Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 2 - 8 December 2021 Issue 1900

THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 32 - 35 Issue No. 1900 2 - 8 December 2021

No problem EIGHTY‐NINE per cent of graduates from Alicante Province’s two universities find work in the first year after they finish their studies, a survey by Elche’s Miguel Hernandez University and Alicante University found.

Those with degrees in Medicine, Nursing or Physiotherapy, as well as Engineering, Computing, Robotics and Telecommunications had the fewest problems in finding work.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

CASH ALL ROUND Photo credit: GVA.es

Turn to page 2 » TORREVIEJA MEETING: Joaquin Guillamo, Eduardo Dolon, Herick Campos and Rosario Martinez Chazarra.

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2 - 8 December 2021

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Generalitat investment Torrevieja shopping voucher scheme for the Vega Baja TWENTY-FIVE per cent of the regional government’s €598.6 million 2022 Budget assignment for Alicante province is earmarked for the Vega Baja.

Once the Budget is approved by the regional parliament, the Generalitat intends to allocate €107.96 million to counteracting southern Alicante’s need for first-class infrastructure. Projects include a new school for Guardamar, extensions to Hospital Vega Baja now that Torrevieja’s Health district has reverted to the public secto, and a €7.3 million sludge composting plant in Pilar de la Horadada.

Plan Vega Renhace will receive €16 million to rebuild water supply and drainage infrastructure that was destroyed during the high-level isolated depression (DANA) storms of September 20219.

The Budget pledges coincided with the first-ever meeting between regional officials implementing the Plan Vega

Renhace and Orihuela’s Water Court, the Juzgado Privativo de Aguas.

Both intend to meet on a regular basis to review Vega Renhace anti-flooding projects in 27 municipalities.

Meanwhile, in Torrevieja, the Valencian Community’s Tourism secretary general Herick Campos met Joaquin Guillamo, president of Torrevieja’s Hospitality Association, together with Torrevieja mayor Eduardo Dolon, and Tourism councillor Rosario Martinez Chazarra to discuss the Gastrovegabaja gastronomic festival held between October 15 and November 25. Campos later attended a meeting of Torrevieja Tourist Board where he pointed out the Vega Baja has received more than €13.5 million via Resistir Plus and direct aid, while the resort received almost €4 million from the same sources.

TORREVIEJA mayor Eduardo Dolon announced a third edition of the Bono Consumo shopping voucher scheme.

The town hall is subsidising 7,500 vouchers costing €10 and 3,750 cost‐ ing €20 which are worth €20 or €40 when used in participating shops be‐ tween now and December 31.

This third Bono Consumo campaign provides an opportunity for applicants who failed to obtain vouchers in the previous edition, the mayor ex‐ plained.

Until 2pm on Friday December 3, they can pick up their vouchers in per‐ son at the Comercio y Ocupacion de Via Publica office in the La Plasa mar‐

Photo credit: Torrevieja town hall

BONO CONSUMO: Helpful for shoppers as well as shopkeepers.

ket on the Joaquin Chapaprieta‐Plaza Isabel II corner.

This is restricted to applicants who applied unsuccessfully during the sec‐ ond campaign, Dolon explained. A pri‐ or appointment should be made at the same Comercio y Ocupacion de

Via Publica office.

The APYMECO shopkeepers’ associ‐ ation are providing more information on 965 074 310 as well as telephone technical support on 617 294 443 and the soporteapymeco@gmail.com email address.

Previously disappointed applicants can also reserve vouchers online at www.torrevieja.bonoconsumo.es be‐ tween 4pm on December 3 until 4pm on December 9. After this date, the scheme is open to all.

In all, Dolon pointed out, the three campaigns have brought a total cash injection of €3 million to local busi‐ nesses.

Inmate found dead A 23-YEAR-OLD inmate has been found dead in his cell inside the Campos del Rio prison in the province of Murcia. The incident occurred on Thursday, November 25. According to prison sources, his cellmate had alerted the prison warders over the intercom that the man was not moving, but attempts to revive him were in vain.

As the prisoners were due to go down to the yard in the afternoon, the cellmate reportedly noticed the man was not responding. Warders called medical staff to the cell in Module 5,

but their attempts at resuscitation were futile, and the man was confirmed dead in the cell.

In the absence of the results of the coroner’s report, it is believed that an excessive intake of pills was the cause of death.

His body has since been transferred, as required by the protocol, to the Murcia Institute of Legal Medicine.

According to reports, this is the second death to occur at the facility this year. Earlier this month, a 47-year-old, whose identity has not been provided, was also found dead in his cell.

Ship’s captain arrested GUARDIA CIVIL officers have intercepted and arrested the captain of a merchant ship in the waters off the coast of the Murcia municipality of Cartagena. He was detained on suspicion of belonging to a

criminal organisation, abusing the rights of foreign citizens, and document falsification.

During the operation, eight people of Syrian nationality, allegedly victims of

a criminal organisation dedicated to illegal human trafficking, were identified, and later released.

An investigation had been initiated after the Guardia Civil were alerted to the possible use of a ship by a transnational criminal organisation to carry out people trafficking. This was being carried out under the guise of a merchant vessel transporting cattle. Thanks to the collaboration and cooperation between European agencies, this route has now been closed.

Maritime documentation showed irregularities in the documents relating to eight Syrian crew members. Eventually, a full-scale inspection took place, and it was discovered that the eight lacked training or qualifications for maritime tasks. It came to light that the Syrians had been forced to work on the ship under exploitative labour conditions after being offered transfer to Europe for as much as €13,000.

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NIBS EXTRA Age Concern AGE CONCERN COSTA CALI‐ DA reminded users and members of the public that their Social Centre located in Avenida de los Covachos, 2B Camposol, Sector C in Mazarron (Murcia) will be closing for the Christmas pe‐ riod at 2pm on Friday De‐ cember 18. It will reopen at 10am on Monday, January 10.

No takers ALBATERA Town Hall re‐ ceived no bids for a €1.3 mil‐ lion contract to reform and add a classroom to the Vir‐ gen del Rosario school, built in 1978. The town hall would have dealt with per‐ mits and paperwork, while the project would have been financed by the Gener‐ alitat’s Edificant scheme.

Buzz off RESIDENTS living near Torre‐ vieja’s Salt Lake complained that they are enduring a plague of mosquitoes fol‐ lowing heavy rain in Octo‐ ber and a showery Novem‐ ber. The town hall has ordered an extra round of fumigation, meanwhile hoping that falling tempera‐ tures and colder weather will combine to solve the problem.

Name-calling ALICANTE’S city council will ask the Senate and regional governments to process on‐ ly documents or initiatives referring to the Comunidad Valenciana and not Pais Va‐ lenciano or Paisos Catalans.

The region’s legal name was set out in the 1982 Statute of Autonomy, the Partido Popular, Ciudadanos and Vox argued.

Cross words CALLOSA mayor, Manuel Martinez Sirvent, an‐ nounced a town hall review of the procedures used in 2018 to remove the Cruz de Los Caidos memorial to the fallen in the Civil War. He was convinced, Sirvent said, that his predecessors had not complied with the law by fast‐tracking the process.

2 - 8 December 2021

An enjoyable day out AT 8am on a cold, icy‐windy Thursday morning, a group of people hurried to board their coach in Torrevieja.

Most of them were mem‐ bers of the Torrevieja U3A, who were setting out on a day trip to Murcia, arriving at 9.15am in Aguilas.

By this time the sun had bro‐ ken through and the wind had eased, so the group spent a leisurely hour and a half, see‐ ing the sights or breakfasting in one of the many seafront cafes.

Photo credit: Torrevieja U3A

LUNCH BREAK: Torrevieja U3A members in Los Urrutias.

Reboarding the coach, they travelled the short distance to La Granja del Fraile (The Friar’s Farm) where they sampled lo‐ cally‐produced cheeses with a

Big event for Little Pod VOLUNTEERS for the Little Pod Association are organising a Christ‐ mas Market on Decem‐ ber 4 to raise some much‐needed funding.

This will be held on Saturday December 4 between 11am and 2pm in the Orange Tree, Alegria, Laguna Tavern and Cavanaghs bars in Calle Mandari‐ na on the Entre Naran‐ jos urbanisation in Ori‐ huela.

“In past years we have raised around €1,700 each time and hope this can be re‐ peated, if not im‐ proved‐upon,” the as‐ sociation’s Nick Webb told the Euro Weekly News.

There will be a raffle, tombola, Christmas hampers and the chance to win Cupcake Christmas trees, as well as stalls selling ev‐ erything from home baking, curries, chut‐

neys and preserves to handmade Christmas cards, handicrafts, ac‐ cessories, Christmas gifts and decorations, not forgetting mulled wine and mince pies.

The Little Pod Associ‐ ation (LPA) is a regis‐ tered charity based in Torremendo (Orihuela) which rescues, cares for and rehomes aban‐ doned Podenco dogs, as well as cats and kit‐ tens.

drink to wash them down.

To round off the day the group went to a new restau‐ rant in the Mar Menor, as Murcia’s Covid restrictions pre‐ vented the coach party from visiting their original choice.

Afterwards they were able to take a short stroll along the promenade in Los Urrutias be‐ fore boarding the coach to re‐ turn to Torrevieja.

“Despite the cold start and the last‐minute change of meal venue, a good day out was enjoyed by all,” said Torre‐

vieja U3A’s Press officer, Barry Weston. The Torrevieja U3A are off on another trip on Tuesday December 7, visiting Murcia in the evening to enjoy the Christmas lights and pick up presents at the Christmas market.

Further details of this trip and many other events open to members of the Torrevieja U3A can be found, along with details of the association and how to become a member, on their torreviejau3a.org web‐ site.

We want it back!

ORIHUELA is taking legal ac‐ tion against the regional gov‐ ernment of Cataluña. Last Au‐ gust, Orihuela’s mayor Emilio Bascuñana gave the Generali‐ tat de Cataluña three months to return the Llibre dels Repartiments, the city’s mini‐ Domesday Book detailing land ownership after the city was retaken from the Moors in 1243. The book was stolen from Orihuela between 1907 and 1908, reappearing at some time between 1920 and 1933 when it was acquired by

Barcelona’s provincial council, the Diputacion.

“Although aware of its illicit origin, the Diputacion deposit‐ ed the book in the library of Barcelona’s Institute of Cata‐ lan Studies,” Orihuela City Hall argued.

Orihuela once again asked for the “immediate” return of the Llibre dels Repartiments and, in the absence of any re‐ ply from the Generalitat de Cataluña, has instructed its le‐ gal team to start legal pro‐ ceedings.

St Valentine’s date for Nancy JACQUELINE CARTER took early retirement to live in Los Alcazares nearly five years ago.

Since then she has been busy writing nov‐ els, with the third scheduled to arrive on February 14, St Valentine’s Day. Earlier this year Jacqueline told the Euro Weekly News about her first two novels, Louisa and Joan, and now she has contacted the newspaper again to tell us about Nancy, the last book in the trilogy.

“It’s the Swinging 60s and Great Britain is soaring ahead with fabulous fashions, sensa‐

A ROJALES park pays homage to all the women who have fought for equality and to combat gender violence. Its recent inauguration presid‐ ed by Rojales’ mayor, Antonio Perez, together with the town’s councillors, coincided with In‐ ternational Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. Rojales’ Equality councillor pointed out that the small park was a reminder that this should be cele‐

tional music, a booming economy and new‐ found freedom for all,” Jacqueline ex‐ plained.

“Join Louisa, her lovable family and quirky friends for a decade in their lives as they en‐ counter love, happiness, sorrow, success and female strength. Nancy will warm your heart and stay with you forever,” the Los Al‐ cazares‐based writer promised.

“Louisa and Juan are available on Amazon and Kindle worldwide and soon Nancy will be, too!”

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Christmas Fayre THE Christmas Fayre held at the Marina Bar in Tor‐ revieja’s Calle de las Rosas was an outstanding suc‐ cess.

“Thanks to massive support from those at‐ tending, the €1,330 raised for Stroke Association Spain far exceeded ex‐ pectations,” said David Whitney.

The busy afternoon galloped by with a raffle, tombola, money tree, stalls and a visit from San‐ ta which kept everybody entertained.

The Marina Bar staff, headed by Rita and Dave Monaghan, gave brilliant service and support, while fundraisers David and Lorraine Whitney and their team of helpers created a memorable af‐ ternoon.

There was also a big thank you for all those people who donated items or contributed to the success of the event.

A special mention went to Lynn Victoria Smith for baking a cake for the raffle and to Mary Terry Flynn, who once again donated an afternoon tea for two at the bar.

The next event on David and Lorraine’s fundraising calendar is the ever‐popular Mingle Bells at the Marina Bar on the afternoon of Friday December 10, with a two‐ course, pre‐Christmas lunch, raffle, quiz and spot prizes. Bookings are essential as space is limit‐ ed.

For further details, ring the bar on 965 705 907.

A reminder and finally...

brated and remembered “every day of the year.” The park also features a marble sculpture

by Alhi Prieto and a plaque honouring all the women “who preceded us, those who fought for our rights, those who were forgotten, sup‐ pressed, raped, ill‐treated and humiliated.”

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ICE FACTORY’S new role. Torrevieja Town Hall has acquired the old Ice Factory for €800,000.

Federico Alarcon, councillor and secretary of the Local Gov‐ ernment Board, confirmed the purchase and revealed that fol‐ lowing rehabilitation, the building would house the Municipal Tourism office, municipal offices and installations linked to the International Habaneras Festival.

The Ice Factory, a prime example of Torrevieja’s industrial ar‐ chitecture, was built for the use of the local fishing industry be‐ fore the 1936‐1939 Civil War.

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Beatlemania THE 31st edition of the most traditional event in the history of Spanish Beatlemania takes place on Sunday, December 5, 2021, on the anniversary of John Lennon’s death.

The Sala Malander in Sevilla will be the venue for the 31st Homenaje Nacional a Beatles.

There will be a special performance by top Bea‐ tles tribute band, Los Es‐ carabajos, along with guest artists and a Beat‐ lemania collectors’ mar‐ ket. After two years of waiting due to the Covid‐ 19 pandemic, Spain’s Na‐ tional Tribute to The Bea‐ tles returns in time for the Puente de la Inmacu‐ lada on the eve of Consti‐ tution Day with its his‐

toric concert presented

by Enrique Sánchez, mu‐ sician, writer, and founder of the host band.

The event is produced

by BeatleBiz (Beatlema‐ nia & Bis Managers) and Strawberry Fields Radio Beatles, with the involve‐ ment of Beatle 6‐7 Route and Los Escarabajos.

Opening the show is the new line‐up of the group Los Beatos, which evokes the fab four’s live rockers between 1964 and 1966.

The event attracts fans of the band from far and wide and promises to be an edition to remember after a two‐year wait.

Sala Malander is locat‐ ed on Calle Torneo 43 in Sevilla.

A pink tidal wave MORE than 3,000 people took part in the 17th edition of Elche’s March in support of women with breast cancer.

The four‐kilometre March regained its festive, family‐oriented character after last year’s edition which was exclusively virtual, owing to the pan‐ demic.

This year, however, there was nevertheless an online option for those who preferred, attracting 700 particpants.

Organised by Elche’s AMACMEC association, which supports breast cancer victims, and with

collaboration from Elche City Hall, the marchers who set out from Paseo de la Estacion turned the route into a tidal wave of pink t‐shirts.

Participants included Elche mayor Carlos Gon‐ zalez as well as the councillors for Sport, Social Rights, Public Safety, Tourism, Education, Senior Citizens, Mobility and Commerce.

Gonzalez, accompanied by AMACMEC presi‐ dent Manuela Agullo, praised the great work that the association carried out and thanked all those who had contributed to such a good cause by taking part.

New republic born THE British monarchy has reigned over Barbados in the Caribbean for 396 years.

At midnight on Monday November 29, this reign ended, and Barbados be‐ came the world’s newest re‐

public. The Royal Standard flag which represents the Queen was lowered at mid‐ night. Barbados was de‐ clared a republic by Carol Roberts‐Reifer, the Chief Ex‐ ecutive Officer of the Na‐ tional Cultural Foundation.

Many people gathered to watch the ceremony and ap‐ plause could be heard as the Chief Justice swore in Dame Sandra Mason as president.

The national anthem was played, and a 21‐gun salute was fired to mark the occa‐ sion. Renowned singer Rhi‐ anna was declared a nation‐ al hero at the ceremony.

Mason gave her first speech as president and

commented: “Republic Bar‐ bados has set sail on her maiden voyage.” She went on to highlight that Barba‐ dos will have to navigate a “complex, fractured and tur‐ bulent world.”

She added: “Our country must dream big dreams and fight to realise them.”

Prince Charles attended the ceremony and said: “The creation of this republic of‐ fers a new beginning.

“From the darkest days of our past and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history, people of this island forged their path with extraordi‐ nary fortitude.”

NEWS

Not what is wanted VEGA BAJA health professionals feel ‘de‐ fenceless’ now that security guards have been removed from primary care centres.

The regional gov‐ ernment’s Health de‐ partment terminated the service which had been in force since De‐ cember 2020 in re‐ sponse to continual physical threats and verbal attacks from disgruntled members of public.

