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SSUENN 1555 //7 -23 29 APRIL 2015 IISSUE OO . .1592 13 -January 2016

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Danger of drought for local farmers

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ONCE lottery ticket sales rise dramatically Tickets showed an image of Mojacar THE image of Mojacar on ONCE lottery tickets on December 27 led sales to multiply by five compared to any other Sunday in the town. The head of the National Organisation for the Blind in Spain (ONCE) in Huercal-Overa said that even more would have been sold if it had been a week day. See page 2

Roy Luck Wikipedia

WARM winters may destroy agricultural industry

Giving blood in Albox Donors are always needed to make the province self-sufficient ALMERIA’s Provincial Blood Transfusion Centre has programmed a visit from the mobile collection unit to Albox health centre for January 13

and 14. Centre director Aref Laarej said: “Almeria Province is self-sufficient in blood thanks to donations.” See page 59

Good start to the year Government provides some jobs for 77 people MOJACAR and the surrounding areas are popular with tourists as it is but according to reports, rising winter temperatures may contribute to an all-year tourist season. According to a report in local Spanish daily ‘El Almeria,’ the province has the highest average yearly temperature in Spain over the past years with a balmy 18.9 degrees. This is good news for sun-lovers and any businesses that benefit financially from tourism, but, although in some cases it has been good for crops, local farmers report that they are having to invest more for irrigation. They have to compete with neighbouring Murcia, where grants are available

for desalination processes to make water more easily available, but in Almeria there is no such help. A large part of the province’s economy is based on its agriculture and if things go on as they have been over the past decades, the situation will be impossible to maintain. September and October 2015 brought slightly more rain than the same months in 2014, but not enough to stop the drought, and from the end of October to the end of November, there was double the rain of the previous year, but still not enough. Almeria has reduced its water consumption and most farmers have installed drip irrigation, plus, the administration is attempt-

ing to create more desalination plants and improve the water network. According to experts, if something isn’t done soon, within 70 years there will be 30 per cent less water in the province. They insist that towns must join forces and means to agree on how resources should be used and make sure that water is not wasted anywhere. Approximately 55,000 litres of water per year are used in Almeria households, which is less than in other parts of Spain, but according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study, more than is recommended and more than the average for the world.

SEVENTY-SEVEN people from families at risk of social exclusion in Albox have been given the chance to work for two weeks thanks to a regional government employment scheme which will pay the workers a fair wage for two weeks work carrying out cleaning, garSee page 62 dening and maintenance tasks about town.

Walking for health Expatriates join in to walk one million steps THEY did it! A group of Zurgena residents, including many expatriates, have reached their self-imposed challenge to walk one million

steps as part of a healthy lifestyle initiative organised by the Town Hall and promoted by the Northern Health See Page 64 District.

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LOCAL NEWS

Lottery spending RESIDENTS of Almeria are estimated to have spent around €13.13 per person on tickets for the annual ‘El Niño’ lottery, which is drawn on January 6. The average for

Spain is €13.54 per person, according to the State Lottery and Betting Society, while the average for Andalucia is €10.36. The total prize money is €630 million.

Attacks double IN just five years, the number of attacks against teachers in Almeria Province has doubled to 21, according to a report from the Teachers’ Ombudsman from the National Association of State Teachers. The victims often suffer from anxiety and depression following the attacks, which can be both verbal and physical.

Extras audition AROUND 5,800 people attended the auditions to become extras in the series Penny Dreadful when two of the third season episodes are filmed in Almeria.

There were 200 children at auditions at the Tryp Indalo Hotel in the capital. Filming is due to start at the end of this month and last for a month.

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Mojacar sells five times more tickets than usual IMAGE of the town on the tickets led sales to multiply THE image of Mojacar on ONCE lottery tickets on December 27 led sales to multiply by five compared to any other Sunday in the town. The head of the National Organisation for the Blind in Spain (ONCE) in Huercal-Overa said that even more would have been sold if it had been a week day. Mojacar has four ticket sellers, of which two were off work that weekend. Any given Sunday, each of them sells 100 tickets on average. More than 1,000 of the tickets with the image of the town were sold by the two who were working. The ONCE issued 5.5 million tickets with images of Lucainena de las Torres and Mojacar as part of a series dedicated to the ‘most beautiful towns in Spain.’ The Deputy for Social Welfare, Equality and Family, Angel Escobar, said that it was a good way to promote

LOTTERY TICKETS: Part of a series dedicated to the most beautiful towns. all of the lovely locations in Almeria and attract tourists. ONCE was found-

ed in 1938, and has been raising funds for the visually impaired ever since.

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Prolific robber

Featured News 3

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Crash was not a crime says public prosecutor INSUFFICIENT evidence that safety rules were breached JBarcena/Wikipedia

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THE Public Prosecutor has requested that the investigation into the fatal Helimer 207 crash in January 2010 be shelved as there is no evidence of a crime. The Lifeguards’ Helimer 207 helicopter crashed on January 21, 2010, near the coast of Almeria while carrying out a search and rescue training flight at night. Commander Jose Luis Lopez, co-pilot Kevin Holmes and rescuer Iñigo Vallejo, died in the crash,

while crane operator Alberto Elvira sustained serious injuries. All of the helicopter crew were awarded the Civil Protection Gold Medal for Merit. The public prosecutor considers that whether or not there is an administrative fine, there is insufficient evidence that the legally established safety rules were breached which could have caused the deaths of three people.

The Work Inspection Department fined the owner of the helicopter, the company Inaer Off-Shore, for deficiencies in the prevention of work-related accidents, but the prosecutor does not see this as evidence that they endangered the lives of the crew, nor that workers’ rights were criminally breached. The conclusion is although the crew had a lack of training in emergency situations, this did not cause the accident.

Woman shot by partner in home THE bodies of a man, 62, and a woman, 23, were found in their home in Adra. Almeria Guardia Civil report that they were in a relationship and that it appears the man shot his partner before

then killing himself. The Junta de Andalucia has confirmed that it was a case of gender violence, although there had been no prior reports of abuse and neither of them

had a criminal record. Thirteen women died at the hands of their partners or former partners in Andalucia in 2015 and 57 in the whole of Spain, three more than in 2014.

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ACREDITAR FOTO: Emilio del Prado / Wikipedia

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INDIAN FILM: Another has been made in Tabernas and Mojacar.

Almeria setting for film

BOLLYWOOD industry continues to favour the area A NEW Bollywood film has been made in Tabernas and Mojacar. Scenes of ‘Nannaku Prematho’, an Indian film produced by Gopy Crishna, has been filmed in the Tabernas Desert and in Mojacar Pueblo, as well as in Malaga and in Cartagena, Mur-

cia, and in the UK and Hyderabad. The cast includes NT Rama Rao Jr, Rakul Preet Singh and Jagapathi Babu amongst others, and the screenplay is written by Sukumar Bandreddi. According to the local press, members of the production team have said

that the film includes action and drama as well as the popular music and dance routines for which Bollywood is known. The industry favours Almeria and in the past few years, several films have been produced in the area.

In February last year, UV Creations filmed scenes for ‘Jill’, starring Gopichand and Raashi Khanna, in different areas of Tabernas, including the desert and the castle. The choreography was directed by Raju Sundaram.

The first babies of 2016 THE first baby of the year in Almeria was a boy called Mohamed, who was born at 12 minutes past midnight on January 1. He was also the second baby to be born this year in Andalucia, measuring 53 centimetres and weighing 3.89 kilos. His parents live in Antas. Almeria’s second baby of the year was a

b o y n a me d C a lixto. H e w a s born a t the Poniente Hospital in El Ejido at 1.06am weighing 3.5 kilos. His family lives in the town. The third was a girl named Nallely, who arrived at 1.45am in Torrecardenas Hospital measuring 51 centimetres and weighing 3.15 kilos. Her parents live in the city.

Employee jailed for stealing A MAN has been sentenced to three months in prison for organising the robbery of six slabs of Silestone at the Cosentino factory where he worked in Cantoria. He was the manager of the cutting area when in April 2014, having reached an agreement with other people who have not been identified, he asked an employee to cut six worktops. Despite them being in perfect condition, he then took them on a forklift to an area

where damaged items were stored and hid them amongst other items. He did not take them for quality control or packaging. That night, two unidentified people accessed the factory and went straight to where the worktops, worth almost €995, had been hidden, but they were caught taking them by security guards at the factory, so they left them and fled. They weren’t damaged and they were returned to the factory.

NEW YEAR BABIES: The first two were boys.

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No bail for detainee ONE of the three men arrested for his alleged involvement with the death of a Guinean man in Roquetas de Mar in the early hours of Christmas Day has been remanded in prison. A court in Roquetas heard the statements of the three detainees, who are residents of the town, and while one was remanded in prison without bail, the other two, who are his father and brother, were released. They are required to appear in court every week. The victim was a 41year-old from Guinea Bissau, named as Amisau Mendez, and the alleged killer a gypsy man in his early twenties. The victim’s body was found with stab wounds to the stomach in Calle Valle de Orotava. The investigation into the death remains open and secrecy has been imposed on the case. Further arrests have not been ruled out. Four sub-Saharans were arrested for their involvement in acts of vandalism protesting his death which occurred following a traffic altercation. More than 150 officers were brought to the area to prevent any uprisings which were feared following the incident.

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Road safety ALMERIA Provincial Government has improved safety measures on the AL3106 road between Nijar and Las Negras thanks to investment of €450,000. It has been widened and the surface has been improved.

Council plan THE Mayor of Almeria, Ramon Fernandez Pacheco, has said he plans to change the members of his team on the local council this month or next, but there will be no radical changes as it is currently working well.

City rules NEW rules for pedestrians, skaters and cyclists in Almeria are due to be proposed at a plenary meeting this month. There could be fines of up to €500 for serious offenders if it’s approved.

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El Ejido the best town in the province for donors ALMOST 2,000 local people donated blood in 2015 EL EJIDO has become one of the province’s most charitable towns when it comes to blood donation, with almost 2,000 donations from local people in 2015. Almeria Blood Transfusion Centre normally visits the town several times per month, which contributes towards the province not needing blood from other provinces. There were 1,339 donors, slightly fewer than in 2014, when there were 1,375. Around 60 donations per day are needed in the province to make sure that any transfusions or operations can be carried out without delay. Donations take around 30 minutes and can be received from anyone healthy aged 18 to 65 weighing more than 50 kilos. However, anyone who lived in the UK for more than a year between 1980 and

DONATIONS: Around 60 are needed in the province per day. 1996 will not be able to become a donor because of the increased risk of transmitting Creutzfeld Jacob or ‘mad cow’ disease to recipients. This is a precautionary measure as it has not been proved that the disease

can be transmitted by blood transfusions. There will 24 blood donation drives in 19 towns in Almeria Province in January. For more information visit www.transfusion.gra nada-almeria.org or call 900 101 780.

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Paths to attract tourists OVER the past year, Seron Town Hall worked to improve local tourism and recreational walks in order to promote them and attract more visitors. As part of the Strategic Tourism Plan approved in 2013 to create tourism products to add to what the town has to offer, the council created a network of paths, which have been signposted and got in shape. The local councillor for Tourism, Carmen Cuadrado, said that the needs were identified before the plan was launched, and that there is now a panoramic circular path around the town, which is a 10.8-kilometre walk as well as others heading into the mountain areas and historical parts of the town.

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Family fight GUARDIA CIVIL are investigating a shooting on Christmas Eve between two families in Gador who are known to be enemies. No one was injured but damages were caused to the façade of a house.

Street fines HUERCAL DE ALMERIA has issued new rules which include fines of €90 for anyone caught using roller-skates or playing ball games in the street, as they could cause a traffic accident or injuries to pedestrians.

Mayor visit THE Mayor of Almeria, Ramon Fernandez Pacheco, visited the Local Police and the fire brigade to thank them for the work they carry out and their services to the community of Almeria.

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Youths arrested for throwing stones

Plans for local treasure

THEY threw them at vehicles driving on the A-358 road to Berja GUARDIA CIVIL in Dalias arrested two boys of 15 who had been throwing stones at vehicles driving on the A-358 road to Berja. The events took place in late October, and when officers arrived on the scene they found five cars at the side of the road with damages to the windows or chassis. They also found several stones, some of them quite large. They checked that no one had been injured and called to have the stones removed before launching a search in the area from which the stones may have been thrown. They saw how a stone was thrown by someone who they could not see and heard shouting of several people who fled the scene.

CARS: Five were at the side of the road with damage to the windows or chassis. They left behind several items used to capture small birds, including a small cage and its cover. Two of the peo-

ple were identified and a search was launched around Dalias. The two alleged perpetrators

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were arrested at the end of December and sent before a judge in Berja for crimes against road safety and causing damages.

BENTARIQUE Town Hall plans to make replicas of local treasures which are currently at the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid. Found in 1896, most locals are aware of the existence of the treasure, which includes jewellery from the 14th and 15th centuries and proves that the Alpujarra and Andarax areas were rich and prosperous under Muslim rule. The former mayor attempted to get the items on loan to exhibit in the town or in Almeria City Archaeological Museum, but Madrid rejected the plan. Now, they want to scan the items and make replicas for locals to enjoy, although with just 255 inhabitants, the budget for such a plan is sparse and they need help from sponsors.

Hopes for cat colonies A GROUP of residents of Almeria hopes to bring the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programme for cats to the area.

The system began in the 60s in the UK and is used in many countries to control stray cat colonies. There are already some

areas in Spain which are using the system, including Malaga, where 3,000 cats are being neutered for free thanks to the local council.

Dealer hid drugs in his son’s backpack THE Public Prosecution is asking for prison terms of up to six years for five men accused of creating a network to sell cocaine. They were arrested in November 2014 for their alleged involvement in the death of a man whose body was found when firemen were putting out a fire in an Almeria building inhabited by squatters. His body showed signs of violence and had been doused in accelerant.

He is believed to have stolen €35,000 in cash from one of the detainees when one of them was heading to Madrid to buy cocaine ready to sell in Almeria. The trial for his death will be held separately. One of the men, who kept the drugs hidden, was arrested outside his home in Vicar in early November. Some 350 grammes of cocaine were found in a backpack belonging to his underage son. The accused could also face fines of up to €15,000.

IMPROVEMENTS: Will include replacing or repairing street furniture.

Mojacar maintenance and repair works plan WORKS are underway in Mojacar to replace or repair street furniture as well as improve planted areas, whilst generally overhauling the seafront area. These works are being made to complement the repainting of road markings and the replacement of road signs in order to improve traffic flow. This time it is the turn for road safety and the design of pedestrian areas to be improved, which together with the near completion of the second phase of the promenade will complete the final development of much of the main artery of the town’s beach area. Most of the works to be carried out will utilise existing materials and council staff, thus incurring no extra expense to the municipal

coffers. However, the work will not be restricted to the beach area, as the recently approved municipal budgets specify allocated funds for restoration, reconditioning and various other improvement works all around the village. The Mojacar Councillor of Tourism, Emmanuel Aguero, has said although these works are usually carried out on a five-year cycle, at the moment they require greater prominence and a reinforced effort ahead of the summer season, with a view to improving the town’s success. Sr. Aguero said: “Mojacar has improved tremendously in recent years, which is reflected in the tourism statistics. We will continue working to keep this trend growing in 2016.”

