Euro Weekly News - Axarquia 5 - 11 March 2015 Issue 1548 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

ISSUE NO. 1548

EWN FRONT EXTRA

Cheese and wine feast TORRE DEL MAR will host the fourth edition of the Malaga Artisan Goat’s Cheese and Wine of the Axarquia on Sunday (March 8). The event will take place between 11am and 6pm at the Paseo de Larios.

Almost completed WORKS to improve the connection between Puerta Granada and La Carrera streets in Almuñecar will be finished next week, according to the Councillor for Public Works, Jose Manuel Fernandez.

Great results A TOTAL of 473 vehicles were towed away in Rincon de la Victoria during 2014. This data represents a 42 per cent decrease if compared with the previous year (807).

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Hope for recovery as unemployment falls By Eleanor Hawkins THE latest unemployment figures bring hope that the worst of the recession may be over. For the first time in eight years, February unemployment figures fell in Malaga Province, a statistic reflected nationally. Although the total number of jobless people fell by just 456 over the month, leaving a total of 196,660, when compared to figures for the end of February 2014, a positive trend is apparent with 13,447 fewer people out of work than a year ago. The construction sector saw the healthiest increase with 730 less people looking for work as confidence gradually builds in the economy and the property market begins to recover. A total of 3,634 new workers began paying into the social security system in February, and reports show that 25,540 more people were paying in than at the end of February 2014. The up-to-date figures show a total of 509,682 jobs registered within the province, a

sure sign that work is being created as the region slowly but surely begins to recover from the financial crisis. In the Axarquia region, data has also showed positive results. Fifty people in VelezMalaga found a job during the second month of 2015, with 9,975 currently without work in the town.

Torrox also saw an improvement in terms of employment with 29 new workers, and 1,758 unemployed people in total. The best results were in Nerja, where the unemployment rate decreased by 54 residents. Nationally, the number of registered unemployed fell by 13,538 during February, or just above 300,000 over a year

to around 4.5 million. “It was the largest year-onyear reduction in unemployment since 1999,” said a government statement. Malaga was one of just three provinces in Andalucia where unemployment fell last month. The other two were Huelva, with 1,297 fewer people out of work, and Cadiz with 682.

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INDEX News 1 - 16 Finance 19 - 24 Leapy Lee 25 Daily TV 26 Time Out 28 - 29 Letters 30 Health & Beauty 36 - 37 H&G/Pets 39 Services 42 - 44 Classifieds 45 - 46 Motoring 47 Sport 48

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A tasty way to discover Rincon THE first Cruzcampo Tapas Fair is to be held in Rincon de la Victoria with 24 local establishments taking part in the initiative. Participating bars and restaurants will offer a wide variety of culinary specialities at a price of €2.50, Tourism Councillor Marta Marin announced. The gastronomic event will take place between March 6 and 15 and has been organised by the Tourism Department of Rincon de la Victoria, the Association of Hotel Businesses Owners AEHMRV, and the beer brand Cruzcampo. “This initiative was conceived to promote the gastronomic offer of the town, particularly the tapas as a tourism attraction and economy booster,” explained the town’s mayor, Francisco Salado.

CHEERS!: Cruzcampo Tapas Fair is announced. “This sort of activity contributes to the reduction of seasonality in the tourism industry,” the councillor remarked. Amongst the tapas offered will be steaks, noodles, cod, etc. Participants in the tapas route will be

able to take part in a raffle for a chance to win €250 after they have voted for their favourite dish. The event will take place at establishments located around Torre de Benagalbon, Rincon de la Victoria and La Cala del Moral.

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Best in Spain MARO’S cliffs in Nerja are amongst the most beautiful natural monuments of Spain, according to Spanish newspaper ABC. The text also praises the beautiful view from the Torre de Maro. Crafts market SALOBREÑA will host on Sunday (March 8) a crafts market featuring, ceramics, photography, costume jewellery, patchwork, etc, in the Parque de la Fuente between 11am and 7pm.

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Pay up to help the disabled AN AGREEMENT has been signed by Velez-Malaga Council and the town’s Association of Disabled People AMIVEL to create pay-and-display parking areas around town. Mayor Francisco Delgado Bonilla stressed business owners have been requesting the areas for more than two decades, and will allow for social integration of members of AMIVEL, residents

with disabilities who will be in charge of the service in VelezMalaga and Torre del Mar. “The pay-and-display areas have not been created to collect more money, but to support the town’s disabled community. The council will not receive any money from the service, but we thought it was time to implement it, with an aim

to integrate people with disabilities and, at the same time, boost traditional commerce,” the mayor said. He has asked for the residents’ ‘understanding’ and explained the council is studying a 50 per cent discount for residents who, instead of having to pay €4 plus IVA per week, would only have to pay €2 plus IVA per week.

Cordon press.

Film noir SALOBREÑA’S Film Noir Festival (Muestra de Cine Negro), which will take place between March 17 and 21, will be launched by actress Maria Barranco at the Municipal Events Hall.

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ews watch

Algarrobo fire

A RESIDENT from Algarrobo Costa had to receive medical treatment last Tuesday (March 3) after suffering burns on the leg. The emergency service 112 was alerted at around 9.30pm and the reasons of the fire are still unknown.

RINCON DE LA VICTORIA Council is currently working on 11 projects around the town, priced at €1.79 million, seeking to improve the water supply and sewage systems.

Noisy skaters A GROUP of residents in Torrox have raised complaints as they claim the skateboard park is too noisy. The council is studying the possibility of relocating the park. PROTEST MARCHES: International Women’s Day is marked across the world on March 8.

Happy consumers THE municipal consumer’s office of Velez Malaga (OMIC) received more than 8,000 enquiries during 2014, a figure that represents a 10 per cent increase if compared with the year before.

The women of Spain fight for their rights

Weekend activity AN ECOLOGICAL market will take place at Salobreña’s Parque de la Fuente on Saturday (March 7), between 9.30 and 2pm. More information at cultural encuentro@gmail.com.

MARCH 8 is International Women’s Day, a day marked across the world with celebrations focusing on equality and respect towards women. Starting as a Socialist political event, the date gradually blended in the cultures of different countries and in some places lost its political flavour, becoming simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way similar to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. But women in Spain have embraced the day as an opportunity to defend their rights and protest against measures which affect them, with proposed reforms to abortion laws and domestic violence the main themes for demonstrations on the day in recent years. In 2014, thousands of women took to the streets in more than 20 cities in Spain to march for their rights and shout out against inequality.

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Water investment

Helping unemployed A TOTAL of 125 unemployed people of Almuñecar will be trained in sports and recreational activities and social and sanitary assistance thanks to courses launched by the town’s council.

Fire in Motril THE fire brigade of Motril extinguished a fire sparked last Tuesday (March 3) at the industrial site of Las Algaidas. Authorities were alerted at around 11am and were able to extinguish the fire by 1pm.

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Quote of the Week Spain welcomes you in a very different situation from previous years. We have overcome a period of difficulty, and now our country is registering one of the greatest economic growth and job creation rates in Europe,” said Telefonica chairman Cesar Alierta opening the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

In Madrid, men and women of all ages marched behind a giant poster bearing three separate slogans: ‘Our uteruses are not for legislation,’ ‘Our bodies are not for abusing’ and ‘No cutbacks to our rights.’ Feminist groups across the country have called demonstrations and marches for this Sunday, March 8, urging the women of Spain to once again walk out and stand up for their rights. Meanwhile councils and associations in just about every town or village prepare celebrations showing that although it took quite a while for equality to reach the country where traditional patriarchal beliefs and stereotypes kept women in the kitchen and men ruled supreme, the tables are turning in a Spain which while still strongly Catholic and traditional is now embracing modern views.

Number of the week

36,000

is the number of kilos of truffles produced in Sarrion, a village in Gudar Javalambre between Valencia and Teruel with just 8,600 inhabitants. The region produced 36 of the 40 tonnes of black truffles collected in Spain during last year’s campaign.

Tourism video STREETS and monuments of Frigiliana were featured in a video to promote Andalucian tourism attractions in the Chinese market. The video can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/111135258

Making space MALAGA City Council has announced parking spaces for pregnant women, families with babies or those with special needs will be created over the next few weeks in municipal car parks.

Migrants rescued A TOTAL of 56 sub-Saharan migrants rescued off the coasts of the Alboran Island, were taken to Motril Port on Monday (March 2). All of them were in good health.

And finally... AN anonymous ‘angel’ saved the day for a takeaway restaurant in Madrid by lending the owner €5,000 with no conditions or interest after hearing the establishment was closing due to lack of funds. The generous gentleman said he had just had good news about a relative’s health and he realised everyone deserves a little help in life.

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British tourist rescued A 77-YEAR-OLD British tourist had to be rescued in Maro (Nerja) after suffering an injury when hiking. Civil Protection, Fire Brigade and Guardia Civil officers attended the scene last Monday, March 2, and assisted the man who was spending his holidays in the town. The Briton, together with other tourists, had commenced the route from the Nacimiento de Maro and was headed to the Cortijo de Molinero. However, he suffered an injury to his ankle which prevented him from walking and the other members of the group alerted the 112 emergency service. He was taken to Nerja’s healthcare centre for treatment.

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Road accidents down A DECREASE of 11 per cent in road traffic accidents has been registered in Rincon de la Victoria during 2014 compared to the previous year. In total, 220 accidents involving vehicles occurred last year, according to information

Holiday success THE Day of Andalucia holiday was a success in terms of hotel occupancy and beach attendance in Almuñecar. Hotel occupancy reached 90 per cent over the weekend between February 28 and March 1, according to the council. The warm weather (around 20 degrees) encouraged people to go to the beach and restaurants were full.

provided by the Local Police force and the town’s mayor, Francisco Salado. More than half of those involved were men, with accidents resulting from collisions, mainly around the town’s streets during working hours.

Traffic offences also registered a 36 per cent decrease. Amongst the most common offences were speeding, disobeying traffic signs or parking in loading and unloading areas. With regard to breath tests performed last year, the Local Police commented that out of the 730 carried out, only 21 proved positive, which translates to 2.9 per cent of the total.

Our View

Women’s Day

HIS Sunday, March 8, is International Women’s Day, a day embraced by countries all over the world to acknowledge the fairer sex. In some parts of the world the day has become just another day for petrol stations and card shops to earn a few extra pennies as it has become seen as a glorified Valentine’s or Mother’s Day. But in many others the day serves as a reminder of something we at EWN feel strongly about: women’s rights. Demonstrations have been called this year over a proposed review of the Spanish abortion laws, which aims to force 16 and 17-year-olds to present parental authorisation. Although a seemingly reasonable request, it leaves a group of girls in terrible danger.

Those who feel unable to reveal the news to their parents without the fear of violence or abuse, those who are orphans or whose parents are in jail or abroad will be unable to have unwanted pregnancies legally terminated. An estimated 400 girls give these reasons not to present parental authorisation each year. The number may seem small until we stop and realise that the law may put 400 lives at risk by forcing these young women to choose dangerous, clandestine abortions. Gender violence is another offence that women in Spain will be rejecting in the streets this Sunday. Although numbers are reducing, 53 women lost their lives at the hands of their partners in Spain last year, 53 deaths which cannot be tolerated or permitted in a modern, civilised country.

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NEWS EXTRA

Greener commuters BICYCLES are becoming increasing popular as a way to get around Malaga City. The public bike rental system has 28,000 members and 40 per cent of users questioned said that they now cycle instead of driving.

Easter talk A TALK on ‘The mysteries of the Malaga Easter processions’ will be held on Monday (March 16) at the Lux Mundi centre. Participants will be requested to donate €1 and the event will start at 11.30am.

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Euro Weekly News’s oldest reader (probably) paid a visit to its head office to give staff a piece of his mind!