CCTV cameras were installed at all centres, with security guards assigned to two cen‐ tres in Orihuela, one in Almoradi and another in Callosa.

Now that the guards are no longer visible, doctors and nurses fear that the hostile episodes will again increase, they said.

According to the Sindicato Medico union’s Jose Manuel Peris, the regional government removed the guards because the few reported inci‐ dents in recent months did not justify the expense.

“According to the health professionals at the centres, dozens of incidents are reported in writing every month,” Peris told the local Spanish media.

Generalitat claims that there were few incident was “scan‐ dalous,” he main‐ tained.

“We are profession‐ als, here to attend to patients in the best possible manner, but we aren’t the ones who should be keep‐ ing order at health centres,” he said.

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SOUTH PACIFIC: The musical was staged in front of four full houses.

An absolute classic EVERY song in the musical South Pacific is an absolute classic. Each a cornerstone of one of the best‐loved scores ever written.

The Studio32 production of this Roger’s and Hammer‐ stein musical was staged in front of four full houses at the Cardenal Belluga Theatre in San Fulgencio and fea‐ tured some classic perfor‐ mances.

Bill Nicholson made an ex‐ cellent Emile de Becque, the French plantation owner who enjoys a romance with Nellie Forbush, a young, sweet natured nurse played

by Bev McEwan. Their voices

combined splendidly in all their musical numbers.

There’s plenty of comedy too, as the Seabees, led by the convincing Andy Kirk‐ wood as Luther Billis, seek female company on the mysterious island of Bali H’ai.

They were all supported by a very strong chorus of marines and nurses who gave a good backing throughout the show.

Blood Mary, a native trad‐ er, was portrayed by Judith O’Neill, while De Beque’s young son, Jerome, was de‐ lightfully played by seven‐ year‐old Benjamin Cooper.

Cameo performances were

provided by Phillip Wilson (Cable), Don Wilkinson (Brackett) and Rae Daniel (Harbison).

Direction and choreogra‐ phy were expertly handled

by Susan Zillah Wilson and her assistants.

Studio32’s next show will be Guys & Dolls and will run at the Cardenal Belluga The‐ atre on May 18‐21, 2022.

They will be holding open days at Lakeview Bar and Restaurant on December 5 and January 9 for anybody interested in joining the group on or off stage.

Visit Studio32.org for fur‐ ther information.

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Spain’s richest menu Pregnant women crisis DABIZ MUÑOZ’S restau‐ rant, DiverXO, in Madrid, boasts three Michelin stars, and three Repsol suns.

Not surprisingly, the chef has just been given the award for Best Chef in the World 2021. However, af‐ ter a price increase, it seems that his establish‐ ment is also about to be‐ come the most expensive in Spain.

From January 2022, Cristina Pedroche’s hus‐

Expensive taste.

band’s restaurant will raise the price of its tasting menu from €250 to €360.

Added to this amount would be €150 per person if you want to enjoy a se‐ lection of wines chosen by the sommelier Miguel An‐ gel Millan, or €300 if you want a high‐class pairing.

DiverXO is, since this year, positioned at number 20 in the list of the best restaurants in the world, and the only one with three Michelin stars ‐ of the 11 in Spain ‐ to raise the price of its menu.

Gordon Brown’s warning FORMER prime minister Gordon Brown has warned that this and next Christmas could both be at risk from Covid restrictions.

He believes the UK and other well‐off na‐ tions need to share vaccines and stop hoarding them.

The UK had promised to donate 100 mil‐ lion coronavirus jabs, but so far only 11 per cent have been delivered. Brown has called on Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance to “sit Boris Johnson down and acquaint him with some basic medical facts.”

Brown has hit out at Johnson for claiming that the Omicron variant can be blamed on countries having a low uptake of coron‐ avirus vaccines. Brown has instead blamed this on a shortage of jabs.

Mr Brown commented on donated jabs being delayed: “Through no fault of their own ‐ a number of countries have become spaces for outbreaks of new variants of the virus.

“Not for the first time, Johnson has shown a casual disregard for the facts.”

DOCTORS have warned that maternity services are at crisis point over the number of unvaccinated pregnant women who are in-

fected with Covid on labour wards.

Expectant mothers who have Covid need additional care and doctors are wor-

Red-taped gifts ANYONE in the UK sending Christmas presents to loved ones in the EU needs to be aware of possible customs charges and VAT charges.

Experts have said that people sending gifts to the EU face the possibility of de‐ lays, missing items, and charges that they were not expecting.

Many Brits are trying to send gifts to friends and family in the EU this Christ‐ mas. This means that this could be the first time they have had to contend with VAT and customs charges.

Adam French of con‐ sumer rights group Which? commented: “The changes brought about by Brexit have created a greater bur‐ den of customs paperwork for consumers and couriers alike. “You now have to at‐ tach customs declaration forms to anything you send, very clearly describing what it is and where it has origi‐ nated from.”

Brexit rule changes came into force on January 1. In July further changes also came into effect regarding VAT.

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Koalas sleep around 18 hours a day.

ried that this could be compromising the care of other pregnant women.

Dr Biswas is an adviser to the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. The doctor revealed: “Covid-positive expectant mothers in hospital need a lot closer monitoring.

“If they are in labour, they will need detailed heartmonitoring every few hours.

We’re supposed to have one midwife to every pregnant woman. But if you’re running those tests on the Covid patient every few hours, you can’t be with another woman in labour.

“If there are not enough midwives to go around, it’s feasible the patient who doesn’t have Covid will miss out on adequate care.”

Doctors all agree that maternity services across the country are not set up to deal with the current situation. There has been a chronic staff shortage for years, and the pandemic has made this much worse.

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Macron slams Johnson E M M A N U E L M AC R O N has slammed Boris Johnson as not being “serious” about the grow‐ ing number of migrant crossings over the Channel as the UK prime minister took to Twitter to publish a letter to the French Government.

This comes shortly after the deaths of 27 people who under‐ took the crossing on Wednesday November 22.

France has now withdrawn a summit invitation to the Home

Secretary Priti Patel, a move that the UK Government has urged them to reconsider. Johnson said of the move: “This is a problem we have to fix together.”

Mr Macron set up talks in Calais on Sunday November 28 to address the recent surge in migrant crossings of the chan‐ nel. Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the European Commission were in‐ vited.

The deaths of the 27 migrants

on November 22 was the biggest loss of life in the Channel in many years. Ahead of the meet‐ ing on November 28, Johnson posted the letter to Mr Macron which was then shared on Twit‐ ter.

Mr Macron blasted Johnson saying: “I am surprised by meth‐ ods when they are not serious.

We do not communicate from one leader to another on these issues by tweets and letters that we make public.”

Public defibrillator becomes life saver ON November 24, a nurse of the Regional University Hospital of Malaga saved the life of a 66‐year‐old man who was suffering a heart attack on a public road. Nurse Esther Diaz used a municipal defibril‐ lator that was installed less than 20 metres away, without which, according to her, she would not

have been able to revive him.

The events took place around 9:30am on Aveni‐ da de Andalucia. Diaz was out of her working hours and was about to have breakfast in a cafeteria when she found a man ly‐ ing on the street in seri‐ ous condition. She started to assist him while anoth‐

er citizen contacted 061.

The health care provider explained: “The patient was in a lateral security position, he was pulsing and breathing but had lost consciousness. I started doing cardiac massage, because I knew that at any moment, he could stop breathing,” she added.

Another citizen ap‐ proached Diaz with a de‐ fibrillator that was in‐ stalled on the road and thanks to this device the man began to regain con‐ sciousness. “If it were not for the AED (automated external defibrillator), I would not have been able to save him,” said the nurse.

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TikTok warning A WARNING has been is‐ sued by school officials in the USA after students were allegedly suspended for tak‐ ing part in the ‘Who Want Smoke’ TikTok challenge.

The students were filmed while pretending to hold guns while at school. One school prank even saw teachers conned into taking part in the challenge.

The TikTok challenge was inspired by Nardo Wick’s song ‘Who Want Smoke.’

People taking part in the challenge are filmed while using their phones to make it

look like they are holding guns and promoting gun vio‐ lence.

One student told Clarksville Now: “I was at school and I was on my phone just going through random Instagram stories. I saw the trend on someone’s page and I’m like, ‘Oh, we need to do this, we need to do this. We could probably go viral for this’.”

The student’s video went viral, but he was soon pulled into the principal’s office for breaching the student code of conduct.

and finally...

JUST like all of us, the Queen of England has her own mobile phone. But there are only two people she will ever take calls from, and neither are her sons! The lucky two are her daughter Princess Anne, and her racing manager John Warren. One of the world’s leading horsemen, John takes care of all rac‐ ing and breeding concerns for Her Majesty.

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Police march on Madrid T H O U S A N D S of Span‐ ish police officers marched through Madrid on Saturday, November 27 to protest a newly pro‐ posed change to a secu‐ rity law that they say will affect their ability to work.

Politicians from across the country’s po‐ litical spectrum joined the Spanish police march to oppose the changes to the 2015 Citizens Security Law, which critics say dam‐ ages the right to protest.

People who disagree with the current bill have named the legisla‐ tion the ‘gag law’ as it allows authorities to fine media organisa‐ tions for distributing unauthorised images of police, strictly limits demonstrations and im‐ poses heavy fines for offenders.

Spain’s centre‐left government wants to declassify taking pho‐ tographs or filming po‐ lice officers at demon‐ strations from being a serious offence.

Under the new

changes, police will have to adapt what ma‐ terials they use at protests to items that are less harmful after several people were se‐ riously injured by po‐ lice rubber bullets.

The custody time for people arrested at protests will be cut from six hours to two, and fines will be pro‐ portionate to the of‐ fender’s earnings.

Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros, of the far‐ right Vox party, said: “There is strong opposi‐ tion against (the re‐ form) of this law. It is against our police, and we will not let it happen.”

However, Isa Serra, spokeswoman for the far‐left Unidas Pode‐ mos party, said at a rally in Cantabria in northern Spain that the law had done a “lot of damage to Spanish democracy.”

NEWS

Flying taxi INVENTORS have chased the dream of creating flying cars for decades and they have been seen in many sci‐fi films.

But now, Umiles, a company which specialises in the manu‐ facture of drones, has a plan to launch the first‐ever fully electric air taxi in Spain.

Carlos Poveda, the CEO of Umiles, confessed that his company’s taxi is still a proto‐

ACCORDING to a press re‐ lease from the luxury car man‐ ufacturer Rolls‐Royce on November 16, the company has created the fastest electric aircraft in the world. It has sent the details of this achievement to the Federation Aeronau‐ tique Internationale (FAI) locat‐ ed in Lausanne, Switzerland, to certify their aeronautical record. Rolls‐Royce claim their ‘Spirit of Innovation’ reached a speed of 555.9 km/h, whilst travelling three kilometres. Its maximum speed at one point was allegedly 623 km/h. If this turns out to be true, then it

type and cannot fly. However, he assured that after a series of tests the model will take flight. The model was first re‐ vealed at the Expodronica fair in October.

Poveda explained that their flying taxi ‐ initially dubbed ‘In‐ tegrity’ ‐ will be able to connect the Balearic Islands, Valencia, and Barcelona. The vehicle will have the capacity to transport

Will transport 5 people.

five passengers and be capable of handling routes of up to 300km.

Poveda said the first test model will transport only one or two people. But he claimed they will be able to carry five passengers plus the pilot by June 2022.

Rolls-Royce record completely smashes the previ‐ ous record of 213.04 km/h.

As explained on their web‐ site, “The aircraft was pro‐ pelled in its record trips by a 400kW electric propulsion sys‐ tem, and the propulsion bat‐ tery pack with the highest power density ever assembled in the aerospace industry.”

The creation of this electric plane is part of the ACCEL (Ac‐ celeration of the Electrification of Flight) project. Half of its funding is provided by the Aerospace Institute of Technol‐ ogy (ATI), in partnership with the UK Department for Busi‐ ness, Industrial Energy, and In‐ novation.

STATS

10

Switzerland eats the most chocolate equating to 10 kilos per person per year.

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NEWS

Pyromaniac caught Asylum for Afghan Girl A N arsonist was caught by officers from the National Police in Alme‐ ria’s El Ejido. The details of the ar‐ rest were released on Sunday November 28. The man had alleged‐ ly set fire to a series of containers and caused damage to both vehicles and property in the process.

Multiple complaints had come into the El Ejido police station saying that waste containers were being s e t o n f i r e . At l e a s t 1 0 c o n t a i n e r s were set ablaze.

Police officers carried out an in ‐ vestigation. They set out to watch local areas at different times of the day. The operation proved success‐

OFFICERS from the Na‐ tional Police announced on November 28, they had arrested a man for drugging and sexually abusing a young boy in Valencia.

The man was a friend of the boy’s family, and the abuse allegedly be‐ gan during the coron‐ avirus confinement. The boy’s father initiated

ful and on Monday November 15 in the evening, officers from the Na‐ tional Police spotted a man inside a container. The man had been spot‐ ted at Calle Granada and was soon identified.

A fire broke out inside the con‐ tainer which the man had been in.

Officers discovered that the fire had been started using a t‐shirt. When the detained man was searched offi‐ cers discovered a lighter in one of his pockets.

The arrested man has been placed at the disposal of the courts in El Ejido. He has been accused of a crime of aggravated damage by fire.

Abuser arrested the complaint with the police.

Reportedly, the abuse started in March 2020 around the time that the coronavirus restric‐ tions came into place.

The alleged perpetrator had spent time living with the boy and his family and had gained his trust which he then abused.

The man had threat‐ ened and bribed the boy not to tell his fami‐ ly. The man has now been remanded in prison due to the seri‐ ousness of the crime.

THE National Geographic’s ‘Afghan Girl’, who was immor‐ talised more than 30 years ago on the front cover of the mag‐ azine, has arrived in Rome af‐ ter being evacuated from Afghanistan following the re‐ turn of the Taliban.

The Italian government made the official announce‐ ment that green‐eyed Sharbat Gula, who was photographed in 1984 at a refugee camp in Pakistan, had reached Rome on Thursday, November 25.

She had gone to Pakistan at four or five years old following the Soviet invasion of

Green-eyed Sharbat Gula.

Afghanistan, having fled the country along with thousands of others. She was just 12 years old when the iconic photo was taken by Steve McCurry, and it

made her into an emblem of the suffering and economic in‐ stability of the region.

Her image caught the world’s attention a second time in 2002, when the same pho‐ tographer went back to Afghanistan to find her again.

He found that she was still living in poverty, and once again, she appeared on the front cover of the National Geographic.

Gula, an illiterate mother of four, had no idea millions of people around the world had seen her photo and she had sparked an international move‐ ment for the rights of refugees.

Barcelona on silver screen LIAM NEESON has recently been spotted shooting his new film ‘Marlowe’ in sever‐ al different locations near Barcelona including Sitges, Alella, Blanes, Manresa, and Terrassa. In this thriller, the Irish actor plays the iconic de‐ tective Philip Marlowe, creat‐ ed by the celebrated Ameri‐

can‐British writer, Raymond Chandler.

The character initially ap‐ peared in the novel, ‘The Big Sleep’, published in 1939.

Years later, his stories were brought to the big screen featuring stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, and Elliott Gould

as protagonists.

Now the adventures of the intrepid inspector return to the cinema screens in an adaptation of ‘The Blonde with Black Eyes’, a novel from the writer, John Banville, resurrected starring the detective created by Chandler.

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New coin for Queen Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

NEWS

First drone highway WHILE countries like the USA are seen to be taking the lead on un‐ manned aircraft, here in Spain, the Valencian community are taking the lead. The region is working on a project with UPV (Universitat Politècnica de Valen‐ cia) that will see Valencia get Spain’s first aerial drone highway.

What may come as a surprise to many is that the region has al‐ ready built three drone highways and is currently qualifying sec‐ ondary roads or corridors.

Once in place these will allow the normalisation of drone flights around the community, allowing for a variety of uses including the delivery of medicines. The pro‐ cess is expected to be complete between 2023 and 2025.

A crucial step in this process was agreed this week with the signing of a protocol with Enaire, the company that manages the national airspace. This protocol allows for the integration of the community’s drone highways in‐ to the national network.

THE Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated by the Royal Mint with a newly designed 50p coin to be released next year. The coin will feature the number 70, which represents the number of years the Queen will have been on the throne by 2022.

The Queen’s royal cypher is nestled inside the zero and forms the heart of the design. It has been seen and approved by the Queen herself, and it is the first time a royal event has been commemorat‐ ed on the ‘tails’ side of a 50 pence.

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of com‐ memorative coins at the Royal Mint, said: “The Royal Mint has a proud history of striking coins for British monarchs and 2022 sees one of the greatest celebrations of Her Majesty the Queen with the upcoming Platinum Jubilee. “Marking 70 days until the anniversary of the Queen’s acces‐ sion to the throne, the Royal Mint is delighted to reveal the commemorative Plat‐ inum Jubilee new 50p de‐ sign ahead of its launch in the new year.

ONE mum has gone viral after she shared her husband’s X‐rat‐ “In recognition of the land‐ ed Christmas light display on social media. When setting up the mark occasion, this is the Santa, her husband had accidentally missed out on a zip tie first time a royal milestone that had been meant to tie Santa’s hand up so that he ap‐ has been commemorated on peared to be waving. Now, Santa appeared to be making an a 50p coin and is a fitting cel‐ explicit gesture. The mum’s TikTok video has been seen over ebration for Britain’s longest‐ 35 million times. reigning monarch.”

and finally...

