EWN
GETS IT
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ISSUE NO. 1492
6 - 12 FEBRUARY 2014
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Oldest lady in Andalucia passes away
EWN FRONT EXTRA
Crime spree LOCAL POLICE in Adra have arrested a 33year-old man implicated in 14 robberies from properties and vehicles in the last two weeks. Police caught him redhanded inside a property after a tip-off.
Dogs caught THREE Mastiffs have been caught in El Ejido following complaints from farmers that they were damaging crops.
Ticket to ride CYCLIST Bradley Wiggins has been named in the Team Sky Squad for the Ruta del Sol tour of Andalucia. The five-day race gets under way in Almeria on February 19.
Albox carnival THE Albox carnival will take place on Saturday February 22 with a children’s parade at 5pm and an adults’ parade at 10pm from San Francisco square.
Mojacar miffed!
Town snubbed in tourism video By Stephen Lear A ROW has broken out after Mojacar was snubbed in a tourism promotional video featuring international singing star David Bisbal. Three local groups have spoken out and criticised the provincial tourism board after the town was omitted from the promotional video, which was recorded with the Almeria-born singer. First to speak out was PSOE councillor, Manuel Zamora, followed by Izquierda Unida (IU) and
Mojacar Positiva Se Mueve (MPSM). Zamora said: “The provincial tourism board’s video, which, by the way we all pay for as members, is generally pretty good, but at least one sequence with Bisbal should have been recorded with our people. Our town is a pioneer in tourism at provincial level.” The video shows a brief image of the Playa de Los Muertos in Carboneras but fails to highlight any other
coastal towns along the Levante coast. The IU and MPSM parties went further, saying: “It is an unforgivable mistake and a real shame not to be part of it,” adding the responsibility lies with Javier Aureliano Garcia, chairman of the tourist board, who praised the agreement signed with the Almeria singer. Garcia visited Mojacar when it was officially declared one of the prettiest towns in Spain. Speaking at the launch
of Bisbal’s world tour, Garcia said there will be millions of people who will have immediate access to the image of the Costa Almeria. However, those millions are failing to see Mojacar as a tourist destination in the province.
THE woman considered to be the oldest in Andalucia died just hours after officially becoming 109 years old. Adelaida Vargas was born in Adra on February 2, 1905, and was the oldest of seven children. She worked the land and looked after her family, and maintained a clear mind until the very end. She had been living at a care home in Vicar since 2008 and was expecting a visit from the local mayor, Antonio Bonilla, and local councillors, to mark her birthday. However, she died in the early hours of the morning. Staff at the home said she was always very appreciative of what they did for her and still took part in daily gym classes.
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THIS WEEK IN
EWN News 1 - 16
Finance 19 - 24 WORRYING: Poverty in Spanish cities including Almeria.
Child poverty is a growing concern
THE European Commission is reportedly “very worried” about rising child poverty in Spain. Thirty per cent of the population under 16 in Spain is affected by poverty. This number has risen by 3.1 per cent between 2007 and 2011, triple the average for the EU. According to Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Commissioner, Laszlo Andor, the EC is worried about rising indicators and has requested that national authorities put money towards
improving the situation. Andor said that it is of “utmost political importance” to combat child poverty. Spain and other EU countries are encouraged to use both national and EU financing in areas such as health, education, housing and work-life balance. He reported that member states have promised to spend at least 20 per cent of the European Social Fund budget on such matters over the next year. The EU has created a European Aid Fund for the needy.
Letters 25
Leapy Lee 26
Daily TV 36
Time out 40 - 41
Classifieds 57 - 58
Sport 63 - 64
NEWS Good send off THE former bishop of Almeria Rosendo Alvarez Gaston has died at the age of 87. His funeral took place yesterday in the Cathedral of Almeria, he was bishop of Almeria from 1989 to 2001. Eco market THE town of Lucainena de Las Torres held its first Eco Market on Sunday. The new market will be held the first Sunday of every month from 10am to 4pm in the Salon Social next to the swimming pool.
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changed, so police will make an official complaint even if those they decide are to blame stop the noise or unruliness immediately. Union Mojaquera party has expressed its total opposition, to the new twist, saying it is detrimental to tourism in the town.
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Pay out
THE Council for Justice and the Interior has made a new payment of €354,784 to lawyers and procurators who provide a free judicial service in the province.
Social learning TWELVE youngsters from Partaloa took part in a computer workshop organised by the youth department of the Government of Almeria to learn about social network pages.
Best album DIABOLUS NOTET by rockers La Skala De Richter has been voted best album of 2013 by readers of the magazine El Lado Oscuro de La Luna.
Hotel closes THE four star Don Manuel Hotel in El Ejido has closed its doors. The hotel which aimed at attracting business people, opened in 2005 and has been a victim of the economic crisis.
watch
ADRA TOWN HALL and engineers from the Provincial Costas department have been assessing the coastal damage caused by strong winds along the coast last week.
Office move THE Municipal Catastral Office in Mojacar is moving from Marina de La Torre to Mojacar Pueblo in the Plaza del Fronton nº 2 First Floor. The new office will be open from Monday .
On camera THE Clasica de Almeria cycling race on March 2 will be shown all over Spain on Sports channel Teledeporte. The race will also be shown in France and the Low Countries.
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Coastal damage
Carnival dates MOJACAR Carnival will take place on the weekend of February 21-23.
Vera’s turn THE Exhibition ‘Poseidonia, la joya del Mediterráneo’ has moved from Mojacar to Vera’s Convento de La Victoria and is currently on display until February 14.
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ews
Turning the screw... MOJACAR Town Hall has turned the screw on the already infamous Noise Ordinance of Mojacar. Up until now Local Police have been required to use their judgment when dealing with ‘unruliness’ or noise and ask those to blame for disturbance to stop. If the perpetrators failed to stop the nuisance, then an official complaint would be made. But under an amendment to the relevant law passed at a plenary session of the town hall the wording has been
EWN
Arboleas race SANGRIA: Popular with Spaniards and tourists alike.
Cheers for the sangria
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EW European Parliament wine labelling rules mean that only sangria made in Spain and Portugal will be allowed to be sold under the name. Companies in other countries wanting to sell similar products now have a year to change the names to ‘aromatised winebased drink’ when labelling them. They will have to clearly label where their variety of the drink is made. The same rules apply to ‘sangria blanca’, the white wine
Quote of the Week You should shut up or recognise people’s achievements’ Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy referring to Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Secretary General of the opposition Socialist party. He responded: “I won’t shut up. I demand explanations.”
version, also known as ‘clarea’. The name ‘sangria’ comes from ‘sangre’ meaning ‘blood’, because of its colours. The rule changes have been warmly welcomed by Spain’s Wine Federation (FEV). Sangria, very popular with Spaniards and tourists alike, is normally made with wine, chopped fruit, especially oranges and lemons, and sweetener. Spirits like brandy can also be added, but for some this would make it a ‘zurra’. However, there is no standard recipe and sangria
can be made to taste. Lemonade or soda is often added to make the drink lighter and in Cataluña, a variety is made with cava. The fruit is cut into thin slices or small cubes then mixed in with the wine, sweetener and, if used, the spirit. After several hours to allow for the fruit flavours to blend with the rest of the ingredients, the ice and any last-minute ingredients are added. It is frequently served in restaurants in one-litre pitchers for families to enjoy with their meal.
Number of the week
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new speed traps costing €1.1 million have been bought by the General Traffic Department. The speed traps will control the speed of vehicles from fixed structures as well as from vehicles which can be placed in different locations when required.
ARBOLEAS will be holding it’s second Mountain Marathon Bike race on Sunday from 8am in the town hall square. The same day there will also be the first ever Trail Running race.
Happy reunion THE town of Bacares enjoyed its annual fiesta El Dia del Romero with a giant paella, the weekend when many people who emigrated to Cataluña return to their home town.
Macael meet THE Spanish Cross Country Championship for people with intellectual disabilities took place in Macael at the weekend with more than 100 runners from 19 teams.
And finally... THE investigation into the death of three members of the same family in Alcala de Guadaira, Sevilla, in December, has ruled that they inhaled a poisonous gas emitted when lids from pesticide containers stored in their bathroom came into contact with water.
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NEWS EXTRA
CSI Almeria A TOTAL of 52 criminals were caught by National Police in Almeria last year thanks to the use of DNA techniques.
School project SCHOOL CHILDREN in La Chanca district of Almeria City have started a scheme to call on other children at home to take them to school with the aim of reducing non attendance at school.
Photo class FIFTEEN youngsters from Tijola have taken part in a photography workshop organised by the youth department of the Government of Almeria.
Smart gear ALMERIA clothes designer Daniel Cerdan, about to launch his first official collection, has earned rave reviews from critics at a preview show in Paris.
Flood victims helped by grants from Ministry PEOPLE and businesses affected by floods in September 2012 are finally going to start getting a government payout. The Ministry for the Interior has approved spending €478,877 to help those affected in the major floods in the Levante area of the province. This has been confirmed by sources at the Government Office, which on January 20 approved the payment of €114,576.94 to specific needs arising from difficult situations for a total of 89 families. The aid, under the Civil Protection 134M programme, also provided grants to local authorities, so that during the last quarter of 2013 €362,800 was paid to town halls involved and the Provincial Government of Almeria, due to the costs incurred in recovering from the natural disaster. Specifically, the town of Huercal-
VERA PLAYA: Many properties were badly affected. Overa received €201,956.64 while the town of Vera, whose coastal developments suffered serious damage to properties, the sewer system and the main road, has been given €124,951.13.
For its part, the Council of Almeria, which invested in the roads network, has received a grant of €35,892.31. A further grant of €1,500 was given to a prefabrication company in Antas, also damaged by the rains.
Mojacar cemetery set to expand
Flower power MORE than 98 per cent of cut flowers exported from Almeria were purchased by Holland and the rest by Morocco.
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PEACEFUL SPOT: Mojacar’s walled cemetery.
WORK has begun in Mojacar Cemetery to create a further 96 resting places. The extension work is in response to the demand of the residents of the town, with the town hall spending €60,000 to build a concrete base with 96 niches and finished off with a tiled roof. The large El Campo Santo walled cemetery park in Mojacar is a peaceful spot. This module,
with its cobblestone walkways and landscaping, is in line with the characteristic features of the mojaquero cemetery, which unlike other cemeteries, is square shaped and contains gardens and tree lined parks. Rosa Maria Cano, mayor of Mojacar said: “We are carrying out this work due to the shortage of niches that currently exist, although we plan to expand later on.”
NEWS Support for games THE Junta de Andalucia regional government is set to pledge its support to the Moorish Games of Aben Humeya held in the town of Purchena. This has been confirmed by the Government Delegate in Almeria, Sonia Ferrer, who says that right now the talks with the Purchena council “are fluid” with the aim of providing funds for the cultural, historical and sporting event. “"We are studying how to pay a grant but for the moment there is nothing definite,” said Ferrer. It is a boost for the Cultural Association of the Moorish Games of Purchena which began a campaign to collect signatures online, through the website Change.org to ask the President of the Junta Susana Díaz, and the president of the government of Almeria, Gabriel Amat, to financially support the games and keep this unique tradition in Spain alive. The petition has already collected around 1,500 signatures with support coming from citizens and social groups.
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NEWS EXTRA
Bad odour RESIDENTS in Hoyo Cuenca have requested a solution to the bad smells coming from the new crematorium installed at the morque in Roquetas de Mar.
Charity quiz EWN columnist Tony Matthews is hosting a fundraising quiz at Fatima’s Riad restaurant in Cabrera tomorrow (Friday) at 7.30pm, €15 pp including meal.
NEWS
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Flu getting a grip on the province THE number of flu cases continues to rise in the province, with 236 people per 100,000 affected. The H1N1 virus, better known as Influenza A, is more virulent than in previous years with one of the symptoms being a sudden high fever. However, according to health officials, the flu virus should be overcome as in previous years with the flu rate not yet reaching the peak of cases per capita it did last year. Four patients have been admitted to intensive care units in Torrecardenas Hospital and La Inmaculada in Huercal-Overa, as confirmed by the Andalucian Regional Ministry of
Health. At the time of going to press, in Almeria there had not been any deaths due to Influenza A. Public health officials insist that the main weapon to combat viruses is the flu vaccine given for strains including Influenza A. Many of those affected are people aged between 30 and 65. The vaccine not only protects people from influenza, but also reduces hospital admissions and fatalities caused by the virus. Health officials in the province highlighted the advantages of using the phone service, Salud Responde, to obtain a diagnosis and prescription to alleviate the symptoms.
PAINT IT: One down, 103 to go.
Installation and maintenance of lampposts in Mojacar MOJACAR COUNCIL’S Works Department is carrying out improvements to the street lighting in the town. The department has been installing more lampposts as well as painting and repairing exisiting ones. The works in the
streets Higueras de los Pastores, Vendaval, los Atalayones, Miguel Hernandez, Las Tapias and the district of El Sopalmo combine aesthetics and a saving, as 31 of the posts have been reused, only requiring the fitting of the top section of the
lamp after being moved previously from the promenade. On the seafront, staff are painting 104 lampposts along with hundreds of metres of railing, both on the streets and the walk linking the town and beach.
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NEWS EXTRA
Game switched THE La Liga game for UD Almeria against Atletico Madrid has been switched from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night at 10pm.
Cookery course TWELVE unemployed people in Albanchez have completed a year-long cookery and waitering course. The workshop was financed by the Junta de Andalucia regional government.
In the bag A 24-YEAR-OLD man from El Zapillo district in Almeria City who allegedly robbed eight women during a twomonth period by stealing their handbags has finally been arrested by police.
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NEWS
Zurgena receives aid to prevent more landslides THE problem of landslides on the hillside at Las Lomas, in the town of Zurgena, is close to being solved. The Junta de Andalucia
regional government has awarded a grant of nearly €100,000, which was requested by Zurgena Town Hall.
The grant is included in the Municipal Co-operation Plan and meets the call to restore damaged infrastructures in the case of emergencies, disasters
Cameras will roll against next year in the province for ‘Almeria Collection’ ALMERIA PROVINCE will once again convert itself into a film set during the summer for a feature film highlighting the ‘eurowestern’. The scenery and western towns will be the inspiration for the ‘Almeria Collection’, a film made up of eight different stories. Subtitled ‘Crisis in the Desert’, the stories will be directed by filmmakers from four
BACKDROP: The ‘Wild West’ in Almeria. countries and will be similar to titles like ‘Paris, je t’aime’ and
‘New York, I love you’ dedicated to the two cities. With a budget of
€1 million, the premiere is scheduled for January 2015.
and natural catastrophes. This amount, intended to prevent further landslides, will also cover the €300,000 spent by the town hall in stabilising the hill and reducing the risk of further landslides. The first landslides emanating from the hill at Las Lomas occurred after torrential rains in 2012. Despite consolidation works, in March 2013, after more heavy rainfall, the hillside again suffered another landslide. The slope has a gradient of more than 85 per cent, and the soil is made up of marlstone, gypsum and sandstone. The mayor of Zurgena, Luis Diaz, expressed his satisfaction with the ‘understanding shown’ by the Junta. The landslides in November 2012 forced the evacuation of 15 houses and affected several local businesses.
NEWS
Sweet as a nut THE Junta de Andalucia regional government has given a grant of €1,760,415 to a local almond processing company. Utrera Almendras was given the grant to build its new plant in Albanchez. This initiative represents an investment of €5.6 million to centralise the processing and marketing activities of the almonds previously handled in Zurgena and Velez-Rubio. The government delegate, Sonia Ferrer, toured the facilities, which cover an area of about 9,600 square metres and will distribute around 4,000 tonnes of almonds annually. Utrera Almendras is a family company with over 20 years industry experience.
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Absolutely fabulous VERA and District Lions Club will be hosting a fabulous evening of entertainment with Isabelle Bes on Saturday at the Mexico Hotel, Vera Playa. This is a unique opportunity to see Isabelle live in concert presenting a tribute to Edith Piaff as well as other popular artistes. The cost will be just €30 including a buffet meal, all proceeds going to Vera Lions Fund For
Disadvantaged Children. Over the last few months this fund has helped several causes including providing special walking frames for two little girls suffering from cerebral palsy. Tickets from Glyn Williams, 950 467 324, Marion Anderson, 950 699 994, Connections in Turre, Treasure Trove in Turre and Forget Me Not in Bouganvillas. Dinner is at 7.30pm followed by the concert.