Is Bob Mitchell, at 96, EWN’s oldest reader? NINETY-SIX-YEAR-OLD Bob Mitchell, who has been a regular contributor via our Letters page, sent a touching note of thanks to columnists Leapy Lee, Mike Walsh and the former Mrs Ed, (see Letters page) who remembered having a few runins with him over the years. Bob, originally from London, has been a regular visitor to the Costa del Sol for 30 years, and always picks up a copy of the EWN. We believe he is our oldest reader – unless of course you know better. If you do, drop us a line at editorial@euroweekly news.com. With characteristic humour, he decided to thank the EWN ‘while he still had time’. We invited him into the office to see behind the scenes, and presented him with a bottle of brandy and a ‘front page’ to mark his visit. A man of forthright opinions he was and still is - a communist, a stance that got him into trouble in his younger life. He was

SPECIAL GUEST: Bob during his visit to EWN with some of the team.

blacklisted as an ‘agitator’ from several jobs before ending up at the Post Office, where he stayed for 30 years before retiring. Bob may be frail but his mind remains as sharp as a tack. “It is because I have never

stopped thinking. It’s kept my mind active. When I was young, I thought I could change the world and everyone would live happily ever after, but here we are all these years later and

nothing has changed. “That’s a disappointment, but I never stopped trying!” remarked Bob. And we believe him.

Editor’s note: Bob should be an inspiration to all our readers. Whether you agree or not with his politics he has remained true to himself and never lost his sense of fun. He has a keen sense of right and wrong. All at the EWN wish him well, and look forward to him visiting us again on his 100th birthday. Go to www.euroweeklynews.com for full story.

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Tram controversy trundles along THE controversial tram of Velez Malaga is again in the spotlight as it’s currently undergoing a service even though there are no definite plans for its future. With a budget of €40 million, the tram service became operational in 2006 but was interrupted

in 2012 due to high annual costs. Later, in July of 2013 a car was leased to Sydney (Australia), where it was to stay for two years. However, it made a surprise return to the town at the end of 2014. The mayor explained then that the council hoped to resume the ser-

vice, although the high costs would make this impossible unless the Junta de Andalucia regional government paid 75 per cent (about €3 million) of the deficit. The trams have been undergoing a complete service over the past two weeks, even though the

Mud, glorious mud EXPERTS from the University of Granada (UGR) will visit Motril’s port to investigate the levels of contamination in its air, water and mud. The university’s rector, Francisco Gonzalez Lodeiro, and head of Motril Port Authority, Francisco Jose Alvarez de la Chica, have renewed a co-operation agreement between the two institutions, which was first signed in 2006.

Motril’s port has five sediment and particle sample collection stations, samples from which are analysed monthly. This way, the port obtains updated information on its impact on the natural surroundings and environment. Until now, the port has satisfied all legal regulations, and its water and mud are considered of a high quality, according to the Development Ministry.

council does not have any plans to relaunch the service yet. “We have requested a meeting with the new head of the Development Department of the regional government, Francisco Fernandez España, to find out the Junta’s stance on this matter,” said the mayor. He claimed that the Junta had not yet answered any of his requests and admitted that bringing back the tram service before his term in office concludes is not amongst his priorities. In fact, the council has not yet allocated any money in the 2015 municipal budget to fixing the damage caused to the tram’s infrastructure, and some of the money originally earmarked to issues related to it has been spent on other works and services around the town.

New homes for seniors FIVE Almuñecar families have received a rental contract for a subsidised home in the town in an event presided over by the town’s mayor, Trinidad Herrera. The properties are in Calle Tetuan, beside the town’s bus station, and families have been chosen by the Senior Citizens’ Department Committee, after analysing all the candidates’ information. The new tenants are entitled to live in the homes indefinitely, as another 60 families have been doing for 25 years. After the mayor handed over the keys, she congratulated the senior citizens, wishing them “great health to enjoy their new home during many years in better conditions than they had in their former homes.”

FEATURE

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Let our business make your business the best business in town…

YOUR voice is important to us… HERE at the Euro Weekly News (EWN) we are confident we produce an excellent newspaper as well as the best English-language internet news site in Spain, but we also know we should never rest on our laurels. Our dedicated team is always willing to listen to our readers. Your views are

e knew we could rely on our readers to come up with some ideas, and we were not to be disappointed with a bulging (virtual) postbag. On this page we give just a selection of the comments we received, plus a round up of the (previously announced) winners of the iPad minis. We have read every single one of the comments and taken note of some of the common suggestions as well as taking action. A recurring theme was the need to increase our local news content and be an even bigger part of the community. “It

would be great to see faces from the EWN around more and perhaps have a local office,” said Joan Adams from the Costa Blanca. We have taken such comments to heart and are opening three more local offices now, and a total of six by Easter, showing we are firmly at the heart of the community. From Marbella to Mojacar, Albox to Benissa, Benidorm to Mallorca, Benalmadena to Albir and Benijofar, we will have your local area covered – guaranteed. Moira Bartle from Caleta de Velez (Malaga) raised a subject echoed by several readers when she said: “Ensure that

Almeria Murphy Stevens, from Arboleas, was the winning entry for the Almeria region. The 18-year-old Motocross fan said: “I wouldn’t make any changes to the company because it is perfect as it is.” Murphy, who is out and about on his bike constantly, has worked for Almeria Homes for the past 18 months but is thinking about returning to the UK to continue his studies, so his iPad will prove invaluable.

Costa del Sol Eveline Kleyngeld, from Estepona, took home the prize for the Costa del Sol. She likes the puzzles section. “I always turn to them first, so that gave me the idea that the index was very important, so I could find them easily. Then I look at the news, there is always so much to read.”

important to us, so we asked you what you thought of the EWN. With a winning prize for the best comments of an iPad mini being given away in each of our six regions we asked: “If you were in charge of the EWN for a day, what is the one thing you would do to make it even better than it is?”

forthcoming events be published in advance so readers can participate and enjoy, and not report after the event.” She was annoyed she missed an event that happened at 3.30pm on the day of publication and she read about it that evening, thus missing it. This is a very valid point, which the whole editorial team has taken on board. We pledge to strive to print as many upcoming events as possible, although for reasons of space we cannot always do so. Bill Mullaney, from Alicante Province, would like to see some travel features. He said: “I’d include travel features on

some interesting places in Spain to visit.” This is something that we have thought about and are delighted to have persuaded travel writer Kevin Pilley to start contributing. Although he will be writing about some Spanish destinations, we took it a stage further and he will give witty and informative reports from spots all round the world. Robert Walford from Campoverde (Alicante) came up with an excellent suggestion, shared by several readers. He said: “I would bring in a feature called Parish Pump News bringing input from correspondents

Costa Blanca South

Our winners Costa Blanca North Over in Javea on the Costa Blanca North, Brian Moreland showed his humour when asked what he would do if he was editor for a day. He quipped: “Immediately sack myself as I’d be useless.” Looking forward to checking out the iPad, he said it was the first thing he’d ever won, “apart from a turkey we won once on Christmas Eve!”

Axarquía Marcel Van den Huevel from Nerja’s suggestion was to do with team work, something we all recognise as vital at

of local news and items of interest from their village or town.” We thought it was such a good idea that we are actively recruiting volunteer local correspondents to report on their patch, and are inviting Mr Walford to be one of our first correspondents. If you would like to have a go then email us at newsdesk @euroweeklynews.com. Other ideas included increasing the number of distribution points, something we have done. Should you have any trouble finding a copy of the EWN drop us a line at distribution@ euroweeklynews.com.

EWN: “It’s all about motivating your workforce, you need everyone to go to work with a smile and job satisfaction is incredibly important,” he said. “Building a family atmosphere helps with communication, which is very important for any company, but in particular for a newspaper where it is vital that the readers get what they want – information. “I have always liked working for happy companies and I think that as the Euro Weekly News is the best Englishlanguage newspaper available, they need to make sure that everyone who works there is positive, upbeat and happy in their work.”

Joyce Gallagher from Catral would like to see recipes in the paper. “I always read the paper but I am a keen cook and there are no recipes, so I thought that was a shame and would invite people to send in their favourite recipes.”

Mallorca Congratulations to John Griffiths from Mallorca, who was forthright in his answer: “I would not change anything as I think that you have got things right.” Mr Griffiths, 66 years old, had been coming to Mallorca for 38 years, but retired to Son Ferrer 14 years ago. His parents had an apartment in Peguera so he had many opportunities to visit Mallorca over the years while he was working for a foreign royal family.

CONGRATULATIONS! Our winning ‘editors for the day.’

From left to right: Murphy Stevens, Eveline Kleyngeld, Brian Moreland, Marcel Van den Huevel, Joyce Gallagher and John Griffiths.

Marbella

Watch out, watch out, there is an EWN office about in your neighbourhood! Benalmadena

Albox

Mojacar

Benijofar

Benidorm

Albir

Benissa

Mallorca

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Women get trained in self-defence class THE second Self-Defence for Women Day will be held at the Indoor Sports Pavilion of Torre de Benagalbon

on March 8. This sports event, which will take place between 10am and 2pm, has been

On the lookout for new ‘church’ THE poor condition of San Juan Bautista’s church in Velez-Malaga has forced the town’s priest, Francisco Sanchez, to start searching for a new building to celebrate Mass. The church was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) and will undergo comprehensive improvement works to its ceiling and other areas once Semana Santa (Easter week) is finished. The priest plans to carry out more important celebrations, such as weddings, first communions and baptisms, at the Santa Maria church. However, Mr Sanchez is looking for a building in the town centre to say daily Mass, at least until the repair works are completed. It is expected that the works will last around six months.

organised to commemorate International Women’s Day, with classes focused on teaching women how to react were they to face an attack. The classes will be taught by experts, amongst which is Sports councillor, Lydia Montes, who has participated in national Taekwondo competitions. Ms Montes stressed the great success of last year’s edition, when more than 50 women received practical training on the matter. “The goal of this event is to train women with basic self-defence, so they feel confident were they to face an attacker,” said Ms Montes. Inscriptions are free and can be made before March 6 at the Sports Office located in the Indoor Sports Pavilion, Ruben Ruzafa in Torre de Benagalbon.

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Ceiling collapse

NEWS EXTRA

DAMAGE produced by waste-water has caused the ceiling in Torrox’s Court Archive to collapse. Judicial records, files, dossiers and other documents were damaged by the water, Justice Workers’ union STAJ in Malaga Juan Antonio Luque reported, adding that the informatics server where trial reports and evidence are kept has also been affected.

MORE than 2,100 people participated in Nerja’s Bike Day on February 28, according to Sports Councillor Gema Garcia. An eight-seater bike won the prize for ‘most original bike’.

The building has been in a poor state for a long time, said Luque, as the facilities were constructed more than 150 years ago. “If a person with disabilities comes to testify, the judge has to hear their statements at the front door, because there is no lift,” he said, adding: “Fortunately, there were no casualties this time, but one day something serious could happen.”

Twelve abandoned horses find a home in municipal shelter TWELVE horses abandoned in Playa Granada (Motril) have found a home

thanks to the town council. The condition of the horses, which had been

left unattended for months, sparked the concern of residents, who alerted the Guardia Civil and other authorities. Motril Mayor Luisa Garcia Chamorro said the council had tried to track down the owners, but had been unable to do so. The council decided to relocate them to the municipal animal shelter and they will be put up for adoption unless their owners claim them back.

Bike Day

Food drive TORROX Citizens’ Social network provided 584 people with food in 2014. They will carry out a new food raising campaign on March 14 at 10m and 6pm at Torrox Costa supermarkets.

Music night ALMUÑECAR Casa de la Cultura will host an ‘A Capella Night’ concert, with barbershopstyle music on Saturday (March 7) at 6pm.

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Two held for smuggling drugs into Spain A MAN has been arrested in Motril by National Police when he was caught driving a van with 620 kilos of hashish in a hidden compartment. The 44-year-old suspect was attempting to transport the drugs from Morocco to Almeria when he was intercepted by the officers Investigations began when police were alerted to a possible drugs run

from North Africa. They were able to confirm that the drugs had been supplied by Moroccans. Officers also found out that the drugs would first be shipped on the ferry from Melilla to Almeria and that once in Spain, they would be transported to a ‘safe’ point in Granada, where other members of the organisation would recover the hashish from

hidden compartments. Police were able to establish when the shipment would take place and intercepted the vehicle, which was driven by one of the suspects, a man from Salobreña. A total of 620 kilos of hashish were confiscated and the man taken into custody. A 33-year-old woman from Barcelona was also

Caught red-handed A 43-YEAR-OLD man was arrested in Motril after he was caught red-handed trying to break into a vehicle inside a community garage. A resident alerted the authorities when he heard loud noises coming from inside the garage and saw a man breaking a vehicle’s windscreen. The suspect tried to escape when

officers arrived but was intercepted. Authorities confiscated several objects found on him, including a remote control unit for the garage doors and several keys. Residents of the building who were waiting at the garage’s entrance recognised some of the objects the suspect was carrying as theirs, and found that four other cars had suffered damage.

taken into custody a few days later in connection with the case.