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La Palma lottery rush THE devastation and loss ex‐ perienced by people in La Pal‐ ma has touched the world, with many people losing ev‐ erything. So, it’s no surprise to hear that Christmas lottery sales have soared on the is‐ land.

Whilst this is a positive story it’s also a sad one, reflecting just how desperate many peo‐ ple on the island are to recov‐ er their lives. Some €360 mil‐ lion, not including private donations, has been commit‐ ted by both the government of Spain and the Canary Is‐ lands, but many residents still don’t believe they will recover all that they have lost.

But there is also another side to this as explained by Borja Muñiz, president of the National Association of Provincial Lottery Administra‐ tors Associations (ANAPAL): “People believe that where there is misfortune there is al‐ so luck, so they play the lot‐ tery.” That makes La Palma a good place to buy a ticket.

NEWS

Charles’ racism denial LAWYERS were reportedly called in by Prince Charles regarding claims that he was the ‘Royal racist.’ Earlier this year, Meghan Markle shared her concerns surrounding one member of the family with Oprah Win‐ frey. A new book written by Christopher An‐ dersen claims that Charles was the person that Meghan was talking about. Anderson’s new book, Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan was scheduled to be released on November 30.

In the book, Andersen claims that Charles was having breakfast with his wife Camilla when he commented: “I wonder what the children will look like?’’ Camilla was some‐ what taken aback, then reportedly replied: “Well, absolutely gorgeous, I’m certain.”

Charles then commented: “I mean, what do you think their complexion might be?’’

The claims have been denied and a spokesperson for Prince Charles comment‐ ed: “This is fiction and not worth further comment.”

Neighbour threat A MAN in the municipality of Manises, Valencia, banged on his neighbour’s wall and got more than he bargained for when his neighbour responded by threatening him with a shotgun. The National Po‐ lice have arrested a 58‐ year‐old man.

The incident occurred at around 12.30 on Saturday, November 28, when the police were called to a house where an armed man was threatening to kill

his neighbour. When they arrived on the scene, the police officers were in‐ formed that just moments before, the irate man had been on the balcony, pointing a shotgun at his neighbour on the adjacent balcony and claiming that he was going to kill him.

The victim had taken refuge inside.

The police went to the suspect’s flat. He gave them permission to enter and openly confessed that

TMAS SH S I R H C E OP H T

he had threatened his neighbour because he was “banging on the wall.” He also informed the officers that he had the full inten‐ tion of killing him.

Immediately after speaking to the police offi‐ cers, the man opened the door to the balcony and tried to jump off, but one of the officers was able to grab him and pull him back inside.The man has been arrested and will now face trial.

ELKAR: Is located on the 33rd floor of the Madrid building.

High in the sky A NEW restaurant which has just opened in Madrid, has the notoriety of being the highest in the country. Elkar, which translated from Basque means ‘Together’ is locat‐ ed on the 33rd floor of the Torre Emperador Castellana and sits at 160 metres (525ft) above the city.

This haute cuisine es‐ tablishment is the new project in Madrid of Ara‐ mark Spain. It was born from the union of two chefs, Sergio Ortiz de

Zarate, who has a Miche‐ lin star, and Beñat Or‐ maetxea, who won the National Award for Young chefs. They have merged their two kitchens to form a gastronomic heav‐ en. It is the first time they have worked together.

A unique feature of the restaurant is that diners must first enter through the wine cellar before making their way up to the 33rd floor, where they can sit and enjoy the panorama of the Madrid skyline.

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Commemorative beer T H E terrible fire that broke out in Jubrique on September 8, and devas‐ tated around 8,400 hectares of the Sierra Bermeja, was the worst blaze in the history of Malaga Province.

The owners of the La Catarina craft brewery, which manufactures beer in the Malaga municipality of Estepona witnessed the event: “We are on the Guadalmansa river, in Es‐ tepona, and, at night, both

clients of the restaurant and ourselves could not stop looking at the burn‐ ing mountains. It affected us a lot. After witnessing this catastrophe, we de‐ cided to design something in recognition of all the emergency services.”

They have now created a limited‐edition beer ded‐ icated to all the people who participated in the fire’s extinction efforts. All the costs of which have been borne by one of the brand’s partners.

Their new brand has been christened ‘La Catari‐ na Aid’, and 10 per cent of all its sales will be donated to the various recovery plans that are being car‐ ried out in the coming months.

Around 700 litres of this beer have already been put on sale. It has been brewed without additives, and without pasteurisa‐ tion, and comes in two formats, 33cl bottles at €2.50 each, and in barrels.

NEWS

Brian May rants QUEEN guitarist Brian May has blasted the BRIT Awards for getting rid of their gendered prize cate‐ gories in a rant against ‘woke cancel culture.’ The organisers announced this week they are replacing their traditional male and female categories and re‐ placing them with ‘artist of the year’ and ‘international artist of the year,’ the Queen legend exploded with anger in an interview.

The organisers of the awards have said that the move was a “small but seis‐ mic” way of ensuring artists of all genders are celebrat‐ ed, bringing the focus on their “music and work, rather than how they choose to identify.” But May, 74, shouted down the “knee‐jerk” reaction, be‐ fore claiming Queen “would be forced” to be di‐ verse if remade today.

His comments have left critics baffled, as Queen’s iconic frontman Freddie Mercury was an openly bi‐ sexual man, born in Zanz‐ ibar to Parsi‐Indian par‐ ents. Queen has also

Comments were baffling.

toured with Adam Lam‐ bert, the gay American Idol performer who regularly dresses in gender non‐con‐ forming outfits.

May said on November 23: “I feel very uncomfort‐ able about some of the de‐

cisions that are being made, often out of fear.

It’s a decision that has been made without enough thought,” he said of a move that has been in the pipeline since at least 2019.

Motorbike tragedy A 51-YEAR-OLD motorcyclist has lost their life after an accident in Alicante’s Elche. The accident happened on Saturday, November 27 when the motorcyclist left the road while travelling along the EL‐20 road in the munici‐ pality.

The Traffic Management Centre of the DGT con‐ firmed that the accident took place at around 8.30pm.

The accident occurred on a roundabout, but the exact cause is not yet known.

Reportedly the motorcyclist left the road when they were driving around a roundabout, but it appears no other vehicles were involved. No further details regard‐ ing the incident are known at this time.

Olympic school visit O LY M P I C m o u n t a i n bike bronze medalist

David Valero visited a local school in Baza to

share his experiences of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The bronze medalist’s visit to the local school gave the children the opportunity to ask him anything they wanted to know about his career, about the sport of mountain biking, and the bronze medal.

The opportunity to see an Olympian and a medal up close evoked much excitement in the children. Some of the children prepared draw‐ ings and special gifts for David and many of them took home a signed au‐ tograph.

The visit to the Fran‐ cisco de Velasco school was especially poignant as it is the former pri‐ mary school of the champion.

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ADELE’S new album, 30, has topped the UK album charts as the fastest‐selling record of 2021 so far. This is despite the sales being 68 per cent lower than her previous album 25, released in 2015.

The 261,000 first‐week sales

Adele tops charts of 30 means it shoots past Ab‐ ba’s comeback album ‘Voyage’ which sold 204,000 in its open‐ ing week. The drop in Adele’s sales can partially be explained

Business as usual THE UK Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has urged people to keep planning for Christ‐ mas as normal. He believes that the UK is some way off implementing harsher coro‐ navirus restrictions, despite concerns raised globally over the new Omicron coro‐ navirus variant. So far two cases of the mutant strain have been detected in the UK. Javid said: “I think peo‐ ple should continue with their plans as normal for Christmas, I think it’s going to be a great Christmas.”

NEWS

The Health Secretary said that the UK is “nowhere near” reintroducing social distancing and work from home rules. He explained: “We know now those types of measures do carry a very heavy price, both economi‐ cally, and socially, in terms of non‐Covid health outcomes such as impact on mental health.” “So if one was to make decisions like that they would have to be done very, very carefully and we’re not there yet, we’re nowhere near that.”

by the massive explosion of streaming services between 2015 and now. Also, 25 was only available to buy and not stream for its first six months of release. Adele’s new album pushed Ed Sheeran off the top spot with his album = (Equals).

This means she has now se‐ cured a chart double, with the album’s lead single, Easy On Me, remaining number one for a sixth consecutive week.

The singer has also broken the record for a female act by having all four of her albums reach number one.

A chart double for Adele.

STATS

6,000

lightning bolts strike the Earth 6,000 times every minute.

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Formula 1 Amazon stores planned renews FORMULA 1 has re‐ newed its contract with the Circuit de Barcelona‐Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix until 2026.

As part of the new agreement, improve‐ ments to the track and facilities will be made ahead of the race on May 22, 2022 including upgrades and improve‐ ments towards the cir‐ cuit’s ambitious sus‐ tainability plans.

Formula 1 racing be‐ gan in 1950 and is the world’s most presti‐ gious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most pop‐ ular annual sporting series.

The first Spanish Grand Prix was held in 1913 and has been a part of the F1 world championship since 1968 at a variety of venues.

AC CO R D I N G to reports, Amazon plans to open physical stores in Spain next year. This news follows hot on the heels of the opening of the first store in the UK in 2021.

The online retailer, which has had physical stores in the USA for some time, believes that there is still plenty of opportunity for growth in Europe, although the pandemic has delayed their plans.

Up to five stores could be opened in Spain in 2022 along with 10 elsewhere in Europe and up to a 100 in the UK. There could be up to 17 in Spain and Italy by 2023.

Holiday passport chaos B R I T I S H holidaymak‐ ers eager for some winter sun this Christ‐ mas are facing the prospect of potential‐ ly losing their holi‐ days.

Due to the sudden rush in post‐Covid passport renewal ap‐ plications, which has caused a backlog in processing time, many may not receive their passports on time.

This comes as pass‐ port processing times have allegedly tripled during the pandemic.

Processing their pass‐ port is not the only problem though.

The Passport Of‐ fice’s courier service has admitted that t h e r e c o u l d b e d e l i v‐ ery issues. Some trav‐ ellers have been told they may face up to a 10‐week delay.

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New lobster law Lobsters can feel pain.

A NEW report by the Lon‐ don School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has found there is strong scientific evidence that lob‐ sters and other crus‐ taceans feel pain just like

French billionaire arrested by police THE Mossos d’Esquadra announced that Barcelona po‐ lice arrested French billionaire Conrad Dadak on Sunday November 21. He is wanted by a Marbella court for fraud and is thought to be a warlord accused of traffick‐ ing weapons.

The arrest comes after a hotel in the Ciutat Vella neighbourhood that makes use of the identification sys‐ tem used by establishments in Spain, notified the au‐ thorities that a client had an outstanding arrest warrant.

The man was arrested and taken back to the police station where further checks revealed an international alert from Germany investigating him for money laun‐ dering. Dadak has a long record of fraud, threats, and crimes.

This is not the first time Dadak has been arrested in Spain. In 2018, he was arrested in an Ibiza mansion un‐ der an international warrant. He was released hours lat‐ er and had been missing until his arrest last month.

us. The results of the gov‐ ernment‐commissioned study mean boiling lob‐ sters alive will be illegal un‐ der new laws.

The animals will be recognised as sentient be‐ ings, and this will facilitate their inclusion in the up‐ coming Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. “The sci‐ ence is now clear that de‐ capods and cephalopods can feel pain and therefore it is only right they are cov‐ ered by this vital piece of legislation,” said Animal welfare minister, Lord Gold‐ smith.

Before this research, de‐ capod crustaceans ‐ includ‐ ing crabs, lobsters, and crayfish ‐ and cephalopods ‐ including octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish ‐ were ex‐ cluded from the bill. This was the case even though these animals have a com‐ plex central nervous sys‐ tem, which is classed as one of the true hallmarks of sentience.

NATIONAL POLICE have recovered a 2,000‐ year‐old Iberian sword just before it was sold online on what they have called a “well‐ known social media site.” The rare sword would have belonged to a warrior some‐ where on the Iberian peninsula in pre‐Roman times.

The falcata is a double‐edged, curved sword that would have been used by the Iberians between the fifth and first centuries BC. It was seized as part of a group lot of 203

THE European Commission proposed on November 25 that vaccination certificates issued after the second Covid dose should become invalid if the person does not get the third booster jab within nine months.

In line with indications from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that the vaccines start to lose their effect after six months, Brussels is plan‐ ning to use this move to encourage people to get the third dose. Their idea is to allow a three‐month grace period after the first six months, in which to get the booster vaccination done.

More than 650 million

NEWS

Sword recovered archaeological pieces that had been posted for sale on social media.

This particular sword would be very popu‐ lar with collectors due to the condition of the blade on the piece. Falcatas were personal weapons and they tended to be buried with their owners, with the blades deliberately bent and misshapen so no one else could wield the weapon.

EU booster plans EU Digital Covid Certificates, or ‘health passports’, have been issued to date. This has led the Community Execu‐

tive to believe that the ac‐ ceptance of vaccines ‘has in‐ creased significantly’ since last summer.

and finally...

MANY have had to rearrange their weddings due to the pandemic. One couple was so determined to get married they even carried on when the groom could not make it.

They had already rescheduled twice, and on the third at‐ tempt the groom fell ill with food poisoning. They did not want to cancel last minute so they devised quite a creative plan. They used a pole with wheels with an iPad strapped on showing a photo of the groom’s face. The bride cut the cake beside her husband and even enjoyed their first dance.

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Hackers arrested Passengers test positive A SPANISH couple were arrested for hacking 16 store computers to mine cryptocurrencies. The pair, who installed mal‐ ware on the store’s ma‐ chines, intended to bene‐ fit from the lucrative trade in cryptocurrencies using the greater comput‐ ing power of the store’s machines.

Hackers were identified.

Ant invasion THE Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of Catalonia is monitoring and controlling the actions of the so‐ called ‘crazy ant’ (Paratrechina longicornis). This is an invasive species, which seems to have found a new home in the Port of Barcelona. As reported by the Generalitat in a statement, the work will allow an in‐depth survey of the area and verify the ex‐ tent of this species. They can then carry out controls with bio‐ cides and assess the effects of the treatment. This species of ex‐ otic ant is native to tropical Africa. Its presence was first detected in Catalonia when a worker ant was found at an access door to the Port of Barcelona back in February 2020. Subsequently, more were detected in a roundabout and then several colonies were located under the sewer and supply covers. Their distribu‐ tion is still very limited in the vicinity of the Port of Barcelona. The invasive species displaces other native species and invertebrates.

The malware installed by the couple enabled them to remotely manipu‐ late the devices and, in the process, carry out the transactions. Staff in the store became suspicious when they noticed that the fans of the computers which were on display were operating at maxi‐ mum capacity.

The staff examined the machines, which were new and on display, as they should not have been operating, only to find they had been tampered with and were being con‐ trolled remotely.

The autonomous police force in Tarragona (Mossos d’Esquadra) were called and their investiga‐ tors identified who was behind the breach, despite their attempts to hide their identity and their lo‐ cation. Had the breach not been identified, the hack‐ ers would have stood to make significant profits.

I T was reported on Fri‐ day November 26, that at least 61 passengers arriving at Amster‐ dam’s Schiphol airport from South Africa, test‐ ed positive for Covid.

They flew in on flights from Cape Town, and

Johannesburg.

Because new rules banning flights from South Africa had come into force while they were in the air, all 600 passengers subsequent‐ ly underwent CPR tests on arrival in the Nether‐

Israel closes borders ON November 27, Naftali Bennett, the prime minister of Israel, announced the closure of his country’s bor‐ ders to all foreign travellers.

This move has been introduced in an effort to com‐ bat the new Omicron variant of coronavirus. One case has been confirmed so far, along with seven suspect‐ ed cases.

In a statement, Mr Bennett said that the travel ban would last for 14 days but is pending government ap‐ proval. The Israeli government will also reportedly reintroduce phone‐tracking technology that is used for counterterrorism.

Other countries, including the UK, Australia, the US, and some in the EU, have enforced travel bans on South African nations. Scientists have voiced their concerns over the latest variant’s capability of being transmitted much easier. It was first detected in South Africa, and is believed to have more tolerance against the current vaccines, and could have a higher rate of re‐infection.

lands. A team from the municipal health ser‐ vice (GGD) went to the airport to conduct the tests.

Although they tested positive, it was not clear if all or any pas‐ sengers carried the new Omicron variant.

The passengers were kept segregated from the rest of the terminal.

Those who tested posi‐ tive were moved to a hotel in the Schiphol area, under the surveil‐ lance of local authori‐ ties. There, they must serve a quarantine of at least seven days if they present symptoms, and five days if they are asymptomatic.

The rest of the pas‐ sengers who obtained a negative result in the test must also undergo a five‐day home quar‐ antine, until a new PCR is carried out, which, if negative, allows them to exit quarantine.

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Airlines want simpler forms UK airlines have demanded that the online passenger locator form which must be completed when flying into Britain is simplified.

The form must be filled in 48 hours before arriving in Britain and while many oth‐ er countries require docu‐ mentation to be filled out, none are as complex as the UK’s passenger locator form.

