THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 14 - 17 Issue No. 1901 9 - 15 December 2021
3D map THE Urban Planning De‐ partment at Malaga City Council has commis‐ sioned different 2D and 3D studies, as well as aerial photographs, to look at the current state of the city’s Alcazaba. The council is con‐ cerned about the state of the fortified complex and that is why georefer‐ enced 3D techniques have been used as they can provide the detail that future conservation work to the area re‐ quires. The scans will also in‐ clude the surroundings of Mount Gibralfaro. This 3D scan will in‐ clude the Alcazaba Wall, Homage Tower, Gibral‐ faro Wall, Barbacana and the Coracha Wall, and will serve as the basis for future study. The interior, exterior and superior faces will be scanned, as well as the interior spaces of the towers, as long as they are accessible. In 2019, the Alcazaba in Malaga broke a record number of visitors, reaching 1,258,265, which is 5.32 per cent more than the previous year.
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SEVEN MEDALS: Members of the school were successful at the European championships.
A TORROX Jiu Jitsu school has won seven medals at a national competition following its success at the European championships. Progress Academia took part in the Brazil‐ ian Jiu Jitsu Madrid Open on December 4 and 5, with the school’s adult and child stu‐ dents competing. Lucy Birchall, eight, Max Birchall, 12, Aaron Jones, 12, and Louis Donnelly 15, all won sil‐ ver at the event. Meanwhile, the adults competing also took home medals, with Progress Academia owner Chris Birchall, 39, winning silver, Gleb Loginov, 51, also taking home silver, and Pe‐ ter Lumley‐Savil, 45, winning bronze. The school, which opened its doors on Tor‐ rox Costa in summer 2020, had previously taken five of its young students to the Brazil‐ ian Jiu Jitsu European Cup in Valencia earlier this year, with each of them winning medals. Chris Birchall told the Euro Weekly News that he was delighted at the school’s most recent wins. He said: “We noticed that this time the
kids were even more prepared which al‐ lowed them to perform better in the fights and use more of the techniques and skills they had learned in the classes, which ulti‐ mately led them to victory.” His daughter Lucy, who won a silver medal at the Spanish open and a silver at the Euro‐ pean Cup, told the EWN: “I loved standing on the podium with my silver medal.” Meanwhile, her brother Max said: “I’ve been doing Jiu Jitsu for quite a few years and I really enjoy it. “The weekend was amazing, especially af‐ ter I got into the final and onto the podium.” Chris told the EWN that the school will now be entering more competitions, and even wants to organise its own champi‐ onships. He said: “There is a shortage of competi‐ tions in Andalucia, but a lot of people who compete.” For more information about the course or the academy, contact 711 036 961 or info@progressacademia.es.
MOTRIL has presented the most ambitious budget in the history of the municipality that foresees spending of €56,077,461 to pro‐ mote economic, social and urban develop‐ ment and leave munici‐ pal debt at zero. Mayor Luisa Maria Garcia Chamorro pub‐ licly congratulated the deputy mayor for Econ‐ omy and Finance Nico‐ las Navarro Diaz “for his tenacity, effort and exemplary work in leading the total con‐ sensus of all areas and executing a realistic and very ambitious document for Motril.”
Garcia Chamorro highlighted “our impor‐ tant social commitment that means the needi‐ est citizens are not left out. That has prompted the council that I pre‐ side to keep them in mind since the pan‐ demic broke out. For us, it is not ‘social spending’ but the best investment that can be made, because people come first and always will.” Navarro Diaz said that this “is one of the first large councils in all of Spain to settle its municipal debt and, in this next year, it will set the score to zero.”
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Malaga hospital outbreak THE Spanish trade union CSIF has called for people not to “demonise” health workers after a recent Covid outbreak affected workers from the Regional University Hospital of Malaga, mostly from the ICU. The trade union called for citizens to keep calm and has highlighted that people may become infected any‐ where, as there are current‐ ly “conferences, fairs, and events, such as the OPE public examinations held just a week ago, in addition to the increased movement of people that can be ex‐
REGIONAL HOSPITAL: Workers from the ICU were affected.
pected at this time of year.” The trade union has asked people not to “blame” the health workers for the out‐ break, which occurred a few days after the colleagues at‐
tended a Christmas dinner to‐ gether, emphasising that “these individuals have not broken any rules,” and that they had “followed all recom‐ mendations.” They also called
for people to remember that health workers “have been heroes throughout the pan‐ demic,” and therefore “it is very unfair that they are crimi‐ nalised and blamed for the outbreak.” “This is a specific case which should not call into question the professionalism of the health workers,” they added. The Regional Director of the nursing union Satse, Manuel Quero, even praised all those who attended the Christmas dinner for having done antigen tests before the celebration.
Children’s Camp
REGISTRATIONS are now open for the Rincon de la Victoria children’s Christmas Camp. Beneficiary families can sub‐ mit applications for the Rincon de la Victoria children’s Christ‐ mas Camp until December 17 at the General Register of the City Council. In this edition, 75 places are being offered for children between the ages of three and 12. The camp will take place from December 24 to January 7 at the local CEIP Carmen Martin Gaite. The second deputy mayor and councillor for Social Wel‐ fare Elena Aguilar said that this camp “aims to guarantee three meals a day to minors from families in the municipali‐ ty with limited economic re‐
sources.” The camp will take place from 9am to 3pm with a schedule of sports and recre‐ ational activities such as coop‐ erative games, craft work‐ shops and excursions planned by the team of monitors to dif‐ ferent points of the municipali‐ ty. The children will have breakfast and lunch in the edu‐ cational centre itself, taking a snack home. The plan includes a free bus service for children in the municipality who re‐ quire transportation to get to the educational centre. The application form can be collected in person in the Social Welfare Department, the Gen‐ eral Register of the City Council and on the municipal website: www.rincondelavictoria.es.
ARACELI VALERO: Switched on the festive lights.
Christmas comes to town ALMUÑECAR has seen in Christmas with the turning on of the Christmas lights. The event was held in the centrally locat‐ ed Plaza de la Consti‐ tucion, which was packed with people. The singer for the Orquesta La Tentacion Araceli Valero attend‐ ed the event and pressed the button to turn on the Christmas lights in the plaza and welcome in Christmas 2021. She did all this while singing to every‐ one’s surprise. Locals were greeted by the festive sights of a Christmas float and a parade with unicorns and dancers that start‐
ed from the Casa de la Juventud. Part of the entertainment includ‐ ed a dance group from the Academy of Solange Janssens, which performed in the plaza. The town hall facade was lit up to the de‐ light of spectators and artificial snow also be‐ gan to fall to the amusement of the children watching. This year the plaza has been illuminated with a 15‐metre‐high Christmas tree, three large arches and spe‐ cial lighting on the fa‐ cade of the town hall. The palm trees in front of the town hall have also been decorated.
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History book
THE mayor of Nerja, Jose Al‐ berto Armijo, has attended the presentation of a book about the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de las An‐ gustias based on the writings of the area’s first mayor, who died in 1927. The writ‐ ings of Alejandro Bueno Gar‐ cia have been published af‐ ter historian Francisco Capilla transcribed the manuscript.
Garden upgrade THE remodelling works to the Torres de la Viña gar‐ dens in Torre del Mar have been completed. The works have included adapting tran‐ sit areas, both for people with reduced mobility and for other residents, and were visited by members of Velez‐Malaga Council.
Hockey game RINCON DE LA VICTORIA has hosted an international hockey tournament at the Municipal Covered Pavilion in Torre de Benagalbon. The tournament was set to host five teams, including two from CD Malaga 91, and more than 60 players were set to arrive in the area.
€2 million construction MALAGA Province will re‐ ceive €2 million for construc‐ tion works after the provin‐ cial council approved funding for works in 17 mu‐ nicipalities. The plans will be financed by the provincial council through the Munici‐ pal Economic Reactivation Plan, the Municipal Econo‐ my Boost Plan, and the Provincial Assistance and Cooperation Plan.
Car injuries FOUR people have been in‐ jured, including two chil‐ dren, after two cars collided in Malaga City at around 11am on Tuesday, Decem‐ ber 7. The accident took place on the A‐7058 road and firefighters, members of the Guardia Civil, and health workers attended the scene.
9 - 15 December 2021
THE Social Welfare Department of Rincon de la Victoria Council is run‐ ning a campaign until December 30 to collect toys for over 150 children at the Reinforcement Programme of In‐ fant Feeding (PRAI). Councillor Elena Aguila said that the campaign is aimed at children from families with limited resources in the municipality. The campaign, which has the collab‐ oration of the IES Mayorazgo, aims to “support families that are in a difficult economic situation that has been ag‐ gravated by the Covid‐19 pandemic.” “We know that they are going through a particularly delicate mo‐ ment in their lives, and that is why we want to support this solidarity cam‐
Toy collection Council is collecting toys for Xmas.
paign more than ever.” The collection campaign will remain
active until December 30, to begin dis‐ tributing them from Monday January 3 on the eve of the Three Kings. People interested in participating in the campaign can go directly to the Social Welfare facilities on Avenida del Mediterraneo, 33, from 8am to 3pm to deposit the toys, the centres for the elderly in Rincon de la Victoria, from 5pm to 7pm and La Cala del Moral from 4.30pm to 8pm. The toys must be delivered un‐ wrapped to facilitate their distribution by age range.
Record fake goods ERTE fraud fines A JOINT operation between the National Police and the Local In‐ vestigation and Protection Group (GIP), has resulted in the seizure of more than 53,000 counterfeit items that are potentially danger‐ ous to the health and safety of children. These fake goods were discov‐ ered in eight warehouses on the Guadalhorce industrial estate in Malaga, as well as in two other shops in the capital. Investigators confiscated 21,221 counterfeit products, and 32,709 pyrotechnic effects stored illegally. According to sources from the provincial police station, this is a record amount for Malaga Province. Until now, the largest haul of counterfeit merchandise had been some 20,000 products of this type. ‘Operation Toy’ also saw the collaboration of the Consumption Inspection of the Malaga. It end‐
NERJA has welcomed Christmas with a nativity scene and the lighting of a large tree on the Balcon de Europa. The Municipal Nativity Scene was installed in the Tourist Office on the ground floor of the town hall, which has been blessed by the parish priest of the Church of San Miguel, Jose Miguel Porras. The mayor of Nerja Jose Alberto Armijo, the
Products were confiscated.
ed with the arrest of three men, aged 41, 50 and 53, respectively, who were in charge of the busi‐ nesses in which records were made. They have reportedly been charged with the alleged commis‐ sion of a crime against industrial property, and another against consumer rights. The police said: “In an official distributor, cus‐ tomers expect to find products that comply with European safety regulations, and, when they are mixed, it is considered that there may be an intention to mislead the consumer.”
