ISSUE NO. 1548
EWN FRONT EXTRA
Under plastic ALMERIA has more than 29,600 hectares covered by plastic greenhouses, according to a study based on satellite photographs. The figure is 10.5 per cent more than 2010’s 26,167 hectares.
Bottle attack A 24-YEAR-OLD man remains in a serious condition in hospital after being assaulted with a broken bottle close to Viator.
Almond trail MARCH 8 is the date of Albox’s almond trail, a 12-kilometre walk through the Sierra de las Estancias. The walk begins in Plaza Mayor at 8.30am and costs €3 or €15 to include food.
TRUST
our advertisers
WE DO!
5 - 11 MARCH 2015
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Call-out fee controversy By Elle Draper CALL out the fire brigade in Almeria and you could face a hefty bill. Emergency services in the region have reported that since 2012 citizens have had to pay almost €600 for firefighting services and rescue. Now the emergency workers are concerned that people are delaying calling them as they fear landing themselves with the cost of the call-out. To have firefighters attend your home can cost €577 per hour. Similarly, €412 can be charged for rescuing someone from their car in a traffic accident - a bitter pill to
swallow after such a traumatic experience. Alejandro Raymond from
the Fire Consortium of Poniente said: “We have serious concerns about the
risk situations that occur after the introduction of these fees for the provision of firefighting and emergency rescue.” According to the consortium, some cities like Granada have exemptions in the case of rescuing people or animals. But residents, worried about a large bill, are delaying their call to the emergency services. This delay increases risks and can cause conflict when the attending services are asked if they will be sending an invoice. The consortium agreed that activities like monitoring a fireworks’ party should command a fee,
Almeria’s overweight children A WHOPPING 44 per cent of children aged between 10 and 12 years in Almeria are overweight. A high intake of pastries, cakes and sweets in addition to lack of exercise and physical play have been considered factors for overweight children in
a recent study by paediatric doctors, Rafeal Galera and Irene Alias in Almeria. A total of 1,400 children across the province were analysed in health centres, explained the head of Clinical Management of Paediatrics in Torrecardenas.
Forty-four per cent of children aged between 10 and 12 are overweight, with 22 per cent of children between two and 16 being 22 per cent overweight. Eighty per cent of the 1,400 children had adequate consumption of fish but only half had an
adequate amount of vegetables, with the figure lowering in relation to the rising age of the child. In all age groups, overweight children had higher blood pressure than normal, even in children under the age of six years.
but an emergency situation like an accident or fire should be exempt so that the services avoid tragedy or compromise. The consortium also pointed out that many people were unaware of the charges when they made a call and were then horrified to receive a bill after the event.
2
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
INDEX News 1 - 34 Finance 35 - 40 Leapy Lee 41 Daily TV 48 Time Out 54 - 55 Letters 56 Health & Beauty 60 - 62 Food 66 - 69 Albox 70 - 74 Property 78 - 79 Homes & Gardens 80 Classifieds 81 - 83 Motoring 84 - 86 Sport 87 - 88
WOMEN’S RACE: Mayor Rodriguez-Comendador (centre) reveals the official shirt.
Shirt unveiled
MAYOR of Almeria City, Luis Rogelio Rodriguez-Comendador, has unveiled the official shirt for the women’s solidarity race to be held on March 8. Already 1,175 women and 420 children have enrolled to run the race with money raised going to the World Medical Association. This non-competitive event is one of a range of activities hosted by Almeria City Council to commemorate International Women’s Day. Participants are expected to break the 2,000 runner barrier.
Rodriguez-Comendador said: “The purpose of this event is twofold. First is to vindicate, through sport, the role of women in today’s society. Secondly it is to raise funds, through 60 centimos per participants, to go to the World Medical Association. The adult race begins at 11am and will pass through the city streets. There are three distances to choose from: 2,000 metres, 3,500 metres and 5,000 metres. The children (aged up to 11) run at 10am covering different distances, according to age.
NEWS
TRUST our advertisers
NEWS
Gador works WORK is almost complete on Calle La Paz in Gador, one of the busiest roads in the town centre, where both the health centre and college are located. Pavements are being restored.
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
Not so deaf fraudsters LOCAL POLICE in El Ejido have arrested two people pretending to be deaf in order to scam money from traders in the municipality. Officers arrested two individuals of Romanian nationality, NFP and FD, for an alleged crime of fraud. The officers observed the men entering shops in the central shopping area, pretending to be
deaf and asking for sums of money to help an association, Handicap, that they claimed they were affiliated with. The officers put in a call for back up before intercepting the men in an Opel car on Bulevar de El Ejido. The vehicle was found to have no ITV or insurance,
while the men had falsified documents and approximately €400 in cash. The men were arrested for an alleged crime of fraud and the car was impounded. Police recommend that traders and individuals call the operations room on 092 if they are in doubt about collectors.
Casino shutdown NATIONAL POLICE closed down an illegal casino in Almeria City. Agents seized cash and tokens worth almost €4,000 and three poker tables although estimated earnings are €16,000. Road safety GADOR police have been visiting school to educate the children on road safety and to educate on sustainable alternatives to travelling to school by car, such as by bicycle or on foot. Gender violence ALBOX has been awarded €3,000 by Almeria Province for a project to protect women against gender violence. The payment is an initiative totalling €110,000 covering 40 municipalities.
‘
3
N
ews watch
Street lights
WORK has been completed to provide lighting for 250 metres of Calle Lavadero in Vicar. The seven new streetlights come in response to a request from several families affected in the area.
FIFTY youngsters from Sorbas have been learning German for the last three months. They have now been presented with certificates to mark the basic level.
Cheese fair ALMERIA City’s Plaza Vieja played host to 14 cheese artisans over the Andalucia Day weekend. The cheeses came from goats, cows and sheep manufactured using a variety of methods. Extended hours THE visitor centre at Almeria port enjoys extended opening hours for visitors from March 1 after recent refurbishments. Thursdays are for groups but Saturdays are free entry from 10am-2pm.
EWN
German lessons
Cordon press.
Mojacar visitors THE two Mojacar tourist offices helped 46,882 people during 2014. They also received 34,306 emails, letters and faxes, answered 2,485 phone calls and replied to thousands of posts on social networks.
WE DO!
Industry fair CARBONERAS is represented at the International Berlin Stock Exchange (ITB), a leading industry fair being held from March 4 to 8. This year is the 50th anniversary of the fair.
PROTEST MARCHES: International Women’s Day is marked across the world on March 8.
The women of Spain fight for their rights 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.
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.
Home reforms THIRTEEN families in Fines and Antas are having their homes improved as part of a programme from the Junta. The €96,000 total provides 50 per cent of costs to the householders.
Frank Tophoven NIJAR’S Galeria del Mar is hosting an exhibition by artist Frank Tophoven which runs until April 26. The exhibition, called Emigrantes, is a snapshot of time set anywhere along Spain’s coastline.
Road works WORK on resurfacing the ALP-842 is under way. This is the mountain route that runs from Albox to Oria past Llano del Espino. Care is advised as the surface is still slippery with loose gravel.
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.
4
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
NEWS
National Police arrest 70 for fraud OFFICERS of the National Police have arrested 70 people for setting up fake companies in two investigations in Almeria. The first investigation began in November 2014 when officers found four false businesses in Vera, Antas and Gador supposedly dedicated to retail, hospitality and construction. The research showed that the fake companies had been set up to falsify periods of employment for individuals that then went on to claim unemployment benefit.
The false companies are allegedly responsible for faking 245 employee records in order to claim social security falsely. The uncovering has enabled fraud of €738,186.39 to be exposed. Workers paid between €250 and €450 for the false paperwork before then attempting to claim social security benefits. The second investigation followed information provided by the Provincial Labour Inspectorate in which a businessman had been selling fake
FAKE RECORDS: Used to claim social security. employment records to immigrants from North Africa in order to validate their status as resident in Almeria. The operation showed the fake company to have 42 non-existent employees. The businessman had used his octogenarian mother as a supposed investor in the business. He charged €300 to foreign citizens in exchange for contract paperwork and advice to fraudulently gain a work permit in Spain.
Our View
Women’s Day
T
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.
Have your say and leave your comments at www.euroweeklynews.com
Monitoring road traffic THE DGT (traffic department) set up a special project on the weekend of Andalucia Day to monitor traffic across the region. The operation was planned to facilitate the smooth running of roads through the busy holiday period and in some adverse weather conditions. The operation ran from Friday February 27 to Sunday March 1. The DGT predicted that 35,000 vehicles would travel through the main roads of Almeria Province on long haul journeys while 180,000 vehicles would make shorter trips on the A-92 north, A-7 west and A7 east. The DGT reminds all drivers to carry out some basic checks on their vehicles before setting off including checks on windscreen wipers, lights, brake fluid and oil, antifreeze, tyres and mirrors. They also remind drivers to carry two warning triangles and reflective vests for the driver and passengers. They also recommend that during the winter weather all drivers carry an emergency torch, a cloth for clearing windscreens, an ice scraper and, where necessary, snow chains and gloves.
NEWS
TRUST our advertisers
Campaigning for autonomy APPROXIMATELY 100 people gathered in Plaza de las Velas in the capital to proclaim that the best future for Almeria is the creation of an autonomous province. Two representatives from Accion por Almeria took to the stand to put their views forward.
Silvia Rodriguez read a speech in which a referendum from 1980 was referenced and said: “Political forces back in 1980, in utter disregard of constitutional law, focused on a number of negotiations and legislative attempts in order to get rid of Almeria auto-
Man injured in crash A 27-YEAR-OLD man has suffered multiple severe injuries after his car collided with a bus in Almeria City. The accident happened in the early hours of February 28 on Avenida Camino del Peru. The man needed to be cut free of the vehicle by emergency fire services and was treated at the scene to stabilise him before transferring him to Torrecardenas hospital. The bus driver was unharmed and was transporting no passengers at the time.
nomy. The trap used to abort the electoral will of Almeria was an organic law. A few decided to forcibly integrate our province into the political structure of Andalucia.” Rodriguez went on to accuse the powers that be at the time of rigging. German Manrique expressed his revulsion at the events of February 28, 1980 adding: “We don’t want a conflict with our Andalucian neighbours. We don’t want the disintegration of Andalucia, nor to lose or change its character and its rich culture.” He concluded: “Look to our citizens rather than their parties. Take the Almeria flag and fight for our land.”
WE DO! NEWS EXTRA
Huercal de Almeria WORK is complete on various streets in the Los Pinos area of Huercal de Almeria. Tarmacking and road markings have been redone as well as pavement improvements.
New road THERE is to be a new road linking Calle Santiago and Calle Haza de Acosta in the San Luis neighbourhood of Almeria. The work is expected to cost €100,000 and will start in the coming weeks.
Vicar safety VICAR has held its ninth edition of road safety training for children. Four schools enjoyed courses in which youngsters are taught pedestrian safety and driver responsibility.
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
5
8
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
NEWS EXTRA
The Hole SUCCESSFUL show The Hole is coming to El Ejido’s auditorium from June 3 to 5. Bookings can be made on www.theholeshow.com.
