Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 26 Dec 2013 - 1 Jan 2014 Issue 1486

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ISSUE NO. 1486

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Free fun day for children THE multiple use centre in Mojacar has a free day of activities for children on Sunday, with games, workshops and video and Scalextric games.

On your marks THE 26th San Silvestre Fun Run takes place in Huercal-Overa on Saturday with a five-kilometre and 10-kilometre run and children’s races starting at 4pm outside the sports hall.

Xmas market ALBOX will be holding a Christmas Market this weekend. Stalls will be located in Calle Cordoba just down from the main high street.

Die-hards JUST 4,686 fans turned up to watch the second leg of the Copa Del Rey cup tie between UD Almeria and Las Palmas. The game ended in a 0-0 draw. Almeria won the first leg by three goals to one.

26 DECEMBER 2013 - 1 JANUARY 2014

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READERS AND ADVERTISERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR

EU breathes life into Almanzora Valley

By Stephen Lear THE European Commission has declared the Almanzora Motorway a ‘Grand Project’, which allows EU funding for the first phase.

It also ensures European funding for its second phase.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy, Jose Sanchez Maldonado, in Madrid, and is good news for the region.

The remainder of the first phase will cost €78.3 million, of which €62.68 million are Feder funds and the rest will come from the Junta de Andalucia regional government.

The entire stretch between Fines

LONG ROAD: Funding at last for the Almanzora Motorway. and the connection to the A7 (Mediterranean Motorway) may now be built and the

announcement may open the door for the financing of other projects.

The Almanzora Motorway is a road project to connect the A7 in Huercal-Overa with the A92 North in the town of Baza, Granada.

This is a high capacity a lot and no longer goes out, but still road and will be the enjoys the family singing Happy backbone for the whole Birthday. Natividad has children in their Almanzora Valley, which is 80s and one of her granddaughters is 68 highly industrialised with years old. heavy traffic density due When asked about the secret of her to the lack of alternative longevity, she laughed and said: “There infrastructure like railis no secret. I have always eaten ways. The stop-start everything from meat to vegetables, project began back in whatever. And, have never smoked.”

November 2005.

Happy 110th birthday!

A ZURGENA resident was due to celebrate her 110th birthday this week.

Natividad Ramos Fernandez was born in Argentina on December 24 1903. “She may be the oldest person in Spain at this time,” said her daughter.

She remains well and up until about two years ago was reading the newspapers, commenting on the news and still went to church. Now, she sleeps

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E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014/ Costa de Almería

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THIS WEEK IN

EWN News 1 - 18

Finance 19 - 24

Letters 25 ON GUARD: Police divers install the underwater nativity scene.

Festive divers dodge sharks MEMBERS of the Special Underwater Group of the Guardia Civil took on one of their more unusual tasks this week, and had to dodge sharks in the process.

Seven divers and photographers took to the waters of the Roquetas de Mar Aquarium to install the spectacular underwater Christmas Nativity scene. Special measures were needed, with so many divers in the tank, in view of the presence of large sharks.

Aquarium Director Enrique Fernandez highlighted the added difficulty the divers had in getting down to the bottom of the tank without the aid of flippers.

Speaking of danger, underwater photographer Antonio Fernandez said: “To dive with the sharks you always give them respect but they do not actually do anything.

I have not had any problems. The big mistake is to cross their path,” he said.

Daily TV 28 - 29

Leapy Lee 30

Time out 37 - 40

Classifieds 55 - 57

Sport 63 - 64

NEWS Set meals ALMERIA catering company Padules provided 14,000 meals to extras during the filming of Exodus.

English course ALMERIA City Hall have set up a course for up to 30 unemployed people to learn marketing and customer service in English.

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26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

Tasty treats for patients...

PEOPLE unlucky enough to be admitted into Torrecardenas Hospital in Almeria City over Christmas will have something to smile about with the Christmas Menu.

Since last Tuesday until Monday, January 6 the kitchen staff are providing shrimp, cod and turkey, amongst other delights to make for

a tastier hospital stay.

For dinner on Christmas Eve there was a delicious traditional seafood soup, turkey drumsticks with mushrooms and natural pineapple dessert and Christmas cakes.

The New Year’s Eve menu will be a cream-based soup, pork loin with mushroom sherry, a sundae for diabetics and pineapple.

On another of the more notable days, Kings’ Day, the patients will have spicy soup, cod with prawns, salad, and a flan for pudding. The Catering Service of the Hospital Torrecárdenas prepares each day an average of 3,000 menus.

During 2012 they served more than a million menus, including breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.

Racing rivals UD Almeria will face Racing Santander in the next round of the Copa del Rey. The two legs are due to be played on January 8 and 15.

Senior concert THE Municipal band of Almeria played a concert for the elderly in front of a full house at the Apolo Theatre in the city.

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N

ews watch

Demolition job

ALMERIA City Hall is to demolish a warehouse unit at the entry of the Pescaderia area of the city in a bid to improve the image and access to the area.

VIATOR held its first commercial fair on Saturday with 18 companies taking part, in the Plaza de la Constitucion.

Festive run MORE than 2,000 people are expected to take part in the 6th ‘San Silvestre Ciudad de Almeria’ fun run on Sunday.

Christmas cheer SCHOOLCHILDREN from several schools in HuercalOvera took part in a carol singing contest held in the town’s theatre.

Golden photos THE Centro Andaluz of Photography in Almeria City currently has on display a photo exhibition ‘The golden forest’ by Finnish photographers Ritva Kovalainen and Sanni Seppo, until March 2, 2014.

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First fair

Cortijo run MORE than 300 runners took part in the first Cortijo de Fraile Race organised by the town hall of Nijar.

Rock on THE Junta has awarded Velez Blanco Town Hall almost €98,000 to consolidate and enhance the rock paintings at the Abrigo de Las Colmenas.

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Drugs found SPANISH TRADITION: Eating 12 grapes for good luck as the clock strikes midnight.

When the bell tolls

M

ILLIONS of people around the world wait to ring in the New Year when midnight strikes.

In Spain, the main focus is on the capital Madrid where the chimes of the clock of the old Royal House of the Post Office, in the Puerta del Sol square, annually ring out the New Year, with the event broadcast on television. According to urban legend, the clock marks the official time in Spain.

The Puerta del Sol is also home to Spain’s ‘Kilometre Zero’, marked with a plaque located in front of the clock.

The plaque was accidentally turned around 180 degrees by mistake in 2002 during reformation work

Quote of the Week IT would only be because of who she is and not because there is any objective evidence’

The defence lawyers of Princess Cristina regarding the possibility of charging her in the Noos case for crimes against the tax office and money laundering.

on the square but renewed during roadworks in 2009 and placed in the right position.

Before midnight, families gather for a meal and when the clock strikes 12 times at midnight, it is traditional to eat 12 grapes for good luck to welcome in the New Year, washed down with cava or cider.

This is believed to have originated in Elche, Alicante, 103 years ago after an excessive grape harvest, although documentation also refers to the event dating back slightly earlier to 1897.

Many Spaniards also don new red underwear on New Year’s Eve, which they later burn for good luck. In many parts of Spain, it is traditional to welcome the New Year by lighting large bonfires.

Number of the week

47,265,321

people are registered as resident in Spain, according to a report resulting from a revision of the official censuses of Spain’s towns this year. This is 0.3 per cent fewer inhabitants than were registered the same time a year earlier.

A MAN has been arrested after a police spot check on the A92 near Chirivel uncovered 10 bundles of hashish with a total weight of 320 kilos inside his vehicle.

Cabbie's Xmas TAXI drivers in the Poniente enjoyed their annual Christmas get together with a meal at the Restaurant Casa Santi in Roquetas de Mar.

Toy joy THE Municipal band of Almeria presented a Christmas concert ‘An evening of ballet’ on Sunday.

People attending the concert handed over a Christmas toy to help children in need at the entrance.

And finally...

The winner of this month’s logo competition is Susan Cortes from Costa del Sol, chosen at random by staff from Discount Furniture Outlet. Susan takes home €100.

How many EWN logos like this can YOU find in this week’s paper? Visit www.euroweeklynews.com to answer, for a chance to win €100 each month!

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NEWS EXTRA

Tower project THE Junta de Andalucia regional government has awarded Nijar Town Hall €204,600 to restore the historic Torre Atalaya.

Fun for kids MOJACAR multiple use centre is open for free kids activities tomorrow (Friday) with bouncy castles and face painting from 6pm.

Moving out ARGENTINIAN centre half, Hernan Pellerano has left UD Almeria, signing for Mexican club Tijuana de Mexico, where he will play alongside his brother.

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It’s a dry year for Almeria THE weather has not been kind with regard to rainfall in the Almeria Province this year with almost 40 per cent less than expected according to data collected by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

This year 2013 has been a hot year with above average temperatures (apart from December) and with rainfall lower than average in virtually all the months of the year.

A spokesman for Aemet, Luis Fernando Lopez Cotin explained that this autumn has been characterised as ‘arid’ in general terms although it was not as warm as other autumns registered in the last decade.

LONG HOT SUMMER: Rainfall down on previous years.

However, the records confirm a warmer Mediterranean area, especially in the month of

October, and the recording of low rainfall has left a ‘pretty dry’ season.

Cotin pointed to a ‘generalised deficit’ of rainfall in Andalucia having between 25 and 50 per cent of the initial estimates. “Fortunately reservoirs have remained more or less full” he has been a dream to be noted. In the case of able to climb those stairs Almeria, he stated that one day. It would be a the rainfall “presented pleasure to play there, but itself very early in I’m focused on the team, September” but was not my land, and hope to stay maintained, with rainfall in Almeria for many years,” 30 per cent below the initial estimate. he said.

Trip a unique experience for Joaquin JOAQUIN FERNANDEZ, the Almeria B midfielder has enjoyed two weeks in England having an eight day trial with Liverpool reserve team.

The 17 year old from Huercal de Almería has

been talking about his trip.

“It was an amazing experience. We should learn from England, here in Spain we love football but there, they live for football.

“There is a big difference

in the running of the clubs and in the environment not only on match days, but also throughout the week, because there the reserve teams play on weekdays.

I felt very excited to visit Anfield, since childhood it

Roman visits the Museum of Almeria THE Museum of Almeria has on display a bronze bust of a Roman boy as an invited piece until February 2.

The bronze sculpture is on loan from the Museum of Cordoba through the

programme ‘Travelling Museums,’ an initiative of the Junta to bring to citizens the richness and variety of the Andalucian heritage preserved in the museums of Andalucia and to show history of

other provinces through temporary exhibitions and the exhibition of unique pieces.

The bronze head fortuitously appeared alongside another more complete sculpture, in

the area known as ‘Las Minas’ in the Cordoba town of Aguilar de la Frontera, and is dated between the second half of the first century and the first half of the second century.

NEWS NEWS EXTRA

Inmate escapes

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26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

Festive fun in Zurgena

AN inmate from Sevilla Prison escaped when he was on a hiking trip with other inmates and asked to go to the toilet. He was serving a sentence for drug-related crimes.

Puppies seized GUARDIA CIVIL seized 146 puppies which had been brought into Spain and Portugal from Slovakia and were being sold with false pedigrees.

Price hike PRICES on state-run toll roads throughout Spain will go up 1.85 per cent on average from January 1, as user numbers have dropped considerably this year.

Ship rescue A CARGO ship travelling between Malaga and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, in North Africa, helped to rescue 41 illegal immigrants who were spotted at sea.

BUSY SEASON: Plenty of Christmas activities in Zurgena.

THE town hall in Zurgena has set up a comprehensive programme of cultural and leisure activities for the festive period.

The programme has been organised with residents of all ages and different interests in mind so that everyone can enjoy the festive period.

As usual, the cooks of Zurgena will have a starring role thanks to the Christmas Cakes Contest, with a prize for the best cake.

Taste, presentation and originality will be

assessed by the judges.

The presentation and tasting will take place tomorrow (Friday), from 4.30pm in the old town hall. There will also be coffee available.

The same day, starting at 11am in the Renfe Hall, Zurgena children will get the opportunity to have fun with craft workshops, which will be repeated on Saturday at the same time, but in the old town hall.

On Sunday, students of music teacher Maria Piernas and the dance school ‘RIA pi ta’ will carry out a performance

in the town’s theatre from 6.30pm.

Similarly, on January 4, the church of San Ramon will host a Concert Choir, with performances from 7.30pm by the choir Choral Maria Auxiliadora of Zurgena along with its children’s choir plus the Voices of Almanzora singers.

On Sunday, January 5, ‘Their Majesties’ will be visiting Zurgena for the Three Kings Parade.

The parade starts at 6.30pm and after its completion, gifts will be distributed at the

El Ejido farmers will receive compensation FARMERS affected by a freak hailstorm which smashed greenhouses have been promised €5 million compensation.

The governing council of the Junta de Andalucia regional government has given the green light to the aid for farmers in El Ejido whose greenhouses were damaged in last month’s storm.

According to data provided by the Junta, the storm damage hit greenhouses over an area of 106 hectares.

Rural Development Programme of Andalucia 2007-2013 will also be included in these payouts, which may benefit the owners of the affected farms, both individuals and corporations.

The maximum amount of aid given will not exceed 40 per cent of cost of the damaged greenhouses and will not exceed €100,000 per farm.

The maximum eligible amount has been set at €15 per square metre for each greenhouse.

town’s municipal theatre and the Neighbourhood Association of La Alfoquía.

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Long delays on A7 after lorry fire A LORRY fire on the A7 motorway near to Almeria City caused seven kilometres of queues.

The lorry caught fire on a stretch of the motorway at kilometre 437 in the direction of Murcia. The traffic soon began to build up and stretched out as far as the neighbouring town of Roquetas de Mar. Several drivers phoned to warn of a big traffic jam on the motorway to the town of Roquetas de Mar, going back to kilometre 430.

Both the Guardia Civil and road maintenance service specified that the delays were due to the vehicle fire, the cause of which remains unknown.

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

NEWS EXTRA

New Year concert THE Convent de Victoria in Vera will hosting a concert the municipal band New Year’s Day 8.30pm.

la be by on at

Benefit match TWO players from UD Almeria, Rodri and Suso, will play in the benefit match ‘Champions for Life’ at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium on Monday night at 7pm. The game has been organised by UNICEF and the Spanish Premier League.

Festival funds THE Almeria Western Film Festival held in Tabernas is to receive funding of €59,000 from the Junta de Andalucia regional government.

Magic show VERA will be hosting a magic show in the Cine Teatro Municipal Regio on Saturday, January 4, at 6pm. The show features the magic of Jason Galdi. Entrance is €4

A racquet MORE than 70 players took part in the Winter Badminton Championships in Almeria City including a category for the under 7s.

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Plea to the king to sort out post chaos

By Stephen Lear WHILE many children write to the Three Kings at this time of year with their Christmas wishes, a group of Mojacar residents have written to the King of Spain with their own special request.

Some 700 residents have signed a petition to voice their concern over the postal service in the town.

Residents have seen their mail being returned to sender, without warning, from ‘apartados’ (postboxes rented inside the Correos post offices).

Many people need to use them because street signage and numbering in Mojacar Pueblo and Playa does not make it easy for postmen to find the right address.

Throughout eight long months, since last April, residents have suffered the loss of important documents, pensions and utility services, as well as receiving huge fines for taxes not being paid in time as warnings were not getting through.

Presenting the petition to Mayor Rosa Maria Cano in front of the town hall in Mojacar Pueblo: left to right: Jim Grey, the mayor, Pam Kavanagh, Annabelle Grey and Susie Mandrake.

Spokesperson for the campaign, Susie Mandrake had a very busy week. First of all, she sent a fax to the king asking for his help with their Christmas mail as he was the one who decreed and signed the postal laws.

The group decided to go straight to the top after getting nowhere with Spanish bureaucracy.

The following day a group went down to the Correos office on Mojacar Playa pleading for a truce and a return to the old way of sorting by ‘apartado’ number and not by name.

Members of the group wore tinsel and carried candles hoping to engender a bit of Christmas spirit with the staff at the office, who actually showed some

Almeria short film fair a great success THE 12th International Short Film Festival ‘Almeria en Corto’ has been hailed as a great success.

Retailers come under scrutiny Photos by 'foto Doni'.

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A total of 9,160 people attended more than 50 activities at the event, which was held from December 3 to 7.

The city’s Head of Culture, Maria Vazquez, was very satisfied, and said: “These figures show an increase in participation of more than 1,000 extra people compared to the previous edition.”

She added: “This year we have made an effort to increase the number of activities as well as inviting national and international film makers, and the public has responded very positively.”

sympathy for their plight.

Immediately afterwards the same group went up to the village and presented Mayor Rosa Maria Cano with the petition and a letter asking her to contact Correos and plead for a Christmas moratorium.

The mayor pointed out that the council is carrying out work to improve house numbering and signposting as fast as it can reasonably be done. But she said it was proving no easy task.

However, once it is done everyone should be sure of getting their mail delivered to their home address rather than having to use a PO box, she added.

The petition was sent last week by fax to the governmental subsecretariat, the first step before going to the European Parliament, and also to the National Ombudsman for restitution of the service if possible and hopefully a slap on the wrist for Correos for causing so much hardship and distress to so many people.

RETAILERS in Almeria Province are coming under scrutiny ahead of the January sales.

The General Secretariat of the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, through its provincial offices and in cooperation with the inspectors of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Commerce, will make a total of 1,108 inspections at establishments during this season’s winter sales and also throughout the summer.

The intention is to improve market transparency and check if the current legislation that applies to the sale of products with reductions is being met.

The first inspections relating to the winter sales started this week and will run until January 7. The second part of the campaign will then start and run until March 7.

Later in the year the other inspections will take place between July 1 and August 31, coinciding with the summer campaign.

Ditch rescue A 64-YEAR-OLD woman who went missing in El Ejido overnight has been found unharmed.

According to sources in the National Police, the woman, who has with intellectual disabilities, had spent the night outdoors and had fallen into a ditch.

After being located, she was transferred to hospital for a check-up and found to be in good health.

The woman had gone out for the night to the Auditorium Theatre but got lost after being separated from her sister.

NEWS

Woman suffers after fire A WOMAN had to be taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after a fire in her home.

The fire started in the kitchen of her flat located in the Pescaderia neighbourhood of the capital. Several calls alerted the emergency services to flames coming out of the second floor of the apartment block in Cordoneros street.

Medics attended to the woman for smoke inhalation and she had to be taken to Torrecardenas Hospital suffering from smoke poisoning.

A crew of firemen continued to work in the area after extinguishing the blaze to damp down and make sure the fire did not flare up again.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de AlmerĂ­a

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Plea to citizens of Almeria city to find hit and run driver

THE search is on for a hit and run driver in Almeria City. The incident happened at night time at 11.15pm.

Lorena Recio was on her way home and was walking across a pedestrian crossing in a street in the capital when she was hit

by on on 17

a car. The victim was struck the thigh and suffered a cut her forehead which required stitches. She had to be

taken to hospital with three broken teeth.

The mother of the victim said that the vehicle had no lights on, so her daughter did not have time to see the car and react.

Customers from a nearby bar ran out to help the victim, but nobody managed to see the number plate of the car.

POINSETTIAS: A Owing to the blow to colourful addition to the thigh suffered by the Christmas. victim a headlight fell off of Spain decorates its the car and witnesses homes with the colourful present believed it was plant at this time of a dark blue car, possibly a Citroen C3 by the year.

