Euro Weekly News - Axarquia 15 - 21 December 2016 Issue 1641 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

ISSUE NO. 1641

15 - 21 December 2016

AXARQUÍA - COSTA TROPICAL YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

So heartless! FOOD BANK RANSACKED IN RAID

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Police pimp jailed A NATIONAL POLICE officer has been sentenced to a year and nine months in prison for running a brothel in Velez-Malaga. Two other men who helped run the club were sentenced to one year and three months each. Overall, there were 26 rooms in the club and at least seven women working there, the majority of whom were Romanian. See page 2

Bike tour on way THE 63rd edition of the Vuelta a Andalucia cycling event will start from Rincon de la Victoria. The Axarquia municipality

will host the launch of the tour on February 15, 2017 before it ends in Coin on February 19. See page 4

Stranded dolphin By John Smith A gang of heartless thieves h a s r a i d e d a Food Ba n k i n Sa l o breña e m p t y i n g t h e premises of almost its entire stock of food that was destined for low income families who are struggling to cope. It is the second time the premises have been struck, but on this occasion extensive damage was also caused to roofing panels as the gang moved about. The raiders forced the doors to the warehouse which contained hundreds of kilos of foodstuffs going to families who are classed as socia l l y d e p r i v e d an d struggle to make ends meet, particularly at Christmas time. Managers estimate

around 1,500kgs of food was taken from the premises. Police have appealed for anyone who may have seen th e g an g mo v in g s u ch a larg e a mo u n t o f p ro d u c e onto a lorry or heavy vehicle. The foodstuffs belonged

not only to the Food Bank but also the town hall. Measures are now being taken to improve security at the complex given that it is the s e c ond ra id in tw o years. The ga ng s truc k in the early hours of December 8 and had left by the time the

s tore ma n in c ha rge a rrived for work in the morning. The y not only took produce meant to go to loc a l residents, but a ls o foodstuffs that belonged to the staff. So c los e to Christmas the theft is a blow to the Food Bank which has be e n providing a c ruc ia l service to families in the region.

A BEACH cleaning and maintenance team in Almuñecar sprang into action to rescue a dolphin that had become stranded on dry land. The beached bottlenose measured an impressive five me-

tres in length and was discovered early on Saturday, December 10, between Velilla and Tesorillo beaches to the east of the town. See page 5

Eight held in raid A MASSIVE operation known under the code name Parcero has been undertaken by the Guardia Civil which has resulted in the arrest of eight people, and seizure of drugs estimated to be worth in excess of €1 million as well as vehicles, cash and two drugs factories. See page 7

Fight to stay afloat AFTER one of the worst hauls in recent memory across the Costa del Sol’s five key fishing ports, local fishermen struggling to keep afloat now face a new challenge. The regional government is considering protecting certain prime waters from fishing. See page 12

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NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

Local is best THE 1640 (December 8-14) issue of the Axarquia-Costa Tropical Euro Weekly News contained 24 local news items, demonstrating once again our dedication and commitment to delivering the news that matters most to you, our readers, in each of our six editions. Nobody does it better!

New bus app THE Velez-Malaga Council has announced the company that operates buses in the municipality has introduced a new app (Bus Velez-Malaga) which it believes will improve

the journey time and quality for the 600,000 passengers who use the service annually across its 75 stops. The app will advise live timetables and information on journeys.

VELEZ-MALAGA: The accused was renting out a club devoted to prostitution.

Prison sentence for PC pimp By Sam Croft

Top destination A COMPILATION of TripAdvisor reviews has seen Malaga win third place in the Traveller’s Choice European Emerging Destinations vote, award for its beaches, hotels

and food. Top of the list was Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Known as the gateway to the Costa del Sol, Malaga’s stock has risen tremendously recently.

A NATIONAL POLICE officer has been sentenced to a year and nine months in prison for running a brothel in Velez-Malaga. Two other men who helped run the club were sentenced to one year and three months each. The Internal Affairs Unit of the National Police suspected that the accused was renting out a club which was devoted to prosti-

tution. The officer’s phone was tapped and the investigators were able to determine that he was working with two other men. Together, the three of them had set up a sex club. They then profited from the operation by employing women as prostitutes and pocketing large amounts of their earnings. The women were put up in the club, which was disguised as a cheap hotel, and were forced to pay €50 a day, regardless of whether they slept there or not. They

were paid for their sexual interactions with clients, although the exact amount they received fluctuated from one night to another. The women were given strict rules and were fined if they failed to adhere to them, thereby creating an environment in which they constantly feared for their job security. Overall, there were 26 rooms in the club and at least seven women working there, the majority of whom were Romanian.

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Featured News 3

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Beach remains intact thanks to breakwater

European 16

Finance 17 - 22

Stocks 18

Leapy Lee 23

Daily TV 26, 28, 30

Letters 31

Time Out 32 - 33

Health & Beauty 34 - 35

Social Scene 36

Property 37 - 38

Homes & Gardens 39

Pets 40

Services 41 - 43

Classifieds 44

Motoring 45

Sport 47 - 48

FARING WELL: So far the breakwater appears to be helping the coastline. THE breakwater installed by the Costas Department last summer around Faro de Torrox Costa, has passed its first tests with the coastline surviving the recent rains. Delegate of the Association of Beaches, David Villena, said the work was carried out to ensure the stability of the Ferrara beach and so far it has worked, but the action will continue to be analysed as storms usually continue until mid-Febru-

ary: “We are waiting to see if it responds equally well to severe storms over up to four or five continuous days. But in general terms we have to say the beach is fine, since it was installed we have not suffered any mishap.” Some raised concerns that the breakwater would result in a loss of sand in other beaches but this has not happened: “On the contrary, the coastline has remained in the environment and in Ferrara

there is even more sand in areas like Laguna beach,” he says. Villena added it has stood up well to the “two temporary low intensity” storms so far this year but it will be in late February when the results of the seawall will be analysed in depth. The breakwater juts 115m into the sea, is eigjt metres wide and its €300,000 cost was funded by the Provincial Government and the City of Torrox.

Race tour will be starting locally THE 63rd edition of the Vuelta a Andalucia cycling event will start from Rincon de la Victoria. The Axarquia municipality will host the launch of the

tour on February 15, 2017 before it ends in Coin on February 19. Organisers have thanked and stressed the great collaboration shown by Rincon de

la Victoria and its mayor Maria Encarnacion Anaya in hosting the event. The town has traditionally had strong links with the sport. The Vuelta raises its game

in 2017 and comes within the ‘Hors Categori’' which is a prelude to the World Tour and shows further recognition of the event within the cycling world.

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Lend me a flipper!

BEACHED DOLPHIN: Was successfully returned to the sea in Almuñecar. By Matt Ford A BEACH cleaning and maintenance team in Almuñecar sprang into action to rescue a dolphin that had become stranded on dry land. The beached bottlenose measured an impressive five metres in length and was discovered early on Saturday, December 10, between Velilla and Tesorillo beaches to the east of the town.

It took more than an hour to move the female animal back into the water, with a tractor eventually employed to push it. Beach maintenance chief, Miguel Cabrera Martin, said: “It was a few minutes after eight in the morning when we found a beached dolphin on the shore. “At first we thought it was dead, but as we approached we spotted the tail flapping a little

and that the movement was not caused by the waves. “We informed the environmental department and set to work to rescue it, but it was not easy due to the size of the animal, therefore we decided to employ the tractor that we normally use to smooth the sand. “After four attempts which took more than an hour, we finally managed to get her swimming again.”

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Carols for charity

COSAS NUESTRAS: Were joined by visiting choirs for their charity concert. By Eleanor Hawkins LOCAL Cosas Nuestras choir was accompanied on Saturday night (December 10) by three visiting choirs for a charity Christmas carol concert at the auditorium in La Herradura’s Centro Civico. Visiting choirs from Tor-

renueva, Nerja and Castell de Ferro joined Cosas Nuestras on stage to perform traditional Andalucian Christmas carols, which were much applauded by the almost full house. Rather than buying tickets, the audience was asked to take non-perishable foodstuffs all of which were to be

donated to Caritas charity for those in need. The local choir, led by Maria Angeles Garciolo, dedicated one of its pieces to former member Gloria Ruiz and later thanked all participants and the audience for attending the event, organised in collaboration with the local council.

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LA HERRADURA NEWS

An educational visit FIFTY sixth year children from Virgen de la Antigua infant and primary school in Almuñecar have been on a visit to Verde Velez rubbish treatment plant to see for themselves what goes on there and learn more about the importance of recycling. The visit, part of the ‘Almuñecar limpia te beneficia’ (A clean Almuñecar is good for you) campaign, was sponsored by FCC municipal cleaning company and was one of many activities included in the campaign calendar. The children were accompanied by their teachers and staff from the council’s Environmental department and were given a talk on recycling and a guided tour of the facility, with in situ explanations of what the different machines were for and the tasks carried out on the premises. Environmental technician Carlos Ferron ex-

plained: “the importance of recycling, reusing and reducing use of potentially toxic materials was stressed during the visit, which allowed the children to see for themselves how their waste is dealt with. The children later said they had understood the ecological impact of consumerism and the financial burden treating waste places on councils. They were informed that this could be reduced by recycling, as the companies which deal with recycling cover the cost of transporting waste, saving money for local coffers. The Environmental department has announced its intention to continue with visits to the plant for other children “as we believe education and training of youngsters through this type of activity is vital for the future and to help keep the area clean.”

Christmas market open VARIOUS foreign residents’ associations took part in the inauguration on Friday (December 9) of Almuñecar’s Christmas market, running on Plaza de la Constitucion until December 30. Members of clubs of people from all over Europe baked traditional festive treats for stands, which complemented the charity Christmas tea to raise funds for the Three Kings parade. Entertainment was provided in the form of music and dance by a group from Motril, Sabor y Son, a country dance group and Sabor a Mar local dance group, all of whom were thanked, along with the foreign associations and other stall holders, for taking part by Festivities councillor Maria de Mar Medina. The square is set to be a colourful, focal point in the run up to Christmas, with multiple events planned and stalls open every day except Sundays, the councillor explained.

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OUR VIEW

Thinking of others AS we all gear up for Christmas and New Year celebrations, spare a thought for those who are going to have to cope with their first year alone following the death of a loved one or those who are going to be spending their time in hospital, perhaps confused and unable to communicate fully with those who are looking after them. Those of us who speak good Spanish could do worse than to talk to local expatriate charities to see whether we can assist by offering a few hours of interpreting for those who can’t always express themselves as they would want to. For many this is a great time, enjoying family life and getting ready for the magic of Christmas, New Year’s Eve and even Three Kings, but for others it is a

lonely and desperate time when there seems to be little to look forward to and much to regret, which can end up with depression and a dangerous reliance on alcohol. It isn’t easy to give up your time when there are so many distractions and matters to prepare, but if you do know a lonely person or elderly couple, it would be a wonderful thing to offer them a little bit of your time. Sadly one of the greatest problems with elderly people in Spain and away from their family is the problem of what we call senility or Alzheimer’s and whilst those who suffer from it tend to be cushioned from its effects as they revert into their own world, those who have to live with the deterioration of their loved ones have a double burden to bear.

Now we want to hear your views. YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION www.euroweeklynews.com

Salobreña drug factory A MASSIVE operation known under the code name Parcero has been undertaken by the Guardia Civil which has resulted in the arrest of eight people, and seizure of drugs estimated to be worth in excess of €1 million as well as vehicles, cash and two drugs factories. Officers have been involved in tracking these major distribution units of a number of drugs including cocaine, hashish, marihuana and speed and whilst initial enquiries led them to an address in Segovia, the investigation expanded to include Madrid and Salobreña, where the National Police were also involved. The Salobreña operation was producing 10 kilos of cut cocaine every day and was run by a man who was described as very dangerous with European warrants out for his arrest although when caught, trying to flee during a raid, he also had fake ID from Gibraltar and Mexico with him.

OPERATION PARCERO: Resulted in the seizure of drugs, vehicles and cash. All of those arrested were Spanish nationals aged between 20 and 50 and officers are now trying to identify the routes used to bring the raw cocaine in from South America and also the identity of a large number of individuals thought to have been involved in the drug production and sale over the previous year.

Campsite fire leads to evacuation DOZENS of people were evacuated when a fire broke out in a Torre del Mar campground located at the eastern end of the promenade destroying several caravans. The fire quickly flared up and produced a huge black plume of smoke which could be seen from various points in the town. Firefighters and National Police officers

EWN

went to the scene and made sure that all of the campers had evacuated the area. The firefighters then went to work getting the blaze under control, and by 5pm it had been completely put out. Although the flames did not spread too much, the fire completely incinerated one caravan and caused significant damage to

two others. No one was injured during the incident. Emergency Services 112 reported the occupants of the campground were able to return by 6pm the same day once firefighters had ensured that the area was safe. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire.

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No Brexit judgement BREXIT PAGE By John Smith

MANY find it hard to understand why the government has allowed itself to fight the decision by the High Court to find in favour of the demand that it should put the decision to parliament to decide on whether or not to trigger Article 50 to start Britain’s exit from the European Union. If Britain is a true democracy then it is argued that as MPs are elected to rule, then the very least that could happen in this scenario is for the matter of formal exit to be placed before Parliament. The refusal by government to do this infers that it is not confident that it will receive the number of votes needed but it is impressive that the courts have become involved as it does show that the government can be held to account by an independent judiciary. With both sides having stated their cases, the

judges in the Supreme Court have retired to make their decision although this is unlikely to be revealed until the new year. At the end of the four day hearing, one very important and salient point was made which should be obvious and that is that whatever decision is made, it will not automatically stop the exit, but will either give the government the right to proceed without bothering to put the decision to parliament or parliament will be entitled to vote on the matter. The current working majority of the government is 14 seats and it would need every opposition party (except UKIP) to vote against the Brexit plus eight conservative defectors in order to defeat the motion although if the four Sinn Fein MPs who have never taken the oath of loyalty decided to sit in the Commons, then the matter would be even closer. It is however unlikely that such an event would ever happen as on December 7, the Commons passed Labour’s motion calling for “the prime minister to commit to publishing the government’s plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is invoked” by 448 to 75 votes – a majority of 373 – after it was amended by Downing Street to “call on the government to invoke Article 50 by 31 March 2017”. Of the 75 opposing the vote, the bulk were represented by the SNP members plus 21 labour MPs with just one conservative, the voluble and pro-EU former cabinet minister Ken Clarke. It was something of a landmark in as much as it

marked the first time MPs had endorsed the government’s Brexit timetable Prime Minister Theresa May can expect a more gruelling time when she attends the European Council Summit on December 15 which amongst other matters will be reviewing Brexit.

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LORD NEUBERGER: President of the Supreme Court.

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Live music show in Competa ON Saturday December 17 at 6.30pm English singer songwriter Keith James comes to the authentic and lovely space of the Gallery Luz de la Vida in Competa. He’s back for the third time for the people who like the music of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake. For this concert, he will certainly do a tribute to Cohen. At half past seven he will first tell you

about his own career and inspirations, and after that you can enjoy how he brings delicate songs with his warm voice and guitar. He loves the acoustics in this room and looks forward to bring his talents to the audience. While listening to his songs, you can also see all the ‘Squares’ of art made by international professional artists. Don’t miss this chance!

ILLEGAL FISHING: Continues to affect fish population.

Urgent marine action required By Matthew Elliott AFTER one of the worst hauls in recent memory across the Costa del Sol’s five key fishing ports, local fishermen struggling to keep afloat now face a new challenge. The regional government is considering protecting certain prime waters from fishing to prevent locals seas being hunted to extinction and depriving the Costa del Sol of its culinary and export legacy. Sustainable is the new buzzword as authorities look to pro-

tect the long-term future of the industry, but fishermen are more concerned with putting food on the table short-term. From Malaga to Estepona, the Costa del Sol coastline has unique characteristics which make it perfect for breeding anchovies and sardines, with the greatest concentration in the entire Mediterranean. Preserving the Malaga Bay, between Torrox and Fuengirola is crucial to keeping anchovy and sardine numbers healthy, breeding them for food and export.

Illegal fishing continues to affect their population. More than 10,000 kilograms has been seized by authorities from January until October after being hunted without permit, or in protected zones. That’s already an increase of 31 per cent on last year, while the real volume of undiscovered produce will be far higher. Chirlas, tuna, lobster and octopus are among the most illegally hunted, and the young are often targeted. Seafood captured this way is frequently unhygienic.

