Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 1 - 7 May 2014 Issue 1504

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ISSUE NO. 1504

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Moors and Christians ENROLMENT is now open for the festival of Moors and Christians in Carboneras until June 6 at the town hall between 11pm and 1.30pm and 5pm–8pm.

Day of Flowers SUNDAY May 4 heralds the 11th anniversary of the Day of Flowers in Lucainena del Torres. The town is adorned with flowers, and the streets filled with stalls and visitors.

Pets triple PET registrations in Almeria has almost tripled since 2005. There are now 148,082 animals registered, including 138,161 dogs and 8,266 cats.

Buzz off! FUMIGATION begins now across coastal resorts like Vera and Mojacar, as swarms of mosquitoes start making their presence felt in the warmer temperatures.

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Streets safer as muggers arrested OLDER residents of Vera and Cuevas del Almanzora can rest a liitle easier after five violent muggers were arrested. The thieves had been operating on mopeds and specifically targeting older ladies in public areas by approaching them from behind and snatching their personal belongings, including handbags, phones and jewellery. One of the perpetrators had dragged one of his victims several metres along the ground. The violent mugger, still on the moped, with full face helmet then went on to attack a second victim within just a few minutes of the first attack and only 200 metres away, mowing the lady down in the process. The police spotted one mugger, and tried to apprehend him as he fled the scene on his moped. In his attempted escape, the criminal struck one of the policemen to avoid

identification and arrest. Guardia Civil were still able to formally identify the mugger as BMM, aged 38, and placed him and his alleged accomplice, AJAL, under arrest for taking part in five separate muggings. Following further investigations, the Guardia Civil made additional arrests: FMO,

aged 31, and MGM, 18. There was one further arrest made, that of a minor, under the age of 16. Once the evidence had been assembled, and arrests made, the Guardia Civil recovered a number of personal items, including mobile phones and jewellery, which have now been

returned to their rightful owners. The police are also examining the mopeds used in the robberies for any evidence which may help lead to a conviction. Officers conducted a search of BMM’s home in Huercal-Overa, and discovered two mopeds involved in the assaults, as well as the full face helmets used to conceal the muggers’ identity. BMM had a long list of previous offences for theft, of a similar nature to the crimes being investigated. The muggers are now awaiting trial. BMM is reported to be already in prison.

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THIS WEEK IN

EWN News 1 - 34

Finance 35 - 40

Letters 47 BODY: Found near Playa de los Muertos.

Body of British man is found

THE body of a 60-year-old British man has been found between the villages of Villaricos and San Juan de los Terreros in the area of Cuevas del Almanzora. The man, originally from London, had gone missing during the afternoon on Friday, and he was formally reported missing on Saturday. Police were very concerned as the gentleman was undergoing treatment for amnesia. A fisherman spotted him at 8.30am on Sunday morning at La Cala de Penon

Cortado and contacted the Guardia Civil immediately. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty in accessing the terrain, it was not straightforward to recover the body so the fire team had to assist. Sources close to the investigation say the man had fallen from a cliff, although the post mortem examination is yet to be carried out. The identity of the deceased has not yet been publicly released. This is standard procedure until his family and friends have all been notified.

Daily TV 52

Leapy Lee 54

Time out 56 - 57

Classifieds 81 - 83

Sport 87 - 88

NEWS Titan Desert race THREE residents of Pulpi, Maria Jose Haro, Juanfran Martinez and Eduardo Cordoba competed in the weekend’s MTB race across the mountains and deserts of Morocco. Barber of Seville MAY 10 sees a stage production of The Barber of Seville. It is on at the Auditorium theatre in Roquetas de Mar. Entrance is free and the production starts at 9:30pm.

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Beans, bacon and wine at feast APRIL 25 saw the traditional Feast of Beans hit El Ejido. More than 2,000 people were in attendance ready to eat and drink and dance to the folk music from the Association of Culture’s Francisco Velarde. This year, 2,000 kilos of beans, 300 bacon joints and 2,500 loaves of bread, plus wine were supplied to keep everyone happy. The bean feast forms part of the celebrations of San Marcos, held every year on the weekend closest to April 25. San Marcos is patron saint of

animals, and is particularly revered by the farming community. El Ejido endeavours to preserve the fiesta’s roots and respect tradition, but also adapting it enough to appeal to everyone in these modern times. Trucks and trailers have replaced the original tractors and are adorned in colourful displays, overflowing with excited faces, all enjoying the celebrations. Before and after the procession, San Marcos doughnuts are blessed and handed out to the crowd.

80 per cent are happy at work

Light up F.A.C.E. (Fundraising in Arboleas, Caring for Everyone) distributed 15 hampers this Easter to needy families in Arboleas. They even included an Easter egg. Decisions decisions... MAYOR Eloisa Cabrera of Roquetas de Mar has announced that around 200 projects have been submitted for consideration for the remodelling of the food market. The decision will be made in the next few days.

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ODAY (Thursday) is Labour Day, and as most of us spend more time at work than anywhere else, it is important to be happy there.

New library ALMERIA Council announced this week plans to renovate and convert the former Local Police headquarters in Almeria City and reform it as a municipal library.

Almost 80 per cent of workers in Spain say they are happy with their job, according to a survey by temporary work agency Adecco. Almost 79 per cent believe that contentment in the workplace is more important than having a higher salary. But for more than 71 per cent, having a stable job is more important than being happy in the workplace. This

Marina plan CARBONERAS has been promised a new marina in a meeting in Sevilla. Agreeing to push ahead were Carboneras mayor, Salvador Hernandez, and bosses of Public Ports of Andalucia (APPA). A good night SIDE-SPLITTING laughter was the order of the night at Frankie’s Bar in Vera recently as comic entertainers took to the stage to raise funds for MACS. More than €630 was collected.

‘

Quote of the Week It’s so sad. I live on €300 and with the help of my 88-year-old mother.”

Rosalia Iglesias, the wife of former Partido Popular Treasurer Luis Barcenas, facing charges in court in the Gurtel Corruption case.

CONTENTED: Most workers believe being happy is more important than a higher salary.

explains why almost 63 per cent wouldn’t leave their current job even if they weren’t happy. However, more than 81 per cent believe they would be happier if Spain had working hours similar to the rest of Europe or if they could work more from home. And 41 per cent believe they would prefer to have their own businesses. Meanwhile, amongst the unemployed in Spain, the average level of happiness is 5.4 out of 10, which would increase to 8.1 out of 10 if they found a job. And not having a job will lead to fewer women being treated for Mother’s Day, which is marked on the first Sunday of May in Spain, as 80 per cent of couples say they are delaying having a family because they are out of work. Before the financial crisis, the main reason for not having children was ‘not having found the right partner.’ The Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics reports that lack of work also affects the decision of how many children to have, and at what age women decide to become mothers.

Number of the week

are in Spanish prisons, 5,117 women representing 7.6 per cent of the

total number of inmates, when the European average is 5.3 per cent. Drug-related crimes are behind the majority of incarcerations, followed by theft.

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ews watch

Civil protection

OUT of the 102 municipalities in Almeria, 26 have Civil Defence volunteers. Yet despite this low number, the 630 volunteers still manage to cover more than 85 per cent of the region.

Zurgena RBL THIS week’s RBL branch meeting is at Latino’s in Zurgena at 11am. Dave Proctor will be giving a talk about items he has for a WWI exhibition.

Getting support OVER 1,500 signatures have been added to an online petition to stop the closure of the Calar Alto observatory. The petition is gaining momentum worldwide.

No fires please! DUE to recent events, Junta de Andalucia has ruled that there are to be no bonfires/fires without written permission from them, not just the town hall. Normally a ban applies from June to October.

Canteens tender PARENTS managing seven school canteens in Almeria are incensed as the Department of Education and Culture have opened them up to tender. The parents say, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

Bubbly welcome ASIER Larrinaga (ETA member) was greeted by loved ones with Champagne this week. More than 40 ETA members have been released in Spain and France so far this year.

And finally... A MAN, 32, was arrested in Madrid for allegedly stabbing his 19-month-old son to death and seriously injuring his other son, aged five. The children’s mother and grandmother witnessed the scene which occurred when they went to pick them up.

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Vodafone fined €50,000 SPAIN’S data protection agency, AEPD, has fined Vodafone Spain €50,000 for a breach of the Spanish data protection law. AEPD took the step after Vodafone Spain unlawfully included a customer’s name on a list of defaulters. The complaint was brought by the consumer protection authority FACUA on behalf of the customer after the woman was wrongly informed that her personal details had been included on a list of customers behind with their payments. This follows a similar case in which another user was fined €177 by Vodafone and included on a list of defaulters even though he had cancelled his contracted services. Following the fine, the AEPD has stressed that customers can only be included on lists of defaulters if there is “a previous existence of a definite, overdue, enforceable debt not paid.” FACUA has called for higher fines and more exacting legislation to prevent telecoms operators from flouting data laws.

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Number of accidents on the up in the Almeria region ACCORDING to a report from recruitment company Randstad, 2,869 accidents were reported in Almeria last year by 100,000 workers - an increase of 2.6 per cent on 2013. These figures show an increase in Almeria, although Andalucia shows a decline of 2.5 per cent of reported accidents. Juan Pallares, secretary for the CCOO union in Almeria says he is not surprised at the increase. He puts some of the blame on the shoulders of business owners stating that they “take money from risk prevention to save costs.” He goes on to say that

it is essential to raise awareness of danger with the business owners, but also to educate the workforce and “end the surge of accidents in the workplace.” Recently the representative for Employment, Adriana Valverde attended a workshop and said that “companies are taking a quantum leap from mere compliance with legal obligations towards an approach in which they are taking prevention as an investment because it improves productivity and the working environment.” SAVING COSTS: Money used for risk prevention.

Comedy time INDALO PLAYERS presents two short comedies, ‘Darlings you were wonderful’ by Derek Lomas and ‘Theatrical Digs’ by Jean McConnell. Jan Mills is making her Director’s debut after supporting everyone with props and scenery for many years. The plays are at The Kimrick Theatre on Friday May 30 at 8pm, Saturday, May 31 at 3 pm and 8pm and Sunday June 1 at 3pm. Tickets are available from P C Playa, Mojacar and Connexions, Turre for 10€. Food will be available from the Kimrick. Please book independently.

Judge says justice reform is ‘morally unacceptable’ JUDGE Javier Gomez Bermudez has gone on the record to voice his criticism of current reforms of universal jurisdiction led by the PP in February.

The High Court Judge said this week that the reform is “morally unacceptable.” The limitation of universal justice has opened a fierce debate about its effects on processes, particularly on the jurisdiction in the capture of vessels with

drugs in the seas surrounding Spain. Two judges recently, including Javier Gomez Bermudez himself, have ordered the release of Egyptian and Syrian crews arrested with thousands of kilos of drugs south of Almeria. They have done this

because they believe that the new regulations prevent the prosecution of crime in international waters when the crew is not Spanish and the goods are destined for elsewhere. The judge went on to say: “I understand the geopolitical, but do not

understand how these crimes against humanity can go unpunished. What would you think if we could not pursue terrorists?” He concluded: “You have to have a clear law and not force us to make our own interpretations, or find the back door.”

Things worse since the recession EIGHTY SIX per cent of workers in Spain think that their working conditions have got worse since the

recession began. This contrasts heavily with other European country’s workers levels of

satisfaction like Denmark where 94 per cent of interviewed workers say they are satisfied with the conditions under which they work; Austria and Belgium also have a high percentage of satisfied employees. According to data released by the European Commission only Greece has lower levels of satisfaction at work (33 per cent). Sixty three per cent of Spaniards say they are happy with the balance between work and family.

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Pension protests PROTESTS: Against pension sanctions imposed.

Raffle for Caritas SUPPORTING Caritas is something that Mueble Hogar Milenium furniture store have done before, so they are very proud to be doing it again with three Wednesday raffles in the coming weeks. They are raffling 20 items of household furniture such as beds, bedside tables, dining tables, cushions and decorations each Wednesday (May 7, May 14 and May 21). Proceeds from the raffle will be used to buy food and given directly to Caritas, who assist families in need. Raffle tickets cost €1 and can be purchased at their store in Zurgena. You will need to be at the store when the draws are made to choose your prize. There is also a collection box in store for you to donate to if you do not wish to participate in the raffle.

For further information, telephone +34 950 449 013.

PROTESTS against sanctions imposed on people who failed to declare foreign pensions were supported at a rally in Almeria, by PSOE, the Socialist party. The Socialists insist

that there is an injustice on the sanctions being imposed by the Treasury on pensions since 2008. The PSOE in Almeria reiterated its support for the 19,000 affected, with key party members

Counterfeit clothing seized GUARDIA Civil have seized more than 800 items of counterfeit clothing in a series of raids. The clothes were on offer for sale in several shops in the Roquetas del Mar, as well as a number of stalls in the market. Guardia Civil estimates the clothing had a potential street value of €59,000. The Guardia Civil say it’s a warning to shops around the province that they are on the look out for fake branded clothing. The operation has also led to the arrest of eight people suspected of an offence against intellectual property. This latest haul was the result of research and inspections by the Guardia Civil, in the prevention of manu-

ILLEGAL SALE: Fake branded clothing. facture, distribution and sale of fake brands, and is to protect the interests of the holders of the intellectual property rights registered under trademark law. The 847 items included t-shirts, jerseys, and sportswear. Full details have been referred to magistrates.

attending the rally outside the Inland Revenue offices, including Mari Carmen Ortiz, Adela Segura, Consuelo Rumi and Gracia Fernandez. PSOE insists injustice is being committed by the government, to penalise those citizens for pensions that have been gained from foreign countries in which they worked, even though they were never informed of the need to declare this as income. The PSOE calls for the Government to allow those affected to submit their tax returns for the last five years without being penalised. They are also providing information and advice to citizens who are affected by this situation.

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NEWS EXTRA

Orchestra concert THIS weekend, The Apolo hall in Maestro Padilla auditorium in Almeria echoed with the sounds of La Orquesta Academica de Granada. Rafael Lamas conducted.

Theatre show ARBOLEAS sees the Independent Theatre Group at the Pedro Gilabert Museum, May 2 - 4, for a performance of Steel Magnolias. Tickets cost €8.50. Tel: 950 439 406.

Street dance ALMERIA City will enjoy live street dancing soon as part of a programme “intended to promote flamenco during April to July”, said the mayor.

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Tourism planning talks A MEETING was held this week between Almeria Council and around 20 representatives of the tourism industry to discuss the first quarter of 2014 and upcoming plans.

Legal homes ZURGENA Council is making final edits to its General Urban Plan to standardise all urban properties as well as to invest in two new industrial zones.

PSOE call PECHINA PSOE has called a change of mind regarding allocation of funds to a football field as “tricks deployed by the PP” to keep the mayor.

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Burglars arrested in Cuevas de Almanzora GUARDIA Civil have disbanded a criminal organisation based in Aguilas and dedicated to theft in uninhabited houses in Cuevas de Almanzora. Five people were arrested by Guardia Civil from Murcia in an operation investigating robberies in Almanzora. The arrested were of

CAUGHT: Five people were arrested.

Spanish, Moroccan and Bolivian descent, and all had a criminal history.

Police were informed that stolen items were being sold on the

Vicar hashish arrests AROUND 200 pellets of hashish weighing two kilos were seized, and three men arrested in Vicar. Guardia Civil began the investigation as part of measures launched in Almeria to eradicate the production and distribution of drugs in Almeria. The investigation began in February when a man was arrested with two pellets of hashish, but the police conducted discreet surveillance

suspecting that the man was connected to distribution. This surveillance culminated this week in the further arrests, and the seizure of the resin pellets. The Guardia Civil found the pellets concealed in the false bottom of a jacket and a smuggling belt. Ninety one pellets were concealed in the false bottom of the jacket, which gave off a strong smell. They located a further 109 pellets in the belt.

internet, and this led to five houses being raided. So far, Guardia Civil have identified eight properties to have been robbed by the gang, although the investigation remains open. The items stolen were predominantly building materials and appliances such as toilets, taps, heaters, electrical equipment and aluminium windows items that are not easily identifiable by their owners. The investigation remains open in order to confirm the involvement of the five criminals in robberies in other locations.

NEWS More support for disabled VALENTIN Sola, president of the Almeria Disabled Persons Federation (FAAM) opened its annual general meeting this week in the Tryp Indalo hotel. “The most significant feature of 2013 is that this year and onwards we are able to continue our social work,” said Valentin. During 2013, the federation launched their most ambitious and important initiatives to date, a physical residence where 90 people are now employed, and cares for 60 full time residents, and 40 day visitors. Referring to cuts on social spending, Sola said that 2013 was a “tough year.” But while that was difficult, figures in social support continue to look promising with FAAM organising more activities than ever, and supporting more people. Eighteen associations were present at the AGM.

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Arboleas to get a new image IMPROVING and transforming the image of Arboleas is one of the main challenges that the town has tasked itself with. The town mayor, Cristobal Garcia, said: “Improving pedestrian areas and walkways are vital as part of the town’s design.” The improvements form part of the Plan of Development of Agricultural Employment and Municipal Action. Garcia added: “The pedestrian crossing and improved entrances to Arboleas are actions that we have to undertake, and form part of our project for excellence and quality, which we intend to imprint across our whole infrastructure. The improvements are mainly at the entrances to the town, as well as crossroads and other streets within the municipality.” Garcia declared the works would mean an improvement in “the quality of life for residents, and boost the image of a town focused towards tourism and visitors.”

The primary purpose of this section of the action plan is to achieve better access into the town, both for vehicles and pedestrians, thereby improving pavements and roads. The mayor continued: “This project is in its third and fourth phases, and it is necessary to mention the changes for Avenida de Los Garcias, Venta Mateo, the industrial zone and El Prado. Furthermore, it should be noted that other plans are in place for Limaria, Los Llanos, Los Higuerales and El Chopo.” Garcia concluded that the project will benefit the advent of toruism, given that the first points of access and the first impressions of the city are ‘absolutely necessary’. The plan of beautification and accessibility changes the image of Arboleas as it is the gateway for citizens and visitors. “This type of initiative is a constant factor in our working plans, since we are committed to act in a similar way in all areas of our town,” he said.

PSOE representatives meet local businesspeople.

PSOE visits local businesses SOCIALIST party (PSOE) representative for Europe, Mari Carmen Ortiz, visited businesses in Roquetas de Mar and Adra this week to speak with the fishermen and agricultural suppliers of the area. Ortiz was accompanied by Clara Aguilera, Secretary of Citizenship, and PSOE candidate for European

Parliament for Andalucia, and Secretary General of the PSOE, Jose Luis Sanchez Teruel. The Socialists were keen to discuss the impact of various decisions in Europe, and in particular the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which are to regulate activities.

Library dedicated in Benahadux BENAHADUX Town Council has named the newly-renovated and expanded library after the recently-deceased deputy mayor and councillor for culture, Elena Hernandez Gonzalez. This was a project that Elena was closely involved with. The library, located on Fronton de Pelota, has also

undergone the addition of the School of Dance. The tribute was timed to coincide with the activities implemented annually on April 23. Monday’s announcement was also marked by a heartfelt tribute endorsed by a number of neighbouring towns.

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MOJACAR: Works have been split into five phases.

Mojacar puts into action 5 measures MOJACAR Council has put into action five measures to help improve services in a time of crisis. The current economic situation makes it impossible to roll out the full works for Mojacar’s seafront promenade, so it has been split into phases. Firstly, the initial extension of the promenade by 880 metres from Cueva del Lobo to the Red Cross. Secondly, the promenade will be widened to encompass a four metre wide pedestrian walkway, a three metre wide cycle lane, and a metre wide area with shrubs and gardens. There will also be three separate games areas on the beach in the most popular areas. A second measure is changes to the administration. For the last two months, residents of Mojacar, Turre, Bedar and Los Gallardos have been able to carry out tax-related procedures at the Mojacar office, thanks to an agreement between the town hall and Almeria Council. This has sped up processes, and avoided travel to Almeria City for many. Road improvements include a roundabout where the road going up towards the village meets the entrance to one of the Huerta areas. This, on the AL-611 road is historically an accident black spot, so this will improve safety, especially during holiday periods. Additionally, there will be the continuation of pavements which connect the whole urban area. A parking area has been set aside on Ventanicas beach for 50 vehicles. This area will include a bus stop, improving

access to the promenade Mojacar Town Hall is especially proud of its coastline, and cleaning continues. It is also flattening the gullies formed by heavy rains. The Marina de la Torre area will receive a shaded area for the disabled. Mojacar Town Hall has also made a new vehicle available for watching over the beaches. The town’s steep location has made it historically difficult for access, especially for people with limited mobility. With this in mind, Mojacar opened a lift in mid April which connects the lower part of the village, near the sports centre, with the upper area Calle Aire. This makes access much easier and already the lift is receiving many positive comments. There are new signposts for Mojacar Playa, Artesa and Oran, as well as Calle Alegria. In addition, vehicle and pedestrian access to the Huerta las Parras has been improved. Finally, the lack of availability in the municipal cemetery has led the town hall to increase its capacity with 96 new niches, following the style and geometry of the existing ones. Mojacar Mayoress Rosa Maria Cano said: “This is a measure which has been planned for some years, and it is now that the bases have been put in place in order that the works become a reality. As well as making the coastline more attractive, my aim is that neighbours, residents and tourists have more space for walking, games and leisure. It is an ambitious project which will contribute to Mojacar remaining one of the most popular Spanish tourist destinations.”