Civil War study EXPERTS in contemporary and economic history are gathered in Almeria until March 28 to analyse the events of the Civil War, specifically those that occurred in Eastern Almeria.
Dolphin attacks FISHERMEN in Almeria, Granada and Malaga have spoken out about dolphin attacks. The dolphins have been increasingly targeting fishing nets across the Mediterranean coastline.
Basic income COMMITTEES have collected more than 35,000 signatures in Almeria for a petition that asks for the establishment of a statutory basic income for residents in the province.
DAY OF FUN: Senior citizens in Huercal Overa.
A get-together for the elderly
HUERCAL OVERA’S senior citizens had a day of being spoiled, courtesy of Almeria Council, Clece Social Services and Huercal Overa Council. More than 350 people came together for a conference which aimed to promote coexistence and participation, and to improve the living standards of the elderly. Provincial Deputy for Equality, Social Welfare and Family, Almudena Valentin, said: “This is an event
that is developing in various municipalities and is proving to be a success. The aim is for our elderly to forget a little of their day and their problems by getting together with friends and acquaintances.” Accompanied by town hall officials, the mayor of Huercal Overa, Domingo Fernandez, added: “Our wish is that our elderly have the best possible future because they deserve it all.”
Phone thieves arrested GUARDIA CIVIL officers from Vicar have arrested three people, including two minors, on suspicion of theft of mobile phones and receiving stolen goods.
The two minors, both aged 14, are accused of stealing mobile phones from cars in La Mojonera. A third person, MJM aged 19, is accused of receiving the stolen phones. Officers first learned of the two children during preliminary investigations into the theft of mobile phones from cars. The officers contacted the parents of the children and interviewed the accused to establish guilt and to find out where the mobile
phones had been passed on to. During the interviews, the youngsters are reported to have given details of MJM, to whom they are said to have sold the mobile phones. After a number of contradictions and changes in his story, MJM eventually admitted receiving stolen goods and was formally arrested. MJM and the two minors now await processing at El Ejido magistrate’s court and by the juvenile prosecution service.
10
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
Romantics boost hotel occupancy THOUSANDS of people chose the tourist destination of Mojacar to spend a romantic St Valentine’s weekend. According to research, all 2,235 available rooms in four-star hotels in Mojacar were occupied on the night of February 14. Smaller hotels also reported an increase in bookings this year with establishments in the historic old town seeing 85
per cent of all available rooms occupied. Local restaurants had special romantic-themed menus to entice people to dine in the picturesque town. Thousands of fans praised the charm of the town on the official Mo-
jacar Facebook page and have clicked ‘Like’ on the photographs published especially to remind people of the occasion and inviting users to make their reservations in the locality. Social network campaigns reached more than 106,000 people.
‘Digital dividend’ WITH more than 40 days left until the deadline set by central government, Mojacar has prepared for the changeover of digital frequencies which becomes operational on March 31. This entails moving the current TV channels together on one end of the spectrum to make way for new 4G and 5G technologies, the so-called ‘digital dividend’. Households and communities will then need to retune their sets in order to continue receiving their Spanish TV channels as most of them will move to another frequency.
Mojacar Council budget news MOJACAR councillors have approved the use of the 2014 budget surplus to reduce borrowings from the Instituto de Credito Oficial. The town hall agreed to take out the loan in 2012 under a scheme set up by central government to regularise debts owed by local authorities to small and medium sized businesses. In the case of Mojacar only one company was owed money. Since then, regular payments have been made and the debt reduced by about €695,000. In a statement the mayor of Mojacar said the municipal accounts showed the budgetary stability enjoyed by the town council, thanks to the good management of the governing team.
Mayor Rodriguez-Comendador (centre) and Gabriel Amat (right) oversee delivery.
New fire engine arrives
ALMERIA CITY has taken delivery of a brand new fire engine from the provincial government. The cost is estimated at just over €200,000 and is part of an agreement between the province and the city. In addition to the province’s contribution of the new vehicle, is the payment of €900,000 so the provision of the fire service can reach 20 municipalities with the city’s resources. Mayor of Almeria City, Luis Rogelio Rodriguez-Comendador, with the president of the provincial government, Gabriel Amat, oversaw the delivery. Rodriguez-Comendador said: “We are
pleased with the fulfilment of the commitments made by both administrations, which materialised today with the release of this new multipurpose vehicle. It will be used in both urban and rural areas and will reinforce, in addition to the capital, services for 20 municipalities, all with less than 20,000 inhabitants.” Gabriel Amat added: “We endorse the delivery of this vehicle and the economic contribution of €900,000. The collaboration that exists between governments regulates the servicing of need for many municipalities which had no formal agreement for aid or economic means.”
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
Mercedes thieves arrested in Nijar GUARDIA CIVIL officers have arrested two men on suspicion of receiving a stolen Mercedes 190 in Nijar. The car was found dismantled for parts in a workshop in Nijar. The car
was stolen from Almeria port between December 16 and 21, 2014. The owner reported the theft to the National Police in Almeria City, launching a police enquiry. Following investigations, the Guardia Civil visited a workshop and discovered various vehicle parts which matched the stolen vehicle. The workshop owners were unable to prove the origin of the car parts. However, it was when ARBOLEAS Town Hall has acquired two ruined properthe officers found a Merties next to the church for reform. The aim of the purchase is based on a plan by the cedes car window that government team to allocate the space for a square held a sticker matching for public use. It will also be used to insulate the that of the stolen vehicle church walls from humidity and, most importantly, to that they knew they were protect the town’s historical heritage, enhance its im- on the right track. The Guardia Civil offiage and condition and improve the exterior to facilitate cers have passed the access for the public in general. Mayor of Arboleas, Cristobal Garcia Granados, said: men and all case details “We are convinced that our old historic part of the to court for processing, town represents the very essence of Arboleas, and we although they have yet to must care and look after it, show and reveal it as a rule out further arrests as part of the investigation. symbol of history in the Almanzora valley.”
Property ruins to be reformed
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
11
12
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almeria
FEATURE
www.euroweeklynews.com
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
W
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
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
Almeria marihuana van intercepted AGENTS of the National Police have arrested two people in Motril, aged 44 and 33, and seized 620 kilograms of marihuana hidden in a van. The vehicle was heading for Almeria
from Morocco when it was intercepted and the 44-year-old male driver from Salobreña arrested. A few days later his 33-year-old female accomplice from Barcelona was arrested. The information police received was that the first part of the drugs’ journey was by boat from Melilla to Almeria before it was to be transported for safekeeping to GranaTHE Prosecution is seeking five years in prison for a man da. With this information, officers were able to inwho posed as a dentist in Nijar. The 33-year-old was operating from a garage opposite tercept the van and make the Campohermoso stadium in Nijar when he was arrest- a search of the vehicle’s cabin. The marihuana ed in 2009. The investigation began when a woman required med- had been packaged into ical help for serious injuries sustained under his care. small parcels for easy She suffered the loss of eight teeth while the rest were concealment in the van. The investigation was a left in a poor state. The investigation showed that the man was operating with no corresponding academic title team effort between or official licence. When officers visited the premises agents of the UDYCO of they found dirty conditions, a barber’s chair and table, Torremolinos and Benalteeth that had been taken out and a 50 kilogram bag of madena (Malaga), the Narcotics Group from plaster, along with other dental paraphernalia. Officers described the garage as being “in a deplorable Melilla and the Narcotics Police of Almeria. state.”
Five years sought for bogus dentist
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
13
14
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
FINANCE
Form 720. What Do You Need To Do In 2015? We are approaching that time of the year again, when anyone who is resident in Spain needs to submit their annual Form “Modelo” 720 listing their overseas assets. The deadline is 31st March, so you need to start thinking now about what you need to declare this year. If you have previously submitted a form you only need to declare assets if they have grown a certain amount, or if you have sold them. Exchange rate movements may mean you need to declare assets you did not expect to. Summary of the rules There are three reporting categories and you have to report all assets in a particular category if the value of your total offshore assets in that category amounts to over €50,000. You need to report even if your personal share of assets is less than €50,000. You are obliged to report assets if you are the owner, a settlor who can benefit from a trust you settled,
The exchange rate to be used is that as at 31st December of the relevant year. 2015 declaration You declare assets owned as at 31st December of the previous year. So for your 2015 Form 720, you declare the assets owned as at the end of 2014. By Bill Blevins, Financial Correspondent, Blevins Franks authorised signatory, or you have the authority to dispose of the asset. This includes assets held by a company, a trust or fiduciary. In most cases, assets are valued using the wealth tax rules as at 31st December each year. For assets held within financial institutions, you also need to declare the average balance over the last three months of the year. You need to report the value of the assets in Euros.
If you have already submitted a Form 720, you only need to report again if: • The value of an existing asset grew by more than €20,000, or • You sold an asset/closed an account, or • You obtained a new asset. Exchange rate movements need to be taken into account. The Pound to Euro exchange rate at 31st December 2013 was 1.20. If at that date you had Sterling denominated assets of £250,000, they were valued at €300,000. On 31st December 2014 the
£/€ exchange rate was 1.28. This means that even if your £250,000 investment had not grown in value, in Euros it is now worth €320,000. The increase of €20,000 means that you need to report the growth on this year’s form. Exchange rates may play an even bigger part this year, depending on how central bank policies in Europe, the UK and anywhere else you hold assets play out. The introduction of the obligation to report all overseas assets in Spain – and the penalties are very high if you do not – was a huge change for residents of Spain, whether Spanish or foreign nationals. Many are paying more tax as a result - particularly those who declared assets for the first time, or incorrectly declared them previously. These assets will now be assessed for wealth tax, and any income they produce for income tax, and you have to declare them
accordingly. Combined with higher income taxes and wealth tax, some expatriates have considered leaving Spain. However Spain actually remains a tax efficient country for British retired expatriates if you take specialist advice. Form 720 need not necessarily be such a concern either. You should review your assets now to make sure they are in the best structures going forward. Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
15
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.
16
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
11 arrested for multiple crimes GUARDIA CIVIL officers have arrested 11 people in relation to multiple crimes including four involving guns. The investigation began in November last year after thefts from cottages in La Jara, Garrucha, in which two air rifles and a 12-gauge shotgun were stolen. The guns were later used in burglaries in which one homeowner suffered multiple injuries. Officers focused their investigation on
a Garrucha resident, with a criminal background, who had been selling goods of doubtful origin to a junkyard in Cuevas del Almanzora. After arresting the individual, JGH, they were able to tie him to thefts from eight homes in Garrucha. Further investigation linked JGH to the thefts from La Jara, which then led to another thief being located. While the investigation was under way officers were informed of thefts from supermarkets in Garrucha and the two investigations connected, leading to seven arrests. The Guardia Civil were then able to CRIMINAL Court Number One in Almeria has sencontinue inquiries into tenced a Vicar man to three years and six months in the violent burglaries prison for driving while drunk, without a licence and which led to the 27 kilometres up the A-7 in the wrong direction. arrest of four more Only sheer luck and evasive police intervention individuals. prevented a tragedy of incalculable proportions With the 11 arrests, when Moroccan born 34-year-old GK drove more the Guardia Civil have than 27 kilometres up the A-7 the wrong way been able to wrap up between the towns of Vicar and Roquetas de Mar 21 offences and send during the early hours of February 15. the detainees to court.
