MBE FOR GOLDEN LEAVES FOUNDER The history of the Golden Leaves founder includes the New Year’s Honours list of 2020 which included a name well‐known in the world of funerals, and to many residents of Croydon and the surrounding districts. Director of Rowland Brothers Limited Tony Rowland was honoured with an MBE for his long career serving the community, both through his services to undertaking and the many local charity and community projects in his home town of South Croydon. His drive to help create an equal society too helped him achieve the MBE ‘For services to undertaking and the community in Surrey’.
Tony’s Story THE work to which Tony was ap‐ prenticed at the age of 15 in the year of the Queen’s coronation quickly identified to him that sup‐ porting people through the grief and loss of bereavement was an area in which he could make a dif‐ ference. From that time on, his family funeral business has always been much more than a means of making a living. Now, at the age of 80 and still working full time, he can look back on innovations for which he was personally responsible, which have become standards the undertaking profession seeks uni‐ versally to attain. He is a man who has changed things with his initia‐ tive and practical achievements. One such innovation was setting up, four decades ago, a continuing bereavement aftercare programme for all individuals and families mak‐ ing use of his firm’s services ‐ at no extra cost to them. He established this at a time when professional be‐ reavement counselling was yet to become generally available to griev‐ ing people. Dedicating specific mem‐ bers of staff solely to this purpose, Tony ensures that sympathetic con‐ tact is made immediately following a funeral, and continues for at least a year afterwards, and often much longer. Both practical assistance and emotional support are readily and sensitively provided to people who are sometimes unsure how to cope in the often‐heartbreaking situation in which they suddenly find them‐ selves. A second innovation was the es‐ tablishment of a worldwide network and support structure improving hugely the efficient and compassion‐ ate repatriation of deceased British nationals who die while on holiday or working overseas, and citizens of other countries who die in similar
Tony Rowland, Golden Leaves founder.
circumstances in the UK. Since 1971, Tony has been responsible for more than 40,000 such repatriations, util‐ ising his personally established net‐ work of 500 agents throughout the world. He has always regarded this as so much more than an adminis‐ trative exercise and frequently goes far beyond the call of duty in his ex‐ tra‐mile service. The 40,000 repatriations included the return of all the UK citizens who died in the South Asia tsunami. Tony is continually involved in the conse‐ quences of disasters around the world, including the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings, travel disasters, extreme weather emergencies and overseas hostage situations. Such work involves Tony in discus‐ sions with the Foreign and Com‐ monwealth Office and its embassies
and consulates around the world, overseas diplomats and foreign gov‐ ernment offices, coroners, airlines, travel companies, insurance bodies and health organisations. As a result, Tony is regarded as an expert in in‐ ternational repatriation and lectures at Scotland Yard to police family liai‐ son officers and to the Rapid Re‐ sponse Team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Tony is also a training officer for new UK diplo‐ mats being prepared for overseas assignments. Tony’s company, which was an of‐ ficial supplier to the 2012 London Olympics, provides the official repa‐ triation helpline for the National As‐ sociation of Funeral Directors. Another innovation was the de‐ velopment of his funeral planning company, Golden Leaves, which was
originally developed in 1984 and was one of the first funeral plan providers in the UK. The company has now grown to be one of the most reputable fu‐ neral plan providers in the industry and is now based at the No.1 Croydon build‐ ing outside East Croydon station. Tony was instrumental in develop‐ ing the first standards in the funeral plan industry when he helped devel‐ op the National Association of Pre‐ paid Funeral Plans of which he was chairman in the 1990s. Golden Leaves is also a founding member of the Funeral Planning Authority, pro‐ vides funeral plans to all UK resi‐ dents, to British expatriates living abroad and include in their innova‐ tions a green burial plan and the in‐ dustry’s leading insurance plan. The Trustees in charge of all funds are very highly individuals including a re‐ tired vice present of the OFT and the President of the European Stan‐ dards Committee and Chairman of the UK National Consumer Federa‐ tion. Tony’s work has also been charac‐ terised by his ability to relate to peo‐ ple of all ethnic origins and religious affiliations, and ‐ increasingly impor‐ tantly ‐ to those with no faith at all. Not only does he expertly meet the needs of the whole gamut of Chris‐ tian denominations, but he is also equally adept at understanding and complying sympathetically with the customs of all major world faiths. For example, he is particularly ap‐ preciated by the African‐Caribbean community, being almost unique in some of the services he provides. Tony has served as Chairman of the Croydon Association of Funeral Directors and President of the Lon‐ don Association of Funeral Directors. In this capacity, he has been a men‐ tor to many young people coming into this business as well as a staunch advocate for continually im‐
proving standards. In addition to his exemplary pro‐ fessional work, in which he exhibits great personal credibility, integrity and compassion, Tony is involved in local charitable and community work to a quite remarkable, often sacrificial, degree. As well as con‐ tributing actively to the work of such groups as Rotary, the Round Table, the Royal British Legion, Freemason‐ ry, Scouting and schools he has per‐ sonally raised considerable sums of money through his tireless fundrais‐ ing efforts on their behalf. To facili‐ tate its charity work, Rowland Broth‐ ers set up the Rowland Brothers Foundation, whose income is boost‐ ed by regular donations from the family businesses. One ongoing contribution to his local community is as Chairman of the Thornton Heath Business Part‐ nership, in which role he organises the annual Thornton Heath Festival, which he inaugurated 11 years ago. This highlights the work of youth groups such as Scouts, Guides, the Boys’ Brigade, and Cadet Corps, with the aim of influencing young people to join them rather than the often knife‐carrying street gangs which op‐ erate in South London. Many people, even if they spare a thought for these dire circum‐ stances, do little but bemoan hope‐ lessly the way things are. Tony has thought through the situation and tenaciously done something practi‐ cal about it. As a result, hundreds of young people have been influenced in the past 11 years. He works tire‐ lessly towards this end, both behind the scenes and with his sleeves rolled up on the front line. The festi‐ val in its first year alone led to 170 young people enthusiastically joining youth groups in the town. For a man so intimately involved in caring for those who have died, and their loved ones, Tony Rowland is passionate about making life bet‐ ter for coming generations.
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DRONES PUT TO WORK ORIHUELA’S Local Police now has a four‐strong unit with officers li‐ censed to fly drones. The unit is equipped with two drones, each of which incorporates a camera, loudspeaker, searchlight, a flashing beacon and a radio transmitter. They can al‐ so can fly for 30 minutes within a 10 kilometre ra‐ dius. “The new unit is going to make a great contri‐ bution to assisting Local Police operations,” Ori‐ huela’s mayor Emilio Bascunana said. “The Local Police pro‐ vide one of Orihuela’s most important services, which is why city hall does everything to en‐ sure that they are as well‐equipped as possi‐ ble.”
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RESCUE OPERATION Photo credit: Torrevieja town hall
Issue No. 1915
Turn to page 2 » MERCY DASH: Eduardo Dolon, Carlos Mazon and the Ukrainian Association’s president welcomed the 19 arrivals.
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Nineteen Ukrainians safe in Torrevieja THE nine firefighters who set out with humanitarian aid for Ukraine arrived back in Torrevieja on March 12. Nor did they return with empty vehicles, because they brought back from the war‐torn nation 19 Ukrainians who had relatives and friends waiting for them in Torre‐ vieja. The rescue operation was the result of collaboration between the Provincial Consortium of Fire Brigades and the Ukrainian Association of Torrevieja, explained the town’s mayor Eduardo Dolon, who was waiting to greet the arrivals together with the president of the Diputacion provincial council, Carlos Mazon. The four‐vehicle convoy had set out on March 8, reach‐ ing Medyka in south‐eastern Poland, on the Ukraine bor‐ der, where they unloaded supplies. The firefighters went on to collect 15 women and chil‐ dren from the Medyka refugee centre, plus another five people from a nearby town, and drove them to Warsaw. Here they picked up 27 Ukrainians, 19 of whom were heading for Torrevieja, although eight others were bound for Barcelona and Valencia. When the four vehicles reached Torrevieja’s fire station at 1.30pm, Mazon and Dolon accompanied the anxious group waiting for their family members and friends. Both politicians expressed their pride and admiration for the nine men who had enabled 27 people to escape the from savage devastation of their country. Firefighter Israel Seva said: “There is still so much to do, but we shall continue doing whatever we can to help.”
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Allotments get recycled water
Photo credit: Orihuela city hall
POOL PROJECT: Allotments guaranteed a steady supply of water.
ORIHUELA’S Environment de‐ partment has revealed plans to provide recycled water for the city’s allotments. Alberto La Red, an expert from Hidraqua, the company responsible for Orihuela’s water supply and main drainage, said the water would be stored in a 250 cu‐ bic metre deposit, large enough to provide enough ir‐ rigation water for a week. “The pool will be integrat‐ ed into the landscape and surrounded by native plant species,” La Red explained during the project’s presen‐ tation attended by Mayor Emilio Bascuñana, Environ‐ ment councillor Damaso Aparicio and Diputacion councillor Sebastian Canadas.
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NIBS EXTRA New wheels CALLOSA’S Local Police have added another two cars to their fleet of vehi‐ cles, acquired via a four‐ year leasing contract that will cost the town hall €86,539. New cars were badly needed, PSOE oppo‐ sition councillors said, cit‐ ing occasions when offi‐ cers were reduced to patrolling in a Civil Protec‐ tion vehicle.
Pet facts ALICANTE Province had 428,000 microchipped dogs and 39,000 cats in 2021, a 20 per cent increase on 2020, according to the region’s Ani‐ mal Identification Registry figures. There are also 18 ze‐ bras, five pythons and six panthers, although these are not living with owners but at wildlife sanctuaries.
Mild quake SPAIN’S National Geographic Institute registered a 1.8 earth tremor at 5am on Monday March 14, 19 kilo‐ metres off the Santa Pola coast, one of the most seis‐ mically active zones in the province, experts said. The latest tremor was the 18th this year and the fourth regis‐ tered in March.
Holy Week AFTER two years, Holy Week processions return to Elche although conditions will not be entirely the same as be‐ fore the pandemic. Changes involve choosing different routes along wider streets owing to the continuing need to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing, the Board of Brotherhoods and Guilds said.
Fast stuff DOLORES hosts the regional Racing Pigeon Champi‐ onships which, after an inter‐ val of two years, will be held between April 2 and 16. Mayor Joaquin Hernandez said that pigeon racing in Do‐ lores had always belonged to the town’s “culture and id‐ iosyncrasies” and should not be allowed to die out.
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Painting the town green ORIHUELA Costa will be wearing green today, Thursday March 17, St Patrick’s Day. Orihuela’s mayor Emilio Bascunana, accompanied by Tourism and International Residents’ councillor Mariola Rocamora, recently gave details of the day’s events. “This Orihuela Costa fiesta is very popular and listed as one of the best-known and attended by many people from other districts and towns,” Rocamora said. “We want these St Patrick’s Day celebrations to be well-known throughout Spain as well as on the Costa Blanca,” the councillor
Photo credit: Orihuela city hall
EARLY START: Announcing Orihuela Costa’s St Patrick’s Day parade.
added. “We are honouring a tradition and a legacy, as well as respect towards St Patrick.” The parade, organised by Raymond Kearney, follows a
Yacht club denied THE regional government has ruled out extending the Santa Pola Club Nautico’s concession for the moment. Club executives are now seeking legal advice on op‐ tions allowing them to plan for the future. Although the club’s concession expires in 2033 it has cited a clause in the Ley de Puertos (Ports Law) allowing a concessionary who invests in the installation during the last third of the agreed period to remain for another 10 or 15 years. This would coincide with early 2023, said the club’s president Pascual Orts, who also revealed that the club was prepared to spend more than €4 million on remod‐ elling the quays and its social centre while improving ener‐ gy efficiency. Club Nautico representa‐ tives recently explained to the Ports Authority that they need to know what lies ahead before investing in the port. The officials replied that ac‐
cording to the regulations, the concession for occupying the port could be renewed, but would come into effect once it was approved and not when the existing concession expired This would be of little help, Club Nautico sources said, and would not clarify the pre‐ sent situation. The Ports Authority also made it clear that its current priorities were resolving the situation of other yacht clubs whose concessions had ex‐ pired or were about to do so.
route through Calle Mar, Calle Cielo and Calle Agua where there will be live music and partying throughout the day, with local pubs joining in.
The procession, which will start at 3pm will be headed by St Patrick, and Rocamora said that all those taking part are Orihuela Costa residents. Chairs line the route, and there will be big screens to view the procession as it unfolds, together with interviews and videos featuring Orihuela. Raymond Kearney, who was also present at the St Patrick’s Day presentation pointed out that the Orihuela Costa parade was the best in Europe: “For us, the tourist season begins on March 17, a day when every Orihuela Costa resident is Irish.”
On the move TORREVIEJA U3A has good news for all of its members and anyone else wishing to join the association. They are returning to their old home at the Cen‐ tro Municipal de Ocio (CMO) centre in Torrevieja. The hall, located close to the Habaneras commercial cen‐ tre and Carrefour, has a large adjoining car park, so there will be no parking problems. Monthly meetings are al‐ so reverting to the last Mon‐ day of each month, and the next will be held on Mon‐ day March 28. Doors open at 10.30am and the meeting will start at 11am as normal. All the usual U3A facilities will be there, plus refresh‐
Arenales del Sol stopgap solution ARENALES DEL SOL beach is 6,000 square metres larger now that an eyesore hotel built in 1963 has been demolished. Encroaching on the state‐owned maritime strip, the hotel closed in 1979, but stayed open for weddings and other celebra‐ tions until its definitive closure in 1989. Although glad to see the hotel demolished, Alejandro Garcia Raduan, the former mayor of the Elche City sub‐division and presi‐ dent of Espana suma Elche, complained to the Guardia Civil’s Na‐ ture and Environment Protection Unit of flaws in regenerating the empty site. Burying rubble, remnants of concrete and iron pillars under lorryloads of sand was a stopgap solution, Raduan said.
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ments from the CMO bar and a Menu del Dia after the meeting although it will be necessary to book and pay for the meal on the day directly, to the bar staff. Fuller details of the changeover and all other U3A activities are available on the torreviejau3a.org website. Approximately 45 mem‐ bers of the Walk and Talk group recently met up in Los Alcazares to enjoy a pleas‐ ant stroll in the sunshine along the promenade. “Most completed the full stroll, whereas a few dropped out along the way to partake in a coffee stop,” said Torrevieja U3A’s press officer Barry Weston.
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Cala Mosca stalemate THE Valencian Com‐ munity’s Upper Court of Justice (TSJCV) re‐ fused to order a tem‐ porary halt to Ori‐ huela Costa’s Cala Mosca development. In the ongoing saga’s latest episode, the TSJCV rejected the central govern‐ ment’s request to adopt precautionary measures on the grounds that the 2,000 new properties would increase con‐ gestion on the N‐ 332. The government al‐ so maintained that road safety would be affected and noise pollution posed a health risk. The TSJCV argued that the government had not demonstrat‐ ed a cause‐effect link between Cala Mosca’s planning per‐ mission and its claims. The tribunal also ruled that Madrid had failed to prove that “irreparable damage” would result from not adopting precaution‐ ary measures. It was not passing judgement on the case itself, the TSJCV said: “All the ques‐ tions raised must be examined and re‐ solved by the tribunal when the time comes to make a ruling on the case.”
and finally... REMEMBERING March 11. Pilar de la Horada paid homage on March 11 to those killed and injured in Madrid by terrorist bombs in 2004. Mayor Jose Maria Perez, councillors, accompanied by the parish priest Fr Jose Antonio Garcia, the Local Police, Civil Pro‐ tection and members of thepublic attended a simple ceremony in memory of the victims. This was held in Pilar’s Plaza Victimas del 11‐M, named in honour of the 193 people who lost their lives and the thou‐ sands who were injured by the 10 bombs left on four rush‐hour commuter trains. Public Safety councillor Marina Saez read out words of con‐ dolence for the victims’ families, followed by the laying of a wreath and a minute’s silence.
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No risk of food shortages THE Minister of Agriculture Luis Planas said that there will be no food shortages in Spain despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “It is by no means one of the most serious situations, we have a very high level of food supply and this is a source of pride. We have a level of food autonomy that allows me to say that there is no problem of shortages, de‐ spite the images that are emerging of hoarding of products, which makes no sense,” the Minister said on Monday, March 14. Spain is working to import raw materials from outside of the EU where necessary given that that is has some areas of vulnerability. Corn‐
FOOD SUPPLY: Importing raw materials from outside the EU.