Locals the winners THE local football derby between Cantoria and Albox is often a hard fought battle when the two teams meet up in the Almeria Preferente league. Sunday was no different, but off the pitch the local people were the winners with both teams making a call for solidarity. More than two hundred supporters handed over food and Cantoria donated half of the gate money to a local social dining room. The game ended in a 1-1 draw leaving Albox fifth and Cantoria seventh in the league.
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NEWS EXTRA
Breezing in EL EJIDO windsurfing world champion Victor Fernandez visited students at Almeria University to give a motivational talk on life as an elite sportsman.
Castle works THE entrance to the Alcazaba Castle in Almeria City is to be relocated while works are carried out to improve the main access ramp.
Sad loss UD Almeria goalkeeping coach Angel Ferez has spoken about the loss of a ‘very special person’ with the passing of Luis Aragones. The UD Almeria coach worked with Aragones and the Spanish National Team.
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The tree of life takes root around the world THE Tree of Life of HuercalOvera has travelled half way around the world thanks to a photographic competition launched by the department of Tourism in the town. The aim of the competition was to promote the symbol of the town which was discovered on a wall on the third floor of the castle during its rehabilitation. The important motif is one of the few documented examples on the Iberian Peninsular. The competition ‘The Tree of Life in my luggage’ involved residents of the municipality who work or study abroad or who have simply travelled the world. People participating in the competition took snapshots at monuments, parks and landmarks of
IN THE FRAME: Winners collect their prizes. different countries. The town hall awarded the diplomas and prizes to four winners decided by the jury, made up of representatives linked to the world
of art and photography. The first prize was won by Luciano Morales for ‘Puerto Madero’ in Argentina. The second prize was won by Marian Fuentes for ‘Sky
Tree’ taken in Tokyo, Japan. The third prize was awarded to the photograph ‘the Parthenon,’ Greece, by Carlos Ruiz Segura and fourth prize went to ‘Smiles in Retiro Park’ Madrid by Natalia Parra. Councillor for Tourism Monica Navarro congratulated the winners and all the participants for the “wonderful photographs you have given us” noting it had met the proposed objective of “promoting this unique gem in the Iberian Peninsula our town with it’s many tourist attractions.”
NEWS
Rural roads improved TWELVE kilometres of rural roads in the municipality of Mojacar have been improved with asphalting. The councillor for Works and Services, Agustin Montoya, explained “the works have improved the transit of vehicles on roads like la Alcantarilla, Loma del Faz, el Camino del Navajo, el Camino de las Pilas and will continue on the camino de los Olivares. The type of asphalt used on this occasion was a double surface treatment, cheaper than hot bitumen and covers a larger area. Montoya added that “this action was demanded by farmers in these areas, as well as residents who now have better pedestrian and car access to their homes. The natural drainage has also been improved with channelled ditches built to collect any rainwater.”
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A year of photos at Casa Ibañez VISITORS to the Casa Ibañez Museum in Olula del Rio this year will have the opportunity to see the work of awardwinning photographer Carlos Perez Siquier. Starting in March, fans of photography
can visit three different exhibitions which will be held throughout the year. The first of the three exhibitions, scheduled for early March, will bathe the museum in Mediterranean light with the colour photography of Carlos Perez Siquier. After the colour, from June, the theme turns to black and white photography featuring images from the Almeria district of La Chanca and MAYOR of Macael Raul Martinez and council officials its inhabitants in the met up with former workers of the home-help 1950s and early 60s. This service and the old service manager for Macael exhibition will have a company Alicherta. select group of images, some of which have never The reason for the meeting was the settlement of been seen before. outstanding payments that the town hall had with In the final part of the the company, caused by non-payment by the Junta year ‘Self-portraits’ will de Andalucia regional government. arrive at the museum. It is The company was awarded € 21,248 allowing it to described as a unique pay the workers for the month of July which was still exhibition in which the pending payment. public can see the series The mayor said: “I promised the workers they of images that the Almeria would be paid to the last euro and that has been the photographer continues to case.” work on to this day.
Macael Town Hall settles home-help service debt
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NEWS EXTRA
Bank closures A TOTAL of 25 bank branches have closed in Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido since 2008.
Super soups ALMERIA company Biosabor will present its latest ranges, organic tomato soup and fresh gazpacho, at the Fruit Logistica Fair in Berlin (Germany) this weekend.
Eureka A GROUP of 64 people from Viator had a day out at The Granada Science Park where they also visited the planetarium.
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Services cut off for homes being ‘illegal’ SOME homeowners have had essential services disconnected after 10 years, in the latest twist to the illegal homes saga. Homeowners association, AUAN, revealed that some of its members in El Fas, Cantoria are facing allegations from the regional government that their homes are still illegal because they were constructed on the ‘wrong type of plot.’ Even though the homeowners, British pensioners, have been living in their homes for nearly 10 years they have had their services disconnected whilst the proceedings rumble on. An irregular plot, known as a ‘parcelacion urbanistica’ is alleged to occur when a piece of rustic land is divided in order to construct houses. According to AUAN such land divisions are commonplace in the Valley of Almanzora, with around 30 similar examples in Albox alone affecting some 278 properties. The AUAN members, with the help of the association and its lawyer
WRONG PLOT: Homes in El Fas in Cantoria. Gerardo Vazquez, have presented legal objections to the town hall of Cantoria arguing that the proceedings should be archived and basic services such as electricity and water should be restored to these properties. As Maura Hillen, president of the association explained: “The Junta alleges this type of land division is
never proscribed from prosecution. But, if murder can be proscribed after a period of time, why not illegal land divisions for goodness sake? “Anyway what exactly is the point of pursuing this case? Does this mean the government is going to enforce this legislation whenever it feels like it from here to eternity?”
NEWS
Workers’ protests continue FIFTY people gathered on Monday in front of La Alcazaba Castle in Almeria City once again to protest against cuts in the summer timetable. Lorenzo Cara, chairman of the culture committee has expressed dismay over the ‘unilateral’ decision by the Junta and announced that they have started a petition. “Our goal is to reach 15,000 signatures,” stated Cara, who added that demonstrations will continue throughout the month of February.
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S CANDINAVIAN P RESS
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Stories making headlines in Europe
Chef’s plans
Items stolen
SWEDEN - UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has announced plans to open a new restaurant in central Stockholm.
SHOPPERS steal more than £1.6 billion worth of supermarket items every year as frustration with self service tills leads to theft.
NORWAY - Norway boasts the world’s most expensive Big Mac, the Economist magazine has reported, with the burger costing 48 kroner or €5.70.
Sales fears DENMARK - Novo Nordisk, the world’s largest insulin producer, 2014 outlook rose less than investors hoped, expecting sales to be hit by competition from cheaper generic drugs.
Unique find SWEDEN - Unique Stone Age artefacts left by Swedish nomads 11,000 years ago were found by divers in the Baltic Sea, prompting claims that Sweden’s Atlantis had been found.
Dog taxis NORWAY - One of the country’s most northerly airports, Kirkenes, has launched a service of ‘dog taxis,’ in the hope of luring more tourists to the area.
Medical ban DENMARK - Medical associations in Denmark and Sweden have strongly urged the non-medical circumcision of boys to be banned.
Wrong one SWEDEN - A woman was forced to enter a psychiatric hospital after police picked up the female patient by mistake. She has since received a bill.
GERMAN PRESS
BRITISH PRESS
Pricey burger
EUROPEAN PRESS
Lowest level GERMAN beer sales have sunk to their lowest level in almost 25 years, as drinkers turn to mixed drinks and non-alcoholic beers.
Peanut allergy
Gas fire
CHILDREN with life-threatening peanut allergies have been successfully treated - by eating peanuts, in a study at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
COWS at a dairy farm in central Germany created enough methane gas to set their stalls ablaze and damage a barn roof.
Green areas THERE is a direct link between the amount of green space in England’s major cities and how many citizens suffer diabetes and obesity, according to a report.
No smoking SMOKING in cars carrying children could be banned after peers defeated the Government on the issue in the House of Lords.
Theatre goers BOX office figures released by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) showed overall attendances were up 4 per cent from the previous year to 14,587,276.
Teen thief GERMAN BEER: Sales have sunk.
Ambulances needed THE number of very elderly people needing to go to hospital by ambulance has risen 81 per cent since 2009/10, according to new figures.
Nine-hour day CHILDREN could face being at school for nine hours a day and see their holidays cut drastically under radical plans reportedly being examined by the Conservatives.
RUSSIAN PRESS Foreign investments RUSSIA, for the first time ever, occupies the third place in the world in terms of the amount of foreign investments, according to the UN Commission for Trade and Development.
Garlic off limits RESIDENTS in several parts of Chechnya and Ingushetia have reportedly been banned from picking wild garlic during the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Consul stabbed THE Russian consul in Sudan and his wife were stabbed in the capital Khartoum outside the embassy’s gates by a man from the Central African Republic.
Poetic love A DRUNKEN row over the merits of literary forms in Russia
A 16-YEAR-OLD in Germany made off with hundreds of euros after holding up a bank using a toy gun, but was apprehended when he fled by bicycle.
Unsafe product A GERMAN manufacturer has warned thieves that condoms they stole by blowing up a vending machine are likely to be unsafe.
Reward offer reportedly ended in a champion of prose being stabbed to death by a poetry-lover.
Off the menu RUSSIA has imposed a ban on Australian beef by-products over the use of a growth stimulant allowed in some nations but which Moscow considers unsafe.
Legal moves THE head of the Russian Orthodox Church has asked for a state ban on legal moves to allow same-sex marriage.
Illegal gambling RUSSIAN police have uncovered and closed down more than 61,000 clandestine gambling establishments since gaming became illegal in the country in 2009.
BANNED: Wild garlic.
THIEVES stole around 100 antique instruments worth €150,000 from a collector's house in Bremen. The owner has offered €20,000 for their return.
Alcohol dependence A PATIENT allegedly went for a liver transplant at a German hospital with a bottle of vodka in her bag. Patients should be sober for six months before the operation.
Whale meat CUSTOMS officials confiscated illegal whale meat which was being sold as bite-sized snacks at Berlin’s Green Week trade fair.
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MALLORCA
Elderly bug AT least 40 residents of SARquavitae care home in Costa d’en Blanes in Calvia have suffered from a virus causing diarrhea and vomiting. The source of the stomach virus is unknown.
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News from our editions With six editions and read by more than half a million people, EWN is Spain’s largest free local English-language newspaper
Positive signs UNEMPLOYMENT numbers are down 0.53 per cent in Baleares from last month, according to SOIB (Balears Employment Services). Baleares had the only redundancy decrease, with other regions averaging a 2.41 per cent increase.
AXARQUIA
Top destination HOLIDAY property website VacacionesenEspaña.es has placed Nerja as one of the top tourist destinations in Spain for European holiday goers.
A MAN is facing 17 years in prison for stabbing a friend to death in Fuengirola in March 2012. They allegedly argued over some money she had lent him. RESCUE OPERATIONS: Are now to be charged for, if avoidable.
It’ll cost you!
Emergency calls to hit pocket THE emergency services are going to charge for avoidable rescue operations. This recent regional government (Generalitat) edict is particularly aimed at people responsible for forest fires as well as potholers, climbers and hikers who ignore bad-weather warnings. They endanger the lives of the people they call to come and save them, said the regional government’s Interior department. It added: “They will have to compensate for the cost of mobilising the resources of essential services.” The edict applies to all services - with the exception of ambulances - at the other end of the 112 emergency numbers. Practical jokers who raise false alarms must now pay the cost. So will anyone requiring rescue or evacuation from leisure activities in restricted areas; for instance, swimming in a reservoir where there is a signposted ban. Any sporting event like motor-racing which triggers a forest fire but lacks insurance cover will also have to pay up, according to the regional government directive. Hard-hitting regulations are particularly important for preventing the wildfires that in 70 per cent of cases are caused by carelessness, the regional government said. Unintentional fire-raisers will pay €9,000 if the blaze is quickly extinguished but more than €26,000 if the operation takes a day.
Not beneficial
Star attraction
A MAN, aged 50, was taken to the Santa Ana Hospital in Motril with injuries to his neck after falling from a height of four metres while pruning a palm tree.
THE councils of El Borge, Iznate and Almachar have joined forces to fight against the recently approved European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2015-2020. They claim it will harm the local raisin, olive and goat sectors.
ROBERT PLANT, former lead singer of Led Zeppelin, is performing in Cartagena’s El Batel Auditorium on July 26 as part of his summer European tour. Tickets available from Ticketmaster.
Caring students
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
OWNERS of the Tropic Garden 222 in Torrevieja are taking the town hall to court to demand it revokes a decree forcing the club’s closure. The premises were closed in August last year following complaints.
Man injured
SOME 600 students from the Jose Luis Villar Palasi school in Velez-Malaga are taking part in a campaign to collect clothes and toys for the needy.
Birth rate THE birth rate in Motril was 10.40 children per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012, a new study by the University of Granada has revealed. This is above the regional average.
FIVE floors of an apartment building in Torremolinos had to be evacuated due to a fire on the sixth floor. Three people had to be treated.
Murder trial
Criminal fill-up
THE historic mill of sa Planeta in Andratx is set to receive its new cover with the help of the Mallorca island government. The mill dates back to 1784 and is a popular tourist attraction.
Fire evacuation
A WOMAN, 52, fell and injured her hip while hiking in El Torcal area of Antequera. She was taken to the regional hospital.
BALEARIA FERRIES transported more than 1.2 million passengers within Baleares and back and forth from the Spanish mainland in 2013, a 12 per cent increase from the year prior.
Mill restoration
COSTA DEL SOL
Hiker rescued
More passengers
A 46-YEAR-OLD man was arrested for holding up a petrol station in Port de Pollensa with a sawn-off gun. He ran away after the robbery but was found by Guardia Civil shortly thereafter.
NEWS DESK
Illegal sweatshops A BUSINESSWOMAN has been arrested for operating sweatshops in the base-ments of two garages in properties in Cox and an old shoe factory in the Baiz Vinalopó area.
Peppers boost MURCIA’S pepper exports brought in a revenue of around €100 million last year to the region, 41 per cent more than in 2012.
Reopen demand
Safer summers A RAPID intervention lifesaving craft has boosted the lifeguard and maritime rescue service on the beaches of San Pedro del Pinatar. New equipment also includes canoes with defibrillators.
Dog-proofed RONDA Municipal Parks and Gardens Department has announced that it will put fences around the Plaza de los Descalzos gardens to prevent dogs from entering.
Work accident A MAN, 47, was seriously injured when he fell from a ladder while working in Mijas. He sustained head trauma.
COSTA BLANCA NORTH
Song contest VILLAJOYOSA will host the 21st Spanish Songbirds’ Championships. They will be held on May 25 to find the best singers amongst canaries, linnet and finches.
Black shoes POLICE dismantled four clandestine footwear workshops in Elche. An employer whose workers handled toxic and inflammable products was arrested on health and safety grounds and for breaching workers’ rights.
Compost ready EXCAVACIONES BLAS ANTEQUERA SL, contracted by Denia Town Hall in October to produce organic fertiliser at the municipal plant, has produced the first batch, produced from garden waste.
Old road MIGUEL ANGEL PEREZ based his master’s thesis on the importance of the VillajoyosaAlcoy ‘Fish Road.’ At least 2,000-years-old, it was commercially and strategically vital during the Napoleonic Wars.
Tit for tat ELDA Town Hall will cede the municipallyowned Hospital de Pobres to a non-profit making association. In exchange it will restore the 17th century building.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
inance F A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM
business & legal
Electricity shock ELECTRICITY prices averaged €63.64 per megawatt per hour (MWh) in Spain last December. This was the price charged on the ‘spot market’ where electricity is bought or sold for immediate or almost immediate delivery. This was 78 per cent dearer than Germany’s €35.75 average and double the €32.66 charged by Noordpool in Northern Europe.
France’s electricity was 28 per cent cheaper than in Spain although Portugal’s electricity prices, practically inseparable from Spain’s, averaged €62.99 MWh. Last December’s rise was caused by high wholesale market prices where electricity is traded between generators and suppliers. This was decisive in increases planned for January until the Spanish government annulled the rise.
