THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 34 - 37 3 - 9 February 2022
Riverbank plans
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
PORT GO-AHEAD
Photo credit: Torrevieja town hall
Issue No. 1909
ELCHE City Hall will ask the regional government’s Sus‐ tainable Economy depart‐ ment for a €737,800 grant to continue rehabilitating the River Vinalopó’s west‐ ern bank and the zone ad‐ joining the Altamira bridge, an open green space that is an increasingly popular leisure and sports area.
Turn to page 2 » LEISURE CENTRE: How the remodelled port will look in 2023.
FREE • GRATIS
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More fish in the sea THE regional government has approved an application to enlarge the fish farm off the Pilar de la Horadada coast. The fish cages belonging to family‐owned Piscialba ‐ based in neighbouring San
Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia) oc‐ cupy the waters of both mu‐ nicipalities at a point where the sea has a depth of 39 me‐ tres. Following the Generalitat’s approval, the 20 cages cover‐
ing a 300,000‐square metres area can now be increased to 60 cages covering 900,000 square metres. According to the latest available figures quoted in the local Spanish press, the fish farm had a turnover of just
over €7 million in 2017, an in‐ crease of €2.5 million on 2016. Once enlarged, production will increase from an annual 1,000 tons to 3,000 tons of equal quantities of sea bass and sea bream, each weigh‐ ing 500 grammes.
No terrace tax charge ALL political parties on Orihuela City Council voted to modify by‐ laws regulating the tax on terrace tables. “Today’s motion re‐ flects institutional sup‐ PLENARY MEETING: Orihuela City port for a sector seri‐ councillors voted to waive terrace tax ously affected by the until June. health crisis restric‐ tions,” said Orihuela’s Finance councillor, Rafael Almagro. The tax on each café, bar or restaurant table occupying public property, which was not charged at all last year or in 2020, will be waived until June 30, Almagro announced. The councillor pointed out that Orihuela’s mayor Emilio Bas‐ cuñana had demonstrated his support for the sector from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. “With this latest measure we are again standing by the hospi‐ tality sector which so needs our help,” Almagro said.
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Port and town connection TORREVIEJA’s €19 million port transformation should soon become a reality. Regional government, the Gen‐ eralitat, which controls the Valencian Community’s ports, has awarded the project and the concession to run the new installation to Empresas del Sol. Headed by Torrevieja resident Enrique Riquelme, the company is investing €10.5 million while Torrevieja Town Hall will provide more than €8 million. The project will convert the port into a commercial and leisure area connected to the town by a raised prome‐ nade incorporating lookout points with spectacular sea views. All this is to be carried out parallel to the town hall’s redevelopment plans for the immediately‐adjoining area which will retain the existing trees along the Paseo de la Libertad and add more green zones. There will still be enough space for the long‐established fair and plans include a bicycle lane in line with the town hall’s commitment to alternative and sustainable mobili‐ ty. Eliminating the wall that separates the port from the town was one of the conditions imposed by the Generali‐ tat, as was providing a new harbourside Lonja fish market costing more than €1.5 million. The remodelled port complex will include six two‐ storey buildings, each with lookouts and open spaces as well as shops, bars and restaurants, together with an un‐ derground car park for 600 vehicles. According to Spanish media reports, Riquelme believes that initial work on the zone occupied by the Lonja and old Customs building could be taken within a month. Constructing the leisure centre will start after the sum‐ mer and the entire project should be completed by 2023.
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NIBS EXTRA Traffic stats THERE were 1,254 accidents on interurban roads resulting in death or injury in Alicante Province last year, 90 fewer than in 2020 but 348 more than in 2011. These latest statistics from the provincial traffic authorities revealed that almost a third of acci‐ dents involved motorcycles of all types.
Battle won FOLLOWING years of com‐ plaints from residents, the Valencian Community’s Up‐ per Court of Justice ordered Guardamar to demolish a sewage pumping station in‐ stalled without permission 20 years ago on the Los Altos Larrosa urbanisation. The town hall must also pay the community €8,683 in com‐ pensation for occupying their land.
On track CALLOSA Town Hall hopes to turn the railway line that bi‐ sects the municipality into a Green Route. As well as re‐ quiring permission from rail operator ADIF, the Generali‐ tat, Diputacion and the Con‐ vega consortium, the multi‐ million project requires rerouting the existing track to the new high speed AVE line.
Prize winner CREVILLENT has received a €6,000 Generalitat award for its increased recycling of plas‐ tics, tetrabriks and containers last year. Noemi Candela, Crevillent’s Public Services councillor announced that the town hall will donate the prize to the local branch of the Red Cross and the San Vi‐ cente de Paul charity.
Pay up THE contract for managing Orihuela’s Blue Zone paid parking zones expired last month and parking is cur‐ rently free on all the city’s streets. That could soon end as city hall is considering whether to manage the scheme and its parking me‐ tres directly, or through a specifically‐created municipal company.
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Nightmare mattress pileup MORE than 14,000 unwanted mattresses have piled up at Santa Pola’s Ecopark refuse dump since 2015. Four thousand of the mattresses have been removed over the past four years, Encarni Ramirez, councillor responsible for Street Cleaning, revealed. “The problem goes back to our predecessors who did absolutely nothing between 2015 and 2019,” she said. “During
Photo credit: Santa Pola town hall
SANTA POLA: Ecopark overflowing with mattresses.
Cannot travel CHANCES are that the Dama de Elche sculpture will never return to the city where it was discovered. The fifth century BC Iberian sculpture, found in La Alcudia (Elche) in 1897, was immediately tak‐ en to France and only re‐ turned to Spain in 1941 thanks to a deal between Franco and Hitler. First displayed in Madrid’s El Prado art museum and lat‐ er at the Archaeological Mu‐ seum, the bust returned temporarily to Elche in 1965 and again in 2006. Elche City Hall’s repeated requests for the sculpture’s return, however briefly, have been continually turned down both by the Museum and the Ministry of Culture, whose latest state‐ ment maintained that mov‐ ing the sculpture would in‐ flict irreparable damage. Elche’s mayor Carlos Gon‐
zalez announced that the Ministry has advised him “by telephone and in writing” that the Dama’s condition “advises against any move‐ ment.” The sculpture is ‘delicate’ and any vibrations or changes in environmental conditions were likely to cause irreversible deteriora‐ tion, the Ministry warned. Gonzalez, commenting on these “previously undis‐ closed circumstances,” said that he has requested full details regarding the bust’s condition. His principal concerns fo‐ cused on the sculpture, the mayor declared, but he also said that it was imperative to know “with certainty and ex‐ actness” the Dama’s state of conservation and to learn of the existence of any type of deterioration or adverse condition.”
Overtime ban CATRAL’S Local Police officers will no longer be working overtime. The decision was the outcome of the town hall’s ‘continual’ failure to honour previously‐negotiat‐ ed agreements, explained the CSIF union which repre‐ sents the officers. “Overtime is always vol‐ untary,” explained a CSIF statement. “Members of the Catral force have until now been working extra hours, sometimes doubling their shifts owing to staff shortages and the resulting
workload.” The announcement came days before the start of Catral’s fiestas in honour of Santa Agueda on February 4 when the officers would nor‐ mally work more hours than usual. The last time they sat down at the bargaining table with Catral’s mayor Juan Jose Vicente Martinez in November last year, he nei‐ ther accepted the points that CSIF raised, nor were these afterwards included in the minutes, the union com‐ plained.
this period they just looked the other way.” The town hall has now put out to tender a €50,000 contract to remove the Ecopark’s non-hazardous items. These include garden waste, household goods, wood and rubble as well as the mattresses, which the contractor will have to transport and dispose of sustainably.
On best behaviour TORREVIEJA’S Local Govern‐ ment Board has now ap‐ proved the draft for a mu‐ nicipal by‐law covering Citizens’ Coexistence in pub‐ lic places. Fines now await those showing “disregard for hu‐ man dignity and discrimina‐ tory behaviour, be it xeno‐ phobic, racist, sexist, homophobic, or relating to personal or social condi‐ tion,” explained Torrevieja’s Public Safety and Emergen‐ cies councillor Federico Alar‐ con. The by‐law also applies to “insults, ridicule, deliberate provocation, mental or physical coercion, offensive‐
ness or humiliating con‐ duct,” Alarcon continued. Minor infringements face a fine of up to €750 but penal‐ ties for serious offences be‐ gin at €750.01 rising to €1,500. “At present there are nu‐ merous aspects, most of them relating to citizens’ conduct, that are not includ‐ ed in Torrevieja’s existing regulations,” he said. “This has required creating a by‐ law to cover them.” Alarcon went on to ex‐ plain that the by‐law was the best way of dealing with antisocial behaviour while promoting harmonious in‐ teraction in public places.
Tales of the riverbank EIGHTEEN Orihuela pupils cele‐ brated the Valencian Commu‐ nity’s Tree Day by planting 93 trees. Molino de la Ciudad on the left bank of the Rio Segura was chosen for the 14 and 15‐ year‐olds’ task, as this zone is gradually being transformed into an area for environmental education. Invasive, non‐na‐ tive species have been elimi‐ nated and it is hoped to obtain recognition as specially‐pro‐ tected Valencian Community wetlands, explained Orihuela’s Environment councillor Dama‐ so Aparicio. “This is an increas‐ ingly popular green corridor re‐ stored with regenerated water with collaboration from the Confederacion Hidrologica del Segura, Hidraqua, the ANSE nature association and Fau‐ natura,” the councillor said.
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“These woods along the riverbank are the only section with deciduous trees,” said Jorge Sanchez, a biologist from ANSE. “As well as their extraor‐ dinary biodiversity, they help to purify the river water and are responsible for the large amounts of carbon needed to fight climate change.”
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Splashing out on water PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, the Diputacion, will spend €20 million on ensuring that every municipality has wa‐ ter. Ana Serna, the Diputacion’s vice‐ president and head of the Water Supply de‐ partment, explained that the council has increased its budget allocation by 36.4 per cent to €14.3 million in addition to a fur‐ ther €5 million from its cash surplus that will be added to the Plan+Agua project. “Throughout 2022 we shall continue our commitment to in‐ vestment in water in‐ frastructure so that we are able to guaran‐ tee this vital service,” Serna said. “Water is a funda‐ mental and essential element and we shall make every effort to help our municipali‐ ties and guarantee that the province has the water it de‐ serves,” she declared. “At the Alicante Diputacion we are working hard to en‐ sure that every last drop of water is put to good use without wasting a resource that is essential for important sectors like agriculture and tourism.”
and finally... CARP‐R‐US continued their winter‐spring series at the El Bosquet fishing complex in El Hondo. “Although cold and cloudy, the high winds of the previous two days had dropped, making conditions a little more com‐ fortable,” club secretary Steve Fell said. “The match was a remarkably close affair, with just 610 grammes covering the first five places. Sad to report, there were also three dry nets,” he added. The winner was Steve Fell on Peg Four who finished with 5.66 kilos with Terry Screen (5.48 kilos) in second place, while Jeremy Fardoe (5.18 kilos) was fourth, just pipping Nick Bastock (5.12 kilos). For more information about the club, visit their Home of Carp‐R‐Us, Costa Blanca website.
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A moment to reflect..... FOR reasons that I’ll maybe go in‐ to later, I’ve recently had cause to do some deep reflection. On one of the grey days so typi‐ cal over the month of January, I found myself looking deep into the purpose and enjoyment of our lives. Maybe it’s a bi‐product of the pandemic times we’ve been living through recently. Maybe it’s having time to think about what really matters. As publisher of Euro Weekly for almost a quarter of a century, it feels like now is as good a time as any to take an unbiased view of what we hope we achieve, and what we mean to you, and all the other hundreds of thousands of people who read their copy of Eu‐ ro Weekly every week.
We consistently question our value to our readers. We chal‐ lenge ourselves every day to be relevant, to be in touch, to matter, and to improve in many different ways the lives of every one of those hundreds of thousands of people who spend minutes and hours connecting with their local community through our pages, both online and in print. Taking this altruistic view made me think. How often do we remind our‐ selves of the very reasons we ex‐ ist? How often do we take the time to tell the people around us just how much we care for them and appreciate the massive contribu‐ tion they make to Euro Weekly,
and the communities we publish in? It takes the combined talents of over 60 people to bring each copy of Euro Weekly alive. And life is what we’re all about. Helping you make choices, giving you options and information and being ‘The Pulse of your Community’. So call us old‐fashioned, but the 300 words you’ve just read are dedicated to the Euro Weekly team, their wonderful efforts and hard work and the result of the love we all share for our newspa‐ per Euro Weekly which we hope continues to be a small but signifi‐ cant part of your life in Spain, in good times and challenging times! Michel Euesden C.E.O. & Founder
Heart shaped diamond UK Jewellers Hancocks have announced their Jewel of the Month for Valentine’s is the beautiful Edwardian era Tiffany & Co. diamond heart pendant. With its elegant domed and rounded form, this stunning diamond is a sub‐ stantial one inch wide and tall. It is fully pavé set with sparkling antique European
brilliant cut diamonds set in platinum and backed with 18ct gold suspended from a detachable diamond set loop. The diamonds are es‐ timated to weigh around 3.8cts in total. The heart motif has been used in jew‐ ellery since the Middle Ages, gaining popularity during the era of courtly love. It is perhaps the most popular and enduring of
Jewel of the month.
symbols and each era has found new ways to depict it and embellish it.
