Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 19 - 25 May 2022 Issue 1924

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 34 - 38 Issue No. 1924

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19 - 25 May 2022

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

Photo credit: Salt Church, Los Montesinos

STANDING OVATION

COMBINED CHOIRS: Crescendo International Choir and Chivenor Military Ladies raised €4,680 for four charities.

Linda Hall CRESCENDO INTERNATIONAL CHOIR and Chivenor Military Ladies Choir raised €4,680 for four charities at Salt Church, Los Montesinos, on May 7.

Shortly before this began, the Royal British Legion con‐

cert band led by David Last performed on the terrace out‐ side Salt Church.

The Chivenor Choir mem‐ bers, who are military person‐ nel as well as the wives, part‐ ners, mothers and daughters Turn to page 2

FREE • GRATIS

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19 - 25 May 2022

Expressing thanks

CARLOS MAZON: Maintained that the Diputacion was “more important than ever.”

ALICANTE’S provincial council commemorated its two cen‐ turies of history on May 15.

Mayors, regional MPs, sena‐ tors and spokespeople from all political parties attended the event held in the gardens of the Palacio Provincial.

Regarded as “a town hall for Alicante municipalities”, most of the provincial politicians agreed that the Diputacion helped to hold the province’s 141 villages, towns and cities together.Eighty per cent have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants and it is the Diputacion’s task to provide them with suffi‐

cient infrastructure and op‐ portunities to halt depopula‐ tion and the drift towards the province’s coastal cities and towns.

Despite criticism from Ger‐ ard Fullana, spokesman for the Compromis party, the ma‐ jority of speeches from the dif‐ ferent spokespeople ex‐ pressed gratitude towards the Diputacion.

Toni Frances, mayor of Al‐ coy and PSOE spokesman, drew particular attention to the Diputacion’s technical per‐ sonnel for their contribution to the province’s well‐being.Ed‐

uardo Dolon, Torrevieja mayor and Partido Popular spokesman, said that the cur‐ rent provincial council “has known how to put aside differ‐ ences and reach agreement on what mattered.”

Speaking at the end of the morning, the provincial presi‐ dent Carlos Mazon main‐ tained that the Diputacion was “more important than ever.”

He also quoted the Spanish philosopher, Jose Ortega y Gasset who once declared that it was only possible to ad‐ vance and progress “when acting at a local level.”

NEWS

Two choirs join forces From Front Page of active or retired servicemen, sang 10 songs, Crescendo’s Nancy Klein told the Euro Weekly News. These included Home Thoughts from Abroad, the same song they performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London and which was fea‐ tured in the movie, Military Wives. Many of the ladies who performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011 are still members of the choir.

Crescendo Choir performed nine works, including Coldplay’s Fix You and Viva la Vida and the two groups combined to sing I Can Only Imagine and You Raise Me Up togeth‐ er. The 350 people who attended the event gave an extended standing ovation to both

choirs when the concert ended.

Crescendo Choir will be giving two free con‐ certs soon, the first on Saturday, May 28 at 8pm at the Nuestra Señora del Pilar parish church in Los Montesinos. The second will be held on Saturday, June 4, at 6pm in the La Siesta Evangelical Church in the La Chaparral urbanisation in Torrevieja. The choir rehears‐ es at the Rincon de Miguel restaurant in Los Montesinos Monday between 5.45pm and 8pm.

“All singers are welcome!” Nancy said.

“If interested in joining Crescendo, see the www.crescendo‐choir.com website. The choir is especially seeking men to join.”

Mutually beneficial THE association that repre‐ sents Torrevieja’s hospitali‐ ty sector, AEHTC, and the town’s Ukrainian Associa‐ tion intend to create a ‘jobs centre.’

This will serve the double purpose of covering existing job vacancies in the area’s cafes, bars and restaurants while helping Ukrainians

who are now living in the town to find work.

The AEHTC’s president Jose Ignacio Pastor and Na‐ talia Zhezhnyauska, repre‐ senting the Ukrainian Asso‐ ciation, have now signed a collaboration agreement to launch the scheme.

The association explained that the Ukrainian refugees

all have Spanish work per‐ mits and would be able to start work straight away.

“As well as helping the refugees, we believe that this initiative will also help to provide a temporary ‐ or even a permanent ‐ solution to the Vega Baja’s current shortage of personnel ,” AE‐ HTC sources said.

NEWS

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NIBS EXTRA Blue flags ORIHUELA COSTA’S 11 beaches retained for the fifth consecutive year the Blue Flags that are given an‐ nually by the Foundation for Environmental Educa‐ tion (FEE) to beaches and marinas that meet their stringent standards. Ori‐ huela shares Spain’s top place with Vigo (Galicia) whose beaches were also awarded 11 flags.

Time limit REDOVAN Town Hall an‐ nounced that all unbuilt land must be fumigated to elimi‐ nate vermin and cleared of vegetation to reduce fire risk as the summer approaches.

Should the owners fail to do so by June 15, the town hall will carry out the work, later invoicing the owners.

Study abroad A DIPUTACION provincial council survey found that the number of international students attending the province’s universities grew by 25 per cent over the last five years. Thirty‐eight per cent of this year’s 4,125 for‐ eign student were Euro‐ pean, 22 per cent were American, with 17 per cent from Africa.

Good figures THIRTY‐FIVE per cent of those finding employment in Elche during the first quarter of 2022 were on permanent contracts, three times as many as during 2021 and well above the Valencian Community 30 per cent and Spain’s 28 per cent. Most new jobs were in the services sector.

Bridge repairs WORK finished in Torrevieja on repairing and maintaining the footbridges over the CV‐ 905 and Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas. The €60,500 outlay was much needed, Urban Services councillor Sandra Sanchez said, as the metallic struc‐ tures had been damaged by the sea air and rust, as well as vandals.

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Celebrating in style THE Finca La Castellana Animal Welfare Centre in San Miguel de Salinas is holding a dog show on May 21.

The centre is organising the event with trophies, rosettes, certificates, and goody bags to be won to celebrate its 13th anniversary as a registered charity on Saturday May 21.

There are classes for Puppy Obedience (18 months and under), Best Senior (over seven years), Best Pedigree (no age limit), Adult Obedience (over 18 months), Best Rescue (no age limit) and Best in Show.

“You can enter one class or all the applicable ones,”

SAFE HAVEN: Finca La Castellana rescues, rehomes and shelters strays and unwanted animals.

explained Finca La Castellana’s Beccie.

“The dog show will be hosted by David Lee, Sunshine FM’s winner of Search

More jobs for Torrevieja

TORREVIEJA Town Hall announced its largest ever offer of public‐ sector jobs.

Human resources councillor Carmen Gomez Candel said on Monday May 16 that the 229 posts included administrative per‐ sonnel who had worked for years on a temporary basis, but had not been able to consolidate their position.

At least 15 employees would be taken on to cover vacancies left by those taking retirement, but the remaining jobs would be covered by the established selection process, Gomez Candel said. Torrevieja mayor Eduardo Dolon also thanked the unions for their willingness to negotiate and all concerned for the agree‐ ment reached at the negotiating table.

Stabilising temporary employment was a town hall team prin‐ ciple, he explained.

“We have worked towards this since the beginning of the pre‐ sent electoral term and have now launched Torrevieja Town Hall’s largest ever public sector employment offer,” Dolon said.

“It is vital to combat job insecurity and ensure that people have decent work with guaranteed labour conditions,” Gomez Candel added.

for a Star, and there will be loads to do with a BBQ, refreshments, tuck shop, tombolas, and stalls,” she said. “Bring the family for a

fun day out!”

Gates open for registration at 11am, and the dog show begins at 12noon.

“Also join us on the last Thursday of every month at Browns Cocktail and Gastro Bar for a three-course lunch, €17, which includes a drink.

Book your table through our Facebook page, Finca la Castellana,” Beccie said.

Finca La Castellana are also looking for volunteers to help out in their San Miguel charity shop, Monday to Fridays between 10am and 2pm.

For information on events or volunteering, contact Beccie on 603 251 005.

Going electric

ELCHE City Hall intends to use part of a €4 mil‐ lion European Union subsidy to buy eight electric buses.

There will be a further outlay on a liquid gas refuelling station at the municipal bus service’s garage and equipping buses with a digital sys‐ tem for paying by bank card or mobile.

“All of this will help to

improve the municipal bus service, making it faster and more effi‐ cient,” said city hall’s spokesman Hector Diez.

The subsidy came from the EU’s Next Gen‐ eration fund’s alloca‐ tion to Spain, intro‐ duced to offset the immediate economic a n d s o c i a l d a m a g e r e‐ sulting from the Covid pandemic.

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Jucar water for Almeria ALMERIA’S growers will buy 50 cubic hectometres of water from the River Segura in Valencia.

The news of the €15 million purchase from the Acequia Real del Ju‐ car irrigation syndicate was described as ‘shame‐ ful’ by their counterparts in Alicante Province’s Vinalopo areas.

They, too, need water to irrigate their crops in a zone where subter‐ ranean water levels are now perilously low.

“It’s all the same to us if the Ministry authorises it. If Almeria needs water, they should have it,” An‐ gel Urbina, spokesman for the Board of the Ju‐ car‐Vinalopo Pipeline Users told the Spanish media.

As board member Francisco Santiago point‐ ed out five years ago, when the Jucar‐Vinalopo Users asked to buy wa‐ ter, they were turned down.

“Now they’re consider‐ ing selling it to Almeria, which we have nothing against. But it’s outra‐ geous to be treated like this,” Santiago said.

The Acequia Real del Jucar is one of Spain’s oldest irrigation syndi‐ cates, founded in 1258 during the reign of Jaime I, when members were granted the right to use River Jucar water for their crops.

Fugitive from justice and finally...

THE National Police arrested a 32‐ year‐old Swedish national in Torrevie‐ ja wanted for money‐laundering in his own country.

He faces a six‐year prison term for masterminding a series of multiple bank transfers intended to camou‐ flage the criminal origins of 2,343,362

Swedish korona (€222,611).

Suspecting that he had absconded to Spain, Swedish investigators con‐ tacted their Spanish counterparts who located the wanted man in Torrevieja.

He has now been transferred to Madrid, where the National High Court is processing his extradition.

NEW NAME, NEW HOME. Despite Covid, lockdown and no permanent home, Salt Church has continued to meet and grow in Los Alcazares (Murcia).

Now they are on the move and have a base in San Javier, not just for Sundays but for other weekday activities too.

“We call it The Hub and it is next door to the well‐known Yorkshire Linen shop. Because of this we are now known as Salt Church Mar Menor,” Pastor Andy Neale said.

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19 - 25 May 2022

Night Race success Matthew Roscoe THE Elche Night Race on Sat‐ urday, May 14 was heralded as a ‘great success’, as more than 1,800 people raced through the heart of the city.

Mayor Carlos González and the councillor for Urban Planning, Ana Arabid, raced alongside Elche Night Race participants, who had the choice of running 6k or 10k.

Both races started and fin‐ ished at the Paseo de la Estación as runners were cheered on by an excited and vocal crowd, who were treat‐ ed to live music and food, producing a wonderful party atmosphere.

In the men’s 10k race, Fran Maciá was crowned champi‐ on, winning with a time of 32

1,800 people took part.

minutes and two seconds.

Jessica Guerrero won the women’s race in 36:44.

The men’s 6k was won by Jorge Mateu in 19:01 min‐ utes, while Andrea Pomares was crowned champion in the women’s race, register‐ ing a time of 23 minutes and 43 seconds.

Montgo Members Golf THE Montgo Golf Soci‐ ety Members travelled to Foressos Golf Course on Friday, May 13, as Oliva was closed due to a tournament taking place.

Foressos was under‐ going maintenance, so they had two temporary greens but, to make up for this, Foressos gave the team a very good discount.

The society was the sponsor this week and with a limited field

there were two main prizes. In first place was John Day with 41 points and in second place was Keith Cottrell with 38 points. They were hap‐ py that it was a non‐ handicap competition.

Chris Chapman and Nigel Siddall won the Nearest the Pin prizes on the seventh and 11th holes.

There were three two’s who were Heiko Schram, Nigel Siddall and Chris Chapman.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee THE Torrevieja Combined Services Groups is inviting residents to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee memories on June 3 and 4 at the OASIS in San Luis.

On Friday, June 3, there will be a bazaar with an array of over 20 stalls including ‘name the teddy’ and a tombola from 11am until 3pm.

At 6pm, there will be a formal dinner including live music, danc‐ ing and a raffle. Booking is required and tickets cost €22.50 each (non‐refundable).

On Saturday, June 4, there will be a bazaar with over 20 stalls and music from BIG FM. At 1pm until 2pm there will be a fashion show on the terrace.

There will also be a street party at 6pm. Tickets cost €12.50 (non‐refundable) and food will be available for ticketholders.

To book your tickets for these events call 965 270 506.

NEWS

Police go digital Matthew Roscoe THE Local Police of Costa Blanca’s Santa Pola are set to mod‐ ernise their comput‐ er systems in order to have direct ac‐ cess ‘in real‐time’ to the main vehicle and people databas‐ es.

The new computer systems ‐ designed to eliminate the use of handwritten ‘re‐ port cards’ ‐ will mean that officers have a direct con‐ nection with impor‐ tant databases that will speed up and provide them with greater operability in police interven‐ tions.

These new tools will include tablets in police vehicles, as well as personal mobile devices and thermal printers that officers will carry on them that will make it possible to impose penalties digitally.

An agreement has been reached with SUMA Gestión Trib‐ utaria, which will al‐ low immediate pay‐ ment of fines (especially for for‐ eign users), via these mobile de‐ vices.

According to Po‐ lice councillor Ana Blasco, “the mod‐ ernisation and tech‐ nological updating of the Local Police was fundamental, both to improve protocols and thus police actions, and to guarantee a bet‐ ter service for resi‐ dents.”

NEWS

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19 - 25 May 2022

Monthly lunch IF you want to meet new people or a reason to get out of the house then why not join Asociacion Help Vega Ba‐ ja for their monthly lunch.

Their next lunch will be held on Wednesday, May 25, at La Fotraleza (CV95 VistaBella, on the road between San Miguel and Bigastro).

The menu del dia costs €13 and this includes a donation to help Vega Baja.

There will also be a raffle with great

prizes. Booking is required as well as a €5 deposit.

You can book your tickets at the Help Vega Baja Office in San Migual, by contacting events@helpvegabaja. com or calling 966 723 733.

The Associacion Help Vega Baja is a charity providing emergency help to the English‐speaking population of the southern Costa Blanca, from La Mari‐ na to Pilar de la Horadada.

Puig’s reshuffle Matthew Roscoe VALENCIAN Community President Ximo Puig restruc‐ tured the Valencian Commu‐ nity government on Satur‐ day, May 14 following the announcement that the Min‐ ister of Education, Vicent Marzà, would be leaving his position ‐ which reportedly forced the decision for the shake‐up.

“Like a summer disco at six in the morning: there are

PUIG: Restructured.

those who want to continue the party, those who are al‐

ready tired and those who don’t know what to do or where to go,” a senior official said about the sudden re‐ structuring of the local gov‐ ernment.

Ana Barceló, who was the minister of health for the Va‐ lencian Community during the Covid pandemic, was seen as the biggest ‘casualty’ of the shake‐up. Barceló will be replaced by Valencian doctor, Miguel Mínguez.

