Euro Weekly News - Axarquia 31 March - 6 April 2022 Issue 1917

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 14 - 17 Issue No. 1917 31 March - 6 April 2022

Earth Hour FROM 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, March 26, the town council of Rincon de la Victoria switched off the lights of the façade of the town hall building, the fountain in Plaza Al‐ Andalus and the two Almenara Towers as part of the global Earth Hour campaign that is organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) every year.

The mayor of Rin‐ con, Francisco Sala‐ do, invited all citizens to “show solidarity with nature” by join‐ ing in the initiative and turning off non‐ essential electric lights. The town hall promoted the day us‐ ing the slogans #MuévetePorElPlane ta and #HoraDelPlan eta.

This year, the con‐ cept of One Health, which unites human health, animal health and environmental health, is particularly relevant, as after the pandemic it is be‐ coming increasingly evident that we can only live as healthy human beings on a planet that is also healthy.

Councillor for Envi‐ ronmental Sustain‐ ability, Borja Ortiz, said: “Our depart‐ ment is continuing to work on initiatives to promote awareness in favour of a healthy and sustainable envi‐ ronment.”

AXARQUIA - COSTA TROPICAL • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

CALLISTHENICS CUP RETURNS

FREE • GRATIS

Nordic travel agents visit Almuñecar A GROUP of 13 travel agents from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland have visited Almuñe‐ car and La Herradura and have shown significant in‐ terest in the tourist attractions offered by the area.

The visit was organised by the Department of Tourism of the Junta de Andalucia through Turismo Andaluz as part of a tour of the autonomous com‐ munity.

The Nordic professionals visited the old town and other emblematic places in the municipality of Al‐ muñecar. They also visited the agro‐tourism farm of San Ramon, where they tasted the subtropical fruits.

The Almuñecar and La Herradura Board of Tourism provided them with a range of informative and promotional materials to take away from their visit.

Deputy mayor for Tourism and Beaches, Daniel Barbero, praised the commitment of Turismo An‐ daluz to the municipality and stressed the signifi‐ cance of the visit and “the impressions and sensa‐ tions they take back to their countries after having discovered our heritage, our water sports and the quality of our beaches and marine biodiversity.”

CUP EVENT: Will take place on the beach of La Cala del Moral.

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA is set to host the final qual‐ ifying round of the second Provincial Callisthenics Cup organised by the Malaga Provincial Council.

The event will take place on May 14 at the callis‐ thenics park on the beach of La Cala del Moral.

Councillor for Sports, Antonio Jose Martin, said that the participants will compete in freestyle and endurance. “Also, over the course of the day there will be activities to pro‐ mote the sport of callis‐ thenics through work‐ shops and challenges for the public,” he added.

Mayor of Rincon, Fran‐ cisco Salado, highlighted the significance of hosting such a sporting event and of “promoting this out‐ door practice which, in the case of Rincon de la Victo‐ ria, can be enjoyed all year round thanks to our ex‐ traordinary weather.”

Participants must be over 14 or turning 14 in 2022. Underage athletes between 14 and 17 years of age must have authori‐ sation from their legal guardians in order to par‐ ticipate.

The day’s activities will begin at 9.30am and the prizes will be given at

2.30pm. The first qualify‐ ing round took place in Al‐ haurin el Grande and there will be others in Ante‐ quera, Marbella and Pizarra, before the one in Rincon. The final will take place on June 5 in Fuen‐ girola.

Those interested can register online at https://copadecalistenia malaga.es.

Rincon de la Victoria has several places where peo‐ ple can practise callisthen‐ ics, located on the beaches of Torre de Benagalbon, La Cala del Moral, El Tajo de Rincon de la Victoria and at the Granadillas river.

NORDIC VISITORS: Took away promotional materials.

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Easter lifeguard service

Councillor gave details.

THE Department of Beaches from the Velez‐Malaga Town Council presented its surveil‐ lance and lifeguard service for Easter 2022 on March 24.

Councillor, Jesus Perez Aten‐ cia, gave the details about the reactivation of the yearly ser‐ vice which will be available from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday with a total of 12 certified lifeguards. There will also be nurses and ambu‐ lance technicians.

Atencia said that the service will cover the entire coastline of the municipality from noon to 8pm and coloured flags will be used to mark the safe swimming areas. All the nec‐ essary information will be dis‐ played on the signs on the beaches. The ambulance ser‐ vice will be provided by two rapid‐action vehicles and two jet skis, and there will also be a drone surveillance service to monitor the coast.

Emergency cleaning plan AFTER an emergency meeting held on Saturday, March 26, the Velez‐Malaga Town Hall agreed on a special plan of action to deal with the after‐effects of the recent Saharan dust storm, known in Spanish as ‘la calima’.

The first deputy mayor of Velez‐ Malaga and deputy mayor of Torre del Mar, Jesus Perez Atencia, said that the

emergency cleaning plan was neces‐ sary after the municipality was “left submerged under a layer of mud and earth” and that “new machinery and equipment will be used to respond to what is an unprecedented situation in our municipality and a great chal‐ lenge.”

He reassured the citizens, saying

Verano Azul Park improvements NERJA Town Hall has completed the renova‐ tion of the steps leading to the Verano Azul Park from Avenida Antonio Ferrandis Chanquete.

The project had an in‐ vestment of €13,009, fi‐ nanced by Nerja’s own resources, and was exe‐ cuted by municipal staff.

The announcement was made on Wednes‐ day March 23 by the councillor for Municipal Services, Gema Garcia, who was accompanied by the coordinator of Op‐ erational Services, David Roman, on a visit to the area to see the results of the project.

Garcia described the initiative as “a much‐ needed intervention,

NEW STEPS: Have been completely renovated.

given the poor condition of the steps, which were a danger to users.”

She said: “We have improved both sets of steps and have carried out works of adaptation and repair, renewed the flooring and installed

new handrails.” The pro‐ ject is part of the Infras‐ tructure and Equipment Plan for the promotion of local employment, in‐ cluded in the Municipal Plan of Action created in response to the coron‐ avirus crisis.

that although the municipality had never experienced such a situation be‐ fore, they had previously “been able to take the lead in very delicate situa‐ tions, such as the pandemic.” He also asked for patience from all residents and shopkeepers of the municipality while the cleaning operation was car‐ ried out.

Tribute paid ON March 27, the Department of Social Welfare of the town hall of Rincon de la Victoria cele‐ brated the last of its events for International Women’s Day, a tribute to actress Penelope Cruz.

The councillor for Social Wel‐ fare, Elena Aguilar, highlighted the importance of “paying trib‐ ute to the careers of women like Penelope Cruz, an actress who has broken down barriers and stereotypes.”

She went on to say that the event was a tribute to not just Penelope Cruz, but “to all those women who have fought and who fight every day to allow all people enjoy the same rights and freedoms.” Local artists participated in the event, a monograph that covered the actress’s life from her early years to the present day, finish‐ ing with her 2022 Oscar nomi‐ nation for her role in Parallel Mothers. Cruz is already the first Spanish actress to have won an Oscar, for her role in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

NEWS

Roads closed in Nerja ON March 25, Nerja closed the road leading to El Playazo beach as a result of the incidents and damage caused by the recent rain, wind and tides.

The closure was an‐ nounced by the council‐ lor for Beaches, Maria del Carmen Lopez, and the councillor for Securi‐ ty and Transport, Francis‐ co Arce.

Arce clarified that the temporary road closures would not affect pedes‐ trian traffic, but “to avoid risks, residents and visi‐ tors are advised not to go to the area until the lane is reopened.” The routes of access to the Torrecilla and Chucho beaches were also closed as a preventive measure.

Lopez said: “The De‐ partment of Beaches of the Nerja Town Council is working on removing the beach furniture that has been affected, such as showers and walkways.

“Municipal technicians have also travelled to the beaches of our coastline to assess the damage in order to start the recov‐ ery work as soon as the storm subsides.”

World Theatre Day NERJA celebrated World Theatre Day on Saturday, March 26, at the Villa de Nerja Cultural Centre with a selection of theatrical pieces performed by two local theatre groups, the Municipal Theatre Group for the Elderly and Pies Sucios.

Deputy Mayor Francisco Arce described the event as “a day that we can enjoy and use to promote val‐ ues and coexistence through theatre” when he pre‐ sented it on Friday, accompanied by the councillor for the Elderly, Elena Galvez, and the director of the event, Rocio Delgado.

Galvez said that the day offered “a wide range of small, fresh and innovative stage performances, per‐ formed by the elderly of our municipality.”

There was also a piece specially created to com‐ memorate International Women’s Day. World Theatre Day is celebrated on March 27 each year and was established by the International The‐ atre Institute in 1961 with the aim of raising aware‐ ness of the importance of theatre for culture world‐ wide.

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NIBS EXTRA Free classes THERE are free Spanish class‐ es for foreigners every Tues‐ day afternoon at Chaparil School, Calle Antonio Ferran‐ dis Chanquete, in Nerja which started on March 29.

Classes are 4pm to 5.30pm and times may be extended.

Call 951 289 628 / 609 447 263 for more information.

New book PACO OLVERA, the author of Educating is Loving, man‐ aged to sell 100 copies at the presentation of the book in Torre del Mar. The 100 or so attendees gave a standing ovation to the passionate speech by the author, who argues for a participatory model of education where students are truly listened to.

Fake emails THE East Malaga‐Axarquia Health Area recently shared a Facebook post in which they warned people to ig‐ nore a fake email that has been received by numerous people and supposedly comes from the Ministry of Health. People should not open the attached PDF doc‐ ument or pay any attention to the message.

Able youth RINCON’S Youth Depart‐ ment is offering 16 to 35‐ year‐olds a series of work‐ shops aimed at improving youth employability in a programme called Activa Joven. There will be 10 free face‐to‐face sessions cover‐ ing topics such as the job market, CVs and job search tools. Those interested can register at https://www.rin condelavictoria.es/activa‐ joven‐rincon.

Film school AXARQUIA is to have Spain’s first and only rural film school. It will be a rural, so‐ cial and feminist film school that hopes to decentralise culture and the performing arts, which are generally concentrated in big cities and reserved for people with economic resources.

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Visits to Cueva del Tesoro

RINCON’S Cueva del Tesoro has been receiving visits from film crews interested in promoting it worldwide. The councillor for Tourism, Antonio Jose Martin, said on March 22 that the German publishing house Schueren wished to include the cave in its video tourist guide of Spain.

“The guide will be presented at the Frankfurt B ook Fair in O ctober 2022, where it will be shown to a Germanspeaking audience.

S pain will be the guest country in the On Location collection,” said Martin.

The cave was also

FILM CREW: Interested in promoting it worldwide.

visited by a film crew last week for the recording of a short film called Negative Zero, which will be shown at the Malaga Film Festival.

“The team, made up of Paola Ahtziri, Evaristo Guerra, Marta Vazgo, Juampi Copello,

Max Deniam and Luis Lambert have chosen the Cueva del Tesoro to shoot this short film about the story of a dark sect where paranormal events take place, taboo subjects are dealt with, and there are faceless monsters,” said Martin.

Poetry competition winner RINCON DE LA VICTORIA’S Town Hall announced the winner of the 29th Rincon de la Victoria Poetry Prize in memoriam Salvador Rueda on March 23. The prize went to 56-year-old Ana Vega from Huelva, for her collection of poems La Geisha Despintada (The Unpainted Geisha).

The prize given to the winner was €3,000, a sculpture by the artist Jaime Pimentel and the publication of her book of poems by the Centro de Ediciones de la Diputacion de Malaga , thanks to the sponsorship of the Unicaja Foundation and Anoreta Golf.

A total of 350 works of poetry were submitted from practically all of the autonomous communities of Spain, as well as from countries including Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Denmark, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.

The jury described the winning entry as “a collection of poems that is very well-expressed through symbolic language. It talks about love, and reading it gives the sensation that this feeling is being talked about for the first time.”

TOWN HALL: Announced the winner of the prize.

Culture and sports grants THE town council has approved grants for various cultural and sporting institutions in Nerja with the aim of further strengthening the collaboration between the local govern‐ ment and such associations, announced the councillor for Economy and Finance, Ángela Diaz on March 26.

In sports, the Axarquia Karate Association will receive a grant of €2,995 to promote karate among local youth through participation in provincial and regional champi‐ onships in different categories.

With regard to cultural organisations, the Brotherhood of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno and Maria Santísima de los Dolores will receive a grant of €7,500 for the organisa‐ tion and celebration of Nerja’s Holy Week, and the Nerja Art Association will receive €1,060 for workshops and ex‐ hibitions.