Chief executive of the Dutch airline KLM, Pieter El‐ bers, said that a colleague completed his form for him ahead of his trip to the UK. “My assistant almost asked for a pay rise for sorting it out,” he said.

Chief executive of Virgin Atlantic Shai Weiss said that during the Covid pandemic the amount of paperwork and bureaucracy had in‐ creased. “We’re behaving as though we don’t have a vac‐ cine,” he said.

Eurostar’s strategy direc‐ tor Gareth Williams told a committee from the House of Lords earlier this month that the form “runs on a list

of redundant questions for six pages.”

The length of the form has increased since it was in‐ troduced in summer last year, with extra questions such as the code number for the mandatory ‘day two’

test and any islands visited in the 10 days before arrival in the UK. At the Airlines 2021 event, aviation minister Robert Courts insisted: “We’ve al‐ ready simplified the passen‐ ger locator form.”

Windows 11 Cyberattack M I C R O S O F T has announced that Windows 11, its newest operating system, suffered its first cy‐ berattack last month.

The software, which has already received some criticism for its impact on performance, has been hit by an attack, which grants hackers adminis‐ trator privileges on all versions of the Windows operating system.

Microsoft thought they had dealt with the at‐ tack, which takes advantage of a bug in the Win‐ dows installer. However, it is now clear the patch issued has not worked. Microsoft has rat‐ ed the vulnerability to be of medium severity, though the company has yet to provide a time‐ line for when they will release a ‘fix.’

Sex doll honeymoon YURI TOLOCHKO, a 36year-old bodybuilder from Kazakhstan, went viral on the internet last year after he married his sex doll, M argot, in a lavish wedding attended by all their friends and family. Unfortunately for Yuri, the marriage didn’t last long, because his plastic wife broke soon after they tied the knot.

Undeterred, Yuri soon found another lover, in the form of Luna, and has now - after the pandemic delayed their plans - whisked her away to Bulgaria for a belated honeymoon.

Yuri shared their holiday snaps with his 100,000 followers on Instagram who have been party to his turbulent love life. He always

Luna went on honeymoon.

keeps them updated on what he and Luna are doing. “The pandemic changed everyone’s plans massively, so when the chance came to go to Bulgaria for work, I was happy I could take Luna. It was a work trip, but it was also so romantic that I consider it a honeymoon as well. We stayed in the capital Sofia for about a week, and it was fabulous,” explained Yuri.

NEWS

Interpol torture accusation A GENERAL from the United Arab Emirates who has previously been accused of com‐ plicity in torture has been elected as presi‐ dent of the global police agency Interpol. The in‐ spector general of the UAE’s interior ministry, Ahmed Nasser al‐Raisi, was elected at the agen‐ cy’s general assembly in Istanbul, Turkey.

Human rights groups have led campaigns against the candidate, citing accusations of fail‐ ing to investigate credi‐ ble complaints of tor‐ ture. Gen Raisi denies the allegations.

The UAE’s foreign ministry said he “strong‐ ly believes that the abuse or mistreatment by police is abhorrent and intolerable.”

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SPAIN’S People’s Party (PP) has had to issue a statement confirming its condemnation of the Franco regime after the party leader attended a Fran‐ co mass. The visit to a church service in which prayers were said for the soul of the dicta‐ tor on the 46th anniversary of his death is said to have been

Franco mass visit Babies not allowed inadvertent. Pablo Casado has been leader of the PP since July 2018 and was seen attending the mass in Grana‐ da on November 20.

According to the PP, Casa‐ do attended this particular

church as he was staying with his family nearby. They were in Andalucia for a party con‐ ference and he feared work commitments would prevent him from making church the following day.

Government formed A NEW German government has finally been formed. This puts an end to Angela Merkel’s 16‐year rule of the country.

Germany will have a new government before Christmas, probably in the week of December 6, with the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as Chancellor. Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals present‐

Uniting the parties.

ed on Wednesday Novem‐ ber 24 in Berlin the coalition agreement that will give way to a tripartite system un‐ precedented since the 1950s.

The leaders of the parties that make up the new Ger‐ man government unveiled the important issues that will unite the parties over the next four years.

They are mainly based on the de‐carbonisation of the economy, the digitalisation, and modernisation of the country, and social protec‐ tion.

The tripartite has agreed “to favour a more rapid devel‐ opment of renewable ener‐ gies to encourage the exit from fossil fuels as soon as possible, and to increase in‐ vestment for projects related to green hydrogen.”

I T has been stated that babies are not allowed in the House of Com‐ mons.

Following Labour’s Stella Creasy bringing her three‐month‐old baby in‐ to the House of Com‐ mons on November 24, it has been stated that bringing children is against the rules.

Ms Creasy was in‐ formed it was against the rules to bring children to a debate at Westminster Halls and Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now asked the procedure committee to investi‐ gate.

She said she was “pleased to hear this” as the rule means she could not enter the chamber to

BABY: Against the rules.

hear his statement.

Sir Lindsay told MPs it was “extremely impor‐ tant” for parents to be able to fully participate in the work of the House, and that is why it has a nursery.

“Rules have to be seen in context and they change with the times,” he told the House.

Brits travel queues BRITISH travellers face huge queues for holidays as the EU gets set for fingerprint checks at airports next year.

New plans are being put together by the European Commission which will affect non‐EU citizens. The new plans will involve a new European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) along with an Entry/Exit System (EES). The schemes will affect non‐EU citizens and are expected to come into force next year.

Under the new ETIAS scheme travellers who want to access the Schengen Area would need to pay €7.

Many favourite tourist destinations for Brits are in the Schengen Area including Spain, Greece, France, and Por‐ tugal.

As part of the EES system, travellers would be re‐ quired to undergo comprehensive security checks. This would include fingerprints and facial images too.

NEWS

Move over Squid Game THE smash hit Netflix show Squid Game has been knocked off its throne by another South Korean fantasy horror show, Hell‐ bound. The title of most‐watched show on the streaming plat‐ form was passed to Hellbound on Novem‐ ber 20, just 24 hours after the show was re‐ leased.

The new series topped the charts in more than 80 coun‐ tries on its first day.

The series theme is one of religious retri‐ bution and features a team of hairy demons who hunt down sin‐ ners and send them to hell. They do this through a mix of graphic violence and burning, so it is not a watch for the faint‐ hearted.

The victims of the creatures are informed ahead of their arrival of the date and time that they will die. The reasons the victims are chosen prompts public hysteria and religious zealotry as people try to avoid a fiery demise.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Poachers caught OFFICERS from the Guardia Civil have success‐ fully managed to dismantle a poaching group.

The group had been illegally manipulating hunting seals to pass their taxidermy works off as legitimate. Officers discovered a shocking variety of animal trophies during the investiga‐ tion, which included one wolf skull, 13 roe deer trophies along with four male wild boar tro‐ phies. They also found and seized more than 100 hunting seals, most of which had been tampered with.

The Guardia Civil operation began in May af‐ ter an illegal taxidermy workshop was discov‐ ered in Madrid’s Móstoles.

The illegal taxidermy workshop has now been

TROPHIES: Poaching group dismantled.

successfully shut. The Guardia Civil have asked for people to cooperate and help them detect il‐ legal hunting, as poaching causes severe dam‐ age to the local ecosystem.

History-making PM quits MAGDALENA ANDERSSON was an‐ nounced as the first‐ever female prime min‐ ister in Sweden on November 24, but her time in power was short‐lived. The new prime minister resigned just a few hours lat‐ er after her coalition partner quit the gov‐ ernment and her budget failed to pass.

Instead, parliament voted for a budget drawn up by the opposition: “I have told the speaker that I wish to resign,” Ms. Anders‐ son told reporters.

Her coalition partner, the Green Party said it could not accept a budget “drafted for the

first time with the far‐right.”

Ms Andersson said that she hoped to be‐ come prime minister again, however, next time it will be as a single‐party government leader. The fact that she had support from so many members of the Swedish parlia‐ ment means this could be a possibility.

“There is a constitutional practice that a coalition government should resign when one party quits,” said the Social Democrat.

Andersson said that she chose to resign because “I don’t want to lead a government whose legitimacy will be questioned.”

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NEWS

Underwater village reappears THE Spanish village of Acere‐ do, near Lobois which was abandoned in 1992 has reap‐ peared.

Families were forced to abandon their homes when a reservoir was built, and a Por‐ tuguese hydroelectric plant closed its floodgates causing the Limia river to flood the val‐ ley.

Five villages in the province of Ourense tried to oppose the evictions but failed and were forced to evacuate. With 51 per cent of homeowners agreeing to depart, a forced seizure of land was published which meant that the rest of the inhabitants also had to leave. Aceredo has been un‐ derwater ever since, only emerging in the very rare case that Lindoso reservoir falls to very low levels ‐ which is hap‐ pening now.

Images taken on Monday, November 22, show an eerie and partially preserved Acere‐ do. The stone structures in the village have survived, howev‐ er, many of the roofs have de‐ teriorated and collapsed. Met‐ al has been rusted and mud

has filled doorways and homes due to three decades of being underwater.

Now, with water levels low, roads, pathways and outlines of farmland can be seen.

There are also abandoned

cars, personal objects and even possessions on shelves and tables.

Villagers who still live nearby have been seen wandering around what remains of the lost village.

UK booze shortage BRITS face an alcohol short‐ age at Christmas over sup‐ ply chain troubles where deliveries could be delayed by weeks.

Alcohol producers are concerned that there could be a shortage of Christmas favourites such as mulled wine, gin, whisky, Cham‐ pagne, wine, and Buck’s fizz.

Shipping costs have risen by around 7 per cent com‐ pared to last year and deliv‐ ery times have increased dramatically too going from just days to weeks.

Brits could see less choice.

Big brands have the pow‐ er to absorb more of these costs, but the smaller brands will struggle. Brits could see less choice at Christmas.

STATS

12

The national flag with the most colours in it is Belize, with 12.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 December 2021

Cash is disappearing J O N C U N L I F F E, deputy governor of the Bank of England, said cash is dis‐ appearing with improving technology and the popu‐ larity of debit and credit cards. Online shopping, self‐service, ease of use and security are all given as reasons for the decline in cash purchases which

Cash is being used less.

in 2019 accounted for on‐ ly 23 per cent of sales transactions.

Cunliffe, said that the

Asteroid smash ON November 24, NASA’s DART (Double Aster‐ oid Redirection Test) spacecraft launched from Vandenberg Air Force base on a historic mission to deflect an asteroid.

The aim is to deflect the 160‐metre asteroid Dimosphos, which orbits the larger asteroid Didymos. The object is travelling at a speed of 24,000 kilometres per hour.

If successful, the mission will deviate the course of the asteroid. DART will test the theory that the kinetic energy from the impact will re‐ duce the threat of the asteroid heading towards Earth.

DART is being carried by a SpaceX rocket on a mission that will take almost a year, travelling 11 million kilometres before it reaches its desti‐ nation in September 2022.

percentage of cash trans‐ actions declined further due to the pandemic and highlights the need for politicians to support a new form of safe, flexible, and useful money, such as cards and cryptocurren‐ cies. An example of this is the attempt by authorities to put their faith in the Central Bank Digital Cur‐ rency (CBDC), a proposal if adopted would work with online payment platforms and allow banks to further evolve their technologies alongside.

The situation in Spain is quite different with a re‐ cent survey by Plataforma Denaria published in September 2021, showing the need to preserve cash.

According to the survey most Spanish consumers still consider cash to be critical to their lives, with a significant percentage of the population still living in less populated areas and therefore areas less well served by banks.

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NEWS

New €30 coin

SPAIN now has a brand‐ new coin. One of this coin’s main hallmarks is its colours. Gold, silver, and even purple can be seen in this new piece, which also stands out for its value ‐ €30.

Numismatics fans will surely want to get hold of the latest coin made by the National Cur‐ rency and Stamp Factory (FNMT). It was launched on November 22 and will interest those who want to expand their collec‐ tions. The coin cannot be used as money to make purchases and is purely for collectors.

The coin pays homage to the Camino de Santiago (the Pilgrim’s Way), which is travelled by many peo‐ ple every year and has be‐

come a once‐in‐a‐lifetime challenge for Spaniards and tourists alike. It is such an iconic route; it is no surprise it €30 COIN: For collectors only.

has been recognised by this commemoration.

The coin has an image of a pilgrim with his back‐ pack, looking at the stun‐ ning cathedral of Santiago de Compostela after com‐ pleting the Camino.

Those interested can get the coin for their collec‐ tion at any branch of the Bank of Spain by paying face value.

Uber munchies UBEREATS is entering the marihuana market by al‐ lowing customers in Ontario, Canada, to order from cannabis retailer Tokyo Smoke via the Uber app and then pick it up at a store nearby.

The firm has not answered on whether they will offer this service in the rest of Canada and the US. Canada’s marihuana market is worth around £3 bil‐ lion per year and the drug has been legal in Canada since 2018, however, it is still illegal to deliver it.

The company said users of the UberEats app will have to verify their age and can then pick up their order within an hour. The company is said to have been planning on entering the booming marihuana market for some time.

EUROPEAN PRESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK

Anti-ants

Green taxis

A NEW European Union directive requires that all food not eaten in member states prior to 1997 has to be given special approval before it can be sold. This means that the restaurant voted the world’s best, Noma in Copenhagen has to remove ants from the menu.

IN a first step towards meeting the Danish Government’s plans to ensuring that all taxis issue zero CO2 by 2030, Toyota has supplied 100 hydrogen powered taxis to the DRIVR service operating in Copenhagen by way of an initial experiment with more to follow.

THE NETHERLANDS Drug smacks

New register

DUE to EU restrictions on pulse fishing, a number of small Dutch fishermen are suffering financial difficulties which according to research revealed by police and prosecutors has led to some being approached and recruited by drug smugglers to pick up cocaine from container ships.

ALL vehicles such as golf carts and lawn mowers which use public roads (which include private land with access) and can travel faster than six kilometres an hour will have to be registered before January 1 or their owners will have to pay to have them inspected.

BELGIUM Corona monument

Uber and out

IN a cruel twist of fate, a monument to highlight the pandemic was commissioned in 2020 by the town of Izegem. The local sculptor Piet Duthoit has now completed the work, but the unveiling ceremony had to be postponed due to the new wave of coronavirus.

A BRUSSELS Court has confirmed that a decision made in 2015 to ban the use by drivers of the Uber App is still in force which means that the 2,000+ drivers on the company’s books will find it much harder to receive bookings for travel.

GERMANY Coalition formed

Taiwan support

FINALLY, an agreement has been reached between the three parties set to form the next German government, the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats who announced their alliance under the title ‘Dare more progress’ and said that they promoted freedom, justice, and sustainability.

ALTHOUGH China won’t be pleased, the new German Government is the first in recent years to acknowledge Taiwan and to suggest that it should be allowed routine participation in international organisations, albeit in accordance with the European Union’s One China Policy.

FRANCE Airbnb pledge

Clever lights

ALTHOUGH some countries are unhappy with Airbnb as not all owners declare taxes and long-term rental is reduced, France is delighted that the American company has entered into an agreement with a national charity to supply funds to restore heritage buildings.

AN interesting experiment in energy saving is taking place in the parts of the city of Lyon where street lights on busy roads only brighten as cars are detected by the LED lights whilst on smaller roads, they are also illuminated by pedestrians walking past.

NORWAY Annual gift

World Cup

THIS year, Norway will send its 75th holiday gift of a fir tree to London in thanks to the British people for their help during the Second World War. The 22-metre-tree was cut down near Oslo with schoolchildren singing carols and will as usual be erected in Trafalgar Square.

MANY in Norway argued that the Norwegian national team should not take part in next year’s Qatar World Cup due to distaste for the regime and two Norwegian journalists were arrested whilst in that country, but the matter is now irrelevant as the team didn’t qualify.

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

Has the Spanish tax office knocked on your door? Don’t be afraid to answer!

WE don’t have to tell you these are difficult times for the Spanish Tax Au‐ thorities. They need to generate more revenue at a time when tax col‐ lection levels are not what they ex‐ pected.

But we must ask if chasing foreign‐ ers who regularly submit their income tax returns and aim to have their tax affairs in order, is the right way to do this.

It’s normal for the Spanish Tax Au‐ thorities to send out tax inspection letters querying a particular tax year.

If you are one of those people who have received an unexpected letter querying how you have declared your income received from a British source, we know how you feel.

You need help to understand what the letter is about and what action is required, so you ask the person who prepared and submitted the tax re‐ turn on your behalf in the first place.

The problems start when the Span‐

ish Tax Authorities do not accept your reply to their letter and ask you to pay more tax on top of what you have al‐ ready paid. It’s hard when you did what was expected, declaring your in‐ come, and paying tax and now the au‐ thorities claim you have not.

You are not on your own. We know because many of those people have contacted us. They explain that the person who submitted their tax return has not given them an explanation of the tax query and what they need to do to defend themselves correctly.

It’s important to meet the timelines for replying to the Spanish Tax Au‐ thorities. You may have everything re‐ quired to win your case, but if you miss the deadline then you could lose.

At this point, UK Tax Refund SL should be the company you contact.

We are registered Agents with HMRC and understand the English and Span‐ ish tax systems and the way they fit together.