FIGURES have revealed that the province of Malaga is second only to Madrid for the most fines to pay for ERTE fraud. Companies in the province of Malaga have been fined approximately €2.7 million for committing fraud related to the Record of Temporary Employment Regulation (ERTE), a Spanish legal mechanism that became more flexible with the pandemic so that companies would be less likely to get rid of employees. This is more than all of Catalonia (€2.6 million), Canary Islands (€1.7 million), Aragon (€1.5 million), Castilla y León (€1.3 million), and Castilla La Mancha (€1.2 million). The fact that the fines are higher in Malaga than in the rest of Spain does not mean that there were a greater number of employees on ERTE. In comparison to Madrid, Malaga has had a fifth of the number of workers on ERTE since the start of the pandemic. Nor can the high number of fines be explained by differences in the campaign against ERTE fraud. Sevilla, Cadiz and Malaga all had similar numbers of inspections between March and September (approximately 1,500), but Malaga has almost quadruple the number of fines than Sevilla and triple those of Cadiz.
Nativity scene councillor for Popular Traditions Elena Galvez and members of the Municipal Corporation were present. The lights on the Paseo Balcon de Europa have also been turned on, where a large 23‐metre Christmas tree is located. The councillor for Popular Traditions also pressed the
power button for the lighting of the streets in the centre of the municipality and the main facade of the town hall. The Pastoral de Frigiliana enlivened both opening acts with Christmas carols. The councillor took the opportunity to wish neighbours and visitors a happy Christmas, inviting
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them to enjoy more than 50 activities programmed by the Department of Popular Traditions.
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Improved visitor experience A NEW mobile app, to‐ tally free for tourists, has been presented by the councillor for Tourism in Velez‐Mala‐ ga which is set to im‐ prove visitors experi‐ ence. The app, based on augmented reality technology, is a step forward in terms of in‐ telligent tourism, ac‐ cording to Jesus Perez Atencia. Councillor Perez Atencia said that “the app will be incorporat‐ ed into the tourism ser‐ vices offered in the mu‐ nicipality. Smart Tourism is important and where we’re head‐ ing as is adapting to new technologies with the sole objective of competing with other similar destinations. “That is why we are presenting CultuAR, a personalised applica‐ tion, totally free for tourists, based on aug‐ mented reality technol‐ ogy that allows them to add digital information about places of tourist interest in real‐time,” he continued. “Nowadays, the mo‐ bile phone is the main information tool for ev‐ eryone. And that is where we will be able to show the potential of this application, which will allow us to display all the informa‐ tion about our munici‐ pality in real‐time.”
and finally...
THE mayor of Nerja, Jose Alberto Armijo, has valued the con‐ tribution and involvement of the Argentine community in the economic and social development of the town. This was highlighted during the reception of the Argentine singer Lorena Larrea Catterino who is on an international tour to promote the Chamame musical style, declared last year In‐ tangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The mayor welcomed the artist and stressed that “we have always maintained a very good relationship with Casa Ar‐ gentina de Nerja, with the best willingness to collaborate in the initiatives that have been proposed to us.”
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The worst drought T H E State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has published the latest Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) data, which is used to mea‐ sure droughts. It shows the rate of decrease in Malaga is the most in all of Spain. The decrease is more than two points in the city and surrounding areas compared to historical fig‐ ures. Zero is the benchmark and reflects a normal year. A positive number indicates a wet period, while a negative figure indicates a dry period. A decrease of two points marks Malaga between dry and extremely dry. The index shows that the lack
of rainfall seen last year has got significantly worse. The data is valuable as it helps to measure the progression of droughts and pinpoint when they have started or ended. The index measures de‐ viations from an extensive histor‐ ical data. The biggest point of worry is the fact these numbers occurred in the autumn, traditionally the country’s wettest period. The short, heavy bursts of tor‐ rential rain that have been seen do not penetrate the soil and in‐ stead run off into reservoirs, which creates a drought situa‐ tion.
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Vegan leather THE scientists behind the lat‐ est must‐have trend in fash‐ ion, the ‘mushroom leather’ handbag, believe that the ma‐ terial they are using for acces‐ sories has the power to save more than just animals. Mycelium is a material grown from fungi that can be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or sheepskin, and the researchers think it can save the planet. Dr Matt Scullin, CEO of bio‐ materials company My‐ coWorks, forecast that mush‐ room leather could be a sustainability gamechanger “unlocking a future of design which begins with the materi‐ al, not with the object.” The material made its high‐
end debut as an exclusive Hermes handbag, which has become a much sought‐after item. The material can be grown from fungi in a matter of weeks and replicates the feel and look of leather while being stronger and more durable. “It can give the same emo‐ tional response as animal leather. It has that hand‐feel of rarity,” said Scullin. On a planet of finite natural resources, Scullin believes both the technology and the mindset of carbon‐neutral, grown‐to‐order mushroom leather could be “revolution‐ ary” ‐ and have implications for innovation in manufacture beyond fashion.
Olive oil export revelation ANTEQUERA’S extra virgin olive oil is produced and certi‐ fied under the Antequera Pro‐ tected Designation of Origin seal. It has been revealed that 98 per cent of the product is exported to China. A new production cam‐ paign has already started and the Regulatory Council of the PDO plans to send around 100 tons to the country. Victoria Olmedo, the gener‐ al secretary of the Antequera
PDO, explained during the presentation of the campaign: “China is a destination where European protection seals are highly valued, and our oils are very well received.” She added, “We have been selling there for many years, but not as much volume as now.” Despite the lack of rainfall for the next crop, it is expect‐ ed to yield 1,600 tons, of which, only a small portion will remain in the national ter‐
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New centre WITH Christmas looming and new fears over the Omicron variant, a new drop‐in centre for vaccina‐ tions has opened in Mala‐ ga. On Thursday December 2, the doors were opened to a new mobile unit de‐ signed to vaccinate against Covid in the El Palo neigh‐ bourhood. The opening hours for the mobile unit are Wednesday and Thursday from 10.30am to 2.30pm and from 4pm to 7pm, and Friday from 8.30am to 3pm. It is only necessary to present a DNI to get the vaccination there. The new vaccination point attracted large crowds, most of them peo‐ ple over 60 looking to pro‐ tect themselves against Covid and enjoy the festive period with their families. ritory. One of the main objec‐ tives of the PDO is the contin‐ ual promotion of its seal of quality. To achieve this, they must integrate other olive oil brands with their certificate. They are constantly on the lookout for more coopera‐ tives with which to position their denomination at a re‐ gional and national level, so that it is even more recog‐ nised.
Electricity fraud hunt SO far this year more than 160 cases of electricity fraud have been detected in Mala‐ ga. Endesa is working hard to stamp out this problem. Most of the illegal connections to the grid were due to illegal marihuana plantations. Over the last two years, the number of inspections has been increasing as Ende‐ sa cracks down on people il‐ legally connecting to the grid without a contract. The company is using new artificial intelligence technol‐
ogy which has revolutionised the detection of energy theft. Last year, the company discovered energy was being stolen in one out of every two inspections carried out in the province of Malaga. In 2020 a staggering 184 frauds were discovered by only 269 inspections. Electricity fraud is getting more complicated. Tradition‐ al methods involve double connections and bridges. The company is now seeing more innovative measures includ‐
ing printed circuit boards be‐ ing added to meters. The company recently comment‐ ed: “We are detecting a large number of frauds with a pre‐ cision that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago.” Electricity fraud affects so‐ ciety. The cost of stolen elec‐ tricity must be incurred somewhere, and this in‐ creasingly falls on con‐ sumers. The illegal connec‐ tions also pose a fire risk in many cases.
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Smallest church
Benalmadena’s Castillo de Colomares.
ACCORDING to the Guin‐ ness Book of Records, the smallest church in the world is the Santa Isabel de Hungria, which is just 1.96m² in size. It is in the Malaga Province, in the municipality of Benal‐ madena. Constructed by Esteban Martin, between 1987 and 1994, this tiny place of wor‐ ship can be found inside the Castillo de Colomares. It is a monument featuring many different architectural styles. Mr Martin reportedly built it as a tribute to the cultural exchange un‐ leashed after the discovery of America in 1492 by
Christopher Columbus. The church is dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hun‐ gary, who dedicated her life to helping the most disad‐ vantaged people. It has ev‐ erything necessary to carry out services, being also con‐ secrated by the Prior of the Monastery of La Rabida. Benalmadena is a popu‐ lar holiday destination among tourists thanks to its high‐quality beaches. But this municipality has many more tourist attractions that should not be missed including the Castle of Colo‐ mares, Jardines del Muro, and the cobbled streets of its charming old town.
9 - 15 December 2021 ON Friday December 3, the Scottish Government con‐ firmed an outbreak of bird flu among several free‐range hens that tested positive on a commercial premises near Gretna in Dumfries and Gal‐ loway. As a result, and to stop the spread, the area has been put in lockdown. Restrictions to contain the virus, including curbs on the movement of poultry or eggs, have been im‐ plemented. To prevent the possibility of more cases emerging, it is re‐ ported that all the remaining birds at the location have been humanely culled. Mairi Gougeon, Scotland’s Rural Af‐
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FREE-RANGE HENS: Restrictions have now been put into place.
Bird flu outbreak fairs Secretary said, “With the recent disease confirmations in wild and captive birds across the UK, it is not unexpected for avian influenza to be found in birds here in Scotland. We ask that the public remains vigilant and report any findings of
THE Spanish government has let almost a million vaccines go to waste, allowing them to expire rather than donating them to other countries. The rapid spread of the new Omicron variant has the whole world on the alert. While in the first world vulnerable people and the elderly are already re‐ ceiving the third dosis of the vac‐ cine, in Africa only 7 per cent of the population is vaccinated. This is evidence that the Covax mechanism, an alliance of 190
dead wild birds to Defra’s na‐ tional telephone helpline. Do not touch or pick up any dead or sick birds that you find.” Sheila Voas, Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer, comment‐ ed, “We have already made clear that all bird keepers ‐
whether major businesses or small keepers with just a few birds ‐ must ensure that their biosecurity is up to scratch to protect their birds from dis‐ ease and prevent any contact between their birds and wild birds.”
Vaccine waste countries with the aim of making sure the antidote reaches the whole world, is not functioning as it should. This December, the Spanish Ministry of Health will have to throw away hundreds of thou‐ sands of doses that have expired in storage when they could have been donated to countries in the third world.
Specifically, there are 343,000 doses of AstraZeneca and around half a million doses of Janssen that have not been used. The ex‐ act number of Janssen vaccines to go to waste will not be re‐ vealed until the end of Decem‐ ber, when all the batches that have been returned by the Au‐ tonomous Communities and are currently in storage expire.
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Bizum scam warning USERS who sell their prod‐ ucts using the application Bizum on platforms such as Milanuncios, Vinted or Wal‐ lapop have become the new target of cybercriminals, as informed by the Spanish Of‐ fice of Internet Security (OSI). The scammers pretend to be potential buyers who are interested in one of the items for sale. They then send a request for money via Bizum instead of sending a payment. Vendors who do not read the message care‐ fully before pressing ‘Accept’
will become victims of the scam and end up losing mon‐ ey. The solution to the prob‐ lem is simple: read the mes‐ sage before accepting. If you have already accepted the request for money, it is un‐ likely that you will get it back. However, it is still impor‐ tant to report the incident. You should contact your bank to let them know. Re‐ port the incident on the plat‐ form and on the criminal’s profile. And report the inci‐ dent to the police.
AMAZON has made the contro‐ versial decision to ban UK issued Visa credit cards from next year. The decision is said to be due to in‐ creasing transaction fees. Brexit has been partially blamed for this as fees have risen since the UK left the EU. A spokesperson for Ama‐ zon commented: “The cost of ac‐ cepting card payments continues to be an obstacle for businesses striving to provide the best prices for customers.”