De Guindos ever so chipper LUIS DE GUINDOS, Spain’s Economy Minister, was chipper after his recent Brussels visit. Spain’s economy is set to expand in 2014 by nearly double the forecast 0.7 per cent, De Guindos told an Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) meeting. “This will be the first time in six years that we’ll have growth of almost 1 per cent,” he said. He also predicted net creation of employment over the next few quarters, despite analysts’ doubts. This was one of the questions De Guindos faced in the European parliament. How could
he talk of improvement, he was asked, when the unemployment rate was so high? He was confident, the minister answered, of creating net employment but acknowledged that Spain was on “a long and difficult road” with many obstacles. Principal amongst them was the country’s 26 per cent unemployment although the government’s labour reforms were getting results, he insisted, and Spain had become ‘very competitive.’ “Spain is now part of the solution, it’s no longer the problem,” De Guindos said when talking to the media at the end of the meeting.
B
usiness extra
Turnaround for Bair FORMER US regulator Sheila Bair replaced Lord Burns as an independent director on the Santander board. In the past she has criticised regulators who later accepted posts with big banks.
Small gains BANCO POPULAR has paid a dividend for the first time since 2012. Investors received €0.04 per share and were given the choice of receiving cash or more shares.
Fruitful career moves SPAIN might be beset by unemployment, but there are still good jobs around. The best are currently found in engineering, manufacturing and production. Sales, IT and health are also contenders, according to a report from international recruitment and employment agency Adecco
Professional. Experienced credit risk portfolio analysts who assess investment options earn between €60,000 and €80,000 a year gross, Adecco said. Market Access and Health, studying the function of lobby groups in the pharmaceutical sector, earn slightly less on €50,000 to €75,000 a year gross.
ELECTRICITY: Pricey in Spain for power.
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STAT OF WEEK NEW mortgages fell by 27 per cent last year, accumulating a 43-month descent. A total of €1.48 billion was lent last year, a 26 per cent reduction on 2012.
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E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 3
C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Aberdeen Asset Man PLC 384.35 Admiral Group PLC 1442.00 Aggreko PLC 1550.00 AMEC PLC 1037.00 Anglo American PLC 1423.00 Antofagasta PLC 860.00 ARM Holdings PLC 919.50 Ashtead Group PLC 788.00 Associated B Fo PLC 2690.50 AstraZeneca PLC 3881.25 Aviva PLC 439.85 Babcock Intl G... 1377.00 BAE Systems PLC 424.70 Barclays PLC 267.77 BG Group PLC 1041.25 BHP Billiton PLC 1794.25 BP PLC 474.42 British American T PLC 2919.50
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -6.50 -1.66 -3.75 -0.26 4.00 0.26 6.00 0.58 -13.00 -0.91 9.64 1.13 -15.50 -1.66 -2.00 -0.25 -24.00 -0.88 22.50 0.58 -5.20 -1.17 -12.90 -0.93 -4.30 -1.00 -4.65 -1.71 19.00 1.86 -1.00 -0.06 -3.68 -0.77 3.00 0.10
NET VOLUME 1,184.34 51.29 163.43 231.30 1,300.58 671.01 1,159.02 193.15 176.34 460.06 1,412.98 121.11 1,850.31 13,562.08 2,466.60 1,287.30 4,479.92 827.78
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0.82923
Units per €
United States $......................................................1.35106 Japan Yen ¥ ...........................................................137.515 Switzerland Francs................................................1.22129 Denmark Kroner ....................................................7.46183 Norway Kroner.......................................................8.45576
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PRICE(P)
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G.
British Land Co PLC British Sky Br Gr... BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC
653.75 884.25 384.35 1392.00 1424.50 990.00 2509.00
-3.00 8.50 0.94 3.00 -23.00 7.00 7.00
DOW JONES
NASDAQ
C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 3
C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 3
C O M PA N Y MMM 3M Co AXP American Express Co T AT&T Inc BA Boeing Co CAT Caterpillar Inc CVX Chevron Corp CSCO Cisco Systems Inc DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil Corp GE General Electric Co GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc HD Home Depot Inc INTC Intel Corp IBM International Business Machine... JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co MCD McDonald's Corp MRK Merck & Co Inc MSFT Microsoft Corp NKE Nike Inc PFE Pfizer Inc PG Procter & Gamble Co KO The Coca-Cola Co TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc DIS Walt Disney Co
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 128.19 85.02 33.32 125.26 93.91 111.63 21.91 61.01 92.16 25.13 164.12 76.85 24.54 176.68 88.47 55.36 94.17 52.97 37.84 72.85 30.40 76.62 37.82 81.28 114.02 72.28 48.02 215.43 74.68 72.61
+0.14 -1.60 -0.03 -1.27 +0.71 -4.82 -0.066 -0.53 -1.83 -0.37 -1.72 -0.08 -0.20 -0.68 -1.03 -0.64 +0.37 -0.54 +0.98 -1.09 -0.42 -0.25 -0.35 -1.08 -0.66 -0.52 +0.39 -5.45 -0.07 -0.61
+0.11% -1.85% -0.09% -1.00% +0.76% -4.14% -0.30% -0.86% -1.95% -1.45% -1.04% -0.10% -0.81% -0.38% -1.15% -1.14% +0.39% -1.01% +2.66% -1.47% -1.36% -0.33% -0.92% -1.31% -0.58% -0.71% +0.82% -2.47% -0.09% -0.83%
3.7M 4.8M 34.5M 9.7M 9.8M 15.5M 43.3M 5.8M 17.4M 40.3M 3.4M 10.6M 28.9M 5.2M 12.2M 18.2M 6.0M 16.3M 93.2M 4.3M 41.4M 13.0M 16.2M 5.2M 3.5M 4.3M 18.6M 6.1M 10.7M 7.8M
1.20593
C O M PA N Y
-0.46 0.97 0.25 0.22 -1.59 0.71
NET VOLUME
0.28
628.82 1,495.60 5,656.75 84.38 222.47 252.61 122.78
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
$ 12.97 $ 3.05 $ 4.40 $ 66.82 $ 4.06 $ 9.59 $ 2.45 $ 10.65 $ 36.58 $ 52.86 $ 40.48
3.20 / +32.75% 0.70 / +29.79% 0.84 / +23.60% 9.98 / +17.56% 0.59 / +17.00% 1.38 / +16.81% 0.34 / +16.11% 1.41 / +15.26% 4.31 / +13.36% 5.59 / +11.83% 3.95 / +10.81%
$ 7.52 $ 13.35 $ 27.01 $ 4.06 $ 37.84 $ 358.69 $ 41.12 $ 6.93 $ 5.44 $ 23.77 $ 5.76
3.05 / -28.86% 2.90 / -17.85% 4.04 / -13.01% 0.56 / -12.12% 5.17 / -12.02% 44.32 / -11.00% 4.88 / -10.61% 0.81 / -10.47% 0.57 / -9.48% 2.48 / -9.45% 0.595 / -9.36%
Most Advanced Solazyme, Inc. Lilis Energy, Inc. Zynga Inc. Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. Echelon Corporation Credit Suisse AG Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. Accuray Incorporated Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CEPHEID Proofpoint, Inc.
Most Declined DFC Global Corp InterMune, Inc. Constant Contact, Inc. Mecox Lane Limited Mattel, Inc. Amazon.com, Inc. Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Education Management Corporation Novavax, Inc. Johnson Outdoors Inc. Supertel Hospitality, Inc.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
C O M PA N Y Centrica PLC Coca-Cola HBC AG
PRICE(P) CHANGE 314.30 3.16 1598.50 -14.00
% C H G. 1.02 -0.87
VOLUME 2,948.62 85.23
Compass Group PLC CRH PLC Diageo PLC
915.50 1577.00 1816.50
5.40 6.00 16.00
0.59 0.38 0.89
920.03 535.59 2,309.95
easyJet PLC Experian PLC
1632.00 1048.00
-12.00 7.72
-0.73 0.74
359.11 471.55
Fresnillo PLC 780.00 G4S PLC 237.40 GKN PLC 393.25 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1580.75 Glencore Xstrata PLC 321.28 Hammerson PLC 521.50 Hargreaves La PLC 1472.00 HSBC Holdings PLC 623.40 IMI PLC 1484.00 Imperial T Gp PLC 2217.50 InterContinental H Gro... 1977.50 International C.. 415.30 Intertek Group PLC 2835.50 ITV PLC 195.40 Johnson Matthey PLC 3228.00 Kingfisher PLC 367.30 Land S Group PLC 1025.50 Legal & General G PLC 214.50 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 80.44 London Stock E Group... 1823.00 Marks & Spencer G PLC 469.65 Meggitt PLC 512.00 Melrose Industries PLC 308.25 Mondi PLC 920.00 National Grid PLC 788.00 Next PLC 6237.50 Old Mutual PLC 173.40 Pearson PLC 1100.50
10.50 -1.47 -0.90 16.50 -1.33 -3.86 -13.72 -3.60 -13.00 -6.76 8.84 -1.30 4.35 -1.10 -3.00 -2.30 -3.25 -0.80 -2.87 -18.00 -1.34 -3.16 -0.90 -2.50 -1.00 -10.00 0.96 -11.16
1.36 -0.62 -0.23 1.05 -0.41 -0.73 -0.92 -0.57 -0.87 -0.30 0.45 -0.31 0.15 -0.56 -0.09 -0.62 -0.32 -0.37 -3.45 -0.98 -0.28 -0.61 -0.29 -0.27 -0.13 -0.16 0.56 -1.00
221.19 1,175.39 1,256.23 2,461.75 6,271.77 243.54 138.69 8,520.60 142.17 653.66 140.26 1,717.05 79.95 1,955.07 195.94 839.48 608.53 2,816.70 88,590.81 61.05 495.65 268.57 492.23 253.56 1,248.49 77.13 4,539.07 662.20
Persimmon PLC 1300.00 -13.60 Petrofac Ltd 1176.00 22.00 Prudential PLC 1212.50 -15.12 Randgold Rs Ltd 4316.00 121.00 Reckitt Be Group PLC 4637.00 73.34 Reed Elsevier PLC 886.50 -0.50 Resolution Ltd 349.70 1.20 REXAM PLC 500.75 7.92 Rio Tinto PLC 3260.75 17.50 Rolls-Royce Ho PLC 1177.50 -10.00 Royal Bank of S Grou... 337.20 -2.80 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2223.00 -2.00 Royal Mail PLC 598.75 0.88 RSA Insurance G PLC 96.95 -0.10 SABMiller PLC 2716.75 -23.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 415.55 7.20 Sainsbury (J) PLC 348.00 3.06 Schroders PLC 2430.50 -36.00 Severn Trent PLC 1745.00 18.00 Shire PLC 3044.50 1.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 885.00 9.00 Smiths Group PLC 1437.00 -1.28 Sports Direct International...680.50 -3.00 SSE PLC 1319.50 12.16 Standard CPLC 1235.75 -4.00 Standard Life PLC 359.30 -6.48 Tate & Lyle PLC 751.50 -6.50 Tesco PLC 320.02 -0.37 Travis Perkins PLC 1763.00 24.00 TUI Travel PLC 422.70 -2.60 Tullow Oil PLC 794.50 4.00 Unilever PLC 2341.50 3.73
-1.04 1.90 -1.23 2.89 1.61 -0.06 0.34 1.61 0.54 -0.84 -0.82 -0.09 0.15 -0.10 -0.86 1.76 0.89 -1.46 1.04 0.03 1.03 -0.09 -0.44 0.93 -0.32 -1.77 -0.86 -0.12 1.38 -0.61 0.51 0.16
141.36 248.33 1,475.41 173.55 549.16 524.76 859.95 496.36 1,317.00 1,272.31 2,707.16 1,430.04 546.35 4,815.38 857.37 533.17 2,378.74 36.29 185.86 602.20 1,990.11 180.30 304.85 656.09 1,234.28 1,036.77 175.03 3,025.42 206.64 351.14 457.45 1,375.69
United Utilities G PLC Vodafone Group PLC Weir Group PLC
721.00 222.60 2145.00
4.86 -3.95 51.00
0.68 -1.74 2.44
365.90 21,243.15 351.40
Whitbread PLC William Hill PLC
3748.00 334.20
-2.00 1.80
-0.05 0.54
83.62 680.67
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
The UK recovery gathers momentum THE UK recovery is powering ahead and the pace of its recovery has even surprised the Bank of England (BoE). At the end of January 2014, a Reuters poll showed that unemployment had fallen much quicker than expected to 7.1 per cent. The numbers have come as a shock to the BoE, which predicted last August that it could be early 2016 before the jobless rate hit 7 per cent. BoE Governor Mark Carney always said the 7 per cent level in unemployment was not an automatic trigger for an interest rate hike but some commentators are now expecting that he would need to lower the threshold or add wage growth to the equation to hold off a rate rise. Carney commented in Davos as the World Economic Forum was under way, that the UK economy has not reached “escape velocity”
Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
yet and that this should help reassure British business that the path of interest rates will be consistent with a sustained recovery and a more balanced demand. The pound has performed extremely well so far and remains one of the best performing currencies across the major pairs. Sterling has closely reflected the UK’s improving economic environment and as of last year, Sterling became one of the hottest currencies to watch in 2014. UK GDP data released at the end of January recorded another strong result rising to 0.7 per cent quarter on quarter and
ONE TO WATCH: Sterling one of the hottest currencies in 2014. annualised growth of 2.8 per cent, which will make the UK one of the best among the G-10 economies. In spite of the strong numbers, as the GDP data hit the wire, Sterling sold off instead of rallying as the whisper number was 0.9 per cent, which shows that the market now carries very high expectations for UK growth. As the UK continues to grow, the picture is improving in the
Eurozone. The single currency area growth prospects are definitely more subdued and the performance of currencies has everything to do with expectations. The European Central Bank’s (ECB) ongoing concerns about the “downside risks” to growth led many investors to believe that Eurozone data might still disappoint but the purchasing
managers index (PMI) data in January showed that the Eurozone business got off to a much better start this year than expected. Stronger growth across the region was only let down by a lingering downturn in France. The result was healthily over the 50 mark that shows growth and it was also the highest reading since mid-2011 and beat all the forecasts in a Reuters poll of 25 economists. One area of concern that could potentially weigh on the euro is the ongoing threat of deflation. This could force the ECB to act more aggressively to counter deflationary pressures and this could weaken the single currency moving forward. There is reason to be optimistic, but one cannot escape the question; is the good news likely to last?
Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com
Time to manage marine resources in order to safeguard global food security MAJOR changes in how the planet’s marine resources are managed and used are needed to safeguard global food security and ensure the well-being
of coastal and island countries. That is according to Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Jose
Graziano da Silva. Speaking at the recent Blue Economy Summit in Abu Dhabi, he said: “We cannot keep using marine and aquatic resources as if they
A CHILL wind seems to be blowing through the Spanish football transfer window. It has ground to a halt as memories of hundreds of millions of euros worth of deals are a thing of the past. No deals for more than €1.5 million - peanuts in the football world - have been made. The reason for that seems quite clear - moneybags clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona who have negotiated themselves the lion’s share of TV rights’ money - are happy with their summer spending. The rest of the clubs in the Primera
Liga don’t have any money. The effects of strict economic controls and constraints on spending have now kicked in. Not only do the smaller clubs (in Spain every club except Real Madrid and Barcelona) not earn the hard cash of the big two, they cannot raise the finance to buy new players without falling foul of UEFA rules. These rules saw Malaga banned from European football. In sharp contrast, in the English Premier League big deals are still being made. Juan Mata’s move to
Manchester United from Chelsea cost €44 million. The difference between the two leagues is a more equitable sharing of the TV rights’ money amongst all clubs, so allowing them the income to compete in the transfer market without falling foul of the rules. In Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona simply cut off the rest of the clubs without so much as a backward glance. The financial gulf makes it hard to see how any other clubs can break the duoply at the top of Spanish football.
Laszlo Szirtesi / Shutterstock.com
A chill winter transfer wind...
