIAL SCENE

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Charity dog walk THE Sociedad Protectora para Animales de Torrevieja (SAT) is having its next charity walk on Sunday, March 27, at 10.30am.

The walk will start and finish at El Rancho, Los Montesinos, where refreshments will be available for the owners and biscuits for the dogs. Tickets cost €5, with all proceeds going towards the animal refuge.

More information can be found at www.satanimalres cue.com.

SAT is a multi‐national organi‐ sation and registered charity that works to alleviate the local stray dog problem. Its kennels at Dolores can house up to 70 dogs, and their aim is to prevent

Helping abandoned dogs.

unnecessary suffering and re‐ home the many abandoned dogs within the Costa Blanca area.

They have a huge number of volunteers who do all sorts of things, but more help is always welcome, particularly at their shop at Guardamar, at the Sun‐

THE Tataki restaurant in Los Alcázares will be hosting a fun general knowledge quiz, run by the inimitable John Bonner, on Monday, March 28. Meet at 2.30pm for a delicious vegetable or chicken curry to feed those brain cells and be ready to take on the quiz at around 4.00pm. John has some additional fun stuff planned too. The quiz will be raising money for the Cruz Azul, a local charity that exists to provide veterinary care for the sick

day sales at San Luis and San Miguel and at fundraising events. As these are their only sources of income, this side of SAT is extremely important.

Those interested should contact the kennels on 966 710 047.

Quiz & Curry and injured pets of people in need and to promote responsible pet ownership.

The ticket price of €10 per person in‐ cludes curry with rice or chips and a choice of beer, wine or soft drink. Places are limited and people are asked to book in advance at info@cruzazulmur cia.com.

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EWN 51

All Aloud concert ON Friday, April 8, the Albox‐based community choir All Aloud will be holding a charity concert in aid of the refugee crisis caused by the Rus‐ sian invasion of Ukraine. The concert will take place between 12 noon and 1pm at Amigos Market in Albox.

All Aloud were slowly coming out of a two‐year Covid‐induced hiber‐ nation period and looking forward to starting to sing together again when they were asked to perform at Amigos Market as part of a Charity Fair to be held in support of the vic‐ tims of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. All Aloud agreed immedi‐ ately. The Charity Fair will be held at the market between 9am and 2pm on April 8, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross in Ukraine.

The group is ably led by Donna

RAISING FUNDS: With a charity fair.

Walker, who is putting together the programme for the concert. There will be a wide variety of musical genres that should appeal to all tastes, and there will also be an op‐ portunity to sing along to some numbers for those who wish to do so.

PETS

52

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Getting out and about? Planning a trip or two?

IT’S been rather quiet for us for a year or so, but many peo‐ ple are beginning to make plans again for travel. Are you?

If you are planning a trip lat‐ er this year register now to find pet‐sitters. Even if it’s just a short trip, you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Young and senior pets in particular benefit from staying in their own home, so they can follow their routines undis‐ turbed. Let us help.

Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sit‐ ters, whether your trips are al‐ ready in the diary or a firm idea. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philoso‐ phy is that we are all in this to‐ gether. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeown‐

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To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com IF you have a cat you will know that they simply hate to be bathed. Any attempt to do so might lead to a real cat fight at home. This leads any cat owner to the question of how to clean your dirty mug‐ gins after a night out on the prowl.

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

Avoiding cat fights more than four hours a day licking and preening every cor‐ ner of their fur to remove dirt and entangled hair.

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

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

This way, your cat can actually come to enjoy this interaction.

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

Advertising Feature

Springtime dangers for dogs SPRING arrives and many plants bloom and the high season for mosquitoes, fleas and ticks re‐ turns. Just like peo‐ ple, pets can have Dogs enjoy nosing around. indoor and outdoor allergies that are ex‐ acerbated by the spring weather. Pollen, grass, flowers and weeds can increase and allergy symptoms may ap‐ pear. Plant spikes can penetrate natural openings such as ears and noses causing serious problems.