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S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

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Stories making headlines in Europe

GERMAN PRESS Confidence up

BRITISH PRESS Fine dining

Walliams over Tolkien

DENMARK: Three restaurants in Aarhus have been awarded Michelin stars as the first ever Michelin Nordic Guide was presented in Stockholm.

A POLL of 508,000 under-12 students has found that The Demon Dentist by David Walliams is the favourite book of primary school children. Harry Potter books feature heavily in the top 20 but The Lord of the Rings has dropped out of the top 20 for the first time.

Lego brand

Historic book found

DENMARK: Lego has been named as the world’s most powerful brand. The company also revealed that 2014 was its most profitable year ever.

A BOOK from 1495 that helped Henry VIII build his case against the Pope for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon has been discovered in the library of a country home in Cornwall.

Danish links

BRITISH PM David Cameron has said that his wife Samantha picks out all his casual clothes, telling a magazine that he is “not really interested in clothes.” He has been ridiculed in the past for his fashion faux pas.

DENMARK: Around 1.6 million Danes have profiles on the business-oriented social network site LinkedIn.

Elk problems SWEDEN: Train accidents involving elks cost the Swedish state billions of kroner each year in damages to trains and delays to service.

Tech-savvy SWEDEN: Sweden has been named the second best country in Europe for ‘digital performance’ (internet skills, internet shopping, developed digital technologies), coming in only behind neighbour Denmark.

Home sale NORWAY: The mountain holiday home in Trysil, north of Oslo, belonging to recovering Formula One driver Michael Schumacher has been sold for NOK22 million (€2.5 million).

Camp restarts NORWAY: The island of Utoya is to host its first youth camp this August since the 2011 massmurder of 69 people by Anders Behring Breivik.

‘Not my fault’

Crocodile bites NEW figures show that three people per year are admitted to UK hospitals following crocodile bites, with 75 more bitten or crushed by other reptiles. It’s

CONSUMER confidence in Germany is at its highest rate since 2001 as rising optimism and increased spending sweeps the country.

Backache MP’S in Bremen want new chairs – some costing as much as €1,900 – for the parliament building, saying the current ones are “uncomfortable and inflexible.”

More jobs ANCIENT BOOK: Henry VIII, England’s most infamous ex-husband. believed that in all cases the reptiles in question are pets.

Points swapping ONE in 20 UK motorists have illegally paid somebody else to take their penalty points for them, research has found, but only half of those have been caught. Eleven per cent of British drivers are unaware that swapping points is illegal.

FLOCKS of birds attracted to a landfill site in the Altai region are posing a threat to passing aeroplanes. The district authorities must now equip the site with bird-repellent devices to ensure safety.

Welcome to Putintown ACTIVISTS in the Ural Mountains want to change the name of their town from ‘Krasnokamsk’ to ‘Putin’ in honour of the Russian president, in the belief that his name would help the town become more prosperous.

Surge in synthetic drug POLICE in Moscow seized 630 per cent more synthetic marihuana in 2014 than in the previous year. Last year around 35 Russians died from using the drug, made from synthetic compounds to mimic the effects of marihuana.

Russians kicking the habit THE dropped adopted Graphic

number of smokers in Russia has by 17 per cent since the government the anti-smoking legislation in 2013. packet warnings and the ban on

THE number of unemployed Germans fell by 20,000 during February, the fifth consecutive month to register a decline, according to official data.

Buffet invests LEGENDARY American investor Warren Buffet is looking to buy more companies in Germany after purchasing a German motorcycle parts company in February.

Murder charges

RUSSIAN PRESS Rubbish tip for the birds

EUROPEAN PRESS

smoking in public places appears to be doing the trick.

Front garden skeleton A RUSSIAN businessman has bought a huge whale skeleton from the Oscar-nominated movie ‘Leviathan’ and placed it on the lawn outside his house in Moscow. The metal skeleton featured prominently in the movie. GIVING UP: Russians are kicking the habit.

A GERMAN pensioner has been charged with more than 3,500 counts of accessory to murder from his time working as a medic at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.

Exports up GERMAN exports to Iran jumped by 30 per cent during 2014 after the easing of western sanctions.

Irish offices DZ BANK is to buy office buildings rented by Facebook in Dublin, Ireland, for €232 million, after beating off stiff competition.

Nice salary DIETER ZETSCHE, the CEO of Daimler, was paid €14.4 million last year, making him the country’s secondhighest paid employee at a listed company.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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inance F

5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

business & legal Own goal for Cristiano NIKE has obliged Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to withdraw his CR7 footwear range. The name clashes with its own CR7 line, claimed the US sportswear company, which pays Ronaldo €8.7 million a year to promote Nike clothing and footwear. The footballer is

expected to wear and use Nike products whenever other contractual commitments allow as both the Madrid club and the Portugal national team are signed up to Nike rival, Adidas. Ronaldo has used the CR7 label on underpants and shirts without problems, but Nike put its foot down over the name of

CNMC: ‘Nothing personal’ SPAIN’S anti-trust regulator CNMC has slapped a total of €32.4 million in fines on Repsol, Cepsa and other companies for price-fixing. Repsol’s claims of “manifest animosity” from the CNMC’s president Jose Maria Marin and board members Idoia Zenarruzabeitia and Maria Ortiz were brushed aside. The clash was triggered by disciplinary proceedings to establish whether Repsol had complied with a 2009 ruling. This obliged the company to avoid indirect price-fixing by adapting contracts and procedures with independent service stations. Marin was for many years an executive with Repsol’s principal

Spanish competitor Cepsa, which had briefly considered challenging Marin’s presence in the investigation. There is now a “personal rejection or aversion” on Marin’s part towards itself and other oil companies, Repsol claimed. With the abstention of Marin, Zenarruzabeitia and Ortiz, the remaining seven board members voted unanimously to disregard Repsol’s objections. The CNMC concluded that neither partiality nor personal interests were involved in the fine, rejecting “any hint” of the “intimate friendship or manifest animosity” that are legal grounds for disqualification.

the shoe collection. The trainers, deck shoes, moccasins and formal shoes, all manufactured in Guimaraes (Portugal) are in direct competition with their own products, Nike claimed. Cristiano’s shoes cost between €100 and €550 while Nike’s CR7 trainers start at €60 and the boots sell at more than €300.

usiness extra

Good medicine FOLLOWING its sale of AstraZeneca, pharmaceutical firm Almirall posted net profits of €448.4 million, compared with losses of €33.7 million in 2013. Turnover rose by 70.5 per cent to nearly €1.41 billion.

Short term THE Confederation of Spanish Businessowners (CEOE) has recommended increasing the number of temporary work contracts, arguing restrictions would have a “pernicious” effect on job creation.

Crowds provide funds CROWDFUNDING contributed €62 million to Spanish projects last year, 114 per more than the €29 million raised in 2013. Small contributions – usually made online - from a large number of people are increasingly used to finance ventures or projects with little chance of accessing conventional funding. Precisely because of this popularity, legislation due this month will directly

affect crowdfunding with limits on contributions depending on whether these come from accredited or private investors. A joint study by the University of Cambridge and the Asociacion Española de Crowdfunding found that 53 per cent of people seeking or using crowdfunding believed that the new regulations would be “strict and excessive.”

STAT OF WEEK THE Public Works Ministry awarded construction and infrastructure contracts for €1.87 billion last year. This doubled 2013’s investments and was the first increase since the onset of the economic crisis.

MARCOS MESA SAM WORDLEY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM

EWN

CRISTIANO RONALDO: Nike forced withdrawal of his shoe range.

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 2

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) 3i Group 496.75 Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 471.95 Admiral Group 1,489.00 Aggreko 1,676.50 Anglo American 1,187.50 Antofagasta 754.75 ARM Holdings 1,173.00 Ashtead Group 1,206.50 Associated Britsh Foods 3,140.00 AstraZeneca 4,494.25 Aviva 537.25 Babcock International 994.75 BAE Systems 532.75 Barclays 260.50 Barratt Developments 520.75 BG Group 947.30 BHP Billiton 1,576.75 BP 447.55

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -0.25 -0.05 1.85 0.39 13.00 0.88 -3.50 -0.21 -13.50 -1.12 -10.25 -1.34 -9.00 -0.76 25.50 2.16 55.00 1.78 18.75 0.42 1.25 0.23 0.75 0.08 1.75 0.33 -2.25 -0.86 -1.75 -0.33 -1.20 -0.13 -18.75 -1.18 0.90 0.20

NET VOLUME 4,781.94 6,235.95 4,103.71 4,371.94 16,903.91 7,571.38 16,261.89 5,982.24 24,708.15 56,520.19 15,917.53 5,077.21 16,752.94 42,364.51 5,108.59 32,679.79 34,109.96 81,742.54

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Units per €

US dollar...................................................................1.11908 Japan yen..............................................................134.023 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.07530 Denmark kroner.................................................7.45382 Norway kroner...................................................8.60374

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PRICE(P)

British Amrcn Tobacco British Land Co BT Group Bunzl Burberry Group Capita Group (The) Carnival

3,796.50 853.25 457.50 1,910.00 1,895.00 1,229.50 3,017.00

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 2

C O M PA N Y MMM 3M AXP American Express T AT&T BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 170.50 82.03 34.64 153.80 83.00 105.90 30.19 43.20 105.89 78.49 88.04 26.11 191.79 116.12 160.48 34.06 103.22 61.77 100.00 58.58 43.88 98.75 34.77 85.41 107.90 123.19 114.40 49.47 278.29 83.96

+1.85 +0.44 +0.08 +2.95 +0.10 -0.78 +0.68 -0.10 +1.81 +0.64 -0.50 +0.12 +2.00 +1.37 -1.46 +0.81 +0.71 +0.49 +1.10 +0.04 +0.03 +1.63 +0.45 +0.28 +0.46 +1.28 +0.77 +0.02 +6.98 +0.03

+1.10% +0.54% +0.23% +1.96% +0.12% -0.73% +2.30% -0.23% +1.74% +0.82% -0.56% +0.46% +1.05% +1.19% -0.90% +2.44% +0.69% +0.80% +1.11% +0.07% +0.07% +1.68% +1.31% +0.33% +0.43% +1.05% +0.68% +0.04% +2.57% +0.04%

2.2M 5.5M 21.6M 4.6M 4.2M 7.3M 36.0M 13.5M 5.6M 3.3M 13.8M 32.4M 1.7M 6.0M 5.9M 25.4M 7.3M 13.0M 12.4M 9.7M 31.9M 5.5M 21.4M 7.2M 1.3M 2.3M 3.0M 10.9M 2.9M 6.1M

1.37334

0.72814

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 40.00 8.25 1.40 10.00 3.00 22.50 41.00

C O M PA N Y

1.06 0.98 0.31 0.53 0.16 1.86 1.38

NET VOLUME 70,584.59 8,448.77 37,105.16 6,336.05 8,321.45 7,852.97 6,307.69

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 17.42 $ 25.10 $ 99.56 $ 63.58 $ 5.16 $ 14.93 $ 12.81 $ 37.68 $ 3.32 $ 47.18 $ 10.51

3.99 ▲ 29.71% 4.23 ▲ 20.27% 14.665 ▲ 17.27% 8.51 ▲ 15.45% 0.65 ▲ 14.41% 1.75 ▲ 13.28% 1.37 ▲ 11.98% 3.68 ▲ 10.82% 0.30 ▲ 9.93% 3.94 ▲ 9.11% 0.86 ▲ 8.91%

$ 92.30 $ 5.20 $ 2.56 $ 8.91 $ 13.60 $ 12.32 $ 13.76 $ 14.50 $ 4.75 $ 4.19 $ 19.51

22.47 ▼ 19.58% 0.91 ▼ 14.89% 0.40 ▼ 13.51% 1.25 ▼ 12.30% 1.78 ▼ 11.57% 1.50 ▼ 10.85% 1.46 ▼ 9.59% 1.53 ▼ 9.54% 0.50 ▼ 9.52% 0.43 ▼ 9.31% 1.89 ▼ 8.83%

Most Advanced TRACON Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Omeros Corporation NXP Semiconductors N.V. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Sphere 3D Corporation Vicor Corporation Stein Mart, Inc. Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Ingles Markets, Incorporated BioTelemetry, Inc.