€44 MILLION: Juan Mata
were endless. And we cannot keep using our oceans as a waste pool.” Serious threats to ocean health such as pollution, overfishing, and altered weather and rising sea levels resulting from climate change must be tackled in earnest starting now - argued the FAO’s chief executive to a collection of heads of state, environment and fisheries ministers, and other key stakeholders. “The health of our planet itself, our health and food security, depends on how we treat the blue world,” he said. On average, nearly 17 per cent of animal protein consumed worldwide comes from fisheries and aquaculture, and in many small island developing states the figure is much higher. But 30 per cent of world fish stocks are estimated to be overexploited, depleted or recovering from depletion, with economic losses in marine fisheries resulting from poor management, inefficiencies, and overfishing adding up to $50 billion per year, FAO studies show.
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Is our financial future going to be based on child’s play? DO you remember what toy you loved to play with as a child? Was it a doll? A kitchen set or a truck? According to a new and lively debate surfacing over children’s toys, what a child plays with could influence their future prospects in the job market. I remember being obsessed with any sort of craft, especially beading necklaces or making clothes. I didn’t, however, grow up to work in fashion. My brother was fanatical about his toy soldiers and he now earns a living valuing property. So just because a child plays with Lego or a train set or a tea set, it doesn’t necessarily mean those kids will grow up to be builders, train drivers or waiters, does it? According to a British Education Minister, some psychologists and other supporters for the argument, toy marketing exploits gender stereotypes, pushing dolls, cookery sets and pink princesses
Loose change A look at finance for females
VODAFONE and Liberty Global are both showing interest in Spain’s ONO with a view to extending their cable offer. An announcement is expected within the next few weeks, sources said.
MORE than 340,000 workers were laid off between January and November 2013. Year on year, the 19,646 redundancy plans announced during this period fell by 21.9 per cent.
jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com
GIRLS’ TOYS: Dolls, cookery sets and pink princesses. towards girls, and action men style dolls, construction kits and racing cars towards boys. Official government figures in the UK reveal that more than 80 per cent of science, research, engineering and technology professionals are male. Whereas, 82 per cent of those in care, leisure and other services are women, with 78 per cent of administrative and secretarial workers being female too.
Bad quarter Studies on the matter have shown that traditionally boys were given toys that involve action, construction and machinery, while girls were directed towards dolls and perceived ‘feminine’ interests, like hairdressing. The message being that boys should be making
Q. The terrace of the apartment which is above mine covers a large part of my You and the ceilings. Water seeps through when it rains hard, as it did last winter. Law in Spain On advice from the administrator, my By David Searl ceiling was repaired and repainted and was paid for by the community. Now we are discussing repairs to the above terrace which should be carried out before any further damage is done. I am informed by the administrator that, as the terrace also acts as my roof, it is a common area. He agrees that the repairs should be done, but the president does not agree and therefore will not sanction any repairs. He intends to wait until our AGM next October. So my understanding is that where a terrace forms a roof to another apartment, then it is a Common Element according to ‘The Spanish Law of Horizontal Property’. Is this correct? F.T. (Costa del Sol) has the ‘uso exclusivo’ of its terrace. In any dispute, the Spanish courts’ rule means individual owners are also responsible for the maintenance of their terraces, not the community. It is not in the law, it is jurisprudence. So your
Two suitors
Fewer lay-offs
Jane Plunkett
If roof terrace leaks, who will fix it?
A. Yes, the terraces which form the roofs of flats below are considered as Common Elements of the community. This means on the face of it, that the community is responsible to pay for damages and repairs. However, each flat
BUSINESS EXTRA
upstairs neighbour can be held liable to fix his own terrace or pay for damage.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952-667090
things and problem solving and girls, caring and nurturing. It’s all banter at the moment, but some shops are taking it seriously. In fact, Marks and Spencer, and London toy store Hamleys have scrapped ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ labels.
BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA) lost €849 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. That was less than expected as gains in Latin America offset a write down in its Chinese assets as it reduced its stake in China Citic Bank Corp.
Black economy getting stronger THERE has been a resurgence in the black economy over the last few years according to the Ministry of Finance (Gestha). In its latest report Gestha calculated the black economy to be worth €253 billion, that is nearly a quarter (24.6 per cent) of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2008, at the start of the crisis, the figure was an estimated €60 billion less. The report, called ‘The Underground Economy Takes its Toll. The Increase in Fraud during the crisis’ highlights that it is smaller business which is more likely to operate in the black economy. It said: “The underground economy has increased, particularly in the regions most affected by the problem of unemployment and the bursting of the property bubble, such as Andalucia, the Canaries, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha and other
regions in the central belt.” As fraud increased between 2008 and 2012 areas with concentrations of big business, national and international, have been least affected. Those areas include Madrid, Barcelona Tarragona and La Rioja. But the fact big businesses in those areas tend to be above board, does not necessarily mean a bigger tax take. Many international companies can take advantage of financial instruments to pay their tax in countries like Ireland and Luxembourg, so the Spanish taxman loses out anyway. The report does not include figures from the Basque Country, Navarre and Ceuta and Melilla, which have different tax systems.
OPINION & COMMENT
Cruel dog owners must be punished AGAIN the subject of mistreatment of dogs has raised its ugly head. I am the proud owner of two abandoned dogs which I walk on a daily basis. I often feed stray dogs that wander the campo, and know of several animals that are chained up 24/7. Many are left to protect derelict properties, and only receive a visit from the owner to be fed and watered when they feel like it. I know we do not have the right to tell the Spanish how to conduct their way of life, but when you are an animal lover, you cannot ignore such cruelty. Yes, there are many foreigners who are also cruel to animals, and they should be dealt with accordingly. Many Spaniards love and look after their animals, but there are many that regard an animal as a necessity only. Once they are past their usefulness, they are either abandoned or disposed of. The local vets deal with cruelty on a regular basis, but they are limited to what they can accomplish. What I would like to see is the authorities - Guardia Civil and Local Police - made to implement the existing laws, and fine these ignorant, cruel owners. Animals feel pain, get bored, and need regular exercise the same as humans. They are loyal, give affection to their owners, and only ask to be fed, watered, exercised, and given a bed and shelter. What condition are these poor dogs in, being chained up 24/7? Have they had yearly injections? If anyone out there can offer advice on how to tackle this ongoing problem, it would be most appreciated. Dave Turre (Almeria)
Right attitude IT is heartening to read that Spanish workers actually want to work (Almeria, Issue 1491). In France, the Junta’s decision to drastically restrict opening times at the Alcazaba in the summer would be seen as a triumph for the working man, i.e. no work! The French favourite.
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Pradera. And I’m almost 80 years old! Lack of education and development? No, because what an absolute delight to have discovered her voice! Of course she’s good! Magnificent! She won’t replace Amalia or Edith in my mind, but she will surely add to it! Thank you for having brought her to my attention through the letter from John Westwood (Issue 1491). Antonio Michel (By email)
A sad farewell
SOMEWHERE over the rainbow, way up high, there’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. This photo was taken from Casa de las Hijas, Competa (Malaga). William Glen Bourne (By email) The Alcazaba in Almeria is a great place and it is sad the Junta fails to recognise its overall importance. It is never just about the money but we have been so conditioned to accepting money as the god that we have lost sight of other, more important, things. I hope the workers can make the Junta appreciate that fact and encourage them to become more creative in their thinking. John Gardner (via euroweeklynews.com)
Sound idea I WAS intrigued by the article in last week’s paper ‘Quiet’ awnings tested’ (Costa del Sol Issue 1491) in a bid to reduce noise levels emanating from bar and restaurant terraces. If it works, what a brilliant idea! The article said that after testing various materials, such awnings could be made compulsory. But why stop there? They should also be made compulsory for apartment blocks, especially during the summer, when the hordes descend and sit
WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:
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out all night partying, oblivious to the fact that some of us are not on holiday and have to get up for work in the morning. I am not a killjoy and like to see people enjoying themselves, so it would be the best of both worlds if the night owls could be cocooned in these sound-proof canopies and party to their hearts’ content, while the rest of still get a good night’s sleep. Jane Morrison (By email)
Bad name I HAVE two friends who live in the Axarquia, having bought their
house legally. They pay their taxes and put money into the Spanish community. Now they are worried sick that they could be at risk of having their house demolished. Something needs to be done to help all these people. Who would want to move to Spain if they demolish all those houses? It would give Spain a terrible name. Sheila (via euroweeklynews.com) Editor's note: The EWN reported that locals feared 17 homes could be demolished after they were declared illegal by the Junta de Andalucia regional government. They were built with town hall permits. Potentially, thousands more homes could be affected.
New discovery EDITH PIAF, indeed Amalia Rodriques, were singers in their own right, both magnificent in their genre, with voices one can love for life. Unfortunately, I had not ever heard of Maria Dolores
ALTHOUGH maybe many readers will not know who Luis Aragones was, I am writing these lines in loving memory of a great man who sadly succumbed to leukaemia last Saturday morning. He was the man who converted the Spanish international football team into the all-conquering squad feared by all other footballing nations today. Until Aragones, the Spanish national team had never had success in international competition. It was a standing joke to say ‘Let’s see who will eliminate Spain in the quarter finals,’ but this man changed all that. On taking over the team in 2004, he defied the know-alls of the Spanish media by leaving out the sacred cows Raul Gonzalez and Guti, the two favoured players from Real Madrid, and giving a chance to a new generation of talented youngsters. Pîlloried by the national media, Luis stuck to his guns and persevered with his young squad. Defeat in the 2006 World Cup in the first round of the last 16 had the press baying in unison for his immediate removal from the post. Through it all Luis Aragones stuck to his guns, nurtured his budding young talents to develop their own style of play previously quite unknown in international football. After the stunning victory over Germany in the final of the European Cup, 2008, Luis, by now sick of the criticism from the media even though finally vindicated by success, stood down from the post. Rest in Peace, Luis Aragones. Your true worth is apreciated by the real football fans throughout the entire world. Jonathan Allso, Valencia
The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
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OPINION & COMMENT
Murderers milking legal system T
OLD you those murdering toerags who slaughtered Lee Rigby would milk the British legal system for all it was worth! Last week, the first one commenced his opening, farcical appeal. No doubt the other waste of space will follow suit. If any of the countries whose customs they purport to sympathise with had been faced with their actions and bragging confessions, the pair of them would have been dancing on the end of a rope or headless within a week. The world must truly believe the Brits have completely lost it. One of their finest, unarmed young soldiers is hacked to pieces in full public view. The killers, with the lad’s blood still dripping from their fingers, confess on live television that they have done it in the name of Islam, and what happens? Well, I’ll tell you. No doubt they’re on priority treatment in the nick - basically because most
LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT
of the cons have a more intelligent view of justice than the legal profession, and would, if they could, remove ’em from society permanently. They will enjoy three meals a day, no doubt Halal, which means separate kitchens and a special chef (well, wouldn’t want to infringe their ’uman rights, would we?). Visits from legal parasites and social workers, including psychiatrists, will be numerous. As they are segregated, they will have all the comforts in their cells, television and so forth. Without question there will have been visits from doctors and hospital trips to make sure they are both making a healthy recovery - and the irony of it all, is their enemies, i.e. the British public, will be paying for it. In the words of my hero, ‘you really couldn’t make it up’.
SYSTEM: It may be legal, but is it justice? Personally, I would have worked on ’em for a week to make sure they named all their accomplices,
fellow terrorists and anything else advantageous to my country, and then give them a rousing sendoff to the virgins and paradise their clerics of hatred promise they’ll attain for killing people. Job done. I see yet another schoolteacher has decreed there will be no winners or losers in sports events. No doubt they will stay firmly entrenched in their place of work for the duration, despite the fact that their actions are dangerous ideals that won’t prepare their charges for the future at all. Sacked, of course, is the instructor who brought his teams up to win an event if they could! It’s all gone mad, hasn’t it? Where do they find these people, I ask myself. And finally I still wouldn’t trust ‘Foxy’ Knoxy any further than I could throw a 20-ton truck. Keep them Es coming and, whatever ya do, always keep the faith. Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com
Power to the people? Cassandra Nash
A weekly look and not entirely impartial reaction - to the Spanish political scene
ALTHOUGH not on a Gamonal scale, protest has reversed another political decision. Madrid’s regional (not to be confused with the national outfit) government called off six hospital privatisations. Gamonal, for anyone who missed it in the Spanish or international media, is a Burgos city neighbourhood. An unpopular and costly municipal scheme to transform the district was dropped after triggering fury. Madrid’s protests were cerebral, not visceral, and backed by court rulings in favour of thousands of health professionals opposed to outsourced medical care. It would be lamentably sceptical but not necessarily inaccurate to suggest that next May’s European elections held more sway than people power. Gamonal presumably got its own way because the party told the PP mayor to cool it. The PP-controlled regional
government had no intention of cooling it and caved in after the regional high court refused to lift a temporary ban on privatisation. But election times are upon us and although all parties want a high profile until May, they intend to show only their best side.
A better better-half SPAIN’S First Lady is Queen Sofia and presidents’ wives generally avoid the limelight. They usually lead lives outside the shadow cast by their spouses, for which the Spanish should be heartily grateful. The electorate here - and that includes women - vote for a politician, not a significant other whose remit is to remain totally insignificant .
Stay-at-home Spanish justice THE modified Judicial Power law
curtails the right of judges to investigate human rights violations outside Spain. News that they can do so only if Spanish citizens or residents are involved and the perpetrator is Spanish or a Spanish resident have caused dismay. The killers of Jose Couso, a Spanish cameraman deliberately shot by US soldiers in Baghdad in 2005, will never come to court, critics complained. Nor can there ever be justice for the murder of the Spanish priest Ignacio Ellacuria in El Salvador or the terrorist suspects aboard US special rendition flights that stopped over in Mallorca. Appeasing and pleasing China over an investigation into the Tibet genocide is the real reason for the reforms but, despite the judges’ noble intentions, these cases were never going anywhere. The countries concerned were already dragging their feet and would never have allowed Spain to step in.
LEAPY LETTERS
No guts I AGREE with what you say (Issue 1491) about people playing the race card for no valid reason. I wonder if a British newspaper would have dared to print your article? I doubt it. They would use the excuse that it was racist. This is the problem with the UK, no one has the guts to tell it as it is. It’s about time the UK found some courage. Phillip Walker (By email)
Sort of... I SORT of agree about too many people playing the race card, but in order to play it, racism must first exist. There is no doubt that it does, maybe not as bad as it was 40 years ago, but it is still there. Philip Adams (By email)
Friends on high JORGE FERNANDEZ DIAZ, he of the new Public Safety Act eroding hard-won rights to protest, is a devout churchgoer. It’s not surprising that he should revere St Theresa of Avila, a home-grown Spanish saint and a very formidable lady indeed. “I am sure that she is interceding for Spain during these hard times,” Fernandez Diaz said recently. Possibly she is, but on the whole the Spanish prefer politicians to intercede for them. Preferably with Brussels, the ECB and the IMF. Jorge Fernandez Diaz.
Credit: Ministero de Interior.
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OPINION & COMMENT
The good, the bad and the bonkers Nora Johnson
Breaking Views A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ nora-johnson
T
he accidentally leaked cement into a control room on London’s Victoria Line which recently caused half the line to go down with ‘flooding’ made me think about other embarrassing blunders at work. During my gap year, I was a trainee in a company and, on my first day, asked to make tea for some visiting Japanese businessmen. In the kitchen I boiled up water as you do, but added it to the tea leaves left in the pot by someone else and innocently stirred up the contents. (Stop sniggering at the back there! OK, spoilt rotten by the parents!) Anyway, I can’t imagine how yucky that stewed tea must have
FRESH BREW: Or was it a cup of stew? tasted. So, yes, pretty yucky. In fact, it couldn’t have got much more yucky than that (as Gregg Wallace might say).