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Nerja DFAS sees in the Christmas Season ON Wednesday December 7, 32 members of Nerja Decorative and Fine Arts Society started their Christmas celebrations with a bang watching the amazing Son y Lumiere on Calle Larios, which along with the many street entertainers set the scene for the evening. The group moved onto the Glass Museum, Museo del Vidrio y Cristal de Malaga, where after a cava reception they entered the music room, a magical place that took them back centuries with the portraits of one of the owners, Gonzalo Fernandez-Prieto’s family surrounding an antique grand piano. They were entertained by the charming Noviembre Duo to an array of Arias. The couple, Miguel Angel Latorre on piano and the soprano Elena Garrido are students of music at Malaga University but performed liked seasoned professionals. DFAS listened to classical opera with a feeling that they had been transported to one of the Grand Houses of Spain. The group then enjoyed a typical Christmas meal which a Spanish household would serve when family and friends visited them during December using old traditional recipes handed down to Gonzalo. The fayre was simple with soup, a turkey and wild mushroom stew and a colourful meringue with fresh fruits, reflecting their host’s aim to make them welcome

FESTIVE TREAT: Combined music and art with food and drink. in his home in the ‘Spanish Way.’ The table for the meal was truly amazing, with 32 matching place settings with antique porcelain, silverware and crystal making everyone nervous about having an accident and breaking something (Hyacinth Bucket’s nervous neighbour Elizabeth from

Choral CoraXalia LOCAL choir CoraXalia is having an ‘open doors’ for everyone rehearsal on Thursday December 15 at 6.30pm at the Cultural Centre (Manoas House) in La Viñuela. This will be an interactive experience between the public and the choir, to learn how choral music is put together and then there will be a performance. The council has kindly offered hot chocolate or coffee with cake and mantecados afterwards. Everyone welcome!

the BBC’s Keeping up Appearances crossed every one’s mind!). Fortunately for the lucky participants in this magical Christmas treat they were transported home by coach so they could even enjoy the carefully selected cava and wine that Gonzalo provided in copious amounts.

Worldly wanderer takes a well-earned breather A MADRID resident has shattered several Guinness World Records after embarking upon a journey around the world which took in 50 countries, covered 70,000 kilometres, and lasted more than five months. This airborne adventurer recently made a stopover in Axarquia, where he refuelled, chatted about his experiences, and enjoyed some local hospitality. During his travels, Michel Gordillo, 61, became the first human being to fly over both of the Earth’s poles in a single-engine aircraft weighing

less than 1,500 kilos. The incredible adventure was carried out as part of a research project between the Ministry of Development, the University of Granada, and the Enaire Foundation, and aimed to analyse the effects of global warming and climate change in various points of the earth. Gordillo is a former captain of the Spanish Air Force as well as a former pilot with Iberia Airlines. During his lifetime, he has clocked in more than 15,000 hours of air time, making him an ideal candidate for the mission.

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EUROPEAN PRESS

DENMARK

GERMANY

Lego brand

Legal cannabis DUSSELDORF is planning to legalise the sale of cannabis to the over 18’s. The council is pushing ahead with plans and is taking advice from numerous experts in the are a s of psychol ogy, cr i m e and economics.

LEGO, the Danish toy maker, has announced the creation of the Lego Brand Group, which will work on developing further growth and new opportunities for the company. Lego sales have increased to €4.8 billion in the last decade.

Officer killed A POLICE officer who was shot as he arrived for a shift in Copenhagen, has died from his injuries. Police arrested a 26-year-old in relation to the shooting who has mental health problems.

Grammy nominee DANISH band Lukas Graham has been announced as a Grammy nominee

LEGO SALES: Have increased. in three categories. The band will compete against the likes of Adele and Beyonce to win ‘Record of the Year’ for their hit ‘Seven Years.’

Late starters A STUDY has found that women

living in big cities are leaving it longer to start a family. The a ve ra ge a ge of firs t time mothe rs in C ope nha ge n a nd Fre de riks be rg is 30.8 a nd 32, whilst in provincial towns such a s Lolla nd, the a ve ra ge a ge is 25.5.

AN international study on student assessment found that whilst the 6,000 French students questioned were per-

THE new ruling government in Ber l i n has r eveal ed pl ans wanting to make the city a much greener place and to improve the treatment of refugees.

Top company SOFTWARE com pany SAP

Heart care

Winter pollution

Student study

Berlin’s blueprint Domestic case A MAN has been arrested in northern Germany accused of setting his wife on fire. The wom an i s i n a ser i ous condition in hospital suffering from extensive burns. The couple of African origin have been in Germany around 20 years.

BELGIUM

FRANCE AIR pollution in Paris is currently at its worst winter levels in the last 10 years. Car travel has been limited in the city to reduce pollution as public transport was made free for passengers.

has been named as the best place to work in Germany according to a report which has been compiled by a job search website. The company was named the best place to work as it was a ‘great employer with many social benefits.’

forming around average in science, maths and literacy, French students were the most affected by their social and economic surroundings.

Heritage protection AROUND €30 million is being offered by France to a new fund that is being set up to help protect cultural heritage sites and pay for restoration of ar-

eas damaged during war and times of conflict in places such as Syria and Iraq.

Public to private A FRENCH town has been told to remove a statue of the Virgin Mary from a public park to comply with the country’s ban on religious symbols. The mayor said they will find a new home for the statue on private land.

THE Euro Heart Index, comparing cardiology care in 30 European states, has ranked Belgium seventh place for heart care in terms of prevention, procedures and access to care. France topped the list with Cyprus in last place.

High costs

Pilots wanted AIR BELGIUM, the new airline launched earlier this year, is looking for pilots and cabin staff as it prepares for its inaugural flights between Belgium and Asia in June 2017.

Motorway attacks

SWEDEN

NORWAY

THE higher rate of inflation in Belgium means that restaurants, cafés and the telecommunications operators are more expensive than neighbouring countries. From 2008 to 2016, prices rose by an average of 1.5 per cent.

Not true

Crime aid

HOLLAND

A NEW museum is to open in Stockholm in April 2017 aimed at tourists to dispel the myths of the Vikings, as historians say they are the most falsified figure in the country.

NORWAY is giving Sri Lanka NOK 39.7 million (€4.39 million) to support UN efforts to combat fisheries crime which is posing a threat to resources and economic development in developing countries.

Sustainable sources

Open house A 25-YEAR-OLD man is opening his Stockholm home to disadvantaged children this Christmas. Having worked for charities, he will offer the youngsters lunch and games.

Fashion conference STOCKHOLM University has hosted the first ever academic conference looking at luxury and sustainability in the fashion industry and its social impact.

Malmo shooting A MAN has died in hospital after being found with gunshot wounds in Malmo. No one has yet been arrested in connection with the shooting. A total of 25 people have been killed in the southern Skåne region this year.

Elephant attack A NORWEGIAN man in his 70’s was killed following an elephant attack as he was on safari in Malawi, Africa. He died in hospital from his injuries.

School stabbing A TEENAGE boy, aged 15, has confessed to stabbing a boy and a woman at a primary school in Kristiansand. Police do not believe anyone else was involved in the killing.

Online abuse AN eight-year prison sentence has been handed down to a 66-year-old man after being found guilty of online sexual abuse against children in Norway and the Philippines.

AS part of the government’s new energy strategy, the use of gas cookers and heaters will be phased out. The country wants to ensure that 16 per cent of the energy requirements are from sustainable sources by 2023.

Modern families A REPORT commissioned by the government has said that family law in the Netherlands needs to be drastically overhauled and updated to cope with modern families and allow up to four legal parents in two separate households.

THE number of attacks and incidents involving migrants has increased at the Flemish Brabant motorway services. Lorry drivers have reported being attacked and there has been two stabbings.

Not guilty A POLICE officer has won his appeal after being jailed for two years for shooting a man during an arrest. A court now agreed that the officer took the shot in an emergency situation to defend himself.

Illegal fireworks OVER 14,000 kilos of illegal fireworks have already been seized by police and customs in the run up to the New Year. By this time last year around 32,000 kilos of fireworks had been seized.

FINANCE

Axarquía - Costa Tropical

15 - 21 December 2016

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal LONDON - FTSE 100

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Banks defending their position AFTER an investigation into the rigging of the euro interest rates, the European Commission has announced that it will be fining three banks - who did not originally accept their part in the fixing cartel a total of €485 million. Of the three banks involved in this latest investigation, Credit Agricole, HSBC and JPMorgan,

Quote of the Week

€337 million is the amount that JP Morgan was fined by the European Commission for its part in the alleged rigging of the euro interest rates and is far more than any other bank was fined.

BUSINESS EXTRA

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Building job

An Amazon bookstore in Seattle. By John Smith INTERNET retail giant, Amazon has revealed that it will trial the concept of running a grocery store which has no checkout, but customers will automatically pay for the items in their baskets through an app and the company intends to use the same types of technologies found in self-driving cars. It appears that the system they plan to use will be smart

the American Bank does not accept that they have done anything wrong and may appeal the decision as is made clear in a prepared statement shown below. “We have cooperated fully with the European Commission throughout its five year investigation. We did not engage in any wrongdoing with respect to the Euribor benchmark. We will continue to vigorously defend our position

Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!” Donald Trump on the cost of presidential aircraft due for delivery in 2024.

Amazon opens grocery stores

enough to identify when items are taken from or returned to shelves and will record all of this in a so-called virtual shopping cart so that once the shopper leaves the store, their Amazon account will be charged and a receipt will be sent to them automatically. The first shop is expected to open in Seattle where the company has its headquarters in the first quarter of 2017 and will be a natural extension of its physical bookstores.

INDIAN born British citizen Bali Padda who has worked for Lego for 15 years will take over as the first non-Danish CEO of the group still owned by the family of the original founder, to run and streamline the business.

Oldest bank FOLLOWING the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Renzi, shares in the already teetering Monte dei Paschi di Siena, took a nose dive but now that a rumour is circulating that a €5 billion rescue package is likely, their position seems less precarious.

Not enough THE Spanish government has agreed with demands from ‘opposition’ parties that the monthly minimum wage for 2017 should be increased 8 per cent to €825.5 which is an increase of €61.1 but is still considered insufficient by trade unions.

Spread betting crackdown THERE is to be a crackdown on spread betting in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority as it believes those investing in this very volatile market don’t fully understand the risks. The concept which was introduced in the 1970s over the daily

€14.56 billion is the amount spent by UK visitors to Spain in the first 10 months of the year and represents 21 per cent of total tourist spend in the country.

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By John Smith

EWN

movement of the gold price now covers individual shares or indexes such as the FTSE 100. The concept is that rather than purchase shares, investors bet on whether the market will go up or down and pay a fee to a broker who handles their bet.

against these allegations, including through possible appeals to the European courts.” Danish European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager believed that the banks had worked together to exchange information and pointed out that banks have to recognise and respect EU competition laws like any other business regardless of where they operate from.

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+0.26%

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Company fines THE UK Competition and Markets Authority has fined the Pfizer pharmaceutical company £84.2 million (€99 million) after it increased its price to the NHS massively for an anti-epilepsy drug without justification, which is said to have cost the cash strapped health service tens of millions of pounds. It also fined Flynn Pharma a distributor of another anti-epilepsy drug the lesser amount of £5.2 million (€6.1 million) for similarly overcharging the NHS.

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 5

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,240.00 26.00 Associated British Foods 2,936.00 247.00 Admiral Group 975.00 -1,824.00 Ashtead Group 1,620.00 -20.00 Antofagasta 755.00 -1.50 Aviva 483.50 0.80 AstraZeneca 4,300.00 20.00 BAE Systems 603.50 3.00 Babcock International Group 940.00 12.50 Barclays 235.00 1.90 British American Tobacco 4,392.50 -27.50 Barratt Developments 469.50 1.90 British Land Co 624.00 2.00 BHP Billiton 1,372.50 17.50 Bunzl 1,150.50 -2,055.00 BP 475.00 -1.20 Burberry Group 1,475.50 1.50 BT Group 355.50 3.50 Coca-Cola HBC 1,660.00 -5.00 Carnival 4,118.00 -4.00 Centrica 215.50 -1.50 Compass Group 1,362.50 -14.50 Capita Group (The) 475.00 -5.00 Croda International 1,500.00 -3,192.00 CRH 2,594.00 -111.00 Dixons Carphone 337.50 -22.70 DCC 0.00 0.00 Diageo 2,025.00 -18.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 161.70 -355.90 Experian 1,502.50 -4.50 easyJet 998.50 1.50 Fresnillo 1,185.00 1.00 GKN 317.50 1.30 Glencore 301.50 1.50 GlaxoSmithKline 1,480.50 2.50 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 1,679.50 -44.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 0.00 0.00 Hammers 543.00 -9.00 HSBC Holdings 675.00 1.20 International Consolidtd Air Gr 446.00 4.60 InterContinental Hotels Group 1,412.50 -3,350.00 3i Group 655.00 -38.50 Imperial Brands 3,640.50 170.00 Informa 290.00 -665.50 Intu Properties 0.00 0.00 Intertek Group 0.00 0.00 ITV 185.50 -6.00 Johnson Matthey 3,042.50 -2.50 Kingfisher 348.00 0.10 Land Securities Group 1,010.00 -4.00

% CHG. NET VOL 2.14 17,457.90 9.19 21,082.28 -100.00 5,232.08 -1.22 8,037.53 -0.20 7,413.64 0.17 19,785.08 0.47 52,069.52 0.50 19,181.41 1.35 4,742.50 0.82 40,535.48 -0.62 81,528.92 0.41 4,737.25 0.32 6,353.02 1.29 28,988.19 -100.00 6,805.63 -0.25 90,283.06 0.10 6,519.81 0.99 35,554.38 -0.30 6,041.59 -0.10 8,915.53 -0.69 11,798.32 -1.05 22,262.29 -1.04 3,237.64 -100.00 4,153.99 -4.10 22,643.27 -6.30 4,080.49 0.00 5,237.27 -0.88 51,053.05 -100.00 4,918.38 -0.30 14,188.14 0.15 3,999.89 0.08 8,606.92 0.41 5,431.45 0.50 43,565.68 0.17 71,192.94 -2.58 4,081.63 0.00 5,800.92 -1.63 4,330.81 0.18 134,558.38 1.04 9,510.30 -100.00 6,612.88 -5.55 6,799.63 4.90 32,644.11 -100.00 5,360.15 0.00 3,647.77 0.00 5,248.30 -3.13 7,306.12 -0.08 5,881.48 0.03 7,776.96 -0.39 7,954.73

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Legal & General Group 244.00 0.20 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 62.00 0.26 London Stock Exchange Grp 1,400.00 -2,774.00 Micro Focus International 0.00 0.00 Mediclinic International 325.00 -737.00 Merlin Entertainments 432.00 -1.70 Marks & Spencer Group 329.00 -9.60 Mondi 1,757.50 146.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 225.00 0.10 National Grid 917.50 -4.20 Next 4,870.00 16.00 Old Mutual Group 195.25 -2.35 Provident Financial 1,425.00 -2,726.00 Polymetal International 376.50 -783.00 Paddy Power Betfair 5,000.00 -8,280.00 Prudential 1,586.00 -8.00 Persimmon 1,673.00 -43.00 Pearson 792.50 -8.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,570.00 -30.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Grp 219.00 1.70 Royal Dutch Shell 2,091.50 4.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,195.00 11.00 RELX 1,355.00 -18.00 Rio Tinto 3,257.00 33.50 Royal Mail 459.00 3.30 Rolls-Royce Group 665.00 -3.00 Randgold Resources 5,950.00 85.00 RSA Insurance Group 550.50 -6.50 Sainsbury (J) 242.50 -4.50 Schroders 1,493.50 -2,936.00 Sage Group (The) 625.00 0.00 Shire 4,420.00 -12.50 Sky 887.50 -112.50 Standard Life 359.50 -11.30 Smiths Group 700.00 -1,442.00 Smith & Nephew 1,140.00 -29.00 SSE 1,487.50 -4.50 Standard Chartered 669.50 12.00 St James's Place 887.50 -112.00 Severn Trent 2,125.50 -21.50 Travis Perkins 1,420.00 9.00 Tesco 217.78 -0.32 TUI AG 0.00 0.00 Taylor Wimpey 155.00 0.60 Unilever 3,105.00 -19.50 United Utilities Group 886.50 -6.00 Vodafone Group 198.95 0.55 Wolseley 2,245.00 -4,963.00 Worldpay Group 272.50 6.70 WPP Group 1,705.00 -66.00 Whitbread 3,495.00 -23.00

% CHG. 0.08 0.42 -100.00 0.00 -100.00 -0.39 -2.84 9.09 0.04 -0.46 0.33 -1.19 -100.00 -100.00 -100.00 -0.50 -2.51 -1.06 -0.45 0.78 0.19 0.50 -1.31 1.04 0.72 -0.45 1.45 -1.17 -1.82 -100.00 0.00 -0.28 -11.25 -3.05 -100.00 -2.48 -0.30 1.83 -11.21 -1.00 0.64 -0.15 0.00 0.39 -0.62 -0.67 0.28 -100.00 2.52 -3.73 -0.65