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Extra tests condemned
EXTRA Covid tests for passengers returning to the UK have been condemned by the travel industry. The controversial reintroduction of pre‐departure coronavirus tests came into force on Tuesday De‐ cember 7. Before heading home, travellers will have to provide a negative result. Brits abroad are expected to be scrambling to get hold of a test to allow them to head home. A gov‐ ernment adviser has said that the new measures could be “a case of shutting the stable door after the
Amazon ban credit cards
Amazon customers were noti‐ fied that the changes will come in‐ to force from January 19, 2022. High transaction fees mean that Amazon: “will no longer accept Visa credit cards issued in the UK.” Amazon customers with Visa cards that were issued outside of the UK will be okay though as will customers using Visa debit cards, MasterCard, and American Ex‐
press credit cards. Since Brexit, the cap on transac‐ tion fees between the UK and the European Economic Area has been ditched, which has meant that fees have increased. When customers purchase products on Amazon UK, the com‐ pany still processes the payments in the EU. This means high ‘cross‐ border’ fees are applied.
NEW RULES: Many people will effectively be stranded. horse has bolted.” Travel expert Paul Charles spoke out regarding Brits trying to get tests to return home: “People who
are overseas are finding it difficult to obtain tests. It’s a weekend, lots of places are closed and these people had no reason to think about the need to get a test to come home. People will effective‐ ly be stranded because they can’t get the tests that are now re‐ quired.” He added: “Tens of thousands of travel industry jobs are threat‐ ened. It is beyond belief that no support measures have been an‐ nounced. That just indicates how knee‐jerk these policies are.”
Homes still without power
THE UK Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has lashed out at companies after it was revealed that more than 4,000 homes were still without power nine days after Storm Arwen hit. He called it “completely unacceptable” that people had been left waiting while temperatures were so low. Mr Kwarteng made his remarks as he visited Durham to see the damage the storm has done to the area. The North‐East holds most of the homes impacted by the power loss. The Energy Networks Association (ENA) gave a report stating that 4,025 homes were still awaiting reconnection on Sunday, December 5. Mr Kwarteng said: “As I said 99.5 per cent of people are back on, now for the 4,000 I think it’s completely unacceptable that they are still off power, that is why I have instituted a review into whether the companies have invested enough. Ofgem are looking at this and of course there will be some sort of enforcement mea‐ sure to make sure the companies are held to account, that’s very important.”
NASA laser revolution ON December 5, NASA launched a mission that aims to revolutionise space com‐ munication. It will test the use of laser technology instead of the usual radio frequency sys‐ tems with the objective of transmitting data between 10 to 100 times faster than on Earth. The experiment is called the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and will involve using infrared lasers to send data to Earth at 1.2 gigabits per second (GBPS) from a geosyn‐ chronous orbit 35,000 kms away. At such speed and distance, a film could be downloaded in less than a minute, and photos could be transmitted at 10 times the current capac‐ ity. This increased capacity is fundamental for future space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars or beyond. “With current technology, if we wanted to make a map of the planet Mars and trans‐ mit it from point A to point B, we would take up to three months. With laser technolo‐
LASER TECHNOLOGY: To transmit data.
gy, we could pass all that in‐ formation in less than a week,” states Christian Rivera, a software developer at NASA.
It is not just a matter of speed. Image quality will also be significantly improved when compared to our home internet connections.
and finally... GOVERNMENT ministers have thrown Christmas messaging into confusion by offering different advice around socialising this Christmas. In an effort to clarify the situation No 10 has told people to carry on partying. On Thursday December 2, the prime minister’s official spokesperson insisted that this year’s celebrations are down to “individual judgement.” This after it became clear that Science Minister George Freeman let it be known that he had cancelled his work party in light of latest coronavirus developments and instead would be mark‐ ing the festive season via Zoom.
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Indonesia volcano erupts Airport queues
A VOLCANIC eruption in Indonesia on De‐ cember 4 has resulted in a significant loss of life. The event at Mount Semeru in East Java sent a boiling plume of ash 50,000 feet into the air and residents were forced to flee as the deadly ash cloud engulfed everything in its path. This is the second eruption this year. By December 7, the death toll was at 34 and more than 2,000 people had been evacuated according to the head of the
task force for the management of the erup‐ tion, Infantry Col Irwan Surbekti. An Aus‐ tralian organisation which monitors vol‐ canic ash said that the column became disconnected from the summit and moved west at a speed of over 70km per hour at heights of up to 50,000 ft. Semeru, also known as ‘The Great Mountain,’ is the tallest peak on the island and is renowned for its volcanic activity. However, this latest eruption is on a scale not seen in recent times.
La Diabla arrested SPAIN’S National Police force, in collaboration with the German police, have arrested Leudis Isaac Corro Camacho in Hamburg, nicknamed ‘La Diabla’, on charges of pimping. Along with An‐ tonio Angles, and the drug trafficker Norbert Kohler, Camacho was on Interpol’s list of the most wanted criminal offend‐ ers and was wanted by Spain.
Police sources have confirmed the detainee was on Interpol’s list for belonging to a European criminal organisation that captured and then sexual‐ ly exploited victims. Specifically, the detainee, who is also known as Do‐ natella, had the main function of recruiting her victims by ‘taking advan‐ tage of their economic precariousness.’ Accord‐ ing to the sources, she
would organise their transport, either via Ger‐ many, or directly to the final destination, which was normally Madrid or Barcelona. Once in Spain, the de‐ tainee accommodated her victims in her home and told them that they owed her a great debt for the trip, which they sub‐ sequently had to pay through the practice of forced prostitution.
BRITISH tourists heading out to catch some winter sun, have been told to ex‐ pect long Spanish airport queues. Many passengers have waited upwards of 45 minutes to get through controls at popular holi‐ day destinations. Travel agency associations have said the long queues are now ‘normal’ when land‐ ing in the country. The associations have made multiple complaints to the Spanish Govern‐ ment but claim that their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Airports popular with Brits are feeling the brunt with UK passengers moving to the non‐EU passport control queues, which were already load‐ ed with non‐Schengen tourists looking for some winter warmth. Alicante‐Elche, Malaga, the Canary Islands, and the Balearics are said to be some of the worst‐hit by
UK TOURISTS: Now need to get their passports stamped on entering Spain.
the move. Twitter user, Sudifoodie, tweeted “So thrilled to be back in An‐ dalucia though it has been quite a journey with epic passport queues at Mala‐ ga Airport.” Tourist associations are begging for more staff and police officers to help things run smoother for their customers at border control. This comes after Spain placed a ban on all unvaccinated visitors from the UK. As the UK is no longer in the Schengen Zone, tourists need to get their passports stamped, lead‐ ing to long airport queues.
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Delivery discrimination LINGUISTIC tensions con‐ tinue to rise in Catalonia. The latest incident in‐ volves a GLS delivery driv‐ er who refused to hand a parcel over to a man who did not wish to speak Spanish and responded in Catalan when asked for his details. The video was recorded by the front‐door camera of a house in Palafrugell, Girona, and uploaded to Twitter by the man’s son. The images show how the Catalan‐speaking client gives his ID number to the delivery man, who then asks him to repeat it in Spanish. The man refuses to do so, which causes the deliveryman to get back into his van with the par‐ cel and leave. The man’s son com‐ plained about the incident to his followers on Twitter and asked for advice on how to file a complaint. The story provoked com‐ ments from people on ei‐ ther side of the argument.
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MILLER: Women are targets.
DEEP fake porn and nude images are becoming more common with improvements in technology making it easier for those in the business to create lifelike images. Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, believes that women are mainly the target and that these images should be made a sex crime with commensurate penalties. Including the making and sharing of
Deep fake call these images in the ‘sexual abuse’ section of the online safety bill, would allow those affected to seek proper redress by allowing police to take ap‐ propriate action. Miller took an adjournment debate to the Commons on December 2 in
which she outlined the ‘devastating’ impact such images have on the vic‐ tims. Deep fake images make use of ordinary photos that are taken with or without the person’s consent and literally ‘undressed’ by the software before being shared publicly.
NEWS
Such images can also be used for videos depicting violent or illegal acts including rape. Miller said that “Women in the UK have faced a growing problem of im‐ age‐based sexual abuse over the past decade, but the scale of the problem is increasing.” Official figures show the number of image‐based abuse re‐ ports have increased by 87 per cent in the last year alone.
Vegan leather to save planet False arm vaccine attempt A 50-YEAR-OLD Italian man faces criminal charges after trying to get vaccinated with a fake arm to obtain the Covid passport. A 50‐year‐old man from Biella, a city of 44,000 in‐ habitants in the region of Piedmont, in the north of Italy, came up with a unique strategy for obtaining the Covid passport. He made a fake arm out of silicone. When he arrived at the clinic in Biella, he thought he could successfully deceive the medical staff. However, his bizarre plan failed. The man waited for his turn in the queue, and when it arrived, he signed
the consent form for the vaccine, sat down and rolled up his sleeve to ex‐ pose his upper arm and shoulder. Al‐ though silicone can look very similar to real skin, the colour and texture of the arm made the nurse suspect that something was wrong. She asked him to remove his shirt so that she could see his entire arm. Once the nurse had discovered the truth, the man did not give up. He tried to convince her to turn a blind eye, but she refused and alerted her colleagues. The clinic reported the man to the authorities for fraud.
THE scientists behind the latest must‐have trend in “It can give the same emotional response as ani‐ fashion, the ‘mushroom leather’ handbag, believe mal leather. It has that hand‐feel of rarity,” said that the material they are using for accessories has Scullin. the power to save more than just animals. On a planet of finite natural resources, Scullin be‐ Mycelium is a material grown from fungi that can lieves both the technology and the mindset of car‐ be engineered to look and feel like calfskin or bon‐neutral, grown‐to‐order mushroom leather sheepskin, and the researchers think it can save the could be “revolutionary” ‐ and have implications for planet. innovation in manufacture beyond fashion. Dr Matt Scullin, CEO of biomaterials com‐ pany MycoWorks, forecast that mushroom leather could be a sustainability gamechang‐ er “unlocking a future of design which be‐ gins with the material, not with the object.” The material made its high‐end debut as an exclusive Hermes handbag, which has be‐ come a much sought‐after item. The material can be grown from fungi in a matter of weeks and replicates the feel and look of leather while being stronger and more durable. O N Friday December crete effects on many 3, the Congress of aspects. The judges, Deputies definitively for example, will have approved the reform to take animals into of the Civil Code that account when sen‐ A NEW law voted in by changes the legal sta‐ tencing inheritances French parliament will see tus of animals so that, or divorces as the re‐ school bullies face jail time of in the eyes of the law, form establishes that up to three years as their MPs they are considered the magistrates must said society needs “a wake‐up ‘sentient beings.’ specify the “regime of call” to the seriousness of Therefore, animals coexistence and care” child‐on‐child harassment. are now considered to of animals when a The proposed law was sup‐ have certain rights marriage is legally bro‐ ported by Emmanuel and are not consid‐ ken, and the spouses Macron’s education minister ered mere objects, as are not in agreement. Jean‐Michel Blanquer. they have been up to The law establishes Blanquer said that the sup‐ now. criteria on which the port for the law sent a mes‐ The change of con‐ courts must make the sage to the country that “we sideration of the char‐ decision of whom to will never accept the lives of acter of companion deliver the animal’s our children being shattered,” animals in the Civil care to, prioritising its and added that the law was “a Code will have con‐ welfare. way of enforcing the values of the republic.” One in 10 French children have reportedly been the vic‐ tim of bullying and the educa‐ tion minister fears that social media is increasing the poten‐ AIRLINE helps out: easyJet holidays are helping families tial for public taunting and hu‐ caught out by the new coronavirus rules put in place by Spain miliation. since December 1. The company is allowing free cancellations The draft measure was ap‐ to Spanish destinations up until the end of December for fam‐ proved in the Lower House on ilies who cannot meet the new rules. Spain now requires any‐ Wednesday, December 1 and one entering Spain from the UK to prove that they are fully if it passes through the Senate vaccinated. A vaccine certificate is needed and both doses will give France some of the must have been given a minimum of 14 days before depar‐ harshest penalties for bullying ture. in the world.