Strangely, though, all the Japanese gentlemen declared how much they’d enjoyed their ‘English’ tea - such a change,
Someone else, working on the they said, from their usual customer service desk at Tesco, green variety. And what about other holiday once made an intercom jobs? An acquaintance, working announcement profusely thankas a nanny in France, added some ing customers for shopping at of her own dirty clothes to ‘her’ Lidl. A genuine mistake - he’d just family’s laundry. When the changed jobs. Recall your greatest blunder, machine cycle finished, she was aghast to see her red shirt had then? Apart from unforeseen accidents, some mistakes at turned her boss’s exquisite work involve poor risk white lingerie shocking management, others pink. In desperation, Can the disconnect she tried to bleach it you between authority back to white, using recall your and responsibility neat bleach. The and still others just lingerie fell apart in greatest sheer incompetent her hands. blunder? management. Other Working in retail is types, though, may be also rife with mistakes simply down to insufficient too, eh? One bloke’s holiday job was as a ‘floater’ in a large training or poor hiring decisions. department store, assigned to So, over to you, President random areas each day to assist Hollande, what’s your biggest mistake to date? customers. One time, he was sent to the Nora Johnson’s thrillers baby goods section and asked a ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The well-built lady: “When are you De Clerambault Code’ due?” At first, she just looked at (www.nora-johnson.com) him quizzically, then smiled. “I’m available from Amazon in not pregnant. Just looking for a paperback/eBook (€0.89; £0.77) gift.” and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca
FINANCE
EUROPEAN PRESS
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Interest Rates To Remain Low - Bank of England Could UK interest rates rise this year? There has been speculation about the possibility since unemployment figures fell faster than expected. However the Bank of England responded by saying that rates will remain “well below historic norms” in the medium term. The Bank of England (BoE) base rate has been held at 0.5% for 58 months now, benefiting borrowers but harming savers. The new BoE governor, Mark Carney, broke with tradition in August by issuing forward guidance to reassure businesses and homeowners. He announced a policy where the Bank would not consider raising interest rates until the headline rate of unemployment fell to 7%, which they expected to be in 2016. Unemployment has since fallen faster than expected, hitting 7.1% at the end of November, according to data released on 22nd January. This led the media, the markets and some economists to speculate that we could
By Neil Jenkins, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks
see a rate rise in the near future. However, many other economists dismissed talk of an imminent rise as it would be too harmful to the economic recovery. The Bank itself had reiterated since August that the 7% target would not automatically trigger a rate rise, but rather a discussion on the possibility of one. Following the release of the unemployment data, Mr Carney
quickly stepped in to reassure businesses there would be no immediate rise. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 24th January, he said there is still some way to go to recover from the financial crisis. This means rates are likely to remain “well below historic norms” in the medium term, even as the economy recovers. Even though unemployment is falling, the economic recovery has not yet reached “escape velocity”, and many of the headwinds holding the economy back will remain for some time. The Governor promised business leaders that the degree of stimulus would remain “exceptional for some time,” and that the path of interest rates would be consistent with a sustained recovery. Inflation fell below the Bank’s target of 2% in December for the first time since November 2009, allowing interest rates to remain
low even though the economy is growing. Mr Carney also implied that the Bank will drop the simple link between interest rates and unemployment, and focus on a broader range of economic indicators. The minutes of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s latest meeting, released on 22nd January, also clearly stated: “Members therefore saw no immediate need to raise Bank Rate even if the 7% unemployment threshold were to be reached in the near future… When the time did come to raise Bank Rate, it would be appropriate to do so only gradually.” Although savers will be the ones to suffer again, the Bank will put the needs of the general economy first. With the economic recovery still fragile, it is risky to raise borrowing costs, including mortgage interest payments. Resolution Foundation, a UK thinktank, warned that a million households would face dangerously
high mortgage and borrowing payments if the base rate increased to 3%. On the other hand, a rate rise would come not a moment too soon for savers who have lost billions since the rate was cut to its historic low, as a result of inflation being higher than interest rates. It is essential, particularly for retirees, to understand the impact inflation has on your savings over the longer-term. It is important to ensure your capital is working hard for you and in line with your personal circumstances. You need to speak to a professional wealth manager to discuss your personal objectives and risk tolerance, to determine the most effective strategy for holding your savings to achieve your aims. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com.
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OPINION & COMMENT
The secret, special almond run! Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.
I
F you were forced to pay LOOKING €50 per head to view nature at its most spectacular BACK IN best, no one would blink an MOJACAR eye. But, this trip’s free. Yet, it must be done within a limited timeframe - during the next couple of weeks OR you’ve lost the opportunity for another full year. From Mojacar, travel on the motorway to where you would turn off for the hospital at Huercal-Overa, but instead go ALMOND BLOSSOM: The caliph’s bride had her wish come true. left and route yourself in the direction of Velez Rubio. It’s real country, full of tough awoke, she would rush to the window and a garden of snowy almond blossoms (her people living a hard, agrarian life. Now it’s peer out endlessly, looking for the snows. snow had arrived). I can only “presume” Now, like being any good and well that the marriage was saved, at least until been sprinkled with fairy dust and is magical. meaning king, he promised her wish. That “next year” when I am sure she asked for the mountains! In one of those old tales that have made her happy for a while. But, you can see nature’s blessing from managed to survive 500 years concerning Well, he put her off, lied and made a the myths and fables of the Moors in matter of excuses until this very month in the comfort of your own car. And, at the end of your journey in Velez Rubio, Spain, one is told of an incredibly beautiful which we are living. wife who was sad, all the time. Then, he sent his servants out in into proceed to the next little village of Velez It seems that being the caliph’s latest the Alpujarras to collect almond blossoms. Blanco. You’ll pass right by the ‘cueva de bride wasn’t enough. She longed for the The next day when she awoke and rushed los letreras’ where the original Indalo was mountains and view of the snows of her to the window she was pleased to her first discovered. You can still crawl up native home country. Each day when she absolute delight. For there below her was there. The village of Velez Blanco has
many good restaurants; my favourite is, of course, El Molino. You’ll see why. And, of course, while you’re there be sure to drive up to the castle. A fun walk about. If you feel short-changed in the least, the castle not being as ornate as you had suspected, blame it on the Yanks. Back in the 1920s, they bought all the good adornments and shipped them off to New York’s Metropolitan Museum. The quickest way home is the motorway.
Computers, software and everything techie... Trevor Spencer Computers Meet Trevor Spencer who will be writing a weekly computer column for the EWN...
Hi everyone, These articles will be on the subject of computers, software and everything techie. The aim is to reduce the complicated and make it simple. Whether it is problems with viruses/malware; Hardware; Software conflicts; or just being given good advice from someone with university qualifications in computers and more than 35 years’ experience. I am not here to sell you anything! I have nothing to sell but skill and experience. There are cornerstones for every building and today, together, we start to build a knowledge that will protect you from the phisher-men/women; drive-by browser hijacking; system maintenance and 100s more topics. Your part in this education is to provide me with subjects that concern
you. Without which, we can’t find the solutions to problems that you haven’t, as yet, come across. Also, to read, think about, and discuss with your friends, the subjects covered and, by doing so, learn. Look at that! Easy study without trying! What more can you ask for? As with all things, space will be limited and articles will have to be spread out over a number of weeks. If you have a specific problem that requires a direct solution you can contact me at the email address or phone number that will be at the bottom of the article every week, remembering that ‘Advice is free’! As this article is done in a hurry to meet this week’s deadline, I have given you a taste of what you have coming; who I am and what to expect. Next week begins the education, edification and unique humour (read “sometimes warped”) that I bring. Until then have a great week! If you have any questions email me on canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk or phone 689 892 745.
OPINION & COMMENT
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The notorious cowboy costas Mike Walsh
FAIL: So many small business enterprises on the Costas.
Mike Walsh. Based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.
I
N a warts and all appraisal of small businesses there are far too many self-styled tradesmen who leave customers disappointed and out of pocket. Throughout our entire SME industry (small and medium enterprises), the backbone of many economies, there is rampant poor service. One is left with the impression the customer is seen not as an investor, but as a victim to be fleeced. The nature of what I do means I bill clients on delivery. I became more cautious when only four out of nine clients, each owing small amounts, coughed up. Twenty years assessing businesses on behalf of British trade associations qualifies me to apply a four-letter F word to many small business enterprises on the Costas: Fail.
When settling in Spain my intention was to put my experience to good use; I would pilot a trade association worthy of the name. Successful membership application would be based
on provable trade experience, qualification, customer references, public liability insurance, commitment to quality and neutral mediation in the event of a dispute.
Sure, Britain has cowboy tradesmen too, but there were enough genuine and qualifying tradesmen to provide me and other assessors with a living for many years. The absence of quality assured trade associations on the Costas tells us all we wish not to know. So few businesses would qualify for membership it would be futile to set up a viable association. As a consequence, and due in part to an absence of Trading Standards or practical legal means of redress, customers are endlessly fleeced. The Costas are notorious for indifferent service, ineptness, lack of integrity, poor people skills, untrained staff, a rarity of basic business skills, overcharging and downright theft. I am tired of being treated as a nuisance by demotivated staff and served with an attitude that suggests they are doing me a favour. Such was my disillusionment with so-called computer experts I opted for remote maintenance
courtesy of a real tradesman who had served my UK business faithfully. Working from a little over 1,000 miles away he meticulously serviced our two laptops at a fair price. Well managed businesses will bristle at my critique. Might I remind them they are the biggest losers if the Costas fail to shed their image for indifferent service, complacency and downright cowboy criminality. When communities lose faith in the business community, their cars, homes, gardens, and computers go without maintenance. Under-whelmed customers will opt for home cooking and home entertainment. A bedrock of quality underpins the economies of Spain’s rivals. We forget at our peril that high spending non-EU nationals have a choice. Within reasonable flying distance are 750 million sunstarved Europeans, yet for only two months of the year the Costas thrive. There is a problem; let’s deal with it rather than live with it or pretend it doesn’t exist.
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Tuesday
CH4/ 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Food Unwrapped 10:00pm Benefits Street
ITV2/ 5:10pm The Real Housewives of New Jersey 6:05pm The Millionaire Matchmaker 7:00pm Dinner Date 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Mom 10:30pm Dads
4:00pm Perfection 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Death in Paradise 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm A Question of Sport
BBC2/ 5:00pm Winter Olympics 8:00pm Winter Olympics 9:00pm Children's Emergency Rescue 10:00pm Inside the Animal Mind 11:00pm House of Fools 11:30pm Newsnight
ITV/ 4:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 5:00pm Britain's Best Bakery 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm River Monsters 9:00pm Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 10:00pm Births, Deaths and Marriages 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm Sports Life Stories
CH4/ 4:10pm Countdown 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm The Taste 11:00pm Secrets of the Pickpockets
ITV2/ 4:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:10pm The Real Housewives of New Jersey 6:05pm The Millionaire Matchmaker 7:00pm Dinner Date 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm The Shawshank Redemption 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm The Shawshank Redemption
Wednesday BBC1/ 4:00pm Perfection 4:45pm Escape to the Country 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm Waterloo Road 10:00pm Outnumbered 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm Match of the Day
BBC2/ 5:00pm Winter Olympics 8:00pm Winter Olympics 9:00pm The Restaurant Man 10:00pm Line of Duty 11:00pm Inside No 9 11:30pm Newsnight
ITV/ 4:00pm The Alan Titchmarsh Show 5:00pm Britain's Best Bakery 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm The Jonathan Ross Show
CH4/ 4:10pm Countdown 5:00pm Deal or No Deal 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Coach Trip 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Restoration Man 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm First Dates
ITV2/ 4:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:10pm The Real Housewives of New Jersey 6:05pm The Millionaire Matchmaker 7:00pm Dinner Date 8:00pm You've Been Framed! 8:30pm You've Been Framed! 9:00pm Two and a Half Men 9:30pm Two and a Half Men 10:00pm Benidorm 11:00pm The Magaluf Weekender
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E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
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OPINION & COMMENT
The end of the Med as we know it? Ulrica Marshall
Expat Strife Swedish-born Ulrica is a freelance journalist living in Mallorca with her family. Her debut novel $Expat Wives is available on Amazon and iBooks. To comment on any of the issues raised in Ulrica’s column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/ulrica-marshall
ulrica@euroweeklynews.com
D
O you enjoy gazing out over the turquoise sea while enjoying a ‘copa de vino’ with friends? Perhaps the odd dip into the clean, refreshing waters in summer-time? Well, enjoy it while it lasts because it could all be about to change. The Spanish government has granted Cairn Energy plc permission to begin oil exploration right here on our doorstep, so to speak. Initial plans centre on an area between Valencia and the Balearic Island of Ibiza. Scant regard was given to the fact that although the Mediterranean Sea makes up 1 per cent of the world’s ocean surface, it is home to more than 18 per cent of the world’s marine
NOT WANTED: Oil rigs could be a disaster. species, an ecosystem highly affected by the proposal, according to environmental group Oceana. And even if the thought of
killing a few (million) fishes and crustaceans is not enough to make you sleep uncomfortably at night, perhaps the prospect of potential oil spills will. In 2010
the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico affected nearly 80,000 square miles - if something similar were to happen to here, it would wipe
out much of the Mediterranean Sea as we know. Helpfully - from Cairn’s perspective - the current Spanish government led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy fast-tracked environmental policy for speedy approval of such proposals, which could previously be contested and fully analysed without a time limit. Presumably Mr Rajoy plans to take his seaside holidays in other locations in the future or he enjoys a fine oil slick with his morning swim. If you prefer the Mediterranean as it is, there is still time (albeit only a few days by the time this edition goes to press) to make your voice heard. Environmental support groups are lobbying to review the decision in parliament, but need a minimum of 30,000 signed petitions (sent in triplicate) by February 10 this year to do so. For more details on how to support them, go to www.alianzamarblava.org/es/ blog/alegar-proyecto/
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E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
CROSSWORDS
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TODAY
VELEZ RUBIO
TOMORROW HUERCAL OVERA
ALBOX
VELEZ RUBIO GARRUCHA ALBOX MOJACAR
ALMERIA
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ADRA
ROQUETAS
Starring Antonio Banderas, Freddie Highmore and Saoirse Ronan. Directed by Manuel Sicilia. Runtime 96 mins. Rated U.
MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) One thing is certain, when you come through this week's restless planetary antics, you won't be totally the same Piscean who walked in. Whether you're figuring out numbers, analysing your dreams, or getting into a playfully social mood, there'll be much to enjoy and put to the test. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Education, media, creative and social connections are given star merit. The solar eclipse in your own sign bursts with vitality and success, more so for an array of bold moves, replace-ments and makeovers covering your personal affairs.
7-Star Quiz 1. Which word completes the title of the only UK Top 10 hit single by singer Patti Page, who died in January: (How Much Is That) -----in the Window? 2. Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who died in April, was the member of parliament for which constituency from October 1959 to April 1992? 3. The MGM movie star Esther Williams, who died in June, set multiple national and regional records in which sport in her late teens? 4. At which Olympic Games did athlete Donna Hartley, who died in June, win a bronze medal as part of the Great Britain 4x400 metre relay team? 5. What was the name of second youngest of the singing Nolan Sisters, who died in July? 6. What was the name of the ‘family matriarch’ of the Beale and Fowler family in EastEnders, played by actress Anna Wing, who died in July? 7. In which 1969 American ‘road movie’ written by and starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, did actress Karen Black, who died in August, star as a call-girl named Karen?
hope to fit in everything you would like to say. Don't allow Monday or Wednesday's tensions to spoil opportunities for settling something important.
useful. One clue to this week's planetary crossword puzzle is 'What word could also mean success?' Check it out, and make it work for you.
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Throughout this fortunate week, whatever else you decide, refuse to discard your hopes and wishes. As a Gemini, you like to have two strings to your bow of life, which gives you an alternative option, especially if the going gets tough.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Pave the way for any ambitious schemes you may have, rather than actually starting them. With your ruler the Sun eclipsing your kindred fire sign, determined Aries, you are now more likely to get the support and affection you need from the powers that be or someone who thinks the world of you.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) The solar eclipse in your opposite sign of Aries intensifies your willpower. Before you say 'go', find out where you stand. It might pay you to leave things be for a little longer to see if anything begins to change. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) The planets mobilise your streak of Scorpio daring, but don't stretch your limits. Your most effective weapon against personal and work-related pitfalls is your ability to be objective. Your desire to make specific situations and conversations work needs to be combined with your faith that they will work.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Even if the opposite to what you want happens, it could prove
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.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 December 21) The main gist of the solar eclipse in fiery Aries and the link between plucky Mars and your ruler friendly Jupiter will stir surprises. Whether you create the right atmosphere all round depends on how you interpret other people's views.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
CAPRICORN (December 22 January 20) Hard-working, enterprising and selfsacrificing are just some of the words that describe your zodiac sign. It will be these qualities that count. Friday will boost your powers of persuasion, but you won't have too much to complain about if you follow this lucky trend into next week's encouraging tide.