You may be in receipt of a state re‐ tirement pension, a private works pension and/or a pension paid by a government or local government au‐ thority, or you may receive rental in‐ come. If the Spanish tax office asks you for proof of the sources of your income and the way in which they have been included on the income tax return, then you must be able to give them proof and an explanation.

If you receive an income which ac‐ cording to the Double Taxation Treaty has to be declared in both countries and this income you receive is from a British source, then you have the right to deduct the tax paid in the UK when completing the Spanish income tax re‐ turn. This said, if the Spanish tax au‐ thorities query this you must be able to prove this has been done correctly.

And here is where the problems arise. There are lots of Tax Advisers in Spain who are very good when it comes to dealing with Spanish in‐

come, but they struggle when it comes to understanding and dealing with British pensions and other sources of British income and how they should be declared in Spain. Or those who understand how to include the income from a British source in the Spanish tax return, but struggle to produce the documents to satisfy the tax inspection.

You could end up paying extra tax, not because you have made an error, but simply for not being able to prove it was done correctly in the first place, or by missing the deadline to reply.

If you are one of the many expats who received a letter from the Span‐ ish Tax Authorities, please do not pan‐ ic, we can help put your tax affairs in order.

Give us a call on 965 636 938 and stop worrying! Or e-mail us: michelle@uktaxrefund.net

EUROPEAN PRESS

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EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND

Ear lights

Terminal 2

IT was hoped 10 years ago that a new product, the Valkee 2, a pair of ear buds that shine bright LED lights into the wearer’s ears in order to relieve seasonal affective disorderrelated depression would be successful.

Sadly, the company has now filed for bankruptcy.

THE pandemic and the shutting down of international flights gave impetus to Finavia, the company that operates Finland’s airport to speed up the extension of Terminal 2 at Helsinki airport which opened on December 1.

The architecture is influenced by classical Finnish design.

IRELAND Exploding lightbulb

St Brigid

A COURT has agreed that a 10-year-old boy should receive €27,000 in damages after a lightbulb in his bedside lamp exploded and caused him facial injuries which meant that he had to be rushed to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin for emergency treatment in 2016.

THE Irish Government is in a quandary as to when a new bank holiday should be introduced. The General feeling is that it should be on February 1, the feast day of St Brigid which heralds the start of spring, but with Covid surging it may be postponed.

ITALY Massive fine

Vatican tree

BOTH Amazon and Apple have been jointly fined a total of €203 million by Italy’s antitrust authority, following an investigation into reselling of Apple and (Apple-owned) Beats kit on Amazon’s Italian e-commerce marketplace as the authority alleges collusion to keep the price high in Italy.

THE Vatican City Christmas tree, a 28-metrehigh spruce from the northern Trentino region of Italy, arrived in St Peter's Square so that it could be raised and decorated with low energy lights in St Peter’s Square in time for the Christmas celebrations.

PORTUGAL Operation Sashimi

Food banks

THE Portuguese Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE) undertook an investigation of some 60 operations across the country which produce sushi and other dishes where fish is not fully cooked. As a result, some 25 breaches of health requirements were noted and five establishments suspended.

FOR nearly two years, due to pandemic restrictions, volunteers from food banks were stopped from visiting supermarkets and asking for donations, but the ban was lifted so that on the weekend of November 27, teams were in evidence again collecting food for those in need.

RUSSIA Netflix investigation

Orphaned kittens

AFTER a formal complaint from the St Petersburg based Olga Baranets, the Russian police will probe Netflix for streaming content that contains alleged gay propaganda and only labelling it 16+, whilst Russian law requires such material to carry an 18+ warning.

THE Moscow Zoo which has a mascot of a Manul or Pallas cat has taken into care two such kittens discovered by villagers in eastern Siberia weighing just under 200 grams each. Alisa and Brungilda were looked after locally until it was safe to send them to Moscow.

SWEDEN PM resigns

State visit

JUST 12 hours after becoming Sweden's first female prime minister, Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson had to step down when Green Party coalition partners decided to walk away after Parliament rejected the proposed budget bill. She now hopes to be reappointed as head of a single party minority.

QUEEN SILVIA donned a special tiara for the State Banquet in honour of the King and Queen of Spain at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Thursday November 25, marking the first Spanish State visit since 1979, although the couple have visited informally before.

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FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Green deodorant SUSTAINABLE and natural deodorant brand Wild is having some success in launching its green brands in the UK with distribution in 285 Sainsbury’s stores as well as tests in Boots and Waitrose and the eco‐ friendly products finding a new outlet in Selfridges.

Official languages IT appears that it is the intention of the Spanish Government to require by law that at least 6 per cent of all programmes in streaming platforms such as Netflix should be presented in one of the other official languages of Spain, namely Basque, Catalan or Galician.

Lidl plans PLEASED with its current growth and the potential to increase dramatically, Lidl GB has announced plans to open 1,100 new stores by the end of 2025, creating 4,000 new jobs across the country and many will feature solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

Own goal THE National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) has announced that it is upset with former Barcelona football star Andrés Iniesta for promoting investment in cryptocurrencies on his Instagram and Twitter social networks at a time when a number of companies offering investment are in trouble.

Back to work METAL workers in Cadiz city and province have called off their strike over wages after some fairly angry demonstrations in the streets of Cadiz. Workers from the oil refinery in San Roque managed to block one of the two main arteries into La Linea and Gibraltar for nine days, with rocks thrown and at least one car set on fire. Now it appears that after unions accepted a pay deal offered by employers, the matter was resolved and roads opened to traffic.

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is the amount that Spanish brewery company Estrella Galicia STAT OF plans to spend on opening a new factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil. €300 million WEEK

Pandora tests new store in the UK DANISH jewellery company Pandora opened doors to its first stores under the new store concept Evoke in Mi‐ lan and London.

The new concept, which is still in its test phase, aims to make shop‐ ping more intuitive and will improve speed of service, enabling customers to easily explore, find and try on products.

From the moment customers en‐ ter the store, the simplified layout al‐ lows them to navigate through dif‐ ferent product categories and view the jewellery in newly designed dis‐ plays.

Two‐thirds of Pandora’s revenue comes from gifting and the new stores will have a dedicated ‘gifting zone’ with inspirational displays therefore as a further way to person‐ alise the jewellery, the stores will al‐ so offer an engraving service to cus‐ tomers.

The layout of the stores has been designed with today’s multi‐channel journey in mind. More than 80 per cent of consumers start their shop‐ ping online, and when they enter the new stores, they will recognise Pan‐ dora’s campaigns at the front.

Following the openings in Italy and

the UK, Evoke will launch in Guangzhou, China in December and Pandora expects to introduce it in other key markets later in 2022. The new store concept will gradually be evaluated and improved, and new features will be added.

“Pandora is built on the concept of personalisation and the idea that you can tell your story through your jewellery.

“We now want to bring personali‐ sation to all customer touch points and create a unique shopping experi‐ ence,” said Martino Pessina, Chief Commercial Officer, Pandora.

December offer from Golden Leaves Can they extend 90 days?

LEGALLY SPEAKING

I have seen reports that some groups are work‐ ing to get a reciprocal agreement between Spain and the UK because the UK allows stays of 180 days and Spain only 90 days. This does not seem fair to those UK citizens who want to spend more time in their Spanish villas. What are the possibilities? Also, what punishments can be imposed on a person who spends more than 90 days in Spain?

S D (Costa del Sol) To answer DAVID SEARL your sec‐ ond question first, YOU AND THE LAW the Spanish border IN SPAIN control officers have a wide range of discretion. If a person has over‐ stayed his limit by just a few days, they are often let go with only a warning.

Those who have chosen to stay longer might be fined up to €300. For those serious offenders who simply stay as long as they want, one suggestion has been to put a stamp in their passport and put them in the computer with a prohibition from returning to Spain for, say, two years. Nobody wants to go to such extremes. As to an agreement between Spain and the UK based on re‐ ciprocity, this is very unlikely.

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

SPAIN’S brave new financial world is taking a bit of a beating as more workers go on strike and shocking rises in electricity costs hit manu‐ facturers.

Naturally if it costs more to make products locally, then it is clear that the consumer will be hit twice, first with their electric bills and then with an increase in prices of a number of products.

THE funeral plan experts at Golden Leaves have announced this year’s De‐ cember offer, with a reduction on deposits and two years’ interest‐ free payments.

This offer, which is Interest-free payments. available throughout December, will also see the payment term on their plans increased to up to seven years, making the monthly payments on their Opal plan €51.43 a month and payments on their Pearl plan €58.23 a month.

Funeral plan deposits will be reduced to €100.

Golden Leaves are experts in funeral plans, ensuring that your wishes are carried out in full when the time comes and saving your loved ones from having to plan your funeral in another country and another language.

Their plans also ensure that you beat rising funeral costs, making sure that your service is paid in full and that your loved ones are not left with any further costs.

To save money on your funeral plan and ensure that your loved ones are not left to plan your service or with further costs, contact Golden Leaves before De‐ cember 31 and begin choosing the right funeral plan for you.

www.goldenleavesinternational.com enquiries@goldenleaves.com Facebook: goldenleavesspain

Economy stalling The European Union Recovery Fund is going to help in the medi‐ um to long term without doubt but as HGV drivers threaten to strike before Christmas and the forecast for 2021 GDP (Gross Do‐ mestic Product) continues to be

revised downwards, then 2022 could be a difficult year for the government.

Much will depend on whether the government can somehow persuade or instruct the energy companies to reduce their fees,

Government special loan WITH 1.7 million customers, energy supplier Bulb is sim‐ ply too big to be allowed to go bankrupt, especially as the giant providers in the UK don’t want to take on new customers used to cheaper rates.

For this reason, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has revealed that the UK Government will make a spe‐ cial loan of around £1.7 bil‐ lion to Administrators in or‐ der to try to keep the company trading until next spring.

Without this assistance, they would have had to close down in December, but it is hoped that this lifeline will al‐ low the Administrators to ei‐ ther sell the company or find ‘new homes’ for its cus‐ tomers.

Spain links with Iran UNDER the Partido Popular Government it was an‐ nounced that once Iran was able to export oil again, it had agreed to invest in southern Spain to open at least one new oil refinery.

With the decision by the Trump Administration to once again treat Iran as a pari‐ ah, the flow of investment quickly faded, but things may be changing. When welcom‐ ing the new Spanish Ambas‐ sador to Tehran, President Ebrahim Raisi said, “The cur‐ rent level of economic rela‐ tions between Iran and Spain is not acceptable and efforts should be made to further de‐ velop these relations.”

He indicated further that he wanted to develop economic, political, cultural and sports relations with Spain. assuming the promises of ade‐ quate supplies of liquid gas from Algeria are maintained by that country’s government.

If that happens and the tourist industry continues to recover in 2022, then there is every chance that the economy will turn around again and see some positive news in the first two quarters of next year.

34 EWN

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2 - 8 December 2021

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C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 29

COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.392,00 Abrdn 235,80 Admiral Group 3.017,0 Anglo American 2.691,5 Antofagasta 1.401,00 Ashtead Group 6.144,0 Associated British Foods 1.915,0 AstraZeneca 8.335,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 727,40 Avast 599,60 Aveva 3.210,0 Aviva 380,05 B&M European Value R. SA 625,20 BAE Systems 547,20 Bank VTB DRC 1,216 Barclays 185,52 Barratt Developments 703,40 Berkeley 4.365,0 BHP Group 1.993,00 BP 327,65 British American Tobacco 2.556,0 British Land Company 529,10 BT Group 163,40 Bunzl 2.866,0 Burberry Group 1.811,0 Carnival 1.269,0 Centrica 65,80 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.370,0 Compass 1.525,50 CRH 3.687,0 Croda Intl 10.130,0 DCC 5.642,0 Diageo 3.802,5 DS Smith 368,29 EasyJet 517,60 Experian 3.360,0 Ferguson 11.480,0 Flutter Entertainment 10.490,0 Fresnillo 909,76 GlaxoSmithKline 1.518,60 Glencore 357,30 Halma 2.999,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.403,00 Hikma Pharma 2.264,00 HSBC 419,35 IAG 137,68 Imperial Brands 1.561,50 Informa 477,70 InterContinental 4.650,0 Intermediate Capital 2.175,00

CHANGE(P) 1.401,00 241,10 3.021,0 2.716,0 1.416,00 6.222,0 1.917,5 8.421,0 739,40 602,80 3.266,0 380,40 634,20 554,35 1,230 186,25 715,00 4.425,0 2.000,50 327,75 2.565,0 531,40 168,60 2.889,0 1.828,5 1.269,6 66,24 2.391,0 1.525,50 3.778,0 10.155,0 5.700,0 3.803,0 373,00 528,20 3.391,0 11.665,0 10.565,0 911,80 1.526,40 360,15 3.030,0 1.434,50 2.283,00 421,15 138,44 1.572,00 486,30 4.708,0 2.213,00

% CHG. +2,17% -0,97% +1,76% +2,14% +1,19% +0,99% +1,59% -0,90% -0,33% -0,37% +0,25% +2,43% -0,45% -0,47% +1,33% +2,12% +2,33% +1,68% +1,58% +3,15% +0,59% +2,72% +6,10% +1,09% +1,60% +7,29% +1,36% +1,15% +4,95% -0,59% +2,30% +0,36% +1,14% -0,11% +3,56% +1,11% -0,04% +1,84% +0,31% +0,50% +1,51% +0,91% -1,30% -0,62% +1,28% +4,78% +0,78% +2,53% +1,53% +3,13%

NET VOL 510,39K 1,15M 92,05K 947,95K 222,93K 171,13K 403,06K 430,47K 450,73K 316,28K 21,31K 4,14M 456,30K 157,87K 551,22K 2,77M 1,45M 35,71K 1,35M 15,73M 505,70K 603,18K 17,47M 202,55K 234,37K 548,65K 2,88M 100,67K 1,40M 155,43K 61,93K 21,43K 772,23K 454,68K 3,99M 168,96K 241,73K 115,05K 88,15K 2,16M 9,52M 66,59K 231,12K 59,96K 8,23M 28,43M 588,61K 820,77K 147,07K 138,13K

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Intertek ITV J Sainsbury Johnson Matthey Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Banking London Stock Exchange Meggitt Melrose Industries Mondi National Grid NatWest Group Next Norilskiy Nikel ADR Ocado Persimmon Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx Rentokil Rightmove Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Rosneft DRC Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP

5.468,0 110,05 290,90 2.160,0 762,64 285,30 46,90 6.780,0 739,20 147,55 1.749,16 1.005,48 213,50 7.938,0 29,20 1.823,00 2.793,0 643,20 1.314,50 6.155,0 2.330,16 614,00 736,60 4.590,0 124,44 7,55 1.600,0 1.600,01 1.601,8 775,80 1.523,50 16,88 3.494,0 1.511,25 1.431,50 2.898,0 1.248,00 1.455,50 15.815,0 1.569,50 1.562,00 417,60 156,75 280,15 207,60 3.927,5 1.094,50 111,40 2.931,0 1.069,00

CHANGE(P)

% CHG.

NET VOL

5.514,0 111,40 293,70 2.179,0 763,80 287,00 47,02 6.926,0 741,80 149,50 1.760,50 1.006,80 213,90 7.984,0 29,24 1.861,00 2.820,0 643,60 1.319,00 6.195,0 2.337,00 621,40 740,20 4.642,0 125,16 7,56 1.600,0 1.600,20 1.604,2 784,60 1.526,50 16,93 3.524,0 1.514,50 1.433,50 2.912,0 1.250,50 1.469,00 16.170,0 1.583,50 1.578,00 423,70 159,10 281,70 207,80 3.948,5 1.098,50 111,48 2.945,0 1.079,00

+0,29% +1,34% -0,92% +4,55% +2,83% +0,88% +1,86% -1,05% -0,11% +2,25% +0,06% +0,32% +2,55% +1,15% +2,42% -0,33% +2,31% +1,01% +0,81% -0,50% +0,95% -0,33% +0,74% +1,05% +2,34% +3,03% +2,81% +2,87% +2,87% +0,28% +1,94% +5,14% +1,19% +1,55% +2,40% -0,03% +1,05% +0,41% +0,67% +0,35% +1,59% +1,46% +1,65% +0,36% +4,58% -0,61% -0,14% +1,55% +3,31% +1,47%

120,01K 4,49M 1,90M 306,39K 921,42K 3,04M 61,90M 266,89K 222,66K 4,06M 494,03K 2,67M 7,92M 27,89K 207,25K 236,52K 152,45K 473,29K 2,06M 174,03K 1,57M 334,11K 240,83K 923,40K 23,43M 621,36K 1,75M 1,75M 1,79M 351,96K 3,22K 1,68M 43,70K 966,47K 328,83K 67,90K 295,89K 194,39K 24,03K 750,27K 126,61K 2,39M 5,51M 3,95M 3,59M 771,28K 186,83K 20,53M 233,85K 758,87K

1.1818

0.84488

Units per €

US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1282 Japan yen (JPY)........................................128.00 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0447 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4366 Norway kroner (NOK) .............................10.2376

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 29

COMPANY 3M Alphabet C Amazon.com Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Meta Platforms Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com Tesla UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walmart Walt Disney

PRICE 175,52 2.856,1 3.504,56 201,09 156,81 199,21 198,73 114,51 54,67 53,73 389,39 402,70 208,21 115,81 48,78 159,20 161,93 250,01 79,16 333,12 329,68 168,02 147,47 284,21 1.081,92 439,91 51,80 197,65 144,90 148,11

CHANGE 176,83 2.905,9 3.633,50 206,00 160,45 199,42 201,45 114,83 55,19 54,75 391,71 414,14 209,00 116,33 49,17 161,16 162,65 253,16 79,93 337,75 337,93 169,68 149,71 287,57 1.108,78 448,18 52,20 199,19 147,88 148,85

CHANGE% VOLUME(M) -1,19% 1,91M -2,67% 849,49K -2,12% 2,99M -1,41% 3,12M -3,17% 76,09M -5,41% 17,58M -4,03% 3,49M -2,29% 11,36M -1,57% 16,73M -3,07% 14,75M -2,46% 2,69M -2,28% 2,84M -1,88% 3,86M -0,79% 3,32M -1,97% 25,26M -0,65% 7,08M -3,01% 13,61M -2,76% 2,57M -3,79% 18,02M -2,33% 14,69M -2,44% 23,68M -2,33% 4,75M -0,80% 6,05M -1,72% 4,19M -3,05% 11,62M -2,28% 2,48M +0,27% 17,04M -2,76% 10,99M -1,12% 7,01M -2,13% 12,02M M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 29

COMPANY

CHANGE NET / %

VOLUME

Most Advanced Danaher Corp. Mandatory Conv. Pfd. Series A Cable One Inc. Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. Cl A Biglari Holdings Inc. Cl A Danaher Corp.