Pets are sentient
School bullies face jail
and finally...
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NEWS
Sky-high World Cup Johnson branded clown ONE of the private VIP suites for the Qatar World Cup has gone up for sale at £1,800,000 as wealthy spec‐ tators start to book their seats for the competition in 2022. Some hospitality packages have already sold out as huge firms, million‐ aires and executives make sure they have the best views for the games next year. The box being offered is themed with gold and has
44 seats available inside ac‐ cording to MATCH Hospitali‐ ty, FIFA’s sales agent for the cup. Suite number 3079 is available at the Lusail Stadi‐ um for a ‘venue series’, which includes six group games, the round of 16, quarter final and final. At‐ tendees can look forward to a ‘curated five‐course sam‐ pling menu’ and HD TVs in‐ side the suite, and direct ac‐ cess to seats outside in the stadium proper.
The 80,000‐capacity stadi‐ um, the biggest in Qatar, is due to host the final, sched‐ uled for December 18, 2022. The VIP suites for the Qatar World Cup have been gen‐ erating lots of interest de‐ spite the concerns about hu‐ man rights in the country, including treatment of the workers that built the stadi‐ ums themselves. More than 6,500 are said to have died since the World Cup was awarded a decade ago.
Home Alone AirBnB THE huge original Home Alone house from the 1990 film is to be made available to rent on AirBnB during the festive season. The rental platform has announced peo‐ ple can book the McCallister’s home for one night only on December 12. Up to four peo‐ ple will be able to stay overnight in the im‐ posing house for $25 (£19) each, with the address in the Chicago area being handed over once the booking is completed. The AirBnB listing on the website shows the stay as hosted by Buzz McCallister, with the de‐ scription reading: ‘You may not remember
me as particularly accommodating but I’ve grown up, and I’d be happy to share my family home ‐ my pizza, even ‐ with you this holiday season. Just try not to let my taran‐ tula, Axl, loose this time.’ During the stay, there will be activities that capture the spirit of the Home Alone house, like a chance to set booby traps and have a candlelit dinner of microwave maca‐ roni and cheese. There will also be a real‐life tarantula and a screening of the film fran‐ chise’s latest release Home Sweet Home Alone.
ACCORDING to the reports in France, President Macron called Boris Johnson a ‘clown’ in a private conversation while on a recent trip to Croatia. The comment followed a phone conversation between the two political leaders in which they discussed the current migrant crisis. As they were speaking, Johnson posted a letter to Macron on Twitter in which he made requests regarding France’s handling of the migrant situation. Macron was quoted as saying: “BoJo talks to me at full speed, everything is going well, we have adult discussions, and then suddenly, he attacks us in an inelegant way.” He went on to say, “it’s always the same circus. It’s very sad to see that a great
Johnson criticised.
country that we could do so many things with is run by a clown.” Just hours after saying those words, Macron made a public statement
of a similar nature in Rome. He criticised Johnson’s choice of methods for communicating with neighbouring governments, such as Twitter and public comments, calling them “not serious.” He stated that France would be willing to negotiate “when the English government behaves more seriously.”
and finally... T H E Scottish Government has extended its su‐ perfast broadband voucher scheme until the end of March 2022. Homes and businesses will be able to apply for funding to the tune of £400. The funding comes as part of the Reaching 100% (R100) programme. People in hard‐to‐reach areas could also gain an extra £250 in funding. A reliable broadband connection is a neces‐ sity for many people, especially amid the on‐ going Coronavirus pandemic.
A break for Santana
CARLOS SANTANA: Will return when back to full health.
IN a video posted by Car‐ los Santana on December 2 on his Facebook page, the guitar maestro said he will be taking a break from music, recording and tour‐ ing. Santana, who is still re‐ garded as one of the best musicians in the world to‐ day, said that “he recently had to make a little visit to t h e hos‐ pital after experi‐ encing some discomfort in his chest.” The musician did not elaborate further other than to say that on the advice of the doctors he would be taking a break from music, to get his health back. Apologising to fans, Santana explained that no one would want to see him play when he is not at his best, so it seemed right that he should take a break and return when he is back to full health.
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New dinosaur species A NEW dinosaur species charac‐ terised by its strange weapon‐like tail has been discovered in Chile. With a size of approximately two metres in length, the small, ar‐ moured dinosaur of the Anky‐ losaurus genus dates from the late Cretaceous Period, from between 71.7 and 74.9 million years ago. Its fossilised skeleton, practically com‐ plete, was found in the province of Magallanes, in the southernmost re‐ gion of Chile, Patagonia. The dinosaur, named Stegourus elengassen, had developed a large weapon‐like tail unlike anything pre‐ viously seen on other types of ar‐ moured dinosaurs, such as the pairs of spikes on the Stegosaurus. The strange tail had seven pairs of flattened bone deposits at the end of the tail in a fern‐like structure, forming a singular weapon. “The tail is extremely strange, as it is short for a dinosaur and the end is covered with dermal bones (bones that grow on the skin), forming a sin‐ gular weapon,” said Sergio Soto Acuña, author of the study and doc‐ toral student at the University of Chile.
NEWS
Half-price travel THANKS to the Junta de Andalucia's new Youth Transport Card, the under‐ 30s will benefit from discounts of be‐ tween 50 and 100 per cent on the price of Metro, bus, tram, and cata‐ maran tickets (in the case of Cadiz). This was previously spoken about by President Juanma Moreno, during the State of the Community Debate in October. This action brings all the metropolitan areas of Andalucia to‐ gether under one umbrella. Around three million Andalucians can benefit
from this card in January. In most cases, it will offer a 50 per cent discount, but large families can get up to 75 per cent. A family with five siblings aged under 30 can benefit from the special category which offers a 100 per cent discount. A spokesperson for the Board an‐ nounced on December 1, that they are “working to adapt the software, to incorporate these new discounts to the machines and in the design of the card.”
24-hour helplines SPAIN has tabled a draft law to force banks and utility companies to offer a free 24‐hour customer helpline open 365 days of the year. The service phone lines will be staffed with trained work‐ ers able to assist the elderly and dis‐ abled, rather than the automated mes‐ sages that are common currently. The new proposal looks to ban banks and utility companies from charging their customers to get in touch with them via phone, as well as forcing the use of staff instead of answering ma‐
chines. The idea is being pushed for‐ ward by Spain’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Nadia Calvino, and the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzon. The two ministers have started to work together to put customer service at the forefront of any future improvements to essential services in Spain. Bank branches have been closing in the hundreds across Spain in the last few years and these closures have high‐ lighted the need for more personal and flexible service in the sector.
THE END: His career now looks bleak.
Part-time Tiger TIGER WOODS has an‐ nounced the end of his full‐ time golf career. The star claims the car crash that al‐ most cost him his leg has forced him into semi‐retire‐ ment. The golfing great said he accepts his time competing among golf’s elite is proba‐ bly a thing of the past: “I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there,” he said. But the future of Tiger Woods’ career in golf looks bleak. The American has had a tumultuous few years having been in trou‐
ble with the police a couple of times over traffic inci‐ dents. Four years prior to the accident in February, Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his Merc with the engine running. He failed a drunk driving test and pleaded guilty to the charges. The damage to his leg and the after‐effect of five back surgeries has had a major impact on his elite golf career. “I think some‐ thing that is realistic is play‐ ing the one‐day tour events, never full‐time, ever again ‐ but pick and choose, just like Ben Hogan did,” he ex‐ plained.
FEATURE
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EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK
Bumper bonus
Clock silenced
THE world’s largest toymaker, Lego, is rewarding all 20,000 employees with a special bonus and an extra three days holiday after a bumper 2022. Growing demand in China and the pandemic are given as reasons for the high six month sales revenues of €847 million.
DENMARK’S talking clock ‘Frøken Klokken’ (Miss Clock) was switched off at the end of November by communication company TDC after 82 years. The company said the number of callers had fallen dramatically since the 11.6 million calls registered in the first year back in 1939.
THE NETHERLANDS Pig whisperer
Donate a tree
FORMER vet Kees Scheepens, the 19th generation in a long line of farmers, is changing the shape of pig farming. Scheepens is putting the animals’ welfare and their sustainability first by changing how they are raised and fed, resulting in ‘happier meat’, less barn smell and emissions.
THE charity Senay Boztas, is asking for donations of ready to plant saplings. These can be dropped off at 200 locations around the country and will be replanted on farms, in cities and on private land. The plan is for their 3,000 volunteers to plant one million trees.
BELGIUM Famous fries
Cafe reopens
A STATUE, De Frieteters (The Fry Eater), has been unveiled in Bruges market square as part of the week long celebrations of the country’s famous fries. The statue, unveiled by Flemish Minister of Agriculture and Food pays homage to the golden fry.
ONE of the oldest in the world and the oldest in Bruges, Café Vlissinghe has reopened following its closure due to the pandemic. The cafe, which originally opened in 1515, has hardly changed in its 500 years, having survived world wars, revolutions and hordes of tourists.
GERMANY Surprising choice
Test cancelled
THE outgoing chancellor surprised everyone with her choice of music for the elaborate military ceremony. Leaving the post after 16 years, Angela Merkel chose just one song (the norm is three) for the military marching band to play, a song by punk legend Nina Hagen.
A DRIVING test examiner got a surprise when the person he was due to test arrived behind the wheel. The examiner, who cancelled the test, called the police and now the driver faces an investigation for driving without a licence. He told police he didn’t want to be late.
FRANCE Flying taxis?
Paris second
PARIS is testing large scale drones that they intend using during the 2024 summer Olympics. With around six million people expected to attend the games, the hope is that by establishing two ‘flying taxi’ routes that travel times will be shortened and congestion relieved.
TEL AVIV has overtaken Paris as the most expensive city in the world, after jumping five places in the ranking in the annual survey by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Paris now occupies joint second spot with Singapore followed by Zurich and Hong Kong.
NORWAY Doctors rule
Electric ship
THE year 2021 is expected to be another record one for the number of doctorates issued by Norwegian universities, and the fourth in a row. Foreign nationals accounted for 43 per cent of those issued in the first half of the year specifically in mathematics, science and technology.