NET VOL 14,612.28 44,801.29 9,664.95 4,877.12 5,193.88 4,398.45 5,501.31 7,938.80 5,254.73 34,474.56 7,161.66 9,662.52 4,177.11 3,318.89 6,869.40 41,994.28 5,356.75 6,416.66 45,723.62 26,046.42 91,332.05 82,213.43 14,708.00 45,286.15 4,621.00 12,108.42 5,553.63 5,591.18 5,322.74 6,606.64 6,777.28 39,148.23 13,571.64 7,351.13 5,693.95 9,923.05 15,024.65 21,884.62 5,208.76 5,040.32 3,592.81 17,734.57 6,451.55 5,090.08 39,684.56 5,997.21 52,795.28 12,416.28 5,178.00 22,040.34 6,395.88

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US dollar...................................................................1.05653 Japan yen.................................................................122.287 Switzerland franc .................................................1.07592 Denmark kroner...................................................7.43665 Norway kroner ......................................................8.94515

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DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 5

COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CATERPILLAR CHEVRON TEXACO COCA-COLA CISCO SYSTEMS DU PONT EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACH HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL JOHNSON & JOHNSON JP MORGAN CHASE MCDONALDS MERCK MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER & GAMBLE ST. PAUL TRV UNITED TECHNOLOGIES UNITEDHEALTH VERIZON VISA CLASS A WAL-MART WALT DISNEY

PRICE 178,490 74,770 113,950 156,490 95,530 115,810 42,000 30,060 74,850 89,000 31,780 241,850 133,390 166,520 35,760 112,260 85,490 121,260 61,230 61,970 51,720 31,700 84,370 119,190 109,790 160,120 51,490 79,140 70,080 104,860

CHANGE %CHANGE 2,61 +1,48 -0,14 -0,19 1,83 +1,63 1,1 +0,71 -0,74 -0,77 0,64 +0,56 1,02 +2,49 0,11 +0,37 0,17 +0,23 0,68 +0,77 0,25 +0,79 0,4 +0,17 0,86 +0,65 1,16 +0,70 0,06 +0,17 1,27 +1,14 0,37 +0,43 0,81 +0,67 1,11 +1,85 0,96 +1,57 0,17 +0,33 0,76 +2,46 0,87 +1,04 0,81 +0,68 1,36 +1,25 0,8 +0,50 0,36 +0,70 -0,14 -0,18 -0,26 -0,37 1,48 +1,43

VOLUME 735.183 775.025 7.9M 606.680 2.3M 1.9M 6.1M 5.9M 800.760 2.8M 8.3M 966.906 1.6M 855.742 4.3M 2.7M 3.8M 820.891 3.1M 8.6M 1.7M 8.3M 2.4M 625.656 840.385 767.073 3.1M 1.6M 3M 3.5M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES

DECEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced AC Immune SA Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. RigNet, Inc. Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. Ocean Rig UDW Inc. Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited NII Holdings, Inc. Conn's, Inc. Educational Development Corporation Intersections, Inc. Calithera Biosciences, Inc.

$ 14.93 $ 3.20 $ 21.85 $ 2.75 $ 2.22 $ 22.99 $ 2.35 $ 14.45 $ 10.40 $ 4.03 $ 3.50

2.88 ▲ 23.90% 0.50 ▲ 18.52% 2.95 ▲ 15.61% 0.35 ▲ 14.58% 0.28 ▲ 14.43% 2.48 ▲ 12.09% 0.25 ▲ 11.90% 1.40 ▲ 10.73% 1 ▲ 10.64% 0.37 ▲ 10.11% 0.30 ▲ 9.38%

$ 6.85 $ 28.55 $9 $9 $ 23.36 $ 14.05 $ 36 $ 3.50 $ 2.51 $ 2.80 $ 4.50

2.45 ▼ 26.34% 8.49 ▼ 22.92% 2.53 ▼ 21.94% 1.15 ▼ 11.33% 2.60 ▼ 10.02% 1.46 ▼ 9.41% 3.70 ▼ 9.32% 0.35 ▼ 9.09% 0.25 ▼ 9.06% 0.23 ▼ 7.59% 0.35 ▼ 7.22%

Most Declined DAVIDsTEA Inc. Duluth Holdings Inc. Clearside Biomedical, Inc. Fanhua Inc. Willdan Group, Inc. IRIDEX Corporation CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CPI Card Group Inc. Oncobiologics, Inc. Atlanticus Holdings Corporation Xcel Brands, Inc

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Some banks looking to leave London Photo Credit: theendup shutterstock

By John Smith IF there is one fact of life that one can be fairly sure about, it is that banks are at best amoral and at worst totally immoral. Certainly and to some extent they understandably want to make sure that their financial position is as protected as possible, even though they may only still be in business because of the generosity of various governments who have diverted funds from the taxpayer to support their financial errors and in many cases wrongdoing!

There are already positive noises being made by eight EU capitals encouraging banks to move their business. Now that Britain is due to sever its direct links with the European Union and it looks as if London could be excluded from the euro passport system, various banks have started looking for a safe bolthole within the EU from which to run their ‘wholesale’ businesses. According to Benoit de Juvigny, a French financial regulator, many international banks are looking to Paris as an option. According to the BBC, there are already

PARIS: Could it be the new banking capital? positive noises being made by eight EU capitals encouraging banks to move their business to Amsterdam, Bratislava, Dublin, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris or

Valletta and in some cases at least, international banks have already started to undertake due diligence research in order to ensure that they would be able to operate

subsidiaries from their chosen city. Whilst it would be unfair to accuse these cities (and no doubt others to follow) of acting like jackals fighting over a carcass, it is obvious that once Britain does leave the Union, it will find competition hard in many areas and the retention of business such as in the banking sector could become an expensive operation. What is also worrying is that despite all that has gone wrong with banks in the past and the fact that members of the Union are in theory supposed to work together, it is more than speculation that at least one of those scrabbling for the new business may be prepared to relax legislation and control in order to attract international banks which could result in another financial disaster in the medium term. Perhaps an unshackled Britain could actually find a way of wooing bankers back to London by seeing what concessions other countries are making and then topping them. Alternatively, the underworld needs somewhere to safely deposit its illegally gained funds and perhaps the time is right to open the equivalent of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (also known as BCCI or the Bank of Crooks and Cocaine International) which had its headquarters in London before spectacularly being closed down in 1991.

Tata Steel and unions in principle agreement AFTER recognising the importance of India as a strong financial target, UK governments were happy to see an influx of investment into UK industry by Indian businesses but after some years, it came as a great disappointment when these companies started to have financial difficulties or decided that they wanted to divest themselves of their British financial interests. Once such company was Tata, the massive industrial operation that had taken over most of the British Steel industry which announced in March of this year that it wanted to either sell its UK businesses or in a worst scenario close them down. Thousands of workers, mostly employed in Wales were left facing future financial and work insecurity, especially when it appeared that apart from a relatively small division, there was little hope of finding a buyer for the business. Now, following recent meetings between Tata and the two main unions representing workers in the plants - Community and Unite - it has been announced that subject to a ballot of workers the company would continue to operate the business and invest further to make it a viable and profitable concern.

Photo Credit: Tata Group

By John Smith

KOUSHIK CHATTERJEE: Group executive director of Tata Steel. T h e ma in points of a gre e me nt w hic h should satisfy the workforce are: A guaranteed, minimum five-year commitment to keeping two blast furnaces at the

Port Talbot plant. A £1 billion (€1.17 billion) investment plan to be implemented over a 10-year period in order to keep the manufacture of steel

running at Port Talbot. An expression from Tata that it would commit to avoid making compulsory redundancies for at least five years. Whilst all of this is very positive, the only possible sticking point will be over pensions where the company wants to replace the existing scheme for one which sees a new scheme requiring no more than 10 per cent of salary contribution from the company and 6 per cent from employees. Both union representatives and Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director of Tata Steel and executive director for its European business expressed their pleasure at the outcome of the meeting, but stressed that the government still had a great deal to do to ensure that the company was supported especially as far as fair external competition and cost of energy are concerned. Workers will need to balance the positive out com e of seei ng t hei r j obs pr ot ect ed against the new pension proposals which the uni ons bel i eve i s t he best deal i t coul d achieve, although they are not making a positive recommendation to their members concerning this particular matter. In the event that Tata employees vote to reject the deal, then there is every possibility they will find it hard to invest further and may well withdraw from the UK completely.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Between a rock and a hard place

La edit: o Cr Phot flickr cloa Mon

CRISTOBAL MONTORO: Spanish Minister of Finance and Public Administration.

By John Smith UNDER pressure from leftwing allies in parliament who want to see a relaxation of austerity and the European Union which wants to see the Spanish economy much more under control, the government of Mariano Rajoy and Cristobal Montoro, Spanish Minister of Finance and Public Administration have had to try very hard to produce a budget for 2017 which will be acceptable to all parties. They are looking to increase taxes by some €4.8 billion by collecting certain monies in advance rather than arrears and hope to pull in additional funds by increasing the purchase tax of alcohol (except beer and wine) as well as cigarettes and tobacco. In addition, following the example of other European states, there will be a new tax on soft drinks with high sugar content and although it is suggested that such a tax is not to raise funds but to alert the public to the dangers of these

There will be a new tax on soft drinks with high sugar content which will produce more revenue. drinks, it is interesting that it is likely to produce more new revenue than the increase in tax on alcohol and tobacco. The government wants to ensure that people are paying tax on their earnings and to reduce the amount spent on the so-called black economy and is therefore reducing the limit of cash settlements of transactions from €2,500 to €1,000, although this could back fire on the local councils who up to now have been able to accept the larger sums via bank deposits. Speaking of local councils, 2,452 have applied for the cadastral value of properties to be increased and whilst this could not be done in time for the current budget, government is expected to approve this in principle during the

year as it will make those local councils less reliant on national hand outs, assuming the residents can afford to pay any increased rates. It was originally thought that approval of increased property taxes would be deferred for a year alongside certain environmental taxes and local death duties, but a codicil within the December 2 approval document covered the cadastral increase. None of this is enough and after having hit the pension pot once again to allow for a Christmas bonus pay out, the government is not only going to have to consider what it will do there, but it has also promised to boost income by fighting tax fraud, making collection of IVA speedier and more efficient as well as collecting monies owed to government more competently. Time will tell whether these actions will be enough to increase sufficiently to satisfy the EU, but if that is the case, then it is possible that the fragile alliance within parliament could be shattered.

15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

Boris Johnson was right about Saudi now, is that Koreans, Pakistanis, Somalis, Filipinos, etc. get paid, but generally a mere pittance. Homosexuality is a topping offence, yet the country is rife with men so highly sexed nothing is safe from their amorous intentions. (I was propositioned at least once or twice a day; but I was much prettier then!) They insist on building mosques all over the world, but refuse to allow any trace of alternative religions in their country. Alcohol is banned yet, when I was there, they were the biggest importers of Johnnie Walker Whisky in the world. In Jeddah they have the largest canvas-covered area in the world. All air conditioned and able to accommodate over a million people. How many refugees could this area accommodate? Ha! No, I’m afraid money buys it all my friends and they have enough to purchase everyone. On our own subservient heads be it.

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT BORIS JOHNSON was 100 per cent correct with his ‘proxy wars’ remarks regarding Saudi Arabia. It is merely another example of the deed this nation does best of all – delegate. Having lived among them for some eight years I can categorically state that, in my opinion, they are the most arrogant hypocrites on the planet. If they were not floating on a sea of money, they would be fighting for survival, and probably losing! Instead, sitting in their ivory towers they get everyone else to do their dirty work for them. Cashing in on the fact that this world is run by greed, money and the resulting power it brings, they continue to get away with just about everything. Their human rights record is atrocious. The only difference

HUMAN RIGHTS: Their record is atrocious.

Keep the Faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Nora Johnson

Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

YOU can tell Christmas isn’t far off when the annual ‘families ripped off by unscrupulous and entirely predictable seasonal Winter Wonderland theme-park extravaganza’ is upon us. This is like Groundhog Day, yet another year, yet another traditional Christmas fiasco. For the past few years problems at these Winter Wonderland events have been highlighted by the media and still people fork out to stand in long queues in ‘boggy’ fields to see dodgy Santas in tacky outfits and donkeys sporting cardboard antlers expecting the experience to be some sort of Disneyland. Why? You’ll recall ‘The Magical Journey’ attraction created by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen at the UK’s Belfry

Golf Club promising ‘the most amazing Christmas experience that Planet Earth has ever seen’ was temporarily cancelled in 2014 following a barrage of complaints from angry parents and children left in tears to find hour-long queues for swearing Santas and chav elves. A so-called Winter Wonderland in Milton Keynes was cancelled in 2013 after a deluge of complaints of Santas ‘dressed in outfits from Poundland’ and smoking elves, while in 2008 at Lapland New Forest ‘Santa got attacked and an elf got smacked in the face and pushed into a pram.’ All helping to put the grot into grotto! This year, the Bakewell Winter Wonderland was branded a ‘shambles’ on opening last month after complaints visitors were forced to walk through muddy fields only to find... no Santa. The glitter dust included pitiful stalls, non-existent reindeer, Santa’s Grotto still under construction - plus

The rip-off Winter ‘Blunderland’ of Grotty Grottos is upon us

LAURENCE LLEWELYN-BOWEN: Created the Magical Journey.

two-hour queues to meet Santa when he eventually turned up. This happens every year. But if held in November in sodden fields, what sort of magical Christmas treat do you realistically expect? Why not instead look in the local paper for any German markets or other special events nearby. There’s probably more fun to be had at a local church’s Christmas Fayre than at these ‘blunderlands.’ So, in conclusion, you get to a ‘Winter Wonderland’ entrance, look inside, see an absolute ‘shambles’... and still pay to enter? Mugs? Gullible? Daft? Answers on a postcard to: ‘Santa, North Pole.’ Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/ eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

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Deposit monies lost in the off-plan Spanish property nightmare can now be recovered SPAIN’S Supreme Court could finally offer closure to an estimated 100,000 British buyers whose dreams of owning a place in the sun ended in a nightmare in 2008 when developers and builders went bankrupt or simply left properties unfinished. The landmark ruling states that the banks were responsible along with property developers for the missing money deposited into their accounts. This will enable British victims to potentially claim back billions in lost deposits, according to research by the law firm Spanish Legal Reclaims. Now buyers who lost their payments and never received their offplan property can claim back their money directly from the banks involved, even in the case where they had previously taken the property developer to court. This at last is giving victims the rightful chance to get their money back. Although official data is not available, Spanish Legal Reclaims estimates that Spanish banks could be

STEPHANIE DAVIS: Lost €75,000.

OFF-PLAN PROPERTY: Buyers who lost payments can now claim back from the banks involved. forced to refund up to €15 billion to off-plan buyers from across Europe who lost their deposits in the crash. One such person caught in these tragic circumstances was Stephanie Davis and her late husband who lost around €75,000. They intended to

buy their ‘place in the sun’ on the Costa del Sol and had paid a deposit plus several stage payments totalling half of the €150,000 asking price. Stephanie is now in the expert hands of Spanish Legal Reclaims who are based in Barcelona and in

the process of claiming her money back on a no-win, no-fee basis. Spanish Legal Reclaims is a longstanding, well regarded, Englishspeaking legal company and is expert in this type of claim. It is currently helping hundreds of UK

citizens in this position right now and can provide free advice with no obligation on a no win, no fee basis. Spanish Legal Reclaims can be contacted by telephone in Spain on 936 804 563 or from the UK on Freefone 0800 689 0687. Alternatively you can email: info@spanish legalreclaims.com or visit www.spanishlegalreclaims.com.