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
UK THUNDERBALL
IRISH LOTTO
EURO MILLIONS
Saturday February 1
Saturday February
Saturday February
Friday January 31
34
35
36
41
48
13
14 31
20 32
14
29
30
33
36
45
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
BONUS BALL
29
11
35
Almeria
SUNNY MAX 20C, MIN 12C MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
8
10 16
31
9
LA PRIMITIVA
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
SUNNY
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Mon - 15 11 C Tues - 15 9 C Wed - 14 8 C
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX 19C, MIN 11C
TODAY:
SHOWERS
Fri Sat Sun -
16 9 Sh 18 12 C 18 13 Cl
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
S Sun,
MAX MIN
10 4 Sh 11 7 Sh 12 7 Sh
Mon - 14 7 Sh Tues - 11 4 Sh Wed - 9 4 Sh
Murcia
CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 12C 14 9 C 15 12 C 16 11 C
SHOWERS MAX 13C, MIN 6C MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Mon - 18 13 Sh Tues - 16 11 Sh Wed - 15 10 Sh
Mallorca Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
Mon - 17 14 C Tues - 17 12 C Wed - 16 12 C
17 11 Cl 17 13 C 17 14 C
Madrid
Malaga TODAY:
CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 13C
TODAY:
MAX 15C, MIN 11C
14 8 C 15 10 C 14 10 C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
Mon - 18 14 C Tues - 18 12 C Wed - 16 11 C
17 11 S 18 13 S 18 13 S
Benidorm
Barcelona TODAY:
CLOUDY MAX 19C, MIN 13C MAX MIN
Mon - 20 13 C Tues - 19 11 C Wed - 18 10 C
19 9 S 19 12 C 19 12 C
TODAY:
MAX MIN
Mon - 16 12 C Tues - 16 11 C Wed - 14 11 C Cl Clear,
SUNNY
MAX 23C, MIN 11C
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun Fog,
Sn Snow,
MAX MIN
19 7 Cl 21 10 C 22 11 C
Mon - 21 12 C Tues - 20 9 C Wed - 18 8 Cl
C Cloud,
Sh Showers,
Th Thunder
Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case T) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
TARGET:
Average: 4
Very good: 7
Good: 5
Excellent: 9
adit, arid, darn, dart, dint, dirt, drat, nard, raid, rand, rind, road, toad, trad, trod, adorn, dinar, ditto, drain, droit, idiot, indri, nadir, radii, radio, radon, triad, adroit, inroad, ordain, TRADITION
9
13
27
28
31
34
REINTEGRO 11
2
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
MAIN
Sunday February 2
Saturday February 1
15
LUCKY STARS 8
TODAY:
Word Ladder
LOTTERY 27
Alicante TODAY:
MAX MIN
avoid getting tongue-tied or dogmatic on Tuesday and Friday. Promising potentials appear, especially if you spruce up your competitive streak.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) A vivid star pattern portends a frantic personal and social diary. Ensure that any tight planning is carefully handled, especially if you
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Stand by for a week of whoosh and whirl. More importantly, try to
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN IN 2013
Your Stars
65
Joaquin Sabina. Born on February 12, 1949. A Spanish singer, songwriter and poet, Sabina began composing aged14. He went into exile in London during General Francoʼs dictatorship using a fake passport. In 1975, he began singing in bars and performed before George Harrison, who gave him a five-pound note as a tip, which he preserves to this day.
31
44 51
47 52
REINTEGRO 6
ROAD
Move from the start word (MAIN) to the end word (ROAD) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
LOAN ROAN ROAD
IF ITʼS YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: Your sphere of friendships, relationships and career issues are delightfully aspected. Circle June and August for making contact with those who can point you in the right direction.
MAIN LAIN LOIN
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Eager Mars meets affluent Jupiter and enriches your financial forecast. It might show a foretaste of money to come, or onstream benefits. If you intend to make alterations to your personal and home interests, you'll undoubtedly cope with both offbeat and upbeat activities.
ROQUETAS
1. DOGGIE, 2. FINCHLEY, 3. SWIMMING, 4. MOSCOW, 1980, 5. BERNIE (Bernadette Therese) Nolan, 6. LOU BEALE, 7. EASY RIDER
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6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
Crosswords
EWN
41
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Cryptic
Quick
Across 1 A finch is seen in hide (6) 4 Look for Tontoʼs Mount (5) 8 To do this would upset teach (5) 9 The first man and the worker were very determined (7) 10 Pull out of additional court case (7) 11 A solid form once adjusted (4) 12 Bird found hiding in the Louvre Museum (3) 14 Deliver offspring on the radio (4) 15 The latest information from New South Wales (4) 18 Dat is funny, a bit (3) 21 Ring fellow from country (4) 23 Clung to redheadʼs make-up (7) 25 The potential uses for a Greek hero (7) 26 Find a suit and get a flat in South East (5) 27 Entertains crowds (5) 28 Matches one in underwear (6) Down 1 Football clubsʼ score is wrong (6) 2 Ghost commanding a form of respect (7) 3 Private network made from nitrogen nitrate (8) 4 Damage rebuilt cars (4) 5 Protagonist hiding somewhere in New Zealand (5)
Across 1 Motionless (6) 5 Africa expedition (6) 8 Just (4) 9 Large, old, luminous star (3,5) 10 Brilliant person (6) 11 Non-metallic element (6) 12 Sports event (4) 14 Allow (3) 15 Very small (4) 16 Quagmire (6) 18 Most recent (6) 20 Coin worth a quarter of an old penny (8) 22 Close (4) 23 Rough (6) 24 Effortlessly (6)
6 Aristocratic bird was in front (6) 7 Players beginning to exhibit class (5) 13 Dishonest Tuscan he reformed (8) 16 Justify authorisation for arrest (7) 17 Alcoholic drink can be a real laugh before church (6)
Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 9 represents B and 11 represents Q, so fill in B every time the figure 9 appears and Q every time the figure 11 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.
19 Bloomer is seen during time sun is above horizon (5) 20 Dreads exotic snakes (6) 22 Declares a piece of poetry is unfinished (5) 24 Clues found in a Mickey Spillane novel (4)
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Start, 4 Berths, 9 Tableau, 10 Papaw, 11 Eden, 12 Enchain, 13 End, 14 Opal, 16 Ally, 18 Ail, 20 Crowned, 21 Ache, 24 Omega, 25 Probing, 26 Screen, 27 Felon. Down: 1 Setter, 2 Amble, 3 Tier, 5 Especial, 6 Topsail, 7 Sewing, 8 Muted, 3 Elongate, 15 Pioneer, 17 Across, 18 Adapt, 19 Reagan, 22 Chill, 23 Golf. QUICK Across: 1 Belts, 4 Session, 7 Witness, 8 Alike, 10 Shirt, 11 Excites, 12 Petty, 14 Usual, 19 Observe, 21 Stare, 22 Stole, 23 Imagine, 24 Pirates, 25 Great. Down: 2 Lattice, 3 Spent, 4 System, 5 Stances, 6 Idiot, 7 Wise, 9 Easy, 13 Torment, 15 Avarice, 16 Boss, 17 Series, 18 Mere, 20 Scour, 21 Slang. ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Pages, 3 Calvo, 5 Rey, 7 Marisco, 9 Loaf, 10 Pavo, 14 Desmayo, 15 Fur, 16 Gorra, 17 Ovens.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION Down: 1 Peral, 2 Same, 3 Cara, 4 Oro, 6 Years, 8 Scarf, 11 Otros, 12 Nada, 13 Rojo, 14 Dog.
Funagram
Play on Words
English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Sabroso (5) 3 Regalos (5) 6 Regla (norma) (4) 7 Head (part of body) (6) 9 Waitresses (9) 12 Bitter (in taste) (6) 13 Firewood (4) 14 Key (door) (5) 15 Now (at this time, immediately) (5) Down 1 Bull (farm animal) (4) 2 Savage deed (9) 3 Uvas (6) 4 Kitchen sink (9) 5 Estrella (4) 8 Blood (6) 10 Pelota (4) 11 Cup (vessel, amount) (4)
Hexagram The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (ROUSED) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues. AWARDS
LISTEN
BADGER
RARELY
BANNER
REARED
BASKED
ROARED
BROKEN
RUGGED
BUGLES
SEATED
COARSE
SHAKEN (10)
FACTOR
SIGHED
GLOSSY
THREAD
HURRAY
Unscramble the name of a famous British journalist, newsreader and television presenter: OUR FINE CAB
NEDRAG
Answers: Back garden, Down-to-earth
Unscramble the English title of a famous opera, first performed in 1816 (four words): OBSERVE THE FIREBALL
Down 2 Taunt (5) 3 White ant (7) 4 Moth's pupa (9) 5 Unhappy (3) 6 Mendicant (5) 7 Decrepit (3-4) 11 Complete list of items (9) 13 Alligator pear (7) 15 Lockjaw (7) 17 Change (5) 19 Shoulder cover (5) 21 Anger (3)
E A R T H
E A R T H
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Desert, 2 Deeper, 3 Panted, 4 Surged, 5 Troops, 6 Seated, 7 Orange, 8 Turned, 9 Indent, 10 Roused, 11 Speeds, 12 Advent, 13 Tested, 14 Ruined, 15 Veered, 16 Weeded, 17 Steeds, 18 Darted, 19 Seared
FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: FIONA BRUCE, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
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E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
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OPINION & COMMENT
Car smoking ban a good idea? THE UK House of Lords has backed a plan to ban people smoking in cars if there are children in the back. It could become a criminal offence leading to a fine and penalty points. We asked if you agree with this move, or should people be allowed to make their own minds up? Should Spain follow suit, or is anti-smoking legislation going too far?
‘I
THINK it should be banned for the child’s health,” said Suze van Wingerden, aged 63, who is spending the winter in Guardamar (Alicante) from Holland. She admits she and her husband both smoked when their children were young, but have since quit: “We know better now. I don’t even think people should smoke outside unless it’s their own home as the smoke still affects you when blown by the wind.” Full time mother Charlie Monterry-Garcia, aged 35, from Guardamar, agreed it should be banned, but feels it isn’t the government’s job to police it: “No one should need a law to stop people from smoking in a car with children, it is just
STREET TALK
common sense: If anyone cares about the health of their child they shouldn’t be doing it.” Miriam Llorente, a 29-year-old midwife from Valladolid who lives and works in Benissa (Alicante) said, although it is a drastic measure to try, she agrees with the measure. She added: “I think it would be nice to have this law protecting children in Spain but the government should first do a pre-awareness campaign before approving any prohibition law.” Alan Kennt, aged 71, is retired and lives in Albir (Alicante). He said: “I disagree with this law because I think everybody should do what they want in their own vehicle and hope this law never arrives in Spain.” But Eileen Strain, aged 73, from Partaloa (Almeria) felt it should be banned. “It is not a good thing when children are involved in passive smoking. I think GOOD IDEA: Miriam Llorente from Benissa. SUZE: Thinks smoking in cars should be banned.
Spain should follow suit, it is unfair on other passengers breathing in smoke. In my opinion smoking while you drive is more dangerous than using a mobile phone.” Anne Karlstron, 60, who is retired and lives in Zurgena (Almeria), is not sure a ban is feasible: “We are part of the European Community with many directives from Brussels, the UK is one of the few European countries that adheres to the directives. Given there is a court of human rights in Brussels, one would assume you could appeal to them against such a law, because no one has the right to dictate my personal preferences.”
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E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
ealth & beauty H TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EWNLIFESTYLE.COM
This year’s top beauty tips and trends
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STAND OUT from the crowd with 2014’s recommended top beauty tips and trends. These include: Products that promise ‘flawless’ skin just seconds after application include ‘Visionnaire 1 minute Blur’ (€53) Lancôme. The colour of the year is called ‘Radiant Orchid’ and according to Pantone, the authority on colour and provider of colour systems, shadow powder (€17) by Urban Decay, in the tone ‘Fishnet’ is the sort
of colour being recommended for this year. Goodbye red, hello orange. Orange lip tone is predicted to be the most seen on the catwalks for summer 2014. It is the chosen ‘tendency’ by Galliano. Pedalling: Soulcycle is a kind of ‘spinning’ that, in addition to getting you in shape, reinforces your selfesteem through motivational mantras that instructors yell during the session. All this practised in low light or candlelight. Pink will be the dominant colour for spring: Pink stained lips, eyelids and cheeks. Try ‘Le Prismissime Euphoric Pink’ (€66), multipurpose palette for lips and cheeks by Givenchy. Straight hair: Straight long hair is the
PERFECT SKIN: Lancôme Visionnaire 1 minute Blur.
look. The catwalk has changed last year’s hairstyles with volume for straight, parted in the middle styles.
COLOUR OF YEAR: Urban Decay shadow powder in the tone Fishnet.
Avoid dreaded cellulite A NUTRITIONIST has come up with a list of factors that can encourage the formation of unsightly cellulite. Dr Carlos Jarne, micro-nutrition graduate at the University of Burgundy (France) and anti-aging medicine (University of Barcelona) said factors to watch out for include: A sedentary lifestyle. Tight clothing and high heels impede its return and alter the mechanisms of pumping blood. Smoking causes alterations in the microcirculation and increases free radicals in the skin. An excess of alcohol increases stored fat. Stress, anxiety and frustration can cause an increase in brain hormones
that stimulate the deposit of body fat. Certain medications (thyroid treatments and contraceptives) may induce the appearance of cellulite. Digestive disorders can promote obesity and therefore increase cellulite. The intake of fat, carbohydrates, salt and processed sugars should be reduced drastically. A low fibre intake causes constipation and increases resistance of the veins in the legs. It is also important to drink plenty of water. A diet focused on meats and fermented dairy (cured cheeses, etc.) will also possibly have an impact in forming cellulite.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
EWN
Pack up on your protein from plants MEAT doesn’t have a monopoly on protein. In fact, almost all foods (except alcohol and sugar) contain some. A half-cup of beans has about the same amount of protein as one ounce of meat. To get all the essential amino acids, people should focus on eating a variety of protein-packed plants, including lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, and milk (almond works if you’re cutting out dairy), recommends Eric C. Sharer, MPH, RD, from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Vegetarian diets tend to have higher levels of fibre,
magnesium, potassium, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamins C and E than omnivorous ones. If vegetarian athletes like tennis player Venus Williams can cut out meat and stay on top of their game, others can certainly fuel their workout with plants, says nutritionist and sports dietician Tara Gidus, RD. A vegetarian diet fuels performance just as well as a meat-based diet as long as people are careful to seek out other sources of certain nutrients that are more commonly found in animal products (like protein and vitamin B12).
PROTEIN PROVIDERS: Nuts, milk and beans can provide plenty of protein.
The wonders of green tea A RECENT study has led us to think that green tea extract can help stop the accumulation of fat in the liver. It seems that those who are regular drinkers of green tea already have this benefit in their favour as it helps to cut down the amount of fat in the liver. Generally, fatty liver occurs when fat cells start accumulating in the liver, potentially causing pain and discomfort, and may be the cause of cirrhosis and other disorders,
especially when combined with other risk factors such as obesity, high cholesterol or alcoholism. Green tea is also well known for being one of the most powerful antioxidants, making it a perfect partner to fight against aging, assist circulation and prevent hardening of the artery walls.
HEALTHY OPTION: Green tea has a host of healthy benefits.
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E W N 6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
ood F
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FOOD & DRINK
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Food of the week: Lingonberries LINGONBERRIES (also known as cowberries) are this week’s super food as researchers say eating the berry could halt the effects of a high-fat diet. It means, in theory, you could be guilt free when indulging in fatty and junk food. Scientists in Sweden found eating lingonberries could prevent weight gain in people with a high-fat diet and say they can also lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol. The study used a type of mouse that easily stores fat and, therefore, can be regarded as a model for humans who are overweight and at risk of diabetes. Some of the mice were fed a low-fat diet, while the majority of the animals were fed a
SUPER FOOD: Lingonberries. diet high in fat before being divided into groups, where all except one were fed a type of berry. After three months the researchers found that the group eating the lingonberry had the best results and had not gained weight. However, eating acai berries, also classed as a ‘super food’ did the
opposite in the study and led to weight gain and higher levels of fat. Lingonberries are an edible fruit that is native to forests in Europe and North America and are particularly popular in Sweden, commonly used in jams, compotes, juices, smoothies and syrups.