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Of interest to tourism THE Junta de Andalucia Tourism Council has initiated the procedure to get ‘tapas’ declared of interest to tourism. The proposal was made several months ago by the board of directors of Almeria Catering Association (Ashal) who consider that ‘tapas’ are a cultural and gastronomic tradition with a strong influence in the city and with potential to become a tourist attraction. Ashal has the backing of Almeria City Hall, which has promised to do all it can to help ‘tapas’ to obtain the institutional naming as being of Interest to Tourism. The proposal, which was made at a plenary meeting in November, was approved by all of the political parties on the local council. The Provincial Representative for Tourism, Alfredo Valdivia has said it is an important project for Almeria and to promote the province as a tourist destination.

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Officer’s death was accident GUARDIA CIVIL officer died in the explosion THE investigation into an explosion which killed a Guardia Civil bomb-disposal officer in Almeria in J u ly h as b ee n provis iona lly closed. Emiliano Quintana, 50, had had a n e x emp lary c a re e r w ithin the Guardia Civil and many years’ experience. On the morning of July 1 5 h e h ad b e e n w a s hing a va n which he parked in the garage at Almeria station before his shift ended at 1pm. He had also checked and organised the equipment in the van, which was said to be in good condition, stable and safe. He was seen in the cafeteria minutes before the explosion where he bought a bottle of water and told colleagues that he was doing paperwork in the basement where the van was parked. He then went back to the underground car park. He was due to go on holiday the fo llo w in g d a y, b u t told his c ol-

leagues that he would come in to carry out maintenance on a piece of equipment, a routine operation. Just hours after the explosion, the Government Delegate in Andalucia, Antonio Sanz, said that the van was loaded with less than the permitted amount of explosives and that it was all in good condition. Almeria Provincial Court has decided to shelve the case based on the report from the Public Prosecution which determined that it had been an accident without criminal responsibility. The investigation ended in November and concluded that the explosives were stable. A military report also concludes that it was an accident. The funeral for Guardia Civil Emiliano Quintana included his w idow be ing give n the Silve r Cross for Merit which was awarded to him posthumously.

Companies created to trick Social Security AN Almeria man is amongst 27 arrested in Spain for allegedly committing fraud against the Social Security by creating a network of false companies. National Police and the Work Inspection and Social Security department in Cordoba arrested 24 people in Cordoba and three more in San Sebastian, Almeria and Granada as part of an investigation which began in 2014 and has resulted in 102 arrests throughout Spain. The companies were created in order to issue work contracts to foreign residents in exchange

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for money and also to obtain money from public grants. The foreigners were able to use the contracts to get work and resi-

dence permits, or to register at the unemployment office. They knew the contracts were false and paid about €800 for them.

BOMB-DISPOSAL: A military report concluded that it was an accident.

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Man denies charges A MAN, 40, has been sentenced to three years in prison for smashing a glass on his flatmate’s head during an argument in El Ejido. The events took place in November and the woman, who reported the attack to the Guardia Civil, required stitches and has serious scars. The judge considered that the victim’s statement was clear and there was no apparent hostility between them, despite the attacker claiming the woman attempted to blackmail him. He denied having a relationship with her, and as ‘proof’, showed his Moroccan marriage certificate to another woman, as well as a medical certificate claiming he suffers pain in his sexual organ. The judge ruled this didn’t prevent him having sexual or extramarital relations. The sentence, which can be appealed, also bans him from coming within 500 metres of the victim or communicating with her for three years. He will also have to pay her €1,500 in compensation.

GUARDIA CIVIL: Officer explained problems which may happen while shopping.

Safer shopping experience VERA Council of Commerce carried out several activities over Christmas to teach locals to avoid attacks, robberies and fraud. The Councillor, Francisca Garcia, presented the event which began with a talk from Guardia Civil, Angel Blanco, who

gave up his time to explain problems which may arise when carrying out routine acts while shopping. He also explained what to do if one has been the victim of a crime and how to increase safety in the home.

Welcome to the world baby Max

MAX: Arrived just after midnight and is one of the first babies of 2016. ONE of the first babies of 2016 was born at Torrevieja Hospital. Baby Max Lowe arrived just nine seconds after midnight to the delight of proud parents Dave and Elena Lowe. Max is the couple’s first baby and weighed a healthy 4.4kg. His appearance in the early hours of New Year’s Day was welcomed by all the maternity staff who were hoping for a New Year arrival: “They were all so fantastic at the hospital,” said the proud Dad. “The service was just su-

perb, so much better than what we would have got in the UK, we got our own room and were kept there for two days as they did all the checks.” During a visit to the hospital’s newsagents, he had the welcome surprise to find his new son was already hitting the headlines with Max’s birth in the Spanish papers as the first baby born in 2016. British born Dave, who part owns and runs Siesta Group, met Russian Elena in China when he was there working looking at furniture pieces to

import for the company. She moved to Spain to be with Dave and they have now been married for more than two years. Being such an international couple, Dave said they had to think hard about their baby’s name and find a good strong name that works for both their British and Russian backgrounds and for their baby’s home country of Spain, and finally settled on Max. The happy couple are now settling down to life as a family and starting the New Year with their new born.

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Holiday complex operating illegally PROGRAMME: To allow local youths with university degrees to gain experience.

CROSS-COUNTRY TRIPS: They were not insured for the activity. THE owners of a holiday complex in Velez Rubio have been reported by the Guardia Civil for offering services without authorisation. The owners did not have permits to provide accommodation nor to organise trips on cross-country motorbikes

which were causing serious damage to the environment on the surrounding mountains, as they covered the countryside, private property and thoroughfares. They were not insured for either activity, the Guardia Civil Nature Protection Service, Seprona, reported.

The complex was advertised on several websites as a location for parties as well as accommodation. When the officers inspected the premises, they found it had four rooms which were being rented but it had not been registered for providing accommodation.

Work experience for the young MORE than 50 per cent of the 30 youths who took part in the third edition of the work experience programme in Huercal-Overa have now got their first work contract. The programme was launched by the Town Hall’s Employment Promotion Department to allow local youths with university degrees to get work experience in the jobs for which

they have prepared and improve their CVs. Councillor Monica Navarro said that they had been given an opportunity to develop and overcome difficulties which they may have in finding their first job. More than 60 local companies have taken part and the plan is to continue with the programme in the future.

Berja resident arrested for fraudulent activity A RESIDENT of Berja has been arrested by Guardia Civil for allegedly tampering with

cash points in Navarra. The operation began in June when someone reported a prob-

lem when they went to withdraw money in Fustiñana. The investigation revealed that two Romanian citizens, aged 33 and 46, and a Spanish man, 37, had been tampering with the cash points. The two Romanians have allegedly fled the country. All three have criminal records and were reportedly involved with at least 12 similar activities in May and June. A search of the detainee’s home in Berja revealed items used to tamper with cash points. Before using a cash point, Guardia Civil recommend checking first that nothing is blocking the slot where the money should come out and there are no obvious signs it has been tampered with. If you are aware of suspicious activity, check your account online or at the cash point to determine whether cash has been withdrawn from your account and contact the Guardia Civil on 062.

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Helping hands IN 2015, 244 requests from families who needed the help of a lawyer to avoid losing their homes were processed by Almeria Provincial Government and the City Hall via the Mortgage Arbitrage Office.

Alcazaba forgotten by regional government NOTHING has been done towards improving the monument

Man arrested A MAN was arrested in Madrid for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery of a jewellery shop in the Zapillo district of Almeria. National Police are still searching for another two men.

Health tips SCREENS have been installed at La Inmaculada Hospital in Huercal-Overa which will show information about the hospital and health tips for patients and their companions.

THE ALCAZABA: Most of the monument has been closed after part of a wall collapsed. A SPOKESPERSON for the ‘Friends of the Alcazaba’ Association has reported that there was less activity than ever for the monument in 2015. In May, most of the monument was

closed after part of the southern wall collapsed, which was blamed on the Junta de Andalucia failing to invest in the upkeep of the structure. The association reports that in 2009

a plan was approved for the regional government to improve and promote the monument, but that so far, nothing has been done towards research, lighting, promotion or improving it.

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

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Advisor ‘forged’ contracts THE owner of a legal advice office in Almeria is facing six years in prison for allegedly selling false work contracts to illegal immigrants for between €450 and €1,200. He allegedly provided them with the contracts so that they could request work and residence permits. The Public Prosecution claims that he took advantage of the fact that he handled business for several companies, including processing their Social Security matters. In 2010, he used the companies’ data to register a number of foreigners as employees creating at least 70 false work contracts in restaurants, bars, shops and other businesses. He charged one of the women €1,200, but the fraud was discovered and her request was denied. Another immigrant witnessed him forging a signature.

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Poor awareness causes road deaths PEOPLE were not wearing their seatbelts or helmets By Matthew Elliott EIGHT of the 23 people who died on the roads in Almeria throughout 2015 were not wearing their seatbelts or helmets according to the Traffic Department of Almeria. There were 19 fatal accidents and 38 per cent of the fatalities were not using seatbelts. Four of the accidents occurred in urban areas while 14 of those who died were killed on secondary roads. The number of deaths rose from 2014 when 14 people were killed on the roads, but the department reported this was still an improvement on 2001 when 99 people died. The General Traffic Department has launched frequent campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of seatbelts, helmets and child seats. Meanwhile a 58-year-old man has been arrested after be-

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS: The number of deaths rose in 2014. ing stopped driving dangerously with his young granddaughter in the passenger seat without a seatbelt. Residents had reported the driverâ€™s failing to obey traffic laws and when National Police intercepted the vehicle

the man emerged from the car with the girl in his arms. He insulted the police and attacked them, punching one officer in the face. He was charged with crimes against road safety and assaulting a police officer.

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Stabbing incident A MAN was rushed to Torrecardenas Hospital in the early hours of January 1 where he underwent surgery for a stab wound. He sustained the injury at the Nicolas Salmeron Park in Almeria City. National Police are investigating.

Robbery spree ALMERIA police are investigating three robberies which were committed within 48 hours in the city. In all cases the culprits crashed a vehicle into the windows of the premises. They stole tills and computer equipment amongst other items.

Four injured FOUR people, two of them in their late teens, were slightly injured in a collision between two vehicles on the A7 in Nijar. They were taken to El Toyo High Resolution Hospital. Guardia Civil attended the scene.

Trial for fraud A MAN is facing three years in prison for fraud in the purchase of 150 tonnes of mandarins from a farmer in Huercal-Overa in September 2011. According to the public prosecutor, he agreed to pay the farmer €0.54 per kilo and gave him a cheque for €24,000 that bounced. When the farmer attempted to contact him, he never answered and the victim was unable to obtain the money.

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What did you do with your last boarding pass? THERE is a great deal of information found on that innocent bit of paper By Steve Walsh THE common or garden boarding pass is a familiar sight to most of us, and once served its purpose is typically discarded without concern as soon as we land. But maybe we should take a little more care of that scrap of paper! We are all aware of the need to keep our digital data safe these days, and with the guile and cunning of an MI5 agent take all sorts of security measures with our mobiles, online banking, pin numbers and email accounts. However, did you realise that there is a great deal of information on that innocent little piece of paper you just left on the plane that hackers can use to access your personal data? For example: If a would-be hacker took a picture of the bar code on your boarding card, using a few of his software tools it’s possible for him to access your e-mail address and telephone number. From there they might even get access to your bank account or maybe even break into your home… after all he

BOARDING PASS: Information could end up in the wrong hands. knows you’re on holiday! The broadcaster USA Today has released a video in which they show how easy it is for a hacker to access your information using just his mobile phone.

So, the next time you brag on Facebook with a photo of your flight tickets to Barbados, don’t be surprised how much of your information actually ends up in the wrong hands.

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Better access VERA plans to change the wooden access paths to the local beaches for prefabricated concrete walkways which are hoped to last longer and cost less to replace, said concillor for Taxes, Alberto Clemente.

Ship auction THE Andalucian Public Ports Agency arranged to auction off 31 ships which were abandoned at ports throughout the region, including two in Almeria Province. Offers are accepted until February 1.

Least money ALMERIA is the Andalucian city which receives the least money from public grants to maintain its public transport service, according to the Association of Collective Urban Transport Management Company, at â‚Ź2.2 per user.

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Police campaign for safer shopping in El Ejido OFFICERS visited shops to raise awareness on how to prevent crimes LOCAL and National Police and Guardia Civil carried out a campaign to increase safety for shopkeepers and their customers in El Ejido. The officers visited shops to raise awareness on how to prevent crimes from occurring. The campaign lasted until Saturday and also included information on how to proceed following a case of fraud or any other crime. They also handed out a guide on safe shopping which was carried out by the Ministries of Interior, Economy and Competitiveness together with the Spanish Commerce Confederation. It includes tips on how to sell items, how to exhibit goods so they are not in areas with poor visibility and make them less prone to theft, payment systems to help prevent fraud, and how to spot a criminal and report a crime. The officers have been patrolling the local streets by car and on foot, and have increased surveillance in the busiest areas of the cities, especially in shopping areas.

LOCAL POLICE: Have been patrolling the streets by car and on foot.

NEWS

Christmas Day 112 call outs THE 112 emergency services in Andalucia dealt with 257 calls between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The service, which is part of the Council of Justice and Interior, dealt with 3,105 incidents throughout Andalucia, with most occurring on Christmas Day between 6pm and 9pm. The figures are slightly up on the same period last year, which the Council says proves people have confidence in the service. Most of the calls were regarding health alerts, (1,386) while 717 were regarding citizen safety, and 279 were fires, which led to several people being injured or evacuated. There were also 207 traffic-related incidents and 159 road traffic accidents. Almeria was close to the bottom of the list, with 257.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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TOWN HALL: Organisers of the lunch.

NEWS

RAFFLE: Prizes were donated by local businesses.

Lunch for elderly THE mayor, Esperanza Perez, gave a toast MORE than 500 elderly residents of Nijar took part in a lunch organised by the town hall at the Puerta de Europa restaurant. As well as lunch, there was a raffle of 50 prizes donated by local businesses and dancing to live music into the early evening. The mayor, Esperanza Perez, gave a toast and the councillor for Social Welfare, Victoria Calatrava wished everyone seasons greetings.

PUERTA DE EUROPA: More than 500 enjoyed the lunch.

