2 February - 8 February 2021

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2ND - 8TH FEBRUARY 2021 - EDITION 875

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Your Essential Weekly Read

Orihuela Costa bars protest to Spanish Prime Minister The Prime Minister and head of the national government, Pedro Sánchez, together with the Valencian President Ximo Puig, visited the Miguel Hernández Station in Orihuela yesterday (Monday 1st February) as part of the first trip of the AVE high speed rail link from Madrid to

the Oriolan city.

The occasion was used by business owners from Orihuela Costa to drive in convoy to Orihuela to hold a peaceful protest against the lack of financial support from Pedro Sanchez and Ximo Puig for the hostelry sector.

Around 30 cars weaved their way from the Coast and protested along the road to the railway station and around traffic island at its entrance.

Their message was clear – we need financial help and we need it now. In order to get the message across the protesters waved banners with slogans such as “Where have the Millions from Europe gone”, “Closed bars, Politicians on full salaries” and “We need help for our businesses” and honked their horns relentlessly.

The current closure of bars and restaurants is one of the measures designed to stop covid-19 killing people but in so doing, local hostelry owners believe it has killed the tourist Spain: The only European country trade and tourism related businesses. WITHOUT direct help for the hostelry Since the Covid-19 pandemic began sector.

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Health turns to private sector for PCRs on students

The Ministry of Health has been forced to engage the services of private companies to deal with the volume of Covid cases in schools in areas where social transmission is out of control.

Drive through express PCR tests have already been carried out on students from Alcoy schools and yesterday were also carried out in Elche. Across the region, there is growing concern among parents and teachers about infections in schools.

Spokesperson for the Valencian Ministry of Health, head of Public Health Isaura Navarro said, “Emails have been sent to all educational centres and health departments to find out if there are pending PCR tests in the educational field, if they are expedited through a private company the tests are carried out in a single day.” These private PCR rests are administered in drive through tents located in spaces where cars can pass without interrupting traffic and students do not have to get out of the vehicle.

Navarro denied that tests are Continued from page 1 in March 2020 businesses have been regularly closed or restricted against the will of their owners and staff and yet little has been done to ensure these businesses survive. In a recent Spanish news programme they showed a graph of the help given by other countries in Europe to the hospitality industry In Billions of euros: Denmark 50, Netherlands 15, Germany 10, France 6, UK 5.1, Italy 5.4, Romania 2 and Spain 0€ (zero).

Through the ERTE scheme employees received about 70 percent of their declared wages minus their social security payment. However, local business owners feel the scheme has numerous flaws. If any member of staff is let go in the next 12 months the employer must pay back all of the ERTE received by the employee. Some employees have to wait for 6-9 months before they get their first ERTE payments. Payments from the Social Security are means tested very difficult to get. In addition, employers have to pay full social security (about 400€ per month per full-time employee) whether the employee is working or not.

There are no grants or financial aid for businesses.

Even outside of the forced closures, most small businesses can´t afford to open because there are no tourists and no investors. Electricity rates have doubled, rents, mortgages, SUMA, rubbish collection etc still

have to be paid. It’s no wonder that local business associations estimate that more than 50 percent of businesses are closed, never to reopen.

The government promised business loans but the banks only lend to people who are low risk.

All small businesses are now high risk and so they cannot get loans, but who in their right mind would go into debt with such an unsure future.

Peter Houghton, President of PIOC, says: “As of the 21st January 2021, 85,000 businesses have closed with a loss of over one million jobs in the hospitality industry alone. Businesses and their employees 11 months ago were contributing to the national economy are now seeking out food banks to feed their families.”

Raymond Kearney, Orihuela Costa Avanza Business

Association said: “Other European countries have given cash injections to their hospitality sector, they have helped them get through this Covid World War but Pedro Sanchez has given nothing and Ximo Puig very little.

These governments are destroying all small to medium sized businesses. Already 55 percent of the population are in jobs paid by the government or on pensions and disability benefit, this is pure communism.”

What small businesses need right now is direct cash injections (not loans or schemes), temporarily stopping of Social Security payments, removal of the ERTE penalties and to allow employees to claim unemployment benefits until this pandemic is behind us and freedom of movement between countries is restored.

Denmark 50.000M€ Netherlands 15.000M€ Germany 10.000M€ France 6.000M€ UK 5.100M€ Italy 5.400M€ Romania 2.000M€ Spain 0M€ Help for the hostelry sector in other European countries in comparison to Spain

not being carried out on students without symptoms, as claimed in a letter sent to Education from 100 school principals to demand that the communication systems between both ministries (Education and Health) be streamlined.

A hundred school principals located across various health departments in the Valencian Community wrote to the government claiming it takes an average of between 3 and 4 days to inform schools, and therefore families, that students should be confined if an outbreak has been detected.

Those responsible for running public schools say they are not being heard and demand urgent measures because they see a serious risk of infection while they wait, with hands tied, for the Health Department to intervene and determine protocols for outbreaks and confinements.

The principals claim that as a result of the collapse of health centres, that the Ministry of Education itself has recognized, officials in some areas are now

only doing PCR tests on students with symptoms.

The letter claims "it is not true that schools are safe." The principals claim that schools are as safe as any other space where the rules are met, but warn that the protocols approved between the departments of Health and Education have become out of date as a result of the progressive increase in infections.

They point out that infections "increase by the day" and that the current protocols are clearly "insufficient" and should be changed to introduce "stricter measures."

The situation in schools is only exacerbated by the strain on the system with management desperately trying to cover the absence of teachers. Principals say they are “saturated, stressed and exhausted”, and that they feel isolated because they do not receive a response to the numerous communications they send through official channels.

“The Ministry listens, but that is not dialogue or consensus” they explained.

New restrictions for Valencian Community Friday saw the Regional President extend the closure of the hostelry sector until 15th February and also increase the measures with additional restrictions.

The Government chaired by the socialist Ximo Puig dictated new restrictions on hospitality, sports activities and commerce in a decree by the Ministry of Health that came into force on 21st January and was due to expire on 3rd February. However, the authorities believe that the measures have failed to contain the increase of the coronavirus, which has set records for hospitalisations, deaths and infections since the national lockdown last March.

Therefore, the Generalitat has chosen to extend the measures and unify the rest of the restrictions such as the curfew, the perimeter closure of the Valencian Community, the prohibition of meetings of non-cohabitants in homes and the weekend confinement of the most populated municipalities. All these restrictions will now be reviewed on the 15th February.

The new restrictions, which came into effect yesterday – Monday 1st February – are that the use of the mask is now mandatory when doing sports in

populated areas, such as parks, green spaces, streets and communal areas in cities, towns and villages.

In addition, people can walk or exercise on beaches, but again from now always with a mask on.

The Ministry of Health has also decreed the closure of massage salons and spas.

Meanwhile, the closing of municipal borders at the weekend

resulted in more than a thousand fines across the region. In San Vicente del Raspeig, Torrevieja and rural areas of Alicante, Elche and Orihuela, the Civil Guard deployed 38 controls, monitoring 2,888 vehicles and 3,542 people, imposing 13 fines. In Elche, they found breaches on the BalsaresAltet highway, with people trying to leave for Santa Pola and a small influx of people on the beaches of Alicante and San Juan on Saturday.

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San Fulgencio Archaeological Museum reopens Mayor of San Fulgencio, José Sampere, and Councillor for Culture, David Vives, met members of the press this week to announce the much anticipated reopening of the Archaeological Museum, which had been closed for 14 years.

The museum showcases archaeological findings from two important sites, 'La Escuera' and 'El Oral'.

Inaugurated in 1995, the Archaeological Museum had been closed for more than 14 years and, "unfortunately, it was used on many occasions during this time for purposes that had little to do with its mission," Vives explained. After receiving a report last October from the Culture Ministry's technicians, which put on record the poor state of preservation of the museum, “this government team reacted and got under way, also informing members of the opposition, to draw up an action plan as soon as possible and be able to achieve his recovery,” said the councillor.

The mayor said that the reopening is

the result of "the firm commitment of this town hall to solve these deficiencies and to allow that the museum can reopen its doors to be visited again.”

The Department of Culture also carried out a number of preparations, “such as the cleaning of the space and the preparation, placement and labelling of the pieces of the permanent exhibition in both Spanish and Valencian in addition to the acquisition of suitable containers for the preservation of archaeological remains.” Improvements have also been made in the security of the building with the collaboration of San Fulgencio Local Police, providing cameras for the surveillance system in addition to officers that will help control access to it, as the police premises are adjacent to the museum.

The Mayor revealed that “the museum requires two technical projects to be carried out, one for the museum itself and another to undertake works on the site, which includes removing damp and fixing the walls and the floor, and these amounts will come entirely from the

Torrevieja schools receive CO2 metres All Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary schools in Torrevieja will this week receive CO2 detectors. The Adult Training School (EPA) and the Official Language School (EOI) will also receive a unit each.

The Councillor for Education, Ricardo Recuero, met with the manager of AGAMED Jorge Ballesta, and deputy manager, Gema Cruz, together with Javier Riquelme of Empresas del Sol, - both companies having jointly donated the 40 CO2 metres for use in Torrevieja schools.

The donation forms part of the Department of Education’s Environmental Quality campaign, the objective of which is to guarantee the quality of the air in the classrooms of local schools. The CO2 metres analyse the quality of indoor air and emit an immediate alert whichever it is necessary to ventilate the room.

The main advantages of having this type of device in schools at present is the

possibility of measuring and checking CO2 in the environment, helping teachers to know when it is necessary to ventilate the space, reducing possible exposure to COVID-19, and generating a warning before excessive CO2 buildup in the classroom.

Empresas del Sol supported the project, with the donation of 15 detectors, and water management company AGAMED donated 25 units.

coffers of the San Fulgencio City Council.”

The mayor also revealed that “confirmation has been received from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports that our status as a museum will not be taken away from us nor will we be left out of the Valencian Museum System.”

On the other hand, the town hall held a meeting with the director of the MARQ (Provincial Archaeological Museum), Manuel Olcina, who offered the support of the institution and his collaboration to restore any of the pieces in case it were necessary.

The Municipal Archaeological Museum of San Fulgencio is located in the Plaza de la Constitución and can be visited (following all the security measures and protocols against Covid19) from Monday, February 1, free of charge. Opening hours will be from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and it will be necessary to request an appointment through the municipal information telephone number 966 79 42 01.

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Dangerous burglar who targeted foreign residents arrested The 25-year-old burgled seven homes in Torrevieja and surrounding areas Torrevieja Guardia Civil arrested "a dangerous criminal", a 25 year old who has been charged with a crime of robbery with violence and intimidation, and seven other crimes of robbery with force at several homes. After appearing in court in Torrevieja, the man was remanded in custody in prison.

The investigation began as a result of a report filed by a Torrevieja resident after suffering a robbery at his home. Officers found that there had been a "significant" increase in similar home invasion style robberies in recent months and suspected the crimes were linked.

Investigators collected "a large amount of evidence as well as the testimonies of various witnesses."

This made it possible to focus "the investigation on a man with a significant criminal history, living in Los Montesinos, whose modus operandi was always the same."

Police sources revealed that, “first, he chose the home and made a meticulous surveillance of the movements of its inhabitants.

Later, taking advantage of the moment in which they left, to gain access to the interior of the house by force. Once inside, he stole all kinds of effects and jewelry to sell on the black market.” The homes he targeted were usually owned by foreigners and located, for the most part, in residential areas of the Vega Baja and part of the Alicante coast.

In one of the robberies, the owners returned to the house earlier than expected and surprised the burglar. The man produced a firearm that he had stolen from another home and began to threaten and intimidate them, managing to escape with

the stolen items.

The investigations culminated in the arrest of the alleged perpetrator, a 25-year-old male of Dominican nationality, who is charged with several robberies.

During a search carried out at the suspect’s home, the Guardia Civil seized nine televisions, an electric saw, a hammer drill, various professional hairdressing equipment, three laptops, four tablets, four high-end telephones, three games consoles, a large amount of high-value jewellery and a firearm.

The seized objects have been identified and returned to their owners.

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Guardia Civil arrest three people for selling a minor for arranged marriage Guardia Civil arrested three people in Seville for the alleged sale of a minor for an arranged marriage. Those arrested were the mother of the minor and the parents of her ‘husband’, who agreed to the €3000 transaction.

The investigation began on January 8 when police became aware, through a teacher, that a young girl had contacted her to let her know she had been forced to marry. Police said that the teacher contacted Guardia Civil to say that a former pupil of hers of Romanian nationality had contacted her through the

Messenger app to say that she was in Seville and “that she had been made to accept a marriage agreed upon by her mother.”

The minor began to exchange messages with the teacher, who was already in contact with the Guardia Civil, in order to organize a daring escape from her husband's family home, in Villaverde del Río (Seville). The girl was able to leave the house between 4am and 5am and was picked up at a prearranged spot nearby before being transferred to a juvenile centre by judicial police.

After the preliminary investigation and an interview with the girl, all indications pointed to the celebration of a forced marriage of the girl, from Zamora in Castilla y Leon, with another minor from Seville.

When the girl escaped, her mother, who had agreed to the marriage, travelled from Valladolid to Seville in order to find her and return her to the inlaws. However, the 37 year old mother was located and arrested.

The boy’s parents, who are alleged to have paid €3000 for the girl, were also arrested.

Pay for dinner, and get a free stay You pay for dinner and they invite you to stay over, so goes the loophole being used by a Valencian hotel to avoid closure.

The closure of the hospitality industry throughout the Valencian Community has been a blow to a sector that had already been struggling since the beginning of the pandemic. But as always, necessity is the mother of invention and a hotel chain has found a unique formula to stay in business.

The decree of the Valencian

Government allows hotel establishments to serve food only to their guests. So, the four-star Eurostars Rey Don Jaime hotel has launched a campaign for residents of Valencia under the slogan "Come to dinner and we invite you to sleep".

Despite the closure of bars and restaurants, hotels they can continue to offer dining services to their customers. The complete offer - at a price of 80 euros includes the stay, welcome drink, dinner, breakfast, parking and Late

Check Out for two people and is redeemable every day of the week.

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Canal car closure Orihuela calls for people Once the exercise restrictions were eased in the first lockdown, many of us took to the local canal paths that run through Orihuela Costa. These pathways are actually service road that run alongside the Cartegena Tajo-Segura canal and remain immensely popular with residents who use it for walking or cycling, while quietly enjoying the nice scenery.

However, AVOCA Orihuela Costa Neighbourhood Association in Action has been receiving various complaints regarding the increasing amount of vehicles using this service road including buses and trucks – despite that fat there are clear signs that prohibit the service road to motor vehicles. These vehicles make the paths dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

AVOCA recently met with a technician from the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura, which is the body that owns and is responsible for the waterway and its service roads. The Association was keen to try and find a solution to this problem.

The technician was keen to point out the main purpose of this road which is intended for the exclusive use of the workers who maintain the canal. Other motorised vehicles should be duly justified and expressly authorised by the Confederation.

Following the meeting it was decided that the Confederation will continue to allow pedestrians and cyclists to use this service road, but they will limit the use of this road to authorised vehicles only.

To enforce this decision the gates, which are currently left permanently open, will be closed at all times. To allow people access the Confederation will open a small passageway at the side of the large gates to allow people and cyclists to pass. This will make it much safer for people to walk, cycle and exercise along the canal.

The technician also informed the Association that cleaning and maintenance works will be carried out along the canal as soon as the contract is awarded.

to be covid responsible The Orihuela City Council, through the Department of Emergencies and Communication, has launched an awareness campaign, under the slogan ‘COVID-19 Responsibility’. The aim of the campaign is to call on people to be responsible when it comes to Covid precautions and safety.

Víctor Valverde, Councilor for Emergencies, said: "The pandemic is affecting us all and we have to make an effort, complying with the measures, to be able to recover everything we are losing as soon as possible.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Orihuela City Council has launched more than 150 messages from different administrations through social networks, to raise awareness among the population, but “now we are intensifying the urgency and really need for people to understand because we are living in very hard times in our region with more than 22 deaths from COVID -19 in the last few days.” (At time of quote).