Not an easy day CARP‐R‐US fished Round 10 of their winter‐spring series at the El Bosquet complex. “The rains and cool weather of the previous week‐ end reduced the water temperature,” said the club’s secretary Steve Fell. “We heard that the fishing was hard, and so it proved.” Willy Moons from Peg 18 won the match, taking 7.6 kilos of carp while Tony Flett, who lost several quality carp but still weighed in 6.6 kilos, came sec‐ ond. Steve Higgins (6.2 kilos) and Graham Patterson (5.8 kilos) were third and fourth respectively.
and finally... A GROUP of climbers and adventurers have broken a world record by holding the world’s highest tea par‐ ty, some 6,500 metres above sea level. The party was held last year, but only confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records now, at Mount Everest’s Camp 2 in Nepal. The idea for the tea party came from Hughes, a self‐described high‐endurance athlete from Seattle, Washington. He said he first got the idea for the tea party early in the pandemic when Covid‐19 travel re‐ strictions and shutdowns meant expeditions were not possible.
flour and half a million tons of sunflower oil are imported from Ukraine. “The EU is the largest ex‐ porter and importer in the world. We have almost ev‐ erything but we have identi‐ fied some bottlenecks, so we have to move towards hav‐ ing our own production. “We are not in danger. We are at a remarkable high and we want to go further. We are not an island in the world and what happens in the rest of the world also concerns us,” Planas added.
Fake notes A CRIMINAL network, led by a mother and son of Lithuanian origin and composed of mem‐ bers mainly of Spanish, Lithuanian and Moroccan ori‐ gin, has been dismantled after an extensive police investiga‐ tion in Estepona, Tarragona and Barcelona. The gang counterfeited €20 and €50 banknotes using three different printing machines, having purchased the paper and guillotine on a well‐known e‐commerce platform. The counterfeiters were dissemi‐ nating the fake notes by selling them on the dark web. The suspects used the illegal profits from the currency counterfeiting to invest in the production and trafficking of marijuana. Members of the network were also involved in different scams and identity theft. In one such scheme, they published false job offers for drivers and used the driving licence of the job applicants to rent high‐end vehicles, which they never returned. Europol facilitated the infor‐ mation exchange, operational coordination and provided ana‐ lytical support. During the ac‐ tion, Europol supported with technical expertise and cross‐ checked operational informa‐ tion against Europol’s databas‐ es and systems of the European Central Bank in early March.
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The Brit family fleeing Ukraine CHRIS JAMES BALSHAW and his wife and two children were forced to abandon their home in Kherson, Ukraine, when Russian forces surrounded the city. After four days of hiding in their building’s underground car park, they decided to make the dangerous journey to the border. The family managed to get into Moldova and are currently at a refugee camp, al‐ though they are still waiting for their rela‐ tives. Chris, originally from Bolton, said: “When they arrive safely, hopefully, we will move on probably to Romania. We are still in shock and every time we hear a door close or a loud bang, we begin to be really nervous.” The family were forced to leave everything in Ukraine. “We have been given basic treat‐ ment and food. But we really need donations to buy essentials and hot meals and warm clothes for the kids,” said Chris. Chris spent five years living in Fuengirola, where he worked as an entertainer and per‐ formed at many charity events. He now hopes to get something in return and is ap‐ pealing to the public for help. He said: “I have done many charity events in my career, and now I would really appreci‐ ate some help for me and my family. I want to get them back to safety. Back to my home‐ town in Bolton.” Donations to Chris’s family can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help‐bolton‐ man‐escape‐ukraine.
FAMILY: Forced to abandon their home.
MOLDOVA: Family are at a refugee camp.
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Backing board games SPAIN is aiming to become a world‐leader in promoting board games as a “healthy and sustainable” pastime, the Minister for Consumer Affairs has pledged. Speaking at the opening of the InterOcio 2022 Fair in Madrid, Alberto Garzon said boardgames have “enormous potential to teach, educate and stimu‐ late” people of all ages. “The purpose of a game is fun and that is an irreplace‐ able value in itself. Board games teach, educate and stimulate. They help devel‐ opment and personal growth and are not just for children,” he said on Friday, March 11. Faced with “other activi‐ ties that entail risks and cause harm to the youngest and most vulnerable peo‐ ple” board games build “small but valuable contri‐ butions that make us grow as a society with healthy en‐ vironments,” Garzon added.
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BA scraps masks Brave Russian protestor A NEWS editor at Russia’s state‐owned Channel One disrupted a live news broadcast to protest against the war in Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova, a mother‐of‐two, barged in during the broadcast on Monday, March 14 hold‐ ing a placard behind the presenter’s head which read: “No war. Russians against war” in English. Below that she had writ‐ ten in Russian: “No war. Stop the war. Don’t be‐ lieve propaganda. They are lying to you here.” Before storming the broadcast, Ovsyannikova recorded a video and re‐ leased it to social media. Ovsyannikova’s mother is Russian and her father is Ukrainian. In the video, she said: “What is happening in Ukraine is a crime and Rus‐ sia is the aggressor. Re‐ sponsibility for that ag‐
LIVE BROADCAST: Was disrupted by protestor.
gression lies on the con‐ science of only one per‐ son. That person is Vladimir Putin. “My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian, and they were never enemies. The necklace around my neck is a symbol that Rus‐ sia must immediately stop this fratricidal war and our brother peoples can yet reconcile. She added: “We were quiet in 2014 when all of this was just starting. We did not go out to protest
when the Kremlin poi‐ soned Navalny. We simply watched this inhumane regime. And now the en‐ tire world has turned away from us. And another 10 generations of our descen‐ dants will not wash them‐ selves clean of the shame of this fratricidal war. “We are Russian people: thinking, and intelligent. It is only in our strength to stop all of this insanity. Come out to protect. Do not fear anything. They cannot jail us all.”
BRITISH AIRWAYS is set to scrap requirements on some flights. Accord‐ ing to BA’s chief operat‐ ing officer Jason Ma‐ honey, passengers heading out of the UK on BA flights will not need to wear masks if they are flying into a destination that does not require them. Mahoney said: “We’re working through [the current travel restric ‐ tions] and from Wednesday, March 16, customers will only be required to wear a face covering onboard our flights if the destination they’re travelling to re‐ quires it.”
It is expected that for destinations such as Italy and the US masks will still be required on BA flights. “ Fo r destinations where the wearing of a face covering is not mandated, our cus‐ tomers are able to make a personal choice, and we kindly request everyone respects each other’s preferences,” Mahoney added on Tuesday March 15. Ryanair could soon follow suit. Michael O’Leary said that masks could possibly be ditched on Ryanair planes by “the end of April or May.”
and finally... LANDLADY Sam Rice of Burton upon Trent’s the Loaf and Cheese pub has banned President Vladimir Putin. She claims that if he appeared at her bar customers would “wreck him.” Sam revealed: “It is absolutely wrong what he is doing.”
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Optometrist’s warning over risky TikTok trends SOCIAL media users taking part in viral TikTok challenges are putting themselves at risk of blindness, an expert has warned. Dr Nigel Best, an optometrist at Specsavers, is urging people not to take part in these trends which sees them exposing their eyes to bright lights and toxic substances. He said: “These challenges can be extremely dangerous and can put your eye health at risk. It really isn’t worth jeopardis‐ ing your sight for a sake of a few likes and shares on social me‐ dia.” One of the challenges go‐ ing viral on the platform sees people mix‐ ing bleach, hand sanitiser, jelly and shav‐ ing cream in a bag and holding it up to their eyes. It is thought this will make them appear brighter, however this is not the case. Dr Best said: “Simply don’t do it! Apart from the fact that it won’t make your eyes any brighter, if the bag splits and the contents leak out it could cause corneal scarring, extreme pain and blindness.” Another video doing the rounds sees users trying to change their eye colour from brown to blue by exposing the eye to bright light while using the S5 filter on their phones. However, Dr Best says this could lead to permanent damage. “When exposed to bright lights we would naturally avert our eyes and our pupils would constrict. These two actions will reduce the amount of potentially harmful light falling on the retina. “By intentionally exposing your retinas to bright lights, you risk permanently damaging the light sensitive cells on your retina and causing blind spots,” he said. The ‘fingereyechallenge’ is also making appearances on people’s feeds, which while isn’t as invasive
BRIGHT LIGHTS: Can damage eyes. as the others, it could cause some damage. It involves someone holding their finger over one eye while looking towards that finger with the oppo‐ site eye. Videos see them holding it in place for 10‐15 seconds be‐ fore moving their finger resulting in eyes temporarily pointing in dif‐ ferent directions. Dr Best said: “There are six dif‐ ferent muscles controlling the movement of each eye and it only requires one of these 12 eye mus‐ cles to become misaligned for any reasons for a squint and double vi‐ sion to occur. “Optometrists will sometimes use tests similar to the finger chal‐ lenge to test the strength of the eye muscles but in a very con‐ trolled and safe way. We would advise against people carrying out these tests on themselves as it could result in eye strain and tem‐ porary double vision.”
There are nine Specsavers Ópticas stores in Spain, in Marbella and Fuen‐ girola on the Costa del Sol, Santa Ponça in Mallorca and Javea, Calpe, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Guardamar and La Zenia on the Costa Blanca. Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store or book an eye test.
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The Manfreds play Benidorm Palace THE Manfreds will be performing all of their hits, including Do Wah Diddy, at the incredible Benidorm Palace on April 24 in a show that promises to transport concert goers back to the 1960s. Considered one of the finest and most respected bands of the era, original Manfred Mann mem‐ bers Paul Jones, Mike Hugg and Tom McGuinness, and former member Mike d’Abo are joined by Rob Townsend on drums, Marcus Cliffe on bass and Simon Currie on saxophone and flute, as the latest line‐up of the group. Having previously performed at Benidorm Palace in 2020, the Eu‐ ro Weekly News caught up with front man Mike D’Abo to find out all about the exciting upcoming show. Mike, now based in Stroud in Gloucester, UK, said: “We played at Benidorm Palace in 2020 and it was a great show with a nice turnout. We remember walking up to the impressive Benidorm Palace and we are looking for‐
THE MANFREDS: Will transport concert goers back to the 1960s. ward to playing there again. As many Brits know our previous hits, we are looking forward to performing them again in front of the crowd.” The members still perform in
various bands and Mike said: “Music today is so different, there are so many various mediums to reach people, but we are still per‐ forming and enjoying it and we are still out there on the scene.” “We are greatly looking forward to seeing all of our fans in sunny Spain. If you remember the 60s you’ll be delighted to know you’ll hear all of the hits from The Man‐ freds. We look forward to seeing you and we hope the sun is shin‐ ing from now until then,” he added. The event promises to be full of hits and instantly recognisable songs from the 60s with The Roller Maniacs, a tribute band to the Bay City Rollers, as the sup‐ porting act and all the glitz, glam‐ our and entertainment Benidorm Palace is famous for. Doors open at 7pm and the show kicks off at 8.30pm, tickets can be purchased at the Benidorm Palace Box Office for €30. Food is also available for an additional €8.
For more information or to book tickets go to www.benidormpalace.com or call 965 851 660.
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Calls on China THE Minister of Foreign Af‐ fairs, Jose Manuel Albares, has called on China to use its influence in Russia to end the war against Ukraine. China has so far refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blamed NATO’s ‘eastward expansion’ for worsening tensions. Albares told his counter‐ part during a telephone con‐ versation on Monday March 14: “We are facing a historic moment that requires from all world leaders a sense of responsibility and vision for the future. “Russia has undermined the foundations of peace and stability in Europe and is al‐ ready threatening the inter‐ national community as a whole. Spain is fully commit‐ ted to the principles of sovereignty and territorial in‐ tegrity in Ukraine,” he added. Without criticising Russia, China has called for the prin‐ ciples of the UN Charter to be observed. Director of Foreign Affairs, Yang Jiechi, said following
talk with US diplomats: “All parties should exercise maxi‐ mum restraint, protect civil‐ ians and prevent a massive humanitarian crisis.”
Facing a historic moment.
Yellow fever mosquito HOLIDAYMAKERS and locals on La Palma in the Canary Is‐ lands have been warned to watch out for dangerous yellow fever mosquitoes, also known as the Aedes Aegypt mosquito. The mosquitoes can spread viruses like Zika, dengue and chikungunya. To date, only two larvae have been detected. Blas Trujillo, the Minister of Health for the Canary Islands Government, said the mosquitoes will be eradicated. The lar‐ vae which were discovered did not show any transmissible viruses. Anyone staying or living in La Palma has been encouraged to remove stagnant water as it is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. The island is being monitored by the Canary Is‐ lands Entomological Surveillance System which aims to detect any early adult specimens and eggs of larvae. “Mosquitoes that bite humans need to be breeding very close to them. That is why the most effective measure against them is to monitor or eliminate their breeding points,” a gov‐ ernment spokesperson said on Sunday March 13.
STATS
11KM
The average raindrop falls at 11 kmh.
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AN abandoned Cold War nuclear bunker that was previously fea‐ tured on Doctor Who has been re‐ discovered. Jay Curtis made his discovery in Bridgend’s Brackla late last year. The 32‐year‐old from Wales has shared his findings on YouTube. “Now this place might look like any ordinary industrial estate, but with the imminent Second World War upon Britain, this place be‐
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Doctor Who nuclear bunker came one of the most secretive places in south Wales and there’s plenty of other hidden history left over if you know where to look,” he said. The site hosted around 40,000 workers during the Second World War. It also had nuclear blast
doors and its own power supply complete with a generator, air fil‐ tration system, and water storage system. “It’s in these dark magazine tun‐ nels that thousands upon thou‐ sands of tons of explosives would be piled high to the ceiling, hidden
away from the enemy and the threat from above. It was a com‐ plete surprise to find this as I went looking for evidence of the former munitions factory tunnels and did not expect to stumble across the bunkers in the woods,” Curtis added.
Bunker appeared on Doctor Who.
Payment warning BRITISH online shoppers may have their credit and debit cards declined under new rules that came in to force on Monday, March 14. Online shoppers could see their cards declined if they cannot prove their identity. Retailers will need to make additional checks before purchases can be made or mon‐ ey can be taken out. This will not apply to all payments though. Anyone who makes purchases online or who banks on‐ line will be hit by extra security checks. The checks aim to make transactions safer for the customer. Banks will usu‐ ally send a code to the customer’s mobile phone when an online payment is made. The codes will be needed for payments to be approved at the checkout. Some people will be able to use their mobile banking app to approve payments too. But if the checks cannot be carried out successfully, card payments could be de‐ clined. The new rules come into force under the Financial Con‐ duct Authority fraud‐prevention rules. This latest rule is called Strong Customer Authentication.
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Rolling Stones in Madrid THE Rolling Stones will kick off their SIXTY European tour in Madrid as the group celebrates 60 years of mak‐ ing music together. They will tour in 10 different countries including two con‐
certs in London. The first concert is sched‐ uled for June 1 at the home of Atletico Madrid, the Wanda Metropolitano Sta‐ dium. Their previous perfor‐ mance in Madrid was back
Prison for cyber-flashers A NEW law banning cyber‐flashing will be included in the UK’s Online Safety Bill. Anyone found guilty could face two years in prison. Victims of cyber‐flashing are subjected to unsolicited sex‐ ual images via data sharing services, social media, dating apps and other methods. According to Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, the On‐ line Safety Bill will mean that tech companies will have to monitor their platforms to prevent the practice. “Tech has the power to bring people together and make our lives better, but it can also enable heinous behaviour from those who wish to abuse, harm and harass,” she said. “The forthcoming Online Safety Bill will force tech com‐ panies to stop their platforms being used to commit vile acts of cyberflashing. We are bringing the full weight on in‐ dividuals who perpetrate this awful behaviour,” she added on Sunday March 13.
in 2014 at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, during the 14 on Fire Tour. “We are delighted to an‐ nounce the Rolling Stones 2022! tour titled SIXTY to celebrate 60 special years together, Mick, Keith and Ronnie will play across Eu‐ rope this summer, including two shows at London’s BST Hyde Park,” the band an‐ nounced on Twitter on March 14. The band will be touring for the first time without their legendary drummer, Charlie Watts, who passed away at the age of 80 last August. Tickets for the June 1 con‐ cert in Madrid can be pur‐ chased from 10am on Friday March 18 on the doctormu sic.com, tickets.com, livena tion.es, ticketmaster.es, and lasttour.org websites. Prices will be between €50 and €280.