Growing marihuana indoors GUARDIA CIVIL from Garrucha arrested a 38-year-old resident of Nijar for allegedly connecting illegally to the electrical supply and a drug-related crime. Guardia Civil patrolling Tahal noticed a strong smell of marihuana coming from a house where they suspected drugs were being grown. Once they had located the house, Guardia Civil identified the owner and set up surveillance in the area, which helped them to observe a constant use of lights, extractor fans,

ventilators and other machinery used in indoor cannabis plantations. They requested an order to enter and search the property, where 30 quite large plants were found, as well as fertiliser, chemical products, lighting, temperature and water systems. During the search, they also found that the man had illegally connected to the electrical supply due to the high costs of energy needed for the systems which were being used. More than 7.2 kilos of marihuana in different phases was seized.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Positive outlook for tourism in 2016 HOTEL stays are expected to be up by 3 per cent in Almeria in 2016. Following the positive results in the tourism sector in 2015, the Junta de Andalucia regional government’s Tourism Department has reported that the trend is due to continue at the beginning of the year, as stays are expected t o i n c r e a se by a t least 8.1 per cent in Andalucia. The Junta estimates that

Hotel stays will be up in all provinces, especially Malaga, Cadiz, Huelva, Cordoba and Sevilla.

in J an u a ry, h o te ls in Andalucia will see more than 1,903,000 stays, which is 142,000 more than in 2015, occupancy levels will be up by almost 1 per cent from th e s a me mo n th las t y ea r an d it is ex p e c te d th at a t least a third of the available places will be filled. Hotel stays will be up in all p ro v in ce s , e s p ec ia lly M ala g a, C ad iz, H u e lva , Cordoba and Sevilla. Almost 39 per cent will be in Malaga, with a 7 per cent rise (50,000 stays)

compared to last year, while in A lme ria , the re w ill be s ome 104,000 more overnight stays, which is 3.2 per cent more than last year according to the System for the Analysis of Andalucian Tourism Statistics (SAETA). Occupancy levels are also due to rise throughout the province. Between January and November, hotel occupa nc y le ve ls ha ve a ls o ris e n, w ith 6.3 pe r c e nt more for the whole region compared to the same period in 2014. Historical highs were s e e n in N ove mbe r in A nda luc ia , a c c ording to the Council for Tourism. The councillor, Francisco Javier Fernandez, said levels are rising more than on average throughout Spain and will result in exceptional figures.

THE COAST: Not just a destination for the summer period.

Almeria popular with tourists over the festive season TOWNS decorated their streets and squares with lights THE Coast of Almeria is also a popular destination for tourists during the Christmas holidays. This is mainly thanks to the many celebrations and events throughout the province over the season which attract many tourists, the Provincial Tourism Service reported. The 103 towns in Almeria decorated their streets and squares with lights, and held musical shows, gastronomic traditions, Christmas markets, nativity scenes, and many other tourist attractions.

The Provincial Delegate for Tourism, Javier Aureliano Garcia, said that t he Pr ovi nci al Tour i sm Ser vi ce of t he Almeria Provincial Government was doi ng a gr eat j ob i n pr om ot i ng al l t he products and tourism resources in the province. He invited residents of the province and potential visitors to take a look at some of the unique settings in the province and some of the most popular events held over Christmas.

28th San Silvestre race held in Huercal-Overa THE 28th San Silvestre race was held in Huercal-Overa with more than 300 participa nts in the a dults ’ nine kilometre race and 100 in the 3.1km route for c hildren. It attracted runners from throughout the province and from other nearby areas. The overall winner was Faisal Britt from Nerja Athletics Club, followed by local Jose Palma Ortiz, and Jose Bautista. The winning ladies were Irene Martinez and Sona Barrera. Many of the participants

CHILDREN’S RACE: Over 100 completed the 3.1km route. carried out the race in fancy dress and the prize for the most numerous group in Fancy Dress went to locals

from the Athletics Club. The Mayor, Dom i ngo Fernandez, congratulated all of the athletes.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

IN the early hours of Christmas Eve, a vehicle crashed into a bar in the Pescaderia District of Almeria, wreck-

ing the inside. According to a report in local Spanish daily, La Voz de Almeria, at around 6am,

the ow ne r w a s ins ide pre pa ring for the me a ls which were due to be held throughout the da y a nd e ve ning, w he n a ve hic le with four young occupants le ft the rounda bout a nd crashed into the metal shutters. The front of the vehicle knoc ke d dow n the ba r where customers normally drink, but the ow ne r w a s uninjured because she was in the kitchen at the time. The door w a s tota lly wrecked and serious damage was caused, meaning the establishment had to rema in c los e d a ll da y. O n Christmas Day, however, they reopened to customers with reservations, even if it meant opening an extra part of the dining room. The occupants of the vehicle were also uninjured and able to walk away from the wrecked vehicle.

Photos Luis Gimenez

Bar is wrecked in crash early on Christmas Eve

SPECIAL DEDICATION: By way of thanks from the Brotherhood.

Local Police made honorary Brothers THANKS for accepting invitation to be part of ‘family’ LOCAL POLICE in Cuevas del Almanzora have received the honorary title of Brothers of the religious Brotherhood of San Juan Evangelista and Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza. The local town hall has approved the authorisation for the Local Police force to be named as Brothers following a request from the Brotherhood, that wished to thank them for their special dedication to the group and to the residents of Cuevas del Almanzora in general. From now on, the Local Police will attend events held by the Brotherhood and will represent the local council. The mayor, Antonio Fernandez and the rest of the local council, including the Chief of the Local Police, the Guardia Civil Sergeant and the local judge, took part in the event which was held at Nuestra Señora

BROTHERS: Of religious Brotherhood. de la Encarnacion Church in the town. The Big Brother, Francisco Campoy, representing all of the Brotherhood, thanked the town hall and especially the Local Police for accepting the invitation to become part of what he called a “family.”

Bank teller facing prison A BANK teller is facing fiveand-a-half years in prison accused of stealing €174,187 from 21 elderly clients between 2004 and 2010. The Public Prosecutor maintains the man, who had been working at the bank for 17 years, had taken advantage of the relationship he had with the clients and his position within the bank, and charged money to their accounts without their knowledge. He is also accused of forging their signatures and tampering with data on bank documents. The accused may face two fines of €6 per day for nine months, as well as €93,187 to the bank for civil liability.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Injured eagle located LOCAL POLICE in Huercal-Overa found an injured eagle which they gave to officers from the Guardia Civil Nature Protection Service, Seprona. A local resident spotted the eagle in the countryside and reported its whereabouts. The Local Police found it and discovered it had an injury to one wing, they in turn alerted Seprona. The eagle was taken to the Centre for the Recovery of Endangered Species (CREA).

HANDMADE GOODS: At the many different stalls.

MEDIEVAL MARKET: Something for all the family.

A trip back in time THERE were street performances and workshops AS part of Christmas celebrations in Huercal-Overa there was a medieval market in the Plaza Mayor. Locals visited the stalls with foods and handmade goods for both children and adults. It was open in the morning and afternoon and there were also street performances, workshops, exhibitions of birds of prey and

fire shows, amongst others. The ‘Royal Postman’ was also in the square to collect children’s letters to the Three Wise Men. The councillor for Commerce, Monica Navarro, visited the market and commented on how enjoyable it had been for the whole family. She also held one of the birds of prey.

MONICA NAVARRO: Visited market.

Professional training for locals MORE than 200 people have registered to take part in the courses at the Aula Mentor in Huercal-Overa since 2012. In 2015, 40 people registered on courses which included computer technology, graphic design, accountancy, English or geriatric care. There have been 15 exam sessions for the pupils from throughout the province and the next will be in February. The mayor, Domingo Fernandez, said that the courses had been very popular, especially because they can be taken at home and only the exams require the presence of the students. He also said that the council will continue to offer locals new opportunities for training and starting their own businesses with 170 courses for students and professionals. To find out more about the courses,

TRAINING COURSES: More than 200 people have registered to take part. visit www.aulamentor.es. Registration is open all year at the Teatro Villa in the town from 10.30am

to 12.30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Thursdays.

Companies owe €206.1 million to the tax office TH ER E a re 78 c ompa nie s in A lme ria which owe the Tax Office €206.1 million in total. For the first time, the Tax Office has released a list of the companies which, at the end of July 2015, had debts of more than €1 million. There are 4,855 companies and people throughout Spain with a debt of more than €15,600. M os t of the c ompa nie s in A lme ria

which are on the list are in the real estate sector, and are promoters and assets management companies. In many cases, they have initiated bankruptcy procedures. The list for Spain is 93 pages long and contains names of companies and businesses which owe money to the Spanish tax office. Anyone who wishes to do so can check on the website www.aeat.es where it will remain for three months.

Prison for shooter A MAN, 43, accused of shooting at another, 57, in El Puche district of Almeria was remanded in prison. The detainee, who lives near the victim, was arrested by National Police several hours after allegedly shooting three times at the victim, who was admitted to Torrecardenas Hospital. The detainee has a criminal record for violent robbery, drug trafficking and manslaughter.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Students take guided tour to Necropolis THE site was discovered by Luis Siret in the late 19th century THE Culture and Tourism Department of Cuevas del Almanzora Town Hall organised a trip to the Phoenician Necropolis in Villaricos for students. Stud e n t s a t t e n d i n g th e Tour G u i d e , I n f o r m a tio n and A ssi st a n c e Hi g h er Trainin g C o u r se a t th e Jaroso Secondary School in the town t o o k p a r t an d

le a rn ed mo re ab o u t the Phoenician remains from archaeologist Laura Larios. She guided them around the site, which was discovered b y L u is S iret in th e l a te 19th century. Anyone interested in visitin g th e s ite ca n o b ta in more information from the local Tourism Office or by phoning 950 548 707.

GUIDED TOUR: To learn about the Phoenician remains.

NEWS

Prison for selling drugs in Mojacar A MAN, 53, has been sentenced to two years in prison for intending to sell cocaine at a party in Mojacar. The events took place in the early hours of June 24, 2010, when the resident of Mojacar, who habitually sold cocaine in the town, as well as in Garrucha and Vera, was caught by Guardia Civil patrolling the area. He was in a vehicle and found to be carrying 31 doses of cocaine, weighing almost 18 grammes and with a market value of almost €1,070. He had the drugs hidden inside his trousers and aimed to sell them to others, as there was demand for cocaine at

the San Juan festivities. He admitted following his arrest that he had been paid €250 for transporting the drugs. The officers seized €320 in cash and his vehicle. He was sentenced by Almeria Provincial Court to two years in prison, which has now been confirmed by the High Court of Justice. The appeal against the sentence was rejected, as the court considered there was no evidence that the accused had a drug problem that required medical care. The court also considered there was no evidence that he was under the influence of drugs when he committed the offence.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS

COSTA DEL SOL

Protection of certain fish stocks PLAN to protect long-term viability of fishing industry in Marina Alta

SPECIES: Several are at risk such as hake, blue whiting and monkfish.

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

MALLORCA

AXARQUÍA

STOCKS of several species of fish, such as hake, blue whiting, and monkfish, have depleted in recent times in Marina Alta. The outlook is bleak if nothing is done. Therefore boat owner Amadeu Ros, a member of the recently created Institut de Recerca Oceanografica de Xabia (Oceanographic Research Institute of Javea), has proposed a biannual ban on fishing certain species to allow the recovery of stocks. Ros stressed the fishing exclusion zone would be temporary, in spring and summer. He also stressed the main aim was to ensure long term sustainability of stocks and the viability of fishing in the areas of Denia, Javea and Calpe.

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

New police cars

Walker rescued

Hiker rescued

Rough ride

THE Local Police of Cartagena have taken delivery of six new patrol cars. The new cars are more up-to-date and eco-friendly and have GPS, Bluetooth technology, intelligent control systems and an on-board computer.

EMERGENCY services rescued a woman, 67, who had fallen whilst out walking. It appears she slipped and suffered a fracture in one of her legs. She was taken by ambulance to hospital.

A 65-YEAR-OLD woman from Belgium was rescued whilst hiking in Chillar towards the Fuente del Esparto where she sprained her right ankle and was taken to a local health centre by officers from the Guardia Civil, Civil Protection of Nerja and Puesto Nerja.

VALENCIA Region’s Upper Court (TSJ) has rejected most town hall appeals against regulations making them responsible for the upkeep of 3,000 kilometres of main roads.

Abandoned crane A PROTEST group has complained to Catral Town Council that there has been an abandoned crane endangering residents and the environment in a half-built urbanisation in the Barrio de la Cruz.

New road THE Northern Coastal Road, which unites the districts of El Esparragal and La Ñora, has a new stretch of 772 metres open to traffic, between Guadalupe and La Ñora, which has cost €2.2 million.

Free grapes THE Bodega Restaurant Casa Cesilia in Novelda offered passengers on a number of different buses on the morning of December 31, free grapes so they could see in New Year in the traditional way.

Luceros protection THE Plaza de Luceros in Alicante was fenced off on December 29 in order to protect the gardening work being undertaken there in case the New Year’s Eve celebrations became a bit too raucous.

Driver loses control LOCAL POLICE are investigating an accident in the Avenidas of Palma when a driver, 23 years, lost control of his car and crashed into a van. The van driver, who was out of the van, was also hit.

Alcudia football THE mayor of Alcudia, Antoni Mir, presided over the inauguration of the new, improved football club facilities, the best of which was the replacement of the artificial pitch.

Cold crime solved POLICE in Can Picafort, searching for a thief, found him hiding in the refrigerator of one of the bars he had tried to rob. The thief, known to the police, was arrested for burglary.

Quad bike crash TWO women were injured, one seriously, when the quad bike they were riding hit another car. The accident occurred at a crossroads on the road which joins Montuiri with Randa. The driver of the other car was unhurt.

NEWS

Youth orchestra THE Youth Orchestra of Southern Spain gave an extraordinary performance at a New Year’s Eve Concert in Almuñecar which brought the audience to its feet with a tremendous, complicated finale.

Classrooms stay THE Popular Party representative in Motril Town Hall, Luisa Maria Garcia Chamorro, has complained the Junta de Andalucia has not included in its plan of educational infrastructures for 2016, plans to eliminate the prefabricated classrooms of the Colegio Publico Cardenal Belluga of Los Alamos in Motril.

Roldan Olives ROLDAN OLIVES which specialises in the production and marketing of olives has announced it will change the principal thrust of the family business which is nearly 50 years old to promote franchises, as the company which is the main supplier of Aloreña olives, is the first in Spain to obtain the Denomination of Protected Origin for its olives.

For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com

Shining bright THE region’s 112 emergency phone line received numerous reports of a bright light in the sky at 8am. It was a meteorite briefly visible in Alicante, Valencia and Castellon provinces, it was reported.

Ripe for picking THE nispero season will arrive a month early this year, as fruit is already ripening in the unseasonably high temperatures. A few of the earliest varieties were picked in December, Callosa and Marina Baja growers said.

Green project GANDIA’S municipal allotments project is expected to be up and running by next February. The town hall received 92 requests for one of the 80 available plots of land and has already allocated 65.

Dual purpose THE regional Environment department installed nesting boxes for small birds of prey on the Pego-Oliva marsh. Their presence will deter insects that have a negative impact on rice-growing.

GP App success THE mobile phone App Salud Responde, which enables people to book appointments with their doctors and health centres, has proved to be a big hit with the public. The number of GP appointments made via the App increased 140 per cent in 2015.

Better signs INDUSTRIAL estates across Malaga will see an improvement in the quality of their signposting as the council has allocated €100,000 for servicing. Manpower, machinery and materials will be covered by the amount which has been dedicated to help enhance navigation across multiple industrial sites.