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Elche hosts police awards

POLICE officers from all over the Valencian Community re‐ ceived awards at an open‐air ceremony in Elche on May 16.

Usually held annually, this was the first time since 2019 of‐ ficers were able to receive awards owing to the pandemic.

Jose Maria Angel, regional secretary for Security and Emergencies, was accompa‐ nied by the central govern‐ ment’s Alicante delegate Araceli Poblador, Elche’s mayor Carlos Gonzalez, and represen‐ tatives from the region’s securi‐ ty forces.

As the officers received their medals, diplomas and official decorations, Jose Maria Angel emphasised the “indispens‐ able” work carried out by the Local Police and their important role during the pandemic.

“Today we recognise the ex‐ emplary nature of 309 officers and the service they provide in solving the community’s prob‐ lems and crises,” said Elche’s mayor Carlos Gonzalez. “To‐ day’s homage to these officers highlights the work they do, which is important for ensuring that we may live in democratic,

POLICE AWARDS: Local, provincial and regional dignitaries in Elche.

peaceful and safe harmony.”

Referring to Spain’s Local Public Safety Law Elche’s Local Police chief, Carlos Zaragoza, pointed out that Local Police of‐ ficers were on a level and in the same category as the rest of

Spain’s security forces.

He also called on all those present to focus their attention on the award that Local Police officers received each day from members of public: “That is what is truly important.”

Torrevieja blue flags TORREVIEJA has been re‐awarded its six blue flags on the beaches of Cala Piteras, Los Naufragos, El Cura, Los Locos, Cabo Cervera and La Mata‐Sur. This award is an international distinction that recognises the high quality of the beaches’ water, as well as meeting the required criteria of accessibility, environmental educa‐ tion, cleanliness and safety of the beaches.

Department of Beaches for Torrevieja Council, Antonio Vi‐ dal, has said that it is a priority for the government team to continue choosing and obtaining new recognitions that cer‐ tify the quality of Torrevieja’s beaches, as a commitment to the citizens and the thousands of tourists who visit.

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19 - 25 May 2022

More licence changes

SPAIN has announced that it will introduce changes in 2022 that makes over the 65’s driving licence renew‐

able every five years.

Currently, Spain re‐ quires people over the age of 65 to undertake a

test every 10 years, but with the DGT working to improve road safety they have brought that period

Spain is still top

SPAIN has maintained its top spot world‐ wide for the most blue flags of any country.

With 729 blue flags, Spain has held the top position since 1994 along with Greece and Turkey.

The awards were announced on Tues‐ day, May 10 with Spain being granted blue flag status for 621 beaches, 103 marinas and five tourist boats.

Fernando Valdés, Secretary of State for Tourism, said that blue flags are good for tourism, with 250 municipalities making the grade. He continued, saying that the government had invested €150 million in 2021 in upgrading and promoting beaches and that the number of blue flags was tes‐ tament to the value of the investment.

In total, 89 per cent of the applications re‐ ceived achieved recognition, 15 more than the previous year. Of the 18 beaches that

BLUE FLAGS: Spain has 729.

achieved recognition for the first time, sev‐ en of those are inland.

The organisation is paying special atten‐ tion to inland beaches as the popularity of these grows.

down to five years.

Announcing the change, the DGT said: “We want to increase the frequency of medical and aptitude checks so that continuing to drive is safe for every‐ one.”

Drivers of buses and lorries (types C, C1, D, D1, EC, EC1, ED, ED1, etc.), who are over the age of 65 will only have their li‐ cence issued for three years at a time.

Although the renewal period has been reduced the evaluation criteria will not change, with the same test carried out on all drivers.

The DGT has also indicat‐ ed that where warranted, driving licences could be is‐ sued for shorter periods in cases of illness, disability or frailness.

The usual fee for renew‐ ing licences, €24.58, will be lower and those over the age of 70 will not have to pay.

NEWS

Masks still mandatory

FLIGHTS: Still require masks to be worn.

MASKS continue to be mandatory on public transport including flights confirmed Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias on Thursday May 12.

Many thought that this requirement would be done away with, at least on flights, following a change in European Union guidelines, but each country is able to set its own rules.

In this case, the minister clarified the fact pas‐ sengers will not be required to wear masks whilst at airports, bus terminals or train stations but for all travel (and this must include taxis), masks are still required.

This decision was made following a meeting with health officials from across Spain although it is not known at this stage whether the ruling on aircraft covers just internal flights or whether airlines will be required to enforce the rules on international flights as well.

The European Union decision has not in any way affected the need for individuals to continue to wear masks in hospitals, health centres, phar‐ macies, nursing and doctor’s offices.

NEWS

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Spain’s bike boom

Spy chief sacked THE government in Spain has dis‐ missed the country’s spy chief, Paz Esteban, following the disclosure of the use of the Pegasus spyware to ‘listen’ in on Spanish officials.

According to reports, unidentified government sources said the deci‐ sion to sack the spy chief had been made but that no date had been set for her dismissal. It is understood that President Pedro Sanchez is keen to draw a line under the issue and to move on, hence the quick decision to remove her from the post.

The decision follows last month’s announcement by Citizen Lab, who said that more than 60 people linked to the Catalan separatist movement had been targets of ‘Pegasus’ spy‐ ware made by Israel’s NSO Group.

19 - 25 May 2022

Peter McLaren‐ Kennedy SPAIN reached record bicycle sales and manu‐ facturing levels in 2021 accord‐ ing to the Asso‐ ciation of Brands and Bicycles of Spain (AMBE), with the vol‐ umes doubling in just six years.

AMBE reported that demand remains strong following the pandemic, rising 10.7 per cent in 2021 recording a record

THE Spanish goverment reopened the land borders of Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco at midnight on Tuesday, May 17.

The Spanish goverment said in a state‐ ment on Thursday, May 12, that the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande‐Marlaska, would sign the minis‐ terial order on borders to modify the one that has kept these crossings closed since March 2020.

Production of bicycles rose.

turnover of €2,887 mil‐ lion.

The association high‐ lighted the growth in Spanish manufacturers which rose by more than 7 per cent, which was accompanied by a 3 per cent growth in peo‐

Borders reopen The reopening is the result of the bilat‐ eral work carried out with the Moroccan authorities after the recent meeting held

by President Pedro Sánchez, and the King of Morocco, Mohamed IV. The first phase of the reopening began at midnight on May 17, at which time cit‐ izens and residents of the European Union and those authorised to move

ple employed in the sec‐ tor.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 businesses in‐ volved in the sale, repair and rental of bicycles with more than 25,000 families said to living off the industry.

According to the Min‐ istry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, the pro‐ duction of bicycles in Spain increased by 75.1 per cent in 2021 with ex‐ ports rising by nearly 50 per cent.

within the Schengen area will be able to enter Spanish territory through the El Tarajal crossing in Ceuta and Beni Enzar crossing in Melilla.

In order to access Ceuta and Melilla, it will be essential to comply with the health requirements established by the Ministry of Health.

From Tuesday, May 31, legally recog‐ nised cross‐border workers will also be able to enter Spanish territory.

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Famed lioness dies

MATRIARCH LIONESS: Sortuda was a popular attraction.

THERE was much sadness at the Bioparc in Valencia after Sortuda, their much‐loved matriarch lioness, died on Fri‐ day May 10.

The lioness was put down after developing an untreat‐ able malignant tumour and reportedly showing signs of being in a lot of pain.

Sortuda was transferred to Bioparc 17 years ago from the Jardim Zoologico de Lis‐ boa to form a breeding group of the Angolan lion sub‐ species.

The lioness, who quickly became the matriarch of her pride, was a popular attrac‐ tion after she grew a mane, much like young males do.

Tests later revealed that she had some ovarian cysts that were producing a hormonal change.

This made her more mas‐ culine than normal and en‐ abled to her to become the more dominant lioness.

Sortuda was known for her cohesive role in keeping the pride together as well as for her maternal nature. Dur‐ ing her time at the Bioparc she mothered a number of cubs, some who went to oth‐ er animal parks while two, Tata and Shanga, remained with her.

Together with Luana and Lubango they form the park’s pride of lions.

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NEWS

Lowest inflation in EU ECONOMISTS in Brussels suggest that Spain will experience the lowest rate of inflation of all the countries in the EU, in 2023.

The report, released on Monday May 16, suggests that the current rate of inflation in Spain is roughly equal to the average across the European Union (EU) but that it will fall to the lowest of all countries in the bloc by 2023.

Brussels expects inflation to fall back to normal levels in 2023, with the rate’s highest for many decades, fuelled by the combination of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. That combination has seen energy prices at record highs and shortages of basic supplies, as well as key components

LOW RATE: Will be good news for Spain.

used by manufacturers worldwide.

The EU forecast that Spain will expe‐ rience the lowest rate of inflation in 2023 will be good news for the coun‐ try, which has been hit by high infla‐ tion and a third year of lower than usual number of tourists.

Digital information OV E R half of Spaniards feel uncertainty when they put their personal da‐ ta in the digital environ‐ ment, saying they are aware of what can happen when information is shared. And yet three out of four citizens, 74 per cent, admit that technolo‐ gies are ‘extremely impor‐ tant’ in their lives.

This is what was discov‐

ered in a survey carried out by the DYM Institute jointly with WIN Interna‐ tional (the world’s leading association in market re‐ search and opinion stud‐ ies) on the role of technol‐ ogy in our lives. The survey was answered by more than 33,000 people from 39 countries, 1,000 of them in Spain.

According to this report,

All Blacks in Madrid T H E legendary All Blacks New Zealand rugby team performed their traditional ‘haka’ (Maori dance) on Monday, May 16, in Madrid’s Plaza de Oriente, where they were received by the mayor, Jose Luis Martínez Almeida , and the deputy mayor, Begoña Villacis.

The All Blacks are in the capital, which cele‐ brates its San Isidro festivities, on the occa‐ sion of the friendly match that they will play on Saturday, May 21, against the Spanish team at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.

The New Zealand players were accompanied by several members of the Spanish rugby team in an act in which the captains of the two teams, Corey Flynn and Fernando Lopez, took part.

In a busy Plaza de Oriente, the striking Maori dance, which the New Zealand team customar‐ ily performs before each match, was watched with great anticipation on the esplanade in front of the Royal Palace.

more than half of Spaniards (52 per cent) are concerned about shar‐ ing personal information via mobile or computer, 4 per cent more than the world average percentage.

Both men and women show this uneasiness equally, although it is slightly higher in the case of women (53 per cent compared to 50 per cent).

University acclaim BARCELONA has hosted the third UNESCO World Confer‐ ence on Higher Education (WHEC2022), a world‐ renowned event that wel‐ comes around 2,000 people in person and around 8,000 peo‐ ple virtually. This means the city of Barcelona was the capi‐ tal of higher education for a week. Jordi Martí, dDeputy mayor for Culture, Education, Science and Community of the Barcelona City Council, said how “the choice of Barcelona to host the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Educa‐ tion for the first time shows the potential of the city as a global benchmark for a univer‐ sity city.” The representative of the council highlighted the importance of the events which “makes us debate and reflect on the future of our universities for all people.”

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19 - 25 May 2022

European gas Spain-France Electrical Interconnection Tunnel in La Jonquera.

T H E Spanish govern‐ ment, together with Portugal, has asserted its status as an ‘ener‐ gy island’ to obtain permission from Brus‐ sels to limit the price of gas, however, it is a

temporary solution to w h i c h i t i s n o w s e e k‐ ing to add a definitive one through some‐ thing that had previ‐ ously been denied ‐ the development of the gas interconnec‐ tion with the rest of Europe via France ‐ something that Spanish and French regulators ruled out in 2019.

With the price of energy sky‐rocket‐ ing due to the war in Ukraine, the gov‐ ernment in Spain is retracing its steps to pressure Brussels in favour of the con‐ struction of the gas pipeline that, unlike what was studied in the last decade, the EU will have to pay for.

It will also have to be adapted to trans‐ port not only gas, but also green hy‐ drogen.

NEWS

Butane prices high Chris King THE price of a bottle of bu‐ tane gas reached an all‐time record in Spain on Tuesday, May 17.

Another consequence of the conflict in Ukraine is the price of butane gas cylinders which reached €19.55 each, the result of a 4.94 per cent in‐ crease. A combination of the sharp rise in the cost of raw materials, transportation costs, and the weak strength of the euro against the dollar is to blame for this record price in butane bottles.

According to sources from the Ministry of Energy Transi‐ tion, this maximum price in‐ crease has been tempered because it is capped at a maxi‐ mum of 5 per cent. If this limi‐ tation did not exist then the bottle would have increased by 8.19 per cent.

Every two months the price of bottled liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) in containers of between eight and 20 kilos is reviewed. Their price is then fixed based on the costs of the raw material (propane and

butane) in international mar‐ kets, freight rates, and the

evolution of the euro‐dollar exchange rate.

Vocational Training ON Tuesday, May 17, the Council of Ministers approved an injection of almost €1,300 million aimed at promoting Voca‐ tional Training (VT) and with the main objective of reducing “intergenerational inequality”, as announced by the Presi‐ dent of the Government, Pedro Sanchez .

Sanchez said during a visit to the Public Integrated Centre of FP of Mislata in Valencia: “We are committed to Vocation‐ al Training because we want the best future for our children and because I believe that the pending challenge is to reduce all the gaps that the different crises have left in society.”

The objective of the government is that, in the coming years, some €5,500 million are allocated to VT, strengthen‐ ing an educational path that they intend to promote through the new Vocational Training Law which was approved last March.

We (Neater Heater) have been using EWN for our advertising for many years now and our main contact is Nazario.

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19 - 25 May 2022

Gluten-free app Tamsin Brown A TEAM of scientists from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), have found a way of allowing people with food intolerances to know if a product contains gluten using only their mobile phone.

The work of Luis A Tortaja‐ da‐Genaro, María Isabel Lucío and Ángel Maquieira was published in the journal Food Control and is currently in the prototype phase.

“Our prototype is designed to help control food from the moment it is produced so that when it reaches the table it is 100 per cent safe for the con‐ sumer,” said Tortajada‐ Genaro, a researcher at the UPV’s IDM Institute.

“Currently, this type of analysis requires specialised personnel; the sample has to be taken to the laboratory and the results are not avail‐ able in less than five hours.

On the other hand, with our system, we could know whether or not a food has gluten in less than two hours,” he added.

EWN 11

Black fly threat Swap the green certificate for a TIE plastic card.

Advice on TIE John Smith TIME to swap your Spanish paper EU Residence Certifi‐ cate according to advice from charity Age in Spain.

Since July 6, 2020, a new residency document has been available for British people resident in Spain, fol‐ lowing the UK’s exit from the EU. A plastic TIE card (Tarjeta de Identidad Extranjero) re‐ places the previous paper EU Residence Certificate (green residency docu‐ ment). Age In Spain is now appealing to those people who have not applied to ex‐ change their green docu‐ ment for a TIE to do so with‐ out delay and the organisation, which pro‐

vides information and sup‐ port to English speakers liv‐ ing in Spain, is here to help those who want to make the exchange.