Most Declined Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. BioScrip, Inc. ModSys International Ltd. Mitel Networks Corporation Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. TubeMogul, Inc. Calithera Biosciences, Inc. Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. Performant Financial Corporation Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Navient Corporation

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Centrica 249.90 3.40 Coca-Cola HBC 1,168.00 9.00 Compass Group 1,159.50 5.50 CRH 1,811.00 -2.00 Diageo 1,930.00 13.00 Direct Line Insurance 331.75 1.25 Dixons Carphone 436.90 2.00 easyJet 1,722.00 -1.00 Experian 1,208.00 5.00 Fresnillo 794.50 -17.00 Friends Life Group 410.45 0.35 G4S 299.00 0.40 GKN 365.80 2.50 GlaxoSmithKline 1,563.75 9.75 Glencore 291.38 -9.17 Hammerson 691.00 5.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,172.00 12.00 HSBC Holdings 583.65 0.75 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,232.00 35.00 InterContinental Hotels 2,714.00 26.00 International Cnsldtd Air 576.50 2.50 Intertek Group 2,526.00 -36.00 Intu Properties 359.70 2.40 ITV 227.80 -0.10 Johnson Matthey 3,408.50 4.50 Kingfisher 369.70 0.10 Land Securities Group 1,283.50 5.50 Legal & General Group 280.80 0.60 Lloyds Banking Group 79.87 -0.12 London Stock Exchange 2,461.00 11.00 Marks & Spencer Group 511.25 1.25 Meggitt 546.50 3.50 Mondi 1,340.50 10.50 Morrison (Wm) Sprmrkts 199.05 0.25 National Grid 890.00 4.10 Next 7,535.00 25.00 Old Mutual 225.00 0.30 Pearson 1,428.00 4.00 Persimmon 1,774.50 5.50 Prudential 1,629.00 7.50 Randgold Resources 5,045.00 -55.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,812.50 17.50 Reed Elsevier 1,137.50 7.50 Rio Tinto 3,129.50 -24.50 Rolls-Royce Group 936.75 2.25 Royal Bank of Scotland 378.60 0.30 Royal Dutch Shell 2,087.00 -3.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,158.50 -1.00 Royal Mail 423.20 -0.10 RSA Insurance Group 430.40 -3.90 SABMiller 3,688.75 35.25 Sage Group (The) 487.50 3.30 Sainsbury (J) 272.15 0.15 Schroders 3,089.00 19.00 Severn Trent 2,029.00 3.00 Shire 5,237.50 77.50 Sky 1,000.25 -4.75 Smith & Nephew 1,208.50 9.50 Smiths Group 1,173.00 3.00 Sports Direct Interntnl 692.50 5.00 SSE 1,567.50 6.50 St James's Place 955.75 2.75 Standard Chartered 979.85 -0.15 Standard Life 424.85 1.55 Taylor Wimpey 146.30 1.40 Tesco 246.60 -0.10 Travis Perkins 2,002.50 -22.50 TUI AG 1,170.00 -1.00 Tullow Oil 362.20 4.90 Unilever 2,898.00 23.00 United Utilities Group 948.50 3.50 Vodafone Group 226.55 1.85 Weir Group 1,725.50 7.50 Whitbread 5,337.50 -7.50 Wolseley 4,005.00 15.00 WPP Group 1,556.00 18.00

% C H G. 1.38 0.78 0.48 -0.11 0.68 0.38 0.46 -0.06 0.42 -2.09 0.09 0.13 0.69 0.63 -3.05 0.73 1.03 0.13 1.09 0.97 0.44 -1.41 0.67 -0.04 0.13 0.03 0.43 0.21 -0.15 0.45 0.25 0.64 0.79 0.13 0.46 0.33 0.13 0.28 0.31 0.46 -1.08 0.30 0.66 -0.78 0.24 0.08 -0.14 -0.05 -0.02 -0.90 0.96 0.68 0.06 0.62 0.15 1.50 -0.47 0.79 0.26 0.73 0.42 0.29 -0.02 0.37 0.97 -0.04 -1.11 -0.09 1.37 0.80 0.37 0.82 0.44 -0.14 0.38 1.17

VOLUME 12,109.21 4,232.21 19,219.66 14,951.80 48,755.96 4,908.00 5,059.65 6,887.59 11,878.58 6,070.16 5,798.95 4,624.53 6,061.76 74,902.23 39,317.00 5,303.80 5,355.06 111,031.83 30,555.13 6,257.11 11,800.12 4,080.03 4,657.00 9,098.00 6,986.67 8,590.92 9,940.94 16,605.12 56,413.80 8,601.05 8,249.86 4,347.70 4,873.29 4,572.09 33,336.43 11,465.52 11,047.14 11,650.54 5,415.16 41,816.30 4,806.83 42,180.14 12,661.94 45,153.69 17,759.67 23,410.58 82,588.78 53,859.86 4,202.50 4,345.78 59,242.18 5,211.64 5,212.40 6,941.15 4,862.15 31,139.24 17,121.41 10,597.95 4,555.47 4,126.42 15,555.08 4,919.17 24,458.63 10,178.48 4,696.37 19,929.76 5,011.37 N/A 3,524.72 36,796.78 6,447.26 59,421.09 3,633.88 9,532.05 10,314.85 20,226.45

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

He pays me, he pays me not THERE is a mind-numbing, laissez-faire attitude taken towards settling accounts with suppliers. In many ways Spain leaves the United Kingdom standing. However, in business ethics and accountability Spain can be worse than Third World. There is no such thing as a perfect system of business accountability, professional standards and customer protection. Britain, to its credit, has achieved a great deal in all these spheres. There are cowboy operators everywhere but in Britain they are in a minority; a system for dealing with them is in place. For instance, a business can

Talking shop Mike Walsh Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

be fined up to £10,000 for fraudulently claiming to be a member of a trade association to gain a customer’s trust and business. Over 20 years, I enjoyed an excellent relationship with Trading Standards.

High profile in every community, their offices were manned by friendly staff, there was free information and legal advice. All were keen, many zealously so, to investigate cases where customers had been ripped off. Television programmes like The Builders from Hell are dedicated to the subject. The media, to its credit, is quick to expose cheaters. Many offer advice columns on how to avoid cowboy businesses or deal with it if one is victim of sharp practice. In Spain the customer support infrastructure is weak. I am sure some assiduous expert will tell me that there is a means of redress. For most of us it

is non-apparent, expensive, or formidably difficult to negotiate. This is what cheaters rely upon. The aggrieved victim feels it better to just put a disappointment down to experience. There is a desperate need for many business services in Spain. However, because of difficulties in negotiating a reasonable price and then getting paid for a service, there is an understandable reluctance to provide for the business and domestic communities. This is a weakness and does little to encourage business growth or investment in Spain. Is there a solution? Yes, insist on a goodwill deposit of at least €100. If this is unacceptable then so is their custom.

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Sterling going from strength to strength THE great British pound (GBP) continues to push to fresh, multi-year highs against the euro. The feedback from the UK economy has been robust of late and this is supporting the view that interest rate increases could come sooner than currently expected. The Bank of England (BoE) governor, Mark Carney, cemented this point in his Quarterly Inflation Report and the BoE increased their outlook for growth whilst affirming that they believe the fall in inflation is temporary. In February the pound has now gained around 3% against the euro and the USD and continues to look bullish. The euro unsurprisingly is under pressure following the uncertainty from Greece and the spectre of Quantitative Easing commencing in March. Although Greece looks like it has managed to

Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

obtain a four-month extension, the can has simply been kicked down the road and the uncertainty prevails. In March, the onset of QE is also expected to weigh on the single currency despite significant euro weakness already factored in. On delivering QE, the ECB denied that a weaker euro was a target; however the impact of the news significantly devalued the euro. The exceptional policies of central banks across the globe have led to talk of currency wars where a drive for a

SITTING PRETTY: The pound’s seven-year high against the euro. weaker currency is sought to gain competitiveness. A weaker euro will help to boost exports and inflation across the Eurozone, as investors and importers outside the Eurozone take advantage of the exchange rate. The long term impact of QE

in the Eurozone is still very uncertain but when you contrast the monetary policy of Europe, who are just embarking on significant easing, to that of the UK and the US who are on the path to monetary tightening, the divergence is very apparent. Although the pound is

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com

Time to close the gender pay gap Loose change A look at finance for females

Jane Plunkett jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

IT would be assumed that a boy and a girl baby are born with equal opportunities, but the sad truth is that the educational and career expectations for boys and girls are very different. In today’s world, by the time these babies are grown up, the boy will be earning around 16 per cent more than the girl. Not exactly fair, right? It seems beyond comprehension that women continue to be paid less than men for the same work. But on average, women in the EU earn around

16 per cent less per hour than men. And this gender pay gap exists even though women do better at school and university than men. According to a European study, on average, 83 per cent of young women reach at least upper secondary school education in the EU, compared to 77.6 per cent of men. Women also represent 60 per cent of university graduates in the EU. But they continue to earn less than men. This gender pay gap is most pronounced in traditionally high-paying occupations and

professions where females are the minority, such as doctors and surgeons, executives and managers. So why is there still such inequality in the workplace? Well, it’s a complex issue. According to an EU report it can be the result of direct discrimination, where women are simply treated less favourably than men. This is prohibited by law, but is unfortunately still present in some workplaces. Women and men also carry out different jobs and often work in different sectors. In the health sector, women make up 80 per cent of all workers. But

UNEQUAL PAY: Still prevalent in 2014.

sectors where women are in the majority still have lower wages than those dominated by men. For example, women working in female dominated occupations, such as cleaning, tend to earn less than men who have comparable skills in male dominated occupations, such as rubbish collection. Why? Well, some experts believe that traditional thinking means that women’s skills are often undervalued because they are seen to reflect ‘female’ characteristics, rather than acquired skills and competences. It’s very important however to change this status quo. The impact of the gender pay gap means that women earn less over their lifetimes and this results in lower pensions and a risk of poverty in old age. Greater equality between men and women however would bring benefits to the economy and to society in general.

sitting pretty at the moment at seven-year highs against the euro, we should not underestimate the potential for volatility surrounding the UK election countdown. Bill O’Neill, head of the UK investment office at UBS Wealth Management, summed this up very well recently by comparing the election countdown to the Scottish independence vote: “Just as they did with Scotland, the markets are saying fine, fine, fine, but then as the date approaches thy will start to panic a little bit.” He added: “We think there will be significant volatility in the second quarter of 2015 it is almost inevitable.” Therefore the months ahead are likely to be a rocky road for both the pound and the euro. In the short term this favours GBP/EUR but with the election looming euro buyers should not get complacent.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Smaller margins FOLLOWING the €267.3 million sale of its French stores in 2014, Dia supermarkets posted net profits of €329 million, 57 per cent more than the previous year. Owing to falling prices, turnover of €5.22 billion in Spain grew by 0.4 per cent compared to 4 per cent in 2013.

Near the mark SPAIN’S Gross Domestic Product grew by 1.4 per cent last year, confounding IMF and The Economist predictions of 0.1 per cent increase. Savings banks think-tank Funcas and the Madrid Economic Studies Centre (CEEM) came the closest with prior growth forecasts of 1 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively.

Car sector boost EXPORTS of Spanish-manufactured vehicles jumped by 19.6 per cent in January with sales of 175,000 vehicles owing to a recovering European market. There was increased demand from Italy, the UK, Germany and France, while US orders also rose following the choice of the Spain-produced Nissan NV200 for New York taxis.