Estepona mayor A PRESS RELEASE from the PSOE office in Estepona has criticised Jose Maria Garcia Urbano, the mayor of Estepona for apparently commissioning a statue by Madrid sculptor Santiago de Santiago to place on the roundabout at the junction of Avenida Juan Carlos 1 and Calle Cristobal Ruiz Mendez at a cost of €48,279.

Golden Mile A DRAMATIC car accident caused four serious injuries as three cars were involved in a spiralling collision after a Mexican woman unexpectedly lost control of her vehicle. Three Italian tourists and an 83-year-old man were also involved in the crash which occurred on famous Marbella landmark, the Golden Mile.

Drug arrests THE National Police have arrested two men and a woman in Malaga, and confiscated 390 kilos of hashish, a car, a dinghy with its engine, drug transporting equipment and two GPS systems.

EWN top for all the news from Spain.

NEWS

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RUSSIAN P RESS

Netflix coming to Russian TV NO further details available at the moment

NETFLIX: An online media streaming service.

THE American multinational online media streaming service Netflix will begin operations in Russia starting January 2016. Multinational Korean corporation LG confirmed that Netflix would enter the Russian market via its Smart TV technology, but offered no further details.

Space wait RUSSIA’S plan to embark on a moon exploration may have to wait because of the economic crisis. Roscosmos, the country’s federal space agency is now facing budget cuts from the government, jeopardising all major space programmes.

Record oil figures RUSSIA pumped a record 534 million tons of crude oil in 2015 even as it reeled from a fall in oil prices caused by a supply glut, energy ministry data showed this week. The country’s oil and gas production last year increased 1.4 per cent year-on-year. CRUDE OIL: A record 543 million tons.

Nuclear Dhaka BANGLADESH’S state-run Atomic Energy Commission signed a deal with Russia on January 1, to build two 1,200 megawatt nuclear power plants, an investment totalling $12.65 billion (€11.6bn). Russia will finance up to 90 per cent of the total cost.

Blogger bust A RUSSIAN court sentenced a blogger to five years in jail for what it said was his extremist activity on the Internet after he urged people to attend a protest against high transport fares and criticised Russian intervention in Ukraine.

Bomb scare ABOUT 500 people were evacuated from two railway stations in Moscow this week after police were tipped off about bombs being planted, but no bomb was found.

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GERMAN

EUROPEAN PRESS SCANDINAVIAN PRESS

Majestic mistake DENMARK: The Queen of Denmark, Margrethe, set the nation’s tongues wagging regarding her traditional New Year speech this year by firstly mispronouncing the word ‘hectic,’ then fumbling through her speech notes which appeared to be in the wrong order.

U-turn for refugees SWEDEN: After being at the forefront of nations offering sanctuary to Middle Eastern refugees, and taking in more asylum seekers than any other nation in Europe, Sweden is seeing a dramatic shift in immigration policy to stem the tide. “We’re willing to do more than anyone else,” said Swedish Minister Morgan Johansson. “But even we have our limits.”

PRESS

Higher flood defences HOMES and businesses need more help to become resilient SIR JAMES BEVAN chief executive of the Environment Agency said people and communities should be helped to become more resilient when homes and businesses are overwhelmed as he defended the EA’s handling of the crisis and following criticism of EA Chairman Sir Philip Dilley’s family holiday in Barbados.

Mr or Mrs TORY MP Maria Miller, chair of the Commons Women and Equalities committee, said, “Passports and driving licences should not state if the holder is male or female because it causes ‘problems’ for transgender people.”

University cheats A NEW Freedom of Information request has found that the University of Kent has had more cheating students

BRITISH PRESS

than any other university in the country. They top the list with nearly 2,000 reported incidents over a three year period.

IT would appear that Kanye West has his sights set on becoming an English Gent. Both he and her ladyship Kim Kardashian are reported by The Mirror to be planning a move to the UK where he intends to buy a large mansion.

US visitor US President Barack Obama will travel to Hanover in April for meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel and trade delegations to promote US exports at the Messe annual technology show. He will meet German officials to work on a trans-Atlantic trade pact.

Dual position AS of the New Year, Germany took over the rotating Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) chairmanship. Because of its dual position as a member of the ‘Normandy format’ group, new hopes that this will help solve the Ukrainian crisis have been welcomed by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.

Freak wave

SWEDEN: Swedish Green Party politician Angel Villaverde from Sundsvall, has been taken into custody in Peru according to local media. The once campaigner for poor villagers who was branded a terrorist for doing so, was detained on arrival at Lima airport while on a Christmas visit to see his sick mother.

THOUSANDS of New Year party-goers were advised to avoid crowds when German police issued an alert of an imminent attack in Munich, hours after evacuating two key train stations over fears that Daesh were planning a New Year suicide bomb assault.

MEIN KAMPF, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi manifesto, will be available to buy in Germany this week for the first time in more than 70 years, after copyright restrictions ended on January 1, 2016. However, German authorities are making it clear they still won’t tolerate any new ‘Mein Kampf’ without annotations.

DENMARK: A Danish New Year miracle and triple record for proud mother Erika Eckhard, who gave birth to the last baby boy of 2015 at 23.59 on December 31, and two minutes later his twin sister at 00.01 January 1. Which also means she had twins born a year apart.

Politician arrested

Attack warning

Now on sale

Lord of the manor

Three records

NORWAY: A giant wave that hit an oil rig in the Norwegian North Sea on December 30, has claimed the life of one and injured at least two workers. The rig is now heading to shore while an evacuation takes place.

NEWS

Traffic pile-up

JAAP KROESE: Returned to Holland just before Christmas.

Keep your spirit up, and may 2016 offer you better prospects.”

JUST one hour into the New Year, a major traffic pileup took the life of a 79-yearold man and injured at least 66 others. The accident was reported by police to have occurred on the M33 near the city of Paderborn when heavy fog resulted in zero visibility.

Basic income

Cash grab

THE city of Utrecht in Holland is the latest place in Europe to introduce a monthly pay check from the government, whether people work or not. They will pay the monthly wage to a small group of people claiming benefits, in an attempt to cut out the ‘poverty trap’ with a view to extending it if it’s a success.

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has won praise as well as facing criticism for her decision in September to open Germany to a record wave of refugees as figures show a total of 1.09 million migrants entered the country.

Death of Dutch businessman BOUGHT company out from receivership in 1993 SWAN HUNTER owner Jaap Kroese, a Dutch businessman who bought the company out from receivership in 1993, and lived in Wallsend but had gone home to Holland just before Christmas, has died just days after his 76th birthday.

A letter to York DUTCH people across Holland have been showing support for flood victims in the UK. Vincent Loth, Nijmegen,

DUTCH PRESS wrote “Dear people of York, as a yearly visitor to your city, I organise school trips from Holland to beautiful York every October. I was shocked to see so many parts of York areas under water. Hope you are all well and can save your city from too much damage.

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

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LONDON - FTSE 100

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€318 million is the amount Apple’s Italian subsidiary has agreed to pay to the Italian government following an investigation into tax fraud allegations.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

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

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Record Boxing Day sales expected Nigeria NUMBER of people visiting the UK high street rose 11.7 per cent By John Smith THANKS to a long weekend in the UK with Boxing Day and its traditional sales falling on a Saturday, the retail analyst Springboard has forecast that this is likely to be a record year for sales both in shops

(€2,717,000) is the record amount of sales that Selfridges made between 9am and 10am on Boxing Day

“The government must take the big decisions on infrastructure, especially in aviation and energy, and get building roads, rail and more homes.” CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn.

Photo Credit Epizentrum Wikimedia

Quote of the Week

£2 million

BANK HEADQUARTERS: Twin towers in Frankfurt.

Deutsche Bank to sell Chinese shares By John Smith AS part of announced plans to increase its financial strength, Deutsche Bank has agreed a deal to sell its 20 per cent stake in China’s Hua Xia Bank for an estimated $4 billion (€3.66 billion) to the State-owned Chinese insurer PICC Property and Casualty Company.

and more importantly online. The number of people visiting high street shops on Boxing Day increased by 11.7 per cent compared with last year according to the company, and visits to shopping centres and retail parks also increased although not so dramatically, perhaps many remem-

“As we execute on Deutsche Bank’s strategic agenda, now is the right time for us to sell this investment,” said chief executive John Cryan according to the BBC. Earlier this year the bank said that it intends to reduce its staffing by 15,000 as well as selling a number of its businesses.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Barcelona Metro sale ACS construction group is selling, subject to final approval, 80 per cent of its holdings in Servicios, Transportes y Equipamientos Publicos, which in turn holds 50 per cent of one of the lines in the Barcelona Metro system. It anticipates that the sale will not only release capital for reinvestment but will show a profit of around €70 million for the company.

Hyatt hacking HOTEL group Hyatt is warning past guests of a security breach in its customer payment system, as it had found malware on the payment processing computers for some hotels. The company said the problem had been fixed, but advised past customers to check bank statements for any unusual activity.

The cost of the UK floods IN the view of accountants PwC, the cost of heavy flooding across northern England is likely to exceed £1.5 billion (€2 billion), with small businesses and insurance firms hit hard, and this was before the onset across Ireland and Scotland of

Storm Frank, so the final cost is likely to be much greater. The overall cost to the economy could run to about 0.25 per cent of UK domestic product, and does not take into account the irreparable loss.

bering the six-hour queue to exit Bluewater in Kent on December 21. It was interesting to note that many shoppers didn’t go out on Boxing Day until the late morning as they were busy checking websites to see what bargains were available and where.

card ban THE Central Bank of Nigeria has issued an order to local commercial banks to tell customers to stop using their debit and credit cards whilst abroad after January 2016, according to the BBC. It is anticipated that this should be a temporary measure in order to protect the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 4

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 282.98 -16.47 Associated British Foods 3,277.50 -64.50 Admiral Group 1,620.50 -38.50 Aberdeen Asset Management 279.55 -9.85 Ashtead Group 1,089.50 -29.50 Antofagasta 453.70 -15.60 ARM Holdings 1,007.50 -31.50 Aviva 499.30 -16.70 AstraZeneca 4,527.50 -89.00 BAE Systems 489.60 -10.00 Babcock International Group 994.00 -22.00 Barclays 214.13 -4.77 British American Tobacco 3,693.00 -78.00 Barratt Developments 614.25 -11.75 BG Group 977.30 -7.70 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,622.00 -66.00 British Land Co 769.75 -16.25 BHP Billiton 738.85 -21.15 Bunzl 1,851.00 -34.00 BP 348.83 -5.17 Burberry Group 1,151.50 -43.50 BT Group 459.90 -11.80 Coca-Cola HBC 1,416.00 -32.00 Carnival 3,847.50 -18.50 Centrica 214.20 -3.90 Compass Group 1,153.50 -21.50 Capita Group (The) 1,184.50 -23.50 CRH 1,931.00 -40.00 Dixons Carphone 493.50 -6.50 DCC 5,572.50 -87.50 Diageo 1,824.75 -31.75 Direct Line Insurance Group 399.20 -8.30 Experian 1,170.50 -30.50 easyJet 1,726.00 -14.00 Fresnillo 703.50 -4.50 GKN 298.85 -9.55 Glencore 86.92 -3.56 GlaxoSmithKline 1,348.25 -24.75 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,268.50 -32.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,472.00 -34.00 Hammerson 588.50 -11.50 HSBC Holdings 522.10 -14.10 International Consolidated Air 601.50 -9.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 2,580.00 -78.00 3i Group 471.55 -10.05 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,519.75 -66.75 Intu Properties 310.10 -7.20 Inmarsat 1,115.00 -22.00 Intertek Group 2,721.50 -55.50 ITV 270.95 -5.65

% CHG. NET VOL -5.50 4,308.54 -1.93 26,663.59 -2.32 4,669.48 -3.40 3,849.78 -2.64 5,677.72 -3.32 4,541.84 -3.03 14,779.82 -3.24 21,078.35 -1.93 58,475.02 -2.00 16,041.48 -2.17 5,168.02 -2.18 37,337.57 -2.07 70,950.86 -1.88 6,311.17 -0.78 34,339.73 -1.79 5,071.35 -2.07 8,129.74 -2.78 16,385.45 -1.80 6,366.46 -1.46 65,962.56 -3.64 5,449.21 -2.50 39,365.96 -2.21 5,407.60 -0.48 8,373.78 -1.79 10,988.74 -1.83 19,759.19 -1.95 8,168.37 -2.03 16,261.74 -1.30 5,757.31 -1.55 5,001.97 -1.71 47,272.45 -2.04 6,180.00 -2.54 12,088.46 -0.80 6,986.89 -0.64 5,231.94 -3.10 5,099.08 -3.93 13,579.75 -1.80 67,713.28 -1.41 4,689.59 -2.26 7,223.87 -1.92 4,803.91 -2.63 106,268.97 -1.47 12,429.74 -2.93 6,276.00 -2.09 4,724.22 -1.86 34,608.41 -2.27 4,318.66 -1.93 5,161.12 -2.00 4,527.81 -2.04 11,190.64

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Johnson Matthey 2,599.00 -58.00 Kingfisher 322.65 -6.85 Land Securities Group 1,157.00 -20.00 Legal & General Group 260.60 -7.20 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 71.70 -1.37 London Stock Exchange Grp 2,675.50 -68.50 Merlin Entertainments 447.55 -7.95 Marks & Spencer Group 437.15 -15.25 Mondi 1,296.00 -38.00 National Grid 923.45 -14.05 Next 7,137.50 -152.50 Old Mutual 170.05 -8.85 Provident Financial 3,273.00 -94.00 Prudential 1,479.00 -52.00 Persimmon 1,980.00 -47.00 Pearson 718.50 -17.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,138.50 -142.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 295.75 -6.25 Royal Dutch Shell 1,511.75 -14.25 Royal Dutch Shell 1,529.25 -13.75 RELX 1,174.50 -22.50 Rio Tinto 1,920.50 -59.00 Royal Mail 437.05 -6.95 Rolls-Royce Group 561.00 -14.00 Randgold Resources 4,203.00 60.00 RSA Insurance Group 414.05 -12.45 SABMiller 4,054.00 -15.50 Sainsbury (J) 253.00 -5.80 Schroders 2,912.50 -63.50 Sage Group (The) 590.25 -13.25 Shire 4,539.50 -158.50 Sky 1,091.00 -21.00 Standard Life 381.40 -8.30 Smiths Group 915.75 -23.75 Smith & Nephew 1,174.50 -33.50 Sports Direct International 568.00 -9.00 SSE 1,505.50 -22.50 Standard Chartered 545.60 -18.10 St James's Place 979.75 -28.25 Severn Trent 2,146.00 -31.00 Travis Perkins 1,939.50 -33.50 Tesco 145.93 -3.57 TUI AG 1,208.00 -3.00 Taylor Wimpey 198.80 -4.30 Unilever 2,848.00 -78.50 United Utilities Group 930.00 -5.50 Vodafone Group 217.60 -3.40 Wolseley 3,606.00 -85.00 Worldpay Group Ord 3p Wi 303.00 -4.30 WPP Group 1,533.50 -29.50 Whitbread 4,334.00 -67.00