Snowflake Inc. Sea Ltd. ADR Twilio Inc. Cl A PerkinElmer Inc. Clorox Co. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

5.33% 1.63% 1.81% 1.39% 2.69% 2.04% 2.50% 2.24% 3.47% 3.65% 0.91%

1.55K 17.91K 65.53K 78 3.08M 1.57M 3.85M 1.81M 633.27K 2.36M 1.68M

-1.27% -4.93% -1.13% -9.18% -3.19% -2.20% -4.25% -2.62% -3.79% -3.12% -15.45%

1.61K 21.77K 14.97K 1.11M 755.75K 90.61K 430 30.69K 1.82K 543.22K 770.97K

Most Declined Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Cl A Texas Pacific Land Corp.

NVR Inc. TransDigm Group Inc. Shopify Inc. Cl A AutoZone Inc. UBS AG FI Enhanced Large Cap Growth ETN Markel Corp.

Credit Suisse FI Large Cap Growth Enh. ETN BlackRock Inc. MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Lev. ETN

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Currency outlook: Euro plunges to 2021 low amidst European Covid resurgence, Pound rocked by the BoE’s miscommunication

LOOKING AHEAD: The single currency could face an uphill battle in the coming weeks.

ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

• Euro EUR/GBP: Unmoved at £0.84 EUR/USD: Down from $1.16 to $1.12 The euro has come under some consistent pressure over the past month, with the single currency slumping to year‐to‐date lows against the US dollar. This slump in EUR ex‐ change rates has been partially attributed to the European Central Bank (ECB) as the policy divergence between it and the other major central banks only looks to be growing wider as the ECB remains glued to its dovish bias.

Accelerating the downtrend in the euro through the second half of November has been the dramatic resurgence of Covid cases in many parts of Europe, which has prompted countries such as Austria to reimpose lock‐ down measures. Looking ahead, the single currency could face an uphill battle in the com‐ ing weeks if the Eurozone’s economic recov‐ ery is undermined by more countries being forced to impose restrictions.

• Pound GBP/EUR: Unmoved at €1.18 GBP/USD: Down from $1.37 to $1.34 The pound has traded in a wide range over the past four weeks, as the currency was rocked by the Bank of England’s (BoE) latest in‐ terest rate decision. Ahead of its November policy meeting, a series of hawkish comments from BoE policymakers had seen the majority of GBP investors price in an interest rate hike this month. However, the BoE then pulled the rug out from underneath the pound after it opted not to hike rates, leading to accusations of governor Andrew Bailey being an ‘unreli‐ able boyfriend’, a moniker which was previ‐ ously given to his predecessor Mark Carney.

Sterling then languished in mid‐November amidst heightened Brexit jitters, with GBP in‐

vestors fearing the UK government’s threat to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland pro‐ tocol could prompt a UK‐EU trade war.

But Sterling rebounded in the second half of November as some stronger‐than‐expected employment and inflation figures reignited speculation the BoE could hike interest rates by the end of 2021. Hopes for a December rate hike may help to underpin the pound over the next few weeks, but GBP investors are likely to be wary of being too aggressive with their bets, after being wrong footed by the BoE earlier this month.

• US Dollar USD/GBP: Up from £0.72 to $0.74 USD/EUR: Up from €0.85 to €0.88 The US dollar made steady gains over the past month, with the currency being under‐ pinned by a deterioration of market senti‐ ment. There are multiple factors for this, in‐ cluding concerns over slowing growth in China, a resurgence of Covid cases in Europe as well as the collapse of the Turkish Lira, all of which have helped to bolster the appeal of the safe‐haven ‘greenback’.

The US dollar was also bolstered by the Fed‐ eral Reserve’s long‐awaited tapering an‐ nouncement at the start of this month, de‐ spite the bank also indicating that its next rate hike may be a little further off than previously forecast. While the Fed was a little more cau‐ tious with its forward guidance, a surge in US inflation has seen USD investors predict the US central bank could still hike rates earlier than mid‐2022. The US dollar now looks well poised to maintain its momentum through to the end of the year as renewed coronavirus con‐ cerns in Europe and other parts of the world are likely to raise additional questions over the trajectory of the global economic recovery.

Currencies Direct have helped over 325,000 customers save on their currency transfers since 1996. Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more about how you can save money on your cur‐ rency transfers.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca.

Telephone UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com.

2 - 8 December 2021

EWN 35

36 EWN

2 - 8 December 2021

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT WELL, it’s all coming apart, isn’t it? Trying to remain positive and retain some degree of optimism through all the doom and gloom is becoming more difficult by the day. And the whingers don’t help. The moaners and groaners are everywhere.

Even drama queen vocalist Adele, who you would think had very little to complain about, recently occupied Oprah’s ‘griping chair’, bleating about people ‘not knowing what goes on behind closed doors,’ while conveniently plugging yet another money‐spinning album.

Priorities have gone completely haywire. Recently the UK public has had to put up with hypocritical, anti‐Semitic cricketers, crying on TV because they’ve been ‘offended.’ Celebrities, who are earning more in a fortnight than most people can hope for in years, bewailing the fact that they failed to digest the testicles of some animal or another, added to the ever‐increasing uncontrolled numbers of illegal immigrants pouring in, and floundering politicians at a complete loss what to do about it ‐ does truly makes you feel it is all going completely to pot!

www.euroweeklynews.com

Coming apart Is this the start of the demise of Western civilisation as we know it? Well, I personally thought it embarked on that journey years ago. The trouble is that so‐called progress has made it all too easy. Even in the light of yet another ‘variant’ and the indisputable climate change, the complacency among the masses, particularly the young, is almost beyond belief.

The age of technology has led the present generation to believe that all the nation’s problems can be settled at the press of a button. ‘Nanny State’ attitudes have raised the public’s sense of entitlement to unprecedented levels, while getting something for nothing has become an acceptable mode of existence.

Many great civilisations have peaked and subsequently foundered when the going got too easy. I came across a statement by one Sheik Rahid, the founder of Dubai, which hit the nail decisively on the head. When asked about the future of his own country, he replied: “My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel. I ride a Mercedes; my son rides a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to ride a Land Rover; but my great grandson

will have to ride a camel again. You must raise warriors, not parasites. Past civilisations were not conquered by external enemies, they rotted from within.”

He went on to observe: “The greatest Western generation consisted of 18‐year‐ old kids storming the beaches of Normandy and now, two generations later, the young people want to hide in safe rooms when they hear words that hurt their feelings!”

Well, personally I think that just about sums it all up. The sheik went on to astutely remark that “hard times create strong men, strong men create easy times, easy times create weak men and weak men create difficult times.” So, in the light of all that, folks, all I can declare is ‐ the camels are on the horizon!

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

Mon and Fri. 1pm till 4.

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

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

FEATURE

Film Review by Laura Kemp

Streaming Now: Last night in Soho LAST NIGHT IN SOHO follows a young fashionista from Corn‐ wall who moves to London where she finds that ‘London can be a lot’ and isn’t quite what she expected.

Last Night in Soho, directed

by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) and released on November 19, is a slick, funny, and chaotic depic‐ tion of London in the 60s, run‐ ning simultaneously alongside current day life. It’s worth watching if you’re into thrillers with a twist.

Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace) plays Eloise, a wide‐ eyed student obsessed with the 60s who is accepted into the London College of Fashion.

She is taken back to Soho in the 60s through her dreams where she watches an aspiring singer called Sandy, played by Anya Taylor‐Joy (The Queen’s Gambit), trying to make it on the scene. Sandy meets a suave and charming man called Jack, played by Matt

A thriller with a twist.

Smith (Doctor Who), who tells her he works on the club scene and can help her become a performer around London, but things take a sinister turn.

The music, dancing and styling in this film is incredible, it takes you effortlessly back in‐ to the 60s and builds tension as Eloise finds it increasingly difficult to decipher her dreams from reality. There’s twists and turns that you won’t expect which will have you hanging on the edge of your seat.

The film is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Ap‐ ple TV so you can be taken back in time from the comfort of your sofa.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 December 2021

EWN 37

Advertising Feature

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Jennifer is still a hands‐on Managing Director and she keeps herself and her staff aware of changes to Spanish in‐ surance regulations and laws, keeping a steady hand at the

JENNIFER CUNNINGHAM: The woman behind the name. helm of the company. Jennifer is well‐known and respected throughout by Spanish nationals and especially expats for offer‐ ing excellent service. Jennifer Cunningham Insurances SL is now spreading further afield to

My last grump for this year MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I WAS asked this week if I trust the big pharmaceutical companies and my answer was an emphatic no and I have very good reason for that. When I was diagnosed with my Orthostatic Tremor I was told by my doctor that there was no medication for it, but he recommended that I try something called Gabapentin or one called Lyrica.

I tried Gabapentin and I have to tell you the side effects were absolutely horrendous - literally mind altering. I managed them for a month then stopped, because I started to dig around for more information and what I discovered was truly incredible. Pfizer had been sued and fined over both these drugs.

They had agreed to pay $240 million for using ‘fraudulent scientific evidence’ to promote off-label uses of Gabapentin - a drug made and approved for treating epilepsy. What that means is they were bribing doctors to prescribe this medication to people that did not suffer from epilepsy. In my case I had no pain, I just had shaky legs. The company suppressed study results, planted people in medical audiences to ask questions intended to put

Gabapentin in a good light and lavished perks on doctors. The other drug, Lyrica, made by a subsidiary of Pfizer was also in big trouble.

Pfizer agreed to pay $1 billion to resolve allegations under the civil False Claims Act that the company illegally promoted four drugs including Lyrica, an anti-epileptic drug - and caused false claims to be submitted to government health care programmes for uses that were not medically accepted indications and therefore not covered by those programmes.

The civil settlement also resolves allegations Pfizer paid kickbacks to health care providers to induce them to prescribe these, and other drugs. The federal share of the civil settlement was $668,514,830 and the state Medicaid share of the civil settlement was $331,485,170.

This is the largest civil fraud settlement in history against a pharmaceutical company.

So, my friends do not believe everything you read and hear about big pharma companies. Most of the stuff will be absolutely correct but every now and again they tell porky pies. This company has serious previous offences and some of the doctors were getting back handers for dishing out meds never made for the condition they were licensed for.

This will be my last grump this year so I will take the opportunity to wish everyone a merry Xmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Email: mikesenker@gmail.com

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

cover all of Spain, including Malaga, Barcelona and Madrid.

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We look forward to hearing from you and becoming one of our valued customers.

THURSDAY 02/12

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:35pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 11:30pm

WEDNESDAY 08/12

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SUNDAY 05/012 SATURDAY 04/12

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BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather Weather

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BBC London News; Weather The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders MasterChef: The Professionals Have I Got News for You BBC News at Ten Regional News and Weather

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BBC London News; Weather Weather Superman & Lois Strictly Come Dancing Michael McIntyre's The Wheel Blankety Blank Casualty BBC News Weather Match of the Day

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Weather Countryfile Doctor Who: Flux Strictly Come Dancing: The Results Top Gear You Don't Know Me BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Match of the Day 2

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Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Crisis in Care: Follow the Money Panorama EastEnders Outnumbered You Don't Know Me

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Escape to the Country Virtually Home The Repair Shop Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show EastEnders Holby City Would I Lie to You?

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The Repair Shop Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Still Open All Hours The Repair Shop MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten

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Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Live Snooker: UK Championship Mary Berry - Love to Cook Nadiya's Fast Flavours Surgeons: At the Edge of Life Mock the Week Newsnight Weather

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Strictly: It Takes Two Live Snooker: UK Championship Celebrity Antiques Road Trip New Forest: A Year In the Wild Wood QI Newsnight Weather Snooker: UK Championship Extra

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The Great Food Guys Christmas Special Live Snooker: UK Championship Match of the Day Live: The FA Cup Live Snooker: UK Championship Phil Lynott - Songs From While I'm Away Sight & Sound in Concert: Thin Lizzy

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The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Heston's Marvellous Menu: Back to the Noughties Live Snooker: UK Championship Flog It! Turkey with Simon Reeve Live Snooker: UK Championship The Office

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Villages by the Sea Mastermind Only Connect University Challenge Forensics: The Real CSI Two Doors Down Newsnight Weather

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Impeachment: American Crime Story What We Do in the Shadows

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Flog It! Richard Osman's House of Games Strictly: It Takes Two Walking with Monica Galetti Between the Covers Inside the Christmas Factory Dolly: The Sheep that Changed the World Live at the Apollo

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Pop Go the Sixties Biffy Clyro: A Celebration of Endings Top of the Pops: Christmas 1984 St Andrew's Day at the BBC The Proclaimers: This Is the Story Travis with the BBCSSO at the Barrowland The Old Grey Whistle Test

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Live Snooker: UK Championship The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank The Golden Age of Coach Travel Stieg Larsson's Millennium Chasing the Moon Chasing the Moon Horizon

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MOTD: FA Cup Highlights Mike Leigh: This Cultural Life On Broadway with the John Wilson Orchestra Other, Like Me: The Oral History of COUM transmissions and Throbbing Gristle Gaga for Dada: The Original Art Rebels

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University Challenge The Joy of Painting: Winter Specials Britain's Lost Masterpieces Treasures of the AngloSaxons Charles Dickens' The Signalman The Lost Ghost Story with Mark Gatiss Secrets of Bones

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The Joy of Painting: Winter Specials University Challenge Keeping Up Appearances One Foot in the Grave Dinnerladies Mark Lawson Talks to Liz Smith Play for Today: Hard Labour Mike Leigh: This Cultural Life

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University Challenge Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise Charley Boorman: Sydney to Tokyo, by Any Means Write Around the World with Richard E Grant What We Were Watching: Christmas 1995 Secrets of Bones

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ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale How to Complain and Win! Tonight Emmerdale The Martin Lewis Money Show: Live I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News ITV News London

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Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Griff's Great New Zealand Adventure Coronation Street I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News

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The Flintstones Tipping Point: Lucky Stars ITV News and Weather ITV News London Moneyball Celebrity Catchphrase The Chase Celebrity Special I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

The Jonathan Ross Show ITV News and Weather

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ITV London Weather A View to a Kill The Pet Show ITV News and Weather ITV News London Sitting on a Fortune Piers Morgan's Life Stories I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather

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FEATURE

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2 - 8 December 2021

EWN 39

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40 EWN

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2 - 8 December 2021

I AM not a killer by instinct, al‐ though I have been known to kill. I have committed murder and caused death by negli‐ gence. Every time I have felt remorse, because I think the victim, as a sentient being, has as much right to live as I do.

I have murdered the odd wasp with a swatter or a towel, and innocent cockroaches by squashing ‐ but always with a feeling of guilt. The same ap‐ plies to deaths caused by my negligence or by accident.

I should take more care when sweeping the terrace to ensure that there are no living creatures among the dirt and the leaves as they are brutally brushed into the dustpan on the way to the rubbish bins.

And sometimes a tiny harmless fly may have got trapped in the wash basin only to be washed down the plughole as I hastily rinse the bowl.

I find certain species annoy‐ ing, others disgusting. But they all exist for a reason and they can’t help the way they look.

However, if I can kill a mosquito I celebrate with un‐

DAVID WORBOYS

Hate crime

I’m not a violent man, but ...

bridled joy. I am over the moon, because this is the only living thing that I positively hate. The way they announce their presence with that omi‐ nous buzzing as a warning that,

unprovoked, they are out to sting, suck blood and ruin a good night’s sleep.

They are notoriously difficult to locate ‐ and to kill. More than an inconvenience, they inflict

unsightly red bumps and rashes anywhere on the body they can penetrate, which sting and itch for several days. And they drink blood from not only humans but other mammals, birds, rep‐ tiles and fish. But even a mosquito doesn’t deserve to suffer or to be tortured ‐ just ex‐ terminated.