With the return to activity of fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, care must be taken with diseases transmit‐ ted by them such as Ehrlichiasis and Leishmaniosis and al‐ so flea allergy dermatitis. It is important to use insecti‐ cides and repellents. Plants such as tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils can cause vomiting, diarrhea, arrhythmia, respi‐ ratory difficulties and inflammation of the skin and mu‐ cous membranes.

Dogs and cats can get stung by wasps or bees during the spring and summer when they enjoy nosing around flowers in the garden or chasing flying insects.

In Costa Blanca Sur: www.resonanciaveterinaria.es Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante C/Los Arcos 23 Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Tel: 609 779 109

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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)

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

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462)

BUILDER, ARCHITECT, NEW HOUSES, EXTENSIONS, PLANNING PERMISSIONS, 697 834 934 (295169)

CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com (10006)

ARCHITECTS

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

CARS FOR SALE

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)

CARE home in Torrevieja,family run,reasonable rates.Carers available for your home. 697 834 934 (294568)

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; Span-

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11:00am. All nationalities 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

CHARITY

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 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.orihuela costarbl.co.uk. (95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch.

For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.sec retary@rbl.community

CLASSIFIEDS

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)

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

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@hotmai .com, website: torreviejas trokesupport.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.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)

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

LAWYER/SOLICITORS 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.sosinsuranceinspain. com or email tracey@sosin suranceinspain.com (294938)

INSURANCE

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) 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)

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)

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.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote.

(295006)

TESTIMONIALS

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)

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

60 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

24 - 30 March 2022

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

MOTORING

NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE, VHF/DSC-Radio or Radar Courses held in English individual or small groups starts soon. 626 245 098 (295374)

PERGOLAS TAILOR-MADE in durable canvas, pergola covers cushions, sails, car port, umbrella, spa and CAR COVERS. Mazarron based, and delivery to Costa Blanca. Also online and mail ordering 667 879 399 krugercanopies@yahoo.co.uk (291448)

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

JAGUAR XK8 CABRIOLET 1998, 4L, RHD. Red. Cream Leather interior. Excellent condition. ITV August. €9,500.

609 931 647 (295519)

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, deflead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709)

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 952 147 834.

(200726)

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)

FOR SALE

MUSIC TUITION PIANO, Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (294805)

SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area.

500 animals awaiting rehoming. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at w w w . s p a m a safor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)

PLUMBERS

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

WANTED

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

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

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs.

No call out charge. 698 320 434 (287514)

EXPERIENCE the best with a 1hr unique massage with Veronica. Shaving or permanent hair removal available.

For appointments call 679 292 678 (294870)

POOL MAINTENANCE

SPANISH lady - classic.

Playa Flamenca, private house, 40 years, attractive.

All erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie. From €40. Ana 657 603 495 (294852)

POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltech spain.com (287790)

PROPERTY FOR RENT RENT Long Term. Playa Flamenca. Ground floor with garden. 2 bedrooms. 1 bath.

Comunity pool. Parking. carobrlo@yahoo.es (294118)

REMOVALS

XXX RELAXATION 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.

SITUATIONS VACANT

SPAS & JACUZZI

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

INSURANCE TESTIMONIALS

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)

CLASSIFIEDS XXX MALE 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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61 EWN

24 - 30 March 2022

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack WITH so much integration of plat‐ forms carmakers are increasingly looking at differentiating their products from the competition, and within large groups like Volk‐ swagen Audi it is arguably even more important. SEAT has pro‐ gressed this idea with the Cupra range. Originally Cupra were the sports orientated models within the SEAT line‐up but the name is now a brand in its own right, hav‐ ing dropped the SEAT name, with a complete Cupra range.

While some are very obvi‐ ously SEAT models the Spanish carmaker has produced one model that doesn’t exist with‐ in its sister brand. The For‐ mentor! It’s attached to a rather splendid car, and de‐ spite the fact that even the largest engine in the range is on‐ ly 2.0‐litres it sounds fantastic on start‐up. Although this is ‘manufac‐ tured’ sound it does add to the ap‐ peal and make it feel something special. With a top power output of 305 bhp the performance lives up to the soundtrack.