STATS
3,000
The Bible has been translated into over 3,000 languages.
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Markle v Meghan Journalist shot dead THOMAS M A R K L E, the 77‐year‐old father of Megan, the Duchess of Sussex, said on March 13, that he is prepared to tes‐ tify against his daughter in a court case that is be‐
ing brought against her by Samantha Markle, her 57‐ year‐old half‐sister. Launching his new YouTube channel with Karl Larsen, his friend and celebrity photographer,
Markle said: “I would be more than happy to. I’ve been trying for almost four years to get to see my daughter and her gin‐ ger husband in a court‐ room face‐to‐face. I’d be thrilled to defend my old‐ est daughter. She can’t defend the things she said.” Meghan would be bet‐ ter off settling the case than going to court with Samantha. But, should she go ahead, then he said he is more than hap‐ py to testify against Meghan, he added The lawsuit, filed in Tampa, Florida, concerns statements made by Meghan during her inter‐ view last year with Oprah Winfrey. Samantha claims “false and malicious state‐ ments” were made about her. She is demanding damages of €68,500 for defamation, and for Meghan to pay all the le‐ gal expenses incurred.
AN award‐winning Amer‐ ican journalist, Brent Re‐ naud, has been shot dead in Ukraine by Rus‐ sian forces. The 50‐year‐old was travelling in a vehicle with other members of the foreign press at the time of his death. Another journalist was injured in the incident and a third passenger, a Ukrainian citizen, was al‐ so wounded and taken to hospital. It is believed they had crossed a checkpoint in the city of Irpin, where they had gone to film fleeing refugees, just before the shooting. US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, described Renaud’s death as “shocking and horrifying.” “We will obviously be tracking this latest devel‐ opment very closely and will be responding ac‐ cordingly,” he added on
RENAUD: Shot in Ukraine.
Sunday, March 13. Renaud was a veteran journalist who had worked in many of the world’s conflict zones previously, often along‐ side his brother Craig. He had covered news for the New York Times, HBO, and NBC among others.
Trips still available THE latest trips offered by the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (Imserso) for 2021‐2022 went on sale last December. But from a total of 816,029 places, more than 300,000 packages remain available for travel up until June. Imerso trips are aimed at retired people, widowers over 55 and those over 65. Mundiplan has seven‐day trips avail‐ able along the peninsular coast for €212.96 with transport and €196.02 without transport. The cost increases an aver‐ age of €60 per additional night, although most plans pro‐ pose trips of eight or 10 days. There are also nine‐night packages to the Balearic Islands for €308.37 with transport and €236.07 without transport. Nine nights to the Canary Islands is €405.53 with transport and €235.95 without transport. In both cases, if seven nights are booked instead of nine, the price is reduced. To make a reservation, or check availability, visit: https://www.imserso.es/imserso_06/index.htm.
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PRINCE HARRY will not fly to Britain to attend a memorial service for his grandfather, Prince Philip, a spokesman for the US‐based royal said on Friday, March 11. The service for the Duke of Edinburgh is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 29 in London. Although no official reason was given
Harry’s no-show for this decision, it comes only a few months after Prince Harry filed a judi‐ cial claim over police protection after the Home Office allegedly refused to al‐ low him to personally pay for protec‐
tion during visits to Britain. A legal representative for the Duke of Sussex said Harry feared it would be too dangerous to bring Archie and Lili‐ bet from their home in California if he
NEWS
did not have the security protection of his choice. Prince Harry’s last visit to Britain was in July 2021 when he flew back to attend the unveiling of a statue on July 1, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London. The statue was dedicated to his mother Princess Diana on what would have been her 60th birthday.
Hopes of bringing back Beale ACTOR Adam Woodyatt is be‐ lieved to be engaged in talks with bosses of top BBC drama EastEnders. He played the iconic soap star Ian Beale since the show’s inception in 1985, appearing in more than 3,000 episodes. He was the drama’s longest‐serving main character. After 36 years in the role, he departed on Jan‐ uary 22, 2021. Now he is tipped to make a dramatic return, something that could help to cushion the loss of arguably the show’s biggest star, 44‐year‐old Dan‐ ny Dyer, who plays Queen Vic landlord and Mick Carter, who will leave later this year.
EASTENDERS: Adam was one of the highest earners.
A deal in the region of £300,000 is believed to be in‐ volved. One stumbling block could be Woodyatt’s ongoing divorce settlement with his ex‐wife. After 22 years of mar‐ riage he parted from 56‐year‐ old Bev Sharpe in 2020, and they have to reach an agree‐ ment. “Adam was one of the highest earners in East Enders, and there’s no doubt he’d be
looking to come back on at least the same amount of money, if not more. They’re hugely keen to get him back after the massive blow of los‐ ing Danny,” a source said on Sunday March 13.
and finally... RYAN REYNOLDS had to be censored chatting with Lorraine Kelly about his latest film The Adam Project. During the inter‐ view, Lorraine said: “I love how you referenced movies like ET and Back to the Future. It has got a lot of heart, but it’s funny, it’s snappy, it’s clever, it’s silly and I like that too.” She then quizzed Ryan and said: “What about your little co‐star? (15‐year‐old Braxton Bjerken) He is a bit of a scene‐stealer.” Ryan jokingly quipped: “He is. That cheeky little b****, I’ll tell you that much.”
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Disneyland Paris at 30 DISNEYLAND Paris is set to celebrate its 30th anniver‐ sary next month. It opened its doors for the first time on April 12, 1992, located in the purpose‐built French resort of Marne‐la‐Vallee, employ‐ ing around 16,000 people. More than 375 million visi‐ tors have passed through the enormous 2,230‐hectare en‐ tertainment complex that in‐ cludes two theme parks. It in‐ corporates seven hotels, the Disney Village dining and en‐ tertainment centre, and the largest space for corporate events in Europe. After two years of partial closures due to the Covid‐19 pandemic, Disneyland Paris will celebrate its 30th an‐ niversary with new improve‐ ments. The castle has been reno‐ vated, and its new show will involve video projections, music, water games, light ef‐ fects, fireworks, and chore‐ ography with drones. The show’s soundtrack was recorded by a symphony or‐
chestra at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. In front of the emblematic castle, are located the new Gardens of Wonder. The 10 new gardens include 30 ki‐ netic sculptures of famous Disney characters and films.
Opened on April 12, 1992.
Queen’s corgis THE Queen is so frail she has not been able to walk her beloved corgis for the past six months. It is estimated that the Queen has owned around 30 cor‐ gis throughout her life. The possibility that she may never walk them again has been raised. Aides are said to be tak‐ ing the dogs on their daily walks. Queen Elizabeth II is 95 years old. “She is not well enough. They are an enormous source of solace, so it is a real shame,” a source close to the palace said on Sunday, March 13. “The Queen usually turns to her beloved corgis in times of crisis and stress and took them out almost every day af‐ ter Philip fell ill and then died last year. Dogs remain very much part of Windsor life,” the source added.
STATS
12
The Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters.
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Airbus in demand EUROPEAN aeronautical manufacturer Airbus has 7,000 aircraft in its order book guar‐ anteeing enough work for seven or eight years, according to the company’s president in Spain, Alberto Gutierrez. The impressive workload has not, however, stopped the European aviation multinational from executing its plan to close its Puerto Real plant in Cadiz, which was being under‐used. Speaking on March 9, Gutierrez said that Eu‐ rope must equip itself with what it needs to guarantee supplies and activate alternative sources of production materials. Airbus has halted the planned delivery of 13 A350 aircraft to the Russian airline Aeroflot fol‐ lowing the invasion of Ukraine. It has also stopped the activity of an engineering centre it has in Moscow and is studying the situation of employees there on a case‐by‐case basis.
COUNTRY singer Brad Martin has died aged 48. Martin was best known for his song Be‐ fore I Knew Better. Heartbroken friend and fel‐ low singer John Ramey shared the news of Brad’s death on social media. Ramey said: “I can’t believe I’m saying this. My dear friend and music brother Brad Mar‐
AIRBUS: Has enough work for 7 or 8 years.
In order to strengthen its strategic autonomy, Europe needs to work on its own supply chain, define the energy framework, boost technology and consolidate the industrial sector, he said. Europe is “highly dependent” on third coun‐ tries for its supplies and the supply of essential materials such as zinc, silicon, nickel, magnesium and lithium is “tremendously” vulnerable, Gui‐ tierrez added.
Country star dead tin passed away this after‐ noon. I am heartbroken. Rock on my brother!!! You were a great friend, true talent and it was an honour making music with you!!” The cause of death has not yet been revealed. In January,
Martin suffered an injury causing severe internal and haemorrhaging, along with a multitude of other life‐threat‐ ening issues with his liver, ac‐ cording to a fundraiser set up to help him. He died on Fri‐ day, March 11.
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SAUDI ARABIA executed 81 people for various crimes on Saturday, March 12, the largest mass execution to be car‐ ried out in the country’s modern history. Among those executed were convicted murderers and Al Qaeda terrorists. “The accused were pro‐ vided with the right to an
Mass executions attorney and were guar‐ anteed their full rights un‐ der Saudi law during the judicial process, which found them guilty of com‐ mitting multiple heinous crimes that left a large
number of civilians and law enforcement officers dead,” the government said in a statement. The executions were criticised by human rights organisations. London‐
NEWS SAUDI ARABIA: Criticised by human rights groups.
based advocacy group Re‐ prieve said: “The world should know by now that when Mohammed bin Salman promises reform, bloodshed is bound to fol‐ low.”
Oil rationing THE lack of sunflower oil due to the war in Ukraine, a coun‐ try from which Spain imports more than 60 per cent of the product, has led to an in‐ creased demand for olive oil as a substitute. As a result, prices have increased and some ex‐ perts have warned of possible shortages if the war continues. Some supermarkets began rationing sunflower oil on March 8 because of bulk buying by people anticipating a possi‐ ble shortage of the product which is widely used in restau‐ rants. If the lack of sunflower oil were to lead to the additional consumption of some 90,000
tons of olive oil, “there could be a lot of price tensions and olive oil shortages,” said strategic consultant and sector expert, Juan Vilar, on March 9 at the World Olive Oil Exhibition at Ife‐ ma in Madrid. “There just isn’t enough,” he added. The olive oil sector and the government have stressed that Spain is lucky enough to be the world’s leading producer of olive oil, with 45 per cent, and this can make up for any short‐ ages of sunflower oil. Spain only consumes a third of the olive oil it produces domestically as the rest is exported, and the amount usually put on the end market is around 190,000 tons.
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Hong Kong earthquake ACCORDING to the Hong Kong Observatory, south‐eastern China was hit by a 4.1 magni‐ tude earthquake on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. Preliminary analysis revealed that the quake happened 92 kilometres away from Hong Kong and occurred at 2.29am on Monday, March 14. The quake woke thousands of residents in the city. According to the Observatory, more than 10,000 people contacted them to re‐ port the earthquake. The University of Hong Kong’s honorary professor Chan Lung Sang said: “Earthquakes along coastal South China
OSCAR-WINNING actor William Hurt died aged 71 on Sunday March 13. “It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved fa‐ ther and Oscar‐winning ac‐ tor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday,” his son Will said in a statement. “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The fami‐ ly requests privacy at this time.” Hurt was Oscar‐nominat‐ ed four times, picking up
are not rare. This one, however measured a three to four degrees on the intensity scale, which is among the highest over the past 15 years or so. “An event that affects Hong Kong does not have to be very close. A sufficiently big one that occurs, say, 200 kilometres from Hong Kong, may cause some extent of dam‐ age. “The chance of having a significant one in our lifetime is low, but we should always be prepared even for low‐risk incidents,” Chan added.
William Hurt dies
Oscar-winning actor.
the statue in 1986 for his role in Kiss of the Spider Woman, where he played
the part of a gay prisoner. He missed out with Chil‐ dren of a Lesser God also in 1986, Broadcast News in 1987, and 2005’s A History of Violence. More recently he starred in some Marvel films, in‐ cluding The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and Black Widow in 2021. He was also in a string of Avengers films. In one of his last roles, he starred as Stephen Hol‐ strom in the TV series Pan‐ theon.
THE Spanish National Cyber‐ security Institute (Incibe) has warned of a rising number of fraudulent calls in which someone claiming to be a Mi‐ crosoft technician tells the computer user that their de‐ vice is infected with a virus and that they will need to fix it by installing a remote ac‐ cess application. The caller is not a real Mi‐ crosoft employee, but a cy‐ bercriminal posing as a tech‐ nician from the company in order to take control of the victim’s device, Incibe said on Friday, March 11. The scammer asks the vic‐ tim to download and install a remote access tool on their device. They then provide a series of instructions so that the two computers can be connected. Documents, photos, videos and other files stored on the victim’s device become acces‐ sible to the cybercriminal and could be stolen. Other ser‐ vices, such as apps or social networks, could also be af‐ fected. “If you store pass‐ words for social networks or email in the browser, the at‐ tacker could access and per‐ form actions on your behalf,”
NEWS
Latest scam
INCIBE: Has warned of increasing fraudulent calls.
the Institute warned. In some cases, victims have lost money after paying for the scammer to “remove a
virus” from their device or providing bank details, either by telephone or via a web‐ site.
and finally... UKRAINIAN baker Yuriy Kachak had organised a fundraiser at Glasgow’s Deanston Bakery. The bake sale raised more than £30,000. Hundreds of people turned up to buy the baked goods and help raise funds for people affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine. After the bake sale finished a JustGiving page was set up in the hopes of bringing in further funds. One generous, anonymous donor decided to double the amount raised to to‐ tal £72,451! Anyone wanting to donate to the cause should head to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/deanston bakery.
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World’s deadliest sniper ONE of world’s deadliest snipers has report‐ edly arrived in Ukraine to fight Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier put out a call for foreign fighters to join in his country’s fight against Putin’s invad‐ ing Russian forces. In response, a mysterious 40‐year‐old ex‐soldier, dubbed ‘one of the world’s deadliest snipers’ answered his appeal. Nicknamed simply ‘Wali’, which from Ara‐ bic translates as ‘guardian’, or, ‘protector’, the marksman is reputed to be one of the best shots in the world. He is a veteran of the Royal Canadian 22nd Regiment, and when the Ukrainian President made his ap‐ peal, ‘Wali’ was working in Canada as a
Joining in the Ukraine’s fight.
computer programmer. He has already been in Ukraine for a couple of weeks, after flying into Poland, and then grabbing a lift into the hot zone with a friend who was transporting humanitarian aid.
£21,000 a year energy bill ONE Bolton man’s energy bill has gone viral after it was predicted to cost a grand total of just under £21,500 for the year. According to the bill post‐ ed on Twitter, the man would be hit with an initial monthly payment of £1,954. This is due to be taken by British Gas on April 1. The energy consumer would then have to pay 10 regular
Energy bill went viral.
monthly payments of exact‐ ly the same amount.
Other people joined the viral Twitter feed to share their ridiculous energy bills. One user shared their bill from January which said he owed British Gas £7,024.28 each month. Another person joked that they were paying for South Yorkshire’s electricity. Her bill showed a direct debit of over £5,000 a month to EON.
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Sir Rod’s roadworks POP-LEGEND Sir Rod Stewart has filled the potholes near his Essex home in a bid to get his Ferrari through. The 77‐ year‐old musician said that “no‐one can be bothered to do it.” Sir Rod shared videos of himself shovelling gravel and filling the holes on Instagram. He had roped his mates in to help out with the project in Harlow, Essex. “Working for a living, filling holes is good for the soul! I’m repairing the street where I live as no‐one can be both‐ ered to do it. Me and my mates. This is the state of the road near where I live in Har‐ low and it’s been like this for ages,” he posted. “People are smashing their cars up. The other day, there was an ambulance with a burst tyre. My Ferrari can’t go through here at all! So me and the boys thought we would come and do it ourselves. We are filling the holes while mil‐ lions and millions of pounds have been spent on the M11,” he added on March 12.
STREET REPAIRS: “Filling holes is good for the soul!”
Lockdown in China CHINA is facing its worst Covid‐19 outbreak in two years. On Sunday, March 13, millions of people entered a new lockdown with infections tripling in some areas in just one day. Restrictions have been put in place in multiple provinces with outbreaks of both Delta and Omicron variants. Jilin city health commission official Zhang Yan said the re‐ sponse so far had been inadequate. “The emergency response mechanism in some areas is not robust enough. There is insufficient understanding of the characteristics of the Omicron variant and judgement has been inaccurate,” Zhang said on March 13. Jilin is home to nine million people. A surge in new Covid‐19 cases has also been reported in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing.