Space Agency ready in a year ACCORDING to Diana Morant, Spain’s Minister of Science and Innovation, the Spanish Space Agency will be ready in a year. It will be inte‐ grated into the Spanish Securi‐
ty Strategy, and covered by a Science Law approved by the Council of Ministers. The agency will ‘promote, coordinate, and share, all the needs that exist in space, and,
above all, promote research and innovation in space tech‐ nology’, as well as represent Spain’s interests within the Eu‐ ropean Space Agency (ESA), and NASA. Spain is one of the top four countries involved in EU space technology, and one of the top five involved in the Euro‐ pean Space Agency (ESA). The location has yet to be decided ‐ though it may not be Madrid: “We have to understand that Spain does not end in Madrid, and science is widely distribut‐ ed in our country,” said the minister, “Science is done in all territories.”
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Earthquake off coast of Galicia AC CO R D I N G to the Na‐ tional Geographic Insti‐ tute (IGN), an earthquake of 4.6 magnitude oc‐ curred on Thursday, Jan‐ uary 27, in the Atlantic Ocean 40 kilometres off Galicia’s coast. It occurred at 3.44pm, had an epicen‐ tre 3kms deep, and was felt in different locations in the community. The earthquake had a precedent at 2.57pm. This tremor was of 3.7 magni‐ tude, with intensity three. At 3.58pm, a third earth‐ quake occurred in the same area, with a magni‐ tude of 2.5, and a maxi‐ mum intensity of four. Social network users re‐ ported feeling the tremor as far afield as Santiago de Compostela, and even in the provinces of Lugo and Pontevedra. An earthquake’s intensi‐ ty is measured by the ef‐ fect it has on people and objects, on a scale from one (not felt), to 12 (com‐ pletely devastating). IGN data showed that the
maximum intensity of the quake was reached in Por‐ to do Son, Fisterra, and
Veitureira, where it had been assigned level four (widely felt).
NHS U-turn on vaccine HEALTH Secretary, Sajid Javid, has confirmed the government’s intention of dropping the requirement of mandatory vaccines for NHS and care staff. Ad‐ dressing parliament on January 31, Mr Javid said: “While vaccination remains our very best line of de‐ fence against Covid, I believe it is no longer propor‐ tionate to require vaccination as a condition of de‐ ployment through statute.” Protection against Covid among the British public, through vaccination or past infection, is behind the decision, along with the fact Omicron has been ‘in‐ trinsically less severe’. Around 80,000 HNS staff remain un‐jabbed. To meet the original deadline of April 1, they would have needed to be vaccinated by February 3, and many had been working out their notices. Patricia Marquis, director of the Royal College of Nursing said many frontline workers had their liveli‐ hoods precariously hanging in the balance and hailed the decision as coming ‘just in time’. “The vaccination is the right policy, but forcing vac‐ cination wasn’t ‐ particularly not in the middle of a staffing crisis,” she said.
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Giant wind farm GALICIA could be home to Spain’s largest floating wind farm. The offshore wind farm would be 60km from the city of A Coruña, and 30km off the Galician coastline of Artabra, and
the largest in Spain. Its es‐ timated production capaci‐ ty of 4,800 GWh per year could provide approxi‐ mately 30 per cent of the total electricity consump‐ tion of the autonomous
community. However, the proposal for 80 turbines and floating substations covering an area of 268 km2, equiva‐ lent to seven times the mu‐ nicipal area of A Coruña, has raised concern among fishermen and ecologists. The Ministry of the Envi‐ ronment is conducting an environmental evaluation, prior to approval. The company behind the project is Parque Eolico Marino Nordes, a coalition of Bluefloat Energy and Sener Renewable Invest‐ ments. According to Carlos Martin, the CEO of Blue‐ Float, “the proposed area does not overlap with pro‐ tected natural spaces, takes into account the location of the fishing grounds, and avoids the areas with the highest maritime traffic.” If approved, they say, the wind farm will create some 14,000 jobs during the con‐ struction phase, and a fur‐ ther 240 jobs per year.
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FEBRUARY IS COMING TO THE ZENIA BOULEVARD WORLD CANCER DAY ‐ It starts on the 4th with the most charitable event: Interna‐ tional Cancer Day. Maria Wilson, the Pink Ladies, the Alicante Association Against Cancer, and Sunshine FM, join Zenia Boule‐ vard to commemorate this important and respectful day. The welcome session starts at 12pm then, at 1pm, a respectful minute of silence in honour to the victims of cancer and their families and, afterward, different artists and DJ Simon Morton, will make us enjoy a unique day. Come and support this cause and have fun too! VALENTINE’S DAY ‐ The most loving love comes to Zenia Boulevard from the 5th to February 14 with an amazing promotion. You will be able to get a beautiful love bear key ring and participate in the draw for three fabulous gifts: • a hotel night with breakfast and spa for two at the Hotel Doña Montse • a romantic getaway for one night • a big teddy bear But that’s not all, because on Saturday we will have a fun parade of love bears and a fantastic tribute to Elvis!!!! We are sure you will love it!!!! CARNIVAL ‐ The most colourful and fun
TEDDY BEAR: Just one of the prizes.
Carnival comes to Zenia Boulevard. On Sat‐ urday 19th you can’t miss the comparsas pa‐ rade and their muses. During the whole day, we will live an explosion of colour, rhythms, and music that will pass through the streets of Zenia Boulevard. The four most awarded comparsas will compete for our prize and will show us the beauty of their costumes, their choreogra‐ phies, and creativity. A unique event that will leave you in awe. On Saturday 26th we continue with the Children’s Super Carnival. The youngest members of the family will be able to come dressed up and, together with our super‐ heroes, have fun passing the superpowers tests and getting their faces painted.
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Expats and new Modelo 720 ruling JUDGING by recent news re‐ ports, you could be forgiven for thinking that Spain’s egre‐ gious Modelo 720 Worldwide Asset Declaration reporting requirement is already dead and buried since the Euro‐ pean Court of Justice (ECJ) de‐ clared aspects of it illegal on Thursday January 27. The bad news is the Modelo 720 will almost certainly live on in one form or another. The good news is, it will be a milder financial threat to expats living in Spain. The Spanish press reported it as a “severe blow” to the 720 form, and attention has imme‐ diately switched to how peo‐ ple can claw back the fines they have suffered at the hands of the Modelo 720 since it was introduced by the Par‐ tido Popular (PP) finance min‐ ister Cristóbal Montoro back in 2013. Realistically, the Modelo 720
TAX DECLARATION: The modelo 720 form is staying.
tax declaration form isn’t going anywhere. It will just be tweaked to get around the ECJ’s objections and carry on being a headache for expats in Spain with assets of €50,000 or more (per asset class) abroad. The good news is the fines and penalties for falling foul of the Modelo 720 are expected to be much lighter, so it won’t be such a big risk for expats liv‐ ing in Spain. The Modelo 720 was intro‐ duced in 2013 ostensibly to clamp down on tax evasion and corruption and as the PP
party at the time stank of cor‐ ruption, the law was intro‐ duced with an amnesty that basically allowed bent politi‐ cians and their cronies to le‐ galise wealth with just a slap on the wrist, whilst expats with legitimate wealth outside of Spain were put in a risky situa‐ tion. If you didn’t know about the new law, or made any mistake in your declaration, you could be ruined by huge fines, so let’s now hope for the best rather than the worst as amendments take place.
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Speedy births A WOMAN in Elche, Ali‐ cante, took just five min‐ utes to give birth to her four babies, who are all doing well at the Neonatal Inten‐
sive Care Unit. The quadruplets were born on Saturday, January 22, at the General University Hospital of Elche.
The two girls and two boys were born between 9.10 and 9.15pm. The babies weigh less than two kilos and are mak‐ ing progress at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The 35‐year‐old moth‐ er, Zineb Moubarak, had her babies in the 32nd week of pregnancy via a caesarean section and was assisted by doctors Enrique Gómez and María Velasco, resident Víctor Fuster, midwives Ascesión J Garrido and María Miñano and neonatal nurses Anabel de Nova and Susana Es‐ paña, explained the hos‐ pital. The professionals at the hospital monitored the patient’s pregnancy until the four babies would be able to survive out of the womb, at which point the C‐section was then per‐ formed.
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HMRC scam warning ACCORDING to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) more than three million people had not filed their self‐assess‐ ment tax return just days be‐ fore the January 31 deadline, leaving them vulnerable to scams. HMRC have said that this is roughly 29 per cent of all those required to submit a self‐assessment tax return,
with failure to do so attract‐ ing fines and penalties. They have also said they will not fine anyone who is up to a month late, the second year running that they have shown leniency. Campaigners have also warned taxpayers that fraud‐ sters use the deadline as a ‘smokescreen’ to steal mon‐ ey, with HMRC in the past
being in the top five for most phished brands. Fraudsters push out false emails and text messages claiming to be from HMRC and urging you to click on the link to complete your return. These are used to collect bank and personal details to allow them to steal money directly or to use your details to commit fraud.
Hollywood stars take a pay cut BRAD PITT and George Clooney have agreed to lower their salaries to ensure their new film will get released. Clooney re‐ vealed in his last interview that both he and Brad did not think twice before reducing their salaries for the new movie, which is due to begin shooting this summer, and will be direct‐ ed by Jon Watts. While plot details are under wraps, the Apple TV+ film is known to follow two lone‐wolf fixers who are assigned to the same job. Their pay cut will help
to finance, and pay for, its pre‐ miere in cinemas around the world. Clooney took time to re‐ flect on the ‘coexistence’ be‐
tween production companies that also own their own stream‐ ing platforms, as is the case with Apple, and also Netflix.
and finally... LEGENDARY spoon bender Uri Gellar has warned NASA to pre‐ pare for an alien invasion after a spooky new discovery in the Milky Way. The illusionist has raised the prospect after Aus‐ tralian scientists found a pulsing energy source 4,000 light‐years away. Uri, 75, believes the scientists have stumbled upon the radio communications of ‘superior beings’ from outer space.
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Ocado robot wars WHEN food delivery service Ocado was set up it provided a new standard in ware‐ housing with its automated facility picking customer’s or‐ ders, but rival Autostore claims a legal win will see it lose the so‐called ‘robots wars’. Ocado has been embroiled in legal cases ever since it started with arguments over who owns the technology and software used by the company, the latest battle being the last one in a long running saga. Norwegian company Auto‐ store issued a statement say‐ ing “The Munich District Court have stayed proceed‐ ings brought by Ocado for or‐ ders blocking the sale of Au‐ toStore’s B1 robot in Germany, noting that Oca‐ do’s utility model IP rights in the action were likely to be invalid.” In a blow for Ocado, the company said: “The court’s view was that Ocado were trying to claim technology they had not invented.”
Ocado, responded saying the Norwegian company had
given a partial and misleading account of the proceedings.
Vaccine certificates withdrawn CATALONIA’S vaccine certificates were withdrawn on Friday, January 28, after the regional govern‐ ment said the effectiveness of the application had decreased. The government announced the decision through a statement after evaluating the report that the committee of experts on Covid‐19 deliv‐ ered to the Department of Health. The vaccine certificates were mandatory in bars, restaurants, gyms and care homes. The decision to remove them was published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat (DOGC) on January 27. The Generalitat based its decision on the advisory report which stated that the prevention measures used against the Delta variant do not have the same effect against Omicron. Experts consider that a sig‐ nificant part of the population is once again “sus‐ ceptible to becoming infected,” regardless of their vaccination statu or of having had the disease. Therefore, the effectiveness of the Covid certifi‐ cate decreases and the inconveniences of its appli‐ cation outweigh its benefits.
STATS
421
Scotland has 421 words for snow.
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Town offering free home THE town council of Villalgo‐ rdo del Marquesado in Cuenca is offering a free house and a job running the local bar. The town in the province of Cuenca only had 73 resi‐ dents registered in 2021. Lo‐
cated just 165 km from Madrid and very close to the A‐3, the town is so quiet that even the local bar has just closed in the town. The town council is offer‐ ing a new house free of charge to anyone who
Drivers against cyclists CHANGES to the Highway Code that bring the UK more in line with rules affecting cyclists has resulted in a war of words between drivers and cyclists. One of the main areas of contention is the notion that cyclists should on quieter roads and in slow mov‐ ing traffic, use the centre of the road to make them‐ selves as visible as possible. That has resulted in drivers taking to Twitter and other social media saying that the change would only serve to increase congestion on the roads. They fur‐ ther complain that it would add extra stress for drivers already having to take care on busy roads, by forcing them to look out for cyclists as well. As an example a Twitter user quoted by the UK press, Andrew wrote: “The problem is drivers have enough to worry about without extra stress put on them to worry about cyclists in the middle of the road and pedestrians trying to cross next to a junction. “These changes are fundamentally wrong, each party should be responsible for their own safety.”
would like to relocate to their town and run the local bar. “We’ll supply the premises, heating, refrigera‐ tor, and also a house that is now under construction, and that we hope will be finished by the summer,” declared the mayor, Natalio Valencia. Those interested will only have to pay the self‐em‐ ployed fee, and the electrici‐ ty bill. “The bar is a place where all of us from the town meet, also those who come on the weekend. If it’s not for the bar, where do you meet? We wouldn’t even see each other,” com‐ mented the mayor.
FREE OF CHARGE: A new house if you run the local bar.