The bites can be allevi‐ ated by calamine or olive oil. For us here in Eu‐ rope it is not a matter of life and death, because the mosquitoes don’t carry deadly viruses. In other parts of the world, it def‐ initely is.

The female anopheles is the major culprit. By carrying and transmitting the malaria para‐ site, this little insect causes

FEATURE

more deaths to humans than any other species ‐ up to one million every year in many dif‐ ferent countries. These are mainly in Africa, where there are some 300 million cases ev‐ ery year and two children die from malaria every minute. And the non‐fatal illnesses and dis‐ comforts suffered by millions is unimaginable here in Europe.

As if this is not enough, the little pest also carries the dengue and yellow fever viruses.

There are anti‐malarial drugs but, as yet, no vaccine. The best prevention is a natural re‐ pellent such as lavender, but this is not 100 per cent effec‐ tive. And there are not too many accessible lavender fields in Uganda, for example.

Meanwhile, I am still hunting for the vicious little ‘visitor’ that has been tormenting me for the last week. Her days are numbered.

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

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

THE HALLMARK OF HAPPY HUMANS TONI C. EASTWOOD OBE, MBA

#TheWomanBeyond IF there’s one thing I have had to get used to, being in business, particularly over the last 18 months, it’s being able to turn on a sixpence, to be flexible, to have to look at what’s going on and make some sort of sense and be able to make what may seem like sponta‐ neous decisions, only to turn them on their head again just a few days later!!

That can mess with your head, and your teams. As a leader, we have to be able to put in place structures that keep the engines oiled and the wheels turn‐ ing. We also have to make the most of what the data is telling us in any one moment and be willing to make a deci‐ sion, a choice, even though that may have to be overturned in light of new information.

Dan Siegel is one of the world’s lead‐ ing mindfulness, neuroscience and in‐ terpersonal neurobiology experts.

Dan tells us that the healthy human being is psychologically flexible. He says we need to be kind of like a river flow‐ ing between two banks, on one side we have structure and on the other we have spontaneity.

So, what is the trick to maintaining flexibility, well it is to make sure we don’t flood one side or the other. We want to have just the right amount of structure, too much and you get rigid.

And we know that’s not good.

On the other side of our river of flexi‐ bility we have spontaneity. Again, we need a certain amount, but not too much. If we go over the top on spon‐ taneity, we can flood that side and wind up with chaos. Also, not good.

Dan tells us that the hallmark of a healthy human being is just like the riv‐ er of flexibility, it runs between the banks of structure and spontaneity.

Structure + Spontaneity = Flexibility.

How’s your river? Are you sticking rigidly to structures that don’t work anymore, or can you be a little too spontaneous?

Are you flooding one side or the oth‐ er?

As with all these things it’s a delicate balance, the tightrope of life and busi‐ ness.

What’s one little thing you can do to Optimise today?

Stay Focused, Keep Positive and Choose to +1 in Every Moment. Fulfil Your Dreams and Awaken Your Great‐ ness!

PS. Want PERSONAL TRANSFORMA‐ TION or BUSINESS SUCCESS, to get laser focused on your Vision or Biggest Most Audacious Goals?

We have a couple of places left on my Visionary Women Programme, the last programme before the year is out!!! In just four, three‐hour online sessions you could Reach Beyond Your Limits, Soar Beyond Your Barriers and Live Beyond Your Dreams.

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Love, Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps Toni x Toni Eastwood OBE, MBA #TheWom‐ anBeyond

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

Please do get in touch if you have any questions. Follow me, chat and share your thoughts and network with other fabulous women in my Visionary Women Facebook Group.

@tonieastwood

@SixSecretsToSuccess @VisionaryWomen

tonieastwoodobe

sixsecretstosuccess

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 December 2021

EWN 41

The good, the bad & the back-stabbing NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist.

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

FORMER French President François Hollande, recently describing Em‐ manuel Macron as a “spineless frog,” is scathing of his performance in office.

Well, what a way to describe his one‐ time protégé who was supposed to help HIM secure a second term! In‐ stead he regards Macron’s own rise to power as an outright act of betrayal.

Well, this made me think about other embarrassing ‘mistakes’ at work.

During my gap year, I was a trainee in a company and, on my first day, asked to make tea for visiting Japanese busi‐ nessmen. In the kitchen I boiled up wa‐ ter as you do, but added it to the tea leaves left in the pot by someone else and innocently stirred up the contents.

(Stop sniggering at the back there! OK, spoilt rotten by the parents!)

Anyway, I can’t imagine how yucky Nora Johnson’s opinions

EMBARRASSING: Do you recall your greatest blunder at work?

takes. One bloke’s holiday job was as a ‘floater’ in a large department store, as‐ signed to random areas to assist cus‐ tomers. Once in the baby goods section, he asked a well‐built lady: “When are you due?” Fortunately (for him) she smiled back: “Just looking for a gift.”

Recall your greatest blunder, then?

Apart from unforeseen accidents, some mistakes at work involve poor risk man‐ agement, incompetent management or simply poor hiring decisions.

So, over to you, François Hollande, what’s your LATEST monumental mis‐ take, eh?

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

that stewed tea must have tasted. So, France, added some of her own dirty yes, pretty yucky. In fact, it couldn’t clothes to the family’s laundry. When have got much more yucky than that (as the machine cycle finished, she was Gregg Wallace might say). Strangely, all aghast to see her red shirt had turned the Japanese businessmen declared her boss’s exquisite white lingerie how much they’d enjoyed their ‘English’ shocking pink. In desperation, she tried tea ‐ such a change, they said, from to bleach it back to white, using neat To read more articles from our columnists their usual green variety. bleach. The lingerie fell apart in her and to have your say in the comments go And what about other holiday jobs? hands. to www.euroweeklynews.com An acquaintance, working as a nanny in Working in retail is also rife with mis‐ are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

EW YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.

BRITS IMPORT WARNING From our Facebook Hola, I have just read your article in this week’s EWN about import charges and thought that you might like to know how much I have just had to pay.

I have just had delivered from the UK a new fabric cover for a folding frame for a motorcycle cover which was destroyed in the recent high winds.

The cost of the cover was £59.99. The cost of import charges was €31.50 Customs, €14.91 Administration charge and €6.62 IVA. A grand total of €53.03 charges which is a complete rip-off! I was expecting to have to pay some charges, but not just short of the cost of the item!

David Lomas

Leapy Lee Commentary Loopy at his best again this week. White American shoots three other White Americans, fortunately killing only two, but Leapy makes this a racial issue and the fault of a black guy who was killed by a white policeman.

I must be missing something. George Floyd was no innocent bystander, but maybe just arresting him would have been enough.

PS. Loved this week’s letter asking about Little Arrows. I can assure the writer that that was all Leapy ever did.

All the best, Peter

Importing into Spain Dear Editor, Having read your warning in the EWN , I know what you mean. I sent off for 50 tins of food from the UK which is not stocked by any Brit shops here.

WE’VE COME SO FAR THE controversial topic of Covid passports has been in the news this week, with several Spanish communities giving the green light to new restrictions.

With mandatory vaccinations ruled out at this stage and a new variant of the coronavirus detected, the move seems like a natural response. Just as everyone in Spain was feeling relieved at a sense of normality returning, alarm bells started to ring again.

The news will not be welcomed by those who see any

CORRECTIONS

RIP-OFF: Watch out for import charges.

The normal price would be €3 a tin for similar products by Princes. With postage it came out to €3.80 a tin.

I tracked the parcel and it quickly arrived at Customs at Madrid airport 17 days ago. Instead of just using the customs information on the package, they instead sent me a two-page document (in Spanish) to fill in, to decide how much taxes I have to pay, which I have returned to them and I will have to pay whatever they decide before they will release the parcel.

This I did not understand. A few years ago, I had to pay set taxes on a parcel from California directly to the postman who delivered the package. Now Spanish customs seem to be making it up as they go along on how much I pay and I have no choice but to pay whatever inflated figure the señors decide, as punishment for Britain leaving the EU and for Gibraltar.

Significant charges could ruin it for British shops in Spain, making food and other things too expensive for we expats to buy.

Michael Hill Benidorm

OUR VIEW

restrictions as an impingement on their freedom. But for the 35.5 million people who have had at least two doses of the vaccine, the news will mean the path to normality can continue to some extent.

Anyone who has visited the UK in the past year will have noticed the stark contrast in the adherence to protocols such as mask-wearing compared to Spain.

Here, it has become a habit for many, and most people comply without fuss. Walking into a shop without a mask

almost seems unthinkable and many still wear them in open spaces.

After a tough 20 months in which people have missed events such as births, weddings, and funerals and many more have been separated from friends and families, the introduction of Covid passports now seems like a minor inconvenience.

There is no solution that satisfies everyone, but with so much hard work done to get this far, these latest measures might be what is needed to get us over the line.

BABIES AT WORK: Most people said absolutely not!

Malcolm Stoddart No, they have a creche there, she is being paid enough to afford professional care! Attention seeker!

Deborah Clynshaw No. Maternity leave should be increased. For everyone!

Pamela Symons It’s not proffesional to take a baby or child to work. Where are her work ethics.! You can’t have everything in life. Pay for a nanny. And express your milk.

Helen Jordan Definitely not. What do any other mothers do, get childcare.

After all she’s paid enough to afford it but being an MP she thinks she can do as she likes. Maybe Boris can take the child to Peppa Pig World and give her a day off.

Nick Houghton No there are many industries where it is impossible. What happens when the baby gets cranky at work and screams the place down - no one can work.

Elaine Smith No way, there is an expensive creche there if children need to be looked after, if they don’t want to use that either, stay home or employ a nanny.

Richard Gill Davies No. Do what everyone else does and make suitable arrangements before embarking on starting a family. Take responsibility and think ahead. This child will need you to be a role model.

At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com

www.euroweeklynews.com • 2 - 8 December 2021

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FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 December 2021

GO LOCAL

THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to support lo‐ cal businesses in the commu‐ nity by shopping locally in re‐ cent times. Now things are heading back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by supporting local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderfully quirky indepen‐ dent businesses in your area.

Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities what they are. They add unique character. They are conve‐

nient. And they offer excellent produce from known suppliers.

The joy of shopping locally means that independent busi‐ nesses can support the local community. You may find something a euro or two cheaper online but have you considered where your money is actually going?

By shopping locally you’re putting food on a local family’s table and there is nothing bet‐ ter than giving back to the communities that have given us so much. Local stores sup‐

port charities and they sponsor local sports teams. In many cas‐ es, they are much more than

just a business, they’re a legacy.

They may have supported gen‐ erations of the same family.

EWN 47

48 EWN

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2 - 8 December 2021

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Incredible shrinking pores AS we age, the amount of collagen and elastin we have keeping our skin springy decreases and our skin sags slight‐ ly, leaving us with pores which appear larger.

And while there is nothing that can change the size of your pores, there is plenty that you can do to make them appear smaller.

Firstly, while you can‐

not pysyically shrink your pores, a build‐up of dirt and sebum in them can certainly have the opposite effect so start your skincare routine every day by gently cleansing. Using an oil‐ based cleanser will work well for most skin types as oil actually attracts oil which means these cleansers are a very ef‐ fective way of ridding your skin of any grease without using stripping detergents.

The latest oil‐based cleansers use emollients which turn milky on con‐ tact with water, allow‐ ing the product to dive deep into your pores and bring out any dirt too, preventing black‐ heads.

Next, use a gentle ex‐ foliator to slough off dead skin cells which can make pores look more prominent. Dead skin will also prevent

any products you use af‐ terwards penetrating as deeply as they should.

Ensure that at every stage you are gentle with your skin, however, as being overly‐aggres‐ sive with any products can cause permanent damage to the pores, even stretching them out.

Retinoid products (ones containing vitamin A) naturally exfoliate the skin without using any beads or scrubs and increase cell turnover, making the pores ap‐ pear smaller.

Next, before applying any make‐up or primers, make sure to moisturise your skin. While this may seem counterintu‐ itive, well‐hydrated skin should not over‐produce oil to compensate for dryness, meaning you actually produce less se‐ bum which makes your pores look bigger when

you have mois‐ turised.

Finally, make sure to always u s e a n S P F. Apart from its benefits in helping to prevent skin can‐ cer, sun protection will help you prevent fur‐ ther fine lines, wrinkles and sagging caused by excess sun, which in turn will help prevent your pores enlarging further.

Now apply a make‐up primer or BB cream to your skin. These prod‐ ucts often contain parti‐ cles which diffuse the light, ‘blurring’ out im‐ perfections and provid‐ ing a softer appearance to the skin. This will help to make pores look significantly smaller while also helping your make‐up last longer.

SKIN PERFECT: It is possible to minimise the look of pores.

These cosmetic changes should make an overall difference to the appearance of pores.

You can help to treat your body from the in‐ side too though, by staying hydrated which in turn plumps up the skin’s surface and re‐ ducing the look of pores.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

www.euroweeklynews.com

Let’s dance WITH Strictly Come Dancing as popular as ev‐ er, more and more people are taking up danc‐ ing. And researchers in Japan have found older people who take up the hobby are less likely to lose their independence.

A team of scientists tracked a group of more than 1,000 women aged between 75 and 84 and found those who dance were less likely to need help with everyday tasks such as bathing.

They also found dancing was more effective than other forms of exercise in helping with in‐ dependence, compared to jogging, cycling, and golf. The study, carried out at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology and published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science, found that dancing, ‘is a more useful exercise for maintaining brain structure and balance in older adults’ ability to walk, strength and flexibility exercise.’

Lead author Dr Yosuke Osuka said: “Al‐ though it is unclear why dancing alone reduced the risk of ADL [activities associated with daily living] disability, dancing requires not only bal‐ ance, strength, and endurance ability, but also cognitive ability ‐ adaptability and concentra‐ tion to move according to the music and part‐ ner, artistry for graceful and fluid motion, and memory for choreography.” The study’s au‐ thors concluded: ‘Participation in dancing was significantly and independently associated with a reduced risk of incident ADL disability among older Japanese women.’

DANCING: Older women benefited from dance.

Researchers studied the women over eight years, during which time they participated in a range of exercises, indulging martial arts and tai chi. Dancing was found to improve both en‐ durance and strength, whilst also adding a mental challenge element which scientists think may help with everyday tasks.

The study found older women who dance are 73 per cent less likely to need help with routine tasks, such as dressing, bathing and eating. Dr Yosuke said: “Dancing should be a useful exercise for maintaining functional ca‐ pacity in this population. This finding may en‐ courage participation in dancing among the older population.” During the research, older women were asked to take part in 16 exercise types, including hiking, ball games, bowling, aqua exercise and yoga. All members of the study group lived independently at the begin‐ ning of the eight years, and none had difficul‐ ties with daily tasks, but roughly one in eight developed problems. Scientists compared ex‐ ercises, and found dancing reduced women’s risk of needing help with daily activities, includ‐ ing walking, eating, bathing, dressing and using the bathroom.

2 - 8 December 2021

EWN 49

50 EWN

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2 - 8 December 2021

FEATURE

Travel

CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD I HAVE been thinking a lot this week about the mental leaps people make when they are upset over something, and how these jumps in logic create such big divides between people that it makes discussion and debate almost impossible. I looked up what I was trying to describe, and the closest thing I can find is called ‘catastrophising’.

A lot of people involuntarily suffer from this way of imagining things and it only relates to themselves. It is an issue that mental health counsellors describe as a type of distorted thinking that is not based in reality and can be debilitating to those who cannot physically shake themselves free of it. Future-oriented catastrophising is believing something terrible will happen, without evidence to support this belief, and this is where I mostly pick up the other type of person I encounter with this train of thought. These people don’t necessarily have a medical problem that causes them to think in this way, but instead, lean into this way of thinking as a means to further their po-

Catastrophising litical or personal opinion. This all-ornothing thinking can actually hurt their coherence and does nothing for the spirit of debate or discussion as they pick up their imaginary scenario and refuse to let it go.

“Next thing you know…” is a common, and relatively innocuous, starter for this kind of conversation. The person that brings out the idea of never being able to say the word Christmas again because they’ve been asked to consider other holidays. The thought of white people disappearing from their television because there is a black woman with a supermarket loyalty card on their screen. They run down their line of thought until they reach a scenario so extreme that they panic, then hold firm that belief as if it is here in reality already. Catastrophising.

Right-wing politicians adore it when people create their own false dichotomy, or all-or-nothing situations, as it saves them the job of creating them on the campaign podium. Psychology professor Ryan Martin says: “When things happen to us and we evaluate those events in highly negative ways, we’re

more likely to get angry about them, and we’re more likely to get scared.”

Scared people are easier to manipulate into voting against their own interests to protect themselves from the imaginary scenarios created from fear.

The more that these thoughts become ingrained into people’s minds, the more self-perpetuating they become, until small things explode. This way of thinking leads to chronic anger and in turn, this creates misattributed causation, putting the blame where it doesn’t belong. This is how people are easily turned against each other in times of hardship when they have more in common with each other than they do with the people in charge who are actually creating awful situations.

This goes some of the way to explain the current rise in right-wing ideology and individualism across the globe, at a time when we should really be helping each other instead.