New Covid drug THE World Health Organisa‐ tion (WHO) has approved its first oral treatment against Covid‐19. Molnupiravir, an antiviral in pill form, is now on the organisation’s list of recommended drugs against the coronavirus. Produced by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), the drug, if used early enough, can pre‐ vent hospitalisations among at risk groups. The drug is recommended for use only among Covid‐19 patients who have not devel‐ oped severe forms of the virus, but who nevertheless run a high risk of hospitalisa‐ tion. This includes unvacci‐ nated people, the elderly, pa‐ tients with immunological deficiencies, or those with chronic diseases. Its use among children, and preg‐ nant or lactating women, is not advised. However, Doctors Without Borders warned in 2021 that a five‐day treatment with Molnupiravir at market prices could cost around
€640, although if a generic version of the drug was de‐ veloped the cost could go down to €18. Pill has been recommended.
Knighthood for Zelensky UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky should get an honorary knighthood, according to some British MPs. Honorary knighthoods may be bestowed on non‐British citizens by the Queen. “Volodymyr Zelensky is such an inspirational leader that Putin has put a price on his head. Let’s give him a knight‐ hood instead,” said Tory MP Andrew Bridgen. Bob Seely, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “Zelensky has been a true leader. He has given a voice and set an example to his people in their hour of courage.” Tory MP Michael Fabricant added on Sunday March 13: “I believe we should simultaneously award Volodymyr Zelen‐ sky an honorary knighthood for his outstanding and charis‐ matic leadership of a nation while seeking to indict Putin as a war criminal.”
STATS
100
Cats have over 100 vocal chords.
FEATURE
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Missile accident THE Indian Ministry of De‐ fence said that a missile fired at Pakistan was launched “accidentally.” The border between the two countries is heavily mili‐ tarised and there have been episodes of tension sparking fears of a conflict between the two nuclear‐armed states. “On March 9, 2022, in the course of a routine mainte‐ nance, a technical malfunc‐ tion led to the accidental fir‐ ing of a missile. It is learned that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regret‐ table, it is also a matter of re‐ lief that there has been no loss of life due to the acci‐ dent,” the Indian Ministry of Defence said. The statement came hours after Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it called an “unpro‐ voked violation of its airspace” and warned India “to be mindful of the un‐ pleasant consequences of
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Advertising Feature
MISSING SOCKS AND INSURANCE
MALFUNCTION: Led to accidental firing of a missle.
such negligence and take ef‐ fective measures to avoid the
recurrence of such violations in future.”
New summer routes RYANAIR has announced five new routes for summer 2022 between Spain and other European destinations. The new summer schedule will have five additional routes to destinations such as Perpignan and Rome, which means that the airline will have a total of 687 routes at 27 Spanish airports over the coming summer period. The five new routes are: Madrid ‐ Faro; Barcelona ‐ Poitiers; Valencia ‐ Perpignan; Castellon ‐ Brussels Charleroi and Girona ‐ Rome Fiumicino. “With 90 bases and more than 2,400 routes operating this summer, Ryanair is driving traffic recovery and creat‐ ing jobs across Europe,” the budget airline said on Friday March 11.
Aid for refugees SHIPMENT: Consisted of blankets and family cooking kits.
Deadly camel A CAMEL escaped from a small zoo in rural Tennessee, killing two people and at‐ tacking law enforcement offi‐ cers who were pursuing it. The animal was later shot dead. Obion County Sheriff Karl Jackson said his office re‐ ceived a call on Thursday, March 10 from someone who had seen a camel loose in an area near The Pumpkin Barn, a recreational farm with a small zoo. When they arrived at the nearby Shirley Farms area,
17 - 23 March 2022
they found two people un‐ conscious. They later died at the scene from their in‐ juries. The camel then attacked a police vehicle as well as offi‐ cers who were attempting to transport the victims to a mobile medical unit. The officers opened fire on the camel because the safety of those present was at risk, according to the statement from Sheriff Jackson. The deceased have been identified as Bobby Mathe‐ ny, 42, and Tommy Gunn, 67.
THE Spanish Red Cross and Iberia have sent their first shipment of humanitarian aid to Budapest for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. The 12 ton shipment con‐ sisted of tarpaulins, blankets and family cooking kits. It was sent on Thursday, March 10. The airline currently oper‐ ates three direct flights a week from Madrid to Budapest. The route usually uses narrow‐ body aircraft but the flight car‐ rying aid was made by a wide‐ body aircraft, an Airbus A330‐200, to increase cargo capacity. “Ukraine is going through an extreme situation and needs the solidarity and commit‐ ment of those who can con‐ tribute in any way,” said Tere‐ sa Parejo, Iberia’s Director of Sustainability. “Aviation can contribute a lot in emergency situations like this, and at Iberia, we have made ourselves available to NGOs such as the Red Cross to channel this solidarity as best we can,” she added.
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Disease breakthrough RESEARCHERS in Aus‐ tralia have developed a simple DNA test that can detect a wide range of genetic neurological and neuromuscular dis‐ eases. The test will make it easier to diag‐
nose difficult conditions more quickly and more accurately than existing tests, reducing diagno‐ sis from decades to days. The technology used in the Nanopore device
is capable of separating genomic sequences that share a unique repeti‐ tive sequence for more than 50 genetic dis‐ eases. Currently many of these diseases are diffi‐ cult to diagnose due to the complex symp‐ toms presented by patients and due to the technological lim‐ itations of existing ge‐ netic analysis meth‐ ods. The test has already accurately de‐ tected diverse dis‐ eases including motor neuron disease, Hunt‐ ington’s and my‐ oclonic epilepsies. Researchers hope that the single Nanopore technology will be widely avail‐ able in two to five years in pathology laboratories across the world to detect genetic diseases fol‐ lowing clinical accred‐ itation.
NEWS
Check the receipt THE Bank of Spain is urging consumers to always check their receipts when making payments with their bank cards. Contactless payments are easy and below a certain amount do not require a PIN number. The card just needs to be brought close enough to the sales terminal or data‐ phone. However, large amounts require that a PIN number be entered. The Bank of Spain is advis‐ ing that card users check the amount on the sales termi‐ nal before using contactless
Contactless payments.
payments. People are in‐ clined to be trusting and just touch the card to the data‐ phone or sales terminal without looking at the amount. Many people also do not bother to ask for a re‐ ceipt.
This could lead to people being victims of a glitch or even scams. If the amount is not checked, people could end up paying a higher amount than they should. The Bank of Spain also recommend that people re‐ quest a copy of any pay‐ ments made and it urged people to periodically check card charges on their ac‐ counts. The possibility of re‐ ceiving SMS notifications re‐ garding card payments should also be considered, the Bank advised on WednesdayMarch 9.
DiCaprio donates ACTOR Leonardo DiCaprio has donated to multiple humanitarian groups help‐ ing Ukraine, but reports that he donat‐ ed $10 million to the Ukrainian mili‐ tary are false. “Leo had privately made several do‐ nations to humanitarian groups includ‐ ing CARE, IRC, UNHCR and Save the Children. All directed at Ukraine,” a
source close to the actor said. “He had been watching things unfold and wanted to support Ukraine the best he could. He will continue to sup‐ port humanitarian groups on the ground which are helping the people of Ukraine. He stands with Ukraine and will continue to support,” the source added on Thursday March 10.
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NEWS
Eden Project earthquake Russian airline theft
LOCALS near the Eden Project said that a mini earthquake at the site sounded ‘like a bomb had gone off’ after a geothermal drilling site caused a 1.6 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, March 9. One resident told media: “Maybe you should’ve warned people. “You freaked a lot of us out. And that must’ve been very strong for our houses to rumble like they did.” Another resident added: “It sounded like a bomb had gone off in Penwithick.” Geothermal drilling that aims to provide heat to the Eden Project biome has been temporarily suspended according to media sources. Commenting on the quake Eden geothermal said: “We are aware that a seismic event was felt and heard in the vicinity of the Eden Geothermal site shortly after 9.20pm this evening.
EDEN PROJECT: Geothermal drilling.
“An investigation and analysis of seismic mon‐ itoring data have confirmed that the event was linked to testing operations at Eden Geothermal. “No damage has been reported, and the event was within regulatory limits, but in order to minimise the likelihood of further distur‐ bance, we have halted operations while addi‐ tional mitigation controls are put in place. “We apologise for any disturbance that has been caused.”
Jet2 cancels Polish flights LEEDS‐based airline Jet2 has cancelled all flights to Poland until May. Flights to Krakow will be suspended from Manch‐ ester, Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and Newcastle airports in part because of a lack of demand. Passengers will receive full refunds for any cancelled flights. “Due to current circumstances, we
have taken the decision to suspend our flights and city breaks programmes to Krakow from March 24 up to and includ‐ ing May 26. We are planning a phased restart to Krakow from May 27 and we will of course keep customers updated,” a spokesperson for the company said on Thursday March 10.
AIRLINES in Russia have reportedly absconded with billions of pounds worth of rented aero‐ planes. This is to prevent them from being repossessed af‐ ter EU sanctions have been put in place. The lat‐ est sanctions mean that aircraft and plane parts cannot be sold to Russian companies. EU airspace
has also been restricted for Russian planes. Russia has kept hold of more than 500 planes to prevent them from being repossessed, according to media sources. Russia has seen its wings clipped as international markets and supply chains are closed off. The Russian firms are said to be hold‐ ing onto the planes to miti‐
A SECOND planeload of humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees was sent to the Polish border by Correos Cargo on Thursday, March 10. The Correos Cargo Airbus A330 ‘Milana Bonita’ headed to Rzeszow‐Jasionka airport, on the Polish‐Ukrainian border loaded with kitchen materials destined for the NGO World Central Kitchen of Spanish chef Jose Andres, to help feed Ukrainians who have been fleeing the conflict in their country. Belonging to Iberojet, the air division of Avoris Corporacion Empresarial, the plane took off from Madrid airport. Manning the aircraft was the company’s own crew, who, in solidarity, offer to carry out the trips in their spare time. Volunteers from the Post Office were in
gate against any losses. Russia runs the risk of any planes being detained on arrival when flying in other countries’ airspace. Rob Stallard, an analyst at Vertical Research Part‐ ners revealed: “The Rus‐ sian aviation sector is now on footing that is similar to North Korea and Iran ‐ and similar to where it was un‐ der Soviet rule.”
Spanish aid CORREOS CARGO: Sent to Polish border.
charge of transporting the kitchen material to the airport. It was subsequently loaded onto the plane to guarantee distribution at its destination ‐ by the World Central Kitchen ‐ of hot food, at various points near the bor‐ der for the Ukrainian population.
NEWS
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17 - 23 March 2022
Nazi-era abortion law GERMANY has approved new legislation that will abol‐ ish a Nazi‐era abortion law that banned doctors from providing factual information about abortions under sec‐ tion 219a of the country’s pe‐ nal code. German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said the law, which was introduced in 1933, was an “intolerable state of affairs.” Buschmann said the new bill would not lead to abor‐ tions being advertised “like chocolate bars or travel.” “There is no need for any‐ one to worry about this, that is legally impossible,” he added on March 9. Women’s Affairs Minister Anne Spiegel said: “Doctors should in future be able to provide information about their medical services for abortions without having to fear prosecution or stigmati‐ sation. We are strengthening women’s right to self‐deter‐ mination in the long term.” Under the existing legisla‐ tion doctors have been fined
NEW BILL: Strengthening women’s rights.
for informing people that they have performed abor‐ tions. The new legislation still
has to be passed by the Bun‐ destag, Germany’s parlia‐ ment.
Apple upgrades APPLE has announced a range of new products and phones, including a 5k screen and a 60 per cent speed per‐ formance improvement to its top of the range Mac. There is also an upgrade for its budget iPhone SE. The price of the iPhone SE has risen by €24 to just over €500, but it now comes with a better battery and the same A15 bionic chip that is present in all of the iPhone 13 range. It is also 5G enabled. Apple is hoping that the new products will reverse a downward trend that saw their share price fall by more than 10 per cent since the beginning of the year. The company has also confirmed that it has stopped selling its products in Russia following the country’s inva‐ sion of Ukraine.
Austria drops Covid rule AUSTRIA has suspended com‐ pulsory Covid‐19 vaccination requirements that came into force in February. Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler said: “There are cur‐ rently many arguments to say that this violation of funda‐ mental rights is not justified. “After consultations with the health minister, we have decided that we will of course follow what the commission has said. We see no need to actually implement this com‐
No longer compulsory.
pulsory vaccination due to the Omicron variant that we are predominantly experiencing
here,” she added on March 9. The law, which come into force on February 5, was unique in the EU. It required that everyone over the age of 18 had to be vaccinated, al‐ though those who had been infected with Covid‐19 in the last 180 days, pregnant moth‐ ers and citizens with certain medical conditions were ex‐ empt. Anyone who failed to get vaccinated after the intro‐ duction of the law faced a fine of up to €3,600.
Murray supports UNICEF UNICEF ambassador, Sir Andy Murray, is to donate the rest of the season’s prize mon‐ ey to the organisation’s Ukraine appeal. Sir Andy works with UNICEF to support chil‐ dren with medical supplies and educational needs. The father of four wrote on Twitter: “Over 7.5 million children are at risk with the escalating conflict in Ukraine, so I’m working with @UNICEF_uk to help provide urgent medical supplies and early child‐ hood development kits. “It’s vital education continues, so UNICEF
is working to enable access to learning for displaced children, as well as supporting the rehabilitation of damaged schools, to‐ gether with replacement equipment and furniture. “I’m going to be donating my earnings from my prize money for the rest of the year, but anyone in the UK can support UNICEF’s humanitarian response by donat‐ ing to our appeal by following this link ‐ https://unicef.uk/am_ukraine Children in Ukraine need peace ‐ now,” he added on Wednesday March 9.
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EUROPEAN PRESS
EUROPEAN PRESS DENMARK
Referendum
Rock toilet
IN 1993, the then Danish government negotiated an opt out from European military missions and is the only one of the 27 member states to have this option. Now in view of recent developments it will hold a referendum on June 1 to decide whether to return.
PRINCE MIDNIGHT, an American heavy metal musician and artist, has donated a toilet he sculpted to look like Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in Copenhagen where it will be displayed in their ‘odditorium’.
THE NETHERLANDS Order, order
Amsterdam museum
THE speaker in the Dutch Parliament is being encouraged to exercise her rights to ban MPs from taking part in debates if they are found guilty of abusing or threatening other MPs in the house especially after threats were made to two Muslim MPs earlier in the year.
THE opening of the temporary home of the Amsterdam Museum at the Hermitage has gone ahead after initially being cancelled due to its links with its sister museum, the Hermitage in St Petersburg. The Dutch Hermitage has since severed all ties with the Russian institution.
BELGIUM Royal Visit
Bizarre roundabout
KING PHILIPPE and Queen Mathilde visited a reception centre for Ukrainian refugees in the Molenbeek suburb of Brussels on March 9 to learn more about how they left the country and to welcome them to Belgium, offering what comfort they could.
WHEN local authorities in the town of Mechelen wanted to knock down 14 houses to allow buses to turn around when they terminated their journey, one owner, 80-yearold Dirk Van den Broek refused to move, so his house now sits alone on a new roundabout.
GERMANY Michelin stars
VW camper van
THE latest edition of the German Michelin gourmet restaurant guidebook published on March 9 added 17 new Michelin Star restaurants in Germany bringing the total to an all-time high of 327. It also added one more three-star establishment to the existing eight.
HAMBURG on March 9 saw the much-awaited unveiling of the electric version of the iconic 1960s Volkswagen camper van, popular for decades with so-called hippies and surfers. The ID Buzz is made from recycled synthetic material and can transport five people and luggage.
FRANCE Limit refugees
Flag waving
RIGHT wing presidential contender Eric Zemmour has praised Britain over its decision to impose stringent restrictions on Ukrainians seeking visas and he wants France to do the same. Zemmour thinks France should only accept Ukrainian refugees with direct family links to the country, while Muslim refugees should not be allowed entry at all.
A REPORT by The Connexion says that one unexpected benefit from the invasion of Ukraine is that French flag manufacturers have been swamped with orders for Ukrainian flags and are having to take on more staff and order additional materials to keep up with demand.