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / AxarquÃa - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

THURSDAY - 15 DECEMBER

10:15am Operation People Power with Dave Myers 11:00am Christmas Kitchen 12:15pm Homes Under the Hammer 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Father Brown 4:00pm Think Tank 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London New 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Who Do You Think You Are? 10:00pm The Apprentice 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm The Contenders 12:45am This Week 1:30am Weather for the Week Ahead

9:00am Great Continental Railway Journeys 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Cash in the Attic 2:30pm Just Good Friends 3:00pm Just Good Friends 3:30pm Natural World 4:30pm Natural World 5:30pm A Place to Call Home 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm Close to the Enemy 11:00pm The Apprentice: You're Fired! 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve

8:00pm World News Today The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective. 8:30pm The Sky at Night 9:00pm Natural World 10:00pm Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream 11:00pm Project Children: Defusing the Troubles 12:30am Colour: The Spectrum of Science 1:30am Horizon Series exploring topical scientific issues. 2:30am Natural World Wildlife 3:30am Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream 4:30am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Extraordinary Weddings 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm The Jonathan Ross Show 12:45am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA

7:00am You've Been Framed! 7:25am Dinner Date 8:15am The Ellen DeGeneres Show 9:00am Emmerdale 9:30am Coronation Street 10:00am You've Been Framed! 10:30am Psych 11:25am Scorpion 12:20pm Dinner Date 1:20pm Emmerdale 1:50pm Coronation Street 2:20pm You've Been Framed! 2:50pm The Ellen DeGeneres Show 3:45pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Through the Keyhole 11:00pm Celebrity Juice 12:00am Family Guy

7:00am Movies Now 7:10am Doctor in the House 7:35am Heartbeat 8:35am Where the Heart is 9:35am Wild at Heart 10:40am Judge Judy 11:05am Judge Judy 11:30am Judge Judy 12:00pm Murder, She Wrote 1:00pm Wycliffe 2:05pm Heartbeat 3:10pm Wild at Heart 4:10pm An Avonlea Christmas 5:15pm Doctor in the House 5:50pm You're Only Young Twice 6:20pm George and Mildred 6:55pm By Royal Appointment 8:00pm Murder, She Wrote 9:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 11:00pm Mr Selfridge 12:00am Mrs Biggs 1:00am Les Miserables 2:10am FYI Daily 2:15am Les Miserables 3:15am ITV3 Nightscreen 3:30am Teleshopping

TV LISTING

FRIDAY - 16 DECEMBER

7:45am King of Queens 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00am Frasier 11:00am Jamie's Cracking Christmas 12:00pm Kirstie's Homemade Christmas 1:00pm Channel 4 News Summary 1:05pm Jamie's Comfort Food Bites 1:25pm The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Coast v Country 5:00pm Deal or No Deal on Tour 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm The Secret Life of the Zoo 10:00pm Grand Designs 11:00pm 60 Days in Jail 11:55pm 24 Hours in A and E 1:00am Random Acts 1:30am 999: What's Your Emergency?

9:00am 9:15am 9:35am 9:50am

7:50am The Chase 8:40am Quincy, M.E. 9:45am Ironside 10:50am The Professionals 11:50am The Chase 12:55pm Cash Cowboys 1:55pm Pawn Stars 2:20pm Pawn Stars 2:50pm Counting Cars 3:20pm Counting Cars 3:50pm Quincy, M.E. 4:50pm Ironside 6:00pm Counting Cars 6:30pm Counting Cars 7:00pm Cash Cowboys 8:00pm Pawn Stars 8:30pm Pawn Stars 9:00pm Steve Mcqueen: Motorcycle Movie Star 10:00pm The Living Daylights 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm The Living Daylights 12:45am Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning 1:45am FYI Daily 1:50am Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning 3:00am The Wine Show 3:55am ITV4 Nightscreen

7:00am 7:15am 7:30am 7:45am 8:00am

10:00am

10:15am 12:40pm 12:45pm

2:25pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

9:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm

12:05am

9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 10:30am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am

Wissper Peppa Pig Paw Patrol Toot the Tiny Tugboat Toby's Travelling Circus The Wright Stuff 5 News Guess Who's Coming to Christmas Married by Christmas Christmas Hero 5 News at 5 Police Interceptors 2016: A Right Royal Year Ultimate Strongman Team World Championship Xmas Excess: Parents Splash the Cash Benefits by the Sea: Jaywick The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door Crackers About Christmas

11:00am Christmas Kitchen 12:15pm Homes Under the Hammer 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Father Brown 4:00pm Think Tank 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Still Open All Hours 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Citizen Khan 10:00pm Have I Got News for You 10:30pm Walliams and Friends 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:25am The Apprentice: Why I Fired Them

8:15am Flog It! 9:00am Life and Death the Pentecostal Way 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Rock Around the Clock 3:15pm Coast 3:40pm Natural World 4:30pm Natural World 5:30pm A Place to Call Home 6:15pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Coastal Path 10:00pm Rick Stein's Long Weekends 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Close to the Enemy 1:05am Titanic's Tragic Twin: The Britannic Disaster

8:00pm World News Today The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective. 8:30pm Top of the Pops David Jensen presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 11 November 1982. 9:00pm The Good Old Days 10:00pm The Dave Clark Five and Beyond: Glad All Over 11:55pm Dusty Springfield at the BBC A selection of Dusty Springfield's performances at the BBC from 1961 to 1995. 12:55am Doris Day: Virgin Territory Michael Brandon narrates a profile of one of the big screen's more enduring legends.

7:00am Countdown 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am Jamie's Night Before Christmas 12:00pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 1:00pm Channel 4 News Summary 1:05pm Jamie's Cracking Christmas Bites 1:15pm Jamie's Comfort Food Bites 1:25pm A Christmas Wedding Tail 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Coast v Country 5:00pm Deal or No Deal on Tour 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Alan Carr's Happy Hour 10:00pm Gogglebox 11:00pm The Last Leg 12:05am 8 Out of 10 Cats

8:35am Noddy: Toyland Detective 8:50am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 9:00am Wissper 9:15am Peppa Pig 9:35am Paw Patrol 9:50am Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:00am Toby's Travelling Circus 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:40pm 5 News 12:45pm The Christmas Gift 2:30pm I'm Not Ready for Christmas 4:15pm Christmas Carol 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Police Interceptors 7:30pm 2016: Terror in Europe 8:00pm The Gadget Show 9:00pm Christmas Makes You Laugh Out Loud 10:00pm 22 Jump Street 11:00pm 5 News 11:05pm 22 Jump Street 12:10am The Other Guys

Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold WWE SmackDown! Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Premier League 100 Club Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Premier League Match Pack Premier League Review Football Premier League Review Sporting Triumphs

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Countrywise 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Vicious 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous 1:45am Jackpot247

7:00am You've Been Framed! 7:25am Dinner Date 8:15am The Ellen DeGeneres Show 9:00am Emmerdale 10:00am Coronation Street 10:30am Psych 11:25am Scorpion 12:20pm Dinner Date 1:20pm Emmerdale 2:20pm Coronation Street 2:50pm The Ellen DeGeneres Show 3:45pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:50pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:55pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm Funniest Ever You've Been Framed! Gold 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm The Mask 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm The Mask 12:05am Family Guy

7:25am George and Mildred 7:50am Heartbeat 8:50am Wycliffe 9:55am Wild at Heart 10:55am Judge Judy 11:20am Judge Judy 12:05pm Murder, She Wrote 1:05pm Wycliffe 2:10pm Rosemary and Thyme 4:15pm An Avonlea Christmas 5:20pm Doctor in the House 5:50pm You're Only Young Twice 6:20pm George and Mildred 6:55pm Cameraman to the Queen 8:00pm Murder, She Wrote 9:00pm Foyle's War 11:00pm Mr Selfridge 12:00am Mrs Biggs 1:30am Elizabeth: The Golden Age 2:30am FYI Daily 2:35am Elizabeth: The Golden Age 3:30am Long Lost Family 4:20am Rory Bremner's Great British Views

7:00am 7:55am 8:45am 9:50am 10:50am 11:55am 12:55pm 1:55pm 2:25pm 2:55pm 3:25pm 3:50pm 4:55pm 6:00pm 6:25pm 6:55pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

7:00am Football Gold 8:00am WWE Main Event 9:00am Barclays Premier League World 9:30am Premier League Legends 10:00am Boxing Gold 10:30am Boxing Gold 11:00am Barclays Premier League World 11:30am Boxing Gold 12:00pm NFL Highlights 1:00pm NFL: Greatest Games 2:00pm The Premier League Years 4:00pm NFL Highlights 5:00pm Football's Greatest Teams 5:30pm Premier League 100 Club 6:00pm Game Changers 6:30pm Premier League Match Pack 7:00pm The Fantasy Football Club 8:00pm Football 11:15pm The Fantasy Football Club 12:15am Barclays Premier League sPreview

10:00pm 11:10pm 11:15pm 12:25am 1:30am 1:35am 3:35am

The Wine Show The Chase Quincy, M.E. Ironside The Professionals The Chase Cash Cowboys Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Counting Cars Counting Cars Quincy, M.E. Ironside Counting Cars Counting Cars Cash Cowboys Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Steve Mcqueen: Motorcycle Movie Star Tomorrow Never Dies FYI Daily Tomorrow Never Dies Jackie Brown FYI Daily Jackie Brown Tommy Cooper

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / AxarquÃa - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

SATURDAY - 17 DECEMBER

7:00am Breakfast 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30pm Home Comforts at Christmas 1:00pm Football Focus 2:00pm BBC News 2:15pm The Contenders 3:15pm Bargain Hunt 4:15pm Escape to the Country 5:00pm Final Score 6:30pm BBC News 6:40pm BBC London News 6:50pm Pointless 7:40pm Strictly Come Dancing 9:55pm Michael Mcintyre's Big Show 10:55pm BBC News 11:15pm The National Lottery Live 11:25pm Match of the Day 12:45am The NFL Show 1:15am Old School with the Hairy Bikers 2:45am Weather for the Week Ahead 2:50am BBC News

8:50am Horrid Henry 9:10am The Powerpuff Girls 9:30am Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! Mystery 101 10:05am Adventure Time 10:25am ITV News 10:30am Carry on Follow That Camel 12:20pm Judge Rinder 1:25pm ITV News and Weather 1:35pm This Time Next Year 2:35pm Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium 4:20pm Thunderbirds are Go 4:45pm ITV News London 5:00pm ITV News and Weather 5:15pm The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 8:30pm The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 11:40pm ITV News and Weather 11:55pm Private Benjamin 1:55am Jackpot247

7:50am Holiday Affair 9:15am The Bishop's Wife 11:00am This Farming Life 12:00pm This Farming Life 1:00pm Japan: Earth's Enchanted Island 2:00pm Japan: Earth's Enchanted Island 3:00pm Japan: Earth's Enchanted Island 4:00pm The Odd Life of Timothy Green 5:35pm Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! 7:25pm Dad's Army 7:55pm Operation Snow Tiger 8:55pm Walt Disney 9:55pm Disney's A Christmas Carol 11:25pm QI XL 12:10am Porridge 12:50am The Making of Young Men 1:20am Balletboyz Young Men 2:20am Chances Are 4:05am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

7:00am The Hot Desk 7:10am Emmerdale Omnibus 9:40am Coronation Street Omnibus 12:35pm Catchphrase 1:35pm You've Been Framed! 2:35pm Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas 3:35pm Peter Pan 4:35pm FYI Daily 4:40pm Peter Pan 5:45pm Snow Dogs 6:45pm FYI Daily 6:50pm Snow Dogs 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Scorpion 10:00pm A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 11:50pm Family Guy 12:20am Family Guy 12:45am Family Guy 1:15am Mom 1:40am American Dad! 2:10am Bring it On 3:10am FYI Daily 3:15am Bring it On 4:00am Teleshopping

TV LISTING

SUNDAY - 18 DECEMBER

8:00pm Queen Elizabeth I: A Timewatch Guide 9:00pm The Last Journey of the Magna Carta King 10:00pm Modus 10:45pm Modus 11:30pm Top of the Pops David Jensen presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 11th November 1982. 12:00am Ultimate Number 1s 1:00am Agnetha: Abba and After 2:00am Kings of 70s Romance 3:00am Burt Bacharach: A Life in Song 4:30am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more. More depth, more range, more to stimulate the mind.

7:10am Three Peaks Yacht Race 8:05am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am The Morning Line 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:25am The Big Bang Theory 11:50am The Simpsons 12:15pm The Simpsons 12:45pm The Dog Who Saved the Holidays 2:30pm Channel 4 Racing 5:05pm The Simpsons 5:35pm The Simpsons 6:05pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 6:40pm Arthur Christmas 8:30pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Tree of the Year with Ardal O'Hanlon 10:00pm It Was Alright in the 1970's 11:00pm Escape Plan 1:15am Before I Go to Sleep 3:25am 60 Days in Jail 4:20am Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it

9:35am Noddy in Toyland 9:50am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:00am Shimmer and Shine 10:25am Peppa Pig 10:35am Peppa Pig 10:45am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 11:05am Jelly Jamm 11:15am The Gadget Show 12:15pm A Cinderella Christmas 2:05pm Christmas Cookies 3:50pm Love Always, Santa 5:35pm Christmas Under Wraps 6:35pm 5 News Weekend 6:40pm Christmas Under Wraps 7:25pm Space Cowboys 8:25pm 5 News Weekend 8:30pm Space Cowboys 10:00pm Football on 5 11:00pm Football on 5 11:30pm The Funny Thing About... Christmas 12:30am Greatest Ever Christmas Songs

7:00am Breakfast 8:40am Match of the Day 10:00am The Andrew Marr Show 11:00am Fern Britton Meets... 12:00pm Sunday Politics 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:15pm Flog It! 3:10pm Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute 4:40pm Planet Earth II 5:40pm Songs of Praise 6:15pm BBC News 6:30pm BBC London News 6:40pm Countryfile 7:40pm Sports Personality of the Year 10:00pm The Apprentice 11:00pm The Apprentice: You're Hired 12:00am BBC News 12:20am BBC London News 12:30am Walliams and Friends 1:00am Have I Got a Bit More News for You 1:45am Weather for the Week Ahead 1:50am BBC News

7:20am A to Z of TV Gardening 8:05am Big Dreams Small Spaces 9:05am Countryfile 10:00am Natural World 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30pm The A to Z of TV Cooking 1:15pm MOTD2 Extra 2:00pm Tom Kerridge Cooks Christmas 2:30pm Equestrian 5:35pm Full Steam Ahead 6:35pm The Terminal 8:40pm Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV 9:20pm Best of British 10:00pm Victoria Wood's Mid-Life Christmas 11:00pm Victoria Wood: At It Again 12:30am Last Chance Harvey 1:55am Countryfile 2:50am Holby City 3:50am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

7:00am Movies Now 7:10am The Belles of St. Trinian's 8:15am FYI Daily 8:20am The Belles of St. Trinian's 8:50am Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light 10:55am A Touch of Frost 12:50pm A Touch of Frost 2:50pm Foyle's War 4:50pm Midsomer Murders 6:55pm Midsomer Murders 9:00pm Doc Martin 10:00pm The Booze Cruise III 12:00am Inspector Morse Police drama series featuring Colin Dexter's enigmatic chief inspector and his sidekick Sergeant Lewis. 2:15am Wycliffe 3:10am ITV3 Nightscreen Text-based information service. 3:30am Teleshopping Shopping from home.

7:05am Motorsport UK 7:55am Bundesliga 8:50am Rugby Sevens World Series Highlights 9:20am Cash Cowboys 11:20am Storage Wars 11:50am Pawn Stars 1:40pm The Great Outdoors 2:45pm FYI Daily 2:50pm The Great Outdoors 3:30pm Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure 4:30pm FYI Daily 4:35pm Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure 5:15pm Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey 6:15pm FYI Daily 6:20pm Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey 7:10pm On Her Majesty's Secret Service 8:15pm FYI Daily 8:20pm On Her Majesty's Secret Service 10:00pm The Specialist 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm The Specialist 12:10am Inside Man

7:00am 7:15am 7:30am 8:00am

8:30am Nerds and Monsters. Zanit-Clops 8:50am Horrid Henry 9:10am The Powerpuff Girls 9:30am Thunderbirds are Go 10:05am Adventure Time 10:25am All Stars 12:20pm Let's Do Christmas with Gino and Mel 1:15pm ITV News and Weather 1:20pm Off Their Rockers 1:50pm The Incredible Hulk 3:55pm National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 5:45pm Santa Claus 7:40pm ITV News London 7:50pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm All Star Mr and Mrs Christmas Special 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:20pm Hot Fuzz 1:35am Jackpot247

7:00am The Hot Desk 7:10am Christmas Bonkers Guinness World Records 7:35am Emmerdale Omnibus 10:20am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:20pm You've Been Framed! 2:20pm The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 2:45pm Santa Paws II: The Santa Pups 3:45pm FYI Daily 3:50pm Santa Paws II: The Santa Pups 4:40pm Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas 5:40pm FYI Daily 5:45pm Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas 6:05pm Catchphrase 7:05pm The X Factor Winner's Story 8:10pm The Amazing Spider-Man 9:10pm FYI Daily 9:15pm The Amazing Spider-Man 11:00pm Family Guy 11:30pm Family Guy

8:15am 8:30am 8:45am 9:00am 9:30am

10:00am 11:00am 12:30pm 4:00pm 6:15pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 11:30pm 12:30am 1:00am 2:00am 5:30am 5:45am

Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Game Changers Premier League Preview 2016/17 The Fantasy Football Club Soccer A.M. Football Gillette Soccer Saturday Football EFL Goals Nissan Game of the Day Nissan Match Choice Football NFL Greatest Games Live NFL Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs

8:00pm Danielle De Niese: The Birth of an Opera 9:00pm The Barber of S eville from Glyndebourne 11:45pm Lucy Worsley: Mozart's London Odyssey 12:45am Horizon Series exploring topical scientific issues. 1:45am How to Build a Jumbo Jet Engine 2:45am Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research FacilityDr Michael Mosley investigates Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base, Porton Down, on its 100th anniversary 3:45am How to Build... Britain's Secret Engineers 4:45am This is BBC Four

7:15am Gillette World Sport 7:45am Frasier 8:10am Frasier 8:40am Frasier 9:05am The Big Bang Theory 9:35am The Big Bang Theory 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:30pm Lewis v Nico: F1 2016 3:05pm Inkheart 5:10pm The Snowman 5:45pm Channel 4 News 6:10pm Cars 8:30pm Britain's Wildest Weather 10:00pm Humans 11:00pm Gogglebox 12:05am About a Boy 1:40am Before I Go to Sleep 3:15am 60 Days in Jail 4:05am Kirstie and Phil's Love it or List it 5:00am Location, Location, Location Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer face the c hallenge of a double-header that's all about postcodes - and pickiness.