Prices start from €34,426 (£28,895) and much of the kit in the top‐of‐the‐line versions finds

www.euroweeklynews.com

Cupra Formentor Premium Performance

Facts at a Glance Model: CUPRA Formentor 2.0 TSI VZ3 310PS 4Drive DSG Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol Gears: 7-speed automatic with all-wheel-drive Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) Petrol 4.9 secs Maximum Speed Petrol 249 kph (155 mph) Economy: Petrol 8.6 l/100km (32.8 mpg) WLTP Emissions: 193 g/km WLTP Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

An impressive machine.

its way into the lead‐in models too.

There’s a 12” touchscreen, full LED lighting, auto‐dimming rear view mirror, cornering lights, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control and keyless entry and start.

The engine line‐up starts with a 1.5 TSi, 147 bhp, through to the

MOTORING

2.0‐litre 305 bhp mentioned earli‐ er. There are manual and auto‐ matic transmission choices, all‐ wheel‐drive and petrol/electric hybrids. As ever, especially with VAG products, there is rather too much digitalisation, and a conse‐ quent lack of buttons, but familiar‐ ity would over time make life easi‐ er. That apart it’s a very nice place to be with, in my top line model, extremely comfortable seats and an impressive build quality and the general feel of this being an up‐ market car.

At €52,691 (£44,225) it may seem expensive, but look at some of the rivals and it be‐ gins to look competitive. De‐ spite the lack of a premium badge it has the advantage of being something different to the usual premium crowd.

On the road it handles extremely well for such a large machine, with sports suspen‐ sion and four‐wheel‐drive that’s perhaps not surprising, and the ride is comfortably firm compared to similar sports models within the VAG stable.

This is an impressive machine and for my money the pick of the Cupra range, being a very individu‐ al model rather than a bespoke, or tailored, picked straight from the pages of the SEAT catalogue.

MOTORING

www.euroweeklynews.com

ON Monday, March 21, Spain’s new Traffic Laws came into force. The Directorate‐General for Traffic (DGT), will be imple‐ menting this whole range of new, and modified, laws relat‐ ing to the general use of roads in the country. The new Law on Traffic, Circulation of Motor Ve‐ hicles and Road Safety, applies to all road users, including those riding scooters or bicycles.

Here is a brief description of the new laws, and the penalties they will incur: Mobile phone For using, or even holding mobile phone devices while driving, six points will be deduct‐ ed, instead of the current three.

The financial penalty remains at €200.

Safety belts and child seats This includes other mandato‐ ry protection elements, such as the helmet. The loss of points in‐ creases from three to four for not using them, but, in addition, not using them properly is now included. Fine remains un‐ changed at €200.

Cyclists and mopeds It will be mandatory to change lanes when overtaking cyclists or mopeds when travel‐ ling on roads with more than

24 - 30 March 2022

New traffic laws in force one lane in each direction. On single‐lane roads, you must maintain the minimum lateral separation of 1.5 metres, or you will lose six points (previously it was four). The fine will continue to be €200. Stopping, or parking in a bike lane, or on cycle paths, is also prohibited. Failure to comply is considered a serious violation.

Throwing objects on the road Any object thrown onto the road, or its surroundings, that could cause an accident or fire, will see six points deducted in‐ stead of the current four. This is considered a serious offence, and carries a penalty of €500.

Recovering lost points A period of two years must pass without committing fur‐ ther infractions to recover the initial balance of points. Until now, this period varied depend‐ ing on the seriousness of the of‐ fence committed.

Safe driving courses Additional training is encour‐ aged, because, with the new law, two points will be awarded

by the DGT to a driver who completes a safe and efficient driving course. The require‐ ments of these courses and the procedure will be regulated in a Ministerial order.