The producers start to shape of the broken cultivate the Pascueros headlight.

The family has in August so they are ready for December as requested the cooperathe plant has become an tion of citizens to find the essential part of owner of the vehicle, who Christmas decorations rather than stop and help, fled the scene. for many.

An invasion of the colourful Christmas decorative plants THE Province of Almeria continues to be the market leader in the production of the colourful Poinsettias (Pascueros) Christmas plants.

Every year Almeria exports between 1.5 and 2 million plants that are delivered to the rest of the Spanish provinces and other countries such as France and Portugal.

Even the Royal House

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Guitar museum opens its doors to honour an Almeria legend THE Spanish Guitar Museum, Antonio de Torres, opened its doors on Friday in Almeria City.

The museum is dedicated to ‘the most played instrument in the history of world music’ and Almeria-born guitarist, Antonio de Torres.

The city’s Councillor for Culture, Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco, said:

“Preparations went very well with frantic activity in the museum.

“This is an ambitious project, launched by the city of Almeria, with which we want to honour one of the most illustrious figures of Almeria, the guitarist born in the 19th century in La Cañada, Antonio de Torres.”

The councillor added: “The museum

offers visitors much more than a simple display of pieces, it is a surprising, relevant, educational, interactive and engaging cultural space open to the public.

“It is located in one of the most attractive sites for tourism and culture of the city, in the historic quarter.”

“The museum will be open throughout

the festive period with free entry. After the Easter holidays it will have the same schedule as other museums including Los Refugios and Casa del Cine Museum, with an entrance price of €3 for visitors and €2 for groups.

“Far from being a boring space, the Guitar Museum has prepared a comprehensive programme of activities for children. They can enjoy games and interactive activities in which the guitar will be central focus, del Moro, Rodalquilar and the Las Negras where combining an educational tradition has been part with fun and entertainment for the preserved.

They want new houses whole family.

"We want locals to to have whitewashed walls and use materials enjoy this space and learn which reflect the a little more about the traditional flavour of the history of the guitar, its Mediterranean coast. The roots in the city and the association laments the figure of one of the men fact that the attraction of who best promoted this white towns, fishermen instrument, Antonio de and typical architecture is Torres,” the councillor concluded. completely disappearing.

Cabo de Gata wants to recover its image RESIDENTS of Cabo de Gata have put forward a proposal to attract tourists to the towns.

They want to recapture the town’s former image of pretty white fishing villages and traditional architecture.

The initiative has come from the Neighbourhood Association Virgen del Mar in a request to the Almeria City Hall to develop ‘strict and

BACK TO ITS ROOTS: Cabo de Gata seeks a return to tradition. specific’ neighbourhood planning regulations and

return to maintained

the by

roots other

localities of the natural park, such as the Isleta

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A musical end to the year for the town of Cantoria THE town of Cantoria will say goodbye to 2013 by paying tribute to one of the most revered arts in this small Almanzoran town: that of music.

It is well known among Cantorians that there is a long-lived musical tradition, deeply rooted in the festivities and popular gatherings, resulting in a large percentage of its population being either currently, or formerly, a member of a group, choir

or music class.

Many a Cantorian is able to show musical skill with an instrument, a common element in the homes of the town.

That is why this year the town is presenting the ‘First Weekend of Music’ offering three performances of different styles, with free entry to two different venues.

All the performance feature locals acting and performing at the

SAAVEDRA THEATRE: The unique ‘Musicant’ is on. musical events.

Tomorrow (Friday),

starting at 8pm, the choral group ‘Cantar del Río’ and the ‘Musical group of Cantoria’ will offer a traditional Christmas concert at the Church, Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

The groups, two of the most established in the area, will recite more than an hour of soundtracks, folk music, and of course classic Christmas carols.

On Saturday, starting at 7pm in the Saavedra Theatre, the Fifth edition of the unique ‘Musicant’ takes place.

This festival brings together local musicians of different styles every Christmas. The Youtube

videos of the events have recorded a total of nearly 10,000 views.

The Saavedra stage will host all kinds of musical performers, soloists, choirs, rock bands, collaborations, and others. For two hours they will offer all kinds of musical styles from the present to contemporary right across the board.

The weekend comes to a close on Sunday at 8pm with the work and representation ‘Toros y Coplas,’ a journey through traditional Almeria music that gives a tribute to the composers of the province, with the piano playing of Cantorian, Nieves Sanchez Camacho, and the voice of singer Sheila Solis, presented by Julio Francisco Gonzalez.

All in all a weekend of melodic sound in Cantoria which just like every Christmas will be open to all residents of the region who wish to enjoy the music offered by their local musicians.

Toy campaign to deliver the goods NO children in Almeria province will go without a present because their family is too poor.

That is the aim of a campaign launched by mayor of Almeria, Luis Rogelio Rodriguez Comendador, the president of the Almeria Government, Gabriel Amat, and general delegate in Andalucia of Oriental Caixa Bank, Palanco Michelangelo.

Called ‘Your star toy’ it aims to give toys to children in situations of social vulnerability this Christmas, making sure that no child is left without a present.

This initiative is part of the Obra Social (social works) la Caixa and will see 4,050 toys distributed at more than 90 locations throughout the province.

The scheme started last September when more than €150,000 was spent on school supplies. In this campaign the Provincial Council also played an important role in identifying families in need and distributing school supplies.

NEWS NEWS EXTRA

Drink problem EIGHTY-TWO per cent of youths between 14 and 18 in Spain have consumed alcohol in the past year, according to a Health Ministry survey.

Illegal immigration A MAN is facing 13 years and four months in prison for bringing two illegal immigrants to Malaga in 2006 after taking €1,000 from them after they arrived in Almeria.

Mystery death A PROFESSOR at Granada University, aged 40, was found dead on the campus after his wife alerted security when he failed to come home.

Reaching for the stars...

A NEW Association has been founded to promote the Calar Alto Observatory.

The ‘Friends of Calar Alto’ has a twofold objective - to bring the astronomical observatory, located in the Sierra de Los Filabres closer to the people of Almeria and, secondly, to promote scientific and astronomical research.

People interested in the work of the Calar Alto Observatory formed the Association. The Orion Astronomical and Cultural Association of Almeria group has joined and the Association is open to new members.

Teordoro Vives, director of the observatory for 21 years, is honorary president and the president of the Association of Friends of Calar Alto is Antonio Herrera.

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Forged cards

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26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

Ticket sales

Fire scare FIFTEEN residents of a 12-storey building in Jerez, Cadiz, were trapped on the roof terrace after a fire broke out on the 10th floor and had to be rescued by firemen.

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‘Illegal homes’ scandal growing

A HAULIER, 50, from Barcelona, was arrested for allegedly using forged credit cards to pay more than 200 tolls in Almeria and Malaga.

SIXTEEN per cent more tickets for the Malaga-Madrid high-speed train were sold between February and December this year compared to last year, thanks to lower prices.

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ARBOLEAS: Licences revoked by the Junta.

JUST a few days after the Junta de Andalucia revoked building licences for four properties in the town of Partaloa and 14 in Zurgena, new cases continue to come to light.

The town in question this time is that of Arboleas which has received the news that seven licences granted in the area of Los Carrascos have been revoked. According to sources, in May of this year

International drugs bust arrest THE National Police have arrested 13 people of Spanish, Moroccan and Greek origin, two in El Ejido, during the dismantling of a drug trafficking organisation.

The gang allegedly operated between Morocco and Belgium, with the drugs being distributed in a ‘coffee shop’ in Brussels.

The police operation, which seized 700 kilos of hashish, was carried out by the National Police in collaboration with French and Belgian police,

according to the Directorate General of Police.

The drug was acquired in Morocco and transported by truck to Brussels, where the leader of the organisation distributed it from the coffee shop.

The investigation began in April 2012 when French authorities seized 500 kilogrammes of hashish hidden in a truck bound for Antwerp (Belgium).

The initial investigations determined that there was an international

criminal organisation dedicated to trafficking in hashish with links to Spain, France and Belgium.

Three of the 13 detainees have been arrested in Spain, two in El Ejido and one in Algeciras (Cadiz), where they seized 200 of the 700 kilos in the operation.

Following a search carried out in several Belgian homes they tracked €50,000 to a bank account and found more than two kilogrammes of hashish resin.

the head of Urban Affairs in the Department of the Environment in Seville wrote to Arboleas Town Hall with the instruction to cancel licences for the seven homes.

The properties, although duly registered in the property registry, were built on rustic land, leading to an investigation by National Police. There is currently a criminal case proceeding through the courts in Almeria.

Confusingly the land has been included in the current amendment to the Urban Plan in order to make the land urbanisable and therefore legal.

The conflicting information has drawn the attention of the AUAN which has suggested to homeowners they seek independent advice, as there are cases in which the owners are not even aware of the status of their homes.

12

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014/ Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

Draft regarding new abortion law presented THE Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, presented the draft for the new ‘Law for Protection of the Conceived and Rights of Pregnant

Women.’

The law establishes just two cases in which having an abortion would not be a criminal offence.

The first case is if the woman’s life or physical or mental health are at grave risk during the first 22 weeks of pregnancy.

Arrested after day of luxuries AN ITALIAN woman, 46, was arrested after treating herself to luxuries amounting to €4,200 which she decided not to pay for.

National Police report she got into a taxi in Granada City and asked to be taken to a luxury hotel at the Sierra Nevada ski resort. The driver waited outside the hotel for 90 minutes before she returned.

The previous night, the Guardia Civil had been called to the hotel because she had been

rude to other clients and was asked to leave.

She then asked the driver to take her to the Marbella Club Hotel, without asking the price.

Again, she asked the driver to wait, however, she was not allowed to spend the night there because she had previously run up a debt of €3,000 and stolen an iPad from a hotel manager.

She then asked him to take her back to Granada, where he finally called the police.

FREE RIDE: Taxi to Sierra Nevada.

Or secondly, if the pregnancy is the result of a crime against her freedom or sexual indemnity.

In the latter case, it only applies within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and only if the crime has been reported.

In case of risk to the woman’s life or health, this must be confirmed by two different doctors, which cannot be those who will perform the termination or work at the medical centre where it will be carried out.

If the risk is urgent, the reports will not be requested.

After 22 weeks, induced birth will be recommended except if the foetus presents anomalies which would prevent it from surviving and were not detected earlier, or if the woman’s life is at risk and there is no possibility of saving the baby.

If the baby has anomalies, abortion would still be a criminal offence unless they would cause the woman to suffer mental or psychological damage, or if it would be unable to live.

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

‘Exodus’ camels get the day off SIR RIDLEY SCOTT, film director has given the camels taking part in his film Exodus in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, the day off on January 5 to take part in the Three Kings parade.

Almost all the camels on the island are being used in the film, but Scott has reportedly insisted that they be returned to their respective towns on the day of the parade so that children are not disappointed.

Apparently the producer, Mark Huffam, knew nothing about this until he read it in the press, but he has said all the camels will be available to take their positions in the parades.

NEWS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Father attempted suicide

Madrid train station opens second designer toilet costing 60c to use ATOCHA train station in Madrid now has two sets of paid toilets, costing €0.60 per person.

The 180m2 toilets at the highspeed train terminal at Adif MadridPuerta de Atocha station have been created by Dutch company ‘2theloo.’

The company, the first ‘toilet shop’ in the world, will manage the toilets for seven years, paying €280,000 to railway administration Adif for the authorisation.

The company has already installed 120 facilities throughout Europe, including another in Madrid, at the Jardin Tropical, and one at the

‘2theloo’

14

SURPRISING: Some of the walls have different designs.

Maremagnum Shopping Centre in Barcelona. Most of them are at shopping centres, train stations,

petrol stations, airports and main streets. Some walls have ‘surprising’ designs, the company said.

Paedophile is caught thanks to local thief AN alleged paedophile was arrested in Jaen thanks to a report made

by a thief who stole items from his home.

Police received a call in

which an unidentified searched and he was person said he had arrested and remanded stumbled upon tapes in prison. containing images of He would invite boys child porn which he of around 10 years old wanted to hand over to to watch porn films with the police. He told them him, then to touch he would leave them themselves in front of under a car in one of the him, and eventually, city’s main streets. when they were over 13, They were found in a he would have sex with brown envelope, along them, as at that age, with a typed and there is no sentence printed letter on for consensual an otherwise sex with Camera blank sheet of minors. and video paper.

The It read “I accused is a tapes were have been football coach stolen unfortunate at a local enough to find cultural and these tapes and I sports association, feel obliged to give them so he was in constant to you, so you can do contact with young boys. your job and put this son The abuse would take of a b**ch in prison for place at his office at the life.” headquarters of the After watching the association, as no-one tapes, a man, 64, who would become had reported a robbery suspicious about seeing nine days earlier, was the boys there. identified.

He had Four victims, now 16, claimed small electric who had been abused goods were stolen, but from the age of 10, have said nothing of the been identified. camera and video tapes.

However, there are Police believe the man many more, and it is not who handed them in was yet known when the the thief. abuse began or how The alleged many boys have been paedophile’s home was victims.

THE father of a Sevilla family in which three members died after eating food which had been contaminated, reportedly attempted to commit suicide six months ago.

The man 61, his wife 50, and their daughter of 14 died of poisoning from an unidentified substance.

Their 13-year-old daughter was admitted to hospital as a safety measure although she hadn’t eaten with them and presented no symptoms of poisoning.

An autopsy ruled out them having died from food poisoning, as was initially thought, but it is unknown whether the chemical substance which caused their deaths was inhaled or ingested.

The father ingested a bottle of pills several months ago in an attempt to commit suicide. His wife found him and he was taken to hospital where his stomach was pumped.

However, police handling the case have ruled out the possibility that he attempted to kill himself or his family with poison.

Experts believe the poison was not deliberately put in the food they ate the night before they died, and believe they may have accidentally used a substance thinking it was something else.

The family was receiving council aid to help them pay their expenses.

They had requested a grant from the Junta de Andalucia in October which is currently taking up to 10 months to approve and is for families with no income.

The amount is between €400 and €645 per month for six months.

16

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Stories making headlines in Europe

BRITISH PRESS 42 name changes

New runway

Ticket mark-up

Skeleton buy

Cheaper shop

DENMARK - A rare full skeleton of a huge diplodocus dinosaur sold in Britain was bought by the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

MORE than half of British shoppers say they have been forced to shop in discount stores such as Aldi or Lidl in the last three months.

Grotto found NORWAY - A group of friends has discovered a grotto believed to be around a million years old. The 3.7 kilometre long labyrinth shows no trace of human activity.

Chemicals out DENMARK - Denmark and Norway have reached an agreement to help transport chemical weapons out of Syria, revealed the Danish Defence Ministry.

Mum guilty SWEDEN - A central Sweden court found a woman guilty of trying to kill her own children in an attempted car explosion, after she claimed they “should go with her” into death.

BORIS JOHNSON: ‘IQ of a baked bean.’

Plastic notes

WORKERS are much more likely to drink than those who are unemployed, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

PLASTIC banknotes are to be issued for the first time when the new £5 featuring Sir Winston Churchill appears in 2016.

Top apps SWEDEN - Swedish creations topped Apple’s yearly global app lists, with Candy Crush earning the most money and Minecraft Pocket Edition topping the paid downloads charts.

GERMANY is under increasing pressure to change the way it handles Jewish heirs’ claims for the return of art seized by the Nazis.

Drinking workers

BORIS JOHNSON is happy to accept that he has the ‘IQ of a baked bean,’ after being challenged over his comments on inequality and intelligence.

System cheats MIDDLE class parents are ‘cheating the system’ to get their children into better schools, using methods such as addresses of relatives in the catchment area.

RUSSIAN PRESS Final run

Gay representatives

A TORCHBEARER died of a heart attack after carrying the Olympic flame as part of Russia’s torch relay leading up to the Sochi 2014 Winter Games in February.

IN a move that sends a signal to Russia about its anti-gay laws, the White House announced that the presidential delegation to the Winter Olympics will include two gay athletes.

Burgers arrive

Crooner awarded

SHAKE SHACK, a popular burger restaurant that traces its origins to a pushcart in New York’s Madison Square Park, opened its doors on Moscow’s historic Arbat street.

THE leader of the Russian Orthodox Church presented Joseph Kobzon, the nation’s answer to Frank Sinatra, with a top award for his public service.

BURGERS: First sold from a pushcart in New York.

PRESS Foreign Germans

Heirs’ claims

THEATRE-GOERS and music fans face mark-ups of as much as 38 per cent on the value of some online tickets, according to a Which? study.

IQ acceptance

GERMAN

ONE in five people living in Germany have foreign roots, figures released to coincide with International Migrants Day show. This is an 8.5 per cent rise since 2005.

BUILDING a controversial third runway at Heathrow airport has been shortlisted as one of the options for expansion by the Airports Commission in its first report.

SWEDEN - Forty-two Swedes legally changed their names to KlausHeidi to participate in a Lufthansa competition offering a flight to Berlin and a one-year free apartment rental.

EUROPEAN PRESS

Russia friendly US boxing champion and winner of four world titles Roy Jones says he would love to become a Russian citizen as he says people are “very friendly.”

Eggs up EGG prices in Russia for the first nine months of 2013 rose, on average, by 20 per cent according to data from the Russian Federal Static Service.

Cultural Santa THE Christmas Museum in Rothenburg has applied for Father Christmas to be added to the UNESCO list of cultural heritage so that his Germanic origins are recognised.

Training base THREE-TIME World Cup winners Germany will use a purpose-built training base with 60 bedrooms, a training pitch and a fitness centre in Brazil during next summer’s finals.

Not tweeting ACCORDING to analyst Semiocast, Germany ranks 31st worldwide in terms of public tweets, with 59 million per year. Four million people in the country have Twitter accounts.

No change THE small town of Dietramszell, Bavaria, has refused to revoke the honorary citizenship it awarded to Adolf Hitler in 1933 because ‘it would be a distortion of history.’

Warning letter THIS month, up to 30,000 German households received legal warnings for viewing copyrighted pornographic films via streaming website RedTube.com.

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

MALLORCA

Con-man arrested A MAN has been arrested in Palma for staying in at least six hotels without paying. He claimed he was refurbishing his house and that his insurance company would pay for the expenses.

www.euroweeklynews.com

News from our editions With six editions and read by more than half a million people, EWN is Spain’s largest free local English-language newspaper

TOM MILLER

18

Woman rescued

THE Balearic economy improved by 0.6 per cent during the third quarter of the year, a report by the Economy department claims.

Dog DNA ESPORLES Town Hall plans to make a list with dog DNA in order to identify which animals are responsible for dog droppings in the street and fine the owners.

AXARQUIA

Film location THE town of Nerja has served as a location for 34 film, documentary and TV shootings in 2013. That’s more than double the number in 2012.

Accessibility prize FRIGILIANA Council has been awarded the 2013 Queen Sofia Accessibility Prize in recognition of its efforts to improve accessibility in the town for the disabled.

Secondary venue VELEZ-MALAGA will be a secondary venue for the Malaga Film Festival after the town council reached an agreement with the festival’s organising committee.

Girl injured A YOUNG girl suffered minor injuries after the school minibus she was travelling on was in a collision with a car on the MA3112 road in Benamocarra.