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NEWS EXTRA

Freemasonry conference ALMERIA has hosted the Second Conference on the History of Freemasonry this weekend. The conference was closed by Grand Master, Oscar de Alfonso Ortega.

I don’t Adam and Eve it!

Boat fires THREE boats have been set alight in Nijar. Two had the same owner, and a third was owned by a diving school. Arson is suspected although it has not yet been confirmed.

New tech HEALTH emergency technicians are to receive a new gadget which measures the quality of their CPR. It is placed on the patient’s bare chest and provides real-time lifesaving feedback

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TEMPTING: Milan and Guillen Cuvervo.

ROQUETAS DE MAR theatre staged a production of The Diary of Adam and Eve on Saturday. The play, starring Ana Milan and Fernando Guillen Cuervo, was set over a period spanning 50 years, and showcased the dilemma of love. Fernando Guillen Cuervo hails from an acting dynasty, starting his theatre life in Madrid as an assistant director. He went on to act himself, and has established a strong reputation as a stage actor, as well as on television and in movies. Ana Milan studied as a journalist in Albacete. Shortly after leaving education, she debuted on the Antena 3 programme with Jesus Vazquez.

NEWS

Tax break plea for farmers THE socialist party (PSOE) has asked for the tax rate to be temporarily lowered for agricultural producers in Almeria. Ana Zapata, Secretary of Agriculture, pointed out the rising production costs that farmers have to contend with, as well as crop disease and sudden temperature changes. At a meeting in La Mojonera, members of the PSOE asked the government to consider making a ‘gesture of concern’ and adopt a single tax cut from 0.26 per cent to 0.09 per cent. Zapata said export data had been reflected in the income of sales companies, but not for the farmer, and consumers were paying 600 or 700 per cent more than the amount the farmers were receiving. Zapata addedd: “It should be lowered 0.09 per cent, since all towns in Almeria have registered significant losses, either from the damaging effects of weather like hail and sudden changes in temperature, or viruses.” She suggested the rate applied generally for agricultural production “should be around 0.15 per cent. The final module set for agriculture, which is at 0.26, seems very high, since the government is not taking into account that energy and other costs like fertilisers and seeds are rising, which makes the return to producers increasingly low.”

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NEWS EXTRA

Carboneras blaze A FIRE in Carboneras needed two planes, four helicopters and five specialist groups on the scene.

Exports up THE first two months of 2014 saw an increase in food exports of 12.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2013, according to data released by Extenda Datacomex.

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Queen coming to town THERE is a buzz in Almeria now, as ‘God Save The Queen’, considered by some the best tribute show honouring Freddie Mercury, heads to the region. More than 200,000 people in Spain have seen the show, and now it arrives in Almeria, headed by an Italian Freddie Mercury tribute singer, Piero Venery. It will be inaugurating the 700-seat theatre next to the beach in Almeria City and commemorating the 20th anniversary of Almeria University. Piero Venery will of course be wearing a number of costumes that Freddie Mercury fans will recognise, whilst imparting the pomp and vigour that made the

ON STAGE: Piero Venery as the iconic Freddie Mercury, costumes and posing included. man himself famous. Attendees will hear such classics as Don’t Stop Me Now, We Are The Champions, Radio Ga-Ga,

Bohemian Rhapsody and Killer Queen. The University of Almeria, in collaboration with DGB

Productions has scheduled the show for Sunday June 1 at 8pm. Tickets are available online www.almeriatickets.com at €20.

Andalucia moves to Europe MORE than 80 students in 20 schools throughout Almeria are participating in the fourth anniversary of the school competition ‘Andalucia moves to Europe’. The competition takes the form of a board game and students compete, whilst learning more about Europe, for the grand prize of a trip to Brussels for four days. The trip will include tours of great European institutions. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports is running the competition as a joint initiative with the Department of Economy, Science Innovation and Employment, with the aim of bringing more knowledge to students about the realities of Europe, covering society, economy and culture. Each team consists of four students, as well as a teacher/mentor to act as a guide throughout the competition process.

Almeria exodus? ALMOST 40,000 people left Almeria last year, according to figures published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The figures show that 2,700 more left Almeria than in 2012, and 5,100 more than in 2011.

Although final figures are yet to be confirmed, of the 40,000 migrants, most left the capital, Almeria City. In total, 8,674 left the province. Vera and Carboneras have lost 5.9 per cent and 9.5 per cent of their populations respectively.

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NEWS EXTRA

Park go-ahead THE sale of the future Torrecardenas business park has been confirmed. An Israeli distribution giant (Bogaris) has paid €120 million in exchange for 50 per cent.

Season starts ALMERIA’S Deputy Vice-president for Tourism welcomed the summer season this week with the comment “bars are a hallmark of Almeria and its coasts.”

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Father and daughter to be reunited after four years ALMERIAN dad, Alfredo Marquez, had cause for celebration this week as a Barcelona court ordered the return of his young daughter, Ximena. In 2009, Alfredo’s wife died of leukaemia. Alfredo and his daughter were

grieving together, but his wife’s sister, Cristina Cavazos, took the daughter without Alfredo’s consent, and slipped off to Mexico, vowing never to return the young child to her father. However, the court in

On your marks... MORE than 500 people joined the third edition of the Sierrecica race at Huercal Overa this weekend. New this year was the addition of a horse group tour.

Barcelona ruled this week, overturning a previous acquittal, that the aunt had committed ‘child abduction’ and sentenced Cavazos to three years in prison. She was ordered to pay compensation to Alfredo Marquez, and to arrange the immediate return of the little girl to her home with her father. This is what Alfredo Marquez has been fighting for, for the past four years. The judgement is now being passed to the Mexican authorities. Although Alfredo still has to wait a few more months to be reunited with Ximena, he and his sister Loli are making plans for her return. They are hoping that the process moves much faster now, and Ximena is home quickly, so that they can carry on with their lives together.

ILLEGAL: Drugs and tobacco estimated at €30,000.

Drug and toba GUARDIA CIVIL have arrested two people and seized 26 kilos of green marihuana as well as around 3,000 bags of fine cut tobacco in branded packaging. The arrests were made at a Guardia Civil checkpoint on the A-92, set up as part of preventative measures against drugs in Loz Velez. A co-ordinated effort between agents of the Guardia Civil in Velez and also in Chirivel led to the arrest of two men, TGM (42) from Murcia, and MKK (43) from Alicante, on suspicion of drug smuggling. Whilst monitoring a checkpoint, Guardia Civil noticed a car approaching the checkpoint. However, the

Fiestas poster competition CARBONERAS Town Hall is reminding people about its current poster competition. The contest is to help publicise the upcoming San Antonio fiestas, which take place from June 12 to 15. Entries should be presented at the town hall in digital format. One image in jpg for easy viewing, and one in high resolution for subsequent printing and reproduction. The size should be 50x70cm, vertical profile and should include the phrase ‘Fiestas de San Antonio del 12 al 15 de Junio – Carboneras 2014’. Imagery should be with a strong focus on Carboneras. First prize is €600 and second prize is €200. The judges are made up of the councillor for festivities and various professional visual artists. Entries must be submitted before 2pm on May 6.

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Carboneras smashes Easter week occupancy

acco arrests passenger was spotted signalling to the driver to turn the vehicle around to avoid the checkpoint. Police stopped the car regardless. Upon checking the driver’s identification, it quickly became apparent that he had a history of crimes related to drug trafficking. A search of his vehicle revealed the drugs and tobacco. The Guardia Civil went on to arrest the driver, TGM, on suspicion of crimes against public health as well as his passenger, MKK. A total of 2,951 packages of tobacco were found, with various English branded packaging. Police estimated the value to be around €30,000.

THIS Easter once again cemented Carboneras’s position as a desirable destination with occupancy rates hitting 90 per cent, a 30 per cent increase over 2013. Similarly, enquiries from potential visitors also rose by 30 per cent on the previous year, from an average of 80 applications per day. Visitors were predominantly from other areas of Spain, mainly the capital Madrid,

Andalucia, Catalonia and Valencia. Foreign visitors were mainly from France, the United Kingdom and Germany. Beatriz Hernandez, the councillor for tourism in Carboneras, commented: “This data is very positive and confirms Carboneras as an ideal destination, especially with the attractive weather on offer.” Hernandez thanked

the town’s establishments, traders and businesses for the work they had carried out to offer tourists everything they could to make their visit the best one possible. She concluded: “The outlook for May and June is very good too... the government team will continue to work for the town and for its tourists, so they find it as beautiful, or more beautiful than ever.”

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NEWS EXTRA

Roadworks CALLE Reinaldos in Almeria City is undergoing a facelift. The work should take about a month and will cost €60,491.63.

Chess champ LAURA WANG from Indalo Chess Club won the under 12s category in an Almeria chess tournament which attracted 42 youngsters.

Fungicide advert is ruled sexist AUTOREGULATION Association of Commercial Communication (SELF) has ruled a billboard advertisement as being sexist. The case was presented by the Association of Users of Communication (AUC) against an agricultural fungicide advertisement. The advert depicts a woman

winking and pointing alongside the text ‘Farmer! If you want something more than a powder... Disperss’. AUC suggested that it infringed multiple standards, such as the Act on Integrated Protection Measures Against gender Violence 2004, the General Advertising Act 1988, and the Organic Act of 2007 for effective

equality for men and women. The regulatory body (SELF) ruled that because the woman was unrelated to the advertisement subject matter, and a ‘detached object’, that it presented women in a discriminatory manner and breached Rule 10 of the Advertising Code of Conduct.

NEWS

Flamenco princesses THERE was a change of venue for this year’s Flamenco fashion show in Pulpi. This year, the larger ‘El Cotillon’ was ringing with the sounds of clattering heels and giggling girls as they all dressed up in their best costumes. The weekend’s event was attended by more than 50 models, in brightly coloured dresses, designed by Casa Teja. Fina Garcia from Pulpi Social Affairs was in attendance, as well as hundreds of Pulpi residents. The models, one even just a year old, exhibited ruffled dresses, short dresses, flouncy skirts and other flamenco accessories for the fun, lively event.

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Author visits Huercal Overa for book day GERMAN author Sarah Lark visited Huercal Overa as part of National Book Day and gave talks on writing and her experiences. Sarah, who has written a number of historical fiction novels in German and Spanish, was born in Germany’s Ruhr region as Christine Gohl (Sarah Lark is her pseudonym), and was a horse lover from a very young age. She has worked as a teacher, travel guide and commercial writer but now lives in a farmhouse in Almeria with her dogs and a cat, and cares for retired horses. She also plays guitar and sings. Sarah was met in Huercal Overa by Mayor Domingo Fernandez, councillor for Culture, Antonio Lazaro, and Education councillor, Lucia Parra.

Before her talks, Sarah was welcomed by the mayor at the

town hall where she was invited to sign the Book of Honour. SARAH LARK: Has written a number of historical fiction novels.

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Successful 2nd medieval market OLULA DEL RIO has declared its second medieval market, held last weekend, a success. The town hall worked closely with Fantasia Medieval to recreate the market, complete with stalls of handicrafts, juggling shows, falconry, and plenty of activities for children. The market began on Friday with a pottery workshop from El Puntas de Albox, and ended on the Sunday. Councillor for Culture, Jose Ramon Fenoy explained: “Our intention is to provide diverse cultural and leisure activities, get people out into the streets, and for them to have fun while they shop.” Fenoy added: “We are committed to leisure and culture. For us, catering for our younger residents is a special focus. Next month we will have leisure activities every day in San Pablo Park.” Olula del Rio mayor, Antonio Martinez Pascual was delighted with the response from many residents.

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Fondon trail walk SUNDAY May 11 sees a 10km guided trail organised by the Department of Tourism in Fondon. Registration is six euros. To register, email teturismof ondon@gmail.com for bank transfer details FIRE PREVENTION: Land and air assets have been strengthened.

INFOCA plan strengthened

INFOCA (the organisation responsible for the prevention and suppression of forest fires) has strengthened land and air assets in Almeria following recent events.

Last week saw three large fires in the province, due to adverse weather conditions, and scrub drier than normal after a dry winter. The strong winds impeded the progress of the fire crews in extinguishing the flames, leading to large areas of damaged countryside.

The two larger fires in the towns of Alhama de Almeria and Lucainena were fanned by westerly winds of 60 to 70 kilometres per hour in the first case, and 40 to 60 kilometres per hour, the second, which made it very hard for the land and air fire fighting services to extinguish the blazes.

Huercal Overa swimming pool update MAYOR of Huercal Overa, Domingo Fernandez, held a planning meeting in the town this week to coordinate the reopening of the municipal swimming pool deck. Also in attendance were Alonso Mena (councillor for Sports) and Maribel Sanchez (councillor for Economy), as well as other representatives from the town council. The pool is scheduled to open in May, and classes are already being organised with

affordable rates being set. Fernandez said, “We are ready to reopen the doors of our municipal swimming pool next month. In fact, we are now finalising the details of the classes and services on offer. “The government team has been very clear since day one that cannot let this sports facility die, and will offer every possible service - in this case sports activities. We are convinced that this is good news for the town and its surrounding neighbours.”

Fiestas of San Marcos HEAD to Adra before May 3 to enjoy the San Marco fiestas. Music, children’s activities, parades, mass, vegetable competitions and much more.

Fashion show APSA is hosting a fashion show at Albox Tennis Club on June 5 at 5pm to help raise funds. Tickets are available for €6 from the APSA shop in Albox.

Almeria off to London MAY 18 at noon will see Almeria ambassadors travel to London to spread the brand of ‘Costa de Almeria’ with visitors who come to the event. Spanish and English are both welcome and will be treated to ‘ambassadors of Almeria’ t-shirts, take part in the photo opportunities and enjoy talks from Pepe Cespedes. The event will take place at Potters Field Park, outside, next to London’s Tower Bridge.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ costadealmeria.

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Spain refuses to extradite criminal SPAIN’S National Court in Madrid has denied a request for alleged war criminal Jesus Muñecas Aguilar, 75, to face a human rights trial in Argentina. The Franco-era suspect is alleged to have tortured a prisoner in 1968 at a Barracks in Spain’s northern Basque region. However, the Madrid court has ruled that extraditing the former policeman on torture charges is no longer viable as the statute of limitations on torture had expired. They also stressed the fact that Muñecas Aguilar

has no links to Argentina. The court highlighted the fact that in Spain the crime of torture has a statute of limitation of 10 years. Muñecas Aguilar, a former Guardia Civil captain, has denied any involvement and told the court that he does not know his alleged victim. An Argentinian judge sought to extradite him under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows certain human rights abuses to be tried elsewhere if investigations have been deemed unsatisfactory.

Spanish State Prosecutor, Pedro Martinez, has opposed the extradition but has

said that if Argentina is determined to prosecute they should do so through the Spanish courts.

However, following the Franco dictatorship, Spain accepted a 1977 amnesty law covering the Spanish

Civil War in an attempt to unify the country and begin the post-Franco healing process.

WHITE PRIVILEGE: Queen Sofia wore white attire and a mantilla during the audience.

King and Queen meet the Pope EUROPEAN royals gathered in Vatican City for the canonisation of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. Among the notable guests were Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, who were meeting Catholic leader Pope Francis for the first time. Queen Sofia kept to the ‘Privilege of the White’

tradition, the rule that says certain Catholic queens, princesses and duchesses are allowed to wear white attire and a mantilla during an audience with the Pope. The event was historic as the first time two Popes had been declared saints together. Today Spain’s royals will be treated to a private audience with the pontiff.

NEWS

€300 less for student grants THE Ministry of Education has recognised that university students now get around €300 less per grant than they used to. In the last few weeks hundreds of students have complained to the government about their grants but these aren’t the usual student complaints as in 2012-2013 they got €3,101 and in 20132014 they got €2,824. Not only are they getting less but they are also complaining because they are not getting them on time, which means they are having trouble signing up for the courses they want to do. Some government ministers have taken up the plight of the students as they see it as a bad move for the country to mess up the education of the next generation. Ana Gonzalez, Asturias Councillor for Education, said that Spain must do away with the ‘double system’ in which those who have money can have an education and those who don’t have money are left to fend for themselves.

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Spain’s austerity cuts are putting motorists at risk FOLLOWING years of economic woes and budget cuts, Spain’s roads have been somewhat neglected and are in the worst state of disrepair since records began in 1985. A Spanish Road Association (AEC) study has found that huge investment is required to fix the problems, which are putting drivers at risk. The AEC has warned

that an immediate investment of €6.2 billion is required to repair damaged road surfaces and maintain signs and markings. The most noticeable deterioration was found to be with road surfaces. One out of every four kilometres showed significant cracking and one out of every three kilometres had potholes. The findings follow in

the wake of news that at least 35 people were killed on Spanish roads over the latest Easter break, up from 26 in 2013. President of Spain’s AEC, Juan Francisco Lazcano, said: “Spanish roads are facing unprecedented deterioration and only a sudden change of tack in the 2015 budget can prevent a debacle.”

Spain’s national budget for the management and maintenance of roads has earmarked a mere €878 million for 2014, 30 per cent less than in 2009. For the study the AEC analysed 3,000 sections of road across Spain and concluded that some 330,000 road signs needed replacing and road markings along some 32,000 miles of thoroughfares required

repainting. The AEC blamed the falling standards on the recent years of costcutting as part of national austerity measures. Commenting on what he believed to the false economy of such deep cuts, Lazcano said: “One euro not invested in time, means five euros need to be spent in three years and 25 euros after five years.”

Police seize cocaine in port of Valencia SPANISH authorities have seized 345 kilos (760 pounds) of high-grade cocaine. The drug was discovered inside 10 sports bags which arrived on a shipping container at the port of Valencia from Chile. A government official put the drug’s

estimated street value at €30 million. The police statement read: “Each of the bags had 30 cocaine packages with a total weight of 345 kilos.” Police have arrested five men between the ages of 33 and 46 as part of the ongoing

investigation, which began at the end of 2013. They were of Spanish, Colombian and Dominican nationality. Spain has close ties to Latin America, and this has made it a key entry point for cocaine bound for Europe.

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Women sex slaves freed IN the last year the Spanish police forces have freed over 1,100 women who were being forced to work as sex slaves. A total of 756 people have been arrested during the freeing of the slaves. The profile of the average woman who is trapped into this dangerous, and often lethal, life is around the age of 30 and usually from the Eastern bloc countries or Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 2,500 inspections were carried out in ‘nightclubs,’ where these slaves are usually forced to work, and 13,150 were suspected to be at risk. Police sources say they have disbanded 24 organised rings which traffic people and discovered another 48 groups which they are still investigating. Police investigations into the cases are ongoing and they hope to make a huge dent in this illegal trade.

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New skirmish increases tension in Gibraltarian waters THE interception of smugglers by the Guardia Civil Maritime Service (SMGC) has provoked an intervention by the Royal Police Gibraltar (RPG). Gibraltarian authorities deny any ‘physical contact’ between the two forces. The incident started when an SMGC boat intercepted a light craft, in the bay of Algeciras, which was found to be smuggling around 250 packets of cigarettes; they stopped the boat, detained the crew and piloted the craft themselves. When they were on their way

CREDIT: Fotero/Flickr.

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GUARDIA CIVIL MARITIME SERVICE: Had no jurisdiction in Gibraltarian waters. back to the Spanish port of La Linea the RPG arrived and,

apparently, rammed the light craft twice. They asked the

Approval for new measures THE government has announced its approval of two new amendments which will now come into law. Firstly the process of adoption or fostering of a child will now be quicker and easier. And secondly small businesses will now have more competitive protection and freer working hours in tourist zones.

The first amendment will also include new laws concerning the removal of minors from homes where there has been any domestic violence. The second amendment approved concerned the opening hours of small businesses so they can open more ‘flexibly’ to adapt themselves to the needs of their area, mainly applicable in tourist areas.