Diaz said: “This demonstrates the town council’s com‐ mitment to supporting local entities and associations so that they can continue to carry out their important work in favour of culture and sports in the municipality.”

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TRAINING COURSE: For people between 12 and 35.

Free robotics workshop THE Youth Department of the Velez‐Malaga Town Hall is offering a free introductory robotics workshop to people aged between 12 and 35.

The aim is to bring robotics closer to young peo‐ ple by allowing them to learn the basic notions of programming, electronics and 3D modelling. The workshop will take place from April 11 to 13 in the Urban building on Calle San Francisco and there will be two groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The person in charge of the training course, An‐ tonio Justicia, said that the workshop is based on three fundamental pillars: programming, includ‐ ing control algorithms and Arduino boards; the basics of electronics; and 3D designs. At the end of the workshop, the students will apply every‐ thing they have learnt to a practical project, such as a robotic arm.

Those interested in participating in the work‐ shop can register until April 7 by calling 610 938 776 between 9am and 2pm. There are 30 places available in total.

and finally...

ON Sunday, March 27, the Joven Orquesta Mediter‐ ranea Costa Tropical, along with the pianist Susana Gomez Vasquez, gave a beautiful symphonic concert in Almuñecar dedicated to spring. The concert was directed by the distinguished British conductor Michael Thomas.

The concert, held at the auditorium of the Casa de la Cultura in Almuñecar, was backed by the local De‐ partment of Culture and was attended by a large au‐ dience. The orchestra treated the audience to two romantic compositions, Frederic Chopin’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 and Robert Schu‐ mann’s Symphony No. 1: Spring.

Pianist Gomez Vazquez, from Madrid, gave a spec‐ tacular performance and received a warm round of applause from the audience, which firmly consolidat‐ ed her reputation as one of the most brilliant and promising young musicians in Spain today.

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NEWS

Godspell premiere Living in Spain A NEW version of Godspell will premiere in Malaga courtesy of Antonio Banderas and Emilio Aragon.

The duo will create their modern‐day version of the classic musical, Godspell, which opened off‐Broadway on May 17, 1971. Their premiere is planned for next season in the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank in Malaga.

Godspell is a light‐hearted musical that features eight non‐Biblical characters.

They celebrate the life and teachings of Jesus through singing and acting out parables and stories from the Gospel of Saint Matthew. It was originally created for the stage from the book by John Michael Tebelak. Music and lyrics were composed by Stephen Schwartz.

The production has an acclaimed score that was originally nominated for a Tony.

Songs such as Day by Day, Turn Back, O

made easier!

Duo will recreate the classic musical.

Man, and Save the People, among oth‐ ers, feature throughout the course of the show.

The London version opened at the Roundhouse Theatre in Chalk Farm, on November 17, 1971. A cast of future stars included David Essex, Marti Webb, Julie Covington, Jeremy Irons, and Jacquie‐ Ann Carr.

A WEEK‐LONG campaign aimed at English speakers who live in Spain, own a second home in Spain, or are thinking of moving here either to work or retire, has been launched by Age in Spain.

The ‘Living in Spain’ cam‐ paign makes available free of charge a major resource of more than 40 guides pro‐ duced by Age in Spain and covering all aspects of life in Spain from how to get mar‐ ried, learn Spanish, and reg‐ ister your car, to getting health care, accessing em‐ ployment and benefits, and applying to live permanently in Spain. The organisation’s website will be updated each day with new features.

Age in Spain has been ad‐ vising and guiding English‐ speaking residents and new‐ comers for 30 years. With a volunteer management

Chief Executive, Helen Weir.

board and a small core staff, it has a country‐wide net‐ work of volunteers who de‐ liver information and addi‐ tional support via its infoline, while a befriending service puts socially isolated and vulnerable people in touch with others for sup‐ port.

Age in Spain’s chief execu‐ tive, Helen Weir, said the campaign will make people more aware of what’s on of‐ fer and attract new users to their website.

“Apart from the huge bank of information people can access on our website, the campaign will feature stories from people who have made the move suc‐ cessfully and have fitted comfortably into the Span‐ ish way of life. People can hear how they dealt with the challenges they encoun‐ tered as well as the pitfalls they might have avoided,” she said.

“We are also launching a survey so we can learn more about the issues people face when they decide to make the move. In this way we will continue to improve our service.

“We’re inviting people to visit our website this week, www.ageinspain.org/living inspain, go to our Facebook page, or call our infoline on +34 932 209 741,” she added.

Firefighters help Ukraine NINE members of Malaga’s Provincial Fire Department (CPB) have driven three vans loaded with 3,000kg of technical and safety material to support their fellow Ukrainian firefighters.

Their cargo included clothing for shelter and firefighting, rescue material, flashlights, helmets, tents, electric generators and mo‐ torised fans. The latter are especially useful for renewing the air of the underground protection zones during bombardments.

Francisco Salado, the president of the Diputacion de Malaga, praised the “extraor‐ dinary solidarity work” of the firefighters who have decided to help their Ukrainian colleagues in “very harsh circumstances.”

“The Provincial Firefighters Consortium is made up of great professionals, with a great humanitarian commitment and a great vocation to public service,” Salado said on Friday March 25.

On March 6, six CPB firefighters left for the Polish‐Ukrainian border to deliver med‐ ical and technical supplies. They returned to

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Showing support.

the capital with 11 refugees who were housed with families in the province of Malaga, through Maydan, the association of Ukrainians on the Costa del Sol. On their 3,500km journey to reach the Polish‐Ukrainian border, the firefighters were joined by a vehicle from the Maydan Association. This vehicle contained inter‐ preters, along with medical supplies. Pri‐ vate local companies, such as the Salvador bakery, Lopez Pardo warehouses, and the Rujamar poultry company, are helping to cover part of the expenses.

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Ukrainian volunteers make urgent plea

DESPITE serious risks to their lives, Ukrainian volunteers re‐ lentlessly persist in their efforts to protect the animals under their care. However, wider awareness in the global com‐ munity is essential if a real dif‐ ference is to be made.

Since the war erupted on February 24, thousands of vol‐ unteer‐led animal shelters locat‐ ed in the middle of war zones have been fully cut off from sup‐ plies. Russian forces are refusing to establish humanitarian corri‐ dors to give volunteers safe ac‐ cess making it impossible to de‐ liver food and supplies. Two volunteers were shot dead by Russian snipers near Kharkiv when attempting to feed ani‐ mals at a zoo, and animal shel‐ ters across the Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions have been un‐ der attack.

Over 3,000 animals and vol‐ unteers are trapped in the country’s largest shelter, Sirius, located in Dymer, 60km north of Kyiv. Iryna Lozova, the Sirius coordinator, said: “For 26 days we have not been able to bring

WAR ZONE: Volunteers are persistent in their efforts to protect the animals under their care.

food and medicine to the peo‐ ple and animals. 3,165 dogs and 218 cats have become hostages. There will only be enough food for the animals for a few more days and there has been no fuel for the generator for two days. We are currently

looking for organisations to help evacuate the animals abroad after the green corridor is created. They need to find a safe home.”

At the Hostomel shelter, one of the oldest shelters in the country, more than 700 animals

and four people have been stranded since the start of the war. The shelter has been hit by shells three times and attacked by a tank. The Hostomel shelter team recently said: “We need at least one green corridor to bring food, medicine, fuel and

water. From the first day of the war, all the employees of the Hostomel animal shelter have remained at their workplace.

We are feeding not only the an‐ imals in the shelter but also those that have been aban‐ doned by people.”

The Feldman‐Eco‐park in Der‐ gachiv, Kharkiv, has also suf‐ fered devastating conse‐ quences. The zoo at the eco‐park had about 2,000 ani‐ mals, and they managed to evacuate four orangutans, nine chimpanzees and 22 alpacas.

The press secretary of the park said: “Unfortunately, in ex‐ treme conditions, animals die not only from injuries but also from the heart rupturing. Ani‐ mals who are constantly in the line of fire experience constant stress, which has a great nega‐ tive impact on their mental state and behaviour.”

The volunteers are urging lo‐ cal and international animal rights organisations to inter‐ vene and facilitate the estab‐ lishment of safe passage to save the animals’ lives.

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RECORD sums of money are being withdrawn from banks in Russia amid soaring infla‐ tion and shortages of prod‐ ucts from medicines to food.

According to the Central Bank, the personal savings of Russians plunged 3.5 per cent (£8.7 billion) last month, in what is believed to be the largest withdrawal in a month since the Soviet Union collapsed.

Western sanctions have stopped the central bank from being able to access

NEWS

Russia hit hard around half of its $640 billion in gold and foreign currency reserves.

The rouble has fallen to a record low and weekly infla‐ tion has hit 2.2 per cent, with analysts at Goldman Sachs saying the economy in Russia is set to shrink by a huge 10 per cent and with announce‐ ments that the cost of living

in Russia has increased by 14 per cent.

Shelves in shops are being emptied of personal hygiene products amid panic buying, bringing back memories of the late Soviet era when shortages were rife. Super‐ markets are rationing sales of staple foods such as flour and sugar and videos are circulat‐

Dangerous toys BETWEEN October 2021 and January 31, 2022, Europol coordinated operation Ludus II targeting trafficking of counterfeit toys and other goods. Ludus II, led by the Guardia Civ‐ il, National Police and the Spanish Customs authorities and co‐led by the Romanian Po‐ lice, involved law enforcement authorities from 21 countries in total.

The seizures, worth €18 million, made during the operation include counterfeit and illegal puzzle games, video games and relat‐ ed characters, board and card games, dolls and puppets from famous TV series, bricks

for children and clothing and accessories from famous brands.

The seized goods contain risks such as chemical exposure, strangulation, choking, electric shock, damage to hearing and fire hazards.

The EU Anti‐Fraud Office and the Euro‐ pean Union Intellectual Property Office also supported the operation, while the World Customs Organisation took part as an ob‐ server and provided secure communication with its members to support the operational activities.

ing on social media of shop‐ pers scrapping over items.

Medicine shortages in chemists is increasing, with doctors reporting shortages of 80 medicines including es‐ sential insulin and pain killers, while sales of anti‐depres‐ sants have multiplied by four.

Around 400 companies, in‐ cluding McDonald’s and Co‐ ca‐Cola have stopped or sus‐ pended sales in Russia in protest of the invasion of Ukraine. This is expected to leave around 200,000 people without a job. Apple sus‐ pended the sale of its prod‐

SUPERMARKETS: Shelves are being emptied as people panic buy.

ucts in Russia last month, with Ukraine urging it to block Russian users from ac‐ cess to its app.

Pro‐Kremlin figures have started posting lists of so‐ called enemies on social me‐ dia while Putin, 69, has called critics of the invasion he is leading “traitors and scum.”

Even with this economic strain, Russian polls show that 70 per cent of people say they support what has been called a “special operation” to “denazify and demili‐ tarise” Ukraine. Some of those who were around dur‐ ing the Soviet Union still sup‐ port Putin.

Action plan SPAIN has approved a War Response Action Plan, through which €16 billion will be mobilised to ‘fairly dis‐ tribute the effects of the war and to preserve the path of growth and job creation as much as possible’.

Speaking on Monday March 28, President Pedro Sanchez said the plan will protect families, workers and displaced persons; it will include measures to support the economic and business fabric and will be aimed at areas such as transport, cy‐ bersecurity and energy. The

WOMEN overwhelmingly at‐ tributed their lack of work‐ place confidence to experi‐ ences with managers, leaders, and colleagues, ac‐ cording to a new Women’s Workplace Confidence study that analysed responses of hundreds of diverse profes‐ sional women across indus‐ tries, function, seniority, and age.

The 2022 report explores intrinsic and organisational influencers of women’s work‐ place confidence, behaviours resulting from diminished confidence, why women leave companies, and what they are missing ‐ and need most ‐ from organisations to increase confidence, make valuable contributions, and thrive.

Plan to protect families.

package of measures will cost around €6 billion, in ad‐

dition to €10 billion in loans.

“No one is protected from this war. We cannot promise that the effects of the war on our economy and therefore on our lives will not be felt.

But what we can promise is that the government of Spain will do its utmost to mitigate its effects as much as possible.

“And we can also promise that we will distribute the sac‐ rifices in a balanced manner, so that no sector, and even less so the most vulnerable groups, feel neglected or abandoned to their fate,” he said.

