THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 34 - 37 Issue No. 1910 10 - 16 February 2022
Filling station ELCHE City Hall has in‐ stalled the municipality’s first filling station for vehi‐ cles that run on natural gas (CNG). This will supply the rub‐ bish‐collection lorries used by the city’s new street‐ cleaning concessionary, UTE‐Elche, a joint venture between Urbaser and the FCC multinational. The filling station will provide fuel for the munici‐ pality’s 64 new vehicles as city hall gradually phases out all of its diesel vehicles, explained Elche mayor Car‐ los Gonzalez. The new service, which has cost more than €680,000, will reduce the lorries’ environmental im‐ pact and make substantial savings on energy bills, Gonzalez said. “It will also significantly reduce both carbon diox‐ ide emissions as well as noise,” he added.
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FREEDOM CLOSER Turn to page 2 » FACE MASKS: No longer required in most outdoor spaces.
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AVE’s first anniversary MADRID AVE: Emilio Bascuña talks to the media at OrihuelaMiguel Hernandez station.
FORTY THOUSAND passen‐ gers have used Orihuela’s AVE station since the inaugu‐ ration of the high speed Ori‐ huela‐Madrid service a year ago. “That will increase if we re‐ cover Easter Week or the Moors and Christians and have a summer season with‐ out restrictions,” predicted Orihuela’s mayor Emilio Bas‐ cuña. The AVE had already boost‐ ed Orihuela’s tourist offer na‐ tionally, putting the munici‐ pality in the AVE Cities Network, he said, summing up the AVE’s first 12 months The four daily high speed trains ‐ two in each direction ‐ take passengers to Spain’s capital in just two hours, 22 minutes, although Bascuñana added that the city wants ex‐ tra trains. “We are still hoping for more in response to our re‐ quest to rail operator Renfe, especially as the trains now stop in Villena and Alicante City and slow down the ser‐ vice,” the mayor said.
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A welcome change for many BUSINESSES and residents across Spain are celebrating after masks will no longer be legally required in most outdoor spaces from today, Thursday, February 10, bringing the country one step closer to normality. Spain’s Minister of Health, Carolina Darias confirmed the move, with face coverings no longer mandatory in most spaces including school playgrounds, in a statement on Tuesday, February 8. The minister also announced that the Public Health Commission is studying shortening the quarantine period for positive cases to between three and five days. While a welcome change for many, the law still requires masks in two out‐ door situations, including at crowded events when standing, and when social distancing cannot be observed, for exam‐ ple, when sitting. Regional governments across Spain al‐ so recommend wearing masks in crowds. The measure was agreed at a govern‐ ment meeting where officials also decid‐ ed to increase capacity at sports events, including the Football League and the ACB basketball, which will go from 75 per cent to 85 per cent capacity if held in
outdoor venues and 50 per cent to 75 per cent if indoors. Spectators will also be required to re‐ spect measures including mandatory masks and social distancing. The issue of masks has been a con‐ tentious one throughout the pandemic, splitting opinion over balancing the need to protect public health, while upholding some of Spain’s most‐valued civil liber‐ ties. Advocates of face coverings argue they are a small inconvenience to wearers but a vital step in protecting others. Mean‐ while, many against mandatory masks accuse the government of interfering with civil liberties. Regardless of personal views, many businesses across Spain are rejoicing at the news, hoping that this move towards normality will signal an increase in tourist numbers this year. Michala Larsen Aguilera of restaurant group Da Bruno told the Euro Weekly News: “I’m delighted that we can finally take them off and hope this means we can enjoy a great summer without people afraid of going out. “Hopefully the tourism will pick up and we can go back to business as usual.”
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NIBS EXTRA New home PINAR DE CAMPOVERDE’S ambulance, which provides a continuous 12‐hour service for this Pilar de la Horadada district, has been relocated. The ambulance will now park in Avenida del Pino at the junction with Calle Aran‐ dano, which is more conve‐ nient for the crew and will al‐ so provide easier access.
Sunstroke THE regional government dampened town halls’ en‐ thusiasm for approving plans for large‐scale solar power plants in rural areas. Experts have warned that an exces‐ sive number of these installa‐ tions would not only ad‐ versely affect the land and harm plant and wildlife, but around three‐quarters of the projects are impracticable.
Big changes ELCHE’S city hall has ap‐ proved plans to rehabilitate the 2,500‐square metre site of the old Reebok factory, following a year of urban planning procedures. This will make way for a privately‐ financed €20 million devel‐ opment that will include four new apartment buildings, pedestrian streets, garden ar‐ eas and a supermarket.
Wide-mouthed THE Vega Renhace project to repair damage wrought by the September 2019 storms, include plans to widen the Segura river‐mouth in Guardamar. It is essential to drain the Vega Baja as swiftly as possible, declared the re‐ gional government’s Analysis and Public Policies director Ana Berenguer.
Fresh air AIR quality is improving in Al‐ icante City, Elche, Torrevieja and Elda, according to figures released by the Sustainability Observatory, an indepen‐ dent civic association. These placed the Valencian Com‐ munity ahead in the battle against urban air pollution as Covid‐19 restrictions are lift‐ ed and economy and mobili‐ ty are reactivated.
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A very important day HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II celebrated the 70th anniversary of her Accession to the Throne on February 6. The Church of England in the Torrevieja area held a special service at 11.30am in La Siesta Church which included prayers, a reflection and hymns to celebrate the special day. “It is a most important day not only for the United Kingdom, but for all who look to Queen Elizabeth as head of the Commonwealth,” Fr Richard Seabrook, the priest
Photo credit. Chaplaincy of Ss Peter and Paul, Torrevieja
CELEBRATORY LUNCH: The Chaplaincy of Ss Peter and Paul in Torrevieja commemorated the Queen’s accession to the throne.
for the English-speaking Chaplaincy of Ss Peter and Paul in Torrevieja, said. “It is right that we should give thanks to Almighty God
for this,” Father Seabrook maintained. “Not only does the Queen play an important part in the Church of England, she exem-
plifies Christian service and her faith is at the heart of her life,” he said. “We also give thanks for her steadfastness and devotion, commitment and example over 70 years. It is an historic day and it is right to proclaim, with jubilation, God save the Queen,” Fr Seabrook declared. The service concluded with the National Anthem in its three-verse version, and all those who were in the area were invited to take part in Accession Day with a lunch at a local restaurant.
Tree-felling defended A Valentine’s Day treat
AN environmentalist group defended the mass felling of diseased and dead pines in Guardamar. The Friends of the South Al‐ icante Wetlands association (AHSA) has backed the re‐ gional government’s decision to remove thousands of trees from the Guardamar and Elche coast and replace them with Mediterranean shrubs. AHSA lamented the slew of false information and ground‐ less rumours of the destruc‐ tion of the pine‐planted dune
system along this part of the coast. “Their only purpose is to create a climate of hostility to‐ wards an initiative that is in‐ dispensable for protecting this coastal ecosystem,” an AHSA communique argued. “This is an impeccable pro‐ ject that deals with the two principal problems affecting these dune systems, the dete‐ rioration of their wooded ar‐ eas and the gradual spread of invasive species,” the state‐ ment continued.
Bartola turns up in time JOSE IGNACIO MUNILLA, the Orihuela‐Alicante diocese’s new bishop, will enter the city on a white mule on Saturday February 12. Munilla’s predecessors have done this since 1605, but white mules are in shorter supply than they were four centuries ago and Orihuela City Hall and the cathedral Chapter feared that time was running out as they searched for the right ani‐ mal. With only days to spare they found Bartola, 100 kilometres away in Alcoy. A 16‐year‐old white mule who regularly ap‐ pears in the city’s Moors and
Christians celebrations, she is unfazed by crowds and noise. “Bartola is docile, beautiful and big,” enthused Jose Anto‐ nio Gea, the Chapter dean, and Mariola Rocamora, Orihuela’s Festivities councillor. The new bishop will be received on February 12 by Orihuela’s may‐ or, Emilio Bascuñana, and the city’s councillors with the excep‐ tion of those from the PSOE, Ciudadanos, and Cambiemos parties. They have declined the invi‐ tation owing to Munilla’s ‘sexist and homophobic’ declarations when he was bishop of San Se‐ bastian in the Basque region.
NANCY, the third novel by Los Alcazares author Jacqueline Carpen‐ ter, will be published on Monday February 14. It’s the swinging 60s and life in Britain is soaring ahead with fabu‐ lous fashions, sensational music, a booming economy and new‐ found freedom for all. Join Louisa, her lovable family and quirky friends for a decade in their lives as they encounter love, happiness, sorrow, deceit, strength and human kindness. Nancy is the final book in Jacqueline Carpenter’s rags‐to‐riches tril‐ ogy, following on from Louisa and Joan, already available at Amazon and Kindle (www.amazon.es/dp/B09MHXC5HY). “And soon Nancy will be too!” promised Jacqueline at her launch party in Le Petit Bistro in Los Alcazares.
It’s all about words WRITERS’ INK are a small, friendly crowd who love words and writing. “We be‐ friend, discuss and assist any‐ one interested in the art of writing, be it for personal plea‐ sure or from a desire to learn more about the craft with an aim to publishing,” Writers’ Ink chair Joy Lennick told the Euro Weekly News. Beginners or experienced writers are all welcome, Joy ex‐ plained. “If we can help you write that short story or book you have in your head, we would be delighted,” she said. “If you are already half‐way through a book but have lost direction or have only written articles or poetry, it’s all about words.” Most members have pub‐ lished one or more books, Joy said, although anyone who is a starter would be surprised how many other ‘literary virgins’ are also ner‐
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vous and apprehensive. “Being with like‐minded people is always beneficial and can give you confidence,” she added. “Why not come along and try us out? You have noth‐ ing to lose and much to gain.” Writers’ Ink, who are are on‐ line via Facebook, meet on the second Monday of the month at The Cavern Cafe, Calle Limon, Citrus Centre, Playa Fla‐ menca (Orihuela Costa). Next meeting February 14 at 10.30 for 11am until 12.30am‐ 1pm.
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Who does what TORREVIEJA Town Hall recently organ‐ ised a meeting for res‐ idents of the Rocajuna urbanisation, most of whom are British. Deputy mayor Rosario Martinez was accompanied not only by Public Safety coun‐ cillor Federico Alarcon and International Res‐ idents councillor Gitte Lund Thomsen, but al‐ so Guardia Civil and Local Police officers. Topics discussed centred on how differ‐ ent areas are covered by each force, explain‐ ing each force’s re‐ sponsibilities regard‐ ing public safety, squatters, traffic, emergency services and gender violence. The Guardia Civil officers also detailed the steps to take when making a for‐ mal complaint or de‐ nuncia via the www.guardiacivil.es website and using the ALERTCOPS app. “Torrevieja Town Hall wants these meetings to bring the security forces closer to the local popula‐ tion and supply infor‐ mation about the is‐ sues that concern them, while clarifying how to go about solv‐ ing them,” Gitte Lund Thomsen said after‐ wards.
and finally... TOWN hall ready to listen. Pilar de la Horadada Town Hall is cur‐ rently creating the municipality’s first Youth Plan. This has involved a survey with input from 250 young Pilar residents who answered questions relating to their needs, problems, concerns and interests. To complement the survey, the Youth department also or‐ ganised two forums for 28 people aged between 12 and 30, in‐ troducing small discussion groups to gauge the social reality of their most relevant needs and problems. The findings of both initiatives will now be analysed to assist Pilar de la Horadada town in programming activities, services and events, the Youth councillor explained.
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World Cancer Day ON Friday, February 4, Maria and the Pink Ladies and Panthers held an all day event at Zenia Boule‐ vard in conjunction with the Boulevard manage‐ ment to mark World Cancer Day. The event kicked off at 12.30pm with live enter‐ tainment throughout the day presented by Simon Morton of Sunshine FM and Leroy Morales. The entertainers donating their services free of charge included: The Dotty Band, Chloe Jones, Alex Tip‐ ping, Simon Jackson and Stevie Spit BEM. There was a minute’s silence at 2pm in memory of all those that lost the fight to cancer and to also support those still fighting. The Pink Ladies raised a total of €1,903.52 in‐ cluding a donation of €500 from the Zenia Boule‐ vard. Maria said she was overwhelmed by people’s generosity and that they had booked 22 appoint‐ ments on the day for cancer screening tests, that is especially pleasing as Early Detection Saves Lives.
DONATION: Of €500 received from Zenia Boulevard.