Cucumber market ALGARROBO-BASED company Bio Algarrobo expects to sell around 50,000

Inside job THE porter at a Denia apartment block was accused of seven unsolved burglaries there. He accessed the flats, mostly used in the summer, when owners were absent, later selling the proceeds.

FINESTRAT Town Hall finished the year with a positive balance in its accounts of more than €300,000 said mayor Honorato Algado. The town hall cut 2013 spending by between €1.5 and €2 million.

On the rise

A GIRL was arrested in Palma for sending fake bomb threats via Whatsapp text messages to several people living in Toledo. She claimed she got the idea from a prank website.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

Well balanced

A GERMAN woman, aged 77, was rescued from her house in Santa Ponsa after she fell on the floor and spent a day unable to move.

Fake threats

NEWS DESK

Bicycles safer DONATION: Javea U3A President Peter Allin, centre, presents the cheque to Bomberos Voluntarios President Erich Brenner.

Winter warmer for fire brigade JAVEA U3A has given the Bomberos Voluntarios a winter warmer with the donation of more than €900.

U3A President Peter Allin presented a cheque for €939.36 to the volunteer firefighters at their Balcon al Mar headquarters.

The money was the proceeds of a raffle held during the association’s annual Christmas Extravaganza at the Parador Hotel in November.

ISVH President Erich Brenner, accepting the cheque on behalf of the Bomberos, was extremely grateful for the donation, which he said would go towards running this very valuable service.

The brigade costs around €17,000 a year to run and receives an annual grant of €4,000 from Javea Council (up until this year it was only €2,500 a year!) – so relies heavily on fundraising and donations to survive.

In October, the Bomberos Voluntarios were the first on the scene of one of the worst forest fires in the area for some years when an electrical fault started a huge blaze in the Granadella National Park. Homes had to be evacuated as firefighters, assisted by brigades from Denia and Valencia together with helicopters and planes, tackled the fire. But the Bomberos Voluntarios lost €2,500 worth of equipment fighting the fire and have had to rely on donations to pay for destroyed hoses. kilograms of cucumber in the United States next year.

COSTA DEL SOL

Wrong direction A DRIVER caused two accidents on the A-92 after driving his 4x4 vehicle 11 kilometres in the wrong direction. He was first spotted near Fuente de Piedra.

Mountain rescue THE Guardia Civil Mountain Team from Alora rescued two hikers who were lost in the Sierra de las Nieves due to thick fog.

Wanted man A MAN who was wanted by the authorities in Torremolinos for robbery was arrested in Mijas after he attempted to hide from the police.

Dogs allowed MIJAS Town Hall has made changes to local laws and will allow dogs on El Ejido Beach, which is on the border with Fuengirola.

Strike on STREET cleaners and rubbish collectors in Malaga have gone on strike after failing to reach an agreement with the city council.

DENIA now belongs to Bicycle Cities Network and has a website where owners can register bicycles to assist their recovery if stolen. The €7 fee covers a 10-year period.

Footwear record ELDA factories exported shoes worth €1.8 billion in the first nine months of 2012. Sales to Japan, China, South Korea and Hong Kong have increased steadily throughout the year.

Breathing space VILLAJOYOSA Town Hall extended the time limit for businesses to conform to new by-laws standardising terraces and advertising signs. They now have an extra two years to come into line.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

Student collection STUDENTS from Orihuela’s Villar Palasí school have collected and donated a tonne of food to the Red Cross for its Christmas campaign.

Palm pruning WORK continues on the pruning of palms in Orihuela’s Palmeral. It is expected that 4,000 of the 6,500 palm trees in the grove will be pruned.

Reading club TORREVIEJA’S Reading Club has broken up for the festive period after a successful first term meeting every fortnight in the Municipal Library at 6pm on Wednesdays.

Eyes loaned OVER 200 people are benefiting from Torrevieja’s ‘Lend me your eyes’ programme which sees around 30 volunteers reading to people with mobility and disability problems.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014/ Costa de Almería

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

business & legal

Cinema boost Tax set to fall for movie-goers THERE may be relief for the Spanish film industry as the Spanish government has tentatively agreed to reduce the 21 per cent IVA (VAT) charged on cinema tickets.

Members of the industry have been complaining that the move which sent the tax up from 8 per cent overnight in 2013 was ‘strangling’ the industry.

But while the Culture Ministry has agreed the measure, no figure has been set on the new rate to be applied.

The move comes as part of a package of new financial measures to support the film industry in Spain, which has outline agreement between various ministries and the country’s film industry.

Spanish are still getting poorer...

THE latest figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, prove that Spanish incomes are shrinking.

In June, Eurostat predicted that 2012’s per capita income would be 97 per cent of the Eurozone average. This was recently amended to 96 per cent, pushing Spain back to its 1998 average.

It was a very different story in 2002, when the single currency was introduced. At that point, the average Spanish per capita income was six percentage points higher than the EU’s.

Five years later, although below the Eurozone’s 109 per cent average, Spain’s 105 per cent was higher than

Italy’s, prompting the then government to predict that Spain would soon outstrip France.

That confident forecast coincided with the onset of the economic crisis. The property bubble burst and income spiralled downwards.

Spain is not alone in this as Italy, Ireland and Greece have also given ground and all fall short of Luxembourg’s massive 263 per cent of the Eurozone average or Austria’s 130 per cent.

Neither the European Commission nor the Spanish government expect 2013’s figures to bring any surprises. If the lost ground is to be made up, this will not occur until 2014, both predict.

B

usiness extra

Going it alone THE past year was ‘negative’ for 55 per cent of self-employed workers, researchers found. Thirty-six per cent believed the economy would improve next year, compared with 30 per cent in 2012.

Bond joy THERE was good news for the Spanish Treasury as its last bond auction of the year was oversubscribed.

The Economy Ministry sold €2.54 billion worth of five- and 10-year bonds with the longer term yield at just 4.098 per cent.

Knock-on effect from US THE Spanish and European stock markets were given a boost when the US central bank announced it was reducing the amount of bonds it was buying by $10 billion (€7.33 billion) a month to $75 billion (€55 billion).

In effect this means that the Federal Reserve is reducing its monetary stimulus programme

(or quantitative easing where it prints more money). And that was taken by the stock markets as good news. They took it to mean that the US economy is on the road to recovery.

The move had a knock-on effect around the world as the US economy is hugely important to the global economy.

ACTION: Good news for film ind ustr y.

EWN

19

STAT OF WEEK SPANISH companies exported €175.1bn of goods between January and September; 126,000 firms were exporting during this time, 10.3 per cent up on 2012.

20

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería www.euroweeklynews.com

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C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 456.50 Admiral Group PLC 1240.50 Aggreko PLC 1645.00 AMEC PLC 1052.50 Anglo American PLC 1287.50 Antofagasta PLC 759.00 ARM Holdings PLC 1067.00 Associated Brit Foods 2362.50 AstraZeneca PLC 3590.00 Aviva PLC 426.00 Babcock Intrntnl Group. 1257.50 BAE Systems PLC 435.00 Barclays PLC 260.00 BG Group PLC 1245.00 BHP Billiton PLC 1802.50 BP PLC 475.50 British Amrcn Tobacco 3182.50 British Land Co PLC 610.00 British Sky Broadcasting Gr...881.50

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 5.40 0.00 11.00 0.00 28.00 0.00 9.00 0.00 -22.00 0.00 -3.00 0.00 12.00 0.00 25.00 0.00 -10.50 0.00 3.40 0.00 11.00 0.00 -19.90 0.00 2.25 0.00 -10.00 0.00 4.00 0.00 5.05 0.00 -18.50 0.00 5.50 0.00 1.00 0.00

NET VOLUME 3,566.56 1,147.54 1,243.42 958.92 8,669.20 2,388.33 4,604.16 1,329.57 4,303.71 10,878.52 920.86 18,272.77 77,354.23 9,259.50 18,278.13 64,749.07 6,549.82 5,655.33 3,708.50

See our advert on page 23

0.84259

1.18680 Units per €

United States $......................................................1.37540 Japan Yen ¥ ...........................................................141.767 Switzerland Francs................................................1.22140 Denmark Kroner ....................................................7.46128 Norway Kroner.......................................................8.44958

currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 C O M PA N Y

PRICE(P)

BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC Centrica PLC Coca-Cola HBC AG

372.50 1262.50 1449.00 995.50 2373.00 341.50 1675.00

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G.

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 21

C O M PA N Y MMM 3M Co AXP American Express Co T AT&T Inc BA Boeing Co CAT Caterpillar Inc CVX Chevron Corp CSCO Cisco Systems Inc DD Dupont E I De Nemours & Co XOM Exxon Mobil Corp GE General Electric Co GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc HD Home Depot Inc INTC Intel Corp IBM International Business Machine...

JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co MCD McDonald's Corp MRK Merck & Co Inc MSFT Microsoft Corp NKE Nike Inc PFE Pfizer Inc PG Procter & Gamble Co KO The Coca-Cola Co TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc DIS Walt Disney Co

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 136.72 87.57 34.30 136.67 88.93 122.78 21.13 62.55 98.68 27.36 175.16 80.04 25.06 180.02 92.09 57.70 96.51 49.32 36.80 77.34 30.25 81.84 40.04 89.18 110.66 73.35 48.08 215.97 77.43 72.40

+0.31 +1.16 -0.15 +1.50 +1.39 -0.44 +0.06 -0.16 -0.75 +0.04 +0.39 +0.09 -0.085 -0.20 +0.11 +0.47 +1.37 +0.53 +0.55 -0.92 -0.46 -0.06 +0.18 +0.39 +1.16 +0.96 -0.35 -0.11 +0.19 -0.57

+0.23% +1.34% -0.44% +1.11% +1.59% -0.36% +0.28% -0.26% -0.75% +0.15% +0.22% +0.11% -0.34% -0.11% +0.12% +0.82% +1.44% +1.09% +1.52% -1.18% -1.50% -0.07% +0.45% +0.44% +1.06% +1.33% -0.72% -0.05% +0.25% -0.78%

5.9M 6.3M 34.0M 5.5M 7.4M 9.5M 64.1M 5.9M 23.3M 78.2M 3.8M 11.2M 55.4M 7.7M 11.3M 22.0M 8.0M 16.8M 62.7M 10.2M 62.3M 13.2M 22.2M 3.9M 4.6M 7.5M 17.7M 5.8M 9.6M 13.0M

1.70 -2.00 15.00 8.00 77.00 3.40 49.00

C O M PA N Y

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

NET VOLUME 19,701.19 739.90 1,403.66 1,074.90 2,707.92 21,642.15 728.65

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 6.50 $ 27.33 $ 3.42 $ 6.62 $ 6.43 $ 27.21 $ 7.22 $ 2.50 $ 7.03 $ 7.20 $ 18.03

2.01 / +44.77% 7.81 / +40.01% 0.55 / +19.16% 0.94 / +16.55% 0.91 / +16.49% 3.72 / +15.84% 0.97 / +15.52% 0.31 / +14.16% 0.86 / +13.94% 0.87 / +13.74% 2.10 / +13.18%

$ 2.59 $ 11.52 $ 3.35 $ 21.94 $ 28.79 $ 8.83 $ 2.23 $ 2.12 $ 2.04 $ 29.48 $ 3.78

0.46 / -15.08% 1.73 / -13.06% 0.42 / -11.14% 2.54 / -10.38% 3.21 / -10.03% 0.75 / -7.83% 0.14 / -5.91% 0.13 / -5.78% 0.12 / -5.56% 1.64 / -5.27% 0.21 / -5.26%

Most Advanced Tower Semiconductor Ltd. Responsys, Inc. Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Hong Kong Television Network Limited ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Limoneira Co BlackBerry Limited U.S. Auto Parts Network, Inc. TechTarget, Inc. Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. AtriCure, Inc.

Most Declined Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. China Auto Logistics Inc. TIBCO Software, Inc. InterDigital, Inc. RF Industries, Ltd. Gulf Resources, Inc. The9 Limited ArQule, Inc. Canadian Solar Inc. M B T Financial Corp

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Compass Group PLC 930.00 CRH PLC 1394.50 Croda International PLC 2220.00 Diageo PLC 1950.50 easyJet PLC 1555.00 Experian PLC 1092.00 Fresnillo PLC 673.00 G4S PLC 240.30 GKN PLC 361.65 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1587.50 Glencore Xstrata PLC 304.50 Hammerson PLC 524.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1317.50 HSBC Holdings PLC 665.00 IMI PLC 1238.50 Imperial Tobacco Group 2275.00 InterContinental Hotels 1932.50 International Cnsldatd ... 402.50 Intertek Group PLC 2725.00 ITV PLC 187.70 Johnson Matthey PLC 3175.00 Kingfisher PLC 380.00 Land Securities Group 995.00 Legal & General Group 213.95 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 77.40 London Stock Exchange 1510.00 Marks & Spencer Group 455.00 Meggitt PLC 545.00 Melrose Industries PLC 298.00 Mondi PLC 1020.00 National Grid PLC 780.00 Next PLC 5387.50 Old Mutual PLC 192.50 Pearson PLC 1312.00 Persimmon PLC 1136.00 Petrofac Ltd 1177.50 Prudential PLC 1321.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 3800.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 4614.50 Reed Elsevier PLC 869.75 Resolution Ltd 342.50 REXAM PLC 499.00 Rio Tinto PLC 3275.00 Rolls-Royce Holdings 1217.00 Royal Bank of Scotland 328.00 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2190.00 RSA Insurance Group 92.00 SABMiller PLC 3025.00 Sage Group (The) PLC 397.00 Sainsbury (J) PLC 367.50 Schroders PLC 2505.50 Severn Trent PLC 1659.00 Shire PLC 2735.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 825.50 Smiths Group PLC 1449.00 Sports Direct Intrntnl...

735.00 SSE PLC 1374.00 Standard Chartered PLC 1375.75 Standard Life PLC 348.50 Tate & Lyle PLC 810.00 Tesco PLC 327.25 Travis Perkins PLC 1797.00 TUI Travel PLC 383.70 Tullow Oil PLC 850.00 Unilever PLC 2405.50 United Utilities Group 649.50 Vedanta Resources PLC 1014.50 Vodafone Group PLC 233.00 Weir Group PLC 1975.00 Whitbread PLC 3530.00 William Hill PLC 374.40 Wm Morrison Sprmrkts 256.50 Wolseley PLC 3346.50 WPP PLC 1340.00

CHANGE 6.50 10.00 13.00 -6.00 -14.00 11.00 -1.00 0.00 2.00 0.00 -1.45 -2.60 11.00 4.30 3.00 -4.00 12.00 3.70 11.00 2.10 6.00 7.80 -2.00 3.80 -0.19 25.00 0.80 -2.50 0.30 7.00 -0.50 -35.00 1.20 9.00 12.00 14.00 6.00 -46.00 3.00 8.00 4.90 7.50 26.50 2.00 1.00 17.50 0.45 -39.50 4.90 4.10 41.00 -30.00 7.00 4.00 22.00 -9.50 -17.00 -6.00 1.10 1.50 8.35 33.00 -2.40 -1.50 29.00 -3.00 41.50 1.05 -5.00 39.00 -6.70 1.90 18.00 4.00

% C H G. VOLUME 0.00 8,208.11 0.00 2,915.07 0.00 3,101.95 0.00 6,444.99 0.00 1,039.11 0.00 2,844.35 0.00 1,576.19 0.00 5,076.17 0.00 5,061.27 0.00 15,203.49 0.00 59,070.51 0.00 3,544.89 0.00 572.87 0.00 47,445.41 0.00 1,061.20 0.00 2,495.87 0.00 1,388.92 0.00 20,940.37 0.00 814.11 0.00 17,152.01 0.00 517.53 0.00 7,024.51 0.00 3,461.51 0.00 21,689.81 0.00 142,613.10 0.00 540.95 0.00 5,943.51 0.00 1,766.60 0.00 2,472.53 0.00 3,315.56 0.00 9,968.46 0.00 726.63 0.00 14,229.55 0.00 2,719.62 0.00 1,090.92 0.00 1,382.91 0.00 5,441.22 0.00 704.75 0.00 1,400.27 0.00 4,975.05 0.00 7,275.60 0.00 1,849.88 0.00 8,272.52 0.00 4,486.51 0.00 9,176.21 0.00 7,623.69 0.00 30,721.12 0.00 3,500.59 0.00 4,421.63 0.00 10,492.83 0.00 344.59 0.00 1,553.55 0.00 2,110.38 0.00 2,723.25 0.00 1,138.26 0.00 2,748.92 0.00 4,226.78 0.00 5,975.43 0.00 5,079.67 0.00 1,129.66 0.00 42,643.84 0.00 1,137.97 0.00 3,654.43 0.00 3,958.45 0.00 3,177.81 0.00 2,316.85 0.00 5,617.73 0.00 123,194.50 0.00 1,273.06 0.00 529.86 0.00 4,510.83 0.00 7,549.32 0.00 752.74 0.00 3,868.80

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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SPAIN should reduce the cost of redundancy pay-offs for large businesses, according to an international think-tank.

The 2012 labour reforms drastically reduced the amount long-standing workers were entitled to when made redundant.

The reform cut severance pay for permanent workers from 45 days of wages for each year worked to 33 days.

On top of that, the maximum they could receive was slashed from 42 months’ salary to 24 months. But, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) despite that helping to reduce labour costs, more is needed.

The OECD Review of the 2012 Labour Market Reform in Spain says that, despite the still difficult economic environment, more firms have been hiring workers on permanent contracts since the law was passed.

However, it adds, more needs to be done to reduce the unemployment rate that stood at

BENEDIKT VON LOEBELL - WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM - OECD

Call for lower pay-offs for sacked workers

STEFANO SCARPETTA: ‘Spain is on the right track.’

26.7 per cent in October.

Presenting the report in Madrid, OECD Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Stefano Scarpetta said: “Spain’s on the right track to gradually reduce unemployment. The reforms are already making an impact. But further efforts to better support

job-seekers and to provide firms with greater options to adjust in difficult times are still needed.”

The OECD estimates more than half of the 3.2 per cent decline in labour costs in the business sector between the end of 2011 and the second quarter of 2013 is due to the labour reform package.

The reform has also encouraged firms to hire more workers on permanent contracts, although the effect on hiring on temporary contracts appears more limited. About 25,000 additional new permanent contracts are being created each month thanks to the reform,

largely among firms with fewer than 100 employees, estimates the OECD. But half of all unemployed people have also been out of work for 12 months or more, more than double the level before the crisis. Further action is therefore required, claims the report, to boost job creation, promote the reintegration of the unemployed back into jobs and make further progress in reducing the still widespread segmentation of the Spanish labour market.

Changes to collective bargaining agreements and dismissal regulations have helped give firms greater scope to use an internal adjustment strategy to respond to a shock - via wages and working hours - rather than dismissing part of their workforce, says the report. But Spain remains one of the OECD countries with the most generous severance pay requirements.

The OECD suggests reducing over time the severance costs for large employers to align them closer with OECD and European averages.

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E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Seven steps to a happy 2014 Loose change A look at finance for females

Jane Plunkett jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

GET out your duster, knock those cobwebs off your piggy bank and get in gear to make next year a financial success!

The start of a new year is always a great time to forget past mistakes and begin afresh, with a renewed eagerness to sort out any financial

mess that may have accumulated in 2013.

The dawn of a new year calls for a fresh approach to saving, paying off debt and getting money matters in order.