OPINION & COMMENT

5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

Sub-human psycho is getting the bleeding hearts treatment CORDON PRESS

REALLY was going to give my monotonous, seemingly neverending diatribe on Islamic events a bit of a miss this week; and then they unmasked ‘Jihadi John’. So here we go again. In the first place, I have never particularly favoured this title; it almost makes him sound like some charismatic war hero, instead of the sub-human psychopath he actually is. But just a minute, it wasn’t his fault, was it? Surprise, surprise. The woodwork oozed open and out they all crawled. With total predictability the BBC immediately gave air-time (a lot of it!) to bitter and twisted fanatics, who insisted this cold-blooded murderer was actually a beautiful, gentle and humble young man, who would never hurt anyone. They then continue to insult our intelligence even more, by stating he had only looked towards IS because he’d been made to feel like an ‘outsider’ in his ‘home country’ (a country that had in fact given him one of the finest starts in life any

www.euroweeklynews.com

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT young person could possibly ask for). You really couldn’t make it up. Even as I write, Sky News is appearing to evoke excuses and sympathy for this individual by reporting that he was ‘hounded by MI6’ , felt like ‘a dead man walking’ (he is now!) and had considered killing himself. Well it certainly appears he needed some form of psychiatric help, but to imply that these symptoms led to him hacking off innocent victims’ heads on film and declaring his ‘right’ to do so, really does defy all the bounds of any rational intelligence.

COLDBLOODED MURDERER: Jihadi John does not deserve sympathy. To tell the truth, the idea of anyone showing any sympathy whatsoever for this utter sleaze-ball, fills me with horror and a complete sense of despair at being a member of the same human race. If we don’t toughen up and stop denying the existence of the ever-increasing amount of pure evil and hatred in our midst, these fanatics will one

day find themselves sitting cross-legged on the carpets of Westminster, issuing out the rulings of Sharia, sending out legions of men with sledgehammers and drills to our precious museums and chopping off heads in Trafalgar Square. What these misled, liberal do-gooders are leading us into is physical confrontation.When

people despair of the attitude of our media and politicians there is nowhere else to turn. Don’t be fooled by the 20 per cent of Muslims who think that Islam will never integrate with the cultures of the West - that’s half-a-million British inhabitants who want us to adopt their culture! This poll also assumes that the remaining 80 per cent actually told the truth. Somehow I doubt it. When the proverbial finely hits the fan, don’t expect the remaining 80 per cent to take to the streets proclaiming their loyalty to the culture of the West. It didn’t happen when the Nazis took over Germany and it ain’t gonna happen here.

Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

Thursday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm DIY SOS The Big Build 10:00pm The People's Strictly for Comic Relief 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:45pm Question Time 12:45am This Week

BBC TWO 5:15pm Three Up, Two Down 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 10:00pm Banished 11:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am A Cook Abroad

ITV 4:00pm Tipping Point 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm The Nation's Favourite 70s Number One 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm The Late Debate 12:10am Perspectives

CH4 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Supervet 10:00pm Cucumber 11:00pm Gogglebox 12:05am The Romanians are Coming

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Classic Car Show 9:00pm Britain's Worst Crimes 10:00pm Britain's Biggest Primary School 11:00pm The Mentalist 11:55pm Castle 12:50am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours

SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Arrow 10:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 11:00pm Quiz Nights 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Friday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Inside Out 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Room 101 10:00pm The Musketeers 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:25am Would I Lie to You?

BBC TWO 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Gardeners' World 10:00pm Nelson: In His Own Words 11:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 11:30pm Newsnight 12:00am Artsnight

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm Gladiator 2:25am Jackpot247

CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Crufts 2015 10:00pm Gogglebox 11:00pm First Dates 12:05am Rude Tube

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm Missing: Flight MH370 One Year on 10:00pm NCIS: New Orleans US spin-off crime drama. 11:00pm NCIS 11:55pm Law and Order: Special Victims Unit 12:45am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours

SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Flintoff: Lord of the Fries 10:00pm Stella 11:00pm Quiz Nights 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Saturday BBC ONE 5:30pm Final Score 6:00pm BBC News 6:10pm Regional News 6:15pm Weather 6:20pm MOTD Live: FA Cup Quarter Final 8:30pm The Voice UK 10:30pm Casualty 11:15pm The National Lottery Live 11:25pm BBC News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Match of the Day 12:15am Football: FA Cup 6th Round Highlights

BBC TWO 4:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 5:00pm Gardeners' World 5:30pm Athletics 8:30pm How We Got to Now with Steve Johnson 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm QI 10:30pm Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South 11:30pm Good Vibrations 1:05am Cross of Iron

ITV 3:35pm Doc Martin 4:35pm Secrets From the Sky 5:05pm Off Their Rockers 5:35pm Big Star's Little Star 6:35pm Local News and Weather 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:00pm Saturday Night Takeaway 9:25pm Take Me Out 10:55pm The Jonathan Ross Show 11:55pm ITV News and Weather 12:15am Play Misty for Me

CH4 5:10pm Come Dine with Me 5:45pm Come Dine with Me 6:15pm Come Dine with Me 6:50pm Come Dine with Me 7:15pm The Simpsons 7:40pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Crufts 2015 10:00pm Salt 12:00am Heartbreakers

CH5 4:35pm Monte Walsh 6:30pm 5 News Weekend 6:40pm Columbo: Candidate for Crime 8:20pm NCIS 9:05pm NCIS 10:00pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 11:00pm Law and Order: Special Victims Unit 11:55pm Law and Order 12:50am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 1:15am Super Casino 4:10am 10,000 BC 5:00am Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

SKY1 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm Inside RAF Brize Norton 5:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00pm Hawaii Five-0 10:00pm A League of Their Own 11:00pm Lethal Weapon 1:15am Hawaii Five-0

TV LISTING

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Sunday BBC ONE 4:35pm Bargain Hunt 5:05pm Escape to the Country 5:50pm Pointless 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm Regional News 6:55pm Weather 7:00pm The Big Painting Challenge 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm Call the Midwife 10:00pm Poldark 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm Regional News 11:25pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day: FA Cup Highlights 12:05am The Apprentice USA

BBC TWO 2:30pm Athletics 6:35pm Natural World 7:35pm Pompidou 8:00pm The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway 9:00pm Top Gear 10:00pm Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief 11:05pm The Revolution Will be Televised 11:35pm The Hunter 1:10am Howl

ITV 3:40pm Catchphrase 4:25pm The Living Daylights 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 8:30pm Off Their Rockers 9:00pm All Star Family Fortunes 10:00pm Mr Selfridge 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm Bear Grylls: Mision Survive 12:15am Aviva Highlights

CH4 3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:55pm Bride Wars 5:40pm Location, Location, Location 6:40pm Channel 4 News 7:05pm A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 8:00pm Crufts 2015 10:00pm Indian Summers 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 12:05am New Moon

CH5 4:25pm Open Season 2 5:55pm Mulan 7:35pm 5 News Weekend 7:40pm Hitch 10:00pm 21 Jump Street 12:15am Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

SKY1 3:30pm Modern Family 4:00pm Modern Family 4:30pm Modern Family 5:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Moone Boy 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm About a Boy 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Holidaymakers 9:00pm The Flash 10:00pm Hawaii Five-0 11:00pm Hawaii Five-0 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Monday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Match of the Day Live 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Panorama 12:15am Waterloo Road

BBC TWO 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Top Gear 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect Comic Relief Special 10:00pm A Cook Abroad 11:00pm House of Fools 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Arthur and George 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights 12:40am The Jonathan Ross Show

CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Food Unwrapped 10:00pm The Billion Pound Hotel 11:00pm NHS: £2 Billion a Week and Counting 12:00am 24 Hours in A and E

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 10:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 11:00pm 10,000 BC 12:00am The Fugitive

SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Holidaymakers 10:00pm Moone Boy 10:30pm Arrow 11:30pm Critical 12:30am NCIS: Los Angeles

Tuesday BBC ONE 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Kids in Camps - Comic Relief 12:40am Hollywoodland

BBC TWO 5:15pm Three Up, Two Down 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 9:00pm Galapagos 10:00pm Horizon 11:00pm Nurse 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather

ITV 4:00pm Tipping Point 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm UEFA Champions League 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm UEFA Champions League Highlights 12:40am Carry on Don't Lose Your Head

CH4 5:20pm Couples Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Mary Portas: Secret Shopper 10:00pm One Born Every Minute 11:00pm The Kids Who Can't Stay Awake 12:00am First Dates

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Police Interceptors 9:00pm Costa Del Casualty 10:00pm The Benefits Estate 11:00pm Chicago PD 12:00am Chicago PD

SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Flash 10:00pm Critical 11:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles

Wednesday BBC ONE 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm MasterChef 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pm The People's Strictly for Comic Relief 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm A Question of Sport 12:15am Duel of the Silver Arrows

BBC TWO 5:15pm Three Up, Two Down 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 9:00pm Suffragettes Forever! The Story of Women and Power 10:00pm This World 11:00pm Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather

ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Big Star's Little Star 10:00pm DCI Banks 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:45pm Pop Gold 12:45am Elton John Brit Icon

CH4 5:20pm Couples Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm First Dates 12:00am Underage and Gay

CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Filming My Father: In Life and Death 9:00pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 10:00pm My Violent Child 11:00pm The 16-Year-Old Baby 12:00am Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole

SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm Stella 11:00pm Lethal Weapon 1:15am NCIS: Los Angeles

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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Interstellar In a desperate attempt to find a way to save the human race on a dying earth, a group of astronauts embark on a fascinating quest to find new worlds for humans to inhabit. The movie uses scientifically plausible physics such as blackholes and intersteller travel in this beautifully rendered science fiction epic. Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. Run time 109 minutes. Rated PG

TODAY

ARCHIDONA

CASABERMEJA NERJA

VELEZ-MALAGA MALAGA R DE LA VICTORIA

ARCHIDONA

CASABERMEJA NERJA

VELEZ-MALAGA

TOMORROW MALAGA

R DE LA VICTORIA

Visit the stars, for details on our expanded range of services

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 16 10 C Tues - 16 9 Sh Wed - 17 10 C

16 7 S 17 11 Cl 17 11 C

SUNNY

tars

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Being unusually uncertain of yourself this week could throw confusion into your ordered life. There is a partnership problem to be sorted out. Links with personal matters, however, make this tricky.

6-Star Quiz

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Being a brave and forthright soul, it is easy this week to dispel the negative thoughts of others. A relationship that makes you hesitate could be of great benefit to you.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Some loss of control over a project is irksome. A new start that seemed so promising seems to be going off course. A real injection of time and effort will make all the difference, however. Midweek, you see things going in the right direction again.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Hidden forces are working away in the background. These give good and bad influences but life will not be dull this week. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 December 21) Petty arguments should be forgotten. More important things are afoot. Have you heard about fiddling while Rome burns? This may be you at the moment. CAPRICORN (December 22 January 20) Avoiding a decision will not help this week. Who will deal with this matter but you? A relationship is threatened if you do not make a move.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

AQUARIUS (January 21 February 19) In your heart of hearts you know what you want out of life. It is a little timidity of spirit that is now stopping you. I know that recent experiences have sapped your confidence, but I have a message for you.