27 kilometres up the A-7 the wrong way
NEWS
NEWS EXTRA
Youth at work ARBOLEAS youths are nearing completion of their Emple@joven programme. The work included the children’s playground, exercise park, planting palms, improvements to the irrigation network and street lighting in Plaza España.
Brawlers in court THREE men involved in a pub brawl in Aguadulce have received court sentences. Two also used a pepper spray on a third. Two received two years and all three were fined.
School choice PARENTS in Almeria City have received the school catchment map and can apply to their nearest or chosen schools for the coming academic year. Priority is given to geographic proximity.
NEWS
NEWS EXTRA
Online business ALBOX’S Guadalinfo centre is running a couple of free workshops on getting your business online. March 25 and April 9 from 4pm to 8pm. For information call (in Spanish) 625 129 854.
La Estacion SERON’S La Estacion restaurant, located in the Via Verde del Hierro and next to the Museo del Cuento, is open for tender for up to eight years. The property has an area of 160 square metres.
Reading club PURCHENA has started reading clubs for children aged seven to 11 in the multipurpose room at the town hall. For details, visit the Department of Culture at Purchena Town Hall.
TRUST our advertisers
WE DO!
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
Drinking water for locals APPROXIMATELY 100 residents of the village of Llano del Espino near Albox attended a meeting in which the town hall team reported on the process of getting mains water to the area. Residents showed great interest in the possibility of future access to mains water for the first time. Currently the area relies on tank deliveries and visits to the nearby wells for their water. The proposed network will provide mains water to all areas of the Rambla de Albox, Fuente de Mo-
LLANO DEL ESPINO: Residents look forward to having mains water. jon, Llano de las Animas and Llano del Espino. Mayor Rogelio Mena attended the meeting with members of the council
including Sonia Cerdan, Matias Perez and Francisco Garcia. The mayor reminded inhabitants of his promise to provide
running mains water of a drinkable standard. He added: “Our promises are worthless if they do not come with action.”
Bishop visits Huercal Overa THE mayor of Huercal Overa, Domingo Fernandez, met with the Bishop of the Diocese of Almeria, Adolfo Gonzalez Montes, during a pastoral visit to the area. The bishop signed the town’s book of honour before spending
some conversational time with the mayor and members of the town council. During the evening the bishop met with children from the town in the church. Fernandez said: “This visit has served to further strengthen rela-
tions between the two institutions in what is also a special year for the brotherhoods of the town. Huercal Overa has always made itself available to the bishop and we work together many times. We will continue in this vein, as will the bishop.”
EWN
17
Two are arrested for theft TWO men have been arrested by Guardia Civil officers investigating thefts from three properties in La Mojonera. Thirty four-year-old RZ and 39-year-old REF, both residents of Roquetas de Mar, have been arrested in conjunction with three robberies in La Mojonera. The men were arrested after they were described by several witnesses. The car of one of the detainees, a Volkswagen Golf, was also spotted at the scene of one of the crimes. Both men had a previous history of similar crimes and have been passed to court for processing, although the Guardia Civil has not ruled out further arrests in relation to the investigation.
18
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
NEWS
Colin Fry raising funds for campaign ACTIN (Animal Care Treatment International Network) campaigns to see an end to the problems in Spain for animals. One of their current aims is the mass sterilisation of
stray animals. Colin Fry, star of television’s The 6ixth Sense, recently met with Actin’s president Viv Wharton and agreed to become Actin’s voice. He agrees the way to
change things for animals in Spain is work towards an animal welfare act, stand against cruelty and abandonment and also promote sterilisation for all pets.
Actin hopes to achieve great things with Colin on board and looks forward to a year of growth for Actin. Colin also supports Noah’s Arc of Mazzaron, a local animal rescue that Actin
also works alongside. Television Spiritualist Medium, The Rev. Colin Fry, and his partner Mikey, live in Spain. They have both been made patrons of the animal defence charity, ‘Actin Spain.’ With their commitment both Colin and Mikey wish to establish awareness of the charity and raise needed funds in order to help support the charity. Unlike the UK, Spain does not have anything like the RSPCA or PDSA. Animal welfare is down to individual groups.
As part of the campaign, Colin Fry and Team Harmony Spain are holding two shows during a psychic weekend fair at Hotel Lacumbre in Mazarron on April 10 and 11. The fair will have a number of stands and workshops open to the public. Interested parties can book stands by calling Anne Blandford on 968 959 257. Entry is €5. Colin Fry will be holding psychic shows in the evenings. A ticket only event at €20 per person via www.colinfry.co.uk.
WORKING TOGETHER: Viv Wharton with Colin Fry.
20
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
New sponsor for foodie events FOOD events in Almeria headed up by ASHAL (Almeria Province Association of Hospitality) will now have a sponsor thanks to Kerabisur SL. President of ASHAL, Diego Garcia, and the head of Kerabisur, Xabier Muro, signed an agreement that benefits both parties with immediate effect. Kerabisur is a company that specialises in the management of used vegetable oil and is based in El Ejido. ASHAL is known for organising popular food events including Ruta de Tapas de Almeria, la Feria del Mediodia, las Jornadas Cocina de Otoño and the Festival Tapas de Pelicula. The agreement bene-
ASHAL: Xabier Muro (left) with Diego Garcia. fits ASHAL so they can now award bigger and better prizes to participants but it also enables Kerabisur to raise awareness in recycling.
Kerabisur will now work with participating establishments to recycle their vegetable oil and adhere to environmental regulations.
Visit to refurbished home ALMERIA City mayor Luis Rogelio Rodriguez-Comendador has visited the newly refurbished Santa Teresa de Jornet nursing home in La Cañada. The mayor, who was companied by the councillor for Sports and Major Events, Juan Jose Alonso, added sup-
port and said: “This is a vast residence with 14,000 square metres, so it is always undergoing renovations and repairs. In particular, the latest improvements are to the women’s bedrooms that now have two beds instead of three, plus air conditioning and their own bathrooms.”
NEWS Still life for art course CASA IBAÑEZ at Olula del Rio has confirmed it is holding an art course with artists Antonio Lopez and Andres Garcia Ibañez. The course, from May 25 to 29 is sponsored by the provincial council and Cosentino. The topics are still life and nude, but students will be given some flexibility on subject matter as long as it represents life. The course is aimed at students keen to share their experiences towards a common goal of group improvement. The course costs €180 and there are only 36 places available plus five reserves. The tutors will choose the students from applications. More information in Spanish via the website at museocasaibanez.org. Applications should include a two page CV, with a photocopy of your passport or photographic identification. You should include a portfolio of your existing work with a minimum of five images and maximum of 10. Send to Casa Ibañez, Calle Museo, 7, Olula del Rio or email to cursorealismo@gmail.co m.
22
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
NEWS
Eighth Ruta de Tapas announced MAYOR of Almeria, Luis Rogelio Rodriguez Comendador, has launched the eighth Ruta de Tapas. He described it as: “One of our most anticipated tourist and gastronomic activities and which opens the calendar of culinary events organised by Ashal to promote collaboration with one of our most important tourist pillars, our cuisine.” In attendance was the CEO of Almeria Turismo, Juan Jose Alonso, the councillor for Tourism, Isabel Fernandez, and the president of Ashal, Diego Garcia. The Ruta de Tapas will be held in the capital from March 5 to 22 and includes 63 establishments all vying for the awards that are presented after visitors have
From left to right: Juan Jose Alonso, Diego Garcia, Luis Rogelio Rodriguez Comendador and Isabel Fernandez. voted. The format follows previous years with prizes including those for Tapa Traditional, Tapa Gourmet and a prize draw for two diners of a weekend in a four or five star hotel in Almeria. This year, however, voters can also name their favourites on the
Ashal Facebook page or via a downloadable app. Customers who eat at a minimum of five venues are also entitled to a free drink in the fifth location. Also, the first 75 customers who visit at least 10 establishments will receive a commemorative ceramic gift.
24
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
NEWS
Open-air painting MORE than 30 artists gathered for Huercal Overa’s 13th Certamen de Pintura al Aire Libre, an outdoor painting competition in the town. Mayor of Huercal Overa, Domingo Fernandez, and Councillor for Culture, Antonio Lazaro, were responsible for presenting the awards awarded by a jury of professionals. The event is already prominent and the artistic community and town enjoy a special atmosphere as artists congregate in various places to paint special landmarks. Fernandez said: “There is a high quality of works presented at the exhibition and this year has
HUERCAL OVERA: Artists painted the town! been well received by the artists while our residents have taken to the streets to enjoy watching the pictures being painted, witnessing the entire process.” Buildings and areas featured among the outdoor
painting were the church, town squares, active street scenes and the Cuatro Torres. First prize went to Orencio Murillo, second to Carlos Romera and a local prize went to Nicolas Navarro.
Huercal Overa welcomes Swedish caravanners MAYOR of Huercal Overa, Domingo Fernandez, welcomed dozens of motor homes and their Swedish occupants to the town as they arrived to participate
in the annual bowls championships (petanque). The caravanners are all part of the Swedish club, Husbilsklubbe.se. Some of the members came directly
Strings move on ALMERIA STRINGS have been meeting in Greg & Co in Turre since the summer of 2014, but today (Thursday March 5) is the last afternoon they will meet there. Beginning on March 12, the practice sessions will be held at Romerijo each Thursday afternoon from 1.30pm until 4pm except for the third Thursday of each month when it moves to the evening for the folk night. Almeria Strings would like to thank Greg & Co for providing a friendly atmosphere for the practice sessions and for making everyone feel so welcome. If you already play a stringed instrument, would like to improve, or are interested in learning, then Almeria Strings invite you to join them. More information at www.almeriastrings.org
from Scandinavian countries while others travelled from across Spain including Malaga, Alicante and Murcia, places where many members have second homes. The mayor wished them an enjoyable stay in Huercal Overa and added: “I hope that the site meets your needs for the championship.” He added: “Having the motor homes in our municipality is a boost for the economy. Besides that, the club has given wide publicity to Huercal Overa as the name of our town is on the club’s website. It has received more than 18,000 views which represents a significant advancement that will surely bring more tourists.”
www.euroweeklynews.com
HERITAGE SITE: Doñana National Park.
Mine set to reopen A MINE that was the site of one of Spain’s biggest environmental disasters is set to reopen. In April 1998 a dam collapsed at the Aznalcollar lead and zinc mine in Sevilla Province, flooding the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers with almost 2 billion litres of mine tailings and a further 4 billion litres of heavy metals dissolved in acidified water. Much of this pollution then flowed to the borders of one of Spain and Europe’s most pristine and important National Parks and nature reserves, the UNESCO world heritage site of Doñana National Park. The subsequent clean-up operation cost €240 million and had a vast impact on wildlife. Under new management the mine is now set to reopen, apparently creating
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
Five hurt in factory explosion
WIKIPEDIA BY WWAL - CONTRAPRESA_RIO_AGRIO
NEWS
more than 400 jobs in the region - but the project has come under widespread criticism from a wide range of NGOs and environmental organisations which believe the project is an unacceptable risk to the Doñana National Park. The company reopening the mine, Grupo Mexico, was involved in a similar mining disaster in Mexico recently. Doñana is currently facing additional threats due to expanding farming development along its borders and dredging of the Guadalquivir River. The UNESCO heritage site is one of only two refuges for the Iberian Lynx, one of the world’s rarest large predators. No more than 300 Iberian Lynx are thought to survive in the wild.