FOOD & DRINK
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Either Serrano or Iberico? Do you know your ham? SPANISH hams are a popular choice at the supermarkets but do we really know the difference between our ‘jamon Serrano’ and ‘jamon Iberico’? Serrano ham is traditionally from pigs in hilly or mountainous countryside and usually comes from the landrace breed of white pigs. The curing process starts with the ham being tucked between layers of sea salt and curing salts for a few days before being hung and aged for some 1214 months. During this time, a specialist will regularly pierce the ham and smell it to ascertain its quality. At the end of the curing process, the hams will have lost as much as 40 per cent of their original weight with the meat now being dark-red in colour. Jamon Iberico comes from the black Iberian pigs, also known as ‘pata negra’
BEST QUALITY: Hams from free range pigs that are fed on acorns. (black hoof). They eat a free-range diet and it is this diet that makes their ham superior to that of the ordinary Serrano pig.
Netherlands best food THE Netherlands is reportedly the best place in the world to eat. The results come from Oxfam’s ‘Good enough to eat’ index which saw researchers look at food consumption in 125 countries with rankings based on availability of food, its affordability and quality and the extent of diet-related illnesses. The Netherlands was classed as the best place to eat because the food is comparatively affordable and nutritionally diverse and there are low diabetes levels amongst the population. Despite Spain’s traditionally healthy Mediterranean diet, it did not feature in the Top 10, with France and Switzerland following behind the Netherlands. The UK came 13th.
All but one of the Top 10 worst countries in terms of food availability,
affordability and quality, were in sub-Saharan Africa.
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FOOD & DRINK
Eating pudding can be good for you FOR pudding lovers everywhere the good news is that a new study shows eating dessert can be good for you. But before you reach for the extra large bread and butter pudding and sink back into the sofa to eat it while watching TV, you need to be having a traditional family meal at the table.
That is because ‘occasional desserts’ can help lift family food and increase interaction between family members. But the important part is for families to sit down to eat together. Children benefit from boosting their self esteem, and so help them do better at school and less likely to develop
eating disorders. Professor Geoffrey Beattie, who advised on the study for German company Coppenrath & Wiese, said: “We’ve known that sharing food has huge psychological, cultural and emotional significance. It’s a critical part of our evolution and core to our everyday social world.”
BENEFIT: Sitting down to an occasional dessert.
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Employment workshop THE Government delegate of the Junta de Andalucia, Sonia Ferrer, territorial delegate of Education, Isabel Arevalo and Mayor of Albox, Rogelio Luis Mena, attended the closing of an employment workshop on graphic design in Albox. The workshop promoted by Albox Town Hall, received a grant from the Junta and the European Social Fund for €268,072.56. The course for 12 students had a duration of one year, during which they studied for a total of 1,920 hours. The objective of the workshop was to provide employment, giving the tools to facilitate access to the labour market for a specific group, in this case unemployed women over the age of 25 years. The workshop also familiarised students with ‘tools’ available to them to search for employment and promote entrepreneurial spirit and culture. The students have been taught how to look for possible self-employment initiatives and various local organisations have been involved in order to help the workshop achieve its objective.
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ALBOX
Complaints of council’s private workforce THE Partido Popular (PP) of Albox have made a complaint of public abuse by the socialist government after a council worker was photographed carrying out gardening work in the private garden of a socialist councillor. The photo shows workers loading garden shrubbery onto a council vehicle. This is not the first time the PP has denounced the ‘private use’ of official vehicles by both Mayor Rogelio Mena and his administration. The PP claims, it is well known that official vehicles are used for the most varied private activities of the socialist councillors, such as pigeon flying, picking olives, weekend excursions and taking their wives to the supermarket. The PP also claims to have seen official cars parked outside beach bars in Mojacar. The PP in Albox has said these facts are particularly serious, especially when public services provided in the town are so precarious, stating: “It is unacceptable that we have to endure these situations of abuse, while the mayor is cutting essential services.” The party has stated that these facts will be reported to the courts, because “it is outrageous to see the mayor Rogelio Mena,
PRIVATE GARDEN: Short back and sides for garden hedge. with so many irregularities and abuses going on looking the other way and not taking any responsibility.” Mena, has been quick to respond to the allegations and has announced the possibility of
legal action against the PP for accusing the town’s municipal workers of performing tasks and services for individuals. “This government team respects and enforces the obligations and duties of the municipal staff. As
mayor I cannot allow to go unopposed the questioning of their work, which is to serve all the people.” After categorically denying that any worker was cleaning and carrying out gardening work in a particular family home of a councillor, Rogelio Mena insisted that “cleaning services cater to all citizens alike and when there is a call to pick up large appliances or garden rubbish as well as the weekly market we move to collect up the remains, whoever it is and whatever party it is. “I have urgently requested the corresponding reports for municipal services to initiate appropriate legal action in defence of the legitimacy of employees in public administration and their political representatives,” he said. Mena points to PP frustration because “this week we have opened a new Sports Pavilion and started the water treatment works to permanently solve the water problem. Also, we are to put out to tender the sports centre and have adopted the landfill payments.” The mayor concluded: “We are trying to bring Albox out of a difficult situation and I will not accept or allow attacks from the PP without adequate response.”
ALBOX
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FUN RACES: Each class took part to race against their classmates.
Local school celebrates the day of peace PUPILS from the Virgen del Saliente school in Albox took part in a solidarity race in the Rambla in aid of Save the Children and to celebrate the school day of peace and non-violence. The date is celebrated each year on January 30 to mark the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi and preaches the need for tolerance,
solidarity and respect for human rights. The children took part in fun races as each class took turns to race against their classmates cheered on by parents and teachers in a lively atmosphere. This is the 10th year that schoolchildren have been involved with Save the Children in the ‘kilometres
of solidarity with the children of Ethiopia’ scheme. The children were later given a certificate from Save the Children thanking them for their effort and solidarity in helping thousands of children in Ethiopia receive the sanitary attention and food that they need to survive.
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HOMES & GARDENS
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Advertising Feature
Look no further than Solo Satellites for TV solutions NICK HOWE, the owner of Solo Satellites and Air Conditioning, has been trading for 12 years and is always striving to offer the best products, service and advice. After completing his apprenticeship with Paragon, he set up Solo Sat. Over the years he has trained many engineers who moved on to companies, which have
come and gone. However, Solo Sat has secured its position as the longest established company in the field, in this area, due to Nick’s integrity, work ethic and a strong family unit here in Spain that ensures he stays on the ball and ahead of the game. One of the main reasons Solo Sat is at the top of its game is due to the specialist equipment used on site, from Unahom and
Promax Spectrum analysers for an impeccable satellite installation (not cheap sat finders). He uses two vans under the company name, one little rapid response vehicle and his second, long wheel base van. This is specially converted to carry 1.8metre dishes ensuring no damage to the dish for a perfect channel reception every time, plus more importantly legal carriage.
IN PLACE: Nick is ready for the ‘Big Changeover’. The current hot topic of conversation with all his clients is when are we going to lose our Sky/BBC channels? This is going to happen mid-February. Solo
Sat has already been out on FREE site surveys and has begun to make a priority list of existing customers who have said that they want to be the
first he calls on when it all happens. Solo Sat currently has a stock of 1.8-metre dishes ready for the ‘Big Changeover’ to the new Astra E and F satellites, to ensure uninterrupted viewing of your favourite programmes. Many of you will already know Nick from the last big changeover to 1.2-metre dishes, some 10 years ago and should not hesitate to call to receive another great service and enjoy the longevity of his quality products. The 1.8m and 2.4m Flamaval Prime Focus dishes are of the highest quality and performance. They can be installed wall or floor mounted and you are able to run up to 16 properties from one dish, using our multi switch system. Nick welcomes all enquiries from new and old customers on any aspects of satellite or air conditioning matters. Call his mobile 699 909 737 or office number 950 528 334 and speak with his mother, as it is a home office, which helps to keep down costs and in turn he can pass these savings on to his customers. Solo Satellite and Air Conditioning, the Original and the Best!
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FEATURE
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The history of the FIFA World Cup: The 1950 tournament in Brazil By Tony Matthews AFTER a break of 12 years, mainly due to the Second World War, football’s World Cup was up and running again in Brazil in 1950, and there were a few shocks in store for certain countries! England, playing in the competition for the first time and one of the favourites to win the Jules Rimet trophy, beat Chile 2-0 in their opening game but then suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of the USA in Belo Horizonte. In fact, when this score appeared in English newspapers, many thought it was a misprint! This result, combined with a defeat by Spain, led to England’s elimination. Italy, the defending champions, lost their unbeaten record at the finals when they lost 3-2 to Sweden and subsequently also failed to progress from their group. The final stage of the competition featured the four teams who had won their respective groups: Brazil, Spain (who also beat Chile 2-0 and defeated
IMPRESSIVE: Maracana Stadium in Rio. the USA 3-1), Sweden, and the 1930 champions, Uruguay. It was decided this time round, that
the overall winners would be the team that finished top of this group of four. There were no knockout games at all.
After thrashing Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1, Brazil took on Uruguay who had beaten the Swedes 3-2 and drawn 2-2 with the Spaniards, in the final group match, the winners of which would be declared World Champions. With a record crowd of 199,954 packed inside the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janiero, the hosts needed only a draw against Uruguay to lift the trophy. After taking the lead in the 47th minute through Ze Friaça, Brazil looked comfortable, but then it all went wrong. Uruguay equalised through Juan Schiaffino against the run of play and then, with just 12 minutes remaining, edged in front courtesy of Alcides Ghiggia’s smart goal to stun the host nation and the vast audience to lift the coveted trophy for the second time. * Ademir (Brazil) top-scored in the tournament with seven goals and the average attendance at each game was 60,773 - a new record that would not be broken until 1994.
Coles open office on Turre High Street COLES OF ANDALUCIA is pleased to announce a new office now open on the main high street in Turre. It can be found on the large junction from
Mojacar and Los Gallardos and opposite the Chinese Bazaar. Established now for nearly seven years, the well-known real estate agency has moved to a
bigger, more prominent public office as a result of expansion. Last year was its busiest year in business by far. Tim Vollans is now with the team full-time, and
shortly his wife Joanne will also be manning the office. This expansion was much needed as the last couple of years has seen a huge increase in
advertising and marketing to different areas, with sales showing a corresponding rise. The new, larger higher profile office not only reflects this, but is also sure to help the business grow and prosper. Coles is always looking for new properties to list and the dedicated staff can now give existing vendors more exposure at their new site. Everyone is welcome to pop along and see what they are doing. The finishing touches are being put in place at the new offices this week, after which there will be an open day, which will be announced in the Euro Weekly News very soon. Exciting times for Coles and it’s great to see the hard work paying off! If you have a fully legal property you wish to market or perhaps you are already on the market and wish to increase your exposure, please drop by
NEW OFFICE: More exposure for clients. or contact them on the details below. Coles is looking for all types, from coastal properties to inland villas and cortijos. The staff are sure they can help to promote your property and increase your chances of a successful sale. They charge no upfront fee and only if they sell the property do they require a fair, low commission.
Contact Coles on 0034 950 469 592 or 0034 697 640 681 Email info@colespain.com
FEATURE / PETS
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6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
Reasonable likeness of poster leads to plagiarism claim IT was a controversial weekend in Huercal-Overa with the accusation of alleged plagiarism of the poster chosen for Easter 2014. The news came from an internet surfer on Saturday via his Facebook page.
The poster of Huercal-Overa announcing next Easter was placed alongside that of Jerez in 2007. The reasonable likeness caused surprise to those who saw it, with reviews of all kinds, alluding to
plagiarism. The poster of Huercal-Overa was chosen from more than a dozen that were presented in a contest to establish the poster to announce the big week in the town.
Golden Bob is honoured with Indalo de Oro MOJACAR’S long time resident and famed national photographer, Bob Jones, receives his Indalo de Oro in Madrid. You can see a few of his photos on display and purchase in Scottish Graham’s shop next to Los Arcos bar on the
playa of Mojacar. The Euro Weekly News reported how the town decided to honour Bob with the award, recognising his achievement in raising the town’s nationwide profile as his pictures of the area frequently were shown on national television.
AWARD: Bob receives his Indalo de Oro.
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DOGS and cats can be emotional creatures, and that means they can get jealous if their owner gets a new partner. Both species are creatures of routine and a new partner can cause disruptions, causing stress, making it important to take care when bringing a new person into their lives. Signs of jealous behaviour to watch out for in dogs include jumping up, barking and nipping. Perhaps another more obvious sign is when your pet dog tries to get in between you and
FIRST DATE: Introduce your pet to a new partner outside of the home. your partner when sitting on the sofa. Cats being cats their signs of jealousy are different. They tend to sulk, hide or go to the loo in inappropriate places. For people planning to introduce their pet to their new partner consider meeting your date while out on a walk with your dog. That means your new partner meets your dog on neutral territory, and will feel less anxious. Before you introduce your date to your pet, tell them to avoid eye
contact or interaction with the animal, especially if they are coming into your home for the first time. If you are entertaining your guest at home, avoid shutting your dog or cat away. The animal will associate the anxiety of being away from you with your new partner. It is important to give the animal in question something to do and keep it occupied when introducing a date. For your local radio frequency log onto www.talkradioeurope.com.
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RS E IS R T E R RNE V A D CO
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SPOTLIGHT
Advertising Feature
Leading removal company reports on strengthening housing market
O
NE of Spain’s top removal companies has reported they experienced a resurgence in the Spanish housing market during 2013 and it looks like 2014 will be even busier. Mat Ford-Dunn, the Managing Director of ‘Advance Moves International Removals’ pointed to the fact that many property values in Spain have now fallen to a much more realistic level and this has definitely resulted in increased house sales. This has been noticed in all regions of Spain as Advance Moves operate their relocation services throughout the mainland. Advance Moves has its main warehouse in Murcia, with an additional warehouse in Kent in the UK and has had to purchase five new vans and trucks to cope with the increased demand over the past year.
NEW FLEET: Extra vans have been purchased to cope with increased demand. The UK housing market is also in a state of recovery and increased house sales have resulted in more people selling up and looking to buy in Spain.
There are many factors that tempt expats to Spain, not least the recent periods of turbulent weather, which many parts of the UK have suffered.
On the flip side, for economic reasons many British expats are now able to sell properties in Spain and Advance Moves are often the first choice when it
comes to repatriating them back to the UK. Mat was also keen to point out the increase in demand for their removal services was also down to the level of service and expertise that Advance Moves offer to their clients. Advance Moves is also a member of the British Association of Removers and one of only a few companies that export wrap furniture to provide extra protection for international removals. “Our clients know they are getting a more competitively priced, premium removal service, when compared to the rest of the market,” said Mat.
Advance Moves Call 968 654 667 info@advancemoves.com www.advancemoves.com
Advertising Feature
Keeping up the highest standards of care
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LUEBIRD CARE, one of the main care providers in East Sussex, UK, is looking for staff in Spain. Since opening in April 2010, the company has had some significant achievements that it is very proud of. To continue with that success Bluebird is always looking for experienced care staff to work as live-in carers on a rota basis. In the UK the company’s high quality standards are now being recognised by many privately funding customers and health practitioners including GPs, District Nurses, Occupational Therapists as well as the NHS and Local Authority. They are also proud to be a member of the Trading Standards Support with Confidence scheme and helps with sponsorship to
PROVIDING CARE: With a ‘good old fashioned service.’ many of the local charities and organisations who provide support to vulnerable people. What sets them apart from the rest are their strong values of ‘Good old fashioned service.’ They go that extra mile to make sure the little things that matter to you, matter to them as well. They give the customer the same familiar friendly face to care for them, as they know how important it is for customers to build up trust and rapport with their carers. All staff go through a rigorous interview process and training programme to ensure they are the right kind of caring person that will be permitted to wear the
Bluebird Care badge. Their mission is, and will
own homes with familiar friends, relatives and Anyone interested in possessions finding out more about around Bluebird and what they can them. No offer, please call or email them. upheaval. email No stress. eastbourne@bluebirdcare.co.uk Bluebird Tel - +44 1323 727903 Care have been very successfully recruiting people in Spain for quite some time. All that they ask is that prospective staff have care training and/or certification, a caring nature naturally, and are excellent at communicating with others in excellent English. The most important attribute is good common sense and an ability to follow rules and regulations and be able to always be, to enable people provide high standards of to live independently in their care.
