Euro Weekly News - Axarquia 24 - 30 March 2016 Issue 1603 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

ISSUE NO. 1603

24 - 30 March 2016

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

Euro Weekly News stands in solidarity with the people of Brussels to whom we send our deepest condolences.

Coming together in times of terror AXARQUIA and the Costa Tropical unite in the face of terrorism

Against racism Velez joins the fight VELEZ-MALAGA has put its weight behind the International Day Against Racial Discrimination. Speeches and discussions took place in the town hall on March 21 as many citizens chimed in and raised their voices against racism. See page 4

Easter holidays Occupancy over 80 per cent EAGER Easter lovers are heading to Almuñecar and La Herradura in their droves, with many hotels filled nearly to the brim as Spaniards and foreigners alike flock to the Costa Tropical to witness the festivities. See page 6

By Sam Croft In the wake of acts of unimaginable horror and barbarism, human beings have an innate tendency to come together and look to their loved ones for support. In Axarquia and the Costa Tropical, this is exactly what has happened in the aftermath of the attacks in Brussels on March 22. Friends and families have been brought closer together in their shared outrage and sorrow, as various town councils have taken the reins by leading their communities in ceremonies of solidarity and mourning. In Nerja, a minute’s silence took place just outside the town hall at 12pm on March 23. The flag was flown at half mast, while council members and other Nerja citizens took a moment to reflect on the many lives that were lost in the horrific attacks. The council also reminded all of its Belgian residents that they should feel free to contact the town hall about any consultations or enquiries they may have, as the situation unfolds over the coming days and weeks.

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Cash boost More than a million on its way FORTRESSES will be freshened up, pipes will be perfected, and roads will be remodelled in Velez thanks to a

big cash boost by way of the Malaga Provincial Council. See page 8

Natural talent Other municipalities across Axarquia and the Costa Tropical organised similar ceremonies, with a minute’s silence taking place in Almuñecar and Motril on March 22. In Almuñecar two official days of mourning were declared following the tragedy. Speaking out against the attacks and terrorism in general, Almuñecar Mayor Trinidad Herrera expressed “the sadness and solidarity of all of Almuñecar and La Herradura

with the Belgian people, in the face of the atrocities committed early this morning which have taken so many innocent lives.” Meanwhile in Motril, May-

or Flor Almon described the attacks as an attack on democracy itself. She emphasised that “only through unity can we end terrorism once and for all.”

Painting outdoors in Nerja NERJA residents can get in touch with their inner beasts thanks to an outdoor painting workshop that will allow par-

ticipants to make their masterpieces while contemplating the Balcon de Europa. See page 15

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LOCAL NEWS

It’s your last chance to register! NERJA expats only have one more week to renew their municipal padron (residents’ register) or they will be deregistered from the system. If Nerja

falls below 20,000 residents, the town will lose valuable funding, which could result in a reduction of public services. This is your last chance!

Goals for charity THE first edition of the Nerja Semana Santa Football Tournament will take place on March 26 at the Jose Luis Bobadilla football pitch. Children aged between nine and 12 will participate in the event, which will cost €2, with the money going to charity. The kick-off will be at 9.30am.

Spring forward amend your clocks JUST a friendly reminder that this Saturday, March 26, you need to move your clock forward an hour. If you forget, you may miss a

great football match, a fantastic Easter procession, or the breakfast special at your favourite local restaurant!

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NEWS

Easter causes kiosk woes in Rincon de la Victoria THERE has been less time to process applications By Jill Pickering TH E oppos ition pa rty in Rincon de la Victoria has denounced the lack of planning from the town hall in regards to the installation of kiosks on the seafront which should have been operational last weekend to take advantage of the Easter holiday period. Public Streets councillor Pedro Fernandez Ibar responded to the accusations, stating that no applicants for kiosks had complained. Altogether, there are 21 kiosks which people can apply to run, Fernandez expla ine d, a nd the proble m was caused by the early arrival of Easter, as the normal application period runs from February to one week before Easter. The fact that

SEAFRONT KIOSKS: Should have been operational last weekend. Easter was in March this year meant that there was less time to process applications than in other years.

The kiosk planning is not yet i ncl uded i n Ri ncon’s new Beach Plan, although the council is working on it.

At the moment the kiosks f al l under t he banner of Public Streets and Beaches.

NEWS

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EWN

Your papers, your views

Featured News 3

Finance 19 - 24

Stocks 20 CEREMONY: Members of the council attended, along with various groups and individuals from the community.

Leapy Lee 25

Daily TV 28

Raging against racism CELEBRATION of the International Day against Racial Discrimination

Letters 30

Our View 32

Colin Bird 32

Health & Beauty 33

Time Out 34 - 35

Nora 36

Social Scene 39

Property 40

Homes & Gardens 42

Pets 42

Services 43 - 44

Classifieds 45 - 46

Motoring 47

Sport 48

By Sam Croft VELEZ-MALAGA has thrown its hat into the ring by celebrating International Day against Racial Discrimination for the first time. The day is observed in countries across the globe on March 21, and this year council members organised a stirring ceremony in the town hall to commemorate the date. Social Services Councillor Zoila Martin spearheaded the event, and she was present

along with members of the council. Various groups and individuals from the community showed up to get involved and have their voices heard. The ceremony included an information stand as well as several speeches. Representatives from different refugee groups including Malaga Acoge and Refugiados Bienvenidos read from different texts to emphasise that the issue of racial discrimination is alive and well today, perhaps more than ever, especially in the face

of the huge amount of intercontinental migration that has taken place over the last year. Martin made a plea against racial discrimination, calling it “a form of intolerance that is very damaging to the rights and freedoms of human beings.” She also stressed that the council is working on various future initiatives that aim to promote equality among all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other factor.

Coming soon to a museum near you A SCREENWRITING course is set to hit Nerja at the beginning of April. Noted writer and screenwriter Jose Manuel Cruz will lead the operation, in which students will learn the methodology of how to write for the silver screen.

The participants will learn the basics so that they can form ideas and techniques that will assist them on their journey to mastering this unique and innovative artform. The course will take place in four

modules over a two-day course on April 2 and 3 in the Nerja Museum. Those interested can contact lapremierefilms@gmail.com or call 674 641 990.

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Spring setbacks for new car park COUNCIL hope to install some cameras By Sam Croft THE underground car park near Burriana Beach, which will be the fourth in Nerja, will not be able to open its doors yet, owing to numerous deficiencies and problems with the building’s foundation and resources. Construction work on the car park initially began last July. The Transport and Parking Council has announced that the car park, which has 241 places

Attractive walls IN view of the effort and money spent on improving the image of the town for the Sema n a Sa n t a p r o ce s s io n s , th e Ve le z Malaga Council has covered some of the ugly walls and buildings in the old town with four large painted hanging canvasses to make it look more attractive. Local artist Fabio Jimenez has designed and painted the canvasses which will be displayed around Calle Las Tiendas, where the processions will pass through.

and cost €2.6 million, will be closed until at least May 1. Numerous improvements need to be carried out before the car park is open to the public. The car park has had issues with flooding, so a cistern has been constructed underneath the car park to collect the water. Additionally, council members hope to update some of the technology and install some new cameras. The council estimates that the extra work over the next few months will cost another €200,000.

Sweet success for swimmers THE Nerja Swimming School recently obtained two well-deserved victories in the fourth stage of the Provincial Winter Swimming Circuit, which took place in Alhaurin el Grande. The first one came in the male 100metre freestyle category whereas the second one was in the male 4x25-metre butterfly relay category.

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Tourists flock to La Herradura

Palm Sunday and Easter arrive EASTER has arrived in La Herradura and Almuñecar with March 20 markin g Al m u ñ e c a r ’s Palm Sunday celebrations. Intense and brilliant processions made their way through the streets as thousands of participants a n d sp e c t a t o r s came out to get involved in the festivities, which promis e t o b e o n l y one of m a n y f a n t a st i c Easter ceremonies over the course of the week. The E a st e r c e l e b r a tions of Almuñecar and La Herradura are widely consid e r e d so m e o f the be st i n t h e a r e a , and have been declared an even t o f To u r i st i c Interest in Andalucia.

NEWS

HIGHLIGHTS: Of the event were the San Jose procession, the day fair and fireworks.

Successful San Jose celebrations VARIETY of ceremonies and events took place By Sam Croft LA HERRADURA Deputy Mayor Juan Jose Ruiz Joya has qualified the town’s recent San Jose celebrations as a smashing success. Joya underlined the high participation of the citizens in the festivities, which went on from March 17 to March 20, as well as the

great variety of ceremonies and events that took place. Joya went on to highlight the San Jose procession, the day fair, and the fireworks as highlights of the celebrations, and gave his thanks to all of the attendees and civil servants who made the celebrations possible, including police officers and firefighters.

SAN JOSE has finished, but the hotels in La Herradura will still be seeing very high occupancy rates over the next few days, as the busiest period of Easter brings many intrepid travellers to the area for a little sun and sea. The numbers could fluctuate depending on the weather, but council members anticipate that the town’s hotels will be 80 per cent full between March 23 and March 27.

In preparation for the influx of tourists, the beaches in the area have been given a touch-up and increased maintenance and security workers have been put in place. Important changes have also been made to traffic and circulation to accommodate for the processions. Additionally, many establishments have special offers available, giving people yet another incentive to make this Easter one to remember.

Sign up to ski THE Youth Department of Almuñecar Council has opened the registration period, until March 29, for residents under 30 who wish to enjoy a weekend of skiing or snowboarding in the Sierra Nevada. The trip, which is expected to take place from April 1 to 3, includes transportation and accommodation, as well as lessons, and has a price of €150. Contact the Aula Joven of La Herradura from 5pm to 9pm, or the Casa de la Juventud in Almuñecar from 5pm to 9pm.

NEWS

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EWN

New police station for Torre del Mar COUNCIL has provided a plot of land for the construction and planning permission has been granted By Jill Pickering THE existing police station in Torre del Mar, built in 1986 and located under a block of residential flats, will be substituted with a new building to provide better working conditions

Mother against museum A FURIOUS mother has denounced the Nerja Museum for rejecting the attendance of her five-year-old son from a workshop over the Easter school holidays. Upon registering the child, the mother claims she was told that the workshop organisers told her they would not be able to take her son, who has mental and physical disabilities. The apparent motive was because the programme included activities inside a showroom of large, heavy sculptures made out of brass and terracotta which could potentially have been a danger and hazard to the boy. The mother argued that this could also have been dangerous for other children and suggested the presence of another monitor who could attend to her son, but she was told there were no funds available to hire another monitor in addition to the two who had already been hired. Acting director of the museum, Luis Efren Fernandez, lamented the situation, but pointed out that the criteria of admission is up to the organisers of the camp, not the museum. Representatives from Social Services are currently attempting to mediate the case, and are trying to come up with an alternative solution.

for police officers and administrators. After a visit to the premises by the Security Secretary, Francisco Martinez, the necessity to provide a new premises was announced, as the current facilities were deemed too small to house the functional police service which the

residents and tourists deserve. The Velez-Malaga Council has provided a plot of land situated at the entrance to Torre del Mar for the construction of a new building and planning permission has already been granted. It is expected that the construction

will take 20 months at a cost of more than â‚Ź4 million. Martinez thanked the town hall for their insistence and persistence in the matter and added that by working hand in hand, results can be achieved.

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NEWS

Baywatch on the beach THE Rincon de la Victoria Council has set up a preventative vigilance plan for the town’s beaches during the Easter holidays. Fifteen local volunteers have been appointed to monitor the beaches to keep all locals and tourists safe during the Easter period. The security presence will be active from March 19 to 27 and will operate between 11m and 6pm.

RECENT MEETING: To discuss the upcoming projects.

Huge cash injection for Velez-Malaga works FUNDS will go to restoration of the fortress By Jill Pickering PRESIDENT of the Provincial Council Elias Bendodo has announced that more than €1 million will be injected into improvement and remodelling work in Velez-Malaga. Bendodo recently met with Velez-Malaga Mayor Antonio Moreno Ferrer and other coun-

cillors to discuss the upcoming projects. Some of the money will be spent on the historic recognition of Torre del Mar and another has been set aside to deal with flooding problems with the installation of a fifth waste water pipe. Additional money will go towards the restoration of the an-

cient fortress of Velez-Malaga, a monument located in the most elevated part of the old town which was built in the 10th century, and a further €15,000 will be given for the first air festival to be held in July in Torre del Mar. Future projects include the possibility of opening a new art museum.