Working women “The report highlights the reality that confidence isn’t a buzzword for women, it di‐ rectly influences their en‐ gagement, productivity, and retention in organisations,” said Velera Wilson, founder of Positive Identity, the or‐ ganisation leading the study.

“Particularly now during the Great Resignation and Reshuffle era, women are choosing organisations that will help them grow, the study provides insight into what organisations can do to support and retain female tal‐ ent,” she added on March 29.

and finally...

POLICE in Dorset were hunting a man who escaped from cus‐ tody on Saturday March 26, wearing only his socks, his under‐ wear and sporting a beard. Following extensive enquiries, Kyle Eglington was located by officers from Dorset Police’s Tactical Firearms Team during the evening of Monday March 28. The state of his dress was not noted in the report.

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Israel-Arab meeting Carbon-free future

THE US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has been lauded for bringing together Israel and four Arab states, in what was an unprece‐ dented meeting to bring countries in the Mid‐ dle East closer together.

The significance of the meeting held on Monday March 28 is hugely important for re‐ lations and the future of peace in the Middle East, particularly in light of the current geopo‐ litical climate.

The four countries, the United Arab Emi‐ rates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt, all have a common interest in that they wish to see the Palestinian situation resolved as they do Iran as the enemy. All the countries are threat‐ ened either directly or indirectly by Iran’s sup‐ port of terrorist organisations that seek to THE Minister for the Presi‐ dency, Parliamentary Rela‐ tions and Democratic Memo‐ ry, Felix Bolanos, chaired the seventh meeting of the Na‐ tional Security Situation Committee, which is analysing the situation be‐ tween Russia and Ukraine on Thursday March 24.

The Situation Committee discussed the work of the var‐ ious groups set up to deal with cyber‐security, the im‐ plementation of sanctions

Bringing countries closer together.

overthrow moderate governments in the area.

At the end of the meeting the six ministers hailed it as a breakthrough, saying they were determined to repeat the meeting in the Is‐ raeli desert every year. They did however mention one caveat, and that is the need for progress in the negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Situation Committee against Russia and the recep‐ tion of refugees. Regarding the latter, it was reported that more than 24,000 people have been assisted by the re‐ ception system and 15,706 applications for temporary protection have been for‐ malised, of which 1,969 were processed by March 23 alone.

An estimated 3,605 dis‐ placed Ukrainian students are

FOLLOWING an agreement with the representatives of the Freight and Passenger Departments of the Na‐ tional Road Transport Committee, the Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sanchez, has announced that the government will give a subsidy to hauliers of €20 per litre or kilo of fuel, of which 15

estimated to be enrolled in school in Spain.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the min‐ istries of Foreign Affairs, De‐ fence, Interior, Transport, Labour, Economic Affairs, Eco‐ logical Transition, Industry, Fi‐ nance, Agriculture, Territorial Policy and Inclusion, as well as representatives of the Nation‐ al Intelligence Centre.

SPAIN supports the new di‐ rection taken by the Interna‐ tional Energy Agency (IEA) which aims to decarbonise the global energy system.

“It is time to speed up the transformation of the energy model and take advantage of its great economic opportuni‐ ties and environmental bene‐ fits, while at the same time solving our energy security problems,” said Teresa Rib‐ era, Vice‐President of the

Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transi‐ tion and Demographic Chal‐ lenge, during the IEA Ministe‐ rial Meeting held in Paris on Thursday March 24 to ap‐ prove the organisation’s new strategic orientation.

“We need to lift the barriers that prevent the deployment of affordable, safe and sus‐ tainable technologies to achieve the climate goals set by the Paris Treaty,” she

Warfare capabilities SANCTIONS implemented by the US have tar‐ geted a wide variety of individuals and busi‐ nesses including defence, but the superpower has announced that it intends to go further and target Russia’s warfare capabilities.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, he said: “We are planning to target additional sectors that are critical to the Kremlin’s ability to operate its war machine.

“The goal is to undermine Russia’s ability to build and maintain the tools of war. In addition to sanctioning companies in sectors that enable the Kremlin’s malign activities, we also plan to

Deal brokered cents will come from the public bud‐ get and 15 cents will be borne by the oil product operators, and will be ap‐ plied to diesel, petrol, gas and ad‐ blue. This benefit will mean more

added during her speech at the Plenary Session of the Ministerial Meeting.

Ribera also outlined her current priorities, starting with “tackling the ‘contagion effect’ from gas prices to elec‐ tricity prices” and reducing Eu‐ ropean demand for Russian supplies, with a particular im‐ pact on international trade in liquefied natural gas and the optimisation of storage infras‐ tructures in the EU.

than €600 million for the transport sector.

Savings of around €700 per lorry per month are estimated and which will be in force from April 1 to June

take actions to disrupt their critical supply chains,” he added on Monday March 28.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had al‐ ready said that Washington would continue to target companies that supply Russia’s defence equipment, as well as targeting Russian suppli‐ ers. Adeyemo was not specific as to how the US intended to further disrupt Russia’s warfare capabilities beyond imposing trade and finan‐ cial sanctions. It is understood that these efforts will be undertaken in coordination with allies and other countries implementing measures against the Kremlin.

30, extendable depending on the evolution of the markets.

The measure, together with direct aid to the sector of €450 million, will inject more than €1 billion into the sector, the government said on Fri‐ day March 25 as part of an immedi‐ ate aid plan to alleviate the conse‐ quences of the conflict in Ukraine.

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Name and shame THE British government will ‘name and shame’ failing social housing landlords as part of major reforms to give residents a stronger voice and drive‐up stan‐ dards, it claimed on Tues‐ day March 29. The move means social landlords pro‐ viding sub‐standard hous‐ ing and services would be publicly called out on the government’s website and across social media chan‐ nels. Minister for Social Housing Eddie Hughes MP said: “Everyone in this country deserves to live in a safe and decent home. It is unacceptable that anyone should have mould cover‐

ing their walls, risk slipping on a wet floor or have wa‐ ter dripping from the ceil‐ ing.

“We have published draft legislation today to toughen up regulation of social housing landlords.

This includes naming and shaming those landlords who fail to meet accept‐ able living standards and giving tenants a direct channel to raise their con‐ cerns with government.

“This package will help to deliver on our commitment in the Levelling Up White Paper to halve the number of non‐decent rented homes by 2030,” he added.

NEWS

Pilot charged A 52-YEAR-OLD pilot has been charged with at‐ tempting to fly illegal immigrants into the UK in his aircraft.

Richard Styles, of no fixed abode, was de‐ tained during an opera‐ tion led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on March 24 at Deenethor‐ pe Airfield near Corby, in Northamptonshire.

He had just flown his twin‐engine plane to the airfield from Belgium.

Northants Police offi‐ cers, who were working with the NCA, stopped a taxi which had left the airfield on the Phoenix Parkway in Corby, arrest‐ ing the driver and four Albanian nationals.

The operation was also supported by Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.

Both Styles and the taxi driver, a 42‐year‐old man from Tooting in South London, were questioned by NCA in‐

vestigators.

Styles has now been charged with facilitating a breach of immigration law. The taxi driver has been bailed pending fur‐ ther enquiries.

The Albanian nationals, three men and a woman all aged between 21 and 64, remain detained un‐ der immigration powers.

NCA Regional Head of Investigations Jacque

TWIN-ENGINE: The pilot flew from an airfield in Belgium.

Beer said: “We know people smugglers use a range of methods to try

MORE than 1,000 parents in Scotland were asked their views on whether children should be weighed in school as part of its fight on the growing problem of obesity. Just over half the parents expressed support for the idea, while a third expressed opposition citing mental health and well‐being concerns.

The government in Scotland has said it wants to halve the level of childhood obesity by 2030, and although height and weight measurements are taken in the first year of school no further measurements are taken throughout the child’s school years. Parents of younger children were according to the

and breach UK border controls and we remain alive to the threats.”

Weigh in study more likely to support weight mea‐ surement in schools, with two thirds of the parents of five to eight‐year‐olds supporting the idea. By comparison only half of the par‐ ents of 15 to 17‐year‐olds thought it would be acceptable. Those that expressed opposi‐ tion to the idea, 23 per cent, also felt that it was not the government’s place to weigh children, while a further 10 per cent felt that it would lead to unsociable behaviours like bullying.

Security threat list THE US has added a number of high‐profile companies to its national security threat list including a popular anti‐virus software com‐ pany.

Kaspersky and China Telecom are now communications equipment and service providers deemed to be threats to the coun‐ try’s national security, the Federal Commu‐ nications Commission (FCC) announced on Friday March 25.

Both companies join Huawei Technolo‐ gies Co, ZTE Corp and others on the list, which was mandated under a 2019 law.

Kaspersky is the first Russian company to be listed. Announcing the additions to the list FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the

new designations “will help secure our net‐ works from threats posed by Chinese and Russian state‐backed entities seeking to en‐ gage in espionage and otherwise harm America’s interests.”

The addition of Kaspersky to the list is no surprise with the US having previously warned that running the company’s soft‐ ware could result in maligned activity. Al‐ though Kaspersky has denied being a pup‐ pet of the Russian government, the war in Ukraine has added fuel to the rumours and assertions.

Responding to the FCC decision, Kasper‐ sky said it was disappointed that a decision was “made on political grounds.”

Stepdaughter sanctioned THE London‐based step‐ daughter of Russian For‐ eign Minister Sergei Lavrov is up in arms after being sanctioned by the UK gov‐ ernment. Polina Kovaleva, 26, lives in a multi‐million pound home after gaining degrees from two British universities.

The measures come in the latest round of econom‐ ic sanctions against those people with close ties to the Kremlin, Kovaleva being one

of 65 individuals and com‐ panies who were added to the list on March 24.

Supporters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who has just been sen‐ tenced to a further nine years in prison, named Ko‐ valeva’s mother as the long‐ time lover of the foreign secretary.

They also raised ques‐ tions as to how she could fund her lavish lifestyle in London. Others added to

the list include billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler, drone manufacturer Kron‐ shtadt, the Russian paramil‐ itary group Wagner and Al‐ rosa, the world’s biggest diamond manufacturer. Re‐ ferring to the sanctions, Prime Minister Boris John‐ son said: “We’ve got to step up, we’ve got to increase our support, and we’ve got to tighten the economic vice around Putin, sanction‐ ing more people today.”

NEWS

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BRITISH Home Secretary Priti Patel has confirmed in a writ‐ ten statement to the House of Commons that an April ex‐ it had been agreed for Met Police Chief Dame Cressida Dick.

The statement, on Monday March 28, also confirmed that Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House will temporari‐

31 March - 6 April 2022

Dick is done

ly stand in as head of the force until the next commissioner is appointed, although no details were given as to how long that process will take.

Patel also indicated that the outgoing Chief Inspector of

Suspected poisoning RUSSIAN billionaire Roman Abramovich showed symptoms of suspected poisoning following his involvement in peace talks but has since recovered, a source close to him said on March 28. Abramovich, along with two Ukrainian peace ne‐ gotiators, were allegedly ill earlier in March following a round of negotiations with their Russian counterparts in Kyiv.

Symptoms included peeling skin on their hands and faces, constant running tears, and red eyes.

Abramovich has longstanding ties with President Vladimir Putin and had apparently offered to act as a mediator to bro‐ ker peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

With an estimated fortune worth around £10 billion, the Chelsea owner has been hit by sanctions from the UK Gov‐ ernment. He is also banned from entering Britain, where he owns homes, as well as the London football club, which is now up for sale.

Constabulary, Sir Tom Winsor, will investigate the circum‐ stances surrounding the February resignation of the Met Police chief.

Dame Cressida quit unex‐ pectedly in February after be‐ ing ‘put on notice’ by London Mayor Sadiq Khan over her handling of a number of cases.

She was criticised by Khan for failing to tackle allegations of misogyny, racism and bullying within the Met. In February the Indepen‐ dent Office for Police Conduct handed her 15 recommenda‐ tions following a report into ‘disgraceful’ misconduct by of‐ ficers at Charing Cross Police Station. The report uncovered disturbing WhatsApp mes‐ sages between officers that in‐ cluded racist, homophobic and misogynistic language as well as ‘jokes’ about rape and sexual violence.

STATS

100,000

There are approximately 100,000 hairs on an average human head.

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NEWS

New Covid rules

BOMBER PLANE: Was shot down by the Germans in 1942.

British bomber

WRECKAGE uncovered by Storm Eunice on the beach at Camperduin, near Alk‐ maar in the Netherlands, has been iden‐ tified as a Second World War bomber.