Youths, alcohol and drugs The legal level of alcohol in blood, or in expired air, will be zero for underage drivers of any type of vehicle (mopeds, micro‐ cars ‐AM permit‐, motorcycles up to 125 cc (A1), bicycles and personal mobility vehicles, which include scooters). Similar‐ ly, circulating under the influ‐ ence of drugs is prohibited.

Breathalyser unit These will be mandatory for road passenger transport vehi‐ cles that are registered after July 6, 2022. The law requires an in‐ terface to be installed so that an Alcoholock device can be in‐ stalled later. As of that date, new homologated cars will have to include 10 driving assis‐ tance systems.

Overtaking Passenger cars and motorcy‐ cles are prohibited from exceed‐ ing the speed limits on conven‐

tional roads by 20 km/h when overtaking. This change has gen‐ erated a lot of controversy be‐ cause there are many detrac‐ tors due to the added risk that it may entail.

Radar detectors

Radar detectors and in‐ hibitors are expressly prohibit‐ ed, clearly distinguishing them from warning devices. Carrying them in the vehicle ‐ even if they are not used ‐ will incur a penal‐ ty of €200, and a loss of three

EWN 62

points. Many other actions are incorporated in the new DGT Traffic Law. For example, not re‐ specting traffic restrictions when protocols are applied in the event of pollution episodes and low emission zones (ZBEs will be mandatory in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabi‐ tants from 2023). This incurs a €200 fine.

SPORT

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to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

WALKING FOOTBALL COSTA BLANCA Footballers lose

NOT a good week for Walking Football with the weather tak‐ ing toll on the Hondon Valley v Pinoso CBWFL match which was disappointing for the Fly‐ ers who hoped to close the lead on league leaders Porto‐ bello.

Hondon will have another opportunity to whittle down the ‘Portos’ lead when they travel to play Moraira who have their own agenda to stay in touch with the leaders. This should be an interesting en‐ counter and takes place on Fri‐ day March 25.

Esquina Park Rangers Over 60s had their first competitive match when they took on San Fulgencio who made the short trip to provide the opposition.

Nerves got the better of EPR from the kick off and the visi‐ tors took advantage taking the lead in the sixth minute.

As the game progressed the home side began to take con‐ trol and equalised with a fine solo goal. Spurred on, EPR’s Swedish star put them in front 2‐1 in 13 minutes. EPR now

STARS: Invested in a firm offering luxury properties.

SHELL SHOCKED: Esquina Park Rangers Over 60s played their first competitive match.

San Fulgencio were the winners in the end, 5-4. well in control, surged into a 4‐ 1 lead. Game over...

Not so... San Fulgencio stepped up a gear using their subs to advantage and soon made it 4‐2.

EPR were losing their rhythm and the visitors stepped up theirs pulling back to 4‐3 then taking ad‐ vantage of a penalty box in‐ fraction to convert a penalty

to level the scores.

And the visitors were not content with the draw and broke through EPR’s defence with 20 seconds to go to give San Fulgencio a deserved 5‐4 win leaving the EPR over 60s shell shocked.

The game however was an excellent advert for Walking Football.

On March 23 Formentera entertained Fortuna in a friendly. Report in next week’s Euro Weekly News..... Support‐ ers of Walking Football. Make sure you get your copy!

WAYNE ROONEY, Rio Ferdinand and other high‐profile stars have lost £25 million worth of investments after a property fraud case was dropped.

Ferdinand and Rooney had invested in the Notting‐ hamshire‐based firm Kingsbridge Asset Management. The firm ceased trading in 2010. Investments offered by the firm included luxury properties based in Marbella and Flori‐ da.

The police have now closed the case into the firm after it found insufficient evidence to prove fraud.

Gavin Tyrrell, City of London Police Director of Fraud In‐ vestigation Standards, said: “We conducted a two‐year in‐ vestigation into allegations of fraud against a number of employees of Kingsbridge Asset Management.

“There was insufficient evidence to meet the require‐ ments for a successful criminal prosecution. This view was supported by the Crown Prosecution Service,” he added on Tuesday March 15.