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

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

CONSULAR MATTERS O N E of the things that peo‐ ple believe in Spain is that you cannot disinherit your children. Well, this is untrue.

We advise you to have a Spanish Will if you have a property in Spain, or you are resident in Spain, then you can choose whether your na‐ tional law or the Spanish law applies to your estate, legal advice could save your estate a huge amount in taxes. If you are thinking of buying a prop‐ erty in Spain, we advise you have a Spanish Will drafted to facilitate the Spanish inheri‐ tance for your heirs.

It appears that recently there has been a 500 per cent increase in requests to effec‐ tively disinherit children in Spain. To put it briefly if you do not ‘look after’ your par‐ ents or grandparents they can apply to the courts in Spain to

Winter underway THE Sierra Nevada is Eu‐ rope’s southernmost ski resort and on November 27, its ski‐lifts were acti‐ vated once more, as this year's winter season got underway. It is reported that there is already 20cm of fresh snow on the ground, and nine kilome‐ tres of slopes are skiable.

In the hope of a more stable season this year, af‐ ter last year’s on‐and‐off restrictions, the Sierra Nevada’s hoteliers and business owners in Pradollano and Bor‐ reguiles are optimistic.

Now they just need a re‐ turn to the numbers gen‐ erated in 2019.

The drop in tempera‐ tures, combined with rain‐ fall in recent weeks has helped to get the doors open. While the capital of the province, and other parts of the region experi‐ enced rain, the mountain peaks received a generous covering of snow.

Slopes are now skiable.

A real bonus for the Sierra Nevada is that data shows the Granada Province currently has the lowest virus infection rates in Andalucia at more than 30 points below the second‐lowest, Jaen.

Masks must be worn on ski lifts and chairs, but there are no capacity re‐ strictions on the slopes.

Although that could change if it becomes over‐ crowded.

According to Enrique de la Higuera, a spokesman for local businesspersons, a hotel occupancy of 50 per cent is expected for this first week of the sea‐ son. That’s compared to a 30 per cent occupancy last season.

Disinheriting children in Spain

SPANISH WILL: You are advised to have one drafted up.

have you disinherited.

The causes of disinheri‐ tance are assessed, and the Courts apply them restrictive‐ ly. Regarding the disinheri‐

tance of the children, article 853 of the Civil Code includes disinheritance for three rea‐ sons: having denied the par‐ ents or grandparents food

(maintenance, failure to care for them) for no legitimate reason, having mistreated them, or seriously insulted them by words.

The judgement of the Supreme Court of January 30, 2015, includes the emotional abandonment of parents as a cause of psychological abuse, subsuming such assumption in the abuse of work included in the Civil Code. And the same would happen in the case of inattention to a par‐ ent during the Covid pandem‐ ic.

However, it is a complex process, a ‘simple argument’ is not enough, but there must be a real assumption of psy‐ chological abuse. The proof that is provided will be deci‐ sive if the child brings an ac‐ tion to challenge the disinher‐ itance, the burden of proof, of course, is on the parents

who intend to disinherit their heir(s). In addition, it will be required that the disinheri‐ tance be made by means of a Will, having to write one or modify the existing one, in compliance with the formal requirements inherent to it.

Likewise, and considering that Covid can be associated with purely economic circum‐ stances, we could take advan‐ tage of Article 853 if the chil‐ dren had denied their parents ‘food’ for unjustified reasons, and the parents were in a state of need because of the crisis caused by Covid.

Marisa Moreno Castillo Consul of Denmark and senior lawyer at Just Law solicitors To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com

Marisa Moreno Castillo, Lawyer and Consul for Denmark. www.justlawsolicitors.com • contact@justlawsolicitors.com

SOCIAL SCENE

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2 - 8 December 2021

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Disability activities

SPORT & FUN: An alternative activity for families in the area.

Sport & Fun THE Department of Sports at Orihuela council has announced the sports event ‘Sport & Fun,’ which will take place at the Municipal Sports Centre on December 4 and 5.

Councillor for Sports, Victor Bernabeu, said: “We have found that activities organ‐ ised at the end of the month do not have much participation since many families go to their countries of origin for Christmas, so we have opted to celebrate this new activi‐ ty during this sports and fun weekend in which they can enjoy bouncy castles, com‐

edy, workshops, and sports champi‐ onships, among many other activities.”

This first edition of ‘Sport & Fun’ will take place from 10.30am to 2pm and from 4pm to 8pm.

Councillor Bernabeu said: “The Depart‐ ment of Sports is offering this alternative activity, within the school calendar since there are many residents who spend their Christmas with their families in their coun‐ tries of origin, so this date is more appropri‐ ate for the organisation of this type of activ‐ ities.”

TORREVIEJA Council has an‐ nounced the actitivites it will hold to mark International Week of People with Disabili‐ ties until December 5.

The councillor for NGOs and Volunteering, Concha Sala, the president of APA‐ NEE, Maria Jose Sanchez and the president of ALPE, Heidi Aznar, presented the activi‐ ties.

Maria Jose Sanchez and Heidi Aznar thanked Torrevie‐ ja Council for supporting both associations and, “their com‐ mitment to making people with different abilities visible.

This is the third consecutive year that we have launched, in collaboration with the city council, activities to make visi‐ ble and commemorate a date that is so important to us.”

Today, Thursday, Decem‐ ber 2 there will be inclusive ‘charamita’, where for the first time the group of giants will wait for children with functional diversity in the Plaza Miguel Hernendez, to accompany them to the offi‐ cial starting point. This activity

ACTIVITIES: This is the third year of the event being held.

will take place from 6.45pm.

On International Disability Day on Friday, December 3, users of the ALPE occupation‐ al centre will participate in a forum cinema day where they will enjoy the screening of ‘Wonder’. Throughout the morning a mural will be in‐ stalled in the Plaza de la Con‐ stitucion made by children with functional diversity.

At 6pm a flag raising will take place in the Plaza de la Constitucion, with the re‐ lease of balloons and pi‐ geons. In addition, prizes will be awarded to the winners of a drawing contest at the

educational centres.

On Sunday, December 5, there will be inclusive ‘charamita’ again from 12pm when the group of giants will wait for children with func‐ tional diversity.

PETS

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Find great pet-sitters and relax

IF you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sitters.

Perhaps you are already making plans for a staycation get away.

Even if you are planning just a short trip, you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Young pets in particular may benefit from staying be‐ hind so they can follow their routines at home. So, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sitters, if you have trips planned later this year. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philoso‐ phy is that we are all in this to‐ gether. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a homeowner on HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can

help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stat‐ ing your plans for your next holi‐ day, Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2021? Then get started right now.

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Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either a house-sitter or homeowner with a 50% discount using coupon code SUPER50 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.Housesitmatch.com.

Pocket-pet care SMALL and relatively cheap and easy to keep, hamsters have been a pop‐ ular pet for many years.

Unlike mice, hamsters are not particularly inter‐ ested in having company

apart from making more hamsters, so can be kept individually without any major problems. They are nocturnal and tend to sleep most of the day be‐ fore racing about at night.

Essential equipment for hamster owners consists of a cage, exercise wheel, wa‐ ter bottle, food dish and bedding.

While snazzy cages with mazes of plastic tubes look cool and are loved by chil‐ dren, they are not the best bet as they are difficult to keep clean and can also cause problems if a chubby hammy gets stuck in a nar‐ row tube.

Exercise wheels should be made of solid plastic, rather than old‐fashioned wire ones which can easily cause injury.

Grass hay, hamster pel‐ lets and fresh veg are all a hamster needs to stay well‐fed and healthy. Be‐ ware, however, that they love to stash food away which can quickly lead to

rotting vegetables, so take care to search out and re‐ move these stashes fre‐ quently. Sticks or chew toys are vital as the ro‐ dents’ teeth grow con‐ stantly and need wearing down and, like all pets, a constant supply of fresh water is vital.

There are many different types of bedding available but be aware that litters which clump can cause di‐ gestive problems and soft‐ wood shavings can cause respiratory disease. As hamsters do not tend to be smelly animals, shredded paper is the best option for bedding.

Hamsters generally keep themselves well‐groomed so only those with long hair will need occasional grooming with a soft brush. Gentle handling from an early age will be enough to train a hamster as an affectionate pet, but avoid waking them up dur‐ ing the day to stop them from getting grumpy.

Advertising Feature

Christmas decorations and pets THE Christmas tree could be real or artificial. The real trees have sharp needles which can become lodged in your pet’s throat. They also produce oils that can irritate the mouth and stomach.

Artificial trees pose less risk but the can be pulled down by inquisitive pets. The decorations of the trees could be danger‐ ous as well. Some of them are made of glass, and can leave sharp fragments if accidentally smashed or damaged. Fairy lights can be very attractive to curious pets but can cause dan‐ gerous electric shocks and burns if chewed. Several festive plants are toxic to pets if swallowed or brushed up against.

Some wrapping paper unlikely poses a poison risk to pets but they can contain small levels of chlorine bleach and toxic dyes.

Eating a large amount can cause a blockage in the stomach or intestines.

Some recommendations to keep in mind: Don’t leave your pet alone in the room with the Christmas tree, at least not for long periods. Avoid hanging decorations on the lowest branches of your tree and always keep an eye on your pet if they get too close. Fix the tree well to the ground with transparent tape.

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

54 EWN

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

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

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you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be.

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62 EWN

www.euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 December 2021

ITV sticker placement AS drivers in Spain, we are all aware that our vehicle must peri‐ odically pass the Technical Vehicle In‐ spection (ITV) in or‐ der to obtain the technical inspection

card. This document certifies that the ve‐ hicle meets all the technical conditions necessary to circulate on the roads.

After passing the test, the driver will obtain the ITV stick‐ er, formally known as the V‐19 distinc‐ tive. This coloured sticker is placed on the inside of the windscreen of the car so that traffic of‐ ficers can recognise the status of the ve‐ hicle at a glance.

However, do you know exactly where the ITV sticker is supposed to be put, and if its display is mandatory?

The Royal Decree 2822/1998 indicates in Article 12 that all vehicles passing the ITV must display the sticker on a manda‐ tory basis. Failing to display it brings a

Place on the windscreen.

fine of €80.

Annex XI of the General Vehicle Regu‐ lations clearly ex‐ plains where the ITV sticker should be placed. “In the case of vehicles that have a windscreen, the dis‐ tinctive will be placed in the upper right‐ hand corner of the windscreen, on the inside. The printed side of the badge will be self‐adhesive. On all other vehicles, the badge must be placed in a conspicuous place. The unprinted side of the badge will be self‐adhesive,” it states.

MOTORING

New traffic fines!

T H I S year, in terms of regulatory changes and driver‐related offences, has been a particularly turbulent one. With a starting gun focused on electric scooter users and ending with a modification of the Traffic Law that is still underway and yet to be finalised, drivers should be on their toes as new traffic fines are already in place.

Electric scooters Scooters must not ride on pavements.

The fine for this offence is €200 and has already been imposed for months. In ad‐ dition, it is expected that before the end of the year it will also be compulsory for riders of electric scooters to ride with a helmet.

Other vehicles The rest of the new penalties are from amendments to the Traffic Law. The fines associated with these changes will be as follows: Fine number one Driving while holding a mobile phone in your hand, regardless of whether it is be‐ ing used or not holds a hefty traffic fine of €200 and six points deducted.

Fine number two Having a radar detector or inhibitor in the car, even if it is not connected, will al‐ so hold a traffic fine of €200 and three points.

NEW RULES: Drivers should be on their toes.

Fine number three Not turning off the car engine when idling or waiting carries a fine of €100.

A quick reminder With the change in speed limits on cer‐ tain streets, this year also saw the start of penalties for vehicles driving over 30 km/hr on some roads.

Although this is not a new penalty, the zones now have different speed lim‐ its to improve coexistence between mo‐ tor vehicles and other vulnerable road users.

MOTORING

www.euroweeklynews.com

2 - 8 December 2021

EWN 63

ORA CAT - new all-electric Cat on the prowl from 2022 ROAD TEST

Due to launch in 2022.

by Mark Slack ONE of the most fre‐ quent criticisms of electric cars is their price, it’s all too often high and beyond the reach of normal drivers.

Whether buying outright, increasing‐ ly unusual these days, or on some kind of personal lease scheme, the costs are still prohibitive for many drivers. The other issue is our poor infrastructure in the UK, EVs are great to drive but only practically useful as commuter cars in the main, unless you have the funds to buy more pre‐ mium models with a long range. Hence those higher prices are still dissuading a lot of motorists from taking the EV route, unless they al‐ so keep a combustion en‐ gine car on the drive.

You will struggle to find an EV for under €23,832/ £20,000 with only Fiat’s chic

Facts at a Glance Model: ORA CAT Engine: all-electric with 48kwh or 63kwh battery options Price: €29,790/£25,000 estimated Performance: 0-100 kph (62 mph) 8.5 seconds/Maximum Speed 160 kph (100 mph) Economy: Range 209 miles for 48kwh version and 261 miles for 63kwh version Emissions: 0 g/km Model quoted is UK-specification and equipment and final version specification and prices may vary.

500 Electric promising a de‐ cent range of 199 miles, but bear in mind, as with all EVs, this is a perfect conditions scenario. However, there is a potentially very useable

new EV about to start prowling the roads with the launch of the ORA CAT. Due next year, and priced from around €29,790/£25,000, it has a promised range of 261

miles for the larger battery model.

It will perhaps be no sur‐ prise that the ORA CAT is from a Chinese company, Great Wall Motor who are best known in the UK for pick‐ups. Two battery options are listed, 48 kwh with a predicted range of 209 miles, and 63 kwh that will offer the afore‐ mentioned 261 mile range.

The ORA CAT reaches the benchmark 62mph in a rela‐ tively spritely 8.5 seconds and then on to a maximum speed of 100 mph. Technol‐ ogy includes a 10.25 inch screen with infotainment, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, rear parking sensors, lane keep, autonomous parking, facial recognition for fatigue and distraction detection, 360‐degree cam‐ era integration, 12 ultrason‐ ic radars and updates over‐ the‐air a’ la Tesla style.

Additionally, there are full LED headlights, 18‐inch al‐ loys and safety wise six airbags.

Customers will have a five‐year vehicle warranty and an eight‐year warranty on the battery.

Pre‐orders of the ORA CAT 01 will begin in December 2021. While exact details will be revealed later this year, indicative pricing for

the entry level trim version suggests the vehicle will be available to purchase for around £25,000. First deliv‐ eries of the ORA CAT are scheduled for the first half of 2022 and additional mod‐ els and variants will be an‐ nounced in due course.

64

SPORT Flyers’ wings clipped

2 - 8 December 2021

to read more visit www.euroweeklynews.com

HONDON VALLEY FLYERS failed to make it three wins out of three when For‐ mentera held them to a 2‐2 draw on Friday, November 26, in a Costa Blanca Walking Football league match.

This was Formentera’s first league match and needed to get a result to stop Flyers stretching their lead at the top. Can Formentera now mount a challenge at the top? In another league game Moraira WFC defeated bot‐ tom club Pinoso by 2‐0 to

Formentera WFC

keep the pressure on Hon‐ don with a game in hand.

The league is open with

Costa Blanca Walking Football league table.

Formentera two games in hand of Hondon and Porto‐ bello three in hand still to

play their first match.

Fixtures and results weekly in the Euro Weekly News.

Leo Messi wins seventh trophy THE Ballon d’Or 2021 ceremony returned to Paris on Monday, November 29, after being cancelled in 2020 due to the pan‐ demic. Argentinian wizard Lionel Messi was in the running to win his record seventh trophy. Messi has six awards to his name from his time with Barcelona, but now he is playing for Paris Saint‐Germain.

Five players were left in the final selection, with Leicester City and France midfielder N'Golo Kante coming fifth. Fourth

place went to Karim Benzema, France’s prolific Real Madrid striker. Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Jorginho was given third spot. In second, Robert Lewandoski, which meant the winner was ‐ Lionel Messi.

Strangely, there was no mention of Cristiano Ronaldo’s name as a strong favourite to win his sixth Ballon d’Or this year. The Portuguese legend is currently back with Manchester United after leaving Juventus.

Wales and Scotland rivals WALES and Scotland found out on Friday, November 26, exactly who their opponents will be in the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying semi‐final play‐offs. Both home na‐ tions have home matches in the one‐legged deciders.

Robert Page’s Welsh team will host Austria in Cardiff, with the manager commenting, “We’ve worked ever so hard to finish second and get that home draw. We’ve got everything to play for.”

Scotland can look forward to taking on Ukraine at Ham‐ pden. Manager Steve Clark was confident as he said, “We have shown over the course of the play‐offs for Euro 2020 that we can handle the tension for semi‐final, and final games.”

Adding, “Ukraine is up there with the toughest [draw] and then from that, we know Wales have done really well recently. We know the Austrians well. It’s something for everyone to focus on and think about over the winter months and look forward to some good games in March, hopefully.”

If both teams win then they will face one another at Cardiff, with the victors heading for the World Cup finals in Qatar. It has been 64 years since the Welsh competed in the World Cup, back in 1958, while for the Scots, it has been a patient 24‐year wait.

In the other two play‐off semis, Portugal will be at home to Turkey, and Italy will welcome North Macedonia. The winners will then face‐off, which means one of Europe’s big football nations will not be present in Qatar.