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Airline compensation Fake euro coin scam PROPOSALS announced on Monday, January 31 promise fairer and simpler compensation rules for UK domestic passengers, which could see claims for delays of more than an hour. The proposals are intended to re‐ place EU rules that require compensa‐ tion to be paid for flights delayed by more than three hours. Currently, do‐ mestic passengers on flights shorter than 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) can claim £220 for delays of more than three hours, but nothing for shorter waits. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the proposals “aim to bolster air‐ line consumer protections and rights.” Under the new plan, which is under consultation, passengers would be enti‐ tled to 25 per cent of the ticket price for a delay of more than one hour but
NEW RULES: Promise fairer rights.
less than two hours, 50 per cent of the ticket price for a delay of more than two hours but less than three hours, and 100 per cent of the ticket price for a delay of more than three hours.
FAKE money scams are nothing new. Printing pa‐ per bills is relatively sim‐ ple, but making coins from a material similar to the real thing is more com‐ plex. This makes fraud‐ sters resort to real foreign coins, passing them off as euro coins ‐ although logi‐ cally they are not legal tender in Spain and their value is also much lower. The Guardia Civil has warned of these scams on its social media pages. The coins, very similar to the European ones, come from Argentina, Venezuela, the Dominican
Republic and Jamaica. The value of these coins can be less than a cent, and the most expensive ‐ Jamaican dollars ‐ barely reach €0.11. Some characteristics that make them very simi‐
lar to the euro are the gold rim of the coin, the silver interior and symbols such as the Venezuelan stars ‐ which are reminis‐ cent of those of the Euro‐ pean Union and can lead to error.
Supporting Amazon NEIL YOUNG has decided to ramp up his new‐found dis‐ like of Spotify, by offering his fans a free four‐month subscription to Amazon’s streaming service. The folk‐ rock legend posted a mes‐ sage promoting Amazon on his official Twitter account to his 76,000 followers on Sunday, January 30. He also pushed the offer on his website, where it said, “Amazon has been leading the pack in bringing hi‐res audio to the masses, and it’s a great place to en‐ joy my entire catalogue, in
the highest quality avail‐ able.” This all comes as the re‐ sult of Young’s protest against Spotify and its con‐ tinued broadcasting of the Joe Rogan Experience pod‐ cast. He has removed all his music, and is boycotting the platform, insisting that its controversial anti‐vaccine podcaster Rogan is pushing disinformation about the vaccines. Joni Mitchell and Nils Lof‐ gren have both sided with Young in removing their music from Spotify.
and finally... FRITZ SCHALL, an Austrian man who now lives with his family in Colombia, South America, decided he would build a house. Not just any house, he built one that was upside down! Located in the town of Guatavita, ‘Casa‐Loca’ has turned into a massive tourist attraction, and captured the imagination of those who visit. Inside the home, in the upside‐down world, you can walk on the ceilings instead of the floor, and the furniture is under‐ neath you.
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Warning to Brit holidaymakers BUDGET airline easyJet has is‐ sued a warning for British holi‐ daymakers planning trips to some Spanish Islands this year. Tourists from the UK usually flock to places such as Ibiza and Mallorca to find some sun and have earned a reputation as partygoers from the locals who live there. Now that restrictions are be‐ ing lifted and testing upon re‐ turn to England has been scrapped, bookings from the
ALL-INCLUSIVE: But alcoholic drinks are now limited.
beer‐loving Brits are soaring. However, those travelling to these Spanish islands have been issued a warning by easy‐
Jet. Anyone attempting to book an all‐inclusive stay in these des‐ tinations via the budget airline is given the following message: “Due to a change in Spanish law which affects certain resorts in the Balearic Islands, alcoholic drinks are now limited to three per person at lunch and dinner as part of the all‐inclusive basis.” The change on some Spanish Islands came into effect in 2020, to limit extreme drunken be‐ haviour that affects residents.
No longer an honorary member T H E Duke of York has given up his honorary membership of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. In a statement, the prestigious mem‐ bers‐only club said: “I can confirm that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has received notifica‐ tion that the Duke of York will relin‐ quish his Honorary Membership. We respect and appreciate his decision.” The new development regarding the prince comes after he handed in court documents denying all accusa‐ tions brought against him in the civil
sexual assault case filed by Virginia Giuffre. Earlier this month, Bucking‐ ham Palace announced Andrew would have his military titles and pa‐ tronages removed. Andrew, 61, is being sued by Ms Giuffre, 38, formerly known as Vir‐ ginia Roberts, in a civil case in New York. She alleges that she suffered ‘sexual assault and battery’ at the hands of the duke on three occa‐ sions when she was a teenager. He has denied the allegations against him.
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UK unsafe for LGBT+ THE UK has been named as a country notable for ‘extensive and often virulent attacks on the rights of LGBT+ people’ over the past sev‐ eral years. The unfortunate accolade put the nation alongside places like Hungary, Poland, Russia and Turkey as an area of concern re‐ garding the safety of LGBT+ rights. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the overarching human rights body of Europe. They condemned the at‐ tacks on LGBT+ people and said that advances made in equal rights were under threat, most visibly in these five countries. Council members approved the conclusions at a meeting held on January 25 even though a group of Labour MPs proposed an amendment
LGBT+: The UK is an area of concern.
to remove the UK from the list. The UK was included on the unsafe for LGBT+ people area list because of the rise of anti‐trans rhetoric in the country. They also pointed to UK hate crime statistics which show a sharp increase in transphobic crimes since 2015 ‐ though only one in seven victims report them to an authority.
WWF lists new species THE World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) latest report lists 224 new species that have been identified in the greater Mekong region over the last year, as scientists and natural‐ ists work to record and pro‐ tect flora and fauna in the area. The report highlights the need to protect the rich biodi‐ versity and habitats in the re‐
gion, which includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. Although only listed now, the species were identified in 2020, but the report was de‐ layed for a variety of reasons. Amongst the findings was the only new mammal, a mon‐ key called the Popa langur named after the steep hill‐ sides of the extinct Mt Popa
volcano in Myanmar where it lives. The monkey has ghostly white circles around its eyes making it quite distinct from other apes. Included in the list are also dozens of newly identified reptiles, frogs and newts, fish and 155 plant species, includ‐ ing the only known succulent bamboo species, found in Laos.
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NEWS
Covid passport expiry FROM February 1, vaccina‐ tion certificates will have an expiry date in Spain. Al‐ though Omicron continues to spread through Europe rapidly, high vaccination rates and milder symptoms have meant that measures have not been as strict as they have been at earlier stages of the pandemic. One of the measures in place is the use of the Covid passport, and the European Union countries are planning on introducing new changes regarding this certificate of vaccination. From February 1, the Covid Passport will allow travellers to enter the differ‐ ent regions of the EU, without the need for isolation periods or negative diagnostic tests. Also, from the same date, this type of certificate will be‐ gin to have an expiry date, which will be 270 days after the last dose of the vaccine was given. After this period, the person must have re‐ ceived the booster shot or the Covid passport will be consid‐ ered expired.
CERTIFICATE: From February 1 will have an expiry date.
Emotional tribute to stillborn son AMANDA HOLDEN, the 50‐ year‐old Britain’s Got Talent judge has paid tribute to her son Theo. It would have been Theo’s 11th birthday. Amanda took to social media and shared her emo‐ tional tribute. She posted photos of her stillborn son’s footprints. She commented: “You would have been 11 today. I’m still grateful you chose us for your journey .. #Theo.” Amanda was seven months pregnant when she lost Theo back in 2011. The expectant mum had man‐
aged to drive to the hospital when she realised some‐ thing was wrong. Amanda previously re‐ vealed shocking details of when she lost Theo. She commented: “Luckily for us, an obstetrician was coming past and Jackie [midwife] said to the obstetrician, ‘please can you go in, I can’t hear the patient’s baby’s heartbeat’, and then I heard this guttural screaming. “It was the most bizarre thing that’s ever happened to me because it was me. I didn’t know I was doing it. I had no control over myself.”
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Disease warning AC CO R D I N G to re‐ searchers in the UK and Australia, around 300,000 Brits are living with a stealth disease that could kill within five years. Many people are un‐ aware that they have
aortic valve stenosis, or AS. In the most se‐ vere cases AS can cause a fluttering heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness and fatigue. Aortic valve stenosis is where the heart’s aortic valve begins to narrow.
Extremadura stops reporting EXTREMADURA has become the first autonomous community in Spain to stop reporting daily numbers of Covid cases. The re‐ gional health system has eliminated the section on the number of infections recorded over the last 24 hours from its daily report on the evolution of the virus, a modification that will be permanent. It will, however, continue to report the seven‐day and 14‐day cumulative incidence in each of its municipalities, which will be shared each Thursday in a press release. The minister of Health and Social Services, José María Vergeles, explained that the objective is simply to focus all attention on the seriously ill. The decision has been made in parallel with the central govern‐ ment’s plan to treat Covid as a seasonal illness like the flu, some‐ thing that has sparked criticism from the European Medicines Agency and some doctors, who believe that it is still too early for such measures.
Some people do not suffer from any symp‐ toms, so are complete‐ ly unaware they have the disease. Aortic valve stenosis is more common in people who have high blood pres‐ sure, diabetes or who are in a higher age range. The Australian and UK scientists set out to discover how many people have the condi‐ tion. They also aimed to calculate how many people could be at risk of dying. The scientists calcu‐ lated that at any one time around 300,000 people in the UK would have the disease. Only two thirds of these people would show symptoms. In many people, the disease would be silent and would not be diag‐ nosed until it is too late.
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Ukraine gas threat ONE out of every four Euro‐ pean homes are heated by gas that travels through Ukraine, meaning that a cut to the supply would leave half of Europe without heating in the middle of winter. The European Union is one of Gazprom’s main clients. The Russian energy giant sells 35 per cent of its gas to European countries: one out of every four Euro‐ pean homes is heated by the Russian gas that passes through Ukraine. In 2021, Gazprom extract‐ ed 514,800 million cubic me‐ tres of gas. Natural gas is the crown jewel of the economy of Russia, a country that has been trying to find a way out of its mutual dependence with Europe. In 2021, Russia began to turn to China as an alterna‐ tive to its dependence on the European Union. Last May, Gazprom signed an agreement with the Asian giant.
Supplies gas to Europe.
Russia has used these commercial relations as a geopolitical weapon to try to destabilise Brussels by prioritising the supply to China via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline over the supply to Europe.
Dog found after 6 years AN emotional video of a missing dog being reunited with its family after six years has highlighted the importance of microchipping. Pepa Tenonio found a dog on the road between the towns of Deifontes and Iznalloz in Granada. The microchip revealed he had been missing for six years. Thanks to the information on the chip, Pepa was able to locate the owners. She posted an emotional reunion video on social networks in which she sends an important message to all pet owners. Dico’s owner had unfortunately passed away; however, the video shows his emotional relatives hugging the dog. When Pepa called the telephone number on the chip, the owners’ children cried, knowing that Dico was alive and com‐ ing home. The video went viral on social media.
STATS
8
The first person convicted of speeding was going 8 mph
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Advertising Feature
The great artists of Benidorm Palace WITH the iconic Benidorm Palace Valentine’s weekend coming up, fea‐ turing their new show Terra ‐ a dinner show with live music, visual attrac‐ tions, comedy, and magic ‐ on Satur‐ day, February 12 and the world’s best ELO tribute band on Sunday, February 13, we take a look back at some of the legendary acts that have previously graced the venue’s stage. Considered a benchmark for organis‐ ing large events, Benidorm Palace has seen the likes of Boney M, Sweet Cali‐ fornia, Ana Belen, Camilo Sexto and Raphael take to its stage, amongst many more amazing acts. Recognised as the most commercially successful continental European singer in the world and one of the top record sellers in music history, Julio Iglesias is one of the most iconic artists to have performed at the Palace. The incredible Louis Armstrong, American trumpeter and vocalist who is considered one of the most influential jazz figures with a career spanning five
ELO AGAIN: One of the world’s best ELO tribute bands are playing on Sunday evening.
decades across different eras in history, is also on the long list of iconic perform‐ ers. Not forgetting The Four Tops ‐ the American vocal quartet who helped de‐
fine Motown, glamorous disco singer Gloria Gaynor, English reggae and pop band UB40, American doo‐wop and R&B/soul vocal group The Drifters, St Helens born comedian and actor Johnny
Vegas, Spanish flamenco and pop singer India Martinez and British psychedelic pop group Consortium. With its long history and title of the best nightclub in Europe, it’s no surprise that Benidorm Palace has hosted some of the most recognisable artists from the world of music and entertainment, and its 2022 Valentine’s Weekend will not be short of the usual glitz and glam‐ our seen at this emblematic and award‐ winning venue. Tickets are available from the Benidorm Palace Box Office for €30 with an option available for chicken or fish and chips for €8. Terra takes place on Saturday, Febru‐ ary 12 at 8pm. Tickets are €34 to the show, €54 to the show and dinner, and €64 for the show and the menu Gran Palace Plus. Benidorm Palace is also offering a special Valentine’s promotion of tickets to both Terra and ELO Again for the show only for just €55. Upgrades for a meal are available.