% CHG. -2.18 -2.08 -1.70 -2.69 -1.87 -2.50 -1.75 -3.37 -2.85 -1.50 -2.09 -4.95 -2.79 -3.40 -2.32 -2.38 -2.27 -2.07 -0.93 -0.89 -1.88 -2.98 -1.57 -2.43 1.45 -2.92 -0.38 -2.24 -2.13 -2.20 -3.37 -1.89 -2.13 -2.53 -2.77 -1.56 -1.47 -3.21 -2.80 -1.42 -1.70 -2.39 -0.25 -2.12 -2.68 -0.59 -1.54 -2.30 -1.40 -1.89 -1.52

NET VOL 5,596.30 7,749.21 9,502.33 16,163.85 52,816.56 9,654.40 4,632.82 7,501.25 6,545.27 35,766.01 11,060.40 9,014.87 4,968.50 40,133.09 6,253.46 6,115.25 45,033.88 19,958.21 60,794.47 38,534.08 13,496.08 27,825.07 4,554.00 10,783.36 3,942.19 4,407.64 65,948.34 5,088.52 6,830.40 6,593.67 27,707.05 19,356.13 7,819.64 3,815.52 10,813.19 3,432.20 15,471.97 14,786.92 5,346.19 5,244.80 4,991.57 12,298.32 7,285.61 6,643.57 37,746.54 6,460.89 57,996.54 9,770.34 N/A 20,583.55 8,136.46

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

0.74032

1.35077 Units per €

US dollar ..................................................................1.09243 Japan yen.................................................................130.100 Switzerland franc ................................................1.08695 Denmark kroner...................................................7.46296 Norway kroner.....................................................9.64623

currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 4

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

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 150.64 -1.27 -0.84% 1.6M 69.55 -0.61 -0.87% 3.5M 105.26 -2.06 -1.92% 40.9M 144.59 -1.82 -1.24% 2.1M 67.96 -0.73 -1.06% 4.4M 89.96 -0.13 -0.14% 7.0M 27.16 -0.375 -1.36% 17.0M 42.96 -0.61 -1.40% 9.7M 105.08 -1.26 -1.18% 6.7M 66.60 -0.73 -1.08% 2.8M 77.95 -0.16 -0.20% 10.3M 31.15 +0.10 +0.32% 52.3M 180.23 -1.78 -0.98% 1.8M 132.25 -1.10 -0.82% 3.2M 137.62 -1.72 -1.23% 3.5M 34.45 -0.54 -1.54% 14.7M 102.72 -1.06 -1.02% 4.6M 66.03 -0.56 -0.84% 14.7M 118.14 -1.29 -1.08% 3.7M 52.82 -0.43 -0.81% 8.3M 55.48 -0.83 -1.47% 27.3M 62.50 -0.75 -1.19% 6.5M 32.28 -0.47 -1.44% 21.1M 79.41 -0.66 -0.82% 5.1M 112.86 -1.43 -1.25% 956.1K 96.07 -0.83 -0.86% 3.0M 117.64 -1.28 -1.08% 2.4M 46.22 -0.55 -1.18% 11.5M 77.55 -0.80 -1.02% 6.5M 61.30 -0.38 -0.62% 6.6M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 4

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Aemetis, Inc SteadyMed Ltd. EV Energy Partners, L.P. Kura Oncology, Inc. Memorial Production Partners LP Global Sources Ltd. Health Insurance Innovations, Inc. Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Iconix Brand Group, Inc. ProQR Therapeutics N.V. ProNAi Therapeutics, Inc.

$ 2.90 $ 3.13 $ 2.81 $ 8.40 $ 2.64 $ 7.80 $ 6.70 $ 11.9999 $ 6.83 $ 8.68 $ 15.04

1 ▲ 52.63% 0.66 ▲ 26.72% 0.41 ▲ 17.08% 1.12 ▲ 15.38% 0.35 ▲ 15.28% 1.02 ▲ 15.04% 0.79 ▲ 13.37% 1.1499 ▲ 10.60% 0.65 ▲ 10.52% 0.75 ▲ 9.46% 1.29 ▲ 9.38%

$ 12.20 $ 3.99 $ 2.0501 $ 16.31 $ 14.66 $ 4.42 $ 3.87 $ 20.08 $ 6.37 $ 17.33 $ 16.41

2.29 ▼ 15.80% 0.45 ▼ 10.14% 0.2299 ▼ 10.08% 1.54 ▼ 8.63% 1.27 ▼ 7.97% 0.37 ▼ 7.72% 0.31 ▼ 7.42% 1.45 ▼ 6.73% 0.44 ▼ 6.46% 1.19 ▼ 6.43% 1.09 ▼ 6.23%

Most Declined Flamel Technologies S.A. General Finance Corporation Erickson Incorporated SodaStream International Ltd. MyoKardia, Inc. Century Aluminum Company Bio Blast Pharma Ltd. Immune Design Corp. American Superconductor Corporation NantKwest, Inc. PHI, Inc.

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016/ Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Spanish retail showing an upturn SPAIN’S national statistics agency has announced that retail hiring in November grew 1.8 per cent over the last year, which is the fastest rate since Spain entered the deep recession in 2008. Spanish shops are now said to be hiring at pre-crisis levels in what is the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy. Perhaps going in some way to explaining the need for additional staff, retail sales increased by 3.3 per cent in November compared to last y e a r, wh i c h is th e 1 6 th consecutive month of growth, according to the agency. Whilst final figures are awaited follo wi n g l a st m i n u te T h re e Kings spending, many large retailers believe this will be the best Christmas and New Year period for business since the country’s recovery started. One of the reasons for higher household spending in Spain is belie v e d t o b e t h e fa llin g o il prices which have helped reduce

Photo Credit Arseniy Krasnevsky Shutterstock

By John Smith

SHOPPING: Large retailers believe this will be the best Christmas and New Year period for spending since the recovery started. costs, although the public at large did not recognise the economic growth of the country by voting

for the incumbent government. A lthough Spa in’s e c onomy gre w 0.8 pe r c e nt in the third

quarter of the year, the high unemployment level and effective freezing of wages doesn’t really

bode that well for future confidence, al t hough any posi t i ve news has to be welcome.

Minimum wage in Spain is to increase by 1 per cent DESPITE the fact that the offer of 1 per cent increase in the minimum wage by the interim government of Spain was opposed by the two main unions UGT and CCOO as being insufficient, it appears that this offer is final and will be imposed for 2016.

The UK minimum wage is more than double that of Spain This means that the monthly minimum wage will increase by just €6.60 from €648.60 to €655.20, which is hardly likely to spur growth in consumer spending, although there could in theory be a review should a different government come into power in the next few months.

INSUFFICIENT: Increase is unlikely to spur growth in spending. By comparison, minimum wages in the UK, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and France are all more than double that of Spain.

At the same time, it has been announced that the state pension will increase by just 0.25 per cent, although this will require the extra withdrawal of

€281 million from the national pension pot which as previously reported has been ‘raided’ by the government during its last full term.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

7 - 13 January 2016/ Costa de Almería

BANKS will set their own fees By John Smith IF you think that bureaucracy at Spanish banks is bad, it is about to get worse as despite attempted intervention from the Bank of Spain, there will be not insignificant charges if you use your bank card to withdraw cash from a bank other than your own. Initially, there seemed to be the intention for each bank to charge the user two charges, one from the bank supplying the cash and the other from the bank that issued the card, which is what the Bank of Spain objected to as this is a double

Customers will be charged for withdrawing money from a bank other than their own charge for the same service. Now, even though they have been ‘advised’ by the minister for the economy to reduce their charges, the banks have got together and decided to impose charges anyway. Whilst irritating for the consumer, it isn’t impossible to live with, or is it? Rather than each bank charging the same amount,

they have all decided to go their own way and there are two tier systems introduced by almost every bank, whereby if they have an agreement with another bank, the charge will be lower than if they don’t have an agreement with the bank whose card is being used. Just to add to the confusion every bank has a different charge with the lowest being 50 cents charged by ING with a whopping €2 being charged by Caixabank, and all the other banks are charging something in between. You know it makes cents (for the banks)!

35 Photo Credit Rob Wilson Shutterstock

New Spanish ATM charges

EWN

ATM COST: Charges range from 50 cents to €2.

OPINION & COMMENT

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

EWN

What will next year hold in store? IT will be my 77th on the planet, at one point I didn’t think I’d make it past 30! LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

WELL, yet another year looms over us. I wonder what this one holds in store. It will actually be my 77th on this planet of ours. Not bad really, especially when you consider that at one point I didn’t think I’d get much further than 30! A record number of friends and colleagues have passed this year. I suppose that is one of the drawbacks of relative longevity. If you last long enough one day they will all be gone. Not sure I want to be around for that! Anyway here we go with the year of our Lord 2016. To be honest, if you were born in 1939 that very date sounds futuristic enough to boggle the mind. When, as a youngster, I lost myself in the adventures of Dan Dare in the Eagle comics, it never dawned that one day I would actu-

INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENT: Distant planets, men walking on the moon.

ally live in the incredible environment depicted in those fantasy adventures. Instant visual communication. Spaceships to distant planets. Men walking on the

moon. Weapons of mass destruction! Odd is it not that humans can be so advanced in some respects and remain so primitive in others? We’re all still killing

each other. I reckon it’ll be about a thousand years more before we learn to live in peace with our fellow man. The abolition of all organised religions would be a step in the right direction. What mankind needs is a spiritual revolution. Something that is guided by the heart and the soul, instead of scribings in ancient manuscripts that are completely out of touch with the present day. Books that teach violence and disruption as a means of attaining the fast track to Shangri La and are so obscure in their content, they can be interpreted in any way our religious hierarchy deem fit. Dream on Leapy. So, all that remains is to thank you all for all your missives and interest. (Don’t worry, I can still take it!) Thanks also to the Euro Weekly News for still remaining one of the last bastions of free speech, and a very happy, peaceful and healthy New Year to you all. Keep the faith. Love Leapy. Leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

OPINION & COMMENT

A reflection on 2015, where did those 12 months go?

OUR VIEW

AND I give you five of my New Year’s resolutions for 2016 Colin Bird A weekly look Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-thewall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

DEAR Diary It’s New Years Day. I reflect on 2015 with the usual end of year question. Where did those 12 months go? I assess my depleted wine rack and the empty spaces once filled with Rioja and Chenin Blanc. There were other wines too, but I cannot spell their names. I make a mental note to restock at the earliest. That’s resolution number one. The Princess and I have belatedly pulled the turkey wishbone. We attempted this on Boxing Day but it was greasy and we were so ‘merry’ it

RESOLUTION ONE: To restock the wine rack at the earliest. failed to snap, so we put it in the oven to dry. Uncharacteristically I won, entitling me to make the wish for continued good health, but an hour later one of the wardrobe doors fell off its track onto my foot. It has a full

length mirror and is very heavy. It hurt. Resolution two: Leave the wishbone inside the turkey. It doesn’t work. At a Christmas party, a lady whose name I cannot remember made a comment about her

unattractive grandson who was causing mayhem. ‘Don’t they grow up fast,’ she said. It’s a silly comment so I replied, ‘Not fast enough in his case.’ This attracted black looks from our hostess so I topped up my glass and

had another sausage roll. Resolution three: Stop making remarks about other peoples’ obnoxious grandchildren. They only see them as angels. My wife loves board games, so we played Mexican Train and she thrashed me again. You either have the ability to think several moves ahead or you don’t. I don’t. I am too busy thinking of my empty glass or the leftover pork pie yelling: ‘Come and get me, and bring the Branston.’ Resolution four: Never play board games with my wife again, unless I perfect the art of cheating. Watched some comedian on TV: ‘Live at the Apollo.’ ‘Live’ as opposed to what? A cardboard cut-out? Which brought me to resolution five: To reduce significantly my output of sarcasm. It will be tough. Happy New Year.

Falling cost of oil hurts Saudi Photo Credit I Anekoho Shutterstock

REVENUES and expenditure have gone against forecast John Smith Random thoughts... AT one time, Saudi Arabia was considered immune to financial difficulty, even with its population of 30 million and a birth rate exceeding deaths by 10 to one due to its massive oil reserves and the high cost of crude oil. Now, however, with the enormous drop in oil prices, it faces something of a dilemma as in order to keep revenues up, it has announced it will increase production, but this in turn means the price of oil is likely to continue dropping which will have a knock-on effect on international oil companies that purchase its product. Following the death of King Abdullah in January 2015, his successor, King Salman has revealed the first budget of his reign which is not good news for the people or economy of the kingdom. There is an overall budget deficit of $98 billion (€90 billion), the largest they have seen, with revenues 15 per

REVENUE: Saudi Arabia faces a huge dilemma after the drop in oil prices.

FLOODS: A disastrous time.

Calamitous weather WHAT a disastrous time it has been for the people of northern England and parts of Scotland, with rain that seems to keep falling and everyone apparently unable to do anything to stop the flooding. It is bad enough to be flooded once, but it almost seems as if Mother Nature is waiting for the floods to subside before opening the clouds once again. The knock-on effect is going to be dreadful for so many people as some companies won’t be able to afford to take a break whilst their premises dry out, and unless they are very well-insured will simply have to close down leaving their staff without work at a time when they have enough to worry about. Then there are those who either couldn’t obtain insurance because of their locations and because of previous flooding, whilst there are others who simply couldn’t afford to pay the high rates which insurance companies were charging, and so have lost everything. You can’t lay all of the blame on the insurance companies as at the end of the day, they do exist to make money and when they receive such an enormous hit like this, future premiums are bound to be increased in an effort to claw back some of their massive losses. Insurance is a gamble for both sides and this year, the insurance companies will find themselves on the losing end. Whilst Mr Cameron is busy making soothing noises, time will tell whether he can, or will do anything to help those who have lost so much.

cent down on forecast and expenditure up by13 per cent also against forecast. In order to help resolve the situation and to increase income, the Saudi ministry of finance announced it would cut fuel subsidies and increase petrol prices by at least 50 per cent, which would see the price per litre which is currently 21 euro cents increase to at least 32 euro cents bringing it in line with Iran. In addition, in what is probably a natural extension, diesel, electricity and water prices will also increase. As the largest member of the OPEC oil producing states, it appears to be increasing output in an effort to put the shale producing companies in the USA out of business, but so far the result has seen an overall drop in oil revenues by 23 per cent in 2015 compared to 2014. Spending on military and security projects has increased during 2015 as have salaries to civil servants and the armed forces. Now we If the economy continues to suffer want to and the increase in oil production does hear your views. not have the desired effect, then it is perfectly possible the Saudi govYOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE ernment may have to devalue the - YOUR OPINION Riyal, which is currently pegged www.euroweeklynews.com against the US Dollar.