So, in preparation for the upcoming year of 2014, here are some handy resolutions that will promise to get your financial house in order.

1. Be informed: Track every cent of your spending. Know exactly where money is going and that way changes can be made in February and further into 2014.

2. Lighten the load:

Get rid of any holiday debt that may have built up on credit cards and the like as soon as possible.

It’s hard to make financial progress if burdened down with interest-heavy debt.

3. Be smart: Don’t blow a Christmas bonus or a holiday cash windfall on Champagne to ring in the new year. Put it securely away, you never know when unexpected costs will arise.

4. Slim down: Go through your monthly bills and figure out what things you can live without - maybe a

Town hall refuses to accept estate’s new infrastructure

subscription to a music app that you never use or magazine collection that you never have time to read.

5. In case of emergency - be prepared: Start up an emergency savings fund to take the pressure off sudden expenses.

6. Winter-clean bank accounts: Get rid of any old accounts that are not used and which leave you subject to inactivity fees, potential identity theft, and other dangers.

7. Put 10 per cent of your salary away: While a 10 per cent savings target is a good goal, that figure doesn’t have to be written in stone. If you’re not regularly saving anything

BUSINESS EXTRA

Deal done SEAT will dismiss 201 of its office workers. Following negotiations with the unions, the car-maker has agreed to pay compensation of between 40 and 50 days worked per year.

Rich produce EARNINGS for Spain’s farmers and growers rose by 10 per cent this year. This was the third largest increase in the EU after the Netherlands and Romania.

Property hike GOOD HABIT: Regular saving. at all, it’s OK to start with perhaps just 3 per cent or 5 per cent. Simply getting into the habit of being a consistent saver is what’s important.

HOUSE prices rose by 0.7 per cent between July and September, compared with the previous quarter, said the National Statistics Institute (INE).

This did not herald a changing trend, analysts warned.

Q. In a new development of detached villas, the town hall has refused to ‘accept’ the maintenance of the streets, lighting, water supply and sewage drains installed by the developer. It wants them improved before it takes them over.

Our questioner wants to know if the town hall must control this You and the process and if so, is it then obligated Law in Spain to contribute to the yearly costs of

By David Searl the community.

A.E. (Costa Blanca) A. Unfortunately for the community the answer is no to both of these questions.

As set out in Spain’s Land Law - Ley del Suelo - all of the power is on the side of the town hall. No, it does not have to control the process. It simply decides whether to accept the installations or not.

If it decides that the lighting system is not good enough to meet the original requirements, the dispute passes to the homeowners and the developer.

Who will pay for the improved system?

In some extreme cases, where the developer has gone broke or disappeared, the homeowners have had to pay out thousands of euros to ensure that their services continue. In your case, you may have to go to court against the developer.

Finally, the town hall has no responsibility to contribute to the community’s expenses. After all, it will

BARCELONA FOOTBALL CLUB: Under the spotlight, as well as other Spanish teams.

Ugly place for beautiful game

have to maintain these services in the future as normal municipal services.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952-667090

THE EU is probing seven top Spanish football clubs.

Financial support received by Barcelona and Real Madrid, amongst others, will be examined to establish whether it complies with state aid directives.

Brussels suspects the clubs could have benefited from favourable official treatment that put them at an advantage over others both nationally and internationally.

The government will “fight to the end to defend Spanish clubs,” warned Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo.

Not only Barça and Real Madrid but also Osasuna and Athletic de Bilbao were accused of not complying with EU rules by becoming public limited companies.

Regarding Valencia, Elche and Hercules, the EU will examine deals struck between the clubs and Valencia’s regional government. They received loans totalling €118 million on favourable terms but have returned only €18 million.

Re-zoning Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground and Athletic’s new San Mames stadium will also come in for scrutiny.

A complaint was initially lodged in 2009, when it was claimed that aid given to certain Spanish clubs could be up to several billion euros.

If the clubs are found guilty, they would have to repay the amount and possibly pay large fines as well. This would have a crippling effect on most of the teams and on Spanish football in general.

OPINION & COMMENT

Rights of one are harming those of many REGARDING your article about a transsexual child at a Catholic School in Malaga (Costa del Sol, Issue 1485) while I understand that the situation must be complicated for both the child and its parents, I wonder if they have stopped to think about the effect their demands could have on a number of other people?

A school, which has been educating children for many years, is facing loss of funding because of this matter. This would mean that parents would have to pay more for their children to attend the school, some may not be able to do so.

If the school was eventually forced to close, this would affect the lives of those who work there, as well as the other students and their families. Should this Catholic school really be forced to change its rules to suit one family? Could that one pupil not be moved to a school where their demands would be met? The matter of wearing a girl’s uniform or being called by a different name may be easy to implement, but how can a child who is physically a boy be allowed to share the girls’ toilet?

I can’t help thinking that this sixyear-old should be left, with due respect, to get on with his life, as all this controversy is doing him more harm than having to wear trousers to school possibly could, and when the time comes, he can officially change his name and gender to that of a woman.

Alfreda Torres Baxter, Mijas (Malaga)

Where is the loss?

JUDGING by the recent wellpublished seizure of counterfeit goods in Benidorm and Mazarron, it would appear that there is a concerted effort by the authorities to clamp down on such selling.

Commendable? Maybe, but I question their motives. Their overriding concern should be that such products do not contravene health standards but now it seems their principal reason for seizure is what is claimed to be the commercial loss that is being suffered by legitimate traders.

Seriously, nobody who buys a watch, shirt or handbag in a

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Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10, P-62, Polígono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29631 Benalmadena, Málaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887

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

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absent owners in unlicensed, unregistered and therefore illegal keyholders. Whilst some carry out this service as friends, many are paid illegally, taking black money and paying no social security or tax.

Why do owners believe that someone who is dishonest with the authorities will be honest as a keyholder?

Opportunities for dishonesty are easily taken. Properties let out without the owner’s consent and pocketing the cash. Properties let out by the keyholder for one rate but paying the owner considerably less. Properties let out for a longer period than the owner is aware of, with the keyholder again pocketing the difference. I have seen examples of the above, so owners beware!

Bill Andrews, Mojacar (Almeria)

Another scam

EARLIER this year we went to the wonderful town of Segovia. This is a picture I took of its Roman aqueduct.

By Andy Milford, Javea (Alicante)

market believes they are buying an original designer item, so to claim that every counterfeit sale is a loss to Gucci, Prada et al is ridiculous. Nobody who could afford to buy an original would buy a fake, so where is the loss?

Spain is in danger of going down the French route and making it an offence to possess fake products, a law that is enforced merely to protect the likes of Hermes and others and to maintain their exclusivity.

Ken Bethell, Puerto de Mazarron (Alicante)

Perfectly safe WITH reference to your recent articles about the ‘Death Walkway’ in El Chorro, (Costa del Sol, Issue 1485) I would like to point out that I, several of my friends and family and even my 11-year-old son have enjoyed a walk along the Caminito del Rey numerous times – and thoroughly enjoyed it every time.

It is perfectly safe, as long as you follow the correct safety procedures with the appropriate safety equipment. The walkway has bolts and and steel cable to

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.

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attach yourself to. In fact, I would recommend it to anyone as one of the highlights of a visit to El Chorro, although the inexperienced should go with a guide. You refer to “climbers who risk their lives to traverse it” as though it is a foregone conclusion that someone will fall – absolute rubbish! Local climbers are the people who take care of the walkway; they are not careless idiots with a death wish.

Marc Colbert, El Chorro, Alora (Malaga) Editor's note: The Caminito del Rey is a walkway around the El Chorro gorge in Malaga which has earned notoriety on YouTube for its apparent

danger. It is to be repaired and refurbished.

Case confusion THE case of Sergeant Blackman, Royal Marines, must go down in history as the quickest yet. Tried, convicted and sentenced in record time.

The case of the two British terrorists who ran down an unarmed man and then hacked him to death in front of a dozen witnesses seemed to go on for ever.

As an ex-veteran of World War II, I am disgusted at the military commanders’ lack of support in this case.

In the other case, I am confused with the complaint of the terrorist; he said it was against the bombing of his people? I did not know that we had bombed any towns in the UK, as he was born in England.

S Anselmi, Torrevieja (Alicante)

Owners beware IT never ceases to amaze me the level of trust that is placed by

WITH respect to the person who wrote about the gypsy ladies in Malaga, warning people to be careful in last week’s Euro Weekly News (Letters).

There is another scam going on in the Albox (Almeria) area at the moment.

People are pretending to be deaf and dumb and shove a clipboard in your face asking for money. I have seen them at the car boot sale and around Mercadona.

Be careful as it is a big con so do not hand over money to these people, and the police are on the lookout.

Maureen Cavendish (By email)

Congratulations!

I WOULD like to congratulate everyone at the Euro Weekly News for what has been a very informative read over the last year.

Your articles are always well written and cover the local news well. Your puzzle page has kept me entertained for a couple of hours every week and I always like to read your columnists.

I enjoy a lot reading the Letters page and I also find all the Street Talk matters very interesting.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the team a Happy New Year and I look forward to reading your newspaper in 2014.

Carmen Gonzalez, Moraira (Alicante)

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

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E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

“CATALUÑA, Cataluña, Cataluña. It’s all **** Cataluña.” So complained one middle-aged, middle-class Spaniard born and bred in central Spain.

The sentiment is common in monolingual regions where there is scant sympathy with Spain’s various separatist movements.

It is tempting to suggest that the national government wants everybody focusing on Cataluña and not other political issues.

But Catalan independence is a huge political and constitutional issue for Mariano Rajoy.

Meanwhile, Cataluña’s regional president Artur Mas has painted himself into a corner.

If he wants to remain in power - and what politician does not? - Mas must placate ERC, the nationalist republican party that provides the CiU coalition with its parliamentary majority.

ERC wants a referendum on the right to decide Cataluña’s future and Mas has now announced it for November 9, 2014.

If Cataluña truly wanted independence Mas would have obtained an overall majority when he called early elections over the same issue in November 2012.

The EU’s president Herman Van Rompuy has spelled it out time after time: if one part of a country declares independence, it

Commundad de Madrid

Making a date Cassandra Nash

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

leaves the EU. The separatist parties might rubbish this warning, but voters will not and Mas knows it, too.

All bets are off THE national government and the Madrid regional government bent over backwards - and forwards - to accommodate Sheldon Adelson.

The American casino magnate was going to locate his multi-hotel, multi-casino multibillion Eurovegas project in the Madrid suburb of Alcorcon.

Now he has scrapped his plans after obtaining concession after concession. The Spanish government was even looking for ways to tailor the anti-smoking laws to his liking. Insiders hint that Adelson wanted to back out of the deal and saved face by piling on the demands.

Despite the visible disappointment of Madrid’s regional president Ignacio Gonzalez, there were sighs of relief

Sheldon Adelson with president of Community of Madrid, Ignacio González. elsewhere. Complying with all of Adelson’s demands would have been the political, ethical and possibly financial equivalent of selling the government’s soul to the devil.

Rajoy is on his way IT took two years to materialise but Mariano Rajoy has at last received his White House invite.

This materialised after he and Barack Obama met briefly at the gym in the Johannesburg hotel where both stayed for Nelson Mandela’s funeral. The date is set for January 13.

Forget the corridors of power, diplomacy is now conducted on gym treadmills.

Reading the future THE PP and PSOE, Spain’s principal parties, view the May 2014 European elections as mini-primaries. Their respective candidates’ results will supposedly provide guidelines for making up electoral lists for May 2015’s municipal and regional elections.

But what will the results prove? They are viewed with apathy at the best of times and only hard-core card-carriers are likely to vote in five months’ time.

Hard-core card-carriers do not decide elections. The votes of the vague, the uncommitted and the downright capricious are the real deciders.

Mike Walsh Mike Walsh. Based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.

W

AS there ever more elegance and style than when women wore fur stoles, veils and dress gloves?

I am reminded of US President Reagan’s wife Nancy Reagan when being received by the Pope. Wearing a veil, this otherwise ordinary lady is transformed into an almost saintly figure.

Actress Sophia Loren expressed femininity as few can, especially when wearing a face veil or stole. Approaching her eightieth birthday she still adds to her allure by wearing a broad-brimmed hat and veil.

So did countless other fashion icons such as Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn, the opera diva Maria Callas. Given these stars’ enigmatic beauty and presence, can today’s fashion icons hold a candle to them?

Actresses and film stars, even at the beginning of their careers, could flaunt it immodestly. All that was necessary to turn heads and attract admiring glances was to

toss a fur stole over their shoulders with a certain élan.

Pulling on filigree-laced elbow-length dress gloves underscored elegance and style. For added allure, a fashionable hat and pretty face tantalisingly half hidden by a veil.

This was at its most effective when decorously done, as by Princess Diana.

Dress gloves showed real taste. Their being seductively pulled on or off exposed a man’s weakness for a woman’s slim hand and forearm.

A real lady never removed her glove to shake a hand, men were obliged to. It put emphasis on the difference between the genders.

Shawls are another social matter. I never met a woman who wasn’t devoted to either her shawl or stole.

Stoles were worn for style in high places whilst shawls were for those considered less fortunate. Popular in Spain too, flamenco artistes swirl a shawl with mesmerising effect.

Of course, the donning of such fashion accessories demanded confidence without which the gesture was rather pointless.

Oh, they had plenty of that too.

I recall being a passenger in a New York yellow cab; I was a 16-year-old sailor at

the time. The lights changed and the world stopped for everyone in sight of her. Fascinated, we all watched a young woman, almost certainly a film star, as she crossed Fifth Avenue to approach Macy’s department store.

Dressed in what passes for fashion today she would not be an exceptional woman. Not on this occasion. She was taking Errol Flynn’s advice. Walk like you own the earth. For a few brief moments she did so.

With her sweet nose in the air and aware that all eyes were on her she flaunted her femininity as few can: Marylyn Monroe comes to mind. The image of her as she flamboyantly crossed that busy city avenue stayed with me all these years.

The Beatles crossing Abbey Road could never match her panache.

SOPHIA LOREN: Still elegant.

Credit: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

The true age of elegance

FINANCE

EUROPEAN PRESS 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería 26 December

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Where Are You Tax Resident?

The issue of where you are resident for tax purposes can be more complicated than many people realise. If you get it wrong, you could face a tax investigation. If the tax authority wins its case, you could have to pay a large and unexpected tax bill, with interest and penalties.

Even if you get it right, you may still have to argue your case, so it is important to be armed with all the facts and keep up-to-date and detailed records.

Residence is a matter of fact. It is where you spend your time. Each country uses different domestic rules to work out who is resident for tax purposes. If you satisfy these rules, you are resident there for tax purposes and liable to tax there, very often on worldwide income and gains.

Therefore, you cannot choose where to pay tax.

You can however choose where you spend your time, to determine your tax residence.

By Neil Jenkins, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks You can also choose when to sell assets, to determine where you pay tax on the gains. But this is where it gets complicated. It is easy to slip up and specialist guidance is essential.

In Spain, you are resident for tax purposes if you spend more than 183 days here a year. You will also be resident if your “centre of

economic interests” or “centre of vital interests” is in Spain. As a resident, you are liable to Spanish income, capital gains and wealth taxes on your worldwide income, and subject to the Spanish succession tax rules.

Likewise if you are resident in the UK you are liable for UK tax on your worldwide income and gains.

However, the UK residence rules are far more complex.

Prior to April 2013 the concept and definitions of “residence” were not defined within UK legislation.

Taxpayers had to rely on previous case law and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) guidance to determine their residence position.

The rules contained many grey areas and some taxpayers inadvertently fell foul of these.

The new Statutory Residence Test, in effect since April 2013, provides more certainty going forward, although it is still complex.

It is based on a combination of day counting and the number of ties you have with the UK. For three years the old and new rules work side by side.

For those affected, the position during the three years prior to the introduction of the new statutory residence test is relevant to how the new test is applied.

HMRC are still catching up with people over their residence position several years ago. Two recent court cases highlight the importance of taking expert advice, and following the advice carefully and keeping meticulous records.

Mr and Mrs Rumblelow, living in Portugal, lost a court case with HMRC over their residence status and now have a tax liability of £600,000 to settle.

On the other hand, HMRC lost a similar case against Mr Glyn, who saved around £5.5 million in tax through very careful planning and

record keeping over his move to Monaco.

Unless your situation is straightforward - and you are you sure it is? - it is essential to take specialist advice from an adviser who is up-to-date and experienced with the residency and tax rules of both the UK and Spain, or whichever countries you have ties with, and, importantly, how the two tax regimes interact.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change.

Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com

28

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de AlmerĂ­a

Thursday

Friday 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:10pm BBC London News 2:25pm Open All Hours: A Celebration 2:55pm Len Goodman's Perfect Christmas 3:35pm Enchanted 5:10pm Megamind 6:40pm BBC News 6:55pm BBC London News 7:05pm Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Miranda 10:00pm Death Comes to Pemberley 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:15pm BBC London News 11:20pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 12:00am Not Going Out

BBC2/

BBC2/ 10:35am Earthflight 11:35am Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball 1:05pm Emma 3:00pm Operation Snow Tiger 4:00pm Operation Snow Tiger 5:00pm Final Score 6:15pm You Have Been Watching...

David Croft 7:15pm Dad's Army 8:45pm University Challenge 9:15pm Idris Elba: King of Speed 10:15pm Ben and James Versus the Arabian Desert 11:15pm King Arthur 1:10am Dracula

ITV/ 12:00pm The Flintstones 1:45pm ITV News and Weather 2:05pm Casper 4:00pm Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Behind the Magic 5:00pm Off Their Rockers 5:30pm The Nation's Favourite Elvis Song 7:00pm ITV News and Weather 7:15pm Emmerdale 8:15pm Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 11:05pm I Am Britney Jean: Britney Spears' Road to Las Vegas 12:05am ITV News and Weather

Saturday BBC1/

BBC1/ 2:05pm Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit 3:25pm Alice in Wonderland 5:05pm Cars 2 6:45pm BBC News 7:00pm BBC London News 7:05pm Gangsta Granny 8:15pm EastEnders 8:45pm Still Open All Hours 9:15pm Death Comes to Pemberley 10:20pm Len Goodman's Perfect Christmas 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:15pm BBC London News 11:25pm Match of the Day 12:55am Have I Got a Bit More News for You

10:30am Africa 11:30am Earthflight 12:30pm War and Peace 3:50pm How the West Was Won 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm The Choir: Sing While You Work 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm Idris Elba: King of Speed 10:00pm Ben and James Versus the Arabian Desert 11:00pm Cast Away 1:15am Ambassadors

ITV/ 11:25am Dickinson's Real Deal 12:25pm Batteries Not Included 2:25pm ITV News and Weather 2:40pm Step Up 4:45pm The Chase 5:45pm Downton Abbey 7:35pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm You've Been Framed!

9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Vicious 10:35pm Bridget Jones's Diary 12:20am ITV News and Weather

CH4/

ITV2/ 12:25pm Emmerdale 1:30pm Coronation Street 2:40pm Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 5:20pm Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones 8:10pm You've Been Framed!