The plane, a British Short Stirling MK1, was shot down by the Germans in 1942 with a large piece of the fuselage found during the clean‐up that followed Storm Eunice. The piece of wreckage was found in February but was only identified on Sunday March 27.

Martijn Visser, of the association Egmond ’40‐’45, said his “mouth fell open” when he saw the wreckage.

“Small bits will often be washed up on the beach but never a big piece like this.

Holding it in your hands after it’s been on the bottom of the sea for 80 years is as‐ tounding.”

Visser was able to identify the plane by comparing it to the fuselage of another Short Sterling at the aircraft museum at Deelen.

The plane was believed to be on its way home from a bombing mission on December 17, 1945, when it was shot down by a German night fighter. All eight crew members were lost.

NEW EU‐wide rules exempt minors from the acceptance period of 270 days for Covid‐ 19 vaccination certificates fol‐ lowing the primary vaccina‐ tion series.

The standard acceptance period will be limited to per‐ sons aged 18 and above.

While a booster from 12 years of age has been autho‐ rised following a recommen‐ dation from the European Medicines Agency, not all member states are currently

recommending to administer boosters to minors.

Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said: “One of the biggest benefits of the EU Digital Covid Certificate is its flexibility to adapt to new circumstances. Following dis‐ cussions with Member States’ public health experts, we have decided that the vaccination certificates of mi‐ nors should not expire.

When travelling, they will be able to continue using the

certificate received after the primary series of vaccina‐ tion.”

Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyri‐ akides, the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, added on Tuesday March 29: “The pandemic is still with us, and vaccination remains cru‐ cial. Our message has not changed: get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

Vaccination saves lives and is key for all of us.”

Golden passports THE EU is urging member states to immediately repeal any existing investor citizen‐ ship schemes and to ensure strong checks are in place to address the risks posed by investor residence schemes.

Some Russian or Belaru‐ sian nationals who are sub‐ ject to sanctions or are signif‐ icantly supporting the war in Ukraine might have acquired EU citizenship or privileged

access to the EU, including to travel freely in the Schengen area, under these schemes.

Commissioner for Justice and Consumers, Didier Reyn‐ ders, said: “European values are not for sale. We consider that the sale of citizenship through ‘golden passports’ is illegal under EU law and pos‐ es serious risks to our securi‐ ty. It opens the door to cor‐ ruption, money laundering

and tax avoidance.

“All Member States con‐ cerned should end their in‐ vestor citizenship schemes immediately. In addition, they should assess whether they should revoke any ‘golden passports’ already granted to sanctioned indi‐ viduals and others signifi‐ cantly supporting Putin’s war,” he added on Monday March 28.

Dancing on Ice

PROFESSIONAL dancer Regan Gascoine has won Dancing on Ice 2022 after a three‐way skate‐off involving Gascoine, former Strictly star Brendan Cole and Pussycat Dolls singer Kimberly Wyatt.

Gascoine and partner Karina Manta took the title after the public vote, with many taking to social media to express their joy with their winning perfor‐ mance on Sunday March 28. Clearly happy with the performance and the win, Gascoine broke down in tears be‐ fore hugging his partner tightly.

It was an emotional night for Gas‐ coine whose father was not there to see

PRESIDENT Pedro Sanchez has met with the CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, at the Moncloa Palace, Madrid.

Sanchez stressed at the meeting on Monday March 28 that the digital transformation of the economy is a priority for the government and Spain will allocate almost €20 billion in the coming

his son’s proud performance.

The final had to be postponed this year after an ITV schedule rejig and the subsequent clash of events, after it was originally scheduled for the same time as the FA Cup quarter‐final match be‐ tween Nottingham Forest and Liver‐ pool.

In the show’s semi‐final earlier this month, Olympic athlete Kye Whyte and Vamps singer Connor Ball were both sent home in a dramatic double elimina‐ tion after giving it their all in the skate‐ off, where Kimberly emerged victorious, taking her place in the final.

Google meet years to accelerate the digitalisation process.

Sanchez also thanked Pichai for Google’s “great commitment to Spain.”

The technology company has plans to investment in the Cybersecurity Cen‐ tre of Excellence in Mala‐

ga, the Grace Hopper sub‐ marine cable, which will connect Bilbao to New York, and the creation of a cloud region in Madrid.

In addition, Google is collaborating with Spain in promoting digital skills among citizens.

NEWS

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THE Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has confirmed that Brexit has hit overseas trade.

“We are still trying to work through what all the impacts are. It was always inevitable that there would be a change in our trade intensity with Europe as a result of the change in the trade relationship,” he said on Monday March 28.

“Without doubt we are changing our

31 March - 6 April 2022

Brexit hit Electricity help

trading relationship with the EU and that means a different set of controls and things people will have to do and that will obvi‐ ously have an impact.

That is, I am sure, a big part of the reason why this is happen‐ ing.”

“I think it is maybe

a bit early to be definitive about which bits are doing what.

The benefit of new trading relationships takes time. They don’t happen overnight. Of course, that will happen over a period of time,” he added.

Email scam

A NEW email scam is doing the rounds, this time purporting to be sent from the Ministry of Health, Spain’s Internet Security Office (OSI) warned on Monday March 28.

The scam emails try to deceive in‐ ternet users by pretending to be sent from the Ministry of Health, offering an ‘extra dose of the Covid‐19 vac‐ cine’ as a way of trapping them.

The email urges the recipient to download a file with details of how DURING a tour of the Caribbean, Prince William suggested the royal fami‐ ly would support the Ba‐ hamas’ decision to cut ties with the monarchy.

Speaking at a dinner hosted by the Governor General of the Bahamas, the Duke of Cambridge said on Friday March 25: “Next year, I know you are all looking forward to celebrating 50 years of in‐ dependence, your golden anniversary. And with Ja‐ maica celebrating 60 years of independence this year, and Belize cele‐ brating 40 years of inde‐ pendence last year, I want to say this, we support with pride and respect your decisions about your future. Relationships evolve. Friendship en‐ dures.”

Prince William, the sec‐ ond in line to the throne, was on a week‐long tour of Caribbean Common‐ wealth countries with the Duchess of Cambridge in honour of his grandmoth‐ er Queen Elizabeth’s Plat‐ inum Jubilee.

“It is touching to see

EWN 11

to receive a new dose of the vaccine as soon as possible. But doing so in‐ stalls malware on the recipient’s de‐ vice.

The OSI cautioned: “If you receive this email, try not to open it, instead, delete it and do not download the files that it suggests. In case you did somehow open it then you will need to check your system for the virus and try to eliminate it with an an‐ tivirus program.”

Cutting ties Toured the Caribbean.

your deep admiration for the Queen and her 70 years of dedicated service

to the Commonwealth. I know as well that my grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, had a soft spot for the Bahamas. Cather‐ ine and I were thinking about him today as we celebrated the return of sloop sailing here by rac‐ ing off Montagu Beach.

He would have been in his element,” he added.

and finally...

EXPERTS said the Cumbre Vieja volcano will not erupt again after 60 seismic events were registered on Thursday March 24.

The seismic network, managed by Involcan, the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands, detect‐ ed a ‘seismic swarm’ in the area of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma.

More than 60 events located at depths of between 10km and 13km were registered. However, Involcan said that these movements are called ‘long periods’ when gases and fluids inside the volcano move about but do not reach the surface.

According to a spokesman for Involcan, the move‐ ments are “normal” at the end of an eruptive pro‐ cess.

PRESIDENT Pedro Sanchez took part in the ordinary Eu‐ ropean Council in Brussels on March 24 and 25, where escalating energy prices were discussed as a priority issue. EU member states agreed that Spain and Portu‐ gal will be able to implement temporary and exceptional measures to reduce electrici‐ ty prices for consumers and businesses. The measures, which will be submitted to the European Commission, will be confirmed “as a mat‐ ter of urgency.”

Sanchez said that the mea‐ sure that is “exceptional and temporary, does not involve gas subsidies, nor does it dis‐ tort incentives for clean ener‐ gy or electricity flows be‐ tween countries.” As a result, it does not distort the Euro‐ pean electricity market.

Currently the daily whole‐ sale electricity market price is set by gas‐fired power plants.

For these reasons, Spain will temporarily establish a

benchmark price for gas used to produce electricity that will be substantially lower than the current one.

As gas sets the daily price of electricity, this measure will lower the price of elec‐ tricity bills for consumers.

Model monarch

THE Queen is the star of British Vogue’s April edition.

The iconic magazine released two twin covers to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, one cover features a picture of the monarch taken in 1957, the other cov‐ er features actress Anya Taylor‐Joy. It is the first time the Queen has appeared on the cover of Vogue. The cover shows a youthful Queen wearing the Diamond Diadem crown, originally made for King George IV in 1820.

Editor Edward Enninful wrote in the fashion mag’s editorial on Wednesday March 23: “People are forever asking me what the colour of the season is. Most of the time, they seem so disappointed when I explain that the answer is almost never definitive. But for the coming months, I am calling it: the colour of spring/ summer 2022 is platinum.”

STATS

9

A cockroach can survive up to 9 days without its head.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

Interpreters needed

Wooden office

WHILST Denmark is happy to receive Ukrainian refugees, it is facing a crisis concerning lack of interpreters and after calling for volunteers who speak Ukrainian on social media it is also asking for help from English speakers as many Ukrainians may be proficient in that language.

ON March 21, Copenhagen saw the start of work on its largest building constructed from wood. The eight storey Marmormolen covers 28,000 sqm and although initially thought to be a potential fire hazard, is actually environmentally friendly as timber stores carbon as opposed to emitting CO2.

THE NETHERLANDS Book withdrawn

Amsterdam expands

A CONTROVERSIAL book accusing Jewish notary Arnold van den Bergh of betraying Anne Frank and other Jewish people in hiding has been withdrawn from sale by the publishers in Holland after a group of experts said that there was no evidence to support the claims.

HAVING been granted city rights in 1355, in a 2018 referendum the majority of the 20,000 residents of Weesp voted to become assimilated into Amsterdam and this finally occurred officially on Thursday March 24 making it the eighth borough of Amsterdam.

BELGIUM Acrobatic protest

New coin

THERE was excitement in Brussels square, the Flageyplein on March 21 when a man scaled a 15-metre-high art installation as a peace protest, performing acrobatics and playing a trumpet to the crowd below before agreeing to be brought down by the local fire brigade.

THE Belgian Government is to issue a €2 circulating coin to thank the healthcare sector for its actions during the pandemic. The design will feature a cross, stethoscope, heart, syringe, wheelchair and a chemical symbol with the words thank you in three languages.

GERMANY Green Health

Fashion support

TESLA founder Elon Musk travelled to Germany to hand over the first electric vehicles produced at the company’s new factory just outside of Berlin in Grünheide (Green Health in English) as part of the opening ceremony attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday March 22.

DUE to the Russian invasion, Ukrainian fashion designer Jean Gritsfeld, who was due to take part in Berlin Fashion Week was unable to attend or send samples, but in order to bring the collection to the catwalk, volunteers in Berlin retailored it and the show went ahead.

FRANCE Michelin Guide

Festival partner

FOR the first time in its 122 years, on Tuesday March 22, the Michelin Guide for France was unveiled in Cognac rather than Paris and this time there are 627 starred restaurants with two new three star establishments, six two star restaurants and 41 single star newcomers.

AIMING at a younger audience, the Cannes Film Festival due to start on May 17, has teamed up with Chinese owned global App TikTok as one of its partners, so expect to see live back stage action and competitions with winners attending the festival.

NORWAY Royal Covid

Refugee flights

KING HARALD, Norway’s 85-year-old monarch tested positive for corona virus on Tuesday March 22 and although the symptoms were said to be mild, the king has not enjoyed good health recently and was therefore in isolation whilst Crown Prince Haakon, stepped in as regent.

NOT every country that is accepting Ukrainian refugees can afford to support them for long and one of the poorer former USSR states Moldova has reached agreement with Norway for more than 5,000 refugees to be picked up and flown to Norway for resettlement.

FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Cheaper fuel COMMERCIAL interests have led to Spain’s two largest distributors of diesel and petrol Cepsa and Repsol to drop their prices by 10c a litre in order to try to compete with no‐ nonsense, low‐cost fuel suppliers who by reducing margins are at‐ tracting price conscious drivers.

World champions MOVE over Real Madrid, Manch‐ ester United and Barcelona as for the first time, Manchester City has been declared the football club with the highest turnover in the world in the annual Deloittes Foot‐ ball Money report with an esti‐ mated revenue of €645 million.