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More police officers for the Torrox area THE Guardia Civil quarters in Torrox will receive more police officers as well as an investigative team as a way for the station to become a major point of reference in the Torrox-Algarrobo area in the fight against crime. The conversion to a major post will favour the work of

the Guardia Civil and will improve the quality of life of the local residents and the thousands of tourists visiting the area every year. Security Secretary Francisco Martinez visited the barracks and announced the priority and obligation to guarantee the safety of tourists. After evalu-

ating the situation, he added that the residents of Torrox have the best security conditions whilst visitors will appreciate that it is one more attraction that the town offers. At present, there are 25 police officers which will increase due to the new measures.

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Smile and say ‘equality!’ TEENAGERS encouraged to start snapping CAMPAIGN: To fight for equal rights.

Easter holiday excitement for lucky Rincon children DURING this year’s Easter holidays, 100 children from Rincon are having fun and getting some free meals thanks to an Easter holiday camp. The initiative comes on the back of similar camps that took place during Christmas and Semana Blanca, and aims to help out families in difficult economic situations by giving them an affordable alternative to daycare or babysitting.

The camp runs from March 21 to 25, and supplies breakfast, lunch and a snack. Additionally, the youngsters get to enjoy a series of entertainment and leisure activities. The camp has a schedule of 7.30am to 3pm. Rincon Mayor Encarnacion Anaya has highlighted the camp as a great option for families with limited resources. Anaya pointed out that there is also a free bus service available.

NEWS

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10 E W N

By Jill Pickering AXARQUIA teenagers are being encouraged to start snapping photos now Malaga Provincial Council has extended its Por un buen Rollo (For Good Vibes) Photo Competition. The contest is aimed at

teenagers aged 14 to 18, and hopes to get them involved in the campaign to fight for equal rights across the province. The competition has been extended to March 31 and can be accessed through the social network Instagram. Those looking to participate must be

registered with Instagram and the photo be related to gender equality or the fight against gender violence. The photo must contain the text #X1BUENROLLO, or a message beginning with ‘Por un buen rollo…” followed by an inspirational message.

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Walking for a cause in Rincon MORE than 400 people of all ages participated By Jill Pickering RINCON DE LA VICTORIA celebrated their first ecological walk on Sunday, March 20 with the participation of more than 400 people of all ages. The walk was organised in honour of the International Day of Forests, which takes place on March 21. The event was organised by the Club de Montaña (Moun-

tain Club) in collaboration with the Environmental and Sports Departments of the council, and the aim of the activity was to raise funds for the reforestation of areas with sparse vegetation. As a result, the participants were encouraged to make small donations, and they received tshirts in return. The tourist office was the starting point with a simple

route along the seafront and the walk finished on the Huerta Julian esplanade where a tree was planted, a weeping willow which symbolises evolution and respect for nature. The money collected will go to the planting of trees in November by schoolchildren. At the end of the walk, children were given diplomas and fruit donated by local businesses.

Council website is updated A NEW website has been created for the Rincon de la Victoria Council as the old site provided obsolete content and was difficult to navigate. Visitors will now find it more efficient to communicate with administrators as they have optimised response times and

data use. The site is also mobile friendly. A company in Malaga developed the site, which cost more than €5,000. Rincon Mayor Encarnacion Anaya stated that the change was necessary to receive feedback from residents of the community.

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NEWS

Advertising feature

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TYPES OF THIRD PARTY OR PUBLIC LIABILITY If you own a swimming pool, paddle court or if you are renting out your property as a holiday home, anyone visiting your property could potentially make a claim against you for injury if they hurt themselves. You could be held liable even if it was their fault entirely. This also includes tradesmen entering your property in order to maintain it, such as gardeners, electricians, and swimming pool or boiler maintenance. Public liability insurance will cover you against any potential third party claim resulting from an injury happening on your property. You will need to check which types of third party cover you require for your property and take out a specific policy to cover, for example, medical claims or negligence.

COVER YOURSELF AGAINST DAMAGE CAUSED TO THIRD PARTY PROPERTY Should the structure of your property cause any material damage to another property (through explosion, water, or fire damage), you will be held responsible for any costly repairs. To avoid having to foot the repair bill you must take out a home insurance with public liability. WHAT DOES PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE COVER?

Should a third party injure themselves on your property, they could make a claim against you for medical costs to cover their treatment. This can be expensive, especially if they have private medical insurance. You may also have to pay for any legal costs incurred should the claim require legal representation or court settlement. Linea Directa can provide you with advice on how to check how much public liability insurance you currently have and provide you with options on how to adequately cover yourself and your family.

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Línea Directa please call 902 123 309 More information on Línea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

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Outdoor painting course A NERJA painting workshop which was to take place on March 12 has been postponed until April 16. The Taller de Paisaje outdoor painting course teaches various techniques and provides materials to purchase at a cost of €3. The registration fee is €10. Participants only need a folding chair should they want to be seated. The event will begin with a chat in the town’s Cultural Centre before the participants head off to paint at the Balcon de Europa. Those interested can visit the Facebook page https://www.face book.com/artandmuse um/ or www.artmuse um.es, or at La Termica museum in Malaga.

More resources for fire station A NEW water pump fire engine will follow

NOW UPDATED: New protective clothing has been provided. By Jill Pickering THE Granada Provincial Council has given Motril’s fire station more resources so it can update its current equipment. The fire station, with a crew of 51 firefighters, is the second largest in the area and is in charge of caring for around

100,000 people, so the equipment modernisation is long overdue. Motril Mayor Flor Almon has thanked the Provincial Council for the materials provided, which include protective clothing, tools, and extinguishers which have an estimated

cost of €170,000. The changes will allow the fire station to develop better projects and strategies. The mayor also signed an agreement with the council for the acquisition of a new water pump fire engine which could be in service by end of the year.

EWN

Plenty of fish in the sea A GROUP of Axarquia fishermen from Caleta de Velez have shown their support for the proposed underwater museum that may make its way to Nerja in the future. The fishermen have explained that the Junta de Andalucia regional government at one point placed blocks in the eastern part of Axarquia to act as an artificial reef

but that the work was done poorly. As a result, they claim that the reef, which was expected to generate life, in fact had the opposite effect. H o w e v e r, t h e f i s h e r men feel that the new museum would be a boon for them, as it would provide new artificial reefs that would be located in authorised places.

Boy safe and sound A YOUNG schoolboy named Yusef went missing on Friday March 18 in Almuñecar, but fortunately he was found safe and sound in a neighbourhood of Salobreña the next day. He was eventually found by his uncle after a full day of searching by the Local Police and the Guardia Civil. The boy was last seen after getting off the school bus and allegedly wandered off voluntarily after receiving a bad school report.

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NEWS

Shopping area reopened after major overhaul WORK included electric, water and sewage renovations By Jill Pickering AFTER six months of refurbishment work, the Calle Princesa in Torre del Mar, one of the most important shopping areas in the

town, has been reopened. The northern stretch of the street has undergone a major overhaul, including electric, water and sewage renovations. The improvements are considered ‘em-

blematic’, and will bring many benefits to local people and businesses as well as increasing the town’s touristic value. The street now has wider pedestrian use with seats and flowers and is more attrac-

tive to shoppers. Town council officials now want to begin the second phase of the refurbishment as quickly as possible and are working on the ideas.

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r e v o c r e d Un

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NEWS

Roving reporter Matthew Elliott was sent to Competa, a small village in the mountains, with nothing but the clothes on his back for 24 hours and a cover story. His mission – seek charity and report on his findings. Also come back alive (for insurance purposes).

An innocent abroad

HEAVY rains, ferocious dogs and evergreen British spirit lie in wait

COMPETA: Flush with avocado trees, it is perfect for the penniless... just not in a storm. A SPLUTTERING Euro Weekly News van spat me out amid the stark void of the sierras, so clueless as to where I was that they might have blindfolded me on the way. Stranded for 24 hours with no money or phone, I was tasked with finding charity by throwing myself at its mercy. It had all seemed more romantic indoors. Throwing caution to the wind, I flung on my hood and made haste for the whitewashed village nestled in the hillside. I crept around the silent streets like a sly drifter and was barked at ferociously by a salivating sentry, a piercing silence in between its roars. Ignoring the buck toothed grin of an extra from Deliverance I dived under a thick avocado tree. To hell with orders I thought, I’ll see out my sentence in blissful ignorance under the shade. Just as my mind slipped briefly into that narcotic state of pseudo sleep, thick raindrops fell, and the skies thundered. I needed help. The undercover story was that my imaginary Spanish girlfriend, Maria, had thrown me out of the car after a heated battle of wills. I stuck to the tale because it was infinitely more plausible than the dawning reality that my boss was discreetly trying to assassinate another wayward writer. In the British quarters, by which I mean the only bar open, my story was met with wild laughter and disbelief but I wasn’t to worry, the party here would go on till the wee hours and we’d find a room for you. There were stories of home tinged with regret. Needless to say one thing led to another

that an EWN rescue mission was and, in evergreen British spirit, matters soon due to beam me up like ET when swept swiftly out of control. The bed I’d been the sun set and graciously acpromised disappeared, shuffling down the cepted her kindness. cobbled streets cackling in ecstasy, and I was Determined to escape the rain I sought utterly alone, angry, and craving shelter with sanctuary in the church, only to find its great all my being. wooden doors locked A fitful sleep that veered To hell with from within. Burning at between the terrible fury of whatever bitter irony being too cold for comfort, orders I was at work I swore at and vivid dreams of a crying thought, I’ll see the sky. statue of the Virgin Mary, was out my sentence in Hood strapped on I cut short by the barmaid, surblissful ignorance continued my march prised to find a lonesome exunder the shade back up to the mounpat sprawled by the flickering tains. A stray dog apembers of the fireplace. peared from the mist and walked by my side I shuffled out into Saturday with ringing until the hail-storm began. church bells and Johnny Cash between my Cloistered under a bending tree waiting on ears. I quickly caught the attention of a wild my lift back to Benalmadena I kept myself haired Irish hippie raised in the slums of east warm with a song before my saviour came London, and a privately educated Guardian and swept me away. reader prone to quoting philosophers with a slow and deliberate air. They had met each day for years, an odd couple studying the Then suddenly it happened world’s woes, and welcomed me with coffee, I lost every dime cake and conversation. But I’m richer by far When the two went their separate ways I With a satisfied mind was offered the use of their tab in case I was Money can’t buy back hungry or still stranded. It was a gallant gesture of trust and goodwill and I was surprised Your youth when you’re old by a surge of overwhelming gratitude. It was Or a friend when you’re lonely time to go and as I shivered back up the mounOr a love that’s grown cold tains to the agreed rendezvous the rain came thundering down. The wealthiest person An old Spanish lady, fearlessly friendly, ofIs a pauper at times fered me a ride back to Competa, my erstwhile Compared to the man prison for a day, I hadn’t the heart to explain With a satisfied mind

Spare a shilling?

Later I was to reflect that human kindness is still alive and well and to this day I am indebted to all those who lent a helping hand. In this dog eat dog world it’s so easy to believe we live in, they had no cause to look twice. In reply I can only perform my own small acts of charity in the future, and certainly mean to do so at the earliest opportunity. When you’re alone, you will find kindness in the simplest of actions. The thrusting open of a car door, the scribbling of a telephone number, can raise your spirits so intensely you could smother a donkey in kisses and pledge to become a kind of karmic knight sowing sunshine and righting wrongs. I learned that life is about being open. If I had my phone handy, doubtless I would have either buried my head in it, or simply called a friend. Here, faced with the choice of asking for help or freezing to death, I found that a friendly smile opened doors another me would never have knocked. To be sure I was soaked, shaken and exhausted, but the experience of losing your ego, at the mercy of mankind rather than in the comfort of bed, is something I wouldn’t change for the world.