9:15pm Johnny English 11:00pm Celebrity Juice 12:00am Hot Fuzz

10:30am What a Girl Wants 12:40pm Emmerdale 1:40pm Garfield 2: A Tail of Two Kitties 3:20pm Horrid Henry: The Movie 5:15pm Casper 7:15pm Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith 10:00pm The Shawshank Redemption 12:55am Celebrity Juice

10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The King and I 2:05pm Channel 4 Racing 4:35pm Deal or No Deal 5:35pm Come Dine with Me 6:35pm Hollyoaks 7:05pm Channel 4 News 7:15pm 4thought.tv 7:20pm Independence Day 10:00pm Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2013 12:05am Alan Carr: Chatty Man

BBC1/ 11:00am Saturday Kitchen 12:30pm Nigel Slater's New Year Suppers 1:00pm Football Focus 1:45pm Saturday Sportsday 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm BBC London News 2:15pm F1 2013 - A Record Breaking Year 3:15pm Bargain Hunt 4:15pm Call the Midwife 5:30pm Final Score 6:10pm BBC News 6:20pm BBC London News 6:30pm Celebrity Mastermind 7:00pm Pointless 7:50pm Up 9:15pm Atlantis 10:00pm Death Comes to Pemberley 11:00pm The National Lottery Live 11:10pm BBC News 11:30pm Match of the Day 12:50am Rogue

ITV2/

SUNDAY-

SATELLITE CHANN

BBC2/ 10:40am Africa 11:40am Ice Princess 1:10pm Revenge of the Bridesmaids 2:35pm The Accidental Husband 4:00pm Ben and James Versus the Arabian Desert 5:00pm Flog It! 6:00pm The Guns of Navarone 8:30pm Dad's Army 9:00pm 100 Years of the Palladium 10:00pm I Am Number Four 11:40pm Charlie Brooker's 2013 Wipe 12:40am Ambassadors

ITV/

11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 11:55am The Simpsons 12:25pm The Simpsons 12:55pm Aliens in the Attic 2:35pm Doctor Dolittle 4:15pm Deal or No Deal 5:15pm Come Dine with Me 6:20pm The Simpsons 6:50pm Hollyoaks 7:20pm Hollyoaks 7:50pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm 4thought.tv 8:05pm Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking 9:00pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 10:00pm The Inbetweeners Movie 11:55pm Queer as Pop: From the Gay Scene to the Mainstream 12:55am Chic

CH4/

TV LISTING

www.euroweeklynews.com

10:00am Deadtime Stories 10:25am ITV News 10:30am The Home of Fabulous Cakes 11:30am Murder, She Wrote 12:30pm ITV News and Weather 12:35pm Dinner Date 1:35pm Midsomer Murders 3:35pm The One and Only Cilla 5:05pm Off Their Rockers 5:35pm Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 6:35pm ITV News London 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 8:00pm All Star Family Fortunes 9:00pm The Cube 10:00pm The Jonathan Ross Show 11:15pm ITV News and Weather 11:30pm The Holiday

CH4/ 12:00pm The Big Bang Theory 12:30pm The Big Bang Theory 1:00pm The Simpsons 1:30pm The Simpsons 2:00pm Channel 4 Racing 4:35pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 5:00pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 5:35pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 6:05pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 6:40pm Channel 4 News 7:00pm George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 8:00pm The Italian Job 10:00pm The 50 Funniest Moments of 2013 12:05am The Inbetweeners

ITV2/ 1:40pm You've Been Framed!

2:10pm Peter Andre: My Life at Christmas 3:15pm The ITV2 Panto 4:45pm Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith 7:30pm Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 10:00pm The Bourne Supremacy 12:10am Celebrity Juice 12:50am Plebs

Sky1/ 11:00am World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars 12:00pm WWE Experience 1:00pm The Simpsons 1:30pm Modern Family 2:00pm Modern Family 2:30pm The Middle 3:00pm The Karate Kid 5:30pm Moonfleet 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Moonfleet 10:00pm Mad Dogs

11:00pm A League of Their Own 12:00am Banshee

SkyMoviesComedy/ 6:00am Ghostbusters II 7:55am Ernest Saves Christmas 9:30am Bad Santa 11:15am Iron Man 3 Special 11:45am Failure to Launch 1:25pm Frozen Special 1:55pm The Guilt Trip 3:35pm National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 5:15pm Runaway Bride 7:15pm Cool Runnings 9:00pm Identity Thief 11:00pm This is 40 1:15am The Guilt Trip

29 December BBC1/ 7:00am Breakfast 10:10am Match of the Day 11:30am Father of the Bride II 1:15pm MOTD2 Extra 2:00pm BBC News 2:15pm Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave 2:45pm Shrek: The Pig Who Cried Werewolf 2:55pm Monsters vs Aliens 4:20pm That Puppet Game Show 5:00pm Comic Relief 2013 6:00pm Songs of Praise 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm BBC London News 7:00pm Countryfile 8:00pm Antiques Roadshow 9:00pm Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 11:05pm BBC News 11:20pm BBC London News 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:50am The Football League Show 2:05am Weatherview 2:10am BBC News

BBC2/ 7:00am This is BBC Two 7:10am Natural World 8:00am Antiques Road Trip 9:00am Antiques Road Trip 10:00am Antiques Road Trip

11:00am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30pm The A to Z of TV Cooking 1:20pm EastEnders Omnibus 4:15pm Ben and James Versus the Arabian Desert 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Force 10 from Navarone 8:15pm Porridge 9:00pm Morecambe and Wise in Pieces 10:00pm Michael Palin in Wyeth's World 11:00pm QI 11:30pm 2013: Moments in Time 12:30am TOTP2 2:00am Ambassadors 3:00am The Abominable Snowman 4:25am Countryfile Christmas Special 5:20am Holby City

ITV/ 8:35am Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil 8:45am Om Nom Stories 8:50am Om Nom Stories 8:55am Share a Story: The Winners' Journey 9:20am Horrid Henry 9:30am Victorious 10:00am Deadtime Stories 10:25am ITV News 10:30am Storage Hoarders

www.euroweeklynews.com

TV LISTING

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

Monday SkyMoviesAction/

3:30pm

NELS/

Multi-Oscar winning film about Maximus, a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor who, before his death, chooses Maximus to become heir over his own son. A power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death. Unable to save his family, Maximus losses his will to live and allows himself to get captured and put into the Gladiator games to meet his death. The only desire that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge.

2:55am Bad Santa

SkyMoviesChristmas/ 9:40am Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas 11:00am Jingle All the Way 12:45pm Miracle on 34th Street 2:30pm Miracle on 34th Street 4:30pm Elf 6:15pm Jingle All the Way 8:00pm Miracle on 34th Street 10:00pm Elf

SkyMoviesAction/ 11:00am Skyfall 1:25pm Spider-Man 3:30pm Gladiator 6:05pm Skyfall 8:30pm The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

BBC2/

11:30pm Gladiator 2:05am Lockout

TCM/ 12:30pm Tarzan and The Slave Girl 2:00pm Ed Sullivan's Rock N' Roll Classics 2:30pm Ed Sullivan's Rock N' Roll Classics 3:00pm The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show 3:30pm The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show 4:00pm Face of a Fugitive 5:30pm Montana 7:00pm The New Frontier 8:00pm Ed Sullivan's Rock N' Roll Classics 8:30pm Ed Sullivan's Rock N' Roll Classics 9:00pm The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show

2013 Sunday 11:30am Sunday Side Up 12:30pm Sunday Scoop 1:30pm ITV News and Weather 1:35pm Inside the National Trust 2:35pm Midsomer Murders 4:35pm Love Your Garden 5:35pm Just Henry 7:35pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Catchphrase 9:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm The Break-Up 1:10am Rugby Highlights 2:10am The Store

CH4/ 6:25am Suburgatory 6:50am The Treacle People 7:00am The American Football Show 7:55am Boo, Zino and the Snurks 9:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:30pm The Big Bang Theory 2:00pm The Simpsons 2:30pm Inkheart 4:30pm Channel 4 News 4:55pm Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events 7:00pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me

BBC1/ 2:20pm The One Show 2:50pm A Question of Sport 3:20pm Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out 3:45pm WALL-E 5:15pm Mary Poppins 7:30pm BBC News 7:50pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm Shrek Forever After 10:00pm EastEnders 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:10pm BBC News 11:25pm BBC London News 11:30pm Comic Relief 2013 12:30am BBC News: The Editors

Gladiator (Film, 2000)

•Russell Crowe •Joaquin Phoenix •Connie Nielsen •Oliver Reed •Richard Harris

Tuesday

8:00pm Bear's Wild Weekend with Stephen Fry 9:00pm Speed with Guy Martin 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats 11:00pm Rude Tube 12:05am Mashed 2013 12:40am The Inbetweeners 1:10am The Inbetweeners 1:40am The Inbetweeners 2:10am American Football Live 5:45am Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind 5:50am Countdown

ITV2/ 6:45am The Hot Desk 7:00am The Hot Desk 7:10am Emmerdale Omnibus 10:15am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:50pm The Xtra Factor 2:50pm Peter Pan 5:00pm Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 7:30pm Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 10:00pm Shaun of the Dead 12:00am Pitch Black 2:05am MC Hammer's Big Shot Academy 3:05am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 3:35am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 4:15am No Reservations

11:00am Earthflight 12:00pm The Great British Bake Off 1:00pm The Great British Bake Off 2:00pm Antiques Road Trip 3:00pm Ice Station Zebra 5:20pm Attenborough and the Giant Egg 6:20pm Flog It! 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm A Culture Show Special 8:30pm Dad's Army 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Sacred Wonders of Britain 10:30pm The Thirteenth Tale 12:00am Mel Smith: I've Sort Of Done Things

ITV/ 11:25am Dickinson's Real Deal 12:25pm The Railway Children 2:35pm ITV News and Weather 2:50pm Dinner Date 3:50pm Catchphrase 4:50pm Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed 6:35pm You've Been Framed!

7:00pm Aussie Animal Island 7:30pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:30pm Quantum of Solace 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm The Game 2:05am Jackpot247

CH4/ 11:20am The Big Bang Theory 11:50am The Big Bang Theory 12:20pm The Simpsons 12:50pm The Simpsons 1:20pm Space Chimps 3:00pm Coraline 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Celebrity Come Dine with Me 7:00pm Hollyoaks 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:05pm Gok Does Panto 9:00pm Jamie's Festive Feast 10:00pm Doggy Styling 11:00pm Twit of the Year 12:30am C4's 30 Greatest Comedy Shows

ITV2/ 12:45pm Emmerdale 1:15pm Coronation Street 1:50pm Coronation Street 2:25pm Horrid Henry: The Movie 4:20pm Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 6:50pm Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi 9:30pm You've Been Framed!

10:00pm Love Actually 12:45am Celebrity Juice

EWN

29

Wednesday BBC1/

2:15pm BBC London News 2:20pm The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian 4:35pm Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five 5:00pm How to Train Your Dragon 6:30pm Top of the Pops 7:30pm BBC News 7:45pm BBC London News 8:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Two Doors Down 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:15pm The Graham Norton Show 12:15am Gary Barlow's Big Ben Bash Live 12:55am New Year's Eve Fireworks

BBC2/ 11:00am Earthflight 12:00pm The Great British Bake Off 1:00pm The Great British Bake Off 2:00pm Antiques Road Trip 3:00pm First Knight 5:05pm The Queen's Palaces 6:05pm Flog It! 7:00pm Celebrity Eggheads 7:30pm Blackpool Big Night Out 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 10:00pm Tudor Monastery Farm 11:00pm Mock the Week 11:30pm Dara O'Briain: Craic Dealer 12:30am Jools's Annual Hootenanny 2013

ITV/ 12:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 1:00pm All Star Family Fortunes 1:45pm ITV News and Weather 2:05pm The 'Burbs 4:00pm The Cube 5:00pm The Nation's Favourite Dance Moment 6:30pm Off Their Rockers 7:00pm You've Been Framed!

7:30pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Aussie Animal Island 9:00pm Mamma Mia! 11:10pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm 2013: A Funny Old Year 12:15am Vicious 12:45am ITV News and Weather

CH4/ 11:50am The Simpsons 12:20pm The Simpsons 12:50pm Imagine That 2:55pm Home Alone 3 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:25pm Hollyoaks 7:55pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Deal or No Deal 9:00pm Celebrity Fifteen to One 10:00pm Alan Carr's New Year Specstacular 12:05am The 50 Funniest Moments of 2013

ITV2/ 10:15am I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here Now! Trials and Tribulations 11:20am What a Girl Wants 1:30pm Emmerdale 2:00pm Coronation Street 3:05pm You've Been Framed!

3:40pm Beethoven's 2nd 5:30pm Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi 8:10pm Mr Bean's Holiday 10:00pm Hot Fuzz 12:25am Celebrity Juice

BBC1/ 12:55pm Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice 1:45pm The Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year Message 1:50pm BBC News 2:00pm BBC London News 2:05pm Gangsta Granny 3:15pm The Sound of Music 6:05pm Kung Fu Panda 2 7:25pm BBC News 7:35pm BBC London News 7:45pm Gnomeo and Juliet 9:00pm EastEnders 10:00pm Sherlock 11:25pm BBC News at Ten 11:40pm BBC London News 11:50pm Match of the Day 1:20am The Graham Norton Show

BBC2/ 12:15pm Year's Day Concert from Vienna 2014 1:40pm The Many Faces of Michael Caine 2:20pm The Eagle Has Landed 4:30pm Sports Personality of the Year at 60 5:30pm Final Score 6:20pm The Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year Message 6:25pm University Challenge 6:55pm The Terminal 9:00pm Nature's Weirdest Events 10:00pm Glasgow Big Night Out 11:00pm Stanley Baxter 12:00am The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme 12:40am The Resident

ITV/ 10:25am Murder, She Wrote 11:25am Columbo 1:20pm Dickinson's Real Deal 2:25pm ITV News and Weather 2:50pm Uncle Buck 4:40pm 50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments 6:40pm The Illusionists 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 11:30pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:50pm 2013: A Funny Old Year 12:50am The Jonathan Ross Show

CH4/ 10:20am How I Met Your Mother 10:50am The Big Bang Theory 11:20am Planet 51 1:05pm Deal or No Deal 2:05pm Channel 4 Racing 4:40pm The Simpsons 5:10pm Big 7:10pm Channel 4 News 7:20pm The Karate Kid 10:00pm David Blaine 11:20pm Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2013 1:20am Alien

ITV2/ 10:35am The Mighty Ducks 12:45pm Emmerdale 1:15pm Casper 3:10pm Ice Age: The Meltdown 5:00pm The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 7:10pm Johnny English 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Love Actually 12:40am Two and a Half Men

30

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Arrogant warlords forget Raj is over LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT

D

ONE it again, haven’t we? Poked our arrogant noses in to ‘save’ a foreign country and achieved precisely nothing.

Nothing except more hatred and the deaths of more of the cream of our precious young men and women.

Right at the outset of this doomed Afghan engagement, I asked why we thought we could be more successful than the might of the Soviet forces, which had to withdraw with tails between their legs.

The answer is, of course, we haven’t been. We left Iraq in chaos and despair and now we’ve done the same in Afghanistan. When are our ‘masters of war’ going to realise that long gone are the ‘glory’ days of the Raj, when we

REDEPLOY: Troops should be used for better purposes.

steamed into foreign climes, slaughtered the ‘insurgents’, installed our own hierarchy, pillaged all we could carry and sailed off into the sunset, congratulating ourselves that despite robbing them of their culture, we had left behind a stable and enriched democratic population? Give us a break!

Within days of the last British warrior making his/her exit from this latest conflict, all the ground they have fought for at such cost will be taken back by swarthy, bearded men in Toyota trucks, waving Kalashnikovs and screaming ‘Allah Akbar’.

Within a few months the poppy fields will be blooming and, if the left wing had its way, they would probably be subsidised by British aid. Will no one rid us of these dangerous idiots?

One of the UK’s main political parties lives in a world of blissful self-satisfied ignorance and the other in a complete cocoon of jealousy. In the middle there are others who, whatever they think, will never get a majority. Which just about sums up how ignorant and confused the human race actually is.

After all, we are the ones who have invented the parties we

think can run our existence! It’s time to start looking after ourselves. We need to bring all our troops home, put them in charge of our borders and use them to build up our defences.

We need to withdraw all our foreign aid and let these people sort out their own problems.

We simply must clamp down severely on any new immigration and tell Brussels to go take a running jump. Get out of the EU. Re-establish trade ties with our Commonwealth countries (if they’ll have us) and start to rebuild the UK back to where it was before the EU disaster and before the Blair brigade decided to use it to further their own ends. Please God, in the New Year at least begin to introduce some common sense at last.

A million thanks for all your mail, interest and good wishes.

Fingers crossed for our futures.

And, whatever ya do in it, always keep the faith.

Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com

ODDS AND ENDS

Red Facebook A YOUNG Taiwanese tourist in Melbourne, Australia was so engrossed using Facebook on her mobile phone that she walked off the end of a pier and had to be rescued by police.

Alligator trade A FLORIDA man failed in his bid to trade a four-foot alligator for a 12-pack of beer. State wildlife officials cited him for possessing, illegally taking and attempting to sell the reptile at a Miami convenience store.

Natural only TWO months before Rio’s famed Carnival gets under way, a samba school is looking for dancers ‘without silicone breast implants’ and offering a free costume in exchange.

There’s always a cracker of a Christmas party somewhere Nora Johnson

CHRISTMAS PARTIES: Who is going to make an ‘idiot’ of themselves this year?

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

I

N the UK, the Christmas party has been making a bit of a comeback after the corporate cutbacks that followed the financial meltdown.

But venues and event organisers say there’s been an uptake in reservations outside the premium party period, with the season starting earlier in November and stretching way into January.

As one events organiser put it: “An event in January allows us to rebadge it as a ‘thank you for 2013,’ but also to introduce company plans and visions for 2014 - more of a New Year, new vision event.” Good grief! When will the season ever end?

Well, whenever they take place there always seems to be a party somewhere celebrating something, doesn’t there? But

how did this all start? One major influence on our culture is that of American TV shows. First it was ‘trick or treat’, then ‘Valentine’s Day’ and ‘Father’s Day.’ Now we have school proms, baby showers. What next? Reception class prom? Nursery school prom? Baby’s first potty training prom?

Added to this there’s also the issue of commercialisation and one-upmanship.

Card shops, newsagents and florists are

coining it in. If there’s an occasion, there’s a card and decorated mug for it. If there isn’t, one’s invented. And parties are all so competitive now.

I recall great children’s birthday parties from way back with home-made food, games (pass-the-parcel, family charades and so on), balloons and a small party bag on leaving. Now, it’s a competition to have the best-themed, most bizarre, most costly party ever.

To the list of ‘celebrations,’ though, you can add ‘Secret Santa’, ‘Office Birthdays’ and ‘Office Leaving Parties.’ What a load of nonsense! People you can’t stand, being insincere about people they can’t stand either! But it’s worth making an exception for Christmas parties to see who’s going to make a complete idiot of themselves.

As a final thought, don’t people behave really oddly at this time of year? There’s crying and singing and bad party hatwearing and fighting and philandering and that’s just management. I remember a drunk bloke from HR asking me once at a Christmas party: “Nora, what do you think of me as a woman?” I replied: “You’d be terrible, you should stick to being a bloke.”

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon. Profits to Cudeca.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

EWN

35

New Year’s Eve treasure hunting on the beach T

HERE are worse events to attend.

But, if it concerns a festive moment previously ritualised and noted on the calendar of life as an obligatory fun day celebration of mirth and happiness - New Year’s Eve has gotta be the worst.