TransPerfect MULTINATIONAL language services company TransPerfect has its eyes set firmly on the Spanish market and after purchasing the dubbing studios of the Catalan company Polford (which supplies voiceovers for such stars as Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks) in 2021, is now looking to increase its 350 staff.

Fill your Boots ANOTHER British heritage group, Boots the Chemist looks set to be taken over by an American based investment company, Apollo. Al‐ though rumoured for some time, Sky News said that funding for a £6 billion pound buyout is now being sought from major banks.

Santander Green IN keeping with the Spanish Gov‐ ernment’s campaign to increase ‘green’ projects, Banco Santander announced on March 24 that it has created Santander Green Invest‐ ment, a platform to invest in renew‐ able energy projects that are under development or construction. It confirmed it has made its first in‐ vestment by acquiring stakes in nine solar and wind projects in Spain with a combined capacity of around 500 MW. Under its self‐gov‐ ernance model, a special commit‐ tee approves investments, giving the platform the flexibility it needs to make decisions and can grant green projects the bank guarantees they require and partner with de‐ velopers with proven experience in renewable energy ventures.

www.euroweeklynews.com • 31 March - 6 April 2022

14

STAT OF WEEK

€600 million

is the amount that El Corte Inglés has managed to reduce its indebtedness, by early settlement of a bond due to mature in 2024.

Chancellor’s Spring Statement SINCE 2017 the UK budget has been announced to Parliament in October to allow for tax amendments to be implement‐ ed in time for the new tax year.

This is the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exche‐ quer and many will remember the old days of Ken Clarke sup‐ ping a glass of whisky during his budget deliveries, as this is the only time that alcohol may be consumed in the House of Commons.

Nowadays, there is also a Spring Statement (a bit like the January transfer window in football) where the Chancellor will review the economy and introduce any new legislation

that may be pertinent at the time.

This is what happened on Wednesday March 23 when Rishi Sunak in fairly sombre terms set out new measures for fighting the constant rise of energy, food and fuel prices.

Importantly he reduced fuel duty by 5p per litre and raised the threshold at which workers start paying National Insurance from £9,600 to £12,570, but would not be moved on his plan to introduce a rise of 1.25p in the pound from April for those workers paying into the fund.

Explaining that the economy is still fragile and has been hit by the war in Ukraine he made

it clear the funding has to be found for the NHS, but con‐ firmed his belief that it could be possible to reduce income tax by 2024 when the economy should be stronger.

VAT and business rates were reduced on some green tech‐ nology and an extra £500 mil‐ lion was made available to councils for the Household Support Fund to assist vulnera‐ ble families suffering from in‐ creased prices.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said he was mistaken with his decision to increase National Insurance and didn’t appreciate how badly off low paid workers and pensioners are at the moment.

Why choose a pre-paid funeral plan?

WHILE planning a funeral can be a difficult task, from choosing the type of service you would like to the music, a funeral plan with Golden Leaves will make sure your funeral is organised the way you would like.

Not only does this save your loved ones from the difficult task of planning your service, but a pre‐paid funeral plan will also help with the red tape, strict regulations and language barrier involved in organis‐ ing a funeral in Spain.

Having a pre‐paid plan will also ensure that your service is paid for, sparing your loved ones from pay‐ ing for your funeral.

The experts at Golden Leaves will ensure that your preferences are followed and respected ‐ without in‐ curring additional charges.

Not only this, you can also take comfort in the knowledge that your family and loved ones are

FOLLOWING an investigation in‐ to the proposed takeover of Morrisons, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said that that it could see fuel prices at the pump rise as a re‐ sult.

Private equity firm Clayton Du‐ bilier & Rice (CD&R) wants to ac‐ quire the supermarket chain, with its 339 petrol forecourts.

Should the deal go through, prices could rise in line with some 900 petrol stations already owned by CD&R through their subsidiary petrol station giant Motor Fuel Group.

The two sides were given five days on Wednesday March 23 to offer proposals to ease the con‐ cerns, after which the CMA has five days to decide whether to accept them or pursue a deeper probe if these concerns are not addressed.

Colin Raftery at the CMA said: “Prices for petrol and diesel have recently hit record highs, which makes it even more important that we don’t allow a lack of competition at the pump to make the situation worse.”

Morrisons had said it would lower prices by 5p per litre on Wednesday March 23 in line with the reduction in fuel duty announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

FUNERAL PLAN: Spare your loved ones a stressful task.

spared the emotional and financial burden of plan‐ ning and arranging your funeral at such a tumultuous time.

Contact Golden Leaves at info@goldenleavesinternational.com 966 49 30 82 • www.goldenleavesinternational.com

P&O admits sacking illegal MPs were stunned as P&O Ferries ad‐ mitted that the company had broken the law when its CEO appeared before the Transport Committee on Thursday March 24 to explain the sacking of 800 seamen.

When questioned, Peter Hebbleth‐ waite said there was “absolutely no doubt” that under UK employment law the firm was required to consult unions before making the mass cuts.

The justification was that as it con‐

Morrisons petrol costs

sidered it highly unlikely that unions would agree to the plan, it was easier to just go ahead, get rid of them and offer full compensation.

The following day, Transport Secre‐ tary Grant Shapps told Sky News: “I thought what the boss of P&O said yesterday about knowingly breaking the law was brazen and breathtaking, and showed incredible arrogance.”

He then went on to agree that he believed that having broken the law

and used a ‘loophole’ to get round it meant that he should resign immedi‐ ately, joining similar calls from MPs, unions and sacked staff.

The whole matter boils down to money as UK workers were entitled to receive the minimum wage for those 23 or over of £9.50 per hour whilst Heb‐ blethwaite told the committee that for‐ eign agency workers would be paid £5.50 per hour, which is in line with in‐ ternational maritime standards.

GDP reviewed SLIGHTLY better news for the Spanish economy as the National Statistics Office (INE) has in‐ creased its GDP review of the 2021 fourth quarter by 0.2 per cent it announced on March 25.

The initial forecast was 2 per cent but the final result is 2.2 per cent over the previous quarter and suggests that the eurozone’s fourth largest economy still man‐ aged to grow despite the set back due to the increase in the spread of coronavirus in the latter part of the year.

Overall, during 2021, the econ‐ omy bounced back with a 5.1 per cent growth, although in 2020 it fell by 10.8 per cent so there is a long way to go.

16 EWN

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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 28

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.348,00 1.365,50 Abrdn 205,20 205,90 Admiral Group 2.548,0 2.560,0 Anglo American 3.980,5 4.023,5 Antofagasta 1.740,00 1.750,00 Ashtead Group 5.106,0 5.148,0 Associated British Foods 1.716,0 1.731,0 AstraZeneca 9.884,3 9.925,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 635,80 647,00 Avast 572,00 574,80 Aveva 2.399,0 2.447,0 Aviva 445,30 446,30 B&M European Value Retail SA558,80 565,20 BAE Systems 744,40 760,60 Bank VTB DRC 0,010 0,010 Barclays 162,67 166,18 Barratt Developments 520,80 522,40 Berkeley 3.858,0 3.884,0 BHP Billiton Ltd 2.899,50 2.920,00 BP 388,95 390,90 British American Tobacco 3.320,0 3.324,0 British Land Company 530,20 533,60 BT Group 187,35 187,50 Bunzl 2.893,0 2.914,0 Burberry Group 1.685,5 1.695,5 Carnival 1.266,2 1.283,8 Centrica 84,09 84,36 Coca Cola HBC AG 1.594,0 1.625,5 Compass 1.652,00 1.662,00 CRH 3.166,0 3.214,0 Croda Intl 7.452,0 7.510,0 DCC 5.872,0 5.874,0 Diageo 3.827,5 3.844,0 DS Smith 324,20 325,00 EasyJet 535,20 538,60 Experian 2.964,0 3.002,0 Ferguson 10.405,0 10.600,0 Flutter Entertainment 8.754,0 8.858,0 Fresnillo 743,00 751,40 GlaxoSmithKline 1.634,80 1.638,00 Glencore 508,80 512,40 Halma 2.450,0 2.492,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.029,50 1.046,50 Hikma Pharma 2.071,00 2.111,00 HSBC 523,30 523,90 IAG 140,62 141,82 Imperial Brands 1.667,71 1.675,50 Informa 590,40 597,20 InterContinental 5.229,2 5.280,0

% CHG. 1.345,00 204,20 2.528,0 3.976,5 1.738,50 5.068,0 1.708,0 9.844,1 634,00 571,20 2.398,0 440,20 553,00 744,20 0,010 161,96 510,40 3.832,0 2.897,00 383,40 3.269,0 526,80 185,80 2.893,0 1.671,5 1.252,4 83,76 1.584,0 1.649,00 3.142,0 7.442,9 5.844,0 3.813,0 320,00 520,60 2.962,0 10.405,0 8.706,0 736,80 1.622,40 505,70 2.450,0 1.027,50 2.068,00 520,30 137,16 1.654,00 590,40 5.184,0

NET VOL 71,02K 228,25K 33,56K 243,37K 60,83K 64,76K 148,26K 10,60K 184,93K 26,74K 32,49K 1,33M 291,20K 885,26K 0 4,05M 612,47K 8,26K 1,10M 4,09M 277,45K 208,24K 851,27K 28,46K 58,83K 66,91K 2,07M 71,89K 1,21M 174,44K 3,64K 4,07K 394,84K 221,69K 1,06M 33,22K 41,75K 23,42K 88,06K 622,63K 2,75M 22,16K 40,97K 80,12K 2,14M 6,92M 128,07K 190,44K 4,02K

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

1.689,00 5.102,0 81,80 262,10 1.829,5 789,60 271,50 48,96 7.910,0 761,60 125,10 1.518,50 1.117,60 223,90 6.349,6 1,89 1.073,20 2.116,0 634,80 1.078,00 5.560,5 2.321,00 525,20 645,40 5.946,0 98,39 0,60 685,60 1.419,00 0,5000 3.141,0 1.003,00 1.329,00 2.954,0 2.103,0 1.229,53 1.475,00 12.120,0 1.676,47 1.452,00 515,00 134,38 278,60 229,90 3.410,0 1.074,00 126,31 2.809,0 1.046,50

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.702,74 5.152,0 82,70 262,90 1.843,0 792,60 272,20 49,33 7.940,0 763,20 126,35 1.520,55 1.135,40 224,90 6.370,0 1,89 1.089,00 2.135,0 636,40 1.081,63 5.561,0 2.330,00 528,80 661,80 5.991,0 103,54 0,60 694,40 1.419,50 0,5000 3.154,0 1.010,00 1.329,00 2.958,0 2.107,0 1.235,50 1.502,50 12.355,0 1.698,00 1.460,00 515,40 135,30 278,60 231,70 3.427,0 1.082,00 126,58 2.830,0 1.047,00

1.685,50 5.088,0 81,68 260,10 1.826,0 785,80 269,30 48,70 7.834,0 760,40 124,75 1.510,47 1.116,20 222,30 6.296,0 1,89 1.065,11 2.106,0 631,60 1.070,50 5.473,0 2.308,00 524,40 644,20 5.927,0 98,12 0,60 684,60 1.412,50 0,5000 3.117,0 995,80 1.315,00 2.939,0 2.066,5 1.226,00 1.473,50 12.120,0 1.673,00 1.447,00 508,80 132,40 276,45 225,60 3.400,0 1.072,47 125,30 2.789,0 1.036,00

2,27K 7,84K 858,31K 157,81K 68,03K 103,32K 1,57M 28,43M 29,34K 49,72K 367,86K 1,28K 623,08K 1,24M 28,66K 0 11,53K 93,72K 248,50K 25,36K 98,75K 254,09K 264,46K 65,91K 241,85K 32,84M 0 86,38K 0,94K 0 5,88K 387,26K 146,98K 17,29K 1,59M 99,53K 58,19K 3,87K 186,96K 40,14K 806,84K 2,94M 431,34K 490,66K 443,79K 18,68K 5,58M 27,33K 282,14K

1.20027

0.83306

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0954 Japan yen (JPY)........................................135.75 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0247 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4406 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................9.4824

currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581 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 28

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 150,46 190,28 238,79 174,72 188,95 223,36 169,31 54,97 61,53 64,70 337,49 310,68 197,79 131,35 51,83 176,92 141,92 241,58 81,34 303,68 133,70 152,83 211,03 187,75 513,03 51,28 218,43 47,12 143,45 139,14