Many people feel that since the paper certificate is valid indefinitely, it’s prefer‐ able to the TIE which needs to be renewed every 10 years but there are serious disadvantages to relying on the paper certificate, as some Spanish authorities no longer accept it as proof of identity and residency.

Give them a call on +34 932 209 741, 11am to 3pm, visit www.ageinspain.org, or email info@ageinspain.org if you would like help in applying for your TIE.

AUTHORITIES in Spain have raised the alarm over black flies, a species endemic to the country which has increased in number be‐ cause of the wetter weather and which is known to spread viruses.

Jorge Galván, General Director of the National Association of Envi‐ ronmental Health Companies (ANECPLA) said on Monday, May 16, that: “The species is found all over Spain, and in the communities of Andalucia, Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid, Murcia and Valencia, we have had to raise the alarm.”

Galván says that it is important for both the authorities and indi‐

viduals to take precautions, with viruses like West Nile Fever only occurring through transmission by the black fly.

He said the first stage is environ‐ mental management of rivers, making sure that the habitat does‐ n’t have stagnant water.

He advises people who enjoy walking in near rivers or who are working nearby to take care to make sure they do not get bitten, that means wearing appropriate clothing and using fly repellents.

It also means clearing standing water and drains and installing fly screens if necessary.

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NEWS

€140m Mercadona boost Brits react

P O P U L A R Spanish su‐ permarket chain Mer‐ cadona has made sig‐ nificant improvements to its Andalucia stores so that they are more energy‐efficient and sustainable following an investment of €140 million.

In 2021, the compa‐ ny, from Valencia, made upgrades that enabled it to reduce its carbon footprint in An‐ dalucia by 5,300 tonnes of CO2 emis‐ sions compared to 2020.

This progress has al‐

IMPROVEMENTS: Have been made to many stores.

lowed Mercadona to minimise not only di‐ rect greenhouse gas emissions produced by its supermarkets and logistics network, but

also indirect emissions derived from the pur‐ chase and consumption of electricity in its net‐ work of shops, logistics centres and offices.

The company’s in‐ vestment in Andalucia has been used for the expansion and im‐ provement of its three logistics blocks, located in Guadix (Granada), Antequera (Malaga) and Huévar del Aljarafe (Sevilla), for the open‐ ing of 13 new shops (it closed another 11 be‐ cause they did not meet its new quality standards) and for the refurbishment of 35 su‐ permarkets, so that they can be adapted to its more efficient store model.

THE news that Spain wants automatic access to the DVLA database has evoked an emotive response from UK nationals.

Spain, which requires British drivers resident in Spain to obtain a Spanish licence, wants the UK to give the DGT direct access to the DVLA database in exchange for allowing UK nationals to swap their licence instead of taking a new driving test.

They say the access is necessary to be able to follow up those who commit driving offences in the country.

A number of the comments made online on the Euro Weekly News’ Facebook page were supportive of the idea, with no short‐ age of respondents saying they are aware of people who have happily broken the law in Spain, knowing that the Spanish au‐ thorities will have difficulty tracking them down when they re‐ turn home.

While some readers argued that Spain should not be able to automatically access DVLA information due to privacy laws, many said that expats had been given ample time to change their licences before the UK left the EU and should have had their pa‐ pers in order already.

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NEWS

Club announces Originals MANCHESTER UNITED has announced the Adidas Originals range, inspired by the iconic apparel that the club wore during the 1990s.

Manchester United FC, in a statement on their web‐ site on Thursday, May 12, said the collection is made up of nine pieces which capture the era that mil‐ lions of United fans first fell in love with the club.

The range celebrates some of the most memo‐ rable designs and moments from the rich and historical partnership between Adi‐ das and United.

At the heart of the collec‐ tion is a Manchester United Red Retro Jersey.

With a vintage United club crest on the chest, as well as the original Adidas Trefoil that sits on the op‐ posite side, the jersey is a

blast from the past.

And fans can buy a Su‐ perStar Tracksuit, which consists of a retro‐inspired track jacket, and a match‐ ing pair of jogging bottoms.

Featuring Adidas’ Trefoil branding throughout, the tracktop boasts timeless Adidas panelling, as well as the vintage United club crest, which is doubled up with a retro Adidas logo, too.

Charles opens Parliament PRINCE CHARLES has opened Parliament for the first time, with the Queen who is suffering mobility issues missing the event on Tuesday, May 10 for the first time in 59 years.

The 96‐year‐old monarch gave the Prince of Wales special permission for him to read out her speech on his behalf, accompanied by his son, Prince William.

The last time the Queen missed an opening was in 1963 when she was preg‐ nant with Prince Edward.

On that occasion, her speech was read

by the Lord Chancellor.

A statement from the palace said: “At Her Majesty’s request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen’s Speech on Her Majesty’s behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in at‐ tendance.”

With the Queen’s health failing, the possibility exists that she has delivered her last opening speech and that Prince Charles will continue to do so in the fu‐ ture.

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£1,000 Barbie doll

INFECTIOUS: People normally recover within a few weeks.

Monkeypox cases T H E UK Health Securi‐ ty Agency confirmed on Friday, May 13,that a second case of mon‐ keypox had been diag‐ nosed in London, with both cases in the same household.

One of the two, whose case is unrelat‐ ed to the diagnosis earlier this year, was hospitalised and is be‐ ing treated at the in‐ fectious disease unit at St Mary’s Hospital, Im‐ perial College Health‐ care NHS Trust in Lon ‐ don.

UKHSA have said they

are investigating how the two contracted the infection, which is sim‐ ilar to human smallpox and usually causes mild illness. The majority of those, who do get in‐ fected, usually recover within a few weeks.

The agency said that it has also been in con‐ tact with two other persons who had been in close contact with those who have been positively diagnosed.

They have according to UKHSA been provided with relative health ad‐ vice.

THE Barbie doll of the Queen to commemorate her Platinum Jubilee has been selling for up to £1,000 online amid a sou‐ venir scramble.

As is often the case with collectables such as the new Queen Barbie, scalpers have been quick off the mark to make a fast buck as they try to re‐ sell the limited edition dolls.

Dozens of ads have popped up on eBay and other resale sites offering the collectable from £200 (€236), with others taking a chance offering theirs for nearly five times that price.

With only 20,000 made and priced at £95 the ex‐ pectation is that prices could go higher as the doll becomes more scarce with a huge demand for

the toy worldwide.

Released on the Queen’s 96th birthday in April, the doll sold out in seconds.

Instantly recognisable, the doll is fitted out with an elegant gown and blue ribbon, adorned with dec‐ orations of order. It also features a tiara modelled on Queen Mary’s fringe tiara, which she wore on her own wedding day.

Wuhan virus leak Peter McLaren‐Kennedy A TOP US scientist who had worked with Wuhan Institute of Virology lab (WIV) has been accused of helping the organisation counter concerns that they may have been the source of the virus leak.

The WIV, in Wuhan, was thought by many to be the source of Covid‐19 that resulted in the pandemic and worldwide shutdowns.

Released emails showed the efforts by US scientist James LeDuc included being provided with a list of questions to an‐

swer when responding to outside con‐ cerns.

The emails were released under the Texas Public Information Act requests made by US Right to Know, a non‐profit focusing on food and public health issues, as well as Judicial Watch, a non‐profit government watchdog.

The two organisations say they paint a picture of how prominent US scientists publicly and privately came to the de‐ fence of their colleagues at the WIV dur‐ ing the early stages of the pandemic.

NEWS

Charges frozen HEALTH SECRETARY Sajid Javid has announced that NHS Eng‐ land prescription charges will be frozen for one year, in response to the cost of living crisis.

Javid said that the cost of pre‐ scriptions normally rises in line with inflation each year, but that there was a need to “put money back in people’s pock‐ ets.”

It is understood this is the first time in 12 years that the price has been frozen, effectively sav‐ ing patients £17 million, accord‐ ing to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

That means the current cost of £9.35 for a single prescription will remain for another year, as will the three‐month prescrip‐ tion prepayment certificate (PPC) of £30.25. For those on long term medicine, the cost will remain at £108.10 for the year, which can be paid in instal‐ ments.

The change follows Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s re‐ quest for ministers to find ways to help take the financial pres‐ sure off families.

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POPE: Spoke personally to the audience.

POPE FRANCIS, holding mass for 50,000 people in the Vatican Square on Sunday, May 15, declared 10 new saints, with each name being cheered by the audience as it was read out.

In what is the largest

10 new saints

gathering in the square since the start of the pan‐ demic, the 85‐year‐old Pope spoke personally to the audience, regularly go‐ ing off script.

Hamilton jewellery row MOHAMMED BEN SULAYEM, the Formula One Presi‐ dent, has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will be fined, possibly banned, if he has not removed all jewellery in time for the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of May. After buckling under pressure from the Formula One and his team at the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton has questioned why the safety rule is only being imple‐ mented now.

The driver, who has been given a period to remove other piercings on his body, is putting his career on the line as he tried to fight what is a losing battle.

Sulayem has confirmed that those who do wear jew‐ ellery will be fined in accordance with the rules if it is not removed in Monaco, however he stopped short of saying whether Hamilton might be banned.

Amongst those declared saints were Titus Brandsma, a member of the Carmelite religious order and served as president of the Catholic university at Nijmegen. He was well known for speak‐ ing out against Nazi ideolo‐ gy even before the Second World War and the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940.

Throughout the Nazi oc‐ cupation, he continued to speak out against anti‐Jew‐ ish laws, and he publicly urged Dutch Catholic newspapers not to print Nazi propaganda. He was killed by the Nazis after be‐ ing subjected to biological experimentation.

He was 61, dying a mar‐ tyr in what the church calls “in hatred of the faith.”

A CLAIM brought against a West‐Yorkshire based company by an electrician who was fired in 2021, has resulted in an employment tribunal ruling in his favour, saying calling men at work bald is sexual ha‐ rassment.

Tony Finn, who took the British Bung Company to tribunal, complained that he was a victim of sexual harassment, due to com‐ ments made about his lack of hair. This included being called a ‘bald ****’ by fac‐ tory supervisor Jamie King during an argument in 2019.

Giving his ruling, Judge Jonathan Brain who head‐ ed the three‐person panel, said: “In our judgement, there is a connection be‐ tween the word ‘bald’ on the one hand and the pro‐ tected characteristic of sex on the other. “[The company’s lawyer] was right to submit that women, as well as men, may be bald.

“However, as all three members of the tribunal will vouchsafe, baldness is

NEWS

No bald jokes much more prevalent in men than women.

“We find it to be inher‐ ently related to sex.”

Flu jabs ditched THE UK government has faced criticism after NHS England announced that free flu jabs will no longer be given to those over 50 and under 65.

Scotland and Wales plan to continue providing the free flu jab to those over 50, with the jab only offered to over‐65s, primary schoolchildren and those at risk prior to the pan‐ demic.

The government’s decision has been criticised with ex‐ perts fearing that the UK is headed for the worst flu season in years.

Senior advisers said they were ‘surprised’ by NHS Eng‐ land’s decision to scrap jabs for the two age groups. They say they weren’t consulted.

Speaking to one publication, Professor Adam Finn, a pae‐ diatric vaccine expert and member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said: “It’s rare for there to be differing vaccination positions across the union, and in this case it appears as though these are government‐led fi‐ nancial decisions because we haven’t been asked to advise.”

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NEWS

iPod is no more

THE iconic iPod, which rev‐ olutionised music and which brought multimedia to mobile phones, has been discontinued by Ap‐ ple with production of the music player now ceased.

First released 20 years ago, the iPod was the first MP3 player that could hold 1,000 songs and which had a battery lasting up to 10 hours.

The launch of the iPod brought many new cus‐

tomers and in the process transformed how we listen to music today. But it has according to Apple passed its sell by date, made re‐ dundant by mobile phones that provide the same ca‐ pability.

Although similar music players were launched by Sony and Microsoft, nei‐ ther managed to achieve significant success.

The visionary Steve Jobs, co‐founder of Apple, said

at the time: “With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go.”

However, with mobile phones getting more pow‐ erful and the way people listen to music, Apple has been slowly winding down the product, and has now been discontinued.

Airline remove seats

EASYJET has said it plans to remove some seats on its planes as staff shortages continue, with six fewer seats meaning each aircraft can fly with one fewer crew member.

With almost all the airlines operat‐ ing out of the UK struggling to recruit s t a f f p o s t t h e p a n d e m i c , c a n c e l l a‐ tions have been common place.

Many have been reluctant to return to work after being laid off, whilst others have found alternative em‐

ployment.

Add to that Brexit, which has re‐ stricted the ability to recruit staff or to relocate staff from Europe. Slow processing of security clearances has also been a problem.

In the meantime, easyJet think they have found a way around the prob‐ lem. They have said that limiting pas‐ sengers to 150 on their A319 fleet means they only need three rather than four cabin crew members.

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

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EXPAT2EXPAT Also, did you know that Línea Directa has it’s own Expat2Expat programme? Whenever an existing customer recommends a friend, then we reward the policy holder and the friend with €30 in cash. You can recommend up to 10 people and earn up to €300 in cash per year. Simply ask your friend to call 952 147 834 and quote your full name. Then once their application for car, bike or home insurance has been approved, Línea Directa will pay the reward straight into the bank account following payment of the next or first premium. See terms and conditions at lineadirecta.com.

Call their English-speaking customer service staff on 952 147 834 or get a competitive quote now at lineadirecta.com

BEST PRICE. BETTER COVER.

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Peter McLaren‐Kennedy OFGEM, the energy price regulator in the UK, has said that the mecha‐ nism which determines gas and electricity bills could soon be re‐ viewed every three months.

The plan, which governs the price cap for 22 million households in the UK, has put out for consulta‐ tion, after the regulator’s current

19 - 25 May 2022

Energy price cap

twice yearly review was blamed for the failure of some suppliers.

The cap, which was implemented to protect households from the spike in energy costs, prevented companies from recovering the

true cost of supplies resulting in their bankruptcies.

It also meant that households have experienced huge increases each time the review is undertak‐ en, with the average household

EWN 23

cost rising 54 per cent in April to around £1,971 (€2,320).

Latest forecasts suggest that Oc‐ tober could see a similar price hike, taking the average cost to around £2,600 (€3,060).

OFGEM in announcing the consul‐ t a t i o n s a i d t h a t t h e q u a r t e r l y r e‐ view would not only reduce the im‐ pact of large price increases.

Staying safe on the roads

RUSSIAN TANKS: Are being forced to use computer chips for home appliances.

Tank shortages

THE Kremlin continues to deny that sanctions are hav‐ ing the desired effect, how‐ ever the evidence on the ground would suggest oth‐ erwise with Russian tanks found to be using domestic appliance chips due to sup‐ ply shortages.

Russia, like many coun‐ tries in the world, had be‐ come increasingly reliant on

components from outside the country, especially items like computer chips.

According to a US official, Russia is being forced to use computer chips destined for home appliances to repair their military hardware.

According to a White House statement on Wednesday May 11: “Russia is struggling to replenish its

Salmonella fears SUPERMARKETS, cafés and coffee shops across the UK have recalled more than 100 chicken products over salmonella fears, following a routine inspection at a food processing plant in Hull.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), who carried out the inspec‐ tion, salmonella was found in a limited number of cooked chicken products.”

As a precaution, the agen‐ cy called for the products to be withdrawn.