FERTILISER producer Yara has acquired the world’s first fully electric, self-steering container ship, the Yara Birkeland. The 80metre-long feeder will replace road haulage between Yara’s Porsgrunn plant in southern Norway and its export port Brevik, about 14 kilometres away from next year.
9 - 15 December 2021
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FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Salary rises FOR the first time in history, the average monthly salary in Spain exceeded €2,000 in 2020 according to the the National Institute of Statistics. The average of €2,038 is a rise of 2.8 per cent over 2019 and is the fourth consecutive year in which salaries have risen.
TSB closures THE high street bank has announced further closures to its network in 2022. The closures will leave the bank’s network around a third of the size of when the brand returned to the high street eight years ago. The cut is on top of their 164 closures in 2020.
Oil down OPEC and its allies announced on Thursday December 2, they will increase production from January alleviating the shortage that is pushing prices up. The organisation said it may revisit this decision once the impact of the latest outbreak is known. The price per barrel fell on news of the announcement.
Unemployment drops SPAIN recorded a 74,381 drop in unemployment to record the lowest unemployment levels for November since 2008. During the month, 282,981 people were recruited pushing overall employment as at the end of November to 19,752,358.
Bitcoin City EL SALVADOR plans to build the world’s first Bitcoin City and have it powered by ‐ a volcano. El Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele plans to make the city fully ecological and have its residents pay no tax (except for VAT). His long‐ term goal is to attract investment to this new financial system and use Bitcoin to make ‘El Salvador the financial centre of the world.’
14
www.euroweeklynews.com • 9 - 15 December 2021
STAT OF WEEK
€1,336
In 2020, four out of 10 woman earned less than €1,336 compared to one in five men and six out of 10 young people.
Daughter takes the Zara chair INDITEX, the Spanish high street fashion giant, has appointed Marta Ortega as chair replacing her father and founder Pablo Is‐ la. Otega has worked for the group for 15 years, having joined high street brand Bershka, as a shop floor assistant in London. Pablo Isla, chairman of Inditex since 2011, has overseen the company’s growth to where it is now one of the world’s largest fashion retailers with more than 6,600 stores globally. Isla, who is well‐known in Spain for his altru‐ ism, is one of the world’s richest
men with an estimated net worth of €68 billion. Initial reaction to Ortega’s ap‐ pointment is mixed, however the 37‐year‐old has been instrumen‐ tal in the growth of Zara having been credited with strengthening the brand and leading several major campaigns. Accepting the appointment she said “I have always said I would dedicate my life to build‐ ing upon my parents’ legacy. I have lived and breathed this company since my childhood, and I have learned from all the
LEGALLY SPEAKING
Will land law change?
great professionals I have worked with over the last 15 years.” Inditex was founded by Aman‐ cio Ortega with his ex‐wife Ros‐ alia in 1975 in Galicia. Today the company owns many well‐ known high street brands includ‐ ing Zara, Pull and Bear, and Stradivarius. Most of its clothing is made in Spain and nearby countries in‐ cluding Portugal, Morocco and Turkey, helping the firm to achieve its famously fast reaction times to new fashion trends.
Creating your Will with Golden Leaves
I have seen reports that Andalucia has a new land law that offers a possibility to legalise all those houses built on land classified as non‐building land. Has the new law actually been approved? What are the terms?
DAVID SEARL Yes, the new land law has YOU AND THE LAW been voted by the IN SPAIN Andalucian Parlia‐ ment. However it faces a number of steps before it goes into full effect. Let’s take it by parts. The law is named LISTA, Ley de Impulso y Sostenibilad del Territorio de An‐ dalucía. But the law itself requires the further enactment of a Reglamento, a set of regulations that specify in detail just how the terms of the law are to be carried out. This can take months. The new law will speed up town planning requirements, change land classification and even allow for the building of new properties in formerly prohibited areas. It will not, however, allow full legalisa‐ tion of those properties which now hold the strange clas‐ sification of AFO, Asimilada Fuera de Ordenaciòn, which prevents them from being demolished and will allow new works to be carried out on them. The law is a step forward but it remains a long way from full legalisation of these properties. Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
THE OUIGO company, started just six months ago by French train op‐ erator SNCF, has managed to achieve an occupancy rate of 97 per cent on its service between Madrid and Barcelona. During the same period the company has car‐ ried more than one million passen‐ gers, a little more than its main competitor Renfe owned Avlo. Ouigo said that it has achieved
Telefonica dividends TUESDAY November 30 was the last day investors could buy shares in Telefonica that would qualify for a 2020 year end dividend. The first pay‐ ment amounts to €0.15 per share and is paid this month while the second payment, also for €0.15 will be paid in June 2022. The shareholder remuner‐ ation policy for 2021 was ap‐ proved at the Telefónica Gen‐ eral Shareholders’ Meeting held on April 23, 2021 and contemplates a remunera‐ tion of €0.30 through a flexi‐ ble dividend. Each shareholder has three options, the first to receive the cash, receiving new shares is the second option and the last option is to sell the rights on the market.
Home rental prices jump A Will is essential.
MANY expats who have moved to Spain from the UK will have a British Will, but having a Will in Spain is also essential to ensure that your valuables go where you want them to. At Golden Leaves their expert partners can help you cre‐ ate your Will, to make sure that your valuables go where you want them to. To begin creating your Will, Golden Leaves suggests considering a number of important planning issues, including long‐term care fees and managing your care options. They also say that you should consider what will happen to your assets if your partner remarries after your death and making sure that your children still receive what you intended. Finally, a Will should also set out if you were unable to manage your financial affairs or personal welfare due to some form of incapacity, who you would like to act on your behalf. To begin creating your Will to ensure your assets go where you want them to, contact Golden Leaves who will put you in touch with their expert partners.
www.goldenleavesinternational.com enquiries@goldenleaves.com Facebook: goldenleavesspain
Ouigo running high the excellent numbers by changing the profile of the train traveller. The service is based on providing a fast but inexpensive service with children between the ages of four and 13 paying a flat fee of €5, and those under four travelling for free.
As a result Ouigo has served over 160,000 families travelling with 70,000 children and babies. The general director of Ouigo in Spain, Helene Valenzuela, high‐ lighted the milestone that “an un‐ known company in Spain a year
INFLATION rates not seen since 1992 are pushing housing rental prices higher, with the 5.6 per cent year‐ on‐year percentage apply‐ ing to many rental con‐ tracts. Idealist the online property portal said that prices have risen to €892 in Madrid and €886 in Barcelona for a 55 square metre apartment. Increases are less in the less expen‐ sive cities with only Zamora experiencing a reduction. Landlords do have the right to increase rentals in accordance with inflation (CPI), however contracts signed prior to March 31, 2015 can only increase if specifically built into the contract. In all cases landlords have to give adequate notice of any rise to tenants. ago reached one million travellers in a matter of months.” From this point of view, it is clear that “we have brought that sustainable and digital mobility that the country longed for.” Achieving the numbers and the reduction in prices is partly down to their trains, double deckers which are unique to Spain, but which can carry up to 509 people.
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COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.444,00 Abrdn 241,65 Admiral Group 3.030,0 Anglo American 2.959,5 Antofagasta 1.408,50 Ashtead Group 6.432,0 Associated British Foods 1.966,5 AstraZeneca 8.256,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 740,20 Avast 607,00 Aveva 3.325,0 Aviva 398,47 B&M European Value Retail 629,80 BAE Systems 559,60 Bank VTB DRC 1,236 Barclays 186,04 Barratt Developments 725,40 Berkeley 4.565,0 BHP Group 2.129,00 BP 349,05 British American Tobacco 2.678,0 British Land Company 531,90 BT Group 174,00 Bunzl 2.934,0 Burberry Group 1.871,5 Carnival 1.310,2 Centrica 67,65 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.468,0 Compass 1.563,50 CRH 3.844,0 Croda Intl 9.976,0 DCC 5.854,0 Diageo 3.995,1 DS Smith 380,07 EasyJet 560,80 Experian 3.578,3 Ferguson 12.115,0 Flutter Entertainment 10.935,0 Fresnillo 893,00 GlaxoSmithKline 1.561,80 Glencore 367,80 Halma 3.092,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.306,50 Hikma Pharma 2.262,00 HSBC 442,20 IAG 143,34 Imperial Brands 1.585,47 Informa 509,40 InterContinental 4.717,0 Intermediate Capital 2.228,00
CHANGE(P) 1.447,00 242,40 3.040,0 2.971,0 1.411,50 6.498,0 1.983,0 8.320,0 741,20 610,00 3.329,0 404,00 644,80 561,40 1,252 187,64 732,80 4.600,0 2.131,50 351,70 2.694,0 533,80 175,00 2.935,0 1.877,5 1.324,4 67,90 2.475,0 1.582,50 3.860,0 10.005,0 5.878,0 3.999,5 382,20 571,00 3.587,0 12.155,0 11.060,0 898,40 1.595,00 369,25 3.094,0 1.310,00 2.294,00 445,80 145,78 1.590,00 513,00 4.782,0 2.236,00
% CHG. 1.402,50 238,10 2.997,0 2.859,0 1.372,00 6.200,0 1.952,0 8.188,0 731,20 604,20 3.250,0 398,10 627,60 556,60 1,234 185,46 720,60 4.547,0 2.094,00 347,75 2.640,5 528,62 172,30 2.903,0 1.820,0 1.304,0 67,14 2.451,0 1.555,00 3.788,0 9.838,0 5.792,0 3.960,0 379,00 550,00 3.535,0 11.880,0 10.590,0 889,60 1.552,40 362,50 3.027,0 1.291,50 2.260,00 440,65 141,10 1.569,00 480,80 4.699,0 2.187,00
NET VOL 1,51M 986,84K 71,42K 1,49M 240,04K 279,16K 139,89K 632,19K 3,70M 258,72K 103,67K 813,35K 1,87M 622,42K 424,39K 12,33M 1,98M 36,15K 2,19M 1,56M 2,47M 66,46K 6,26M 233,85K 283,14K 407,73K 2,91M 146,98K 565,04K 151,62K 201,85K 61,97K 1,82M 969,84K 1,68M 155,73K 128,86K 223,56K 70,04K 1,79M 11,24M 98,83K 308,49K 115,12K 5,27M 16,92M 347,17K 4,32M 158,86K 778,18K
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% CHG.