CHANGE 151,18 191,26 239,49 175,28 191,70 223,80 169,69 55,18 61,61 64,73 341,83 318,80 198,36 131,40 51,98 177,70 143,18 241,85 81,38 305,50 133,87 153,92 215,86 187,78 516,53 51,46 218,93 47,78 143,93 140,38

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 148,91 2,24M 189,00 1,85M 236,21 1,42M 172,75 80,18M 186,93 6,23M 221,14 1,57M 165,16 10,15M 54,40 17,92M 61,05 12,06M 63,84 3,94M 335,48 1,57M 308,30 5,12M 195,32 2,53M 129,31 3,52M 50,45 33,13M 175,22 4,72M 140,80 8,19M 239,43 2,13M 80,45 6,71M 299,29 22,10M 131,71 6,24M 151,51 5,02M 208,48 3,39M 184,04 851,94K 509,24 2,49M 50,97 18,73M 215,69 4,99M 46,91 4,67M 142,26 4,59M 138,12 5,86M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 28

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+143.04% +89.73% +54.00% +50.20% +33.65% +32.22% +25.95% +25.54% +23.12% +22.81% +22.54%

130.88M 2.18M 1.39M 9.59M 321.31K 17.25M 17.69M 3.82M 1.42M 302.81M 39.41M

-65.15% -64.55% -22.52% -21.67% -20.83% -19.81% -19.13% -18.95% -17.93% -17.78% -17.77%

46.24M 3.62M 22.62M 180.46M 4.02M 3.11M 2.69M 14.01M 482.96K 400.39K 6.83K

Most Advanced Clever Leaves Holdings Clever Leaves Holdings AN2 Therapeutics Forge Global Holdings Fresh Grapes LLC Nextdecade Clarus Therapeutics Holdings Aileron Therapeutics Neximmune Tilray Kidpik

Most Declined MEI Pharma Icosavax Honest Company Mullen Automotive iClick Interactive Asia Oneconnect Fin Curiositystream TMC the metals company Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Arts-Way Regional Health Pref A

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Credit: The Presidential Press and Information Office

Introducing the gasrouble

NEW PAYMENT: Vladimir Putin recent made the announcement.

MANY have heard of the petrodollar but Russia is in‐ troducing the gasrouble af‐ ter Vladimir Putin an‐ nounced on March 23 that some countries would have to pay for gas in roubles.

A number of countries who oppose the Russian in‐ vasion of Ukraine have been declared unfriendly to Moscow and as they have frozen Russian overseas as‐ sets, it no longer makes sense to accept payment in dollars or euros.

Each of the 27 European Union States alongside the USA, Australia, Canada, Sin‐ gapore and the United Kingdom (including Gibral‐ tar) are included in the list of more than 45 countries who will be required to pay in roubles if they import Russian gas.

Putin said “Russia will continue, of course, to sup‐ ply natural gas in accor‐ dance with volumes and prices ... fixed in previously

concluded contracts.

“The changes will only af‐ fect the currency of pay‐ ment, which will be changed to Russian rou‐ bles.”

State‐controlled energy giant Gazprom which has in the past accepted a huge proportion of payments in euros and dollars was given just one week to amend ex‐ isting contracts.

This decision has helped strengthen the value of the rouble against the euro and dollar particularly and is thought to have caught ma‐ jor importers of Russian gas by surprise.

According to one Russian newspaper, experts inter‐ viewed by the paper are confident that it is in fact the only way to overcome the dominant role of the dollar.

Countries like Germany who depend on large vol‐ umes of Russian gas will now find themselves in a

Libyan cooperation ON Thursday March 24, the Spanish Ambassador to Libya, Javier Larachi met with members of the Libyan Inion of Chambers of Commerce and Government Ministers to discuss ways of upgrading economic co‐ operation between the two countries.

The meeting focused on investment, especially in the field of solar energy, in addition to opening chan‐ nels of communication between economic dealers in both countries.

They also addressed the memorandum of under‐ standing between the Union and the Spanish Cham‐ ber of Commerce, and the importance of activating it, because of its role in promoting cooperation and overcoming economic difficulties.

With an election due in June 2022 and the hope that oil production will increase, the country could be an attractive partner for the Spanish Government.

dilemma as the imposed sanctions appear to have backfired on them.

BUSINESS EXTRA Jade Tower CORDIA INTERNATIONAL, Hungary’s leading residen‐ tial property developer is promoting the sale of a new luxury apartment de‐ velopment Jade Tower, (its first in Spain), close to the beach in Fuengirola to po‐ tential clients in Romania who are looking to invest in second homes or simply move to Spain.

Whites go black TO celebrate the 120th an‐ niversary of Real Madrid and the 20th anniversary of collaboration between the Japanese fashion de‐ signer Yohji Yamamoto and the German sports gi‐ ant Adidas, there is a new all black strip being pro‐ duced which will be more of a fashion statement than just kit.

VW investment EUROPE’S largest vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen which owns the Seat brand announced on Wednesday March 23 that it plans to create its first battery manufacturing fac‐ tory outside of Germany in Valencia, which will em‐ ploy around 3,000 workers and will also start making electric vehicles in its Span‐ ish plants.

31 March - 6 April 2022

EWN 17

18 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 March - 6 April 2022

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT SO now they want to drop Shakespeare from the curriculum of British schools?

Yet another assault on British heritage and culture, which is slowly but surely being eroded by an ill‐intentioned bunch who, assisted by the PC and snowflake brigade, are hell bent on destroying the very fabric of everything our ancestors fought and died for. “It’s too difficult for our students,” they bleat. Aw, well it would be, wouldn’t it? Particularly to youngsters who are too lazy to put their tongues between their teeth, and subsequently pronounce, think as fink, Nothing as nuffink and something as summink.

“We should make it easier and more up to date,” they wail. Oh yes that’s a good idea ‐ let’s see. How shall we rephrase this beautiful quote from Romeo and Juliet?

“When he shall die. Take him and cut him out in little stars. And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with the night and pay no worship to the garish sun.” What about “When he kicks off, blade him up a bit; and when it gets dark the dude will be lookin’ so good you won’t wanna see the sun come up.”

Mmm, doesn’t somehow have the same

Lingo

ring, does it? Give us a break.

These so‐called teachers are not interested in British culture. They want to destroy the monarchy, introduce their left‐ wing ideals and drag the whole country down to their level. As far as curriculums are concerned, rather than attacking British heritage, perhaps it would be more constructive to make sure some truthful and unbiased British history is taught to their vulnerable and propaganda‐exposed students.

Does President Biden truly inspire confidence as a strong and reliable ally in these dangerous times? Not to me he doesn’t. From his carefully contrived efforts to look buoyant and frisky as he descends the steps of Air Force One, to his heavily scripted speeches, which he peers at through Mr Magoo contact lenses, and reads with all the acumen of an eight‐year‐ old asked to read aloud in the class, I would be hesitant to take his advice on how I should cross the road. His appearance at a press conference in Brussels last week was truly quite laughable.

At the end of his speech, he managed to drop all his paraphernalia on the floor and disappear altogether. We were subsequently treated to an empty podium accompanied by banging and shuffling, as he groped out of sight to retrieve the offending items. There was then a moment of true hiatus as, with bated breath, we waited to see if he would actually appear again. You could almost hear the sighs of relief when he finally popped back up and we then watched as he bemusedly followed the direction of the EU president to where he should now stand. And this bumbler, with an administration stuffed full of wokes, is the saviour of the Western world? Heaven help us all.

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com.

Expatradioscotland.com Mon. Fri. 1pm till 4.

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

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

FEATURE

TV & Film Review by Laura Kemp

Emotions run high in Mass

MASS, released late last year and now available on Hulu, is a sensitive and emotional look at the aftermath of a mass shooting at a school in America. With an impres‐ sive 95 per cent critic rat‐ ing and a 91 per cent au‐ dience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this film comes highly recom‐ mended.

Mass requires a lot from its audience. The movie is mostly shot in one room and with four actors. This intimate and simple location lets the di‐ alogue and acting shine, emotions run high and it is easy for the audience to forget they are watching a fictional film.

Two couples meet at an Episcopalian church, where the thoughtful script unfolds. We learn that one of the couples are the parents of a school shooter and the other couple are the par‐ ents of one of the victims.

The four‐character piece

includes a powerhouse of actors such as Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ja‐ son Isaacs (Harry Potter), Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), and Reed Bir‐ ney (House of Cards).

The script forces the au‐ dience to consider the parents left behind after such tragedies ‐ particu‐ larly the parents of the perpetrator ‐ who, in this case, was a depressed and lonely young man. The unspeakable is confronted in these four walls, which gives the feeling of a stage play or live TV dra‐ ma. Something that struck me was the question of whether people are born bad or whether it is some‐ thing that is learnt.

There is no political dis‐ cussion here, something that is essential to ad‐ dress when looking at the issue of American gun laws and the huge amounts of school shoot‐ ings in the country.

Mass is now available to stream on Hulu.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 March - 6 April 2022

EWN 19

How do you solve a problem like Putin?

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

WHEN Ukrainian families are being shelled as they flee for safety and Europe teeters on the edge of the end of everything, who wants to read more about it? If you don’t, turn the page, otherwise read on!

We read of peace talks but if these even‐ tually succeed, what’s the likely outcome?

The deal will probably be an assurance of Ukrainian neutrality and ‘self‐determination’ for Crimea and Donbas, and Putin boasting he ‘got what he wanted’. But actually, he’ll have lost. Badly.

The cost of a ruined economy and being an international outcast for the foreseeable future. A West more united than since the Cold War. Neighbouring states despising Russia. Europe, and especially Germany, ending their devastating dependence on Russian energy. The world ending its devas‐ tating dependence on Russian mineral

PUTIN: Nothing more than a playground bully who understands one language, force.

wealth and, most significantly, finally seeing Putin for the loathsome dictator he is.

This, though, won’t help the brave Ukrainians much in the short term, but hopefully later on. But Putin, and the world, will have seen how inferior the overhyped Russian armed forces have turned out to be

versus a smaller but professional, dedicated and determined foe. Having committed a large part of his ground armed forces to this campaign, Putin should be in no doubt what would happen if he came into conflict with the far more competent NATO. But all this fails to answer the crucial ques‐

tion, can Putin be trusted? He failed to hon‐ our the 2012 deal to end civil war in Syria.

Days before this invasion he said he’d never invade Ukraine.

Sooner or later, we need to confront him.

Not now, and not in a manner that would end up in nuclear warfare. However, he is a playground bully who understands only one language, force. If Ukraine ceded Crimea and Donbas and agreed to ‘demilitarise’ Ukraine now, he’d agree to that provisional‐ ly, but then his brutal war machine would soon afterwards reinvade a weaker Ukraine.

He needs to be stopped. Like the Nazis in the 1930s, some regimes cannot be trusted with keeping their word.

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) are available online as eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audio‐ books. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

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

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

THURSDAY 31/03 FRIDAY 01/04 SATURDAY 02/04

4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 5:00pm 5:45pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 5:00pm 6:30pm 7:15pm 7:20pm 7:25pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:45pm 9:35pm 10:15pm

WEDNESDAY 06/04

TUESDAY 05/04

MONDAY 04/04

SUNDAY 03/04

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Escape to the Country The Repair Shop Bridge of Lies Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Dragons' Den The Apprentice

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The Repair Shop FIFA World Cup 2022 Draw BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show A Question of Sport Would I Lie to You? MasterChef Have I Got News for You

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Final Score Superman & Lois BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Celebrity Mastermind The Wall Pointless Celebrities Casualty Killing Eve

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Good Morning Sports Fans My Icon: Kadeen Corbin Live Super Rugby My Icon: Maggie Alphonsi Live EFL Gillette Soccer Saturday Live: SNF Live Fight Night

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Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Obesity: Who Cares If I'm Bigger? Panorama We Are England The Split

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The Repair Shop Bridge of Lies Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather Party Election Broadcast The One Show EastEnders MasterChef

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Bridge of Lies Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather Party Election Broadcast EastEnders MasterChef Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr

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The Customer is Always Right The Monkey Eating Eagle of the Orinoco Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Doctors Rick Stein's Cornwall Great British Menu How to Sleep Well with Michael Mosley

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Flog It! Pointless Celebrities FIFA World Cup 2022 Draw Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Great British Menu: Banquet Special Gardeners' World Earth's Great Rivers II

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Great British Menu: Banquet Special The Best Dishes Ever Calamity Jane Florida: America's Animal Paradise Live Women's Six Nations Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs TOTP: The Story of 1993 TOTP: Big Hits 1993 Take That at the BBC

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MOTD Live: Women's Super League Move Over, Darling Perfect Partners: Talking Pictures Inside the Factory Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy The Speedshop Thatcher & Reagan

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The Customer is Always Right Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Doctors Rick Stein's Cornwall Mastermind University Challenge

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The Heights The Customer is Always Right Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Doctors Rick Stein's Cornwall Saving Lives at Sea

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Golf: The Masters 2021 Review Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Lightning Doctors Rick Stein's Cornwall Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway Stan & Ollie

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Villages by the Sea Michael Wood's Story of England La La Land Pride and Prejudice Skint: Heart of Glass Skint: The Taking of Balgrayhill Street Skint: Unicorn Villages by the Sea Michael Wood's Story of England

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Dickinson's Real Deal Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Cost of Living: What You Need to Know - Tonight Joanna Lumley's Great Cities of the World

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Steph's Packed Lunch Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Fame in the Family The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Perfect House, Secret Location Extraordinary Escapes

Dusty Dusty Sounds of the Sixties TOTP: 1992 TOTP: 1992 Neil Diamond at the BBC Neil Diamond Sings Neil Diamond How Do Pop Songs Work?