Integration, not independence ANTONIO CERDAN, president of Orihuela’s CLARO party, re‐ cently responded to an article in the provincial newspaper, Informacion. This implied that CLARO would join a new party and work towards independence for Orihuela Costa but Cerdan emphasised that CLARO has
never promoted indepen‐ dence. “In our opinion indepen‐ dence is unachievable because of insurmountable political and legal obstacles,” Cerdan said. “Orihuela City would have to vote in favour. Who can really believe that the Orihuela‐based political parties would agree to
and finally... A PASTOR in the US state of Tennessee livestreamed a bonfire in which he and his churchgoers could be seen burning books such as Harry Potter and Twilight, and saying “it’s witchcraft 100 per cent.” Global Vision Bible Church leader Greg Locke led the book‐burning bonfire in Nashville, the state capital, on the night of February 2. This incident was the latest to occur as part of the growing trend of book censorship that is rising in the country.
losing their Orihuela Costa gold mine?” CLARO maintains that inde‐ pendence is in conflict with the principle of integration, the only possible policy reflecting the re‐ ality of Orihuela Costa’s multilin‐ gual and multicultural popula‐ tion. “We all need to live in har‐ mony,” Cerdan said. CLARO’s commitment to integration is obvious, he added, as it has fought two of the four munici‐ pal elections since its creation in alliance with Orihuela‐based parties. Decentralisation requires a series of administrative and economic measures that would involve changing the status of Orihuela Costa, which is neither a district nor a consolidated ur‐ ban centre, Cerdan added. “We suffer the negative con‐ sequence of not having our own designated councillor with corresponding budget,” he said. “The coast contributes more than 40 per cent of city hall’s in‐ come, and a fair share of the municipality’s global budget would correct the glaring defi‐ ciencies in most of the services and infrastructures provided by the town council,” Cerdan de‐ clared.
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Joan’s Birthday Gift ON Tuesday February 2, Joan Mitchell the Office Manager of HELP Murcia Mar Menor held her 80th birthday lunch at the Tataki restaurant in Los Alcazares with 25 of her friends as her guests. Having decided that she did not want any pre‐ sents from her friends, Joan asked them to bring a bag of food each instead which would be donated to the poor of the area and the re‐ sponse was great. The food collected was handed over to Joanne Scott from the council in Los Alcazares who will be able to ensure that it reach‐ es the poor and needy of the area. Many of those at‐ tending the lunch were Help members and were pleased that they were able to help others in need. The local council and HELP are building up a good relationship which is hoped will be of benefit to all and help with the integration between expats and the lo‐ cal Spanish population.
80TH BIRTHDAY: Guests were asked to bring a bag of food.
New Covid drug recommended THE European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the use of Paxlovid ‐ the first oral antiviral drug available to treat Covid ‐ as soon as the first symptoms of the virus ap‐ pear. Marco Cavalieri, the EMA’s head of Strategy for Biological Health Threats and Vaccines, stated that the treatment is au‐ thorised for people who are not undergoing medical treat‐ ment, and who have an added risk with the virus, due to some conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, or lung diseases. This approval came after observing that it significantly re‐ duced hospitalisations or deaths in patients who had at least one underlying condition that put them at risk of severe Covid. “Paxlovid is more effective in the early stages of the dis‐ ease, when virus replication is more pronounced and it be‐ gins to spread to the lower respiratory tract,” explained Mr Cavalieri, adding that both this drug and ‘Veklury’ (Remde‐ sivir) can be used to treat Omicron infections.
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Minimum wage rise £109m Lottery jackpot
PROPOSED INCREASE: Is currently under discussion.
THE Spanish government has proposed raising the mini‐ mum wage to €996 a month, €31 above the current rate (€965 per month over 14 pay‐ ments). After the meeting held at the Ministry of Labour, Mari Cruz Vicente explained that
the government’s proposal is in the middle range of the recommendations made by the Committee of Experts on the SMI, which had recom‐ mended an increase of be‐ tween €24 and €40 for this year. The government’s propos‐ al is below the €1,000 the unions have demanded. In any case, Workers Commis‐ sions trade union leader Mari Cruz Vicente has warned that “whatever is agreed”, the in‐ crease will have to be applied retroactively from January 1 this year. The proposal is under dis‐ cussion, with a decision due this week.
ONE lucky Brit has claimed a staggering £109 million from Friday night’s (February 4) mega‐draw. The lucky winner had opted for numbers 3, 25, 38, 43 and 49 and the Lucky Star numbers 3 and 7. Senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery Andy Carter previously said: “What an amazing night for a single UK ticket‐ holder who has scooped tonight’s whopping £109.9 million spe‐ cial EuroMillions Super Jackpot. “Players are urged to check their tickets and give us a call if they think they are tonight’s lucky winner. “National Lottery players make a huge difference to National Lottery Good Causes across the country generating more than £30 million every week.” He went on to add: “Thanks to National Lottery players, over £1.2 billion has been distributed to date across the UK to help tackle the impact of coronavirus.”
Record petrol prices PETROL prices in Spain skyrocketed at the beginning of February, reaching a new historical high. A fifth consecutive price rise saw fuel on the forecourts rise to its most expensive level so far in 2022. According to data from the European Union Oil Bulletin, prices have gone up by another 5.6 per cent. Specifically, the average price of petrol this week stood at €1.538/litre, which represents an increase of 1.18 per cent compared to a week ago. This is a historical record, exceed‐ ing the €1.522 of September 2012. Also, the average price of a litre of diesel this week stood at €1.422, making it €1.35 per cent more expensive compared to last week. This is not a record for this fuel, although it remains close to the histori‐ cal maximum of €1.444 set in September 2012.
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RSPCA complaints THE RSPCA has been flood‐ ed with complaints after West Ham’s Kurt Zouma was filmed kicking his cat at his £2 million mansion. The footage of Zouma kick‐ ing and slapping his pet was initially released on Snapchat and hit the head‐ lines on February 7. The footballer has apologised for the incident but people are not impressed and ani‐ mal lovers and football fans alike have called on the RSPCA to take action. The RSPCA’s official Twit‐ ter account commented on the complaints received and said: “We’ve had lots of messages regarding an upsetting video of a cat and would like to reassure peo‐ ple we’re aware of it. “We will always look into any complaints made about animal welfare, but we can’t comment on indi‐ vidual matters for legal rea‐ sons. “Thank you for under‐ standing.”
PET CAT: Treated badly.
One animal lover had commented: “Kurt Zouma
must be prosecuted. “No one should be al‐ lowed to get away with such vile behaviour! An apology isn’t enough.” Another person said: “Zouma must be banned from owning animals again. This is cruelty. Pure evil. “I hope you do some‐ thing about this. “Kids look up to and idolise these players and then think this behaviour is acceptable.”
NHS backlog plan LIKE millions of non‐emergency treatments, the govern‐ ment plan for tackling the NHS England backlog has been put on hold. Instead of a roadmap and relief for the record six million people currently waiting for treatment, on Monday February 7, the government announced the launch of an online platform allowing patients to track their delayed appointments. The service, My Planned Care, is due to be launched at the end of the month. It is alleged that the decision to withhold the full NHS plan comes after an intervention by the treasury.
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Top anti-ageing doctor in Europe DR VICENTE MERA of Clinica Britannia in Calpe has won an award at the European awards in medicine 2021 in recognition of his innovative work in anti‐ageing medicine. With a devotion to cutting edge tech‐ niques and therapies, Dr Mera has been propelled to the forefront of internal and anti‐ageing medicine. He has 25 years of international experi‐ ence in multiple basic areas of ageing, in‐ cluding genomics, nutrition, gut microbio‐ ta, immunity, detoxification, physical preparation, stress management, tobacco cessation, sleep, hormone substitution and nutritional supplements. In the field of regenerative medicine and ageing, Dr Vicente Mera has also incorpo‐ rated new areas of knowledge such as bio‐ identical hormonal therapeutics, genetic and genomic counselling, the telomeric evaluation and obtaining of mesenchymal stem cells and the storage of them for fu‐ ture practical applications. Dr Mera studied in Sevilla, and then spe‐ cialised in Internal Medicine in one of the
DR MERA: In recognition of his work.
most reputable departments in Spain, the Puerta de Hierro Clinic in Madrid, where he served as chief resident for six years. He went on to work in different hospitals in Sevilla, Cordoba and Alicante, before fi‐ nally settling on the Costa Blanca, where he was hired as head of the internal medicine service of the HCB hospital and now heads up his own health centre, Clini‐ ca Britannia in Calpe.
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Mosquitoes see red WANT to avoid getting bit‐ ten this summer? Read on. New research shows that mosquitoes looking for blood head towards cer‐ tain colours including red, orange, black and cyan. They’ll ignore green, pur‐ ple, blue and white. Scientists at the Universi‐ ty of Washington have in‐ vestigated how mosquitoes decide who to bite, and published their findings in the Nature Communica‐ tions journal. The study’s lead author, Jeffrey Riffell, said: “One of the most common ques‐ tions I get asked is ‘What can I do to avoid being bit‐ ten by mosquitoes?’ “It’s often said that there are three main signals that attract mosquitoes: your breath, your sweat and your skin temperature. In this study, we found a fourth signal: the colour red, which can not only be found on your clothes, but also on everyone’s skin. “No matter your skin
tone, we all emit a strong red signature. Filtering out those attractive colours on our skin, or wearing cloth‐
ing that avoids those colours, could be another way to prevent a mosquito bite.”
Nurses demand care NURSES will take to the streets across Spain this week to protest against the ‘collapse and abandonment’ of the health system. The series of protests is planned to start today, Thursday, February 10, and continue until politicians show a “firm commitment to change,” said SATSE, the union representing nursing professionals. SATSE members want action to be taken to stop the continued deterioration of primary care, which has resulted in the serious over‐ load and saturation of health centres. Not only are patients suffering increased waiting times, worse quality attention and care, they say, but the lack of resources is taking its toll on the physical, psychological and emotional health of the nursing staff. “The objective,” said a spokesperson for SATSE, “is that the public administrations and political parties react, once and for all, and allocate the necessary resources and means to what really matters to citizens, which is their health and general well‐be‐ ing.”
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Flea market purchases A D R AW I N G originally bought for $30 in a yard sale in Massachusetts has been valued at well over $10 million. It turns out the nice sketch is a previously undiscovered drawing by the 16th century German master Albrecht Dürer. The buyer, a second‐ hand dealer, almost sold the drawing on to someone who only wanted the frame. Two years later, art collector Clifford Schorer, who was on his way to a party and needed to buy a gift, stumbled across it. He told the previous owner: “I think it’s either the biggest forgery I’ve ev‐ er seen, or it’s a master‐ piece,” and bought it for $100,000. The gamble has paid off. The artwork is now in the hands of London‐based auction house, Agnews Gallery, and “the subject of great interest.”
OLDEST PUB: Made sad announcement.
Forced to close BRITAIN’S oldest pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Herefordshire, has been forced to close ‘after 1,229 years’. The pub had survived plagues and wars, but has finally been beaten by the coronavirus pan‐ demic and gone into ad‐ ministration. Landlord Christo Tofal‐ li made the sad an‐ nouncement on Face‐ book: “Along with my team, I have tried every‐ thing to keep the pub going. However, the past two years have defeated
all of us.” Ye Olde Fight‐ ing Cocks started operat‐ ing in the year 793, al‐ though the building is only 1,000 years old. It was named as the oldest pub in Britain by Guinness World Records. The landlord has been left heartbro‐ ken by the closure. Christo said: “It goes without saying I am heartbroken: this pub has been so much more than just a business to me, and I feel honoured to have played even a small part in its history.”
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Starmer clash Lack of rain in Spain THE Metropolitan Police con‐ firmed that two arrests were made at around 5pm on Monday, February 7 after po‐ lice officers protecting Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer clashed with protestors in Westminster. A statement from the force read, “Shortly after 5.10pm on Monday, February 7, a man who had been surrounded by a group of protesters near to New Scotland Yard, was taken away from the scene by a po‐ lice car.” Adding, “A man and a wom‐ an were arrested at the scene for assault of an emergency
Insults hurled at Starmer. worker, after a traffic cone was thrown at a police officer. They have been taken into cus‐ tody.” Demonstrators had gath‐ ered, some holding placards
voicing their disdain at the Covid restrictions, and oppos‐ ing mandatory vaccinations, while hurling insults at Mr Starmer. He was hurriedly es‐ corted from the scene and driven away in a waiting patrol car, after being surrounded by the crowd of protestors. Prime Minister Boris John‐ son took to Twitter and con‐ gratulated the police for “re‐ sponding swiftly,” while condemning the “absolutely disgraceful” behaviour of the protestors. “All forms of ha‐ rassment of our elected repre‐ sentatives are completely un‐ acceptable,” he added.
R ES E R V O I R S across Spain are reported to be at around 45 per cent of their capacity due to the drought. With tempera‐ tures rising again this week and no substantial amounts of rain predict‐ ed by AEMET, the situa‐ tion is causing concern. Worst affected are reservoirs in the area of the Guadalquivir, south‐ ern Spain’s major water‐ course which runs over 650km from the moun‐ tains of Jaen to Sanlucar in Cadiz, which are less than one‐third full on average.