SMGC to stop as they were in Gibraltarian waters. Finally the situation calmed down but not without both sides calling for backup; one boat arrived on the side of the SMGC and two patrol boats to back up the RPG. The government of Gibraltar has assured press that the incident took place in Gibraltarian waters and that the SMGC had no jurisdiction there; they also denied any “ramming” of the light craft.

Spain restricting right to protest AFTER gathering evidence from several woefully unhappy with the country’s Spanish protests Amnesty International high unemployment rates, shrinking is arguing that Spain is restricting the public funds for education, health and rights of its citizens when it comes to social services and inability to leave the protesting. financial crisis behind. The report paints a picture of a Millions have taken to the streets to heavy-handed government response to voice their anger - particularly at the the country’s growing social PP government austerity cuts that movements and rising levels have been highly criticised. The Amnesty report author, of discontent. Millions Virginia Álvarez, argues that Over the last year instead of attempting to Amnesty International have taken initiate a dialogue with tracked several Madrid to the streets unhappy citizens, Spain’s and Barcelona protests, to voice conservative government is gathering first-person accounts, interviews with their anger aiming to strip away rights. Álvarez said: “Instead of journalists and legal experts listening to their demands, and analysing videos and instead of starting a dialogue, photographs. The Spanish government is using authorities are doing everything they fines and excessive police force to limit can to impede people from protesting. the right to protest, according to the “With threats of fines or threats of being beaten, the government is trying report. Many people across the country are to stigmatise and criminalise people also unhappy with Spain’s new citizen who are just practising their rights.” Citing public disobedience, fines security bill, with critics maintaining that the strict anti-protest laws are ranging from €300 to €1,500 have become commonplace for protesters in designed to limit rights. In recent years Spaniards have been Spain over the last few years.

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More grants, less cash SPANISH university students who receive grants to help them continue their studies are reportedly receiving €300 on average less than last year. The average university grant for the 20132014 academic years is €2,824, whereas last year, it was €3,101, according to Secretary of State for Education, Montserrat Gomendio. However, grants for non-university studies have increased from €1,326 to €1,482. She also pointed out the number of grants awarded this year has increased by 10.7 per cent to 322,000 for university students, while non-university grants have fallen by 22,675 to 336,066.

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Two million vehicles not roadworthy APPROXIMATELY two million vehicles on the roads in Spain haven’t passed their ITV (Technical Inspection equivalent to the UK’s MOT). According to association Aeca-ITV, most of the drivers of these vehicles are not avoiding taking it for the test because of the cost of around €40, but because they are afraid that more serious and costly problems will be detected. Some, they say, may even be forced to withdraw the vehicle from circulation, as most of the vehicles are very old. In 2013, a system called Project ITICI came into effect which allows the General Traffic Department to find out which cars have passed their ITV and which haven’t. Last year, one in five vehicles, equivalent to 3.23 million (18 per cent of the total on the roads), didn’t pass their ITV on the first try because of safety deficiencies.

This was 2.8 per cent more than 2012. Out of those vehicles, 5.8 per cent didn’t pass the second time either, and inspectors report that the number of problems detected is on the rise. More than 5.8 million vehicles had serious deficiencies, mainly with their lighting and signalling systems (23 per cent), axles, tyres and suspension (22 per cent) and brakes (16.3 per cent). Meanwhile, less important deficiencies increased in 2013 by 8.7 per cent to 13.43 million, most of them also affecting lighting and signalling systems. The association points out that in 2012, vehicle inspections prevented at least 11,000 traffic accidents, 170 deaths and 11,000 injured on the roads. The number of vehicles inspected in 2013 increased by 5.6 per cent, because vehicles are getting older and most are being used for an average of at least 11 years.

ALHAMBRA: The boar’s natural habitat is in the area.

Wild boar caught in Granada bar

THERE was this wild boar that walked into a bar in Granada… It may sound like a joke, but locals and tourists alike were shocked when officers from the environmental department came into a bar in Calle Moras, Granada, armed with a tranquiliser gun to put the boar to sleep. The boar’s natural habitat is in the forest area behind the Alhambra Palace but it is believed it became disorientated and wandered into the streets of Granada city centre where it was seen by several people who

alerted the emergency services. It eventually walked into the bar where it was caught, and after recovering from the effects of the tranquiliser, returned to its natural habitat. It is unknown whether it suffered a hangover from the experience.

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Swimmer found A BELGIAN reported missing while swimming between Cala Sant Vicenç and Cala Estremer in Pollença has been found alive and well.

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NEWS DESK On the alert LOCAL POLICE in San Juan are keeping watch on out-of-town cars cruising outlying urbanisations. Residents’ registration plates are recognised thanks to onboard computers in their patrol cars.

Tourist injured

Above-board

A GERMAN tourist, 43, was slightly injured in the Mortitx cascade in Escorca. Despite firemen receiving the call after 10.30pm, they were able to rescue him.

UNIONS in La Safor have urged local administrations to eradicate the submerged ‘black’ economy. Illegal practices generated fraud and prevented creating employment, said UGT and CCOO spokesmen.

Work accidents

Door-to-door

THE Balearic Islands is the Spanish region with the highest number of accidents at work, with 3,181 accidents requiring sick leave per 100,000 workers.

Gang detained GUARDIA CIVIL have arrested members of a gang, including two under-18s, for at least 30 burglaries throughout Mallorca.

Fire damage A FIRE caused damage to the ground floor of a house in Port d’Andratx. The occupant was away when the fire started and firemen had to break down the door.

AXARQUIA

Emergency heliport NERJA is to get a new heliport to be used by the emergency services. Work has already started on the site, which is next to the health centre.

Electricity scams THE IU (political party) has organised a talk to educate the residents of Nerja on the dangers of falling prey to the many electricity scams that are going around at the moment.

Athletic championship NERJA is to host the Andalucia championship of junior athletic clubs in which local teams, both men’s and women’s, will take part. Local clubs have managed to get on to the podium every year since 1999.

White night MANUEL SANCHEZ has won, by a unanimous vote, the poster competition ‘Noche en Blanco’ (White Night) with his work inspired by music. The prize was €200.

Treasurer sworn in ALMUÑECAR has a new treasurer. Angeles Garcia Castillo was sworn in by the mayor Trinidad Herrera.

EL BRESSOL KINDERGARTEN: Preparing seeds for planting.

Balls of clay on Earth Day PUPILS at La Nucia’s municipal kindergarten El Bressol recently celebrated International Earth Day. Different activities during the preceding week included recycling refuse, cultivating plants, looking after pets and learning about wildlife. The programme ended with seed-planting, where the children were introduced to the Nendo Dango technique. This was devised by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and philosopher renowned for his natural farming methods and re-vegetation of land threatened by desertification. Seeds are first rolled inside a ball of special clay to protect them from insects, animals and harsh weather conditions so that when rains arrive the seeds can germinate in suitable and natural conditions. Each child later went home with a ball of clay which they had prepared, ready to plant and monitor the progress of the seeds. El Bressol’s Planet Earth programme, led by Eva Graña, aims to show the young pupils how “to learn to observe and actively explore their immediate environment,” the teacher explained.

COSTA DEL SOL

Summer heat TEMPERATURES in Malaga City and other parts of the province reached more than 30ºC last weekend, attracting many people to the beach.

Costa coffee BRITISH chain Costa Coffee has opened its first establishment in Plaza de la Constitucion in Malaga City, and has plans for another in Fuengirola.

Man badly hurt CUTTING down trees in Alcaucin resulted in a man suffering serious injuries after being hit by a falling log. He had to be airlifted to Axarquia Hospital.

Hiker rescued A MAN, 40, had to be rescued by Guardia Civil after he broke his leg while hiking in the Sierra de Humas area of El Chorro.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

SHOPS and businesses in Campello can now sign up for an individual refuse collection each evening. This will avert overflowing and smelly communal rubbish bins, the town hall said.

Repairs hold-up REBUILDING the Puerta de Hierro apartments in La Nucia, partially destroyed by a gas explosion last December, has yet to begin. Problems arose as not all property-owners were insured.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

21st century medicine TORREVIEJA hosted a medical conference entitled ‘21st Century Medicine’ in which new medical practices were discussed and analysed.

Education help PILAR DE LA HORADADA is hosting an educational fair aimed at helping the local youth choose a career; it will go on until May 7.

Tourism up THE tourist offices in Orihuela had 10 per cent more enquiries than last year, indicating a recovery in the sector.

Torrevieja thanksgiving THIS Thursday a thanksgiving mass, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Crucified Christ, will take place in Archbishop’s Church of the Inmaculada.

Community work

Charity help

Flamenco park

A MAN has been fined €2,700 for refusing to do community work in Alhaurin de la Torre, which he had been sentenced to carry out for committing a theft.

ALFAZ Town Hall has allocated €3,000 to Anemona, the Marina Baja breast cancer support group. It can be contacted at Calle Rioja, 2- 4-2 at Benidorm and Alfaz Town Hall.

A SEVILLANAS (Flamenco) fair is being celebrated in Pilar de la Horadada’s Raimundo Benedicto Park. It started yesterday (Wednesday) and will go on until May 4.

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A NATIONAL POLICE officer accused of shooting a homeless man at Madrid-Barajas Airport in 2007 has been acquitted. The events took place when two officers were asked to investigate a suspicious suitcase reported at the airport.

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Policeman who shot beggar is acquitted They were unaware that

it belonged to a homeless man who normally slept in the airport. After inspecting it, they found a trolley with cases and

approached the man to question him about it. When they asked him for ID, he took out a knife and attempted to injure

one of the officers. They took out their guns and pointed them at him, but he became more violent and one of the officers

David Guetta for Marbella FRENCH house music producer and disc jockey David Guetta will visit three Spanish cities this summer. He will give a concert at the San Pedro Alcantara Municipal Stadium in Marbella on August 1, after appearing at the Jarama track in Madrid on July 13 and before the Mallorca FC Stadium on August 2. David Guetta has

Chucho Ramirez – Flickr.com

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DAVID GUETTA. Visiting three Spanish cities.

worked with internationally famous stars including Michael Jackson and Rihanna

and sold more than 7.2 million albums, with his music rating amongst the most popular in clubs.

Learn the language IMMIGRANTS who wish to obtain Spanish Citizenship will have to take a language exam with the Cervantes Institute. They will have to pass the exam in a level equivalent at least to the A2 for Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE). The plans were announced by Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, who says this will prevent judges from awarding citizenship at their discretion.

shot at the floor. The homeless man then took a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at one of the officers and at several other people. It turned out to be a fake gun, but believing there was a risk, one of the officers fired four shots. The trial only lasted a few minutes because the lawyer for the private accusation announced that her client had an arrest warrant against him and was missing. The policeman admitted he had shot him but claimed it was in selfdefence. The prosecutor requested his acquittal.

Groomed girls online A MAN, 54, was arrested in Malaga, for sexually harassing a girl in Castellon online. The girl went to the Guardia Civil to report the situation and an investigation was launched in January. He used a false profile on social networking sites and was online almost all day. He allegedly contacted girls all over Spain, struck up a relationship with them, and through lies and blackmail, obtained sexual photos. He was located in Malaga and a search of his home resulted in a camera, memory cards and a computer containing pornographic images being seized. He was arrested and charged with corruption of minors, sexual harassment and exhibitionism. The investigation remains open to identify other victims.

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Stories making headlines in Europe

S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

GERMAN PRESS Later starts

BRITISH PRESS Cave living

BBC bashed

NORWAY - A Norwegian teenager has been living in a cave in the most fjord-filled region of Western Norway for almost a year with little more than a high-grade sleeping bag to guard against the cold.

A BBC golf presenter is lucky to be alive after being drugged and robbed while on holiday in the Costa del Sol, Alan Tait was brutally assaulted and left for dead in Puerto Banus.

Dalai Lama dilemma NORWAY - The planned visit to Oslo by the Dalai Lama is torn between the country’s will to warm up to China and warnings from the public not to compromise on Norway’s human rights stance.

Invasive aliens DENMARK - The Danish government spends staggering sums of money (914 million kroner) every year protecting the biodiversity of Danish nature from invasive species like the grey squirrel, rats and the Spanish slug.

Hair cut LIVERPOOL fan Uke Krasniqi has vowed to get his hair cut for the first time in 11 years if the Reds win the Premier League.

Racist lollipop A BLACK Jamaican lollipop man has been sacked after making racist comments and calling a council worker King Kong; Jon Seymour says his comments were referring to his colleague’s anger and not his colour.

Doggie recliner

STUCK PUP: Had to be rescued.

EIGHT firefighters were called to rescue a dog which became stuck inside a reclining chair; Princess the corgi was snoozing when she got trapped by the ‘scissor mechanism.’

Mark Shand dies THE Duchess of Cornwall’s brother Mark Shand, travel writer and adventurer, has died after hitting his head on the pavement outside a New York hotel.

THE Communist Party has announced that it wants to raise the game in its fight against corruption by pushing for legislation which would allow for the execution of officials found to be taking bribes. BERLIN WALL: Russia building their own.

VOLODYMYR OGRYZKO, former Ukrainian foreign minister, has accused Russia of building a new Berlin Wall by laying land mines between Crimea and the Ukrainian mainland.

No swearing THE State Duma has cast doubt over

Carolingian sword A VITENS water company worker has found a Carolingian sword (800 - 1000 A.D.) during work in the town of Vianen. The heavily corroded sword will, after restoration, be exhibited in the town hall.

Crystal meth CONSUMPTION of crystal meth in Germany has reached a record high with police seizing the drug on 3,847 occasions in 2013.

€40 million

Bribery executions

New Berlin Wall

GERMAN union bosses have called for later starts to work during the World Cup this summer; some games will be screened at midnight due to the time difference with Brazil.

RECORD HIGH: Crystal meth.

RUSSIAN PRESS

INVASIVE: The grey squirrel.

EUROPEAN PRESS

some contemporary shows by passing a bill that will ban the use of swearwords from film, theatre and other works of art; a council of experts will determine what counts as “profane language.”

Space shift

AMID concerns that US sanctions could cripple their space agency, Russia has pledged further technological cooperation with China.

Zhirinovsky apology THE State Duma ethics committee has recommended that Vladimir Zhirinovsky make a public apology to the journalists he insulted with rape comments last week.

GERMAN arms sales to Russia have come under scrutiny following the crisis in the Ukraine. In 2012 Germany sold Russia €40 million worth of rifles, pistols and armoured vehicles.

Live bonfire TWO 12-year-old German girls found live ammunition lodged into a branch in an Easter bonfire in Twistringen, Lower Saxony it was due to be lit the next day.

Egg damage POLICE chiefs in central Germany are embarrassed after splashing out €900,000 on a water cannon which was damaged by eggs and tennis balls in a preliminary test.

Foreign affairs

DUTCH PRESS Heart attack

Resistant rats

Solar panels

ROBERT BRAAKSMA, husband of the famous Dutch singer Liesbeth List, has died of a heart attack, aged 64 years. Robert and Liesbeth had been together since the 80s.

THE University of Wageningen found that 25 per cent of rats in several parts of The Netherlands have become resistant against the only poison exterminators are allowed to use, rodenticide.

THE NUMBER of solar panels in The Netherlands increased by 70 per cent in 2013. At the end of the year there were 3.4 million panels on Dutch roofs.

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans is strengthening his policy towards misbehaving foreign diplomats in The Netherlands by naming and shaming, withdrawal of petrol cards and, as a last resort, withdrawal of diplomatic immunity.

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E W N 1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería

A note from the

www.euroweeklynews.com

Editor

New laws are welcome T

HIS newspaper is generally against the creation of new laws. The burden of red tape in Spain is such that it is a real hindrance to businesses, and an interference in the everyday lives of law-abiding citizens. The fact that a whole sector of legal firms - known as ‘gestors’ - is needed simply to navigate confused business owners and private citizens through the sea of regulation tells a story unto itself. A matter that in other countries is relatively simple - for instance transferring ownership of a car - and possible to do by post, can in Spain mean personal visits to several different offices, plus the payment of several different sets of fees. Hence the existence of gestors to do the legwork. Usually new laws make the situation worse, with paperwork added for the

completion of the simplest of tasks. But two new laws should be welcomed. Firstly small businesses, particularly in tourist areas, are to have some of their opening hours’ restrictions removed. As anyone who has run a business knows, the ability to cater to clients’ needs in a flexible way is vital. Any measures that let people run their businesses as they see fit are to be welcomed. The second regulation being relaxed concerns the adoption and fostering of children. The process should be quicker and easier. It is scandalous that up until now it has often taken many months worth of paperwork before vulnerable youngsters could be given a stable home. The new laws are very welcome, and the national government deserves a pat on the back.

NEWS

Possible first prison term for animal abuse A MAN from Segovia could be the first in Spain to go to prison for animal abuse.

He was first reported in 2010 and sentenced after it was found that he had animals living in poor conditions with no water or food. The dogs were ill, puppies which were born died, and the larger dogs ate them, according to an animal association. He has now been sentenced to six months in prison and a three-year ban from owning animals after it A 5,000-YEAR-OLD cave painting in Jaen has was discovered he had four dogs in been destroyed by someone who attempted to a trailer with no food or water. One remove it. of them died and the others were The painting was found 41 years ago in the rescued by associations. Cueva de Los Escolares in Santa Elena, in the As he is a repeat offender, he Despeñaperros Natural Park, and was declared could be sent to prison, although the animal associations say that this a World Heritage site. shouldn’t be the only situation in According to the local mayor, Juan Caminero, which someone can be sent to some locals visited the cave at the weekend and prison for animal abuse. say dust and chippings on the floor where In 2011, there were 309 cases someone had apparently attempted to remove regarding animal abuse which the piece of rock wall. reached the courts. Thirty-two The mayor said that the damage is resulted in sentencing, 10 were irreparable and that locals are outraged. acquitted and the rest were shelved.

Cave painting is destroyed

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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

1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería

business & legal

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35

STAT OF WEEK SPANISH families consumed 615 million litres of oil in 2013, an increase of 3.3 per cent. The €1.517 billion that they spent represented 2.19 per cent of their food budgets, according to the Agriculture ministry.

MERCADONA owner Juan Roig is Spain’s fourth-richest man and worth €3.78 billion according to the Forbes Rich List. But how much is his supermarket chain worth? Were Mercadona a public company quoted on the stock exchange there would be no mystery. This is not the case, so Spanish website www. Finanzas.com asked economist and

retail specialist Franciso Fernandez Reguero to make a guess. Working on 2013’s discounted cash flow (DCF) which expressed the company’s value independently of external market influences, Fernandez Reguero arrived at €9.91 billion. He also used the alternative method of comparing the financial indicators of other chains like Wal-

Building on timid growth SPAIN’S economy has built on its tentative return to growth at the end of 2013. Its gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.4 per cent in the first quarter of the year - its fastest rate for six years since the property bubble burst. It was the biggest quarterly increase since the first quarter of 2008. In the third quarter of 2013 the economy grew 0.1 per cent to officially end the recession. “In the first quarter of 2014, the Spanish economy continued on a path of gradual recovery in the context of increasing normalisation on the financial markets

and a gradual consolidation of the labour market,” the central bank said in a statement. The bank has now forecast a growth in the economy of 1.2 per cent this year and a 1.7 per cent increase next year, confirming earlier predictions. Spain’s Economy Minister Luis de Guindos broadly agreed with the predictions - he forecast an average growth of 1.5 per cent over this year and next. He said: “The goal is to achieve two years in a row of growth, with net job creation, and that will be the exit door from the Spanish crisis.”

Mart, Carrefour or Ahold. Having taken into account sales, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) as well as earnings before interest and taxes (ebit) he arrived at a figure between €6.44 billion and €6.62 billion. After including liquid assets and unused cash potential this would reach approximately €8.24 billion.

B

usiness extra

Go it alone workers A THIRD of autonomous workers plan to contract employees this year, according to professional association ATA. The sector would create between 70,000 and 75,000 new jobs in 2014, ATA predicted.

Call to order COMPANIES and institutions should not oblige the public to use 902 premium rate help lines, said consumers’ association Facua. A 10-minute call will add €5 to a phone bill, the association said.

Social Security payments up ANOTHER 15,201 non-Spanish contributors joined the national Social Security system in March. This was 0.99 per cent more than in February and the largest increase since June 2012, revealed the Ministry of Labour. The number of foreign workers on contracts and incorporated in the system has now increased for two

consecutive months, bringing their total up to 1,535,889. Despite the recent increase, the number of non-Spanish contributors fell by 68,249 - a reduction of 4.25 per cent - compared with March 2013. The majority - 1.3 million - of Spain’s foreign workers come under the general category and 226,217 are self-employed.