8:00am 8:05am 8:15am 8:30am 8:40am 9:00am

7:00am George and Mildred 8:00am FYI Daily 8:05am George and Mildred 8:45am Heartbeat 9:45am Heartbeat 10:45am An Avonlea Christmas 11:45am An Avonlea Christmas 12:45pm Agatha Christie's Marple 2:45pm Columbo: The Conspirators 4:45pm Casablanca 5:45pm FYI Daily 5:50pm Casablanca 6:55pm Agatha Christie's Marple 9:00pm Meet the Penguins 10:00pm Land of the Midnight Sun 11:00pm Wycliffe 12:10am Wimbledon 1:10am FYI Daily 1:15am Wimbledon 2:05am Lewis 3:55am Wycliffe 4:45am May the Best House Win

7:00am The Wine Show 7:55am Fifth Gear 8:40am Rugby Sevens World Series Highlights 9:15am The Motorbike Show 10:15am The Motorbike Show 11:15am Storage Wars 11:40am Pawn Stars 12:05pm Pawn Stars 12:35pm Pawn Stars 1:00pm Pawn Stars 1:30pm Pawn Stars 1:55pm Pawn Stars 2:25pm Rio Bravo 3:25pm FYI Daily 3:30pm Rio Bravo 5:15pm The Horse Soldiers 6:25pm FYI Daily 6:30pm The Horse Soldiers 7:40pm Diamonds are Forever 8:55pm FYI Daily 9:00pm Diamonds are Forever 10:00pm The Deer Hunter 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm The Deer Hunter 1:45am Hell on Wheels 2:40am Quincy, M.E. 3:45am Ironside

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am

9:25am 9:40am 10:00am 10:25am 10:45am 11:00am 12:30pm 1:30pm

3:15pm

5:00pm 6:45pm 9:00pm 9:55pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:05pm 11:55pm 2:00am

11:30am 1:30pm 4:30pm 8:00pm 8:15pm 8:30pm 10:30pm 10:45pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am 12:30am 1:30am 2:00am 5:30am

Seaside Antics Fireman Sam Pip Ahoy! Little Princess Paw Patrol Blaze and the Monster Machines Noddy in Toyland Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom Shimmer and Shine Peppa Pig Jelly Jamm Football on 5 The Gadget Show A Perfect Christmas List Lost Letter Mysteries for Christmas The Christmas Scrooge Michael Buble at Christmas 5 News Weekend Hercules 5 News Weekend Hercules Snitch Super Casino

Football Football Football Football Football Football The Sunday Supplement Goals on Sunday Live Nissan Super Sunday Live Nissan Super Sunday Spanish Gold Spanish Gold Football Spanish Gold Spanish Gold Football Football Football Goals on Sunday Football Live NFL Football's Greatest Teams A look at the AC Milan team that lifted the European Cup three times between 1989 and 1994.

FEATURE

15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN

A Christmas Tale from Tuscany By Dario Poli THE plane landed with a soft bump at Pisa airport. I disembarked and was met by a tall blonde Italian friend by the name of Giovanni. His good looks, striking blue eyes and tall posture, reminded me more of an upstanding German officer, than the traditional stereotype view of an Italian. He greeted me warmly, confirming the various holiday arrangements he had made for my Christmas break in Tuscany. Once settled in his Alfa Romeo, with typical Italian verve, we sped rapidly out of the airport, passing the famous leaning tower and its cathedral, and headed, via an excellent motorway, into the open country, towards our final destination, the popular ski-resort of Abetone situated high in the snow-capped Apennines. To reach the resort we had to traverse through the wonderful rocky countryside of Garfagnana. Crossed by the river Serchio, Garfagnana stretches out amongst rugged hills and richly wooded valleys. Though I was familiar with this region of Tuscany, Giovanni opened my eyes to the many varied local

Christmas traditions, whilst driving at enormous speed, one hand casually on the steering wheel, the other, pointing out places of special historical interest to his petrified passenger. He navigated the car with consummate skill, racing along the much narrower winding roads as we headed towards Upper Garfagnana and the dramatic snow-capped peaks of the Apuan Alps, alluringly visible in the distance. Near Borgo Mozzano, we saw the spectacular Maddalena Bridge known as the Devil’s bridge because of its peculiar arch shape. In the middle valley of the river Serchio, nature offered us a superb show, as the road runs along the river for a while amongst chestnut groves and lush green valleys which abound, even in winter. We stopped for an espresso at Bagni di Lucca, a secluded paradise surrounded by hills and woods known as the ‘Land of princes and poets,’ due to its popularity with local and foreign poets including Byron, Lamartine, Heine and Shelly who came for inspiration and to enjoy the thermal waters in well run ‘health giving’ establishments.

Re-invigorated by the coffee, it was time to move on. Giovanni was determined to reach the ancient fortress town of Castelnuovo by the afternoon. Passing through many picturesque villages, I was finally deposited at a small hotel in the town and my dashing driver left me, with instructions to be ready for collection M ad da len a Br id ge wi early next morning, th its pe cu lia r ar ch sh ap e. which was Christmas Eve. served in a time capsule undisturbed Giovanni arrived on the dot, and medieval design. by the touch of man. took me on a winding drive up the Two large fierce-looking mules We climbed steadily upwards mountain and after one hour, he had observed our intrusion into their along a narrow muddy well-worn stopped at a lake, then led me on a world. With considerable resentment pathway in the forest for about half hike up a steep hill towards a small they jointly insisted in directing their an hour, breathing the intoxicating unnamed hamlet of about 40 houses, attentions on the impudent strangers perfume of fresh pine and sucking in perched like an eagle’s nest on a by making a beeline rapidly towards the biting pure mountain air, with the plateau high above us. us, their intentions unmistakably hosfirst falling snowflakes lightly caressIt was built in Roman times and tile. Just before impact they were ing our cheeks. was occupied by poor farmers until stopped in their tracks by a piercing Out of breath and gasping, we 1950, when they abandoned their whistle. There stood the figure of Silgratefully found ourselves standing homes in the Italian exodus to find vio, our saviour. on a narrow plateau about 200 metres prosperity in the United States. Now wide in front of an ancient church of all were empty. Locked and prePart 2 is in next week’s Euro Weekly

Throw the book at them Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man OK I am pretty much grumpy with the whole world this week. Let’s start with the real serious stuff. Don’t tell me that those football clubs did not have a clue what was going on or some suspicion that children were being abused by members of their staff. Some have admitted they had. Chelsea made a payment to one victim who had to sign a non-disclosure document. Why? Because they wanted it to just go away. I hope they get the book thrown at them. It’s typical of big organisations that just want to buy their way out. It is unacceptable these people can hurt our children and appear to do it unnoticed. It makes my blood boil and my heart break. The bravery of the men now coming forward must be applauded and idiots like Eric Bristow should just keep their mouths shut. What is it with this lunatic Trump? I can’t believe what he tweets. He managed this week to knock 20 per cent off Boeing’s share price by saying the new Airforce One was too dear and the order should be cancelled.

He may be right but don’t tweet about it! Call them in and discuss it. Also, the racists he’s bringing in to advise him are scary. Google Steve Bannon - it’s terrifying. You know it’s wrong when David Duke, head of the KKK, thinks you’re making good choices! In other news, the Beckhams have allowed, and are promoting, their 11-year-old son Cruz to sing a charity song for Christmas. It’s fine if that’s what you want but remember you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. You have now put him out in the public domain and you can never play the privacy card again. He’s 11 - let him have a childhood. You can milk your fame for every cent but these things often end in tears... or worse. Mrs S and I watch all the junk TV: X Factor, Strictly, I’m a Celeb and quite enjoy them. What I don’t enjoy is that nobody does great anymore... they ‘smash’ it. That’s all you hear. You smashed that dance, you smashed that song, and you smashed that task. As I recall if you smash something you break it. STOP IT! Just say, ‘Well done, you did great.’ We went to Miramar for our ‘after Christmas recce.’ We have a look at all the stuff we want for Christmas then go back and buy them in the sales. It saves a fortune and you get twice as many pressies!

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

TV LISTING

TUESDAY - 20 DECEMBER

MONDAY - 19 DECEMBER 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm Panorama 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Would I Lie to You? 10:00pm Last Tango in Halifax 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Match of the Day 2 12:55am Citizen Khan

4:15pm A Place to Call Home 5:00pm Full Steam Ahead 6:00pm Gareth Malone's Great Choir Reunion 7:00pm The Real Marigold Hotel 8:00pm We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm Lenny Henry - A Life on Screen 11:00pm Two Doors Down 12:00am Top of the Pops 2 1:00am The Choir

8:00pm Indian Hill Railways 9:00pm Digging for Britain Professor Alice Roberts with the very best in British archaeology 2016. 10:00pm Time Commanders 11:00pm Booze, Beans and Bhajis: The Story of the Corner Shop 12:00am Balmoral 1:00am Queen Elizabeth I: A Timewatch Guide

1:25pm A Christmas Proposal 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Coast v Country 5:00pm Deal or No Deal on Tour 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Jamie's Ultimate Christmas 10:00pm First Dates at Christmas 11:00pm Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas 12:05am Derren Brown

10:53am SpongeBob Squarepants 11:10am Christmas Truce 1:00pm A Husband for Christmas 2:45pm Christmas Hero 4:35pm My Angel 6:15pm A Christmas Reunion 8:00pm Tour De Celeb 9:00pm All New Traffic Cops 10:00pm Chris Tarrant: On the Xmas Express 11:00pm Greatest Ever Christmas Adverts 1:05am Benefits by the Sea: Jaywick 2:00am Super Casino

6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Last Tango in Halifax 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Darcey Bussell 12:45am Six Wives with Lucy Worsley 1:45am Weather for the Week Ahead

5:00pm Full Steam Ahead 6:00pm Gareth Malone's Great Choir Reunion 7:00pm The Real Marigold Hotel 8:00pm Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm Inside the Christmas Factory 11:00pm Live at the Apollo 11:45pm Upstart Crow 12:15am NFL 1:05am The Apprentice

10:00pm Digging for Britain Professor Alice Roberts with the very best in British archaeology 2016 11:00pm The Inca: Masters of the Clouds 12:00am The Incredible Story of Marie Antoinette's Watch with Nicholas Parsons 1:00am Booze, Beans and Bhajis: The Story of the Corner Shop 2:00am Indian Hill Railways 3:00am The Inca: Masters of the Clouds

7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Prince Harry 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Fierce 12:40am Carry on Camping

3:45pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:50pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:55pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Family Guy 10:30pm American Dad! 11:00pm Family Guy 12:00am American Dad!

2:55pm Agatha Christie's Marple 5:00pm Carry on Cleo 6:10pm FYI Daily 6:15pm Carry on Cleo 7:00pm Long Lost Family 8:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 10:00pm The Suspicions of Mr Whicher 12:00am The Sign of Four 2:20am A is for Acid 4:05am Bertie and Elizabeth 5:55am Wycliffe

10:50am The Professionals 11:55am The Chase 12:55pm Cash Cowboys 1:55pm Pawn Stars 2:50pm Counting Cars 3:25pm Counting Cars 3:50pm Quincy, M.E. 4:55pm Ironside 6:00pm Minder 7:00pm Cash Cowboys 8:00pm Pawn Stars 9:00pm Storage Wars Christmas Special 10:00pm Live and Let Die 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm Live and Let Die 12:30am Bundesliga

8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:30am 12:30pm 2:00pm 5:00pm

8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm The Cruise 9:00pm Hilda Ogden’s Last Ta-ra - A Tribute to Jean Alexander 10:00pm Paul O’Grady’s Favourite Fairy Tales 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Forgetting Sarah Marshall 1:40am Jackpot247

3:45pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:50pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:55pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00pm You’ve Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Hot Fuzz 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm Hot Fuzz 12:25am Family Guy 12:55am Family Guy

5:10pm 6:10pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 8:00pm

5:30pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 12:00am

WWE Raw Goals on Sunday Football Goals on Sunday Football NFL Highlights Football's Greatest Soccer AM: The Best Bits 2016/17 F1 Season Review 2016 Brundle Meets Bernie Football Scottish Football Round Up

10:00pm

12:00am 2:00am 3:50am

Carry on Girls FYI Daily Carry on Girls Long Lost Family Agatha Christie's Marple The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Crime drama featuring the pioneering 19thcentury detective Jack Whicher. Lewis The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes A Touch of Frost

1:25pm 3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:05pm 10:10pm 11:00pm

12:00am 12:05am

12:45am

Christmas Magic Countdown Coast v Country Deal or No Deal on Tour Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Supervet at Christmas This is Us Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas First Dates at Christmas

11:10am Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London 1:00pm Dear Santa 2:50pm Christmas Carol 4:35pm Christmas in the City 6:20pm Operation Christmas 7:55pm 5 News 8:00pm World's Strongest Man 2016 9:00pm Penguins Make You Laugh Out Loud 10:00pm The Graham Norton Story 11:35pm Lip Sync Battle UK Xmas Special 12:05am 22 Jump Street

Minder Cash Cowboys Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey FYI Daily Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! FYI Daily The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! The Deer Hunter

6:00pm Fantasy FC: Merse Meets Joe Cole 7:00pm Premier League Review 8:00pm Live World Darts Championship 2017 12:00am Premier League Review 1:00am Scottish Football Round Up 1:15am Sporting Triumphs 1:30am La Liga World 2:00am Premier League Legends 2:30am Premier League Legends

The Wine Show The Chase Quincy, M.E. Ironside The Professionals Classic Cars Cash Cowboys Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Minder Quincy, M.E. Ironside Minder Cash Cowboys Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Merry Christmas Mr Bean Mr. Bean The Living Daylights FYI Daily The Living Daylights Jackie Brown FYI Daily Jackie Brown Quincy, M.E. ITV4 Nightscreen

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 9:00am

WEDNESDAY - 21 DECEMBER 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Puss in Boots 4:05pm Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos 4:20pm The Nativity 4:50pm Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm Watchdog 10:00pm Six Wives with Lucy Worsley 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 12:15am Who Do You Think You Are? 1:15am The Apprentice

12:00pm Money for Nothing 1:00pm Equestrian 2:00pm Natural World 2:45pm Nigella's Christmas Kitchen 3:15pm This Farming Life 4:15pm World's Sneakiest Animals 5:00pm Full Steam Ahead 6:00pm Back in Time for Christmas 7:00pm The Real Marigold Hotel 8:00pm Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00pm The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve 11:00pm Insert Name Here 11:30pm The Premier League Show 12:00am Lenny Henry - A Life on Screen

8:00pm Indian Hill Railways 9:00pm Britain's Treasure Islands 10:00pm Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb 11:00pm The Ides of March Political drama. 12:35am Britain's Treasure Islands 1:35am Indian Hill Railways Series looking at the little trains that have climbed through the Indian clouds for a hundred years. 2:35am How the Wild West Was Won with Ray Mears 3:35am Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb 4:35am This is BBC Four

8:15am Frasier 9:15am The Big Bang Theory 10:15am The Simpsons 11:10am The Last Mimzy 1:00pm Channel 4 News Summary 1:05pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 1:25pm The Holiday Tree 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Coast v Country 5:00pm Deal or No Deal on Tour 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas 12:05am Micky Flanagan: Back in the Game

10:00am Toby's Travelling Circus 10:10am SpongeBob Squarepants 10:28am SpongeBob Squarepants 10:45am World's Strongest Man 2016 11:45am Nutcracker Sweet 1:20pm The Elf That Rescued Christmas 2:55pm The Christmas Gift 4:35pm Christmas Under Wraps 6:20pm The Borrowers 7:55pm 5 News 8:00pm World's Strongest Man 2016 9:00pm The Dog Rescuers at Christmas 10:00pm The Trafford Centre: Countdown to Christmas 11:00pm Chas and Dave's Xmas Knees-Up 11:55pm Greatest Ever Christmas Songs