Reservoirs all along Andalucia’s Mediter‐ ranean basin are low. The only water re‐ serve in Spain that is above 90 per cent of its capacity is in the Basque region.
The drought will affect hotels and tourism busi‐ nesses close to reser‐ voirs, but is also expect‐ ed to have a big impact on farming, especially in the south and east of Spain.
Electricity bills slashed THE UK government will provide £179 million in funding for energy efficiency upgrades, which will allow electrici‐ ty bills to be significantly reduced in 20,000 homes while making them warmer. On February 7, the UK govern‐ ment announced that it would provide the funding for thousands of people who live in social housing. According to the official statement from the govern‐ ment website, the funding “will see 20,000 social hous‐ ing properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower receive upgrades to improve their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This includes fitting external wall and roof insulation, en‐ ergy‐efficient doors and windows, heat pumps and solar panels.” Minister for Business and Energy Lord Callanan said: “The UK has a strong track record in improving the ener‐ gy performance of its homes and this funding will con‐ tinue that as we deliver huge benefits for social housing residents ‐ ensuring they keep more of their cash.”
and finally... A GROUNDBREAKING fat‐busting drug that has helped pa‐ tients shed stones is set to be available on the NHS. To be eligi‐ ble for treatment though patients will need to be suffering from a minimum of one obesity‐related issue. During trials of the drug participants lost around two and a half stones in only 15 months. The patients were given a weekly jab of the new drug.
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Camilla for Queen HER Majesty the Queen has confirmed that when Charles becomes King, Camilla will become Queen. According to royal sources, the 95‐year‐old monarch made the deci‐ sion in honour of the happi‐ ness that Camilla has brought her son, and for her good work. Addressing the British public in a statement to mark her accession day, February 6, the Queen said, “I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me. “And when, in the full‐ ness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have giv‐ en me. And it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort, as she continues her own loyal service.” The Queen looked back to the day, 70 years ago,
that she started her reign, and to the future: “As I look ahead with a sense of hope and optimism to the year of my Platinum Jubilee, I am reminded of how much we can be thankful for.”
Will be Queen Consort.
NATIONAL POLICE officers in Sevilla have dismantled a marihuana farm hidden inside a warehouse on an industrial estate. A 42‐ year‐old man was arrested for drug trafficking and electricity fraud. Inside the warehouse on La Red Norte estate, Alcala de Guadaira, officers dis‐
BAFTA luvvies Forbidden
SCIENCE-FICTION epic ‘Dune’ dominates the nominations for this year’s BAFTA awards with 11 nods. ‘The Power of the Dog’, a dark western, is just behind with eight nomina‐ tions, while Sir Kenneth Branagh’s semi‐autobio‐ graphical black and white comedy‐drama, ‘Belfast’, rounds out the top three, with six. Among the acting talent, nominees for leading ac‐ tress include Lady Gaga for ‘House of Gucci’, the fash‐ ion drama; Emilia Jones for ‘CODA’; and Alana Haim for ‘Licorice Pizza’. Tessa Thompson is also on the list for ‘Passing’, along with
Joanna Scanlan for her role in ‘Af‐ ter Love’. Best actor nominees in‐ clude Benedict Cumber‐ batch for ‘The Power of the Dog’; Leonardo DiCaprio for ‘Don’t Look Up’; Will Smith for ‘King Richard’; Stephen Graham for ‘Boil‐ ing Point’ and Mahershala Ali for ‘Swan Song’. The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Tele‐ vision Arts) awards will be presented at a live ceremo‐ ny in London on March 13.
TWO Spanish nationals aged 39 and 67 years old have been arrested for sell‐ ing elephant legs on the in‐ ternet. If found guilty, they could face a prison sen‐ tence of between six months and two years or a hefty fine. The investigation by the Guardia Civil, under the auspices of the Ministry of Ecological Transition’s Prevention and Action Plan against the illegal sale of protected species, was be‐ gun following the discovery of the online listing in November 2021. The elephant legs had been turned into stools and were priced at €600 each.
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Gone to pot covered around 250 mari‐ huana plants more than one metre high. Marihuana was hanging from clothes lines to dry in preparation for selling. The street value was es‐
timated at €70,000. The building had been fraudulently connected to the electricity supply, pos‐ ing a serious fire risk, as well as endangering the safety of the affected area.
ELEPHANT LEGS: Were being sold as stools.
and finally... MOSCOW Zoo pandas have predicted the Winter Olympics medal table and they ought to know as they are Chinese! Pandas Ruyi and Dingding ventured out into snow at Moscow Zoo to give their predictions. Each was given access to traffic cones bearing the national flags of the favourite nations at the Beijing Winter Olympics and with no treats inside any cone, they used their knowledge to predict the winners. According to the Moscow Zoo Twitter account the leaders as decided by the pandas will be Russia, China, Germany and the USA.
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Pop breakup ONE of pop music’s most successful groups of all time, The Spice Girls, is reportedly finally over for good. There had been plans for a new movie, and a tour, but it has all been called off, and the girls have gone their own ways ‐ again. The group who coined the term ‘Girl Power’ had completed a huge 13‐date reunion, with the Spice World ‐ 2019 Tour. Four of the original members took part ‐ mi‐ nus Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) ‐ playing to 700,000 fans, with the tour culminating on June 15, 2019, with the third of three sell‐out concerts at Wembley Stadium. The tour reportedly amassed £80 million. On that final night, with the tour an unrivalled
SPICE GIRLS: All the plans have now been called off.
success, Mel B (Scary Spice) had announced on stage that the group was planning some Aus‐ tralian dates. Simon Fuller, the music mogul, was reported to be behind the project, as a follow‐up to their previous cult classic film in 1997 ‐ Spice World.
Bodyguard tries bank hold-up A FORMER bodyguard for arms dealer Adnan Khashog‐ gi tried his hand at a bank robbery in Gijon on Thursday February 3 ‐ and was promptly arrested. Julio SG entered a Caja Rural on Paseo de la Infancia shortly before 1.30pm, stood in front of one of the bank’s employees and, brandishing a small knife, told him, “Give
me the money or I’ll cut you up.” Thanks to the calm action of the bank worker, a silent alarm was activated unno‐ ticed by the man, and the National Police were on the scene in three minutes. A native of Gijon, Julio SG was recognised by the office employees. The one‐time heavy for the Marbella‐
based Saudi arms dealer had granted an interview to ‘El Comercio’ in 2017, a few days after the death of his employer of five years, in which he’d admitted he had fallen on hard times, and had no income. The Judicial Police Brigade is now investigating whether he could be involved in other robberies.
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Certificate valid till 2023 T H E European Commission has pro‐ posed extending the validity of the EU Covid Certificate until June 30, 2023 ‐ one year longer than its current expiry date. The document was intended to be a temporary tool, but the virus is still prevalent in the EU and the appearance of new variants cannot be ruled out. More than 1,200 million certificates have been issued since July 1, 2021, and it has become the standard document
for worldwide use. The extension to 2023 is intended to provide continued ease of travel within the bloc. Many countries in Europe use the cer‐ tificate to regulate access to cultural shows, hotels, restaurants, gyms and other indoor spaces. Although Brussels does not have power over how the certification is used, it does ask the European States that the national expiration date is aligned with European rules.
PM’s tribute to HM THE Queen made history on Sunday, February 6, as she celebrated 70 years on the throne. Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid tribute, say‐ ing: “Today marks a truly historic moment as Her Majesty The Queen be‐ comes the first British monarch to celebrate a Plat‐ inum Jubilee. “Throughout her seven‐ decade reign, she has shown an inspirational
sense of duty and unwaver‐ ing dedication to this nation. “I pay tribute to her many years of service and look forward to the summer when we will be able to come together as a country to celebrate her historic reign.” Earlier in the week, speak‐ ing in the Commons, John‐ son had said: “I know that the whole House will want to join me in thanking Her Majesty for her tireless ser‐
vice.” Justin Welby the Arch‐ bishop of Canterbury praised the Queen’s leader‐ ship in a BBC interview. “The clearest moment for me, the absolute summit of that,” he said, “was that at the funeral of her husband of 70‐something years, she sat alone. “That was leadership, it was doing the right thing, it was duty, it set an exam‐ ple.”
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Hotel bills for UK refugees THE UK government is spending £1.2 million a day on placing asylum seekers and refugees in hotels instead of long‐term housing. More than £438 million a year is being spent on accommodation for about 37,000 individuals who are claiming asylum or have been evacuated from Afghanistan, according to a Home Office official. Delays in the system caused by the pandemic have heavily increased the number of asylum seekers being placed into temporary locations and the government has not secured enough dis‐ persal housing across the country, adding to the issue. Maddie Harris, the director of Humans for Rights Network, told local British press: “At huge expense to the taxpayer and to the health of tens of thousands of asylum seekers, private contrac‐ tors are profiting from Home Office contracts to provide accommodation that is frequently un‐ safe.” Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said housing people in hotels was a “failed strategy,” adding: “We want to work with the government to urgently support people into suitable housing so they can start to rebuild their lives. This is about finding an effec‐ tive solution that supports people, including granting them the right to work, not about quick fixes that make their lives even worse,” he said.
Lionel not saying ‘Hello’ LEGENDARY American artist Lionel Richie has cancelled his European tour, blaming the decision on the spread of the Omicron variant. Sev‐ enty‐two‐year‐old Richie had been due to appear in Marbella on July 26, at the Starlite Festival. “As Covid and its variants continue to impact the world, I have decided to hold off on my European tour this summer. The most important thing to me is the health of my fans, band, and crew,” the singer explained on Twitter. Adding, “I hope you all un‐ derstand, and I hope to see you very soon when we can all gather safely.”
European tour now cancelled.
Sea spillage kills fish A FLOATING carpet of 100,000 dead fish covering an area of 3,000 square metres has been spotted floating off the coast of France after a spillage by the world’s second‐ biggest shipping trawler, the Dutch‐ owned FV Margiris. France’s national fishing surveil‐ lance authority has launched an in‐ vestigation. The spillage happened on Thurs‐ day, February 3 and was caused by a rupture in the trawler’s net, said the Pelagic Freezer‐Trawler Association
(PFA), the fishing industry group which represents the vessel’s owner. Marine Traffic data shows the ves‐ sel, which sails under the flag of Lithuania, continued its fishing activi‐ ties in the Atlantic off the French coast. Campaign group Sea Shepherd was first to alert authorities to the in‐ cident. Trawlers like the Margiris use drag nets more than a kilometre long and process the fish in onboard factories, a practice heavily criticised by environmentalists.
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Arrests for illegal wells THE Guardia Civil’s nature protection unit, Se‐ prona, has arrested 133 people for having illegal wells, boreholes and ponds. The unit worked with hydrographic confederations and local organisa‐ tions in a joint mission (Operation MIZU II) and carried out 1,512 inspections across the country. In addition to the illegal extraction and collec‐ tion of water, arrests were made for crimes in‐ cluding water fraud and territorial planning. With Spain facing a drought, siphoning and hoarding water was the driving factor, but the death of Rayan, the boy in the well in Morocco, is further evidence that illegal water collection often repre‐ sents a risk to life as well as the environment. In total, 74 per cent of the illegal activity related to wells and boreholes that had been drilled with‐ out surveys and authorisation. Most facilities lacked security measures, making them a danger to both people or animals, especially after use, when abandoned. The majority were detected in Spain’s most sensitive and vulnerable areas, such as the Doñana National Park and the basins of the main rivers. Those found guilty of illegal water extraction could find themselves barred from working for a period of up to two years, and facing fines and prison sentences which, in the most serious cases, could be up to five years.
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UK airport eGate chaos GOVERNMENT inspector David Neal has slammed the Home Office over chaos caused by eGates at UK airports. Issues around lack of training, constant Covid rule changes and insufficient numbers of staff have resulted in mayhem and five‐hour queues for travellers. eGates are a common sight at many UK airports. Stansted has 30 eGates, while Heathrow has 69 and Gatwick has 50.
Speaking to the British press a Home Of‐ fice source explained that eGates have re‐ ceived updates that will “improve security and efficiency.” The source went on to add: “We are com‐ mitted to making further improvements and ePassport Gate technology continues to be part of the overall strategy to make our bor‐ der as efficient, smart, and responsive as possible.”
One in 50 with long Covid OFFICIAL data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) re‐ leased at the end of January, shows a record one out of 50 Brits have been living with long Covid since the start of Jan‐ uary. Long Covid is defined by the ONS as when a person has symptoms for four or more weeks after infection, the most common of which is fatigue. The ONS estimates that 1.33 million adults were suffering from symptoms on January 2. The figures include only the ear‐ liest effects of the Omicron vari‐ ant, and it remains unknown what long Covid effects the vari‐ ant might produce.