CORDON PRESS

Hazarding a Mercadona guess

Juan Roig,right, with brother Fernando.

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E W N 1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería

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LONDON - FTSE 100

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C LOSING P RICES APRIL 28

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 437.55 Admiral Group PLC 1424.00 Aggreko PLC 1563.00 Anglo American PLC 1519.75 Antofagasta PLC 789.75 ARM Holdings PLC 947.25 Ashtead Group PLC 855.50 Associated British Foods 2910.00 AstraZeneca PLC 4603.50 Aviva PLC 510.50 Babcock International 1199.50 BAE Systems PLC 401.55 Barclays PLC 249.62 Barratt Developments 359.20 BG Group PLC 1088.50 BHP Billiton PLC 1905.00 BP PLC 490.30 British American Tobacco PLC3434.25

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 2.50 0.57 -1.00 -0.07 -4.00 -0.26 -13.00 -0.85 0.00 0.00 2.00 0.21 -7.82 -0.91 4.00 0.14 524.00 12.84 1.14 0.22 3.00 0.25 -0.40 -0.10 0.76 0.31 -1.10 -0.31 -56.50 -4.93 -19.00 -0.99 -3.20 -0.65 9.50 0.28

NET VOLUME 40.10 20.99 19.51 117.05 70.07 194.24 61.96 40.03 2,220.35 141.00 115.45 142.79 1,102.44 205.55 2,065.32 132.01 1,037.62 162.10

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0.82346

Units per €

US dollar..................................................................1.38718 Japan yen................................................................141.753 Switzerland franc .................................................1.21819 Denmark kroner ................................................7.46492 Norway kroner ...................................................8.32672

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

PRICE(P)

British Land Co PLC British Sky Broadcasting BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC

696.00 892.50 372.60 1659.50 1468.00 1079.00 2319.50

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES APRIL 28

C LOSING P RICES APRIL 28

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 136.56 87.03 34.49 128.66 104.69 123.99 23.00 66.66 100.41 26.60 158.24 79.38 26.26 189.63 99.79 55.70 100.73 57.24 39.91 72.70 30.75 81.41 41.01 88.31 117.21 75.66 45.94 198.93 78.62 78.23

-0.09 -0.38 -0.01 -1.20 -0.59 -0.31 -0.33 -0.45 +0.40 +0.14 -2.61 -0.39 -0.49 -0.59 -0.17 -0.49 +0.89 -0.29 +0.05 -0.69 +0.04 +0.26 +0.31 -0.28 -1.77 -0.93 -0.34 -10.47 +0.31 -1.36

-0.07% -0.43% -0.03% -0.92% -0.56% -0.25% -1.41% -0.67% +0.40% +0.53% -1.62% -0.49% -1.83% -0.31% -0.17% -0.87% +0.89% -0.50% +0.13% -0.94% +0.13% +0.32% +0.76% -0.32% -1.49% -1.21% -0.73% -5.00% +0.40% -1.71%

2.1M 4.2M 22.0M 3.0M 5.7M 5.8M 25.1M 2.9M 10.4M 33.8M 3.3M 6.4M 33.6M 3.9M 5.9M 15.9M 5.0M 6.2M 56.9M 3.2M 18.7M 7.5M 16.8M 2.3M 3.4M 5.4M 24.4M 9.6M 5.4M 6.2M

1.21437

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. 15.75 -3.00 -0.10 -3.00 2.00 -2.00 6.00

C O M PA N Y

2.31 -0.34 -0.03 -0.18 0.14 -0.18 0.26

NET VOLUME 298.23 64.70 133.06 30.12 52.35 15.35 6.84

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 18.16 $ 39.96 $ 4.43 $ 19.66 $ 4.38 $ 4.65 $ 11 $ 8.73 $ 16.64 $ 4.76 $ 34.18

2.08 ▲ 12.94% 3.92 ▲ 10.88% 0.43 ▲ 10.75% 1.59 ▲ 8.80% 0.35 ▲ 8.68% 0.369 ▲ 8.62% 0.85 ▲ 8.37% 0.62 ▲ 7.64% 1.15 ▲ 7.42% 0.31 ▲ 6.97% 2.16 ▲ 6.75%

$ 47.485 $ 18.62 $ 6.45 $ 33.61 $ 12.34 $ 8.93 $ 28.94 $ 17.93 $ 31.04 $ 16.13 $ 11.37

21.095 ▼ 30.76% 6.01 ▼ 24.40% 1.45 ▼ 18.35% 6.07 ▼ 15.30% 2.14 ▼ 14.78% 1.47 ▼ 14.13% 4.60 ▼ 13.71% 2.68 ▼ 13.00% 4.18 ▼ 11.87% 2.05 ▼ 11.28% 1.42 ▼ 11.10%

Most Advanced Healthways, Inc. Itron, Inc. Ambassadors Group, Inc. Echo Global Logistics, Inc. Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P. Golden Enterprises, Inc. uniQure N.V. Lattice Semiconductor Corporation Clearfield, Inc. Gordmans Stores, Inc. SunPower Corporation

Most Declined CommVault Systems, Inc. CalAmp Corp. Empire Resorts, Inc. Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. Key Technology, Inc. Digi International Inc. Criteo S.A. Wayside Technology Group, Inc. Rocket Fuel Inc. E2open, Inc. Egalet Corporation

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) Centrica PLC 331.75 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1494.00 Compass Group PLC 942.00 CRH PLC 1716.00 Diageo PLC 1811.50 easyJet PLC 1653.00 Experian PLC 1124.00 Fresnillo PLC 850.50 G4S PLC 240.45 GKN PLC 380.35 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1676.00 Glencore Xstrata PLC 313.52 Hammerson PLC 580.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1171.00 HSBC Holdings PLC 603.50 IMI PLC 1496.50 Imperial Tobacco Group 2562.50 InterContinental Hotels 2003.00 International Consldtd 400.35 Intertek Group PLC 2926.50 ITV PLC 186.00 Johnson Matthey PLC 3295.00 Kingfisher PLC 412.30 Land Securities Group 1064.50 Legal & General Group 208.10 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 74.93 London Stock Exchange 1825.50 Marks & Spencer Group 437.85 Meggitt PLC 472.45 Melrose Industries PLC 284.20 Mondi PLC 977.25 National Grid PLC 824.00 Next PLC 6315.00 Old Mutual PLC 195.30 Pearson PLC 1084.00 Persimmon PLC 1310.00 Petrofac Ltd 1443.00 Prudential PLC 1343.25 Randgold Resources Ltd 4676.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 4960.50 Reed Elsevier PLC 888.00 Resolution Ltd 297.10 REXAM PLC 501.50 Rio Tinto PLC 3220.75 Rolls-Royce Holdings 1035.50 Royal Bank of Scotland 301.70 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2391.50 Royal Mail PLC 519.00 RSA Insurance Group PLC 96.10 SABMiller PLC 3152.00 Sage Group (The) PLC 417.65 Sainsbury (J) PLC 323.75 Schroders PLC 2547.50 Severn Trent PLC 1797.50 Shire PLC 3292.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 923.75 Smiths Group PLC 1285.00 Sports Direct Intrntnl 780.00 SSE PLC 1491.00 Standard Chartered PLC 1282.50 Standard Life PLC 378.30 St James's Place PLC 776.00 Tesco PLC 299.80 Travis Perkins PLC 1779.00 TUI Travel PLC 426.25 Tullow Oil PLC 851.25 Unilever PLC 2613.50 United Utilities Group 779.25 Vodafone Group PLC 218.83 Weir Group PLC 2663.00 Whitbread PLC 4039.00 William Hill PLC 346.90 Wm Morrison Sprmrkts 197.20 Wolseley PLC 3406.00 WPP PLC 1260.50

CHANGE -1.06 12.00 6.38 9.00 4.00 -6.00 -1.00 0.00 -1.60 -1.30 19.66 -2.50 2.50 2.00 1.00 -1.00 1.00 4.00 0.20 0.00 1.00 6.00 1.10 9.12 0.50 0.08 11.00 0.00 -3.10 0.60 -0.50 0.24 -21.40 0.70 -6.00 -9.00 0.00 1.00 -1.00 2.00 2.00 2.60 -1.50 -58.00 -3.00 -1.40 -10.50 -0.25 0.25 19.50 0.50 1.76 7.00 2.00 82.00 8.75 5.00 1.00 -2.61 -10.50 0.89 -2.50 0.45 -9.00 0.20 12.00 14.70 2.00 1.50 1.00 -6.00 7.10 0.85 -19.00 0.00

% C H G. -0.32 0.81 0.68 0.53 0.22 -0.36 -0.09 0.00 -0.66 -0.34 1.19 -0.79 0.43 0.17 0.17 -0.07 0.04 0.20 0.05 0.00 0.54 0.18 0.27 0.86 0.24 0.11 0.61 0.00 -0.65 0.21 -0.05 0.03 -0.34 0.36 -0.55 -0.68 0.00 0.07 -0.02 0.04 0.23 0.88 -0.30 -1.77 -0.29 -0.46 -0.44 -0.05 0.26 0.62 0.12 0.55 0.28 0.11 2.55 0.96 0.39 0.13 -0.17 -0.81 0.24 -0.32 0.15 -0.50 0.05 1.43 0.57 0.26 0.69 0.04 -0.15 2.09 0.43 -0.55 0.00

VOLUME 140.24 3.82 69.80 30.13 197.15 13.42 59.97 26.94 145.78 45.37 929.98 1,665.07 12.62 26.81 1,161.76 6.84 53.72 25.64 146.60 3.38 330.96 10.27 108.58 51.85 302.32 3,604.81 3.26 45.82 40.35 19.76 34.77 146.99 12.24 21.24 82.53 35.59 89.49 64.58 10.88 50.61 48.22 363.45 40.46 243.59 155.48 280.92 135.09 39.63 305.08 54.97 15.19 356.81 3.76 4.69 433.32 95.62 48.32 13.27 50.73 140.15 66.12 8.51 1,377.52 5.84 21.57 348.52 77.76 17.50 1,533.93 5.06 13.14 1,208.68 214.06 13.18 145.91

Courts back bonus appeal TELEFONICA had its knuckles rapped for not paying an ex-employee’s bonus. It was ‘abusive’ to withhold a bonus because a worker had left by the time it was paid but was employed when it was announced, ruled the National High Court in Madrid. The economic impact in cases like these was ‘very small’ owing to the limited number of employees likely to find themselves in this situation, said judge Ricardo Bodas. Ruling on an appeal presented by the General Work Confederaton (CGT), he ordered the annulment of the pertinent clause in the 1998 collective agreement between Telefonica Moviles and employees. By stipulating that the worker had still to be on the staff at the time the bonus was paid, Telefonica was “unfairly enriching itself” and benefiting from the “fruits of extra effort.” It was one thing to pay a bonus the following year to ensure that targets were met, but another to require that a worker who had met these targets was still in Telefonica’s employ, he concluded. The decision was open to appeal and Telefonica may take the case to the Supreme Court.

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Mike Walsh Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

THE bard Robert Burns surmised: “The greatest gift that God can give us, to see ourselves as others see us.” Social forum comments made about local restaurants suggested dreadful service. Had their owners seen these comments the problem could have been addressed. Likely they were unknowing or blasé as to how patrons judged their businesses. If you are clueless as to customers’ opinions about your business you will pay a heavy price. Years ago, a General Motors CEO tried to figure out why Japanese cars were outselling his. His company’s cars were every bit as good. Delegating members of staff he instructed them to visit both dealers’ outlets posing as customers. Each bogus customer was given a questionnaire to be completed after their call. The company boss was shocked to discover that whilst service at the Japanese showrooms was outstanding, service at his company’s

37

State-owned Aena finally makes a profit AFTER years of being in the red, state-owned Aena made €715 million in 2013. This was the first time that Aena Aeropuertos, which was created in 2011 and together with air navigation division makes up the Aena group, has paid its way. It contributed net profits of €597 million. Two years ago it reported losses of €220.39 million and the company attributes the turnaround to restructuring, plus earning more and spending less. The world’s biggest airports authority is still burdened with a debt standing at €11.394 billion by the end of last year. This is down from €14.943 billion in 2011 and now equals seven times Aena’s operating profits,

AENA GROUP: The world’s biggest airports authority. compared with 14 times more in 2012. Meanwhile it has doubled pre-tax earnings from €883 million in 2011 to €1.610 billion last year. Higher airport and navigation tariffs have

Listen to your customers... Talking shop

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

outlets left much to be desired. This was the genesis of what is now known as ‘mystery shopping.’ The practice of using spies to detect weaknesses in customer service is now widespread. Typically a department store will pay a mystery shopping agency €60 per visit. Their investment pays off as the shopping experience disappoints customers less often. Customers are your business partners; treat them as such. Encourage them to be candid in expressing their opinion. A good way of doing this is to provide customers with a small form inviting their opinion on staff service, food, accessibility, entertainment, and ambience. Ask what attracts them to your business, what they find off-putting. Customers’ contact details being optional. Those who respond, if identifiable, will have their names placed in a draw for a free meal or other prize. With the information garnered you can start putting your house in order. As the purpose of the exercise is to create a profitable business with job security, it is important that you involve your staff. Their attitude improves and in my experience they love playing ‘spot the mystery shopper.’ Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.

helped, as have agreements with the unions. A redundancy plan accepted by 1,170 employees - 11 per cent of Aena’s staff brought savings of €134 million. Aena also benefited from

commercial operations that included concessions for airport car parks and dutyfree shops in 26 airports. These deals should bring in more than €2 billion between 2013 and 2020, the company said.

Hacienda gripes have multiplied due to crisis TAXPAYERS’ complaints to Hacienda have multiplied since the economic crisis. According to 2012 figures, the latest available, 223,417 people lodged appeals resulting from their tax deductions. This was 83 per cent more than in 2007, when Spain’s Central Economic Administrative Court (TEAC) handled 190,374 appeals. “That is a 100,000 increase in only five years,” said Luis Alonso, a professor in tax law at Barcelona university and author of a survey on fiscal litigation in Spain. Alsonso dismissed the crisis as the sole reason for the increased number of complaints. “There is also a structural problem,” he said. “Spain has a massive self-assessment system and interpreting the rules is left to the individual, which can lead to errors.” Taxpayers in Spain have to complete forms for Hacienda’s tax agency AEAT, as well as regional taxes when making declarations for

income tax (IRPF), VAT (IVA) and corporation tax (Sociedades). Although AEAT now makes it easy to present declarations online, frequent changes and varying regional regulations all contribute to later litigation, Alonso said. Innocent mistakes can also cost taxpayers dear, as fines vary between 50 per cent and 150 per cent of what Hacienda regards as a defrauded amount. Most of the claims and complaints received by Hacienda involve sums of less than €150,000. Eighty per cent of these are for amounts of less than €20,000 and are dealt with by the Regional Economic Administrative Court (TEAR) while larger claims are handled by the TEAC. Around 40 per cent of cases are settled in the claimants’ favour. “It’s obvious that the system does not work well,” Alonso added, who praised the “fluid relations” between the UK’s tax authorities and big companies when settling points of discord.

38

E W N 1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Profit while having fun in the sun and grow your own vegetables ONE of the big costs for any family or individual is food. A trip down to the local supermarket to get a week’s supplies can amount to a hefty grocery bill and that’s not counting breakfast out, coffee breaks and the odd tapas or dinner in a restaurant. We have to feed ourselves but at the same time nurturing our bodies plays havoc on our finances. There is a way, however, to cut down on the cost of grocery bills and it involves pots, soil, shovels, seeds and gardening gloves. According to the National Allotment Society in Britain, an organisation that promotes small-scale gardening, a family can knock as much as €1,600 off the annual grocery bill

BUSINESS EXTRA

Gas takeover

A look at finance for females

SPAIN’S energy multinational Endesa paid Southern Cross €225m for its 50 per cent stake in Gas Atacama. Endesa now owns 100 per cent of the Chilean company.

Jane Plunkett

3 survivors

Loose change

NOT all of Spain’s telecommunications companies will survive, said Vodafone chief Vittorio Coloa. Eventually just Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange will remain, he predicted, although all would create employment.

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

by growing their own vegetables. One family surveyed admitted by spending just €35 a year on seeds everything from tomatoes and peppers to leeks, courgettes, carrots, artichokes and potatoes they saved at least €600 on their annual shopping bill and as well benefited from the pleasure of growing their own produce. “But I live in an apartment,” you may say. Well don’t worry - you can grow lots of vegetables

ALLOTMENTS: Popular in Spain if you have no outdoor space. and fruit in pots and containers on your patio, balcony or terrace. Tomatoes and chilli peppers are great starter plants that are quite easy to grow in pots or growbags and do not take up a great deal of space. While lettuces and potatoes are among the best value-formoney crops.

A bag of salad leaves may cost €2 in the supermarket but a packet of salad seeds costs a few euros and will keep you in organic and fresh lettuce throughout the summer. For those with no outdoor space, the idea of ‘allotments’ or ‘huertas’ is taking off all over Spain and plots of land

can be rented out. This obviously will cost you, but the price is usually reasonable enough. Even with the price of an allotment, savings can still be gained by growing your own food and what’s more you get to enjoy your own private outdoor space!

Big deal A CONTRACT worth €410 million to equip a new north west high speed train line with signalling equipment has been granted. It goes to a consortium made up of French Alstorn, Canada’s Bombardier and and Spain’s Indra.

Spanish inheritance tax Q. My father-in-law owns a villa here in Spain. He is a resident and lives You and the here permanently. My husband and I have just moved in with him, I have Law in Spain heard there are heavy inheritance By David Searl tax bills which my husband, being the only son, may face when his father dies. There is a daughter who lives in the UK but I have heard that only the son can inherit. Can you clarify the situation? LE (Costa del Sol) A. First, who told you only the son can inherit? It is not true. Under Spanish law, if your father-in-law as a resident dies without a will, his estate will be evenly divided between the surviving children. If he makes a will, Spain will respect the terms of the will of his home nation. In the UK he has free disposition of his estate, so he could make a Spanish will leaving his entire estate to one of his children. However, if he bequeaths his property to his son and daughter in equal shares by a Spanish will, the tax on this is about €10,000 each. If the son is a resident of Andalucia, he has an exemption of 95 per cent. If the home has been the son’s main residence for three years, the exemption jumps to 99.99 per cent. The daughter, as a non-resident, pays the full tax. Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

Franchises not all they are cracked up to be BY 2013 there were 1,087 franchise chains in Spain, 24 per cent more than before the crisis. They provide employment for 242,140 people and span sectors from catering to beauty to household goods. They cost between €3,000 and €800,000 to set up and the Spanish increasingly turn to them as an escape route from unemployment. Not of all the newly-fledged business people find that a franchise automatically leads to success or prosperity, however. Two brothers who chose a supermarket franchise have closed the shop although the terms of their contract mean they have lost their deposit and

owe €190,000 which they will be paying until 2037. The two men never did enjoy the 13 per cent profit margin they claimed they were promised. It was closer to 2.5 per cent, they said, and not enough to cover costs. “The need for self-employment has brought a change in the profile of the type of person now interested in a franchise,” said Santiago Barbadillo, owner of a long-established franchise consultancy. “The franchise sector isn’t speculation or a way to get rich quickly,” he added. “No-one should ever take on a franchise if they want to double their investment within a year,” he warned.

OPINION & COMMENT

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41

Palankey’s free taxi ride to anywhere and everywhere! PERFECT VEHICLE: For new adventures and visiting distant places.

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.

WITHIN a short time of my arrival in Spain I became popular. Pretty much a household name amongst those residing along the beach. I might even suggest I was better known than the Michelin man, even though rake thin. ‘Fino Phillipino’ as they called me back then. Being a typical American I acquired a car within days of my arrival and shared it with everyone. Such a glamorous acquisition was fundamental for my life-

style. It was also something unheard of in those days in our area. It was the perfect vehicle to introduce me to new adventures and distant places not within walking

distance. With my car and a yearning to learn more about surrounding areas, I visited everywhere that was within driving distance of getting back home by 7am the next day. My best

language, although it wasn’t until just a few years ago I discovered he was actually a Moroccan (also learning the language). That didn’t bother either of us, we nattered like magpies as we whizzed about the countryside meeting new people and teaching them my ways, which were LOOKING non existent other BACK IN than ordering MOJACAR ‘cerveza’ and asking where the ‘servicios’ were located. friend Luis of the Africano We got away from and I went everywhere familiar eyes and bounded together. He soon became everywhere. Soon, I my mentor in learning the became linked to that car.