NORWAY Gas pipeline
Free insurance
PLANNED to cut dependency on Russian gas before the invasion of Ukraine, a pipeline from Norway to Poland via Denmark is currently under construction. According to Polish Prime Minster Mateusz Morawiecki, it should start pumping gas by November 2022 and be in full flow in 2023.
NORWEGIAN insurance company Gjensidige announced on March 9 that if any household takes in Ukrainian refugees and does not charge them rent, their household contents and liability insurance will be extended at no cost to include the refugee’s effects and liabilities.
EUROPEAN PRESS
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EUROPEAN PRESS FINLAND
Wood chips
Mosquito alert
IT is not just Russian oil and gas that European countries depend on for energy production. In Finland, a large amount of electricity is produced from the burning of wood chips and the largest volume of imports comes from their neighbour across the border, Russia.
ALTHOUGH most people do not necessarily think of mosquitos being a problem in cold climates such as Finland, this is far from the case as heavy snow when it melts leaves puddles which become breeding grounds for these pesky insects which can hatch in just two weeks.
IRELAND Father Ted
Nazi accusations
DREAMED up during the lockdown and 24 years after the last episode, a podcast based around hit comedy series Father Ted is due to be hosted by Joe Rooney, who played trainee priest Fr Damo, and Patrick McDonnell, who played Eoin McLove. It will see them chat with former cast members.
TWO Irish MEPs, Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, who voted against a European Parliament motion condemning Russian aggression and calling for Ukraine to be admitted to the European Union have had Nazi stickers posted outside their offices. Both Daly and Wallace say they are against the invasion of Ukraine.
ITALY In mourning
Patron saint
ON the anniversary of the birth of renaissance artist Michelangelo, on Sunday March 6, the replica of his David in Piazza della Signoria in Florence was draped in black as a sign of mourning for those killed in the Ukraine war.
MARCH 9 is the feast day of Saint Francesca Romana and since 1928, a priest has blessed cars outside the Forum in Rome as she is the patron saint of drivers because she was always accompanied by an angel lighting her way.
PORTUGAL Routes cancelled
Green bridge
RYANAIR’S boss, Michael O’Leary has gone ahead with his threat to remove three of its aircraft from Lisbon airport with the loss of 19 destinations after the Portuguese Government ignored his demands that they hand over certain slots kept but not operated by state airline TAP.
A NEW ‘green’ bridge between Porto and Gaia is to start construction in 2023 at an estimated cost of €50.5 million. It will include solar panels and a lift but no vehicles will be allowed, except for trains on the new metro line plus bicycles and pedestrians.
UKRAINE Sharapova speaks
AWOL
ALTHOUGH born in Russia after her parents left Belarus due to the Chernobyl disaster, former world tennis number one, Maria Sharapova, said she is deeply saddened by the situation in Ukraine and will make a donation to Save the Children's crisis relief fund.
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson made it very clear when questioned about the case of a 19-year-old Coldstream Guard who left his Windsor barracks, apparently with hopes of joining the battle against Russia in Ukraine, that any other soldier who does this will face court martial upon return.
SWEDEN YesWeHack
Wireless charger
TELENOR Sweden, one of the largest mobile operators and broadband suppliers in the country, is introducing crowdsourcing security through a bug bounty program with YesWeHack to identify security gaps and ensure adequate data protection encouraging the involvement of ethical hackers.
RATHER than having to carry bulky cables around and then struggle to plug them in, Volvo are working with the Gothenburg Council over a three-year programme to test wireless charging where their fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge drives over a charging pad.
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EWN 31
FINANCE BUSINESS EXTRA Unicaja concern ACCORDING to a statement by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation Nadia Calvino, both the European Cen‐ tral Bank and the Bank of Spain are “very concerned about the drift in governance” of Unicaja Banco, currently Spain’s fifth largest bank.
Gran Via 18 WITH the opening on March 12 of megastore WOW, put together by former El Corte Ingles CEO Dimas Gimeno, came the news that the building in which it is housed, Gran Via 18 in Madrid, is on the market for around €90 million.
Jedi Blue IN a show of possible cooperation, the EU and UK Competition and Markets Authority have both be‐ gun investigating what is known as the ‘Jedi Blue’ arrangement be‐ tween Google and Meta, formerly Facebook, over potential breaking of competition rules for online dis‐ play advertising.
Airport City DETERMINED to build the Airport City next to Madrid’s Barajas air‐ port, operator AENA has whittled down its short list of 10 prospec‐ tive investors to just five and is cur‐ rently considering the ideal part‐ ner to become the majority shareholder in the venture.
Robot wars GROCERY delivery company Oca‐ do is pleased by a decision handed down by the International Trade Commission (ITC) to rule against AutoStore. The Norwegian com‐ pany which operates around the world claimed that Britain’s Ocado had infringed a number of robotic patents held by AutoStore, but all 33 claims were either rejected by the ITC for the second time or abandoned. Embarrassingly for AutoStore, the trade commission ruled that every patent about which it complained was either in‐ valid or was not infringed by Oca‐ do’s technology. There will how‐ ever be a court hearing in the UK which may see Ocado issuing counter claims.
www.euroweeklynews.com • 17 - 23 March 2022
32
STAT OF WEEK
€122 million
is the amount that the online survey company Typeform, founded 10 years ago in Barcelona, has raised from corporate investors.
Heathrow passengers down HEATHROW Airport says that pas‐ senger numbers are down by 50 per cent when compared to pre‐pan‐ demic levels. Although there are signs that more people are thinking of using the UK’s busiest hub airport in the future, only 2.8 million passengers were recorded in February which was also 15 per cent below forecast. It noted that outbound leisure de‐ mand is recovering strongly as coun‐ tries are starting to remove travel re‐ strictions however, demand from inbound leisure and business travel remains suppressed by the testing and quarantine requirements that
Levelling Up IN February the British Government published its Levelling Up the UK White Paper recognising that the huge spread of towns and cities is a major problem. It could do worse than look at Spain, where according to the Organ‐ isation for Economic Co‐operation and Development, some 65 per cent of the population live in flats whilst in the UK the figure is just 15 per cent. The fact that so many people in the UK live in houses means that the population is spread more widely which in turn makes commuting to work longer, more expensive and of‐ ten more difficult. Cities like Barcelona, although large, are much more densely popu‐ lated and have a number of car free areas which means that getting pub‐ lic transport from one place to anoth‐ er is quicker, easier and often cheap‐ er. London is really the exception that tests the rule as it now sprawls in all directions, but does at least have a transport system which covers the majority of its suburbs. A STRONG economic bounce back in the UK during January may be short lived, warned a industry expert as the Office for National Statistics re‐ vealed that the economy grew by 0.8 per cent compared with a 0.2 per cent contraction in December. Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chamber of Commerce, said on Friday, March 11, the day the figures were released: “While there was a strong rebound in output in January as the impact of Omicron started to ease, the figures have been pushed into the rear‐view mir‐
are still in place in nearly two‐thirds of the markets it serves. While the management of the air‐ port hopes that these requirements will be removed, they now face headwinds from higher fuel prices, longer flight times to destinations impacted by airspace closures, con‐ cerns from US travellers over war in Europe and the likelihood of new ‘Variants of Concern’, which togeth‐ er create huge uncertainty over the passenger forecasts this year. Based on the strength of out‐ bound leisure bookings being report‐ ed by airlines, peak days in the sum‐ mer holidays could be very busy, at
up to 85 per cent of pre‐pandemic levels, but this is likely to feel even busier at check in because of the ad‐ ditional pre‐departure checks. If correct, this is higher than cur‐ rent airline, handler and airport ca‐ pacity, so they say that they are putting passengers first by gearing up across the airport for peak de‐ mand, working with airlines to re‐ duce check in times and recruiting 12,000 new staff In addition, Terminal 4 will be re‐ opened before July but for incoming passengers there is a fear over Bor‐ der Force’s ability to scale up to meet demand.
Why purchase a Golden Leaves funeral plan? PLANNING our funeral isn’t some‐ thing we think about very often, but with a Golden Leaves funeral plan ev‐ erything is taken care of in advance. Purchasing a funeral plan with Gold‐ en Leaves enables you to make your funeral arrangements and pay for them in advance, taking the stress away from your loved ones at an al‐ ready difficult time. In purchasing a Golden Leaves pre‐paid funeral plan, you can enjoy peace of mind and a range of benefits, removing the emotional burden from your family and loved ones ‐ particularly if you reside in a foreign country. A funeral plan with Golden Leaves
THE Minister of Industry, Com‐ merce and Tourism, Reyes Maro‐ to, formally closed HIP Horeca 2022, the Spanish hospitality in‐ dustry’s largest professional trade fair in Madrid on March 9. The hospitality industry was deeply impacted by the Covid‐19 pandemic and lockdown, but after seeing a number of establish‐ ments go to the wall in 2020 and 2021, things are beginning to look up. With 500 exhibitors and some 35,000 visitors this, the sixth HIP show to be held, attracted a record number of visitors and next stop for the organisers will be in Ibiza later in March. It is hoped the coming summer should see the return of foreign visitors, boosting businesses even more.
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Economic problems ror by renewed domestic and global shocks, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Consumer facing services firms enjoyed a particularly strong start to the year, following the partial re‐ lease of pent‐up customer demand as concerns over Omicron started to fade. “UK’s economy could stall in the near term as rising inflation, soaring
Madrid trade fair
energy bills and higher taxes increas‐ ingly drag on activity, despite a prob‐ able boost to output in February from the end of Plan B Covid restric‐ tions,” Thiru said. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased the risk of a recession in the UK by exacerbating the already acute inflationary squeeze on con‐ sumers and businesses and derailing the supply of critical commodities to
ONE of the traditional homes for investment at times of crisis sees money moving into gold. Although it did rise following the invasion of Ukraine and reached an all‐time high of €1,849, it has dipped and then recovered slightly sitting at around the €1,829 per ounce mark as of Mon‐ day, March 14. Many, including US politicians fear that the Russian Government has been stockpiling gold for at least a decade and already pro‐ duces 80 per cent of all European gold. Moves are afoot to try to ban the sale of Russian gold as Putin could cut the market price by up to a third if he decided to unload large volumes to pay for the inva‐ sion of Ukraine. many sectors of the economy. “Raising interest rates and taxes at this time would weaken the UK’s growth prospects further, by under‐ mining confidence and diminishing households’ and firms’ finances. “We urge the Chancellor to use the upcoming Spring Statement to tackle the cost‐of‐doing‐business cri‐ sis by delaying the National Insur‐ ance rise and committing to no fur‐ ther policy measures that will increase costs for business for the re‐ mainder of this Parliament,” he added.
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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 14
COMPANY PRICE(P) 3I Group 1.280,50 Abrdn 199,60 Admiral Group 2.672,0 Anglo American 3.740,0 Antofagasta 1.574,50 Ashtead Group 5.030,0 Associated British Foods 1.759,5 AstraZeneca 9.344,0 Auto Trader Group Plc 638,00 Avast 640,80 Aveva 2.526,0 Aviva 417,60 B&M European Value Retail 544,60 BAE Systems 741,40 Bank VTB DRC 0,010 Barclays 167,34 Barratt Developments 559,20 Berkeley 3.922,0 BHP Billiton Ltd 2.581,00 BP 357,70 British American Tobacco 3.016,8 British Land Company 506,60 BT Group 176,00 Bunzl 2.777,0 Burberry Group 1.579,0 Carnival 1.249,1 Centrica 76,54 Coca Cola HBC AG 1.617,0 Compass 1.673,50 CRH 3.255,0 Croda Intl 6.858,0 DCC 5.756,0 Diageo 3.390,0 DS Smith 318,94 EasyJet 508,60 Experian 2.834,0 Ferguson 11.425,0 Flutter Entertainment 8.956,0 Fresnillo 708,20 GlaxoSmithKline 1.541,20 Glencore 494,30 Halma 2.374,0 Hargreaves Lansdown 1.049,70 Hikma Pharma 2.013,00 HSBC 487,15 IAG 137,81 Imperial Brands 1.535,00 Informa 550,80 InterContinental 5.018,0
CHANGE(P) 1.282,00 200,30 2.709,0 3.872,5 1.583,00 5.042,0 1.773,0 9.365,0 647,00 643,20 2.546,0 419,40 554,20 749,60 0,010 167,82 565,20 3.926,0 2.620,50 364,65 3.073,5 512,00 176,25 2.784,0 1.579,0 1.271,0 77,04 1.632,0 1.693,00 3.280,0 6.916,0 5.804,0 3.395,8 320,00 512,80 2.847,0 11.465,0 9.118,0 722,00 1.548,80 505,50 2.384,0 1.054,10 2.018,00 490,25 139,90 1.539,50 554,20 5.114,0
% CHG. 1.250,00 194,80 2.594,0 3.734,0 1.543,60 4.931,0 1.711,0 9.249,0 637,80 640,00 2.500,0 412,50 541,60 737,20 0,010 163,22 551,00 3.831,0 2.565,00 355,10 2.973,5 501,80 172,40 2.741,0 1.547,5 1.233,6 75,96 1.558,5 1.661,50 3.181,0 6.744,0 5.730,0 3.366,7 308,13 496,50 2.795,0 11.085,0 8.884,0 703,40 1.534,60 489,05 2.355,0 1.040,52 1.988,00 482,25 134,96 1.517,00 547,20 4.997,0
NET VOL 113,29K 593,03K 211,49K 625,20K 29,84K 85,77K 95,26K 279,83K 19,91K 78,24K 20,09K 1,08M 301,15K 360,83K 0 6,12M 487,40K 30,50K 942,22K 4,75M 780,97K 124,35K 2,17M 64,00K 133,32K 143,47K 1,00M 179,05K 259,03K 176,85K 22,16K 31,20K 25,36K 163,15K 785,90K 131,80K 74,76K 46,41K 353,55K 499,97K 8,60M 47,40K 9,49K 38,66K 245,41K 8,59M 218,61K 471,41K 56,92K
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
1.601,50 4.910,0 85,50 254,80 1.917,5 754,40 264,40 46,91 7.526,0 760,00 128,60 1.461,00 1.115,60 214,00 6.266,0 1,89 1.170,00 2.267,2 634,80 1.076,00 5.653,0 2.114,00 480,40 618,00 5.367,0 96,65 0,60 669,20 1.410,50 0,0453 3.063,0 877,79 1.297,50 2.810,0 1.941,0 1.213,00 1.453,00 12.055,0 1.663,50 1.358,50 491,60 138,05 272,50 237,70 3.394,1 1.045,50 120,82 2.704,0 1.008,50
CHANGE(P)
% CHG.
NET VOL
1.617,00 4.916,0 87,94 256,90 1.930,0 764,00 267,30 47,23 7.544,0 761,80 129,05 1.462,50 1.119,20 214,60 6.294,0 1,89 1.199,21 2.300,0 649,20 1.090,50 5.681,0 2.116,00 482,30 624,91 5.522,0 97,24 0,60 670,40 1.411,00 0,0453 3.072,0 901,60 1.301,50 2.847,0 1.959,0 1.214,00 1.457,00 12.130,0 1.670,00 1.370,50 496,50 139,25 273,25 240,50 3.404,3 1.053,50 121,00 2.755,0 1.022,00
1.571,00 4.840,0 85,24 253,62 1.904,0 749,60 261,70 46,16 7.418,0 756,20 124,65 1.427,50 1.101,20 210,60 6.150,0 1,89 1.164,20 2.216,8 626,00 1.066,00 5.591,0 2.089,00 471,80 616,60 5.330,0 93,94 0,60 660,80 1.401,50 0,0453 3.003,0 870,00 1.290,00 2.795,8 1.926,2 1.194,50 1.432,50 11.920,0 1.648,50 1.338,50 487,60 135,75 269,85 235,10 3.364,9 1.029,00 119,20 2.679,0 1.001,50
40,42K 15,28K 2,23M 125,20K 37,75K 178,50K 1,78M 16,02M 45,54K 35,94K 1,95M 144,72K 469,86K 1,67M 25,65K 0 28,05K 103,98K 791,56K 689,92K 166,93K 729,36K 443,61K 18,13K 552,24K 6,50M 0 117,77K 1,70K 0 92,21K 638,74K 130,42K 3,93K 2,02M 328,63K 37,11K 19,01K 205,54K 49,71K 698,76K 2,24M 1,78M 1,90M 35,58K 207,27K 6,91M 31,08K 509,12K
1.19043
0.83962
Units per €
US dollar (USD) ........................................1.0960 Japan yen (JPY)........................................129.11 Switzerland franc (CHF) ...........................1.0251 Denmark kroner (DKK) .............................7.4408 Norway kroner (NOK) ...............................9.8154
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 M ARCH 14
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 140,96 167,90 228,85 154,73 176,23 214,83 170,90 54,69 57,92 60,91 327,00 316,79 182,24 123,96 45,83 169,35 128,89 226,87 78,26 280,07 122,63 143,22 197,90 173,73 482,87 53,04 196,71 47,44 142,07 131,75
CHANGE 144,48 172,31 230,03 159,28 184,86 217,77 172,98 56,21 58,85 62,49 336,61 321,79 186,93 126,77 47,28 171,46 134,08 229,11 79,63 289,51 127,87 146,16 204,77 175,95 493,80 53,58 200,84 48,97 144,05 136,16
CHANGE% VOLUME(M) 140,83 3,95M 167,63 2,69M 226,77 2,64M 154,50 95,07M 175,95 9,22M 212,30 3,96M 165,88 28,31M 54,60 19,83M 57,86 19,85M 60,87 6,11M 326,71 2,58M 316,23 2,96M 182,03 2,63M 123,91 4,11M 45,76 26,27M 169,02 5,12M 128,42 19,41M 224,20 6,06M 78,20 8,54M 279,43 27,01M 122,51 5,79M 143,03 7,03M 197,63 5,09M 173,44 1,39M 482,51 2,61M 53,01 19,42M 196,46 5,43M 47,38 5,73M 141,88 6,35M 131,57 6,94M M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 14
COMPANY
CHANGE NET / %
VOLUME
+89.40% +49.29% +45.04% +42.59% +40.82% +37.63% +37.38% +36.70% +33.07% +32.95% +26.17%
89.91M 7.21M 182.03M 25.60M 36.96M 205.50K 7.04M 16.79M 15.97M 0.54K 230.25M
-45.75% -44.08% -38.24% -36.32% -35.46% -32.68% -32.04% -30.39% -30.00% -29.28% -27.66%
5.80M 240.43M 109.76K 91.15M 28.63K 85.92M 3.93M 836.02K 1.20K 2.96M 22.05M
Most Advanced Marygold Companies Terawulf Guardforce AI Clearside Biomedical Excellon Resources Inc. 4D Pharma ADR Solid Biosciences Altamira Therapeutics Kala Pharma Incannex Healthcare ADR Mullen Automotive
Most Declined Orphazyme Didi Global Zhongchao RLX Technology Zanite Acquisition Exela Tech Tuya LiveVox Holdings LiveVox Holdings Unit Indonesia Energy Imperial Petroleum
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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Glovo back in Ukraine DELIVERY group Glovo has partially resumed opera‐ tions in Ukraine, in order to provide essential services in 20 cities across the country, including Kyiv. The company announced on March 9 that its objec‐ tive is to provide humanitar‐ ian support and offer essen‐ tial logistics to those in need, connecting customers and couriers with partner restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores and NGOs. Glovo does not seek and will not have any financial gains from these services in Ukraine and waives com‐ mission and delivery fees to partners, NGOs and phar‐ macies. Additionally, while all us‐ er delivery fees remain, they will be donated through a Ukraine‐based NGO, Come Back Alive, which looks to support the Ukrainian society. Given the current circum‐ stances, the active couriers’ compensation has been adapted to ensure they can support themselves and their families and all couri‐ ers are covered by local and global insurance. Since operations resumed in Ukraine, nearly 10,000 or‐ ders were delivered in a sin‐ gle week, with nearly 1,000 active stores and more than 700 couriers operating so far. Originally founded in Spain, Glovo has seen huge expansion and the majority
Credit: Glovo
PROVIDING SUPPORT: Back delivering in the Ukraine.
of shares were purchased by Germany’s Delivery Hero early in 2022. Meanwhile, in Spain, a war of words has broken out between Uber Eats and Glovo after the Uber deliv‐ ery arm wrote to the Span‐ ish Government saying that it cannot recruit sufficient couriers. It alleges that whilst it is complying completely with the requirement to ensure workers are contracted, Glovo still allows some to be registered as self em‐ ployed and they can then choose to work only in the most lucrative hours of the day. According to a report by IBTimes, a spokesperson for Glovo rejected this claim and said that it complied with the law.
Backing circular economy THE European Investment Bank (EIB) is to provide a €20 million loan to Hinojosa, a recycled paper and packaging solutions company in Xativa Valencia. The company is dedicated to supporting what is known as the circular economy so that everything it produces can be recycled thus reducing waste to a bare minimum. The long‐term loan will allow Hinojosa to mod‐ ernise or upgrade equipment in its eight Spanish fac‐ tories and part will be spent on digitisation and in‐ stallation of solar power to reduce its CO2 footprint. Although introducing new technology, the com‐ pany also expects to increase its work force in the future.
BUSINESS EXTRA Mango profits SPANISH clothing store Mango which has been in the financial dol‐ drums for some time, has reported that 2021 delivered its highest profits in almost a decade, with a net profit of €67 million, more than three times the €21 million reported be‐ fore the pandemic hit.
Bonus back THE John Lewis Group which owns Waitrose has undertaken to pay staff a bonus after cutting it completely during the pandemic, although di‐ rectors have offered to give theirs to charity. In addition, it will ensure all employees earn the mini‐ mum real living wage.
European hotspot THE president of the Jun‐ ta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno told the Por‐ tuguese News Agency LUSA that he believes the Algarve, Alentejo and An‐ dalucia regions can be‐ come the next economic hotspot within Europe in less than three decades thanks to planned future cooperation.
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38 EWN
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LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT PERHAPS if the UK hadn’t packed hotels and facilities across the country with thousands of young, mobile toting young males from the Middle East, they would be able to cope more easily with genuine fellow Europeans seeking refuge from the Ukraine? These physically fit boat people are still costing the country millions of British pounds a day. Most have not one ounce of gratitude in their whole self‐entitled bodies. Quite the reverse, many have complained that their food and accommodation is not up to standard. Ha! What standard? I thought they had all come from the rubble of war‐torn starving countries? This whole politically instigated exercise is an unmitigated disaster. If it wasn’t so dangerous it would be almost laughable. A short time ago, I pointed out that these young men, with their Nike trainers and remarkable absence of female compatriots ‐ who had purportedly trekked for miles with no visible access to food or financial support ‐ all looked remarkably fit and presumably could afford large sums of money to pay the people smugglers for their boats and ‘travel arrangements’. It was my opinion
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Selfish that someone had to be footing the bill. I suggested that Putin could be one contender interested in seeking to install a sleeper army into the UK. Imagine my surprise and indeed consternation when, a few days ago, it was revealed that Putin was negotiating with countries in the Middle East to supply young fighting conscripts to join up with his troops in the Ukraine. It was also disclosed that large numbers had already signed up. Coincidence? Somehow, I think not. It will be interesting to see if, in the weeks ahead, the numbers of young ‘refugees’ in Calais is significantly reduced. This would be a sure sign that this potential army is being temporarily diverted to other areas, where their services are more urgently required. Just saying. Somewhat conveniently lost in the initial pandemic panic of 2020, the Relationships and Sex Education for children (RSE) quietly became mandatory in British State Schools. On the face of it this idea sounds an intelligent and beneficial scheme, set to deal with many of the issues that beset
youngsters born into the 21st century. That is of course until you look more carefully into this heavily woked and often child abusive piece of British Government educative legislation. To be honest there is far too much of it to include here. This is a short list of subjects that have been introduced into the classrooms of the innocents. It includes lessons on being ‘born in the wrong body’ which teaches children as young as six to ‘reject themselves; lessons about how friendship and sexual attraction are the same; teaching ‘gender equality’ to tots as young as four and lessons about masturbation recommended for six‐year‐olds! Anyone feeling angry yet? Don’t tell me these people aren’t dangerous. In my opinion they should all be locked up. Keep the Faith. Love Leapy leaplee2002@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
Netflix - Pieces of Her NEW Netflix series Pieces of Her, starring the incredible Toni Collette (About A Boy) as Laura Oliver, has not received great reviews on Rotten Toma‐ toes ‐ with a critic rating of 50 per cent and an audience rat‐ ing of 39 per cent ‐ and I have to agree that there were too few pieces of her to make up the final puzzle. I was hooked on the eight‐ part series Pieces of Her during the first episode, which sees Laura and her daughter Andy Oliver, played by Bella Heath‐ cote (The Neon Demon), in‐ volved in a mass shooting at a restaurant. Laura brutally slices the neck of the shooter to pro‐ tect Andy, resulting in world‐ wide attention ‐ something that could cost Laura and Andy their lives. But my interest began to fade with each episode. Andy goes down the rabbit hole to find out where her mother learnt her impressive assassination skills and the real truth behind Laura’s incredibly wealthy family and her past ‐ queue flashbacks and disjoint‐ ed scenes that are synonymous
with the genre of a mystery thriller. However, Pieces of Her holds back too much, ending up in the series being some‐ what frustrating, with too much information being held back to feel like you have any idea of what is actually happening and why. With so many twists and turns, that probably make more sense in the hit book by Karin Slaughter that the series is based on, by the time you start figuring out what is going on, which doesn’t happen until around episode five, it is difficult to stay interested in the narra‐ tive and the characters. The brilliant acting carries this series, Toni Collette can do no wrong in my opinion, and this isn’t a narrative that you can easily dip in and out of or watch casually because of the intrica‐ cies of the story. If you like mys‐ tery dramas and have spare time then it’s worth a watch, however, you may come away disappointed and feeling a bit flat. You can stream Pieces of Her on Netflix now.
FEATURE
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17 - 23 March 2022
EWN 39
Ukraine crisis is a wake-up call for the West rather than flattery. Like his attempt to lead white Siberian cranes towards their winter habitat when he flew a microlight dressed in white to fool the birds. And finished up look‐ ing more like a character from Bowie’s Space Odyssey phase. As for the brave Ukrainians, their best prospect is that they’ll eventually drive the Russians out of their ravaged country and we in the West can then help rebuild. Ukraine’s agony has bought us time. Hopefully, the West will use that time to ready our defences, so that Russia (or China) will no longer be able to dismiss our capability to look after our in‐ terests. Meanwhile ‘Slava Ukraini!’
NORA JOHNSON BREAKING VIEWS Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson
AS a columnist you ask yourself, in the wake of Putin’s merciless invasion, whether you had better write about Ukraine, because it is all anyone wants to read about, or whether you had better not, because it is the one thing nobody wants to read about. I have avoided writing about Ukraine, not because I don’t care, but the opposite. I have close friends there whose future is frighten‐ ingly uncertain since the primary fear is what a cornered Vladimir Putin might do. There is a sense that nothing makes sense, nothing can be predicted, because he follows no logic that standard politicians would apply. But then this former KGB agent is no stan‐ dard politician. Just look at how carefully he’s polished his public image as a ‘caring’ man of adventure, frequently appearing bare‐chest‐ ed for cameras. He’s been shown wrestling heroically with a python after it ‘escaped’ from a Moscow zoo. Tranquilising a tiger, Nora Johnson’s opinions
UKRAINE: Hopefully they will drive the Russians out of their ravaged country.
Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Sentinel’, ‘No Safe Place’, ‘Be‐ trayal’, ‘The Girl in the Woods’, ‘The Girl in the Red Dress’, ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora‐johnson.net) available online as eBook (€0.99; £0.99), Ap‐ ple Books, paperback and audiobook.All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
putting a tracking collar on a polar bear and the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea and, amazing‐ using a crossbow to extract tissue from a ly, immediately ‘discovered’ fragments of two whale. ancient Greek urns ‐ later admitted as a total To read more articles from our columnists He’s posed topless riding a horse in Siberia set up. and to have your say in the comments go and flown on a fighter jet, a bomber and an Indeed, Putin’s more recent stunts seem to to www.euroweeklynews.com amphibious firefighting aircraft. He dived into have misfired and ended up the subject of fun are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
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FEATURE
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CLAIRE GORDON FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNEVEN WORLD THERE will almost always be times when you can find yourself agreeing with someone who usu‐ ally holds wildly differing viewpoints from your own. A person could be from the other end of the political spectrum with ways of thinking that don’t align with yours but there still may be some things that, at the core, you make the same judgement on. This is just the way of the world. To rail against holding any matching beliefs at all with people you may not particularly like just be‐ cause of who they are is limiting to all involved. Shutting out all of the opinions of another per‐ son based solely on who they are closes the door on any learning opportu‐ nities for both parties. Unless the view being put forth is harmful or the person has had multi‐ ple chances to join a dis‐ cussion and has not learned anything or grown, then I will try my
17 - 23 March 2022
Cross-sections utmost to stay open to what they have to say. Looking at things from different angles can en‐ hance your own opinion, help you understand oth‐ er people’s reasoning, or even find places of com‐ mon ground to begin to work out from. Shouting down others has become a thing that is rewarded in modern society. The loudest speaker claims the most authority in a world in which arrogance is king and complex thinkers are not held in high regard when this type of culture is allowed to prevail. Ad‐ mitting ignorance in some areas and asking questions to better un‐ derstand a situation is looked down upon as a sign of weakness when it really should be lauded as an attempt to be a better person. Invented tribal lines prevent people from learning more about each
other and becoming a more well‐rounded ver‐ sion of themselves in the process. Ego holds peo‐ ple back from listening to opposing viewpoints and assessing if there are oth‐ er valid points they could take on board at all. Many people don’t want to join in discus‐ sions in case they are cor‐ rected or held to account for what they are saying. Others overreact to con‐ structive criticism and then undercorrect as a result, meaning they don’t grow and learn as much as they could with‐ in the opportunity given. When discussion and debate feel like an attack on your ego, you only take in small amounts of information and dismiss the rest, when it could be something that helps you think clearer about a sub‐ ject. Holding space for lis‐ tening to others, sharing schools of thought and
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.
not becoming defensive over any difference of opinion is a skill we all need to carry on develop‐
ing throughout our lives. It is something that isn’t encouraged by modern society, so it is up to us
EWN 41
to find ways to conduct ourselves in this manner as we interact with each other. The best way to learn more and be confi‐ dent in your convictions is to understand a situa‐ tion from many direc‐ tions, which will never happen when swathes of information are cut off completely.
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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.
SCAM OR SALES? I WAS interested in your item on page 3 of the current edition of your informative newspaper. It may be just coincidence, but this sounds very much like the approach that I have encountered a number of times over recent years, here on Gata Residencial. Young men turn up and ring my doorbell and notwithstanding that I have a number of signs indicating that I already have an alarm system, they try to sell me a new one. When I say, no thanks, they offer to demonstrate the problems that my system suffers from. These guys represent Securitas Direct, and there are always a number of them blitzing our Urbanisation with their sales pitch. They seem to be quite successful, as a number of houses in my neighbourhood, whose houses already had an alarm system, are now showing their signs. Regards. Ken
Praise for Leapy Dear Sir Just read your March 10/16 weekly sermon and had to write and say WELL DONE, my sentiments exactly !! I applaud you for saying what many think but do not/are not able to express in the mainstream media. Your column is a brief glimpse of
SALES PITCH: Offering to demonstrate problems with current system.
sanity in a topsy turvey world. Would that you could advise/order the politicians etc who govern the ordinary persons’ lives to such an extent. Leapy Lee THANK YOU Sid
Long time plan Hi, What is happening in Ukraine is something that Putin had been planning for a long time. KGB has spies in all our countries, speaking the language as natives, without accent. Pity some guards at the border treated Africans and overseas students without pity. Beating Africans and as-
UNWELCOME STRIKE AFTER the travails of the last two years and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine, what do we need next? A transport strike! Drivers’ unions complain that they are badly affected by the rising price of fuel which is why they need to take strike action. But the main losers will be the general public who have had to put up with so much since the start of the pandemic. Every business and every household suffer from the rise in energy prices, be it gas, electricity or fuel, but when most of the country was in lockdown and those in the hospitality industry had no work, drivers were still able follow their trade. Certainly, some of their demands which include not having to unload deliveries, monitored rest stops and retirement at 60 are not unreasonable and the right to strike is important in any democracy, but timing is essential.