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

Saturday February 28

Friday February 27

17 33

22 37

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

14 25

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

16 9 S 18 9 S 21 10 Cl

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 16 10 Sh Tues - 17 9 C Wed - 17 9 S

SUNNY

Fri Sat Sun -

15 6 S 17 8 Cl 16 6 C S Sun,

17 9 S 19 12 Cl 19 11 Cl

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 11 C Tues - 17 11 Sh Wed - 18 11 C

Madrid SUNNY

TODAY:

MAX 15C, MIN 9C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 18 11 Cl Tues - 18 12 Cl Wed - 19 11 C

Mallorca TODAY:

18 4 S 21 6 S 20 6 S

MAX 14C, MIN 3C MAX MIN

Mon - 18 6 S Tues - 18 6 S Wed - 18 7 Cl

Murcia MAX 14C, MIN 6C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 14 6 C Tues - 14 6 C Wed - 17 7 C Cl Clear,

SUNNY MAX 18C, MIN 6C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun Fog,

Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

19 6 S 22 9 Cl 21 9 Cl

Mon - 19 9 C Tues - 19 9 Sh Wed - 20 11 C

C Cloud,

Sh Showers,

Th Thunder

Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case H) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET:

Average: 16

Very good: 31

Good: 21

Excellent: 38

chou, chug, coke, cone, conk, core, cork, corn, cuke, cure, echo, ecru, guck, heck, hock, huck, neck, nock, once, ouch, rock, ruck, unco, choke, chore, chunk, churn, cornu, cough, crone, gecko, ocher, ochre, ocker, ounce, recon, choker, conger, conker, grouch, reckon, uncork, cougher, ROUGHNECK

REINTEGRO 39

SOFT

Sunday March 1

Saturday February 28

LUCKY STARS 9

Fri Sat Sun -

SUNNY MAX 17C, MIN 9C

TODAY:

Malaga CLOUDY

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 11 Cl Tues - 17 12 C Wed - 18 12 C

Word Ladder

LOTTERY 7

16 8 S 17 10 Cl 17 10 C

TODAY:

17 11 S 18 12 S 18 12 S

Benidorm

MAX MIN

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX 17C, MIN 7C

MAX MIN

Sudoku

Fri Sat Sun -

CLOUDY MAX 16C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Deal with the right people and the rewards are high. There is potential for being cheated out of something that is morally yours.

Y S our

TODAY:

MAX MIN

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Outside influences and pressures make it hard to concentrate. However, finances in particular need attention, so do not be distracted by others trying to put a finger into your 'pie'.

BLOCKBUSTERS

MAX MIN

www.fiduciarywealth.eu

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Be determined not to be intimidated by someone who thinks that they are superior. Decide who you will take advice (or orders) from and stick to it. You are not the person that you were in the past and others need to realise it.

1. What A B is the trademark name of a pungent aromatic bark from certain trees of the family Rutaceae, formerly used in medicine? 2. What C D is the name of the country retreat of the president of the USA, in the Appalachian Mountains in Maryland? 3. What E F is the name of an English Quaker prison reformer, a leading figure in the early 19th-century campaign for penal reform? 4. What G H is the name of a range of hills on the border between Syria and Israel, north-east of the Sea of Galilee? 5. What I J is the name of a small volcanic island, the largest of the Volcano Islands in the western Pacific, 1,222 km (760 miles) south of Tokyo? 6. What K L is the title of a tragedy by William Shakespeare, first performed in 1605, that tells the story of a British monarch who is betrayed and mistreated by two of his scheming daughters, Goneril and Regan?

Almeria

SUNNY MAX 15C, MIN 8C

17 44

Move from the start word (SOFT) to the end word (SOAP) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.

27 49

REINTEGRO 0

SOAP

SLAP SOAP

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Awkward situations usually bring out the best in you and this week proves that. In the longer term, you will be grateful to those making things difficult now.

Alicante TODAY:

SOFT SOOT SLOT SLAT

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Let others whinge if they will. Being determined to get your own way, they will stand little chance. Recent disagreements have left a sour taste. In the best of worlds, things will not always go your way. Life would be boring if that were the case.

1. ANGOSTURAS BITTERS, 2. CAMP DAVID, 3. ELIZABETH FRY, 4. GOLAN HEIGHTS, 5. IWO JIMA, 6. KING LEAR

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Crosswords

5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

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For more information about the sponsor go to www.lineadirecta.com

Cryptic

Quick

Across 1 Crude house song? (6) 4 Yours truly is taken in by cleric lower in status (6) 9 Gather it’s a church service (5) 10 Stand up for a wage increase (5) 11 Singing John, the Spanish heavyweight (5) 12 Bring back from rest or energetic exercise (7) 13 Home counties credit and French Private (6) 15 Beds for hens? (6) 19 Knowledge Garland added for enchantress (7) 21 Quick way to dry a step (5) 23 Grant given to a section of a hospital (5) 24 Maintain former queen with Tory leader (5) 25 Leather worker got sixpence in the old days (6) 26 Debars odd-looking whiskers (6) Down 1 Shopkeepers, we hear, are profiting from wine storage areas (7) 2 Not together but a role (5) 3 Apprentice from Aintree messed up (7) 5 Welshman in the van, snoozing (5)

Across 1 Profound (4) 3 Shook from fear (8) 9 Assorted (7) 10 She-goat (5) 11 Faithful (5) 12 Gained by labour (6) 14 Make a surface shiny (6) 16 Pays out money (6) 19 In tatters (6) 21 Exceptionally bad or displeasing (5) 24 Watchful (5) 25 Look over carefully (7) 26 Begged persistently and urgently (8) 27 Make a dull sound (4)

6 The record electric current, to me, is a prime example (7) 7 Pleasant to embrace sweetheart’s relation (5) 8 Take over and use Earp from the sound of it (5) 14 Sure to have new crate at home (7) 16 Australia began before it became

so severely simple (7) 17 Rushes to impress within seconds (7) 18 Article I had submitted to editor helped (5) 19 Smallest amount of stale stew (5) 20 Ogled tumble-down hut (5) 22 Change later (5)

Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 4 represents C and 19 represents Z, so fill in C every time the figure 4 appears and Z every time the figure 19 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Salvers, 4 Tests, 7 Reels, 9 Servant, 10 Arrange, 11 Arson, 12 Weald, 14 Boxer, 19 Cards, 21 Assuage, 23 Nearest, 24 Avert, 25 Sites, 26 Sceptre. Down: 1 Stream, 2 Essen, 3 System, 4 Tornado, 5 Scars, 6 Sit-ins, 8 Eerie, 13 Listens, 15 Erase, 16 Scents, 17 Faiths, 18 Gentle, 20 Roast, 22 Slate. QUICK Across: 1 Converse, 5/24 Bona fide, 9 Survive, 10 Miser, 11 Shame, 12 Canasta, 13 Sherry, 15 Essays, 18 Evasive, 20 Swamp, 22 Image, 23 Termite, 25 Restless. Down: 1 Costs, 2 Narrate, 3 Elite, 4 Speech, 6 Oasis, 7 Arrears, 8 Amends, 13 Sheriff, 14 Ruined, 16 Avarice, 17 Gentle, 19 Award, 20 Strut, 21 Press.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Sizes, 3 Sello, 5/3D Pea soup, 7 Nautico, 9 Shop, 10 Aunt, 14 Orgullo, 15/14D Log out, 16 Tarde, 17 Abrir. Down: 1 Sapos, 2 Sons, 4 Oro, 6 Among, 8 Igual, 11 Tiger, 12 Blue, 13 Boda.

17 Express approval of (6)

22 Recently made, produced

18 Hold in high regard (6)

or harvested (5)

20 Barriers (5)

23 Car for hire (4)

English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Gotas de lluvia (9) 8 Ice (frozen water) (5) 9 Oyster (5) 10 Carne (4) 11 Leg (of an animal) (4) 15 Humo (de fuego, cigarro) (5) 17 Queen (5) 18 Tarde (9) Down 2 Bee (5) 3 Mediodía (las doce) (4) 4 Tejado (4) 5/16 Posponer (3,3) 6 Químico (7) 7 Cod (7) 12 Friend (5) 13 Boss (4) 14 Train (railway) (4) 16 See 5

Hexagram The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (COILED) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues. ADVERB

HEADER

ARISES

HURLED

BEINGS

LADDER

COILED (10)

NORMAL

DEALER

PIERCE

ENDURE

REWARD

FARMER

ROARED

GLASSY

SEEING

GLOVES

SPLASH

GUIDED

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Funagram Unscramble the name of a famous British-American rock band formed in 1967 (two words): TWO-FACED MOLE FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: MILWAUKEE BREWERS, FLEETWOOD MAC

Unscramble the name of an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team (two words): LUKEWARM BEER, WISE?

Down 1 Elaborates (8) 2 Before the appointed time (5) 4 Not tired (6) 5 Lesser (5) 6 Light in a transparent protective case (7) 7 Periods of time (4) 8 Distinctive forms in which things are made (6) 13 Remote (8) 15 Chiefs (7)

1 Breach, 2 Dealer, 3 Rested, 4 Kinder, 5 Hurled, 6 Resent, 7 Banker, 8 Thence, 9 Single, 10 Butler, 11 Pierce, 12 Regard, 13 Taller, 14 Healer, 15 Models, 16 Alters, 17 Arrows, 18 Salute, 19 Mellow

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

Kind words from our senior correspondent THE Euro Weekly News is lucky to have two fine journalists in Leapy Lee and Mike Walsh. The paper also had an editor who called herself Mrs Ed and all three of them helped produce an excellent newspaper with the motto “Publish and be damned” like Cassandra of the Daily Mirror. Now and again I had to put them right on a matter or two but I am 96 now so I thought I had better write and thank you all for producing such an excellent paper. Keep up the good work. Bob Mitchell, Torremolinos (Malaga)

All in the family I HOPE that everyone at the Euro Weekly News is well and not working too hard! Just a quick note to say how delighted and touched we are with the wonderful wedding presents. Also, thanks so much for the piece that you put in the paper about the wedding. It will make a lovely keepsake for us and will be great to send to family in the UK who could not make it over here for the wedding. We are both really overwhelmed. Jamie and Heidi, Torrevieja (Alicante) Editor’s note: Heidi was formerly a Euro Weekly News reporter – and once in the EWN family, always in the EWN family! We wish the newlyweds every happiness for the future.

On the brink ONCE again, Mike Walsh demonstrates his obsessive belief that all wars nowadays are started by the American arms industry and that the US is dying to promote a war with Russia, using NATO. This is really nonsense. The current stand-off over the Ukraine is an example of

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brinkmanship where both sides know that there is a limit to what they can achieve, although they will try hard to move the limit in their favour before calling a truce. Mike makes some startling assertions, such as “NATO takes the gold medal at starting conflicts.” Try as I might, I cannot come up with even one. The first and only time that NATO has gone into action was in Yugoslavia and NATO certainly did not start that. Mike has, as so often, thrown in remarks which may be striking but are irrelevant and misleading. What does he mean by, “As in 1939, Germany’s army is now smaller than Turkey’s or Poland’s”? He has just been explaining that Germany’s army is very weak. But if it was smaller than Poland’s in 1939 that did not stop it from overrunning that country in a few days. He finishes his article with: “Today, if America’s war lobby wins, as did Britain’s in 1939...” Is he arguing that we ought not to have fought in 1939 and watched Hitler annex the whole of Europe, ourselves included? Bill Campbell (by email)

Not so easy DESPITE there being a lot in the UK press about the powers that be wanting more people to

one of the reasons I came here. I don’t know if Sylvia Fleck was here then but San Javier was reminiscent of Coventry airport, a tin hut with a walk to the plane. Typical of Spanish bureaucracy, AENA spent €70 million on upgrading San Javier (which was not necessary) when Corvera was under construction. The delays in paperwork have managed to kill the project just like the Paramount Theme park which it was supposed to serve. I imagine the lady in question lives in the San Javier area and does not have to travel very far to catch the limited number of planes out of San Javier. D Fraser, Camposol (Murcia)

Open all hours I’M told that these flowers are called Bermuda buttercups but those leaves look like clover to me! Gwen Saunders (by email)

register to vote in the forthcoming election, this apparently does not apply to expats. There is already controversy about losing your right to vote after 15 years living abroad. Even though I am within this timescale when I registered for a postal vote I was informed that the necessary form would not be sent out to me until four days before the election. I am then supposed to receive this form, make my mark and return it within four days. It was also clearly stated that any forms received after the due date would not be counted. Surely in these days of higher technology it should be possible to have a safe system of registering and voting either by email or similar? If postal voting is the only option there should be a longer time span for folks living abroad. It seems that the only solution for any expat is to get someone living in their old neighbourhood to register the vote by proxy. John Bingham, Playa Paraiso (Murcia)

Taxing prospect THE letter entitled “Tax Snag” suggests that when you are a tax resident here you are only allowed €6,000 per annum before tax kicks in. Not quite true. There is also an earned income allowance (EIA) that includes pensions’ income as well. It starts at €4,080 and goes down to €2,652 on a sliding scale. The more your earned income, if you have two pensions for example, the less EIA you get. The sad thing about Spanish tax is that the personal tax allowance never goes up, unlike the UK. Then, of course, the euro exchange rate can also affect what you pay. Ted Gilleland, Quesada (Alicante).