OPINION & COMMENT

LETTERS

www.euroweeklynews.com

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

EWN

YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION

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

Fraud refund after card scam DEAR John, You very kindly wrote an article in the EWN about the problems that I had when my bank card was scammed in an ATM in Elviria in September (EWN 1577), and €3,000 was fraudulently removed from my account with my bank refusing to refund the money. Whilst this was bad enough, I also had a serious fall which resulted in me having a major operation and then I was confined to a wheelchair and a not very pleasant rehabilitation centre. Now I’m delighted to say that although not completely recovered I am able to walk and drive again and I have today (December 29) received a letter from my bank advising that I will receive a full refund of the money stolen within the next two weeks. I was lucky enough to find a very good lawyer, who was able to explain to my bank that unless the money was refunded that he would approach the Bank of Spain on my behalf, as they have recently indicated that they are prepared to become involved in unresolved cases such as mine. The combination of your publicity for my loss and my very clever lawyer means that I can look forward to a much happier 2016 than I had expected following the loss and my accident, so many thanks to EWN for your help. Vera, Elviria

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

First baby born on Xmas Day KAYLEEN from Gibraltar was over the moon with the article published in the EWN last week regarding the birth of her son William, who was the first Christmas baby born in Gibraltar, and simply wrote: Lovely, thank you :-)

DEAR Michel, I would like to thank you once again for your generous gesture of donating €250 through your Giving While Living campaign. Your contribution allowed us to obtain 210 dozen, that is 2,520, eggs to give to the Los Caputxins food bank for distribution!!!! A million thanks, a huge hug and a very Happy New Year! Jenny in Mallorca

and their two children, staying in Can Pastilla, close to Palma Airport. It will be their first visit Mallorca. Just a thought, but would it be possible to join you at one of your now, world famous Curry Appreciation Evenings? We arrive on March 26, and return on April 2. Should such an event, not be taking place when we are on the island, perhaps there might be a chance to share a half decent bottle of vino tinto. I could then explain to Gabriela (5) and Teddy (2) about arrows and things! Very best regards sir. Robert and Marie Barnes Campoverde, Costa Blanca.

Curry night

PC brigade

DEAR Leapy, Myself and my wife Marie, visit Mallorca each year. Towards the end of March in 2016 we will again be dropping onto the island, but this time with my daughter, her husband

HI Leapy I felt I just had to drop you a quick note having read your Enoch Powell article in the Euro Weekly News. Fantastic piece Leapy, well written and spot on! Any of the thousands of

Giving While Living

No respect LEAPY, why is it only sections of the British community that criticise their own and assert they are no better than the immigrants who come to abuse the UK’s generosity? It’s something I’ve never understood. There’s not another nationality in the world that does this. No wonder immigrants don’t respect our country when we can’t respect it either. Annie Via website

Puzzle errors

CHRISTMAS BABY: Kayleen and her son William.

fluffy Liberals and PC brigade who appear to have an ever increasing voice in England, as well of course as the BBC which is clearly run by them would be hard pressed to accuse you of anything resembling racism with that article – much as they will try. I’m a person who grew up in the 50s and 60s so remember this speech very well and goodness me how his words have come to fruition… I, like you, now live in Spain and have done since 2000, and so from the ‘outside’ so to speak see my beloved England sinking further and further as time goes by, I think it’s all too late now to get our Country and our Anglo Saxon identity back – stable door and all that! Too late for our generation, it’s our children and more so our grandchildren I fear for. Rant over, once again great piece, jolly well done. Wishing you and your family a Very Happy New Year! Best wishes John San Roque, Cadiz

Wonderful donation DEAR Michel, It’s people like you who allow us to do what we do. This is a wonderful donation, thank you very much. We were hoping to be able to do some events and outings for the children over the Christmas period as they all get stuck in the homes and get quite bored, so Star Wars here we come, the kids will love it! Brilliant! We also put in food and goodies so they don’t miss out. The Bags For Christmas Appeal has done very well again this year and we have given the homes new pjs, slippers, underwear and loads of presents, we also have quite a bit of gels, shampoo and toothbrushes etc for the homes. We wish you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2016. With loads of love, Tony and Lucy Make A Smile

MAY I first wish you all a Happy New Year! This is the first time that I have EVER written to a newspaper (and I’m nearly 80 years old!), so bear with me if I ramble a bit! I have been enjoying your paper here for nearly 10 years now and particularly like the puzzles section, they say doing puzzles keeps the brain active and stops you vegetating!! But you really got me all of a twist last week with the nonagram (my favourite). Could you please tell us what dictionary you use to validify all the words you use?! The rules state quite clearly NO PLURALS, so how can you have CHESTNUTS as the nine letter word? Likewise the following words: Chests, tenths, chutes, tushes, hues, huts, hens and thens, and the word echt I cannot even find in either of my dictionaries! I don’t mind finding the odd word I’ve never heard of and can’t find, but I think you’ve overdone it with this one! I’m all for learning new words to add to my vocabulary, even at my advanced age but this is stretching it a bit too far and I felt I had to comment. This week’s puzzle has gone the other way, you gave a target of 16 and so far I have 24 valid words (all in the dictionary!) Thank you Janice Brooks, Alora Editor’s note: Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, we will look into the matter for future editions.

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

www.euroweeklynews.com

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

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 07 JANUARY

FRIDAY 08 JANUARY

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

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Dickensian EastEnders Death in Paradise BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Age of Loneliness This Week

6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Match of the Day Live BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Graham Norton Show Would I Lie to You?

11:00pm 11:25pm 11:35pm 12:25am

SATURDAY 09 JANUARY

7:00pm 7:10pm 7:40pm 8:30pm 10:05pm 10:55pm 11:05pm 11:25pm 1:00am

SUNDAY 10 JANUARY

7:05pm 7:20pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 11:30pm 12:25am

MONDAY 11 JANUARY

8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:15am

TUESDAY 12 JANUARY

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:40am

WEDNESDAY 13 JANUARY

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

11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 1:15am

BBC London News Celebrity Mastermind Pointless The Voice UK Casualty The National Lottery Live BBC News Match of the Day: FA Cup Highlights The Peacemaker BBC News BBC London News Countryfile Still Open All Hours Antiques Roadshow War and Peace BBC News BBC London News Match of the Day: FA Cup Highlights Signs

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:05am 4:45pm 5:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:45pm 11:15pm 12:00am 6:00pm 6:45pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am 12:50am 2:40am

Inside Out EastEnders Can You Stop My Multiple Sclerosis? Silent Witness BBC News at Ten BBC London News Tracey Ullman's Show Have I Got Old News for You

8:00pm

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City Silent Witness BBC News at Ten BBC London News Reggie Yates' Extreme UK A Simple Plan

7:00pm 7:30pm

BBC London News The One Show Dickensian Would I Lie to You? Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough BBC News at Ten BBC London News Match of the Day Masters Snooker Extra

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

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

Great British Railway Journeys Celebrity Antiques Road Trip World's Sneakiest Animals You Make Me Feel Like Dancing The Clare Balding Show Newsnight Darts

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm

Great British Railway Journeys Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Mastermind What to Buy and Why Royal Wives at War QI Newsnight Darts

8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

For What It's Worth Darts Flog It! World's Sneakiest Animals Victorian Bakers Dad's Army Live at the Apollo Insert Name Here QI XL Dragons' Den Ski Sunday Darts Dragons' Den My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles Stephen Fry: A Life on Screen Masters Snooker Highlights Disconnect Countryfile Celebrity Antiques Road Trip University Challenge Only Connect Immortal Egypt with Joann Fletcher Insert Name Here Newsnight Masters Snooker Highlights Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Victorian Bakers Stargazing 2016 Stargazing: Back to Earth Newsnight Race to Super Bowl 50 Great British Railway Journeys Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Trust Me, I'm a Doctor Stargazing 2016 Russell Howard's Good News Newsnight Masters Snooker Highlights

10:00pm 12:15am

9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 12:10am 7:15pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:15pm 11:20pm 11:35pm 2:15am 8:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:15pm

12:15am 1:15am

Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale Birds of a Feather Jericho Trawlermen Tales

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martin Lewis Money Show Coronation Street Mr Selfridge ITV News at Ten and Weather Birds of a Feather Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

4:10pm 5:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 1:05am

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 10:00pm 12:35am 2:35am

ITV News and Weather You've Been Framed! Ninja Warrior UK Take Me Out The Jonathan Ross Show ITV News and Weather Sex and the City 2 Jackpot247

6:00pm 6:35pm 7:05pm 7:35pm

Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands Endeavour ITV News and Weather Joanna Lumley's Trans-Siberian Adventure Rugby Highlights Jackpot247

4:30pm 5:00pm 7:00pm 7:20pm

8:30pm 10:00pm 12:50am

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:30am

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 12:40am 1:35am 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm

12:40am

7:25pm

7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm 12:40am

ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Griff's Great Britain Coronation Street Benidorm ITV News at Ten and Weather Saved The Chase Jackpot247

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Emmerdale The Kyle Files Trawlermen Tales Saved ITV News at Ten and Weather Britain's Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls Double Decker Driving School

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Party Political Broadcast by the Conservative Party ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Midsomer Murders ITV News at Ten and Weather The World According to Kenny Everett The Kyle Files

4:10pm 5:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 11:35pm 12:35am

9:30pm 10:00pm 11:35pm 12:35am

6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Location, Location, Location The Restoration Man Big Fat Quiz of Everything 24 Hours in A and E

7:55pm 8:00pm

Countdown A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Amy Rude Tube Vampires Suck

7:00pm

Come Dine with Me Come Dine with Me Channel 4 News Location, Location, Location Britain's Wildest Weather 2015 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The Day the Earth Stood Still

7:00pm 7:05pm 8:05pm

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:05am

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

12:15am 12:45am

5 News Tonight Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild Britain's Bloody Crown Celebrity Big Brother Celebrity Botched Up Bodies Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

6:00pm

Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Pussies Galore: Love Me, Love My Cats Puppies Make You Laugh Out Loud Celebrity Big Brother Lip Sync Battle UK Celebrity Big Brother Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the side

6:00pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm

12:00am 12:15am

Game Changers Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs The Fantasy Football Club Sporting Rivalries Sporting Rivalries Barclays Premier League Review Football Gold Football Gold

5 News Weekend World War II in Colour World War II Battlefield Recovery Chasing Monsters Celebrity Big Brother Jason Manford Live At The Manchester Apollo Lip Sync Battle UK Tattoo Disasters

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

The Mavericks European Rugby Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs Sporting Triumphs European Rugby Sporting Triumphs NFL NFL

Over Her Dead Body The First Wives Club Herbie: Fully Loaded 5 News Weekend Star Trek: Generations Celebrity Big Brother The BAFTA Britannia Awards 2015 The River Wild Super Casino

9:00am 9:30am

The Mavericks The Sunday Supplement Goals on Sunday The Sunday Supplement Football Scottish Cup Football NFL NFL Football Gold

5:30pm

The Simpsons 17 Again Channel 4 News Ice Age: Continental Drift Walking the Himalayas Deutschland 83 The 80s: Ten Years That Changed Britain Footloose

1:50pm 3:35pm 5:35pm 7:35pm 7:40pm

Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News How to Lose Weight Well The Undateables Crashing Tattoo Fixers Bodyshockers

4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

Left to Die 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Police Interceptors Ice Road Truckers Celebrity Big Brother Gotham Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Tricks of the Restaurant Trade Travel Man: 48 Hours in Paris Derren Brown Very British Problems 24 Hours in A and E

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

Home and Away 5 News Tonight Puppies Make You Laugh Out Loud Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Celebrity Big Brother Secret Life of the Family Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

Countdown A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Mary Portas: Secret Shopper 24 Hours in A and E Bodyshockers The Undateables

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 12:55am 2:55am

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords GPs: Behind Closed Doors Celebrity Big Brother I'm an Alcoholic: My Name is... Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

6:30pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am

8:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm

11:00am 12:00pm 1:30pm 4:00pm 6:30pm 10:00pm 1:30am

6:30pm 8:00pm 10:15pm 10:45pm 11:00pm 12:00am

4:30pm

Barclays Premier League World Capital One Cup Highlights Capital One Cup Highlights FL72 SPFL Round Up La Liga Show 2015 Barclays Premier League World

Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits To be Announced Football To be Announced Football Gold European Rugby Special Fantasy Football Club Highlights

8:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 12:30am 3:30am

Premier League Legends Soccer A.M. - The Best Bits The Premier League Years Sporting Triumphs Boxing Ford Football Ford Football La Liga World 2015

9:30am 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 11:00pm 12:30am 2:00am

Big Bash League Cricket's Greatest Cricket's Greatest Cricket's Greatest Cricket's Greatest Big Bash League Cricket's Greatest The Mavericks Big Bash League Ford Football Ford Football Ford Football

5:00pm 6:00pm

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

...and the winner is nents and the world that he had won the elections. This was technically true because the PP was the most-voted party but it was a hollow victory. Those votes did not bring an overall majority and even if the fledgling Ciudadanos party backs Rajoy’s January investiture bid for another four years as president or abstains from voting against it, their combined votes will be insufficient. Despite Rajoy’s election night euphoria he must know if he makes it through the Moncloa door again his problems will only be starting.

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

...PABLO IGLESIAS who led Podemos party to third place and 69 seats in the national parliament. He will wield considerable power and definitely won’t be accused of being all style and no substance as that ponytail still needs a wash and trim.

Hollow victory IT would be tempting to say that the general election is over bar the shouting. Instead the shouting, which will have to be substituted by dialogue, is just beginning, along with the horse-trading. A triumphant Mariano Rajoy appeared on the balcony of the Partido Popular’s Madrid headquarters, announcing to his followers, oppo-

Ciudadanos BOGOF PABLO IGLESIAS: Led Podemos party to third place and 69 seats in the national parliament.

CIUDADANOS didn’t convince in the end although at one pre-election stage Albert Rivera’s party threatened to overtake the PSOE and give the PP a run for its money.

But too many voters feared a post-election deal with the PP and suspected that voting for Ciudadanos was an off-putting political bogof: buy one, get Rajoy free.

Telly addicts THE PSOE’s presidential candidate Pedro Sanchez didn’t pull it off. Winning only 90 seats he led the party to its worst-ever defeat, pushing left-leaning voters into the arms of Podemos. When Sanchez made off with the party leadership in 2014 he expected a two-way fight with the PP, not a four-way stretch including Podemos and Ciudadanos. He might have shone in the one-to-one debate with Rajoy but was eclipsed by Pablo Iglesias and Albert Rivera in their earlier cockfights. Politics entail more than televised debates, but try telling that to telly-addict Spanish voters.

TIME OUT

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Famous quote

This week

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

‘

Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications are not your life. J. K. Rowling

in history 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war 794 - Vikings attacked Lindisfarne Island in Northumberland 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of Templars at the Council of Troyes 1431 - Judges’ investigations for the trial of Joan of Arc begin in Rouen, France, the seat of the English occupation government 1559 - Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey 1569 - First recorded lottery in England is drawn in St Paul’s Cathedral 1570 - Tsar Ivan the Terrible kills 1,0002,000 residents of Novgorod 1708 - Spanish armada headed by the San Jose and loaded with gold sunk after British squadron attacks off coast of Colombia (rediscovered 2015) 1790 - First US President George Washington delivers first state of the union address 1799 - British Prime Minister William Pitt introduces income tax to raise funds for the war against Napoleon 1806 - Admiral Viscount Horatio Nelson receives a state funeral and is interred in St Paul’s Cathedral 1836 - HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin reaches Sydney Australia 1903 - Harry Houdini performs at Rembrandt theatre, Amsterdam 1912 - World’s first flying boat’s maiden flight, the Glenn Curtiss in New York 1914 - Henry Ford introduces an assembly line for Model T 1920 - Inauguration of the League of Nations held in Paris 1940 - Britain’s first WW II rationing begins (bacon, butter & sugar) 1943 - Hitler declares ‘Total War’ 1945 - US soldiers led by Gen Douglas MacArthur invades Philippines 1954 - Elvis Presley pays $4 to a Memphis studio and records his first two songs 1957 - Anthony Eden resigns and Harold Macmillan becomes PM Britain 1960 - Building of Aswan dam in Egypt, begins

Women’s wit

‘

For the longest time, you just sound like a broken record, but you have to be consistent when teaching kids. Heidi Klum

World of English

‘

Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

TELL THAT REF TO TAKE A TIP FROM FIFA THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE KICK THESE DAYS!