Peasants wandering the streets and farm ladies strolling behind their burros as they meandered their way to market towns, immediately jumped out in front of me and without asking jumped in and told me where to take them. I had become the sainted purveyor of FREE taxi rides to strange and unusual destinations. Soon, I detected most of my riders had never been there either. I think I had a lot of fun driving around, but it always created problems with my wife returning home at unusual hours. More than anything else I learned how wonderfully gracious and kind were the people that populated this mountainous country.

Actions speak louder than words… Luke Cameron, 26, has hit the headlines after deciding to do one good deed a day for a year. Do you do good deeds, and what is the best thing a stranger has ever done for you?

G

ETTING the sack when the company he worked for was taken over, was the best good deed ever done to Adrian Crossley, 48, from Marbella, Malaga. The salesman said: “It didn’t feel like it at the time, though! But it made me realise how unhappy I was in my work and with my life, which is probably why I got the push to start with. “I needed a fresh start and moved to Spain for a break. That was 10 years ago and I am still here and loving every

STREET TALK minute of it. As far as doing good deeds is concerned, I really admire Luke and hearing about him makes me think about what I could do to help people. I have always been willing to help a friend out, but maybe I could be more proactive about it and go out of my way to find people to help.” Melissa Samuels, 52, who works in a charity shop in London, and was on holiday in Torrevieja, Alicante, believed there were lots of people who do good deeds. “Think of all those charities out there. The vast majority rely on volunteers who work really hard giving their time up for nothing. “If that is not doing good deeds every day, then I don’t MELISSA: Simple acts of kindness.

know what is! I would encourage every one to find a charity they can help. It is very rewarding being able to help others, and I know from personal experience how people who benefit can be overwhelmed by simple acts of kindness,” Melissa said. Jeremy Anderson, 27, who lives in Torremolinos, Malaga, said: “It depends what you mean by a good deed. If anyone needs help I am very happy to give a hand, but that is normal, isn’t it? “For me, it is when a stranger is willing to help out that it really hits home. For example, my granddad was out on holiday in Fuengirola a couple of years ago and had a fall. He needed to go to hospital for stitches, but didn’t speak a word of Spanish. The owner of a nearby restaurant took him to Casualty and stayed with him through the night – they arrived at midnight and left at six in

the morning – then took him back to the hotel. He didn’t have to do that, my granddad had not even eaten in his restaurant! That is something which really makes you feel better about people and human nature in general.” Jeremy added: “Our thanks to him, and I would do the same myself in a similar situation. I think many people would.”

JEREMY: It is normal, isn’t it?

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FEATURE

Channel 4 announces interactive NHS documentary series Richard Shanley

DISHING THE DIRT OF EUROPA DIGITAL

CHANNEL 4 has announced a brand new documentary series about the NHS. Called NHS: The Cost of Living it will examine the National Health Service and the decisions made regarding which patients are paid for. The series will follow different patients with a range of medical conditions, who are all seeking treatment from the NHS. The interactive format will allow viewers to decide which patients are likely to receive treatment and how the NHS should spend its funds. Head of documentaries Nick Mirsky said of the show: “The series will reveal the costs of each patient to

THE CARDINAL: The villain is to be killed off in the Musketeers.

the NHS and explore the complex ethical and financial dilemmas faced by clinicians as these become an increasingly prevalent factor in the care they are able to offer patients. NHS: The Cost of Living will ask

viewers - would you make decisions differently about where and how the NHS spends its money if you knew the full emotional, social and medical context of each treatment? “We can’t afford to provide all the medical treatment that we would like to. In the debate

programme, we will ask our viewers where and how we draw the line - who should receive it and who should be denied.” It will be a four-part series, followed by a live debate about the questions raised on the show. The Musketeers is to kill off Peter Capaldi’s villainous

Cardinal. The character will meet his demise off-screen, due to Capaldi’s Doctor Who commitments, Radio Times has revealed. “Come the next series, the Cardinal will be dead,” actor Tom Burke - who plays Athos confirmed. “He’ll just be gone. It’s a great example of economic storytelling. Their new nemesis will be Rochefort, who’s played by Marc Warren.” Mad Dogs and Hustle actor Warren was unveiled as the show’s new chief villain earlier this month. His character the Comte de Rochefort - is a dashing aristocrat new in Paris, who is hiding a very dark past. Series two of The Musketeers is currently shooting in Prague, while Capaldi is filming his first series of Doctor Who in Wales. If you would like me to answer any questions please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europa-digital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions.

OPINION & COMMENT

Speak up to make the most of Spain TO Jim Massey re English language availability, all the staff in my local bank speak English and speak it well. Two years is no time at all to spend on learning another language. Has he tried joining an ‘intercambio’ group to expand his vocabulary? If there isn’t one locally, he could try setting one up as a friend and I did over here. Our confidence has improved, as has our vocabulary if not (in my case) verbs, as I don’t study as I should. We have also now got Spanish friends and acquaintances. Has Mr Massey no dictionary in which to look up relevant words and phrases? When I first came here I regularly wrote down what I wanted to say and read it in the bank, shop or wherever. Local people appreciate your trying to speak their language and react accordingly, helping out with pronunciation and vocabulary. Failing that, has he Spanish friends who could go with him to help out? Of course he could just have a bank with unfriendly or ignorant staff. I do hope things improve for him. Helena McGinty, Alhaurin El Grande (Malaga).

Here and there JIM MASSEY should simply have tried harder. Congratulations anyway, at least he had the gumption to make up his mind that he had ‘enough of Spain’ and is undoubtedly completing his move back to the UK. Great, one less whinger who believes Spain owes you something by being British. If in two years he could not reach a level of Spanish to get by in a bank, enough said, unless they could not understand what part of the ‘billions’ he was contributing. Enjoy going home to the UK. You know: the sun, the tapas, the blue sea, the multilingual staff at the bank, winter woollies, snow,

www.euroweeklynews.com

1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería

Letters YOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

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

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

IT’S that time of the year again, and many people where I live are busy bringing in the nisperos (Chinese Medlars). Except my cat, Catalina, that is. Frances Thurgood (by email)

sleet, courteous people et al. As he says: rubbish. Brit moaners come, some of them go, but those of us that are happy stay and give thanks for having made the right decision. Keith MacGaul , Estepona (Malaga)

Road sense YOUR great paper gave details about the new Spanish laws regarding the use of Englishregistered cars whilst driving in Spain. I visit Spain for about three months or more each year and as I drive there, I would be pleased if you would explain the new laws to me. When I moved to Spain in 2007, I soon discovered where to find the latest news: good and bad but always correct and up-todate. Paul O’Connor (by email) Editor’s note: As a nonresident you may bring your car to Spain on its UK licence plates for a period up to six months in each calendar year and not be liable for Spanish taxes. Once you are in Spain for more than 182 days you

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

www.euroweeklynews.com

are considered to be a resident and Spanish law requires you to pay an import tax and have your car reregistered with Spanish licence plates. There are fines for those who fail to do this.

Slow surfing I NOTICE that Movifresh/ Movistar are advertising 10mb broadband for €24.90 per month. I entered into a contract with them after supplying my postcode and being informed that I was in range. I was told a router would be delivered and the contract was sent online. Having read it I was disturbed to find that it stated 3 to 10 Mb would be provided. I again

contacted them, explaining that 3 was too little and they replied that it would be at least 5. The router arrived and I installed it and carried out the speed test. I was getting less that 1 Mb. I informed Movistar the next day that I was terminating the contract and returned the router. I was not pleased to find they had debited my bank account but after numerous calls to 1004 I was told the money would be refunded the next month. To my horror on checking my bank statement they had taken another payment for the following month and I still await my refund. Margaret Walker, Zurgena (Almeria)

Fair shares I WOULD like to reassure Tom Hawksworth. By saving children’s lives we are not ‘adding to the problem of supply and demand.’ Experience has always shown that when living standards improve, birth rates fall, whereas it is often the poorest and most desperate who produce as many children as possible (or at least as many as are conceived, where there is no

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access to birth control and female education is poor). Provided that the aid we give is aimed not only at saving lives under actual threat, but at making those communities decently self-sufficient, we are moving them away from the iron laws of nature that Tom refers to. We must also remind ourselves that those starving people have as much right to live and have children as we. There can be no excuse for not helping them to reach the standards of living that we enjoy, and by doing so, we are also helping ourselves, as they become able to buy our products Bill Campbell (by email)

Man power FOR decades ‘Save the Children,’ ‘Band Aid,’ ‘Live Aid’ and many other worthy causes have been pumping money into these Third World countries. Every night we see mothers holding starving children up to the camera. This, to me, begs the question: “Where are these very fertile fathers”? Are they resting in their huts, building up strength to sire yet more children? I think that if a reward was offered to them to have a vasectomy, they could still have their moments of pleasure but not sire more ‘Born to die children.’ I hope that you can find space to print this and please carry on your good work. The Euro Weekly News is an excellent local newspaper. John Frensham, Ciudad Quesada (Alicante).

Parents usurped I AGREE with Leapy Lee’s comments entirely regarding the Cinderella Law. It’s also interesting to note that another proposal was announced the same week to prescribe the ‘morning after’ pill to girls as young as 12 without their parents’ knowledge. Not only is this condoning law-breaking, but removes the parents’ ability to provide moral guidance. Not something that should be done to Cinderella. Opposing messages are being sent out here. Gerry Silwood (by email)

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

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OPINION & COMMENT

Are you turning into your dad - or mum? 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

A

CCORDING to a new survey of 2,000 adults by TV channel Gold, the average British man is turning into his dad at the age of 38. Heading the list of wake-up calls that you’re becoming your father was ‘falling asleep’ on the sofa (40 per cent), having ‘a chair’ (28 per cent), your special place at the dining table and around the TV, ‘dad dancing,’ ‘spending time in the shed’ and making ‘awful jokes’ that only you find funny. Those British men questioned also admitted to hoarding batteries (70 per cent), a variety of leads and cables (58 per cent), useless keys (29 per cent) and

takeaway menus (25 per cent). According to Steve North, General Manager of UKTV Gold: “The future looks bright for men, more sleep, having their own chair, letting loose on the dance floor and finding ourselves funny - it seems 38 is the age men officially lose their inhibitions.” Well, do men really find themselves turning into their dads? I’ve asked around friends, relatives and acquaintances with predictable results. One admitted to tramping around the house turning off lights in empty/ sunshine-filled rooms - just like his dad used to do. Another’s pride and joy is his Dad’s old toolbox, containing his favourite hammer, spanner, screwdrivers etc. And not forgetting his dad’s advice to him: “Always leave one job unfinished, son, so that when the missus comes up with another task, you can always say: “Yes dear, as soon as I finish…” But what about women? Do they turn into their mothers, too -

not at 38, but pretty soon after marriage? (Some men apparently turn into their mums, as well, but that’s another story!) One British acquaintance tells me she’s already written three letters of complaint this year, taken to recycling whatever’s in sight and spent 20 minutes moaning about neighbourhood litter, stray cats and dogs and potholed roads with a random woman in the doctor’s waiting room. She feels she’s definitely turning into her mother - and she’s only 29! Now, isn’t it reassuring to come across some serious research for a change? This must surely put Gold TV in line for a Nobel prize at the very least. Seriously, to think that people genuinely put their names to a survey like this. It might fit the bill in a Christmas cracker, but well, really! Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Retribution’ and ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.com) available from Amazon. Profits to Cudeca.

DAD’S HABITS: Falling asleep on the sofa.

FINANCE

EUROPEAN PRESS

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The End Of Financial Privacy Over the last 15 years there have been a number of initiatives to clamp down on offshore tax evasion, each one whittling away at financial privacy as we knew it. The Savings Tax Directive in 2005, with its automatic exchange of information on savings income, was revolutionary at the time, but far from the end of the story. We will now see the introduction of global automatic exchange of financial information. The 2008 financial crisis prompted governments, desperate to increase tax revenue, to renew the campaign against offshore tax evasion. Offshore centres fell into line and around 1,100 new tax information exchange agreements were signed within four years. These are bilateral agreements between two jurisdictions and generally provide for information provided on request. Last year saw a pivotal move to multilateral agreements, where several countries share vital information. This will happen automatically each year, regardless of whether someone is

By Neil Jenkins, Senior Partner, Blevins Franks

suspected of tax evasion or not. This new approach dates back to 2010, when the US enacted its Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). It requires foreign financial institutions around the world to report account details of American customers to the US authorities. Working with the G5 (Spain, UK, France, Germany and Italy), they developed a model for the “intergovernmental agreement” to be used to implement FATCA.

In April 2013, the G5 announced their intention to exchange FATCA-type information and promote it as the global system of automatic information exchange. Over 40 jurisdictions have since joined the pilot group. In September, G20 leaders announced plans to introduce automatic exchange of information as the global standard. Then in February, the Organisation for Cooperation and Development (OECD), working with the G20, released the Common Reporting Standard covering the reporting and due diligence rules to be imposed on financial institutions around the world. The Standard is specifically designed with a broad scope across three dimensions: • The financial information to be reported includes all types of investment income, and account balances and sales proceeds from financial assets. • Besides banks, custodians,

brokers, certain collective investment vehicles and certain insurance companies need to report. • Reportable accounts cover those held by individuals and entities such as trusts. Financial institutions will determine the residence of each client and collect data on their assets and income. This will be forwarded to the tax authorities in the clients’ country of residence. The OECD lists the main benefits of automatic exchange as: • Provides timely information on non-compliance where tax has been evaded on the investment income or underlying capital sum. • Helps detect cases of noncompliance even where the tax authorities have no previous indications of non-compliance. • Deters tax evasion, encouraging taxpayers to report all relevant information • May help educate taxpayers in their reporting obligations, thus increasing tax revenues. The EU’s Savings Tax Directive

is also being revised to cover investment funds, pensions and innovative financial instruments, and capture payments made through trusts. A further Directive will cover other income. The EU is also closer to reaching agreements with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino on their revision of their savings agreements. How could the loss of financial privacy affect you? Are you sure your tax planning is fully compliant? Are your assets as tax efficient as possible or are you paying more tax than necessary? What happens when your beneficiaries inherit your assets? International tax planning is very complex these days. To ensure that you save tax wherever possible, and in a fully legitimate manner, is it essential to seek specialist advice. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com.

EUROPEAN PRESS

SPOTLIGHT RS E S T I ER R V E ORN D A C

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’ Advertising feature

EEA Investors’ Group welcomes EEA Board Announcements

INVESTORS in the EEA Life Settlements fund (Guernsey) will still have to wait another five years or more to recover their investment in the Fund, and ‘Continuing’ shareholders even longer. The EEA Board repeatedly refuses to publish projections of how much money will be returned to investors, or when, but the EEA Investors Group has generated its own estimates and believes that it is still possible to improve the amount and speed of the returns by concerted and continued pressure on the Board to act better in the interests of investors. In a recent letter to shareholders, the Company announced the appointment of two new Directors to bring “additional independence, experience and expertise” to the EEA Board. The letter also announced that the Company is making progress in relation to arranging a matching share sale for Run-Off Shares at a discount to the published NAVs.

as being more in the interests of the directors and their associated companies than of shareholders and investors. The Group has since made several submissions to the Company, the Auditor and the Guernsey Regulator to try and obtain better (and faster) returns for the investors, to reduce the expenses and charges borne by the Fund going forwards and to improve the corporate governance, transparency and accountability of the Board.

MAKING PROGRESS: A small step in the right direction. A spokesman for the EEA Investors’ Group told Euro Weekly News that they welcomed the announcements as a “small step in the right direction” and a positive response to some of the concerns voiced by the Group and many

investors and financial advisors during the two year suspension of the Fund during 2012 and 2013. The Investors’ Group was formed in October 2013 to oppose the Fund’s restructuring proposals which they saw

Any investor (large or small) and financial advisor interested in learning more about the EEA Investors’ Group and its activities should contact the coordinator at EEAInvestors@gmail.com or by phone at +44 (0) 7802 538315. The coordinator can also put investors in touch with ‘camaradas’ within Spain, Gibraltar and the Balearics to exchange information and help each other and the Group to campaign for better outcomes.

Advertising feature

Removals or self drive van hire Way2Go Hire, offering you a choice not a compromise

FOR great value door to door removal service or one way self drive van hire between UK-Spain-UK, Way2Go Hire constantly strive to increase the flexibility of their services. That is reflected in the fantastic testimonials they receive from clients. Either way it’s all about choice. Some companies don’t do self drive and can be prone to offering misleading, negative advice in order to secure a booking. But at Way2Go they are proud to offer Removals and Self Drive Van Hire so they are in a position to provide unbiased accurate information to help you decide which service is the most suitable for you. After doubling their fleet in just 18 months they now have five convenient depots for you to choose

from in: Javea, Murcia and Malaga airports, London 30 minutes from Gatwick and East Midlands near the airport, so you won’t be wasting time or fuel returning empty vans long distances. Going self drive can save you up to £1,000 compared to removals, the saving on airport transfers and flights alone adds up, not forgetting pets can travel for as little as £40. Their 20m3 Lutons with tail lifts have a 1,000 kilo

payload and are great for lots of furniture and a few boxes, and the 15m3 LWB panel vans with their massive 1,500 kilo payload is used by most transport companies and is great for heavy boxes but less furniture. No special driving licences are required to drive either vehicle. The average cost for the vehicle hire, three passengers, fuel, toll and ferry is only £1,350.00 which is great value. Of course, these 3.5 ton vehicles are not always

CHOICE: Either hire a self drive van or arrange door to door removal service. suitable for the larger moves or you may simply want to leave the job to the experts. At Way2Go they have their very own Transport Manager and hold an international operator’s licence which is required by law, and they also offer full comprehensive goods in transit

insurance for your belongings. You can also be assured, whether you have a full or part load, they will never transship or subcontract your consignment onto third parties, which has become common practice within the industry. Once loaded with Way2Go, your

belongings remain untouched right up to delivery, normally within five working days, and they can provide secure storage both in UK and Spain if required. www.way2gohire.com 965 794 682 or 0208 0904292. It’s why they are the Way2Go.

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Thursday

Friday

SATELLITE CHANNELS - SkyMoviesAction/

BBC1/

BBC1/

4:45pm Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm MasterChef 10:00pm Parking Mad 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Question Time

4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm MasterChef 10:00pm Have I Got News for You 10:30pm Outnumbered 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show

BBC2/ 6:55pm Party Election Broadcast for the European Parliament by the UK Independence Party 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Menu 8:00pm World Championship Snooker 10:00pm Protecting Our Parents 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight

ITV/ 5:00pm Ejector Seat 6:00pm The Paul O'Grady Show 7:00pm ITV News London 7:25pm Party Election Broadcast by the UK Independence Party 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 10:00pm Wanted: A Family of My Own 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm Births, Deaths and Marriages

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Fifteen to One 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Posh Pawn 10:00pm Heston's Great British Food 11:00pm Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA

ITV2/ 5:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 6:10pm The Real Housewives of Miami 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 Tom Daley Goes Global 11:00pm Celebrity Juice 11:50pm Viral Tap

BBC2/ 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Menu 8:00pm World Championship Snooker 10:00pm Natural World 11:00pm The Trip to Italy 11:30pm Newsnight

ITV/ 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Ejector Seat 6:00pm The Paul O'Grady Show 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Lewis 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm The Beatles: The Night That Changed America - A Grammy Salute

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Celebrity Fifteen to One 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Unreported World 9:00pm Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 10:00pm Gogglebox 11:00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man

ITV2/ 4:00pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 6:10pm The Real Housewives of Miami 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 Underworld

TV LISTING

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5:05pm Sunday

•Will Smith •Tommy Lee Jones

Saturday BBC1/ 5:30pm Final Score 6:20pm Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 7:40pm BBC News 7:50pm NewsRegional News 7:55pm Weather 8:00pm Pointless 8:50pm The National Lottery: In It to Win It 9:40pm Casualty 10:30pm The Guess List 11:10pm BBC News 11:25pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day

BBC2/ 5:30pm Snooker 6:30pm Natural World 7:30pm Flog It! 8:00pm Snooker 10:30pm Generation War: Our Mothers, Our Fathers

ITV/ 4:30pm FilmPeter Pan 6:35pm Local News and Weather 6:35pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm Let Me Entertain You 7:30pm You've Been Framed! 8:00pm Britain's Got Talent 9:15pm Amazing Greys 10:20pm NewPrey 11:15pm The Americans

CH4/ 5:10pm Come Dine with Me 7:45pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm For the Love of Cars 9:00pm Grand Designs 10:00pm Green Zone

ITV2/ 4:25pm FYI Daily 4:30pm Perfect Man 5:25pm You've Been Framed! Kids 6:30pm Star Wars 7:30pm FYI Daily 7:35pm Star Wars 9:15pm Britain's Got More Talent 10:20pm You've Been Framed 11:00pm Celebrity Juice 11:50pm Crazy Beaches

BBC1/

Men In Black II (Film, 2012)

5:30pm Flog It! 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 Happy Valley 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm Party Election Broadcast by the UK Independence Party 11:40pm Miller's Mountain

When a vengeful alien goes back in time to kill secret agent K, his partner J travels back to the swinging 60s on a mission to save him. Sci-fi comedy.

Sunday

Tuesday

Monday

BBC2/

BBC1/

BBC1/

4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Monkey Planet 5:45pm Points of View 6:00pm Songs of Praise 6:45pm Pointless 7:35pm BBC News 7:50pm Regional News 7:55pm Weather 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm Antiques Roadshow 10:00pm The Crimson Field 11:00pm BBC News 11:15pm Regional News 11:20pm Weather 11:25pm Have I Got a Bit More News for You

6:45pm Pointless 7:30pm BBC News 7:45pm Regional News 7:55pm Weather 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Bang Goes the Theory 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Miranda 10:00pm When Corden Met Barlow 11:00pm BBC News 11:15pm Regional News 11:18pm Weather 11:20pm Match of the Day 2

5:30pm The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 6:55pm Party Election Broadcast 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Escape to the Continent 8:30pm Great British Menu 9:00pm The Big Allotment Challenge 10:00pm Watermen: A Dirty Business 11:00pm Later Live with Jools 11:30pm Newsnight

BBC2/

ITV/

BBC2/ 7:00pm Australia with Simon Reeve 8:00pm Snooker

ITV/ 4:20pm Let Me Entertain You 4:50pm Licence to Kill 7:20pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 7:45pm Catchphrase 8:30pm Off Their Rockers 9:00pm Vera 11:00pm Perspectives

CH4/ 5:10pm The Big Bang Theory 5:35pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Deal or No Deal 7:30pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Posh Pawn 9:00pm For the Love of Cars 10:00pm Fargo 11:00pm The Social Network

ITV2/ 4:20pm Educating Joey Essex 5:20pm Britain's Got Talent 6:45pm Britain's Got More Talent 7:45pm You've Been Framed! 8:15pm Star Wars 9:15pm FYI Daily 9:20pm Star Wars 11:00pm Viral Tap

7:00pm Escape to the Continent 7:30pm Great British Menu 8:00pm Snooker

ITV/ 6:00pm The Paul O'Grady Show 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm You've Been Framed! 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Gino's Italian Escape 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Prey 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:15pm Benidorm

CH4/ 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:30pm Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade 9:00pm Britain's Most Extreme Weather 10:00pm The Island with Bear Grylls 11:00pm Love for Sale with Rupert Everett

ITV2/ 6:10pm Beethoven 7:10pm FYI Daily 7:15pm Beethoven 7:55pm Zookeeper 8:55pm FYI Daily 9:00pm Zookeeper 10:00pm Underworld 11:00pm FYI Daily 11:05pm Underworld

5:00pm Ejector Seat 6:00pm The Paul O'Grady Show 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 11:20pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:55pm The Cube

CH4/ 5:30pm Draw it! 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Embarrassing Bodies 10:00pm Mr Drew's School for Boys 11:00pm 16 Kids and Counting

ITV2/ 5:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 6:10pm The Real Housewives of Miami 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 Vampire Diaries 11:00pm Celebrity Juice 11:50pm 40 Days and 40 Nights

Wednesday BBC1/ 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm MasterChef 10:00pm Vertigo Roadtrip 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:30pm Weather 11:35pm Party Election Broadcast by the Green Party 11:40pm Match of the Day

BBC2/ 4:05pm Coast 4:30pm Life in Cold Blood 5:30pm The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain 6:15pm Antiques Roadshow 6:55pm Party Election Broadcast 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Escape to the Continent 8:30pm Great British Menu 9:00pm Under Offer: Estate Agents on the Job 10:00pm The Birth of Empire: The East India Company 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight

ITV/ 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Ejector Seat 6:00pm The Paul O'Grady Show 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Big Star's Little Star 10:00pm Billy Connolly's Big Send Off 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:35pm The Boat That Rocked

CH4/ 4:30pm Deal or No Deal 5:30pm Draw it! 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Supervet 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Derek 11:30pm Cardinal Burns

ITV2/ 5:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 6:10pm The Real Housewives of Miami 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 Through the Keyhole 11:00pm White Chicks

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OPINION & COMMENT

Rot set in with trendy teachers T

HE reports this week that British schoolchildren were some of the most badly behaved in Europe didn’t surprise me one bit. This particular rot started years ago when the first ‘trendy,’ left-wing teacher turned up in jeans and a t-shirt, perched himself on the corner of his desk and told the class to call him John. That was the day respect went out of the window; schools were doomed and virtually guaranteed to descend into the unruly mire they now find themselves in. Children need discipline. If they don’t get it they will push and push in a constant endeavour to see just how far they can go. This is actually a desperate search for security. Until young minds know the boundaries, they are constantly at a loss and utterly insecure in their young and often confusing formative years. Not giving them the discipline they need is

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT to my mind bordering on child abuse. The mother, who was reported last week as purposely giving her four offspring a completely free rein in their upbringing, is on a trip doomed to failure. I have seen the results of this particular parenting ‘path’ before. When I was in the States,

NO DISCIPLINE: Children need boundaries. many years ago, I was invited to the home of film actor James Mason and his wife Pamela. They were bringing up their children on a no-discipline basis. To see their son of around 14 smoking a cigar and drinking a beer as he sat watching TV was bad enough. However, the interesting youngster was the daughter, Portland, who was around 18. She was almost too timid to even say hello. What had

occurred was, that on moving out into the world, she had discovered that in real life you simply couldn’t do exactly as you pleased. Realising this, she had become totally withdrawn and almost frightened to say boo to a goose. A direct result of not being taught the boundaries in life that keep us from total anarchy. I also feel that this parental attitude is down to bone idleness. How much easier to

simply let ’em get away with everything, than having to control and risk confrontations with their offspring. Show me a child who has been correctly and fairly taught the rules and I’ll generally show you a well-adjusted human being, confidently facing a world that can only exist within the boundaries of discipline and order. Slight slip last week (which was gleefully pounced on by a number of you). Muslims are allowed four wives by the Koran, not five as I stated. However, in my defence, they are actually allowed one mistress. A sort of ‘spare’ as it were. So my statement wasn’t that much adrift By the time you read this I shall be back in Mallorca with my lovely children. Wheeee! Thanks, Tenerife, it has been a blast.

Keep the faith Love Leapy Leapylee2002@gmail.com

OPINION & COMMENT

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Attract more of what you want Sally Trotman Based in Mallorca, Sally Trotman is a qualified Counsellor who works with Astrology, Numerology and the Tarot. Each month she will deliver the forecast as an intuitive tool to aid increased self awareness.

www.sallytrotman.com

WOULD you like to discover how to attract more of what you want into your life? The answer is simple - be truly grateful for what you already have! May 1 is the perfect day to give thanks for all the blessings in your life. When you share your feelings of gratitude with others it is even more powerful, so this would be a great day to chat with a friend over a cuppa whilst discussing the many blessings in your life. As you give gratitude for everything in your life you will start to feel good, and this good feeling will then help you to quickly attract even more of what you desire! The first two weeks of May are the perfect time for you to

strengthen the foundations in every area of your life. The influence of the new moon in Taurus at the end of April will help you to make practical plans. Whether you wish to develop your business, move to a new location, or improve communication with those close to you, this earthy sign is helping you to create both inner and outer stability. The full moon on May 14 is the time at which Buddha’s birthday is celebrated. The teachings of Buddhism are to be present, and develop an attitude of loving kindness, towards yourself and others. By being in the moment you are truly giving thanks for the gift of life and this in turn will create a feeling of peace within your mind. Practice being in the moment whenever you remember, simply by focusing on your breath. By taking three deep breaths you will soon forget about the past. By creating a calm and peaceful mindset in the present moment you will create a peaceful and happy future.

month. Listen to your ideas, work with others to implement them and create a strong, grounded plan so that your ideas manifest quickly.

Learn how to live passionately!

BREATHING TECHNIQUES: Create a feeling of peace. The full moon this month is ruled by the transformative sign of Scorpio, which is helping you to get in touch with your true passions! When confused about which direction to take in life, always follow the path which excites you the most. This month is a great time to master your mind, and emotions. All too often your busy mind,

which can too easily become filled with thoughts of fear and doubt, will take you right off track. Stay true to yourself and do only what you love. May is the fifth month of the year, and the number five is an expansive, sociable number. Think of the five pointed star and this will give you an idea of the potential for expansion this

This month I am holding two workshops so that you can learn how to follow your bliss. During these workshops you will discover how you can change your thoughts by learning simple breathing techniques, following guided visualisation meditation and taking the passion test! These workshops will be held on the evening of May 1 and 14 from 7pm-9pm at a location in Palma close to Las Ramblas. I also offer individual sessions in Palma and via Skype.

Please visit my website for more information about workshops and individuals sessions : www.sallytrotman.com.

Advertising feature

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As always, cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. With many properties being bought for future retirement you may be thinking of renting yours, either on long or short term, Ibex can make sure you have the right cover. Just call into one of their offices in either Mojacar or Albox and speak to one of the customer advisors who can prepare a personal quotation for you. Need a car insuring too, then ask about our multi policy benefits and promotions. Ibex Insurance… making life easier! Mojacar 902 105 499 Local 85, Parque Comercial 04638 mojacar@ibexinsure.com Albox 902 105 499 Calle Rulador 36, Bajo 04800 albox@ibexinsure.com

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CROSSWORDS

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

Almería weather

NEW ON DVD

for next 7 days

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

True Detective Season One True Detective is an American crime drama series and traces the lives of two Louisiana State policemen in the homicide division as they hunt for a serial killer for 17 years. Created and written by Nic Pizzolatto it stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, has a run time of 60 minutes (each episode) and most episodes are rated 15 although some are 18.

TODAY

VELEZ RUBIO

TOMORROW HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

VELEZ RUBIO GARRUCHA ALBOX MOJACAR

ALMERIA

HUERCAL OVERA

RETAMAR GARRUCHA

ADRA

ROQUETAS

MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Your heart is saying ‘Let’s get out and have some fun.’ Your head is saying ‘Okay, but let’s leave it until later.’ Which is right? Well, one thing is for sure, emphasis on finances is restraining.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) There are plenty of people who will tell you that what you seek does not exist. They will also tell you that what you feel is unsustainable. This is, however, no time to compromise your dreams or emotional needs. Taking a bright view and a chance now seems unusual to those round you. AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) The last time that you sat down and thought about your finances it was confusing. Things are a lot simpler now. Keep emotions and the needs of others out of the equation. Balance is what this week is all about. PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Something comes to your attention that makes you feel both anger and injustice. As you are urged to speak out and put your cards on the table, you hesitate. Be sure to have the true facts of the matter because this gives you real confidence.

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.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) There is a strong urge to be up and doing something to further your artistic needs. Be sure that you know what is important. Keep it simple and aim straight for it. There may be other options to be explored, but do not go off at a tangent. To do so would see you have many fingers in many pies but making little real progress.

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

Saturday April 26

Saturday April 26

Saturday April 26

Friday April 25

22

23

33

36

42

11

13 26

16 27

2

3

5

14

24

41

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

12

5

37

13

21 44

49

9

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Fri Sat Sun -

Fri Sat Sun -

Madrid

26 14 S 23 14 S 22 14 S

Fri Sat Sun -

18 12 Sh 20 12 Cl 17 12 Sh

MAX 25C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

24 8 Cl 22 5 Cl 22 6 S

Mon - 23 8 S Tues - 24 9 S Wed - 25 11 Cl

Murcia

CLOUDY MAX 22C, MIN 13C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

CLEAR MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 22 14 S Tues - 23 14 S Wed - 24 15 C

Mallorca TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 16 C Tues - 21 17 Cl Wed - 21 17 C

20 17 C 20 15 C 18 16 C

TODAY:

MAX 23C, MIN 16C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

CLEAR MAX 21C, MIN 17C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 13 C Tues - 19 14 S Wed - 19 14 Cl

17 13 Sh 19 12 C 18 12 C

SUNNY

MAX MIN

Mon - 21 15 Cl Tues - 23 16 Cl Wed - 23 17 C

23 15 S 22 14 S 21 14 S

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 19C, MIN 14C

Malaga TODAY:

MAX 24C, MIN 17C

Benidorm

Barcelona TODAY:

SUNNY MAX MIN

Mon - 21 14 C Tues - 22 15 Cl Wed - 23 16 C

23 14 C 22 13 C 20 14 Cl

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 13 C Tues - 20 14 Cl Wed - 21 14 C Cl Clear,

CLEAR MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun Fog,

Sn Snow,

MAX 28C, MIN 13C MAX MIN

25 16 C 26 14 Cl 23 13 Cl

Mon - 24 13 Cl Tues - 26 15 Cl Wed - 27 16 C

C Cloud,

Sh Showers,

Th Thunder

Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case D) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET:

Average: 12

Very good: 23

Good: 16

Excellent: 28

acne, ante, cane, cant, cent, cran, cyan, earn, etna, nape, narc, nary, neap, near, neat, pane, pant, pean, pent, rant, rent, tarn, tern, yarn, antre, caner, canty, carny, crane, enact, entry, nacre, panty, paten, pecan, reran, yearn, yenta, canter, carney, enrapt, entrap, errant, napery, nectar, pantry, parent, prance, ranter, recant, trance, trepan, encrypt, errancy, nectary, partner, patency, prancer, ternary, CARPENTRY

1

2

9

18

38

48

REINTEGRO 6

0

PAIR

Sunday April 27

Saturday April 26

24

LUCKY STARS 1

TODAY:

Word Ladder

LOTTERY 17

Almeria

SUNNY MAX 23C, MIN 15C

S Sun,

8-Star Quiz

1. It is illegal to be drunk on licensed premises? 2. It is illegal to carry a plank along a pavement? 3. It is illegal to destroy or deface money? 4. It is illegal to drive cows down the roadway without the permission of the commissioner of police? 5. It is illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day? 6. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour? 7. It is illegal to place a stamp of the Queen upside down on a letter? 8. It is legal for a pregnant woman to relieve herself anywhere she likes, including in a policeman’s helmet?

Alicante TODAY:

MAX MIN

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Who wants you to go where and who wants you to do what? Each day seems to be spoken for before it arrives. Spending your life like this means running out of credit on your health.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) What others see as our way ahead is not always the path which we want to tread. It would be easy to be cosy and not take a chance. Is that what you really want?

LEO (July 24 - August 23) At last it is clear that the future holds something quite exciting. Looking back during the past few years there has been a build-up to this

32

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Be sure not to put up with tedious comments. Someone is trying to rile you. Who are they to think this way? It is foolish and impossible to please this person. Avoid them and move on to something out of their sphere. A few days away clears your head and gives a more balanced picture.

moment. Treading a new path is half the story. There is much to be discovered both outside and inside your sphere.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) If you are James Bond, I see no surprises in the week ahead. If you are not, then I certainly do. Something quite shocking crosses your path, so be cautious in your approach to new situations. Keep your eyes and ears open and be prepared to seek advice.

May 1: Tommy Robredo. Tennis player. This famous Spanish tennis player, born in Hostalric, Girona, had a career high in 2006 when he reached a singles ranking of 5 as a result of winning the Hamburg Masters. He is known to be most comfortable playing on clay. Both his parents were heavily involved in tennis thus giving him a good start.

4

10 31

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

23 51

REINTEGRO 3

BOND

BAND BOND

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Waiting for just the right time to do and say things this week can produce miracles. Spontaneity may be your watchword but forward planning is where real progress is at the moment.

UK LEGAL ODDITIES TRUE OR FALSE?

Your Stars

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: A meeting of like minds fires you on all cylinders. Because such a special year is already under way, the excitement is building. Get career needs out of the way and dealt with early.

PAIR PAID SAID SAND

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Although you are feeling more confident in many ways, there is also a secret insecurity. There is a strange emotional atmosphere this week, which perplexes you.

ROQUETAS

1. TRUE, 2. TRUE, 3. TRUE, 4. TRUE, 5. FALSE (the only Christmas Day on which eating mince pies was illegal was in 1644, as 25 December that year fell on a legally-mandated day of fasting), 6. TRUE, 7. FALSE (according to the Royal Mail, it is perfectly acceptable to put a stamp upsidedown), 8. FALSE

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Crosswords

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SPONSORED BY

For more information about the sponsor go to www.lineadirecta.com

Cryptic

Quick

Across 1 Shaking in rage - get back (6) 5 Quite eye catching (6) 8 Of a female lover for a champion (4) 9 Could start Serbian riot for firearms (8) 10 Produce blended green tea (8) 11 I be cross with a goat (4) 12 A sailor coming back for a book of maps (5) 14 Long time getting to the point (5) 18 Bans plastic bags (4) 20 Head furniture maker? (8) 22 Copy isles Ken designed (8) 23 Signal to a famous cyclist? (4) 24 Deprived female in a hat (6) 25 Ramblers problem - sores (5) Down 2 Meet Len in order to design a component (7) 3 Only an advance, say (5) 4 Canter around for a delicious drink (6) 5 Confer with beaten player (6) 6 The journalist has ice if in the building (7) 7 Signature tune from ‘The

Meeting House’ (5) 13 Hard stone in gold before (7) 15 Causes for change of season after the third of March (7) 16 A Canadian's first coin, in a manner of speaking (6)

17 Heard one taking hold of Roman leader (6) 19 A Spanish acceptance of French digression (5) 21 Wanders around for nothing, among the sheep (5)

Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 25 represents F and 10 represents Z, so fill in F every time the figure 25 appears and Z every time the figure 10 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Tears, 4 Raisin, 9 Emanate, 10 Start, 11 Eden, 12 Carmine, 13 Sue, 14 Heap, 16 Edam, 18 Lid, 20 Archive, 21 Base, 24 Think, 25 Profile, 26 Rugged, 27 Asset. Down: 1 Thebes, 2 Aware, 3 Scam, 5 Assorted, 6 Stamina, 7 Nether, 8 Peace, 13 Sprinkle, 15 Etching, 17 Halter, 18 Leapt, 19 Behest, 22 Amiss, 23 Goya. QUICK Across: 1 Dromedary, 4 Ass, 6 Aware, 8 Khaki, 9 Amend, 10 Reach, 11 Cravat, 13 Appeal, 16 Style, 17 Raise, 19 Macaw, 20 Algae, 21 All, 22 Mardi Gras. Down: 1 Drastic, 2 Osaka, 3 Aikido, 4 Agitate, 5 Slash, 7 Elevate, 10 Replica, 12 Abysmal, 14 Larders, 15 Brewer, 16 Salsa, 18 Eager.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Employer (9) 5 Gusto (sentido) (5) 7 To take out (5) 9 Six hundred (11) 10 Motorbikes (5) 11 Cansado (fatigado) (5) 13 Embalse (9) Down 1 Comer (comida) (3) 2 Ejercicios (físico) (9) 3 To wake up (9) 4 Faces (body parts) (5) 6 Falda (prenda) (5) 8 To quote (writer, line, passage, source) (5) 9 To add up (5) 12 To give (3)

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

LONELY

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Socks, 3 Chalk, 6 Loar, 7 Barato, 9 Caracoles, 12 Cartas, 13 Pavo, 14 Ounce, 15 Tears.

BAIRNS

RECEDE

BARELY

SAYING

CACKLE

SEARED

CHEERS

SHRILL

CHEERY

SOILED

Down: 1 Sala, 2 Chaparron, 3 Clavos, 4 Ama de casa, 5 Knot, 8 Pasaje, 10 Ocio, 11 Dogs.

CLOSER

SPEARS

COBBLE (10)

USABLE

ELDERS

WATERS

INVERT

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Funagram Unscramble the name of a television game show (one word): STOCKS RUBBLE FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: BARRY MANILOW, BLOCKBUSTERS

Unscramble the name of a famous American singer-songwriter and producer: LIBRARY WOMAN

Across 1 December 24 (9,3) 7 Ambience (4) 8 Parts of a whole (8) 9 Military engagement (6) 10 Pictures (6) 11/16 Become empty of water (3,3) 12 Abnormally high body temperature (5) 14 Commonplace (5) 16 See 11 18 Increase threefold (6) 20 Overindulgence (6) 22 Lasting two years (8) 23 Very light coloured (4) 24 At infrequent intervals (4,2,1,5) Down 1 Bravery (7) 2 Respond to (5) 3 Evening meal (6) 4 Edge (6) 5 Corkscrew shapes (7) 6 Scene (5) 13 Obliterate (7) 15 Free from blame (7) 16 Draw up plans for (6) 17 Colour between green and orange (6) 19 Rule (5) 21 Italian island (5)

1 Elders, 2 Pallet, 3 Cheers, 4 Either, 5 Dealer, 6 Reacts, 7 Healer, 8 Render, 9 Rivers, 10 Lender, 11 Rulers, 12 Desert, 13 Deeper, 14 Breach, 15 Meters, 16 Plumed, 17 Reader, 18 Seduce, 19 Formed

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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

The health benefits of having a pet HEALTH BENEFITS: Having a pet improves your health.

LIVING with a pet doesn’t just give us an extra dose of love but the company of an animal, which is with us day and night, can also improve our physical and mental health. The responsibility of looking after another being enriches and reinforces our interpersonal

relationships - very often a grumpy person who looks after a pet for a week will be less grumpy by the end of the week. Studies have shown that having a dependant animal raises our self-esteem and the ease with which we interact with others. If you have a dog the benefits are obvious; there are the long walks as well as all the playtime that these wonderful animals share with us, they are also extremely social and will make you make friends with complete strangers. Medical science has proved time and time again that walking a dog produces endorphins but what is not so obvious, even to medical science, is that stroking and interacting with almost any animal can also produce the same pleasant release of endorphins.

TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

USE PROTECTION: Even in indirect sunlight.

For responsible summer tanning NOW that summer has rolled round again we would all like to get rid of that winter pallor but we also know that tanning can be bad for us; here are some tips to avoid the usual combination of sun worshipping and skin damage. Wear sun block, at least factor 30 for the first few

sessions, and put it on around half an hour before you hit the rays as it needs time to soak in and take effect. Avoid the midday sun; not even mad dogs and Englishmen should be in the sun when it’s at its strongest which is between 12pm and 5pm - the infrared and ultraviolet rays

are at their most powerful. Eat more foods that contain beta-carotene, this increases the amount of melanin in the upper layers of your skin. Foods rich in this are spinach, tomatoes, carrots and lettuce. Dry yourself after a dip. The ‘magnifying glass’ effect of water droplets can

burn skin even if your protection is waterproof. Don’t think that just because you are not in direct sunlight that you won’t burn - indirect light will burn you just as quickly - shade is not a protector. And lastly avoid sun lamps: they’ll damage your skin twice as quickly as the real thing.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Tooth whitening at home IF you think that tooth whitening needs to be done by a dentist think again! Here are some home remedies to keep your gnashers gleaming! Bicarbonate: mix it into your toothpaste and brush normally; WHITER THAN WHITE: How to create the perfect smile. this should only be used Hydrogen peroxide: one of the you just came from the two or three times a bar, but with whiter easiest to use; just dilute in week as it is a little water and rinse around your fangs. abrasive. Bananas Bananas: they mouth for 30 seconds, just make Lemon juice: to rubbed over contain salicylic sure to do it only once a week. be used teeth for two Sage leaves: this ancient acid and, if sparingly as it is minutes a day rubbed over remedy has been used for very acidic but if teeth for two centuries; rub onto your teeth you put just a will have a few drops on minutes a day, will every night for a week and you’ll whitening effect your toothbrush have a whitening see the results. Charcoal: strange though it once a week you’ll effect. be fine. Strawberries and may sound this actually works. Beer: yes beer! Mix beer with oranges: also contain salicylic Mix some into your toothpaste a little salt to make a paste and acid; use in the same way as and its abrasive qualities will do the rest. brush your teeth to smell like bananas.

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FOOT FANCY: Getting ready for summer.

Best foot first for summer sandals AFTER a winter cooped up in socks, closed shoes and boots our feet need a little TLC before debuting in this season’s sandals. The best thing to start with is a good soak in tepid water with a few drops of rosemary and tea tree oil followed by a good scrubbing away of all the dead skin accumulated through the tough winter. After exfoliating your feet will need hydrating with a decent, paraffin based

moisturiser, preferably containing essential oils as these help restore the balance of the skin. Next comes the pedicure - get rid of those cuticles and make sure to shape the toe nails with an emery board. And finally: paint the nails whatever colour you fancy there are no rules to this bit! If you have followed all of these steps then you should have not only beautiful feet but also a healthy pair of paws.

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FOOD & DRINK

& DRINK

ood F

Costa de Almeria’s best guide to local sport

Almería’s best guide to local restaurants

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Chips - the Belgian delicacy that over the w CHIPS! Some like them thick and soggy and some like them thin and crispy, this Belgian delicacy has been delighting palates around the world for a very long time. CHIPS: Everybody loves them, thick and soggy or thin and crispy!

Although they were almost definitely eaten earlier, the first documented consumption of the humble chip was by American president Thomas Jefferson who had ‘potatoes served in the French manner’ at a White House dinner in 1802. According to Etienne Bastaits, head chef and owner of the Atelier Belge de Madrid, the chip is one of the stars of any kitchen, even a ‘haute cuisine’ kitchen. The choice of potato variety is important as they should be high in starch and

FOOD & DRINK

KLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

t took orld low in water, Bastaits recommends the Bintje potato as being perfect for frying. The perfect chip should be fried in oil at 130 degrees for around 11 minutes and then left to rest (around 10 minutes) before being thrown back into oil at 180 degrees for five minutes. This will make them extra crispy. If you like them soggy, for instance, to accompany traditional British crispy cod, then just put them in 130 degree oil and let them cook slowly for around 20 minutes.

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FOOD & DRINK

EGGS: Come in all colours and sizes.

Eggs: we eat them but how much do we know of them? THE average human will eat around 13,345 eggs in their lifetime. We all eat eggs, be they duck, chicken, goose, plover or even ostrich, but what do we know about them? Here are a few interesting facts to mull over next time you indulge in the oval delight.

We keep eggs in the fridge yet they are always sold at room temperature. This is because a brusque or frequent temperature change (cold, hot, cold) could allow for the formation of fungus between the shell and the inner membrane.

You can tell if an egg is fresh or not by submerging it in water; the greater the buoyancy the fresher it is. Brown or white - it makes no difference to the egg itself, the colour is entirely dependent on the breed of chicken it comes from. Double yoke eggs

happen when two ovulations happen simultaneously and continue their development together. Some breeds produce these double delights more frequently than others. However you eat them, boiled or Benedict, they are delicious and nutritious.

Foods which help protect skin from sun damage MOST of us are aware of the importance of using sunscreens, but certain foods can also help to protect the skin from sunburn. Here are the most important nutritional remedies for sun damage. 1. Fatty fish - fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the inflammation caused by sun exposure and may protect the body from skin cancers. 2. Tomatoes - these have high levels of lycopene, an antioxidant which helps prevent the formation of free radicals, harmful molecules which cause inflammation and cell damage. Cooked tomato products, such as ketchup, contain higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

SUN: Too much can be dangerous. 3. Orange fruits and vegetables these contain high levels of betacarotene, another potent antioxidant which can neutralise free radicals. Carrots are a particularly good source. The body can also convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A, an essential nutrient for healthy skin cell formation.

4. Greens - dark-green leafy vegetables are packed with antioxidants which protect against cancers and sun-related aging of the skin. 5. Cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, kale and cauliflower contain antioxidants and other specific substances thought to be cancerprotective.

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FOOD & DRINK

Advertising Feature

Something for everyone at Mojo’s MOJO’S has been a popular restaurant on Mojacar Playa for over 12 years. Their extensive menu offers something for everyone and whilst clients enjoy the delicious home cooked food they can enjoy fabulous panoramic views of the Mediterranean from the sunny terrace. The popular breakfast and snack menu includes the traditional breakfast favourites along with fresh baguettes, sandwiches and jacket potatoes, all with a great choice of fresh fillings. Main meals are also home cooked to order and include delicious home-made pies, salads and pasta dishes, old favourites like gammon and mixed grills and other tasty dishes to tempt along with a great selection of home-made

SUNNY TERRACE: Delicious home cooked food while enjoying fabulous views of the Mediterranean. desserts to finish your meal. There are also vegetarian options available and Mojo’s can cater for most dietary requirements, just let the staff know.

They also cater for private parties and offer an outside catering service so can bring some Mojo’s magic to your special event. Mojo’s has recently undergone refurbishment

and the restaurant now boasts a shabby chic style interior with new tables and comfortable seating. Mojo’s offers a free book exchange and free wifi along with games and magazines for customers

to play or read whilst they enjoy a morning coffee with perhaps a piece of home-made cake or scone and watch the world go by. Friday’s fish & chip special is always popular,

as it features beer battered cod and chips served with mushy peas and bread and butter for only €5.50. Sunday sees the traditional Sunday roast chicken, beef, pork or veggie loaf served with all the trimmings and a salad starter for only €5.50. Mojo’s is now looking for local artists to exhibit in the restaurant and every Thursday from May 8, 3pm - 6pm there will be art workshops in different mediums, please give Tracy a call on 674 113 217 if you are interested and would like further information. Keep an eye on our notice board and Facebook page for updates.

FOOD & DRINK

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Pimms cocktail for summer PIMMS is one of the world’s favourite cocktails, but how did it all start and does it really need borage? James Pimm started with an oyster business in the industrial area of east

London in 1823 but soon realised there was more money, and fun, in alcoholic drinks. Pimm teamed up with Samuel Morey in 1860 to start commercialising the drink through his oyster business which had become a restaurant. In winter they served it hot as a sort of toddy and in summer cold with all the accessories. Bar Pimm Oyster became one of the ‘in’ places and was taken over by Sir Horace David Davies, a bon viveur, MP and mayor of London between 1897 and 1898. Pimms became an independent distillery in 1906 and international distribution came with expansion. The basic ingredients are whatever fruit you can find, cucumber plus Pimms and a sprig of herb - it doesn’t have to be borage! PIMMS: Add whatever fruit you can find plus some cucumber.

SUMMER SALADS: Dressings and accessories can make your meal taste completely different.

Dressings and accessories are essential for plain salads SUMMER and salads go together like gin and tonic but sometimes it can be a little difficult to make them interesting; we usually just put oil and vinegar on them, or salad cream, but the more salads you eat the more dressings and accessories you need. With just a few basic ingredients, you can make the same meal taste completely different. As well as the obvious (mayonnaise) you can substitute the oil with ripe

avocado flesh, coconut milk, cream or even hummus. The vinegar can be replaced by almost any citric fruit juice; even

grapefruit. Mustard, ginger or sour cream also work well. As far as accessories go you may want to add bacon (any

meat really), bits of toast, bits of fruit, beans or even bread. Finish off with a herb such as dill, oregano or cilantro.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

It’s time for operatin HELLO and welcome to CanDu Computer Bytes. As most of you good readers know by now, I don’t like the bullying, contemptuous attitude of Microsoft. It took more than a few years to accept Win XP (which now I couldn’t work without), surprisingly less time to accept Win 7, which is becoming the second Windows platform of choice. Neither of these will replace Linux, but that is a discussion for another day. Having looked at Win 8 and determined it to be a programmer’s ‘wet-dream’ and completely useless to the rest of us keyboard and mouse loving ‘ordinary folk,’ I thought I would check out Windows 8.1, with its promise of a Win 7 look and feel, and the power of a

Trevor Spencer Computers new system. I was conned! Microsoft say that a simple click on the ‘Start’ button (when you can find it!), will provide a ‘dropdown’ menu giving the option to start with this look permanently. I must have the wrong type of mouse! So being completely disillusioned, I looked towards the next incarnation for some common sense. Windows 8.2 or 8.1 update 2 or Windows 8.1 update 1. This is supposed to be released in the autumn, and looking at it, there are no obvious changes for the

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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r a different g system better. So I checked out the leaked information about Windows 9! GUESS WHAT! NO CHANGE! So it appears that Microsoft have the ‘Like it or Lump it’ attitude. From now on I will be looking for alternative Operating Systems (OS’s) that look good, work well and stick two fingers up at Bill Gates and Co. I’m now off to Jack’s Bar

in Albox for my Friday afternoon computer clinic! If you would like a clinic nearer to you - make the suggestion using the email address under this article and we will see what can be done. Call me on 689 892 745 for information about my services and rates or email canducomputing@hotmail.c o.uk

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omes&gardens

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HOMES & GARDENS

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Which palm and for where? PALM TREES are plentiful and numerous across the country, from private gardens to public parks and tree lined streets, but which one should you choose for where? With close to 3,000 known varieties the choice can be a little difficult. Planning on a little slice of paradise indoors? Search for these types of palms: Bamboo Palms: There are three different feather leaf varieties to choose from, excellent for low light. Broad-leaf Lady: Grow well in medium to low light conditions. Red Feather Palm: This palm is easy to grow and its new leaves and fruit are a bright red. If looking for a palm for a small outdoor area like a terrace or patio try these: Fishtail: It has fluttery leaves in single or clumping varieties Chinese Fan Palm: It will adapt to just about anywhere with enough light.

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Reduce palm trimming costs with a visit from Garden Works IT is expensive to have your overgrown palm trimmed. But Garden Works have a method which may reduce these costs considerably. Not all palms can be cut this way as access, slope and terrain may rule it out. But Garden Works are happy to visit the site and discuss options on a way forward. Having been established in Spain for nine years they are specialists in tree work, landscaping, irrigation and lawn care. Irrigation If you have an automated irrigation system in your garden here are some tips: Change the batteries in your timer. Re-set it so that it comes on in 10 minutes time and runs for say 20 minutes. While it’s

IRRIGATION: Important to get best equipment and do regular checks. on walk round, expose buried pipes, tighten any loose connectors or joints. Check watering heads (they go brittle in the sun). If you have a manifold (large system) do all the previous checks plus clean or renew filters and check solenoids.

‘Pop ups’ need attention, so go to the manufacturer’s website for specific instructions. Important: If you are installing an irrigation system. The controller/ timer, manifold, valves and solenoids, should be the best quality available.

Consider whether you may need to expand the system in the future. Irrigation tube comes in different qualities so it is important to get the best. If you ignore this logic you WILL be replacing parts again and again over the next few years. Help: my plant is dead/dying: Are you watering it too much/not enough?. Stick your finger in the soil, if it’s bone dry it obviously needs more water. If you can’t get your finger in the soil it may be compacted. Carefully loosen the soil round the base of the

plant as deep as you can go, apply a generous quantity of horse manure (now available at most garden centres) it’s called ‘caballo’ with a picture of a horse. Instructions for use are on the back in English. If the plant is in an unglazed pot it may be drying out, check a few hours after watering, if it is dry it’s not retaining moisture. Move it into the shade. Discoloured leaves could be due to watering problems, but may also be a sign of disease. Check leaves both sides (you may need a magnifying glass) - tiny insects leave traces. Sap sucking insects can leave a sticky substance behind. It could be a fungal infection - spots, streaks or browning of leaf tips may be the outcome. If you are unsure what to treat it with, snap off a bit and take it to the garden centre, they are usually happy to provide you with a solution. Gardenworks: Tel. 666 847 583 Email: gardenworks.bates @gmail.com

PROPERTY

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TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

e ur at fe

THIS beautiful villa with three bedrooms and three bathrooms is located in the unique environment of Cortijo Grande. Being a corner property the views are unbeatable! The house is distributed as follows: large living - dining room with a wood burning stove to warm up these chilly winter evenings, a fully equipped independent kitchen with appliances. The kitchen communicates with the dining room but also gives out to a large terrace with barbecue area. There are three double bedrooms, each with fitted wardrobes and each with en suite bathrooms. The property has many extras: reverse air conditioning (hot and cold) in the living room and all bedrooms, a wood burner, double glazing, shutters on all windows, a water softener… The house is surrounded by large terraces to enjoy the Mediterranean life in both winter and summer. An outside

ng isi rt ve Ad

Fantastic opportunity on the Cortijo Grande golf resort

of Pro th per e W ty W ith ee AP I k

€167,500 BEAUTIFUL VILLA: The property has unbeatable views. staircase leads to a lovely roof terrace with golf views and spectacular views of the surrounding nature. There is plenty of space on the fenced plot of 336m2 to build a private pool. This property is ideal for a family vacation, but can also be used for all year round living. Jardines de Agua is a small resort located in the centre of Cortijo Grande.

This golf resort is located on a background of orange, almond, fig and olive trees and is irrigated by a lake. Cortijo Grande is located less than 10

kilometres from the sea. To view this property, just give us a call or come into our office in the Buganvilla area of Vera Playa.

www.almeriapropertyinvestments.com • info@almeriapropertyinvestments.com • Tel : 950 460 874

C

HINESE buyers are being targeted by a Spanish property website. Idealista.com, Spain’s largest property website will begin marketing properties in the country this month through a new agreement with China’s No. 1 international property website, Juwai.com. All real estate listings on Juwai.com are hosted in China, behind the socalled Great Firewall of China, to prevent the throttling or blocking that can plague websites hosted in other countries. Sixty-nine of the world’s top websites, as ranked by Alexa.com, are blocked in China. Spain has increasing commercial and cultural ties to China. Spanish exports to China doubled between 2009 and 2013,

The Chinese are coming as they fall in love with Spanish life

PROPERTY PRICES: Chinese buyers fall in love. as did the number of companies exporting from Spain to China. In Portugal, citizens of mainland China and Hong Kong obtained 90 per cent of the 560 golden visas issued in the first year of

existence for that country’s investment visa programme. They invested more than €280 million into the Portuguese economy. That has encouraged the Spanish to try and get in on the action with their

own golden visa. Jesus Encinar, founder and CEO of idealista.com said: “Because of our investment visa, Spain is increasingly a gateway to Europe for China’s 643,000 US-dollar millionaires. The number of millionaires in China is growing by 14 per cent each year.” “Chinese buyers come to Southern Europe because it is both a little exotic to them and also part of the European Community. The quality of life, protected environment

and - especially property prices are very compelling for them.” Juwai.com Co-CEO Simon Henry said: “Chinese buyers instantly fall in love with the Latin

culture and way of life. When they see the properties they can afford for the price of a modest apartment back in Beijing, it boggles their minds.”

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PETS

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A sensitive nose... THE dog has around 200 million sensitive cells in its nose compared to a human’s five million, so its sense of smell is around 40 times better than ours. A dog’s sense of smell is made even stronger by an organ in the roof of the mouth that

humans do not possess. This enables it to ‘taste’ a smell, turning a weak smell into a stronger one. This sensitivity to smell, especially butyric acid emitted in sweat, enables a dog to pick out the ball belonging to its owner from several balls thrown by different people. It also enables

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For all do bloodhounds to g treats p lease call: 971 887 0 track an 07 / 634 1 52 813 escaping convict up to 100 miles. Trained dogs David THE Dogman can also Listen to David Costa del Sol on TRE every Saturday 10 detect the (San Roque to(Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fam to 11am m (Calahonda to Calahonda) 91.9fm odours of Costa Blanca Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida (To 92 .7fm rre vie ja to Elche) 10 (Elche to Calpe heroin, 5.1fm (Denia to Valen) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia cia & Ibiza) 104.6fm ) 95 .3fm Mallorca 103.9 marihuana , fm and cocaine hidden in suitcases even if surrounded by something smells that humans strong smelling such as regard as important, perfume. such as the smell of Other dogs can be cooking or flowers. A dog trained to detect the acid doesn’t water at the in nitroglycerine and the mouth when a roast joint sulphur in gunpowder for sizzles in the oven, nor work with explosives. does it get much Dogs are even used to pleasure from the smell sniff out truffles in the of a rose. ground. Some believe Thinking that a dog their sense of smell does appreciates these makes them suitable for things is another sign of infra-red detection, anthropomorphism but which helps them find that is another subject. humans in snowdrifts. For your local radio A dog, however, is not frequency log onto so sensitive to some www.talkradioeurope.com

APSA animal charity has a number of dogs in care A LITTER of puppies, in foster care in Tijola need permanent homes. APSA, the animal charity

based in Albox, has a number of small dogs, waiting for homes. Laddie was thrown from a moving motorbike, literally scared rigid at the time. With patience, he is getting used to his new surroundings. Fortuna was thrown over a fence from a car, pregnant with seven pups just three are now left to home. Chica was a tiny two kilo bundle, tied to a fence and

ABOVE: One puppy. LEFT: Chica with collar.

starving, she needs a home - this appealing, intelligent

dog already has the red collar! If you can offer a home to any one of these dogs please speak with Di of APSA 663 762 642 / www.apsa.org.es.

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FOR RESULTS EVERY WEEK

BOATS / CARS / JOBS / SERVICES / PETS / BIKES / FURNITURE / PROPERTY / MOTORING / FOR SALE

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BS ELECTRICAL, Boletins, Rewires, Fault Finding, Endesa helpline, 33 years experience. Sean 952 961 108 / 669 070 011 / www.bselectrical.eu (222640)

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HEALTH & BEAUTY AQUAEROBICS.... Its back! Monday, Wednesday, Friday at Oasis Tropical Hotel at 10am, Call Alison on 666 273 168 for info (93402) ZUMBA in Mojacar with Alison … Tuesday 9.30am at The New Kimrick and Thursday 9.30am at Jovasport gym… For more info call Alison 666 273 168 (93402) AVON COSMETICS. Tel Claire 691 987 454 avonfromclaire @yahoo.es (223379)

HEATING

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CARLOS SALIENTE PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES. If it involves water we can help! www.carlossaliente.com Tel.950 930 900 or 968 969 962 (223307)

MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)

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PARK HOMES for sale or for rent with UK television. 950 396 908 (220653)

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Price per word: 0,42€ + IVA minimum 15 words - Discount: Book 10 weeks, get 2 weeks free - Deadline: 4pm Mondays Contact: Phone (0034) 950 472 109 • Fax (0034) 950 478 789 • email mojacar@euroweeklynews.com • www.euroweeklynews.es

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INTERNET

PET INSURANCE PROTECTAPET. Spain’s leading pet insurance. 965 756 371. www.protectapet.eu (216721)

PET TRANSPORT

WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)

LIMESCALE PROBLEMS LIMESCALE REMOVAL FOR LIFE Single Homes to Urbanisations for under 20 cents per week. For more information call Scalewatcher 952 857 680/687 760 038 or visit www.hardwater problems.com (215661)

MOBILE HOMES

VELOC TUNING ECU Remapping Services. Save 20% on your vehicle fuel costs, plus increased performance. Guaranteed. www.veloc-ecu-remap ping-spain.com. 950 104 488 / 600 827 517 (220618) URGENTLY required cars, vans, motorhomes, caravans. English or Spanish. Any condition. Immediate cash payment. Call 622 288 750 (222815)

PETS PET-COURIERS.COM – If you love your pet try us first – we are the best. Door to door service throughout Europe. Specialised vehicles – bespoke service. Full legal service including documentation if required for further information call or email us: Tel: (0034) 651 033 670 or (0034) 637 066 227. Email: info@pet-couriers.com or www.pet-couriers.com (206497)

INTERPAWS: 20 years’ licensed pet transportation. Competitive rates. Difficult dog? Effective behavioural training in your home. www.interpaws.com, janette@interpaws.com 689 742 289 (218076)

CARLOS SALIENTE PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES offer machined boiler decals for gas water heaters ROM just 65€ Aguafuerte is not the answer! Call 950 930 900 or 968 969 962. Email carlos.saliente@ gmail.com (223307)

SPECIALIST Pet Transport (DEFRA & TRACE). Fixed price €200 per cat or dog (England only) plus €50 Wales and Scotland. Find me on Facebook EDDY PETS (223479)

PROPERTY FOR SALE

PLASTERING

FARMHOUSE with plot for sale, close to beach and village. Las Negras. 635 652 975. www.alquilereslasnegras.com (223244)

MOTORING PROPERTY

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PROPERTY TO LET MOJACAR BEACH furnished flat to rent for almost a song. Short or long term. 2 bed + 2 baths. Tel 950 475 410 or ferass@freenet.de (220689)

REMOVALS/STORAGE EUROPEAN removals and transport with scheduled UK routes. UK Company, fully legal, taking loads from 5kg to 24,000kg. Lowest prices and the best service. 952 816 582 or www.fo cus-transport.com (221351) SPAIN - UK/UK - SPAIN. Deliveries. Best prices. Best service. Indalo Transport. 634 336 468 / www.indalotransport.com. Find us on Facebook & Twitter. (220594) CAR TRANSPORTER. Call for excellent rates, fully insured, professional service. 951 319 320, email move@freinternational .com / www.focus-transport. com (215605)

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MOTORING

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KNOWLES PLUMBING. No 1 for plumbing! Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 950 137 197or 606 807 797 (223395)

ELITE DOG GROOMING. All dogs clipped, bathed & beautifully groomed. Tel 617 313 587 (223492)

WE BUY, Sell, remove all types of mobile homes. We pay CASH and cover all of Spain. More details call Suzi Caley 616 250 727 / 951 063 059 or email suzica ley@gmail.com (215521)

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HGV Class 1 European drivers UK/European tramping. Day workers 6/5 day shift patterns, many locations throughout UK. Excellent rates. Call 0044 7846 624312 or email cambscontrac tors@live.com (222314) Staff required for busy warehouse. Must be good with computers, hard working and ambitious. Call 622 288 750 (222815)

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CHEF required for café/bar in Turre. Immediate start for successful applicant. Reference and relevant certificates required. For more information please call 639 841 177. (220662)

SIGNS

SOLAR ENERGY LOWEST PRICES IN SPAIN. www.solarmegastore.es (222286) CARLOS SALIENTE PLUMBING & HEATING SERVICES for solar pool heating, solar hot water installations and repairs, call 950 930 300 or 968 969 962, email carlos.saliente@gmail.com (223307)

SWIMMING POOLS GENECO Pool construction. Tel 950 478 086 for no obligation quote (93401)

TILING FLOOR AND WALL TILING SPECIALIST Not a jack of all trades, just a master of one! Call Steve Holman on 697 678 708 (223491)

1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería VETS CENTRO Veterinario ABC La Alfoquia. Traditional veterinary medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, open Mon-Fri 10-2, plus emergency cover Tel 617 516 115 / 950 449 064 (223461)

WANTED Property to rent, long-term. Must be unfurnished and have a garage or at least, secure parking. One or two bedrooms only necessary. Mojacar, Garrucha, Vera, Turre, Antas areas - Or i might consider elsewhere if suitable. Please call 634 357 250 with info. (220660)

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XXX RELAXATION ¨Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the advertisements in this section offensive.¨

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Maserati Maseratiand and Heidi Klum Heidi

Klum

MASERATI, continued to celebrate its 100 years of history with a seven-page pictorial featuring supermodel Heidi Klum called ‘Beyond the Swimsuit’ in the introduction iconic American magazine BEYOND THE Sports Illustrated Swimsuit SWIMSUIT: Brought 50th Anniversary issue. together ‘day in the “We started our next life scenes.’ 100 years of craftsmanship by kicking off 2014 with the launch of one that befit one of the world’s most famous of the best received Super Bowl commercials ‘Strike’ featuring the all women, Heidi Klum, the Hollywood star with the new Maserati Ghibli, and extending glamorous Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna Limited the brand to another massive cultural Edition, the businesswoman with the Ghibli S Q4, icon, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 50th and the thrill-seeker with the GranTurismo MC Trofeo Anniversary issue,” said Harald Wester, Race Car. CEO of Maserati. This is also a nod to a brand with proven tradition and “I had a great time driving the new one of the highest standards of quality in the industry, Maseratis for their new campaign shot by which has been hard at work engineering automobiles Francesco Carrozzini,” said Klum. that will usher them into the next 100 years of Shot by Italian Master Photographer, Francesco innovation - automobiles with their own power and Carrozzini, the seven-page pictorial piece ‘Beyond the personality capable of striking Swimsuit’ brought together ‘day in the life’ scenes against the status quo. HEIDI KLUM: Features in pictorial.

MOTORING

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IBIZA: Seat’s most successful model.

Happy 30th birthday for the SEAT Ibiza SEAT’s most successful model is celebrating its 30th birthday. Over the last three decades the Ibiza has become the best-selling model in the Spanish brand’s longstanding history, as well as the

leading vehicle in its segment in Spain for nearly 15 years. The four distinct generations of the SEAT Ibiza have always displayed their sporty, youthful, spirit and have long been a favourite for their brilliant performance

and for being extremely cost-effective. The 1984 Paris Motor Show was the chosen backdrop to unveil the SEAT Ibiza to theworld. It was a memorable occasion since it was the Turn to page 86

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MOTORING

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SEAT Ibiza - best selling model over 30 years From page 85 first product wholly developed as an independent company. That moment sparked its explosive popularity that continues to this day, with total sales of nearly five million units. The first generation presented in 1984 signalled a great novelty as it built on the platform of the SEAT Ronda to combine the spaciousness and interior comfort of higher segment models in a more compact body (3.6 metres long). On that project, SEAT collaborated with famous firms such as Italian designer

Giorgio Giugiaro’s company Italdesign, as well as Karmann for industrialisation and Porsche for the technology applied to the engines (called ‘System Porsche’ that the Ibiza displayed on the engine block). SEAT are now on to their fourth generation Ibiza, with production at their Martorell plant. In mid 2008, SEAT began the promotional campaign of the fourth generation Ibiza with two key words that perfectly summed up the qualities of the company’s new car - beauty and technology, to which a third

character trait should be added - quality. This quality goes hand in hand with its exterior and interior style, since the Arrow Design concept at the front lent the new Ibiza a sportier, more distinctive look than on previous versions thanks to the use of sharp geometric lines, the brainchild of then SEAT Design director Luc Donckerwolke, as well as the evolution of the brand’s classic Dynamic Line sweeping across the sides. This new generation Ibiza was characterised by two distinct body styles - the three-door SportCoupé and a five-door.

Furthermore, the standard equipment line-up featured elements such as head-chest airbags, ESP (it was the first model in the entire range to include standard electronic stability), Hill Hold Assist and low tyre pressure warning, which all contributed towards increased driving comfort and safety. Crash tests organised by Euro NCAP validated the excellent work carried out by the Martorell Technical Centre, resulting in five stars for passenger protection, four stars for child safety

and three stars for pedestrian protection. The new Ibiza also featured excellent dynamic qualities thanks to the use of the new Volkswagen Group platform developed for this segment, which was enhanced by the seven-speed DSG gearbox mated to the 105 hp 1.6 litre petrol engine for the first time in its segment, putting the brand’s new vehicle in a privileged position compared to its rivals.

RE-PLATE MATE Don’t take a chance! Don’t break the law! Take the hassle out of re-registering your vehicle onto Spanish plates We endeavour to better any genuine quotation 490 Euro + Road Tax + CO2 emission tax if applicable

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NEW POLO: International advertising campaign.

Volkswagen rolls out the new Polo VOLKSWAGEN is rolling out the international advertising campaign for the new Polo, which celebrated its market launch on April 25. Under the motto ‘Drive confident. Drive the advanced new Polo,’ the campaign focuses on the comfort and safety technologies offered by the new Polo as one of the top cars in its class. These include assistance systems such as the Front Assist surroundings monitoring system with City Emergency Braking and the Automatic Distance Control ACC as well as Driver Alert, which detects fatigue. For the first time, the new Polo will be offering LED headlights as an optional extra. According to AndersSundt Jensen, Head of Marketing Communications at the Volkswagen

Passenger Cars brand, “for the first time, the new Polo offers a unique range of assistance systems that were previously reserved for higher vehicle segments. That deserves to be showcased and this campaign is designed to do precisely that.” Everyone has encountered the know-all passenger, the one who nervously hangs on to the safety handle, or whose foot anticipates every braking manoeuvre. Jensen adds: “We take a look at these familiar situations and highlight relaxed driving, safety and faith in the car’s abilities.” The star of the campaign is the Polo ‘Fresh’ special model. This idea is not only presented in a TV commercial, but is also the theme of print ads and internet content, which focus on the

SPORT

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International Sports

Costa de Almeria

AFTER the results from last Sunday, the race for the Premiership title is again a three-horse one. This weekend, leaders Liverpool visit Crystal Palace, Chelsea (second) play relegationthreatened Norwich while Manchester City (third) are at Everton (fifth). Arsenal (fourth) entertain WBA, Tottenham (sixth) go to West Ham, Aston Villa play Hull, Fulham travel to Stoke and Cardiff are at Newcastle. The final games in the Championship and Leagues One and Two all take place on Saturday.

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Title race is on as Mourinho ‘reigns’ on the red parade

Tony Matthews 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.

1 - 7 May 2014 / Costa de Almería

With Leicester and Burnley already promoted from the Championship, and Derby and QPR in the play-offs, the race for fifth and sixth places involves Reading, Brighton, Wigan and Blackburn, with the latter two meeting each other. Yeovil and Barnsley drop out, replaced by Wolves and Brentford from FL1, while Birmingham, Blackpool, Doncaster, Charlton or Millwall will also slip down a division, with either Leyton Orient, Rotherham, Preston or Peterborough moving up, but Shrewsbury and Stevenage have lost their

SPORTS DIARY FOR MAY: Dates Event 1-4 Golf: Korean Open (Seoul) 1-5 Snooker: World Championships (Sheffield) 3-11 Tennis: Mutua Open (Madrid) 8-11 Golf: Open Events (Madiera & Florida) 11 F1: Spanish Grand Prix (Catalunya) 11 Football: End of season Premiership games 11-18 Tennis: Italia International (Rome) 15-18 Golf: Open Championships (Spain & Texas) 17 Football: Arsenal-Hull & Dundee U-St Johnstone, FA Cup Finals 17-18 Rugby: Super League Magic Weekend (Etihad Stadium) 20 Cricket: England-Sri Lanka T20 (Oval) 22 Cricket: England-Sri Lanka 1st ODI (Oval) 22-25 Golf: PGA Championship (England) 23 Rugby Union: Amlin Challenge Cup Final (Cardiff) 24 Football: Champions League Final (Lisbon) 24 Rugby: Heineken Cup final, Saracens-Munster (Twickenham) 25 F1: Monaco Grand Prix 25 Racing: Irish 1,000 Guineas (Curragh) 25 Cricket: England-Sri Lanka 2nd ODI (Durham) 25 Tennis: French Open starts at Roland Garros (Paris) 25-27 Football: CL, FL1, FL2 Play-off Finals (Wembley) 28 Cricket: England-Sri Lanka 3rd ODI (Old Trafford) 29 Golf: Nordea Masters (Malmo & Ohio Tournament) 31 Cricket: England-Sri Lanka 4th ODI (Lords) 31 Rugby: Aviv Premiership Grand Final (Twickenham)

Ryan Giggs’ first game as Manchester United boss ended in a 4-0 win against Norwich. places to Scunthorpe and League semi-finals. Rochdale who have been And Luis Suarez and promoted from FL2. Eden Hazard have been Chesterfield will join named PFA Player of the them with victory over Year’ and ‘Young Player of Fleetwood who are in the the Year’ respectively. play-offs with Burton Albion, LATEST The ‘Great York and SOCCER Escape’ is Southend. SHORTS Torquay • Last on for have been Sunday, Sunderland demoted to Chelsea won after beating 2-0 the at Conference, Liverpool and Cardiff 4-0 replaced by Manchester City Luton. Wycombe and beat Crystal Palace also Northampton will also exit 2-0, to open up the race the FL with Cambridge for the Premiership. United, Gateshead, • Jonjo Shelvey hit a Grimsby or Halifax Town stunning 47-yard goal for returning. Swansea who beat Aston Last night Chelsea Villa 4-1. played the second leg of • The ‘Great Escape’ is their CL semi-final against on for Sunderland who Atletico Madrid while on whipped 10-man Cardiff Tuesday Bayern Munich 4-0. entertained Real Madrid. • Fulham let a 2-0 lead Do we have an all- slip to a draw with Hull. Spanish final? • WBA won their first Tonight, Sevilla, 2-0 up home game under on Valencia and Benfica, Spanish boss Pepe Mel, leading 2-1 against 1-0 v West Ham. Juventus, play the second • Both Everton fulllegs of their Europa backs netted own-goals in

Texas Scramble at Macenas BADGERS Golf Society played a Texas Scramble at Macenas. Played in teams of four, the combined handicaps were very close, so the eventual final score was sure to be the same. Winning team on the day with a net 52.125 was Dave Wright, Matt Bourne, Andy Kaye and Mike

Knowles; second place went to Tony Waldren, Dereck Dale, Roger Whitehead and Lynn Sefton with a net score of 54.125 Saturday’s Stableford at Macenas was won by Jan Page with 35 points, second place was Mike Knowles with 32 and third was John Conley with 31 points.

Badgers Golf Society also plays every Wednesday at various courses in the area and every Saturday at Macenas for their weekly roll-up. Guests can book in either at Badgers Restaurant on Mojacar Playa or by phone on 950 478 525. Fixtures can be found on www.badgersmojacar.com.

Southampton’s 2-0 win at St Mary’s. • Atletico Madrid (3-1 winners v Sevilla), Real Madrid (4-0 v Osasuna) and Barcelona (3-2, from 2-0 down v Villarreal) stand 1-2-3 in La Liga with games running out. Lionel Messi (27 goals in 28 La Liga games) and Cristiano Ronaldo (30 in 28) are battling for Spain’s and Europe’s ‘Golden Boot’. • Tito Vilanova, who made Barcelona ‘great’, has died aged 45 and exRangers and Scotland defender Sandy Jardine has passed away, aged 65. • The capacity of Anfield will soon rise from 45,000 to 59,000. RUGBY Saracens hammered Clermont 46-6 and Jonny Wilkinson-inspired Toulon beat Munster 24-16 in the Heineken Cup semi-finals. Chris Ashton scored his 11th and record ‘Cup’ try of 2013-14 against Clermont. In the League code, Leeds (32-12 v St Helens), Widnes, Warrington (68-0 v Doncaster), Bradford, Keighley, Leigh, Wigan

DID YOU KNOW? Sir Alex Ferguson’s first 31 matches as Manchester United manager resulted in 12 wins, 10 draws and nine defeats; David Moyes’s first 31 games in charge saw United win 18, draw six and lose seven! (5-2 v Hunslet) and Castleford (60-16 v Sheffield) are the eight Challenge Cup quarterfinalists. MOTOGP It was a Spanish 1-2-3 in the Argentine GP... Marc Marquez finishing ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa. HORSE RACING Tony McCoy has been crowned NH champion jockey for the 19th successive season. He’s ridden over 4,100 winners and says “My target is 5,000.” FA CUP DAY QUIZ I will be having a football/sports quiz at The Loft, Mojacar Playa, on FA Cup Final Saturday, 17 May.

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Sport Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

Forum golf ladies at los Alcazares FORUM Golf Society’s recent Spring Break at Los Alcazares saw more good scoring from the Society’s ladies, with Fran Elam celebrating her birthday by winning an individual stableford at La Torre on April 25 and Wendy Greaves winning not only the individual event at Hacienda Riquelme the following day, but also the

overall competition and the Los Alcazares Spring Challenge for 2014. Also in the prizes were Keith Jackson, Ron Wileman, John Evans, George Gibson, Andy Birch, Yvonne Strindberg and Sam Cochrane, and as both the competitions were qualifiers for Forum’s 2014 Claret Jug League, there have been quite a few changes at the top of the Leaderboard, with Phil Elam now at the top with 103 points, followed by George Gibson (87) and Mike Duckham (75). Phil Elam on 666 847 840 / philjelam@yahoo.co.uk, or www.forumgolf society.webs.com.

SPORT

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Tito Vilanova The Barcelona ‘great’, has died at age 45. See Page 87 TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

Triples champions THE Los Pastores Open Triples competition was held at Cabrera Lawn Bowling Club. The competition was held as a Round Robin with only eight ends being played or play must end after one hour for each game. The winners of Group A, David Ives, Jean Smallwood and Sylvia Byrne from Cabrera played the winners of Group B, Paul Cartwright, Rod Band and Linda Band also from Cabrera. David, Jean and Sylvia won the first end but Paul, Rod and Linda fought back to win the second and third ends and held onto the lead winning a wonderful game of bowls 6-5 after 8 ends. Earlier members of Cabrera were delighted to

WINNING TEAM: (from left to right) Rod Band, Linda Band and Paul Cartwright. welcome The East Anglia Touring Group to their club. The Touring Group comprised of members from four bowling clubs in the East Anglia area. The bowling match consisted of seven triples. Although the final score was 5-2 to Cabrera this

didn’t distract from the wonderful bowling and good humour. The captain of the touring group, Colin Day, had nothing but praise for the facilities, hospitality and friendliness of Cabrera Club and said it was one of the best bowling surfaces he had bowled recently.

Short of a full set… THE 19th hole GS played a three club (plus a putter) challenge around this very demanding course of Aguilon. Some players like Nigel Greenwood sailed through the round, scored 37 points to take first place whilst others struggled to get into double figures. Gary Grey continued his good run of form by scoring 34 points to secure second place just in front of Pete Dow (33). The 19th hole G/S arranges weekly games at various courses in the area, our home course is Aguilon. More information: 610 340 653 or email gs19thhole@hotmail.co.uk