FIVE people have been seriously injured in an explosion at a fertiliser factory in Mengibar, Jaen. Nitric acid was being moved from a lorry to a deposit when the explosion occurred. Andalucia 112 emergency services reported that a call was received at 2.07pm, with the accident reported near the old N-323 road. Guardia Civil officers, firemen, local policemen and ambulance teams rushed to the scene and took five people to hospital. The Andalucian Emergency Group was also informed, although a 112 spokesman explained that no toxic cloud had formed and the general population was not at risk.
EWN
25
26
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
Vicar mobility plan VICAR has started the first phase of its Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS), managed by the town
and financially supported by the Andalucian Energy Agency. Research is now under way which
consists of telephone surveys of residents as well as traffic counts and inventories of public transportation,
parking and pedestrian and bicycle mobility. Mayor Antonio Bonilla said the surveys are expected to be com-
pleted within threeand-a-half months after which the data will be analysed and recommendations made.
NEWS
The production of organic eggs could ‘boost employment’ THE delegate for agriculture, Jose Manuel Ortiz, has highlighted the production of organic eggs as a viable option for self-employment in rural areas of the province. Ortiz visited an organic chicken farm in Cantoria, Alto Almanzora, which has been open since December 2014. He described the production of organic eggs as “an established alternative with a great future for self employment and wealth creation in rural areas of Almeria.” The Cantoria organic chicken farm, under the management of entrepreneur Juan Manuel Garcia Torrecillas, has a capacity of 1,702 chickens. It has already generated two jobs in
its first few months of operation. Organic egg production is aimed at a particular consumer who has the purchasing power to sustain the industry, and the Junta de Andalucia regional government is keen to support this financially. It could also provide training and promotion, according to Ortiz. Almeria has seven registered poultry farms, two of which are producing organic eggs, the one mentioned earlier in Cantoria and another in Pulpi. The remaining farms are in Arboleas, Laujar, Pulpi, Vicar and Velez Rubio. Almeria Province produces 988,000 dozen eggs annually with a value of €1.125 million.
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
Samaritans in Spain president steps down for new challenge AFTER three-and-a-half years as president of the Samaritans in Spain, Chris Sumter has stepped down and is moving to England to begin the next chapter of her life. Chris’s husband Lubbertus, in a president’s farewell letter, explained that his wife was perfectly suited for the role of helping those in Spain. “Chris first joined the Samaritans in the autumn of 2008, completing her listening training in early 2009,” said Lubbertus. “She became a Trustee and, as an ex-teacher, took over training, revamping the modules to suit Spanish conditions. Chris became CEO in 2011 and took over as president in November of the same year. At this point, the organisation was known as Costa Blanca Samaritans and was struggling to keep going, only being available for four hours each night. “Chris immediately began to seek out ways to bring the Samaritans into the limelight and to the forefront of charities in Spain. The search was on to find and secure premises to include the call centre itself, a drop-in centre and a charity shop to raise desperately needed funds. “The ideal location was found in Punta Prima and the office and shop opened on March 1, 2013. Since then the Samaritans have gone from strength to strength to now include 24-hour listening, email consultations, face-to-face work, prison visiting and a satellite centre with the British Embassy in Madrid. “Samaritans in Spain are now one of the most wellknown and respected services for expats throughout Spain and the Islands.” Both Chris and her hus-
ADIOS: Chris is leaving her role as president of the Samaritans and also Spain. band are already looking for the next challenge, even before starting this one.
Good luck to both Chris and Lubbertus in this move and indeed the next one.
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
27
28
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
Deer massacred in the snow MORE than 100 deer have been decapitated and then their body parts left strewn across a large area of isolated woodland, it has been alleged. The animals’ bodies were first encountered by walkers in an area that has experienced large amounts of snowfall and extreme weather in the last few weeks. Conservationists and
hunters alike have denounced suspected poachers in Spain’s rugged northern province of Castilla y Leon for the slaughter. A Local Police spokesman said that an investigation was under way to try and find the poachers responsible. Limited hunting of deer is sometimes permitted in Spain under licence and
it’s generally easier to track large mammals in snowy conditions. However, even local huntsman have called the act ‘barbaric’. Without natural predators such as wolves, deer numbers rise rapidly and sometimes need to be controlled. But hunting on this scale and in such a brutal manner is illegal.
Internet fraudsters arrested THE National Police force has arrested 65 people for cheating foreigners out of half a million euros over the internet. The gang, composed of Romanian and Spanish members, allegedly fraudulently obtained details of bank accounts in other countries and made transfers to accounts in Spain.
Once the money arrived in Spain it was withdrawn and carried or sent to Romania. The group leader for Spain, who obtained 30 per cent of the take, is amongst those arrested, and so far 171 victims of the scam of various nationalities have been identified.
30
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de AlmerĂa
www.euroweeklynews.com
NEWS
Spain at back of the class SPAIN is the country with the highest school dropout rate in the European Union, according to most recent data. Although the country experienced a slight improvement over 2013 (24.7 per cent), the rate currently sits at 23.6 per cent, far above the European Union
countries’ average of 12 per cent. The data was released by the Community Statistics Office Eurostat, which added that the national goal has been fixed at 15 per cent. After Spain came Malta (20.5 per cent), Portugal (28.9), Romania (17.3) and Italy (17). On the other hand, Lithuania and Slovenia hold the lowest school dropout rate (3.9 per cent), followed by Croatia (4.5), Czech Republic (5.4), Poland (5.6), THE job market in Spain continued on its Luxemburg (6.1), Slovakia (6.4), path to recovery in February, a governAustria (7.3), Cyprus (9.1) and ment study has revealed. Germany (9.8). In addition, the employment rate A new report from the Employment of inhabitants between 20 and 64 Ministry has shown that the number of years old was 58.6 per cent in people paying into the Seguridad Social 2013, while the goal fixed for system rose by 96,909 people last month, Spain by the EU was 75 per cent. the highest amount for February since Countries with the worst results 2007. in terms of employment rates Unemployment fell by 13,538 people, according to this report were the highest drop for a month of February Greece (52.9 per cent), Croatia for 14 years, giving hope that the worst (57.2 per cent), Spain and Italy of the crisis may well be over. (59.8 per cent).
Jobless figures for February positive
32
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería COSTA BLANCA NORTH
Homes razed MULTINATIONAL cement firm Cemex finally razed empty homes built decades ago for employees. Demolition was halted last year when anti-eviction association Stop Desahucios intervened on behalf of squatters.
Bad fall A 34-YEAR-OLD man fell 15 metres as he tried to fix an aerial on the roof of his Alcoy home. He was seriously injured with several fractures, although doctors do not fear for his life.
Picture that POLICE investigating a Denia break-in found links to a gang of Valencia-based picture forgers. Painters earned around €50 to falsify works by Picasso, Miro and Tapies that later sold for thousands.
Keep the rules IT would not object to Javea’s disused lighthouse becoming a hotel, the region’s Territory and Environment department said. It made the proviso that environmental and planning regulations should be respected.
Aerial assault DRONES will fumigate rice fields in the Albufera National Park near Valencia City this spring. They will also be used to eliminate mosquitoes from irrigation channels on the outskirts of the city.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
Campello film FILM director Jose Rios, known to the film world as Bobby Peru, is shooting a Western porn trilogy in Campello. It will compete for a 2016 Venus award, an equivalent of the Oscars in the porn industry.
Skate park A NEW skate park has opened in Los Alcazares. The park will accommodate beginners and more experienced skateboarders and roller skaters.
www.euroweeklynews.com
News from our editions With six editions and read by more than half a million people, EWN is Spain’s largest free local English-language newspaper
La Vila unearths more of its ancient history THE remains of an Iberian temple were recently uncovered in Villajoyosa’s Plaza de la Iglesia. The excavations led by archaeologist Ana Martinez revealed a pre-Roman place of worship dated between the fifth and third centuries BC. Excavated areas are of limited size since they were located in an old town house currently being restored as a small hotel. It could have been a chapel in a local aristocrat’s home, the archaeologist said, but was probably an urban temple. It is situated at the highest point of the town, the usual site for public temples and judging
by the complex ground plan there were various rooms. The dig also revealed important objects including votive offerings of Greek origin or influence. “Each time we put a spade in the ground in La Vila we encounter a piece of our history, like these Iberian finds that are amongst the most important to appear in this province for years,” said Villajoyosa’s mayor Jaime Lloret. TREASURE REVEALED: Pottery head, probably of Hermes.
which has announced plans to tarmac a 12,000 square metre plot of land by the new Auditorio Felipe VI theatre.
AXARQUIA
Can we help? THE municipal consumer’s office of VelezMalaga (OMIC) received more than 8,000 enquiries during 2014, 10 per cent up on 2013.
Best in Spain MARO’S cliffs in Nerja are amongst the most beautiful natural monuments of Spain, according to Spanish newspaper ABC . Also praised is the beautiful view from the Torre de Maro.
Jobs help A TOTAL of 125 unemployed people of Almuñecar will be trained in sports and recreational activities and social and health assistance thanks to courses launched by the town council.
Bike day MORE than 2,100 people participated on February 28 in Nerja’s Bike Day, according to the Sports Councillor Gema Garcia. An eight-seater bike won the prize for ‘most original bike.’
Food raising THE Citizens’ Social network of Torrox has provided 584 people with food in 2014. They will carry out a new food raising campaign on March 14 at 10m and 6pm in Torrox-Costa supermarkets.
MALLORCA ving whilst under the effects of alcohol with a further 65 testing positive for drugs.
Bulletproof jackets TORREVIEJA has spent €21,000 on bulletproof jackets for Local Police officers. Currently there are just eight jackets for the 160 officers.
COSTA DEL SOL
Duck Lake in Fuengirola with the upper area of Torreblanca, creating a new way to enjoy nature without leaving town.
Food festival MIJAS Tapas Festival is on this month with live cooking demonstrations at El Corte Ingles on Saturday afternoons and an Andalucian tapas competition on March 23 at the Las Lagunas theatre as highlights.
Signs of improvement
Greener commuters
RESTORATION work on Lorca’s Archaeological Museum, which was damaged by the 2011 earthquake, is being put out to tender.
THE number of registered self-employed workers in the province of Malaga has reached 100,000, returning to levels similar to those of 2008 before the financial crisis began, Malaga Provincial Council leader Elias Bendodo has announced.
BICYCLES are becoming increasing popular as a way to get around Malaga City. The public bike rental system in the city has 28,000 members and 40 per cent of users questioned said that they now cycle instead of driving.