CORRECTIONS
From our Facebook
king the students for money to board the buses, some buses with empty seats. They walked for four nights and when they arrived in Poland, they were treated as human beings. Welcomed, fed, wounds treated and a bed. Embassies were informed. This was not reported by BBC, but French and Belgian TV. Putin had Trump in his pocket. On a visit to Russia, Putin knew Trump’s weakness, WOMEN. I leave you to imagine the rest. Our Leaders are being protective of us. Do we want to die of nerve poisoning? Regards SA
OUR VIEW
In this case, it seems that the unions are using the general public as a tool to influence the government and already there have been some signs of panic with certain goods unavailable and queues at some petrol stations. At the moment, what we need is some relief from the misery and encouragement for overseas visitors to return to Spain, but if an indefinite strike does cause genuine shortages in Spain, then tourists will simply opt to go to other holiday destinations. Hopefully, this situation will be resolved quickly although the Spanish government can do little about the price of fuel, unless it decides to take a cut in tax. Some slightly encouraging news is that the United Arab Emirates intends to increase production which would cut the wholesale price of crude oil.
UKRAINE PRESIDENT: Does he deserve to get a knighthood?
Theresa Attwood Oh give it a break. From videos and news articles I’ve seen, from what the Ukraine army did to people from 2004, that all gets hushed up, ever thought that’s why Putin has gone in. Bloody joke.
Jay Denton Oh give it a break, has any of these over inflated MPs seen his record before this war? Ukraine has long been regarded as the most corrupt country in Europe.
Helen Jordan How many leaders would stand by their people and fight. Anyone else would be giving orders safely away from all of it. Well done to this amazing man.
Victoria Lynn Absolute hero, visiting wounded soldiers in hospitals while the evil imbecile who caused this war is hidden away!
Robert Miller Snr What for, he made a wrong call, this war was very avoidable, more debate should have taken place and the concern Russia had for its borders and military and rocket bases being built on the borders guarantee request by Russia were not given by Nato who are basically run by the USA Democratic Party, which escalated this atrocity.
Sheila Hounslow I think he would rather support and freedom at the moment. Those tongs come later .
At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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FEATURE
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EWN 47
Advertising Feature
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48 EWN
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
Mould and allergies Mature skin: Make-up MOULD and dampness on the walls of a home can trigger allergies and other health problems, and it is important to keep them un‐ der control. In older houses or in hous‐ es with poor insulation, dampness and mould can appear on the walls. Many people think that this is mainly an aesthetic prob‐ lem, but it can have serious consequences for your health. The main problem with mould is that it releases spores, which can enter the body when they are touched or inhaled and cause various types of irrita‐ tions and infections. Mould on the walls mostly affects the respiratory tract, but other organs, such as the eyes or the digestive system, can also be affected. This is especially danger‐ ous for people who already suffer from certain condi‐ tions, such as those who are immunosuppressed or who suffer from asthma or fungal
RESPIRATORY TRACT: Can be affected by mould on walls.
allergies. These people may experience nasal conges‐ tion, wheezing and redness and itching of the eyes or skin. Mould is also thought to promote the develop‐ ment of asthma in children when they are exposed at an early age. Once mould appears, there is no way to complete‐ ly eliminate all of the fungus or spores, but its growth can be controlled. This is mainly
achieved by controlling the humidity, but first, the af‐ fected area must be thor‐ oughly cleaned and any leaks that may be causing the wall to become damp must be repaired. The relative humidity in the room needs to be be‐ tween 30 per cent and 60 per cent, which can be achieved through ventila‐ tion, dehumidifiers and, if necessary, better insulation.
OUR skin naturally changes over the years. Of course, make‐up can be enjoyed at any age, but some tech‐ niques that work well on younger skin may be less effective on more mature skin. Moisturiser and sun pro‐ tection This step is essential for all ages. For mature skin, choose a moisturiser that is quickly absorbed and contains prop‐ erties that help to plump and smooth the skin. Also, whether winter or summer, keeping your face protected from the sun’s rays will make all the difference. Foundation and conceal‐ er Opt for a light liquid foun‐ dation. Using a dense, high‐ coverage foundation may make your skin look stiff and wrinkles and pores may look even more obvious. The same goes for conceal‐ er, so apply it subtly and sparingly. Powder Using too much will make
LIPSTICK: Avoid matte as this can damage the lips’ skin.
your face look stiff and overly matte. Choose a translucent powder that gives just the right amount of hold and spread a small amount very evenly. Blending Blending is essential. Use a good brush or a sponge that will not absorb too much product. Always use small strokes, preferably in upward or circular move‐ ments. Eyes Well‐defined eyebrows
can lift and frame the face. Give them body and shape with an eyebrow gel, pencil or powder. Lifting the eye‐ lashes by curling them and using a good mascara will give them life, volume and length. Lips You can play around as much as you like here, but try to avoid very mat‐ te or drying lipsticks, as this is unflattering and can damage the skin on your lips.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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17 - 23 March 2022
Dealing with scabies OUTBREAKS of scabies are most common in nursing homes, university resi‐ dences and day‐care cen‐ tres. Increasingly, however, they are seen in hospitals and private homes. Luckily, it is possible to stop the spread of scabies by proper‐ ly washing all surfaces and fabrics. What to do if you have scabies 1. Do not be embar‐ rassed to seek medical help. Scabies has nothing to do with hygiene and can affect people of all ages and in‐ come levels. 2. Everyone you had close contact with should have treatment. Sometimes people do not have any signs of scabies even though there are mites on their skin, and symptoms may take two to six weeks to ap‐ pear. 3. Take a bath or show‐ er before applying the cream. Apply the cream to
TREATMENT: Wash all your clothes, bedding and towels in hot water and dry in a dryer.
clean, dry skin and leave it for eight to 14 hours. It is most convenient to apply it at bedtime and wash it off in the morning. 4. Apply the cream to your whole body, from your neck to your toes. This in‐ cludes the skin around your
nails, the crease between your buttocks, and the skin between your toes. Reapply the cream to your hands ev‐ ery time you wash them. 5. The first day of treat‐ ment, wash all clothes, bed‐ ding and towels in hot wa‐ ter. If possible, dry
everything in a dryer. Things that cannot be washed in a washing machine can be taken to a dry cleaner or sealed in a plastic bag for at least a week. You should al‐ so vacuum your entire home, including rugs and upholstered furniture.
EWN 49
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Advertising Feature
Helen’s Trucks
BIG ON QUALITY LOW ON PRICE
HELEN’S TRUCKS has been in business now for over 20 years and is based in Crevillente and they specialise in smaller loads and light removals, moving goods between the UK and Spain. They are now utilising their newly aquired Spanish vehicle which has just been sign written too. They bring that personal touch to transporting your belongings from A to B. Helen and Kevin, who make up the team at Helen’s Trucks along with Barry and Trevor, have said the market has changed significantly from the peak a few years ago when so many more people were moving to Spain from the UK. Now they find that most people are leaving the bulk of their furniture and white goods in their property when they sell and are looking to transport only the most precious of their belongings and heirlooms back with them when they return to the UK. They also offer competitive storage rates, at their warehouse ,which is fully insured and alarmed. At Helen’s Trucks it is a personal, friendly, quality service their customers get. Helen and Kevin both believe it is very important to meet their customers face to face even when
A personal, friendly, quality service.
giving those initial estimates. “That way we can find out what the customer really wants and needs,” said Helen. That helps build up trust with their customers that they can safely leave their treasured possessions in safe hands Wrapping and packing can be undertaken by Helen’s Trucks, but if you prefer then they can supply all the necessary cartons, paper and tape for you to do the work yourself. Communication with their customers is another key element to success at Helen’s Trucks ensuring their clients are kept abreast of the situation. They will also help guide you, through the new paperwork for Customs, going to the UK and also to Spain.
You can contact Helen’s Trucks on 965 400 616 or 667 815 081 and email at helenstrucks1@yahoo.co.uk. There is also a website at www.helenstrucks.com and on Facebook at Helens Trucks.
FEATURE
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Listen to me being grumpy! MIKE SENKER IN MY OPINION Views of a Grumpy Old Man I WROTE about this previously but now it’s getting ridiculous how products, like bars of chocolate, ice creams, packets of crisps, actually everything, really are getting smaller and smaller for the same money. Now it’s getting even worse because now they have got so small, they can’t make them any smaller, they are actually having to put the prices up because of choose your reason - Covid-19, Brexit, Russia or China. All these companies are making huge profits, and I mean many, many millions in net profit, yet they still keep rooking Joe Public and the real reason is because they have to keep shareholders happy. I am really concerned about what is going on generally. It’s like maybe the people that were considered crackpots a year or so ago, because of all their conspiracy theories, are now making a little bit of sense. The price of fuel is crazy. I mean last year we couldn’t drive five kilometres because of Covid. This year we can’t even afford to drive five kilomtres because of Russia. Roman Abramovich has lost his stake in Chelsea because of his connections with Putin
which was fine for the 20 years before. The UK government has been fully aware of all the hooky money that was being funnelled into the UK but just didn’t care. All of a sudden, it’s got to be confiscated. It should never have been allowed in the first place but the scumbag politicians turned a blind eye because of the backhanders flying about. So, who is going to suffer? The Chelsea fans, of course, because I can assure you Abramovich won’t be that bothered. Some of the hysteria about banning Russian products and people are crazy too. Two Strictly Come Dancing professionals are allegedly to be banned. A Royal Opera House summer season of the Bolshoi Ballet had been in the final stages of planning, but now is not going to happen. Hopefully the madness will be over soon. There seems to be a competition on social media, that when someone famous dies, who is first to get their RIP message on Insta or Twitter. Piers Morgan, I think, is top of the leader board at the moment. He really is a total knob head. I wouldn’t mind a few emails of your thoughts and I’m on Talk Radio Europe on Friday March 18 at 11.30 CET being grumpy. Listen and call in and we can chat. Email: mikesenker@gmail.com
Mike’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
17 - 23 March 2022
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FEATURE
Here’s a pótpourri of island news - mostly good LETTER FROM
CANARIES DEAR reader, Fingers crossed that during the in‐ terval between me writing this and your kind perusal of it, the megalo‐ maniac with his finger on the nuclear button gets struck by lightning. We need divine retribution here. Our leaders are incapable of action. In‐ credibly, thousands of innocent peo‐ ple will die because of him. Have you seen his dead eyes? We’re in trouble. I alternate between ostriching the whole disaster and making plans for a well supplied bunker. Looking at the planet’s prevailing winds to see how safe we’d be here from fallout was a bad move. Nobody’s really safe. Heading out of pandemic and vol‐ cano frying pans into the apocalypse fire, hoping for the best with spring’s advance visible everywhere, life in the Canaries continues apace.
GOOD NEWS: The volcanic ash can be used for other purposes.
Here’s a pòtpourri of island news. May it distract you from larger issues beyond our control, although under‐ standing how one nutter sends gen‐ erations of innocent people to their deaths is incomprehesible. Forgive an ingenuous question: if eveybody said “No thanks, I’ll pass. Go yourself if you fancy a war,” could would‐be warmonger/s im‐ prison and punish a whole popula‐ tion for disobedience? Isn’t this all about lack of a united refusal, or is unity impossible with 50 per cent of
humans testosterone‐driven? Back to the news, mostly good. The islands are full of tourists finally able to travel, looking for safe winter sun. We’re so happy, we can hardly count. On the island of Lanazarote and tiny neighbour La Graciosa, a New‐ foundland dog called Urko, trained to save lives at sea, has joined the Emer‐ lan Canine Unit NGO, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on the islands. Newfoundlands can save up to six people and are capable of
towing small boats to safety. Also in Lanzarote, two Guinea‐Bis‐ sau passengers arriving at the island airport via Madrid were arrested for drug running when found to have swallowed 169 capsules containing nearly two kilos of cocaine between them. Vigilance at the airport was in‐ creased after three other ‘mules’ were arrested in January. The traditional Canarian role as in‐ tercontinental waystation between Europe, Africa and the Americas lives on. Cocaine comes from South America, not Africa’s west coast, and is destined for rich Europe. African ports are easier to enter with dubious cargoes than Eur‐ poean and, as for unfortunate mules, poor Africans are closer to
Europe than poor South Americans. La Palma’s recovery from the Cumbre Vieja volcano is a long story, but there’s some good news: once removed from property, fincas and natural landscapes, millions of tons of volcanic ash can be used for con‐ struction of new roads and buildings and as fertiliser. On El Hierro, the recovery of the island’s ancient giant lizard, Gallotia Simonyi Machadoi, prospers with the declaration of the present Re‐ covery Centre ‘Zoological Park’. Tenerife, currently in muted Car‐ naval mode, will shortly offer the Ca‐ naries’ first drive‐in cinema with a 650 car capacity and in Fuerteventu‐ ra concern grows in ever continuing drought, which is changing the is‐ land’s landscapes. Good luck to us all! Barbara Belt barbarabelt@gmail.com To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com
Barbara Belt’s opinions are her own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
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 head‐ ing back to normal, we challenge you to maintain that habit by supporting local high streets, markets, butchers, greengrocers and all of the wonderful‐ ly quirky independent businesses in your area. Local businesses make our villages, towns and cities what they are. They add unique character. They are conve‐ nient. And they offer excellent produce from known suppliers. The joy of shop‐ ping locally means that independent
businesses can support the local com‐ munity. You may find something a eu‐ ro or two cheaper online but have you considered where your money is actu‐ ally 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 genera‐
tions 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 businesses recirculate a greater share of every euro they receive at local level. They create locally owned supply chains and they invest in their employ‐ ees. So remember. When you go shopping ‐ go local!
54 EWN
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FEATURE
What story are you telling yourself?
ROBERT SHALLIS WHAT would you choose if you were promised guaranteed success in anything you decided to do? What story would you want to write about yourself in years to come looking back on life’s journey? Well, you can most certainly be the author of your life and begin writing and creating your own story right now. Many of us instead of allowing things to happen ‘for’ us, we simply allow things to happen ‘to’ us with the sentiment of ‘well, that’s just life, I guess’. To allow things to happen for us it’s important to understand that we are more in control of our lives than we think. Our outcomes in life are often a consequence of what we think we are capable of achieving and can therefore project us for‐ ward or for the most part, hold us back. It is all too easy to blame external circumstances to justify why we are not where we want to be in life which for many gives a certain level of acceptance, albeit, coupled with a
sense of discomfort and dissatisfac‐ tion and can leave us with that all too familiar thought of ‘what if?’ When we understand that we have more power and influence over our lives than we think, it becomes exciting as we then we begin to under‐ stand that we can create our own story and let go of the belief that it’s everyone else’s fault or something fur‐ ther stopping us from get‐ ting from where we are to where we want to be. When you begin to change one area or aspect in your life, other areas start to shift too which is uplifting and creates the momentum you need So, how do you start to rewrite your sto‐ ry? First‐
ly, let go of all previous negative as‐ sumptions you may have had be‐ fore, turn the page and start a fresh chapter of your book. Get your pen ready!
YOUR STORY: Be creative, but above all, be true to yourself.
Secondly, it’s helpful to under‐ stand that when we face an in‐ evitable challenge or problem, it can be productive to simply reframe it. Deciding that it’s not a dead end, it’s just part of the journey and by asking ourselves what lessons can be learnt from it will en‐ able progress by seeing it for what it really is. El‐ evating ourselves and focusing on the vision and outcome we desire rather than the per‐ ceived problems in get‐ ting there gives us more focus and drive. Thirdly, having a plan. Plans will help close the gap from the dream to the reality by way of taking action steps to‐ wards it. Rather than
feeling overwhelmed, taking some small steps will help create the path and generate a steady progressive realisation toward the end result. Fo‐ cusing less on the how and more on the amazing possibilities that lie ahead is a more engaging way to think. So, what story will you create, what action will you take to get there. You are your own author, what will you write? One of my fondest quotes is; “When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen.” There will of course be people who will influence, help and support you but ultimately, it is your story, it is your journey, it is your pen, so, be creative but above all, be true to yourself. www.robshallis.com (Certified professional life coach) To read more articles from our columnists and to have your say in the comments go to www.euroweeklynews.com
Robert Shallis’ opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.
SOCIAL SCENE
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Murdered to Death THE Actors Community Theatre (ACTS) is proud to present Murdered to Death, a play by Peter Gordon, at the Casa De Cultura in Benijofar on March 25 and 26. To say that the last two years have been diffi‐ cult for all performing societies in the area would be a massive understatement, but with a succes‐ sion of events unrelated to Covid‐19, the ACTS drama group have suffered the added setbacks of serious illness and the loss of several valuable members who, through necessity, have had to re‐ turn to the UK. Nevertheless, following a well‐received produc‐ tion in November and a very successful open evening for potential new members, ACTS are back to full strength with some new and exciting talent. Rehearsals for their latest play are pro‐ ceeding according to plan. Tickets are priced at €10 and are still available from the following out‐ lets: Cards & More, La Marina; The Post Box,
ACTS: Are now back to full strength.