FINANCE

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€14 billion is the amount of oil revenue that went missing from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation during 2014, according to government auditors.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

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India’s Richard Branson in trouble

Mapfre forecast

VIJAY MALLYA’S Kingfisher Airline failed in 2013

DESPITE the fact that it turned in lower that anticipated profits due to South American downturn, Spanish insurance giant Mapfre is forecasting a significant turn around between now and 2018, and expects turnover in 2018 to increase to €31 billion. It intends to pay dividends to shareholders accounting for 50 per cent of its profits, and expects that these will account to 5 per cent of turnover.

By John Smith I N D I A N e n t r e p r e n e u r Vi j a y Mallya, who was once compared to Richard Branson, inherited a fortune from his father and at one time was considered to be a rising star in the Indian financial firma-

is said to be the amount that Vijay Mallya owes to creditors following the collapse of Kingfisher Airline.

“What’s a bloke got to do in your job to get the sack?” A question asked of George Osborne by BBC Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys following the March 2016 budget.

Photo Credit Joseph Sohm Shutterstock

Quote of the Week

€1.2 billion

DONALD TRUMP: On the campaign trail.

The ‘Last Trump’ LOVE him or hate him, you can’t ignore Donald Trump. The well-respected Economist, in its list of risks facing the world, includes him in the top 10. According to their report, if what he says is what he intends, then he is seen as being potentially more economically

ment, but when his Kingfisher Airline failed in 2013, he is said to owe huge amounts of money in unpaid debts. Creditors managed to block a payment of €66 million due to be paid to him by drinks firm Diageo, after he sold them one of the

disruptive than if Britain leaves the EU, although he is not considered quite as dangerous as a future crash of the Chinese economy. On the bright side, the review anticipates he will be beaten in the election by Hilary Clinton, assuming she wins the Democratic nomination.

BUSINESS EXTRA

European airline growth IBERIAN AIRLINES, part of the IAG group, has announced that it will be introducing new routes to China and Japan and will be recruiting cabin staff who have a knowledge of the languages of those two countries, or are of Chinese or Japanese origin. Due to these expansions and a general growth in business, the company is looking to employ a further 50 pilots to add to the 80 recruited in 2015. In addition, the German airline group Lufthansa has reported a 55 per cent rise in earnings to €1.8 billion thanks in part to lower fuel costs, and despite a series of strikes by pilots and cabin crew due to changes in working conditions. Thanks to this, the company expects profits to rise slightly during 2016, and it will be resuming the payment of dividends to shareholders.

Investors flee sterling FOLLOWING the news that investors were withdrawing funds from Spain due to the uncertainty over the forming of the next government, it is the United Kingdom’s turn to suffer from investor jitters, with over £6 billion (€7.8 billion) leaving British shores in January alone, according to the Bank of England.

The big fear of course is the possibility of a vote to leave the EU in the June referendum, and also an underlying belief that the British economy is not as resilient as the market first thought, which has to some extent been confirmed by the reduction of growth forecasts revealed in George Osborne’s latest budget.

companies he inherited, and they have tried to auction Kingfisher House in Mumbai with a starting price of €19 million but without success. In the meantime, Mr Mallya is said to have fled to London to try to escape his debts.

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 21

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group PLC 450.05 -0.60 Aberdeen Asset Mangmnt PLC 287.20 -4.90 Admiral Group PLC 1918.00 2.00 Anglo American PLC 538.05 -17.70 Antofagasta PLC 502.75 -12.00 ARM Holdings PLC 1011.50 2.00 Ashtead Group PLC 874.50 -2.50 Associated British Foods PLC 3415.50 -7.00 AstraZeneca PLC 3915.75 25.50 Aviva PLC 480.10 -6.42 Babcock International Group... 940.75 -5.00 BAE Systems PLC 496.25 -0.80 Barclays PLC 161.60 -0.60 Barratt Developments PLC 572.25 1.00 Berkeley Group Holdings 3212.00 27.00 BHP Billiton PLC 818.80 -11.90 BP PLC 354.20 -2.75 British American Tobacco PLC 3979.50 2.50 British Land Co PLC 700.75 -4.50 BT Group PLC 445.73 -1.30 Bunzl PLC 1976.50 -4.00 Burberry Group PLC 1341.50 -13.00 Capita PLC 1044.00 0.00 Carnival PLC 3491.00 -7.00 Centrica PLC 225.65 -0.70 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1446.50 -9.00 Compass Group PLC 1216.00 -5.00 CRH PLC 1947.00 5.00 DCC PLC 5860.00 -10.00 Diageo PLC 1865.25 -3.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 375.90 0.40 Dixons Carphone PLC 437.30 -3.70 easyJet PLC 1503.00 -11.00 Experian PLC 1200.50 -6.00 Fresnillo PLC 981.00 -7.50 GKN PLC 290.85 -2.00 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1389.75 4.47 Glencore PLC 155.90 -5.00 Hammerson PLC 574.00 2.00 Hargreaves Lansdown PLC 1313.00 -10.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC 1830.50 2.00 HSBC Holdings PLC 448.03 -0.80 Imperial Brands PLC 3812.50 5.00 Inmarsat PLC 919.75 -5.00 InterContinental Hotels Gr 2792.00 -5.00 International Consolidated 563.75 -1.50 Intertek Group PLC 3135.00 -18.00 Intu Properties PLC 316.35 -0.50 ITV PLC 242.30 -1.70 Johnson Matthey PLC 2587.00 -12.00

% CHG. -0.13 -1.68 0.10 -3.19 -2.33 0.20 -0.29 -0.20 0.66 -1.32 -0.53 -0.16 -0.37 0.18 0.85 -1.43 -0.77 0.06 -0.64 -0.29 -0.20 -0.96 0.00 -0.20 -0.31 -0.62 -0.41 0.26 -0.17 -0.19 0.11 -0.84 -0.73 -0.50 -0.76 -0.68 0.32 -3.11 0.35 -0.76 0.11 -0.18 0.13 -0.54 -0.18 -0.27 -0.57 -0.16 -0.70 -0.46

NET VOL 39.52 362.58 22.84 559.46 191.00 93.05 38.51 11.50 235.53 704.41 13.94 266.03 2,386.32 97.08 63.10 454.81 1,985.52 196.59 181.55 810.82 25.40 51.31 93.67 17.28 534.86 6.67 104.02 73.38 3.65 232.91 86.00 98.25 52.56 56.03 65.23 99.69 411.37 6,616.77 62.92 31.01 27.75 2,985.27 76.31 88.50 22.60 402.20 15.85 29.22 560.36 15.02

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Kingfisher PLC 349.70 -3.20 Land Securities Group PLC 1093.50 -1.00 Legal & General Group PLC 239.35 -1.80 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 70.01 0.11 London Stock Exchange Grp 2871.50 -21.00 Marks & Spencer Group PLC 412.35 -4.90 Merlin Entertainments PLC 461.85 -0.10 Mondi PLC 1314.50 1.00 National Grid PLC 971.30 -2.70 Next PLC 6547.50 -85.00 Old Mutual PLC 194.65 -2.00 Pearson PLC 900.50 5.50 Persimmon PLC 2092.00 2.00 Provident Financial PLC 2956.50 -18.00 Prudential PLC 1362.75 -8.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 6392.50 -115.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC 6589.50 -10.00 RELX PLC 1261.00 1.00 REXAM PLC 623.50 -0.37 Rio Tinto PLC 1994.00 -21.00 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 710.00 -6.45 Royal Bank of Scotland Gr 235.20 -0.90 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 1696.50 -11.00 Royal Mail PLC 477.10 0.70 RSA Insurance Group PLC 473.75 3.16 SABMiller PLC 4237.00 3.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 611.25 -1.50 Sainsbury (J) PLC 276.35 3.30 Schroders PLC 2729.00 -23.00 Severn Trent PLC 2139.50 -3.00 Shire PLC 3769.50 78.00 Sky PLC 1012.00 0.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 1121.00 1.00 Smiths Group PLC 1106.00 -1.00 Sports Direct International 426.40 1.40 SSE PLC 1464.00 -6.00 Standard Chartered PLC 492.85 -0.80 Standard Life PLC 369.30 -0.50 St James's Place PLC 935.75 -4.00 Taylor Wimpey PLC 188.00 -0.30 Tesco PLC 193.75 -1.10 Travis Perkins PLC 1800.50 -18.00 TUI AG 1030.50 6.00 Unilever PLC 3084.75 -13.50 United Utilities Group PLC 915.50 0.00 Vodafone Group PLC 216.67 -0.65 Whitbread PLC 3956.50 31.00 Wolseley PLC 3839.00 -4.00 Worldpay Group PLC 272.65 -1.00 WPP PLC 1584.00 -4.00

% CHG. -0.91 -0.09 -0.75 0.16 -0.73 -1.17 -0.02 0.08 -0.28 -1.28 -1.02 0.61 0.10 -0.61 -0.58 -1.77 -0.15 0.08 -0.06 -1.04 -0.90 -0.38 -0.64 0.15 0.67 0.08 -0.24 1.21 -0.84 -0.14 2.11 0.00 0.09 -0.09 0.33 -0.41 -0.16 -0.14 -0.43 -0.16 -0.56 -0.99 0.59 -0.44 0.00 -0.30 0.79 -0.10 -0.37 -0.25

NET VOL 190.06 114.94 924.55 6,835.94 61.18 239.38 183.49 126.56 374.93 27.17 574.79 142.66 39.64 21.13 335.23 27.42 109.46 134.96 39.79 227.57 284.79 918.99 396.80 96.60 126.41 153.02 134.83 1,276.96 15.47 22.55 276.33 103.47 30.16 84.08 367.43 116.03 992.03 205.37 28.20 437.46 798.34 31.20 35.61 107.48 45.80 1,913.67 62.98 23.59 78.52 113.09

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US dollar ....................................................................1.12456 Japan yen.................................................................125.282 Switzerland franc................................................1.09408 Denmark kroner...................................................7.45356 Norway kroner....................................................9.46008

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DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 21

COMPANY MMM 3M AXP American Express AAPL Apple BA Boeing CAT Caterpillar CVX Chevron CSCO Cisco KO Coca-Cola DIS Disney DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil GE General Electric GS Goldman Sachs HD Home Depot IBM IBM INTC Intel JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase MCD McDonald's MRK Merck MSFT Microsoft NKE Nike PFE Pfizer PG Procter & Gamble TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies UNH UnitedHealth VZ Verizon V Visa WMT Wal-Mart

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 165.33 +1.58 +0.96% 5.9M 61.22 +1.14 +1.90% 8.3M 105.92 +0.12 +0.11% 44.2M 133.96 +3.26 +2.49% 9.1M 75.47 -0.43 -0.57% 13.8M 97.69 +0.80 +0.83% 14.4M 28.33 +0.14 +0.50% 43.1M 45.60 -0.17 -0.37% 23.9M 99.20 -0.40 -0.40% 10.2M 64.86 +0.27 +0.42% 7.0M 84.20 +0.10 +0.12% 19.6M 30.92 -0.04 -0.13% 52.4M 157.60 +4.69 +3.07% 7.4M 131.35 +0.47 +0.36% 8.1M 147.09 +0.05 +0.03% 12.1M 32.68 +0.70 +2.19% 49.9M 107.50 +0.76 +0.71% 14.8M 60.48 +1.73 +2.94% 29.6M 124.08 +0.92 +0.75% 14.8M 52.25 +0.72 +1.40% 14.4M 53.49 -1.17 -2.14% 67.6M 62.99 -0.19 -0.30% 13.2M 29.45 +0.11 +0.37% 81.9M 83.15 +0.40 +0.48% 33.6M 115.76 -0.07 -0.06% 5.2M 99.05 +0.21 +0.21% 9.5M 126.72 +2.19 +1.76% 6.9M 53.24 -0.39 -0.73% 23.2M 73.78 +0.64 +0.88% 15.0M 66.95 -0.50 -0.74% 23.2M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 14

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Affymetrix, Inc. Ascent Capital Group, Inc. QuinStreet, Inc. Cerulean Pharma Inc. Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. Destination Maternity Corporation Peak Resorts, Inc. Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. BioScrip, Inc. CIM Commercial Trust Corporation

$ 15.99 $ 15.94 $ 3.44 $ 2.41 $ 4.25 $ 10.05 $ 3.36 $ 4.03 $ 12.37 $ 2.23 $ 18.38

1.97 ▲ 14.05% 1.95 ▲ 13.94% 0.41 ▲ 13.53% 0.28 ▲ 13.15% 0.49 ▲ 13.03% 1.13 ▲ 12.67% 0.36 ▲ 12% 0.43 ▲ 11.94% 1.28 ▲ 11.54% 0.23 ▲ 11.50% 1.8799 ▲ 11.39%

$ 4.30 $ 14.59 $ 43.50 $ 2.94 $ 4.26 $ 14.66 $ 2.64 $ 2.20 $ 11.27 $ 7.29 $ 9.93

1.67 ▼ 27.97% 4.38 ▼ 23.09% 10.18 ▼ 18.96% 0.46 ▼ 13.53% 0.56 ▼ 11.62% 1.91 ▼ 11.53% 0.34 ▼ 11.41% 0.27 ▼ 10.93% 1.29 ▼ 10.27% 0.81 ▼ 10% 1.10 ▼ 9.97%

Most Declined Nuvectra Corporation WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Cadiz, Inc. Hanwha Q CELLS Co., Ltd. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. TOP Ships Inc. Titan Machinery Inc. CNinsure Inc. Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc.