The initiative, whose videos will be published on the City Council, Facebook and Twitter networks, have the collaboration of prominent people in the social sphere of Orihuela. The Department of Emergencies wants to reinforce with these messages exactly what are the norms established by the different administrations and that need to be followed by all those living in the municipality of Orihuela city and coast.

The campaign began with a video of the Mayor of the city, Emilio Bascuñana,

Councillor Valverde

and they will continue each day with different testimonies such as those of the Covered Knight and doctor of the Vega Baja Hospital, Miguel Ángel Morcillo; the president of the Spanish Association against Cancer of Orihuela, Irene Celdrán; the president of HOCRE, Vicente Pina; the adoptive son of the City of Orihuela and parish priest of Santas Justa and Rufina, José Luis Satorre; the president of the Association of Moors and Christians Festivities, Pepe Vergara; the Armengola 2020, Elisa Gil; athletes such as Carlos Sarria, champion of the Adapted Cycling Spanish Cup; Carmen Marco, champion of Spain in Athletics, as well as different businessmen, hoteliers and many others that will be aired.

The production and assembly of

these videos have not entailed any cost for the Orihuela City Council "since they have been carried out, together with the staff of the Communication unit and the hiring of two people within the 'Employment Program of Labora Ecovid'.

The councillor concluded: “We consider that we are in very complicated weeks, and we have been working for several days on the compilation of this material because it is important to bring testimonies, in first person, from all the sectors that are being affected by this health crisis, whether they are health, festive, business, hoteliers, athletes, associations ... we believe that it is the best way to reach the entire population, because they are recognised people who clearly identify themselves with our municipality.”

Roadworks in Torrevieja centre all week The resurfacing of Calle Ramón Gallud in Torrevieja will affect traffic in the town centre all this week.

The work affects the main stretch between Calle San Policarpo and Calle Apolo streets and is part of the project that also removed thousands of cobblestones from the streets adjacent to Calle Caballero de Rodas.

From Monday and on different sections each day, part of the road will be cut off for resurfacing and painting.

This resurfacing is the final phase of the same contract that saw the removal of thousands of cobblestones and resurfacing of the roads adjacent to Calle Caballero de Rodas. Works also saw the installation of signage and bollards along pavements after the controversial redevelopment works carried out in 2009. Cobble stones installed at the time had to be removed due to complaints of damage to cars ad trip hazards for pedestrians. Also part of the works was the installation of underground bins.

These have never been used because they were closed by court order. The company responsible for the installation did not pay the supplier and the court ordered that they were not to be used until the debt was paid.

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Torrevieja ‘Padrón’ office reopens to the public The Census and Statistics department of Torrevieja town hall opens its doors to the public again this week.

The Councillor for Census and Statistics of Torrevieja town hall, Inmaculada Montesinos, revealed that from Monday, February 1, the offices of the busy municipal department, located on Calle Unión Musical Torrevejense No. 22, will be attending to the public as follows:

APPOINTMENT (PARENTS OF NEWBORNS WILL BE ABLE TO ENTER DIRECTLY WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT): - Application for Registration in the Birth Register.

FACE-TO-FACE APPOINTMENTS (AVAILABLE BY MAKING A ‘CITA PREVIA’ OR PRIOR APPOINTMENT*): - Renewal application registration for ENCSARP (NON-EU).

- Registration application in the Municipal Register of Inhabitants of Torrevieja (the Padrón) - Request for Modification of the Data of the Municipal Register of Inhabitants of Torrevieja (the Padrón) - Request for Confirmation of Registration for Foreigners (EU).

- Application for Change of Address in the Municipal Register of Inhabitants (the Padrón)

ELECTRONIC OFFICE VIA MUNICIPAL REGISTRY/PROP: - Sworn Declaration of Return to Country of Origin.

- Application for removal from the Municipal Register of Inhabitants due to death.

- Request for Certificate of Public Highway Number.

72 DAILY IN PERSON APPOINTMENTS

FACE-TO-FACE WITHOUT AN

ELECTRONIC OFFICE: - Application for Individual Registration Certificate.

- Application for a Historical Registration Certificate.

- Application for Certificate of Collective Registration.

There is currently capacity for a total of 72 daily face-to-face appointments, in addition to attending to justified emergencies and newborn registrations.

Statistics show that around 25% of confirmed face-to-face appointments do not turn up, so the Department requests that people who for any reason cannot attend, please cancel these appointments, thus enabling other people to make use of them.

Councillor Montesinos also reported that since the ‘Sede Electronica’ came into operation in June, more than 26,000 procedures have been carried out through the online facility. *Prior appointment can be made at: https://torrevieja.sedelectronica. es/citaprevia.0 with a digital certificate or CLAVE PIN.

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EU shift on travel restrictions would be game changer for airlines

Spain triggers Brexit alarm bells

Ongoing discussions at European Union level over possible intra-EU border restrictions look ominous for the aviation industry. It scarcely appeared possible a few weeks ago but 2021 has just gotten a whole lot worse for the sector and Ryanair is on the front line.

The staggering impact on Irish and UK infection rates of the new, more transmissible, B117 variant of the virus has terrified European governments. Just as hope arrived in the form of vaccines, European countries now face the very real risk being overrun again in the short-term. The mood music suggests that Germany and Belgium are now at the forefront of a push to either effectively or explicitly ban leisure travel in the bloc.

EU leaders held a meeting on Thursday evening at which the matter was discussed. There is no agreement yet to ban flights or bring in mandatory border controls across the EU. But it is clear the direction European governments are headed. That train, or plane, is already in motion.

If there are strict border controls in the EU, then there will be little or no outbound tourism in Europe until they are lifted. The US under Joe Biden has also just brought in mandatory quarantine. Taken

Spain has set Brexit alarm-bells ringing with a promise to regain sovereignty of Gibraltar as the row with the UK over the British territory intensifies. Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation Arancha González Laya has made clear the country has not renounced the "sovereignty" nor the "cosovereignty" of Gibraltar after Brexit. She issued the warning during a reply to parliamentary groups before the Joint Commission of the European Union of the Congress of Deputies when explaining the principle of the agreement between Spain and the UK over Gibraltar.

The Spanish diplomacy head has come under pressure from rival political parties about the “lost opportunity” to regain the sovereignty of Gibraltar by taking advantage of Brexit.

But Ms González Laya replied: "We have not renounced sovereignty and, therefore, we have not renounced cosovereignty.”

The minister had previously said the principle agreement reached with the UK over the Rock

together, this means there may be little outside demand to visit Ireland for the next five or six months.

That makes it politically and economically easier for the State to contemplate such controls here, as Ireland will no longer be exposed to the risks of going it alone in the EU. Discussions appear to have already started between the Government and the UK on how to solve the “border” issue, which could mean Ireland

and Britain end up forming some sort of a travel bubble.

EU-wide restrictions would devastate the aviation industry all over again. Several European governments bailed out their flag carriers last year and may have to do so in again in 2021. Ryanair will, of course, eschew all outside assistance due to the inevitable strings attached and it is better placed that most to withstand the turbulence. Nonetheless, it faces a bumpy ride ahead.

following Brexit would allow Spain to "regain control" in matters related to Gibraltar. After responding to "legitimate demands" of the Campo de Gibraltar and observing that "we went from word of mouth to facts", Ms González Laya claimed: "We regain control in this area of maximum strategic importance

for our country."

The Foreign Minister insisted there are "ambitious" objectives in regulatory and fiscal matters to end "distortions". She continued to defend the agreement between Spain and the UK on Gibraltar, highlighting the new scenario that presents itself without impacting the "inalienable historical claim" on the Rock.

Ms González Laya said: "For the

first time in 300 years, Spain regains prominence in Gibraltar's affairs and takes the initiative with a clear plan for the future of the Campo de Gibraltar and the Strait area."

The Foreign Minister also stressed the principle of the agreement between Spain and Britain represents "a turning point in the long history" of bilateral relations with the UK on Gibraltar.

Last month, the UK and Spain struck an initial lastminute deal to keep the Gibraltar land border open after Brexit - just hours before Britain's full departure from the EU was completed following the end of the Brexit transition period. Ms Gonzalez Laya said as part of the agreement, the British Overseas Territory will remain part of EU agreements such as the Schengen area. She added all details of the agreement between London and Madrid will be finalised during a six-month transition.

The two countries had been locked in talks over how to police the land border between Spain and Gibraltar.

AM I ABLE TO SELL MY HOME WITHOUT BEING IN SPAIN? Rebecca Serwotka Rebecca Serwotka - Your favourite local property expert, of Inmobiliaria Real Estate Agents in Ciudad Quesada & published author of “Moving Forward - 25 Essential Rules For Buying & Selling Real Estate Without Going Crazy.”

Request your FREE copy today!Featured on Best Buy Spain - Property TV.

Whether you’re here in Spain or not, it is still possible to sell your property, even during a pandemic!

Due to travel restrictions there are many homeowners that need or want to sell their holiday homes, but are unable to be in Spain to start the process. Selling a property without being in the country is called, selling your property “remotely.”

Thanks to emails, postal service and couriers, listing a property for sale, then completing on it, is definitely 100% achievable without you having to be in Spain!

Here are a few of the most common questions regarding selling a property remotely.

I’m not currently in Spain, can I still sell my home?

Yes! Firstly, you will need to select a reputable Real Estate Agent to help with the selling process. Once you’ve supplied them with a key for access into the home, they’ll be able to take photos and create a video for advertising purposes. They’ll also be on hand and ready to carry out any in-person and online virtual viewings.

Will I be able to complete the sale if travel restrictions are preventing me from being there?

Yes! You will need to elect someone to be your “Power Of Attorney.” This means you choose someone you trust to sign the Title Deeds of sale on your behalf.

Ideally you would nominate a local Lawyer. The Power

Of Attorney paperwork could be completed in the U.K. then you would send the original back to Spain for your Lawyer to present at the Notary on the day of completion.

Must I have the house emptied before completion?

Yes and no! It depends if you’ve agreed to sell the property fully furnished, part furnished, or empty! If you can’t make it to Spain and you need to remove items from the house before completion, there are local furniture removal companies that provide this service. They will go into your property and will make a video call with you. You can guide them on which items you wish to have removed and what items are to stay. They also offer storage facilities for your personal effects and/or furniture.

How do I receive payment for my property?

You instruct your elected Power Of Attorney where you want the funds to go. Usually payment is made by a Spanish Bankers Draft (a guaranteed Bank Cheque). This cheque can be deposited straight into your Spanish bank account or, if you’re intending on transferring the money back to your own country, the cheque could be handed over to your chosen currency company, and they will transfer the sales proceeds back to your designated account.

Selling a property “remotely” is more common than you may think!

If you’re ready to start the process of selling your home “remotely”, we can help! Start by heading to www.SellMyHomeInSpain.comtoday!

Ciudad Quesada and immediate surrounding areas are our speciality!

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GBP / EUR UPDATE GBP Sterling somehow strengthened, despite all the negative news, and came out as joint leader alongside the US dollar. But buyers were certainly not motivated by economic data, with public sector borrowing and retail sales numbers dismally short of the forecasts. Provisional purchasing manager’s indices were unimpressive, manufacturing hitting an eight month low, and activity in the services sector plunged ten points further into the contraction zone at 38.8.Jobless claims, wages and unemployment were all better than expected, though a four year high of 5% for unemployment was hardly a triumph.

The increased lethality of a new strain of Covid19 has left the UK with the highest mortality rate in Europe, and this week saw the sombre news that 100,000 people had died with Covid-19 in the UK. Although there was little evidence to demonstrate why investors overlooked such grave statistics, it appears they were drawn to sterling by the success of the vaccination drive.

News that a trade deal with the US was practically ready to go was also a glimmer of positivity. In London, UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss told an interviewer the majority of the text of a trade deal with America has already been completed. Ms Truss said that the agreement would not be rushed, implying that it will be just as good as the deal Britain has struck with the EU. Sterling strengthened by an average of 1%, adding two thirds of a euro cent. The pound is also the top performer in the year to date, up by 1.7% against the field. Its closest competitor there is the US

dollar, 0.6% behind.

EURO It was a trickier week over the other side of the pond, but the euro did manage to strengthen by an average of 0.4% against the other majors. The big news story of the week was the EU accusing AstraZeneca of failing to provide the contracted amount of the Covid vaccine. Head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen has called for the contract with AstraZeneca to be published after delays at two production plants in Europe caused a shortfall. It appears that the EU will prohibit the export of vaccines, while EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders warned of a “vaccine war”.

Another spat was also happening in Europe, where Italian PM Giuseppe Conte resigned, with the intention of forming a new government, but it is not yet clear whether he will be able to do so.

President of the Dutch Central Bank, Klaas Knot, also caused waves. He said in a TV interview that the ECB is not oblivious to the value of the euro.

It is “something we of course monitor very, very carefully” and is “one of the factors we take into account” in setting monetary policy. He also indicated the possibility of even deeper rate cuts, saying; “We’ve explored the effective lower bound, but we haven’t found it yet.”

The euro moved lower, overall it lost three quarters of a US cent and was flat against the Swiss franc. In the year to date, the euro is down by an average of 0.5%, 2.2% lower against sterling and 1.5% lower against the US dollar.

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Direct and urgent appeal from Reach Out: €1 clothing sale David S Young President Reach Out Extiende La Mano “The year has brought many sad and arduous times for everyone in all sectors of life.

We appreciate that the situation is not going to improve in the near future and so I make this begging plea.

Even after employing the most stringent means to try and reduce our costs and outgoings Reach Out Extienda La Mano is near to closure.

We support 50+ Homeless men and women providing daily food parcels and weekend bags.

Showers are provided to maintain their cleanliness to some sort of reasonable state.

We provide clothing and bedding when requested, and also a washing facility for clothes.

We support 40 families sent to us from Social Services, accounting for 140 souls. Luckily we have been supported by a marvellous grant for food from The Church of Latter Day Saints (The Mormons). This will ensure

food is available for nearly one year ending in July.

Due to costs we have had to close our Shop in C/Dona Sinforosa as it was not bringing in enough to cover its costs.

Our van which has been

damaged while parked in the street at our back door, is now in repair and will again cost us funds which we can ill afford to get it back on the road. This has reduced our capacity to collect or deliver furniture and other donations.

Our Shop is now costing us to keep open but as this is our main source of income we cannot do without it.

No one is shopping and understandably there is no money in the community and wages are low or non existent in some cases.

Unfortunately we are never included in any of the Ayuntamiento press releases regarding helping the homeless and needy families, even though we have been in existence for 10 years in Torrevieja, meeting our Mission Statement, so we need all the help we can get to carry on out work helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

To try and raise some funds we are now going to have a 1€ SALE on ALL CLOTHES.”

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ABOUT US Go Satellite was set up in 2000 by Ian. Ian has more than 25 years experience , having spent over 10 years working for Sky in the UK running his own successful business before moving to Spain.

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We are able to make repairs on existing satellite systems, potentially saving you from additional costs.

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CUSTOMER SERVICE Any concerns or queries are dealt with in a clear and professional

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manner and clients can call the office at any time. This ensures complete peace of mind throughout the lifetime of the service.

Contact us today to see how we can help you: Tel: 965 725 670 or email: info@freetvspain.com

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Spain shed 622,600 Scam warning jobs in 2020 The coronavirus crisis delivered a serious blow to the Spanish job market in 2020.

By the end of the year, 622,600 jobs had been destroyed and there were 527,900 more people out of work for a total of 3.71 million unemployed, according to the EPA workforce survey released on Thursday. The jobless rate also reached 16.1 Percent.

When the pandemic hit, employment was on the verge of fully recovering from the financial crisis of 2008 and the protracted recession that followed. The new crisis has evidenced that Spain has yet to tackle one of its enduring structural problems: the labour market, which has been posting an average unemployment rate of 16.5 percent since 1980.

The EPA survey is the best indicator of the job market’s health, and the latest figures released on Thursday show that over a million jobs were destroyed between March and June, a period when Spain was under a strict home lockdown aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic.

The second quarter of 2020 set a new statistical low for the Spanish job market.

The jobs debacle in Spain began where it usually does: temporary contracts. In just a matter of weeks, there

were a million fewer people registered with Social Security. Temporary contracts accounted for nearly two out of every three eliminated jobs.

The second half of the year was better.