TOTP: 1992 TOTP: 1992

2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 4:59pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

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

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

Steph's Packed Lunch Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Fame in the Family The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Unreported World Grayson's Art Club Gogglebox

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

The Normans Rick Stein's Long Weekends Hidden Hidden Wales with Will Millard Wogan: The Best Of Yes, Prime Minister Keeping Up Appearances A Slow Odyssey: A Turtle's Journey

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The Next Karate Kid A Place in the Sun Grease Channel 4 News Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales Chernobyl: The New Evidence The Hitman's Bodyguard Assassin's Creed

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ITV Racing: Live from Doncaster Tipping Point The Chase: Celebrity Special ITV News and Weather ITV News London Celebrity Catchphrase Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take Away Starstruck ITV News and Weather

The Piano: A Love Affair Much Ado About Nothing Arena: All the World's a Screen - Shakespeare on Film Imagine - Becoming Cary Grant The Beauty of Maps The Beauty of Maps The Piano: A Love Affair

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ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather The Masked Singer US Midsomer Murders Evan Almighty ITV News and Weather ITV News London Tipping Point: Lucky Stars All Star Musicals The Ipcress File ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather

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Pubs, Ponds and Power: The Story of the Village The Story of Slate: Inside Museums Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors Ian Hislop's Fake News: A True Story The Challenger Tomorrow's Worlds: The Unearthly History of Science Fiction

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

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Pubs, Ponds and Power: The Story of the Village Manchester's Whitworth: Inside Museums Keeping Up Appearances Yes, Prime Minister Gods of Snooker Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story Meet the Romans with Mary Beard Pubs, Ponds and Power

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ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Dickinson's Real Deal Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London Party Election Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Love Your Garden

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Pubs, Ponds and Power: The Story of the Village Glasgow's Treasure Palace: Inside Museums Lucy Worsley's Royal Photo Album Putin, Russia and the West The Truffle Hunters: Storyville Woof! A Horizon Guide to Dogs

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Lingo ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London Party Election Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Kate & Koji Bradley Walsh and Son: Breaking Dad

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5 News at 5 Neighbours Eggheads A Country Life for Half the Price 5 News Update Cornwall: A Year by the Sea 5 News Update National Treasure, National Disgrace: Savile, Harris & Hall

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FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

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

31 March - 6 April 2022

EWN 21

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.

It’s now official, I am old!

MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

Views of a Grumpy Old Man WELL, that’s it, it’s official, I’m old. The reason I know that is what looked like a 12year-old child in a white coat with a stethoscope round her neck told me. Of course she wasn’t 12. She was a qualified doctor, a dermatologist, and I had a few marks I wanted her to look at. Her reply to all of them, and I’m sure it was because we were talking in English, “Nothing to worry about it, just because you are old.” I mean I had a sneaky suspicion because we have mirrors in our house, but now it’s official. I’m glad I got a quickish appointment otherwise I would have been ancient.

I bought some glasses from Specsavers here and, to be honest, I wasn’t too impressed with them. So, when I received a text from them telling me I needed to make an appointment for a check-up I ignored it.

They sent me another reminder and this time I decided to reply and said, “Sorry I can’t read this message as my glasses are no good and the font is too small”. I haven’t

heard any more from them. Sorted.

We have had, over the last few days, this browny-orange rain from the Sahara called ‘la calima’ and everyone got very excited and posted pictures of it all over the internet. But then the reality set in. This stuff stains and how the heck do we clean it up?

I mean I’m looking at buildings that were white and are now orange. It is going to cost absolute fortunes to get rid of. So if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate some tips.

The other thing is what it’s done to the air quality, especially if you have any chest problems. I knew those wretched masks would come in handy again one day.

Message to all restaurant owners. Lose the table next to the toilets. I, unfortunately, sat at one today and it’s terrible watching people trying the same door two or three times because someone is in there longer than they think they should be.

Then there is the line of two or three people looking very uncomfortable that you don’t want to make eye contact with and then when the door makes the loud unlocking noise and you glance up you inadvertently do make eye contact. Just get rid of that table.

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

Travel Feature

Discover Benidorm

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!

22 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

31 March - 6 April 2022

NEWS

Incredible statistics

DAVID WORBOYS THERE is nothing as remarkable as the hu‐ man body. It is estimated that the average body contains 37 trillion cells, 60 trillion bacteria and 380 trillion viruses. It contains about 40 litres of water and both the brain and the heart are composed of about 80 per cent water. The heart beats 100,000 times each day, 36.5 million times per year.

Variations of the body are also astonish‐ ing. Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever at 2.675 metres (8’11’’), died in 1940, aged 22.

The heaviest, Jon Brower Minnoch, weighed in at 442kg (69 stone 9lb) in 1974.

He died aged 41. Both, of course, were Americans.

On the subject of large beings, the aver‐ age African elephant weighs 5,500 kg, eats over 200 kg of food and drinks up to 200 litres of water each day. At birth, it can weigh as much as Lennox Lewis in his prime. There are 450,000 elephants re‐ maining, of which 92 per cent are African, there were more than 11 million in 1930. In comparison, a blue whale, 30 metres in length, can weigh 180,000 kg, the equiva‐ lent of 33 elephants.

Destruction of our environment is also

These two Americans have something in common apart from their nationality. beyond belief. Some 100,000 tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans every day. Of this, 7 per cent goes into the Mediter‐ ranean which has just 1 per cent of the world’s sea water. This is apart from all the other detritus. Globally, 300 million tons of plastic is wasted annually, almost the weight of the entire human population. In the UK, 22 tons of cigarette butts are dropped every day.

We can’t leave home without knowing the following further fascinating facts.

There are one million species of fungus in the rainforests. Tahiti’s currency is the French franc. The best palindrome is ‘never odd or even’. In 2015 there were 13,338 gun‐related deaths in the USA compared with just 50 in the UK. The hottest day recorded on earth was 56.7 degrees in Death Valley, California in

1913. The coldest was ‐89.2 in Antarctica in 1983. At the Oktoberfest, seven million litres are drunk and waiters walk, or stag‐ ger, an average of 20 kilometres per day. In India they are vaccinating one million every day. At this rate, it would take 3.5 years to cover the entire population.

And so, to sport. Bayern Munich were Eu‐ ropean champions in 2020, becoming the only side to win all 11 matches in the com‐ petition. During this run they won 24 con‐ secutive matches in all competitions. No team from Yorkshire has won at Chelsea since 1999. In 2019 Rafael Nadal achieved 47 consecutive holds of service in the Aus‐ tralian Open.

Some people like to define themselves by their knowledge and hate to admit to being wrong. As some of these statistics are unashamedly purloined from Google, I have noticed discrepancies between different sources. Nevertheless, whether lies, damn lies or statistics, I find them amazing.

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.

CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD AS prices for essentials rise against a backdrop of war, Covid‐19 and the climate crisis, once again the right‐winger on the street has to weigh in

Unwanted advice

with their opinion on how people less fortu‐ nate than themselves should be living.

It used to be about how unemployed people

and the working poor had smartphones and flatscreen TVs, egged on by disgusting pro‐ grammes such as Bene‐ fits Street, as if in 2010 these items were space‐ age technology and not the everyday items they already were at that time.

Then it moved on to people posting recipes for bland meals with very little nutritional value that could apparently be made for pennies, as some sort of gotcha mo‐ ment against poor peo‐ ple, not accounting for the cost of getting to the supermarket and the en‐ ergy used to heat the food in the first place.

Now after 12 years of To‐ ry misrule we arrive at a time in which people are turning down root veg‐

etables at food banks be‐ cause they cannot afford to cook them, and there is still a band of uncom‐ passionate fools who think their views about the lives of poor people are necessary and want‐ ed.

Heating your home and eating more than plain boiled pasta has, in the outlook of some, become a luxury that some peo‐ ple are not worthy of.

This isn’t a moral failing on the part of the people who cannot afford to boil potatoes, but rather on the people who hold such abhorrent opinions about them.

The Conservative, capi‐ talist media machine has always done a stellar job of convincing people that they are closer to becom‐ ing a millionaire than

they are to becoming homeless, but we should all know by now that the very opposite is true.

While Rishi Sunak is married to a woman rich‐ er than the Queen and is believed to be the wealthiest man in the House of Commons, and that is no mean feat, he tries to come across as a man of the people and some people buy it.

A man who had to bor‐ row a mid‐price car from a supermarket worker to pose for a photoshoot announcing a pitiful re‐ duction in fuel prices, when there are nurses and teachers who can’t afford to drive to their jobs.

A man who then tried to tap his contactless bank card under a bar‐ code points scanner, so

out of touch with the day‐to‐day he is. He then heads back to parliament to announce a Spring Statement that will dis‐ proportionately punish people on fixed incomes such as pensioners and carers, and still, there are people who think the worst cost of living crisis since the 1950s is some‐ thing that poor people should just be ‘navigat‐ ing better’. It is baffling.

According to the Resolu‐ tion Foundation, 1.3 mil‐ lion people will be plunged into absolute poverty under the Spring Statement.

Instead of those peo‐ ple offering up so‐called advice to those who are under attack, their ener‐ gy would be better off spent fighting back be‐ fore the next wave of cuts claims them too.

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.

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.

WHAT HAPPENED TO COMMON SENSE?

From our Facebook

EQUALITY: However, in sport, women cannot compete ‘equally’ with males?

Sir/madam I trust Suzanne Manners... Explaining Mansplaining... feels very strongly that all those male Ukrainian soldiers and civilians currently fighting and dying should have accepted her conclusion that as they stand there, legs apart holding their weapons that they are, in her words ‘spoiled, self-obsessed little boys who should shut up and share’ ...and hand their weapons to their womenfolk and head for Poland with their children?

Why not... in her words, ‘this is why equality is so important’?

Reality is also important? For example, in sport, women cannot compete ‘equally’ with males? Or are such world class athletes as Martina Navratilova wrong? The unqualified obsession with ‘equality’ has led to the absurd acceptance of a fully intact male currently winning medals in women’s swimming

competitions in USA. Those who object are, again in Ms Manners’ words, told to ‘shut up and share’.

Whatever happened to common sense?

Yours faithfully , AR

A sad world Dear Euro Weekly, It makes me so sad to see what is happening in the world. This war, and now all the prices going up. I don’t go anywhere because of petrol, and I can now barely afford my cigarettes.

It’s nice to read the paper and see that at least there’s a sense of community here in Spain. I like reading about all the different charities and to see there’s still people who care. So thank you Euro Weekly. I can at least afford

REMEMBERING PHILIP POIGNANT images of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sitting alone at the funeral of her husband of 73 years touched hearts around the world.

Whilst his service of thanksgiving, conducted on Tuesday March 29 at Westminster Abbey, could not have been a joyous occasion, it must have given the Queen some comfort in the fact that she was able to give him a more fitting farewell.

Clearly, now aged 95 and having recently suffered from Covid-19, she is frail and little has been seen of her this year, so there were fears that she either wouldn’t be able to make it, or would need to be in a wheelchair.

In the event, the Queen travelled from Windsor with son Prince Andrew who walked her to her seat whilst the ceremony was kept to 45 minutes in length in order to make it as easy and stress free as possible.

CORRECTIONS

the free paper and a coffee.

Cheers, Nick

From 90 year-old Armed Services Veteran

FAMOUS SLAP: Did it really happen - what do you think?