Dona Pepa; The Card Shop, Benimar; The Post Room, Benijofar; Bargain Books, San Miguel; The Card & Gift Shop, Ciudad Quesada; Divitos by the 4 Amigos, Ciudad Quesada; The Gastro Bar, Av De la Costa Azul 2, Ciudad Quesada. Alternatively, tickets can be obtained via email at actstheatre@icloud.com, on the ACTS Actors Community Theatre Facebook page or via What‐ sApp at 602 683 925.
History of wine THE travelling exhibition, titled Alicante Wine: 3,000 Years of History, is at the Cases Mare de Deu in Elche until March 22. Visitors will learn all about the wines of Alicante which are served at all of the best establishments on the Costa Blan‐ ca. The exhibition is free of charge.
FREE: Visit this travelling exhibition.
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Dedicated to the artichoke THE seventh edition of the Na‐ tional Artichoke Congress will take place in Almoradi over the weekend of March 26 and 27. Both days are packed with ac‐ tivities dedicated to the arti‐ choke, including a market, exhi‐ bitions, food sampling, cooking demonstrations by top chefs, talks, musical performances, workshops for children and more. Note that participation in some activities may require pri‐ or registration, which can be done by emailing turismo@al moradi.es. More information and the full programme can be found on the town hall website at www.almoradi.es.
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Photography fest THE photographic exhibition Sit/Feel How‐ ever You Want (Sienta/ete como quieras) by Equipo Jalea is part of the international photography festival Photoalicante and will be at the Exhibition Hall at the Casa de Cultura in El Campello from March 18 to May 30. The inspiration for the exhibition is a soft and comfortable armchair on which to create a safe space to sit and rest. “This exhibition is a celebration of the importance of taking care of our inner pro‐ cesses; not covering them up, but giving them the space that they need and allow‐ ing them to take on their full meaning. It is about working with what we have in order to get closer to what we want,” according to the organisers. “Sit with your fears, your achievements, your doubts, your laughter and your sor‐ rows, and then sit with all versions of yourself and throw them a party,” they added.
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Fido staying home for the holidays? Who will watch him? IF you are planning a trip later this year you still need to plan early for pet and house‐sit‐ ters. Perhaps you are already making plans for a staycation get away. Even if you are planning just a short trip, you’ll know that you simply can’t travel with some pets. Young pets in particular may benefit from staying behind so they can follow their rou‐ tines at home. So, plan ahead. Take a moment to plan ahead for pet and house‐sit‐ ters, if you have trips planned later this year. Now is the time to get ready. We will help you as much as we can. Our philos‐ ophy is that we are all in this together. These are the steps to take: 1. Register as a home‐ owner on HouseSitMatch.com 2. Choose a Premium ac‐ count (£89 per year) to ensure you can help online when needed 3. Create a profile with photos of your pet and the house 4. Post a house‐sit advert stating your plans for next year’s holiday Covid permitting Do you need a pet‐sitter in 2022? Then get started right now. How does it work? HouseSitMatch can help you find suitable sitters. Join
our network for a small annual fee. You get ID checked for safety and then build your ad‐ vert saying when you are going on holiday. House‐sitters see your advert, they respond and you choose the sitter who’ll care for your pets. Trustpilot Testimonials ‐ 4.8 / 5 Excellent rating (New Trustpilot rating scale) Here’s what members have said about us ‐ HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sitter… HouseSitMatch found us a perfect house‐sitter while we were away in Canada and we
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Do you need a house-sitter? Get in touch. Housesitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner with a 50 per cent discount using coupon code SUPER50 - an exclusive offer for readers. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com
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Some guidelines to epilepsy A DOG with epilepsy can enjoy a remarkable quality of life if given proper veterinary treatment. For this, it is important that some guidelines are fol‐ lowed. 1. Complete the clinical diagnostic protocol. Do all the tests to rule out other pathologies that can cause seizures. 2. Administer the appropriate medication. 3. Carry out medical check‐ups every six months. 4. Stay calm during an epileptic seizure of your dog. Re‐ member to videotape the attacks. The videos to see how the attacks happen provide the veterinarian with a lot of information. 5. Avoid stressful sit‐ uations for the animal, which may put it in danger. In the attached QR code you have an infor‐ mative video about ca‐ nine epilepsy. In Costa Blanca Sur: www.resonanciaveterinaria.es Centro Veterinario de Diagnóstico por Imagen de Levante C/Los Arcos 23 Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Tel: 609 779 109
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CLASSIFIEDS ARCHITECTS
BUILDING SERVICES J & J PAINTERS. Inside outside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas. Tel: 650 363 159 (290728) BUILDER, ARCHITECT, NEW HOUSES, EXTENSIONS, PLANNING PERMISSIONS, 697834934 (295169)
BUY & SELL PRIVATE collector will buy your Gold, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
CARS FOR SALE
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@hotmail.com (95475) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) CHURCH SERVICE IN ENGLISH Tel: 950 617 549 www.givinglight.com.(10006) FREEMASONRY. Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various Lodges meetings up throughout the Valencia region. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact sec@glp valencia.com Tel 600 841 064 (95477) HELP VEGA BAJA. We are a non-profit making organisation that helps and supports anyone, without prejudice, in times of need or crisis within the Vega Baja area. Our offices are based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com and also on Facebook. You can email the San Miguel Centre at office@helpvegabaja.com. We also have a 24-hour Emergency helpline which is available to both members and non-members on 966 723 733 (95456)
CARE HOME CARE home in Torrevieja,family run,reasonable rates.Carers available for your home. 697834934 (294568)
CHARITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia. Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: 648 169 045 or Costa Blanca South: 625 912 078 or Costa Calida 679 385 105 All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075;
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
CHARITY
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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 8 00 018 2361. (238593) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Why not make this year the year you volunteer? See how you can help either as a caseworker (with full training) or as a Telephone Buddy. We also visit beneficiaries who are housebound or in hospital. If you feel you could support us here in Spain, and you have a Spanish phone number then why not email us for more info tbuddyhhvisits@gmail.com. If you or your partner served or are serving, and you feel you need help or support then contact us using the details on the card, we are here for the small things as well as the big, sometimes talking to someone is the first step to feeling more in control. It can be a personal need or some help with your home or information on what or who to speak to on a medical issue, we help with signposting if we cannot help directly, just call and have a chat with Pam who will try to guide you to where you need to be. If you would like to go to a branch meeting then find your nearest one at, http://branch es.britishlegion.org.uk/branch es/orihuela-costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. More info can be found on branch website www.ori huelacostarbl.co.uk. (95457) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch. For info, contact the branch Secretary at granalacant.secre tary@rbl.community ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION (Costa Blanca) The aim of the Association is to bring
17 - 23 March 2022 • www.euroweeklynews.com SPONSORED BY
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)
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ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION For information please contact Chairman Paul Edwards on 618 644 934, Vice Chairman Danny Kay on 966 716 274 or Secretary Margaret Forshaw on 966 921 996. (95455) STROKE ASSOCIATION Spain (formally known as Torrevieja stroke support) Our aim is to help and support stroke survivors and their carers. With rehabilitation, speech therapy, OC therapy and a very active social group. For info please contact 654 801 260 or email strokesupportgroup@hotmail. com, website: torreviejastroke support.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) 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)
STAY SAFE! Abbeygate Insurance Call 971 277 455 For your security www.abbey gateinsure.com
LAWYER/SOLICITORS HOME IMPROVEMENTS BATHROOM & KITCHEN Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434. (289486)
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THE PATIENCE LODGE No 2177 of the R.A.O.B Please call Secretary Dave Tonge on 688 704 091 for further information. (253807) THE SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, Benijofar will be closed for the immediate future due to Covid-19. To join the centre on ZOOM on a Tuesday evening at 7pm download the ZOOM App. To enter use ID Number 8451471869, then Password 3uf5TE. Identification Fiscal G54713789 (95454)
CLEANING SERVICES RELIABLE, experienced home and deep cleaning service including key handovers plus many other services. Call +34 634 679 668 (292081)
ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (287514)
FOR SALE/WANTED WANTED Gold, Silver, Rolex & Patek Philippe Watches Tel – 678 716 693 (288662)
English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (WhatsApp) info@beneficialin suranceinspain.com or visit w w w. b e n e f i c i a l i n s u r a n c e inspain.com for online quote. (295006)
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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 (291448)
PET CHARITY EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE. We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorse care.net www.easyhorsecare. net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)
FOR SALE JAGUAR XK8 CABRIOLET 1998, 4L, RHD. Red. Cream Leather interior. Excellent condition. ITV August. €9,500. 609 931 647 (295519) WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
MUSIC TUITION PIANO, Keyboard, Organ, Qualified Teacher. Please call 606 984 535 (294805)
NAUTICAL INTERNATIONAL SKIPPER LICENCE, VHF/DSC-Radio or Radar Courses held in English individual or small groups starts soon. 626 245 098 (295374)
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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) SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting re-homing. Phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spama -safor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707) If you can read it, so can your clients. Contact us and have your business grow at + 34 951 386 161
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SPAS & JACUZZI
Please note that in Spain there is NO legislation banning adverts in this section. Neither regional nor national governments are able to pass such a law due to rules governing freedom of publication and printing.
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ROAD TEST by Mark Slack THE inexorable EV march continues as new greener motoring becomes more commonplace. There’s still a somewhat fragmented charging net‐ work but the other ‘problem’ some‐ times levelled at EVs is they lack character, they don’t set your driving senses alight. However, not all EVs are equal and I have been driving one that offers all the fun and char‐ acter of a hot hatch. The MINI Electric 3 is not cheap at €41,789/£34,500), prices start from €34,521/£28,500 for the MI‐ NI Electric 1, reduced to €32,705/£27,000 with the UK government grant. So you really have to want a car that will large‐ ly be a city car, possibly still sec‐ ondary to a combustion powered vehicle. The reason? Range, or rather lack of it. MINI quote a 145‐mile range, but this is ideal world not real world. Even driving carefully, to maximise the MINI’s clever energy regenera‐ tion, in the real world I would think about 110 miles is going to be your limit. Now if this seems like a bad start then lets redress the balance, there are so many positives to the MINI Electric. Unlike the sometimes ano‐
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MINI Electric
adds a serious fun factor to EV motoring
Would make a very welcome addition to your garage.
Facts at a Glance Model: MINI Electric Level 3 Engine: 32.6 kWh battery Gears: Automatic Performance: 0-100 kmh (62 mph) 7.3 seconds/Maximum Speed 249 kmh (93 mph) Economy: Range 144 miles Charge time:Domestic (not a dedicated wallbox home charger) 12 hours/Fast public charger 36 minutes Emissions: 0 g/km Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.
MOTORING
dyne driving experience of many modern cars the MINI is huge fun to drive. The immediate throttle re‐ sponse produces instant power that charges the MINI to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds. But that really doesn’t do justice to the sense of speed, the in‐ stant power leaves many more pow‐ erful cars struggling to catch‐up. It charges quickly from a fast public charger, or a home charger (and you really do need a home charger), ad‐ mittedly it has a small battery but nonetheless charging is surprisingly quick. Another surprise was how us‐ ing the plethora of standard goodies, including heated seats, didn’t seem to unduly dent the battery’s charge level any more than would normally be the case. Nicely bolted together and with a quality feel, the MINI has a reas‐ suringly solid ambience. A firmish ride still manages to soak up the bumps and comfort the posterior. Space is at somewhat of a premi‐ um in the luggage department thanks to those batteries, but inside two peo‐ ple are amply catered for and an addi‐ tional two adults certainly wouldn’t complain on shorter journeys. I suspect even the most ardent car fan, if their motoring requirements were suited to an EV, would find the MINI Electric a very welcome addition to their garage. I certainly did… even though, sadly, I had to give it back!
MOTORING
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Detecting ‘invisible’ DGT velolasers VELOLASERS, also known as invisible radars, have been pre‐ sent on Spanish roads since 2018. They are compact, and very light, so they can be installed by the DGT at any point of the traffic network, whether they are high capacity, national, or ur‐ ban roads. Being mobile radars, their known location is not always available, despite the fact that the DGT regularly updates lists with the sections of the road where these speed detectors can be found. It is possible to consult the location of the fixed and section speed cameras on the website of the General Directorate of Traffic. W i t h t h e l a t e s t u p‐ dates to the Traffic Law,
which come into force on March 21, the sanc‐ tions against drivers who use radar detectors and inhibitors are going to be much harsher, and are going to be accom‐ panied by more eco‐ nomic high fines. Thanks to the social network for drivers, So‐ cial Drive, it is now pos‐ sible to consult an inter‐ active map created in Google Maps, to find out where these invisi‐ ble speed cameras are located. They are dis‐ tributed throughout the country, and the loca‐ tions are added to the interactive map thanks to the collaboration of drivers, who report the position of the speed cameras as soon as they have been found on the road.
These velolasers are small radars that are barely 50 centimetres high, and only need a tripod to enable them to function. They have up to five hours of com‐ pletely autonomous op‐ eration, and are con‐ trolled by a Wi‐Fi connection. Capable of detecting speed violations in both directions of traffic (al‐ though they work better in urban environments), these devices have a precision that allows them to operate be‐ tween 15 and 50 metres away, distinguishing even the largest vehicles from conventional pas‐ senger cars, and there‐ fore differentiating which speed limits are applicable to each vehi‐ cle.
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INVISIBLE RADARS: They can be installed anywhere on the traffic network.
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PORTOS MARCH ON PORTOBELLO consolidated their lead at the top of the CBWFL with a convincing 5‐1 win in a very tough match over bot‐ tom club Formentera on Friday March 11. This win took them five points clear at the top of the league, although sec‐ ond placed Hondon Valley Flyers have two games in hand. The ‘Yellows’ have now won all four of their games averaging just over four goals a game. Hondon Valley have the chance to re‐ duce the lead at the top when they take on Pinoso at home on Friday March 18 with an 11am kick off. Previous to their League match For‐ mentera played a friendly ‘derby’ match against old rivals Esquina Park Rangers at Rojales with the ‘Yellows’ coming out on top 4‐3 in a hard‐fought match. EPR started stronger with their players showing confidence and it was they who took the lead after five minutes and then going 2‐0 up a minute later. EPR were in the driving seat but For‐ mentera pulled one back five minutes later to make it 2‐1. Both sides gave nothing away until the last quarter of the game when the ‘Yellows’ found their strength and equalised to make it 2‐2
PORTOBELLO FC: Played a tough match against Formentera.
There’s a club near you. adding another through an own goal to make it 3‐2. A penalty kick when the EPR keeper left his penalty area seemed to seal the score for Formentera at 4‐2. EPR were not finished though and it was another penalty when a ‘Blues’
player entered the penalty area and it was converted to make it 4‐3 which was the final score with no time left for ‘Rangers’ to go for an equaliser. The players later adjourned to Bar Es‐ quina who had prepared refreshments for the after match ‘inquests and ban‐ ter’. Over 50 and think you could still ‘strut your stuff’? There’s a club near you (see the club map). See the club pages on Facebook or at www.wfai.info or con‐ tact apalmar2011@hotmail.com. Keep up with all the Costa Blanca re‐ sults and fixtures in the Euro Weekly News... supporters of walking football. Make sure you get your copy.
Messi may be seeking Barcelona return LIONEL MESSI appears to have reached a desperate position in Paris, after his move to the French champi‐ ons from Barcelona last summer. His season is going from bad to worse, culminating in the Champions League defeat at the hands of his old rivals, Real Madrid last week. According to sensational reports, it was suggested on Monday, March 14, by respected Spanish journal‐ ist Gerard Romero, that Jorge Messi, the 34‐year‐old Argentine superstar’s father, has been calling offi‐ cials at the Camp Nou asking them to take his son back. After signing for Paris St Germain amid huge fan‐ fares, Messi has struggled to make any impact what‐ soever, bagging just two goals in 19 Ligue 1 matches. In last weekend’s game with Bordeaux, every time he touched the ball, the crowd booed him. Even a 3‐0 win was not enough to prevent the fans from also giving Neymar the exact same treatment. On a reputed £1 million a week, the fans seem to ex‐ pect a lot more from the player. Graffiti was even daubed on a wall at the club’s training ground urging Messi to quit the club. After building a team full of international stars, PSG have continually failed to shine in the later stages of the Champions League. This season they have been eliminated in the round‐of‐16, something that the fans are finding hard to accept clearly.