The estimates are based on a survey carried out on 306,000 people who reported suffering from long Covid. Experts have
cast doubt over the ONS’s find‐ ings saying symptoms such as fatigue and headaches could be linked to a variety of conditions.
NEWS
Road tax rise MPs in the UK say that a new tax is required to plug the £35 billion short‐ fall in taxes from fuel and excise duty that is being created by motorists switching to electric cars. The call was made by the Transport Select Com‐ mittee who said that mo‐ torists should be taxed on mileage and that if noth‐ ing is done this year the government faces a black hole in its finances. However the Treasury
Dangerous new viral challenge A VIRAL challenge on social media is seeing young people disappearing for days. Sectors of the police have warned of the dangerousness of the challenge that involves young people leaving their homes and disappearing for 48 hours without notifying their family or friends and without leaving a trace or communicating. Young people are ‘nominated’ by social networks and if they accept the challenge they must get going. The objective is to generate as much concern and panic as possible to score points with the reactions that are provoked on social media channels and emergency services. The destructiveness of this challenge is not only the concern of families, or that it can end up in mobilising police forces that could be dealing with real cases, but also the fact that the child is putting themselves in serious danger of getting into an accident with nobody knowing their whereabouts.
FUEL DUTY: Government faces a black hole in its finances.
has said that tax revenues would keep pace with changes prompted by electric vehicle take‐up. Sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2030 prompting a rise in the sales of electric cars. Taken together, vehicle
excise duty, ‘car tax’, and fuel duty that motorists pay at the pump, raise around £35 billion a year, but neither tax is levied on pure electric vehicles. Tax that will no longer be collected from existing vehicles by 2040 accord‐ ing to the committee.
and finally... A SEYCHELLES giant tortoise living on the remote South At‐ lantic Ocean island of St Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cun‐ ha, is believed to be an incredible 190 years old. His name is Jonathan, he weighs 200kg, and experts think he could well be the oldest living land animal on the planet. There is talk that the island might even commission a commemorative stamp in his honour, or even name a national holiday after him in 2022.
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Ryanair worst, Jet2 best Robot throat surgery A C C O R D I N G to con‐ sumer watchdog Which?, Ryanair is the worst short‐haul airline for re‐ funding people unable to fly during the pandemic,
and Jet2 is the best. Ryanair performed badly in the watchdog’s short‐haul survey. While refunds due to Covid is‐ sues were available from
Endeavour confirmed AUSTRALIAN National Maritime Museum chief executive Kevin Sumption has confirmed that British explorer James Cook’s ship HMS Endeavour has finally been discovered by ar‐ chaeologists. The scientists have been combing the water in search of the wreckage for more than two decades. HMS Endeavour has been lying at the bottom of the ocean for nearly 250 years. Sumption confirmed that the discovery was made in Newport Harbour, Rhode Island. He also confirmed that the shipwreck has been identified. This has caused some controversy though as an‐ other expert believes that it is ‘premature’ to say it is the Endeav‐ our. Sumption revealed: “It’s arguably one of the most important vessels in Australia’s maritime history. “I am satisfied that this is the final resting place of one of the most important and contentious vessels in Australia’s maritime history. “Based on archival and archaeological evidence, I’m convinced it’s the Endeavour.” He went on to add: “It’s an important historical moment, as this vessel’s role in exploration, astronomy and science applies not just to Australia, but also Aotearoa New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.”
Ryanair, more than one in five people taking part said they took over a month to process. One flyer also com‐ plained about the “total lack of transparency about costs, and treating passengers like cattle to be squeezed for the last penny.” Another commented on the customer service: “Ryanair is the most awkward airline to deal with that I have ever come across. It seems to be proud of being diffi‐ cult.” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told RTE Radio 1: “everyone that has re‐ quested a refund for us has received it.” Low‐cost airline Jet2 was voted the best for refunds and also scored highly in a number of other categories, such as punctuality, cabin clean‐ liness, customer service, value for money and Covid precautions.
THROAT cancer surgery was carried out for the first time by a robot at the Queen Eliza‐ beth University Hospital in Glasgow on Monday, January 31, using the pioneering Transoral Robotic surgery (TORS) technique. Use of the robot allows the surgeon to perform highly precise surgery, enabling movements in tiny spaces and with the capa‐ bility to gain access to areas in the throat previously only possible with open proce‐ dures. Using a remote console, that doesn’t have to be in the same room or even the same hospital, the operator guides the surgical tools whilst surgeons and nurses support the operation from the patient’s bedside.
FIRST TIME: Using a remote console.
The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hopes to perform around 30 operations in the first year, with the current aim being the removal of cancerous tumours, with the pro‐ cedure likely to extend into other types of surgical procedures in time.
Galician Rambo caught A FUGITIVE dubbed the ‘Galician Rambo’ has finally been arrested in north‐west Spain. Guardia Civil officers in A Coruña arrested 63‐year‐old Alfredo Sanchez Chacon in the early hours of Thursday, February 3, thanks to the col‐ laboration of local citizens. The fugitive made the mis‐ take this time of breaking into
a woman’s house in O Cal‐ vario, in the Coruña munici‐ pality of Valdoviño. As he tried to enter through a win‐ dow, he was apprehended by her two young sons. They chased and overpow‐ ered the former legionnaire, and held him until a Guardia Civil officer arrived. The officer fired two shots in the air after which ‘Rambo’ calmed down
enough to be arrested. Police had been looking for Sanchez Chacon since March, 2021, when he absconded during a temporary leave of absence while serving a prison sentence for murder in Monterroso, Lugo. Until his failed house break‐in, he had been hiding in the mountains of the Ferrol region.
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www.euroweeklynews.com A CYBER attack on oil transport and storage com‐ panies across Europe has caused ‘some delays in exe‐ cution,’ according to re‐ ports. IT systems have been dis‐ rupted at Oiltanking in Ger‐ many, SEA‐Invest in Belgium and Evos in the Nether‐ lands. Dozens of oil termi‐ nals have been affected, with firms reporting that the attacks occurred over the weekend of January 29 and 30. But experts caution against assuming this is a coordinated attack. It’s un‐ derstood that all three com‐ panies’ IT systems went down or were severely dis‐ rupted. The company is working to get a backup IT system online but said that most liquid transportation is op‐ erational. The spokeswoman said SEA‐Invest is aware of the cyber‐attacks against other companies, but investiga‐ tions have not determined if there is a link. On January 31 Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, which stores and trans‐ ports oil, vehicle fuels and
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Oil delays other petroleum products, said it had been hacked. The company was forced
to operate at a ‘limited ca‐ pacity’ and was investigat‐ ing the incident, it said.
Canine CPR A LOS ANGELES man has been called a hero after sav‐ ing a dog’s life by performing cardiopulmonary resuscita‐ tion (CPR) when the animal passed out and stopped breathing. Jay, full name un‐ known, noticed that the dog had collapsed while out walking with his owner and that it has stopped breathing. Witnesses say he didn’t hesitate in dropping to the ground before starting to perform the life‐saving mea‐ sure. Stone, the nine‐year‐old dog had stopped breathing, with a video loaded on to Tik‐ Tok showing Jay performing
Saved the dog’s life.
CPR and saying to the dog “Come on baby, you already have it.” Jay has achieved interna‐ tional recognition with the video going viral, being seen by more than a million peo‐ ple. The many comments praise Jay saying “Who is he? He deserves recognition for being so amazing,” “You are a hero,” “Best dog, dad. I’m glad you posted this video.”
STATS
5
Iceland grows 5cm per year due to its tectonic plates.
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EU’s highest unemployment FOR the last seven consecutive months, Spain has recorded the highest level of unem‐ ployment in the EU. An unemployment level of 13 per cent was recorded in De‐ cember, a figure that is only close to Greece at 12.7 per cent, and which, moreover, is double the European average of 6.4 per cent. December was the seventh consecutive month in which Spain l e a d s w i t h t h i s s t a t i s‐ tic in Europe. Last June, the level of un‐ employment reached 15.3 per cent, a level which no other Euro‐ pean country has ex‐ ceeded. Greece ‐ the only other state to start the pandemic with un‐ employment in double figures ‐ has seen a faster recovery in un‐ employment levels.
Sixteen other mem‐ bers of the EU still register unemploy‐ ment figures higher than before the pan‐ demic started. Unemployment in Spain fell from its pre‐
pandemic level for the first time in November 2021, and in Decem‐ ber, it was eight‐10ths below the level of February 2020 ‐ the last month not affect‐ ed by Covid.
EXPAT ULTRA
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Madeleine chief suspect PHONE records have shown that the suspect in the Madeleine McCann case was no more than five min‐ utes from the apartment. A new documentary about the disappearance of three‐year‐old Madeleine McCann from an apartment on Portugal’s Algarve in 2007 makes startling new claims about the chief suspect Christian Brueckner. The British youngster went missing from the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, and despite many investigations, has not been heard of since. Bruecker, aged 44, was named by German prosecutors in June 2020 as their main, and only suspect. Convicted paedophile Brueckner has always denied being responsible, and is currently serving time in a German prison on unrelated sex and drugs charges. He has always said that the police have no concrete evi‐ dence linking him to Madeleine. He has always maintained that there are several people who can offer him an alibi, and who will testify to his whereabouts on the night of Maddie’s disap‐ pearance.
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Stamps with barcodes ROYAL MAIL has announced that postage stamps are being brought into the digital world with barcodes, transforming the 180‐ year‐old means of sending letters. The change will allow people to scan the stamps which will redirect them to videos or greetings from senders. The first of these will be a redirect to a Shaun the Sheep animation. The change does mean that all existing stamps will need to be used by January 2023 or swapped for new ones. Non‐coded stamps ‐ in‐ cluding Christmas stamps ‐ will now only be valid until January next year. However, they can be exchanged for the new ones through Royal Mail’s Swap Out scheme, which opens on March 31.
DIGITAL: Stamps will feature barcodes.
The codes will be available on so‐called ‘definitive’ stamps ‐ the everyday stamps fea‐ turing the profile of the Queen. The idea is that people will be able to choose which video the recipient sees when they get their mail.
HRT gets welcome boost ACCORDING to reports, hor‐ mone replacement therapy (HRT) could shortly be avail‐ able over the counter, depend‐ ing on the outcome of a De‐ partment of Health and Social Care consultation. HRT is used by millions of women during menopause, the drug being used to off‐ set the symptoms that for many severely impacts their
quality of life. The intention is to reclassify the medication to allow wom‐ en to obtain the tablets with‐ out a prescription from a phar‐ macy, however it is not known at this stage exactly which HRT product will be part of the pro‐ posal. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We understand that for some
women menopause symp‐ toms can have a significant im‐ pact on their quality of life, and we are committed to improv‐ ing the care and support they receive. “That’s why we’re develop‐ ing the first ever government‐ led Women’s Health Strategy, informed by women’s lived ex‐ perience. Menopause will be a priority under the Strategy.”
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FEATURE
of amazing live music
THE world‐famous venue Benidorm Palace will be hosting a spectacular weekend of enter‐ tainment this Valentine’s on Saturday February 12 and Sun‐ day February 13. Hosting both their new show Terra and the world’s best ELO tribute band, ELO Again, on the same weekend, Benidorm Palace is offering its guests a ro‐ mantic weekend of electrifying entertainment and world‐class food. Benidorm Palace burst onto the scene in 1977 and has been bringing a special blend of elec‐ trifying entertainment and world‐class cuisine ever since. From the Miss Spain Contest to the European Arts Forum, its iconic stage regularly welcomes renowned international artists like Lola Flores and Julio Iglesias. Now, offering all the glitz, glamour and entertainment Benidorm Palace is famous for, their latest show Terra, on Satur‐ day, February 12, is an amazing event for all ages. A new production uniting artists from all over the world to‐ gether on one stage, Terra pays tribute to planet Earth and Mother Nature. Choreographed by David Moore under the direction of Joanna Climent, Terra takes the spectator on a journey to some of the most emblematic places across five continents. A dinner show with live music, visual attractions, comedy, and magic, Terra is the perfect night to mark Valentine’s. Meanwhile, band ELO Again, who are performing on Sunday, February 13, will be rocking the house with classic hits from one of the world’s best‐loved bands. Back with their stunning ‘Re‐ Discovery Tour,’ ELO Again are celebrating the truly universal music of Jeff Lynne and the Elec‐
ELO AGAIN: The large band is offering a Valentine’s spectacular at Benidorm Palace.
tric Light Orchestra. Giving you a dramatic taste of what a legendary ELO concert would have been like back in their heyday, the whole experi‐ ence is professionally re‐enacted with a great sound reproduction, light show and visual effects. As the UK’s number one trib‐ ute show, ELO Again provides the spectacular live effect of ELO’s famous orchestrations, soaring strings and vocals. They certainly know how to entertain too, as the hits just keep on coming, while their version of
ALL THE HITS: They will perform classics including Mr Blue Sky.