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CLASSIFIEDS
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FOR RESULTS EVERY WEEK
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FOR SALE
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MOTOR HOMES SMALL selection of motorhome and caravan accessories now available at great prices. Motormovers, solar panels, inverters, leisure and engine batteries, reversing cameras, 12 volt LED televisions, air-conditioners and Aqua Kem. www.hispa van.com 687 845 730 (219435) WANTED motorhomes and caravans, any condition or country of registration considered. www.his pavan.com 687 845 730 (219435) MOTORHOMES and caravans for sale. Interesting selection. Part exchange considered. www.hispa van.com 687 845 730 (219435)
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MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 153, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 153 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (95302) AUTOFRIO A/C services. 950 104 488 / 600 827 517 (219450)
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OFFICIAL Caldera Spa main distributor for Southern Spain. Sales and service. Get a fantastic deal on new economical to run models and part exchange considered for your old, tired models. www.his pavan.com 687 845 730 (219435)
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SWIMMING POOLS GENECO Pool construction. Tel 950 478 086 for no obligation quote (93401)
KNOWLES PLUMBING. No 1 for plumbing! Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 950 137 197or 606 807 797 (218475)
SEWING ALTERATIONS SUE ‘STITCHES, sewing and alterations. 950 132 861 / 666 044 732 (219454)
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PET INSURANCE PROTECTAPET. Spain’s leading pet insurance. 965 756 371. www.protectapet.eu (216721)
For daily news visit INTERNET
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FLOOR AND WALL TILING SPECIALIST Not a jack of all trades, just a master of one! Call Steve Holman on 697 678 708 (219415)
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THE FIVE BONE HOTEL TURRE: Due to family reasons, Five Bone Hotel is NOW closed. Georgina would like to thank all her clients since the kennels and cattery opened. (219304)
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Don’t take a chance! Don’t break the law! Take the hassle out of re-registering your vehicle onto Spanish plates We endeavour to better any genuine quotation 490 Euro + Road Tax + CO2 emission tax if applicable
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Advertising Feature
SPONSORED BY For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80
Chema: Looking after your safety FOR your own safety and that of others, it’s important that you pay attention to this advertorial. The state of your car’s tyres is an essential element in road safety. That is why the staff from Chema Neumaticos will take to the street from February 10, to carry out a diagnosis of your tyres and an estimate free of charge. Chema Neumaticos has a team of professionals at your disposal, as well as the best brands at prices which can’t be beaten. If you go to their premises with the estimate they give you, they will offer you a completely free review of your vehicle. Chema Neumaticos, specialists in all types of tyres. Carretera Lorca Baza, Albox, kilometre 72/300, Tel: 950 120 475 Email: chema@grupo salasaguila.es
TYRES: Chema will carry out a free test.
First Porsche on show THE original and very first Porsche model has been recovered and is set to enrich the Porsche Museum’s collection in Stuttgart (Germany). Contrary to what many people believe, the world’s first Porsche was designed more than 200 years ago. In 1898, founder Ferdinand Porsche presented the ‘EggerLohner electric vehicle, C.2 Phaeton model’, the manufacturer’s first ever car. Known as the P1 (standing for Porsche, number 1) for short, it weighed just 130 kilos and offered an output of 3hp. Porsche engraved the code ‘P1’ on to all of the key components, thus giving the electric vehicle its unofficial name. The vehicle had a range of 80 kilometres, a considerable feat for a vehicle of that period.
MOTORING
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Fiat acquires Chrysler stake FIAT and Chrysler have gained a new corporate identity following Fiat’s acquisition of the minority equity interest in Chrysler Group LLC in January. The board of directors of Fiat has also approved a corporate reorganisation and the formation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) as a fully-integrated global automaker. It has been decided as well to establish Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., organised in the Netherlands, as the parent company of the group. The FCA common shares will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), with an additional listing on the Mercato Telematico Azionario (MTA) in Milan. FCA is expected to be resident for tax purposes in the United Kingdom. Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chairman/CEO of Chrysler
CORPORATE REORGANISATION: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Group, said: “Today is one of the most important days in my career at Fiat and Chrysler. “Five years ago we began to cultivate a vision that went beyond industrial co-operation to include full cultural integration at all levels.” The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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MOTORING
Volkswagen set to launch new generation of Polo this spring NEW engines and new technology shape the latest edition of Volkswagen’s Polo, to arrive on the market this spring. Along with the basic versions (Trendline, Comfortline and High-line), the new generation of the car will also be offered as a GTI, BlueGT, CrossPolo and BlueMotion model. The entire range of the Polo, manufactured at the company’s factory in Landaben (Navarra), has been reconfigured. All petrol engines have been converted to new three- and four- cylinder versions. The power levels at market launch are 44kW/60PS (indirect injection/MPI), 55kW/75PS (MPI), 66kW/90PS (direct injection/TSI) and 81kW/110 PS (TSI). Also new in the Polo are three direct injection three-cylinder turbo-diesels (TDI).
NEW TECHNOLOGY: An electro-mechanical servo steering system improves steering properties. They now all generate their power from 1.4 litres displacement (previously 1.2 and 1.6 litres). The power range is identical to the previous model: 55kW/ 75PS, 66kW/90PS and 77kW/ 105PS. The Polo of 2014 offers a range of new convenience and safety functions that Volkswagen claims is unique
in its class. A new electro-mechanical servo steering system improves steering properties. The car also offers the new optional Sport Select suspension - which uses electronically controlled dampers - so that drivers can choose between two tuning characteristics at the press of a button.
That means that the software and hardware of these systems follow the infotainment world of the larger Golf. Depending on the version they may offer functions like a Bluetooth audio streaming, a proximity sensor, two-finger map zooming in navigation mode and interfacing of the mobile phone to the vehicle’s exterior antenna.
SPORT
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6 - 12 February 2014 / Costa de Almería
England unlucky at rugby, but Britain is ‘Great’ in Davis Cup Tony Matthews
Red for Ronaldo
International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.
Cristiano Ronaldo was sent-off in Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Bilbao.
Costa de Almeria
SIX NATIONS rugby continues this weekend with Ireland playing Wales, and England taking on Scotland for the Calcutta Cup on Saturday, while on Sunday, it’s France against Italy. There’s also a full programme of Premiership football, the top games being Liverpool-Arsenal, Chelsea-Newcastle and Norwich-Manchester City, plus the Welsh derby between Swansea and Cardiff. Inconsistent Manchester United play struggling Fulham, Crystal Palace take on WBA in a vital sixpointer, and Everton visit Spurs. In the Championship, inform Leicester welcome Watford, FL1 table-toppers Brentford host Crawley and the top two, Chesterfield and Scunthorpe, meet in FL2. FOOTIE FACTS - Last weekend Sunderland beat Newcastle 3-0 - their third successive win in the North-East derby. The last time they achieved this was almost 90 years ago. Stoke eclipsed Manchester United for the first time in 30 years, winning 2-1;
RED CARD: Ronaldo makes his way to the tunnel.
DID YOU KNOW? WEST HAM have had 14 managers in 112 years; QPR 11 in the last decade. And batting against Australia in 1947, England wicketkeeper Godfrey Evans took 97 minutes to score his first run. Everton bounced back from their 4-0 Merseyside defeat by beating Aston Villa 2-1; WBA held Liverpool 1-1, Manchester City lost 1-0 at home against Chelsea. Arsenal clipped Crystal Palace 2-0, hapless Fulham lost 3-0 to Southampton, West Ham beat Swansea 2-0, Hull and Spurs drew 11 and Craig Bellamy became the first player to score for seven different PL
clubs by netting in Cardiff’s crucial 2-1 win over Norwich. Leicester extended their lead at the top of the Championship to 10 points (66-56) with a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, and Brentford lead Wolves by two in FL1. In Scotland’s LC semifinals, Aberdeen beat St Johnstone 4-0, and Inverness CT, who had equalised with nine men, defeated Hibs on penalties. Atletico Madrid are top of Spain’s La Liga for the first time since 1996 after beating Real Sociedad 4-0. Barcelona lost 3-2 at home to Valencia, Almeria were beaten 1-0 in Elche and Malaga took out Sevilla 32. WINDOW CLOSED When football’s January transfer window closed at 12 midnight last Friday, a total of 422 players had found a new club... there were 182 completed deals involving the 20 Premier-
ship clubs, with Crystal Palace signing six new recruits. So far this season, top flight clubs in England have spent a record £780 million on players, beating the previous best by £90 million set in 2008-09. LAST GASP DEFEAT England, leading by six points with three minutes remaining, were pipped at the post 26-24 by France on the opening day of the Six Nations campaign. Elsewhere, reigning champions and sluggish Wales beat Italy 23-15 and Ireland slammed Scotland 28-6. GREAT WIN - For the first time since 1986, Great Britain are in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup after defeating the USA in San Diego, California. Star of the show was Andy Murray who won both his singles matches. COLD OLYMPICS Eighty-eight countries will be taking part in the 2014
Cortijo Grande stableford CORTIJO Grande had a big turnout for our Wednesday, January 29 stableford. Two divisions were needed and we had good scores to match. The winner of our first division with 36 points was John Wardley. Second with 33 was Leif Myhre, and third with 32 was Bob Winter. The second division winner with 33 points was Ray Linforth. Second went to Grace Ward with 31 and in third
with another 31 was Sheila Picken. Ball sweep winner was Bob Winter. Sunday was also an important day for our golf year with Captains drive in and another high number of members for this day. Our captain David Hardy had a good day with a massive number to support his big day. The winner of our first division with 37 points was Frank McGovern. Second was John Geaves with 36 and
third with 35 was John Wardley. Second division winner was Carol Hardy with 31 points. Second was Daphne Deardon, also with 31 points, and with yet another 31 was Barbara Wardley in third. Our thanks to outgoing captain Patricia Holt for her work over the past year and best wishes to our new captain David Hardy for this coming year.
Winter Olympics which start in Sochi, Russia, tomorrow (Friday). Team GB will be aiming to win at least four medals. In fact, they have never won one on snow - on ice, yes. TOP TRAINER - Four of Venetia Williams’ horses won last weekend at Sandown and Flos (Ireland), bringing her a 549-1 four-timer. BOWLED OVER Seattle Seahawks dominated Super Bowl XLV111, thrashing Denver Broncos 43-8 in the first ‘final’ played indoors. Seattle led after just 11 seconds and never looked back.
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Marina Phoenix weekly results MARINA Phoenix Golf Society played an individual stableford competition on Monday, January 27. The ladies’ division saw Glennys Oliver take first place with 34 points. Second went to Christine Roddis (32) while Linda King (30) was third. A close finish in the mens’ competition went in favour of Jim Budd with 36 points, with Mike Schorfield coming in a close second (35). Terry Oliver was right behind in third (34) and won the only two’s prize on the 17th. Thursday’s team game was reduced to only 18 players as several members prepared for the away trip the following day. The format was a waltz played in threeballs. First place went to Glennys Oliver, Neville Newman and Mike Schorfield with 80 points. In second were Hylton Smith, Geoff Paddock and Terry Oliver with 78, while Chris Roddis, Ali Mahmud and Les Armfield were third with 74. Marina Phoenix play Mondays and Thursdays. Ring Jim on 950 162 727 / 600 353 670 or Rosalie 950 397 117/ 697 512 882.
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Sport
ANDY MURRAY GB’s star of the Davis Cup. Turn to Page 63
Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport
Upgrade for Valle del Este resort
VALLE DEL ESTE Golf Society reports refurbishments at the Valle del Este resort, both on the course and in the hotel, as facilities are being improved for members and visitors alike. The ongoing work will provide players with one of the most prestigious resorts in the area. Our captain Bill Churchill decided we should play a 7-club competition on Tuesday to the delight of all concerned. The winner, with 34 points, was Ian Cooper, a regular guest with the society during the winter months. Friday was our usual Stableford competition with 20 members and guests taking part. First place went to Patrick Vickery with 37 points, playing off a handicap of 5. Lloyd Dean was second with 35 points, cutting his handicap to 15. And in third was Sean Halligan with 32 points, playing off a handicap of 7. There were two 2s: Bob Conell on the 6th hole and Jean Cooper on the 12th. Nearest-the-pins went to Patrick Vickery (6th) and Dick Hull, hole-in-two on the 17th. Well played, everyone! Remember: Next Friday is our monthly medal.
SPORT
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Worth waiting for: End of Year 2013 Competition
19TH HOLE GOLF SOCIETY’S ‘End of Year 2013’ Competition was held on Thursday, January 30, at Aguilon. We were a bit late finishing the 2013 season due to circumstances way beyond our control. However, for the 31 members who attended, the event was worth waiting for. The format of the day was a best-2-from-4 scores with lots of nearest the pins to shoot for, a nearest the pin with least amount of shots on the 14th par 5 hole and a little putting competition on the practice area. The winners of the main event with 78 points were the team of Mark Danson, Don Harbron, John Haydon and Ron (The Rocket) Curtis. Second were the team of Mike Donarski, Nigel Greenwood and Charlie (No Mates) Brookman with 76 points. Third place went to the team of Brian (Dee) Lowden, Syd Walker, John Boulter and Pete Dows, with 75 points. Nearest-the-pins was Roger Kaye (4th hole) and Syd Walker (12th hole). Nearest-the-pins went to Alan Chippendale (4th and 8th holes), Tony Lea (10th hole), and Nick Pogson (17th hole). Nearest-the-pin with least amount of shots on the 14th went to Team Gary Grey, Christine Dow, Dave Denyer and
WORTH THE WAIT: 19th Hole Golf Society’s End of Year 2013 Competition. Billy Ghost with 5 shots. The Putting Competition was a dead heat on countback, Mark Danson and Pete Dow. The following evening we rounded off our year with the Annual Presentation Dinner and Dance held this year at La Parella in Albox. Alan Chippendale was awarded the La Vida Cucador Order of Merit Trophy, and Nigel Greenwood the Avalon Europe Most Improved Player of the Year.
A really great night thoroughly enjoyed by all, not least of all, due to the entertainment by Dee Sharp (Brian Dee and David Sharp). Our thanks to all who helped sponsor the evening, especially:Avalon Europe, Sophies Gymnasium Arboleas, La Vida Restaurant at Cucador (for their year-round support), Meson de Irene at Partaloa, Can Connect in Albox, Jane Lowden for the Dog Grooming raffle prize, Mrs Tagg
for the massage prize, Aguilon Golf Course, R&S Golf supplies of Los Llanos Market. The 19th Hole Golf Society is now arranging weekly games at various courses in the area. Its home course is Aguilon, which it plays fortnightly.
If you are interested in joining the 19th Hole, give the secretary a ring on 610 340 653 or email gs19thhole@hotmail.co.uk.
Fair conditions lead to decent scores BADGERS GOLF SOCIETY visited Macenas on Wednesday, January 29, for
their weekly competition. Good golfing conditions prevailed and some decent scores were expected. Winner of the day’s competition was Colin Parker with his second win within a week with 38 points. In second place was Dave Wright with 36 points, while third place went to Julian Butterworth with 35 points.
Dave Wright took two of the nearest-the-pins with Greg Knight and Phil Fellows taking the other two. There were only two 2s on the day, by Greg Knight and Brian Watts. Saturday’s Stableford competition was won by Lynn Sefton with 39 points. Dave Crothers was second with 33 points and third place went to Jan
Page with 32 points after a countback. Members are reminded that yearly membership is now due. Badgers Golf Society also plays every Saturday at Macenas for their weekly roll-up. Please book in at Badgers. Forthcoming fixtures are: Wednesday, February 12, at Macenas; Wed, Feb 19
at Desert Springs; Wed, Feb 26 at Macenas; Thurs, March 6 at Aguillon. Guests are welcome to join the society on both Wednesday and Saturday competitions and can book in either at Badgers Restaurant on Mojacar Playa or by phone on 950 478 525/686 038 259. Fixtures can be found on www.badgersmojacar.com