Carnival clampdown
Green route
More parking
THE Carnival celebrations in Aguilas, Murcia, saw 172 people test positive for dri-
A ONE kilometre natural path has been created to link the Parque Las Presas and
APPROXIMATELY 650 new parking spaces will be created in Estepona by the council,
Museum restoration
NEWS DESK
Home improvements THE Balearic Islands Regional Government has allocated €1.4 million for renovation works that seek to improve homes’ accessibility and eliminate obstacles for residents with mobility problems. In total, €700,000 will be used in 2015 and the rest in 2016.
German dies A 34-YEAR-OLD man from Germany died last Friday (February 27) after he was involved in a car accident on the road between Palma and Manacor. Emergency services explained that the man lost control of his car for unknown reasons.
Huge benefits MALLORCA Hotel Company Melia made a profit of €30.4 million at the end of 2014, as opposed to the €73.4 million of debt the company had incurred the previous year.
For more local news from our regions see www.euroweeklynews.com … EWN top for all the news from Spain.
NEWS
www.euroweeklynews.com
No referendum
IN stark contrast to Britain’s flexibility regarding Scotland’s independence, Catalonia’s ‘right’ to an independence vote
has been declared unconstitutional. Spain’s Constitutional Court declared that only the Central Madrid Government had the power to allow a referendum on the matter. This has been an ongoing source of confrontation and discontent in the region for years. Polls taken last year suggested that a majority of Catalan citizens were in favour of a referendum. Regional Catalan government leader Artur Mas held a symbolic vote, not authoPOLICE RAIDS: Pro-Russian fighters are arrested. rised by the government, last year in November. More than 80 per cent of voters who cast their ballots favoured Catalonia EIGHT pro-Russian Spanish fighters have been arrested. In co-ordinated operations in Murcia, Navarre, beginning the indepenCatalonia, Asturias and Madrid, Spanish National Police dence process. Mas who is strongly in swooped to detain the men. Those held, all aged under 30, are alleged members of a variety of pro-communist favour of Catalan independence stated that legal rulorganisations. They are all suspected of fighting for pro-Russian forces ing was “trying to stop us.” With the strength of feelin the Donbass region of Ukraine, an area which has seen conflict in the current Crimean crisis. A ceasefire agreed ing in the region remaining by the UN and both Ukraine and pro-Russian forces has high it likely this will not be been fragile, with reports of fighting continuing into last the end of the story on Catalan independence. week.
Fighters held
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
33
34
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
S CANDINAVIAN P RESS
www.euroweeklynews.com
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.
MP’s backache MPS 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.
Synthetic drug surge 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 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 danger
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
www.euroweeklynews.com
inance F
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
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.
B
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.”
35
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.
36
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
LONDON - FTSE 100
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US
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
See our advert on page 39
Units per €
US dollar...................................................................1.11908 Japan yen..............................................................134.023 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.07530 Denmark kroner.................................................7.45382 Norway kroner...................................................8.60374
currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 C O M PA N Y
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 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
www.euroweeklynews.com
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
37
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.
38
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
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 / Costa de Almería
EWN
41
Sub-human psycho is getting the bleeding hearts treatment CORDON PRESS
I
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
48
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
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
www.euroweeklynews.com
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
50
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
OPINION & COMMENT
Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.
F
OLLOWING Franco’s death in 1975, smart and democratic folk jumped to the sun to
invest. It was like a cloudburst of money falling upon our arid and forgotten desert. Honestly, people queued at our office to buy anything Spanish. I made so much money so quickly I decided to splurge to my highest imaginable goal of financial opulence and buy a new car. By design that type of car has become one of the classic ugliest cars ever produced (Seat 128). But its unique reverence was that it was my very first new car ever. Unfortunately, it had a built-in obsolescence due to
me not knowing certain ‘indelible Spanish laws’ both legal and cultural. It lasted just three days. If you’re really making big money, the downside is you don’t have the time to spend it. I had homes to finish within their due date. Clients too never EVER paid up until they moved into the house so a fairly large carrot was constantly dangling over my head, until client satisfaction. Oh, I so wished to take the family out for a drive with my new acquisition. Give it a run and of course let a few friends gawk. It never happened. I simply had to finish a house gifted from a wealthy man to his mistress. All the work was done except the inside painting. My expert on that assured me it would be finished by Thursday night. It wasn’t. In fact, he got lost in some village fiesta somewhere and missed Friday too.
IÑAKI/WIKIPEDIA
Three fundamental laws for living in Spain! FIRST NEW CAR: Due to me not knowing certain ‘indelible Spanish laws’ my Seat 128 lasted just three days.
LOOKING BACK IN MOJACAR Now, the scene gets complicated, my wife was painting, I was painting and so was the painter, his wife and his kids, after I found him. We were making progress but I was clever
enough to observe we were running out of paint. I queried where could we get more paint at 6pm on a Saturday. The painter said he knew a warehouse in Garrucha but they required cash. I just had to get that job done. The mistress was nasty when she drank and I did not want to incur her wrath and
verbal abuse at every dinner party for the rest of my life. Unhesitatingly, I peeled off a bunch of bills from the new wad I carried, threw him the keys and told him to take my car but BE CAREFUL. Off he roared. Well, he wasn’t back at 7pm, or 8pm not even 9pm. Fortunately, friends lived next door and said they would give me a ride home via the Guardia Civil as my car had obviously been stolen. In I strutted to the boys in green in a furore, and started making my claims of how the car had gone missing. The sergeant interrupted me and announced: “Plankey, you have much to learn about Spain. Here, you don’t loan your car, wife or shotgun to anyone. Ever!”
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.
52
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
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
T
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 selfHAVE never minded going to the dentist. What’s the worst that can happen? A few teeth out, a filling or two? None of it life threatening. 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
I
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
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.
that I needed 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 re-assuring 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 I began to grind my teeth at the injustice of it all. Then I remembered I couldn’t afford it.
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
CROSSWORDS
www.euroweeklynews.com
Time Out
TRUS
our a
dvert
WE D
O!
EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
Costa de Almería weather
NEW ON DVD
for next 7 days
MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
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
VELEZ RUBIO
TOMORROW HUERCAL OVERA
ALBOX
VELEZ RUBIO GARRUCHA ALBOX MOJACAR
ALMERIA
HUERCAL OVERA
RETAMAR GARRUCHA
ADRA
ROQUETAS
MOJACAR
RETAMAR
ALMERIA
ROQUETAS
ADRA
Visit the stars, for details on our expanded range of services
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.
Almeria
SUNNY MAX 15C, MIN 8C MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
www.fiduciarywealth.eu
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.
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'.
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
Saturday February 28
Saturday February 28
Friday February 27
9
10
19
47
6
17 33
22 37
4
29
32
35
37
39
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
BONUS BALL
43
3
23
5
14 25
47
10
LA PRIMITIVA
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
16 9 S 18 9 S 21 10 Cl
MAX MIN
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
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
7
8
22
23
30
48
REINTEGRO 39
4
SOFT
Sunday March 1
Saturday February 28
17
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
4
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
MAX MIN
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.
BLOCKBUSTERS
Alicante TODAY:
13
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
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. 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?
T
isers
SOFT SOOT SLOT SLAT
54
1. ANGOSTURAS BITTERS, 2. CAMP DAVID, 3. ELIZABETH FRY, 4. GOLAN HEIGHTS, 5. IWO JIMA, 6. KING LEAR
www.euroweeklynews.com
CROSSWORDS
Crosswords
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
55
SPONSORED BY
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
56
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
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
www.euroweeklynews.com
Letters YOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
OPINION & COMMENT
T
our aRUST dvert isers
WE D
O!
Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10, P-62, Polígono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29631 Benalmadena, Málaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887
Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com
WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:
www.euroweeklynews.com
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.
58
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
OPINION & COMMENT
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.”
60
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
ealth & beauty H TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EWNLIFESTYLE.COM
HEALTH & BEAUTY
TRUS
our a
dvert
WE D
T
isers
O!
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.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Copper can stop bugs spreading 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,” he explained, adding: “We have found that the metal destroys the genetic material of the norovirus.”
Map shows where not to fall ill abroad 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 travellers understand the risks they face in different countries when getting medical treatment. Europe, North America and Australia are among those offering the highest levels of medical care, with Greece, Iceland, Japan, the UK and US amongst the best. But 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, and include Tanzania, Egypt, Laos and Cambodia.
www.euroweeklynews.com
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
Advertising feature
Get back your stunning smile without the pain FOR many of us, visiting the dentist rouses fear or a worry of what pain we will experience but at Odonto Stetic this is not a problem. Odonto Stetic cares for your emotional wellbeing as well as your teeth and has several procedures available to allay your fears. Your fear may be due to a past trauma or pain. But, thanks to the conscious sedation technique, your worries could be a thing of the past, allowing you to have the smile you’ve always wanted. The conscious sedation technique allows you to be aware of the treatment and to
understand what is being done, but without the anxiety that often goes with it. Once inside this bright and friendly clinic, you are helped to relax, put at ease and enabled to gain that beautiful smile without the downsides. This is just the beginning of what is available at Odonto Stetic with all treatments being accessible right on site. They can also take away the pain of a dent in your finances because they offer 12 months’ interest free finance. Odonto Stetic’s commitment is to return your smile, improving your confidence and self esteem. See advert below right.
ODONTO STETIC: Procedures in place to allay your fears.
61
62
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Should we be applying sunscreen at night?
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.
A nutty solution 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.
The dangers of 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
The risk doubles or triples in smokers common in men with primary education, lower income and its incidence has increased over the
years, according to a study by the Spanish Periodontology Association. Dr Ignacio Sanz, contributing member 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,” he said. 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.
64
F
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
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 are 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:
www.euroweeklynews.com
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 bank note 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 fishing 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.
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
our advertisers
www.euroweeklynews.com
ood F
FOOD & DRINK
WE DO!
& DRINK
TR US
T
66
Costa de Almeria’s best guide to local restaurants
TO READ MORE VISIT: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS
Are you a bar or restaurant that advertises with EWN?
www.euroweeklynews.com
AT EWN we have our clients’ best interests at heart. Getting your news out to the public can sometimes be a struggle, but we here at EWN want to help. Have you changed your menu, recently renovated or won an award? Do you have an upcoming charity event you’d like to
publicise? Do you have a new member of staff? Maybe you’d like to take part in our ‘Restaurant’ experience? Your establishment provides a meal for two which we will review and publish - with pictures - in your local edition. If you have any news of interest that you would like to get out to local readers, then please let us know. We cannot promise to publish everything, but we will do our best.
Please send your news and photos to whatson@euroweeklynews.com
FOOD & DRINK
www.euroweeklynews.com
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de AlmerĂa
EWN
67
68
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de AlmerĂa
www.euroweeklynews.com
FOOD & DRINK
70
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de AlmerĂa
www.euroweeklynews.com
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
ALBOX STUDENTS: Representing Almeria in the national LEGO league.
LEGO champions MAYOR of Albox, Rogelio Mena, and the councillor for Education in the town, Sonia Cerdan, met with students from IES Cardenal Cisneros who are representing Almeria in the national LEGO league. MORE than 265,000 students from 80 countries have already participated in the first stage of First LEGO League (FLL), the largest international competition to promote science and technology among youngsters. Spain held 20 qualifying tournaments with more than 1,000 teams, more than 8,000 participants and 2,000 volunteers have been used to help
keep the events running smoothly for the participants and their attending families. Teams must participate in time trials to complete programmable robots built with LEGO. The next stage of the competition will be held in Tenerife in the Canary Islands on March 22. Thirty six teams will attend this next stage of the event. The students met with Rogelio Mena and Sonia Cerdan at the town hall to be congratulated for winning the Almeria leg of the competition. The mayor wished them all luck for the next stage of the competition.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
TRUST our advertisers
WE DO!
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
71
72
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
ACTION: Coordinated activity with police, social services and women’s centre.
Gender violence fight ALBOX is ramping up the fight against gender violence in a coordinated activity with police, social services and the women’s
centre. The new action has been agreed to make municipal resources available to women, guaranteeing their protection, health care and all legal, political and social support. The announcement was made in an event attended by mayor of Albox, Rogelio Mena, as well as members of the town council and provincial representatives, and comes as a precursor to March 8, International Women’s Day.
The mayor referred to the new cooperation as an act of great importance and one that is fundamental to eradicate gender violence. He added: “This is an absolutely unacceptable violation of rights by anyone. Male to female or female to male.” Albox councillor for Equality, Ana Belen Trinidad, stressed the importance of coordination between institutions for prevention of violence and care for victims.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
TRUST our advertisers
WE DO!
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
73
74
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Gym in a starring role on television STAFF and customers at Sophia Wellness Centre in Arboleas will soon be reality television stars thanks to a brand new Channel Four Television programme. The film crew spent a week recording for an upcoming television programme. The fitness centre has been selected to film a new documentary about running a business in Spain. For the first few
hours, everyone was very nervous but they soon got into their stride and it was business as usual. Stacey’s children, the gymnastics team, were filmed for the feature and the film crew got plenty of footage of the surrounding countryside. The producer was extremely pleased with the support and cooperation he received from the team at Sophia’s and their
clients. The camera crew returns in the spring for further filming right through to the autumn and then the programme, which is yet to be named, will be on Channel Four during November and December. The management at Sophia Wellness Centre would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the filming for their cooperation and enthusiasm.
OPINION & COMMENT
www.euroweeklynews.com
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
75
Will climate change signal the end of Lima’s micro buses? Peter Fieldman London-born journalist and author, Peter spends his time between Paris and Madrid. His novel ‘1066 The Conquest’ available on Amazon or www.1066TheConquest.com
www.pfieldman.blogspot.com
WHILE not reaching any major decisions, the recent climate change conference in Lima, Peru, seemed to satisfy the host nation. Yet the country faces several problems of its own, especially the capital’s public transport system. Any visitor to Lima will find it hard to fathom out how it functions, although they will not fail to be entertained by it. Like any major capital, Lima has a modern metro - which runs on the surface - and an urban bus service. But the majority of Lima’s nine million citizens tend to be transported around the city by thousands of privately owned minibuses known as ‘micros’ or ‘combis’. Rather like fashion, these buses come in a range of colours and sizes to suit everyone. They also provide an extremely cheap way of getting around - each trip costs just one new sol, about 30 cents - so long as you know where you are going. But their days may be numbered if the mayor, Susana Villaran, has her way. A sum of $600 million has been allocated to modernise and extend the public transport system, improve the road network and reduce chronic congestion. “The thousands of minibuses cause chaos. They pollute, are noisy, unsafe and uncomfortable. Our goal is to go from micro transport to macro transport,” Villaran said.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Any visitor to Lima will find it hard to fathom out how the system functions, but will not fail to be entertained by it. The effect of these proposals will be to bring to an end a tradition that has been handed down through generations of bus owners. These colourful minibuses tend to be either secondhand Toyotas or Hondas. They compete on Lima’s potholed and cracked roads with larger buses either converted from truck chassis and engines or the distinctive, repainted, redundant school buses, imported from the US. While the larger buses can take more passengers, they are not quite so nimble and quick as the minibuses, but somehow they manage to cohabit without too many incidents. Despite serving an estimated 500 different routes with destinations clearly marked on the front and sides, the minibuses operate in a seemingly unregulated and uncontrolled fashion
racing each other to pick up or discard passengers at bus stops. This is teamwork as each bus comes with both a driver and fare collector. Although there are supposed to be predetermined routes it does not prevent touting for clients with the fare collector hanging out and shouting, almost dragging or pushing passengers onto the buses whenever they stop. The drivers neither respect each other nor other road users. When a bus reaches a stop first, the driver just blocks following traffic by stopping in the middle of the road.
The micros are crowded and uncomfortable with passengers squeezed in with scant regard for safety. From the sound of the engines and dilapidated appearance they don’t appear to be well maintained either, with fumes emanating from exhausts whenever they idle in traffic, which is most of the time. That said, during my stay in the capital I never saw any of these buses out of service. It is estimated that there are up to 60,000 of these vehicles in the city with each micro supporting up to three families. With so many
buses in circulation nobody has to wait for very long, but the downside is being stuck in traffic so anyone with an urgent appointment would be wiser to seek alternative means of transport. With up to 200,000 people relying on these buses for their livelihood in a country where unemployment is high, little has been said so far about how many people will be affected by the proposals, in the name of progress, which will end a way of life for many Peruvian families. However, as transport experts Eduardo Carillo
and Edwin Derteano point out: “There is just not enough space for the current number of vehicles on the road. We can’t continue to consider public transport as a centre of employment.” Financial incentives have also been introduced to encourage the population to get rid of old, unsafe, polluting vehicles and buy newer models. One major existing route, which the minibuses cannot use, is the urban express freeway, Paseo de La Republica, one of the city’s major arteries connecting the south-western Pacific coast suburbs to the city centre. From LarcoMar, a modern cliff-top shopping, hotel and restaurant complex on the Pacific coast, it slices through the trendy residential and commercial Miraflores area, popular with foreign residents and visitors, to the downtown area of Lima where the cathedral, palace, museums and pedestrian shopping streets are located. Special lanes are reserved for modern, fast buses. These routes are precise and reliable with designated stations and each journey only costs 1.50 with tickets which can be topped up from machines in order to gain access to the covered platforms. The mayor clearly has a mandate to ensure that Lima has a modern, efficient and regulated public transport system with improved roads on which to drive. The city may need cleaner air, but it will be a shame to see the demise of these colourful buses that have been an integral part of the city’s life and culture for so long.
76
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
ets P
PETS
SPONSORED BY
TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Dog tips to watch for David THE Dogman
Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10 thru 11. Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm
IF your dog gets badly hurt and injured you should rub firmly the very tip of his tail (the bone part), the rubbing will release endorphins which act like a morphine injection and will give your dog some pain relief until you can get him to the vets or other area with medical assistance. Cover his eyes and ears at the same time as you transport him and this will settle all his senses and will also help give him relief Watch when two dogs meet. They shake hands in their own way just as we do. While we use the touch system by shaking the other person’s hand,
www.euroweeklynews.com
DOGS MEETING: They will scent the other dog out. the dog uses his olfactory system by scenting the other dog out, particularly in the nether regions. This form of communication between two or more dogs is total and they are getting every piece of information they require from that dog, by what they smell. Is it a bitch, is it an entire dog, has it been neutered? All will be told in this initial meet and
greet. It will also watch for Calming Signals (another issue) of great importance which can be covered at a later time. Watch your dog sniff around before it goes to the toilet. Is it looking for a good spot to go? Is it making enquiries as to who else has used this area as a toilet? Why do many dogs scratch the ground after going to the toilet? Are they spread-
ing their scent further around? Are they marking territory? I’ve been here, I own this spot.” If they want to claim a particular area, they will most likely spread their urine over the top of any existing urine in the area. They could be declaring to all and sundry - this is mine. I am bigger and stronger than you who have been here before me. Don’t challenge me.
PETS / COMMUNITY
www.euroweeklynews.com
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
Carlita and Chico Stepping like checking out Stones their new petsitters By Lamia Walker of HousesitMatch MAY and Bill settled in Malaga after retiring from the civil service. The sunshine and relaxed holidays they’ve enjoyed over the years had taken them to Spain in retirement bringing their Dachshunds, Carlita and Chico, with them. The dogs settled quickly and seemed to relish the outdoor lifestyle as much as May and Bill Malaga’s climate being a little more temperate than Newcastle. Within the blink of an eye it was time to visit family for Christmas and their forward planning meant
that their housesitters were able to come early and meet the dogs before they were left in charge of property and pets for two weeks. Sitters Janine and Karl had travelled from California. For them housesitting is an affordable way to travel and see new places without spending a fortune on hotels. They’ve owned pets all their lives and now semi-retired were taking long holidays. As free empty nesters they’re enjoying their leisure time. They met May and Bill online through HouseSitMatch, an online network for home owners and house
sitters, offering personal and professional references and police checks from their home town. They Skyped to get to know each other and finally they arrived two days early to meet and be checked out by Carlita and Chico. By the time May and Bill were on the plane to Newcastle, the dogs were settled and happy in the care of their sitters. Download your Free Easy Guide to Housesitting from here www.bit.ly/eurown001 Find a petsitter at www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508.
DOG MESS: Pet owners are to be targeted if they fail to clean up.
DNA to fight dog mess AN Andalucian village intends to use DNA tests to identify dogs that foul the streets. Police in the Malaga village of Mijas will be collecting samples when they spot pet owners failing to pick up their mess, which will then be sent for DNA analysis, allowing detection of mess left by the same animal in the future. Each time policemen catch offenders they will fine them up to €750 and make them pay for the DNA test, which costs about €30. “The idea is to have a database of DNA which police will be able to consult
to see if the owner of a particular animal has been caught in the past, identify them and fine them,” Agriculture councillor Jose Antonio Sanchez Peña explained. The councillor stressed that the new scheme aims to make owners pay for their actions rather than pinpoint the pets, which cannot be held to blame for having irresponsible owners, and is a desperate measure to try and end this problem which provokes many complaints from local residents and has even caused elderly people to suffer falls.
STEPPING STONES have been meeting up at the Evangelical Church Hall in Turre since March 2012. Fanny started the group because her husband, John, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she knew she needed some help to cope. As a carer for your loved one no matter whether it is a physical or mental disease, or just old age taking its toll there is help at the group, even if it is just a day to let off steam with like minded people. The day begins with coffee and cake, plen-
EW
EWN
77
Co m N m Ne C u ig o h b rn ni ou e ty rh
oo
d
r
Ne
w
s
DAY OUT: Enjoy letting off steam with others. ty of chat and laughter, sometimes a guest speaker or a little light chair yoga and all followed by lunch. The group also visits restaurants now and again to give the vol-
unteers, carers and dependents a break. Everyone is welcome, carers, volunteers and dependents. Find out more at www.steppingstonesca rersgroup.weebly.com.
Charity cycling back on DUE to the unfortunate ride cancellation on February 1 for high winds, the San Juan de los Terreros bike runs, in conjunction with Pulpi Town Hall, are rescheduled for Sunday March 15. The rides will be raising money for San Animal Santuario. Cyclists meet at 10am for a 10.30am (60km) and 11.30am (15km) departure from El Pinar picnic area in San Juan de los Terreros. A €4 donation from each participant is required. Funds will help the San
BIKE RUN: Raising money for San Animal Santuario. Animal Santuario charity care for abandoned animals. A barbecue and drinks will be available. Included on the day are table-top stalls for
non-bikers, free to any stall holder who would like to attend. Contact Peter on 630 528 464 or pete@sananimal.org to reserve a spot.
RBL Mojacar busy March MOJACAR’S Royal British Legion has a bumper month planned at the Artisan Centre in the town.
March 5 has guest speaker Gerry Hughes. March 19 has guest speaker Alejandro from Gestoria Salvador. Be sure to arrive by 11.15am. On March 24 there is a coach trip to Cartagena to visit the
shopping centre and town. The cost is €14 return.
For more information contact Eileen Huard on 950 462 376 or email socialevents.rblmoj.3485 @gmail.com.
editorial@euroweeklynews.com
78
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
PROPERTY
www.euroweeklynews.com
roperty P
TRUS
our a
dvert
WE D
T
isers
O!
TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
ou
ng isi rt ve Ad
Pr o TOWNHOUSE long-term f t op gh tt oy he ert ou by y W S pa Los Gallardos ee rental (EPC applied for) REF:R580 ni sh only €450 per month k P Br
e ur at fe
MODERN, immaculate townhouse, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, lounge with double aspect full length windows. This property is fully furnished and has been finished to a very high standard. There is a private garden and roof terrace with views to the communal pool and gardens. Great family home located at Huerta Nueva, being just a short drive to the market town of Turre and only a 10-15 minute drive to the beautiful beaches of Mojacar with its shops, bars, restaurants. • 2 floors • Sleeps 6 people • Fully furnished • 3 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Mains water • Mains electricity • Telephone possible • Internet possible • Air-conditioning • Communal pool • Roof solarium • Private terrace • Pool view • Communal parking • Washing machine
plus bills
• Close to a golf course • 15 Minutes to the beach • 15 Minutes to the shops For more details, please contact Sharon Garner Sales Director Spanish Property Choice Avenida del Mediterraneo 363 Mojacar Playa Almeria, Spain Telephone: 0034 950 615 388 UK cheap rate call line: 0843 313 3639
www.spanishpropertychoice.com country@spanishpropertychoice.com
ro
pe
rty
Ch
oi
ce
80
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
omes&gardens
H
HOMES & GARDENS
SPONSORED BY
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM
Young gardeners Dick Handscombe
Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.
www.euroweeklynews.com
WHETHER there will be attractive gardens in Spain in the future depends to a great extent on whether today’s under 10s are encouraged to become involved in gardening. Some schools do have gardening clubs, but they are often half hearted affairs to fill club time and in Spanish kindergarten schools there is a good eating activity in May each year, but it doesn’t go as far as stimulating the growing of one’s own vegetables and fruit. We only garden enthusiastically to create a holistic garden that • enables pleasurable outdoor living throughout the year - even enjoying the plant filled naya in the
cooler evenings and when it rains • makes us self sufficient in vegetables and our favourite fruits because we started to garden with parents and grandparents at week-ends and during holidays when very young. Some would say gardening is in our blood. Whether you or a school teacher are supervising a school gardening club, guide your children or grandchildren through the initial learning stages as there are a number of important success factors. 1. Give them a prominent position for their mini garden so that they realise that you see their efforts as important and to encourage them to take pride in their efforts. Why not use part of the gardens at the entrance to the school which parents can see rather than an out of sight corner of the playground?
UNDER 10s: Allow them to get dirty and have fun. 2. Ensure that the soil in their mini gardens or raised beds is of sufficient depth and good quality fertile, water absorbing and free draining. There is nothing more soul destroying than trying to grow things in shallow, clayey, stony and rocky soil under the shade of a large tree. 3. Make a few garden-
ing books available and also some UK sourced flower and seed catalogues that have photographs. Some listed in our books are available on the internet. 4. Take them to a few garden centres and let them buy some plants and seeds themselves for the school garden. 5. Provide lightweight easy to use tools without sharp edges. 6. Provide a small watering can but also show and help them how to fix up a simple irrigation system. 7. Allow them to get dirty and have fun. Getting dirty can build up their immunity systems. 8. Help them choose easy to grow flowers, vegetables and fruit. 9. Encourage them to harvest their own vegetables for lunch time salads and sandwiches. 10. Get them to realise that plants need regular ongoing care like a pet. 11. Help them relate to what is happening in their mini garden with the theories learned in science related classes. 12. Make ecological fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides available. 13. Above all show interest. If you have already made good progress down these lines send an email including one or two photographs to gardening inspain@hotmail.com. The best email will earn for the school gardening club a set of gardening books.
© Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com March 2015
www.euroweeklynews.com
CLASSIFIEDS
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
lassifieds C
EWN
81
FOR RESULTS EVERY WEEK
BOATS / CARS / JOBS / SERVICES / PETS / BIKES / FURNITURE / PROPERTY / MOTORING / FOR SALE
AIR CONDITIONING
BOATS
CAR VALETING
COMPUTER
HAIRDRESSERS
ELECTRICAL CARPENTERS
HEALTH & BEAUTY
BOUNCY CASTLES BOUNCY CASTLES for all types of events. 629 294 917 (230071)
BUILDERS
COMPUTER SERVICES CARS WANTED
Inford@Tox Computer Services, call Raquel on 950 633 223 (228454)
DRAINS
FOR SALE HEATING CARLOS SALIENTE PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES. If it involves water we can help! www.carlos saliente.com Tel.950 930 900 or 968 969 962 (226233)
HOUSE CLEARANCE TRAINED A/C Engineer F/Gas. We now do Gas recharge for cars. We specialise in Plumbing & Heating with Gas Safe Certs. For all your Plumbing repairs, Heating repairs, A/C repairs & New installs on all. No call out charge in Mojacar. Call John on 634 342 520. (225351)
ALARMS
HOUSE CLEARANCE, garage clearance & scrap metal. 699 483 438 (230838)
ANDALUCIAN BUILDING COMPANY, see our advert on page 4.
BUSINESS FOR SALE
AUCTIONS
INSURANCE
CARS bought for cash. Anything considered, LHD or RHD. 952 551 433 / 665 145 856 (221495)
COLLECTABLES
CARPENTRY
Price per word: 0,42€ + IVA minimum 15 words - Discount: Book 10 weeks, get 2 weeks free - Deadline: 4pm Mondays Contact: Phone (0034) 950 472 109 • Fax (0034) 950 478 789 • email mojacar@euroweeklynews.com • www.euroweeklynews.es
82
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería MOTORING
www.euroweeklynews.com PETS PET-COURIERS.COM – If you love your pet try us first – we are the best. Door to door service throughout Europe. Specialised vehicles – bespoke service. Full legal service including documentation if required for further information call or e-mail us: Tel: (0034) 651 033 670 or (0034) 637 066 227. Email: info@petcouriers.com or www.pet-couri ers.com (231443)
MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)
WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
PLUMBING SERVICES
CLASSIFIEDS
REMOVALS/STORAGE
KNOWLES PLUMBING. No 1 for plumbing! Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 950 137 197or 606 807 797 CARLOS SALIENTE PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES offer machined boiler decals for gas water heaters ROM just 65€ Aguafuerte is not the answer! Call 950 930 900 or 968 969 962. Email carlos.saliente@gmail.com (226233)
POOLS CERTIFIED Pool Cleaner/Handyman/Gardener/House Sitter, cheap rates. Phone Neil 642 764 741, email totalpools@outlook.com
PERSONAL
PAINTERS
INTERNET GET YOUR business noticed online! Make sure that expats in Spain can find your product, service, restaurant, bar or shop. Contact Spain’s newest and brightest online directory TODAY. Call 952 561 245 or email serena@eu roweeklynews.com for more details.
PLUMBERS
PARKING
MOBILE HOMES WE BUY, Sell, Store, remove all types of mobile homes. We pay CASH and cover all of Spain. More details call Suzi Caley 616 250 727 / 951 063 059 or email suzica ley@gmail.com (228718)
PROPERTY
INSURANCE
LOGS FOR SALE
PROPERTY FOR RENT
For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com
www.euroweeklynews.com
www.euroweeklynews.com
CLASSIFIEDS REMOVALS/STORAGE SPAIN - UK/UK - SPAIN. Deliveries. Best prices. Best service. Indalo Transport. 634 336 468 / www.indalotransport.com. Find us on Facebook & Twitter. (230761) CAR TRANSPORTER. Call for excellent rates, fully insured, professional service. 952 816 582, email move@freinternational.com / www.car-transport-spain.com UK - SPAIN - Anywhere Europe! Masses of experience. New clean vehicles. Insured with Royal Sun Alliance. Genuinely CARING service. FULL and part moves. ONLINE QUOTES!! www.bmceuro pean.com UK 08456 443 784 / ES 634 344 787 FIND US ON FACEBOOK!(220152)
2ND HAND FURNITURE
CARLOS SALIENTE PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES for solar pool heating, solar hot water installations and repairs, call 950 930 900 or 968 969 962, email carlos.saliente@gmail.com
SWIMMING POOLS GENECO Pool construction. Tel 950 478 086 for no obligation quote (93401)
TILING FLOOR AND WALL TILING SPECIALIST Not a jack of all trades, just a master of one! Call Steve Holman on 697 678 708 (228474)
TV, AUDIO REPAIR REPAIR, TV, electronic equipment www.zeta-services.tv / 950 634 477 (230044)
TV & SATELLITE
SOLAR ENERGY LOWEST PRICES IN SPAIN. www.solarmegastore.es SOLAR WIND POWER SOLUTIONS. Over 15 years installation experience. Established 12 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email in fo@sunergyalmeria.com (230097)
SITUATIONS VACANT
SIGNS
TV & SATELLITE
VOLUNTEER
For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com
XXX RELAXATION ¨Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the advertisements in this section offensive.¨
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
83
84
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
MOTORING
www.euroweeklynews.com
otoring M TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
SPONSORED BY For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80
The Aston Martin experience
FOR real speed lovers, and those who want an entirely adrenaline motoring experience, Aston Martin have recently announced the release of the new Vulcan. This is a track-only supercar and the British luxury brand’s “most intense and exhilarating creation” to date. Born out of extensive motorsport experience – and using the brand’s acknowledged unique design and engineering ability – the 800-plus bhp, all-carbon fibre Aston Martin Vulcan should deliver a truly extreme performance. The new supercar –
RE-PLATE MATE Don’t take a chance! Don’t break the law! Take the hassle out of re-registering your vehicle onto Spanish plates We endeavour to better any genuine quotation 490 Euro + Road Tax + CO2 emission tax if applicable
Alan 662 249 159 www.replatematecostablanca.com
NEW VULCAN: A supercar for a unique and thrilling track day. limited to just 24 examples worldwide – will
allow owners the opportunity to precisely tailor
their track day experience through a graduating
scale of detailed power and dynamic performance
adjustments. The company’s CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: “Aston Martin Vulcan is, by its very nature, a rare and thrilling supercar. “Designed and engineered to deliver a genuinely bespoke driving experience that draws on our rich heritage, this car tailors its power and handling to both the capabilities of the driver and the characteristics of the track. A sports car for true sports car lovers, I believe the Aston Martin Vulcan – and the unique ownership programme that sits behind it – sets a whole new standard in the ultra-high luxury supercar class.” Styled entirely in-house by the Aston Martin design team and with a design hinting at the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars, this supercar is powered by 7.0litre V12 petrol engine. With its 800-plus bhp powerplant developed in conjunction with Aston Martin Racing, this front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car draws extensively on the brand’s GT motorsport experience. Utilising the techniques of world-class motorsport engineering, the supercar sees its power-to-weight ratio exceed those of the GTE cars which compete in the FIA’s annual World Endurance Championship. If you would like one of these exclusive vehicles you going to have to act fast, according Aston Martin. Performance data, together with further technical details about the ultra-exclusive trackonly supercar, will be released closer to its track debut later this year.