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 /Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

SEAT’s first profit since 2008 Photo Credit Ghoster Wikimedia

THE increase in sales and production enabled the creation of 350 new jobs By John Smith

SEAT ATECA: Available this summer.

Stock Exchanges to merge POSSIBLY with an eye to the Brexit, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has announced that it wishes to merge with its German equivalent, the Deutsche Boerse (DB) in what is described as a ‘merger of equals’, with a combined worth in the region of €27 billion. The shares in the new company will be split on an almost equal basis with 45.6 per cent going to LSE shareholders and the balance to DB shareholders. One of the main reasons given for the merger is the operating savings they expect to make of €450 million a year, which represents about 20 per cent of their joint operating costs. LSE will be bringing the Milan Borsa Italiana to the ‘party’, which means the new group believes that the “combination of London, Frankfurt and Milan will provide a platform for financing and promoting economic growth of European companies, and be an attractive offering to Asian and US companies looking to access investors and capital.”

Photo Credit Don’t worry Wikimedia

THE Volkswagen group has announce d t h a t i t s su b s id ia ry in Spain, SEAT, posted a €6 million profit for 2015, compared to a 2014 loss of €66 million, and was its first profit in seven years. Sales increased by 11 per cent to €8.3 billion so the percentage of profit is tiny, but this is one piece of good news for the company that has been transformed, following the revelation that the parent had been responsible for misrepresenting diesel emission figures across a whole range of models. “SEAT’s progress in 2015 was twofold, not only did we obtain a positive result for the first time s ince 2 0 0 8 , b u t we a c h ie v ed it during a year of major challenges. We are i m p l e m e n t i n g th e rig h t strategy that enables us to face the challenge of sustaining long-term profitability with optimism.” “We h a v e a b r i l l i a n t fu tu re ahead of us thanks to the launch of new products and the integration

of new technologies in both the field of mobility as well as connect i vi t y,” sai d Luca de Meo, President of the SEAT Executive Committee, during the presentation of the 2015 annual results. The growth in sales for the third year i n a r ow, exceedi ng t he 400,000 vehicle barrier in a single year, was the result of recuperation in southern European markets, growth in Germany, SEAT’s main market, and the brand’s success in Mexico. The increase in sales and production enabled the creation of 350 new j obs i n t he ent i r e SEAT Group, including 100 engineers at the Technical Centre, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, as well as 48 young graduates of the company’s vocational training school. SEAT expect s t o i ncr ease i t s growth in 2016 thanks in part to launch of the Ateca, the brand’s first SUV, which was created at the SEAT Technical Centre and will be available this summer.

DEUTSCHE BOERSE: Merger with the London Stock Exchange described as a ‘merger of equals’. Both organisations will keep their operations in their own countries on the assumption that the deal is completed either

later this year or early next year, and it will have an LSE chairman and DB chief executive. In order for this deal to pro-

ceed however, shareholders in each company have to accept the recommendations of their respective boards.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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EWN

George Osborne presents March budget By John Smith DURING a 62-minute speech on March 16 in his third budget in 12 months, Chancellor Osborne pleased a few people and irritated a few, but didn’t really come up with anything extraordinary. Trying to be upbeat, he had to admit that his earlier growth forecasts were not going to be met, and therefore were amended to 2 per cent for 2016, down from 2.4 per cent, with slightly better but still reduced growth forecasts for the following years. Mr Osborne was still confident that the UK forecast was stronger than for any other major western economy. As was to be expected, he also reminded everyone that the Brexit, if it went ahead, could affect his financial forecasts, but he didn’t play that card too often or too strongly. He sees this as a budget for the young and for the future, as there will be a tax imposed on sugary drinks by 2018 and a portion of the funds collected (as-

Photo Credit Cabinet Office flickr

HE didn’t really come up with anything extraordinary

CHANCELLOR GEORGE OSBORNE: Presented the new budget without too many surprises. suming that drink manufacturers don’t change their recipes), will be dedicated to sports facilities for the young. Keeping with children in particular he has found funds to allow for all schools to become

academies by 2022, and there is some suggestion that the school day should increase nationwide by an hour. For those trying to get onto the property ladder, those under 40 by April 2017 will be able to

save money in a ‘Lifetime ISA’ so that if they save up £4,000 per annum, the government will contribute 25 per cent extra to the savings. All of this will be tax free and will be operable until the saver reaches 50.

The annual ISA limit for regular ISAs is to rise from £15,000 to £20,000, which will please many although with such low interest rates, ISAs whilst safe are not terribly profitable. The personal tax allowance is to rise to £11,000 in April 2016 and £11,500 in April 2017, which is worth in the region of £3.50 per week, but the higher rate threshold will increase to £43,000 this year and £45,000 next year, which did not impress those listening on the opposition bench. All alcoholic drink duty will continue to be frozen as will fuel tax, but cigarettes will increase in price by inflation plus 2 per cent. There is to be a further increase in insurance premium tax which will hurt motorists and others, as it is to be raised by 0.5 per cent to 10 per cent on all insurance except life insurance. This extra levy will be used on flood defences in vulnerable areas.

Inflation is forecast to remain low, spending cuts will continue and more money will be spent on capital projects such as railway infrastructure, which will help to see the creation of a further 1,000,000 jobs by 2020. Debt targets are going to be missed and borrowing will continue to rise in the foreseeable future. One possibly unexpected bone of contention was the fact that he had done nothing to remove the 5 per cent vat on women’s sanitary products, which was heavily criticised by his own back benchers who object to the fact that the tax is effectively imposed by Brussels. Finally, there was considerable criticism from the Labour party about the cuts in the proposed increase in Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to the disabled. This decision led to Jeremy Corbyn accusing the Chancellor of ‘declaring war on the disabled’, which he naturally denied.

Chinese group not disenchanted with FIFA DESPITE ongoing scandals, the Wanda Group has signed a deal to cover 2018 until 2030 By John Smith NEW FIFA president Gianni Infantino must be absolutely delighted that his team has managed to attract their first major Chinese sponsor, the Wanda Group, which has signed a deal to cover 2018 until 2030. Although the value of the deal has not been revealed it is rumoured to be one of the biggest in FIFA history, supposedly topping the contributions received individually from Adidas, Coca-Cola, Gazprom, Hyundai and Visa, who spent over €150 million with FIFA in 2015. Chinese firms have been involved with minor sponsorship in the past but this investment from Wanda, which is the largest private company in China operating in most areas of entertainment and retail sales including sports, is certainly a real feather in the cap for FIFA. The fact that the contracts for both Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 finals respectively have been the cause of considerable controversy doesn’t seem to have put off Chairman Wang Jianlin, who has a stake in Atletico Madrid and

Photo Credit Stefen Chow/Fortune Global Forum flickr

WANG JIANLIN: Chairman of the Wanda Group. has undertaken to arrange skills development for Chinese players in Spain. China is an increasingly important market for soccer and players such as Didier Drogba, Ramires and Gervinho have been lured to that country by promises of high salaries

as they reach the twilight of their careers. The Chinese love to bet and soccer has become so important that there are even accusations of match fixing in the English leagues as well as in other European countries. Speaking at the announcement of

the sponsorship deal, Mr Infantino said: “We are pleased to welcome the Wanda Group to FIFA. A company that has a long affiliation with football has been an active supporter of the game for many years and shares our enthusiasm to develop and strengthen football.

“As FIFA President, I am committed to providing stronger support for football development to our member associations, and I believe that the relationship with Wanda will support us to continue the ongoing development and growth of the game in China and all over the world.” In response, Mr Wang said “We are highly motivated to promote football across the country and to inspire a new generation of youngsters. The Chinese government is committed to this development and as a company we strongly support these efforts. In order to professionally grow the existing grassroots movement into a sustainable and well managed sport, we are delighted to tap into the vast experience of the most competent advisor – FIFA.” With all of this activity and the fact that China was renowned for building football stadiums all over Africa in the 1970s, perhaps this enormous investment from the Wanda Group will be repaid with the finals being awarded to China before the sponsorship agreement expires.

OPINION & COMMENT

24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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EWN

There’s only one solution THE game, in my opinion, is well and truly up! Orlok/Shutterstock.com

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

WHEN are our pussyfooting politicians going to realise that there is only one solution to the ‘refugee’ problem? They have to annihilate the reason for them all coming here in the first place. They must completely destroy Daesh. Their latest attempt at a solution is a sick joke. This week’s meeting of European leaders should have been to form a war cabinet. So what do they do instead? Decide to give billions of euros to Turkey, promising its 68 million mainly Muslim residents a fast track into the EU if they take them all back! This to a country that is no more European than the Peruvian Incas and whose alien culture, unleashed without restriction on to our societies, would be the final nail in the coffin of Western ideals and democracy as we know it.

ALIEN CULTURE: Will be unleashed without restriction on to our societies. And the biggest laugh of all? Every single one of these immigrants is entitled to legal representation to decide whether they should be made to leave or not! ‘Uman

rights lawyers and judges are rubbing their hands and packing their bags as we speak, en route to the Greek islands for a working holiday that will take years, and who’s go-

ing to foot their undoubtedly exorbitant fees? I don’t really have to insult your intelligence do I? It’s all a very expensive joke, perpetrated by politicians with no more courage than the Lion of Oz. Well, I’ll tell you if we don’t take the bull by the horns and enter into a full, no holds barred war against these animals, we are all finished. We need a European army of at least a half a million troops, kitted out with all the modern hardware necessary to complete the job. There really is no other way. Despite my earlier misgivings, recent events have absolutely convinced me, if we want to retain any national identity and indeed our sanity, we simply have to opt out of Europe. Quite frankly, when the leader of our nation has to go cap in hand to Brussels to plead for the right to lift the tax on tampons, the game, in my opinion, is well and truly up! Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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OPINION & COMMENT

Advertising feature

Don’t be caught out by non-disclosure David Deverson GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL Insurance correspondent david@globelink.co.uk

THERE are some great travel bargains to be had at the moment and the market for breaks hasn’t been dented despite ongoing economic woes in Europe. In fact, more and more people are on the look out for short, bargain getaways and there are some excellent deals out there. Insurance is an essential part of travel and a great insurance option for budget savvy travellers is to take out an Annual Multi Trip policy with Globelink Travel Insurance. In order to guard against travelling abroad with invalid insurance there is one thing you shouldn’t be economical about, and that’s telling your insurer about your medical history. More and more people are finding they are not insured from the moment they check in at their local airport. Either through naivety or misplaced judgment travellers are not coming clean about pre-existing health issues that may affect the terms of their insurance.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: Being coy about material medical details could end up costing you a great deal. Imagine the pre-existing condition suddenly flares up and requires medical attention. No point in hoping the insurance claims investigators won’t cotton on to the facts as they always do, that’s their job! It doesn’t pay to be coy about important medical details. If you end up needing to cut your holiday short due to ill health, kiss goodbye to around €880 on average. Add the cost of medical expenses while abroad, and you could be looking at

more than twice that sum, depending on where in the world you are. If your condition warrants your flying home with a medical escort, expect to run up an average bill of around €4,700 in Europe, and that’s flying economy class. As for repatriation by air ambulance from the US or Australia, typical costs run into tens of thousands... Not the kind of holiday ‘splurge’ most people budget for. A new UK law being brought in this year

will make it hard for travellers to leave out important medical details on their insurance forms. This can only be a good thing, since it should help to cut down claim disputes. The flip-side is that the law does expect you to fill out the online form honestly and accurately when applying for, or renewing your travel insurance. A ‘little white lie’ could leave you without proper cover precisely when you need it most. Often conditions are eligible for automatic coverage even though they have been left out of the form unbeknownst to many travellers trying to keep costs down. At Globelink Travel Insurance, our policies embrace a large number of pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, provided you have no related complications. If you’re in doubt or unsure about anything please contact us, we’re here to help. For an instant quote or to arrange cover securely online which enables you to print your policy documents immediately visit www.globelink.co.uk, the leading Travel Insurer for people living in EU Countries. Or you can telephone Globelink on 0044 1353 699 082 or their Spanish links line on 966 265 000 or 951 242 434.