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm This Time Next Year 10:00pm In Plain Sight 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Wanted 1:40am Jackpot247 4:00am ITV Nightscreen

12:10pm 12:15pm 1:20pm 1:50pm 2:50pm 3:45pm 4:50pm 5:55pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:05pm 11:10pm 12:10am

FYI Daily Small Soldiers Emmerdale You've Been Framed! The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show You've Been Framed! You've Been Framed! You've Been Framed! Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason FYI Daily Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Family Guy

1:00pm Lewis 3:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 5:00pm Carry on Follow That Camel 6:00pm FYI Daily 6:05pm Carry on Follow That Camel 6:55pm Long Lost Family 8:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 10:00pm Les Dawson Forever 11:00pm Les Dawson: An Audience with That Never Was 12:05am Lewis 2:00am Sherlock Holmes The Last Vampyre A feature-length case for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated cerebral sleuth. 3:55am Goodbye, Mr. Chips 5:45am Wycliffe

7:00am 7:55am 8:45am 9:45am 10:50am 11:55am 12:55pm 1:55pm 2:25pm 2:50pm 3:50pm 4:55pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 8:55pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:05pm 11:10pm 12:45am 1:45am 1:50am 3:50am 4:40am

9:30am 10:00am 10:30am 11:00am 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 4:15pm 5:00pm 6:00pm

7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm

Football Gold Football Gold WWE Experience Premier League Legends Premier League Legends Boxing Gold Boxing Gold The Premier League Years Premier League Review Sporting Triumphs Football's Greatest Great Sporting Moments Great Sporting Moments Premier League Legends Fantasy FC: Merse Meets Tony Adams Darts Rivalries Darts Rivalries Live World Darts

OPINION & COMMENT

LETTERS

www.euroweeklynews.com

15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com

A Christmas shambles in Almuñecar

Witchdoctor in a dress WHY do these uneducated people with their Bronze Age superstitions about sky fairies think they can tell the rest of us how to live? What is it to do with them what the rest of us do on Sundays? We do not tell them they must not grovel on their knees to empty air, while listening to the local witchdoctor in a dress. We can do without their blatant lies about pretending to care about Sunday being a family day. On my first

Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com david muscroft/Shutterstock.com

LIKE many, I am looking forward to the festive season and all that comes with it. So I was very happy to read in the EWN last week that the Christmas lights would be switched on in Almuñecar on Saturday the 2nd. I have been living here on and off for the last eight years and was surprised every year again by the decora t i v e l i g h t s, t h e v a rio u s beautiful trees and the wonderful and sp e c i a l a t m o sp h e re in th e town square. I also read that a new company now took care of the decorations etc due to financial cuts... well did they cut! The Christmas lights in the street look like they have been last used 30 years ago and since been stored in a cow barn (lots already ‘out of light’ after two nights). A kind of Christmas market on the s q u a r e , wh i c h t a k es u p s o much space and now makes concerts and Christmas plays impossible the r e a n d a d d e d w ith s o me poor pine trees, pulled from the beaches of the Costa de la Luz. The designer of this mismatch has also dropped a pile of wood in the middle of all this, (expect it to be lit one day when dried) fenced off by some roadwork fencing. But worst of all... NO TREE!! Is this a case of ‘penny wise and pound stupid’? The town hall of Almuñ e c a r c a n ’t b e th at p o o r? And also so inconsistent! This Christmas cut makes the town look cheap and poor and without any ambience for the upcoming festivities. Apart from creating a signature for the tourists, I think the people of Almuñecar deserve more than this shambles given for their Fiesta de la Luz... Ann Olivier

A needless death? THE tragic pictures of the flooded homes are enough to make you weep. All of us know that natural disasters can overwhelm a place, but do the Spanish really make enough provision for dealing with this amount of water? I know it’s not usual, but we know it will rain heavily like that again. So why not build the drainage systems that can cope? Would it really cost

visit to christian America in 1980, I was surprised to find so many s h o p s o p en o n S unda y, unlike mainly secular Britain at the time with its so many empty churches. Michael Hill

A fee to stay in the EU I READ this week that the chief EU Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt has stated he supports the mo tio n th a t w o u l d a llow e xpa t Brits to pay a fee to Brussels so they can keep their EU membership. Is it not enough that we put millions of euros into the Spanish economy every year, that now they

that much? I am not saying the UK handles this better, but there at least you expect the rain to be heavy and persistent. The pictures of the firefighters and divers struggling to free the young woman in Estepona were heartbreaking. She must have been terrified. If someone deliberately locked her inside that building they should face the full force of the law. Alison, Alicante

want us to pay as well? I think we expats are in a very iffy situation. What with T May’s buffoon Johnson and now Verhofstadt, it seems to me that the only hope we have is the Spanish Prime Minster who in the past has said that our situation in Spain would not change. We have heard that sort of thing in the past. It’s a shame we can’t pa c k up a nd go ba c k to the U K and plant ourselves on the benefit s ys te m, the n the G ove rnme nt would understand how we benefit their system by not being there, after all we are the ones that have paid our 45 years and now deserve to be treated with a bit more respect and consideration. It would also show Spain just how much we put into their country. The ex-

pats in Spain need a voice, then we will be treated fairly. Ron Chivers

Doubling down A CONCISE, good summary. Hillary was elected president of California. Trump was elected president of the U nited St at es. Per i od. The protests since then are mostly by e a s ily l ed, wr ongl y educat ed youngsters incited by paid rabble rous e rs f unded by peopl e l i ke George Soros. The Democratic Party itself is doubling down on stupidity. “We need more big government, more government spend-

ing, more regulation.” What part of no do you not understand. Love the quote from Robert Frost: ‘Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t say it… and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.’ Frank Barone

General Trump DOES anyone else worry that Donald Trump’s inner circle now has t hr ee gener al s i n i t and a fourth might also be on the way? A lot of people voted for Trump because he speaks his mind and doesn’t sit on the fence. If I were in America I think I’d have done the same. Giving the political establishment a good shake-up can’t be a bad thing can it? But why is it US generals get involved in public life to this extent. You don’t get to be a gener al by pussy- f oot i ng ar ound, but t hat doesn’t m ean diplomacy has to be a rude word. Mending fences after you’ve mouthed off is never easy. Bill, Malaga

Christmas cards TO t he Br i t s t hat ar e sendi ng Christmas cards home, please be advised. The Calahonda post office charges double the stamp if the envelope is not white and oblong. If it is white and oblong the stamp cost is under 80 cents, but if the envelope is coloured and a different shape it cost €1.50 per card. As was explained by the post office, the cards or letters would have t o be sor t ed by hand. Not sure I believe that. I f you have a l ot of car ds t o send an extra 70 cents per card mounts up. Merry Christmas. Trilby

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:

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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.

E W N 15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

Word Ladder

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

Weather

for next 7 days

Alicante

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

FACE

TIME

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TODAY:

Madrid

CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Mon - 16 10 Sh Tues - 16 10 C Wed - 16 10 Cl

16 13 C 15 13 Sh 15 11 Sh

Fri Sat Sun -

Almeria TODAY:

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 16 10 Sh Tues - 16 10 C Wed - 16 10 Cl

16 13 C 15 13 Sh 15 11 Sh

Solution FACE PACE PANE (PACT) PANT PUNT HUNT

YOUR STARS

‘THE SUPERMARKET IS STILL UNDER WATER BUT THE FISH COUNTER IS DOING A ROARING TRADE!’

Accept all invitations, however dull you feel that they may turn out and allow yourself to be surprised. Continue with any check-ups on your health, eating sensibly if you overindulged during the holiday. There is no better time to make that special effort.

SAGITTARIUS ( November 23 - December 21) Get both business and personal plans sorted out in the coming week. Thereafter, changes to your routine may be necessary, which is disruptive. The best-laid plans can need adjustment, so don’t beat yourself up over that. Spending extra time alone gives pause for thought and makes the next step so much clearer.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Someone close has ideas about how things should be at home this Christmas. Although you wish to show an interest, and should, they may be more 'hands on' than you. Do whatever your talents allow to help because this will not be forgotten. Your other half may be feeling sensitive, so tread carefully. What is at the root of it is likely to come to light as the week progresses.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The repayment of a favour should see you with extra money in your pocket. Holding on to it is your best bet. Trying to change someone close is so obviously not going to work that it is surprising you tried for so long. What you may be able to do, however, is to spend less time in their presence. Make sure that you get out with friends, if only for a few hours. It will brighten your spirits.

change to your surroundings opens up. Comfort is top of your agenda and the continuing sales give scope. Restlessness can be channelled into an energetic response when others seek help. Taking on a small charitable task makes you smile and brings satisfaction. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Your mind is as sharp as a razor this week, so woe betide anyone who tries to trick you. It's a great time to use your talents fully, particularly in regard to a business venture. It is possible that your strengths are a little unrecognised so don't be afraid to try something entirely new. A strong urge to take control keeps others on their toes.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) The pleasure you will get from helping in the home this week should not be underestimated. What you have been thinking of as a chore turns out to be a great ball of fun. Youngsters may be involved at the weekend, so plan ahead to give them a festive surprise. Appreciation is all around you at the moment and should be sending a nice glow through you. It's best not to overspend on something that could mean no return for you.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Concentrating on hearth and home gives you great satisfaction. As a born home-maker, you relish the idea of making something beautiful. This week it may be possible to show more of your skills when someone seeks your advice. This time it is on more of a personal note and you could end up helping with appearances.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) A festive social gathering turns up an old friend who makes an offer. Although you may feel unworthy, please be reminded of the times in the past when you have given them support. Certainly, it will be through others that real progress will be made. It is easy at this time of the year for someone of your intelligence to become bored. Through making a start on a long-term plan, it is possible to feel inspired.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) This week is mainly concerned with financial matters, and it is easy to both save and make extra money. Keep your energy levels high by making the most of chances to exercise and get out in the fresh air. Your need to know exactly where you stand brings with it a danger of putting someone off romantically right at the start. Although your no-nonsense approach normally serves you well, in love you need more subtle methods.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Your relationships to others linked to the home environment are going well. Aim to build on that this Christmas week because the chance to make a real

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) As you have decided to rearrange both your business and home life, it is a busy time, indeed. You enjoy a challenge so it will not worry you that other people have different ideas. Although you are not inclined to listen to silly whims, some things crop up time and again and have to be dealt with at some point.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Making a new start is not always the exciting thing that people imagine. When there are still old matters to be resolved, it takes the edge off the pleasure. It may be worth cooling off a new relationship until your social life is more settled. An urge to move around could be caused by your not facing a problem straight on.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Keep energy levels high by being at the hub of any social activities.

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday December 10

BONUS BALL

EURO MILLIONS Tuesday November 6

7 27

11 45

LUCKY STARS

Friday December 9

12 37

28 40

LUCKY STARS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Saturday December 10

Sunday December 11

REINTEGRO

20 37

34 44

REINTEGRO

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 33 23 Sh Tues - 33 22 Cl Wed - 33 23 Sh

34 23 C 33 23 Sh 33 23 Sh

MAX MIN

17 11 Sh 17 12 Sh 17 9 Th

Mon - 17 9 Sh Tues - 17 8 Sh Wed - 18 8 Sh

Murcia

CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 16 11 Sh Tues - 16 10 Sh Wed - 16 10 Sh

16 12 Sh 15 13 Sh 15 12 Sh

S Sun,

SHOWERS MAX 15C, MIN 8C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Cl Clear,

Sh Showers,

F Fog, Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

15 10 Sh 14 12 Sh 14 9 Sh

Mon - 15 7 C Tues - 16 7 C Wed - 16 8 C

C Cloudy, 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 C) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed. TARGET: • Average: 11 • Good: 15 • Very good: 22 • Excellent: 28

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION hale halt hate heal heap heat heel help hype lath path phat that thee they yeah aleph ethyl haply lathe phyla teeth theta athlete heeltap TELEPATHY

Sudoku

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.

LOTTERY

Mon - 15 9 Sh Tues - 16 8 C Wed - 16 7 C

SHOWERS MAX 19C, MIN 10C

TODAY:

Benidorm TODAY: Fri Sat Sun -

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

HUNT BACK

MAX MIN

14 8 Sh 16 10 C 15 10 Sh

Mallorca

CLOUDY MAX 33C, MIN 23C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 11 4 C Tues - 11 3 Sh Wed - 12 4 Cl

SHOWERS MAX 14C, MIN 8C

TODAY:

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX MIN

12 6 Sh 12 6 Sh 11 5 Sh

Malaga

SHOWERS MAX 16C, MIN 10C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

CLOUDY MAX 11C, MIN 6C

TODAY:

OUT

www.euroweeklynews.com

15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

page

Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition

Code Breaker

Quick Across 1 Storage closet (8) 7 Courageous (5) 8 Absolve (9) 9 Perceive (3) 10 Secret look (4) 11 Conclude (6) 13 Easygoing (6) 14 Against (6) 17 Deep orange root vegetable (6) 18 Not easy (4) 20 Attempt (3) 22 Frightened (9) 23 Grab (5) 24 Practice (8)

Down 1 Inexpensive (5) 2 Declare openly (7) 3 Follow a command (4) 4 Brought up (6)

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Crossword

EWN

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 7 represents T and 12 represents Z, so fill in T every time the figure 7 appears and Z every time the figure 12 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: 7 Cartel, 8 Shoves, 9 Nest, 10 Adulates, 11 Tracked, 13 Regal, 15 Charm, 17 Cashier, 20 Handsome, 21 Also, 23 Escape, 24 Dismal. Down: 1 Bare, 2 Static, 3 Cleaver, 4 Issue, 5 Donate, 6 Beverage, 12 Rehearse, 14 Calends, 16 Redraw, 18 Hoarse, 19 Homer, 22 Swag.

QUICK Across: 5 Incorrect (5) 6 Conquers (7) 7 Bewildered (7) 12 Provide commentary for a film (7) 13 Struggle between rivals (7)

English - Spanish

Down: 1 Insist, 2 Polka, 3 Sincere, 5 Idols, 6 Collier, 7 Sister, 8 Resplendent, 14 Neutral, 15 Starter, 16 Avocet, 17 Replay, 19 Trace, 21 Beret.

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

Across 2 Derecha (5) 6 Race (racial origin) (4) 7 Buttonhole (4) 8 Escalón (5) 9 Húmedo (clima) (4) 10 Honey (from bees) (4) 11 Novia (en boda) (5) 12 Boss (4) 13 Mediodía (4) 14 Asado (5) 15 Puerta (4) 16 Abbot (4) 17 Años (5)

ENGLISH-SPANISH

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Across: 1 Parrot, 3 Acid, 7 Nib, 9 Charlar, 10 Demasiado, 13 Taladro, 14 Dar, 15 Last, 16 Bakers. Down: 1 Pink, 2 Orchards, 4 Calidad, 5 Dark, 6 Mariposa, 8 Beetles, 11 Util, 12 Gris.

Down 1 Waiters (9) 2 Frambuesa (9) 3 Hailstorm (9) 4 Storms (9) 5 Saucepans (9)

Hexagram

1 Impose, 4 Discus, 9 Silence, 10 Ogles, 11 Stale, 12 Passive, 13 Unnecessary, 18 Vaulted, 20 Amble, 22 Circa, 23 Natural, 24 Taller, 25 Pretty.

15 More frightening (7) 16 Common (6) 17 Faultfinder (5) 19 Avoid artfully (5) 21 Monetary penalty (4)

Cryptic 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 (SUBSET) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ABRUPT AUNTIE BLANCH BLOUSE BOBCAT BUREAU CRITIC DEFRAY LAUNCH LEGUME

MASSIF MASTIC OBJECT RESUME SELECT SPONGY SUBSET (10) TITIAN TRACER

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Gyrate 2 Strand 3 Regent 4 Sundry 5 Errata 6 Allege 7 Darkle 8 Tangle 9 Screen 10 Kettle 11 Marble 12 Delete 13 Borate 14 Depend 15 Latent 16 Senior 17 Sodden 18 Triune 19 Seeing.