The company concerned, Cranswick Country Foods Plc, issued a statement say‐ ing: “As a precautionary measure, we have asked our customers to remove any of

their products containing our ready to eat chicken pro‐ duced during the affected period. We are working closely with the FSA and will collaborate with their ex‐ perts to resolve the matter.”

Cranswick supplies all the major chains including Tesco, Waitrose, Sains‐ bury’s, Marks and Spencer and Lidl. Coffee chains Star‐ bucks and Caffe Nero are al‐ so affected, as are all Shell and One‐stop convenience stores.

Customers have been ad‐ vised to check whether products they have bought are affected, and return them to the store where they bought them from.

weapons and military equip‐ ment. Its two main tank plants, Uralvagonzavod Cor‐ poration and Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, have stopped work due to a lack of foreign components.”

The state of Russian equipment has been well documented by Ukrainian forces, with this news just the latest in a long line of stories that show their mili‐ tary ware to be substan‐ dard.

TO support UN Road Safety Week (16‐22/05) Specsavers Ópticas are offering recommenda‐ tions to ensure drivers stay safe behind the wheel.

Francisco Jurado, Director of Specsavers Ópti‐ cas in Torrevieja, Guardamar and La Zenia ex‐ plains, “Good eyesight is a vital part of road safe‐ ty, which is why the DGT recommends you have an eye test every year and that you carry a spare pair of glasses in the car if you wear them for driving. As our eyesight deteriorates as we age, you also need to have a medical test, including an eye test every five years if you’re over 65.

“There is more research being done to show that poor vision is often a cause of road acci‐ dents. A study released in 2021 led by Queen’s University Belfast highlighted this link and re‐ vealed a 46 per cent greater risk of having a road accident among drivers with central visual im‐

pairment, compared to drivers with normal vi‐ sion. This is why it is important to have regular eye tests to check your vision and wear glasses or contact lenses while driving if you have been prescribed them.

“For drivers who wear glasses, it is also impor‐ tant to ensure that their lenses are suitable for driving. Polarised lenses are a good option for driving in daylight as they eliminate glare from horizontal surfaces, such as roads, water and snow. They also offer 100 per cent UV protec‐ tion, improve contrast and help ease the strain on your eyes. There are also lenses which have been specially designed with driving in mind, like Specsavers SuperDrive varifocal lenses.”

Specsavers Ópticas offers free, comprehen‐ sive eye tests and can advise you about the right glasses to wear while driving. www.specsavers.es.

THE Spanish Cancer Association - AECC launched a new social movement on Thursday, May 12 nationally to continue to fight for cancer survival. They are encouraging everyone to ‘battle under their ribbon’.

The AECC has a range of personnel nationally, including volunteers, medical staff, psychologists, social workers, etc, all working to help increase post-cancer survival rates. Overall the association has over 1,000 investigators and

525 projects investigating different aspects of cancer.

According to their statistics, and through work in investigation and research, the survival rates of those who have had cancer are rising steadily, 7.6 per cent since 2016. The current goal is to achieve a 70 per cent survival rate by 2030. One of the keys is to correct the inequalities in access to advance care and investigation, and that all cancers are thoroughly investigated.

Cancer fundraiser

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BORIS JOHNSON has is‐ sued orders to his minis‐ ters to find ways to cut 90,000 civil service jobs, so that money can be freed up to ease the cost of living crisis.

Johnson held an away‐ day with ministers on Thursday, May 12, dur‐ ing which he asked min‐ isters to reduce their

Civil service cuts staffing levels back to those of 2016.

The plan would ac‐ cording to treasury fig‐ ures free up around £3.5 billion, with the work‐ force being reduced by

about one fifth to around 360,000.

The news comes on the same day that fig‐ ures showed that the UK’s economy contract‐ ed in March, with the

spectre of a recession looming.

Johnson, who is under pressure to do more to address the cost of liv‐ ing crisis, has been criti‐ cised for being more in‐ terested in the Ukraine crisis than he has the

one at home.

His own party has been pushing for tax cuts for some time, whilst the opposition Labour Party have ac‐ cused him of lacking ideas in which to deal with the situation.

SKELETONS: Have been identified as British soldiers.

Mass grave WORKERS carrying out exca‐ vations outside the old city walls of Vienan, near Utrecht in the Netherlands, were sur‐ prised to find a mass grave, the skeletons having now been identified as British sol‐ diers.

The mass grave of over 82 skeletons was uncovered in November 2020, but only now made public with the work carried out by the foren‐ sic anthropologists called to the site, now complete.

They concluded that all but four of the men were from

southern England and were most likely teenagers or young adults.

Researcher April Pijpelink told the press: “At first we thought these men died of in‐ juries in battle.

“But during my research, it became clear that around 8 per cent of them suffered from one or more infections, while basically all their trauma wounds had healed.”

That would suggest these were not soldiers who died in battle but who died from an‐ other cause.

NEWS

Only partly to blame OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Export‐ ing Countries) has an‐ nounced it will be in‐ creasing production following global shortages, partly caused by the war in Ukraine, and causing oil and fuel prices to rise considerably.

However, despite its promises the organi‐ sation’s April produc‐ tion levels failed to reach the required levels.

The organisation’s monthly Oil Market Report shows that production increased by just 153,000 bar‐ rels per day (bpd), ris‐ ing to 28.648 million bpd. That is more than 800,000 bpd less than what the organi‐ sation signed up to.

The top three OPEC producers, Saudi Ara‐ bia, Iraq and the UAE, increased their output the most last month, while output in Libya fell by 161,000 bpr dropping output be‐ low one million bpd.

According to oil price.com, the gap is largely down to the under production in African countries, with Angola, Nigeria and Libya all falling short.

NEWS

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Record-breaking EuroMillions A SINGLE ticket‐holder from the UK has come forward to claim a record‐breaking Eu‐ roMillions jackpot of £184 mil‐ lion.

Camelot said that the win‐

ner came forward on Wednesday May 11, and that the claim will now go through a validation process to make sure terms and conditions are met.

New £1 coin THE Royal Mint has announced that the UK is to get a new £1 coin in 2023, marking 40 years since the modern version first came into circulation.

Retaining the new security features added in 2017, the coins will feature the fifth effigy of Her Majesty the Queen on the back and new designs on the front.

The new coins, which will enter circulation in 2023, have been designed by Kenyan born British artist Michael Ar‐ mitage. Included in the release will be a special collector’s edition. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, speaking at the official opening of the RCA’s Rausing Re‐ search and Innovation Centre, said: “I am delighted that Michael will lend his vision to the creation of this new £1 coin design in its 40th anniversary year.

“This coin will symbolise the rich tapestry of modern Britain and honour our deep heritage and history.”

The winnings have beat the previous record of £170 mil‐ lion won by an anonymous ticket‐holder in October 2019, it was reported, and the win‐ ner is set to receive a huge £184,262,899.10.

The winning EuroMillions numbers were 3, 25, 27, 28 and 29 and the Lucky Star numbers 4 and 9.

Camelot’s senior winners’ advisor at The National Lot‐ tery, Andy Carter, said: “This is absolutely incredible news.

Last night saw history made with the biggest ever National Lottery prize won by a single UK ticket‐holder, and we’re ecstatic that we’ve now re‐ ceived a claim.

“Our focus now is on sup‐ porting the ticket‐holder through the process and help‐ ing them start to enjoy their truly life‐changing and record‐ breaking win.”

EWN 25

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Platinum Pudding winner Peter McLaren‐Kennedy A CO M P E T I T I O N held to find a Platinum Pudding or cake in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee has chosen a lemon trifle as its winner.

Created by 31‐year‐ old Jemma Melvin, a copywriter, the pud‐ ding follows in the footsteps of corona‐ tion chicken and Vic‐ toria sponge.

Melvin said that it was a friend who sent her the link to enter the competition, which winning she said was “surreal.”

She told media: “I didn’t think I’d go any further, but I made it to the final 50, made it to the final five, and now my pudding has been chosen. It’s ridiculous.”

She added: “This particular trifle is a tribute to three wom‐

Lidl pulls out THE international supermarket group and bud‐ get retailer, Lidl, has announced it is pulling its World Cup advertising campaign over growing criticism of the decision to hold the tournament in Qatar.

A spokeswoman for Lidl told one publication that the decision was the result of “a number of factors. With what is going on in the world right now, we don’t feel the time is right to mount a big campaign.”

Lidl is the third‐largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands and one of the most successful across Europe and the UK.

LEMON TRIFLE: Chosen as the winner.

en: it’s my gran, my nan and the Queen herself,” adding “My grandma taught me to bake, she taught me all the elements, ev‐ erything from scratch.

“My nan’s signature dish was always a tri‐ fle; we used to call her the queen of tri‐ fles. And the Queen had lemon posset at

her wedding.”

The winning entry consists of lemon curd Swiss roll on the bottom, St Clement’s jelly, lemon custard, amoretti biscuits, mandarin coulis, fresh whipped cream, candied peel, choco‐ late shards and crushed amoretti bis‐ cuits.

NEWS

Albert Heijn, the market leader in The Netherlands and one of the World Cup’s official sponsors, has not yet said how it will be pro‐ moting the championship but has already said that no AH delegation will be travelling to Qatar. A spokesperson for the group said: “We are looking for ways to show we support the Dutch team from the Netherlands.”

No decisions have yet been taken by other supermarket chains around the event, with millions traditionally spent on advertising dur‐ ing one of the world’s largest and most sup‐ ported sporting events.

Illegal migrants on the move ACCORDING to the Home Office, the first peo‐ ple to be processed as part of the govern‐ ment’s new strategy to send illegal migrants to Rwanda from the UK, have been notified.

The controversial plan came into force re‐ cently, although it is not clear when the gov‐ ernment will begin removing migrants to the African country.

Although the Rwanda policy is facing a number of legal challenges by charities who are questioning its lawfulness, the govern‐ ment is pushing ahead.

Amongst the objections is its history of eth‐

nic cleansing and they want the government to come clean on how it will decide who is to be sent to Rwanda and who will be given the right to stay in the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wanted to see flights for Rwanda take off by end of May, but the Home Office has been unable to say when removals could begin.

The policy, by Home Secretary Priti Patel, will see illegal migrants sent to Rwanda where their applications for asylum will be as‐ sessed. Those who do not meet the require‐ ment will be returned to their home country.

NEWS

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Serial killer engaged

SERIAL killer Levi Bellfield has reportedly got down on one knee and proposed to his lover in front of stunned prison staff at HMP Frankland in Co Durham.

The move has outraged former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland as report‐ ed in the British press on Thursday, May 12. Buck‐ land said the stunt by Milly Dowler’s murderer “beg‐ gars belief.”

“Milly never got to see her wedding day. It cannot be right that he gets to have his,” Buckland said.

Bellfield, 53, is serving a whole‐life term for at least three murders – including that of 13‐year‐old Surrey schoolgirl Milly in 2011, who he abducted in Wal‐ ton on Thames.

He was convicted in 2008 of killing Marsha Mc‐ Donnell, 19, and Amelie Delagrange, 22, plus the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy, 18.

He followed his murder

victims through South West London before launching vicious hammer attacks.

Bellfield has reportedly

applied to marry a blonde woman in her 40s who is a regular visitor to the jail af‐ ter the pair started com‐ municating two years ago.

Ibuprofen may not help A MAJOR UK study has found that using ibuprofen to treat a bad back may increase the chances of long‐term pain.

Ibuprofen was one of the anti‐inflammatory painkillers assessed in the research that looked at usage among half a million British adults compared with those who had taken alternatives such as paracetamol, as reported in the British Press on May 11.

Findings show that users of anti‐inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen had a 70 per cent high‐ er risk of developing long‐term pain.

Researchers believe that anti‐inflammatories hin‐ der an aspect of the immune system that plays an important role in repairing damage.

Approximately 10 million Britons suffer back pain.

In England some 5.5 million have severe back pain that has lasted three months or more, according to an estimate from Imperial College London.

Professor Blair Smith of the University of Dundee, who was not involved in the study, said: “More re‐ search is needed to confirm and investigate this fur‐ ther.”

EWN 27

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euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Inclusive Barbies

M AT T E L , the makers of the iconic girl’s toy doll Barbie, has announced that it is making the range even more inclusive.

The new range will be launched in June, Barbie’s 63rd year, maintaining the doll amongst the top‐sell‐ ing girl’s toys as makers Mattel keep the range in touch with a changing world.

Global Head of Barbie Dolls, Lisa McKnight, said that the new range will

Barbie in its 63rd year.

help kids “see themselves reflected in the range” adding that it was impor‐ tant for them to “under‐ stand and celebrate the importance of inclusion.”

THE UK government is planning to allow neigh‐ bours to have a vote over each other’s applica‐ tions for extensions.

Speaking to UK media, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said that communities will be able to vote on whether planning permission should be granted for extensions to existing homes on their street.

Residents will also be allowed to decide rules governing the layout and materials used for new developments.

Gove said previously ‘dormitories’ had been built instead of neighbourhoods, adding: “Com‐ munities have been understandably resistant

The new range will deal with differences that range from a Barbie that wears hearing aids to a Ken who has a skin condi‐ tion.

Dr Jen Richardson, a leading practitioner in ed‐ ucational audiology, was brought in to help accu‐ rately portray behind‐the‐ ear hearing aids. He be‐ lieves that the pony tailed Barbie with hot pink hear‐ ing aids could help to re‐ move the stigma of wear‐ ing the devices.

He added: “I’m beyond thrilled for my young pa‐ tients to see and play with a doll who looks like them.”

NEWS

Moon plants

A GROUNDBREAKING experiment has seen plants grown in moon soil for the first time, after scientists used samples of dust collected during the 1969‐1972 Apollo missions.

Researchers planted a type of cress and, much to their excite‐ ment, the seeds sprouted two days later.

The excitement was, however, short‐lived, with the plants de‐ veloping more slowly and ending up stunted. Those involved say, however, that the experiment is a breakthrough and has earthly implications. Anna‐Lisa Paul, a University of Florida pro‐ fessor who co‐authored a paper on the findings, said: “I can’t tell you how astonished we were.

“Every plant, whether in a lunar sample or in a control, looked the same up until about day six.”

Unfortunately, the team were not given much to work with, with NASA only providing 1g of soil per plant, which had been kept locked away for decades. The researchers acknowledge the results may have been different had more soil been available.

Good neighbours

Sanctions take effect

because new buildings haven’t been beautiful, they haven’t been built with the quality re‐ quired.”

He vowed to target the ‘astronomical prof‐ its’ of big developers, using the raid on profits instead to fund schools, roads and GP surg‐ eries.

Mr Gove said: “Communities have been resis‐ tant because the infrastructure that they need ‐ the GP surgeries, the new primary schools, the roads ‐ haven’t come with those houses.”

DESPITE what Moscow might wish us believe, that sanctions aren’t hurting the country, it certainly is hurting the rich as oligarchs see their fortunes tum‐ ble as they drop off the Forbes rich list. Those that have been the subject of sanctions have seen prized possessions impounded or blocked, with every‐ thing from art to savings to super yachts held by countries around the world.