NET VOL
5.758,0 115,35 283,70 2.094,0 761,40 294,00 47,38 6.726,0 742,00 153,50 1.859,00 1.027,20 221,30 8.398,0 29,63 1.630,50 2.817,0 656,60 1.330,00 6.237,0 2.411,00 628,00 771,60 4.797,5 132,96 7,82 1.707,2 1.707,11 1.703,6 798,40 1.665,00 16,56 3.517,0 1.439,00 1.415,00 2.888,0 1.279,50 1.539,00 16.065,0 1.639,00 1.591,50 442,80 168,20 283,90 217,10 3.968,5 1.104,00 113,78 3.035,0 1.104,00
5.682,0 113,35 280,70 2.058,0 749,80 291,00 46,59 6.636,0 737,80 150,90 1.829,50 1.016,20 218,60 8.254,0 29,35 1.570,50 2.763,0 653,00 1.317,50 6.109,0 2.374,00 623,80 761,80 4.690,0 129,48 7,65 1.684,6 1.684,25 1.682,0 783,80 1.645,00 16,22 3.494,0 1.399,50 1.380,50 2.847,0 1.257,00 1.515,50 15.750,0 1.616,50 1.568,00 435,90 165,00 280,86 212,40 3.926,0 1.092,50 112,36 2.968,0 1.079,50
105,85K 2,49M 559,06K 117,52K 480,39K 1,66M 50,56M 133,73K 1,49M 1,91M 150,79K 1,14M 5,13M 29,55K 19,60K 333,95K 183,22K 154,27K 4,08M 249,50K 1,28M 1,54M 475,46K 1,11M 10,46M 554,38K 1,31M 1,31M 2,62M 830,10K 8,82K 2,42M 174,10K 1,40M 535,90K 52,84K 676,98K 164,68K 15,90K 3,42M 419,60K 1,27M 4,46M 774,80K 1,62M 828,28K 200,88K 20,74M 98,97K 909,58K
1.17683
0.84958
Units per €
US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1254 Japan yen (JPY)........................................127.71 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0411 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4362 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.181
currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7
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 177,22 2.875,9 3.427,37 208,79 165,32 205,88 201,32 116,23 56,96 54,90 389,47 415,98 206,25 119,89 50,99 162,92 160,24 255,88 73,43 317,87 326,19 168,94 152,17 258,95 1.009,01 459,96 51,06 202,74 138,99 150,40
CHANGE 178,28 2.887,0 3.473,91 211,79 167,88 206,42 203,25 117,45 57,17 55,25 393,60 420,54 208,09 121,15 51,21 163,52 162,60 256,93 73,85 320,10 327,42 171,21 152,38 259,21 1.021,64 461,70 51,93 204,22 139,35 150,74
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 174,00 2,24M 2.812,9 1,09M 3.338,69 3,35M 205,97 3,90M 164,28 102,59M 199,20 11,52M 198,34 2,72M 115,09 8,72M 56,47 22,52M 54,14 24,26M 383,49 1,77M 411,22 4,53M 204,88 4,30M 119,40 4,69M 49,18 38,28M 159,90 8,41M 159,52 10,69M 252,37 3,39M 72,80 12,00M 306,35 21,24M 319,23 28,69M 168,08 5,41M 150,27 8,20M 250,77 7,03M 950,51 26,91M 452,15 4,60M 50,96 21,91M 197,78 10,47M 137,10 9,13M 146,67 12,65M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 7
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
Most Advanced Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Cl A NVR Inc. Texas Pacific Land Corp. Markel Corp. Boston Beer Co. Cl A Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. RH Graham Holdings Co. White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. Shopify Inc. Cl A Fair Isaac Corp.
1.80% 2.65% 4.82% 2.82% 6.92% 1.97% 4.73% 4.13% 2.10% 1.29% 4.66%
1.66K 16.04K 37.91K 48.08K 419.86K 243.48K 588.9K 20.67K 19.07K 1.21M 575.73K
HubSpot Inc. -4.38% Ubiquiti Inc. -10.40% Danaher Corp. 5% Mand. Pfd. Series B -1.60% EPAM Systems Inc. -4.00% Generac Holdings Inc. -4.90% Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. -2.18% Wayfair Inc. Cl A -5.59% Biglari Holdings Inc. Cl A -1.78% Cloudflare Inc. Cl A -7.51% West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. -2.43% Bank of America Corp. 7.25% Non-Cum. Perp -0.72%
1.18M 272.75K 1.91K 532.02K 1.5M 2.32M 2.28M 170 7.48M 516.68K 13.86K
Most Declined
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
‘Account Blocked’
BANK ACCOUNTS: Ensure the information held by your bank is up-to-date at all times.
MANY of you may have experienced the ‘account blocked’ or ‘will be blocked’ message when trying to draw money at the cash machine or when accessing your account on‐ line. So when has this hap‐ pened and how do you un‐ block it? There are many reasons why your account might be blocked, usually it’s the need to comply with Pre‐ vention of Money Launder‐ ing and Terrorist Financing laws. These require the banks to maintain up‐to‐ date information on their clients. Normally all it takes is for you to keep these up‐ to‐date. Solution ‐ ensure that the information held by your bank is up‐to‐date at all times. Another possible reason are the anti‐fraud measures in the act that require banks to ‘know their cus‐ tomer’. The law is not unique to Spain and is de‐
signed to stop the financing of terrorism and the laun‐ dering of money. Banks will usually react if the move‐ ment seems unusual or has come from an unknown source. Solution ‐ keep your bank informed if you are receiv‐ ing funds that are not with‐ in the normal operation of your bank account. Accounts will also be blocked where the bank has reasonable reason to believe that the account should be blocked, reasons like the death of the ac‐ count holder, disputes be‐ tween joint account holders and post holders in the case of owner associations. Solution ‐ make sure sup‐ porting documentation is up‐to‐date and the bank is well aware of any changes. In the case of credit, the bank is required to allow sufficient time to meet the outstanding debt before it can block the account. Importantly, Banco de Es‐
Novo Banco sells to Abanca PORTUGUESE bank, Novo Banco, has agreed to sell its Spanish subsidiary to A Coruña based Abanca. The deal sees the end of Novo Banco’s retail, private banking and small business opera‐ tions in Spain. The deal, which is subject to the usual regulato‐ ry approval, is unlikely to have any major impact on Novo Banco’s results. It is expected to strengthen the bank’s capital position and to have a positive impact on its liquidity, part of its strategy to focus on core assets. All the bank’s operations in Spain including its private banking, small business operations and its 10 retail branches and staff are being trans‐ ferred to Abanca.
paña requires proportional‐ ity to be applied in all cases and at all times.
BUSINESS EXTRA Giphy to be sold THE UK Competition and Markets Authority, has fol‐ lowing an investigation, told Facebook’s owner Meta, that they must sell the GIF library Giphy. Fol‐ lowing concerns about the deal in April, investigators found the takeover ‘could harm social media users and advertisers’.
Fuel profits unreasonable THE RAC has said that fuel retailers are overcharging by as much as 12p per litre for petrol and 10p for diesel with the reduction in wholesale prices not being passed on. The organisa‐ tion has called on the gov‐ ernment to investigate, oil prices having fallen around $10 a barrel at the end of November.
ASDA charters ship BRITAIN’S third largest su‐ permarket ASDA, has char‐ tered a ship in an effort to overcome the logistics issues being experienced across the UK. The ship it is be‐ lieved is being used to bring in stocks required for Christ‐ mas including clothes, toys and festive decorations.
9 - 15 December 2021
EWN 17
18 EWN
9 - 15 December 2021
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ONE of the lessons I have learned in life is that it is generally more advantageous to prepare for the worst. With this somewhat pessimistic agenda, all the good occurrences then become a bonus and you are also (hopefully) fully prepared as possible for events that don’t quite pan out as you envisaged. Blindly trusting everything will be coming up roses, is a sure recipe for head in the sand disaster. In my younger days, I was an avid flower child. I truly believed that love and peace was the answer to all our human shortcomings (and still do). Unfortunately, I was rudely awakened by the fact that not everyone followed the same ideals. As reality slowly set in and my rose‐coloured glasses subsequently misted up, I began to realise that metaphorically, if I attempted to offer a bunch of flowers to an adversary bearing a Kalashnikov rifle the one who walked away from the encounter would not be me! Survival in the real world meant reluctantly discarding the floral specs and facing up to a future full of uncertainties. Failing to recognise, or endeavour to change any calamitous events our future
www.euroweeklynews.com
The worst
may hold is almost criminal naivety. If the German public had only envisioned the ambitions of Hitler, they may just have averted the Second World War! Twenty years ago, I wrote that if the West didn’t curb the unchecked immigration from the Middle East, a few years hence it would be too late because the terrorists would be entrenched everywhere. Since then, radical Islamists have murdered hundreds of innocent UK citizens. You should have heard the ridicule I received for that prediction! If you want to see what the BLM organisation is truly about just cast an eye over their current website. Diversity it most emphatically ain’t! Emblazoned over their ‘flag,’ big bold letters blatantly announce BLACK XMAS. Parts of the diatribe that follows proclaim, and I quote. “Black Lives Matter has been encouraging people to ‘dream of a black Xmas’ and intentionally use our economic sources to disrupt white supremacist capitalism. “Black Friday sales were rolled out weeks in advance and at every turn white supremacist capitalism is telling us to spend our money on things that we don’t
need to reap profits for their organisations.” The piece then goes on to encourage people to ‘Build Black, Buy Black and Bank Black.’ Their website also has the audacity to condemn the Rittenhouse trial verdict, (where no black people were involved at all!) describing it as “wholly expected, when white supremacy lives and breathes within our institutions and is a reminder of how legal systems are deeply rooted in white supremacy.” There is naturally no mention of the trial taking place simultaneously in another courtroom, where three white men received life sentences for shooting a black man they suspected of stealing. Ironically a reader’s letter published last week accused me of trying to introduce racism into the Rittenhouse’s trial ‐ purely because I stated there were no riots after the verdict. Ha! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com 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: King Richard WILL SMITH turns from The Prince of Bel‐Air into the King of Tennis in this story of how the Williams’ sisters came to dominate the sport, streaming on HBO Max now. Legendary actor, film pro‐ ducer and rapper Will Smith (Men in Black) plays Richard Williams in this biographical drama about how Venus and Serena Williams became two of the most well‐known tennis players in the world. A story of true grit and de‐ termination, when it seems like all the odds are against this family from Compton, USA, King Richard gives viewers a look into how the father of Venus, played by Saniyya Sid‐ ney (Hidden Figures), and Sere‐ na, played by Demi Singleton (Goldie), coached them to the top of the tennis world. The story intertwines race, family, and poverty issues as the Williams family band to‐ gether to help the sisters live
A story of true grit.
out their sporting dreams. Richard will tell anyone who will listen, and even those who don’t want to listen, that his daughters are born to be stars and that he has an 84‐page plan to achieve it. This is a feel‐good film with great acting (it’s Will Smith ‐ need I say more?). However, its authenticity is questionable. Richard’s estranged family have since hit back at the film, claiming it is not a real portray‐ al of their father and only tells half of the story. Despite this, King Richard is an entertaining, motivational, and humorous movie about never giving up. It’s also worth watching the end credits for a nice surprise.