For more information or to book tickets, contact 965 851 660 or go to https://www.benidormpalace.com/en/tickets
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Cow attack hiker rescued SPECIALISTS from the mountain service of the Guardia Civil rescued a hiker who fell around 40 metres off a ravine after she was attacked by a cow in Capileira (Granada). The victim was a 52‐year‐old woman from Almeria. According to sources from the Guardia Civil, officers from the Special Mountain Rescue and Intervention Service (Sereim) rescued the victim, who suffered cranioencephalic trauma, with open wounds and multiple polytraumas, espe‐ cially in the area of the thorax. The incident oc‐ curred on Sunday, January 23, when the victim was out hiking in a zone near the Poqueira Refuge, in Capileira. The police were alerted at around 4.20pm that a woman had fallen ap‐ proximately 40 metres after being ‘charged by a cow that was loose in the area where she was
THE first three cases of what has been dubbed ‘stealth Omicron’, the recently de‐ tected subvariant of Omi‐ cron, have been confirmed in Spain. Two cases of the subvari‐ ant of Omicron, known as BA.2, have been detected in Catalonia, and another has been detected in the Balearic Islands, according to the De‐ partments of Health of both
LOOSE COW: Woman fell off a ravine.
walking at the time.’ Heavy fog meant the res‐ cuers had to carry out the operation on foot, and it was complicated due to the rough terrain. Finally, at around 9.15pm, they reached the ambulance, and the victim was put into the care of the health services.
Stealth omicron autonomous communities. These cases are the first cas‐ es of ‘stealth Omicron’ to be detected in Spain. In the Balearic Islands, the case was detected by the Mi‐ crobiology team at the Son Espases University Hospital in Palma, led by Antoni Oliv‐ er. This subvariant has been
dubbed ‘stealth Omicron’ because, according to the first tests, it cannot be de‐ tected by diagnostic tests and it is very similar to the original Omicron. Scientists are now studying whether it is more contagious or not, af‐ ter it started to spread in countries such as Denmark and the United Kingdom.
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Advertising Feature AS wholesale energy costs go through the roof, more and more consumers across Spain are choosing to power their homes with solar PV panels. Demand for solar panel installations has been on the rise since the infa‐ mous ‘sun tax’ was abol‐ ished back in 2018 but the more recent hike in ener‐ gy prices, due to whole‐ sale costs, has led to a spike in homeowners opt‐ ing to take control of their own electricity generation with solar energy. Martin Tye, CEO of green energy company, Mariposa Energía said: “We have seen enquiries for solar panel installa‐ tions dramatically increase over the last few months. With the rising cost of electricity, consumers are realising the huge benefits that solar panels have to
The Costa goe
MARIPOSA ENERGÍA: The team take care of the whole process for
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few years. You will no longer be at the mercy of fluctuating energy costs or peak hours. You will have the flexibility to use your electricity as and when
To find out more about solar panel installations contact the frie info@mariposaenergia.es or by visiting
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es solar
their clients.
you want.” The Mariposa Energía team take care of the whole process for their clients from the initial sur‐ vey of the property to the
design and the installa‐ tion, as well as the regis‐ tration paperwork. All solar panel installa‐ tions come with a 30‐year fully comprehensive guar‐ antee and maintenance support is provided al‐ though, as Martin Tye ex‐ plains, solar panels require very little maintenance. “Installing and using so‐ lar panels is a very simple and straightforward pro‐ cess,” Martin Tye said. “Each installation is tailor‐ made to suit the needs of the client based on their typical energy consump‐ tion and available space for panels and, once in‐ stalled, only minimal maintenance is needed.” And it’s not just the cost‐savings that are moti‐ vating consumers to install solar panels, there is also the environmental aspect. “It’s vital that we tackle climate change in order to
protect the future of our planet. We are already seeing the effects of glob‐ al warming with an in‐ crease in weather‐related disasters, rising sea levels and crop failures across the planet. We must act now in order to slow the rate at which the planet is heating up,” Martin ex‐ plained. “Fossil fuels, traditional‐ ly used to produce elec‐ tricity are one of the main contributing factors to global warming. By moving to solar energy we can cut the level of carbon emis‐ sions released into the at‐ mosphere and do our bit for the environment. “What’s more, solar is a renewable source of ener‐ gy, meaning it will never run out. As long as the sun continues to shine we will always have a plentiful source of this green ener‐ gy.”
endly Mariposa Energía team on +34 951 120 830, by email at the website: www.mariposaenergia.es.
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EXPAT ULTRA
EWN 25
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BIG ON QUALITY LOW ON PRICE
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FEATURE
Spanish travel warning THE UK Foreign Office has warned families planning to travel to Spain during the Febru‐ ary half term that the popular holiday destination requires travellers to have at least two vaccine doses. The Spanish trav‐ el warning could be a blow for families who have children aged 12 to 15 who may not be fully vaccinated yet. The government said on its website: “Tourism: you must show proof of being fully vacci‐ nated (with both doses of a two‐ dose vaccine or one dose of a one‐dose vaccine) at least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain (date(s) of vaccination must be specified).” People were also warned that Spain will accept Covid recovery certificates for arrivals from high‐ risk countries who have had the virus, but the UK is not included in this scheme. The Foreign Office added: “If you’re travelling to Spain for tourism purposes, you cannot use the UK proof of Covid recov‐ ery record certifying that you have recovered from Covid‐19 in the last six months.”
TRAVELLERS: Must have at least two vaccine doses.
Denmark scraps restrictions THE coronavirus will no longer be considered a ‘critical’ disease in Denmark. As of February 1, the country lifted all restrictions brought in due to the fourth wave of the virus. The decision was made despite the growing number of cases in the country. The government made the announcement and said that the Omicron variant poses a lower danger. The govern‐ ment also commented that a high number of people have now been jabbed against the virus. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen commented: “We are ready to come out of the shadow of the coronavirus, we say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome the life we had before. The pandemic continues, but we have passed the critical stage.” Coronavirus restrictions such as masks being worn indoors have been ditched. All restrictions related to restaurants, cultural venues and social gatherings have also been removed, while nightlife venues are allowed to reopen.
STATS
6
It only takes 6 minutes for alcohol to affect your brain.
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FEATURE
Vaccinations in Spain:
THE question ‘to jab or not to get jabbed’ seems to be on everyone’s lips, with the vaccine continuing programme, while others are adamant in opting not to get the jab due to concerns about its effecti and where do you stand? Here the Euro Weekly News is delving into both sides of the argument to
After a slow start, vaccination rates in Spain have shot up. According to Statista, as of January 20, 2022, over 88 million vaccine doses have been administered in Spain.
The stats Andalucia has the highest rate of dosage, with around 16 million doses administered and the autonomous city of Melilla is the re‐ gion with the lowest vaccination uptake. While other European countries have had to resort to mandated vaccines, Spain has avoid‐ ed this thanks to its high vaccination rates, and more than 71 per cent of Spain’s population is fully vaccinated, making it one of the highest vaccinated countries in Europe. Spain’s health minister, Carolina Darias re‐ cently said: “Compared to the other four most populated countries in the EU, Spain holds the first place in all the indicators, also placing us in the first position of G20 countries both in first‐ doses injections and in full vaccination.”
The law
‘National pride’ So, why has the vaccination programme in Spain been so successful? According to Dr Vi‐ cente Soriano, professor of infectious diseases director of the UNIR Medical Centre in Madrid, it’s a matter of national pride. For Soriano, the vaccination programme for nursing homes and vulnerable people was the big turning point. More than 95 per cent of the elderly have been vaccinated which, according to Soriano, made a huge impact: “we didn’t have any more admissions from nursing home residents.” Another reason behind Spain’s vaccination success is “solidarity values,” said Josep Lobera, a sociology professor at the Autonomous Uni‐ versity of Madrid. And he might be on to some‐ thing. With such a high number of Spaniards in their late 20s still living at home with their par‐ ents, young people have shown great willing‐ ness to get the vaccine and protect older family members. In June 2021, the Imperial College London shared results from a study that showed 79 per cent of Spanish people trust the vaccine. When
COVID VACCINE: More than 71 per cent of Spain’s population is fully vaccinated.
we consider Spain’s history (Spain notoriously delayed Polio vaccination by close to a decade, resulting in a large number of deaths and grave disabilities), this makes a lot of sense.
The science So let’s look at the science. The Covid‐19 vaccine was created in record time. This mon‐ umentally quick turnaround raised a few con‐ cerns, however, scientists and doctors around the world assure us that the vaccine is perfect‐ ly safe. The WHO commented: “Like all vaccines, Covid‐19 vaccines go through a rigorous, multi‐
stage testing process, including large clinical tri‐ als that involve tens of thousands of people. These trials are specifically designed to identify any safety concerns.” Several Covid‐19 vaccinations were devel‐ oped using mRNA technology. This technology has been studied in labs for over a decade and has been used to develop other vaccines such as the flu and rabies vaccine. Again, the WHO issues that they are per‐ fectly safe: “These mRNA vaccines have been rigorously assessed for safety, and clinical tri‐ als have shown that they provide a long‐last‐ ing immune response. mRNA vaccines are not live virus vaccines and do not interfere with human DNA.”
There is currently no statutory obligation to get a Covid‐19 vaccine in Spain, however, new rules for visitors will come into effect from February 1, 2022. According to Spain’s official tourism website, as of 1 February 2022, “all travellers to Spain must have a vaccination certificate and the cer‐ tificate must have been issued by the compe‐ tent authorities of the country of origin at least 14 days after the date of administration of the last dose of the full course of vaccination, as long as the final dose of that course of vaccina‐ tion was no more than 270 days ago. From that time, the certificate must show the administra‐ tion of a booster vaccination.” For those over the age of six, face coverings remain obligatory on public transport and oth‐ er indoor and outdoor public areas. Social dis‐ tancing of 1.5 metres also continues. Rules vary slightly from autonomous region to au‐ tonomous region. Children between the ages of three and five are also encouraged to wear masks, although this remains a recommendation. Those who aren’t able to wear a mask due to health issues are also exempt. As the situation continues to evolve, Spain has recently taken the decision to reduce the isolation period for positive cases from 10 days to seven days, provided the person isolating doesn’t have any symptoms on day seven. Spain is the first country in Europe to reduce the isolation period. In response to this decision, President Pedro Sanchez stated: “We need to find a balance be‐ tween public health, mental health and the economy.”
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The great debate
g to divide the population. Some are vocally championing the vaccine and the success of the vaccine iveness and the consequences of mandatory vaccines. But what are the arguments on both sides, see how Spanish locals feel about the vaccine. On the other hand, according to research almost one out of every 10 Spaniards are refusing to get the third vaccine, with the recommendations changing constantly causing a drop in confidence around how effective the vaccine really is. This is, however, still a small minority, with latest research by the Spanish Centre of Sociological Research (CIS) showing that around 84.5 per cent of those who have received at least one dose are willing to get the third jab. Still, 9 per cent are unwilling and 4 per cent are unsure.
Mistrust There are many factors behind the uncertainty ‐ fear, scepticism, doubts about its protection, or simply confu‐ sion due to contradictory messages from the health authorities. Isabel Jimeno, from the Spanish Soci‐ ety of General and Family Doctors (SEMG) stated: “To all those having doubts, I tell them to trust science,” with the third dose proven to provide significant protection. Included in those not wanting to get the vaccine are people who are con‐ cerned about the side‐effects and be‐ coming unwell after the jab. Hopkins Medicine has addressed this worry, however, with its website stating: “The vaccines do not contain live coron‐ avirus, and you cannot and will not get Covid‐19 from getting vaccinated. “After the shots, you might experience a sore arm, a mild fever or body aches, but this doesn’t mean you have Covid‐ 19. These symptoms, if they happen at all, are temporary, usually lasting only a day or two. They signal a natural re‐ sponse as your body’s immune system learns to recognise and fight the coron‐ avirus.” Getting the vaccine will not make you seriously unwell, getting Covid‐19, how‐ ever, can.
Effectiveness Some have questioned how the vac‐ cine is effective if we still have the need for booster doses, and how many booster doses will be required
normalised and often shared amongst like‐ minded people ‐ fuelling their beliefs. Medical News Today writes that “an‐ ti‐vaxxers are people who believe that vaccines are unsafe and infringe on their human rights. They typically deny the existence or validity of the science supporting their use in the general population.” The violation of human rights has been called into question in many European countries enforcing mandatory vaccination, with Germany, Denmark and Austria enforcing the mandate.
The debate
MISTRUST: Some have questioned how the vaccine is effective if we still need boosters.
to top‐up the vaccine’s effectiveness. Health officials have stated that Covid will eventually be treated like the flu, with those most vulnerable needing a jab each year. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) states that if we “want to move towards a scenario of endemicity, then such boosters should be synchronised with the arrival of the cold season.”
Vaccine hesitancy Differing from those people who call themselves vaccine‐hesitant, ‘anti‐
vaxxers’ usually use aggressive meth‐ ods to push others not to get certain jabs that are designed to help prevent disease. It is interesting to note that new research has found that two‐ thirds of the propaganda posted on‐ line and on social media about the vaccine is created by just 12 so‐called influencers. Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the CCDH, told Sky News that social media giants “bear none of the cost for the content” they host, and that the people spreading this content are skilled in marketing and social media, meaning that these views are more
The pandemic has not only had a huge effect on the public, but many businesses have been forced to close due to the enforcement of the Covid passport in the hospitality sector. With regards to Spain, areas that rely heavily on tourism such as the Costa del Sol and Benidorm have been hit hard, even so, Andalucia decided to ex‐ tend its use just a few days ago be‐ cause of high infection rates. Many businesses are losing millions and have called into question whether the mandatory passport should be dropped in a bid to recover the economy. There are still unknowns with re‐ gards to mutations and variants of the virus and the real long‐term effects of receiving the vaccine, however, with the world taken over by this pandemic, has Covid now taught us a lesson on preparedness?