Forbes magazine has now removed 34 Russians from its annual billionaire list. The majority of those affected are either or were close to Russian Presi‐ dent Vladimir Putin, having made their fortune on the back of the Soviet Union’s collapse. With their fortunes made, many of them looked abroad where life seemed much rosier with everything from better weather to a rich and famous lifestyle attracting them away from their homeland.

NEWS

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Passenger lands plane

A PASSENGER in an 11 seat Cessna plane with no flying ex‐ perience, landed a plane with help from air traffic control af‐ ter a medical emergency left the pilot unable to fly.

The man called air traffic control in the US on Monday, May 10 saying: “I’ve got a seri‐ ous situation here. My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane, but I’m maintaining at 9100.”

Responding to his call, air traffic control at Fort Pierce Tower asked for his position, to which he replied: “I have no

SMALL PLANE: Laneded with help from air traffic control.

idea. I can see the coast of Florida in front of me.” The despatch told the passenger to maintain the wings level and follow the coast, adding they would locate the plane and help him down. After locating

it, the controller guided the plane to Palm Beach Interna‐ tional airport where it touched down safely. No further infor‐ mation was provided, other than confirmation one person was taken to hospital.

Russian Colonel threatens Musk A RUSSIAN Colonel, Dmitry Kormyankov, who was cap‐ tured by the Ukraine military, has threatened Elon Musk, saying “you will be held ac‐ countable.”

In his testimony, Ko‐ rmyankov, accused Musk of assisting Nazis militants in Ukraine by supplying the tech‐ nology used to capture him.

Musk, who tweeted an ex‐ cerpt from the testimony, sup‐ plied the Starlink equipment that has allowed the Ukraini‐ an military to use satellite links to connect with the world and to keep in touch locally. The equipment is said to have been a game changer for Ukraine, increasing its intelli‐ gence capability and its ability

to control its defensive opera‐ tions. Musk sent a response to Russian media, at the same time tweeting: “If I die under mysterious circumstances, it’s been nice knowin ya.”

According to Starlink’s web‐ site, the company provides high‐speed, low‐latency broadband internet across the globe.

EWN 29

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euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

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

GOOD morning, class. No talking at the back, please. I’d like to begin with another few moans.

I did a straw poll among my friends (only the finest of scientific and journalistic meth‐ ods for this column, folks) about their biggest gripes. Top of the list came no‐ choice tasting menus ‐ with dishes as local and seasonal as a polar bear in a bikini. This is currently my pet hate.

And then there’s estate agent jargon, a language you never learned at school. Take this: ‘Charming three bedroom with garden and period features’ that turns out to be a total wreck with one bedroom qualifying only because you can just about squeeze a single bed into it. Thanks to the use of fish‐ eye lens photography to make the rooms look HUGE. The estate agent? An18‐year‐old in a cheap, badly‐fitted suit who knows abso‐ lutely nothing. And the cost? “Price on ap‐ plication to wesawyoucoming.com. We will

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

FINLAND

Firestarter

Bizarre fact

ALTHOUGH he denies being responsible, the head of the local fire brigade in the town of Egtved has appeared in a local court charged with starting 11 wildfires and if found guilty may be charged with starting more, as an additional 29 were started in the past two months.

A STUDY by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare highlighted a strange fact in that of 2,400 suicides which occurred between 2016 and 2018, 21 per cent of suicide victims attended a health care appointment in Finland on the day of the suicide.

PET HATE: No-choice tasting menus.

append the appropriate number of zeros when we reply to you.”

Basically, buying a house in the UK is like internet dating. The pictures are selling you Nicole Kidman or Ben Affleck but when you get there it’s Nurse Ratched or Billy Bunter waiting for you... Next scandal, please!

Nora Johnson’s critically acclaimed psy‐ chological crime thrillers (www.nora‐john son.net) all available online. Profits to Cude‐ ca cancer charity. Email: norajohnson3@ hotmail.com.

EUROPEAN PRESS

THE NETHERLANDS

IRELAND

Beached whales

Vegetable fuel

DEAD beached whales should be left where they are because they improve biodiversity, a study by the infrastructure ministry and Wageningen Marine Research has shown after they recorded the results over seven months of a cadaver washed up on the uninhabited Wadden island.

IN a bid to go green, the Irish postal service has introduced a number of electric vehicles, but there are no electric options for its lorries so it is trialling the use of specially treated vegetable oil in Co Galway in order to reduce diesel usage.

BELGIUM

ITALY

Royal stock

New blood

TRAIN buffs will be pleased to follow in the footsteps of King Filip and visit the latest exhibition at the national rail museum Train World in Brussels to view the story of the Belgian Royal Family and their trains which is open until January 2023.

ACCORDING to a report by CNN, 80 per cent of those who ended up purchasing 26 houses being offered for sale at €1 to €2 in Sambuca di Sicilia are from America and the plan to reinvigorate the town by bringing in ‘new blood’ has proven successful.

GERMANY

PORTUGAL

Mighty Mann

Tuk Tuk

NOW aged 81 years old, the first internationally acclaimed rock star from South Africa, organist Manfred Mann is back on the road again having reformed his Earth Band and will be in and out of Germany during 2022, performing no less than 21 concerts.

VISITORS to Thailand will recognise the name tuk tuk as it is the tiny three wheel ‘taxi’ that transports people precariously through its streets, but a Dutch company which manufactures electric tuk tuks there is relocating production to Santo Tirso, Porto to save transport costs for European sales.

FRANCE

UKRAINE

Less privileged

Gas cut

DESPITE the fact that France moved very quickly to ensure that refugees from Ukraine would be admitted to the country and given help and support, this is not the case for around 1,000 French speaking African students who were at universities in Ukraine who want to continue their education.

A SIGNIFICANT amount of Russian gas is still being pumped through Ukraine to Europe, but to add to the problem of inflation and higher energy costs, it has been announced that due to Russian presence the Sokhranivka gas distribution station is going to stop transmission.

NORWAY

SWEDEN

Not welcome

Security pact

NORWAY celebrated Veterans and Liberation Day as usual on May 8, with one major difference as Russian officials were not invited to ceremonies in the city of Kirkenes, even though it was liberated from Nazi German occupation by the Red Army of the former Soviet Union.

BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a mutual security agreement with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Wednesday May 11 which could result in Britain sending troops to the country in the event of an invasion by Russia or any other belligerent.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT AT long last a touch of common sense emerges to strike back at the murky mire of dangerous woke indoctrination. After complaining to management of what they considered ‘controversial content’ in their Closure series production, a number of Netflix employees have been told that, ‘if they don’t agree with the broad spectrum of the company output perhaps it would be better to seek employment elsewhere’.

Apparently this woke inspired Trans segment of the corporation planned to stage a walkout in protest of the crime series ‐ which has been one of the most successful programmes in Netflix history. The bosses subsequently issued a statement, which read in part that the company would ‘not censor specific artists or voices, even if some employees do find them ‘harmful,’ and will never allow these people to ‘silence artistic expression’. This ultimately led to the sacking of the leader of the group of employees ‐ Yaay!

It’s money of course, which has actually triggered these actions of common sense. They have finally

19 - 25 May 2022

So misguided realised that to pander to 3 per cent of dissenters and ignore the 97 per cent of viewers who consider their protests nonsense, is not good business at all!

‘Go woke, Go broke’ is the new battle cry echoing around the corridors of this highly successful media company.

Let’s just hope that other large and influential organisations take up the same cry and put this misguided and often highly dangerous bunch, back down to the bottom of the priority list where they all belong. Left wing minorities have been given far too much credence and credibility over the last few years. Because the simpering media has given them such disproportionate attention, they have become drunk with power, they are also totally undemocratic. People of this ilk are generally insecure and often angry to be part of a minority. In their efforts to become the majority they will basically stop at nothing (their ‘cancel culture’ is a nothing less than pure malicious evil!)

The more appeasement they get the more they’re encouraged; give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Well let’s just hope the sooner rather than later the woke species of our societies are

given enough rope to hang themselves (metaphorically speaking of course!) ‘Go woke, Go broke’. Dontcha just love it?

Great result for Ukraine in the Eurovision song contest. Of course the song was absolutely ghastly, but the lift for the citizens of this beleaguered land must have been magical. This competition has always been influenced by politics and it was interesting to see the UK finally coming out of the wilderness and into second place.

Although I felt the British entrant was pretty good, I couldn’t help feeling that the recent actions of the UK government, with its overwhelming support of the Ukrainian nation, had something to do with it. The only problem now is where to hold next year’s event? Let’s just hope it’s in Kyiv!

Keep the faith Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com.

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

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

EWN 31

BUSINESS EXTRA Final countdown ALTHOUGH Spanish banks Unicaja and Liberbank legally merged 10 months ago after initially, severing ties, it is only now following, a number of further disagreements, that the 1.8 million Liberbank clients will by the end of May have their accounts transferred to Unicaja.

euroweeklynews.com • 19 - 25 May 2022

STAT OF WEEK

(€2.33tn) was the value of Saudi oil and gas producer Aramco on May 12, making it the most valuable company in the world after trailing Apple for two years.

$2.44 trillion

War in the air

Bitcoin battered

Credit: Heathrow Airport

FINANCE

34

BIBA conference GIBRALTAR FINANCE has been attending and exhibiting at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) annual conference and exhibition at Manchester Central. The BIBA conference is one of Europe’s largest insurance gatherings and was last held as an in‐person event in 2019 when more than 8,300 visitors attended.

Shein shines NOW valued at more than Inditex and H&M combined at just short of €100 billion,Chineseonlinefashioncompany Shein attracted more downloads on its App in the first few months of 2022 than Amazon Shopping and saw a 50 per cent increase in customer visits.

McColl’s rescued ALLIANCE PROPERTY HOLDINGS LIMITED, part of the Morrisons Group has agreed a rescue deal for struggling retailer McColl’s that will see all 16,000 staff transferred, alongside more than 1,100 outlets with the added bonus that Morrisons will take over its two pension funds which have 2,000+ members.

RENFE investment SPANISH train giant RENFE is committed to innovation and supporting new technology and in 2018 launched TrenLab, a call to startup companies to carry out different challenges in areas such as logistics, transport or accessibility.

Now it has announced it is to move a step further and plans to make its first financial investment in an undisclosed start up company sometime this year according to Business Insider Spain.

Also in September it will launch its mobility platform to allow access in a single app to journeys by train, commuter trains, buses and other types of public and private travel.

One way of earning extra income.

THERE’S war in the air as Heathrow and UK flag carriers fall out over the cost being charged per passen‐ ger travelling.

A report, commissioned by Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and IATA from WPI Economics blasts both the management of Heathrow Air‐ port and the Civil Aviation Authori‐ ty (CAA) over proposed increased charges.

Understandably during the lock‐ down and suspension of interna‐ tional flights caused by the pan‐ demic, Heathrow as the UK’s main airline hub suffered a significant loss of income as fewer flights meant fewer travellers and less

airport revenue.

Anxious to start to recoup some of its lost income, Heathrow pro‐ posed increasing the amount charged per passenger from £19 to £43, a huge 117 per cent hike and in the event, a temporary rise to just over £30 (56 per cent) was ap‐ proved by the CAA to give it a chance to consider the long‐term situation.

Britain’s two major flag carriers oppose this increase arguing that as the UK economy is already in a difficult position and the airlines are struggling to recover their own lost income, it would be un‐ feasible to increase prices signifi‐

cantly to passengers.

They argue that the end result will be to make the UK’s global avi‐ ation industry less competitive, un‐ dermine the hub operation at Heathrow and reduce the domestic and international connectivity that is vitally needed to achieve Global Britain.

Not unsurprisingly, Heathrow Airport which is owned by a con‐ sortium of overseas investors from Canada, China, Qatar, Spain and the USA dispute the airline claims as well as the suggestion that it is deliberately underplaying the cur‐ rent number of travellers in order to try to justify increased charges.

Spanish inflation anomaly EXPERTS at Caixa Bank spotlighted an anomaly in Spain’s inflation calcula‐ tions which suggests that the figure is regularly overstated.

Spain and Portugal have been work‐ ing together to persuade the European Union to accept their proposals on cap‐ ping energy prices and the two coun‐ tries share a wholesale electricity mar‐ ket according to Reuters.

Although the April inflation figures show a drop from almost 10 per cent to 8.4 per cent, this is still higher than neighbour Portugal which calculates its electricity costs in a different way.

In simple terms, Spain assumes that all consumers are contracted on a vari‐

FINANCE

Casting light on inflation calculations.

able rate, so that if the price of electrici‐ ty rises so does inflation but this is real‐ ly not the case anymore as a significant number of individuals and more im‐ portantly companies have opted for fixed rate contracts.

As is the case with Portugal, it means that even if the price of energy contin‐ ues to surge, those in fixed rate con‐ tracts continue to pay the agreed rate and would only lose out if the whole‐ sale price dropped below that amount.

In April of this year, the Bank of Spain said government plans to reform public pensions so that they increased annually in accordance with the Con‐ sumer Price Index (CPI), would cost €1.8 billion extra for each 1 per cent in‐ crease.

Assuming that inflation is overstated by 2 per cent (then this year will mean that the government will need to find an extra €3.6 billion for pensions alone.

ALMOST since the first up‐ turn in the value of cryp‐ tocurrency, the Bank of Spain has been warning investors to be very aware of the risks of investment.

For more than a year, the leading cryptos have seen a huge increase in value and investors have been jumping in, buying and selling and making really good profits.

However, like the 17th cen‐ tury Black Tulip disaster in The Netherlands and 18th century pricking of the South Sea Bubble, Bitcoin suddenly this May saw a dramatic halving in value from its all‐ time high of around €58,000 to just over €26,000.

It has dropped and bounced back before, so time will tell whether the de‐ cision by El Salvador and the Central African Republic to make it legal tender was a wise one.

Charge to return goods THE lockdown saw a huge growth in shoppers in the UK purchasing fashion online and this has to some extent contin‐ ued even though shops are now open and easily accessible.

One problem however for re‐ tailers is that it appears con‐ sumers have got used to order‐ ing more than they actually require and then returning un‐ wanted items in larger volumes than if they bought in store.

Now, Spanish fashion giant Zara has joined Uniqlo and Next in making a returns charge (in Zara’s case £1.95) for items sent by post, although there is no penalty if goods purchased on‐ line are returned to one of their stores.

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

LONDON - FTSE 100

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C LOSING P RICES M AY 16

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) 3I Group 1.321,00 1.323,00 Abrdn 188,85 189,15 Admiral Group 2.251,0 2.252,0 Anglo American 3.387,0 3.389,5 Antofagasta 1.392,32 1.393,00 Ashtead Group 3.922,0 3.955,0 Associated British Foods 1.659,0 1.666,0 AstraZeneca 10.292,0 10.322,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 557,80 558,80 Avast 493,20 499,90 Aveva 2.104,2 2.119,0 Aviva 401,05 401,35 B&M European Value Retail SA464,20 468,30 BAE Systems 753,60 754,40 Bank VTB DRC 1,000 1,000 Barclays 151,36 151,54 Barratt Developments 481,30 485,60 Berkeley 3.970,0 4.001,0 BHP Billiton Ltd 2.611,50 2.612,50 BP 414,41 415,55 British American Tobacco 3.435,0 3.445,5 British Land Company 505,60 506,00 BT Group 183,85 184,85 Bunzl 2.924,0 2.930,0 Burberry Group 1.566,5 1.574,5 Carnival 1.077,0 1.080,5 Centrica 79,72 79,90 Coca Cola HBC AG 1.752,5 1.762,0 Compass 1.829,50 1.829,50 CRH 3.183,5 3.189,5 Croda Intl 6.852,0 6.872,0 DCC 6.228,0 6.230,0 Diageo 3.824,5 3.847,0 DS Smith 308,20 312,40 EasyJet 489,70 498,70 Experian 2.660,0 2.664,0 Ferguson 9.752,0 9.794,0 Flutter Entertainment 8.900,0 9.036,0 Fresnillo 744,80 744,80 GlaxoSmithKline 1.762,06 1.764,60 Glencore 476,00 477,09 Halma 2.196,0 2.210,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 876,20 892,80 Hikma Pharma 1.734,50 1.737,50 HSBC 501,86 502,20 IAG 122,00 123,24 Imperial Brands 1.699,00 1.707,00 Informa 544,40 544,60 InterContinental 4.840,0 4.862,0

% CHG. 1.296,50 187,00 2.234,0 3.237,5 1.339,00 3.849,0 1.650,0 10.136,0 553,00 492,50 2.088,0 384,00 456,90 736,00 1,000 148,94 480,00 3.964,0 2.559,50 407,05 3.404,0 497,80 179,80 2.897,0 1.552,0 1.054,5 77,70 1.735,5 1.796,00 3.127,0 6.790,0 6.176,0 3.816,0 307,50 483,10 2.624,0 9.648,0 8.790,0 719,80 1.747,00 458,75 2.167,0 862,40 1.699,00 495,45 120,04 1.688,50 537,40 4.788,0

NET VOL 202,46K 408,57K 50,89K 277,88K 34,54K 72,19K 46,10K 204,74K 151,14K 63,25K 34,29K 2,34M 339,64K 513,22K 0 6,16M 84,54K 9,43K 425,86K 5,48M 422,29K 183,10K 2,24M 52,34K 79,18K 65,36K 1,40M 98,48K 297,71K 104,51K 22,50K 17,81K 240,58K 1,18M 741,28K 132,27K 67,87K 23,17K 125,57K 422,30K 1,01M 83,27K 141,60K 164,85K 3,77M 5,59M 204,06K 172,72K 35,87K

ºCOMPANY

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

1.439,50 4.922,0 69,80 241,06 2.335,0 733,80 249,01 43,58 7.238,0 775,60 115,90 1.551,00 1.215,00 210,30 6.456,0 1,89 814,20 2.093,0 631,20 971,40 6.362,0 2.300,00 515,00 564,60 5.381,6 81,99 0,60 676,20 1.294,00 0,0453 2.864,0 798,50 1.119,50 3.088,0 2.308,5 1.278,50 1.495,50 10.950,0 1.865,78 1.244,50 587,60 125,25 283,32 240,90 3.688,5 1.116,00 121,66 2.665,0 982,80

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.441,00 4.946,0 69,86 242,10 2.358,0 734,00 249,50 43,87 7.270,0 776,80 116,20 1.561,00 1.223,00 210,70 6.488,0 1,89 816,80 2.119,0 633,00 972,20 6.458,0 2.300,00 519,00 565,00 5.384,6 84,25 0,60 688,60 1.300,00 0,0453 2.868,0 800,40 1.121,00 3.097,0 2.316,5 1.280,00 1.497,00 11.185,0 1.871,50 1.247,50 588,20 126,10 284,10 241,10 3.706,0 1.123,00 122,80 2.668,0 984,00

1.410,00 4.875,0 68,68 238,00 2.326,0 726,40 244,70 43,20 7.210,0 772,20 114,30 1.535,00 1.210,00 207,80 6.388,0 1,89 794,80 2.087,0 623,00 940,00 6.328,0 2.270,00 508,80 557,60 5.226,0 81,34 0,60 673,20 1.292,00 0,0453 2.832,0 792,80 1.105,00 3.063,0 2.292,0 1.265,50 1.487,00 10.895,0 1.848,00 1.230,00 572,80 124,25 279,70 234,90 3.653,5 1.110,50 121,06 2.642,0 971,40

77,96K 17,03K 1,52M 398,59K 35,99K 107,38K 361,75K 15,88M 19,34K 39,91K 529,94K 226,59K 430,45K 2,18M 32,09K 0 128,80K 30,94K 880,77K 564,81K 102,48K 343,18K 260,37K 222,88K 23,54K 4,99M 0 202,97K 3,34K 0 15,48K 588,99K 212,59K 28,90K 2,38M 136,01K 49,22K 8,48K 269,55K 71,95K 1,21M 1,32M 2,22M 586,13K 515,40K 72,49K 17,25M 33,86K 203,64K

1.17394

0.85245

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0544 Japan yen (JPY)......................................158.332 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0468 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4413 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.207

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M AY 16

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 149,30 158,75 243,40 147,11 127,20 204,33 167,87 49,56 65,72 67,56 306,99 296,03 193,53 133,60 43,60 176,85 119,09 245,04 90,41 261,12 113,01 153,62 166,91 172,78 485,40 48,18 199,23 43,55 148,05 107,33

CHANGE 150,35 160,09 245,00 148,10 130,80 206,46 168,79 49,63 65,80 68,32 309,63 299,42 194,95 133,80 43,84 178,89 120,25 247,18 91,05 263,04 113,11 153,73 168,68 174,23 487,00 48,45 200,54 43,71 148,38 107,69

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 147,97 2,73M 155,88 3,33M 241,29 2,63M 143,11 113,99M 122,38 20,82M 202,92 2,32M 164,88 9,20M 48,53 18,77M 64,12 15,46M 67,26 3,89M 303,57 2,10M 288,45 3,92M 190,93 3,23M 131,05 4,18M 42,97 31,99M 175,80 7,26M 117,96 10,33M 242,28 3,25M 89,26 10,10M 255,35 34,67M 108,67 9,57M 150,42 5,65M 162,01 6,18M 171,37 1,19M 475,81 2,40M 47,61 20,67M 196,50 6,68M 42,97 5,74M 146,14 6,58M 105,31 16,64M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M AY 16

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

+154.87% +49.60% +44.51% +43.96% +42.77% +38.70% +38.38% +37.21% +34.58% +34.51% +34.45%

180.55M 14.40K 78.25M 108.91M 20.47M 7.87M 1.45M 18.15M 2.02M 25.78M 1.39M

-45.36% -40.00% -36.44% -33.63% -26.67% -26.41% -25.39% -24.98% -20.89% -20.00% -18.71%

6.69M 3.92M 2.70M 2.29M 21.04K 1.39M 1.29M 22.42M 2.85K 0.15K 7.97M

Most Advanced ShiftPixy Epiphany Technology Acquisition Polarityte Veru Calithera Biosciences Inc View Inotiv Amyris Leap Therapeutics Molecular Data Expensify

Most Declined LiqTech Actelis Networks Jupai Holdings Ltd Brilliant Earth Immuron Tenon Medical Vallon Pharmaceuticals Figs Otr Acq Lixiang Education Armstrong Flooring

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Lazy gits NEVER one to mince his words, business guru and presenter of The Appren‐ tice Lord Sugar took a snipe at working from home as accountancy firm PWC an‐ nounced that their accoun‐ tants could take Fridays off in the summer, tweeting “This is a bloody joke. The lazy gits make me sick.”

Fixed price WITH sales of more than €8 billion in the first quarter of 2022, Spanish energy company Naturgy has de‐ cided to offer its gas cus‐ tomers a supply at a fixed price for relatively long‐ term periods, emulating what it did with electricity in 2021.

Gold standard IN an unusual step to try to avoid the impact of the rise in the cost of living, the CEO of e‐money provider Tally‐ Money, is offering his 20 staff the option of being paid in gold rather than sterling although they will be taxed as if paid in cash.

Financing Cabify SUCCESSFUL Spanish start‐ up Cabify is a ridesharing company which provides vehicles for hire via its smartphone mobile app.

Set up in 2011, its busi‐ ness is aimed at supplying vehicles to self‐employed drivers and is gearing up for the move to greener driv‐ ing.

It has created a wish list in order to purchase 1,400 new electric vehicles for its fleet and estimates the likely cost as €82 million.

Thanks to the sustain‐ ability of the project, it made a successful ap‐ proach for funds to the Eu‐ ropean Investment Bank which has confirmed that it will provide financing of €40 million to help the company achieve its aim.

David and Goliath D AV I D A N D G O L I AT H lawsuits make fools of large corporations and history is littered with pointless actions seemed destined to not only make money for lawyers but to make corporations look extremely stupid.

Previous examples include the attack in the UK on a Chinese take away called McChina which did Mc‐ Donald’s no favours es‐ pecially as they lost, then there is the cor‐ ner shop owner in Newcastle who was made to change the name Singhsbury’s but seems to be ok with the new moniker of Morrisinghs.

Latest to feel the pain of a lawyer’s let‐ ter, according to Corn‐ wall Live, is a pub go‐ ing by the name of The Star Inn at Vogue which has been open in the village of Vogue for

Credit: Star Inn Facebook

BUSINESS EXTRA

200-YEAR-OLD: The Star Inn at Vogue.

200 years or more.

According to Vogue magazine, there is a fear that their readers might get confused by the name which doesn’t really say much for the compa‐ ny’s opinion of the in‐ telligence of its read‐ ers.

One of the most pub‐ licised arguments be‐ tween large companies saw Marks & Spencer

launch launched an in‐ tellectual property claim in the UK against supermarket giant Al‐ di, citing alleged simi‐ larities between its Colin the Caterpillar cake with Aldi’s Cuth‐ bert the Caterpillar.

In this case, the two parties agreed in November of last year to a secret deal where‐ by the lawsuit was dis‐ continued.

Although M&S intro‐ duced the first cater‐ pillar cake some 30 years ago, they could be in for an expensive time, considering that there is Calli the Cater‐ pillar from Tesco, Wig‐ gles the Caterpillar from Sainsbury’s, Cecil the Caterpillar from Waitrose, Charlie the Caterpillar from the Co‐op and Clyde the Caterpillar from ASDA.

Flexible office space from Tesco T ES CO i s o f f e r i n g o f f i c e s p a c e and a shopping option in one location as it has partnered with flexible working company Regus, part of the IWG Group.

In an experiment to utilise un‐ used space and earn money from its properties now that more people are shopping on‐ line, the Tesco Extra store in Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey has seen a transforma‐ tion to its mezzanine floor.

Ef f e c t i v e f r o m M o n d a y M a y 23, those who prefer not to work at home but equally don’t fancy a long commute, will be able to rent flexible office space at this large property which has plenty of parking and business‐ es can even rent meeting spaces by the hour.

There is a lot going on around the area, so users can enjoy all of the facilities offered by Tesco or pop out for coffee or lunch

FINANCE

Credit: Regus

38 EWN

EXPERIMENT: A typical Regus workspace.

and then return to the newly refurbished office space.

Clearly if this proves to be a success then more stores will have rooms converted as it ap‐ pears that the concept of flexi‐ ble working space gathers mo‐ mentum following the recovery

from the pandemic.

According to the BBC, a sur‐ vey from the Chartered Insti‐ tute of Management found more than 80 per cent of firms had now adopted hybrid‐work‐ ing since the end of the pan‐ demic.

NEWS

Cheaper electricity IT was confirmed on Friday May 13 by Min‐ ister for Territorial Policy, Isabel Ro‐ dríguez, that the Span‐ ish government was now able to formally cap the price of natu‐ ral gas.

This follows a special agreement reached by the Portuguese and Spanish government with the European Union for the two countries to move out‐ side of the normal col‐ lective decisions made by the EU. It now seems likely that users of electrici‐ ty in all areas in Spain will be able to expect a reduction of up to 30 per cent in the amount that they have to pay, although this agree‐ ment may be reviewed should wholesale gas prices fall.

Call for help SPEAKING on the Pe‐ ston Show on ITV on May 11, Dame Sharon White who was at one time a senior civil ser‐ vant in the UK Treasury called on government to do more.

Now the Chair of the John Lewis Group which also owns Wait‐ rose, she explained that something has to be done to help all of those who are currently suffering from the huge jump in the cost of liv‐ ing.

Comparing the prob‐ lems with those faced during the pandemic, Dame Sharon said “The time has absolutely come for action whether it is an emer‐ gency budget or whether it is another vehicle.”

to read more FINANCE scan this QR Code

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Discover: Costa Brava THE Costa Brava is rated as one of Spain’s top beach des‐ tinations, characterised by its rugged natural beauty, stun‐ ning shores and charming coastal villages. Here you will find secluded sandy beaches surrounded by imposing cliffs and tiny coves to discover.

The popular beach resorts are found in the historic town of Blanes, the walled medieval town of Tossa de Mar, the ele‐ gant town of Lloret de Mar and the quiet village of Santa Susanna.

The quaint fishing village of Cadaques, nestled on the Cadaques Bay of the Cap de Creus (peninsula), has a rocky coastline with magnificent cliffs and quiet coves. This whitewashed town is steeped in history and attracted fa‐ mous painters during the 20th century. Several art galleries and museums reveal the town’s artistic heritage.

One of the houses in the Old Town of Cadaques was the home of Salvador Dalí and is now the Salvador Dalí

The beautiful and historic town of Blanes.

House ‐ Portlligat Museum.

Fans of Salvador Dali and sur‐ realist art should also visit the Dalí Theatre‐Museum in Figueres and the Gala Dalí Cas‐ tle in Púbol.

The small fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell has re‐ tained its authentic Spanish feel despite the beaches get‐ ting quite crowded during the summer. Tourists love the oldy‐wordly charm of the Be‐ gur tower, overlooking the sea

and L’Escala, which has an at‐ mospheric historic quarter and Greek ruins from the sec‐ ond century BC at the Em‐ puries archaeological site.

For lovers of watersports, the Costa Brava is the perfect place ‐ from snorkelling to sail‐ ing, diving to windsurfing. The uninhabited nature preserve of the Medes Islands is a great place for snorkelling and scuba diving in the crystal clear wa‐ ters.

Advertising Feature

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EWN 39

40 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

Different types of insomnia

A LACK of sleep can have a significant impact on someone’s life, causing problems both at home and at work. Although the amount of sleep needed does vary from one person to another, experts say that eight hours of restful sleep is ideal for most people.

Insomnia is sometimes acute, which tends to be caused by a stressful event and lasts less than three months. It may disappear on its own over time as the person copes with the stressful incident. However, short‐term in‐ somnia can be persistent and develop into chronic insomnia.

Insomnia is considered chronic if it happens at least three nights a week for three months or more. Chronic insomnia can be related to stressful situations, but it can also be related to irregular sleep schedules, poor sleep hy‐ giene, persistent nightmares, mental health disorders, underlying physical or neurological problems, medications, or whoever else is in the bed.

Some people with insomnia have difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night,

LACK OF SLEEP: Can be very stressful.

others are unable to stay asleep through the night and others wake up much earlier than they would like.

Our sleep gets lighter as we get older and we wake up more frequently at night. How‐ ever, if your sleep problems become chronic and you feel you are not getting enough rest, you should see your doctor.

Recent research has found that sleep prob‐ lems often have a bidirectional relationship with other health problems. For example, while anxiety can contribute to insomnia, in‐ somnia can also trigger or exacerbate anxiety.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Plantar fasciitis treatment PLANTAR FASCIITIS is in‐ flammation of the plantar fascia, a band of elastic tis‐ sue that connects the heel to the base of the toes. It can cause pain and irritation on the bottom of the feet, particularly in the heels and arches.

• Common causes of plan‐ tar fasciitis This type of ailment is very common in people who fre‐ quently practise running or other sports involving move‐ ment on hard surfaces and high‐impact exercises, as the feet are put under a lot of pressure.

Wearing unsuitable footwear with poor support when doing sport or stand‐ ing for long periods of time can also cause plantar fasci‐ itis in the long run, as can poor postural habits.

Some people are simply genetically predisposed due to the anatomy of their feet, which may be excessively

INFLAMMATION: Can cause pain and irritation.

flat or have particularly large plantar arches.

• Treatment of plantar fasciitis If the pain is not too se‐ vere or persistent, you can apply ice to the area for a few minutes several times a day. You can also combine this with painkillers to help get the pain to subside.

Other treatments include ultrasound sessions or mas‐ sages. Physiotherapy treat‐ ments can effectively reduce

the tension that has been ac‐ cumulating in the soles of the feet and stretch the plantar fascia.

If you are an active runner, you can use specially de‐ signed bandages to cushion the pain in the area when running.

However, in extreme cas‐ es where there is no im‐ provement and the person is experiencing a lot of discom‐ fort, surgery can be an op‐ tion.

HEALT & BEAUTY to read more Health & Beauty scan this QR Code

HEALTH & BEAUTY

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

EWN 41

Reduce heat damage from hairdryers USING a hairdryer on a regular basis can damage the hair fibres, leaving them dry, rough and dull. Experts rec‐ ommend letting your hair air dry to avoid heat damage, but the weather may be cold or you may need to style your hair with a hairdryer to get it just how you want it.

Guidelines for reducing heat dam‐ age when using a hairdryer Firstly, avoid trying to dry hair that is soaking wet. Remove excess water with a towel and only turn the hairdryer on when your hair is slight‐ ly damp.

Your hair needs heat protection to prevent damage and stop it from dry‐ ing out, as it can be subjected to tem‐ peratures of over 200 degrees.

When styling your hair with a hairdryer, always use the nozzle, which allows you to control the direc‐ tion of the hot air and reduces the ex‐ posure of the hair to harmful heat. If you are using a brush, use a round one with short bristles.

Avoid holding the hairdryer too close. Move it a little further away so that the heat does not impact your hair so directly. If possible (ie you are

BLOW DRYING: Always use the nozzle which helps to protect the hair from harmful heat.

not using a brush to blow‐dry your hair straight), keep a distance of around 25 centimetres.

If you divide your hair into several

sections rather than trying to dry it all at the same time, it will dry faster and will not be exposed to the heat for so long.

Look after your eyes W E receive so much in‐ formation about the world through our eyes, yet we often neglect them. Our eyesight nat‐ urally deteriorates over time, but there are sev‐ eral simple yet effective ways of preserving it for as long as possible.

• Eat well to see bet‐ ter Eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and legumes to ensure ade‐ quate consumption of vi‐ tamins A, B, C and E will protect the cells of the eye, promote night vision and help to prevent eye infections.

Flavonoids, also found in fruits and vegetables, protect against ultravio‐ let rays and environmen‐ tal pollution.

• Avoid rubbing your eyes Sometimes it may be unavoidable, but rubbing your eyes with your hands can lead to serious

COMPUTER SCREENS: Adjust the font size and brightness to protect your eyes.

eye infections. Wash your hands frequently and try to have your eyes checked at least once a year.

• Use adequate light‐ ing Adequate lighting while reading, working or watching television is very important. The blue light from mobile phones and computers can be

damaging and exposure should be limited.

Sit at least two metres away from the television and 40 to 70 centimetres away from the computer screen. Adjust the font size and brightness as necessary and look away every so often.

• Protect your eyes from the sun Your eyes are very vul‐

nerable to the sun. You can get special sunglass‐ es with an eye protection factor (E‐SPF) of 50+ from opticians. Although the most dangerous hours are usually in the middle of the day, sun damage can occur at any time and even on cloudy days. UV rays damage all parts of the eye, includ‐ ing the eyelid.

Finally, check the condition of your hairdryer. Newer models are made with materials and have settings that are less harmful.

42 EWN

19 - 25 May 2022

euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

Supermassive black hole

ON Thursday, May 12, astronomers un‐ veiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy, produced by a global research team called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration using observations from a worldwide network of radio telescopes.

The EHT said: “overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the workings of such giants, which are thought to reside at the centre of most galaxies.”

“We were stunned by how well the size of the ring agreed with predictions from Ein‐ stein’s Theory of General Relativity,” said EHT Project Scientist Geoffrey Bower from the Institute of Astronomy and Astro‐ physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei.

“These unprecedented observations have greatly improved our understanding of what happens at the very centre of our galaxy, and offer new insights on how these giant black holes interact with their sur‐ roundings.” The EHT team’s results are be‐ ing published in a special issue of The Astro‐

FIRST IMAGE: Of the black hole.

physical Journal Letters.

The eagerly‐anticipated picture of Sagit‐ tarius A* ‐ which is roughly 4.3 million times the mass of our sun and is located about 27,000 light‐years away from the Earth.

“Although we cannot see the black hole itself, because it is completely dark, glowing gas around it reveals a telltale signature: a dark central region (called a ‘shadow’) sur‐ rounded by a bright ring‐like structure. The new view captures light bent by the power‐ ful gravity of the black hole, which is four million times more massive than our Sun,” EHT said.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

‘Time traveller’ warnings A SELF-PROCLAIMED ‘time traveller’ has made some massive ‘predictions’ for the coming months, including that a new species will apparently emerge on Earth after the ground opens up in America…

Judging by the amount of ‘time traveller’ accounts on social media platform TikTok, it’s safe to say you should take these claims with a grain of salt!

For those who don’t use TikTok, dozens of accounts have popped up lately claiming to be ‘from the future’ in order to warn the public of various catastrophic events - TikToker Kawhi Leonard, who goes by the handle @thehiddengod1, is one of them.

The account has a massive 174k followers and posts time-traveller themed content that is clearly quite interesting for some.

One video, which has been viewed a huge 6.7 million times, tells viewers that a ‘leaked document’ from one of these time-travellers tells of three dates in 2022 where frightening things will happen…

First up, on July 14, they say America’s biggest ever earthquake, nicknamed ‘The Great Split’, will hit and the ground will open up. This one isn’t completely out of the realms of possibility, considering the strange and extreme weather conditions that we have seen over the past few years.

19 - 25 May 2022

We don’t like how they work MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION

Views of a Grumpy Old Man

Video from TikTok warns of future disasters.

On August 9, the alleged document says two million people across the Earth will mysteriously disappear - whether or not this is related to the first prediction is unknown.

Apparently, on October 3, we will see creatures known as ‘Stalkers’ showing up around the world.

Here’s to hoping this is just a figment of this ‘time travellers’ imagination!

EWN 43

WE’VE had a couple of holiday rental apartments for some years now. Initially it was a very simple thing to do. There were several little websites that we advertised on and business was fine. Then a few years ago all these little indy websites got swallowed up by massive multinational companies who have a whole different way of doing business and were constantly telling us how we should run our little rental business. It used to be so simple. Clients emailed Patti and if dates were available would send a deposit and then pay the balance four weeks before arrival. But the big companies don’t take a deposit; they collect payment and pay us after clients arrive and after they have taken their commission which, of course, means we get less. And now people can cancel anytime plus you are no longer advertising with one company. A booking can be from any one of six or seven companies.

Then Covid happened and we didn’t rent anything for about two years. All our regu-

lars moved their dates around. When bookings restarted one elderly couple from Denmark arrived but after a couple of days we were advised that they didn’t like the apartment and wanted a full refund. This was all being done via email and was a nightmare.

Patti decided to go and see them and discovered that they had moved out but left the heating on and not left the keys. We turned the heating off. Patti went back a few days later and was amazed that they had been back and left the heating on again! The real problem was that it had been raining since they had arrived and they couldn’t really get out and about and because of their age needed to be in a hotel.

The best was still to come - they left a terrible review on the website which was a total nonsense. How can you give a one for location for a beachfront apartment? In 15 years of renting we have never had anything but great reviews on the various websites which now of course don’t exist. We complained to the company but they said they couldn’t do anything because the booking came via a third party site. Since then we have had a few cancellations and have now decided not to rent anymore as we just don’t like the way these big companies do business.

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com.

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

44 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

SOCIAL SCENE

Night of the Museums THE fourth edition of the Night of the Museums will be held in Orihuela on Friday, May 20, from 9pm to midnight 21 and which will turn the historic cen‐ tre of the city into an authentic museum full of culture with music, art, theatre and her‐ itage.

The Department of Culture has prepared a series of activi‐ ties to create a cultural route in the city centre that will run from the house of the poet Miguel Hernandez, next to San‐ to Domingo, to the heart of the

FULL OF CULTURE: Including music, art, theatre and heritage.

Rabaloche neighbourhood and to the Plaza de Santiago.

All of the city’s museums will remain open until midnight

with free admission. Inside, there will be musical perfor‐ mances, characters from the period and special lighting to

Almoradí weekly market EVERY Saturday Alicante’s Almoradí holds its long‐standing weekly market, a meeting point for traders and buyers from all over the region.

The market is set up in the streets adjacent to the Plaza de la Constitución, occupying more than a kilometre in total. The stalls of‐ fer a huge range of products, including flow‐ ers and plants, birds, carpets, handicrafts, imported goods, clothing and footwear,

crockery, gifts, fruit and vegetables and all kinds of food.

Visitors will not be disappointed by a pleasant stroll through the Saturday market and are bound to find a bargain or two.

Also, a series of entertainment activities for all ages are held parallel to the market in the Plaza, along with guided tours of the main buildings of the town and the tradition‐ al paths of the orchard of Almoradí.

create a different atmosphere.

There will also be inaugurations of several important exhibitions on the same night.

This will be the first year that theatre has been incorporated into the programme for the Night of the Museums, includ‐ ing a performance of several scenes from Romeo and Juliet in the cloisters of Orihuela Cathedral.

For the little ones, children’s art workshops will take place in the Plaza del Carmen, where there will also be activities or‐ ganised by the Educational and Interactive Science Museum. In the Plaza de Ramón Sijé there will be children’s workshops on traditional games.

“Along the whole route there will be special lighting and entertainment with circus shows, stilt walkers and many surprises that will transport us to a magical world of art where Orihuela will be the protago‐ nist,” said the councillor for Cul‐ ture, Mar Ezcurra, who encour‐ ages everyone to participate.

NOW ON: A fantastic musical show not to be missed.

Guys and Dolls STUDIO 32 Musical Theatre Company is proud to pre‐ sent its production of Guys & Dolls, which will be show‐ ing at the Cardenal Beluga Theatre, San Fulgencio, until Saturday, May 21. Doors open at 7.00pm.

The members of Studio 32 believe they have assembled one of the best vocal casts that they have ever had for this performance and do not want anybody who enjoys musicals to miss out on see‐ ing this fantastic show.

For this reason, they are offering groups of 20 or more who book using their online booking service for the performances on Thurs‐

day May 19 a discount of €24. The money will be re‐ funded on the night of the performance when the ticket receipt is shown at front of house.

There will also be a compli‐ mentary drink on arrival and at the interval.

To book tickets online, visit www.studiothirtytwo.org.

For further guidance on how to use the online booking service, email tickets@stu diothirtytwo.org.

Tickets will also be avail‐ able on the door on the night of the performance.

For further information, call 679 062 272 or 636 020 547.

FEATURE

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

EWN 45

Advertising Feature

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windows with infrared heating due to it not being able to penetrate through glass, it also provides an evolving heat with better energy efficiency, saving between 30 and

50 per cent of energy ‐ this is par‐ ticularly beneficial as energy prices continue to rise.

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You can also find out more via their website www.calor-radiante.com or their Facebook page ‘CalorRadianteShop’.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

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48 EWN

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LETTERS

EW YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: 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.

LICENCE DEMANDS

LICENCE EXCHANGE: Not as easy as it’s made out to be.

HAVING read your article on licence demands. I moved to Spain in Novem‐ ber 2020 unaware that you had to register with the DVLA about intending to change your licence for a Spanish one. I’ve been trying to exchange my licence since January 2021 and been told by my solicitor and agents who would nor‐ mally help you exchange your licence that they are no longer able to help and I like thousands of others are stuck in this situation, it’s not that we have had plenty of time to do it. We haven’t been allowed to do it.

Thank you. Rita

Dear Mr Leapy Lee (Assuming you are more than a pseudonym): YOU must undoubtedly be right: among conspiracy the‐ orists, as well as anti‐con‐ spiracy theorists, there must be sufferers of rampant in‐ security or inferiority com‐ plexes. Yes sir. But what does that have to do with the truth or falsity of their claims?

Recommended reading: Introduction to logic, Macmillan Publishing, Co.

Inc, New York, 1953.

By the way: Lord Bertrand Russell, Nobel Prize winner, was a conspiracy theorist about the John F Kennedy

assassination… Do you find Lord Russell a typical case of inferiority complex… or just ‘dangerous people’?

Jose

OUR VIEW ERRATIC POSTAL SERVICE BACK in 2020, the Spanish Post Office, Correos launched a campaign under the title Live Where You Want in which it promised to recruit 6,000 new postal delivery officers to ensure that those who live in rural areas would have their post delivered. Nowadays, a huge amount of correspondence is undertaken via email, WhatsApp and the like, but there is still a large amount of traditional mail that needs to be delivered through the post. To a great extent, mail delivery appears to be erratic even at the best of times, with mail from the UK often taking up to a month to arrive even in relatively large towns and cities but what is more difficult to understand is how Correos decides who to deliver to and why.

In some urbanisations, communal mailboxes for streets of houses have been done away with and each resident required to obtain their own individual mail box with delivery taking place every few days. In other areas and suburban Madrid is a good example, Correos has decided to suspend home delivery and residents are required to travel to their local post office to see if there is any post to collect.

Not a major problem one might think, but a large number of post offices are only open from 8.30am to 2pm on weekdays, so if you work and commute, then there is a problem, especially as mail is generally only held for 15 days before being returned or disposed of.

There is a petition on Change.org which has already collected several thousand signatures asking Correos to change its mind otherwise, in theory, everyone affected would need to either take time off from work or arrive late twice a month.

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euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

FEATURE

GO LOCAL

THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to support local businesses in the community by shopping locally in recent times. Now things are heading back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by supporting local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky inde‐ pendent businesses in your area.

Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities

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

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

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

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

So remember.

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

NEWS

euroweeklynews.com

Pregnant reptile unearthed MELTING GLACIER: The fossil contained several embryos.

A MASSIVE 139 million-year-old pregnant reptile has been unearthed from a melting glacier in Patagonia, Chile, with several embryos in her stomach.

The reptile has been named Fiona and the fossilised remains are Chile’s first complete ichthyosaur which contained several embryos.

The creature is four-metres in length and was initially discovered in 2009 by Magellanic palaeontologist and researcher at the GAIA Antarctic Research Centre, UMAG, Dr Judith Pardo-Pérez.