Jobs were created in the summer and many contracts were also signed in the last quarter – as a matter of fact, the 167,400 new jobs created during that time is the best figure since 2004. There

was also a 10 percdent rise in working hours, suggesting that gross domestic product (GDP) figures due for release on Friday will probably show a positive evolution.

If so, it will dispel fears of a relapse into recession, a possibility that Social Security Minister José Luis Escrivá floated a few weeks ago. Positive GDP figures would also temper the gloomy forecasts

about the Spanish economy released in recent months.

However, it bears noting that none of these job market figures – not the annual or quarterly data, not even the forecasts – fully reflect the impact of the ERTE job retention schemes and aid for the selfemployed. These measures have cushioned the blow through an investment of around €35 billion in public funds, not counting the guarantees offered by the stateowned bank ICO. The number of furloughed workers also dropped from 3.4 million in the second quarter of the year to slightly over half a million. These workers do not count as unemployed even though their working hours have been reduced or placed on hold.

Remote work has been another lifesaver for the labour market. The EPA survey shows that around one of every 10 people in employment worked from home more than half of each working week.

The question now is how many workers on the ERTE scheme – which has just been renewed for the fourth time and is now set to expire on May 31 – will be able to return to their posts or quickly find a new job once the program ends.

This will be the real measure of recovery.

This week Costa Blanca People heard from local financial services provider Black Tower, which is warning local residents about a potential financial scam. The new fraud is specific to the financial services advice industry and although there have been no cases reported locally and Black Tower is not aware of any of its clients having been targeted in the way described below, they want to warn and educate local people about these scams to avoid the financial harm these con artists want to inflict.

The fraudsters claim to be from the Financial Conduct Authority or a local law enforcement team and are targeting the clients of investment management firms.

They are advising clients that their investment manager, adviser or firm is under investigation. The fraudster specifically asks the client not to speak to their investment manager, adviser or firm, or even close family or friends,

claiming this would be considered as tipping off the criminals. The client is then advised to cash in their portfolio and move the funds to their bank account. Once this is done, the fraudster then ‘recommends’ an investment which is actually a scam in order to get their hands on the money.

People should be extra vigilant if they receive any unexpected communications from third parties about their relationship with their financial adviser or financial services company. If you do receive suspicious instructions, you are advised to check the legitimacy of these.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, you should report it to the police as soon as possible. The sooner the fraud is reported, the greater the chance of containing or minimising the damage.

Stay safe, stay vigilant and if you are concerned contact your financial adviser or further advice can be found at: www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart

Teen assaults officer Disgruntled woman cut during Guardamar worker’s harness at 13 floors burglary arrest

After receiving an alert from an alarm company that a residential alarm system had detected movement at a property, Guardia Civil in Guardamar del Segura went to an address to investigate. Once at the scene, neighbours reported that they had heard the alarm, "but that they had not seen anyone".

The officers were searching the area surrounding the house and didn’t notice anything unusual but, suspecting the perpetrators of a robbery might be hiding inside, the officers went into the garden and noticed that the bushes were moving ‘in an unusual way’.

Just at that moment, the alarm in another house went off and suddenly two people, with their faces covered and dressed in dark clothes, jumped over the wall to make their escape. During their getaway, the intruders smashed the pipes of a swimming pool pump, and caused damage to several fences when jumping from one property to another.

Several units of the Guardia Civil and Local Police of Guardamar del Segura arrived to the scene to provide backup. In a coordinated operation, they secured the perimeter of the area and cornered the pair, making one arrest.

As the youngster was arrested, officers reported that "he violently attacked one of the agents, who had to be transferred to the Hospital of Elche due to the severity of the injuries."

The arrested teenager is a 17-year-old of Moldovan nationality, who is now accused of aggravated robbery, two counts of criminal damage and attacking a police officer. He has been placed at the disposal of the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, which ordered his admission to a juvenile detention centre. The Guardia Civil of Guardamar continue to try to locate the other suspect, who managed to escape.

The officer who was assaulted is currently recovering from his injuries.

National Police arrested two people of Spanish nationality, aged 51 and 60 , for the alleged attempted murder of a man who was carrying out work at height on the facade of a Benidorm apartment block.

Two workers from a ‘vertical work’ restoration company were carrying out repairs on the facade of a building in the town, when they realized that one of the two ropes that held one of the men had come away.

The two workers immediately looked up and saw a person’s hands sticking out of a window above, cutting the second rope.

When the man saw that his life was hanging in the balance, and that the person above was cutting the only other rope that stopped him plunging to his death, he quickly clung to the ledge of the building while he and his co-worker began to shout for help.

With the alarm being raised by the men, the person who was interfering with the safety ropes let go of the last rope, retreated inside the window and hid inside.

The men, who were working at a height of 13 floors at the time of the incident, managed to reach the ground quickly and get to safety without any injury. They immediately called the police.

The Local Citizen Security Brigade arrived to the scene and activated the special protocol for violent crimes, with agents from Forensics, Local police and

Judicial Police appearing moments later to take charge of the investigation.

Investigators reviewing the rope determined that it had been cut with a sharp object such as a knife.

Officers then arranged the ropes as they had been when they were cut, and so determined that the culprit was likely in one of the windows above the 20th floor.

When the officers went to the suspect’s apartment, they encountered a married couple and after asking what happened, the couple began accusing the workers of breaking their window hinge while carrying out repairs on the building. However, they then stated that they did not know anything about the rope cutting incident and that there were several workers carrying out repairs in the building and the culprit could be any one of them.

The investigating officers compared all the statements obtained from the victim and witnesses at the scene and determined that at the time of the incident, only the wife was in the apartment and only she could have cut one of the two safety ropes that held the worker. Further digging by police

revealed the motive was an alleged disagreement with the completion of repair work on the building that had been approved by the community of owners.

The couple was arrested and transferred to the police station for their statements to be taken. Later, the man was released since officers determined that at the time of the incident, the woman was at home alone. She is now accused of attempted homicide and has been released with charges before she appears in court.

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Ethical Investing – From Niche to Mainstream Saving the planet and making big business more accountable are two of the greatest challenges of our lifetime, which explains why ESG – environmental, social and governance – investing is always at the centre of controversy.

The latest row, this time at Chartwell, a division of catering group Compass responsible for the meagre free school meals, highlights the more assertive mood among those who seek good returns, but also want companies to deliver on ethical and sustainability pledges.

Greenwashing, where conduct is at variance with claims, will not be tolerated by this group, whose heroes are the canny investor Warren Buffett, but also the caring environmentalist Sir David Attenborough.

It may seem futile to try to ensure your savings do not go into arms or tobacco, or any other activity contrary to your principles, if ESG funds continue to invest in companies with dubious business morals. But here is why you should proceed.

Against the background of next week's key Climate Adaptation Summit in which world leaders will take part, the muscle of ethical managers is expanding, making it more awkward for companies to ignore their views.

The clean energy drive, together with the Biden administration's $2trillion of eco-policies, adds to the argument that it is more hardheaded than idealistic to put money into ethical

funds.

There are a number of financial advisers on the Costa Blanca so the question is “why choose Seagate?” I believe that we offer a unique service to our clients. We have a fully staffed local office in Benijofar with a back-up admin team, a Client Account Manager and a Relationship Manager.

This means that we have a team that will support you with six monthly reviews of your investment or pension and we provide full administration for withdrawals, encashments and tax guidance. Do not delay making a decision, call us today.

For a free no-obligation chat with a UK qualified adviser, call 965 704 338 or email: contact@seagatewealth.es

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LET TERS TO THE EDITOR No chance of recovery

Plastering over the cracks

Dear Editor How can anybody expect the country to ever be clear of the Covid disaster whilst many people continually flout the regulations.

Dear Editor I read online that the new ‘Torrevieja’ sign on the roundabout entering the town cost €27,000 of public money. I realise that it is pretty and the flowers and lights are a welcoming entrance to the town, but surely the money would have been better spent fixing the roads in the Torretas where one could lose a wheel in the potholes created by the construction of the public school there over ten years ago. It seems to be that money spent by the administration is a perfect example of ‘Plastering over the cracks’. Making a roundabout pretty for €27,000 is great - but when the visitor takes a right at the next roundabout and enters a neglected area, where the town hall refuses to take responsibility for internal roads and maintenance, it rather takes the shine off the grand looking entrance, no matter how many pretty pansies are planted.

In just one hour on Wed afternoon, we witnessed a group of 5 people, thought to be Scandinavian, having an organised picnic on the beach and later on, sitting around a table outside of a closed bar.

There were another 5 people of Asian descent walking along in a bunch laughing and joking. We also saw an elderly Spanish couple sitting on a bench who were joined by a couple of younger ladies and then another lady with her dogs. They stood and chatted for all of the time that we were there.

The only ones wearing masks were the Asians.

None of the others attempted to maintain social distancing or wear masks.

This was just one small area and just one hour on one day. If this is being repeated all along the Costa.............. we have no chance of recovery.

Barry Weston

Mr ‘Fred Up’ Torreta III

Have your say: office@costablancapeople.com

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Public asked to choose RENFE marks 80th birthday with year­long discounts Eurovision song for Murcian singer Murcia-born vocalist Blas Cantó either cannot attend due to will get another chance to restrictions affecting their own represent his country at the territories, or who decide to Eurovision Song Contest – exercise caution and not travel. because even if it cannot be Blas' song may not be the same staged in the usual way, one as he was planning on candidates will have recorded performing last year, though – their entries at home to be shown two tracks, not yet revealed, will on the night. be put to public vote in February.

Former lead singer of the five-part Spanish boyband Auryn – most of whose records were, in fact, in English – Blas, 29, had been looking forward to getting up on the stage in Rotterdam in May 2020 and belting out his Universo, but the pandemic and global lockdown put paid to his and everyone else's glorious moment.

He will, instead, be Spain's entry for the 2021 Blas Cantó Eurovision, and like all other participating countries' A live gala hosted by Spanish artists, will need to rehearse in Radio and Television (RTVE), the case he is able to perform live and country's answer to the BBC, will also record his act on video as a see him present two very contingency. different numbers and let his Even if the studio gala takes audience choose their favourite. place live from Rotterdam in four The two songs the television months' time, depending upon audience will be asked to decide the Covid-19 situation, there may between will be chosen jointly be some nations whose entries between RTVE, Blas' team, Blas

himself, and Warner, each of them radically different but which are 'completely me', the artist says, and which he is 'very comfortable with' performing on stage.

Born in Ricote but growing up in nearby Molina de Segura in the Murcia Region, Blas duetted last April with R&B household name Kelly Clarkson on one of the five bilingual versions of her 'pandemic anthem', I Dare You. The Texan artist behind What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger and The Trouble With Love Is recorded an EnglishSpanish release with Blas, and others in English with Arabic, Hebrew, French and German.

Joining Clarkson, 38, on her 'motivational' global hit were Moroccan-born Faouzia, who grew up in Québéc; France's Isabelle Geffroy, better known by her artist's pseudonym of Zaz; Carolin Niemczyk and Daniel Grunenberg, who make up the German electro-pop duo Glasperlenspiel; and Israeli singer and actress Maya Bouskilla.

Spain’s national rail board RENFE celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, so it's a good time to keep your eyes open for promotions, discounted tickets, special offers and events.

Even though the pandemic is preventing leisure travel at present, this is not expected to continue all year, and rail journeys for work, family and friend visits and other essentials mean money can still be saved through RENFE's one-off 80th-year activities.

The first train hit the tracks in Spain at RENFE's hands on 24th January, 1941, and eight decades later, the national rail service was set to be opened up to outside competitors for the first time, removing what had long been a monopoly and effectively forcing the hitherto sole provider to make concerted efforts to attract and keep customers, through a combination of improved services and facilities and cheaper rates.

But the entry to the Spanish market of Ilsa and of French transport board SNCF, due on 1st January, has currently been pushed back to May due to Covidrelated restrictions.

During its 80 years as Spain's only train travel operator, RENFE has acquired world-acclaimed status – particularly with its highspeed AVE network, which

branched out into Saudi Arabia in 2011 – and in 'normal', nonpandemic times, has over 5,000 trains running daily across the country, transports half a billion people a year or, approximately, 11 annual journeys for every single inhabitant, and has more than 15,000 members of staff on its books.

Work started in January 1941, not much more than a year after the end of the Civil War, on

creating the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles ('National Spanish Railways Network'), shortened to RENFE, and which would gradually replace the existing stream-train system with one run on electricity.

The main project due to come to fruition this year is the low-cost version of the AVE (RENFE’s high speed network), known as the AVLO – a no-frills express link designed for those who are less

bothered about creature comforts such as WiFi and buffet cars but simply want to get from A to B in as short a time as possible and for as little money as they can.

To start with, the 'A' and 'B' will be Madrid and Barcelona – one of the most heavily-frequented connections in Spain by every means of transport, including rail, coach and air.

It will stop off at stations in Guadalajara (Castilla-La Mancha), Calatayud (Zaragoza province, Aragón), Zaragoza city, the Catalunya provincial capitals of Lleida, Tarragona and Girona, and Figueres (Girona province).

The launch was delayed by the pandemic, but the AVLO's first journey will be on 23rd June this year. Tickets went on sale last week for just €5 each way, a promotion that will continue until 14th February, and which will be valid for travel any time between 23rd June and 11 December, 2021. They can be purchased at Renfe.com or via the AVLO website.

Anyone who already bought a €5 ticket during similar AVLO promotions last year, expecting the service to be up and running by now, can enter the discount code they were given at the time on the website and acquire a new ticket at no extra cost.

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This Week´s Movie Picks Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Horrible bosses Sunday 7th February – Channel 4, 6.00 pm

Saturday 6th February – ITV, 11.50 pm Nick hates his boss, mostly because he's expected to work from before sunrise to after sunset and his boss, Mr. Harken, calls him out for being a minute late and blackmails him so he can't quit. Dale hates his boss, Dr. Julia Harris, because she makes unwelcome sexual advances when he's about to get married. But Dale is on that pesky list of child offenders so he can't quit. Kurt actually likes his job and his boss, well, up until his boss dies and the boss's coked-out, psychopathic son takes over. But who would be crazy enough to quit their jobs in such poor economic times? Instead Nick, Dale and Kurt drunkenly and hypothetically discuss how to kill their bosses, and before they know it, they've hired a murder consultant to help them pull off the three deeds.

National Police warn of “smishing” campaign imitating Correos

Smishing (or SMS phishing) is a cyber attack in which the victim receives a text message purporting to be from a reputable company in order to induce them to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.

Often, the message includes a link to install an application that pretends to be official but, if the download is accepted, remote access software will also be surreptitiously installed that can give attackers virtual total control over the affected device.

In addition, the malware can access the victim's phone book and send similar messages to all contacts in order to maximize its spread.

National Police recently detected a “smishing” campaign that impersonates Correos, the Spanish postal service.

Specifically, the cyberattack is carried out through text message. The message says ‘your delivery is on the way’ and has a link which one would presume to be a tracking service. However, the link actually leads to remote access software which is surreptitiously installed.

After analyzing the malware, officers detected that it has a tremendous damaging potential with the ability to access the address book and send messages to all contacts to maximize its spread, in addition to being able to grant attackers virtual total control over the infected device.

Police recommend not downloading applications from unofficial sources.

Given the difficulty of uninstalling this particular malware, it will probably be necessary to factory reset the device in order to completely remove the software.

Through contact with a mysterious ooze, four turtles in the sewers of New York mutate into intelligent pizza-loving humanoids, and are mentored in the art of ninja combat by the wise rat Splinter. When the evil Shredder attempts to take over the world, the turtles set out to stop him.

Costa Blanca charities receive 40 boxes of food from Specsavers Ópticas THANKS to the generosity of Specsavers Ópticas customers and local residents across the Costa Blanca more than 40 boxes of food were donated to the Alicante Food Bank (Fundación Banco de Alimentos de Alicante)and Asociación Reach Out this January.

Specsavers Ópticasare committed to helping those in need in their community and so collected food in all six stores over the December period. The stores in Javea, Calpe, Benidorm and Guardamar donated their food to their local representatives of the Alicante Food Bank, while the stores in Torrevieja and La Zenia chose the charity Asociación Reach out, Extienda la Mano, a local organisation helping the homeless and needy.