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EUROPEAN PRESS
EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK
Insurance failure
Words removed
ALWAYS read the small print is a maxim when taking out insurance, but 14 Danish insurances companies have been hit with fines for discrimination against female clients who became pregnant. Eight companies have accepted the fines and the others have until February 1 or could be prosecuted.
SCRABBLE is becoming increasingly more difficult in Denmark as it has been reported by the Danish Language Board, that some 3,581 words were removed from the Danish Spelling Dictionary between 1986 and 2012 as they were considered obsolete or replaced by English words.
THE NETHERLANDS Racial profiling
Mortgage help
THE Dutch Tax Office, having been brought to task over wrongly accusing parents of fraud, is back in the spotlight after an independent review found that in 11 per cent of cases it viewed, people were being highlighted as potential fraudsters on the basis of their appearance and nationality.
WITH rental properties becoming increasingly expensive, the National Mortgage Guarantee agency, supported by a number of commercial banks, is to help renters who pay more than a mortgage would cost but have been turned down by lenders to get their feet on the property ladder.
BELGIUM Holocaust research
Unclaimed money
DURING the Second World War, the Belgian railway company NMBS was responsible for the deportation of more than 25,000 Jews and Roma to death camps. To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, the Belgian Government has commissioned research into the role of the company and who made the decisions.
THIS is not an email scam but a genuine fact according to the Belga News Agency as it revealed that Belgian customers had around €575 million sitting unclaimed in dormant bank accounts at the end of 2021, up €7 million from the previous year.
GERMANY Telegram ban
Snap resignation
THE German Government is reportedly considering banning the encrypted messaging app Telegram which it contends is being used by different groups to promote hate speech and conspiracy theories. Its complaints have been made to the creators of the app, but these have apparently been ignored.
VICE-ADMIRAL Kay-Achim Schönbach who was head of the German navy has tendered his resignation after making a number of comments during a visit to India about the Ukraine and Russia which has caused the German government some embarrassment especially as he said that Vladimir Putin deserved “respect”.
FRANCE Child victims
Bizarre artwork
CATHOLIC dioceses throughout France have raised €20 million to compensate up to 330,000 victims of historical child sexual abuse by clergy over seven decades according to the president of the Selam fund. The French Catholic Church has confirmed that it will also contribute its own funds.
IT has been discovered that a senior French surgeon has offered to sell as a piece of art for €2,500, without permission, an X-ray of the arm of a concert goer, shot during the 2015 Bataclan attack, which shows a bullet still lodged in the forearm.
NORWAY Spoilt for choice
Future Queen
THE Norwegian Finance Ministry may be breathing a sigh of relief after controversially inviting former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg to apply to head the Bank of Norway as it seems possible that due to the Ukraine problem he will be asked to remain as head of NATO.
THE first woman born to be Queen of Norway officially came of age on Friday January 21 when she celebrated her 18th birthday. Flags flew and cannons fired in honour of Princess Ingrid Alexandra, daughter of Crown Prince Haakon, heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.
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EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND
Respecting tradition
Spanish visit
THE National Museum of Finland is hosting an exhibition of Sámi artefacts entitled The Homecoming until February 27 to celebrate the fact that it has repatriated its Sámi collection of over 2,000 items to the Sámi Museum Siida following several years of negotiation.
FINNISH Prime Minister Sanna Marin travelled to Madrid on Wednesday January 25 for her first official visit to Spain where she met with her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez and discussed various issues including the Ukraine situation, as well as strengthening of economic ties.
IRELAND Marley kit
Post-mortem
AFTER Ajax in Holland adopted a Bob Marley football kit, Dublin based Bohemian FC has followed suit with permission from his family as they pay tribute to the musician who played his last concert at their stadium in 1980. Funds from sales will go to charity.
TWO men who were initially suspected of taking a dead man into a post office in Co. Carlow to collect his pension have been exonerated as the post-mortem showed that he must have died of natural causes after they entered the building.
ITALY Crown jewels
Smoking gun
IN June 1946 after a referendum decided to abolish the Italian Royal Family, their jewels were taken for safe keeping and placed in a bank vault although they were never officially seized. The descendants of the last king having tried mediation are now suing the Italian government for their return.
THE Italian Tobacconist Federation (FIT), is up in arms over an Italian government decision to require that anyone who wishes to purchase cigarettes from one of its member’s shops will have to show a Green Pass showing vaccination, negative testing or recovery from Covid-19.
PORTUGAL Covid register
Toll roads
WITH effect from January 26, anyone wishing to enter Galicia from Portugal was required to register their arrival within a maximum period of 24 hours and confirm their contact details on a special coronavirus website. This applies to anyone arriving from areas with a high incidence of infection.
VISITORS who drive into Portugal are often confused by the toll roads there and due to the complex nature of making payment are fined if it isn’t made within five days. Recognising this, the Portuguese government has now extended the payment period to 15 days.
RUSSIA Eastern Front
Differing opinion
ALTHOUGH it may appear surprising considering the number of people placed in camps by the Stalin regime, a Moscow-based organisation of former child and youth prisoners of Nazi concentration camps has suggested that Russia should establish a ‘Day of the Genocide of the Soviet People’.
THERE is significant disagreement between the Bank of Russia which wants to see a complete ban on cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and the Finance Ministry which wants to allow investment but ensure that it is controlled and has prepared proposed guidelines for consideration.
SWEDEN Electric avenue
Pink hydrogen
AFTER a number of trials, Sweden’s traffic agency Trafikverket is to install a 21kilometre stretch of road which is capable of recharging electric vehicles The location in Örebro has been chosen as it is a major area for transportation of freight.
AS the Swedish nuclear power industry starts to close some of its facilities, it finds itself with an excess of H2 Pink Hydrogen which is generated through electrolysis during the process. In a first, the Oskarshamn 3 power station is to sell the excess to industrial gases giant Linde.
3 - 9 February 2022
EWN 31
FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Record job creation FIGURES for 2021 show that the Spanish labour market recovered strongly following the 2020 drop due to the pandemic with 615,900 fewer people unemployed which represents the largest annual re‐ duction since 2015, while employ‐ ment grew by 840,700 jobs, the highest number since 2005.
Camp Nou Spotify ONCE mega‐wealthy Barcelona FC is looking to cut wages of its players and obtain as much long‐term sponsorship as possible. According to Football España, it is in negotia‐ tion with Spotify to take over the main shirt spot and may rename its stadium Camp Nou Spotify.
GDP bounce ALTHOUGH there had been a number of negative reports about the growth of the Spanish econo‐ my for the fourth quarter of 2021, the growth of GDP by 2 per cent was well above the somewhat gloomy forecast of 1.4 per cent thanks in part to export demand.
Fewer cars UK car production fell to its lowest level in 65 years in 2021, according to figures released on January 27 by the Society of Motor Manufac‐ turers and Traders. The number of vehicles produced was 859,575, the lowest number since 1956 and the Suez Crisis.
Spain Shynes THE recently unveiled SHYNE (Spanish Hydrogen Network) pro‐ ject, the largest renewable hydro‐ gen consortium in Spain is made up of 33 entities from different sec‐ tors comprising 22 companies and 11 associations, technology cen‐ tres, and universities under the leadership of Repsol with the aim of promoting renewable hydrogen projects in all areas of the econo‐ my. The projects in SHYNE will in‐ volve an accumulated investment of €3.23 billion and this will enable the implementation of different initiatives for the production, distri‐ bution, and use of renewable hy‐ drogen in the industrial sector, in transport and other outlets creat‐ ing an estimated 13,000 new jobs.
34
www.euroweeklynews.com • 3 - 9 February 2021
STAT OF WEEK
$7 million
(€6.3 million) is the price expected when the world’s largest black diamond, the Enigma weighing more than 550 carats, goes to auction in London in February.
Spanish legislation contrary to EU law IN a bid to ensure that Spanish tax resi‐ dents declare all of their financial in‐ vestments and sources of income re‐ gardless of where they may be derived from, the Spanish Government intro‐ duced penalties for those who did not make accurate declarations. On February 15, 2017 the European Commission issued a reasoned opinion in which it found that certain aspects of the requirement for Spanish tax resi‐ dents to declare overseas assets or rights by means of a form entitled ‘Form 720’ were incompatible with EU law. The Commission referred the matter to the European Court of Jus‐
tice which on January 27, 2022 issued its findings in the matter and the fol‐ lowing is a brief interpretation of the findings. Whilst in principle the concept of trying to stop tax residents from evading their obligations is acceptable, the Court has found that the legislation goes beyond what is necessary to achieve those objectives. In the first place, the Court considers that Spain has failed to fulfil its obliga‐ tions under the free movement of cap‐ ital within the European Union. Then by imposing very high penal‐ ties for failure to declare overseas hold‐ ings, the tax authority may be de‐
manding payment in excess of 100 per cent of the value of the assets held which constitutes a disproportionate interference with the free movement of capital. Finally, the fact that the penalties for those ‘hiding’ overseas assets are stricter than internal evasion also im‐ pinges on free movement of capital. This doesn’t mean at this stage that there can be queues for refunds from those fined but ‘If the Court of Justice finds that there has been a failure to fulfil obligations, the Member State concerned must comply with the Court’s judgement without delay’.
Manage rising costs Do they need executor? with a pre-paid plan LEGALLY SPEAKING
I recently did my Spanish Will. The lawyer draw‐ ing up the Will appointed himself as the executor of the Will, giving him a maximum of five years to execute the Will. Is this clause normal? 1. What would happen if the solicitor pre‐deceased me? 2. Why can’t I appoint my wife and children to be execu‐ tors of the Will? 3. Can I amend the Will by taking it to another notary and attaching a codicil appointing my wife and children as the executors or should I do a new Will? 4. If the solicitor did execute the Will is there a govern‐ ment set fee or can he charge whatever he wants? T K (Costa del Sol) Spanish DAVID SEARL law does not require that a YOU AND THE LAW testament have an IN SPAIN executor. You can‐ not name your wife and children as executors be‐ cause they are inheritors and the law says you can‐ not be named as executor if you are an inheritor. If your executor dies before you do, his appointment dies with him. There is no set official fee for an ex‐ ecutor. His charges should be agreed beforehand. If you are unhappy it seems that your best bet is to get a new lawyer and make a new Will. Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
SPAIN ranked 34 out of 180 in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) produced annually by Transparen‐ cy International. The CPI ranks 180 countries around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corrup‐ tion and the results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). While corruption takes vastly differ‐ ent forms from country to country, this year’s scores reveal that all regions of
A S funeral prices contin‐ ue to soar, purchasing a Golden Leaves pre‐paid plan gives you the security and reassurance you and your Tailored to your needs. family need for when the time comes. With a wealth of expertise, Golden Leaves can aid you in finding the right pre‐paid funeral plan. Tailored to your needs, wishes, and budget, they assist you in planning every aspect of your service. Golden Leaves is the only funeral planning busi‐ ness to offer repatriation plans to British expats living overseas as well as foreign expats living in the UK. For expats living abroad, Golden Leaves believe it’s essential to have a pre‐paid funeral plan in place. Strict regulations, bureaucratic red tape, and a potential language barrier can cause your family distress at an already difficult time. For more information, visit their website: www.goldenleavesinternational.com, send an email to info@goldenleavesinternational.com, or call for free on 800 098 309.
Public sector corruption the globe are at a standstill when it comes to fighting public sector corrup‐ tion. At the top of the CPI, countries in Western Europe and the European Union continue to wrestle with trans‐ parency and accountability in their re‐ sponse to Covid‐19, threatening the re‐ gion’s clean image.
The global Covid‐19 pandemic has according to the report been used in many countries as an excuse to curtail basic freedoms and side‐step impor‐ tant checks and balances. Topping the list as being the least corrupt countries and with similar scores are Denmark, Finland and New
Digital pickpockets WHILST the increase in lim‐ its when using contactless debit cards is welcomed by many, there is a potential problem. Investigations by media outlets in both Belgium and Germany have shown that it is possible to obtain a card terminal online for as little as €14.99 and then by simply walking up to peo‐ ple in crowds and placing the terminal near to their pockets or bags it is possi‐ ble to ‘harvest’ their cards. In the long term, this form of digital pickpocket‐ ing would be uncovered as the identity of the scam‐ mer would be known to banks, but in the short term, there is money to be made.
Not making money DE LA RUE, the company that makes money finds itself unable to make as much money as forecast due to the pandemic and supply chain issues. One of the significant costs of producing notes for some 140 countries is the secure shipping of vast amounts of heavy paper which meant that it has set up production centres around the world with main printing taking place in the UK, Malta and Sri Lanka. Due to rising energy prices as well as higher costs of raw materials and microchips for pass‐ ports, it has had to re‐ duce its profit forecast from £45 million to around £40 million. Zealand with Norway and Sweden in the top 10. The UK is 11th but dropping to 34th place is Spain behind such countries as Qatar, Chile and Taiwan. At the bottom of the list are a num‐ ber of countries which have been in‐ volved in armed conflict and revolution such as South Sudan, Yemen and Syria although poverty‐stricken Venezuela clocks in at number 177.