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 24 MARCH

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:45am

FRIDAY 25 MARCH

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SUNDAY 27 MARCH

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WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am

The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders MasterChef Boomers Mrs. Brown's Boys BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Graham Norton Show Room 101

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The Voice UK The National Lottery Live The Voice UK Casualty BBC News Weather Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Biker Boyz

7:35pm 7:50pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 11:25pm 11:30pm 12:00am

BBC News Regional News Weather Countryfile Antiques Roadshow The Night Manager BBC News Regional News Weather Would I Lie to You? Little Fockers

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Regional News Weather The One Show Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers EastEnders Marvel's Avengers Assemble BBC News Regional News Weather

12:10am

SATURDAY

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders MasterChef DIY SOS The Big Build BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Autistic Me This Week

8:00pm 9:55pm 10:05pm 10:35pm 11:25pm 11:40pm 11:45pm

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6:15pm 6:45pm 8:00pm Me 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:50am 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 12:50am 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

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EastEnders Holby City The A Word BBC News Regional News Weather Life in Debt Valley Facelifts and Fillers Weather for the Week Ahead BBC News

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Flog It! Pointless BBC News Regional News The One Show MasterChef Secret Britain BBC News Regional News Weather A Question of Sport Boomers

5:25pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:10am 12:15am

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Eggheads Too Much TV Big Dreams Small Spaces The Secret History of My Family Line of Duty Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Newsnight The Women's Football Show

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm Survive 11:00pm

Eggheads Antiques Road Trip Too Much TV Mary Berry's Easter Feast Mastermind Gardeners' World Springwatch QI Night Train to Lisbon The Tempest

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Big Dreams, Small Spaces Gardeners World Easter from King's Tribes, Predators and

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Made in Britain Dad's Army Being the Brontes Jane Eyre Passion

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LETTERS

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

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

It’s almost sit on a Brit time

Expat hypocrisy I CAN see that lots of expats are up in arms about Spain’s bullfighting tradition and I am glad that animal welfare is finally receiving the attention it deserves. However, I’m curious as to whether many expats here actually walk the walk or are just squeamish about a practice which is unfamiliar to them. Let’s be frank for a second, anyone who complains about bull-

around the world. It is going to be a nail-biting finish, and a few sleepless nights for the expats before June 23. B Kendall from Benidorm

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

A lonely isle Phil Holmes Shutterstock

YEP, the summer months are fast approaching and thoughts turn to the lazy days spent at the beach. There’s nothing better than ensconcing down on hot days with all the compulsory paraphernalia. In my case, book, newspaper, crossword puzzle, cool bag containing a beer or two, water, and food. Swimming, strolling up and down the seashore having a dose of shut eye after lunch, perfect. Then, what happens: “It’s let’s sit on a Brit time!” It seems to be a national pastime of every other nation on earth to want to get near or actually sit on Brits when you are on the beach. Regardless of there being enough room to sit, the Chinese population have to take cover under your parasol. My wife found herself one day actually touching one lady, after she plonked herself down. She almost bit a piece of her sandwich, she was so close. The Spanish are excellent at it but the Germans, Russians and Italians get just as lonely and need to feel close. However, the world leaders in this field are undoubtedly the Bulgarians. Experts to a man. Having spent a holiday there, I can vouch for that. Arriving there well in to the early hours we decided the beach and rest was the place the following day. We hired beds and parasol and I was out for the count lying on my stomach. When I woke, a lady’s bum was almost touching my forehead as she was bending down and her family were all under our parasol eating crisps. We still giggle about that to this day. Roll on summer! Philip from San Fulgencio

The Royals RE: Colin Bird’s column My brother trained as a tool maker at Huntley Bourne & Stevens. Also my late mother-inlaw worked at H&P biscuit factory, collecting her weekly ration of broken biscuits, also discounted ones if required. Also is Colin aware of the recent demise of, I consider, Reading FC’s post war greatest centre forward, Ronnie Blackman? Dennis Marshall via email

Thanks David DEAR Leapy, For once, and unusually, I find myself disagreeing with you. How will the UK survive outside the EU? Clearly Obama has now put a fly in the ointment and whatever special relationship was said to be between us and the USA has just gone out the window. As you say, our old trading partners in the Commonwealth have moved on and found new suppliers and markets, so the only choice is to become even less significant in the world and face extinction as the Roman Empire did, by looking inwards and not outwards. At the end of the day it is an island in the middle of nowhere if it does leave. Sorry but for once I think you’re wrong, and who cares how many more Muslims arrive, you and I are not there, and as long as they are not extremists that should be ok, it’s the fundamentalist nutters you need to worry about! Phil Holman via email

fighting while munching on a bacon sandwich or cooking with supermarket meat is a hypocrite, there’s really no two ways about it. Livestock suffer in abominable conditions, with chickens having their beaks cut off, cows essentially raped on a daily basis to stimulate milk production, and pigs often resorting to cannibalism. This is because meat eating has become such a huge global industry that animals are essentially products on a factory line, living short, miserable lives with a brutal death awaiting them. We have become alienated from that process and no longer see the misery and death before it reaches our plate. At least those who support bull-

fighting are willing to witness the death of an animal and treat it well before its demise. It’s far less sickening than the hypocrisy of those who feel automatic outrage without looking at their own impact on the world. Maureen from Javea

Quid pro quo DEAR Sir, When people uproot and go and set up home or buy property in another country, they should be very wary of the consequences if events don’t always turn out as planned. Nobody knows exactly what is

going to happen if and when the UK leaves or stays in the Eurozone. If the UK had a good deal, why did Cameron need to go and get a better deal before the referendum, and did he get a better deal? The UK does more trade outside the Eurozone than in, that’s a fact. Germany trades more BMWs, Mercedes and Audis with the UK than the rest of the other 27 members put together, that’s a fact. Does anyone really think Germany will put a 20 per cent trade tariff on their goods to us? Never. The UK pays in much more than the benefits it gets out, so I think it is now time to leave, and concentrate on new and better trade deals

I WOULD like to express my gratitude to David the Dogman for his article on the dangers of chocolate to dogs. As a proud Finn, living in Fuengirola for many years, I have my lovely Finnish Spitz Oskari constantly by my side. Indeed I believe he has saved my life many times, whether I know it or not. Last September I unwittingly left some chocolate lying around my home (I have a weakness for dark chocolate and vodka), and poor Oskari of course devoured some. Needless to say he became frighteningly ill and I was lucky that, firstly, he only ate very little, and secondly that my ex-wife Johanna noticed his discomfort very quickly and immediately rushed him to the vet. Fortunately he was fine but it was a terrible scare and I wish I had read an article like yours before! I hope all the dog lovers out there take careful note! Caspar from Fuengirola

WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:

www.euroweeklynews.com

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.

NEWS

24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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A perfect Easter excursion

EWN

Alaska Tundra Wolf.

LOBO PARK is nestled in the picturesque Antequera mountains WITH the Easter holidays in full swing what better way to spend a day than by taking some down time and visiting the renowned Lobo Park to explore the way of the wolf while taking in the magnificent scenery. For those not yet in the know, the Lobo Park is a scientific park nestled in the picturesque Antequera mountains, which is heroically devoted to the study and protection of wild wolves. This Easter the Lobo Park is the perfect day trip for anyone interested in a fascinating tour and excursion of the wolf kingdom. It will be a memorable day for families and those with a real desire to learn something new in an entertaining way. There are three wolf species there from across the world, all taken care of by a dedicated team who hope to re-bridge the gap between wolf and man. But it’s not all about wolves. Alexandra and Daniel also run truly unique seminars for dog owners and lovers, as well as a fantastic Dog Hotel which offers education and socialisation too. Caminolobo means ‘the way of the wolf’ and is a specialised session for anyone looking for greater insight into the wolf and dog family which they can use in their own animal relationships. Meanwhile the Dog Hotel is a wonderful option for anyone who is taking a trip and wants to see their dog loved and well taken care off. With fine accommodation, meals, a vet check-up, single and group walks, grooming, fitness training and specialist diets all offered, this is a home like no other. In keeping with its

LOBO PARK: Learn about the way of the wolf.

vibrant holistic philosophy, the Lobo Park only feeds your dog high quality organic dog food and embraces nature and the open air. The results are astonishing and the Lobo Park has a serious reputation for bringing out the absolute best in dogs and transforming your relationship with them. So whether you’d like an incredible Easter excursion with your family or partner, you have a keen interest in discovering more about wolves, or would love to see your dog lovingly taken care of, a trip to the Lobo Park should be at the top of your bucket list. You can find the Lobo Park in Antequera, a pleasant drive from the Costa del Sol, and have all your questions answered by telephone on +34 952 03 11 07 or on email info@lobopark.com. Be sure to visit their website www.lobopark.com now to find out about daily tours this Easter and beyond.

FOR A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, OR FOR A DAYTIME GUIDED TOUR: contact the Lobo Park in Antequera today on +34 952 031 107, email them at info@lobopark.com, or visit their website www.lobopark.com. A lifetime of memories awaits.

Guided tours are at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 16:30 every day except Wednesday.

In the nightmare garden IT’S tempting to refer to the children’s television characters PABLO IGLESIAS: Lacks Iggle Piggle’s innate empathy.

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

IT’S tempting to refer to Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias as Iggle Piggle but he lacks the character’s innate empathy. All the same, baby-faced Iñigo Errejon is a dead ringer for Makka Pakka, although the wildest imagination couldn’t turn Carolina Bescansa into Upsy Daisy. Increasingly restive Podemos components En Marea, En Comu Podem and Compromis make pretty decent Tombliboos, though.

Getting rid of grandad MARIANO RAJOY, acting president since the Ahora Madrid on Wikimedia Commons

Seen and not heard

THE rest of Spain is wrapped up in its own affairs, making order out of chaos to form a government and Cataluña seems quiet for a change. Could it be that Cataluña only plays up when it has everyone’s attention? night of December 20, continues to bleat that he and the Partido Popular won the general elections. His party might have been the most-voted, but Spain voted with its feet by depriving the PP of a workable majority or allies prepared to shore it up. It’s Rajoy’s own fault that voters don’t want a two-party system because he governed autocratically, often by decree, thanks to a stonking great majority. Also he is 60, going on Methuselah, with no father-figure appeal – just a tetchy grandfather who his despairing party would like to abandon in a petrol station far from home.

Talk it over SPAIN’S four principal parties will have to do a conjuring trick to pull a government out of a top hat. Only people paid to comment on the current four-ring circus have much interest in a process that is anaesthetising the electorate. “They’re all the same,” they complained before the elections and now because they see leaders protecting their own interests. This might be true of Rajoy for wanting to retain power and Iglesias for snatching it. Doubtless Pedro Sanchez and Albert Rivera are equally power-hungry but at least they are giving dialogue a chance.

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Shoe Shoe-be-do...

OUR VIEW

IF shoes and handbags keep the princess happy, then who am I to argue? Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-thewall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

WHAT is it they build into the doorways of shoe shops that have this instant effect on my wife? We could be browsing shop windows in the Zenia Boulevard, or on our way to meet friends. But even if we are running late, it’s as if my wife’s underwear is lined with iron filings and there is a whacking great magnet hidden in the doorway, because she is invariably pulled violently into the zapateria. I am not alone in this. My friends tell me that it’s the same with their other halves, who would all willingly cross a six-lane highway in Cairo if that’s what it took to get to the shoe shop. You rarely see one close

SHOE SHOPS: It’s as if there’s a whacking great magnet hidden in the doorway. down, and if they do, it’s because they have either banned women (unlikely), or the owners have cashed in and gone swanning off to early retirement.