Kakuro

for next 7 days

Costa de Almería weather

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

TODAY VELEZ RUBIO

TOMORROW ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA

VELEZ RUBIO GARRUCHA ALBOX MOJACAR HUERCAL OVERA ALMERIA

RETAMAR GARRUCHA ROQUETAS

MOJACAR

ROQUETAS

ADRA

Alicante TODAY: Fri Sat Sun -

Benidorm

CLOUDY MAX 22C, MIN 11C MAX MIN

21 12 C 20 10 C 20 10 C

Mon - 21 11 Cl Tues - 21 11 C Wed - 19 9 C

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

20 13 S 19 12 Cl 19 12 Cl

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

Fri Sat Sun -

17 12 C 17 11 Sh 17 11 S S Sun,

16 10 Sh 17 11 C 17 13 C

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 9 C Tues - 16 9 Sh Wed - 14 8 Sh

Madrid

CLOUDY MAX 20C, MIN 14C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 11 C Tues - 17 11 C Wed - 16 9 Sh Cl Clear,

TODAY:

Fog,

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 18C, MIN 13C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

19 11 Cl 20 9 C 19 9 S

CLOUDY MAX 12C, MIN 10C

12 9 Sh 13 6 Sh 12 8 C C Cloudy,

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 12 6 Sh Tues - 12 4 Sh Wed - 12 4 Sh

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 11 C Tues - 19 8 C Wed - 18 7 Cl

Sh Showers,

CLOUDY MAX 23C, MIN 9C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

23 11 Cl 22 8 C 22 9 C Sn Snow,

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday January 2

EURO MILLIONS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 12 Sh Tues - 19 11 Cl Wed - 19 11 Cl

Murcia

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

20 13 Cl 18 11 Sh 18 12 C

Mallorca

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

CLEAR MAX 21C, MIN 11C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 20 12 Cl Tues - 19 11 Cl Wed - 18 10 Cl

SHOWERS MAX 17C, MIN 12C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

21 12 C 19 10 C 19 11 C

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Malaga

CLOUDY MAX 20C, MIN 12C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

RETAMAR

ALMERIA

MAX MIN

Mon - 23 9 S Tues - 22 9 C Wed - 21 8 Cl Th Thunder

LOTTERY

ADRA

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

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Saturday January 2

Friday January 1

17 29

Saturday January 2

Sunday January 3

37 23

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

LUCKY STARS

REINTEGRO

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Mistress America Directed by: Noah Baumbach Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Starring: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Matthew Shear, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Heather Lind and Michael Chernus

Funagram

Just Joking

Unscramble the name of a British boxer who won a world title in 2015: SEAL JAM EDGE Unscramble the name of a British track and road cyclist who won a European title in 2015: ALTAR TUTOR

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 (GARTER) and one letter in four other cells are given as

ADVENT ARTERY CORRAL EERILY ELICIT EMERGE ESCROW FILTER GARTER (10) GENIAL

In Mistress America, Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke (Greta Gerwig) - a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town - she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke’s alluringly mad schemes.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, January 9, Member of Royal Family Catherine (Kate) Middleton as she then was, married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and second in line to the throne, in April 2011 after meeting him at University. She is also the mother of his two children, George and Charlotte.

Nick Clegg, January 7, Politician, 49 English politician was the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister until 2015. He was elected MP for Sheffield Hallam in 2005. Stephen Hawking, January 8, Scientist, 74 English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge who is known worldwide for his achievements despite the fact that he is paralysed and confined to a wheelchair. Rod Stewart, January 10, Singer, 71 Rock singer who has had over 60 hit singles, three marriages, eight children and won a Grammy award for Stardust... The Great American Songbook Volume III. Jamie Vardey, January 11, Footballer, 29 Having spent his entire early playing career in non-league football, he was signed for just £1 million by Leicester City in 2012. 2015 saw him score in a record 11 consecutive Premier League matches and make his international debut for England. Nuria Bermudez, January 12, Football Agent and Actress, 36 Nuria Bermudez is a Spanish FIFA-certified football agent who became famous for revealing her personal life in public and by appearing nude in magazines and on television. Orlando Bloom, January 13, Actor, 39 Came to fame playing Legolas in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films and Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean series although he has appeared in a number of other successful films.

QUARRY RELIEF REPEAL TALLOW TAPPET THRALL TIPTOE UMPIRE UPTAKE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Relief 2 Beetle 3 Allele 4 Ingest 5 Billet 6 Attend 7 Russet 8 Slater 9 Strict 10 Resent 11 Chalet 12 Astute 13 Letter 14 Sulfur 15 Events 16 Creaky 17 Quaver 18 Strain 19 Careen

YOUR STARS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) A feeling that you should totally commit yourself to something or someone this week should be avoided. You will come up against a brick wall if a situation is forced. Time is all that is required to see things change for the better.

CAPRICORN

(December 22 - January 20)

A loss of patience with a situation shows this week but is not to your advantage. Whatever you feel, be subtle in your approach. Try to see your position clearly and the result will be that you realise you have more control than you thought.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) There may not be enough time to do everything you want, so why can't you just reorganise your life so there is? Not as easy as it sounds, Pisces, unless you learn the magic word: no. Know your limits and stick to them.

a mystery surrounds a close friend and your opinion may be sought. Hold fire until all the facts are known and you are sure a person has been honest with you because someone may try to keep you in the dark to get the right answer.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Extra pressures at work leave you feeling less than energetic. Check on your health and don't go overboard with the physical activities. Set out to become more active, socially, and maximise on relaxation. you?

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) The temptation to run round like a headless chicken is strong this week. There seem to be so many demands on your time that things become confusing. Be sure you are getting enough rest because this time of the year can be fraught for you.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Social activities are likely to change at the last minute. If energy levels are not as high as normal, use this week for planning. With holidays in mind, the summer seems far away but maybe a weekend trip will fill the gap. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Although health should be good, energy may be a little low. A bit of

LEO (July 24 - August 23) A situation could become complicated if you do not plan ahead. With a little thought and planning, matters can be kept simple which is always desirable. Be choosy about the company you keep because a bad character could taint by association.

TIME

EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

10-Star Quiz

Son: “Dad, when will I be old enough so I don’t have to ask mum for her permission to go out?” Dad: “Son, even I haven’t grown old enough to go out without her permission!”

FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: JAMES DeGALE, LAURA TROTT

NEW ON DVD

SPONSORED BY

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) A lost cause tries to demand your attention, but you must try to see the situation for what it is. Sentimentality should not come into business or be allowed to upset your home life. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Ruts are awful things to get into but even more difficult to get out of. Being cosy is one thing, but getting bogged down, mentally and physically, is another. All you need is to keep your optimism alive and use your imagination. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Are you suffering from winter blues? Although it is a common feeling at this time of the year, keep optimistic. There is so much to look forward to, in fact, that you are spoilt for choice. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Recent events have perhaps left a gap in your social life that is hard to fill. Patience is needed because it would be foolish to rush into something new if your heart is involved. Concentrating on work and other people will alleviate any loneliness. This may seem a short-term solution but it is all that is needed for now.

THAT WAS 2015 THAT WAS (Part 1) 1. Which footballer won the FIFA Ballon d’Or (European Footballer of the Year) for the second successive year in January? 2. India honoured which billionaire philanthropist and his wife Melinda in January with the Padma Bhushan award for their work on improving health in developing countries? 3. Actor Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor in February for his portrayal of which famous English theoretical physicist in The Theory of Everything? 4. Which tennis player beat Andy Murray in the Australian Open Men’s Singles Final in February, becoming the first man to win five Australian Open championships in the open era? 5. The family of which famous soul singer won a $7.3 million lawsuit for copyright infringement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. holding that Thicke’s hit Blurred Lines resembled the singer’s 1977 hit Got to Give It Up? 6. The remains of which king of England, which were discovered in a car park in Leicester in 2012, were reburied in Leicester Cathedral in March? 7. Which former Beatle was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April? 8. Which cricketer became the highest wicket taking bowler for England in Test cricket in a drawn Test match against the West Indies in April? 9. Which non-European country was allowed to compete as a ‘guest entrant’ in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in May? Its entry, Tonight Again sung by Guy Sebastian, finished fifth with 196 points. 10. What is the name of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s second child who was born at St Mary’s Hospital on May 2? 1. CRISTIANO RONALDO, 2. BILL GATES, 3. Professor STEPHEN HAWKING, 4. NOVAK DJOKOVIC, 5. MARVIN GAYE, 6. RICHARD III, 7. RINGO STARR, 8. JAMES ANDERSON, 9. AUSTRALIA, 10. Princess CHARLOTTE (Charlotte Elizabeth Diana).

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

TARGET: Average: 4 Good: 6 Very good: 8 Excellent: 10

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION agar cage crag ergo gate gear goat goer gore grot ogre raga rage toga agate agora argot cager cargo ergot gator gotta grace grate great groat agorae target toerag cartage cottage garotte regatta cottager GREATCOAT

Royalty Chris Brown Release Date December 18, 2015. In June 2015, once the Tyga collaboration Fan of a Fan: The Album had run its course, Chris Brown released the first single from his seventh proper album. Woozy ballad ‘Liquor.’ The title and cover of its parent album, however, seemed to signal a potential shift farther away from the carousing and belligerence that have dominated his work since Exclusive.

AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

Crossword

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

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Cryptic

Across: 1 Magician, 5 Code, 8 Nero, 9 Stoppage, 10 Amended, 12 Allot, 13 Albert, 15 Verses, 17 Terms, 18 Estonia, 22 Swan song, 23 Down, 24 Amen, 25 Dear dear.

Across 1 Characters in Beau Geste emphasising respect (6) 4 Takes off to find places to land (6) 9 Arrange a beat Wane (5) 10 A king beset by a depravity, greed (7) 11 Volunteer force’s excessive enthusiasm for island state (8) 12 Foundation headquarters (4) 14 Broke off from defence, as Eddie suggested (6) 16 Virginia rents out the servants (6) 19 A bill for the magistrate (4) 20 Coals are free in the Pacific (5,3) 23 Might be nicer in the South-East to be honest (7) 24 Girl having exercises to modify (5) 25 Determine to find a bed (6) 26 Volkswagen car, one in drive, perhaps (6)

Down: 1 Montana, 2 Gorge, 3 Issue, 4 Neon, 6 Oracles, 7 Exert, 11 Doris, 12 Adept, 14 Barrage, 16 Spanner, 17 Tosca, 19 Sigma, 20 Noose, 21 Bold.

QUICK Across:

Down 1 Stretchy material that may come from Castile (7) 2 Clever turn-around for public transport (5) 3 More than half the team on another date were exhilarated (8) 5 Kate chopped wood (4) 6 Replicate a time it worked (7) 7 In restaurants we demand some veg (5)

Code Breaker

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7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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8 Democrat is eager to be patron saint (5) 13 Shell out for a vehicle that will go fast (8) 15 Anti-anti-gas-explosion? (7) 17 On a lead, let off to frighten (7) 18 South African sheltering unknown dog (5) 19 Support front of building as is (5) 21 Begin to jump when surprised? (5) 22 Do business and distribute cards (4)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 17 represents M and 19 represents Q, so fill in M every time the figure 17 appears and Q every time the figure 19 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.

Across 1 Sudden pleasurable excitement (6) 4 Call off (6) 9 Have in common (5) 10 Circus performer (7) 11 Turn around quickly (4) 12 People who help to open up a new line of research, technology or art (8) 13 Have sovereign power (5) 15 State of quiet (5) 18 Watched attentively (8) 21 Young reporters (4) 24 Menaces (7) 25 Once more (5) 26 Refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing (6) 27 Pressure (6) Down 1 Jobs to do (5)

2 Become fully aware of something as a fact (7) 3 Falsehoods (4) 5 Put into a proper or systematic order (7) 6 Nautical unit of depth (5) 7 Most recent (6) 8 Motor vehicle licenced to transport fare paying passengers (4) 12 Writing implement (3) 14 Rubbish or waste (7) 15 Number of sheets of paper fastened in a block (3) 16 Bravery (7) 17 Licensed medical practitioner (6) 19 Arranges by type (5) 20 Posing no difficulty (4) 22 Causes to go somewhere (5) 23 Angler’s lure (4)

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

1 Affects, 5 Barns, 8 Gradual, 9 Lends, 10 Extra, 11 Missile, 12 Secret, 14 Begged, 17 Article, 19 Plump, 22 Peaks, 23 Earlier, 24 Obeys, 25 Shrinks. Down: 1 Argue, 2 Feast, 3 Courage, 4 Solemn, 5 Bills, 6 Running, 7 Suspend, 12 Shampoo, 13 Cottage, 15 Emperor, 16 Jewels, 18 Cases, 20 Union, 21 Parts.

ENGLISHSPANISH Across: 1 Blackmail, 7 Guapo, 8 Manga, 9 Tren, 10 Cups, 13 Spade, 14 Right, 16 Autopista. Down: 2 Ama de casa, 3 Knot, 4 Alma, 5 Languages, 6 Brass, 9 Taste, 11 Neat, 12 Drip, 15/1 Tea bag.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Fregaderos (5) 4 Hasta (5) 7 Tinte (producto) (3) 8 Escaleras de mano (7) 9 Waitresses (9) 13 Sandalias (7) 15 Goose (domestic) (3) 16 Track (path) (5) 17 Empates (en partidos) (5)

Down 1 Silk (4) 2 Daughter-in-law (5) 3 Atrocity (9) 4 Desnudo (9) 5 Dedo del pie (3) 6 Último (final) (4) 10 Now (at this time, immediately) (5) 11 Pregunta (4) 12 Abanicos (para darse aire) (4) 14 Monja (3)

E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

RACHEL takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cosy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good? books@euroweeklynews.com

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

Winter break destinations in Europe

BECAUSE winter comes in many different forms throughout Europe, holidaying in January can take on many guises. From the polar north with serious snow and sunless weeks, to enduring sunshine in the mild Mediterranean, or cosy cafe culture and festive spirit in the middle, it’s a stimulating time to visit grand cities or charming villages: with fewer queues you can fit more into your programme, and low off-season prices make travel wallet-friendly. Here we take a look at the top 10 winter break destinations in Europe. 1 Andalucía, Spain Offering the best of both worlds in the same place, in first place is Andalucia. Parts of Andalucia are further south than the African coast so expect mild or even warm temperatures in winter. Accommodation is cheap, and crowds are smaller at standout attractions like Granada’s Alhambra or Sevilla’s cathedral. Plus tapas and nightlife in the cities are as enticing as ever. Or on the other hand, head to the Sierra Nevada near Granada if you want snow, sun and winter sports action. 2 Abisko, Sweden Almost as far north as you can get in Europe on a train, Abisko in Lapland is for lovers of serious winter. The sun doesn’t rise for several weeks in December and January, but that darkness makes it one of the world’s best places to view the majestic aurora borealis. Other attractions include cross-country skiing along national park trails and husky mushing. 3 Athens, Greece It’s a right royal pain in the Acropolis trying to Photoshop 500 people out of your would-beprizewinning Parthenon photo, but in winter it’s not an issue. All summer stresses like crowding, tourist pricing, intense heat, queues and air pollution tend to disappear. It’s the best time to explore the country’s ancient heritage and get to experience local culture. The volcanic island of Santorini is a particular treat. 4 Copenhagen, Denmark For fairytale European winter, it’s hard to beat the home of Hans Christian Andersen. Forget the over-hyped Little Mermaid and head to the city’s cosy bars and cafes to watch snow flurrying outside. In the heart of town, the 19th-century Tivoli amusement park is a

Sudoku

App of the Week BBC News on your mobile The new BBC news application is designed to work on a range of mobile devices and screen sizes, whether your phone is a touchscreen one or whether you use a keypad or trackball. When you browse the mobile site, what you see will be tailored to the device you have in your hand, for example the way you move around the news sections and the number of images you see.