Mike Stone, a store director atthe Javea and Calpe stores, comments: ‘We’d like to say a big thank you to all our customers and everyone along the Costa Blanca who were involved in the campaign for thinking of others and donating. I know it’s been a difficult time for us all, so we’re really touched by every donation we’ve received and know that these charities will make sure that vulnerable people in our area continue to be able to put food on the table for their families.’

Unfortunately, the Spanish Federation of Food Banks has seen demand increase by more than 40% since the state of alarm was announced and are currently helping 1.8m people to feed themselves and their families , so these donations are very much needed.

As well as supporting the community

through charity initiatives such as these, all the stores continue to offer eye tests using the latest technology to safeguard the vision of their customers and ensure their eyes are healthy.

As an essential healthcare service, opticians are not affected by the latest COVID-19 restrictions and are open to provide the full breadth of optical services to customers, including eye tests, frame repairs and the sale of glasses and contact lenses. Customers can continue to travel to the store for appointments, in line with the latest government guidelines.

Specsavers Ópticas has introduced a series of hygiene and personal protection measures to ensure a safe and reassuring experience. As well as limiting the number of customers in store at any given

time, social distancing, thorough disinfection of the stores, equipment and products, and full use of screening and PPE, are standard in all of their stores.

Visit www.specsavers.esto find your nearest store. Find out more about the charities on their websites www.bancodealimentosalicante.org and www.reachouttorrevieja.eu

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CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

1 ENGLISH REAL ESTATE TEAM VER 30 YEARS IN CIUDAD QUESADA

TELEPHONE: 966 718 392 EMAIL: sales@homes4u.es WEB SITE: www.homes4u.es

ATALAYA PARK NEWLY REDUCED PRICE: €139,700

NO COMMUNITY FEES

Estate Agents

MONTEBELLO OFFERED AT: €130,000

FULLY FURNISHED

JUSTD SOL 2/3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathroom, Villa ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ Immaculately Presented ♦ Beautifully Upgraded ♦ No Community Fees ♦ Room for Private Pool ♦ 5 Minute Walk to Town Centre

EL RASO OFFERED AT: €174,700

COMMUNAL POOL

3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Detached Villa ♦ Part Furnished ♦ West Facing ♦ Off Road Parking + Car Port ♦ Communal Swimming Pool ♦ Short Walk to Amenities

CIUDAD QUESADA

PUEBLO BRAVO

OFFERED AT: €222,000

OFFERED AT: €99,950

PANORAMIC GOLF VIEWS

COMMUNAL SWIMMING POOL

CIUDAD QUESADA OFFERED AT: €120,000

3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Detached Villa ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ Roof Solarium ♦ Off Road Parking ♦ Communal Swmmimg Pool

LO MARABÚ OFFERED AT: €167,000

NEWLY LISTED

NEWLY LISTED

JUSTD SOL

JUSTD SOL

2/3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Semi­Detached Duplex ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ Panoramic Sea + Lake Views ♦ Directly Overlooking Communal Swimming Pool ♦ Short Walk to Amenities

3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathroom Detached Villa ♦ Part Furnished ♦ Immaculate Condition ♦ Tiled Corner Plot ♦ Stunning Lake Views ♦ Communal Swimming Pool

ENTRE NARANJOS VISTA BELLA GOLF OFFERED AT: €85,000

CIUDAD QUESADA OFFERED AT: €167,000

POPULAR COMMUNITY

NEWLY LISTED

2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Top Floor Apartment ♦ Part Furnished ♦ Sun Room ♦ Roof Solarium with Sea Views ♦ Communal Swimming Pool ♦ Close to Golf Club

5 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Detached Villa ♦ Including 2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom Guest Apartment ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ Golf Course Location ♦ Communal Swimming Pool

JUSTD SOL

ENTRE NARANJOS VISTA BELLA GOLF OFFERED AT: €78,000

POPULAR COMMUNITY

2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Top Floor Apartment. ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ South Facing ♦ Mediterranean Sea & Lake Views ♦ Roof Solarium ♦ Communal Swimming Pool

2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom Linked Bungalow ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ Roof Solarium ♦ Front + Rear Tiled Gardens ♦ CommunalSwimming Pool ♦ Highly Sort After Area!

CIUDAD QUESADA

CIUDAD QUESADA

CIUDAD QUESADA OFFERED AT: €159,700

NEWLY REDUCED PRICE: €499,999

OFFERED AT: €105,000

WOW FACTOR

NEWLY LISTED

NEWLY LISTED

JUSTD SOL

TO O H P DING PEN

4 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Detached Villa ♦ Top Quality Throughout ♦ Underfloor Heating ♦ Roof Solarium + Sea Views ♦ Garage ♦ Car Port ♦ 724m2 Plot ♦ Private Swimming Pool

2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathrooms Detached Villa ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ 225m2 Plot ♦ Off Road Parking ♦ Communal Swmmimg Pool

2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathrooms Detached Villa ♦ Fully Furnished ♦ Off Road Parking With Car Port ♦ Room To Build Private Swmmimg Pool ♦ No Community Fees! ♦ Mediterranean Sea + Lake Views ♦ Highly Sought After Area

875

3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Detached Villa ♦ Part Furnished ♦ Games Room + 2nd Kitchen ♦ Garage ♦ Communal Swimming Pool ♦ Panoramic Golf Views

costablancapeople.com | 2nd - 8th February 2021

22 Your FREE Weekly TV Guide

BBC one

BBC two

ITV

Channel 4

Channel 5

ITV2

ITV3

Tuesday 2nd February 02:30 Click 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Monday in Parliament 04:00 BBC News 04:30 The Travel Show 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted: A Simple Life 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 The Mallorca Files 15:30 Hairy Bikers' Bakeation 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers' Country Showdown 17:30 The Bidding Room 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 20:50 Holby City 21:30 Paramedics on Scene 22:00 Celebrity Best Home Cook 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:45 Match of the Day

00:25 BBC Weather 00:30 54 Days 01:45 Countryfile 02:45 Winterwatch 03:45 The Moment of Proof 04:15 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Wanted: A Simple Life 08:00 The Farmers' Country Showdown 08:45 Cornwall: This Fishing Life 09:45 Workout the Wright Way 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:15 Politics Live 14:00 Bitesize 15:00 Black and British: A Forgotten History 16:00 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 16:45 Life 17:50 Meerkat Manor 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman's House of Games 19:30 Lightning 20:00 Rick Stein's Secret France 21:00 Interior Design Masters 22:00 54 Days 23:00 QI XL 23:45 Newsnight

02:00 The Supervet 02:55 The People's Vet 03:50 Couples Come Dine with Me 04:45 Car S.O.S 05:35 Fifteen to One 06:25 Coach Trip: Road to Marbs 06:50 Countdown 07:30 Mike & Molly 07:50 Mike & Molly 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Cheers 09:00 The King of Queens 09:25 The King of Queens 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Frasier 10:55 Come Dine with Me 11:25 Come Dine with Me 11:55 Come Dine with Me 12:25 Come Dine with Me 12:55 Channel 4 News 13:00 Come Dine with Me 13:30 Steph's Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 A New Life in the Sun 18:00 Mend It for Money 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Secret Safari: Into the Wild 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 First Dates

08:00 Fireman Sam 08:10 Daisy & Ollie 08:20 PAW Patrol 08:30 Peppa Pig 08:35 Peppa Pig 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:00 The Adventures of Paddington 09:20 PAW Patrol 09:30 Ricky Zoom 09:40 Pirata & Capitano 09:55 Milkshake Monkey 10:00 Peppa Pig 10:05 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

13:15 5 News at Lunchtime 13:20 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Cruising with Jane McDonald 16:15 More Bitter Than Death: An Emma Fielding Mystery 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Highland Vet 21:00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly 22:00 The Drowning 23:00 A Country Life for Half the Price

01:00 American Dad! 01:30 The Cleveland Show 01:55 The Cleveland Show 02:25 The Stand Up Sketch Show 02:55 The Stand Up Sketch Show 03:20 Don't Hate the Playaz 04:15 ITV2 Nightscreen 04:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Teleshopping 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 Coronation Street 10:00 Coronation Street 10:30 Supermarket Sweep 11:30 Dress to Impress 12:30 Love Bites 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:55 Ellen's Game of Games 16:50 Dress to Impress 17:50 Take Me Out 19:00 Love Bites 20:00 You've Been Framed!

20:30 You've Been Framed!

21:00 Superstore 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 The Ibiza Weekender

01:05 A Touch of Frost

00:40 The Bay 01:35 Ideal World 04:00 FYI Extra 04:15 Love Your Garden 05:05 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 Tipping Point 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Lingo 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Cornwall and Devon Walks with Julia Bradbury 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 The Bay 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 Peston

03:50 Couples Come Dine with Me 04:40 Car S.O.S 05:30 Fifteen to One 06:20 Coach Trip: Road to Marbs 06:50 Countdown 07:30 Mike & Molly 07:50 Mike & Molly 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Cheers 09:00 The King of Queens 09:25 The King of Queens 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Frasier 10:55 Come Dine with Me 11:25 Come Dine with Me 11:55 Come Dine with Me 12:25 Come Dine with Me 12:55 Channel 4 News 13:00 Come Dine with Me 13:30 Steph's Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 A New Life in the Sun 18:00 Mend It for Money 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Kirstie and Phil's Love It or List It 22:00 Grand Designs 23:00 Britain's Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire

08:00 Fireman Sam 08:10 Daisy & Ollie 08:20 PAW Patrol 08:30 Peppa Pig 08:35 Peppa Pig 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:00 The Adventures of Paddington 09:20 PAW Patrol 09:30 Ricky Zoom 09:40 Pirata & Capitano 09:55 Milkshake Monkey 10:00 Peppa Pig 10:05 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

13:15 5 News at Lunchtime 13:20 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Cruising with Jane McDonald 16:15 Most Likely to Murder 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Inside Iceland: Britain's Budget Supermarket 21:00 Secrets of Your Supermarket Food 22:00 The Drowning 23:00 Xxxmas

00:00 Family Guy 00:30 Family Guy 00:55 American Dad! 01:25 American Dad! 01:50 Superstore 02:20 Superstore 02:45 Don't Hate the Playaz 03:35 Hey Tracey 04:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Teleshopping 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 You've Been Framed!

10:30 Supermarket Sweep 11:30 Dress to Impress 12:30 Love Bites 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 You've Been Framed!

15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:55 Ellen's Game of Games 16:50 Dress to Impress 17:50 Take Me Out 19:00 Love Bites 20:00 You've Been Framed!

20:30 You've Been Framed!

21:00 Superstore 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 The Ibiza Weekender

01:05 A Touch of Frost

00:40 Lingo 01:30 Ideal World 04:00 FYI Extra 04:15 Living on the Veg 05:05 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 Tipping Point 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Lingo 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 The Martin Lewis Money Show Live 22:00 The Chasers Road Trip: Trains, Brains and Automobiles 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 63 Up

03:15 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 04:00 Liberty 05:05 Couples Come Dine with Me 06:00 Fifteen to One 06:50 Countdown 07:30 Mike & Molly 07:50 Mike & Molly 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Cheers 09:00 The King of Queens 09:25 The King of Queens 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Frasier 10:55 Come Dine with Me 11:25 Come Dine with Me 11:55 Come Dine with Me 12:25 Come Dine with Me 12:55 Channel 4 News 13:00 Come Dine with Me 13:30 Steph's Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 A New Life in the Sun 18:00 Mend It for Money 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 23:00 Back 23:30 Naked Attraction

08:00 Fireman Sam 08:10 Daisy & Ollie 08:20 PAW Patrol 08:30 Peppa Pig 08:35 Peppa Pig 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:00 The Adventures of Paddington 09:20 PAW Patrol 09:30 Ricky Zoom 09:40 Pirata & Capitano 09:55 Milkshake Monkey 10:00 Peppa Pig 10:05 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

13:15 5 News at Lunchtime 13:20 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Cruising with Jane McDonald 16:15 A Bride's Revenge 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Paul Merton in China 21:00 Adrian Dunbar's Coastal Ireland 22:00 The Drowning 23:00 Gypsy Eviction: The Battle For Dale Farm

00:00 Family Guy 00:30 Family Guy 00:55 American Dad! 01:25 American Dad! 01:55 The Cleveland Show 02:20 The Cleveland Show 02:50 Hey Tracey 03:40 CelebAbility 04:20 ITV2 Nightscreen 04:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Teleshopping 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 Coronation Street 10:00 Coronation Street 10:30 Supermarket Sweep 11:30 Dress to Impress 12:30 Love Bites 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:55 Ellen's Game of Games 16:50 Dress to Impress 17:50 Take Me Out 19:00 Love Bites 20:00 You've Been Framed!

21:00 Superstore 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 Plebs 23:30 Plebs

01:05 A Touch of Frost

00:25 Grand Slam Years 01:15 All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite 02:05 Ideal World 04:00 FYI Extra 04:15 Zone of Champions 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 Tipping Point 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Lingo 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 South Africa with Gregg Wallace 21:00 Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land 22:00 Marcella 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 Caught on Camera

Wednesday 3rd February 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Tuesday in Parliament 04:00 BBC News 04:30 London And the Second Wave 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted: A Simple Life 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 The Mallorca Files 15:30 Hairy Bikers' Bakeation 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers' Country Showdown 17:30 The Bidding Room 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 The Bidding Room 21:00 The Repair Shop 22:00 Celebrity Best Home Cook 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:45 Match of the Day

00:25 BBC Weather 00:30 DeLorean: Back from the Future 02:10 Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain 03:10 Targeted: The Truth about Disability Hate Crime 04:10 Winterwatch 05:10 The Moment of Proof 05:40 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Wanted: A Simple Life 08:00 Bargain Hunt 08:45 See Hear 09:15 Nigella: Cook, Eat, Repeat 09:45 Workout the Wright Way 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 12:15 Politics Live 14:00 Bitesize 15:00 Black and British: A Forgotten History 16:00 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 16:45 Life 17:50 Meerkat Manor 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman's House of Games 19:30 Lightning 20:00 Rick Stein's Secret France 21:00 This Farming Life 22:00 Breathe 23:50 Newsnight

Thursday 4th February 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Wednesday in Parliament 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Click 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted: A Simple Life 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 The Mallorca Files 15:30 The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers' Country Showdown 17:30 The Bidding Room 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:35 EastEnders 21:00 Pooch Perfect 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:45 Question Time

00:30 BBC Weather 00:35 Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve 01:35 A Perfect Planet 02:35 Winterwatch 03:35 The Moment of Proof 04:05 See Hear 04:35 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Wanted: A Simple Life 08:00 Escape to the Country 08:45 Pooch Perfect 09:45 Workout the Wright Way 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:15 Politics Live 14:00 Bitesize 15:00 Black and British: A Forgotten History 16:00 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 16:45 Life 17:50 Meerkat Manor 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman's House of Games 19:30 Lightning 20:00 Inside Culture with Mary Beard 20:30 Nigella: At My Table 21:00 Your Garden Made Perfect 22:00 QI 22:30 Mock the Week 23:00 Top of the Pops 23:45 Newsnight

03:00 Bless This House 03:25 ITV3 Nightscreen 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:30 Coronation Street 08:05 Emmerdale 08:40 Emmerdale 09:15 Heartbeat 10:20 Bless This House 10:55 George and Mildred 11:25 Foyle's War 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:50 Agatha Christie's Poirot 19:55 Wycliffe 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 Foyle's War

03:10 ITV3 Nightscreen 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:30 Coronation Street 08:05 Emmerdale 08:40 Emmerdale 09:15 Heartbeat 10:20 Bless This House 10:55 George and Mildred 11:25 Foyle's War 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:50 Agatha Christie's Poirot 19:55 Wycliffe 21:00 Agatha Christie's Poirot 23:05 Foyle's War

03:00 Bless This House 03:25 ITV3 Nightscreen 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:30 Coronation Street 08:05 Emmerdale 08:40 Emmerdale 09:15 Heartbeat 10:20 Bless This House 10:55 George and Mildred 11:25 Foyle's War 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:50 Agatha Christie's Poirot 19:55 Wycliffe 21:00 Vera 23:00 Foyle's War

costablancapeople.com | 2nd - 8th February 2021

BBC one

BBC two

Friday 5th February

04:00 BBC News 04:30 London And the Second Wave 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted: A Simple Life 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 The Mallorca Files 15:30 The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers' Country Showdown 17:30 The Bidding Room 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:35 A Question of Sport 21:05 Not Going Out 21:35 EastEnders 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:45 The Graham Norton Show

00:25 BBC Weather 00:30 Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve 01:30 The Truth About...