Mr Blue Sky is stunning. A night at the Benidorm Palace not only offers the high‐ est quality performers, spectacu‐ lar costumery and great music, it also serves up beautiful food. On the menu for Terra is mari‐ nated chicken salad with bacon, crunchy croutons and Gran Palace sauce, pumpkin cream soup, Iberian pork steak with five pepper sauce, potato gratin and sautêd vegetables, as well as the Chef’s special dessert and wine. Or for Menu Gran Palace Plus ticket holders, a main course of grilled fillet steak with port sauce, potato gratin and sautêd vegetables is on the menu Meanwhile, for ELO Again a meal of chicken or fish and chips is available. The Euro Weekly News spoke to ELO Again’s lead singer Colin Smith, who performs as the leg‐ endary band’s front man Jeff Lynne. Speaking out coming to Spain, he said: “We’ve performed across Europe in Germany and Poland and I’d heard about the Benidorm Palace from other great acts who had performed there before, who said what an amazing place it is.” Colin added: “We’re really looking forward to coming out and performing to an amazing audience and a great venue and having a great night.”
ELO Again are performing on Sunday, February 13 at 8.30pm. 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, February 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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SCIENTISTS are working on technology that allows them to turbocharge im‐ mune cells in the blood. So far they have ‘cured’ two adult patients suffer‐ ing from leukaemia. The patients have received Car‐T therapy and have been in remission since 2010. During Car‐T therapy, medics take blood from a patient and then genetical‐ ly modify it. The scientists target white cells in the blood which then go on to attack cancer. The Car‐T cells are then reinjected into the patient. The tech‐ nology is a type of im‐ munotherapy. The Car‐T therapy tur‐ bocharges the body’s im‐ mune system which then attacks the tumours. The University of Penn‐ sylvania’s Dr Carl June commented on the thera‐ py and said: “Based on these results, we can con‐ clude that Car‐T cells can cure leukaemia.” The US‐based scientist went on to add: “These cells continued to demon‐ strate tumour‐killing char‐
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Cancer cure acteristics.” Car‐T therapy is avail‐ able on the NHS. The treatment is only available to some children with leukaemia. Adults suffer‐ ing from lymphoma may also receive the treatment.
Therapy attacks tumours.
Paid leave IONE BELARRA, the Minister for Social Rights and Agenda 2030, has put forward a proposal to include a minimum of seven days of paid care leave in Spain as part of the Families Act. The Minister plans that the care leave would be used for looking after children, parents and other cohabitants. The proposal was put forward on Thursday, February 3. Belarra commented on the proposal and ex‐ plained: “Covid has taught us how important it is to take care of ourselves and to have time to take care of others, and these are lessons that are here to stay. “For this reason, we think that Spain needs to be‐ gin to bring itself into line with other European Union countries and establish care leave, of at least seven days per year per person, which is 100 per cent paid.”
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EUROPEAN PRESS
EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK
ESports
Not so Green
ACCORDING to a report from the Esports index, Dane, Johan Sundstein, 28, who competes under the name ‘N0tail’ was the world’s biggest earning player, amassing $7 million (€6.21 million) in 2020 from sitting in front of a TV screen playing Dota 2.
WHEN the Danish Government unveiled its ‘Denmark Forward’ transport programme, it inferred that it was CO2 neutral, but after much digging the Ingeniøren newspaper cast doubt upon this. Now it transpires that the transport minister wrongly stated that no CO2 emission figures for the plan existed.
THE NETHERLANDS Troubled waters
Dog ends
GREEN politicians in Rotterdam say “it’s a bridge too far” after learning that the historic De Hef bridge which is considered a national monument is to be dismantled and then replaced in order to allow a new super-yacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to sail through.
DUTCH environmentalists want to see the use of micro plastic in cigarette filters be banned as they are the second most common form of litter in Holland and do not degrade, but leach plastic particularly at beaches. Politicians propose to make manufacturers pay towards cleaning up.
BELGIUM Royal visit
Macabre find
MAKING his first trip outside of Europe since the start of the pandemic, King Filip and Queen Mathilde travelled to the Middle East, first visiting Oman and then moving on to attend the Belgium Day ceremony at EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
JUST two days after it arrived from Spain, rescue dog Olympia, an Ibizan hound and greyhound cross was scared by a football and bolted from its new owner in Ghent. The following day its body was found weighed down in a water tank.
GERMANY Virtual bobsled
Rude posters
DUE to the pandemic, there has been very little chance to practise on the specially built Beijing bobsled course. The German team however, with the help of BMW have their own virtual course using an adapted sled and latest technology installed in a Munich office block.
A WHOLE new breed of advertising concepts for billboards has appeared which not only uses English for its message but often adds a swearword such as one from the German transport ministry about bicycle helmets that says “Looks like sh.t. But saves my life.”
FRANCE Day pass
Yves St Laurent
WORRIED about the environmental damage being done to the Sugiton pebble beach in the Calanques National Park close to Marseilles, the French authorities are to trial daily permits to reduce the number of visitors (which can reach 1,500 per day in the summer) allowed on the beach.
SIX museums in Paris including the Louvre and Pompidou Centre are banding together to stage a series of couture items from their collections to celebrate the work of the late fashion designer Yves St Laurent who presented his first catwalk show 60 years ago
NORWAY Diesel surge
Salmon sales
IT seems that the ever-rising cost of electricity and the wait for delivery of electric cars is affecting the Norwegian support for cleaner vehicles as a survey in Nationen found that 2.3 per cent more people than the previous year intended to purchase a diesel car.
THE relaxation of pandemic regulations in the USA and Asia has had a welcome bonus for the Norwegian Salmon industry as exports soared by 41 per cent in January 2022 and now the government is considering allowing industrial fish farming closer to the Norwegian coast.
EUROPEAN PRESS
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EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND
Russian letter
Dirty snow
ALTHOUGH Finland is not part of NATO, it has, like many other European countries, received a letter from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov concerning the situation in the Ukraine. Local political observers suggest that this is in the hope of dividing European opinion.
THE Finnish team expects to do well at the Beijing Winter Olympics, but may be facing one obstacle that it didn’t expect and that is dirty snow. A report suggests that the machine producing artificial snow also deposits dirt and sand which can slow down skiers.
IRELAND Good tip
Dog dilemma
THE Irish Government is going to make it easier for staff working in the hospitality industry to receive tips added to debit or credit cards and owners may not use such tips to get round paying minimum wage, although this does not cover service charges.
THE Dogs Trust Ireland needs foster homes as some 297 dogs have been given to the charity in the first month of the year, an increase of 73 per cent over last year when people were more likely to be staying at home.
ITALY Long penance
Joke backfired
A COURT in Rome has sentenced a former priest, said by his defence to be mentally unstable, to seven and a half years in jail for extorting money from a Bishop and impersonating someone else, but he was acquitted of a number of other alleged crimes.
WHAT started as a laugh ended in a military court as a female naval officer was accused of bringing the Italian navy into disrepute by leading cadets in a dance which was then shown on TikTok. The court in Naples found her not guilty.
PORTUGAL Lithium mining
Twitter hack
RESIDENT and environmentalists’ protests have resulted in the Portuguese government deciding to only approve open cast mining for lithium in six out of eight proposed areas. With the need for lithium in both medical and industrial industries, Portugal is one of the few European countries with deposits.
THE 80,000 followers of the Twitter account of Portugal’s national air carrier TAP were bemused by the appearance of a number of tweets on Tuesday February 1 which simply said ‘awesome’ and the airline confirmed on Facebook that it had been the victim of a cyber-attack.
RUSSIA Food for thought
Big Mac index
A RUSSIAN artist, Yevgenia Skovart, has created a portrait of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin using only food worth around €12 which is the average increase in the cost of living to highlight the increasing financial strain that inflation is adding to Russian households.
THE Big Mac Index produced by British magazine The Economist compares the price of the burger across the world to decide whether national currencies are undervalued or overvalued and latest news is the Russian rouble appears to be the most undervalued out of 55 currencies.
SWEDEN Feathered cleaners
Looted art
A NEW company Corvid Cleaning is training crows to pick up cigarette butts by giving them rewards every time they drop one into a special disposal unit. Crows are believed to be highly intelligent and if they take to the training will soon be cleaning up.
ALTHOUGH purchased innocently in auction in 1970, the Swedish National Museum has at the request of the Polish Government returned The Lamentation of Christ, a 16th century painting to Poland after being shown that it was looted during the Second World War.
10 - 16 February 2022
EWN 31
FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA More unemployed AFTER 10 months of decline in un‐ employment, the Spanish Ministry of Labour revealed that it has risen slightly in January 2022 with an ad‐ ditional 0.55 per cent (17,173 peo‐ ple) registering as unemployed, but this figure was much lower than the usual January numbers.
Significant debt NEW MILLENNIUM SPORTS, the distributor of the Kelme brand in Spain having entered into volun‐ tary bankruptcy owes a total of €7.5 million to two public bodies, the Valencian Institute of Finance, to which it owes €6.36 million, and €1.14 million to the Tax Agency, alongside other debts.
Fuel duty ALERT to the fact that as more people switch to electric vehicles, tax income from the sale of diesel and petrol will drop, the UK Com‐ mons Transport Select Committee has called on the government to look at scrapping fuel duty and charging for actual miles travelled.
Funding expansion CONFIDENT that public exhibitions and trade fairs will be back with a vengeance, Fira 2000, the compa‐ ny that owns the Gran Via fair‐ grounds outside of Barcelona has approached the European Invest‐ ment Bank (EIB) for a loan of €115 million (roughly half of the expect‐ ed cost) to expand.
Wordle game WORD game enthusiast, English born Josh Wardle who now lives in New York developed an online game which he named Wordle whilst in lockdown with his part‐ ner. It’s a bit like the old master‐ mind game or sudoku with words, where you have six moves to dis‐ cover a daily five letter word. He gave free access to those with sim‐ ilar tastes and attracted so much interest that the New York Times after writing about it, decided to purchase the rights for an undis‐ closed seven figure amount. It will remain free for the time being, but there is a possibility that it will be used to encourage online sub‐ scriptions to the paper.
34
www.euroweeklynews.com • 10 - 16 February 2021
STAT OF WEEK
€1.231
billion is the net profit made by Naturgy, Spain’s largest gas company at the close of its 2021 financial year.
Santander Bank profits jump SANTANDER Bank saw a huge rise in turnover and profits in 2021 accord‐ ing to a statement from Executive Chairman Ana Botín. “The group achieved a record profit before tax of €15.3 billion thanks to disciplined capital alloca‐ tion, prudent risk management, and further improvements in our effi‐ ciency and balance sheet strength, combined with a material increase in customer activity during the year,” she said. Profit after tax was €8.1 billion from a turnover of €46.4 billion, thanks to an increase of five million
customers worldwide and improved efficiency. Looking forward, the group ex‐ pects this trend to continue as it ex‐ pands its digital consumer banking service and focuses on investing and supporting green programmes and technology. As a truly international banking organisation, it has seen very strong performances from its American and British arms as well major growth in both Brazil and Chile. Despite the pandemic, Santander is on course to meet its medium‐ term targets which were set out in
2019 and has been able to write back €750 million which was set aside to reserves to meet potential bad debt which has not materi‐ alised. These figures compare to a de‐ clared loss of €8,771 billion in 2020, when the bank made a non‐cash ad‐ justment to the valuation of good‐ will and deferred tax assets and show an increase of 25 per cent over the 2019 reported profit. Shareholders will continue to ben‐ efit from ongoing dividends as well as a share buyback and the forecast looks very positive for the future.
The benefits of a Will their timing work? prepaid funeral plan LEGALLY SPEAKING
Can you clarify for us the ruling of 90/180 days? When we contacted the Spanish Embassy re‐ cently we were told we need to count backwards. These are the dates of our visits to Spain in 2021 and our plan for 2022. We arrived in Spain June 6, 2021, and we departed Spain for UK July 29, 2021, for a stay of 54 days. Then we returned to Spain on October 14, 2021 and departed from Spain for UK November 11, 2021, for a stay of 29 days. This gives a total of 83 days in our 180‐day period. Now we plan a new visit in 2022, arriving February 13, 2022 (can we stay for the 90 days?) and is February 13 okay to depart? S W (by email) Your plan DAVID SEARL should work. Your visits in YOU AND THE LAW 2021 are correct. IN SPAIN Now, in order start a new period of 90 days in 180 days, you need to be absent from Spain for at least 90 days. If you left Spain November 11, 2021, and you plan to return February 13, 2022, this gives you 97 days outside Spain, thus meeting the requirement. My guess is that the Spanish embassy meant that you must count backwards from February 13 to see if you have been absent 90 days. Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana and Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
NOW that Britain is beginning to emerge from the pandemic, the time has come for households and con‐ sumers to pay the bill. The energy price cap is to rise by 54 per cent meaning that the average household can expect to have to find a minimum additional £700 this year to cope with increased gas and elec‐ tric costs and this doesn’t take into account that the cap is likely to be in‐
HAVE you ever thought about the difficulties your loved ones may have after your death? Taking out a prepaid funeral Find out how we can help. plan with Golden Leaves may be the solution. Below we give you just some of the reasons you should consider taking out a prepaid funeral plan with Golden Leaves. Relieve pressure on loved ones Your grieving relatives may not know how to deal with legal matters in your foreign place of residence. A prepaid funeral plan can help them through the funeral arrange‐ ments in Spain. No concerns about the language barrier The language barrier can be an added source of stress. Pre‐planning with Golden Leaves can free your relatives of this problem. Avoid the rising prices of funerals You can plan your funeral as you wish and the costs will be taken care of today, regardless of how much prices rise in the future. Get in touch with Golden Leaves today to find out how they can help you. For more information, visit their website: www.goldenleavesinternational.com, send an email to info@goldenleavesinternational.com, or call for free on 800 098 309.
Time to pay the debt creased again in October this year. In crude terms it means that 2022 will see significant inflation increases and the Bank of England now ex‐ pects Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to drop as people have less money to spend and wage rises are unlikely to be anywhere near inflation.
Indeed, the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has re‐ cently asked workers not to demand large pay increases as that would hurt the already beleaguered econo‐ my and base interest rates have been raised for the second time in two months.
Gender equality BUSINESS women in Spain continue to come up against a glass ceiling mentality de‐ spite the efforts of the cur‐ rent government to try to im‐ prove their situation. Speaking to guests at an event hosted by PR group Hill and Knowlton in Madrid, Spain’s Minister of Finance, Nadia Calviño said that she would no longer attend events if she was the only woman present and that be‐ cause she is a minister. The Spanish Cabinet now has more women than men making up the front‐line team, but women are poorly represented in business, with some of those who do have very senior positions actually appointed in the first place as part of a family dynasty, al‐ though they have proven their undoubted worth.
Labour Reform Bill SPAIN’S Labour Reform Bill, which looks to unwind legisla‐ tion passed by the previous Partido Popular (PP) govern‐ ment and give more power to unions as well as reducing the number of temporary work contracts, scraped through parliament. Ironically, it was thanks to ei‐ ther a mistake by a PP mem‐ ber voting remotely or an error in the computer system that what should have been a no vote became a yes. As a minority, the existing coalition normally relies on one of the Catalan parties for support, but it refused and on this occasion the vote of 175 in favour and 174 against couldn’t have been closer but will be contested by the PP. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has had to step in and announce financial assis‐ tance to try to alleviate the cost of energy, but there will still be many who don’t qualify for any support. So far, since the departure of for‐ mer Governor Mark Carney, the Bank of England has regularly got its forecasts wrong and the expectation is that consumers will be worse off in real terms than they were in 2008.
36 EWN
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10 - 16 February 2022
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 7
COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.346,50 Abrdn 240,60 Admiral Group 2.980,0 Anglo American 3.361,5 Antofagasta 1.208,00 Ashtead Group 4.901,0 Associated British Foods 1.902,5 AstraZeneca 8.236,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 655,40 Avast 620,60 Aveva 2.879,0 Aviva 439,52 B&M European Value Retail 551,19 BAE Systems 571,60 Bank VTB DRC 1,072 Barclays 203,15 Barratt Developments 612,00 Berkeley 4.124,0 BHP Group 2.464,50 BP 399,29 British American Tobacco 3.201,7 British Land Company 539,20 BT Group 190,59 Bunzl 2.717,0 Burberry Group 1.884,0 Carnival 1.339,1 Centrica 76,90 Coca Cola HBC AG 2.476,0 Compass 1.720,50 CRH 3.734,0 Croda Intl 7.696,0 DCC 6.404,0 Diageo 3.772,2 DS Smith 366,15 EasyJet 625,80 Experian 3.047,7 Ferguson 11.177,6 Flutter Entertainment 10.721,1 Fresnillo 623,80 GlaxoSmithKline 1.629,80 Glencore 405,75 Halma 2.408,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.309,50 Hikma Pharma 2.000,00 HSBC 551,20 IAG 156,46 Imperial Brands 1.752,80 Informa 548,40 InterContinental 4.836,7
CHANGE(P) 1.362,00 242,10 2.988,0 3.391,5 1.240,50 5.070,0 1.917,0 8.289,0 661,80 621,40 2.918,0 440,20 559,40 574,60 1,082 204,15 619,60 4.179,0 2.477,50 406,65 3.217,5 541,40 193,05 2.740,0 1.897,5 1.368,2 78,14 2.496,0 1.748,50 3.782,3 7.806,0 6.444,0 3.782,3 372,50 640,80 3.069,0 11.355,0 10.735,0 629,60 1.646,00 407,45 2.453,0 1.312,50 2.020,00 551,20 159,54 1.755,00 561,00 4.900,0
% CHG. 1.342,50 238,70 2.946,5 3.343,0 1.207,50 4.900,0 1.887,5 8.214,0 654,80 617,40 2.869,0 436,10 550,20 570,60 1,064 200,80 601,60 4.105,0 2.452,50 398,00 3.193,0 534,20 188,50 2.711,0 1.876,0 1.332,6 76,70 2.466,0 1.715,50 3.729,2 7.686,0 6.366,0 3.727,2 366,10 624,00 3.039,0 11.160,0 10.530,0 612,60 1.627,60 402,15 2.406,0 1.300,00 1.991,00 545,20 155,68 1.741,00 547,80 4.819,0
NET VOL 123,60K 942,69K 11,24K 502,56K 189,39K 171,29K 186,30K 371,58K 180,79K 656,63K 76,89K 1,89M 357,51K 524,50K 102,36K 6,13M 656,53K 35,18K 1,33M 11,57M 577,73K 697,62K 15,13M 55,67K 104,65K 28,45K 2,01M 33,24K 399,37K 13,64K 30,81K 59,39K 47,20K 453,98K 955,78K 109,84K 80,60K 18,01K 396,66K 3,21M 5,51M 70,21K 131,65K 35,50K 4,48M 5,19M 254,30K 214,55K 93,68K
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 Sage Samsung Electronics DRC Sberbank Schroders Scottish Mortgage Segro Severn Trent Shell Smith & Nephew Smiths Group Spirax-Sarco Engineering SSE St. James’s Place Standard Chartered Taylor Wimpey Tesco Tui Unilever United Utilities Vodafone Group PLC Whitbread WPP
1.852,50 5.242,0 115,20 284,55 1.780,5 787,00 287,00 52,17 7.212,0 747,80 150,30 1.851,00 1.071,43 246,70 7.250,0 28,37 1.406,00 2.374,9 664,00 1.240,00 5.813,0 2.288,00 514,00 649,41 5.429,0 114,16 7,57 708,60 1.517,50 13,65 3.332,0 1.074,00 1.279,00 2.817,0 2.047,0 1.251,84 1.547,00 12.910,0 1.553,50 1.525,50 560,20 150,04 292,00 252,78 3.850,0 1.028,75 135,26 2.979,0 1.164,00
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
1.860,50 5.308,0 115,70 290,10 1.820,0 798,00 291,30 52,31 7.264,0 749,00 151,25 1.872,00 1.081,60 249,00 7.336,0 28,37 1.425,00 2.379,0 664,96 1.242,50 5.950,0 2.292,00 515,60 650,20 5.455,0 115,42 7,63 716,40 1.523,00 13,80 3.363,0 1.089,00 1.283,00 2.847,0 2.050,5 1.258,84 1.563,50 13.194,2 1.571,00 1.535,00 561,80 150,35 297,32 256,30 3.852,5 1.042,00 135,85 3.003,0 1.188,50
1.836,50 5.238,0 114,10 283,60 1.777,5 785,60 285,60 51,60 7.154,0 747,20 149,45 1.850,00 1.070,60 244,80 7.170,0 28,15 1.398,00 2.346,0 657,00 1.222,00 5.808,0 2.263,00 511,40 640,60 5.379,0 113,24 7,45 705,80 1.514,50 13,37 3.317,0 1.068,82 1.271,50 2.814,0 2.024,0 1.246,75 1.540,50 12.910,0 1.550,00 1.518,50 553,60 147,40 291,25 250,30 3.797,0 1.028,50 134,30 2.968,0 1.161,00
100,36K 27,16K 2,25M 476,47K 102,32K 226,77K 638,88K 37,32M 85,68K 80,74K 975,79K 84,38K 791,16K 3,19M 118,82K 0,65K 144,09K 206,27K 80,57K 931,51K 250,72K 686,33K 410,22K 371,09K 1,73M 3,55M 195,46K 197,79K 2,99K 1,18M 23,74K 565,54K 445,43K 34,07K 5,10M 51,23K 190,96K 21,77K 272,56K 80,67K 1,22M 2,21M 377,25K 215,15K 2,86M 166,35K 103,34M 56,80K 444,54K
1.18419
0.84614
Units per €
US dollar (USD) ........................................1.1423 Japan yen (JPY)........................................131.36 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0558 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4442 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................10.098
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 F EBRUARY 7
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 160,73 185,85 222,11 172,39 206,45 198,41 135,88 55,15 60,96 60,60 367,60 359,67 191,50 137,15 48,01 171,63 152,56 260,06 78,56 305,94 145,39 161,53 219,23 171,90 483,17 53,31 228,39 48,60 139,33 142,02
CHANGE 164,74 188,68 224,76 174,10 208,25 201,01 137,00 55,62 61,68 61,72 370,95 364,67 192,79 138,82 48,24 172,98 153,50 261,73 79,55 308,80 146,48 164,49 221,67 173,47 489,63 53,83 230,22 49,40 141,00 143,19
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 160,10 4,03M 184,18 4,05M 220,97 3,08M 170,68 76,97M 203,10 5,71M 196,49 3,52M 135,01 12,71M 54,39 19,47M 60,57 17,28M 60,54 4,74M 361,02 3,69M 354,25 3,39M 188,03 5,45M 136,21 4,12M 47,13 31,91M 170,12 6,22M 148,77 16,47M 257,79 1,98M 78,20 9,72M 299,97 33,09M 143,64 4,28M 161,41 7,50M 213,19 5,84M 171,18 1,62M 480,19 2,97M 53,22 14,76M 224,95 10,51M 48,17 6,40M 138,35 6,75M 139,53 7,65M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 7
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
+102.84% +58.82% +36.05% +31.17% +30.23% +26.82% +23.66% +22.78% +22.48% +22.15% +22.11%
0.01K 308.60M 9.63M 86.07M 23.97M 1.70M 201.72K 394.58K 3.37M 5.45M 53.31K
-48.84% -35.00% -31.68% -23.24% -22.37% -21.80% -18.61% -17.90% -17.88% -17.79% -15.18%
32.07M 1.48M 3.18M 81.96K 2.53M 1.39M 213.00K 248.73K 4.28M 63.39K 449.05K
Most Advanced Forbion European Acquisition Snap Bill Com Sphere 3D Indonesia Energy eGain Iradimed Co Anghami De Brickell Biotech Aurora Innovation Nuverra Environmental
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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Pret price rise
Credit: Pret Twitter
COFFEE CHAIN: Check in with your favourite Pret barista.
ANXIOUS to win back cus‐ tomers, coffee and quick snack chain Pret a Manger UK introduced a monthly coffee subscription service in 2020, which for £20 a month al‐ lowed members to have up to five barista drinks a day without extra cost. Now, having found that the service has become the suc‐ cess it hoped for, it has in‐ creased the cost to new members by 20 per cent to £25 per month and will be up‐ ping the price to existing users in March. Considering that a drink can cost between £2.30 and £3.25 and you can have five a day (provided you leave 30 min‐ utes between ordering) this still seems like good value, but many subscribers are com‐ plaining about such a huge percentage rise. According to the company however, it is simply adjusting the price to cope with a num‐ ber of prices rising, many of
which are beyond its control. Somewhat disingenuously it has explained that from March 31, UK VAT on its prod‐ uct will be 20 per cent and therefore £2 out of the £5 in‐ crease will be surrendered as VAT. What it doesn’t mention is that it was already paying 5 per cent when it introduced the subscription service and from October 1, 2021 the VAT rate had been increased to 12.5 per cent. Of the balance of £3, it needs to offset significant pay rises to staff announced in January of this year, which will account for £1.50 and the balance will offset the rising costs of Arabica beans and milk. One subscriber tweeted that if they took five drinks a day and paid normal prices, overall costs would be some £150 a month, so the sub‐ scription still remains a bar‐ gain.
Inflation slows INFLATION is something of a double‐edged sword as too high too quickly causes financial difficulties for consumers and manufacturers but too little can suggest economic stagnation. Spain has been struggling with continued increas‐ es for most of 2021, although the January 2022 fig‐ ure of 6 per cent showed a 0.7 per cent drop on the December figure which was the highest for some 30 years. Inflation is judged by the rise (or reduction) in cost of a number of items and for the first time, Spain has included the cost of face masks in its bas‐ ket of consumer items.
BUSINESS EXTRA UAE visit SPAIN and the United Arab Emirates agreed to establish a strategic part‐ nership in various fields, ranging from upgraded political consultations to an enhanced framework for investment and eco‐ nomic cooperation fol‐ lowing a visit to the UAE by Spanish President Pe‐ dro Sánchez on February 2.
BT Sports ORIGINALLY expected to be put up for sale, the owners of the BT Sports channel have had a slight change of heart and are now to form an alliance with the Discov‐ ery channel which could soon make the new business a very serious competitor to Sky Sports in Europe.
ECB policy SPEAKING to Onda Radio, Spain’s Economy Minister Nadia Calviño said she saw no reason for the Eu‐ ropean Central Bank (ECB) to change its mone‐ tary policy with inflation expectations staying be‐ low its mid‐term target even though Spanish in‐ flation is well above the target.
10 - 16 February 2022
EWN 37
38 EWN
10 - 16 February 2022
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT THE problem with most of the woke brigade is that they are generally so far up their self‐righteous soap boxes they categorically refuse to entertain the opinions of others. When arguments or discussions tend to veer away from their points of view, they are always the first to accuse their dissenters of right wing ideals or racism. They then sit smugly back; fully aware that the discussion is now over and the onus is now on those that disagreed with their rhetoric to explain why they themselves are not racially motivated! It’s a clever ploy, designed to crush the freedom of speech and encouraged by many a political despot over the course of history. Well I don’t buy it and categorically refuse to yet again waste this short narrative explaining my very strong views on the subject. I believe in live and let live. As long as it causes no harm to others and doesn’t weaponise my points of view, frankly I really couldn’t care less how anyone handles their current manifestation. I also have no problem with how people wish to be addressed. Tom, Dick Harry,
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A clever ploy Fem, Those, Them or Wottsit. It truly is all the same to me. What I do care about however is reserving the right to also refer to myself as I choose. Being pressured to adapt to another individual’s views and opinions is what sticks in my craw. Unfortunately this is often the problem with disgruntled minorities. Many of them suffer from insecurity or inferiority complexes. Consequently the more of us they can inveigle into embracing their philosophies, the more secure they feel (The mentality of cult!) To achieve this they need to convince others to either join them or amend their own beliefs. Sooner or later however the majority begin to resent their often lame‐ brained intrusions and demos and their actions begin to achieve the reverse effect (The public taking the law into their own hands when ‘insulate Britain’ demonstrators decided to block the motorways was a case in point!) One of the real casualties in this whole diatribe of politically correct ‘uman rights is common sense. Just recently another couple of ‘woke goodies’ came to light. The University of Salford has recently issued a
subject matter warning for Dickens’ Oliver Twist, in case it causes ‘distress or anxiety’ among literature students. Recently the University of Northampton also issued ‘alert warnings’ to their students about Orwell’s 1984, Dickens’ Great Expectations and, of all things ‐ Bronte’s Jane Eyre! The University stated that it has the responsibility to ‘prepare students for potentially sensitive topics of child abuse domestic violence or racial prejudice’. They probably don’t allow winners or losers either! This is of course not all quite as ridiculous as it sounds. The more they relieve the young of responsibility, the easier they are to manipulate toward their nanny state ideals. Left wing political control is always hovering behind all this undemocratic PC rhetoric. And incidentally, shoving floral bouquets down the barrels of Chinese and Russia’s silos won’t work either! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com. To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com
Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
FEATURE
TV & Film Review by Laura Kemp
Separated by Nazis in My Best Friend Anne Frank MY BEST FRIEND ANNE FRANK tells the story of the real‐life friendship between Anne Frank and Hannah Goslar, from Nazi‐occupied Amsterdam to their harrow‐ ing reunion in a concentra‐ tion camp. This Dutch movie has a 67 per cent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but is cer‐ tainly worth a watch. This is the story of the girls’ friendship before Anne and her family famously went in‐ to hiding and before Hannah, her father and younger sister were taken to Bergen‐Belsen concentration camp. The relationship between the girls is cheerful and they keep each other going, de‐ spite threats around every corner and the fact that the Nazis were rapidly overtak‐ ing Amsterdam. All around them, Jews are being beaten in the street, shops are being destroyed, families are being pulled from their homes and carted
away like cattle, Jews are banned from establishments like theatres and teachers are beginning to disappear. The story flits back and forth from before their cap‐ ture to the concentration camps. Shots of the girls in Amsterdam are warm, colourful and humorous, while the shots of Bergen‐ Belsen are grey, dark and dirty ‐ contrasting the two periods in time perfectly. The whole film builds up to impending doom, with Han‐ nah trying to save Anne when she finds out that the Frank family didn’t escape but were captured and taken to the camp over the fence. Hannah hears a familiar whistle and discovers that Anne and her sister, Margot, are slowly being starved to death and risks her life in an attempt to save her best friend. My Best Friend Anne Frank became available to stream on Netflix on February 1.
THURSDAY 10/02
6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm
MONDAY 14/02
SUNDAY 13/02
SATURDAY 12/02
FRIDAY 11/02
7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 7:20pm 7:25pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:45pm 9:30pm 10:30pm 11:10pm 11:25pm 11:30pm 5:35pm 6:35pm 6:50pm 6:55pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:25pm
WEDNESDAY 16/02
TUESDAY 15/02
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FEATURE
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I H AV E seen many in‐ stances this week of self‐victimisation com‐ ing from people with a level of privilege so high that I doubt they really even know what it is like to be an actual victim. A great example is Jimmy Carr, an un‐ funny man who has somehow made his way to the top of the pre‐ senting tree through a mix of misogyny, racism and ‘purposeful‐ ly’ wooden delivery. Punching down is his comedy’s lifeblood. A joke told in a Net‐ flix special has been brought to the head‐ lines for its racism and complete lack of empa‐ thy or tact. Speaking about the Romani and Traveller populations that suffered numerous horrific murders during the Holocaust doesn’t sound like a jokey sub‐ ject to most minds. However, Carr took it upon himself to create what he thought was a comedic skit from a very sensitive topic with little regard for anyone but himself. Saying that people don’t talk about the
CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD hundreds of thousands of Romani lives lost be‐ cause no one ever wants to point out the ‘positives’ of the Holo‐ caust really is scraping the barrel for a cheap laugh. It isn’t funny, it is a shock tactic to get a hit of dopamine for a small man’s ego. And yet, when called out on this obvious truth, the now ubiqui‐ tous response of the delicate privileged per‐ son is brought out, so they don’t have to think for one second the trouble they are in is of their own making. Cancel culture is out to get him! Comedy is dy‐ ing! (That is an actual quote, laughable, hon‐ estly). You can’t say anything anymore! These woke snowflakes just don’t get my edgy ways! Everyone is just too sensitive! It is getting very bor‐ ing to hear the people who are standing up for themselves and others
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Manipulation are the fragile ones in this situation. It is even more tedious to hear that we are the ones apparently closing down discussions around difficult sub‐ jects because racists, homophobes and misogynists are ‘afraid’ to speak their minds in case they are ‘bullied’ for their views. These people say what they want, when they want if they think they won’t be held to account over it. But believe me, it is‐ n’t because of cancel culture that views like this are held back in polite conversation. If you have an opin‐ ion, air it. Be open to discussion. Be confi‐ dent enough in your opinion to stand by it and speak your mind about it. If someone wants to talk to you about your reasonings for holding that opin‐ ion, why be afraid of that conversation un‐ less you know your rea‐
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.
sons are rooted in prej‐ udice? Shouting down others who want to en‐ gage in these debates and then crying victim is the work of a manip‐
ulator. Adam Grant, a renowned psychologist, said: “Constantly claim‐ ing to be a victim is not a sign of virtue. It is a strategy for narcissists
and psychopaths to get ahead.” I n t h e s e c a s e s o f a c‐ countability, I can’t say I disagree with that at all.
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EW YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.
NEW TIMES DEAR Euro Weekly, Late last year I visited the UK. I was carrying a small suitcase up the Metro steps, when a young Indian gentleman took my case up to the top, and waited for me to get there. Leapy and his woman in Mallorca would have wet their pants. At the top, I thanked him and told him, that his parents would be proud of his action today, and that I was an OLD lady and unable to climb stairs quickly. He thanked me and left. At the top there were two senior ladies, they asked me “What do you have that we do not have, the help of a handsome young man.” We laughed and I explained that it was my blue coat and beret. HAAAA we will buy a blue coat and beret,and we will have young men helping us. PS. It was refreshing to read Clare Gordon’s article ‘SILENCE’ and ‘Pause for thought’ by Tony Noble.
Loved Grumpy Old Man After reading the usual moan and groan Sweet Irony, and the woman visiting Mallorca, this is old news. People are not worried about it. Now what they are worried about is the cost of electricity and gas. Eat or heat. How sad to hear a gentleman say that he has to take cold showers. My heart went out to him. People who have never used the food bank are forced to ask them for help - they feel ashamed.
From our Facebook
ELDERLY HELP: Parents would be proud of the youth of today.
So Leapy get real and move with the times. Regards SA
Pedestrian Spain? Dear Editor, I lived in or near Torre del Mar for several years and found no trouble parking if I was willing to walk a little way (Letters). Last July I moved to Benidorm and parking here is a nightmare. If you are not paying to park, you are probably illegally parked and the traffic
wardens here are very zealous and you get to wait an hour to pay a €40 parking ticket in a bank, or a taxi ride to the back of town to pay a €60 towing fee to collect your car. Traffic lights everywhere and they are red most of the time. Unnecessary speed bumps are everywhere too. Speed limits of 30 kph, even 20 kph on good roads, so bicycles overtake us. Benidorm hates cars, and come July-August, the town parking garages and spaces fill up with cars, and not forgetting the dangerous pedestrians who wander about in hordes. Michael
FACE MASKS: Have people generally had enough?
Robert Seuss Nope. Will continue to wear and avoid any crowded places.
Tony Welsh I won’t be wearing one outdoors and will be first to take off once they do, indoors sooner they stop the measures all the better.
David Wardell I think it’s too soon, I shall still be wearing mine best to be safe than sorry
Janice Lewis
GET ON WITH LIFE SOME of the most recent pronouncements concerning coping with the pandemic give the impression that the authorities have been using Paul the Octopus to choose a card showing their next step. Masks on outside and then off just over a week later, but the leader of the Junta de Andalucia Juanma Moreno says he doesn’t really agree with the decision although the Autonomous Community will have to abide by it. He still wants those attending events with large crowds to wear masks, but at this stage that won’t be enforced, so it is down to the individual to make their own choice. You have to feel sympathy for those in the hospitality industry, shops and other service industries who have to wear masks for long periods of time and apart from some finding breathing difficult, others complain of chafing and sores.
CORRECTIONS
OUR VIEW
The EU Covid passport was going to expire and now it seems likely to be extended for another year although individual countries (as is the case with Spain) may decide to require that a booster shot has to have been administered if the second vaccination was more than 270 days earlier. As far as use of the passport to enter bars and restaurants, the reality is that the majority of privately owned hospitality outlets don’t even bother to ask whether customers have been vaccinated let alone demand sight of the passport even though they risk significant fines for not doing so. There is nevertheless a great deal of infection still about, but if 80 per cent of the population of Spain is inoculated and the majority of those who catch coronavirus now have relatively mild symptoms, surely the time has come to follow the UK lead and get on with life.
I shall continue to wear a mask in crowded places and inside shops etc. I don’t really care what other people think it just gives me a feeling of security.
Theresa Attwood We’ve never had them outdoors in the UK, don’t understand why in the fresh air you’d need it
Paul Kelly Never bothered me to fit one in crowded places. Did not believe the anti hype regarding masks, nor the issue of keeping my masks clean or replace when dirty.
Glynis Jones It has to happen at some point but it’s a personal choice - if I feel the need I will continue to wear one.
At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Best time for bed WE all know the wonders of a good night’s sleep, but did you know that the time you go to bed actually influences your risk of suffering heart problems? Read on to find out the best time to hit the sack. It is a well‐known fact that the quality and quantity of our sleep have a direct impact on our overall health. A lack of sleep has been associated with immunological, psychological and cognitive problems. We are tired and irritable the day after a bad night’s sleep, and studies have shown that we are more likely to take risks and make mistakes. We have also always known that there was a relationship between heart disease and sleep, but only recently did a study, carried out by the Euro‐ pean Cardiology Society on 80,000 people, discover that going to bed between 10.00pm and 11.00pm is asso‐ ciated with lower risks of heart problems.
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10 - 16 February 2022
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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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Torrevieja Carnival 2022 THE return of the Torrevieja Carnival kicked off on Friday, February 4, and will run until March 6, for almost a month of theatre, dance and magic. The festivities will include an adorable Animal Carnival and fancy dress competition on February 11, located on the Paseo de Vista Alegre. On Saturday, February 12, the National Drag Queen Contest will take place at the Munici‐ pal Theatre at 9pm. This year, the Matero Carni‐ val will be held for the first
time on February 13 in the Plaza de Encarnacion Puchol de La Mata. On February 19, from 10.30pm, the third edi‐ tion of the ‘Meeting Carnival’ will take place from the Plaza de la Constitucion to the Plaza de Oriente. The exciting and colourful Grande Parade will be on Sunday, February 20, from 4pm, with an exhibition area in the vicinity of the Plaza de la Constitucion. The Carni‐ val Dance for the Elderly will be on Thursday, February 24, at the Municipal Leisure Cen‐
Dance classes
STRICTLY DANCE: Pre booking is essential.
tre (CMO) from 6pm. The exciting Children’s Pa‐ rade will be held on February 25. The dazzling night parade will be held from 6pm on Sat‐ urday, February 26. The Los Carnabares, a mouth‐water‐ ing tour of participating cater‐ ing establishments with music and costumes, will be held on March 3, 4 and 5. Last but not least, the Municipal Theatre will host the semi‐final and fi‐ nal of the National Comparsas and Chirigotas Contest on March 5 and 6 at 9pm.
STRICTLY Dance Spain presents ‘Dance Class’ every Thursday evening from 8pm until 9pm at Casa Con‐ tenta, Avda Justo Quesada 21, Ro‐ jales. These one hour classes will be led by masters of Argentina Tango and Salsa, Latin and Ballroom, profes‐ sional dancers Vincent Simone and Katie Street. Classes cost €10 per person and pre booking is essential. Book your places by calling 652 777 000 or visit www.strictlydance.es.
10 - 16 February 2022 THE Torrevieja U3A Walking/Hiking group were back on the road on Saturday, January 29, when they took to the hills for a walk through the salt‐ water dry river bed around San Isidro. Twenty‐six members took part in the six‐mile walk, which was quite a challenging task, and took about four hours to complete the route. This was the first walk of the year and it is hoped that a similar number of walkers will at‐ tend the February hike which will be to the Mu‐ rals in Crevillente. Monday February 1 saw the first meeting of 2022 of the Torrevieja U3A Mili‐ tary History Group at Punta Marina. Twenty‐five members attended and were treated to an infor‐ mative and entertaining presentation which was provided by Shenagh, who is one of the associa‐ tion’s members. The talk was on the subject of the Roman era in the UK and detailed how their frontiers were established and why. After the talk, the majority stayed on for a light lunch in The Captain’s Table. For more information about this event, check out the Torrevieja U3A Facebook page: Torrevie jau3amilitaryhistory.
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Back in the hills The Torrevieja U3A is a learning co‐operative which draws upon the knowledge and skills of its members to organise and provide interest groups and events. The association encourages and enables mem‐ bers to help each other share their knowledge, skills and experience to celebrate the capabilities and potential of its members and their value to society. Between them, the group activities offer the chance to enjoy life, meet new friends and study many different subjects in varied fields, with the approach of ‘learning for pleasure.’ U3A’s current activities include military history, art appreciation, Morris dancing, Mahjong, bridge, various book readings, Spanish language, cycling, various walking groups, bowls and much more. More information on both of these groups, and also all the other groups in the Association, can be found online at www.torreviejau3a.org.
PETS
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the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535; Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323) CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campello@hot mail.com (95475)
J & J PAINTERS. Inside outside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (290728)
CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462)
BUILDER, ARQUITECT, NEW HOUSES, EXTENSIONS,PLANNING PERMISSIONS, 697 834 934 (295169)
CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006)
BUY & SELL PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
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FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meetings up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glpvalencia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without 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.helpvega baja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456)
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY, TORREVIEJA Calle Urbano Arregui, 23, Torrevieja 03185, Alicante Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday morning Services at 11:00am. All nationalities welcome - Contact 966 752 543 / 966 799 273. For other church matters phone: 966 799 273 / /617 215 463 www.icatorrevieja.org (95476) LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking church. For more information, including details of our services, see our website www.lasiestaevangeli calchurch.org (10005) PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, www.pilarchurch.org Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) ROYAL Air Force Association Costa Blanca Registered Members Group: The RAFA Costa Blanca RMG replaces the RAFA Costa Blanca Branch 1359 which is now closed. The RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the Royal Air Force Association and the RMG can be made via the RAFA website rafa.org.uk. Tel: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
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you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/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) 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)
CHARITY
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2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate 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)
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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 .com, website: torreviejas trokesupport.org. We are always looking for volunteers who have the skills and knowledge to support. (95473) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablanca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465)
CARE home in Torrevieja, family run, reasonable rates. Carers available for your home. 697834934 (294568)
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
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THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188. (95461) THE BAKER Foundation Spiritual Centre Playa Flamenca. Calle Luis Gordillo, 1 Playa Flamenca Alicante 03189. You can join us on Facebook, The Baker Foundation spiritual centre. Or contact Linda Schug Tel. 606 990 665 for more details (95458) THE PATIENCE LODGE No
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CLASSIFIEDS 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.beneficialinsuranceinspain.com for online quote. (294254) STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbeygatein sure.com
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PERGOLAS TAILOR-MADE in durable canvas, pergola covers cushions, sails, car port, umbrella, spa and CAR COVERS. Mazarron based, and delivery to Costa Blanca. Also online and mail ordering 667 879 399 krugercanopies@yahoo.co.uk (290735) 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)
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PET CHARITY EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorsecare .net www.easyhorsecare.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706) 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) 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)
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LEARN SPANISH. Group lessons or one to one. Also available online. learnspanishi nenglish@gmail.com (294492)
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New DGT fine involving playing music from your mobile FOR many years now, the Directorate‐General for Traffic (DGT) assures that data shows the number of accidents and fatalities on the road has increased no‐
tably and constantly, mainly due to mere dis‐ tractions. These distractions they say, include drivers using devices in their vehicles, when their gaze and atten‐ tion should instead be fo‐ cused on the road, and on the rest of the road users. A new regulation of the DGT provides among other issues, a notable tighten‐ ing of certain fines that will affect both the driver’s licence points, and the fi‐ nances of any offender. Hence, the possibility of being fined for handling a GPS or mobile phone while driving has been ex‐ panded. With the entry into force of the future modification of the revised Traffic Law, traffic officers will have the power to open a sanc‐ tioning file to any driver who has an electronic de‐ vice in their hand. Under the previous laws, the fine
was only issued for the use of a mobile while driving. In that instance, the Guardia Civil, or a police officer, had to prove the exact moment in which the driver had used the mobile phone, or the GPS. Under the revised law, whether it is used or not, simply having the device on display in the vehicle can be reason enough to get fined. If a traffic cop detects that a driver is listening to music from their mobile phone, they will not be fined, as that is not a crime. But, if they notice the driver holding the de‐ vice while driving, for any reason, then they will be punished. The officer will proceed to process the new fine, which in these cases is stipulated by the DGT to be the loss of six points from the driving licence, and a €500 fine.
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ROAD TEST by Mark Slack WITH ever more new mod‐ els being launched the de‐ mand for SUVs continues. However, it’s easy to forget that some of the long famil‐ iar names in SUV world have also been trans‐ formed. Ford’s Kuga has been a familiar sight since 2008, indeed before that the Kuga name (spelled Cougar) was attached to a coupe, and you see many older Kugas still looking good. The very latest Kuga has a refreshingly smart and smooth visual presence compared to many of the overly aggressive looking newer entrants. Think of the Kuga like a grown up Ford Puma, which when I tested it had many people thinking it had stylistic echoes of Porsche’s Cayenne. Praise in‐ deed! Prices for the Kuga start from €33,533/£27,895 with standard equipment in‐ cluding sliding rear seats,
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Ford Kuga a smart and smooth visual presence navigation, Car Play and An‐ droid auto plus powered and heated door mirrors, front and rear parking sen‐ sors, air conditioning, cruise, rear privacy glass and a heated windscreen. The two engine options are a 1.5‐litre EcoBoost with six‐speed manual gearbox or, the pick of the duo in my book, a 2.5‐litre petrol hybrid
with CVT automatic trans‐ mission. You can have either a self‐charging or plug‐in hy‐ brid with 190 PS and 225 PS respectively. In plug‐in mode the Kuga will cover around 30‐35 miles (in the real world) on pure electric, the full hybrid can utilise electric power automatically, such as at low speed, and assist the petrol engine to avoid using
excessive combustion pow‐ er. An ST‐Line X Edition was my test model and priced at €45,686/£38,005, in addi‐ tion to that hybrid power it gains significantly more standard equipment such as LED lights, hands‐free pow‐ ered tailgate, parking cam‐ era, climate control, keyless entry and start along with subtle styling adornments including red brake calipers. On the road the Kuga is as smooth as its flowing
lines, and unless pushed hard the CVT gearbox does‐ n’t cause much of an audible ruffle ‐ it is a trait of these boxes to raise the revs thereby increasing cabin noise ‐ and changes smoothly. For a large SUV the Kuga handles well de‐ spite its taller stance and weighty battery pack, thanks to a comfortably
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stiffened sports suspension and excellent steering feel. Inside there is rather more ‘scratchy’ hard plastic than one would like, but a welcome presence of but‐ tons and a logical layout with clear displays are big plus points. The driving ‘feel’ just adds further to the Ku‐ ga’s already appealing pres‐ ence.
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GETTING BACK TO NORMAL
WITH more teams return‐ ing to training as restric‐ tions are eased, the Costa Blanca Walking Football League (CBWFL) is picking up again with fixtures be‐ ing arranged. Tuesday, February 15, sees League leaders Hondon Valley Flyers defend their league at the top when they take on Portobello WFC with an 11am kick off. The ‘Yellows’ with three points awarded when Pinoso failed to meet their fixture have still to play a match but with three games in hand on Hondon they pose the nearest threat to the leaders at present. In another fixture Moraira will play Porto‐ bello on Tuesday, Febru‐ ary 22 with a 12.15 kick off. Wins in these two games would see Porto‐ bello go top with a real challenge for the league
The Costa Blanca Walking Football League Table. title. Other fixtures will take place towards the end of this month as teams play ‘catch up’ after the Covid interruption. Plans are already in hand for the new season with more teams expect‐ ed to participate in a league which should rival the Hidromaster Premier League in the South. The CBWFL has a catchment area of 15 teams with an‐
other three within travel‐ ling distance and all these clubs are always ready to welcome new members. So if you feel like you would like to play foot‐ ball again why not try walking football? A good form of exercise without being strenuous and most clubs have excellent social facilities too. For more information check out the Costa Blan‐ ca Walking Football
League Facebook page or go to www.wfai.info . Have refereeing experi‐ ence or don’t want to play but want to be in‐ volved? The league needs referees and are prepar‐ ing training courses for new referees. See con‐ tacts above for more in‐ formation. WFAI are making preparations for the WFAI Iberian League Cup which will be played in September/October. It is anticipated the first round will be in groups with the finals at a neu‐ tral venue at a weekend. All WFAI affiliated teams have been invited and the draw is expected to take place at a special committee meeting on Thursday, February 16. More news on this in next week’s edition. Make sure you get YOUR copy of the Euro Weekly News.
Ashley Cole joins Everton coaching team EVERTON has con‐ firmed that Ashley Cole will join the club as their first‐ team coach. Lampard was ap‐ pointed the boss of Everton on Monday January 31, after beating Vitor Pereira to replace Lampard delighted to add Cole. Rafa Benitez in the Goodison Park hot seat. It has long been reported that Lampard wanted Cole to join the Toffees, having already worked with him during his managerial stints at Chelsea and Derby County. Lampard told Everton’s official site: “I’m delighted to add Ashley into my backroom team. Everyone knows about his superb playing career and what he has achieved in the game. “He is now a well‐respected coach which has been recognised by his work with England Under‐21s.” “He’ll bring a wealth of enthusiasm, game‐play experi‐ ence and is a very good young coach who adds strength to our coaching staff.” Cole added: “I was thrilled when Frank asked me to join him at Everton. This is a brilliant opportunity with a fantas‐ tic club and I am coming here to work hard and try to help bring success to Everton.”