I bet if you looked at all the millionaires living in The Seychelles or Grand Cayman, you would find that most of them are ex-shoe chain proprietors or manufacturers.

I have never had the courage to actually count the number of pairs of shoes/ boots/sandals/flip-flops/slippers/wellies that my wife has accumulated, but I am confi-

dent that it would provide half the population of Torrevieja with footwear. And it’s the same with handbags. Our women folk gaze like children at Christmas time through the windows of bag shops, their eyes glaze over and as if in a trance, they are compelled to enter. Actually it’s all quite clever, because the purchase of either of these items is a handy justification to buy the other. “Oh look at those red court shoes, just what I’ve been looking for to go with my new red handbag.” Ah yes I think, but you bought that handbag to go with the red sandals you bought the week before that. But I say nothing. If shoes and handbags keep the Princess happy, then who am I to argue? Oh look here she comes now with another pair that has caught her fancy. HOW MUCH!!!

The Spanish government’s ways seem almost unfathomable IT’S strange we’ve had so little reaction from readers Photo Credit La Moncloa

John Smith Random thoughts... I FIND it quite strange that we have so little reaction from readers about the current state of the Spanish government and the fact that it seems impossible for any party to form a stable relationship. We may not be able to elect the government but we have elected to live in Spain, and whatever decision is made over the next few months will have an ongoing effect on the lives of each and every expatriate living here. As has been reported in our finance pages, foreign investment is flowing out of Spain at a rate of knots, as there is a great deal of uncertainty about the future of the Spanish economy. The caretaker government seems to

GOVERNMENT: The current state barely seems to raise an eyebrow. have overlooked the fact that it really isn’t terribly wise to use the national pension pot as a way of underwriting the economy, and it also doesn’t help to spend more than 100 per cent of GNP whilst continuing to borrow

money in ever-increasing amounts. Who is to say however that the financial situation wouldn’t get worse under a left wing coalition that includes Podemos, as their financial plans call for huge amounts of invest-

Spanish tradition.

Photo Credit Antramir Wikimedia

Easter thoughts WHETHER you are a Christian or not, Easter in Spain in particular cannot be ignored as it is such an important part of the Spanish psyche. To a foreigner, not brought up with the constant recognition of the church, the sight of the military, marching alongside men dressed in what look like coloured Klu Klux Klan outfits appears to be totally at odds with the message of peace that Easter is supposed to deliver, as Christ is said to have died for mankind’s sins over 2,000 years ago. The church has a tradition all over Europe of having walked hand in glove for centuries with the rulers of the time, and in Spain the Franco government was supported to a great extent by the Catholic Church which has led to the tradition of the involvement of the military and Guardia Civil in the parades with the hooded Penitentes and various statues of Christ, Mary and the Saints. This doesn’t deter the Spanish from enjoying a parade, a fiesta and a chance to dress up even if for the older people it is in black, but it is also a time for us all to reflect on our own lives and achievements. Whatever you planned to reflect on, no one can ignore the fact that bombs went off in Brussels on March 22 causing indiscriminate death to randomly selected people. If the bombs were placed by Daesh then there is a double irony that it was undertaken so near to Easter, a festival honouring the birth of Jesus who is seen by Moslems as the precursor to the Prophet who forecast his future birth.

ment without really being able to see where the money is going to come from. At least, now that that group is falling out internally, they will become a less attractive coalition partner, but just maybe they are hoping for a new election as they could be seen as a preferable choice to the existing parties. Unemployment is still over 20 per cent and youngsters are in a pretty bad position as far as long term work is concerned, although there are temporary and short term jobs around. Whilst people can get worked up about almost anything, the current state of government in the country in Now we which we live barely seems to raise an want to eyebrow. hear your views. It is true that the individual can’t alter things but surely someone, YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE somewhere must have an opin- YOUR OPINION ion to share with the rest of us on www.euroweeklynews.com the current state of the government.

HEALTH BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

Axarquía - Costa Tropical

24 - 30 March 2016

TO READ MORE

Brought to you by

Essential tremor

The calorie deficit theory…

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. in the USA and UK, but it’s not available to the public. At my age it appears there’s no hope of a relationship and I’m unable to even discuss it. DEAR Patient, Essential tremor is a neurological illness which, although not particularly serious, can cause disruption to daily life. Some medications such as propranolol are useful, but can have unwanted side effects, which include reduced libido and impotence. If these effects seriously affect your life there are other types of treatment, which could be tried including primidona, clonazepam, gabapentina or mirtazapine, which may help control your symptoms while avoiding those unwanted side effects. If the propranolol is controlling your symptoms, you could try another type of treatment for your erectile dysfunction such as Viagra or Cialis. Your doctor would have to supervise this treat-

If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com The Coast’s Home GP service - wherever you are - at home - in the office - in the car - on the golf course your GP will get to see you any time, anywhere. A priceless service at an affordable price.

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WHERE is the proof that it works?

DEAR doctor, I have an embarrassing problem. I am within the Spanish health system but I speak no Spanish and my doctor speaks no English so, on my visits to my doctor my translator is always there and knows everything I wish to discuss, and this can be most embarrassing. I’m a 70-year-old man and when I was 45 I developed Familiar Nervosa, commonly called essential tremor for which there has been no cure, but to some degree it can be controlled with varying success. I have tried both drugs available and Propranol helped a bit, I currently take 40 mg twice a day. One of its side effects is impotence and largely because of this my marriage failed 10 years ago, and I’m now a reluctant single man because of my inability to have an erection. I understand a cure involving a 10-minute brain operation has been achieved

EWN

CALORIE COUNTING: No expert has been able to prove it works.

FitFoxy Looking Good, Staying Trim

FOR many years various slimming groups and dietary forums deemed ‘calorie counting’ as a scientifically proven and fairly easy method for keeping your weight down. As a personal trainer this dietary information has been important when embarking on both weight loss and weight gain programmes with clients. Clients at a first consultation would generally be measured and weighed to establish their goals. This would enable me to set up their progression sheets. For years myself and virtually everyone else involved in the health industry was informed by credited dietary and

governing bodies with regard to nutrition, that for a client to lose one pound they would need a deficit of 3,500 calories. As a trainer this was a clear and simple way for me to explain to clients how to calculate and monitor their weight loss. It was simple mathematics, create a 500 calorie a day deficit towards your total 3,500 calories for the week and bingo, you have lost one pound. Well sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that no scientist or health expert has ever been able to prove this. Of course there are those that will continue to use this formula in the absence of a reasonable solution, knowing what I now know, I will inform my clients there is NO PROVEN FORMULA, and it is wrong to misinform people

that counting will lead to weight loss. If you are forever finding yourself in a haze of dietary advice and continuously embarking on new eating plans tried and tested by some micro celebrity. STOP! Clear your cupboards and keep unprocessed, clean foods, meat and dairy. No low fat diet food, plenty of vegetables, only wholemeal rice and pasta. If you must eat bread cut down and eat limited wholemeal only. Make sure you have at least three meals per day. Snack only if you are hungry, and limit it to one morning and one afternoon. Have a cheat day at the weekend and get back on track on Monday. Finally... STOP COUNTING CALORIES and ENJOY YOUR LIFE.

It could all be in the mind WE have tried the endless faddy diets and latest fitness crazes in a bid to lose weight, but could the key be all in the mind. Scientists claim that mindfulness, a meditationlike technique that is becoming increasingly popular, can help people to tune into the body’s hunger signals. This will result in only eating when you need to. Mindfulness has been credited with a host of benefits, from easing depression to boosting the immune system, and a British obesity expert has said it may be the ‘missing link’ in the search for an effective weight loss technique. Dutch researchers carried out a series of studies to see if mindfulness stops people from eating excessively. They analysed data on more than 400 people who had undergone regular weigh-ins over two and a half years. It found people who are ‘naturally mindful’ were better able to recognise when they are hungry, meaning their weight fluctuates less than people who are less aware.

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

Word Ladder

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The urge to get ahead at as fast a pace as possible is apparent this week. Some would say not before time. However, you know the art of choosing the moment and it has not been until now that you have felt the time was right. This is a truly expansive week and one in which your powers of imagination are given full rein.

MALAGA R DE LA VICTORIA

ARCHIDONA

TOMORROW

this week. Although you may feel that indulging yourself is in some ways selfish, you should realise that you are entitled to some fun.

(March 21 - April 20)

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The call of romance is strong but so is that of your business life. The two will clash to the detriment of each other if you do not plan ahead and pace yourself.

the rewards of your efforts which will undoubtedly help you to keep up the momentum. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is a highly sociable week, and you could meet some new faces that not only attract but inspire you. You are a social butterfly, and this brings out your Libran flutteriness.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Such is your popularity this week that you can be assured of success in many things. Remember that first impressions can be the most accurate and don’t be tempted to make too many allowances for others.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You dominate the scene this week and no one is in any doubt about what you are aiming for. If you want to impress someone new to your circle, however, try a bit of cunning as opposed to brow-beating.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The hard work you have been putting in recently has left you tired and, at times, quite tetchy. This week you will start to see

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) For some time you have been trying to settle a certain matter. Although it is in your nature to get things out of the way quickly, this has not been possible. The chance to make progress this week is welcome but be sure that all is not what it seems.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Communication and selfexpression are what it’s all about

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Saturday March 19

Friday March 18

Saturday March 19

Sunday March 20

12 18

15 33

MALAGA

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

19 24

21 49

LUCKY STARS

Alicante

Madrid

TODAY:

SUNNY

MAX 18C, MIN 12C

Fri Sat Sun -

22 14 Cl 22 14 Cl 23 12 Cl

MAX MIN

Mon - 21 12 S Tues - 21 12 C Wed - 21 12 C

Almeria TODAY:

MAX 18C, MIN 11C Mon - 19 12 S Tues - 19 13 Cl Wed - 20 13 C

21 13 S 19 14 Cl 21 13 S

MAX 17C, MIN 11C

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

23 13 Cl 24 14 Cl 21 12 C SUNNY

TODAY:

Mon - 21 11 S Tues - 22 12 C Wed - 21 12 C MAX 17C, MIN 7C

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 12 Cl Tues - 20 11 Cl Wed - 19 12 C

17 11 C 18 13 S 19 11 C

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

19 9 C 20 11 S 19 9 Cl

Mon - 18 10 S Tues - 19 10 Cl Wed - 19 9 Cl

Murcia

SUNNY MAX 17C, MIN 13C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

SUNNY MAX 22C, MIN 12C

Mallorca

SUNNY

Benidorm TODAY:

Mon - 16 6 Cl Tues - 16 5 Cl Wed - 17 6 Sh

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

19 7 C 18 9 C 14 4 C

TODAY:

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX 18C, MIN 4C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Malaga

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

CLEAR

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 13 Cl Tues - 19 13 C Wed - 19 13 C

19 14 Cl 20 14 Cl 21 13 Cl

S Sun,

SUNNY MAX 23C, MIN 10C

TODAY:

Cl Clear,

Fri Sat Sun -

F Fog,

Sh Showers,

Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

26 13 Cl 26 13 Cl 24 12 Cl

Mon - 23 11 S Tues - 23 11 Cl Wed - 23 11 Cl

C Cloudy, Th Thunder

Sudoku

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

LOTTERY 21

NERJA

VELEZ-MALAGA

R DE LA VICTORIA

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone you have been holding at arm’s length recently is insisting on getting closer. Charm and tact alone may not save the day, but enlisting the help of a friend could. Travel and career are well-aspected and, if you are expecting a financial windfall, you may have a bit longer to wait.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Someone close gets a real stroke

CASABERMEJA

‘YOU CAN RUBBISH THE CITY ANTONIO - BUT YOU CAN NEVER RUBBISH THAT FANTASTIC VIEW’

of luck this week and no doubt the benefits will rub off on you. It seems that some fortune will come your way by the end of the month and lead you to see a situation in quite a different light.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The company is so interesting that you can hardly tear yourself away and new experiences are arriving every day. You could be forgiven for getting a little overexcited. When travel brings you face to face with a stranger, you find that a bit of information you hear has to be acted upon.