02:30 Winterwatch 03:30 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Wanted: A Simple Life 08:00 Escape to the Country 08:45 The Repair Shop 09:45 Workout the Wright Way 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 14:00 Bitesize 15:00 Martin Luther King and the March on Washington 16:00 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 17:50 Meerkat Manor 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman's House of Games 19:30 Lightning 20:00 Rick Stein's Secret France 21:00 Monty Don's American Gardens 22:00 The Investigation 22:45 The Investigation 23:30 Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands 23:45 Newsnight

Saturday 6th February

Your FREE Weekly TV Guide

ITV 00:40 Finding Alice 01:35 Ideal World 04:00 FYI Extra 04:15 Tonight 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 Tipping Point 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Lingo 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:30 Endeavour 23:20 ITV News 23:50 ITV News London

Channel 4 03:40 Ramy 04:10 Ramy 04:40 Ramy 05:10 Fifteen to One 06:00 Coach Trip: Road to Marbs 06:30 Kirstie's Fill Your House for Free 06:50 Countdown 07:30 Mike & Molly 07:50 Mike & Molly 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Cheers 09:00 The King of Queens 09:25 The King of Queens 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Frasier 10:55 Come Dine with Me 11:25 Come Dine with Me 11:55 Come Dine with Me 12:25 Come Dine with Me 12:55 Channel 4 News 13:00 Come Dine with Me 13:30 Steph's Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 A New Life in the Sun 18:00 Mend It for Money 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 22:00 It's a Sin 23:00 The Last Leg

Channel 5

ITV2

00:05 Family Guy 08:10 Daisy & Ollie 00:35 American Dad! 08:20 PAW Patrol 01:00 American Dad! 08:30 Peppa Pig 01:30 The Stand Up Sketch 08:35 Peppa Pig Show 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box 02:00 The Stand Up Sketch 09:00 The Adventures of Show Paddington 02:30 Superstore 09:20 PAW Patrol 03:00 Superstore 09:30 Ricky Zoom 03:25 CelebAbility 09:40 Pirata & Capitano 04:00 Totally Bonkers 09:55 Milkshake Monkey Guinness World Records 10:00 Peppa Pig 04:30 Teleshopping 10:05 Sunny Bunnies 07:00 Teleshopping 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take it 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show Away!

09:00 Emmerdale 13:15 5 News at Lunchtime 09:30 Emmerdale 13:20 Nightmare Tenants, 10:00 You've Been Framed!

Slum Landlords 10:30 Supermarket Sweep 14:15 Home and Away 11:30 Dress to Impress 14:45 Neighbours 12:30 Love Bites 15:15 Cruising with Jane 13:30 Emmerdale McDonald 16:15 Gourmet Detective: Roux 14:00 Emmerdale 14:30 You've Been Framed! the Day 15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres 18:00 5 News at 5 Show 18:30 Neighbours 15:55 Ellen's Game of Games 19:00 Home and Away 16:50 Dress to Impress 19:30 5 News Tonight 17:50 Take Me Out 20:00 The Gadget Show 21:00 Susan Calman's Grand 19:00 Love Bites 20:00 You've Been Framed!

Days Out 21:00 Superstore 22:00 World's Most Scenic 21:30 Superstore Railway Journeys 23:00 Greatest Hits Of The 70s 22:00 The Mummy

23

ITV3 01:05 A Touch of Frost 03:15 ITV3 Nightscreen 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:30 Coronation Street 08:05 Emmerdale 08:40 Emmerdale 09:15 Heartbeat 10:20 Bless This House 10:55 George and Mildred 11:30 Foyle's War 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:50 Agatha Christie's Poirot 19:55 Wycliffe 21:00 Doc Martin 22:00 Doc Martin 23:05 Foyle's War

08:35 Peppa Pig 00:15 Family Guy 00:35 Shakespeare in Love 00:15 BBC Weather 04:15 Lethal Weapon 05:25 Fifteen to One 01:10 A Touch of Frost 08:40 Peppa Pig 06:20 Coach Trip: Road to 05:00 ITV Nightscreen 02:30 Weather for the Week 00:20 Nightcrawler 00:45 Family Guy 08:45 Milkshake!

Bop Box Marbs 07:00 Dino Dana Ahead 02:10 Battlestar Galactica 01:15 Family Guy 03:20 ITV3 Nightscreen 06:45 Kirstie's Fill Your House Boogie 07:10 The Rubbish World of 02:35 BBC News 02:55 Battlestar Galactica 01:45 American Dad! 09:00 PAW Patrol for Free Dave Spud 03:00 BBC News 03:40 Panorama 09:30 Pirata and Capitano 07:20 The Rubbish World of 07:00 Everybody Loves 02:15 American Dad! 03:30 The Week in Parliament 03:30 Teleshopping 04:40 The Trump Show 09:45 Butterbean's Café Raymond Dave Spud 04:00 BBC News 02:45 Superstore 05:40 This Is BBC TWO 10:00 Brave Bunnies 07:25 Everybody Loves 07:35 Thunderbirds Are Go 04:30 Click 07:00 George and Mildred 10:15 The World According to 03:10 Superstore 07:40 Marrying Mum and Dad 08:00 Dare Master Raymond 04:45 The Film Review 03:35 Hey Tracey Grandpa 07:55 Frasier 08:05 Mr Bean 08:10 The Dengineers 05:00 BBC News 10:30 Floogals 08:20 Frasier 04:30 Teleshopping 08:35 What's Cooking Omari? 08:20 Mr Bean 05:30 Our World 07:30 George and Mildred 10:40 Go Green With The 08:45 The Big Bang Theory 08:30 Scrambled!

07:00 Teleshopping 06:00 BBC News 08:45 Blue Peter Grimwades 09:10 The Big Bang Theory 08:35 The Tom and Jerry 06:30 The Travel Show 09:15 Meerkat Manor 11:00 SpongeBob SquarePants 08:00 You've Been Framed!

09:35 The Big Bang Theory Show 07:55 Agatha Christie's Poirot 07:00 Breakfast 09:35 Meerkat Manor 08:35 The Ellen DeGeneres 11:15 The Loud House 10:00 The Big Bang Theory 08:50 Hotel Transylvania 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 10:00 Big Cats About the 11:25 Entertainment News on Show 10:30 The Simpsons 09:10 Craig of the Creek 12:30 Rick Stein's Cornwall 10:00 Coronation Street House 5 11:00 The Simpsons 09:30 Kung Fu Panda: The 09:25 The Ellen DeGeneres 13:00 Football Focus 11:40 Friends 11:30 The Simpsons Paws of Destiny 11:00 Pooch Perfect 14:00 BBC Weekend News Show 12:10 Friends 12:00 The Simpsons 12:00 Around the World in 80 10:05 Teen Titans Go! Omnibus 14:15 Eddie Butler's Six 10:20 The Ellen DeGeneres 12:40 Friends 12:30 Ramsay's Kitchen 10:25 ITV News Gardens Nations 13:10 Friends Nightmares USA 10:30 James Martin's Saturday Show 13:00 Celebrity Best Home 14:45 Bargain Hunt 13:40 Friends 13:25 Four in a Bed 12:50 A Touch of Frost Morning 11:15 Dress to Impress 15:30 Escape to the Country Cook 14:10 My Big Fat Greek 13:55 Four in a Bed 12:40 Simply Raymond Blanc 12:15 The Masked Singer 16:15 Garden Rescue 14:00 Best Bakes Ever Wedding 2 14:30 Four in a Bed 13:40 James Martin's 14:55 Agatha Christie's Poirot 17:00 Money for Nothing 14:45 Talking Pictures 18:10 5 News 15:00 Four in a Bed 13:45 The Masked Singer: American Adventure 17:30 Final Score 18:15 Cruising the South 15:35 Four in a Bed 15:30 Ivanhoe 14:05 ITV Lunchtime News Unmasked 18:10 A Perfect Planet Pacific With Jane McDonald 16:05 Mend It for Money 14:15 ITV News London 17:15 Flog It! 16:00 Midsomer Murders 14:15 Catchphrase 19:10 BBC Weekend News 20:00 Sally Lindsay's Posh 18:00 The Real Marigold Hotel 14:30 Live: Six Nations Rugby 17:10 Secret Safari: Into the 15:00 You've Been Framed!

19:20 BBC London News Sleepover 19:00 Interior Design Masters 17:15 Live: Six Nations Rugby Wild 18:00 Midsomer Murders 19:30 Catchpoint 21:00 Secrets of the Royal 18:15 Location, Location, 20:00 The Masked Singer 15:30 Bean 20:00 Stormborn 20:00 Celebrity Mastermind Palaces Location 21:30 The Voice UK 17:15 Despicable Me 2 21:00 Perry and Croft: Made in 23:00 ITV News 19:15 Channel 4 News 22:00 When Fergie Met the 21:20 Casualty 20:00 Midsomer Murders 19:20 Liar Liar Britain 19:45 Independence Day: Monarchy 23:15 Paul Sinha's TV 22:00 Line of Duty 21:00 Skyfall Resurgence 23:25 Meghan & Harry: The 21:30 Dad's Army Showdown 23:00 BBC Weekend News 22:00 Instant Family New Revelations 23:50 Horrible Bosses 23:20 Match of the Day 22:00 Midsomer Murders 23:50 Family Guy 22:00 The Lone Ranger The listings for the Costa Blanca People’s TV pages are supplied by an external company – we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of the Costa Blanca People

costablancapeople.com | 2nd - 8th February 2021

24 Your FREE Weekly TV Guide

BBC one

BBC two

ITV

Channel 4

Channel 5

ITV2

ITV3

Sunday 7th February 00:45 The NFL Show 01:25 The Place Beyond the Pines 03:40 Weather for the Week Ahead 03:45 BBC News 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Our World 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click 06:00 BBC News 06:30 The Week in Parliament 07:00 Breakfast 08:35 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 Politics 11:30 The Big Questions 12:30 Wanted: A Simple Life 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC Weekend News 14:15 Songs of Praise 15:00 Six Nations Rugby 15:30 Live: Six Nations Rugby 18:15 BBC Weekend News 18:30 BBC London News 18:40 Countryfile 19:40 Antiques Roadshow 20:40 Musicals: The Greatest Show 22:00 The Serpent 23:00 BBC Weekend News 23:20 BBC London News 23:30 Match of the Day 2

00:20 In Fabric 02:10 Top of the Pops 03:10 This Is BBC TWO 07:25 The A to Z of TV Gardening 08:10 Glorious Gardens from Above 08:55 Countryfile 09:50 Meerkat Manor 10:15 Meerkat Manor 10:35 Meerkat Manor 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30 Rick Stein's Cornwall 13:00 Celebrity Best Home Cook 14:00 Your Garden Made Perfect 15:00 Yentl 17:05 Flog It! 17:40 This Farming Life 18:40 Lightning 19:15 Ski Sunday 20:00 Cornwall: This Fishing Life 21:00 Incredible Journeys with Simon Reeve 22:00 The Ranganation 22:45 The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan 23:45 Comedians: Home Alone

04:00 Weather for the Week Ahead 04:05 BBC News 04:30 Dateline London 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted: A Simple Life 12:45 Critical Incident 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 The Mallorca Files 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers' Country Showdown 17:30 The Bidding Room 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:35 Garden Rescue 21:05 EastEnders 21:30 Would I Lie to You? 22:00 Celebrity Best Home Cook 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London News 23:45 RuPaul's Drag Race UK

00:00 NFL Football 00:30 The Women's Football Show 01:00 The Odyssey 02:55 Heroes 03:35 Heroes 04:20 Question Time 05:20 Holby City 06:00 This Is BBC TWO 07:30 Bargain Hunt 08:15 This Farming Life 09:15 The Week in Parliament 09:45 Workout the Wright Way 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:15 Politics Live 14:00 Bitesize 15:00 Shakespeare Unlocked 16:00 Tudor Monastery Farm 17:00 Royal Recipes 17:50 Meerkat Manor 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman's House of Games 19:30 Lightning 20:00 Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge 20:30 Mastermind 21:00 Only Connect 21:30 University Challenge 22:00 Cornwall: This Fishing Life 23:00 Have I Got a Bit More News for You 23:45 Newsnight

07:35 Thunderbirds Are Go 02:20 The Last Leg 08:00 Dare Master 03:15 Ramsay's Kitchen 08:05 Mr Bean Nightmares USA 04:05 Jamie: Keep Cooking 08:20 Mr Bean and Carry On 08:30 Scrambled!

04:30 Hollyoaks Omnibus 08:35 The Tom and Jerry 06:35 Kirstie's Fill Your House Show for Free 08:50 Hotel Transylvania 06:40 Coach Trip: Road to 09:10 DC Super Hero Girls 09:30 Don't Unleash the Beast Marbs 07:05 Everybody Loves 10:05 Teen Titans Go! Raymond 10:25 ITV News 07:30 Everybody Loves 10:30 Cornwall and Devon Raymond Walks with Julia Bradbury 11:00 Love Your Weekend with 07:55 Everybody Loves Raymond Alan Titchmarsh 12:55 Simply Raymond Blanc 08:20 The Big Bang Theory 08:45 The Big Bang Theory 14:00 Love Your Garden 09:05 The Big Bang Theory 15:00 ITV Lunchtime News 09:35 The Simpsons 15:10 You've Been Framed!

10:00 The Simpsons 15:40 Uncle Buck 10:30 Sunday Brunch 17:30 ITV Evening News 13:30 The Simpsons 17:45 ITV News London 13:55 The Simpsons 17:55 The Chase: Celebrity 14:25 The Simpsons Special 14:50 The Simpsons 19:00 Dancing on Ice 15:20 The Simpsons 21:00 Who Wants to Be a 15:50 Over the Hedge Millionaire?

17:30 Channel 4 News 22:00 Finding Alice 18:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja 23:00 ITV News Turtles 23:20 Bradley and Barney 20:00 Billion Pound Cruise Walsh: Breaking Dad 21:00 The Great Pottery Throw 23:45 The Chasers Road Trip: Down Trains, Brains and 22:00 The Great 23:05 Gogglebox Automobiles

08:55 Milkshake! Bop Box 00:20 Family Guy Boogie 00:50 Family Guy 09:00 PAW Patrol 01:20 American Dad! 09:30 Pirata and Capitano 09:45 Butterbean's Café 01:50 American Dad! 10:05 Brave Bunnies 02:20 Plebs 10:25 The World According to 02:50 Plebs Grandpa 10:35 Floogals 03:20 Hell's Kitchen USA 10:50 Go Green With The 04:15 ITV2 Nightscreen Grimwades 11:05 SpongeBob SquarePants 04:30 Teleshopping 11:15 The Loud House 07:00 Teleshopping 11:25 Entertainment News on 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres 5 (2') Show 11:30 NFL End Zone 12:00 WWE: Raw Highlights 08:55 The Ellen DeGeneres 12:55 Friends Show 13:20 Friends 13:50 Friends 09:45 Love Bites 13:20 Friends 10:45 Love Bites 14:45 City Life to Country Life 15:45 City Life to Country Life 11:45 Love Bites 16:45 City Life to Country Life 12:45 The Masked Singer 17:45 City Life to Country Life 14:15 In For a Penny 18:40 5 News 18:45 Greatest Hits of the 70s 14:45 What a Girl Wants 20:00 The Wonderful World of 16:55 Dr. Seuss' the Lorax Chocolate 21:00 Bargain-Loving Brits in 18:45 Despicable Me 3 20:25 Jurassic World: Fallen the Sun 22:00 Rich Holiday, Poor Kingdom Holiday 23:00 When Luxury Holidays 23:00 Family Guy Go Horribly Wrong 23:30 Family Guy

00:00 Vera

00:40 Long Lost Family 01:35 Six Nations Rugby 02:25 Ideal World 04:00 FYI Extra 04:15 Motorsport UK 05:05 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 Tipping Point 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Lingo 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Long Lost Family 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home: Travels in My Own Land

08:00 Fireman Sam 08:10Daisy & Ollie 08:20 PAW Patrol 08:30 Peppa Pig 08:35 Peppa Pig 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box Boogie 09:00 The Adventures of Paddington 09:20 PAW Patrol 09:30 Ricky Zoom 09:40 Pirata and Capitano 09:55 Milkshake! Monkey's Amazing Adventures 10:00 Peppa Pig 10:15 Jeremy Vine 12:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!

13:15 5 News 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 16:15 Murders At The Lake 18:00 5 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News 20:00 Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights 21:00 Police Interceptors 21:58 5 News 22:00 A&E After Dark 23:00 Casualty 24/7

01:00 Wycliffe

Monday 8th February 03:15 A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence 04:55 Car S.O.S 05:45 Fifteen to One 06:40 Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 06:50 Countdown 07:30 Mike & Molly 07:50 Mike & Molly 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Cheers 09:00 The King of Queens 09:25 The King of Queens 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Frasier 10:55 Come Dine with Me 11:25 Come Dine with Me 11:55 Come Dine with Me 12:25 Come Dine with Me 12:55 Channel 4 News 13:00 Come Dine with Me 13:30 Steph's Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A Place in the Sun 17:00 A New Life in the Sun 18:00 Mend It for Money 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Devon and Cornwall 22:00 Undercover Police: Hunting Paedophiles 23:30 Catching a Killer

00:00 Family Guy 00:30 American Dad! 01:00 American Dad! 01:25 The Cleveland Show 01:55 The Cleveland Show 02:25 Hell's Kitchen USA 03:20 CelebAbility 04:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 04:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Teleshopping 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 Coronation Street 10:30 Supermarket Sweep 11:30 Dress to Impress 12:30 Love Bites 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 15:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:55 Ellen's Game of Games 16:55 Dress to Impress 17:50 Take Me Out 19:00 Love Bites 20:00 You've Been Framed!

20:30 You've Been Framed!

21:00 Superstore 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 The Stand Up Sketch Show 23:30 Family Guy

01:55 Wycliffe 03:00 Bless This House 03:25 ITV3 Nightscreen 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 George and Mildred 07:30 George and Mildred 08:00 Coronation Street Omnibus 10:50 Emmerdale Omnibus 13:40 The Queen's Coronation in Colour 14:40 A Touch of Frost 16:50 Agatha Christie's Poirot 17:55 Midsomer Murders 20:00 Midsomer Murders 22:00 The Savoy 23:00 Vera

02:15 Wycliffe 03:15 Wycliffe 04:10 Bless This House 04:35 Emmerdale Omnibus 06:55 ITV3 Nightscreen 07:00 Coronation Street 07:30 Coronation Street 08:05 Emmerdale 08:40 Emmerdale 09:15 Heartbeat 10:20 Bless This House 10:55 George and Mildred 11:25 Agatha Christie's Marple 13:40 Heartbeat 14:45 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:55 Agatha Christie's Poirot 19:55 Wycliffe 21:00 Vera 23:00 Foyle's War

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News

CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

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Piers Morgan vows to overtake BBC Game of Thrones animated spin­off Breakfast in ongoing ratings battle show in the pipeline Game of Thrones could be getting an animated spin-off on HBO Max. The newspaper The Hollywood Reporter says that an animated Thrones drama aimed at adults is currently in the early planning and development stages, although no firm deals have yet been made.

No information about this potential series has yet been released, so it's too early to say whether we could see any of the GoT cast return to their roles, but fans will certainly be keeping a close eye on developments.

The original series came to an end in 2019 with its eighth season and HBO has since been working on new projects within the Thrones universe with writer George RR Martin, who wrote the fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire which the TV show was based on.

Prequel series House of the Dragon has been officially greenlit, with ten episodes due at some point in 2022.

The show, which is set 300 years before the events of GoT, will star The Outsider actor Paddy Considine as the "warm, kind and decent" King Viserys I, while Doctor Who star Matt Smith has been cast as Prince Daemon Targaryen, King Viserys' younger brother. Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy have also been cast as Alicent

Hightower and Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen respectively.

House of the Dragon will follow the rise of House Targaryen – the house of the Mother of Dragons Daenerys – through Aegon's Conquest and the Targaryen civil war, so we can expect some epic family clashes.

It was also reported last week that Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas are also due to be adapted into a liveaction TV series. The novellas, set less than a century before the GoT series, tell the story of the bond between knight Ser Duncan the Tall, and future King, Aegon V Targaryen, as they travel across Westeros building alliances. It was also reported last week that Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas are also due to be adapted into a live-action TV series. The novellas, set less than a century before the GoT series, tell the story of the bond between knight Ser Duncan the Tall, and future King, Aegon V Targaryen, as they travel across Westeros building alliances.

One spin-off that unfortunately won't be moving ahead is the Naomi Wattsstarring 'Age of Heroes' prequel, which was not picked up to series after a pilot episode was shot in 2019.

Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid

Piers Morgan has vowed to overtake BBC Breakfast for the first time ever amid their ongoing breakfast television ratings battle with Good Morning Britain. The GMB host, 55, who has overhauled the ITV show since he joined alongside cohost Susanna Reid in 2015, admitted it is 'very likely' they'll secure higher viewing figures than their BBC counterpart.

Since the broadcasters joined the show at its helm, its audience share has doubled from 14 to 28 per cent and ratings are at an all time high.

Piers said: 'We have captured the zeitgeist and mood of the country a lot better than BBC Breakfast. I think it's very likely we will overtake them in the ratings by the end of the year which will be an extraordinary achievement.

You can see that there's real movement now. They're not moving, and we're moving relentlessly upwards.'

Piers admitted that he believes the secret to their popular programme is that it 'can't be ignored', because they spend time debating the issues people discuss at home. He added that viewers enjoy opinion as well as information, which he said is potentially why many people have jumped ship to the magazine show.

Piers - who has previously been branded breakfast TV's 'saviour' by Eamonn Holmes - racked up 20 million hits on a video of him quizzing UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock last week.

The TV star regularly makes light of his 'feud' with his BBC rivals Dan Walker and Louise Minchin on his Twitter page, choosing to share facts and figures of the closing ratings gap between their two shows.

In the summer, Piers once again reignited his playful feud with Dan as he

celebrated another ratings victory. The BBC Breakfast host took to Twitter at the time to reveal his programme was ranked the 'number 1 breakfast show on TV' 'by some distance', beating out his opponent's ITV broadcast.

Taunting Dan's win, Piers joked: 'Factcheck: a much smaller distance than when Dan joined... In fact, this week we closed the gap to the smallest distance ever. Please don't get fired mate!'

Match of the Day star Dan had marked his triumph by uploading an image of himself alongside his co-stars, which he captioned: 'Thanks for all your comments about #BBCBreakfast so far this week.

'We really appreciate you tuning in, particularly at the moment, and making us the number 1 breakfast show on TV by some distance. Thanks for watching @TVNaga01 & Charlie are back tomorrow from 6am.'

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News

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Brits top binge­drinking list, Spain 'more sensible’ Long-held stereotypes about winesoaked Mediterranean culture and a care-free attitude to drinking turn out to be completely the opposite of reality – but those about 'boozy Brits' are, statistically true, according to the latest Global Drug Survey.

Despite alcohol in general and particularly wine – largely because it is home-produced and very little of it is imported – being much cheaper in southern European countries, bingedrinking appears to be far more common in the UK and Anglo-Saxon nations in general. In Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and to a certain extent, France, more so in the south, wine-drinking is normally associated with meals, and spirits and liqueurs as a shot to round off a dinner or a nip in a coffee, whilst beer is treated as a refreshing drink on a hot evening.

The survey was conducted between November and December 2019, before the pandemic struck, and its main focus was finding out how often people in the various countries were likely to get themselves blind-drunk. This was defined as consuming enough alcohol that their 'physical and mental faculties' were 'very seriously affected', such as 'losing balance' and 'unable to string a sentence together'.

For the purposes of the research, it is deemed that a person who does reach

this state of being will have consumed far more alcohol than their system can tolerate, or in too short a time, which would normally be considered 'bingedrinking'.

And Spain is near the bottom of the list – with Italy even further down. A total of 31 countries appear on the list, but England and Scotland, within the UK, are shown separately, giving 32 entries.

Scottish and English people admitted to getting blind-drunk according to the definition on average 33.8 and 33.7 times a year respectively, or about every 10.8 days.

Participants in Spain, which comes 27th out of 32, admitted to getting into this state through alcohol consumption 14 times a year, which works out at every 26 days, or a little more often than once a month.

Italians do not even average once a month, with a typical respondent becoming very seriously inebriated 11.7 times a year, and Portugal less often still, at 9.3 times a year.

México was in between the two, at 10, and was one of four Latin American countries listed, three of whom are near the bottom of the list – Argentina 31st, at 6.9 times a year, and Colombia right at the end, at 6.5 times a year – with only Brazil high up; its residents' 21.6 boozebinges per annum are 50 percent above

Spain's, but only two-thirds of those of the UK. Above Brazil, Ireland and France ranked the same, with their participants admitting to getting 'hammered' on average 25.9 times a year, and including the two UK regions, six of the top 10 are Anglo-Saxon nations: Australia comes directly below Scotland and England, with 31.7; the US comes sixth at 27.1; Canada seventh at 26.5, then Ireland and France jointly and Brazil at number 10.

It may have been speculated that the Scandinavian countries would either rank very highly – since colder areas and northern Europe tend to be associated, rightly or wrongly, with alcohol consumption – or very low down, given that drink is considerably more expensive in these nations than anywhere else on the continent.

Both these assumptions are correct: Denmark and Finland are four and five from the top, with their inhabitants admitting to becoming 'steaming drunk' 31.3 and 30.4 times a year respectively; but Sweden is 16th, exactly halfway down the list, and Norway is 20th, with their residents owning up to getting very heavily intoxicated 19.5 and 16.9 times a year respectively.

Nations known for their beer industry, such as Belgium, Austria, The Netherlands and Germany, were all

Covid impacts demographics The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on demographic trends in Spain, according to provisional figures for the first half of 2020 released recently by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

Three records were broken during this period, two of which are tied to the health crisis: a historically high number of deaths, and a record low number of marriages, according to INE data sets going back to 1941.

Experts note that to find another external factor affecting demographic trends in such an exceptional manner, it is necessary to go all the way back to the Spanish Civil War of 193639 or even further, to the socalled Spanish flu of 1918.

There were 262,373 deaths between January and June, a 19.6 percent rise from the same period in 2019. But the most significant figure is the 60.8% drop in weddings, down to 28,327. This could in turn be a sign of an upcoming drop in births, said demographers.

Although wedlock is increasingly less of a determining factor in couples’ decision to have children, many couples prefer to formalise their relationship

before forming a family.

Birth numbers in the first half of 2020 do not yet reflect the impact of the pandemic, since those children were conceived earlier. But there is still a clear downward trend from the same period in 2019: there were 168,047 births, a 4.2 percent decline and the lowest number in the series. This figure is expected to drop even further next year.

Meanwhile the rate of natural increase, which measures the difference between births and deaths, also produced a new negative record: deaths surpassed births by 94,326, compared with a difference of 43,921 in the first half of 2019.

“In 2020 the gap between deaths and births accelerated,” explained Albert Esteve, director of the Centre for Demographic Studies at Barcelona’s Autonomous University. The expert predicted that when the definitive figures for 2020 are released, the difference between deaths and births “will be close to 200,000 people.”

This would represent “the greatest population loss in decades caused by natural dynamics.” Esteve added that

“immigration probably will not make up for this drop.”

Diego Ramiro, director of the Economics, Geography and Demography Institute of the National Research Council (CSIC), feels that it is better to use the 1918 pandemic as a comparison.

“Back then the birth rate fell, there was a disruption in marriages, excess mortality multiplied, and there was also an impact on life expectancy that is greater than Covid’s will be, as flu victims died young, between the ages of 15 and 40 to 50.”

The INE said that the rise in deaths over the period was mainly due to the effects of the pandemic from March onwards.

Deaths grew across the Spanish territory, with the exception of Murcia and the Balearic Islands.

But experts noted that the figures for the second half of the year are still not in, reflecting the second and third waves of the coronavirus pandemic and their effects on regions that were largely spared by the first wave.

It is still unclear how long the health crisis will last, or what its full impact on demographic trends will be. But Joaquín Recaño believes that the effects could be long-lasting.

above Spain but scattered throughout the list, from the Belgians' 20.9 paralytic episodes annually to the Germans' 15.3, via Austria's 20.5 and The Netherlands' 18.

Switzerland came directly below Belgium, and the Balkan nations – taken as one single country given the limited number of participants from each – matched Austria, whilst South Africa, with its world-famous wine industry, came between these and Sweden, with 20.2 violently-drunken annual incidents.

Russia is another country which has defied its stereotypes, coming in just below the halfway point at number 17 with 19.1 severe drinking spells reported, only slightly more frequent than New Zealand's 18.6.

Below Norway but above Germany were Slovakia (16.1 times a year), Poland (16 times a year), and Hungary (15.8 times).

Very similar to Spain, and only fractionally higher, were Greece (14.3) and Romania (14.1).

Over the year 2019, a total of 94 percent of respondents had consumed alcohol, 64 percent had consumed cannabis and 60.8 percent had smoked 'traditional' cigarettes; although the least-used drug worldwide turned out to be heroin, this was the one that required the highest incidence of urgent medical

attention, with 12 percent of the global population being treated as a result of its consumption, taking the 100,000-plus respondents as representative of that population.

Conclusions The conclusion of the Global Drugs Survey is that alcohol is a 'serious and dangerous problem' in the UK, more so than any other drug, legal or illegal.

For residents in Spain, the conclusion is that the country on the whole has a much healthier attitude to drink, enjoying alcoholic beverages for their flavour rather than their effects, consuming them more moderately and at more appropriate times, knowing when to stop, and either treating them as a complement to a meal or as a small part of a social meet-up, with the main purpose of these being the friends and conversation rather than the alcohol itself as the focus.

Also, in Spain, drinking alcohol in public places is against the law – other than in bars or restaurants, inside or on their terraces, or during fiestas at pop-up street bars, alcohol consumption is mainly limited to private homes; sitting in a public park with a bottle, or walking down the street swigging booze, is normally subject to at least a warning, if not a fine.

Spanish drug reduces viral load by 99 percent One of the most desperate battles in the fight against the coronavirus is to find an effective treatment for patients who have contracted the virus and are at a high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19. Up until now, the search for treatments has been disappointing. Only dexamethasone, a corticosteroid medication, has shown that it can reduce mortality in Covid-19 patients. But this medication does not actually fight the virus itself, but rather the uncontrolled inflammatory reaction it causes in patients with the worst prognosis.

However, an international team of researchers recently published the first verified scientific data on the effectiveness of a new treatment that could become the most potent antiviral drug against the coronavirus: plitidepsin.

Scientists led by the Spanish virologist Adolfo García-Sastre from Mount Sinai hospital in New York, explain that this drug is 100 times more potent than remdesivir, the first antiviral drug approved to treat Covid-19, which until now has not shown that it is entirely effective, according to the authors of the study.

Plitidepsin is a synthetic drug

based on a substance produced in a species of ascidians found in the Mediterranean Sea: invertebrate and hermaphrodite animals that live attached to rocks and docks, such as sea squirts.

The Madrid-based company PharmaMar developed the pharmaceutical, which is sold under the name Aplidina, to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma. The drug, however, has only been approved in Australia.

When the coronavirus pandemic broke out, PharmaMar began a clinical trial to test whether plitidepsin could be used against Covid-19.

According to the company, the drug reduces the viral charge in hospitalized patients, but it has still not published its scientific data which must be verified.

García-Sastre’s research team, together with experts from the University of California in San Francisco, the Pasteur Institute in Paris and PharmaMar, tracked all the proteins of the new coronavirus that interact with human proteins. They then analyzed already existing drugs that could interrupt these interactions. From this analysis, the team identified 47 promising drugs, of which plitidepsin appeared to be the most

promising. According to a new study published in the journal Science, it is between nine and 85 times more effective at stopping the virus from multiplying than two other promising drugs from this group.

The researchers compared the effectiveness of plitidepsin and remdesivir in two mouse models infected with SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that plitidepsin reduced virus replication 100 times more than remdesivir.

What’s more, it also fought inflammation in respiratory tracts.

According to the study, the drug does this by not directly attacking the virus, but rather the human protein the virus needs to take control of a cell’s biological machinery so that it can make hundreds of thousands of copies of itself.

Plitidepsin temporarily blocks the human protein known as eEF1A. Without this protein’s reproduction machinery, the virus cannot function. “Our data and the initial positive results from PharmaMar’s clinical trial suggests that plitidepsin should be strongly considered for expanded clinical trials for the treatment of Covid-19,” the authors conclude.

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CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

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Bars & Restaurants

CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

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Healthy takeout orders Even seasoned home chefs need a little time off here and there. Also, there's something that feels so, so good about bypassing your kitchen for the night and letting someone else cook for you. Given the current situation, supporting those bar and restaurants that are providing take out and deliveries, is also key for the local economy.

Ordering takeout can even up your healthy eating game. Despite its bad reputation, take out can also be a great opportunity to eat more healthy foods that you just don't have the time or the motivation to cook for yourself.

While every restaurant and cuisine is different, you generally want to make sure your takeout includes some fresh veg produce - ideally a few different types - and has minimal dressings and sauces that run the risk of adding calories, fat, and sodium. Choose protein and vegetable dishes, and limit extra carbs, since you may get enough carbs during the day already...

peanut sauce on the side, to minimise added fat and calories.

flour crust," Angelone says. You can even add on vegetable toppings for extra nutrients.

Green papaya salad This salad features julienned papaya, beans, Thai chilis, and peanuts for a deliciously spicy dish. It's packed with fresh veggies so it won't weigh you down.

enjoy yours with rice, ask if they serve whole grain brown rice instead of white rice for more fibre and micronutrients.

Chinese Chinese food doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to eating healthy, but nutritionists swear it's possible to eat good, nutritious food with this cuisine. Reach for these options and subs.

Order brown rice over white rice This is a simple substitute, and it's often one that restaurants are happy to make. Brown rice offers more fibre and micronutrients than the white version,

making it a better option.

Steamed dumplings Steamed dumplings are stuffed with veggies and/or protein, like shrimp, making them a smart choice over their fried cousins. Sauce usually comes on the side with these, but it never hurts to double check. Add a side of steamed broccoli or bok choy to round things out.

Steamed chicken and broccoli Notice a theme here? A steamed meat and vegetable entree is a good choice since it limits extra carbs and fat and includes a vegetable. If the dish at your go-to restaurant includes a sauce, just ask for it on the side.

Indian

Summer rolls Angelone recommends reaching for these instead of spring rolls, since they're steamed - not fried - and are packed with veggies and lean protein. While Thai style vegetables are usually not high in fat, spring rolls are higher in calories and fat since they are fried.

Italian

Dal Dal is a lentil-heavy dish that's loaded with delicious spices, like cinnamon and cumin. Some dals are made with coconut milk - experts recommend looking for one with a tomato base to save on fat and calories.

Go for tomato-based sauces You're totally fine to enjoy a pasta dish, Ansel says - just go for a marinara or other tomato-style sauce vs. something creamy like carbonara. "These will be lower in oil and saturated fats," Angelone says.

Chana Masala The main ingredient in chana masala is chick peas, which offer up plenty of protein experts point out. A nice perk of this dish: You can enjoy it as-is or over brown rice.

Chicken satay Seasoned, skewered, and grilled lean meat is a great option. Plus, it comes on a stick, making it fun to eat. Just ask for the

Choose thin crust Love pizza? No problem. Just tweak it slightly. "Choose thin crust pizza to avoid the extra calories of thicker, processed

Tandoori chicken Tandoori chicken is packed with flavour and it's a good way to get some protein into your meal. If you plan to

Thai

Mary Berry says pandemic makes us use what’s in fridge Dame Mary Berry has said changes brought on by the pandemic have taught people to adapt when it comes to home cooking. The Celebrity Best Home Cook judge, 80, said she hoped fewer shopping trips results in smaller quantities of food going to waste.

Asked how the last 12 months have changed home cooking, Dame Mary said: “It has taught us all to use what’s in the fridge and store cupboard and to adapt if something wasn’t available. Shopping once a week is a great lesson in not wasting

food.”

The former Great British Bake Off judge added: “I hope it’s made us more appreciative of what’s around us locally and that continues.”

Celebrities taking part in the BBC One show include former cabinet minister Ed Balls and the Prime Minister’s sister Rachel Johnson, who said she “literally can’t boil an egg”.

Balls said lasagne is his signature, home-cooked dish.

“It’s a recipe my mum brought back from America when she was there with my dad in 1960

and it’s something I’ve cooked many times over the last 30 years,” he said.

“It made headlines when I was shadow chancellor,” said Balls, who was accused of holding lasagne dinner parties to undermine then Labour leader Ed Miliband at the time.

And Balls added: “I cooked lasagne for Gordon Brown when he was prime minister.

“For a man who only ever ate steak and chips, lamb bhuna or spaghetti bolognaise, this was a bit of a departure but he really liked it.”

Iceland launches McDonald's Big Mac rival Iceland has revealed a new takeaway range that includes burgers that are strikingly similar to those of McDonalds. As lockdown restrictions limit the chances to get a Big Mac meal the new Iceland range is designed to replicate the popular fast food favourite and it costs a lot less than the real thing.

The new Snacksters range includes paninis, kebabs and the frozen burgers with prices starting from around 3€. The Iceland menu includes

McDonald’s inspired burgers - the Big Stack and the Spicy Stack. The Big Mac-inspired Big Stack Burger is microwaveable, and includes double-cut buns, double burgers, cheese slices and secret sauce.

Iceland's Snacksters range can be added to your basket in your weekly shop at Iceland, and you can enjoy a takeaway treat without needing to make an

extra trip to the drive thru.

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Bars & Restaurants

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Under pressure The internet is full of time-saving kitchen hacks and it’s no surprise that the pressure cooker is the number one gadget for people who want to slice huge chunks off the cooking time of meat, pulses and sauces.

For tender meat stews, a pressure cooker can achieve great results in under an hour. A risotto can be on the table in half the usual time, with very little stirring, and vegetables or beans take

mere minutes.

Speed isn’t the only advantage of pressure cookers – they also preserve nutrients and vitamins, as well as being a more economical way to cook.

While they are invaluable when it comes to transforming tough cuts of meat, and cooking ingredients like dried pulses from scratch, pressure cookers are less successful with delicate foods like fish or green veg, as they use such a high

Pressure cooker Beef Bourguignon Serves 6 Ingredients 1 kilogram stew-friendly cut beef cut into 5-cm (2-inch) cubes 1 marrow bone, cut (by the butcher) into 5-cm (2-inch) slices (optional) 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced 3 medium carrots, halved or quartered lengthwise depending on thickness, and sliced thinly 2 medium onions, sliced thinly 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs, such as Herbes de Provence (thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano...)

1 bay leaf 500 ml (2 cups) medium-body dry red wine 500 grams (1 pound) fresh brown mushrooms, sliced Fine sea salt Freshly ground black pepper For serving: Fresh parsley, chervil, and/or chives, snipped

Steamed new potatoes Crusty bread Strong mustard Method At the bottom of the pressure cooker, put the beef, marrow bone, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, herbs, bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons salt.

Pour in the wine.

Secure the lid. Place over mediumhigh heat and bring to pressure.

Lower the heat to medium-low just to maintain the pressure, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the pressure level of your pressure cooker (high or medium).

Add the mushrooms and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are just cooked through.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Sprinkle with the fresh herbs and freshly ground black pepper, and serve with steamed new potatoes, crusty bread, and strong mustard.

heat. However to get around this you can add fish to your dish at the end of the cooking time (simmer it gently without pressure), after the other ingredients are done, for example.

When following a pressure cooker recipe, cooking times should be taken only from when the level of pressure is reached, at which point you should lower the heat but try to maintain the same level of pressure for the time stated. This

can involve turning the heat up and down during the cooking process or moving the pan to different-sized rings.

Pressure cooking is a wet cooking method and you should never try to cook anything in a pressure cooker without at least a 2cm layer of liquid in the bottom of it.

Remember that in a pressure cooker, the liquid used doesn’t reduce while cooking, so be prepared to simmer

things down to intensify the flavour once the lid comes off.

For a pressure cooker to work, there needs to be space for steam to build into pressure, so never fill it up any more than half way.

Always read the instructions of your pressure cooker to learn how to release the pressure properly once cooking is finished.

Here are some recipes to try...

Pressure cooker beef curry Ingredients 2 tbsp sunflower oil 500g beef, stewing or braising steak 1 tbsp butter 1 large onion , chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated ¼ tsp hot chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp ground coriander 3 cardamom pods, crushed 400g can chopped tomatoes 500ml beef stock 1 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp garam masala 2 tbsp double cream (optional) ½ small bunch of coriander , roughly chopped naan bread or rice, to serve Method Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a pressure cooker. Season the beef and fry in batches for 5-8 mins, turning occasionally until evenly browned.

Set aside on a plate.

Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan and fry the onion gently for 10 mins or until golden brown and caramelised. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric, coriander and cardamom and fry for 2 mins. Stir in the beef and cook for 1 min to coat the beef in the spices.

Tip in the tomatoes, stock and sugar and bring to a simmer. Lock the lid onto the cooker and bring up to high pressure. Cook for 15 mins, then turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally.

Give everything a good stir and add more water if the sauce is already thick.

Lock the lid back in place and give it another 10 mins, then let the pressure drop

naturally. Check the meat is tender – depending on the cut it might need 5 mins more.

Take it off the heat, stir through the garam masala and cream, if you like.

Season to taste. Scatter over the coriander and serve with naan bread or rice.

30

News

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Health & Beauty SALE

I am a grown man of 32. My father has always treated me like a fool, and has never given me credit for my achievements, of which are many. I was not allowed to go to University (my father’s decision), so I financed myself through night school and got to the top of my field as a result. My father, whilst intelligent never amounted to much academically but did fine. My mother is weak so I cannot speak to her; my father also dominates her. He talks down to me every time we are together. It was getting worse, but then it has been bliss for me since Lockdown as I have not been in his company, although recently he has discovered Zoom and uses it as another opportunity to compare me with my more successful cousins (his words).

I am sorry your father makes you feel bad. And I see it as his fault that you feel the way that you do. Your longer letter tells me that the ill treatment is obvious to your wife, so you are not to blame - something which you have suggested to me. One way to deal with it would be to stop your father mid-rant and ask him why he treats you like an idiot when he knows you are not. You can try laughing while you say it as if it amuses you. It is interesting that you say he highlights your cousins’ success and rubs your nose in it. How is his relationship with his siblings? Have you noticed similar behaviour between them? Why is he always comparing you to them? Try and shake it off otherwise it will damage your already damaged self-esteem. This is his problem. Talking to a Therapist will help you.

WRITE TO SARA IN CONFIDENCE. A PSEUDONYM WILL BE USED IF YOU WISH. SARA READS ALL LETTERS AND CAN GIVE A PERSONAL REPLY. EMAIL YOUR QUESTION TO SARA@COSTABLANCAPEOPLE.COM OR SARA IS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, TELEPHONE 650 054 467.

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32

Health News & Beauty

Mercadona’s €7 enzyme peel Mercadona is no stranger to going up against big beauty with more affordable dupes. Its cosmetics brand Deliplus offers an array of excellent quality products for face, hair and body and this week, we were delighted to find an enzyme peel from the Deliplus facial range.

A 100ml tube costs just €7 euro.

According to Deliplus, the peel is suitable for "all skin types, purifying the pores and refining the skin's texture.

Its mineral content, red and green algae extract has antioxidant and regenerating action."

It is manufactured by a Swiss manufacturer, MEDENA AG Affoltern, which has custom formulated it to Mercadona's requirements.

Many traditional scrubs on sale in supermarkets and parafarmacias are much too aggressive for our skin. This is because they are made up of small granules that are rubbed into the skin and although they do eliminate dead and cells, helping to regenerate the skin, they can be damaging especially to sensitive or acne prone skin.

In contrast, an enzyme peel works by chemically removing the dead skin.

Enzymatic peeling receives its name because it is composed, to a large extent, of vegetable enzymes which are

able to eliminate dead skin. The benefits are the same as a traditional scrub, but without the need for dragging micro granules across the skin. This is the reason why they are less aggressive and are suitable for practically all skin types: dry, dehydrated, with acne, combination skin, etc.

Mercadona’s enzyme peel also contains macadamia oil, glycerin, sweet almond oil, shea butter, sea water, coconut oil, avocado oil, orange juice, sunflower oil, vitamin E, mango pulp, banana pulp and seaweed, among others.

Notably, ingredients that prevent aging, hydrate the skin and improve texture, among other benefits.

This scrub can be applied once a week by massaging it into to a clean face and neck. Leave it for five minutes and rinse with warm water. It is quite dense so a small amount will do.

If it causes a negative reaction, it should be quickly removed and cold water applied.

Skin should appear fresher and brighter. Another benefit of removing dead skin is that other products like serums or moisturisers will penetrate the skin more efficiently and thus, work more effectively

Davina McCall mistakes cognitive overload for alzheimer's Davina McCall feared she was developing Alzheimer’s disease after the menopause affected her memory. The former Big Brother host, whose father, Andrew, has the illness, has revealed she went to her doctor after her symptoms, which included memory loss, began to affect her presenting schedule. The 53-year-old’s doctor subsequently told her she is dealing with “cognitive overload”.

Appearing on Gabby Logan’s The Mid.Point podcast, she said: “I’m learning different things for everything in my brain sometimes, because when I went to my doctor and I said, ‘Look, please help me, I think I’ve got Alzheimer’s’, because obviously my dad’s got Alzheimer’s “And she said, ‘It’s called cognitive overload’”.

The Masked Singer star first developed symptoms of the menopause when she was 44, and opened up on how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has helped her.

She added: “I’m on HRT so I have absolutely no excuse to be going doolally but I’m still going doolally on the HRT. I am less angry. I don’t get night sweats. I don’t get hot flushes. These are the things that have gone. My joints feel, my bones feel lubricated and strong, but my memory... and I work, I’ve got

kids, I have a partner.

“I have a hundred different hats on. I could be going from Long Lost Family one day, to The Masked Singer the next, to a Garnier job, to something else.”

•

•

•

Cognitive load is normal; it occurs as soon as you engage your cognitive abilities and it is not actually a bad thing in itself. It is regular cognitive overload that can be bad for you. This means during the course of a day, trying to grasp more information than your working memory can handle. Often called short-term memory, its storage is limited to roughly 10 pieces of information that can be held for a short period of time (typically a few seconds).

To ease the load: • List or outline all the tasks that

•

you have to carry out to understand and plan tasks better, prioritise them.

Stop multitasking! Rather than juggling two or more tasks at the same time, it’s more efficient to do things sequentially, one task after another.

Reduce interruptions to improve your efficiency and lower stress levels.

Avoid constantly hovering over your inbox. You should also limit visual and sound prompts such as pop-ups and notifications and choose specific times to view them.

In order to effectively regulate your mental load, a break is supposed to be a change from the task at hand, so you can be active in a different way. Read, listen to calming music, or go for a walk. If you are staring at a screen all day, the right kind of break would involve moving your body and interacting with others.

Sports, meditation, reading, or even just doing nothing all have a profound effect on your mental and physical wellbeing. If you don’t give yourself enough recovery time, you end up producing the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol to compensate, which can have a detrimental effect on your health.

th CostaBlancaPeople CoastRider 2nd --8th Edition February 470 - 2021 March 5www.costablancapeople.com 2013 www.coastrider.net

33 CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

Drivers have to give cyclists more room A road Traffic Act reform means the way drivers are required to overtake cyclists has changed, with even more cautious measures set to come into force very soon. The exact date on which the new rules will be effective has not yet been revealed, but motorists should act as though they are already valid, since failing to do so once it becomes law could mean a €200 fine and three points deducted from one's licence.

In Spain, driving licences start off with 12 points when 'clean', and points are deducted for motoring offences, with an automatic ban once all 12 have been used up – reinstating these normally requires paying for specified courses at official driving schools, as points-related offences are never 'spent' after a set time period.

Until now, drivers have been required to leave a margin of at least 1.5 metres (approximately five feet) when overtaking cyclists on roads, and are permitted to cross the central line, even if it is an unbroken white strip, to do so.

Now, the distance between car and bicycle when passing has increased to two metres (6'6”) and drivers must slow to at least 20 kilometres per hour below the speed limit.

As an example, on a road with a 50kilometre limit, the driver must not overtake a bike-rider any faster than at 30 kilometres per hour, or on a main

national highway where the limit is typically – but never higher than – 90 kilometres per hour, motorists should not go above 70 kilometres per hour when passing cyclists.

Once again, crossing the central line and invading the opposite lane is permitted to enable the two-metre distance to be left. This said, drivers should not overtake cyclists at all where it would involve moving into the oncoming lane unless it is safe to do so, with no oncoming cars that may be forced to brake or have difficulty stopping in time.

Head of Spain's General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), Pere Navarro, announced these measures in a conference organised by Executive Forum involving motorway franchise companies Abertis Autopistas and Indra.

It forms part of a raft of reforms to the Road Traffic Law which are expected to come into force in the next few months.

They include the number of points deducted from licences rising from three for driving with a mobile phone in one's hand to six, and not wearing a seatbelt, helmet on a motorbike, or with children not in the correct booster seats, to four.

Cyclists are some of the most vulnerable road-users, especially on fast-moving inter-provincial highways, and although motor vehicle crash death figures have generally been improving in the last few years, this is not the case with cyclists – last year, when fatality rates for all other types of road transport reduced, those of cyclists saw the smallest reduction, and in 2019, bicycle crash deaths actually increased.

34 CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

Spain Consolidates Its Leadership in Connected Vehicles Through the General Directorate of Traffic, Spain has strengthened its commitment to the connected vehicle, with its participation in the ecosystem of the multi-party agreement Data for Road Safety in which car manufacturers, information service providers authorities and road traffic authorities of the EU Member States are committed to exchanging long-term safety data to make roads safer.

This agreement, backed by the European Commission and in which the vehicle manufacturers participate: Audi AG, BMW AG; Ford Smart Mobility Ltd; Mercedes Benz AG; Volvo Cars and Scania and the traffic authorities of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Holland and Finland, in addition to Spain, represents a step forward in the mobility of the future, in which connectivity between vehicles and traffic managers it will be essential to warn drivers about incidents that may be encountered while traveling.

The Director General of Traffic, Pere Navarro, said “the connected vehicle is the future of road safety; you will receive a warning of what you are going to find on the road before you can see it. We have to take advantage of the opportunities that technology offers us."

According to Jorge Ordás, Deputy Director of Mobility and Technology of the DGT “Spain´s participation in the Data for Road Safety group means that connected mobility is a reality on our roads and streets, being able to improve everyone's safety road users”.

Anonymous data exchange

For the exchange of information, the members of the Data for Road Safety have created an ecosystem of traffic information related to Safety (SRTI) based on a reciprocity model in which the anonymized data that is exchanged will represent a safety service for drivers, by helping them to make decisions while driving and thus save lives.

A first demonstration of the functioning of this ecosystem was carried out between June 2019 and October 2020 with a test in which tens of millions of messages were provided and in which the vehicles demonstrated that they are capable of producing data for five of the eight categories of the proof of concept established in the EU Regulation 886/2013: unprotected accident zone, damaged vehicle, temporary slippery road, reduced visibility and exceptional weather conditions.

DGT 3.0 In line with reaching the goal of 0 deaths, 0 injured, 0 congestion and 0 emissions, the DGT has enabled what they call DGT 3.0, the smart mobility platform, a unique, free and truthful provider of information in real time about what is happening on the roads, information of great value for the entire mobility ecosystem in the national territory, thus providing safer and smarter mobility.

According to Ordás “in the last two years we have developed a loT platform that allows interconnection between all the actors that are part of the traffic and mobility ecosystem, such as: vehicle manufacturers, public transport platforms, city councils, insurance

companies, device manufacturers connectivity, roadside assistance vehicles, providers of applications related to safe and intelligent mobility and the different road users”.

Currently, six use cases are being worked on to transmit information: Generic incident alert provided by a third party (stopped vehicle, crane on the road, accident, narrowing, closed road, sporting event, adverse weather conditions ...)

Planned works, work in progress in real time: lanes affected ...

Forecast of information provided by the vehicle sensors (fog lights, windscreen wiper activation, warnings, ESP ...). V2V (V2C).

Virtual variable messages such as detours, alternative routes, reversible lanes, retentions ...

Virtual variable messages: identification of areas and roads with access restrictions to cities, detours, alternative routes, reversible lanes, traffic jams ...

Real-time traffic light information on the phases of urban traffic lights for the entire national territory and the topology of the crossings that will help make driving more relaxed and efficient, with greater protection for vulnerable users.

The V-16 signals, which will replace the warning triangles on the road, will be connected to the platform and will allow the rest of the vehicles to be informed of the exact point where this signal is active.

Currently this intelligent mobility platform is fully deployed with several use cases in production and new ones in development.

Pedestrians Watch Out!

We are a fundamentally a visual society.

In fact, 80% of the information we receive comes through the eyes. This is especially relevant when driving a vehicle or traveling on foot. However, the most frequent phrase after a road traffic incident is that "I did not see it", a phrase many of us have uttered at some point.

According to a recent study carried out by several ophthalmology experts at the University of Helsinki (Finland), almost 24% of road incidents are related to a failure of observation or loss of visual attention.

In this sense, Andrés Gené, president of the College of Opticians-Optometrists of the Valencian Community and a researcher attached to INTRAS, recalls that "the most critical hours" for road accidents are precisely "when the light decreases" , that is, dawn or dusk, which shows the importance of vision. "A low visual capacity limits perceptions, causing an inadequate vision of signs and elements of the road, distractions and calculation errors", adds Gené.

"Poor vision limits life in general," explains Salvador Alsina, president of Vision and Life, an association that since 1955 has brought together optics and ophthalmology professionals. But, he adds, when we are pedestrians, we must be aware that “when facing the street, having difficulty distinguishing the traffic light, being able to see how a car or bicycle is approaching, its speed, and calculate the distance, are issues that can put our lives at risk”.

And the data shows that pedestrians are vulnerable road users. In 2019, 381 pedestrians died on Spanish roads (134

on interurban roads and 247 on urban roads), 22% of the total traffic victims registered that year.

Along these lines, Dr.Gené points out two particularly sensitive population groups as pedestrians: those over 70 and young people. In both cases, they suffer loss of visual attention, something very dangerous when traveling on the road.

The former, due to their age, have lost their visual ability and "sometimes they don't see the bus coming," he says. The latter, for their part, tend to be "distracted and crazy."

The youngest are of particular concern because, as Elisenda Ibáñez, optician-optometrist and Vision and Life coordinator explains, "we are facing the generation with a longer life expectancy, a very high mobility capacity and great preparation", but they have "much worse vision than their ancestors”. According to the data, 63.5% of young university students are myopic.

The 20/20 away rule Optician-optometrists insist on the importance of preventing eye fatigue from the use of digital devices. When we focus our gaze on a screen, blinking is significantly reduced, so the eye dries out (to see well, the ocular surface must be perfect). In addition, the tear also reduces with age, something that, for hormonal reasons, reaches women (4045 years) earlier than men (50-55 years).

To alleviate this situation, experts recommend the use of artificial tears. In any case, they insist on the 20/20 / far rule: every 20 minutes in front of a screen, rest 20 seconds and look into the distance.

Toyota becomes world’s biggest car maker Toyota Motor Corporation overtook the mighty Volkswagen Group last year to become the world’s biggest-selling carmaker, ending VW’s five-year reign as top dog.

In a year where sales were decimated by the global pandemic, Toyota’s global sales volume dipped an alarming 11.3 per cent to 9.528 million vehicles in 2020.

That still compares favourably with Volkswagen, which saw the total

number of cars it delivered fall by 15.2 per cent to 9.305 million, losing its valuable lead to the Japanese car-maker.

The explanation over Toyota’s more modest hit in sales is down to the strength of the Japanese market, and others in Asia, which were less affected by the outbreak than Europe and the US. Breaking down the 2020 figures, Toyota said that the ratio of electrified vehicles it sold increased from 20 per cent in 2019 to 23 per cent in 2020.

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Elche CF, No Win in 13 Elche's unlucky streak of 13 matches without a win has seen them slowly but surely slipping down the table, finally landing them in the relegation zone. This sad statistic made Saturday's derby match against Valencia an immensely important one. Added to this is the disappointing results of the January Transfer Window which saw the arrival of a defending midfielder, rather than a couple of much needed creative forwards.

In the infamously steep Mestalla Stadium both teams had a hesitant start as memories of too many recent losses weighed heavy on all of the players. The egg shell like performances were broken in the 22nd minute when Portuguese winger Guedes travelled the pitch then cut and crossed to the head of Danish Wes who powered in an impossible to save bouncing header. Just 10 minutes later, following a foul by Barragan, the opposition had a chance for a second from the penalty spot. Badia, the Elche season saviour, anticipated the strike and executed another stunning save. This reinvigorated

Sport

CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

the Franjiverdes with goal opportunities coming from Tete Morente and Mojica.

The second half was as dire as the first half for the Elche CF players and agony for the fans.

The referee did not help the situation either. He gave a total of 7 yellow cards. This means that not only Gonzalo VerdĂş but also Alberto BarragĂĄn and Tete Morante will all have to miss the next fixture, as they have all accumulated 5 yellow cards each since the September start.

For the first time this season Valencia did not concede a goal on home soil, whilst Elche continue to increase their games on the bounce without a win record, which now stands at a very worrying 14. The fans are now starting to voice their disappointment at the

performances and the manager. It is anyone's guess as to what this week will hold for the club.

Elche CF will play at home on Saturday 6th February at 18:30 against 5th in the table Villarreal.

As soon as spectators are allowed back into the stadiums, EuroTourGuide will once again be offering Coach Tours with Match Tickets to support Elche CF. Please sign up to receive your free newsletter on www.eurotourguide.com

37

Prince William calls for racial abuse to stop The Duke of Cambridge has called for racist abuse aimed at footballers to stop, calling it "despicable". Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was the latest player subjected to racist abuse this weekend after a series of incidents. On Sunday, Greater Manchester Police began an investigation into the abuse.

And writing on Twitter, Prince William, who is also the president of the Football Association, praised those who had spoken out.

He said: "Racist abuse whether on the pitch, in the stands, or on social media - is despicable and it must stop now.

"We all have a responsibility to create an environment where such abuse is not tolerated, and those who choose to spread hate and division are held accountable for their actions. That responsibility extends to the platforms where so much of this activity now takes place.

"I commend all those players, supporters, clubs and organisations who continue to call out and condemn this abuse in the strongest terms."

The abuse aimed at Rashford on Saturday followed similar treatment of team-mates Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial.

"A number of these comments

have been reported to us and we are liaising with those involved to provide support and we will be investigating these crimes thoroughly," said a Greater Manchester Police (GMP)

statement.

Rashford described the abuse as "humanity and social media at its worst".

The 22-year-old, who was awarded the MBE for his work fighting child food poverty, received multiple racist messages on Instagram on Saturday. They were sent to the England striker after United's 0-0 draw with Arsenal.

"I'm a black man and I live every day proud that I am," he said on

Twitter.

"No-one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you're just simply not going to get it here.

"I'm not sharing screenshots.

It would be irresponsible to do so and as you can imagine there's nothing original in them.

"I have beautiful children of all colours following me and they don't need to read it.

Beautiful colours that should only be celebrated."

GMP said they were aware that a number of Manchester United players had suffered abuse on social media between Wednesday and Saturday.

They added: "Nobody should be subject to such abuse and it is deeply upsetting not only to those who suffer it, but to all those who come across this awful language too.

"These hateful words have no place anywhere in our society whether online or otherwise."

Facebook, which owns Instagram, also released a statement after Rashford's abuse.

It said: "We have taken action in this case by removing accounts and comments and are continuing to investigate."

38

Sport

CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

TALES FROM THE TOP FLIGHT ■ CHRIS DARWEN chris@costablancapeople.com

Was this the Premier League week where both Liverpool and Man City felt it was time to remind the world it will end up being a two-horse race?

Both Peppy G and King Kloppo will most likely be fairly happy with their lots in life after the last seven days Guardiola making Big Sam actually combust with their 5-0 spanking of WBA and the champions remembering where the back of the league net was with their 3-1 dismissal of Jose’s Spurs.

And this weekend, both overcame potential banana skins (now, now Sheffield United have actually found some form) to make the rest of the title-pretenders wish they could just be a little bit better.

The match against Chris Wilder’s lot was Pep’s toughest match yet, apparently - but that didn’t stop him notching up victory 500, courtesy of Gabby Jesus deciding he’d better start scoring if he wants to be at the club next season. With clean sheets galore, it’s hard to see them not getting their title back.

Not that Liverpool are going to just hand it over - considering their lack of defenders also means they have a

lack of midfielders, they’ll be content to still be in the running with a little bit of form on their side once more. West Ham have dreams above their station once more but Mo Salah was in one of those moods - someone must have reminded him he could get even more distance ahead of the injured Sadio Mane in the Anfield goal race.

Man United are still technically in the mix despite following up the shock defeat to the Premier League’s bottom side with another dull fest draw with Arsenal. It’s no wins against ‘the six’ for United this season and Arteta was without Tierney, Saka and, less worryingly, Yo-Pierre.

Ole might have a point that Cedric can’t actually defend, but Arsenal came for a point and got it. When you are David Luiz in 2021 you have to celebrate the small wins in life, like a Bruno Fernandes free kick hitting you in the head. Mind you, he did get man of the match. On VAR watch, does anyone disagree that had it been Xhaka’s studs raking Fernandes’ achilles heel then we’d have probably seen a red?

As expected, Frank Lampard’s Chelsea made the decision to relieve Frank Lampard of his duties and replace him with Thomas Tuchel. While the German hasn’t got an immediate tune out of the

two pianos he was brought in to play - Kai Havertz and Timo Werner - he did find Marcos Alonso kicking around in the canteen and invited him to have a go. With Alonso and Azpilicueta getting on the scoresheet, who needs £120m of goalscoring threat to find the net, eh?

Fair play to Matty Cash who pulled off one of the saves of the season for Aston Villa in their victory over Southampton. Danny Ings isn’t the most lucky of footballers given his injury history and that continued with him being ruled offside by the slimmest margin so far since the introduction of VAR. Whisper it quietly but Wolves are in trouble - Crystal Palace Eze’d past them to take all three points and if I was to point at a manager who might not be in a job come the end of the season, I’d be pointing at Nuno, sadly.

It’s probably time we accepted that Leicester will not finish in the top four again and that Patrick Bamford is actually very, very good. Leeds’ organised chaos saw off the Foxes 31 and it was Bamford who scored the goal of the game before being incredibly unselfish to lay on the third. As for Leicester, will grasping Europa League football from the jaws of Champions League qualification once more be classed as progress or

regression?

As for Jose’s Spurs, they might want to consider getting Harry Kane some new super-human ankles with the money they could save by packing Gareth Bale back off to Madrid. It’s never nice to watch a true great become a shadow of the player he once was, especially so young, but I think we can write this loan off as a bad debt now. As for Brighton, they played nice football and won at home - and you don’t get to say the second part of that sentence too often.

Newcastle are still waiting for Joelinton to cut it on Tyneside but will be far happier now that sacked Luton Town manager Graeme Jones is around to help Steve Bruce with tactics and stuff. Mind you, it worked - Callum Wilson playing as a right winger is a novel idea but it led to him scoring both against Everton.

Oh, and we are allowed to now suggest that the Toffees are a little bit over-rated under Ancelotti.

Scott Parker will still be wondering how Fulham were not 4-0 up against West Brom at half-time. Allardyce will have politely reminded his team of what he said after the Etihad loss and, amazingly, it worked - WBA were a different team in the second half and will be annoyed at themselves for not holding on to a 2-1 win. The draw helped nobody, really.

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CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

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SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 38

CostaBlancaPeople 2nd - 8th February 2021

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