Why, you are just required to have fun that night or deny to the world - you didn’t. Everyone around you expects it.

A happening so pretentious, affected, vainglorious and hypocritical it reeks of instant distrust, doubt, misgivings and a truly bad time.

So it happened back in 1972 at our bar the La Gaviota; the hub of the universe at the time.

Everyone was there, overly dressed, overly excitable and overly pretentious. I just had to leave.

A stroll on the beach was better than phony gratuitousness.

I calculated if I walked long enough I would miss the bewitching hour of wishing glad tidings to people I would rather see thrown in a small bull ring.

The air was chilled but not cold, the stars sparkled fiercely but no moon, so it was as damn dark. A calming solitude prevailed and I had a contented smirk plastered across my face and felt clever and irreproachable for the first time in a long time.

I sat down in the course sand of my wanderings and tried to see the lights of ships out to sea, but it was truly a cloak of darkness.

Raptured in my reverence for solitude and

Ric Polansky

LOOKING BACK IN MOJACAR

Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer.

He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: Everyone expects you to have fun on that one night of the year. the dark I stared vigorously into nothing and felt better for it. Then I heard that cantankerous sound: Ssssst, Sssssst.

No it wasn’t a large snake but a well known parochial cry for instant attention - rapidly. I had heard it too often in the truck stop cafes I frequented.

The call reeked of lack of education and civility but hearing it on the beach mystified me.

Sitting quietly I gazed about and there but five metres from me a man arose, face blackened, in commando style with a large bag slung over his shoulder.

Within moments a truck pulled up alongside the coastal road and flashed its lights twice. He stood and looked at my frozen presence, reached into his large bag and threw something toward me and whispered loudly “stay put for 10 minutes, don’t move, don’t move.”

Well, I was just shocked and bothered enough to obey. He then rushed up to the awaiting truck and off they sped, lights off down the road heading toward Mojacar.

After a few moments of contemplation I decided the better part of valour was sprinting back to the

party and losing myself in the reverie, drinking as much as possible and fitting right in.

Getting away from the bomb heaved at me made me feel good and I hugged and kissed everyone, including those previously destined for the bullring.

Home alone that night in my own reveries I kept wondering why the bomb didn’t explode. Why did he tell me to wait 10 minutes? The event disturbed me and left many unanswered questions.

The natural progression of them was to return to the site at first light and inspect the scene.

The riddle must be solved.

Just before dawn I was there and didn’t have to walk too far before I saw the cardboard package, no markings on the outside and stapled shut.

Would it explode?

Yet, Pandora’s box had to be pried open. Inside was a surprise. Very clearly a gift from a camouflaged King for Reyes, a new Norelco electric shaver, contraband from Morocco.

Destined for those

wanting to buy an expensive gift very cheaply in the market stalls, well below normal

value for gift giving on Kings Day (January 6).

They would all be cheated. After three days

it quit working for me.

When it did whir and whizz it never cut a hair from my chin.

36

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014/ Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

China’s unique cultural heritage: 2,000-year-old Terracotta Army Peter Fieldman Prado London-born journalist and author, Peter spends his time between Paris and Madrid.

His novel ‘1066 The Conquest’ available on Amazon or www.1066TheConquest.com

www.pfieldman.blogspot.com

I

The huge building housing the Terracotta Army. Left: A kneeling warrior.

TONYV3112

T was 1974 when local peasant farmers came across fragments of clay while digging a well on a hillside in Lintong Province, about 35 kilometres east of the Chinese city of Xi’an in the Shaanxi region.

They had no idea that it would lead to one of the major archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. After more pieces began to appear news spread and it was not long before archaeologists moved in to investigate.

To their astonishment the initial excavations uncovered not just broken clay objects, but life-size figures standing in trenches in symmetrical formation. Since work began on the site, over 8,000 soldiers as well as more than 500 horses together with weapons and chariots have appeared out of the ground to become one of the wonders of the world.

The origins of what has become known universally as the Terracotta Army date back more than 2,000 years. After defeating the warlords of the Seven Kingdoms at the end of a period known as the Warring States, which lasted from 475-221BC, Qin Shi Huang-di became the first emperor of a united China. Under his rule, which only lasted for 15 years, China developed a centralised administration, established land ownership with a tax system, built a network of roads to expand economic links, and created a standardised written language which became the pillar of Chinese culture.

The emperor died in 210BC and was buried in a mausoleum near his capital city, Xi’an. Today the only sign of his burial place is a large hill, visible from far away, but although it has not yet been

excavated, experts believe it covers a vast hidden city complete with buildings, the emperor’s tomb and bronze and ceramic objects.

It had been the tradition for emperors to take their administrators, government officials and workers with them into the next life as well as valuable objects and be buried in tombs together whether they wished to die or not. But it seems Qin Shi Huang decided he would rather be accompanied by terracotta or baked clay models

instead of real people.

According to historians, there may have been a change of mentality in Chinese society, but they believe the emperor may have also considered that terracotta figures would be immortal whereas human bodies would decay. Whatever the reasons, Qin Shi Huang decided that he wanted to be with his soldiers in the next life.

He set in motion a monumental project to build an army out of clay, a material which was abundant in the region, within the space of a year. This posed a considerable logistics’ problem as two weeks were required to mould each warrior. However, one of the most significant discoveries by archaeologists was that no warrior was the same. Each had its own physical appearance. This ruled out the use of a single standard mould, so how were the soldiers made within the time limit imposed? The answer was manpower.

Tens of thousands of craftsmen and workers must have been conscripted to put into effect the emperor’s wishes working around the clock to create his army. While

Preserving the past Apart from creating 8,000 individual warriors another mystery was how the terracotta soldiers and bronze weapons could have remained in such perfect condition after being buried for over 2,000 years. Experts found that the Chinese had developed a method of mixing oxide of chrome with salt to seal surfaces, a technique only patented in Europe in 1938.

it is possible that the legs may most visited museum complexes have been made from a single complete with a shopping and mould, clay was stretched into restaurant village and extensive coils to form the soldiers’ bodies parking facilities. Lucky visitors and heads so each warrior would might have the chance to see the be unique. A soldier’s armour now elderly farmer who consisted of 500 small limestone discovered the site, in one of the plates held together with museum shops where he bronze wire, and often makes a craftsmen had to personal Latest carve the design into appearance. exhibition in the bodies of the The Terracotta clay warriors as well Army has travelled Madrid lasts as adding personal the world with until March copies exhibited in features such as headgear, eyebrows, many cities. The latest moustaches and beards. temporary exhibition is in Thus soldiers of different rank the Fernan Gomes cultural centre with different uniforms and in the Plaza de Colon in Madrid weapons could be recognised. and lasts until March 2014. It Forty years after the first comprises 150 exhibits including excavations, work is still full-size soldiers, horses, weapons continuing. Construction of the and objects as well as a first buildings began in 1976. The 50-minute-long documentary main site, larger than a football explaining the origins and pitch, became a huge covered creation of this priceless treasure hall and two adjacent buildings which is a unique example of with further excavations have China’s ancient cultural heritage. ©Peter Fieldman been added. It is one of China’s

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26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

Time Out

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

Famous quote

‘

There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.’

Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973), Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer.

in history

Women’s wit

‘

An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her.’

Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976), English crime writer.

World of English In a hotel, Yugoslavia: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.

K a k u ro

ALMERÍA weather for next 7 days

TOMORROW

TODAY

VELEZ RUBIO

VELEZ RUBIO

ALBOX HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA

GARRUCHA GARRUCHA

MOJACAR MOJACAR ALMERIA

ALMERIA

RETAMAR

RETAMAR ADRA

Alicante TODAY:

Benidorm

CLEAR MAX 21C, MIN 14C Mon - 14 9 S Tues - 16 10 S Wed - 17 11 S

20 13 C 15 10 Cl 13 9 S

CLOUDY MAX 21C, MIN 14C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 16 10 S Tues - 18 11 S Wed - 20 11 S

21 16 Cl 17 12 Cl 15 11 Cl CLEAR

Mon - 13 10 S Tues - 15 11 S Wed - 16 12 S

Fri Sat Sun -

17 11 Cl 13 8 Cl 11 7 Cl S Sun,

MAX MIN

Mon - 13 8 Sh Tues - 15 9 Cl Wed - 15 9 Cl Cl Clear,

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Mon - 15 8 S Tues - 17 9 S Wed - 19 10 S

20 14 C 16 11 C 15 9 S

15 10 C 11 7 Sh 10 7 Sh

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 15C, MIN 11C

Fri Sat Sun -

18 14 Cl 15 12 Cl 13 10 S

MAX MIN

Mon - 12 8 Sh Tues - 13 9 Cl Wed - 13 8 S

MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 14 10 Cl Tues - 14 12 C Wed - 15 12 S

Murcia

TODAY:

SHOWER MAX 12C, MIN 8C

Fri Sat Sun -

11 2 C 6 -1 C 5 -1 C

MAX MIN

Fog,

SHOWERS MAX 18C, MIN 14C MAX MIN

Mallorca SHOWERS MAX 9C, MIN 5C

MAX MIN

Madrid MAX 13C, MIN 6C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

19 14 Cl 14 10 Cl 12 9 S

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

Fri Sat Sun -

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MAX MIN

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

MAX MIN

ROQUETAS

Malaga

CLEAR MAX 18C, MIN 16C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

ADRA

ROQUETAS

C Cloudy,

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 7 Tues - 9 Wed - 9

-1 Cl -1 C -1 S

Sh Showers,

CLEAR MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

21 12 C 16 8 S 14 7 S

Sn Snow,

MAX 22C, MIN 12C MAX MIN

Mon - 15 7 S Tues - 17 8 S Wed - 19 8 S Th Thunder

Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

‘

This week 1606: William Shakespeare's ‘King Lear’ is performed at the court of King James I of England.

1863: American President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, which ends slavery in the rebelling states.

1879: American inventor Thomas Alva Edison makes the first public demonstration of his incandescent lightbulb.

1895: The world's first commercial film screening takes place at the Grand Cafe in Paris.

1908: An earthquake kills more than 100,000 people in Sicily.

1922: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is established.

1960: France performs a third nuclear bomb test in the Sahara desert.

1973: The United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community.

1975: New legislation that introduces women’s right to equal pay comes into force in the UK. 1978: King Juan Carlos ratifies the current Spanish constitution.

1990: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s spiritual leader, upholds a death sentence on writer Salman Rushdie for alleged blasphemy in his novel ‘The Satanic Verses.’

1994: A gunman shoots two women to death at an abortion clinic in Boston, US. 1999: Vladimir Putin takes over the Russian government after the resignation of Boris Yeltsin.

2002: The new European currency, the Euro, reaches the streets of 15 countries.

2004: More than 200,000 people in 13 countries die after a tsunami hits Southeast Asia.

Lottery deadlines Due to early deadlines over the holiday period the Euro Weekly News Time Out pages went to press before the lottery draws. Next week (Issue 1487) our printing slot will also be too early for the draws. We will be back to normal the following week (Issue 1488).

Good luck and have a prosperous New Year!

38

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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Time Out EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

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.

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.

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

ENTERS

TANGLE

ESTATE

TENDED

HUNTER (10)

TESTED

LUSTER

TITLED

NEATLY

TRAMPS

The names of which products complete these famous advertising slogans?

IF ITʼS YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK Although you may be looking for someone or something special in the months ahead, perhaps you are asking too much. When the time is right it will happen. Meanwhile, enjoy the festive season.

4 Erased, 8 Manger, 12 Elders, 16 Charts,

Your Stars

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 M) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

December 31: Anthony Hopkins, 76. Welsh film, stage and television actor.

December 28: Denzel Washington, 59. American actor, director and producer.

January 1: Sophie Okonedo, 45.

British actress winner of an Academy Award for her role in Hotel Rwanda.

December 30: Ellie Goulding, 27. English singersongwriter and actress.

LLAPISSERA/WIKIPEDIA

December 26: Jared Leto, 42.

American actor, musician, singer and songwriter.

December 29: Jude Law, 41.

English actor, director and producer.

Joan Manuel Serrat, born December 27, 1943. Serrat is a Spanish singer and songwriter, considered by society and musicians as one of the most influential figures in popular Spanish and Catalonian music, with a discography of more than 30 albums. He has recorded several records with Joaquin Sabina, another Spanish singer.

1. A ------ ------ works wonders 2. Ah, -----!

3. And all because the lady loves----------- ---4. ---- calling!

5. Don’t say brown, say ----6. I bet he drinks ------- ----- ----7. Nothing acts faster than -----8. My goodness, my -------9. Happiness is a cigar called -----10. Beanz meanz -----

Nonagram

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.

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.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Keep energy levels high by being at the hub of any social activities. 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. Someone who makes a nuisance of themselves may be introduced to a friend who would appreciate their company more.

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.

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

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70

JSTONE / SHUTTE

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 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.

SIDING

1 Metres, 2 Nearer, 3 Desert, 5 Giants, 6 Girdle, 7 Seated, 9 Tweeds, 10 Tinsel, 11 Smiles, 13 Asters, 14 Centre, 15 Milder, 17 Wheels, 18 Farmer, 19 Desire

M

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.

SHOUTS

DREAMS

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

SHUTTERSTOCK.CO

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.

SCARED

DARTED

RATHER

FEATUREFLASH /

Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley. Runtime 109 minutes.

Rated 15.

RESORT

ASTUTE

TARGET: Average: 11

Very good: 20

Good: 14

Excellent: 24

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION abet, able, bale, bare, bate, bear, beat, beer, beet, belt, beta, blat, brae, brat, carb, crab, abler, acerb, baler, beret, betel, blare, blear, bleat, brace, bract, caber, cable, celeb, rebec, rebel, table, beater, beetle, berate, rebate, treble, retable, bracelet, ERECTABLE, CELEBRATE

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.

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.

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.

Word Ladder LEAP

DAYS

Move from the start word (LEAP) to the end word (DAYS) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder.

You must only change one letter at a time.

LEAP LEAS LESS LASS LAYS DAYS

In the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth.

Secretary Delacourt will stop at nothing to preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium, but that doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in by any means they can. Max trires to bring equality to these polarised worlds.

ADORNS

10-Star Quiz END OF PART ONE…

1. DOUBLE DIAMOND, 2. BISTO, 3. CADBURY’S MILK TRAY, 4. AVON, 5. HOVIS, 6. CARLING BLACK LABEL, 7.

ANADIN, 8. GUINNESS, 9. HAMLET, 10. HEINZ (BAKED BEANS)

Elysium

H ex a g r a m

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

NEW ON DVD

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Crosswords

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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Cryptic

Quick

Unscramble the name of a famous former Formula 1 racing driver: POLAR SAINT

Across 1 Dance in Burma, after a fashion (5) 4 Truck going round cold polar region (6) 9 Aunt Sal became an eastern rulerʼs wife (7) 10 The same name or a presenter (5) 11 Make a phone call and get the engaged signal (4) 12 Calm down, silly sausage! (7) 13 Able to store vegetables (3) 14 Social sphere (4) 16 Biblical character in Rogetʼs Thesaurus (4) 18 Old Bob is a relative (3) 20 In a row about bar seat (7) 21 Emperor and head of state welcomed by sailor (4) 24 Amalgamate in that summer gear (5) 25 For a change, American Rick is nauseous (7) 26 Most recent set of directions, with the last given in full (6) 27 Singing John, the Spanish heavyweight (5)

Unscramble the name of a sovereign state in Eurasia and its official capital city: IT IS A BIGGER OIL FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: ALAIN PROST. GEORGIA, TBILISI

Play on Words TOREDOTH CLAREDW

place where Clint Eastwood was mayor (6) 8 Father backed a horse, heʼs a heathen (5) 13 Axes midwivesʼ sweetheart in clear direction (8) 15 Exotic raw rice for the flight staff (7)

17 Madagascar mentioned in famous opera (6) 18 Weird warts produce fodder (5) 19 Damaged gunʼs fine on the inside (6) 22 A good person isnʼt a revolutionary (5) 23 Old language discovered in Alexander Selkirkʼs story (4)

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 8 represents N and 16 represents V, so fill in N every time the figure 8 appears and V every time the figure 16 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.

Across 1 Simple (4) 3 Ponder (8) 9 Smartly sophisticated (7) 10 Cloth woven from flax (5) 11 Moved stealthily (5) 12 American native (6) 14 Hidden (6) 16 Bird (6) 19 Animals (6) 21 After some time (5) 24 Similar (5) 25 Affronts (7) 26 Approximation (8) 27 Inquires (4)

Down 1 Work out (8) 2 Landscape (5) 4 Gain possession of (6) 5 Compact (5) 6 Scandinavian country (7) 7 Lease (4) 8 Armed engagement (6) 13 Sightseers (8) 15 Pharmacy (7) 17 If not (6) 18 Aid (6) 20 Vapour (5) 22 Stories (5) 23 Not clothed (4)

KNOWS KNEW KNEW KNEW KNEW Answers: Red in tooth and claw, A nose for news

Down 1 Getaway destination in the Azores or Tenerife (6) 2 Fruit swallowed by some Londoners (5) 3 Not at home in Bulawayo (4) 5 Reads about his salad preferences (8) 6 Punish sailor at a blare of the horn (7) 7 Desert animal going across river in

Funagram

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Visual, 4 Rally, 9 Raiment, 10 Party, 11 Eyed,

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

12 Marathon, 14 Spiral, 16 Let rip, 19 Abridged, 20 Trot, 23 Niece, 24 Echelon, 25 Pilot, 26 Nausea.

Down: 1 Varlets, 2 Suite, 3 Aces, 5 Alphabet, 6 Lurcher, 7 Steak, 8 Hymn, 13 San Diego, 15 Israeli, 17 Petunia, 18 Newer, 19 Anna, 21 Rules, 22 Whoa.

QUICK Across: 1 Raspberry, 4 Get, 6 Bless, 8 Stein, 9 Dance, 10 Child, 11 Secret, 13 Camera, 16 Spice, 17 Reads, 19 Steam, 20 Event, 21 Pen, 22 Mistletoe.

Down: 1 Ribbons, 2 Spend, 3 Rasher, 4 Genuine, 5 Tired, 7 Sincere, 10 Charade, 12 Crimson, 14 Apostle, 15 Crumbs, 16 Sleep, 18 Sweet.

Across 1 Gust of wind (5) 4 Costras (médico) (5) 7 Diente de león (9) 8 Todo (en su totalidad) (3) 10 Abuchear (3) 15 Too much (excessively) (9) 17 Dueño (de casa, coche, perro) (5) 18 Stage (of a journey) (5) Down 1 Tail (of dog, bull, ox) (4)

2 Bacalao (3) 3 Ass (donkey) (4) 4 Semilla (4) 5 Notice (intimation, warning) (5) 6 Enviar (4) 9 Limón (fruta) (5) 11 Hatred (4) 12 To roast (4) 13 Vendaval (4) 14 Moon (4) 16 Wave (in sea, lake) (3)

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Regalos, 5 Buy, 6 Beso, 7 Carve, 9 Ham, 11 Stuffing, 14 New, 15 Girl.

Down: 1 Ribbons, 2 Ganso, 3 Log, 4 Stocking, 5 Birth, 8 Elf, 10 Asar, 12 Toy, 13 Fun.

40

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

TOP 10 YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRES

SPONSORED BY For solutions: http://www.euroweeklynews.com/puzzle-answers.html

PEOPLE usually think of billionaires as men in their sixties but many young men and women between 25 and 35 years of age hold some of the biggest fortunes in the world.

This week’s Top 10 takes a look at the youngest billionaires in the world.

1. Mark Zuckerberg Zuckerberg, aged 28, launched Facebook from his college room and turned it into one of the world’s most successful companies.

While his wealth has taken a big hit following Facebook’s disappointing launch on the stock market, he is still worth an estimated €10 1 billion.

2. Yang Huiyan A Chinese woman, aged 32, who gained her money when her father transferred his own wealth to her in 2005. Her father started a successful Chinese high-end estate company, Country Garden. She has an estimated fortune of €6.1 billion.

3. Scott Duncan Scott, who recently entered his thirties, became a billionaire in the old-fashioned way.

He inherited all his money from his late father, owner of an energy pipeline company.

He is worth an estimated €3.9 billion.

4. Dustin Moskovitz Dustin, aged 29, was Zuckerberg’s room-mate and co-founder of Facebook. No longer working for the company, he now works for the Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s charity firm ‘Giving Pledge’ as well as pursuing new business startups.

His fortune is estimated at €2.7 billion.

App of the Week Snapchat Snap a photo or a video, add a caption, and send it to your friends. They'll view it, laugh, and then the snap disappears from the screen. Available for iOS and Android devices.

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Stephen King is back BOOKS books@euroweeklynews.com

AMERICAN horror, suspense and fantasy writer Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels with ‘Doctor Sleep.’

The highly anticipated sequel to ‘The Shining’ follows the life of Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of the original story, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel.

‘Doctor Sleep’ resumes the

story of the now middle-aged Dan, living in an alcoholic anonymous community in New Hampshire willing to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism and violence.

Dan, who works at a hospice where he provides comfort to the dying with his ‘shining’ power, meets Abra Stone, a 12-year-old girl who seems to have the brightest shining ever seen.

Together they must run away

5. Eduardo Saverin The co-founder of Facebook who had to fight a lot for that title. He sued Facebook and his old friend and business partner Mark Zuckerberg for his share and recognition from the company, but later agreed to a settlement. He is now living in Singapore with an estimated fortune of €1.6 billion.

6. Sean Parker The first president of Facebook (and also co-founder of Napster), aged 32, served as a mentor to

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.

from a tribe of murderous paranormals known as the True Knot.

Apparently harmless, the True Knot are quasi-immortal beings who live off the ‘steam’ that children with the ‘shining’ produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Zuckerberg and urged him to drop the ‘The’ from the original Facebook name, as portrayed in ‘The Social Network’ movie. He was also an investor in Spotify, the Swedish music streaming company.

Parker has more than €1.45 billion.

Président cheese, among other hundreds of dairy products. She holds a third part of the company along with her older siblings, and her fortune is estimated at €1.1 billion.

8. Albert von Thurn und Taxis This single German prince, aged 30, is an experienced GT racing car driver, who took control of a €1.1 billion legacy when he turned 18-years-old. He has been unofficially on the billionaires list since he was eight years old.

9. Fahd Hariri Son of the late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri works as a property developer and holds a degree in Architecture at the age of 31. Now a married man living in Paris, Hariri has a €1 billion fortune.

10. Ayman Hariri Older brother of Fahd, this 34-year-old billionaire directs Saudi Oger, one of the biggest construction companies in Saudi Arabia. His fortune is worth €1 billion.

7. Marie Besnier Beauvalet French heir of the dairy giant Lactalis, producer of the brie

From left: Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz and Albert von Thurn und Taxis, three very wealthy young men.

Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules?

The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms.

No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice.

No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

TARGET:

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Average: 17

Just Joking A deer was trying to cross a busy road but the traffic was very heavy. After waiting unsuccessfully for a few minutes, a bear walked past and said: “Excuse me, there’s a zebra crossing a bit further along the road.” The deer said, “Well, I hope he’s having better luck than I am!”

Good: 22 Very good: 31 Excellent: 38

SCORING: 4 letters: 1 point • 5 letters: 2 points 6 letters: 3 points • 7 letters: 4 points 8 or more letters: 11 points

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION brew, bell, bellow, blew, crew, curl, clew, furl, furlong, flew, flog, flow, flower, flown, flit, gown, golf, well, wolf, will, wilt, loge, lower, long, longer, lion, clog, clown, ogle, ogler, till, tiller

OPINION & COMMENT

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How to get rid of that morning after the night before feeling With the party season in full swing there are many people who run the risk of a little overindulgence.

We took to the streets to find out people’s favourite hangover cures...

DRINKING a little bit of the last alcoholic drink you had the night before is the best hangover cure for Frank T Viedt, 67, from Moraira, Costa Blanca: “My father told me that the first time I arrived home drunk.”

Luisa Jimenez, aged 35, from Alfaz del Pi, Costa Blanca, said: “First of all, I try to sleep enough hours to feel better next day and, when I wake up, SERGIY washing says having a beer is the best hangover cure.

STREET TALK

my face with cold water and drinking lots of water definitely helps. Then I like to treat myself to a Bloody Mary but, if any ingredient is missing I normally take an aspirin tablet or one small beer.”

Head waiter from Restaurante Christopher in Mar Azul, Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, Sergiy Solomka, believes the best hangover cure is: “A beer in the morning.” The 31-year-old, originally from the Ukraine added: “That is what we do in my country, it is the best cure!”

Retired civil servant, Sammy Lockman, on the Costa Blanca for the holidays from Scotland, had the opposite advice: “Don't drink! It has taken me many years to realise it, but really the best hangover cure is to not get the hangover, it really isn’t worth it.”

Denis McAvoy, who lives in DENIS: Big breakfast is best.

LUISA JIMENEZ suggests lots of water and sleep.

Arboleas, Almeria, and is retired said: “I used to have hangovers but I seem to know my limits a bit more now. My advice is to have a big breakfast and carry on drinking!”

But Christina Stockdale, also retired and from Arboleas, had different advice. “Get out into the fresh air and go for a walk and drink lots of water. I am talking from experience!”

Food was top of the list on the Costa del Sol. Andrea Sutton, 28, a waitress in Marbella, said: “A fried egg sandwich, glass of gazpacho and a paracetamol are what’s needed. The gazpacho replaces lost vitamins and liquids, the egg gives a protein boost and the paracetamol soothes the pain!”

John Houseman, 49, on holiday in Estepona, Malaga, said: “A full English fry-up and lots of sweet tea.

Nothing beats it!”

42

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014/ Costa de Almería

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

ealth & beauty H TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EWNLIFESTYLE.COM

WIDE AWAKE: Too early to go to sleep.

Let baby choose when it’s time to go to bed www.euroweeklynews.com

IT may not be the news parents want to hear, but according to scientists in the US, toddlers are better at choosing their own

bedtimes than adults.

Scientists say the main reason toddlers are unable to sleep is because they go to bed too early; before

their body clock is ready.

Putting them to bed too early might make toddlers resist bedtime, throw tantrums and resort to

what the study calls ‘curtain calls’, constantly getting up out of bed.

Researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder, studied 14 toddlers aged between 30 and 36 months, over six consecutive nights and measured melatonin levels at various intervals around bedtime, timed how long they took to sleep as well as their behaviour.

The study said a good night’s sleep depends on when toddlers experience a rise in the body’s levels of melatonin, which increases during the evening to govern the internal body clock.

Ban on chemical BEAUTY companies have been urged to stop using a preservative chemical called Methylisothiazolinone (MI or MIT).

It is routinely added to moisturisers, sun creams, shampoos and wet wipes and now it is believed to be the cause of an increase in allergic reactions and eczema.

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Advertising Feature

Spots before the eyes or miodesopsias

By Doctor M Gómez Reolid, Clínica Veravisión

No, it is not possible to prevent it happening but possible complications can be avoided if it does happen.

WHAT are spots before the eyes or miodesopsias?

Spots before the eyes moscas volantes in Spanish from the Latin muscae volitantes or in medical terms miodesopsias from the Greek ‘myodes’, fly, and ‘opsis’, vision, are a physiological ocular defect. It occurs in the form of flecks, spots, filaments and webs which move with the direction of the gaze as they float freely in the vitreous humour, the transparent gelatine which is within the eye.

What causes it?

As the years pass by this vitreous humour gelatine tends to deteriorate, fragmenting its fibrous structure leaving empty spaces and freely floating débris. As the retina is behind all this, the patient sees flecks, etc, in their visual field.

It is found more frequently with age, in shortsighted patients, after cataract surgery

Can it cause loss of sight?

Not in the majority of cases, although it is true that these symptoms of floating flecks can

or when the interior of the eye is inflamed.

Is it a serious condition?

Not in most cases as the vitreous humour, on separating suddenly from the retina, may tear or detach it by traction in only a small percentage of patients. An immediate visit to the ophthalmologist is

Doctor M Gómez Reolid recommended if the aforementioned symptoms happen suddenly, make existing ones worse or if accompanied by sparks, flashes or lights.

Can you prevent spots before the eyes?

distress the patient as it is worse when reading or looking at a computer screen although, with time, the patient gets used to it and does not have difficulty seeing except in extreme cases if the opaque, floating forms are big and right in the centre of

their visual axis.

What is the treatment?

There is no effective treatment at the moment to eliminate spots before the eyes.

Spots before the eyes do not physically disappear from the vitreous cavity, what normally happens is that the patient gets used to them and almost never notices them.

Ideas to take home In the majority of cases, spots before the eyes are nothing to worry about. An immediate check-up by an ophthalmologist is highly recommended if they appear suddenly in people at risk such as the shortsighted, diabetics and adults over 50.

There is no effective medicinal treatment to eliminate them. If you suffer from spots before the eyes you will get used to living with them and not notice them.

*This article is purely informative and in no way is it a substitute for a visit to your ophthalmologist.

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Food

Costa de Almeria’s best guide to local sport

FOOD & DRINK

Super gold cheese To read more turn to Page 46

Almería’s best guide to local restaurants

TO READ MORE VISIT: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

Culinary victory for Vitoria

VITORIA has been elected as the 2014 Culinary Capital of Spain.

The Basque city will succeed Burgos as the Spanish city of reference for foodies.

The Spanish Federation of Catering Businesses (FEHR) and the Spanish Federation of Tourism Journalists and Writers (FEPET) have chosen Vitoria for the institutional, social and professional support the candidacy of the city received.

It prevailed over Huesca, Sant Carles de la Rapita (Cataluña) and Valencia in the voting.

The Basque capital has also been supported by award-winning chefs including Pedro Subijana, Karlos and Eva Arguiñano, Martin Berasategui, Elena and Juan Mari Arzak and Diego Guerrero.

It’s the third year the title of Culinary Capital of Spain has been awarded.

Vitoria will now have to pay a €125,000 fee and organise an events programme throughout 2014 to the value of at least €200,000 in order to keep the title.

VITORIA: 2014 Culinary Capital of Spain.

PINTXOS: Traditional Basque tapas.

KARLOS ARGUIÑANO: Showed his support for Vitoria.

FOOD & DRINK

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26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de AlmerĂ­a

Spanish chef chosen as example of entrepreneur name Dani Garcia Restaurante, mixes tradition and the avant-

garde.

Garcia also owns a restaurant in New York

City, Manzanilla, as well as one at Malaga Airport and a catering service in Marbella.

DANI GARCIA: A role model for children.

Photo by TEDxMarbella on Flickr

MALAGA chef Dani Garcia has been chosen by the Spanish Embassy in the US as an example of an entrepreneur.

The two Michelin star chef featured in a film to show children aged between 10 and 15 the importance of owning a business.

In no more than three minutes, Garcia explains his professional origins and points at passion, hard work and training as key elements to achieve success.

The food of the multi-award winning chef, whose restaurant Calima will reopen next year at the iconic Puente Romano Hotel in Marbella under the

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www.euroweeklynews.com

FOOD & DRINK

Spanish cheeses awarded 2013 Super Gold prize ELEVEN Spanish cheeses have been awarded the Super Gold prize at the 2013 World Cheese Awards.

The chosen products come from different locations in the country, including Cadiz, Ciudad Real, Badajoz and Cantabria.

The culinary competition, held annually in Birmingham (UK), is considered the most important cheese contest in the world.

Every year, a panel of 250 judges choose the best cheeses from different categories goat, ewe, cow, specialist and other

SPANISH CHEESES: Awarded for their flavour and texture.

cheeses - and countries.

A total of 2,800 cheeses from all over the world were entered in this year’s edition.

German blue cheese ‘Montagnolo Affiné’ has been chosen as World Champion for its mild flavour and creamy texture.

Animal meat cut is new smartphone app SOCKET SOFTWARE, a small software development company located in Australia, has created a

Mulled wine at a price THE Mayfair Mulled Wine being sold at Hush bar in London is the most festive drink on the Christmas circuit and at £50 (€58) a glass, it is likely to be the most expensive too!

Award-winning mixologist Pedro Solorzano has created the drink which includes a 2008 Château Grand Puy Ducasse and an 18year-old Dalmore whisky. Saffron and tonka beans are also used.

smartphone app to help those who feel uncertain at the butcher’s.

‘Nose to Tail’ is a convenient encyclopaedia of animal cuts with support for more than 200 cuts of meat from the cow, chicken, lamb and pig.

Each cut includes indepth detail about the anatomy, recommended preparation, history, common dishes as well as

fun facts.

The app has a comprehensive list of cuts which include uncommon parts of the animal that are often overlooked, including offal.

To encourage the discovery of the expansive catalogue, cuts are categorised and can be browsed through both cooking methods and suggested uses.

Fattiest Christmas dinner STILL feeling a little bloated after Christmas dinner?

Well it is not surprising as the average Briton is expected to have consumed 7,000 calories for their Christmas dinner. As a result, the traditional British Christmas dinner has now been ranked the fattiest and unhealthiest in Europe. Voted the healthiest is France where a typical Christmas dinner may be packed with roast chicken, foie gras and 13 desserts, but contains just 46g of fat and 29g of carbohydrates per person.

FEATURE

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Pr o op gh f tt t er oy ou he ty by W Sp an ee is hP k ro ng isi rt ve Ad

Br

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

ou

e ur at fe

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rty

TRADITIONAL: Two storey Spanish farmhouse.

Ch

oi

ce

POOL: A wonderfully unique area.

Ref: A568 - Arboleas. Massively reduced, now only €249,995

Cortijo/Finca for sale in Arboleas, Almería THIS large very traditional two storey Spanish farmhouse cortijo is located on the edge of the quaint local village of La Cinta which is adjacent to the market town of Arboleas with all of the amenities close at hand.

The village has amenities such as a pharmacy, bars, convenience store and a short drive from the large cosmopolitan town of Huercal Overa which is akin to many modern up and coming Spanish towns and cities with new and modern facilities.

The property itself is accessed via large electric rolling gates and has a large integral garage and ample off road parking from which you have access to the ground level. The main double door entrance leads into a spacious entrance hallway area with several other doors leading off, the first giving entry to a large double bedroom, the second leading to another bedroom study with its own telephone and internet connection and finally the third arched doorway from the hall takes you through into the dining room with a feature open fireplace and authentic vaulted ceiling.

Also on this level there is a large open plan quality kitchen with a

• 2 Floors, • 5 Bedrooms, • 2 Bathrooms, • 423m² Build Size, • 753m² Plot Size, • Private Pool, • Furniture Negotiable, • Mains Water, • Mains Electric, • Telephone Possible, • Internet Possible, • Air Conditioning, • Close to a Golf Course, • 35 minutes to the beach • 2 minutes to the shops, • Energy Proficiency: E 225 - 53

dining room and log burning stove, a separate spacious lounge with free standing log burning fire and finally hot and cold air conditioning, a utility room, a high quality shower room, toilet and a sauna room with additional storage cupboards.

The upper level of the house which is accessed via a traditional style staircase with exposed beam pillars consists of a grand gallery landing which gives access to the three large double bedrooms all with walk-in wardrobes, air conditioning and exposed beamed ceilings.

The master bedroom has access to a private external roof terrace which overlooks the gardens, swimming pool and local area. The family bathroom on this level has been recently refitted with a sunken bath and a large walk-in shower cubicle which has a glass block frontage and a power shower unit.

Outside and to the rear of the property there are a multitude of different paved areas where you can sit and enjoy the lovely Spanish sunshine. There is also a wonderful unique one-off swimming pool, an outdoor kitchen with barbecue and servery area, a separate relaxation meditation room which has sliding glass doors and is decorated in a traditional Moroccan style and large adjacent stables which have terrific scope for development for the future and finally a fully laid artificial grass croquet course.

See more at: http://www.spanishpropertychoice.com/view-property/7258-cortijo-for-sale-inarboleas.html#sthash.6pJMiBJo.dpuf

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omes&gardens

H

HOMES & GARDENS

SPONSORED BY

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA .COM

Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner

By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.

HAVING spent 25 Christmases in the Spanish house year-end celebrations tend to be organised around Spanish versus UK timings.

On Christmas Eve, ‘Noche Buena’, I enjoyed preparing and eating the main Christmas meal with friends. It was almost entirely self-produced, from the turkey and veg to the dried fruit in the Christmas pudding and cake, and fruits from a local hedgerow with the after-dinner Pacharan.

The wine came from

Christmas is over, so gardening thoughts for after Boxing Day

CURED HAM: A thinly sliced treat.

BONFIRE: Council urges gardeners to burn prunings.

the almost ecological vineyard of Bodega Sonrisa; the Spanish ham

served with the cured ham was flavoured Norwegian style with pine needles and dill dried from the garden during the summer.

Christmas Day was more relaxed with a mountain walk and call into a local Spanish hostelry for a tapas lunch before settling in for a long evening read of a good travel book in front of the homely log fire,

from a low-fat joint won in a fiesta raffle, and the pickled salmon, gravlax,

just broken by preparing a snack of ham, local artisan goat’s cheese, Christmas pudding, and Stilton pickled in Port.

Thoughtful friends dropped in with both of the latter earlier in the year, knowing they are some of the very few things I miss in Spain.

By the way, if you are looking for a light read in the New Year you might enjoy the story of our

walk from the Bay of Biscay to the Med. It took 51.5 days during which we met very few people.

The route we describe, for armchair as well as active walkers, is a wonderful alternative to walking from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostello. ‘Adventure along the Spanish Pyrenees’, author Dick Handscombe and available from Amazon.

Then after Boxing Day there are a couple of days to start the winter cutback before more heavy eating over the New Year.

Many in our village plan to get well ahead with heavy pruning jobs as our town hall has withdrawn, from January 1, its service for the collection and processing of garden waste in an effort to save money. It suggests all garden owners obtain a licence to have bonfires in their gardens.

Most residents consider this to be a retrograde step for health, environmental and cleanliness reasons.

However, for many who have a good compost heap and who mulch with shredded prunings, the problem will be minimised.

I thought most of our readers will not yet be ready to think about New Year Resolutions for the garden for 2014, so will hold them back until next week.

So until then enjoy your well-earned seasonal rest from gardening. ©Dick Handscombe www.gardeninginspain. com December 201

FEATURE & PETS

www.euroweeklynews.com

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

Nothing but a dame...

THE DAMES IN SPAIN held their Christmas Lunch at the Parador Mojacar this year.

Organisers said it turned out to be a “happy and succesful event.”