NERJA

VELEZ-MALAGA

REINTEGRO

13 37

16 53

REINTEGRO

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

TOLD BOLD BALD BAND BANK BACK

YOUR STARS

ARCHIDONA

CASABERMEJA

A friend of long standing comes up with some bright ideas to get you out of a tricky situation. Don’t be surprised. You have for a long time now underestimated their worth. Your friend will be surprised when you show your gratitude in an immediate and physical way, but if there is anything better than finding a new friend, it is finding an old friend has hidden talents.

ARIES

weather

TODAY

TOLD TOLL TALL TALK TACK BACK or

BACK BACK

for next 7 days

Axarquía TODAY

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

TOLD

TIME

www.euroweeklynews.com

Answers 1. AER LINGUS, 2. SEVEN (1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996), 3. The highest PEAKS/MOUNTAINS in Ireland, 4. HIBERNIA, 5. GIVE IRELAND BACK TO THE IRISH, 6. PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON, 7. SHERGAR, 8. CORK, 9. MARY ROBINSON, 10. BALLET/DANCE

OUT

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24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

page

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

Code Breaker

Quick Across 1 Medical practitioner (6) 4 Attempting (6) 9 Arrives (5) 10 Impressively large (7) 11 Zone (8) 12 Lure (4) 14 Classified (6) 16 Poses for (6) 19 Guide (4) 20 Speculating (8) 23 Grinning (7) 24 Courageous (5) 25 Stable (6) 26 Latest (6) Down 1 Makes up one’s mind (7) 2 Tent areas (5) 3 Watched (8)

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Crossword

EWN

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 3 represents C and 19 represents S, so fill in C every time the figure 3 appears and S every time the figure 19 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Resists, 4 Blear, 7 Aorta, 9 Chagrin, 10 Austere, 11 Barge, 12 Dense, 14 Began, 19 Trade, 21 Ascribe, 23 Toadies, 24 Shame, 25 Swede, 26 Suspect.

Down: 1 Reagan, 2 Stake, 3 Sachet, 4 Bramble, 5 Error, 6 Rennet, 8 Rosie, 13 Sterile, 15 Anita, 16 Status, 17 Masses, 18 Desert, 20 Adage, 22 Costs.

QUICK Across: 5 Hazard (4) 6 Copy (7) 7 Visitor (5) 8 Hit with an open hand (5) 13 Achievable (8) 15 Understand (7)

English - Spanish Across 1 Lapel (6) 4 Flower (4) 7 Monday (5) 8 Hasta (en el tiempo) (5) 10 Films (movies) (9) 13 Pequeño (5) 14 Campanas (de iglesias, puertas) (5) 15 Blue (4) 16 Strawberries (6)

Down 1 Vender (4) 2 Lentil (7) 3 Tablet (medicine) (8) 5 Regla (norma) (4) 6 Pepino (8) 9 Towels (7) 11 Island (4) 12 Bears (animals) (4)

Hexagram

1 Snakes, 4 Apples, 9 Eager, 10 Storage, 11 Slip, 12 Basement, 13 Lying, 15 Brush, 18 Ambition, 21 Bags, 24 Genuine, 25 Aside, 26 Resign, 27 League.

17 Section (7) 18 Arbitrate (5) 19 Continues (5) 21 Representation (5) 22 Discover (4)

Down:

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. 3

1 Sheds, 2 Angrily, 3 Earn, 5 Pioneer, 6 Leave, 7 Sweets, 8 Asia, 12/15 Big Ben, 14 Nothing, 16 Sharing, 17 Danger, 19 Bends, 20 Obey, 22 Scene, 23 Game.

ENGLISH-SPANISH

6 7

Across: 9

1 Steam, 4 Crabs, 7 Nacer, 8 Crema, 9 Ice, 10 Drop, 11 Ruta, 13 Oro, 15 Roads, 16 Largo, 17 Plans, 18 Sueño.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

1 Sand, 2 Escarlata, 3 Mariposas, 4 Cacerolas, 5 Afeitarse, 6 Scar, 12 Trap, 14 Pozo.

Cryptic

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

BEETLE BUREAU CANNOT CREAKY EASIER EFFORT FABRIC GERMAN HITHER INTERN

Down:

MARINA RADIUM REGENT REGIME RETAIN SEETHE STRAIN TEETHE TINGLE (10)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Duplex 2 Sexton 3 Teller 4 Needle 5 Cartel 6 Twenty 7 Meteor 8 Nuance 9 Timbre 10 Mantis 11 Valued 12 Rabies 13 Rental 14 Jumble 15 String 16 Oracle 17 Relate 18 Pigeon 19 Desire

Across 1 Seasoned lad set about (6) 4 Sticks graduate to new direction (6) 9 Celia changed her name (5) 10 Radical former Tory leader's mere blunder (7) 11 Manages and speaks about exercise (8) 12 Make a choice from five of the entrants, initially (4) 14 Traps laid for tin god (6) 16 Makes fun of back-combs (6) 19 Grumble about strobe effect shows (4) 20 A veil can hide a Spanish city (8) 23 Go score another for cheapskate (7) 24 American lawyer in apt suit (5) 25 Upset some Mossad denigrators (6) 26 Trader who hands out cards? (6) Down 1 Secretly trails Cliff's backers (7) 2 I have knowledge about long French river (5) 3 Eve dealt out grand (8) 5 Performs in contact sports (4)

6 Coolest wild cats (7) 7 Screen is back with First Lady (5) 8 Ward off a returning pariah (5) 13 Promotion in tranquil evening air (8) 15 Reported a few slipped up (7) 17 The rats run amok then go to

pieces (7) 18 Went steady with someone who was behind the times (5) 19 Origin of book unaltered (5) 21 Swim or go on all fours (5) 22 No, Lawrence, pay attention (4)

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

Every parent’s worst nightmare: Having a missing child like Madeleine McCann Nora Johnson

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

NINE years after the disappearance of her d a u g h t e r Ma d e lein e fro m their Po r t u g u e se h o l id ay h o me , Kate McCann revealed she’ll be in an ‘eternal state of limbo’ until she discovers what happened. “All parents of m i ssi n g c h i l d re n s ay th e same thing. You just can’t rest without knowing, often it’s like a physical thing, limbo, a feeling, just not at peace.” But she hasn’t lost hope in finding Madeleine, despite resources being recently scaled back by police, an operation that has cost to

date over £11m. No Way Back, the latest in my psychological crime thriller series featuring journalist Alice Myers, has a character based on a Kate McCann-like figure. A woman who can’t rest until she discovers the fate of her own daughter who went missing 26 years earlier. A woman so obsessed with clos u re an d p e a c e of mind in he r unending search for the truth, she’d maybe contemplate blackmail, even murder. The plot focuses on the discovery in a P ea k D is tr ic t villa ge of the body of another young girl, who ee rily re s e mb les the mys te rious stranger’s child who disappeared in similar circumstances, by a family man and soon the prime murder susp e c t. T h is u n lea s he s a tra in of events that devastates him, his fami-

ly and local community alike. When his attempts to clear his name fail, hampered by the stranger from his past, his friend Alice desperately risks her life to bring the killer to justice. Everybody has secrets that are safely stored away. But when secrets are unleashed, the truth can w re a k ha voc – a nd the truth c a n kill. Vengeance and unspeakable crimes close in on this tiny Peak District village. Everyone has an opinion about the McCanns. They made a huge error of judge me nt w he n the y le ft their children alone, but they’ve paid the highest price for it. But then, should parents leave their children in a car when they nip to the shops, or in a pram outside them? But it’s not just about what they did, it’s what the kidnapper did.

Someone abducted Madeleine and the McCanns have to live every day with that knowledge. A tormented family that needs closure, peace of mind whatever the outcome. Does the Kate McCann-like figure in my just-published thriller with its final double twist find this? Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore. All profits to Cudeca charity.

KATE MCCANN: Recently said she’ll be in an eternal state of limbo.

SCENE

OCIAL

24 - 30 March 2016

TO READ MORE

Axarquía - Costa Tropical

AXALON CHOIR will be inviting new singers in the coming weeks AN Axarquia-based choir recentl y e x p e r i e n c ed tremendous success in the s ixth Gr a n a d a Wi n t ers Choir Festival, where they brought the house down. Axalon Choir is made up of Coral Coraxalia from La Viñuela a n d On e Vo ic e from C o m p e t a , a n d is directed by D. Eusebio Pita. This m u si c a l p o w erhouse has been invited to

take part in the seventh International Choir Festival in th e 2 0 1 7 s e a s o n of Granada Winters, and will also perform at a concert in Padua, Italy in 2017. In the next few weeks, the Axalon Choir will be inviting new singers with experience and/or musical k n o w le d g e to jo in th e m and take part in these new and exciting projects. Those interested can contact eucorax@hotmail.es.

VISIT WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

Calling all music lovers By Sam Croft

EWN

CHOIR: Recently experienced tremendous success.

Hiking in the hills A GROUP of 30 hikers from the Almuñecar area participated in a pleasant trek through the hills of Axarquia on Sunday March 20. The hikers, who are part of Almuñecar’s Municipal Sports Board, completed a section of the Gran Senda, a huge hiking trail that runs through much of Malaga Province. Specifically they covered the stretch from Competa to Frigiliana, guided by the experienced mountain wanderers Enrique Garin and Francisco Novo. During their trip, which was marked by sunny weath-

er, they took in the breathtaking mountain scenery as they ambled through some of the most stunning spots in Axarquia.

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E W N Axarquía - Costa Tropical

24 - 30 March 2016

V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E W W W . E U R O W E E K LY N E W S . C O M

TO READ MORE

PROPERTY www.euroweeklynews.com

House prices in Spain have turned an important corner BUYERS confidence is at an all time high and property prices are at rock-bottom but are rising John Graham The property expert

GREAT news and it’s official, residential property prices in Spain have increased by just under 2 per cent on average in 2015. We have been waiting for almost a decade for this news, but house prices have now turned a very important corner, it’s the first time Spanish house prices have increased since 2007. The news is as important for buyers as it is for sellers, buyers have more confidence in buy-

SPAIN: First time house prices have risen since 2007. ing a property when they are buying at rock bottom prices that are also increasing in value. For those of you looking to sell, it makes it easier if prices are rising in your region and

helps you sell your property closer to the asking price. Although the average price of property in Spain has increased for the first time in a long time, there are variables in

price rises per region throughout Spain. For example on the Costas, the highest price increases are in the Balearics Islands Mallorca and Ibiza, Malaga on the Costa del Sol and Alicante, but in a few regions prices have dropped, such as Almeria and Murcia. Buyers now can’t lose, prices will never be as low as they are today, prices are at rock-bottom, between 33-48 per cent below 2007 prices. Buyers will now benefit from an immediate increase in the value of their property, which is forecast to increase by an average of 6 per cent by the end of 2016.

Compare this to leaving money in the bank and it’s now a win-win for the buyer and property investor, now buying a property in Spain. Talking about property investors, they are flocking to Spain. My investment department is seeing an increase in business from the big international funds who we are advising on multi-million euro property investments. So what does this all mean to the average owner of a property in Spain looking to sell this year? Well, buyers confidence in buying property in Spain is at an all time high, with foreign buyers buying a big percentage of properties

on the Costas and Balearics. Therefore regardless of where you live, if you are looking to sell and want the best price you must make sure your home is in good condition, as good as, if not better than other similar properties in your area. To help you take advantage of the positive market conditions, in future articles I will give you tips on how to get the best price for your home, starting with the spring clean. If you are looking to sell or buy property contact me for professional advice. John Graham Fellow of The Architecture & Surveyors Institute. Email. Gk.ipad@me.com

E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

24 - 30 March 2016

SPONSORED BY

PETS PAGE www.euroweeklynews.com

So... You want to breed? Layla meets the HERE are some of the misconceptions behind dog breeding

house-sitters Housesitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and petsitting and the experience and checked sitters get free accommodation! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865521508

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FOR the next couple of weeks I will be looking at different elements of dog breeding. The highs and lows, the do’s and don’ts. This week I explore some of the misconceptions behind dog breeding. Part 1 So why do you want to breed from your bitch? To make lots of money! Do you realise the actual expenses involved in breeding, such as advertising, stud fee, vet bills, food, to name a few?