36 EWN
www.euroweeklynews.com
3 - 9 February 2022
LONDON - FTSE 100
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on previous page
C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 31
COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.333,00 Abrdn 243,20 Admiral Group 3.160,0 Anglo American 3.251,0 Antofagasta 1.339,00 Ashtead Group 5.244,0 Associated British Foods 1.929,5 AstraZeneca 8.640,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 659,00 Avast 606,40 Aveva 2.876,0 Aviva 433,50 B&M European Value Retail 562,40 BAE Systems 590,80 Bank VTB DRC 1,118 Barclays 195,82 Barratt Developments 609,40 Berkeley 4.170,0 BHP Group 2.361,00 BP 385,67 British American Tobacco 3.145,0 British Land Company 541,20 BT Group 190,35 Bunzl 2.797,0 Burberry Group 1.848,0 Carnival 1.280,0 Centrica 73,02 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.439,0 Compass 1.644,00 CRH 3.709,0 Croda Intl 7.810,0 DCC 6.230,0 Diageo 3.715,0 DS Smith 374,50 EasyJet 612,40 Experian 3.035,0 Ferguson 11.580,0 Flutter Entertainment 10.870,0 Fresnillo 618,60 GlaxoSmithKline 1.654,60 Glencore 389,50 Halma 2.445,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.326,00 Hikma Pharma 2.056,00 HSBC 526,20 IAG 155,18 Imperial Brands 1.743,50 Informa 546,80 InterContinental 4.747,0
CHANGE(P) +23,50 +1,70 -6,0 -67,5 +9,00 +72,0 -29,5 -109,0 +11,60 +0,20 +42,0 +1,30 -2,20 +0,40 +0,026 -0,50 +4,80 +65,0 -15,00 +2,30 +4,5 -5,00 -2,50 +34,0 +20,0 +21,0 +2,16 +28,0 -5,50 +54,0 +134,0 +56,0 +39,5 +2,80 -5,60 +61,0 +145,0 -20,0 -10,20 -3,20 -2,75 +37,0 +10,00 -12,00 +1,50 +1,12 -9,50 +2,20 +39,0
% CHG. +1,77% +0,70% -0,19% -2,03% +0,67% +1,37% -1,51% -1,24% +1,77% +0,03% +1,47% +0,30% -0,39% +0,07% +2,36% -0,25% +0,79% +1,58% -0,63% +0,60% +0,14% -0,92% -1,27% +1,22% +1,08% +1,65% +3,00% +1,16% -0,33% +1,47% +1,72% +0,90% +1,07% +0,75% -0,91% +2,02% +1,26% -0,18% -1,61% -0,19% -0,70% +1,52% +0,76% -0,58% +0,28% +0,73% -0,54% +0,40% +0,82%
NET VOL 100,41K 421,38K 38,37K 631,31K 102,53K 87,83K 127,44K 153,07K 168,09K 74,90K 31,38K 648,26K 263,56K 553,13K 23,26K 3,78M 345,66K 28,78K 762,63K 954,99K 265,79K 42,49K 5,11M 59,41K 72,43K 120,26K 4,84M 44,62K 346,68K 110,94K 22,32K 20,03K 278,49K 162,59K 196,07K 142,04K 39,37K 46,50K 364,31K 597,62K 3,83M 84,16K 96,50K 17,13K 4,33M 2,83M 175,03K 242,04K 115,15K
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
Intermediate Capital Intertek ITV J Sainsbury Johnson Matthey Land Securities Legal & General Lloyds Banking London Stock Exchange Meggitt Melrose Industries Mondi National Grid NatWest Group Next Norilskiy Nikel ADR Ocado Persimmon Phoenix Prudential Reckitt Benckiser Relx Rentokil Rightmove Rio Tinto PLC Rolls-Royce Holdings Rosneft DRC Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP
1.874,00 5.294,0 111,45 291,80 1.896,0 784,40 283,80 51,19 6.936,0 738,20 150,70 1.840,50 1.091,60 242,60 7.486,0 28,48 1.455,00 2.381,0 661,40 1.226,00 5.972,0 2.235,00 511,00 631,40 5.267,6 113,76 7,35 1.877,6 1.878,2 711,40 1.524,00 13,63 3.318,0 1.047,00 1.285,00 2.883,0 1.242,50 1.545,00 12.900,0 1.570,50 1.482,00 532,00 148,22 295,85 246,00 3.783,5 1.071,00 130,50 2.952,0 1.149,50
CHANGE(P) +20,50 +22,0 +0,35 -6,30 +5,0 -1,40 +2,60 +0,06 +18,0 +5,60 +1,80 +27,50 +4,00 +1,10 -74,0 +0,42 +28,50 +28,0 -0,80 +3,50 -62,0 +21,00 +2,80 +6,40 -116,0 +1,60 +0,14 0,0 0,0 +4,40 +30,50 +0,63 +31,0 +36,50 +12,50 +3,0 +10,50 +9,50 +300,0 +3,50 +20,50 +1,40 +0,45 -6,60 -4,60 +19,5 +0,87 +5,20 -19,0 +8,00
% CHG.
NET VOL
+1,10% +0,41% +0,31% -2,11% +0,26% -0,18% +0,92% +0,12% +0,26% +0,76% +1,20% +1,51% +0,37% +0,45% -0,98% +1,49% +1,98% +1,19% -0,12% +0,28% -1,03% +0,94% +0,55% +1,01% -2,15% +1,42% +1,98% 0,00% 0,00% +0,62% +2,03% +4,77% +0,94% +3,55% +0,98% +0,10% +0,85% +0,62% +2,35% +0,22% +1,39% +0,26% +0,30% -2,17% -1,83% +0,52% +0,08% +4,08% -0,64% +0,70%
44,45K 14,69K 732,66K 518,26K 28,47K 129,22K 966,44K 26,65M 78,25K 52,49K 263,22K 85,07K 342,32K 1,90M 25,98K 101,23K 164,86K 134,25K 231,66K 402,12K 103,92K 252,86K 207,77K 240,43K 37,79K 3,67M 233,18K 0 0 267,87K 1,47K 1,03M 13,43K 789,71K 141,39K 29,38K 119,61K 37,29K 7,95K 155,26K 7,39K 508,18K 314,36K 2,29M 955,77K 505,59K 12,09K 41,29M 92,78K 392,40K
1.20257
0.83115
Units per €
US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1169 Japan yen (JPY)........................................128.93 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0406 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4430 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.010
currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 31
COMPANY 3M American Express Amgen Apple Boeing Caterpillar Chevron Cisco Coca-Cola Dow Goldman Sachs Home Depot Honeywell IBM Intel J&J JPMorgan McDonald’s Merck&Co Microsoft Nike Procter&Gamble Salesforce.com The Travelers UnitedHealth Verizon Visa A Walgreens Boots Walmart Walt Disney
PRICE 160,54 169,77 222,25 162,80 183,77 196,80 128,07 53,44 58,94 59,07 333,45 352,84 196,05 131,79 46,30 169,30 142,17 247,16 79,18 294,45 140,61 157,32 210,88 163,42 455,08 51,19 216,10 49,32 133,95 133,56
CHANGE -7,06 +5,16 +5,14 +11,11 +0,82 -11,01 -4,76 +0,99 +1,19 -0,14 +5,98 +10,11 +1,34 +1,98 -0,32 +1,20 +1,30 +7,35 +0,32 +8,42 +1,27 +1,37 +9,39 +1,16 +4,46 +1,71 +21,85 +0,46 +1,68 +3,21
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) -4,15% 6,20M +3,00% 4,24M +2,29% 2,44M +6,98% 174,88M +0,43% 10,81M -5,19% 10,51M -3,52% 24,57M +1,81% 30,84M +2,00% 18,93M -0,23% 6,91M +1,75% 3,63M +2,84% 4,49M +0,67% 3,35M +1,49% 5,41M -0,67% 61,21M +0,70% 9,71M +0,89% 14,03M +2,95% 3,83M +0,40% 13,76M +2,81% 49,42M +0,88% 6,09M +0,86% 9,36M +4,41% 8,18M +0,70% 1,23M +0,97% 3,35M +3,34% 28,66M +10,60% 26,31M +0,92% 5,42M +1,24% 7,95M +2,37% 9,81M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 31
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
+175.63% +87.93% +33.33% +24.13% +23.67% +23.50% +22.35% +21.69% +21.54% +21.02% +19.79%
28.91M 105.19M 25.44M 353.40K 3.93M 4.78M 12.08M 32.19K 66.34K 1.47M 698.08K
-31.37% -22.58% -21.16% -20.45% -19.05% -15.83% -15.77% -15.50% -14.96% -14.55% -13.28%
1.90M 20.26K 1.76M 3.14M 8.09M 81.68K 384.25K 6.42K 27.20K 19.09M 82.11K
Most Advanced Knightscope Imperial Petroleum Yoshitsu ADR Mawson Infrastructure Group Dave Inc Vaccinex Provention Bio Regencell Bioscience Holdings Rallybio Applied Genetic Clearfield
Most Declined Williams Industrial ECP Environmental Growth Opportunities Volcon InVivo Therapeutics DouYu MDJM Xos Warrants Qurate Retail B Pennsylvania REIT Pref C Qurate Retail A Fusion Fuel Green
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
Currency outlook: Pound bolstered by Covid optimism, Euro undermined by ECB’s dovish bias
EUROZONE: Economic activity is likely to have weakened in the last quarter of 2021.
ASK THE EXPERT Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
Euro EUR/GBP: Down from £0.85 to £0.83 EUR/USD: Unchanged at $1.13 The euro trended broadly lower over the past four weeks, mostly as a result of the per‐ ceived policy divergence between the Euro‐ pean Central Bank (ECB) and other major cen‐ tral banks, with the ECB’s dovish bias undermining the single currency. Whilst its peers look ready to embark on a new tightening cycle, the ECB remains com‐ mitted to maintaining its ultra‐loose policy as it continues to dismiss inflationary pressures in the Eurozone as ‘transitory’. Recent Eurozone data releases have also acted as a headwind for the single currency in recent weeks as they indicate economic activi‐ ty is likely to have weakened in the last quarter of 2021. Meanwhile the euro has also been pres‐ sured by Europe’s ongoing Covid woes, with many countries within the Eurozone reporting record increases in daily cases, raising addition‐ al concerns over the bloc’s economic recovery. Looking ahead, the contrast in monetary policy between the ECB and other major cen‐ tral banks may become an increasing liability for the euro over the coming month, while the threat of a potential conflict in neighbouring Ukraine may also supress EUR sentiment. Pound GBP/EUR: Up from €1.17 to €1.19 GBP/USD: Up from $1.32 to $1.35 The pound enjoyed a strong start to 2022, with the currency carrying over the positive momentum it saw at the end of 2021 A key factor underpinning Sterling senti‐ ment over the past month was the UK gov‐ ernment’s decision not to impose stricter Covid restrictions in England and to instead ‘ride out’ Omicron. Further buoying GBP exchange rates were considerable bets the Bank of England (BoE) will hike interest rates again at its first policy
meeting of 2022. However the pound’s ascent hasn’t been completely frictionless, with the currency be‐ ing shaken by political jitters in recent weeks as Boris Johnson faces a potential leadership challenge after the Prime Minister admitted he attended a ‘bring your own booze’ party in the Downing Street garden during the first lockdown in May 2020. It seems safe to assume that the BoE’s February policy meeting will be the primary fo‐ cus for GBP investors in the coming month. With a February interest rate hike already largely priced in by markets the focus will in‐ stead be on the bank’s forward guidance. If the BoE signals plans for the current tight‐ ening cycle to accelerate then the pound is likely to maintain its positive trajectory. US Dollar USD/GBP: Down from £0.75 to £0.73 USD/EUR: Up from €0.87 to €0.88 The US dollar stumbled over the finish line in 2021, with easing fears over the Omicron Covid variant resulting in demand for the safe‐ haven currency waning. However the US dollar didn’t stay on the defensive for long, with the currency catching fresh bids in January amidst growing specula‐ tion the Federal Reserve could begin hiking in‐ terest rates earlier than previously thought. Bets the Fed could start raising rates from March ‐ once it finishes tapering its stimulus programme ‐ helped to drive US Treasury yields higher, which also helped to underpin USD exchange rates in recent weeks. Elsewhere, elevated geopolitical uncertainty also lent strength to the ‘greenback’, with ten‐ sions between the West and Russia and China spooking investors. Acting as a headwind for the US dollar how‐ ever has been the continued disappointment in US employment data, with the US economy adding fewer than half the number of jobs ex‐ pected in December. The Fed’s first policy meeting of the year could act as a key catalyst for the US dollar going forward. Analysts are currently predicting the Fed will deliver up to four rate hikes in 2022 and any signals from the bank confirming this are likely to bolster USD exchange rates.
Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com.
3 - 9 February 2022
EWN 37
38 EWN
3 - 9 February 2022
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ONE of the dilemmas in these days of our glorious woke society is how we are able to describe ourselves without actually offending someone! I can’t declare I’m a male in case it distresses the Trans‐genders. I can’t state I’m able bodied for fear of upsetting those not so fortunate. I can’t say I’m elderly, as I could be accused of insulting other elderly people! And I most certainly can’t proclaim I’m white, as I would undoubtedly be labelled a racist! ‘Neopronouns’ don’t help. The idea of referring to myself as an ‘it’ ’fayer’ ‘ey’ or ‘them’ is so ridiculous I’m convinced that colleagues would probably consider bundling me off to the nearest institution ‐ assuming they knew who I was of course! Did you ever hear such a load of old cobblers in your life? People, or probably ‘persons,’ actually sit around discussing these matters, and are no doubt being paid handsomely for it. Why can’t I find a job like that? Is anyone who reads this column employed in these areas? Probably not. Just for once, wouldn’t it be nice to
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Sweet irony witness some of these shadowy wokers publicly interrogated, even if it were merely to explain to us how they reach some of their asinine directives. Unfortunately that will never happen, purely because any open discussion of that ilk would undoubtedly lead to accusations of racism or some bigotry or another. At a recent function I sat opposite a lady from the UK who was visiting Mallorca. She reads the EWN online and told me that people in Britain have actually become afraid to openly discuss problems that are considered non‐PC. She also revealed that a number of her normally moderate friends were not at all happy with the situation. It appears the media’s almost fanatical endeavours to hoodwink and gaslight the British public is not actually working at all ‐ it is in fact having the reverse effect. By insulting the intelligence of the majority and suppressing the airing of their views and opinions under the Damocles sword of possible legal action or accusations of bigotry, they are creating a culture of
simmering frustration which is actually obstructing diversity. This extremely eloquent and well educated lady praised the efforts of the EWN in its promotion of the freedom of speech and wished they were ‘allowed to do the same’! How sad ‐ and how alarming is that? I don’t of course know at the time of writing the outcome of the Downing Street ‘party’ affair. However, I couldn’t help a chuckle on hearing that the Police Investigation the lefties were initially salivating over, could in fact actually prevent the publishing of the Sue Gray report Labour and its media cronies have been harping on about for weeks. Oh the sweet irony of it all! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@hotmail.com expatradioscotland.com Mon and Friday. 1pm till 4 To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
FEATURE
TV & Film Review by Laura Kemp
On now: The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window A BEREAVED mother watch‐ es the world go by with a glass of wine (or a few bot‐ tles) from her living room window ‐ until she witnesses a brutal murder... or did she? Do not be fooled into thinking this is your classic mystery series, this is a satiri‐ cal and dark take on mystery dramas such as The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and Hitchcock’s Rear Window ‐ I mean, just look at that huge title. Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) plays a heartbroken bereaved mother, Anna. When new neighbour and widow Neil moves in across the street with his daughter Emma, An‐ na quickly becomes ob‐ sessed and offers to make them a casserole for dinner. After finding out Neil has a girlfriend, Anna becomes ab‐ sorbed in washing down sleeping pills with red wine
while watching the seeming‐ ly happy family from her window ‐ until she witnesses the murder of Neil’s girl‐ friend, Lisa... or did she? Anna’s imagination goes into overdrive ‐ queue break‐ins, stalking, police vis‐ its and a ventriloquist dum‐ my. This short series has the typical mystery formula. There are twists and turns in every episode to keep you guessing before it all comes together at the end. The series was well done and cleverly poked fun at the genre ‐ something that isn’t done often. It is worth a binge‐watch one evening and for the dark humour amongst sometime ridicu‐ lous scenes. The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window began streaming on Netflix on Fri‐ day January 28.
THURSDAY 03/02
6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm
MONDAY 07/02
SUNDAY 06/02
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FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
“W E must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” This quote by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel plays in my head on a regular basis as I navigate the world as it stands. We cannot sit in silence as people spout racist rhetoric and harmful generalisations about minority groups as all of these words add up to something much more harmful in the long run. People tend to tap out of difficult conversations because it “isn’t them saying it” as if this is a full absolution of doing any harm. It isn’t. I f a person stands by and does nothing while someone else is causing damage, they are complicit in that action. Platforming hate runs along those same lines. While free speech should absolutely be defended as an inalienable right, that doesn’t mean you have to give room to people’s prejudice on a mass scale.
CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD Making space for unfounded and unresearched bias to be replicated and reinforced across a large area with no kind of rebuttal is endorsing those ideas, whether the people doing it think so or not. When corporations do this under the guise of balance, it legitimises and endorses dangerous ideas to their audience. It is one thing to look at issues from both sides and make sure there is a balanced view, it is quite another to let people unleash baseless and unsubstantiated bile with an aim to stir up division. There should be an onus on both sides of the fence to have to back up their words with facts. Usually, it is on the person challenging the right-wing status quo to ensure they have perfect knowledge of an issue, inside and out, with examples and
3 - 9 February 2022
Silence statistics galore. The person upholding the broken system is allowed to blunder and blether through rants with no substance, sometimes not even any truth at all, with impunity. S ocial media is a big problem when it comes to this kind of hands-off approach to hate speech. After the Christchurch shootings, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden said: “ W e cannot simply sit back and accept that these platforms just exist and that what is said on them is not the responsibility of the place where they are published. They are the publisher. Not just the postman. There cannot be a case of all profit, no responsibility.” Their silence on the issue is complicity. People’s silence down the pub when someone
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.
tells a racist joke is complicity. Silence and removing yourself from a situation in which someone is causing
harm to another is complicity. If you are not challenging it, you are ratifying it. It is time for
EWN 41
people to start standing up and being vocal, as the idea that not getting involved is the same as doing no harm is dangerous. It also allows others to silently support the overtly hateful people and keep them going under the veil of fairness when it is anything but.
Advertising Feature
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42 EWN
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3 - 9 February 2022
FEATURE
Business success and
t i r i p s y t i n u comm
FINE & COUNTRY: Sponsoring the Field of Dreams Football Club.
IF any further evidence was need‐ ed that Spain’s booming property market is back in full swing again after the pandemic, then the suc‐ cess of realtors Fine & Country, and their International Business Development Manager Nikki Wil‐ son, in Spain is just that. Opening 12 new offices in Spain alone last year, Fine & Country have also taken the time to get in‐ volved in the community, sponsor‐ ing the kit for Costa del Sol chil‐ dren’s team Field of Dreams in Calahonda. The Euro Weekly News caught up with Nikki at the football grounds where her son trains alongside tens of local children, to talk business, moving to Spain, and giving back to the community. Nikki, originally from Cuffley, Hertfordshire, but now living in Mi‐ jas, told the Euro Weekly News that Fine & Country, one of the world’s biggest real estate companies, has had one of its best years ever. She said: “Last year was the busi‐ est time for estate agents.”
Nikki Wilson of Fine & Country.
She added: “We opened 12 of‐ fices in Spain in one year, in Bena‐ havis, Estepona, Ibiza, Inland Costa del Sol, La Cala, La Manga, Malaga, Benalmadina, Costa Blanca South, Marbella, Mallorca, and So‐ togrande The company also has offices on the Costa Blanca North. Nikki added: “The brand has ex‐ perienced impressive growth across Spain and the Balearic Is‐
lands. With the inclusion of the new Ibiza office, representation of the brand can now be found in some of the most prestigious and up‐market Spanish locations.” Speaking more about what Fine & Country offer, she explained: “We’re a prestige brand, offering the best exposure, best presenta‐ tion and best service.” The company’s hard work has paid off, with Nikki explaining, “We are really growing at the moment with over 300 offices worldwide, these are exciting times for the company.” Speaking about why she had chosen to move to Mijas from the UK, Nikki told the EWN she had been coming to the Costa del Sol since a child after her parents bought a property in Marbella Old Town. She explained that being on the Costa del Sol had just felt like home for her and led her to buying her own holiday home before eventu‐ ally deciding to move here full time after finding she and her son, Tam,
nine, never wanted to leave when it was time to get back on the flight to the UK. She explained that it was this community vibe that was a large part of her love for the Costa del Sol, and made it such a perfect place to raise a child as a single par‐ ent. She explained: “It’s such a lovely place to be as a mother. It’s great for families and the schools are amazing.” She added that Field of Dreams was a community affair, with local parents and coaches coming to‐ gether to train the children’s teams each week, including head coach Matt Gore. Getting involved in that commu‐ nity vibe, Delete Fine & Country has just sponsored the team’s new kit. Alongside its local community work, Fine & Country have sup‐ ported charities in the UK and around the world, with the Fine & Country Foundation supporting homeless charities globally, raising a phenomenal £140,000.
The Foundation awarded £123,000 to charities via two grant schemes and other programmes towards the cause over the year ‐ making 2021 the second highest year on record for donations. Of this almighty figure, £92,000 came from agent contributions with Fine & Country agents gener‐ ously donating a proportion of their fee to the Foundation. In addition, £20,000 was raised through events run and organised by head office. A further £21,000 has been contributed by Fine & Country UK through a percentage from referral fees and marketing pack sales. With success both in business and in fundraising, Fine & Country have a unique understanding of the property market globally. Nikki said: “Many of the new and existing locations have seen rapid growth over the course of the last year after the effects of the pan‐ demic and Brexit caused many Brits and other European patriots to reimagine their lives overseas.”
For more information about Fine & Country, visit www.fineandcountry.com/es.
www.euroweeklynews.com • 3 - 9 February 2022
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48 EWN
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3 - 9 February 2022
FEATURE
LEGAL OR LUDICROUS? LAWS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE BREAKING the streets of London. But a pregnant woman is legally entitled to relieve herself anywhere she wants! Finally, it’s illegal not to tell the tax man anything you don’t want him to know, but it’s perfectly legal not to give him information you don’t mind him knowing (umm, yeah. I think I’ve got that). Legal or ludicrous? Makes you won‐ der why all these daft obsolete laws haven’t been repealed. But then, the UK Government’s far too busy dealing with all the endless ‘partygate’ shenanigans.
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
DID you know Prince Charles couldn’t be charged for setting off a nuclear bomb? Well, according to a recent study, he’s exempt from sanction over a range of laws ‐ and also has special rights over certain ‘crown roads’. Problem is, nobody knows where those roads are! It’s all down, apparently, to the ar‐ cane constitutional position of the Duchy of Cornwall. This 700‐year‐old landowning estate, which provides the heir to the throne with an income, can’t be made criminally liable for con‐ traventions of certain laws which in‐ clude the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Nuclear Explosions (Prohibition & Inspections) Act 1998. Well, this started me thinking about ancient UK laws that have never been repealed (even though statutes may have rendered some obsolete). Among Nora Johnson’s opinions
OBSOLETE LAWS: Why have they not been repealed?
Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Betrayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐john son.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, paper‐ back and audiobook. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
the weirdest are the ones banning you low profile MPs broke this particular from eating mince pies on Christmas law. It’s illegal too to enter the Houses Day. Guilty as charged, m’lud! But if of Parliament wearing a suit of armour you lock me up, you’d have to imprison (and if you then sit down and die, at least half the UK population too... you’ve REALLY blown it.) Did you also know it’s illegal to die Other bizarre laws still in existence To read more articles from our columnists while in the Houses of Parliament? include a ban on firing a cannon close and to have your say in the comments go Which prompts the question: ‘How to a house, the use of any slide upon to www.euroweeklynews.com would they tell?’ if certain excessively ice or snow, or driving cattle through are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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3 - 9 February 2022
EWN 49
Foods that help to reduce cholesterol ACCORDING to the NHS, more than two in five people in England suffer from high cholesterol. High cholesterol signifi‐ cantly increases the risk of developing serious health conditions, such as heart disease. Lifestyle, genetics, and diet con‐ tribute to high choles‐ terol. With some small changes to your diet, you can optimise heart health and reduce cholesterol. Experts recommend eating two to three por‐ tions of oily fish (fresh or frozen) per week. Salmon, mackerel, and tuna are great options because they are rich in omega‐3 fatty acids. Lean proteins like seafood and legumes are better than chicken. Aim for at least two servings of legumes a week, such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. According to many doc‐ tors, consume a maxi‐
mum of seven eggs per week. It’s recommended to in‐ crease fibre with fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Aim for two pieces of fruit daily and at least three portions of vegeta‐ bles. A portion is roughly half a cup of cooked veg. Insoluble fibre is particu‐ larly important. It’s found in foods such as oatmeals, sweet potatoes, and Brus‐ sels sprouts. Switching to wholegrain cereals, bread, rice, and pasta and rethinking your cooking methods is key. Instead of frying food, try baking, grilling, roasting, or steaming it instead. Dietary supplements such as fish oil, garlic, ground flaxseed, and green tea extract may help to lower cholesterol. Always speak to your doc‐ tor before taking new supplements. To lower cholesterol naturally, limit fried foods, takeaway foods,
and ready meals to once a week. The same goes for high‐sugar foods like chocolate and pastries. Cut your consumption of red meat to no more than three times per week, avoiding processed meats
such as sausages. With a few lifestyle changes and by incorpo‐ rating a few healthier foods, you can naturally lower cholesterol and get on with living life to the fullest.
Eat a healthy portion of veg.
50 EWN
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FEATURE
GO LOCAL THE EURO WEEKLY NEWS has urged its readers to support local businesses in the community by shopping locally in recent times. Now things are heading back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by supporting local high streets, markets, butchers, green‐ grocers and all of the wonderfully quirky independent businesses in your area. Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities what they are. They add unique character. They are convenient. And they offer excellent produce from known suppliers. The joy of shopping lo‐
cally means that independent businesses can support the local community. You may find something a euro or two cheaper online but have you considered where your money is actually going? By shopping locally you’re putting food on a local family’s table and there is nothing better than giving back to the communities that have given us so much. Local stores support charities and they sponsor local sports teams. In many cases, they are much more than just a business, they’re a legacy. They may have supported generations of the same family. Likewise, brand new local stores
and bars may help the generations of the future fulfil their dreams and ambitions. Remember, your local store is going up against multinationals and chains. They can’t win that battle on their own. So give them your support. Spending your money locally will make a real dif‐ ference to the local economy. Local busi‐ nesses recirculate a greater share of ev‐ ery euro they receive at local level. They create locally owned supply chains and they invest in their employees. So remember. When you go shopping ‐ go local!
SOCIAL SCENE
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Age Concern Valentine’s Celebration Dinner THE Age Concern Valentine’s Celebration Dinner will be held on Monday, February 14, where you can join the charity for their first formal dinner of the year which will be held at the newly reopened Amor Del Mar in Puerto De Mazarron Marina. Whether you are single or in a couple, you can enjoy a gorgeous three‐course Valentine’s meal, a glass of pink Cava on arrival and then watch the fabulous Michel Havana ‐ the man of 1,000 voices ‐ who will be entertaining all night. What could be more romantic than all of that topped off with the sounds of the ocean at this lovely venue.
This is a ticketed event and these can be purchased from the Social Centre in ad‐ vance. Tickets are already available to purchase for €25 per person. This is a semi‐formal event so dress to impress! Further information can be found on the Facebook page ‘Age Concern Costa Calida,’ by calling, messaging or sending a WhatsApp to +44 7869 914057. Alterna‐ tively, you can call in at their Social Centre at 2B Avenida De Los Covachos where they are open from 10am ‐ 1pm every weekday.
Randy Greer sings Nat King Cole AMERICAN singer Randy Greer will sing Nat King Cole in the Palace of Music, Torre‐ vieja, on February 18. Following a 30‐year career in singing and an extensive discography, Greer is one of the most prominent interna‐ tional vocalists in his style,
both for the exquisite selec‐ tion of his repertoire and for the perfection and mastery he has achieved in his vocal style. Gifted with an exceptional voice, Greer is considered one of the few heirs to the vocal style of the inimitable
Nat King Cole, which Greer recognises as his greatest in‐ fluence, along with Cab Cal‐ loway, Billy Eckstine and oth‐ ers. Entry is free and tickets are to be collected at CC Vir‐ gen del Carmen one week before the event.
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PETS
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Who’s going to cherish your pets while you’re away? IF you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sitters. Perhaps you are already making plans for a stayca‐ tion get away. Even if you are planning just a short trip, you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Young pets in particular may benefit from staying behind so they can follow their rou‐ tines at home. So, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐ sitters, if you have trips planned later this year.
Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our phi‐ losophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a home‐ owner on HouseSit Match.com 2. Choose a Premium account (£89 per year) to ensure you can help on‐ line when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit ad‐ vert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting
Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2022? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your advert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they re‐ spond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found
us a perfect house‐sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sitter while we were away in Canada and we were de‐ lighted with the care and attention that HouseSit Match took in helping us find the right person. Ros Morris ‐ Dog owner How do you join? Please register online via our website www.Housesitmatch.com ‐ Choose a membership plan ‐ Please note prices go up soon so sign up now on subscription to secure these prices: • Standard (DIY option) = £69 pa • Premium (with sup‐ port at each step) = £89 pa
Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either a house-sitter or homeowner with a 50 per cent discount using coupon code SUPER50 an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HouseSitMatch.com.
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My dog loses his balance and has his head tilted: Vestibular disorder in dogs SIGNS of loss of balance should not be ignored since they can indicate a serious medical emergency. The vestibular system is com‐ posed of portions of the brain and ear. It’s responsi‐ ble for maintaining our sense of balance. When Vestibular sys‐ tems go wrong, it feels like the world is spinning. Vestibular syndrome is sometimes incorrectly re‐ ferred to as a ‘stroke’. The signs you may see are loss of balance, leaning or cir‐ cling to one side, head tilt, rapid eye movements (nys‐ tagmus), reduced appetite and vomiting. Sometimes the loss of balance is so se‐ vere that the dog rolls over repeatedly. Ear infection, Idiophatic Vestibular syndrome, trau‐ ma/injury, stroke, brain tu‐
mours, brain inflammation, stroke are causes that can cause a vestibular syn‐ drome in the dog or cat. Metabolic diseases and in‐ toxications can also cause it, such as Hyperadrenocor‐ ticism, hypothyroidism, and metronidazole intoxi‐ cation. There are two types of vestibular disease: Peripheral vestibular dis‐ ease can be caused by a condition in the middle or inner ear such as ear infec‐ tion, perforated eardrum, and ear mites. Central vestibular dis‐ ease is typically due to a disturbance in the brain. Diagnosis requires a physical and neurologic ex‐ amination, blood test, x‐ rays, CT scans or MRI. MRI is essential if brain injury is suspected.
In Costa Blanca Sur: www.resonanciaveterinaria.es Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante C/Los Arcos 23 Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Tel: 609 779 109
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AIR CONDITIONING
ALARMS
APPLIANCE REPAIRS
AUCTIONS
BALUSTRADES
SERVICES
CONSTRUCTION
BOILERS
BLINDS
BUILDERS
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LOCKSMITHS
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PAINTERS/DECORATORS
SERVICES PLUMBING
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POOLS
STORAGE
HAIR AND BEAUTY
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SERVICES TV & SATELLITE
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INSURANCE
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WINDOW TINTING
CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS
BUILDING SERVICES J & J PAINTERS. Inside outside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (290728)
BUY & SELL PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
CARE HOME CARE home in Torrevieja, family run, reasonable rates. Carers available for your home. 697834934 (294568)
CARS FOR SALE
CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hotmail.com (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meetings up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glpvalencia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456) INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11:00am. All national-
CARS WANTED CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. English-speaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323)
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ities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information, including details of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005) PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Members Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk. Tel:0044 800 018 2361. (238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone
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is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branch es.britishlegion.org.uk/branch es/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.ori huelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.sec retary@rbl.community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring together not just ex Royal Marines, but ex Service personnel with an affinity to the Royal Marines. For further details Hon Sec 692 938 664. (10004)
for the immediate future due to Covid-19. To join the centre on ZOOM on a Tuesday evening at 7pm download the ZOOM App. To enter use ID Number 8451471869, then Password 3uf5TE. Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)
CLEANING SERVICES RELIABLE, experienced home and deep cleaning service including key handovers plus many other services. Call +34 634 679 668 (292081)
ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (287514)
FOR SALE/WANTED WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
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ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996. (95455) STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email strokesupportgroup@hotmail.c om, website: torreviejastroke support.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473)
INSURANCE
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461)
CHARITY
THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed
BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (289486)
INSURANCE FED UP OF NOT BEING SENT YOUR RENEWAL? CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL HAVE 100% COVER. YOU HAVE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST WITH SOS INSURANCE. WE CAN EVEN INSURE YOU FOR UPTO A €1,000 OF WATERLOSS. CALL 686 116 297 (WHATSAPP TO) OR VISIT www.sosinsurancein spain.com or email tracey @sosinsuranceinspain.com (294212) BENEFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available. Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialin suranceinspain.com or visit www.beneficialinsurancein spain.com for online quote. (294254) STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygatein sure.com
THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465)
THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458)
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TABLE TENNIS
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CARS WANTED Quality LHD & RHD Vehicles bought & sold. All paperwork undertaken quickly & professionally. Immediate payment for all purchases. Mobile / WhatsApp +34 600 726 221 Office +34 965 687 976 www.fwreurocars.com info@fwreurocars.com (294576)
FOR SALE WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
MUSIC TUITION PIANO, Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (290217)
NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE, VHF/DSC-Radio or Radar Courses held in English invividual or small groups starts soon. 626 245 098 (294950)
PET CHARITY EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorse care.net www.easyhorse care.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)
P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals. Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com (95708) SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting re-homing. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spama-safor .blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707)
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POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 w w w. p o o l t e c h s p a i n . c o m (286740)
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REMOVALS
GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, deflead. volunteers to Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709)
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MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (287514)
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Car labels change IN the coming months, im‐ portance will be attached to the anti‐pollution protocols of cities with the regulation and cars labelled B and C. B vehicles correspond to gaso‐ line registered since 2000
and diesel from 2006 and C vehicles are gasoline since 2006 and diesel from 2015. Low emission zones have been created in municipali‐ ties with more than 50,000 people, so many cities in Spain will be affected when they implement their zones. In these areas, vehicles with labels B and C have lim‐ ited circulation. The new Traffic Law will enter into force on March 21 and from that moment the fines of €200 will begin for entering these areas with B and C cars, although there are municipalities that have a lower penalty charge.
In Madrid, the Martinez‐ Almeida Town Hall has fines of €90 for those drivers who break the law. The low emis‐ sion zones that exist in the capital of Spain are in the downtown area of the city, as well as the new Plaza Elip‐ tica. In Barcelona the penalties for breaking the rule are €100, although they do not apply to vehicles with a C badge. The anti‐pollution zone covers an area of 95 kilometres, with the territo‐ ries of Barcelona, Esplugues de Llobregat, Hospitalet, Sant Adria de Besos and Cornella de Llobregat.
NEW LABELS: Vehicles will have limited circulation.
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ROAD TEST by Mark Slack IF you have a limited budget yet want an ‘interesting’ car, what do you choose? There are many excellent supermi‐ nis on the market, but ar‐ guably many are transport rather than something to raise a smile. Well, Hyundai may have the answer with the i20N. The N range is Hyundai’s sporting line up and as my previous test of the i30 N proved they are in‐ credibly quick, well handling cars, yet retain the practicali‐ ty needed for workaday us‐ age. Hyundai’s i20 prices start from €19,706/ £16,500 but the N, it’s a single model, with its 204PS, 1.6‐litre tur‐ bocharged petrol engine costs €30,120/£25,220. This pocket rocket will reach 62 mph in 6.2 seconds and is mated to a six‐speed manual gearbox. No automatic op‐ tion here. There’s real sporting pedigree to Hyundai’s N range and the i20 makes for a highly enter‐ taining drive. It’s a properly grown‐up performance
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Hyundai i20N a ‘pocket rocket’ setting the benchmark hatchback. Launch control enables you to set up for the quickest standing start possi‐ ble, it’s fun but in reality not really of practical use on the road. Enter some track days, which you could with the i20N, and it potentially be‐ comes a much more useable feature. A more on‐road per‐ formance feature is Rev Matching, which is effectively double de‐clutching, that makes smoother, more sporting gear changes. There’s a limited slip dif‐ ferential to aid quick‐ er cornering, slightly
lower ride height and an ex‐ cellent power to weight ratio. However, even in ‘econ’ drive mode the ride is pretty firm, but you know what you’re buying into with this kind of car. This is not only one of the most entertaining cars for the money, but one of the quick‐ est cross country hatches money can buy. Yet unlike many cars of this
ilk it’s perfectly comfortable on the motorway and longer journeys. It feels very grown up inside and doesn’t show any sign of budget cuts to fund its performance. There are some hard and scratchy plastics but it’s a much nicer interior than Ford’s Fiesta ST. Standard equipment on the i20N includes keyless en‐ try and go, heated front seats, high beam assist, auto
A most enjoyable and memorable car.
dipping rear view mirror, heated steering wheel, pow‐ ered and heated door mir‐
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rors, air conditioning, the list is lengthy and comprehen‐ sive. I am fortunate to drive many different cars but this little Hyundai is without doubt one of the most enjoy‐ able and memorable. In terms of equipment, perfor‐ mance and fun for your mon‐ ey it’s pretty much unbeat‐ able.
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PINOSO RECORD THEIR New F1 rules FIRST WIN AT HOME AFTER problems with play‐ ers stuck in the UK due to Covid, Pinoso did not have their troubles to seek in the Costa Blanca Walking Football League. Two de‐ feats in their opening games were followed by a three‐point deduction for failing to fulfil a fixture. This was due to player shortage. However, they bounced back on Friday, January 28, with a 3‐1 home win over Formentera. The crowd of around 30 soon forgot the cold with an entertaining game in which Formentera who started as favourites and who had held league lead‐ ers Hondon Flyers to a 2‐2 draw in their first fixture and hoped three points from last Friday’s game
PINOSO: Bounced back with their home win. would narrow the gap at the top were a goal down in two minutes from a free kick deflection. Formentera had the most possession but a breakaway move saw Pinoso go 2‐0 up. Formentera kept up the pressure and pulled one back with a penalty kick. However, their depleted squad of nine tired towards the end and another break‐
away saw Pinoso clinch the game with a goal for a 3‐1 much needed win. An entertaining match with no give or take with both teams looking for the three points with several two minute ‘sin bin’ blue cards issued by the referee. Portobello only have the three points awarded from Pinoso’s no show to date so Hondon beware as with
two games in hand and still to play each other, it’s go‐ ing to be tough at the top. The CBWFL EGM held last week approved the league’s constitution. It was also agreed to postpone the League Cup until September due to a congested fixture list. It will be a curtain raiser to the start of the new sea‐ son. For all the walking foot‐ ball news on the Costa Blanca make sure you get YOUR copy of the Euro Weekly News. The League are looking for people who would be inter‐ ested in refereeing games. For more information see Costa Blanca Walking Foot‐ ball League on Facebook, www.wfai.info or apal mar2011@hotmail.com.
AT the start of each F1 season, rules are updated. Yet, 2022 is different, as the rule book has been completely re‐ vamped. Mercedes Technical Director James Allison said that he believes some teams will have “painful seasons” as they struggle to adapt to overhauled regulations. Rules are changed each year to make the sport more competitive and exciting, but also safer. This year, there are major changes to the car’s mechanics and aerodynam‐ ics that will force some teams to completely redesign their vehicles. The scale of the changes is what Allison fears may have wrong‐stepped some teams, who may have got their preparations for the new season “badly wrong.” He said: “The rule set is not only enormous, the regula‐ tions are about twice the size of what’s preceded them, but they’re all almost entirely different from what came before them. That has meant we’ve had to redesign the car from tip to toe.” The German team added an eighth consecutive Constructors’ Championship in 2021, a period of unprecedented success since the last major changes to car design in 2014.
F1 RULES: Have been given a complete overhaul.