Across 1 Sounds like seabirds or bears (5) 4 Chemical element from Burma I ordered (6) 9 Duplicate pie Carl cooked (7) 10 Steps inside spaceship (5) 11 Collapsed in church recess (4) 12 Stone smashed in grate (7) 13 Feel sorry about Herb (3) 14 It's the judge's habit to steal a note (4) 16 Son has time to be a wise person (4) 18 Spied middle of bakery item (3) 20 After break had meal and set out again (7) 21 Damage some hidden treasures (4) 24 Building support from trust (5) 25 One reaching across for a hand tool (7) 26 Name of man arranging events (6) 27 Felix effortlessly holds back outcast approval (8) (5) 6 Eager to get out of ditch in garden (7) Down 7 Learn all aspects of being a captain 1 Mad Hatter is a danger (6) (6) 2 Pores over ring edges (5) 8 Push river transport (5) 3 Hide skinhead's family (4) 13 Comeback for chopped up pear tree 5 Evaluate a quiet expression of (8)

15 See old boy put ball in play (7) 17 Has faith in repaired struts (6) 18 Drink from fractured pipes (5) 19 Tristram Shandy author enters in disguise (6) 22 Even nuisances find it boring (5) 23 Made out to be an aristocrat (4)

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15 - 21 December 2016

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HEALTH BEAUTY

Could blood help heal? USING blood as a beauty treatment is now a common occurrence, particularly among Hollywood A-listers. The so-called ‘vampire therapies’ are a favourite of Kim Kardashian who was one of the first to draw attention to the rather unusual facial which involves using your own blood in the platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP). But now, the healing platelets, rich in proteins and beneficial properties to help accelerate and repair tissue, bone and skin, are not just being used in the beauty industry as a way of helping you stay looking younger for longer and are being used as a way of helping numerous conditions. Pulled muscles PRP is becoming more common amongst athletes who are reporting that the growth factors in the platelets are helping to heal tendon damage with the blood being a natural healing substance and speeding up the process. Golfer Tiger Woods and tennis

player Rafael Nadal are all reported to have received PRP to help treat various problems. Arthritic knees Painkillers and keyhole surgery are the normal options for sufferers, but could blood be beneficial in treating such ailments? A study by researchers in New York reported that injecting the patients’ own blood cells into their knees reduced pain and improved function and appeared to delay the progression of osteoarthritis. As a result, some specialists are now offering PRP treatment with the blood plasma being injected into the knee to stop arthritis getting worse. Healing wounds A study last year published in the World Journal of Plastic Surgery, reported that using a patient’s blood could help heal wounds and burns. By incorporating it into a gel it is believed to not only help with the healing process, but help protect against infection on the wounds. It is also believed

to reduce the appearance of scars. Hair loss Could PRP even be used to help prevent hair loss? Some dermatologists believe so as a study found that PRP injections into the scalp appeared to slow the hair loss process. However, it is thought to work better the earlier it is used in the hair loss process. How does PRP work? Blood is taken from the patient with the platelets separated from the other blood cells before going through a centrifugation process to increase the platelet concentrations. It is these platelets that are understood to have the healing benefits with the platelet-rich plasma then injected back into the patients.

UNUSUAL FACIAL: Using your own blood.

Men living with HIV IN Spain it is estimated that between 130,000-160,000 people are living with HIV, with around 20 per cent undiagnosed. Of new cases diagnosed, eight out of 10 of them are men, aged between 29-45 years of age. These are the findings of a report on HIV and AIDS in the country made available to the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality. Up to June 30 this year, there has been a total of 3,428 new diagnoses of the virus within the Autonomous Communities, Cuenta and Melilla. This rate is similar to those of other European countries. The most common mode of transmission of HIV is through sexual relations. Transmission from drug injecting continues to decline and stood at 2.8 per cent. The report also shows a fall in the cases of the disease being detected among immigrants.

Long wait to start road to recovery THE number of cancer patients in the UK having to wait longer than two months for treatment has nearly doubled compared to figures of five years ago. The NHS aims to see patients within 62 days once a cancer diagnosis has been made,

but the target set by the government of treating 85 per cent of patients within this time period has been missed regularly for the last three years, with around 82 per cent of patients being treated within two months. Waiting times for cancer treatment began

to fall below the target in 2014/15. That year 128,642 patients were diagnosed with cancer in England, with a reported 83.4 per cent starting treatment within two months. The situation is not helping survival rates with early treatment amongst the best way to

fight and beat the disease. Research comparing cancer survival in 29 countries show that the UK has amongst the lowest rates of survival. In Sweden, the country’s survival rates are almost a third higher than in Britain.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

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Sleep well at Christmas

Arthritis and the weather

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. PEOPLE with arthritis tend to complain that at this time of year damp conditions and lower temperatures cause their joints to give them more grief. Is it true that arthritis gets worse when the weather is bad? Why is that? • It’s true that people who have joint problems, whether due to a chronic condition such as arthritis or due to previous injuries, tend to find their joints are more sensitive to temperature changes and damp conditions. This is due to the fact that the joint has been permanently affected and changes in atmospheric conditions lead the tissues to expand or contract, leading to symptoms. What can be done to counteract the effects of the cold or damp on joints? • The first thing that can be done is to try not to expose yourself to brusque temperature changes or wet weather and, if you have no choice, try to protect yourself as much as possible. If in spite of this, you start to notice symptoms or they worsen, you should take further measures such as taking anti-inflammatory drugs or resting.

Can we help our joints through diet or healthy habits? • Obviously diet is fundamental to keep joints healthy. Your diet should be balanced and rich in fruit and vegetables as well as, of course, products containing calcium to help strengthen your joints and muscles. You should take care not to gain excess weight or become obese as that can cause injuries to the joints in your legs. Moderate physical exercise, such as walking for 40-60 minutes every day, can also help strengthen joints. Is arthritis hereditary? If my parents have it will I inevitably get it in the future or are there ways to avoid it appearing? • Arthritis can be caused by many different things. In some cases these can be hereditary so some people are predisposed to inherit it and cannot do much to avoid it. Luckily, though, most cases of arthritis are due to other mechanisms such as excessive wear of the joints due to misuse, so learning how to care for your joints can help avoid problems later in life.

If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com

HELP TO SLEEP: A book or sex? FESTIVE cheer might bypass a third of the UK population this year according to a survey from Drift Sleep, a British mattress manufacturer. Grumpiness from lack of sleep affects 28 per cent of us, so with a third of us planning to go to friends or family this festive season, Drift asked the UK’s adults what they do to get a good night’s shut-eye. More men (12 per cent) than women (4 per cent) say sex helps them sleep, whilst over twice as many women than men say a good book is the best way to drift off. For women it’s all about the bed as the mattress tops the list with 67 per cent saying that it’s the most important thing, followed by the pillow (65 per cent) and clean sheets (51 per cent). Men can more or less be able to sleep anywhere as opposed to women, but there are still things keeping them awake. Men are more likely to be affected by work worries with 17 per cent saying t h e y c a n ’t s t o p t h i n k i n g about work when trying to drop off, whilst only 9 per cent of women have this problem. But when it comes to Christmas games more men than women will stay awake stressing about

losing the family game of Monopoly. Adam Black, co-founder of Drift Sleep said of the results, “With a third of the

UK staying away from home this Christmas it’s important that people do all they can to get a good night’s rest. Despite the differences, it looks

like what both men and women need is a comfortable bed and clean sheets, hopefully that’s not too much to ask of the relatives!”

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S CENE The past in pictures

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Motril’s Xmas flamenco concert

A DISPLAY of 67 black and white photos from Bram refugee camp in France in 1939 will be open to the public for viewing until January 23 at Francisco Hernandez contemporary art centre in VelezMalaga. The exhibition of work by Agusti Centelles reveals the hardships suffered by refugees in the camp who crossed the border to France in an attempt to escape from Franco’s dictatorship, the photographer’s son explained. Education, Culture and Citizen Participation councillor Cynthia Garcia said before the exhibition was launched: “this display takes us back to the realities of 1939 at the French concentration camp. A genius of photography, Agusti Centelles, who is considered to be the Spanish Robert Capa, shows us this tough chapter in our history through a compendium of diverse moments captured by his camera.” The exhibition is open from 10am to 2pm and 5-8pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 10am to 2pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

CULTURAL HERITAGE: Keeping the spirit of flamenco alive. FLAMENCO comes to Motril on Friday December 16 when the recently formed Cultural Association and Peña Flamenca of Motril presents a Christmas concert of Flamenco in association with the town council. Only formed in September by a group of friends and aficionados of this ancient form of music and dance which has been recognised by UNESCO

as a part of the cultural heritage of Spain, it is their intention to not only keep the spirit of flamenco alive but hope to attract new audiences including expatriates and the young. A spokesman for the Peña said “We want to promote the role of women in this art and promote new artists of our city to carry out any activity related to flamenco. We also seek to create a sound documentary

archive and a library service of books and magazines related to this exciting world. In addition, we aim to become a meeting place for all who love this discipline, whether they are professionals or amateurs, by conducting lectures, concerts and seminars,” This ‘Navidad Flamenca’ takes place at 9pm in the Nave de Arcos and costs €3 with half of the fee going to Caritas.

REVEALING EXHIBITION: Of refugees’ hardship.

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Electricity use at Xmas A STUDY carried out by new electricity distributor Podo has indicated that by and large, Spanish homes consume 20 per cent more electricity during the Christmas period. Altogether, this adds up to an extra €150 million worth of electricity. The report indicated that the average daily light consumption in Spain shoots up by 9.43 kilowatts an hour during Christmas. Podo has indicated that the increase can be partially attributed to the use of Christmas decorations, but noted that homeowners tend to use household appliances and lights more during the holidays as well. The regions of Cataluña and Castilla y Leon were singled out as the biggest users and abusers, with average increases of 27.4 and 27.1 per cent respectively. In regards to major cities, Madrid was up by 23 per cent, whereas curiously in Barcelona, electricity bills only increased by a comparatively mild 15 per cent.

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Demolition time for some By Sam Croft AT the present moment, there is a huge surplus of uninhabited homes in Spain. Most of these buildings have been languishing on the market for years, unable to find a suitable buyer. Experts in the sector are now beginning to argue that the time has come to do something about the situation, and the solution may involve a bulldozer or two. It all started in 2008 when the crisis kicked in and the real estate bubble burst, leading to disastrous results for the Spanish property sector. Fast forward eight years and there are now thousands of these unused homes in the country, despite recent improvements in the real estate market. Juan Antonio Gomez-Pintado, president of the property developers board APCE, has argued that it has become apparent that it is necessary for some of the excess stock to be demolished, given that it is unrealistic that it will ever be fully absorbed into the market.

EXCESS STOCK: It may be necessary for some properties to be demolished. “There still exists the possibility of selling off part of it, but in some cases the time has come to demolish it because people prefer new residences, with environmental features, made with other materials

and which have been conceived differently than buildings constructed 10 years ago,” he stated. According to data from real estate portal Servihabitat Trends, by the end of 2016 there will be

around 388,000 of these uninhabited homes on the market, although the number is expected to drop to 315,000 by the end of 2017 owing to the ongoing upswing in the sector.

Success for Spanish real estate sector as record numbers are announced new real estate cycle,” indicated CBRE President Adolfo Ramirez Escudero. The logistics market has had a particularly successful year in Spain although there have also been notable upswings in the retail sector and amongst office buildings. Of the money spent in the Spanish real estate sector in 2016, 37 per cent has come from foreign investors. North Americans, Brits, and Germans lead the pack in regards

By Sam Croft THE real estate consulting agency CBRE has estimated that a whopping €7.5 billion will be injected into the Spanish real estate sector in the fourth quarter of 2016, a number which represents almost the same quantity recorded in 2011, 2012, and 2013 combined. The findings represent more good news for the Spanish real estate market, which has recently been on a steady upswing following years of uncertainty during the economic crisis CBRE has predicted that around €13.9 billion will be spent in the sector over the course of 2016, with more than half of those investments taking place between October and December. The numbers mean that the real estate sector will experience an 8 per cent incrase in

GOOD NEWS: The Spanish real estate market is on a steady upswing after years of uncertainty. comparison to 2015, and a 45 per cent increase in compar-

sion to 2014. “The market now has new

investors who have less debt and the ability to kick off a

to new endeavours and investments.

HOMES

GARDENS

15 - 21 December 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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By Graeme Tyrrell THE vegetable garden can be an interesting adventure, as well as productive, by diversifying the assortment of vegetables that you grow. There are more and more varieties of vegetables becoming available and greater variation of the types we all know.

The purplish blue star shaped flower of the eggplant is an interesting feature.

AUBERGINES: Harvesting the ripe fruit is an art form. colour varieties including golf ball sized shapes, elongated, oblong, speckled, yellow, white, green, lavender shades and almost black. There is enough variety to make any garden harvest basket fill with colour and form and the cook to have plenty of opportunities to dress up the meal. The hearty purplish blue star shaped flower of an eggplant is an interesting feature of the plant. Eggplants thrive in the Mediter-

ranean climate in well composted soil in summer, but will also overwinter to produce the next year’s crop in protected warmer winter zones. To get different varieties it may take some searching on the internet for seeds, but it is worth the effort if you have the time. If growing from seed, plant them in a seedling tray in a warm place two months before the planting time in late spring, once the soil has warmed up rather than just

a few sunny days. Space them around 50 - 60cm apart in the garden with a stake to support the not so sturdy plant as when the fruits fully form, the weight is disproportional to the strength of the plant in many cases. They can be slow starters and they need the long summer with plenty of sun to fully mature. Mulch around the plants to keep soil temperature lower around the roots in summer using compost and/or straw, seaweed or other suitable mulches. Harvesting the ripe fruit is an art form. Use a cutting tool to remove the ripe fruit from the plant as the plant can be damaged by pulling them off. They can be more bitter when underripe or overripe so check they are firm and fully formed without soft spots to get them at their best. It takes practice to identify them at the right stage of ripeness. Ideally the seeds in the fruit should be formed and visible but not enlarged, but you can only tell this after harvesting. Once cut the fruit needs to be used quickly as they discolour rapidly. The fruits can keep for several days but if you have a garden it is best if you can harvest them and use them straight away to retain their freshness.

When the going gets tough, the tough get plants! WHEN times are hard, surrounding ourselves with certain plants and flowers can help improve our mood and find the inner harmony to carry on regardless. There are many different types and personal preference obviously plays an important role, these are just a few top choices. Lilies of the Valley Gardening expert David Domoney decided to carry out an informal three-month survey to discover which

plants inspired positive feelings. An amazingly large majority of those he questioned said lilies of the valley brought them happiness, in part because the aromatic flowers brought back beloved memories. Geraniums Masses of richly coloured flowers have always helped cheer people up, but the soft aroma of the geranium plant (similar to that of roses) has also been found to encourage

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Eggplants thrive in heat

Eggplant or, as they can also be known in English, aubergine, is an attractive exotic vegetable originating from the northern regions of India. It is now adopted and grown in warmer climates around the world. In Spain it is called berenjena. It is well accepted in the Spanish and other cooking styles as it can be prepared in a variety of appetising ways due to its distinct but mild taste allowing garnishing to adapt it to your favourite tastes. Normally shaped somewhat like an egg with a smooth, purplish skin and whitish centre, there have evolved many different forms and

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peace of mind. English ivy and ferns Both purify the air, helping bring easier breathing and peace of mind. Lavender The smell of lavender reduces anxiety. Although lighting a scented candle could bring the same results, the natural fragrance of fresh lavender permanently scents the air for a more constant effect. Roses A study published by the

Journal of Physiological Anthropology revealed that office workers who looked at roses felt more relaxed and comfortable. Orchids One of life’s most accessible luxuries, orchids have always been favoured in Feng Shui for increasing positive energy within a room. They flower all year round,

Houseplants for cleaner air DID you know that the air inside buildings can be extremely dirty and polluted? To keep the air you breathe at home or in the office as clean and healthy as possible, the best bet is to surround yourself with purifying plants which absorb harmful substances. Some of the best, easiest to find and care for air cleaning plants to add to your interior decoration are aloe vera, spider plants, snake plants (also known as mother-in-law’s tongue) areca palm, chrysanthemum, peperomia, bamboo palm, common fern, aglaonema, dracaena, phoenix roebelenii palm, ficus alii and gerbera daisy. All of these, along with looking pretty, will work away silently to rid our surroundings of VOCs (common volatile organic compounds) and help boost our health and that of our surroundings.

SNAKE PLANT: Healthy.

ORCHIDS: Flower all year.

bringing a touch of colour which can improve even the darkest mood in the winter months. Rosemary Rosemary has symbolised many things over the years from memories to inner peace. The connection is probably due to the smell of the plant, which encourages memories of summer days. Sweet peas These flowers were also highly rated in Domoney’s

survey for similar reasons to lilies of the valley. Those questioned said that sweet peas brought back happy childhood memories.