PUPPIES: Are hard work and you need to be committed. It would be good for the children to watch the birth and play with the puppies as they grow up! Actually, the gory part of the whelping repulse most children who are more than happy to skip the viewing of the miracle you planned for them to see. A litter of puppies growing up is usually too rowdy for small children who are usually disinterested or terrified of the leaping creatures with sharp

teeth and nails. If you want the children to see a puppy growing up, buy them one of their own. If you want them to watch the litter being born, it’s better and easier to find a breeder who will let them come over in the middle of the night to watch puppies being born. We love Fifi and we want another one just like her! The chances that you will get anoth-

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er one just like her are very slim indeed. Everyone who comes to the house and sees Fifi wants one of her pups when she has a litter! But... just wait until your litter of 12 is ready to go to their new homes, watch those people back out with excuses such as ‘the children are too young, the children are too old now to be bothered with caring for a dog. The list goes on and on.

PHILIPPA lives deep in the campo in Loja, Granada. She loves living in Spain with her family of pets which includes several donkeys, three dogs and three cats. Pet care with multiple pets has been a challenge for Philippa until recently. Up until last year Philippa found it difficult to go on holiday or visit family in England, because it wouldn’t be fair to rely on neighbours for more than a few days to care for all her animals. Now she uses HouseSitMatch to find house-sitters online and Layla, her oldest cat, is always first in line to get to know them.

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Layla has lived with Philippa ever since she first moved to Loja. She is a very friendly soul and always curious, keen to be involved in all activities. She gets particularly excited when a new house-sitter moves in to help Philippa with the pets. She stays with them keeping a close eye. Eric the latest house-sitter, who lived with Layla and the others for a total of six weeks this winter, found she would position herself at the centre of the action waiting for a cuddle when he was unpacking shopping, or making dinner or just pottering about the garden. She loves company.

HOMES GARDENS

Purchasing and planting bougainvilleas climbers BOUGAINVILLEAS are one of the most popular climbers in Mediterranean gardens. They

can be grown against walls, on fences, over pergolas, to cover dead trees and even cascading.

A fully grown plant will give a fantastic display of colour over many months from early

summer to January when they are normally pruned. They come in many colours and can

become very impressive specimens if allowed to grow taller year after year. The colour of bougainvilleas is produced not by flowers but by coloured bracts. The actual flower is the long thin white growth inside the bract. There are many varieties and cross pollinations to choose from. To add interest there are many hues of most colours. Garden centres often stock dwarf, variegated and mixed colours. If in doubt protect plants, especially young ones, with a frost and wind protective sheet from November to March. Bougainvilleas can be quite temperamental. They like to get their roots far down into the ground so are best in a rich open structured soil. They grow particularly well when planted adjacent to a path or terrace where the roots can search for retained water underneath, and are kept cool in the summer.

Purchasing Don’t buy the largest plant you can see. It has probably been over forced in ideal hot house conditions, and its root structure is unlikely to be able to initially support the plant in the realities of a typical garden. Season to plant Preferably in the autumn or spring in coastal areas. But in inland valleys where there is a chance of frost or cold burning winds wait until spring. Planting Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball and fill with a good organic two to one compost/soil mix. Aim to plant to the same soil level as in the pot from the nursery. Before planting fill the hole with water and allow it to drain off. Remove the plant from its pot and then place in your prepared hole. Stake and tie up to wall, fence, post or tree. Shade the roots. © Dick Handscombe March 2016

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BUILDING

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24 - 30 March 2016

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E W N 24 - 30 March 2016 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical WINDOW TINTING

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Advertising feature

Q-mapp the sexy app WITH continual technological advances everything can be found online these days. A new app is offering an online version of adult classified ads to red-blooded users. Similar to apps such as Uber, it locates people who offer sexual services in the town via an interactive map showing shoppers who is available in the area before they ‘add to basket’. The app can be accessed at www.q-mapp.es ‘Q-mapp’, from any browser (Chrome, Safari, Explorer…) and from any device including mobile phones, tablets, or PCs. Customers can remain as anonymous users or register if they wish, which allows for regular updates. Registered users can also access an interactive map in any Spanish city updating them of the whereabouts of local ladies of the night. Additionally, it comes with a search engine enabling users to choose a profile, chat to women in the area and the possibility of calling her on the phone. With the benefit of a state of the art tool positioning individual ads on a map, the app uses modern, cutting-edge technology to promote

REGISTERED USERS: Can access an interactive map in any Spanish city updating them of the whereabouts of ladies of the night. A search engine enables users to choose a profile and chat to women in the area.

the oldest profession known. The company is at the frontline of the market, knowing where their closest potential clients are. The ads also have complete mobility, if a change of location occurs with just the click of a button adverts get updated with a new location and a new advert is not needed. A user’s visibility is also a setting that can change according to individual desires. As a marketing tool the functional app is reasonably priced, with a minimum cost to be included on the map of €0.40 a day or €12 a month. It allows its users complete independence and they don’t have to be exposed in the street. ‘Q-mapp’ (www.q-mapp.es) and its creators want to make it clear that it is completely in opposition to the illegal trafficking of humans for sexual aims. The new ‘web app’ also has a social aim which is “taking prostitution off the streets.” Society can be hypocritical but the reality is that there is a big percentage of the population that uses this type of services.

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Motoring shorts

Catch me if you can THE number of offences being committed in the UK by motorists has more than halved in the last 10 years. However, the Transport Select Committee suggests that this is down to fewer traffic police officers patrolling the roads rather than improved driving standards. Since 2004, the number of recorded offences has fallen from 4.3million to 1.5million in 2014. The government, however, has conceded that if no one is out there watching then speeders, tailgaters as well as the downright dangerous are getting away with it far more often. Police numbers across England and Wales have reportedly fallen from 5,327 to 3,742 between 2010 and 2015.

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Cycling is seen now not as something that might be exhilarating or even useful, but as a frontline propaganda weapon in the war on capitalism, banking, freedom, McDonald’s, injustice, Swiss drug companies, rape and progress.” Some might say...

Aston Martin’s DB11 premieres FIRST deliveries to begin towards the end of 2016 By Matthew Elliott LUCKY attendees at the 86th International Geneva Motor Show caught a glimpse of the new Aston Martin release the DB11, which has been launched under the luxury British manufacturer’s ‘Second Century’ plan. The new model, described as an ‘authentic, dynamic, sporting GT in the finest Aston Martin tradition’, is powered by a 5.2 litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, and features pioneering aerodynamics and an outstanding design. A lighter aluminium struc-

ture allows the DB11 to be more powerful and efficient than any other DB model, and is considered the firm’s most important new introduction to the luxury market in more than a decade. Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andy Palmer said: “DB11 is the absolute embodiment of what an Aston Martin should be, and we have worked tirelessly to ensure that the DB11 combines both exceptional design with the latest technology throughout. A brand new bonded aluminium platform, clever aerodynamics, a new characterful twin-turbo V12 and class-

leading infotainment systems are just a few aspects which make this the sports car that will proudly spearhead Aston Martin’s second century plan.” Practical developments include enhanced interior space with more head and legroom, an extended luggage space, and wider door apertures. Specialised leatherwork, coordinated colour tones and a generous abundance of style options makes the DB11 truly open to the kind of personalisation that currently dominates the luxury market. The new engine, which was developed in-house, sees

Fuel duty FUEL duty in the UK was frozen for the sixth year running in the 2016 budget, saving the average driver £75 (€96). Downing Street propagandists claimed that since petrol prices had dropped the government had considered a rise, but elected against it to protect working families. The government is set to absorb £27 billion (€35 billion) from British drivers this year.

NEW DB11: Features pioneering aerodynamics and an outstanding design.

608PS1 (600BHP1) and 700Nm1 of torque. It allows a top speed of 200mph and a 062 mph time of 3.9 seconds. Power is matched by greater efficiency through bank activation and excellent stop-start technology. The sheer capability of the DB11 is demonstrated through is multiple driver-selectable dynamic modes of GT, Sport

and Sport Plus. Add into the mix new electric power steering and Torque Vectoring, and drivers can enjoy an experience which combines incredible comfort with magnificent road agility. Recommended retail price is £154,900 (€187,236) in the UK with first deliveries of the DB11 car scheduled to begin towards the end of 2016.

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FERNANDO ALONSO: Miraculously escaped unharmed from a spectacular crash at the Australian Grand Prix. Axarquía ’s best guide to local sport

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Leicester City seeking glory AND Rosberg triumphs in the first Grand Prix of 2016 in Australia Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

FOOTBALL • Leicester City beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last Saturday to go eight points clear in the PL title race. Tottenham reduced that to five 24 hours later by ‘Kaneing’ Bournemouth 3-0 but with

only seven games remaining, the Foxes are certainly ‘on the run’. • Elsewhere, Arsenal (third) kept in touch with a 1-0 win at Everton; United won the Manchester derby with a Marcus Rashford goal; the showdowns between Newcastle-Sunderland and Chelsea-West Ham both ended in draws; Southampton, two down, hit back to beat Liverpool 3-2; Stoke won 2-1 at Watford and there were also vital 1-0 victories for Norwich (at WBA) and Swansea (v bottom club Aston Villa).

• The top six in the Championship are Burnley (75 points), Brighton and Hove Albion (71), Middlesbrough (70), Hull City (66), Derby County (64) and Sheffield Wednesday (62). • Burton Albion (74 points) and Wigan Athletic (68) are looking strong in FL1, while Northampton Town (82 points and unbeaten in 18 games) lead Oxford United by 11 and both are ‘coming up’ from FL2. Celtic and Rangers top their respective divisions in Scotland. • The two-legged quarter-finals in the Champion League on 5/6 and 12/13 April are: Barcelona-Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich-Benfica, Manchester City-PSG and Real Madrid-Wolfsburg. • The last four two-legged Europa League ties on 7/14 April are Borussia DortmundLiverpool, Sevilla-Athletic Bilbao, Shakhtar Donetsk-Braga and Villarreal-Sporting Prague.

• There are full FL1 and FL2 programmes over Easter , but no PL/Championship games. However, we have several international friendlies including: Czech Republic-Scotland, Italy-Spain and Wales-Northern Ireland tomorrow; NetherlandsFrance and Republic of IrelandSwitzerland Friday; GermanyEngland in Berlin on Saturday; Romania-Spain on Sunday; Northern Ireland-Slovenia and Ukraine-Wales on Monday and England-Netherlands at Wembley, Germany-Italy, Republic of Ireland-Slovakia and ScotlandDenmark next Tuesday. • The West Ham-Manchester United 6th round FAC replay will be on April 6. RUGBY UNION • Last weekend 193 points were scored as England beat France 31-21 to clinch the Grand Slam for the first time since 2003. Wales hammered Italy 67-14 and Ireland defeated

Scotland 35-25 in the other matches. FORMULA ONE • Nico Rosberg made it four victories in a row by winning the first Grand Prix of 2016 in Melbourne. Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton was second with Sebastian Vettel third. Remarkably, Spain’s Fernando Alonso escaped serious injury on lap 17. His McLaren clipped the rear of Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas, careered off the Albert Park track, flipped twice and sent shards of debris flying before plummeting into the barriers. The race was delayed for 16 minutes. • Bahrain stages the next race on April 3. CRICKET • England, after losing heavily to the West Indies in their opening T20 World Cup game in India, bounced back in style to beat South Africa in their thrilling second group game.

Set 230 to win, Joe Root (83 off 44 balls) and Jason Roy (43/16) led the run chase as England won by two wickets. • In other group games, New Zealand defeated Australia and a crowd of 61,839 saw hosts India comfortably beaten by rivals Pakistan. • Yesterday England met Afghanistan, South Africa play West Indies tomorrow and England-Sri Lanka and New Zealand-Bangladesh do battle on Saturday. The final is on April 3. ROUND-UP • Jorge Lorenzo won the first MotoGP of 2016 in Qatar. Andrea Dovizioso was second, and Marc Marquez third. • Robbie Grabarz (high jump) won silver and Lorraine Ugen (long jump) and Tiffany Porter (80m hurdles) earned bronze medals for GB at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon.