OH WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR! COSTA BLANCA SOUTH HITS ONE
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OLIVE PRESS COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA
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Vol. 2 Issue 27 www.theolivepress.es November 12th - November 25th 2020
Lockdown COSTA Blanca bar and restaurant owners are continuing to avoid the draconian closures introduced in neighbouring Murcia. They remain open until 11pm, despite Murcia ordering a total two week closure in the hospitality sector to curb a worrying rise in COVID-19 cases. However indoor capacity for bars and restaurants on the Costa Blanca was slashed to 30% and 50% for terraces. Capacity inside shops is down to 50% and markets can only have half of their regular quota of stalls. Buffets are completely banned. Hotels are allowed to rent a third of their rooms, while friends are not allowed to stay overnight at each other’s homes. Valencian president, Ximo Puig said: “These measures are all about saving lives, protecting jobs and safeguarding families. “The situation is serious but we KEEP EATING: Valencia bars and restaurants can stay open for now, but Murcia’s hostelries are shut should not lose perspective. We By Kirsty McKenzie
BORIS Johnson has assured his cabinet that a Brexit withdrawal deal is ‘there to be done’. The proposed agreement comes amid signs Joe Biden’s stunning US election win has sparked a desire to double down on negotiation with the EU. The Prime Minister is hoping to strike a trade deal this week before the European Union’s deadline to reach an agreement on November 16. While Olive Press sources insist Biden’s win has injected renewed impetus into the talks, Johnson claimed this has always been the case. “I’ve always been a great enthusiast for a trade deal with our European friends,” said Johnson at the weekend. “I think it’s there to be done,
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By Alex Trelinski
are better-off with infection rates compared to other regions, but we cannot relax... and won’t tolerate recklessness.” The Valencian Community will maintain the midnight curfew until at least December 9, with suggestions that it could be brought forward an hour as COVID-19 cases escalate.
Hopeful
Puig said that there were no plans for any home confinements as was the case under this year’s first State of Alarm. He said he hoped to ‘maintain the fundamentals’ of the Christmas and New Year season. The border with Murcia is shut until at least November 22 and residents can only leave or arrive there for essential reasons like work.
DONE DEAL?
UK Prime Minister optimistic trade agreement can be reached before this week’s looming deadline the broad outlines are pretty clear.” His remarks come as EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier returned to London on Monday offering ‘three keys to unlock a deal’. He is here for a week of ‘intensive’ talks with his British counterpart David Frost, with fair
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trade and fishing agreements the main points up for discussion. Anne Hernandez of lobby group Brexpats in Spain told the Olive Press a deal would be struck this week. She added: “I think Boris has another uphill struggle in befriending Biden who is vocally
anti-Brexit but he has to get him on his side since his partner-in-crime is going to be leaving the White House in January. “There will be a deal and Boris will say they have ‘managed’ to agree it with the EU and he will forget to add the reason being that he buckled and did anoth-
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She said they had agreed that their negotiating teams would continue talks in London this week to ‘redouble efforts to reach a deal’, adding that they would remain ‘in personal contact about the negotiations.’ Nigel Farage this week blasted the prime minister for failing to secure a withdrawal agreement ahead of the US election results, claiming that Joe Biden ‘hates the UK’.
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er u-turn.” But her optimism was tempered by a downbeat assessment from Downing Street, with No 10 claiming ‘significant differences remain’ between the two sides on Monday. A spokeswoman added: “The prime minister set out that, while some progress had been made in recent discussions, significant differences remain in a number of areas, including the so-called level playing field, and fish.”
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