Secretary Iris Hamilton said: “The Parador pulled out all the stops in their effort to provide a wonderful occasion.

“From the table decorations, the service and greeting and last but not least, the splendid Christmas Lunch.

“It was a very traditional English one! It must be said that the chef excelled himself.

“All the ladies were very happy and declared it one of our best Christmas lunch events ever.”

DAMES IN SPAIN: Held their Christmas lunch at the Parador Mojacar.

HAPPY: One of the best Christmas lunches ever.

A tasty training aid...

OVER the past 45 years I have always used liver treats for training which was developed by Joyce Barker, who was an expert in training and showing dogs in the ring. Designed as the perfect dog training treat and originally only sold to dog trainers.

They are small in size and can be carried in your pocket in a plastic pill box or a small container.

If you have a fussy eater simply crush five/10 tablets into a powder and sprinkle on the dog’s food. As most of my readers are aware I only advocate dried food. Those that came to my schools in Spain over the past 24 years found them invaluable for training and still buy liver treats for their pets. Try them once and you will buy them forever.

Majorca contact Brian 634 152 813, in Fuengirola Vet Sussane Kamu on 952 667 333, Marbella and Estepona and Nazli at Pointer Clinic East 952 804 165.

SPONSORED BY For all dog treats please email: spain-sales@barkerandbarker.eu

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

Boy Boy I would like to thank those readers that have written asking how Boy Boy is. The answer now is that he is back to normal and soon will be back to his normal weight.

The operation for stomach torsion is serious and not many dogs survive the operation. Nazli from Pointer Clinic East has been keeping her beady eye on him. Obviously I have studied and read as much as I can on the subject of stomach torsion otherwise known as bloat. I note many scientists have made a mention of ‘stress’ which could be one of the many triggers to set this off. If your dog is anxious when left alone it might be an idea to have a chat with your vet with a view to some behaviour modification or maybe medication.

At present I do not think I can take a holiday and as I write I am certain many of you feel the same.

If you have a separation problem why not write to me at Euro Weekly and I will answer your emails.

For your local radio frequency log onto www.talkradioeurope.com.

EWN

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Still time to see the nativity SATURDAY saw the opening of the ‘Belen Monumental Municipal de Albox’ (municipal nativity scene) which is located in Calle Amigos de la Argentina No. 2 (next to Plaza San Francisco).

Mayor of Albox Rogelio Mena and the president of

the association ‘Amigos de los Reyes Magos’, Enrique Miras, attended the opening ceremony.

All locals are invited to visit the nativity scene which is characterised by its originality and represents the town’s Christmas spirit.

The Albox belen is well

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NATIVITY SCENE: A big part of Christmas in Spain. known in Andalucia due to its size and beauty.

“This year it had to be reduced in size to make it fit in the space because it has a peculiar shape that makes it very special,” said Tito Carrillo, the councillor for culture. He also wanted

to thank Enrique Miras for his dedication to this project.

The belen is open every day from 5pm to 8pm until January 7. There is also a post box for children to put their letters to the Three Kings until January 5.

Spending slashed as income falls THE spending budget for Albox Town Hall has been slashed by €12 million for 2014.

This is the first year since 2010 that the budgets have been discussed by all members of the town hall,

and also the first year of Rogelio Mena being the mayor of Albox.

Forecast income has plunged by €15 million, compared to last year’s €22.6 million with a 50 per cent reduction in the town’s

share from central government taxes being largely to blame.

The council has been forced to bring in what it calls a ‘wartime economy’ to cope, with spending planned to be just €7 million, matching the council’s expected income.

Biggest savings will be

made in reducing day-today running costs from €9,281,626 to €1,398,823 (down 84.93 per cent), which will force the town hall to “optimise services to continue providing the same level of service,” according to Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Finance, Tito Carrillo.

SALIENTE MONASTERY: One of the places visited

by Canal Sur.

Albox to feature on Canal Sur TV THE television channel Canal Sur brought its television cameras to Albox last week for filming of the programme ‘Este es mi pueblo’.

On the first day of filming, the crew visited the pottery factory La Alfareria ‘Los Puntas’ situated in the Loma district of the town and recently named to be of ‘Artesanal Interest within the Almanzora Valley’. The crew then moved on to the Saliente Monastery and the Albox Tennis Club. The following day the crew visited the town’s market to complete the filming.

ALBOX PAGE

Money ‘misspent’ on trading estate A POLITICAL row is brewing after the conservative Partido Popular (PP) claimed a socialist councillor’s son-in law was paid for a renovation project which was never carried out.

The PP claims that the socialist government team led by Rogelio Mena in Albox paid €46,374 to the company of the socialist councillor’s son-in-law for a redevelopment project on the industrial estate and a further €38,283.73 was paid to another company for a ‘bodged job’ to repair existing potholes on the estate.

The PP says it had been agreed that money for plans would only be paid if the works were carried out.

Not only was the cash handed over without any work being done, the PP claims the project was also commissioned ‘favourably’ towards the company of the son-in-law of the socialist councillor.

In addition, the PP criticised the socialist government team for returning a €500,000 grant to the Ministry of Industry awarded in 2010 for the redevelopment of the trading estate and having to pay €27,000 interest because work was never started.

“It is indecent and a mockery that the socialist government has squandered €120,000 and has

done absolutely nothing in the industrial park,” said PP spokesman, Juan Pedro Perez Quiles. He regretted that due to the “inefficiency and laziness of the socialist government team, Albox has lost the opportunity to undertake these works of great importance for the economic and employment generation in our town and yet they leave us an industrial estate without drainage, no pavements, unlit and not even having direct access to the Almanzora motorway.”

For the PP this is “another example of the disastrous management of Rogelio Mena” and they condemn the “deplorable state of neglect of the industrial estate,” with potholes of more than three metres on the pavements and rubbish everywhere which presents entrepreneurs and business visitors an “extremely negative and regressive image of Albox.”

“If Rogelio Mena is unwilling or has no desire or enthusiasm to make things right, he should go go away and not harm the townspeople any more,” said Perez Quiles.

He went on to conclude: “The €120,000 misspent by the PSOE could have been used to significantly clean up the industrial estate.”

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E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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PLASTERER BRITISH Plasterer, all work guaranteed. Tel Paul 634 327 201 (216447)

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KNOWLES PLUMBING. No 1 for plumbing! Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 950 137 197or 606 807 797 (218475)

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MOTORING

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SPONSORED BY For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80

New Civic Tourer launching in 2014

competitive 120 PS of power and 300 Nm of torque with an acceleration time of 0 to 100 km/ph in 10.1 seconds.

And yet it still delivers 3.8L/100km on the combined cycle, giving a range of 1.315 kilometres on one tank of fuel and CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.

Despite being the lowest and most compact estate in the segment, the new Tourer offers a class-leading 624 litres of boot space (up to the tonneau cover with rear seats up).

Using Honda’s Magic Seat system, the rear seats can be pulled down to create a completely flat load area with THE fourth phase of the PIVE incentive programme to 1,668 litres of capacity up to buy new cars has been a success. the roof lining.

The programme ran out of funds last week, a Production of the new Civic month and a half after it came into force, sources at Tourer takes place at Honda’s the Spanish Car and Lorry Manufacturers Association UK plant in Swindon, which (Anfac) said. recently celebrated the first The €70 million budget has served to help finance models rolling off the 70,000 cars, with peaks of 5,000 units sold per day, production line. according to Anfac.

The ceremony, attended by Sources said the association has already presented Honda associates, was the national government several proposals to keep hosted by senior managethe incentive programme in 2014. ment. They congratulated the The Spanish government has spent a total of €365 European R&D team and million in the four phases of the PIVE programme, Honda’s suppliers for their plus an additional €38 million for commercial cars. hard work in the creation of the bespoke model.

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THE new Honda Civic Tourer will arrive in dealerships across Europe in February 2014.

The car comes with the choice of two engines: the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol and the new 1.6 i-DTEC diesel.

The diesel engine is the first in Europe from Honda’s next-generation Earth Dreams Technology series and delivers fuel economy without compromising power and performance.

The lightweight engine provides a

PIVE 4 a success

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E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

RE-PLATE MATE Don’t take a chance!

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MOTORING

First Toyota model with a BMW sourced engine THE new Verso 1.6 D-4D will be the first Toyota to be equipped with a BMW Group-sourced engine.

The car arrives two years after the Japanese manufacturer entered into a contract with the BMW Group to source diesel engines.

The arrival of the 112 DIN hp 1.6 D4D widens the engine range available on the Verso model, which now comprises of four diesel and two petrol engines.

Toyota Motor Europe’s (TME) Belgium-based Technical Centre led the development of the new Verso 1.6 D-4D, ensuring a match between the engine and the Toyota gearbox and vehicle electronics.

This has been achieved while safeguarding the comfort and dynamic performance of the original Verso, the manufacturer claims.

Several components were newly developed, ranging from engine mounts over a dual mass flywheel, a new gearbox housing and gearing, and a system to further improve

PERFECT MATCH: BMW engine and Toyota electronics. efficiency and reduce emissions.

Didier Leroy, Senior Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corporation, and President and CEO of TME, said: “Working together with an industry leader like the BMW Group allows us to benefit from economies of scale to reduce development costs as well as improve our time-to-market.”

A wider collaboration between the

BMW Group and Toyota includes plans to co-develop a fuel-cell system, conduct a feasibility study for the joint development of a sports car platform, work together on creating lightweight vehicle body technologies or undertake joint research into lithiumair batteries.

Production of the Verso 1.6 D-4D will start in January 2014 in Turkey.

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SPORT

26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014 / Costa de Almería

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€100m Bale stole the headlines as Tendulkar retired and Aussies triumph From Back Page SEPTEMBER Gareth Bale became the world’s most expensive footballer by joining Real Madrid from Tottenham for £85.3m (€100m).

Sunderland sacked manager Paulo Di Canio.

Lorenzo won the British and San Marino MotoGPs while Marquez triumphed on his home track in Spain.

Oracle Team USA with the world’s greatest sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie, on board, came back from 8-1 down to beat New Zealand 9-8 and so complete one of the greatest comebacks of all-time to win the oldest trophy in world sport, The Americas Cup. German F1 star Vettel triumphed in the Singapore Grand Prix.

Durham clinched cricket’s County Championship for the second time.

In football, Liverpool Ladies won the WSL Premier League.

GB’s Liam Phillips was confirmed as the World BMX champion.

Swansea-born Non Stamford won the women’s World triathlon title.

OCTOBER Wigan Warriors won Rugby League’s Grand final.

Vettel came first in the Indian, Japanese and Korean Grand Prixs.

Djokovic won the

Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes (England) was crowned World Superbike Champion.

BALE: Joined Real Madrid.

Shanghai Masters tennis title and Serena Williams won her 11th singles title of 2013.

Motor cyclist Lorenzo was victorious in the Australian and Japanese GPs while Pedrosa won in Malaysia.

The FA celebrated it’s 150th anniversary (formed on 26 October 1863).

retired from F1.

Djokovic added the ATP World title to his CV while the Czech Republic won the Davis Cup. Fulham dismissed Dutch manager Maarten Jol as Martin O’Neill took charge of the Republic NOVEMBER of Ireland.

The world’s A record third greatest crowd of Lorenzo batsman, almost India’s 75,000 saw wins the Sachin Australia Valencian Tendulkar, demolish MotoGP retired after New Zealand scoring 81,742 34-2 to win runs in 1,524 Rugby League’s matches - 15,921 in World Cup at Old Trafford.

200 Tests.

Lorenzo took the Four-time F1 world champion Vettel won in Valencian MotoGP but it his fellow Abu Dhabi, Brazil and was Marquez USA to make it nine countryman victories in succession who was subsequently and 13 in 2013. Red Bull crowned the youngestcolleague Mark Webber ever world champion.

Eighteen-time National Hunt champion jockey Tony McCoy rode his 4,000th winner. The Irishman has had 15,000 rides, 1,000 falls and suffered 40 breaks/ fractures.

GB cyclists Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell, Dani King and Elinor Barker broke the women’s world pursuit record TWICE in a week.

Trott also won the Omnium gold while Becky James took the World sprint and keirin titles.

GB boxer Carl Froch stopped George Groves at Manchester’s O2 Arena to retain his IBF and WBA supermiddleweight titles.

Scot Stewart Anderson won the World Indoor Bowls tournament.

A sad farewell for the sports world THE following sports people also passed away in 2013: England cricketers Mike Denness, Tony Greig and Reg Simpson; racehorse trainer Sir Henry Cecil (25 Classic winners including Frankel); rugby

stars Cliff Morgan and Steve Prescott; athletes McDonald Bailey, Todd Bennett and Stan Vickers; golfers Bernard Hunt and Ken Venturi; boxer Ken Norton; wrestler Mick McManus; super-biker Andrea

Simoncelli; darts champion Phil Nixon; sailor Andrew Simpson; US grid-iron stars Joe Black Hayes and Ace Parker; basketball legend Vivian Kellogg and Spanish F1 test driver Maria de Villota.

the clubs were kept apart after reaching the semifinals.

Aussie Neil Robertson won the UK Snooker DECEMBER tournament.

Australia’s cricketers GB’s London 2012 gold won the third Test in medal winner Charlotte Perth to regain the Dujardin added three Ashes. separate World dressage The draw for the 2014 titles to her collection.

World Cup in Brazil Tennis ace Andy saw England Murray was being matched named BBC Australia with Italy, Sports Costa Rica Personality of regained and Uruguay. the Year, the Spain drew receiving 51 Ashes Holland. per cent of the Blackpool had vote.

Welsh five players sentRugby Union star off in four days; Lee Halfpenny came Manchester City thrashed second and jockey Tony Arsenal 6-3 and after McCoy third. losing 5-0 at home to The British and Irish Arsenal, Spurs sacked Lions won the Team of manager Andre Villas- the Year award; Lions’ Boas. WBA also fired boss Warren Gatland was their boss Steve Clarke. voted Coach of the Year; The Champions League female shooter Amber draw paired Barcelona with Hill (15) was Young Manchester City, Arsenal Sports Personality of the with holders Bayern Year, Sebastian Vettel Munich, Manchester United claimed the ‘overseas’ with Olympiacos and prize and Sir Alex Chelsea with Galatasaray.

Ferguson received a And Manchester fans Lifetime Achievement learned they could be award. This was the 60th attending a City-United anniversary of the League Cup final when programme.

E W N 26 December 2013 - 1 January 2014/ Costa de Almería

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JUNE: Andy Murray is first Brit to win men’s singles title at Wimbledon for 77 years.

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Murray, Rose and Froome lead British charge in a super year

Tony Matthews

International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.

Costa de Almeria

Sports review of 2013 IT was another great year for sport. Andy Murray at long last breaking the British men’s jinx at Wimbledon, Justin Rose clinching the US Open in golf, the Lions’ triumphant tour of Australia and and Chris Froome deservedly winning the Tour de France were some of the British highlights.

JANUARY • England’s Scott Waites became the BDO Darts Champion, while fellow darter Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor beat Holland’s Michael van Gerwen 7-4 to win his 16th World title at Alexandra Palace.

• The UAE lifted golf’s Gulf Cup of Nations.

• Spain won the World Handball final.

• Novak Djokovic was crowned Australian Open champion while Victoria Azarenka won the women’s prize.

• In football, Nigeria lifted the African Cup of

Nations.

• Australia lifted cricket’s 50-over World Cup. FEBRUARY • The Czech Republic triumphed in the Davis Cup in tennis.

• Wales clinched backto-back Six Nations Rugby titles and their fourth overall.

• Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win NFL’s Super Bowl XLVII. • Swansea collected their first major trophy, whipping Bradford City 50 in the League Cup final.

MARCH • In F1, Kimi Raikkonen won in Austria and Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia.

• Rafael Nadal won the men’s Paribas tennis title - again!

APRIL • India’s Premier Cricket League went to the Mumbai Indians.

• Auroras Encore (Ryan Mania) won Aintree’s Grand National.

• Cyclist Chris Froome triumphed in the Tour de Romandie.

• Adam Scott clinched the Masters Golf title.

• The Chinese F1 Grand Prix went to Spain’s Fernando Alonso.

• Fellow Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo and rookie

Masters and US Open, if he retains amateur status!

DOUBLE CHAMPION: Chris Froome triumphs in Tour de Romandie and Tour de France.

Marc Marquez won the Abu Dhabi and Circuit of the Americas MotoGPs respectively.

• Black Country-born Ronnie O’Sullivan successfully defended his world snooker crown at the Crucible.

MAY • Cyclist Vincenzo Nibaki (Team Astana) was victorious in the Giro d’Italia.

• Nico Rosberg won the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

• Dani Pedrosa powered home in the Spanish and French MotoGPs. • Chelsea beat Benfica in the Europa League Cup final, Wigan pipped Manchester City in the FAC final and Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund in the allGerman Champions League final.

• Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager after his team won their 13th PL title. Everton’s David Moyes replaced him.

• Leinster lifted Rugby Union’s European Cup and Toulon won the Heineken Cup. • GB’s Tai Woffinden became World Speedway champion.

• Richard Hughes was crowned flat race jockey for 2013.

claimed victory in the Canadian Grand Prix.

• Cricket’s ICC Champions Trophy went to India.

• Justin Rose became the first GB golfer to win the US Open since Nick Faldo in 1996.

• Brazil won football’s Confederations Cup while France lifted the FIFA U20 World Cup. • Andy Murray beat Djokovic to become the first Brit to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon for 77 years.

• Chris Froome emulated Sir Bradley Wiggins’s feat by winning the 100th Tour de France. He had finished runner-up to ‘Wiggo’ in 2012.

JUNE • Ruler of the World (Ryan Moore) was first past the post in the Epsom Derby.

• The British & Irish Lions won the Rugby Union series in Australia, Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) kicking a record 49 points.

• Lorenzo won the Italian and Spanish MotoGPs while Valentino Rossi was successful in Holland.

• Sebastian Vettel

JULY • Vettel won his home Grand Prix and Lewis Hamilton triumphed in Hungary.

• England’s cricketers retained The Ashes, beating Australia 3-0.

• An American, Phil Mickelson, won the Open Golf Championship.

• Marquez was victorious in the German and USA MotoGPs. • Mo Farah broke the European record in the 1,500m.

• Matthew Fitzpatrick (18) won the US Amateur Golf Championship, gaining entry to the 2104

AUGUST • Farah, by winning the 5,000m and 10,000m races in Russia, became the first athlete to claim double gold in both the Olympic Games and World Championships.

• Christine Ohuruogu bagged her second successive World Championship 400m gold.

• USA’s Jason Dufner clinched the PGA title and Europe’s women won the Solheim Cup in America for the first time, with the competition’s youngest-ever player, Charley Hull (15) representing Europe.

• USA cyclist Chris Homer won the Tour of Spain.

• Marquez made it four MotoGP wins on the bounce with victories in the Czech Republic and Indianapolis.

• In-form Rafael Nadal became US Open tennis champion.

• Red Bull’s Vettel came first in the Belgium GP. • Bayern Munich won football’s Super Cup. More than 40 exprofessional footballers died in 2013, among them Ron Davies, Bill Foulkes, Peter Broadbent, Tony Grealish, Derek Kevan and Stuart Williams, the Greenhoff brothers, Brian and Jimmy, Brazilians Djalma and Nilton Santos and German POW goalkeeper Bert Trautmann.

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