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Hounds that pack on the pounds

David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am 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

OBESITY is not just a problem in people, pets are packing on the pounds too and it’s a problem that shouldn’t be ignored…! How much does a fat pet weigh? Putting your pet on the scale is not the best way to evaluate if the pet is overweight. There is a tremendous amount of individual variation in an animal’s ideal weight. It is better to look at the appearance of each animal rather than at a weight that this breed or type of animal ‘should’ be. You should be able to feel your pet’s ribs easily without pressing, but you should not be able to see the ribs through the coat. There should be a ‘tuck in’ in the

abdominal area. Your pet’s torso, viewed from above, should resemble an hour glass. You can conduct these quick checks, but since it’s hard for owners to be objective, it’s best to seek your veterinarian’s advice. Overweight An overweight pet is not a healthy pet. Owners need to recognise that they are putting their pet’s health at risk by allowing that extra weight. Obesity commonly leads to diabetes, heart problems, and arthritis. An overweight pet does

An overweight pet is not a healthy pet. not age well, either. Overweight pets are more prone to hip dysplasia, back and joint pain, and endocrine diseases. Extra weight also decreases a veterinarian’s ability to manage these conditions both medically and surgically. The most common reason for overfeeding is that owners want to show their pet they care and one way is to give a treat. One extra treat

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Sebastian loves to follow Bragi around the house House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742.

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OBESE PETS: Rule out medical reasons first.

PETS PAGE

can turn into five and then 10. Be aware exactly how much you are feeding your pets. It can be a challenge deciding how much is the right amount to feed your pet. What’s listed on the bag is for the average pet, but lifestyle, activity level, and age also affect how much food a pet needs. If your pet is overweight, feed less than what the bag says and adjust from there. Remember that treats reduce the amount of food required at each meal. Talk to your veterinarian to figure out the ideal weight for your pet. Never start your pet on a diet without consulting your veterinarian. If you are faced with an obese pet, first rule out medical reasons for being overweight. Then simply decrease calories in the diet and increase exercise. An extra motivation is that people who lose weight together with their pet are more likely to keep it off. Working with a veterinarian is the best way to formulate a healthy diet for your pet. Contact your local veterinarian if your pet is overweight.

They seemed to get on well. Then one AS cats go, Sebastian is a pretty loyal day Bragi noticed Sebastian in the street, friend. Certainly according to Bragi one of following him down the road to our house-sitters who loves to the local pub. He turned around pet-sit in Spain to escape Winter and collected him to take him in his native Iceland. He met home and put him indoors. his new friend after answerThis kept happening ing a housesit assignand became somement advert on Hous thing of a ritual beeSitMatch.com. tween pet and petA British couple livsitter. Almost as if ing in Orihuela Costa Sebastian just needwere looking for an ed to know Bragi experienced pet-sitter would accompany to care for their cat him home for safewhile they took a long ty! winter holiday. They Do you need a sitpreferred to have ter? Get in touch. someone at home carHouse-sitting can be ing for him where he a win-win for both would be relaxed and parties, free house comfortable. and pet-sitting, and Sebastian an indethe experienced and pendent soul, likes SEBASTIAN: An independent soul, checked sitters get company, and if he who likes company. free accommodatakes to someone he tion! Register as either house-sitter or just follows them around. After a couple of homeowner now with a 20 per cent off indays in Bragi’s company, Sebastian began troductory offer using coupon code PERto shadow his house-sitter. Walking with FECT20. Visit www.HousesitMatch.com. him into each room, then into the garden.

Aquarium answers I HAVE snails living in my substrate - lots of them. They have a cone-like shell and sometimes if I watch closely I can actually see the substrate moving about. Are they going to cause any problems? Should I leave them or try (!?!) to eradicate them? It sounds as though you have a colony of thiarid snails, probably Melanoides tuberculata (aka Red-rim Melania, Malaysian burrowing/ trumpet snail or simply MTS) or possibly Tarebia granifera (Quilted Melania). These are often referred to as aquarium pests since they can reproduce incredibly quickly when there is a consistent excess of food. As you’ve seen they spend the majority of their time within the substrate but do emerge occasionally, particularly at night. They’re often said to be hermaphroditic, i.e., possessing both male and female sexual organs but in fact they reproduce by parthenogenesis; females produce embryos which develop unfertilised and give birth to live, fully-formed young. Males do exist but in relatively small numbers compared with females. In reality these snails are beneficial in the

majority of aquaria since they eat detritus trapped within the substrate and their movement helps prevent anaerobic spots developing, particularly useful in planted set-ups. They will not harm live plants but do consume algae when they emerge at night, and if their numbers do increase quickly the usual cause is overfeeding of fishes and/or insufficient cleaning of the substrate. If you do wish to remove them please don’t use a commercial product (most are harmful to shrimp and some fishes) or add a ‘snail-eating’ fish such as a Botiid loach species (most grow relatively large, exhibit complex social behavior meaning a group of six to eight or more is required and shouldn’t be relied upon to eat snails) rather reduce feeding and remove them manually at night or using a ‘snail trap.’ Matt Ford has 27 years’ experience in the aquarium hobby and trade, has written for several international magazines including ‘Practical Fishkeeping’ and ‘Amazonas,’ and is a current member of the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group. Email your questions to editor@euroweeklynews.com.

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That Zonda really! It’s like a lion in orange dungarees. Kind of fierce, but ridiculous all at the same time.” Some might say...

A Ferrari good cause By Matthew Elliott THE very last LaFerrari ever to be produced has done its bit to help victims of the catastrophic earthquakes which struck central Italy earlier this year. It has sold at a charity auction in the United States for a spectacular €6.5 million, with all

the proceeds going towards rebuilding efforts. Ferrari had given the car to auction overlords Sotheby’s in August just days after the 6.2 magnitude quake

killed almost 300 people across the Umbrian region. Sotheby’s did what they do best and arranged a classic auction with a powerful PR team to help sell the 500th and final LaFerrari built, which will have a special plaque embedded in the finish

to pay tribute to the victims. With production from 2013-2015, it has now become the most expensive car built in the 21st century ever to be sold at auction, commanding the highest ever price from Italy. With a top speed of 350kph, LaFerrari can reach 100kph in under three seconds and is the fastest road legal vehicle the Italian manufacturer has ever produced.

LAFERRERI: Can reach 100kph in under three seconds.

Motoring shorts

UK to face legal action THE European Commission is to initiate legal proceedings against the UK & Spain for failing to enforce environmental regulations during the Volkswagen ‘Dieselgate’ scandal. Britain, alongside Germany and as many as seven other countries, will now have to justify its reasons for failing to adhere to European Union law which requires governments to take action against environmental breaches. Volkswagen used cheat devices on its cars in order to pass emissions tests, a clear violation of European law, and Brussels is of the opinion that certain governments failed to take sufficient action in the wake of the scandal. The EU will now issue formal notices to the offending nations, with individual cases to be shifted to European courts should they fail to receive adequate responses.

Outstanding credentials for the smart Ford S-Max by Nick Fletcher THERE are plenty of midsized family MPVs available and most have individual plus points, but the big question is which one presents itself as the best allrounder. One model which has outstanding credentials is the Ford S-Max, which in its latest guise is arguably the s marte st l o o k i n g . I t als o comes in three trim levels, all well equipped, offers a choice o f f o u r d i e se l an d

two petrol engines, manual or auto gearboxes, and its rev is ed c a b in h a s a mo re upmarket feel than main rivals. Only significant downside to the S-Max CV is that it is not the cheapest to buy, nor the most fuel-efficient in the sector, though it does atone with superior driving dynamics. S-Max prices start at £ 2 1 , 8 9 5 (€ 2 9 , 1 6 1 ) a nd ev en en try le v el c a rs ge t Ford’s new SYNC 2 infotainment system,17-inch al-

Stats panel: Model: Ford S-Max Titanium Engine: 2.0 litre diesel Transmission: 6 speed manual Performance: 0-60mph 10.8 seconds, top speed 123 mph Economy: 56.4 mpg combined Emissions: 129g/km

loy wheels, parking sensors, keyless entry and push-button start and a DAB radio. My Titanium test model had a wealth of extra kit including sat-nav, and in 2.0 litre die s e l form c os ts £28,095 (€31,633). The 148 hp engine is good for 0-60 mph in 10.8 s e c onds a nd top speed of 123 mph. Fue l e c onomy is 56.4 mpg combined, very good but well short of that of the rival Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. B ut it is not a ll a bout economy. The driving experience is where the S-Max scores, for despite its bulk it does have a light, agile feel and its suspension set-up and lower centre of gravity means it rides and handles be tte r tha n mos t s e ve nseater MPVs. It also wins points for its interior, with smart styling,

higher quality trim ma te ria ls a nd c le ve r us e of s pa c e . There are three individual seats in the middle row, and a pair of child-size ones in the back. Even with the rear s e a ts in us e , the re is s till 285 litres of load space. The re a re a ls o lots of oddme nt s tow a ge pla c e s spread around the car. Fold the rear seats and you get 965 litres of space and drop the middle seats and you get a van-like 2,020 litres. This latest S-Max, longer and wider then the previous model, has a more handsome, more classy appearance mainly due to a heavily revised front end styling and its premium-look cabin. Add pleasing driving dynamics to the package and its challenge to be the family MPV pack leader is compelling.

S-MAX: Wins points for its smart style interior.

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Vardy helps spank Man City and Kohli smashes England Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

WITH Christmas approaching fast, there’s no respite whatsoever for sports-minded people, competitors and fans alike, with continuous action in football, Rugby Union and horse racing, the 5th

and final cricket Test between India and England, the International Horse Show at Olympia and the PDG World Championship Darts in London all coming up. FOOTBALL: * A week ago, Dundalk and Southampton were eliminated from the Europa League but Manchester United progressed to the knockout stage. Leicester crashed 5-0 at FC Porto in their final Champions League Group game while Tottenham’s European campaign ended with a 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow. Meanwhile, Celtic drew 1-1 at Manchester City, Arsenal whipped Basel 4-1,

Barcelona beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0, Real Madrid were held 2-2 by Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0. * Recent PL results were Leicester 4 (with a Jamie Vardy hat-trick) Manchester City 2; Arsenal 3 Stoke 1; Burnley 3 Bournemouth 2; Chelsea 1 (another Diego Costa goal) WBA 0; Hull 3 Crystal Palace 3; Swansea 3 Sunderland 0; Watford 3 Everton 2; Manchester United 1 Spurs 0; Southampton 1 Middlesbrough 0 and Liverpool 2 West Ham 2. Chelsea’s win was their ninth on the trot in the PL. * Championship leaders Newcastle claimed an emphatic 4-0 win over inconsistent Birmingham, Derby County beat Nottingham Forest in the East Midlands clash and Wolves drew 4-4 with Reading. There were also vital wins for Brighton (against Leeds United), Huddersfield Town and

KOHLI: Captained India to a formidable win.

JOSHUA: Defended his heavyweight title.

Steve Bruce’s improving Aston Villa. * In La Liga, Real Madrid lead Barcelona by six points (37-31) with Sevilla third (26). Last Saturday, Sergio Ramos headed a dramatic injury time goal for Real Madrid who created a new club record of 35 matches unbeaten with a 3-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna. And just six points cover the top five teams in Serie ‘A’ with Juventus (top on 36) followed by Roma 32, AC Milan 32, Napoli 31 and Lazio 30. * After the midweek games involving BournemouthLeicester and Everton-Arsenal on Tuesday and Crystal Palace-Manchester United, Middlesbrough-Liverpool, Stoke-

Southampton, SunderlandChelsea-Spurs-Hull and WBA-Swansea last night, the top matches coming up over the weekend are Crystal Palace-Chelsea, Everton-Liverpool, Manchester City-Arsenal, Tottenham-Burnley, WBA-Manchester United and West Ham-Hull. In the Championship we have Birmingham-Brighton, Burton-Newcastle, NorwichHuddersfield, Nottingham Forest-Wolves and QPR-Aston Villa; it’s ChesterfieldBolton, ScunthorpeMillwall and Walsall-Bradford City in FL1 and Accrington-Plymouth, Carlisle-Yeovil, DoncasterGrimsby and PortsmouthHartlepool in FL2. * Crewe Alexandra director and former manager Dario Gradi has been suspended pending an FA investigation concerning

VARDY: Hattrick helped Leicester win.

claims he ‘smoothed over’ a complaint of sexual assault against a Chelsea scout in the 1970s. CRICKET: * India thrashed England by an innings and 36 runs in the fourth Test in Mumbai to clinch the series with three wins. Debutant Keaton Jennings scored 112 in England’s first innings total of 400 but bagged a first-ball duck in the second which saw the tourists dismissed for 195. India’s captain Virat Kohli smashed 235 and Murali Vijay scored 136 as

the hosts posted a formidable 631 with England’s Advil Raschid taking four wickets for 191. The final Test starts in Chennai tomorrow. RUGBY UNION: * England captain Dylan Hartley was sent off six minutes after coming on in the second half as Northampton lost 37-10 to Leinster in the Champions Cup… dismissed for a swinging arm on Sean O’Brien in the 58th minute. BOXING: * Britain’s Anthony Joshua successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title with a thirdround stoppage of Eric Molina in Manchester. Joshua, who decked the American before the referee waved the bout, has 18 knockouts to his name from as many fights and will face former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley next April. * On the same Manchester bill, Dillian Whyte beat Dereck Chisora on a split decision in a WBC heavyweight title eliminator, Britain’s Khalid Yafai won the WBA super-flyweight title and Katie Taylor won her second professional fight. CHEATS: * It’s believed over 1,000 Russians - including Olympic medallists - benefited from a state-sponsored doping programme between 2011 and 2015. Lawyer Richard McLaren said: “It was a cover-up that evolved from uncontrolled chaos to an institutionalised and disciplined medal-winning conspiracy and covered 30 different sports with London 2012 being corrupted on an unprecedented scale.” McLaren’s report also implicates medallists at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and it seems as if salt and coffee were used to manipulate Russian samples. Indeed, the system was refined over the course of the 2012 Olympics, 2013 Worlds and Winter Olympics to protect likely Russian medal winners.

E W N Axarquía - Costa Tropical

SPORT Golf International Nerja Society 15 - 21 December 2016

SERGIO RAMOS headed in a dramatic injury time goal for Real Madrid who created a new club record of 35 matches unbeaten.

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Axarquía’s best guide to local sport

LOS MORISCOS Friday December 2 Individual Stableford Ladies 1st Silla Zollner Hcp30 34pts 2nd Erica Oxford Hcp30 33pts 3rd Esther McClenaghan Hcp19 32pts Men 1st Brian Downey Hcp17 40pts 2nd Mike Cummings Hcp18 36pts 3rd Mike Callaway Hcp17 36pts 4th Alan Lloyd Edwards Hcp16 33pts 5th Mike Denny Hcp28 32pts No Two’s To quote the late Terry Wogan, ‘the sun had got his hat on’ and after last week’s cancelled game due to heavy rain, 55 players were keen to swing their clubs again and try and to beat the course! Some did but alas, many didn’t, but golf is addictive and most will be back next week, to try again! Brian Downey with a great score of 40pts is back on form again, already his handicap has been cut. Unfortunately, no one won the 2’s pot - a nice Christmas pick up for whoever

wins it next week, it is a team game so the pot will be shared. We are playing a two ball better ball and on December 16 it is the Los Moriscos Turkey Trot with a meal and the prize giving at Dis Tintos, La Herradura. Lots of Christmas fayre to be won - so come along and enjoy the craic! Añoreta Monday December 5 No play due to rain. Baviera Tuesday December 6 Four ball, two scores 1st Team Marlyse Blair, Pauline Pearce, Graeme Birch and Steve McFarlane 88pts 2nd Team Gill Boutel, Bob Blair, Steve Dening and George Reid 82pts 3rd Team

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Jim Burns, Michael Elsey, Judy Howard and Alan Jones 78pts 4th Team Barry Alford, Simon Doyle, Mark Fulton and Paula Vickerman 77pts Two’s Mike Callaway 15, Gill Sibson 11 & Steve Dening Having endured some unpleasant weather in the last week, it was rather nice to be out playing golf again with a warm sun on our backs. The course conditions would best be described as soft, (heavy in places) but extremely playable thanks to the diligence of the Baviera greenkeeping staff. Today’s competition was a four-player team event (best two scores to count) whereby 36 golfers enjoyed a smashing day out in benign conditions. All nine teams scored well but a few of the teams did rather better than others. The winning team of Marlyse Blair, Graeme Birch, Steve Langford and Steve McFarlane were in a different league from the rest of us mere mortals, amassing 88 points between them as they cantered into the winner’s circle. Excellent teamwork. Runners-up with a very commendable 82 points were Gill Boutel, Bob Blair, Steve Dening and George Reid with third place going to the team of Jim Burns, Mike Elsey, Judy Howard and Alan Jones on a score of 78. (The rest of us all finished as also-rans and sat in the loser’s enclosure watching the main prizes being handed out. Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed a smashing day out on the golf course and most will be coming back to play next week. Congratulations to the winners and commiserations to all us losers !!!