Plane truth I WOULD like to take issue with your correspondent Sylvia Fleck regarding San Javier airport. Corvera Airport has been in the planning since I came to live in Murcia in 2001 and it was

REGARDING Corvera airport, tourism in Andalucia is already suffering due to lack of airports open all year round. Why not just let it go back to being a third world country, with no tourism or work for locals? Almeria is only available to outside flights between the end of March and September. Murcia is not much better but at least it gives you a choice of another relatively close airport. If it is closed permanently no one will visit the northern parts of Andalucia due to inaccessibility. It’s ridiculous. Rachel (via Euro Weekly News website)

EHIC hiccup EHICs are for British tourists of all ages travelling in Europe. For those living outside the UK, if you’re under 65 you have no cover from the UK. When you get ill you’ll need to have private medical insurance, a flight ticket or a fat wallet. Brits under 65 are covered by the Spanish Seguridad Social if they are self-employed and pay “Autonomos,” are on a “nomina” (payroll), are registered unemployed or are behind bars. Steve, Palma Nova (Mallorca)

The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.

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PAINKILLING drug that is harmless to the cattle it is given to, but is deadly to vultures, could result in Spain’s vulture population facing a very real threat. Vultures dining on the carcasses of animals containing a fatal drug resulted in the decimation of Asia’s vulture population, and experts are worried about the future of Spain’s vultures. A report issued this month about the death of a Eurasian Griffon vulture found on an animal reserve in Andalucia two years ago shows that the bird had severe visceral gout, a condition consistent with the poisoned vultures of Asia. Since the 1990s, vulture numbers in India have plummeted by 99 per cent – tens of millions of the birds died – and scientists

have linked this ecological disaster to kidney failure resulting from the feeding on carcasses of animals treated with a painkiller, diclofenac. Harmless to the cattle, the drug is fatal to the birds that feed on it. The drug has since been banned in India and there is now hope for the scavenging birds of Asia, though the drug does still continue to be used illegally. Andalucia’s dead bird is believed to have ingested flunixin, a similar drug to diclofenac. However, earlier this year diclofenac was approved as a veterinary drug in Spain and Italy, and experts are worried not only for the safety of the vulture, but also the Golden eagle and the Spanish Imperial eagle. Spain – and in particular Andalucia – is either home,

PHOTO BY GEORG SANDER

Spain’s vultures face testing times

UNDER THREAT: A Eurasian Griffon vulture. a breeding ground or part of the migration route for many different species of vulture, including the

Griffon vulture, the Egyptian vulture and the Black vulture. The Strait of Gibraltar is where many of

these birds pass during migration and the nearby Spanish town of Tarifa boasts a viewing station where visitors can watch these large, imposing raptors feed on the carcasses of dead animals. However, experts warn that monitoring of these ‘carcass dumps’ is needed in Spain in order to quantify how many medicated carcasses end up as food for vultures and other scavengers. The approval of the use of diclofenac has avian enthusiasts concerned due to the fact that Europe is the last refuge of Old World vultures (New World vultures are made up of different species). In Africa, the vulture population has been in decline for some time and diclofenac practically wiped out the entire Asian vulture population.

The October report about the death of the vulture in Andalucia highlighted that “there is an urgent need to test the safety of drugs like flunixin in vultures in Europe”, but it’s already known that diclofenac has a deadly effect on the carnivorous bird. Add flunixin into the mix, and Spain’s vultures could possibly go the way of Asia’s: virtual extinction. Whenever venturing towards Gibraltar and the Costa de la Luz, it is a common sight to see the dark, looming shadows of vultures as they circle lazily high in the sky. It is a sight that conservationists, scientists and avian enthusiasts want to continue to see, but one that could be under real threat.

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

OR 20 years I vetted applicants for Britain’s most highly regarded trade associations; I was privileged to meet the most gifted craftsmen. It seemed to me to be a pity that these artisans and their achievements were not better recognised. Being specialist means precisely that; their skills were known only to an elite in a position to take advantage of them. I recall a blustery autumn day when my car followed a remote Shropshire track to a number of farm outbuildings. What a strange place for a motor mechanic to be working in, I thought to myself. Selecting a workshop that appeared to be showing signs of activity I peered inside. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of several luxury cars of a marque one simply does not see outside of London’s Knightsbridge. I was there to meet the only mechanic entrusted by the super rich to maintain their cars. As I took details of his references, one of whom was Lord Rothschild, I murmured:

HAVE never minded going to the dentist. What’s the worst that can happen? A few teeth out, a filling or two? None of it lifethreatening. Some time ago I made an appointment with a dentist who came recommended, to see what I could do to invigorate my smile which - looking back at old photos - needed some tweaking. After two consultations, numerous X-rays and a complete scan of my skull no less, I emerged a nervous wreck, clutching two estimates, the lesser of which would have purchased a small family car. There was talk of crowns and bridge work, and even bone grafts, for goodness sake. I only went in for a bit of cleaning, not looking for honorary membership to the Kardashian family or a set of choppers to compete with Red Rum. I didn’t want to be pulled and pummelled about at my age; after all, I will be 49 in April. What?? So I settled on a third option and simply decided not to smile any more. But the more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that I needed

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OPINION & COMMENT

Who fixes your car? Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.

“These are far too important to respond.” He smiled and assured me they would; they did. A specialist firm was called in to create an impression of a high denomination banknote on the entrance floor of an upper-crust mansion. The craftsman would not allow anyone else into the room whilst he worked. The note painted on the marble floor would appear so realistic that visitors would instinctively stoop to pick it up. Talking of things of value I scratched my head when I met a gold leaf maker. I had not been given an address and reaching the given locality, I was guided to the workshop.

SKILLED TRADESMEN: Their achievements should be recognised. Monotonously, a craftsman was using a hand mallet to strike what appeared to be a cloth-covered block the size of a VHS cassette. It could not be done by machine, the gold had to be hand-worked.

A namesake of mine, a master carpenter, Brian Walsh, made specialist doors working from a small workshop. Not your ordinary house doors; Brian’s were handmade and carved from rare,

imported exotic timbers. His prices started off at tens of thousands of pounds. “Do you have a hobby?” I asked. Yes, he was a keen member of the catfish angling community. Taking a piece of wood he would fashion an exact replica of a member’s caught catfish. Apparently, like we humans, catfish look different to each other. Interviewing a young man applying for membership as a glass etching specialist, I checked his work. Like his brewing industry clients I couldn’t fault his art. “Do you have anything a little different?” I asked. He then took me to a gallery to show me his party-piece. A door-sized crystal mirror upon which was etched the most exquisitely beautiful image of the RMS Titanic as it plunged through the Nantucket Sound fog. There were times indeed when quite ‘ordinary’ men made me feel quite humble.

Shut your mouth and cough up Colin Bird Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-the-wall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

a sprucing up, but without the need of a loan from the IMF. And so I attended another dentist for a fresh appraisal. Now, I get very nervous when I see a hugely expensive car parked outside a dental surgery and my flexible friend becomes very agitated in my wallet. But on this particular morning there was a swanky Ferrari Berlinetta parked nearby. The surgery was an oasis of calm and the dentist reassuring and professional, and unlike most of his colleagues, did not start asking me silly questions once my mouth was fully open and I was unable to answer without spraying the room with saliva. Oh, and why is it that when your chops are full of hardware

MOLAR MONOPOLY: The choice was to pay up or stop smiling. and the dentist has his arm in your mouth up to the elbow, you get this irresistible urge to swallow? An action that inevitably ends with a choking fit of embarrassing proportions. Anyway I left the building one hour later with the assurance that a suitable course of

treatment was available that would not bankrupt me. And I was just in time to see a sickeningly good-looking bloke wearing a polo shirt - with a motif of a chap on a horse, wielding a polo mallet - getting into the Ferrari. Obviously wealthy and successful, and

worst of all – young. Old, ugly and rich I can stomach, but some people seem to have everything. I cursed silently to myself and began to grind my teeth at the injustice of it all. Then I remembered I couldn’t afford it.

OPINION & COMMENT

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Big Brother rules the roads THE Big Brother state is upon us with drivers facing hefty fines when caught on camera for a range of offences from speeding to having no ITV. Now the government has pledged to make all speed cameras highly visible. Is this a good move to show cameras are not about simply raising cash, or is it a poorly-judged decision that will let dangerous drivers off the hook? MALCOLM from Copper Heelers firmly believes speed cameras should be visible. “There was one on the N332 road near where I live but it has not been working for about five years. When it was working, it definitely made drivers slow down. I think when they are visible it makes people more aware of their speed and slows them down.” Founder of the Porsche Owners Club of

Olivier, Manager of Alberts Restaurant.

STREET TALK

Andalucia (POCA), Gary Compson, said he had the greatest respect for speed cameras and thinks there should be more of them. “I know that I am a lover of driving in my Porsche; however, I always respect the speed limit. After all, speed kills,” he said, adding: “The cameras should be visible and more of them. The fines should also be higher to deter drivers from speeding.” O l i v i e r B e r t o n, Susan Worthington, Manager of Alberts the Spectrum Group. Restaurant Cabopino

(Malaga), thought there were advantages and disadvantages to the speed cameras being visible. He commented: “When drivers are speeding and they do not know the road, they tend to slap on the brakes when they see the camera, which can be very dangerous. “Holiday-makers who do not know the rules of the road in Spain often rent a car which can also clock up fines, so they have to be warned and there has to be control. On the other hand, if the cameras are hidden, then drivers may be cautious all of the time, which is how it should be.” Susan Worthington, IFA for The Spectrum Group, said: “I agree with the presence of speed cameras as long as they are there for the right

Gary from POCA.

reasons and not just to pull in the revenue. When they are visible, they certainly have the right effect which is to slow drivers down and take caution and I think it is only fair to warn people. If the cameras are in place to deter dangerous driving, then I agree with them being more visible, as long as the purpose is right, then that is good.”

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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OPINION & COMMENT

Unscrupulous apples feed cynicism Nora Johnson

Breaking Views A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/norajohnson

WO former UK foreign secretaries are under parliamentary investigation after being secretly filmed “offering their services” to a bogus company for cash. And this after reports MPs earned more than £7 million (€9.62 million) outside of Parliament last year some making over £1,600 (€2,200) per hour! Caught in this latest “cash for access” undercover sting, Jack Straw boasted how he operated “under the radar” and had used his influence to change EU rules on behalf of a firm which paid him £60,000 (€82,485) a year. As for payment: “Normally, if I’m doing a speech, it’s £5,000 (€6,874) a day, that’s what I charge.” Sir Malcolm Rifkind, since resigned as MP, boasted he could arrange “useful access” to every British ambassador in the world, claiming: “I am self-

THE DAY JOB: MPs earned more than £7 million outside Parliament last year. employed, so nobody pays me a salary. I have to earn my income.” This from someone then enjoying an MP’s basic salary of £67,000 (€92,107)! This, he said, “sounds a lot of money to anyone earning less than that... but the reality is that anyone from a professional or business background earns considerably more.” And that’s at the root of the problem.

The high salaries that can be earned in business and banking as well as in the public sector - in the NHS and the BBC and the temptations they pose to the less than scrupulous. Now, decent, hardworking MPs (and, yes, there are some) hate these lobbying scandals most. They not only feed cynicism but, more seriously, undermine politics itself. In the same way as the

HSBC tax avoidance scandal undermines the public’s trust in business and banking, “aggressive, incompetent and overpaid” NHS administrators undermine the public’s trust in the health service and BBC executives undermine the public’s trust in Auntie. As for the BBC, the problem’s the bottomless supply of licence payers’ money. This means no ‘bottom line,’ no accountability, no need for personal responsibility. Bloated, top-heavy layers of management perpetuate themselves and their indulgences because there’s only token accountability to a less than rigorous Board. How can the next government even contemplate continuing with the licence fee, especially given ever changing technology and audience habits? I know I go on about parliamentary scandals, the NHS, the BBC and so on. My reasoning is that only by drawing repeated attention to these issues can there be any hope of change.

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89; £0.79) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.