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
9 - 15 December 2021
EWN 19
Did you survive Covid but now suffer from HOGO? 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
AMID reports in the UK that people aren’t turning up to restaurants or even events for which they’ve al‐ ready bought tickets, are you affect‐ ed by HOGO (hassle of going out) too? After spending lockdown at home and used to ditching plans and skip‐ ping social events, some are bound to be feeling a bit weary ‐ and wary. Whilst there’s no excuse for no‐shows in the era of mobile communications, I suspect people book venues to lift their mood currently and then feel that they just can’t face it as the hour draws near. For some, going out has certainly become less fun. Everything has to be pre‐planned. You can’t get a table at a restaurant, and when you do it’s full of excuses why the service is lacking, Nora Johnson’s opinions
SOCIALISING: However, attitudes have definitely changed, especially in the winter.
dees can make the experiences work. No matter how fantastic the food, ex‐ citing the film or entertaining the play, these events need to be experienced as a collective event to get the right energy levels and succeed. Small businesses need our help more than ever this Christmas! There’s absolutely no excuse for no‐ shows at restaurants etc. in the UK or anywhere else. It’s just selfish be‐ haviour. But seemingly part of a gen‐ eral, ‘It’s all about me’ attitude that unfortunately seems prevalent these days... 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’, ‘Retribu‐ tion’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Cleram‐ bault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paperback and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
the menus are ‘reduced’ for lack of Attitudes have definitely changed ‐ staff or ingredients, and ‘can we have and why not? People, especially in the your table back at 8:30, please?’ ‘And winter, can stay home and watch please be considerate to our staff as movies in HD, get food and drink deliv‐ we have zero tolerance for abusive be‐ ered at reasonable cost in total safety. haviour.’ For these customers, it feels But the retail and hospitality sectors like prices have been hiked to pay for are at risk of dying a slow death be‐ To read more articles from our columnists the extra checks and regulations that cause that’s where we meet other and to have your say in the comments go make going out more of a hassle than people and mingle. That all takes ef‐ to www.euroweeklynews.com it’s worth. fort and only a critical mass of atten‐ are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
THURSDAY 09/12
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Final Score BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Superman & Lois The Hit List Strictly Come Dancing Michael McIntyre's The Wheel Casualty BBC News
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BBC News BBC London News; Weather Weather Countryfile Strictly Come Dancing: The Results Top Gear You Don't Know Me BBC News BBC London News; Weather
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BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Buy Now, Pay Later: The New Debt Crisis? - Panorama EastEnders Ghosts You Don't Know Me BBC News at Ten
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The Repair Shop Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show Holby City EastEnders MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten
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Pointless BBC News at Six; Weather BBC London News; Weather The One Show My Family The Repair Shop at Christmas MasterChef: The Professionals BBC News at Ten
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World's Busiest Cities: Moscow Turkey with Simon Reeve Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Antiques Roadshow The Christmas Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan The Office The Office Run
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University Challenge Sounds of the 70s - New Wave Top of the Pops: Christmas 1988 Nick Cave: Idiot Prayer BBC Four Sessions The Old Grey Whistle Test Southern Rock at the BBC Top of the Pops: Christmas 1988
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Fred Dibnah's Industrial Age Wartime Farm Christmas The Modern Age of the Coach Stieg Larsson's Millennium Stieg Larsson's Millennium Crime & Punishment The Story of Capital Punishment
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The Chronicles of Erne Tracey Emin: This Cultural Life Les Mis at 25: Matt Lucas Dreams the Dream Evita: The Making of a Superstar The Sky at Night Animated Shorts: BBC Introducing Arts A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman
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University Challenge The Joy of Painting: Winter Specials Britain's Lost Masterpieces Lucy Worsley's Christmas Carol Odyssey Stigma What We Were Watching Timeshift: Hotel Deluxe Britain's Lost Masterpieces
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Keeping Up Appearances One Foot in the Grave Dinnerladies Comedy Playhouse: Where It All Began Comedy Playhouse: Impasse Comedy Playhouse: No Strings Gagging for It - TV's Hunger for Radio Comedy
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The Joy of Painting: Winter Specials University Challenge Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise Write Around the World with Richard E Grant Write Around the World with Richard E Grant Mark Kermode's Christmas Cinema Secrets
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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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Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals 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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The Living Daylights The Pet Show ITV News and Weather ITV News London Sitting on a Fortune The Chase Celebrity Special Walk the Line I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Final ITV News and Weather ITV London Weather
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The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Walk the Line Strictly the Real Full Monty ITV News ITV News London The Pembrokeshire Murders
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ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Walk the Line Strictly the Real Full Monty ITV News ITV News London
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ITV London Weather Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Walk the Line I'm a Celebrity Legends of the Castle ITV News at Ten and Weather
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Bidding Wars The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Vaccine Wars - The Truth About Pfizer: Dispatches Grayson's Art Club: An Exhibition for Britain Gogglebox The Last Leg The Big Narstie Show
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The Great Christmas Bake Off 2020 Channel 4 News A Very Royal Christmas: Secrets from Sandringham Christmas at Chatsworth House Formula 1: Abu Dhabi Qualifying Highlights 48 Hours to Final Victory The Equalizer
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The Man Who Invented Christmas Channel 4 News Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Highlights Escape to the Chateau Close to Me Gogglebox The Shape of Water Heineken Champions Cup Rugby: The Big Tackle
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Chateau DIY Countdown Moneybags A Place in the Sun Kirstie's Handmade Christmas The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Jamie: Together at Christmas Guy's Garage
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Countdown Moneybags A Place in the Sun Kirstie's Handmade Christmas The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it Christmas at Castle Howard
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On the 12th Date of Christmas 5 News at 5 Neighbours Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty Secrets of the Imperial War Museum The Thames at Night with Tony Robinson 1977: Britain's Biggest 70s Hits
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5 News Update Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen 5 News Weekend The Wonderful World of Gold Gregg Wallace's Grand Christmas Adventure Louis and Edwina: An Unconventional Marriage
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Surviving Christmas with the Relatives 5 News Update Surviving Christmas with the Relatives Christmas with the Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun Britain's Favourite 80s Toys Cliff Richard's Christmas Story
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A Nostalgic Christmas 5 News at 5 Top Jobs for Dogs Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty World's Strongest Man 2021 Traffic Cops Casualty 24/7 Ambulance: Code Red Car Pound Cops: Give Me My Car Back!
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5 News at 5 Top Jobs for Dogs Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty Help My Pet Hates Me The Yorkshire Vet at Christmas: It's a Wonderful Life Christmas Magic at Kew Gardens Casualty 24/7 At Christmas
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A Chestnut Family Christmas 5 News at 5 Top Jobs for Dogs Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty The Gadget Show Our Yorkshire Farm Murder in Suburbia Christmas with the Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun
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FEATURE
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CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD THIS week the Stonewall LGBTQ+ charity started their annual Rainbow Laces campaign, partnering with various sports across the UK to draw visibility to the inequalities that remain within active spaces. As soon as any kind of directive is made that brings the existence of LGBTQ+ people to the forefront, there is an immediate backlash from certain members of society and much clutching of pearls ensues. “I don’t mind them, but do they have to push it in our faces? Can’t they keep it to themselves? Why do they need campaigns to talk about these things, just get on with it if you must!” The irony of people making these sorts of ignorant statements at a campaign aimed at making spaces more welcoming for people is completely lost of course. To many, the fact they don’'t actively seek out LGBTQ+ people to physically harm seems to be the pinnacle of tolerance and acceptance, when this sort of separatism and lack of actu-
9 - 15 December 2021
Visibility and caution al positive action directly feeds a system that leads to people doing just that. T he reporting of hate crimes against LG BT Q + people rose sharply at the end of the pandemic. As restrictions were loosened, it seems that whatever had been holding some people back from attacking members of the community had come loose too. M any may think that has nothing to do with them as they tolerate the existence of people who aren’t like them, but a lot of this violence happens because of a society that allows the ‘othering’ of any characteristic that deviates from the norm. This absolutely begins with the language, jokes and ‘banter’ that too many people participate in. T he S tonewall campaign this year has a slogan of ‘lace up and speak up’, asking everyone to engage in honest conversation with the people around them about LG BT Q + issues. I am relatively lucky in the sense that for my close circle of friends and family, I am mostly able to do that. While out
and about, however, I am still incredibly cautious. Whether in my small town in Spain (which is better) or back in mainstream spaces in a big city in the UK, my partner and I don’t tend to hold hands. We must be careful about what we say to whom when meeting new people. We have moments when our stomachs drop during conversations when homophobic jokes are made, and we know we cannot feel safe around those people any longer if we did in the first place. When I bring these things up to people, there tends to be disbelief that this is how people are made to feel in a world where it seems that so much ‘progress’ is being made. I must remind them that if there must be campaigns to generate even the mere conversation around an LGBTQ+ person being allowed into a space, we are very far off feeling safe and welcome. 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.
EWN 21
Travel
Toledo: A trip through time T O L E D O is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. It impresses from every angle with its dra‐ matic raised presence on the banks of the Riv‐ er Tagus. Strolling around its streets, you’ll soon discover why it’s called the ‘Im‐ perial City.’ Every twist and turn is like a jour‐ ney through time. The city satisfies broad tastes from art and architecture to mu‐ sic and gastronomy. It is also known for its warm hospitality, living up to its centuries old reputa‐ tion as a favourite stop off for traders and trav‐ ellers. It’s easy to forget you are just 30 minutes from Madrid in this city that also feels like a fortress. It once marked a strategic defensive site; and that fact just adds to the history. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by U N ES C O t h a n k s t o i t s
An impressive city.
blend of different cul‐ tures and religions. The styles change from one street to the next with each building telling a different chapter in the city’s rich history. The era of harmony can be observed in the church‐ es, synagogues, and mosques that decorate the streets. The historic centre is a walled enclosure and there you’ll see shops full of fabulous swords. Toledo steel is famous the world over and weapons have been fashioned there for over 2,500 years. It is no surprise tourists come from all over the world.
22 EWN
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9 - 15 December 2021
DAVID WORBOYS SOME decades ago, written and spoken English were generally simi‐ lar. Oxford or BBC English was spo‐ ken as it was written, but those of us with regional or less convention‐ al accents normally spoke very dif‐ ferently from the way we wrote, ie, with much less care and clarity. There is more recently an increas‐ ing tendency for all of us to write as we speak. We British tend to follow Ameri‐ can trends like lapdogs. We adopt all American habits, fashion and cul‐ ture. And we even surrender our En‐ glish language so that it would more appropriately be called the Ameri‐ can language. Some obvious capitu‐ lations include the spelling of words like programme (program), honour (honor), manoeuvre, (maneuver), civilise (civilize), to practise (to prac‐ tice) and racquet (racket). They don’t recognise the word ‘fortnight’ and we don’t often use their word ‘of‐ tentimes’. Maybe schoolchildren can’t han‐
FEATURE
In a manner of speaking...
Many of us lack the confidence to speak as we used to write.
dle the admittedly unphonetic spelling of ‘through’ when it is pro‐ nounced ‘thru’, and so the word be‐ comes Americanised and spelt as pronounced, first in advertisements and text‐messaging and increasingly in general written usage. Spelling is one thing, but what about pronunci‐ ation? For the English ‘lever’ rhymes with ‘beaver’; for Americans with ‘never’. Most English have now surrendered
to the American pronunciation of ‘schedule’ as ‘skedule’ (the way that we pro‐ nounce ‘school’). Confusing? Nowadays I receive one‐word text‐message responses saying ‘yeah’ (yes). In various publications I have come across ‘yuh know’ and ‘how’s yer family?’. This is literally writing the way we commonly speak. So, how confused are our
children going to be when learning how to write ‐ and to speak? ‘O’right?’ Until recently, this was widely used as a greeting, meaning ‘Are you alright?’ or ‘How are you?’ The response should be ‘I’m well’, not ‘I’m good’, which means something quite different. We write ‘I should have gone’ but I have heard English and Americans say ‘I should of went.’ When we can’t find the right word, it is becoming increasingly common to invent one. ‘Mischievous’ is thus substituted by ‘mischievious’, while, ‘heinous’ becomes ‘henious’. ‘Phenomena’, ‘criteria’ and ‘media’, all plural words, are frequently used with a singular verb. Just as most Japanese cannot pro‐ nounce the ‘r’ or the ‘l’ in English,
cockneys can’t handle the letters ‘th’ either in ‘with’ or ‘thirty’. They write ‘with thirty‐three’, but they say ‘wiv firty‐free’. The written word ‘nothing’ rings out as ‘nuffink’. Likewise, most folk I know from Yorkshire can’t say the word ‘but’. They use it frequently but make it rhyme with ‘put’. But then, surely, ‘put’ should be pro‐ nounced to rhyme with ‘but’ ‐ like a golfer’s ‘putt’. Confusing? To say or to text ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I’m going to sneeze’ requires too much effort. Much easier: ‘I dunno’ and ‘I’m gonna sneeze’. English spelling and pronunciation have always been very odd. Maybe we should speak as we used to write in the good old 50s. Cool! Innit? 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.