However, it wasn’t easy to reach the site where Fiona lay, requiring a 10-hour-hike or horse ride to reach the specimen. Because of this, collecting the ichthyosaur was only possible through funding provided by the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development (ANID).

The expedition, which took 31 days and was led by the first female palaeontologist to lead a

major expedition in Patagonia, saw the intact remains delicately collected using a helicopter during March and April 2022, within the boundaries of the Torres del Paine National Park.

A string of complex issues made the fossil extremely difficult to access, including difficulties camping, moving around in the rocky area, dealing with wildlife such as puma and the extreme weather conditions.

The ichthyosaur is the only pregnant female of Valanginian-Hauterivian age (between 129 and 139 million years old from the Early Cretaceous) recorded and extracted on the planet, according to the University of Manchester.

Dr Pardo-Perez said of the discovery: “At four metres long, complete, and with embryos in gestation, the excavation will help to provide information on its species, on the palaeobiology of embryonic development, and on a disease that affected it during its lifetime.”

19 - 25 May 2022

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52 EWN

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19 - 25 May 2022

DAVID WORBOYS

THINKING ALOUD AN invitation to lunch is one of life’s plea‐ sures, assuming good company, a good set‐ ting ‐ and good food. Whether privately in a summer garden or in public by a winter log fire in a restaurant, it should always be an occasion to look forward to.

And so, I had great hopes when we both arrived at a friend’s house in Belgium to cele‐ brate a family birthday. We were the guests of Jean‐Pierre and Isabelle with their son and three daughters for the 20th birthday of daughter Susanne. The proceedings started well enough with mini‐vol‐au‐vents, olives, walnuts and slivers of Parmigiana, accompa‐ nied by chilled Campari, Fino or Muscadet and relaxed small‐talk. Then the time came to sit at the table. We were confronted by oysters with lemon juice and cracked black pepper and crispy French bread.

I like oysters but only if they are alive and kicking. I can recognise a dead, diseased or dodgy one from half‐a‐dozen goose‐steps away. While I was fumbling with my table napkin, everybody started to tuck in. Then, after downing my first one, I noticed an unfa‐ miliar taste, by which time the other guests had swallowed several of them. I sniffed at a second one. This was definitely an ex‐oyster.

FEATURE

A FLUID EXPERIENCE

Most of us associate a dodgy oyster with a demand for a lavatory.

I asked our hosts when they had bought the oysters. The response was three days ago but Jean‐Pierre had decided, unbe‐ known to Isabelle, that they should be frozen then thawed. I explained that freezing raw oysters kills them and they cannot then be consumed raw. In such circumstances, es‐ cape from the dreaded stomach gurgles was about as likely as Mick Jagger becoming an operatic baritone.

No more were consumed but, in a nutshell (or an oyster shell), it was too late. As soon as the foie gras appeared, Isabelle the hostess and chef, eased her way from her chair and, with a tight‐lipped apology strode purpose‐ fully from the room.

There followed a concerted family assault on the three lavatories, including the two up‐ stairs. Most of the foie gras remained un‐ touched, the baked turbot never made it to

the table and the bought‐in crème brulee never saw the light of day. Even the Meur‐ sault was not in demand. Ashen faces tried to put on a brave front, but conversations had to be interrupted throughout the after‐ noon as ‘nature’ repeated its calls. I gave thanks that I had consumed only one oyster and wondered what plans would be made for Susanne’s 21st.

Of course, not all my luncheon experi‐ ences ended like this. The evening dinner has some advantages over lunch. If the wine is too tempting, an early night and a morning hangover can be had, as distinct from a hazy, soporific afternoon and evening ‐ with or without siesta.

But, in the last 20 years, most of the enjoy‐ able meals out have been lunches. This is partly because, becoming more health‐con‐ scious, I try to eat more lightly in the evenings. And I avoid oysters on the Mediterranean.

For more from our columnists please scan this QR Code

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

PETS

euroweeklynews.com

T H I N K I N G of getting a dog but can’t decide on the breed? Of course, there are so many dogs in rescue centres that need loving homes and it is always best to adopt rather than shop, but it is still possible to choose the breed of dog if you do decide to go down the adoption route.

So, here is a list of some of the most train‐ able dogs ‐ whether you are looking for a small lapdog or a dog you can train for commands.

Goldendoodle A favourite breed across the world, the Goldendoodle looks like a teddy bear, comes in all shapes and sizes and has an amazing temper‐ ament ‐ being a cross between a golden re‐ triever and a poodle.

This breed is highly trainable and can learn new commands and be‐ haviours quite quickly.

German Shepherd

19 - 25 May 2022

Most trainable dogs Another highly train‐ able dog that was also bred for herding is the

Border Collie, which is considered a more en‐ ergetic breed and soft‐

EWN 53

er in nature German Shepherd.

Because they are so trainable, Border Collies are also used for search and rescue missions, narcotics, and bomb de‐ tection by law enforce‐ ment.

WORKING DOG: The German Shepherd is one of the most trainable and loyal breeds.

One of the most high‐ ly trainable dogs in the world, German Shep‐ herds originated in Ger‐ many as working dogs.

German Shepherds are also confident, loyal, in‐ telligent, obedient, watchful and sometimes stubborn!

Because of their intel‐ ligence and desire to please, as well as have a purpose, puppies can be trained to under‐ stand basic commands and house training within two to three months.

Border Collie

Advertising Feature

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Weakness, paralysis, tremors, disorientation or seizures are a few symptoms that some‐ thing is wrong in a dog’s nervous system.

Recognise the signs.

The symptoms can appear suddenly, progressively or sporadically. To give your dog the best chance at recovery from a neurological disorder, it’s important for you to recog‐ nise signs. For example, head tilt, tremors, blindness , seizures could be signs of brain disorders. Unstable gait, limb paralysis, urinary incontinence could be signs of spinal cord problems.

Your best ally during this nasty moment is knowl‐ edge and, of course, professionals like veterinary neurologists, specialists who have been trained to identify signs and provide care when the nervous sys‐ tem is involved. To properly diagnose these condi‐ tions, neurologists use different tests, like a spinal tap or an MRI. In Costa Blanca Sur: www.resonanciaveterinaria.es Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante C/Los Arcos 23 Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Tel: 609 779 109

PETS PAGE

to read more PETS scan this QR Code

54 EWN

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19 - 25 May 2022

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

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ALARMS

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AIR CONDITIONING

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PLUMBING

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DRAINS

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POOLS

REMOVALS & STORAGE

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SERVICES PLUMBER

INSURANCE

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022 REMOVALS & STORAGE

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58 EWN

19 - 25 May 2022

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BUILDING SERVICES J & J PAINTERS. Inside outside - clean - fast low cost. Torrevieja Orihuela Costa and su rrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (294244)

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CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca. org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail. com (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(1000 6)

CARE HOME CARE home in Torrevieja, full care, full board from €800 per month.

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FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meetings up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glpvalencia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prej-

60

udice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja. com and also on Facebook.

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

We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and nonmembers on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11:00am. All nationalities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information, including details of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005) PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Members Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk. Tel:004 4 800 018 2361. (238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us

19 - 25 May 2022 • euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY

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

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

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

looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.aca costablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461) THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate

CLASSIFIEDS future due to Covid-19. To join the centre on ZOOM on a Tuesday evening at 7pm download the ZOOM App. To enter use ID Number 8451471869, then Password 3uf5TE. Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)

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

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

FUNERALS CREMATION plan. 2575 euros. One-time payment.

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GENERAL SERVICES LITTLE AMIGO Jet Washing, Pool & Outdoor Maintenance services. Also Garden and Painting service available. Orihuela Costa.

Call: 711 041 330 or Email: merseyblue1965 @gmail.com (295924)

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19 - 25 May 2022

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62 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

ROAD TEST

by Mark Slack IT’S rare for a car company to be able to lay claim to launching a segment, but one such company is Nissan.

Back in 2007 they launched the Qashqai and it has gone on to popularise the SUV sec‐ tor in the UK. The Qashqai is generally recognised to be the most bought SUV in the UK, and there’s good reason that it has acquired such a loyal fol‐ lowing. Offered in a variety of power options, two or four‐wheel‐drive over the years, in its latest guise with sharper looks and more eco power units it comes with a single petrol power unit of 1.3‐litres, turbocharged and with mild‐hybrid battery power.

Later this year a 1.5‐litre e‐ Power unit arrives where un‐ like the traditional mild hy‐ brid, here the petrol engine powers the battery and it’s the battery that actually drives the wheels. There is

MOTORING

Nissan Qashqai - enhancing a reputation manual or automatic gears, two or four‐wheel‐drive and two power outputs of 140PS and 158PS. There are five trim levels with prices starting at €29,818/£25,505 with an ex‐ cellent range of standard equipment including pow‐ ered and heated door mirrors, tyre pressure monitoring system, high beam assist headlights, auto‐ matic lights, LED front and rear lights, rear parking sensors, Blue‐ tooth, intelligent cruise control and air conditioning.

My test car was the top‐of‐the‐range Tekna+ and as one might ex‐ pect of a car costing €44,741/ £38,275 it wants for very lit‐ tle in terms of equipment.

From a head‐up display, key‐ less entry and start plus handsfree automatic tailgate

MOTORING

through to wireless phone charging, navigation and a Bose sound system. The power adjustable, quilted leather seats offer good sup‐ port and there’s space aplen‐

Feels like a more premium drive than expected.

ty for all occupants along with a decent boot.

On the road the 1.3‐litre

mild‐hybrid power unit is a smooth and refined affair with decent performance that never feels as if it’s strug‐ gling despite the size of the Qashqai. My test car was fit‐

ted with a CVT auto‐ matic gearbox and I’m not a fan generally due to the vo‐ calness of these type of box‐ es when under anything oth‐ er than mild acceleration.

Facts at a Glance Model: Nissan Qashqai Tekna+ 2WD automatic Engine: 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol with mild-hybrid assistance Gears: CVT automatic Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 9.2 seconds/Maximum Speed 199 kph (124 mph) Economy: 6.5l/100km (43.8 mpg) Combined driving (WLTP) Emissions: 146 g/km (WLTP) Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

How‐ ever, the Qashqai is one of the best I have tried and one of the few that I could live with on a daily basis.

There’s a feeling of quality inside the cabin which added

to that refined drive makes the Qashqai feel like a more premium drive than might be expected given its ar‐ guably more workaday badg‐ ing.

It’s little wonder the Qashqai has proved so en‐ duringly popular and this lat‐ est version will only enhance that reputation.

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MOTORING

euroweeklynews.com

Skoda hazard information

THE Skoda ‘Local Hazard Information Service’ pro‐ vides drivers with detailed information about cur‐ rent road conditions.

By collecting and evaluating anonymous vehicle data, the system is able to warn of approaching hazards such as slippery or damaged road sur‐ faces via the infotainment system, actively in‐ creasing safety in the process.

Accelerometers and ABS sensors ‐– that mea‐ sure the acceleration and braking of the car ‐ al‐ low the required data to be captured continuous‐ ly during each journey. Meanwhile, innovative virtual sensors estimate the friction between the tyres and the road surface based on wheel slip.

The combined data is anonymised and transmit‐ ted to the cloud, where aggregated information from all connected vehicles is paired with meta‐ data, such as weather information or previous measurements.

Using the data collected, the road network can be displayed as a precise three‐dimensional mod‐ el, which is used to send alerts to vehicles when they find themselves approaching or within an area with bad road surfaces.

The ‘Local Hazard Information Service’ is avail‐ able for the Enyaq iV, Fabia, Kamiq, Kodiaq, Oc‐ tavia, Scala and Superb in the UK and is part of ŠKODA Connect services.

19 - 25 May 2022 THERE are currently five different technologies for electrified vehicles on the market: 48V hy‐ brid, electric hybrid, plug‐in hybrid, 100 per cent electric and hydro‐ gen battery. All of these options raise a lot of doubts and questions among drivers who are considering making the leap to ECO mobility.

To resolve these doubts, Hyundai has launched a new install‐ ment of its Hyundai Elec‐ troschool project, ex‐ plaining the differences between the options for electrified vehicles and advice on choosing the most suitable one for mobility needs.

The Korean manufac‐ turer analyses four pro‐ files of drivers who in‐ tend to move to ‘0 emissions’ mobility, and offers the most appropri‐ ate solution for each case.

“The best decision will be the one that takes in‐ to account the use that each person makes of the vehicle,” taking into

EWN 63

Which electric car? account factors such as the frequency of use, type of route that is made, distances trav‐ elled, driving style or use, on a day‐to‐day ba‐ sis, the brand said.

Hyundai explains the differences between electric cars.

64 EWN

euroweeklynews.com

19 - 25 May 2022

WALKING FOOTBALL ‘LEAGUE HOTS UP’ MORAIRA WFC with a narrow 2‐1 win over bottom club WFC For‐ mentera put themselves back in contention in the CBWFL moving up to third place behind Hondon Val‐ ley. This game had everything and was a great advert for walking foot‐ ball. Both teams going for the win while keeping to the spirit of the game.

The hosts edged the win 2‐1 al‐ though it has to be said there were three penalty misses which could have swung the game either way.

Formentera congratulated their hosts on the excellent after match hospitality.

Only six points separate the top three teams now although League leaders Portobello have played one match less and to date are unde‐ feated.

The next big game in the League takes place Monday May 24 when Moraira play host to Hondon Valley.

This match will have a big say in who will be Portobello’s main challengers on the League run in.

At the other end of the league

SPORT

BACK IN CONTENTION: Moraira won against bottom club Formentera.

bottom club Formentera have an‐ other encounter with Pinoso who are one place above them and both will be out to avoid finishing the sea‐ son in bottom spot.

As the season comes to its conclu‐ sion make sure you get your copy of the Euro Weekly News for all the re‐ sults and news, the paper that sup‐

ports walking football.

Plans are already being discussed for next season with more teams ex‐ pected to join the League.

They all need to add to their squads. Are you over 50 and have been watching all these ‘big’ match‐ es on TV these last few weeks and have got the bug to play again?

Get along to your local club and have a go at a slower paced, non contact game of football.

Contact apalmar2011@hotmail.com or go to club Facebook pages for more details.

SPORT

Phil Mickelson withdraws Matthew Roscoe ON Friday, May 13, the PGA announced that de‐ fending champion Phil Mickelson had withdrawn from the US PGA Championship, which is set to start today, Thursday, May 19.

The two‐time PGA Championship winner beat the field at Kiawah Island last year, making him the oldest winner of a men’s major champi‐ onship.

“We have just been informed that Phil Mickel‐ son has withdrawn from the PGA Championship.

Phil is the defending champion and currently eli‐ gible to be a PGA Life Member and we would have welcomed him to participate.

“We wish Phil and [his wife of him] Amy the very best and forward to his return to golf,” a statement read.

It is believed that the 51‐year‐old elected to extend his hiatus from golf following his com‐ ments about a Saudi‐funded rival league he sup‐ ports in which he accused the PGA Tour of greed.

The PGA apparently blocked Mickelson’s in‐ volvement in the LIV Golf Invitational series ‐ a new, Saudi Arabia‐funded golf league headed by former Australian golfer Greg Norman ‐ and this did not go down well with the American.

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