New state of play Cassandra Nash

A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

SPAIN drank its morning coffee as Mariano Rajoy’s State of the Nation speech reminded everyone that he has hauled the country out of recession. Viewers and listeners lunched and dined to barbs and harangues from the opposition parties as they enumerated their reasons for refusing to be impressed. It must have been frustrating for Podemos and Ciudadanos not to contribute to the talk-fest. These two parties are so new and captivating that they occupy respective second and fourth places in opinion polls but no seats in the national parliament. Frustration was tempered with the knowledge that this will be the last State of the Nation debate where a government’s overpowering, overall majority turns criticism or censure into a waste of breath. Podemos and Ciudadanos might never harvest enough votes to form a

government alone but they know things are going to change and will change because of them.

Finger-pointing THE Partido Popular bays for the heads of the PSOE miscreants in Andalucia and elsewhere but should examine its own loyalty to highranking politicians linked to scandals. Double standards are not convincing at the best of times and are pure selfindulgence in an election year.

Help from afar PODEMOS could also be accused of double standards. The €425,000 paid to its co-founder, Juan Carlos Monedero, by ALBA – an alliance of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua – for his advisory services is costing him dear. Not because he belatedly gave the Hacienda its cut. Not because he first claimed that he earned it in 2010 and later amended this to 2013. The least savoury aspect of that money is the use it was put to. If Monedero and Podemos leader

Pablo Iglesias are to be believed, it financed the latter’s chat show, La Tuerka. But was it used illegally to fund Podemos? Was it earned by the sweat of Monedero’s brow or was it a donation? Before the death of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela was already backsliding into totalitariansm and under Nicolas Maduro it has arrived. Not the best credentials for a party that polls rank as the second most popular in Spain.

Wanted children NEW laws will soon make it easier to adopt, and not before time. There are 13,400 children currently in care and probably double that number of couples hoping to adopt. Instead they face a bureaucratic obstacle race that regularly shatters their dreams. At least Rajoy’s government saw sense and withdrew its Abortion reform bill. Had it not, Spain’s orphanages would soon have been overcrowded with even more unwanted children.

RAJOY: Gave his State of the Nation address.

E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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First setback rears its ugly head so it’s time to let nurse take charge Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving

21st February I ENDED my last blog by saying that I had lived to fight another day and that was certainly true. I just didn’t know how much of a fight I had ahead. I have been eternally optimistic throughout the whole process from diagnosis through operations and now chemotherapy. However, my first setback was about to rear its ugly head. It was a normal Saturday morning and as ever I was up early to take Oliver to his football match, which was luckily a home game. I met with the legends and great friends that are Steve and Louise Holland and their boys. We have always loved supporting our boys from the sideline at matches. Steve sometimes forgets he’s not actually the coach but we let him off and put it down to his boundless enthusiasm!

Readers’ response Dear Erica So sorry to hear your sad news about your ex, Angus, but you have to be strong for yourself now and the kids and beat the cancer, that’s your number one priority. Stay focused, keep strong and be positive, devote all your energies and inner strength to this effort to achieve your goal and beat this terrible disease. You know you can do it, now more than ever, be strong, keep the faith, whatever it may be and you will survive and come through a much better person, stronger and better than before. You know it makes sense, and we are all rooting for you, keep on trucking babe, cheers and all the best for your future Andy

Dear Andy I was very touched by your kind words and you are right... I have to dig even deeper now. I will beat the cancer, of that I have no doubt. For me and my children there is no other viable outcome. As you say, I will keep trucking! All the best to you, Erica A special mention and thanks go to Steve for all his support both emotional and practical during and after the funeral. He seemed to strike the perfect balance between always being available when help was required whilst never intruding, and even giving me some of his typical brand of banter just in case I was ever in danger of feeling sorry for myself. The whistle blew for kickoff. Towards the end of the match I started to feel very achy and quite drained so decided to go home with my daughter leaving Ollie to play

with his friends, he definitely needs his exercise and after recent events even more so. With Ollie filling his lungs with fresh air and his heart with a bit of joy and sunshine, I happily went to bed thinking I just needed to rest. That night was probably the worst I can ever recall. I have had a reader write to me imploring me not to talk about my side-effects and I think that generally I give an upbeat account. However, I think it would be misleading if I didn’t highlight some of the downsides. As my treatment has

changed I was told that I might experience some muscular pain. Well, there is no might about it! It was the most excruciating pain I had ever felt. This was a little alarming for me because I have quite a high pain threshold, or at least thought I did! The next days were just about getting through each day. My battery ran down so quickly and I just had to accept that all the pending chores that glared up at me from my endless list of things to do would have to wait. I am a little stubborn and think

that I can just carry on regardless, which on many occasions has stood me in very good stead, but sometimes I can be my own worst enemy. So plaintively I crawled into bed and tried to be sensible for a change. Nurse Isabella was now in charge and you certainly don’t want to mess with her! She set about her task of looking after her mum with verve! Tea was brewed, hot water bottles made, temperatures monitored, pillows plumped, special juices whizzed up and lashings of love dished up. What a remarkable person you are, my girl. Bit by bit I emerged from the haze and shivery darkness and started to feel better. I made it to the doctor’s for antibiotics because I had a terrible chesty cough. My temperature was fluctuating and I could only keep it down with medication. It was obvious to me that my immune system was not firing on all cylinders. If I had a temperature the next morning I would have to go to hospital for blood tests to check what was failing and if I had an infection. So, with that thought in mind, I retire with my hot water bottle, cup of tea and book and hope that I am feeling much better tomorrow.

The dangers of developing periodontitis JUST over 30 per cent of the Spanish working population have some kind of destructive periodontal disease. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the supporting tissue of teeth and leads to a progressive loss of bone around the roots of the teeth. If untreated, periodontal disease

can cause tooth loss. The disease is more common in men with primary education, lower income and its incidence has increased over the years, according to a recent study by the Spanish Periodontology Association. Dr Ignacio Sanz, contributing mem-

ber of the Foundation of the College of Dentistry and Stomatology of the First Region (FCOEM), said the most important factor associated with the onset of periodontal disease is tobacco: “The scientific literature indicates that the risk of developing periodontal disease doubles or triples in smokers.”

The main sign of early periodontal diseases is spontaneous bleeding from gums or during brushing and having bad taste and breath. Dentists recommend using dental floss and plaque removers to prevent the build-up of plaque that can cause the disease.

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EWN

Map shows where not Nut allergies to fall ill abroad USA: Amongst the best.

THE Health Risk Map 2015 has listed the destinations that are the safest and most dangerous places for healthcare. Published by health organisation

International SOS, it ranks destinations in five categories, in order to help companies and travellers understand the risks they face in different countries when getting

medical treatment. Europe, North America and Australia are among the countries offering the highest levels of medical care, with Greece, Iceland, Japan, the UK and US amongst the best. But some popular tourist spots in Mexico, Turkey, Morocco and Thailand are declared as ‘medium risk’ on the map with emergency medical care described as ‘adequate.’ High-risk countries, marked red on the map, are nations where healthcare is almost non-existent or severely over-taxed. High-risk countries include Tanzania, Egypt, Laos and Cambodia.

Should we be applying sunscreen at night?

Copper kills bugs

RESEARCHERS are now advising that we wear sunscreen at night following a day in the sun as the damage caused by ultraviolet light can continue hours after sunset. The scientists said they had found that energy absorbed from the sun by skin cells was transferred to the DNA in the dark, causing it to deform and potentially lead to skin cancer. Dermatologists at Yale University in

America, now want to develop a ‘nighttime’ sunscreen. Meanwhile, scientists from Kings College, London, are looking at creating a sunscreen tablet. They have taken their inspiration from samples of coral collected from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, as the organism can shield itself from the sun’s rays. They are hoping to create a single pill that could provide weeks of protection for the skin.

COPPPER taps, door handles and kitchen worktops could benefit your health as well as looking aesthetically pleasing. Director of the environmental healthcare unit at Southampton University, Professor Bill Keevil, said that metal deactivates bacteria and viruses by killing their genetic material: “Copper surfaces can disrupt the cycle of germs replicating and lower the risk of outbreaks. “We have found that the metal destroys the genetic material of the norovirus.”

GIVING babies food with traces of nut could help avoid them having nut allergies later in life. Researchers found that infants who eat food containing peanuts three or more times a week from under the age of one rarely have reactions in later life. Less than 1 per cent developed an allergy, compared with more than 17 per cent of youngsters whose diet was peanut-free. The ‘Learning Early About Peanut Allergy’ (LEAP) study is believed to be the first major study to show that eating nuts could reverse an allergy. Nut allergies commonly cause breathing problems and those with severe reactions can go into anaphylactic shock. But caution has been advised in feeding young children peanuts and parents should seek the advice of a doctor if they have any concerns over possible reactions.

E W N 26 February - 4

FEATURE

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GRAND PRIX: 22 drivers representing 11 teams will race at 20 different venues.

By Tony Matthews THIS year will see the 66th season of the Formula One World Championship, motor racing championship (FIA). Twenty-two drivers, representing 11 teams, will race at 20 different Grand Prix venues, starting in Australia on March 15 and ending in Abu Dhabi on November 29. Lewis Hamilton is, of course, the defending Drivers’ Champion, having secured the second title of his career at the 2014 Abu Dhabi

Grand Prix. And Mercedes will begin the season as the defending Constructors’ Champion, after claiming their first crown last term with victory in Russia. The following teams and drivers have been officially registered to take part in the 2015, although crippling financial problems which forced Caterham to miss the final races of the 2014 season, have cast their entry into doubt. However, they have been listed (for the time being). You will note that two teams - Caterham and Manor - have yet to name their drivers. And these could well come from Kamui Kobayashi, Robin Frijns, Antonio Pizzonia, Max Chilton, Timo Glock and Charles Pic.

CHAMPIONSHIP FAVOURITE: Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to become the first Briton to retain the world title.

Team

Constructor

Caterham Scuderia Ferrari Sahara Force India Lotus Manor McLaren Honda Mercedes AMG Petronas Infiniti Red Bull Sauber Scuderia Toro Rosso Williams Martini Racing

Caterham-Renault Ferrari Force India-Mercedes Lotus-Mercedes Manor-Ferrari McLaren-Honda Mercedes Red Bull-Renault Sauber-Ferrari Toro Rosso-Renault Williams-Mercedes

Drivers To be confirmed Sebastian Vettel/Kimi Raikkonen Sergio Perez/Nico Hulkenberg Romain Grosjean/Pastor Maldonado To be confirmed Fernando Alonso/Jenson Button Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg Daniel Ricciardo/Daniil Kvyat Marcus Ericsson/Felipe Nasr Max Verstappen/Carlos Sainz Jnr Felipe Massa/Valtteri Bottas

Season calendar These are 20 Grand Prix venues scheduled for 2015. Round

Grand Prix

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Australian Grand Prix Malaysian Grand Prix Chinese Grand Prix Bahrain Grand Prix Spanish Grand Prix Monaco Grand Prix Canadian Grand Prix Austrian Grand Prix British Grand Prix German Grand Prix Hungarian Grand Prix Belgian Grand Prix Italian Grand Prix Singapore Grand Prix Japanese Grand Prix Russian Grand Prix United States Grand Prix Mexican Grand Prix Brazilian Grand Prix Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Fact File

Preview of the 2015 Formula One Season

• Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to become the first Briton to retain the world title. He is the championship favourite but Nico Rosberg will be keen to go one better than 2014 when he lost out to his Mercedes team-mate in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. • The most experienced and

Circuit

Date

Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal Red Bull Ring, Spielberg Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone To be announced Hungaroring, Budapest Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka Sochi Autodrom, Sochi Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi intriguing driver line-up is at McLaren where former world champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have started 500 Grands Prix between them. • In contrast, Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Junior have yet to start an F1 race. • It will be Button’s 16th season in F1, making him the most

15 March 29 March 12 April 19 April 10 May 24 May 7 June 21 June 5 July 19 July 26 July 23 August 6 September 20 September 27 September 11 October 25 October 1 November 15 November 29 November

experienced driver on the grid. • At the age of 35, the 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen will be the oldest, while Dutchman Verstappen, 17, is the youngest. • Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has the most wins of any driver on the grid to date, with 39, six more than reigning champion Hamilton.

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