Sheila Haynes

Leapy, I would like to speak to you on the telephone No --- --- ---.

Regarding freedom of speech, as per your Euro Weekly article, you are spot on. I have been shut down by Giles Brown, on RTE Radio and personally insulted because I mentioned ‘why are Brit troops in Latvia preventing immigrants from crossing, when we can’t even control our own borders’. Let’s have a chat?

John

OUR VIEW

Large crowds gathered outside of the Abbey, not just to try to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty and other members of the Royal Family (with the notable exception of Prince Harry) but also politicians and foreign royals, including the King and Queen of Spain and all other major European royal families.

There was a significant involvement from members of the armed forces with much of the music played during the ceremony being performed by the Band of the Royal Marines as well as a number of the charities which the Duke of Edinburgh held close to his heart over the years.

Although a public ceremony, this was without doubt a very private affair for the Queen, left with her memories of a long and eventful relationship in the same place where she was married in 1947 and we wish her well at this difficult time.

No. Remove him from our screens. That’s what he deserves.

Simon Freebrey A massive overreaction to a poorly thought out joke. I would hope both Chris and Will are reflecting a little today. Move on, it’s chip paper already.

Suzi Mann He was protecting his wife, fair play, I don’t like violence, but at the end of day he did what he thought best.

Dee Rafferty He was protecting his wife. Chris Rock had no right whatsoever to tease about something like that. I would’ve kicked him off the stage.

Gail DM I’m not a violent person at all, neither is my husband. BUT if someone had made derogatory comments about me in such a public place and upset me, I know my husband would have defended me. Family matters. Also I thought the ‘jokes’ etc were monitored! Obviously not. Always two sides to every story!

Gary McGregor Well done Will Smith. Chris Rock thinks it’s OK to slander someone in the name of comedy... Well done Will for standing up for your wife.

Gerard O’Brien Nope. A violent act displaying a violent character.

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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29

PETS

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

Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our phi‐ losophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a home‐

owner on HouseSitMatch. com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit ad‐ vert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2022? Then get started right now.

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HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sit‐ ters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your ad‐ vert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐

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Pets going vegan VEGANISM is the practice of abstaining from con‐ suming some or all animal products. Many vegans extend the philosophy to other areas of their lives, including imposing the diet on their own pets.

This issue came to a head recently with the pub‐ lication of pictures of an emaciated looking pet, by an apparent animal rights activist in Barcelona. But what does it mean to impose a vegan diet on an animal, and is it a healthy choice for the animal?

Owners of vegan pets insist this diet is particu‐ larly suited to animals that suffer from certain al‐ lergies, diseases and pathologies, such as diges‐ tive and cardiovascular problems, obesity, leishmania (in dogs) and the prevention of crys‐ tals (in cats).

However, critics of the pet diet state that for many pets the meat aspect of their diet is crucial to their well‐being. They argue that pets should eat what they eat in the natural world and make the point that some pets, such as cats, will have problems digesting plants and processing non‐ meat substitutes, actually causing them health problems.

What is clear is you are responsible to care for and nourish your pet to ensure it is healthy.

DOGS’ brains understand not only what we say, but also how we say it and are able to distin‐ guish the words and tones we use when speaking to them, a new study has revealed.

Led by Attila Andics, pro‐ fessor at the University of Lorand in Budapest, the study, the results of which were published by Science magazine, played record‐ ings of their trainers using different words and tones to 13 different dogs while using magnetic resonance scanners to study how their brains reacted.

The dogs were found to use the left hemi‐ spheres of their brains, just like humans, and to recognise each word separate‐ ly regardless of tone.

“This study is the first step towards understanding how dogs interpret human speech and can help us un‐ derstand communication between the two and make

Understanding what we say and how we say it it more efficient,” Andics ex‐ plained.

Words are the main ele‐ ment of language and com‐ munication, while tone is another way of transmitting information.

Humans use both to un‐ derstand what they’re hear‐ ing, and the aim of the study, Andics said, was to discover whether dogs were

DOGS: Recognise the words we say to them.

also able to separate the two.

In effect, they were found to process vocabulary and tone separately. Therefore,

the team concluded, dogs are indeed able to distin‐ guish between the words we say to them and the tone we use.

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community continuing to help people find their way back to God. Sunday Service 11.00am Prayer Meetings Wednesdays 11.00am Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780 Email: info@ nlcnerja.com Website: www . n l c n e r j a . c o m Facebook: www.facebook. com/nlcnerja CHARITY Shop Pocapecunia we need things for the house/kitchen, decoration, vases, plates, cups, saucers, kitchen tools, paintings, pottery pots and pans etc Prolongacion Avd. Rodgriguez Acosta, Nr the Parador Roundabout, opposite café Trébol, Nerja

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CHURCH SERVICES CHARITY NEW LIFE CHURCH, whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, we would be delighted to welcome you to New Life Church. Our meetings are characterised by uplifting songs, relevant sermons and a modern but reverent service. During this time of uncertainty, God’s word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness. We are a Bible based Church

THE ANGLICAN Chaplaincy of Nerja & Almunecar.

Every Sunday there is a Holy Communion service at midday in San Miguel church in Nerja. Every Wednesday morning at 9.30 we have an online ‘Zoom’ HC service - please contact Fr Nigel with an e-mail address if you would like to join us. Priest in Charge, Father Nigel Thomas. Tel: Church House - 951 815736, Mobile: 608 695 756, e-mail: cofenerja@ gmail.com.

31 March - 6 April 2022 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

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ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack AS estates go VW’s Arteon Shooting Brake has a pres‐ ence, the wide frontal look, muscular rear and sleek lines makes for a stylish driveway addition. Based on the Passat, the Ar‐ teon shooting brake is aimed at being a mix of the practical with added style. It cer‐ tainly turns heads and usu‐ ally for all the right reasons.

The term shooting brake is a delightfully old fashioned one harking back to a time when cars had little space and upper class shooting parties needed transport for all their kit. This German in‐ terpretation of the shooting brake, although not without compromises, is a particular‐ ly appealing one.

Prices start at €45,670 (£38,230) and peak at €65,029 (£54,435) for the top‐line version with all‐

31 March - 6 April 2022

VW Arteon a shooting brake for a modern generation

(£8,000) worth of extra cost options.

Although the test car was not my favourite in terms of colour, dark grey with black interior, a much brighter and classier colour palette is available and makes the car look much more than its

der petrol engine passes the benchmark 100 kph in 7.8 seconds and a 233 kph max‐ imum speed while return‐ ing, during my week of mostly local driving, 8.3 litres/100 km. There’s even the option of a plug‐in hy‐ brid.

The Arteon Shooting Brake isn’t a small car, in fact it looks even larger thanks to its design, and inside it feels spacious. Standard kit is good with such fare as key‐ less entry and start and tail‐ gate, a superb panoramic sunroof and much, much more. There’s the usual VW solid, quality feel, it’s a car that combines the very best of practical SUVs and tradi‐ tional estates without their bulk and boxiness. It’s a car that’s a very class act.

Facts at a Glance

SHOOTING BRAKE: It’s a car that’s a very class act.

wheel‐drive. As with all Ger‐ man automotive machines the prices can reach even headier financial heights if you make a start on the op‐ tions list. My R‐Line with 2.0‐ litre TSI petrol power, was listed at €48,322 (£40,450) but had a whopping €9,212

isn’t the point of the Arteon.

Your walking gear, picnic paraphernalia, children’s travel accoutrements or other outdoor activity kit can easily be accommodat‐ ed.

Manufacturers have be‐ come expert at smaller ca‐ pacity, more efficient en‐ gines that still possess decent performance. My Ar‐ teon’s 2.0‐litre, four‐cylin‐

EWN 31

€48k (£40k) price tag.

If you’re looking for a ca‐ pacious load carrier then the Arteon Shooting Brake is not for you. Its striking lines means that the load practi‐ cality, while better than an equivalent saloon, is not the best, but then that really

Model: VW Arteon Shooting Brake R-Line Engine: 2.0-litre TSI 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol Gears: 7-speed DSG Automatic Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 7.8 seconds/Maximum Speed 233 kmh (145 mph) Economy: 7.3 L/per 100 km (38.6 mpg) Emissions: 166 g/km WLTP Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

Fine for a dirty car THE General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) can is‐ sue fines for excessive dirt on a vehicle, espe‐ cially if the windshields and windows are cov‐ ered with mud.

If a traffic officer con‐ siders that a driver is not able to see the road well because of dirt, CARRYING ANIMALS: It is recommended pet carriers be placed on the floor in the rear.

DGT warning on pets THE General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), in addition to highlighting new sanctions that came into force on March 21, has reminded motorists about the impor‐ tance of carrying animals correctly in their vehicles.

Non‐compliance can re‐ sult in fines ranging from €80 to €500, because it is considered not only a dan‐ ger to the safety of the driver, but also to other

road users.

Although the DGT does not have specific regula‐ tions for the transportation of pets, Article 18.1 of the rules of the road states: “Particular care must be taken to ensure that he maintains the appropriate position, that other passen‐ gers maintain the same po‐ sition and that objects or animals carried are properly positioned, so that there is

no interference between the driver and any of them.”

Even if non‐compliance does not mean loss of points on the driver’s li‐ cence, motorists can still be fined €80 if the animal is loose on the floor of the ve‐ hicle or from €200 to €500 if it is on the driver’s seat.

The DGT recommends that pet carriers be placed on the floor in the rear.

DIRTY CARS: Licence plates must also be kept clean.

motorists can be fined between €80 and €200.

According to DGT reg‐ ulations: “The glass sur‐ face of the vehicle must allow, in any case, the driver clear visibility on

all the road on which it is driving.”

Licence plates must also be kept clean and legible. If not, that could be another €200 fine.

SPORT

32

31 March - 6 April 2022

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

IN WALKING FOOTBALL THIS week sees a return to action for both Malaga WFC and Aston Viñuela, with both clubs competing in the Hidro‐ master league and Baha Irish Whiskey Cup against each other two days apart!

On March 31, Malaga make the journey to Axarquia where their A team will play Viñuela B and Viñuela A will play Malaga B. This is in the Baha Cup. The winners of these semi‐finals will join the Walking Dead in a round robin final.

On Saturday April 2, the Lakesiders come to Mijas Cos‐ ta, to compete in the Hidro‐ master leagues. A win from either side will narrow the gap between them and the cur‐ rent league leaders of both premiership and champi‐ onship, the Walking Dead.

With all clubs doing fantastic charity work, our spotlight this week is on the fundraising ex‐ ploits of Martin Tigue and his guys at the Walking Dead.

The Copa del Europa.

They are cur‐ rently raising funds for ‘Prostate Can‐ cer UK’ and have lots of sporting memorabilia up for grabs, including the 1981 squad shirt

Baha Cup games.

signed by Steve Perryman as well as most, if not all of the FA Cup winning team.

To access this and make a bid, visit walkingfooty.com and there is a post on there. Well done guys.

Exciting days ahead for Be‐ nahavis and new manager An‐ drew Sweeney, as he takes two sides to Portugal in April for their first appearance in the Copa del Europa. They join Malaga who will be making their third visit.

The women’s game is making headway, with both Shiela from Viñuela and Sarah from Com‐ peta working hard at arranging train‐ ing days.

For all walking football news, go to Facebook, walking footy.com.

F1 drivers feel ‘bullied’ LEWIS HAMILTON is reportedly believed to be among five F1 drivers who feel they were ‘bullied’ into agreeing to al‐ low the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix to continue. A four‐hour meeting had taken place on Friday, March 25, attended by all the drivers, team principals, and the race organisers.

During the first practice session on Friday, Houthi rebels had launched a missile attack on the Aramco petrol refinery just 15km from the Jeddah Corniche circuit. Concerns were immediately raised about the safety of all involved in Sun‐ day’s race, with the FIA being given assurances by local au‐ thorities that they were not in danger.

At least five of the drivers voiced their concerns and dis‐ approval of continuing with the race. It is believed that the five were Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez.

This group allegedly claimed it was ‘unsafe and irrespon‐ sible’ to let the race go ahead. They also felt that they were bullied into accepting the decision after being put under pressure by FIA bosses who pointed out the possible reper‐ cussions were they not to compete.

It has also been reported that part of the conversation in‐ cluded an unsettling discussion on how easy it would be for the teams to leave the country should they decide to aban‐ don Sunday’s race.

Saudi intelligence sources assured the assembled drivers and teams that despite more warnings from the Houthi rebels, the Corniche race circuit was under no risk of attack.