TONI C. EASTWOOD OBE, MBA
#TheWomanBeyond I DO like a great sporting analogy to give us insight and tips for life’s trials and tribulations. So here’s one that I really love. Are you sitting comfort‐ ably? (Sorry I just couldn’t help myself ) Once upon a time (1938 to be pre‐ cise) there was a pistol shooter. He was incredibly good, in fact, he hoped to be the very best. However he met with a terrible acci‐ dent during combat training and unfor‐ tunately, our Hero has his right hand blown off by a faulty grenade. (OMG ) His right hand was his shooting hand. (Jeeeze!!!.) All his hopes are lost. Or are they? After a depressing month in the hos‐ pital, our Hero decides that he will sim‐ ply learn how to shoot just as well with his left hand. So he started his training, secretly, he didn’t tell a soul. He trains and trains and trains. And guess what he becomes very good. So
KEEP SHOOTING
he shows up at the 1939 World Champi‐ onships. Everyone’s shocked to see him there. And they’re even more shocked when he wins. His Olympic dreams are back on track. Then enter: The Second World War, and to his dismay the 1940 and 1944 Olympics are cancelled. So he waits, and continues to train and put the work in. And finally, he shows up at the next Olympics. He’s now 38. The world champion asks him what he’s doing there. Our Hero tells him “I’m here to learn.” He wins. What’s his name? Well it’s Takács Károly. Takács was the first shooter to win two Olympic gold medals in the 25‐me‐ tre rapid fire pistol event, and both with his left hand. He was the third known physically disabled athlete to have com‐
peted in the main stream Olympic Games after George Eyser in 1904 and Olivér Halassy in 1928, followed by Liz Hartel in 1952, Neroli Fairhall in 1984 and Oscar Pistorius (shame that’s not what he’ll be remembered for!!) in 2012. The moral of the story? It’s simple… Keep shooting… Keep trying…Grab your goals by the horn and keep after them. Are you stuck trying to achieve a tar‐ get, a Big Audacious Goal? This is a time of year when we typically start to think about what could be, that perhaps WE WANT MORE OUT OF LIFE!!! What targets are you aiming for? Do you need to re‐aim and get into train‐ ing? Stay Focused, Keep Positive and Choose to +1 in Every Moment. Fulfil Your Dreams and Awaken Your Great‐ ness! Love, Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps
Toni x Toni Eastwood OBE, MBA #TheWomanBeyond
PS. If you want more out of life. Sign up for our January Visionary Women Programme and in just four, three‐ hour online sessions you could Reach Beyond Your Limits, Soar Beyond Your Barriers and Live Beyond Your Dreams and make 2022 your Best Year Yet. 25 per cent off for Euro Weekly News Readers ‐ Just Quote Offer Code EWN25 ‐ for more info and to book head on over to https://quantumvan tage.co.uk/visionarywomenpro gramme Don’t hold back another moment. You could be just one step away… 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
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EW YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.
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Dear Sir or Madam, Both Lux Mundi, Torre del Mar and Fuengirola would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to you and all your staff for the excellent coverage you have been kind enough to give both centres throughout the year in your weekly publication. Kind regards, Patricia Rothwell, Press Officer
he wrote out a chit to collect at the post office if he changed his mind. I went to the post office and asked why two pieces of cardboard and envelopes warranted €5 each, she duly shrugged her shoulders, so I refused. A week ago my daughter phoned and told me one of the cards had been returned to her, how ridiculous, they just want money, that’s all. Maureen Hayes
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At the beginning of October my daughter sent two birthday cards to my husband, they had the correct postage, £1.70 each. The postman came and rang the bell and wanted €5 each card duty, my husband refused and
Thank you so much ... very happy to see more supplies of Euro Weekly News in Torre del Mar. Happy Christmas. Tricia
A LITTLE THOUGHT IN our social media debate last week, we asked if people should still be having Christmas parties in the wake of the new Covid variant. It is a topic that divides opinion with many understandably keen to get back to normality, while others still prefer to remain on the side of caution. A survey released on December 8 by consumer experts Mintel found that more than
CORRECTIONS
XMAS PARTIES: Most people think that life should just go on.
Stephen Chatt Milne Life must must go on in some form, we just have to take good precautions... without forms of release and traditions being carried on etc etc... then there would be no point to a life... this situation is going to be with us for years to come, so we must get out and have some fun... cheers and Ho Ho Ho x
Deborah Johnson Yes enough is enough.
Kenneth Faktor Carslund Best way to keep Christmas alive is to stop interaction with many different people. Stop going to pubs if you will spend Christmas with anyone who is vulnerable.
Helen Blair Moffat Mason
OUR VIEW
four in 10 British workers say the Covid risk makes them feel uncomfortable about work Christmas parties. Other key stats showed 58 per cent of Brits feel it is important that people wear masks in bars and restaurants, while 61 per cent plan to limit their time in crowded areas before seeing family for Christmas. And 24 per cent of consumers are uncomfortable or extremely un-
comfortable about going to a bar/restaurant indoors. While we all would love to get back to normal, it is clear there are those who don’t feel ready to throw caution to the wind just yet. For that reason, in this season of goodwill to all, we should all take time to remember that not everyone feels safe and that a little consideration for others can go a very long way.
We need to be careful but get on with living. we need to see family and friends not just at Christmas but all year round, it’s all part of life.
Mark Borrow YES we should party hard, life is too short anyway!
Paul Kelly It’s only Christmas, most don’t celebrate the religious side of it anyway. So really all that is being asked, is slow down on stupid parties.
Sue Quye Wear masks, use gel and don’t hug and kiss, just elbow bump. Life has to get back to some normality for people’s mental health.
At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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Baby talk works... for puppies A STUDY published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B biology journal has explained that hu‐ mans talk to dogs in a similar way to babies be‐ cause puppies in particular are more responsive to the short phrases and high tone. People were recorded saying certain phrases such as ‘good boy’ and ‘come here’ while looking at photos of dogs of different ages, human be‐ ings and while not looking at anything. Not only were the subjects found to employ what we refer to as baby talk when addressing the dog photos, but when the recordings were played back to dogs of different ages puppies paid far more attention to it. Older dogs, however, appeared not to be as at‐ tentive to baby talk, possibly because as they grow older they are less interested in under‐ standing strangers, scientists suggested. Dogs are believed to have evolved over more than 30,000 years of close interaction with hu‐ mans to understand them better. This, re‐ searchers claim, has led them to develop com‐ munication skills similar to those of small children. Dogs react to gestures such as pointing in a way which no other animals do, studies have found. Unlike children, though, dogs take these gestures as a mild order rather than a way of passing on information.
Cats are just as smart A NEW study at a Japanese university is once again backing up the age‐old cat lovers’ theory that felines are just as clever as dogs. Forty‐nine domestic cats were used for the study at Kyoto Universi‐
ty, which tested their ability to remember which food bowl they had eaten out of after 15‐minute intervals. The cats, reported psychologist Saho Taka‐ gi, appeared to remem‐ ber exactly which bowls should still contain food, suggesting they had what is re‐ ferred to as episodic memory. “Cats may b e a s i n t e l l i‐ gent as dogs, as
SMART CATS: May be just as clever as dogs.
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may enjoy actively re‐ calling memories of their experiences just like humans,” the scien‐ tist said.
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SPORT MALAGA LEAD THE WAY
9 - 15 December 2021
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A BUSY week for Malaga WFC with a visit to San Pedro on Tues‐ day evening (November 30) where their A and B sides faced a double header against the Benahavis clubs in the Hidromaster leagues. And it was a successful journey with Malaga A defeating Atletico Benahavis 3‐1 in a fiercely com‐ petitive game. A solid defence and some excel‐ lent goalkeeping kept Malaga in front once they took the lead and sealed the win with a stunning re‐ action shot on the turn from Roberto. Malaga’s B team found it slightly easier against Sporting Benahavis with a 9‐1 win. The match ball was sponsored by Tony Johnstone’s company (Ace of Shades) and who went on to score four of his team’s goals. The other scorers were Bar‐ rio three, Pablo and Gray Salt one each. These wins mean both Malaga teams lead their respective leagues going into the festive sea‐ son break.
At the Collective Calling event.
Ironically the teams locked horns again on Tuesday night ( De‐ cember 1) when both Malaga teams returned to the Laude Inter‐ national College pitch at San Pedro in the Baha Whiskey Cup first Round. Malaga A faced Atletico Bena‐ havis again while Sporting Bena‐ havis entertained Malaga B. Were Malaga on their way to league and cup doubles or could the Benahavis teams use the
Malaga Walking Football Club.
league experience to reverse the results? Match report in next week’s Euro Weekly News ... make sure you get your copy. Malaga WFC were in the news again last Saturday (December 4) when they staged a charity fundraiser for children in need. An
annual event, but this year the tournament was played by the walking football ‘Angels’. Players brought together from Malaga, Benahavis and Calahonda in an idea adopted by similar Angels’ events in England. The event at the La Ganadon sports complex which kindly do‐ nated the pitch free was coordi‐ nated by Collective Calling who are a relief organisa‐ tion that supports children and families in need. On a day enjoyed by all a great effort raised €862.50. Donations to this worthy organisation can be made on their website: collec tivecalling.org/give‐here/ Finally Sunday Decem‐ ber 5 saw newcomers to the Cos‐ ta’s walking football scene Boca Seniors of Competa travel to Nerja to make their debut against the Nerja Nomads in a friendly match. Report in next week’s Euro Weekly News.
Carrick quits MICHAEL CARRICK guided Manchester United to an im‐ portant 3‐2 win over Arsenal on Thursday, December 2, to keep them among the top teams in the table. The sensational news though is that only minutes af‐ ter the final whistle blew, 40‐ year‐old Carrick announced that he is quitting Old Trafford after 15 years at the club. The former United and Eng‐ land midfielder has been run‐ ning things temporarily since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Sol‐ skjaer. Carrick had been assis‐ tant to the Norwegian, but it would seem he preferred to now exit the club than to con‐ tinue in a lesser role under in‐ coming interim manager Ralf Rangnick. Joining United in 2006, in his 12 seasons Carrick won five Premier League titles, plus he was a Champions League win‐ ner. In 2018, he took on a coaching position at the The‐ atre of Dreams.