MOTORING
TRUST our advertisers
Citroen celebrates 50 million sales THE beginning of 2015 marked a momentous moment for French motor giant Citroen with 50 million vehicles sold since the company’s founding more than 95 years ago. The company will be marking this success with their new range of vehicles highlighted at the Geneva Motor Show, including the new Citroen Berlingo Multispace. The new model is updating its approach with a new front end, and useful, modern technologies including the new seven-inch touch drive interface and Active City Brake, as well as efficient latest-generation engines. A pioneer in the leisure-vehicle sector and a constantly renewed benchmark, Citroen staff say the new version maintains all its qualities in terms of modular design, space, comfort and equipment. Also on show in Geneva is an original concept, the Berlingo Mountain Vibe Concept. It features, a full range of body reinforcements and accessories to enjoy nature, explore hill and dale and reach for the highest summits.
A nod to the transalpine scenery around Geneva, it is the ideal partner for all those looking for open air sports and freedom. The Citroen C4 Range consolidates its status as a compact hatchback of practical nature, with the easy to drive C4. Focused on comfort and driving experience, it has gained a number of upgrades designed to bring out its character and make life easier. New headlights and rear lights, 7-inch touch drive interface, keyless access and drive. Making a generational leap, it adopts the efficient PureTech and BlueHDi powertrains, as well as the new EAT6 automatic gearbox. The C3 Picasso design while taking advantage of the new PureTech 110 and BlueHDi 100 engines, it features dynamic two-tone ‘Black Top’ bodywork, combining a black roof with a choice of three body colours. Citroen has said these new engine designs will “reduce running costs, with, for example, the latest-generation BlueHDi and PureTech engines.”
WE DO!
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
85
86
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
MOTORING
Toyota reaffirms its commitment to recycling hybrid batteries in Europe TOYOTA wants to continue to increase its already high rate of battery recycling
with hybrid vehicles. Hybrid batteries can generally outlast a vehicle’s
life. These are therefore usually only recovered at the end of vehicle life, or in
the case of an accident. Toyota has said it has built up years of experience running a collection process through Toyota and Lexus retailers with a reverse logistics mechanism. Dealers receive a new hybrid battery in return for giving back the old one, leading to the company’s average 91 per cent collection rate. Now Toyota is stepping up efforts to further in-
TOYOTA TARGET: Collecting 100 per cent of batteries. crease the volumes of collected used hybrid batteries, setting itself the target
of collecting 100 per cent of the batteries coming from its own network and from any authorised ELV battery treatment operators across Europe. That is why the company has announced the extension until March 31, 2018, of current battery agreements: 1. Since July 2011, France-based Société Nouvelle d’Affinage des Métaux (SNAM) has been taking back and recycling nickelmetal hydride (NiMh) batteries in Europe (installed in the Prius, Auris Hybrid, Auris Hybrid Touring Sports, Yaris Hybrid and all Lexus hybrids). 2. Since August 20, 2012, Belgium-based Umicore NV has been taking back and recycling Lithiumion (Li-ion) batteries in Europe (installed in Toyota’s Prius+ and Prius Plug-in).
TSB GOLF SOCIETY THE Turre Sports Bar Golf Society meets every Thursday and plays at a different venue each week in and around the Mojacar area. If you like swinging a club and enjoy a social day out then please telephone Dez on 677 161 705 or call into Alice’s Sports Bar on Turre High Street for further details. New members will be welcomed with open arms and ‘golf balls of fire’.
‘SAVE A DOG’ TRIVA QUIZ NEXT Wednesday, March 11, at 5pm in the afternoon, at Alice’s Sports Bar on Turre High Street, Tony Matthews will be holding a general knowledge/music quiz to help raise funds to prolong the life of a spaniel dog named Bret, who was found last month in the Cabrera mountains, starving and as thin as a rake. Tony wants to raise €500 as soon as possible. So please come along, it’s for a good cause. • For further information, telephone Tony on 634 391 414.
DID YOU KNOW? There are 336 dimples on a regular golf ball... the largest bunker on a major golf course is Hell’s Half Acre on New Jersey’s Pine Valley course... and the longest hole, 909 yards, is the seventh at Japan’s Satsuki club.
TRUST our advertisers
WE DO!
5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
EWN
87
Glory for Chelsea, Scotland stunned and woe for England CORDON PRESS
SPORT
Tony Matthews
International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.
Costa de Almeria
COMING up we have four FA Cup quarter-final games... Aston Villa play WBA and Bradford City meet Reading on Saturday, Liverpool welcome Blackburn on Sunday and Manchester United entertain Arsenal on Monday. The winners of these games will play in the semi-finals at Wembley. There’s only one Premiership game on Saturday - QPR v Tottenham while the top Championship matches are Ipswich-Brentford and Notts Forest-Middlesbrough; MK Dons meet Preston in FL1 and Southend and Wycombe clash in FL2. Also there have been full mid-week programmes in all four divisions in England with some vital games at both ends of the tables. FOOTBALL - Chelsea with two deflected goals, beat Spurs 2-0 in Sunday’s League Cup final, the first major trophy success of the season. This was the fifth time the Blues have won this competition, following victories in 1965, 1998, 2005 and 2007. The treble is still on! In last weekend’s Premiership matches, shot-shy Manchester City (second) lost 2-1 at Liverpool (fifth)... Arsenal (third) disposed of Everton 2-0... Manchester United (fourth) beat 10-man Sunderland 2-0... Southampton (sixth) lost 1-0 at improving WBA... and Crystal Palace, also with 10 men, won 3-1 at West Ham who were booed off at the end.
Burnley, Hull, QPR, Aston Villa and Leicester are battling against the drop. Championship leaders Derby and Middlesbrough (second) both lost, Bournemouth (fourth) drew but Watford (third), Norwich and Wolves all won, as did revitalised Nottingham Forest. Bristol City and Burton Albion remain top of Leagues One and Two respectively, the latter after Shrewsbury lost at home for the first time this season.
Celtic pulled six points clear in the SPL with a 4-0 win over Aberdeen, while Hearts (with a 197-second hat-trick by Genero Zeefuik) recorded their best-ever League win, thrashing Cowdenbeath 10-0. Hearts are 20 points ahead of Hibs in SL1. CRICKET - In the World Cup, New Zealand (152-9) beat joint hosts Australia (151) in a magnificent Group A encounter. South Africa, with a massive 408-2, thrashed the West Indies (151) by a
record 257 runs. Springboks’ batsman A B De Villiers smashed 50 off just 16 balls, 100 off 31 and 150 off 64. After two heavy defeats and an expected win over Scotland, England (309-6 with Joe Root’s 121) were thrashed by Sri Lanka (312-1) in their fourth match. England have now lost nine ODIs after making at least 300 when batting first (the most by any team) while Sri Lanka became the first team ever to chase
CUP CELEBRATIONS: Chelsea win League Cup 2-0 in first major trophy of the season. down 300+ for the loss of one wicket. Next up for sorry England is Bangladesh on March 9. Elsewhere, Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 20 runs. * England’s women beat New Zealand 3-2 in their five match ODI series. RUGBY UNION - In the latest Six Nations matches, Wales won 20-13 in France, Italy stunned Scotland 22-19 at Murrayfield and Ireland defeated England 19-9. The next round of fixtures will be on March 14/15. SPORT IN BRIEF • Brian McClair (ex-Man United) has been appointed Scotland’s Football Performance Director. • In the Honda Golf Classic, Rory McIlroy missed the cut on the PGA Tour for the first time since the 2013 summer. The East London National African Open is now under way and from March 6-8 the Euro-Footgolf Trophy takes place in Marbella.
88
E W N 5 - 11 March 2015 / Costa de Almería
SPORT
www.euroweeklynews.com
port S Prestigious contest
Federer wins in Dubai ROGER FEDERER (with 12 aces, taking him past 9,000 overall) beat Novak Djokovic in Dubai’s APT Tour final. This was Federer’s 84th career victory and his seventh in Dubai. Both finalists and Andy Murray are currently all in action in various Davis Cup matches.
Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport
CABRERA Lawn Bowling Club hosted one of the club calendar’s prestigious competitions, the men’s singles championship. There were some very close rounds leading up to the final, one of which being the match between Peter Sands and Terry Pickers, with Terry finally winning 21-18. The next round also saw Terry in an even closer match against Brian Firth. As it is the first to 21 and both men were at 20-20 there had to be a winner on the next end and sadly Terry’s luck finally ran out and Brian took the match 21-20 with his last bowl. The final, however, was contested between Peter Marriott and Malcolm Smallwood. Peter’s wife Sandra had already won the ladies championship a few weeks earlier. It was extremely blustery on finals day with the wind making bowling conditions very tricky
TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
MEN’S SINGLES: Peter Marriott, Roy Hatten and Malcolm Smallwood. but the two men battled on and after seven ends the score was level at sixall. Malcolm started to pull away and was leading by seven after 12 ends. Peter pulled back a four on the next end but it wasn’t enough as Malcolm maintained his form to win
the match 21-13. The cup was presented to Malcolm by Roy Hatten, an honorary member of the club. Congratulations to Malcolm and commiserations to Peter. Thanks to all markers and spectators who supported the players.
Forum at Aguilon FORTY-SIX Forum Golf Society members contested an individual Stableford competition at Aguilon. On a perfect day for golf the course was the winner with none of the players managing to play to their handicap. Dave Greaves was the day’s winner with 35 points, beating second placed Fran Elam on countback, with Bob Cowan (33 points) third,
Brian Gyer (32 points) fourth and George Gibson (31 points) fifth. Nearest the Pin prizes went to Douglas Dickson, Fran Elam, Ann Lawrence and Stan Whitty, with big hitting (but not always in the right direction) Ian Postles again taking the longest drive. Dave Greaves’s victory takes him back to the top of the Forum’s Claret Jug leaderboard.
A good turnout SUNDAY March 1 at Cortijo Grande saw a good turnout for a Stableford competition. It was a close call and only one point separated the first three. Frank McGovern, Brian Harwood and Mike Picken were at the top of the results.