Play on Words N O BADO M SIERRA NEVADA: For snow, sun and winter sports action. romantic, kitsch delight in winter. It’s also home to the world’s best restaurant, Noma, but be sure to save up and book in advance; It’s busy and expensive. 5 Budapest, Hungary Couples skating hand-in-hand, breath cloudy in the frosty air - there’s nowhere better for it than the Hungarian capital’s picturesque central park Varosligeti Mujegpalya, with its enormous outdoor rink. Feeling chilly afterwards? Budapest is famous for its ornate thermal baths. 6 Market touring, Germany and Austria December and January sees these romantic historic markets pop up all over Germany and other Central European nations. Expect cute stalls selling everything from gingerbread to sleigh bells and plenty of good cheer, all toasted with a glass of warming glühwein. Famous markets in Cologne, Vienna and Munich draw the tourist crowds, but seeking out ones in smaller towns is always rewarding. 7 Bruges, Belgium The beautiful little Belgian city is one of those rare places that is just as enticing in the bleak midwinter as in summer. The picturesque snow is an excellent excuse for holing up somewhere, as if you need reasons to stay indoors: interesting interiors, welcoming taverns full of good cheer and much Belgian beer, antiques and junk shops to poke around,

gorgeous old guesthouses on the canals, candlelit bars and restaurants make Bruges a real gem. 8 Jasná, Slovakia Slovakia offers high-quality skiing at affordable prices. Accommodation and food are reasonable too, and there’s a friendliness that’s missing from some of the snootier Alpine slopes. Jasná is the best Slovakian resort, with long descents flanked by snowladen spruce trees, set in the ruggedly lovely Tatras Mountains. 9 Venice, Italy Hauntingly beautiful and rather weird, Venice’s Carnevale in February is a European highlight. Elaborate costumes and spooky masks bring the canal city’s colourful history to life. Costumed dances are pricey affairs, but you can have a ball enjoying the free events with a mask bought on the street, but be prepared for epic crowding. 10 Kuusamo, Finland If it’s the real winter you want, Finland’s thermometers have more numbers under the line than above. Few practices can match the excitement of careering through a bright white Narnia-like landscape powered by a team of super-keen huskies. Dog-sled safaris, reindeer, elk snow grouse and log cabins will form the most part of your break in the Arctic wilderness. Oh, and Vodka!

..AVI..

Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

TARGET: Average: 28 Good: 36 Very good: 52 Excellent: 64

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

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION seen seep sect seat seas neat been beep beet beets beta beat beaten beast bees beef beefs pets peat peats peas phase feet fete feta feat feats feast eaten east ease easel easy wees wets wats waste haste hasten cease teen teens teas tease tense tees best bleat bleats bleep else eels steep step stew steel sate sateen sleet sleep pest peel peels plea pleat pleats pleas please least lease lest lees elect elects yeast yeah yelp

Word Ladder WORN

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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.

TIME OUT

SHIP BACK

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

WORN CORN COIN CHIN SHIN (or CHIP) SHIP

TOP 10

BOOKS

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Answers:Bad Moon Rising, Centre of gravity.

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7 - 13 January 2016

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MEN: Need to pamper their skin and hair too.

THERE’S nothing unmanly about wanting to look good, especially when you are getting ready for a big party night like New Year’s Eve. Some guys might not be willing to admit it, but men need to pamper their skin and hair. Maybe not as much as the ladies do, but depending on your lifestyle and job it might be necessary for at least the most basic of skin care products. Take a look at the market of products available for men and see what might help that dry, oily, flaking or irritated skin or scalp. For example, did you know that a facial scrub can work wonders if you work in a dusty

Health Food Shop & Community Centre Are you looking for inspiration? You’ll be surprised at the range of natural & organic products available to inspire you.

In the Community Centre Kids Karate, kids Gymnastics Art classes, Pilates, Yoga, Tai-Chi, Salsa-size Spanish lessons and health screening

C/Malaga s/n, Albox, Almeria, Tel: 639 089 170 Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Sat 10am-2pm email: alboxgirasol@hotmail.com

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HEALTH BEAUTY

No harm in looking good for New Year TAKE a look at products available for men or dirty air environment but only remove what's on the surface of your skin, whereas chemical exfoliants get deeper to remove more dead skin cells. Here are a few products that you might find useful on a regular basis, you never know, you might find you’re invited to a few more parties.

Neutrogena Men Sensitive Skin Oil-Free Moisture SPF 30: This non-greasy formula has four chemical sunscreens that can protect against both types of harmful ultraviolet light - UVA and UVB rays and help prevent everything from wrinkles to skin cancer. Ahava Men’s Exfoliating

Cleansing Gel: Good for guys with normal to oily skin, this scrub boasts aloe and ginseng to soothe and soften. Using it once a week can help prevent ingrown hairs that can result from shaving. Gillette Foamy Sensitive Skin Shave Foam: It is basic, hydrating, lathers well, and is scentfree to reduce skin irritation. CeraVe Moisturising Lotion: This non-greasy lotion contains hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin, plus ceramides, lipid molecules that help maintain skin’s moisture barrier. If you have a specific issue, or any questions regarding products, ask your local chemist, they will be happy to help.

Dry January: will you participate? PUBLIC Health officials are recommending drinkers take part in ‘Dry January’, to help change drinking habits. Dr Yvonne Doyle, from Public Health England (PHE), said many people increase their alcohol intake during the festive season, and wanted to refrain from drinking alcohol after frequent occasions of excess. “As the festive season continues, we’re urging people to take a break and get their 2016 off to a positive start by signing up for Dry January,” she said. Research from University College London has indicated taking a month off from alcohol can cut the risk of developing life threatening illness and disease. The study, co-authored by Professor Kevin Moore, a liver specialist, monitored 102 relatively healthy men and women in their 40s. “The subjects were probably average drinkers - they drank in excess of guidelines. We studied them before and after the month,” Professor Moore said. “There was certainly substantial improvement in various parameters including the liver, blood pressure, cholesterol, and also how well the subjects slept was also a noticeable advance.” The men had been drinking an average of 31 units per week, and the women generally consumed 29, both of which exceed government guidelines. For those who took part, not only did they see improvements in their liver function, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the risk of developing type-two diabetes, and liver disease, was also reduced. After the four weeks, liver stiffness, an indication of scarring and damage, had decreased by 12.5 per cent. www.dryjanuary.org.uk

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

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SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte.

I seem to cry about everything at the moment and feel like it’s all too much. Could I be suffering from depression? These symptoms could indeed suggest a depression. A lack of energy and sadness are the main signs of this illness, which can seriously affect patients’ day-to-day life. My doctor has prescribed some pills for my depression but I’m scared of becoming addicted to them. Also, I don’t understand how pills can help with something that seems to be more emotional than physical. Are tablets really any help? Treatments for depression can generate addiction to some degree if not correctly administered yet they are usually extremely beneficial for the patient. They often help as, although symptoms seem more linked to emotions than anything physical, they are generally caused

EWN

A very happy healthy New Year 2016

Depression signs

This week we have asked the doctor a few questions about depression, something that appears often at this time of year but many people try to hide.

7 - 13 January 2016/ Costa de Almería

by alterations of levels of certain substances within the brain. How long will I have to take the medication for? Sometimes treatment may be forever but in other cases, if the depression is caused by an external element, once the problem is solved the depression is cured therefore medication can be discontinued. However this must always be done gradually rather than just stopping. Will my depression pass or will I be sad or on pills all my life? Treating depression involves more than just taking pills, and all patients should be referred by their Specialist in Internal Medicine to a Psychiatrist or Psychologist for possible therapy which can often be of great help. Sometimes this is sufficient help to allow patients to stop taking their medication. So is there a way to cure my depression without having to take pills? In many cases sessions with a professional therapist is enough to allow patients to avoid medication or reduce the amount of time they need to take it.

The Coast’s Home GP service - wherever you are - at home - in the office - in the car - on the golf course your GP will get to see you any time, anywhere. A priceless service at an affordable price.

FitFoxy

Looking Good, Staying Trim

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope the beginning of this year has put the majority of you onto a positive track to maintaining the best possible health status you can obtain whoever you are and whatever age you may be. If your goal this year is to lose the excess weight that has crept on over Christmas, within a month following a clean diet with no alcohol or junk food, you are likely to lose the few excess pounds and be back on track. However it isn’t so easy if you have allowed the excess weight to spiral over 28lbs or more. This was not just a Christmas binge. YOU NEED A PLAN When I say PLAN, I mean a proper structure with a diarised account of what you need to achieve and when you intend to achieve it by. This will mean organisation on your part with regard to: • What exercise you are planning to do • When you are going to fit it in to your day

World’s first hangover cure centre A CLINIC in Australia has become the first to offer a hangover recovery centre. The ‘Hangover Clinic’, based in eastern Sydney, offers treatment for the morning-after symptoms of ethanol poisoning. The centre’s Rod Lang said intravenous fluids can be beneficial, as opposed to fast food. He told 3 News: “Having intravenous fluids can have benefits. As for having something like Maccas, that can be debated and that’s something that I wouldn’t be recommending.” Doctors assess each patient before treatment, although it isn’t cheap. The least expensive is the ‘Jump Start’ at $140 (€128). It lasts 30 minutes and consists of an IV drip, vitamin boost, and a choice of headache or anti-nausea medicine. For $200 (€183), the clinic offers a 60 minute ‘Resurrection’ remedy, featuring an IV drip, vitamin and antioxidant boost, oxygen treatment, and headache and anti-nausea medication.

: PLAN: You can only achieve the weight loss you want if you have a structure. • Preparation of the foods that you will need to stock your cupboard with. • Preparation of your meals for work if applicable • Organising your own food around family meals Without a plan, you cannot even hope to achieve your goals, believe me I have trained a lot of people and some come to me with the most motivated ideas of how many sessions they are going to do, how they are going to clear their cupboards of any foods that are going to sabotage their new regime, and how their food treats and bottles of wine would only be con-

densed to a Friday or Saturday night. Some of them hold on to that motivation for a matter of weeks before they slide back into the old pattern of eating and drinking and I won’t lie to you, I can train the backside off someone and help them to get fit and strong. I can help them fix their back problems, weak core etc but if they cannot get their heads around the organisation of their food when they are away from me, their weight loss is always going to be minimal. REMEMBER… It is not just about your body, you can only do it by altering your mindset.

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Model plane exhibition MORE than 30 model planes were on show at an exhibition at the Municipal Pavilion in Tabernas organised by the local Air Club and the town hall. It attracted many locals and visitors of all ages keen to see how the planes, gliders and rockets work. It was the club’s first exhibition, despite it being the oldest club in the province. It was open to the public for free and included models of real historical aircraft as well as planes built by the members themselves. The aim was to let visitors see the values of model plane enthusiasts, as it is an open air sport but also a hobby focused on science, as it requires knowledge of electronics, mechanics and aerodynamics, the President of the Club, Jose Luis Sanchez said. The mayor, Jose Diaz, was also interested in seeing the work of the model plane enthusiasts first hand.

OCIAL

7 - 13 January 2016

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CENE

Keeping up the tradition of the ‘Roscon de Reyes’ TWO items are hidden inside ALMERIA City Hall’s Tourism Department organised a special guided tour to teach participants about the tradition of the Roscon de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake eaten on January 6. It is filled with cream and covered with colourful candied fruit, representing the Kings’ crowns and the jewels upon them. The Roscon traditionally has two items inside. One is a toy or trinket, which makes the finder ‘King for the Day.’ He or she gets to wear the crown which is normally included with shop-sold cakes of this variety. In some parts of Spain, money is also put in the Roscon. Meanwhile, the person who gets the other item, a bean, will be the one who pays for the Roscon the follow-

ing year. The tour included a visit to one of the city’s cake makers so that participants could see how the Roscon is made, the original recipe

ACREDITAR FOTO: Tamorlan / Wikipedia

and the types of cakes which are available. The Tourism Department aims to offer visitors the best possible experi-

GUIDED TOUR: Includes a visit to city’s cake makers. ence with activities which will make the city’s history come to life, Tourism councillor, Lola de Haro said. The visit also included a stop at the central market to purchase local products. For more information and to take part in the guided tours, ask at the Municipal Tourism Office from Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Information is also available on 950 210 538 and 950 280 748. The tours cost €2 per person and all leave from the Tourism Office in Plaza Vieja.

SOCIAL SCENE

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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New book of poetry is presented in Vera POET has found inspiration in all kinds of local, social and natural elements VERA poet Diego Alonso Canovas presented his new book at the Victoria Convent in the town. The presentation of the book ‘Desde Distintos Angulos’ (From Different Angles) was attended by the local mayor, Felix Lopez, and the councillor for Culture, Isabel de Haro. The book was published by Arraez Editors within the Poems of the South collection, and the prologue is written by the anthropologist and poet, Paco Checa. He said the most interesting thing about the book is the variety of subjects it includes. The poet has found inspiration in all kinds of local, social, natural, cultural, personal and family elements. Checa said this is surprising in a poet who is just starting his career. He dedicates poems to his wife and newborn grandson, his friends, day-to-day and often unappreciated items with sharp criticism and mordacity.

PRESENTATION: Was attended by the local mayor and the councillor for culture. He said it is original and beautiful, full of emotions and well-worth reading. Diego Alonso Canovas started writing poems and

short stories in 2013 on social networking sites and reading them at events in Almeria City and rest of the province. The book is a sample of his

work, with illustrations by Jose Manuel Ramirez Hidalgo and musical scores by Juan Francisco Soler Rodriguez.

Awards given for Christmas comps in Huercal-Overa THE Mayor of HuercalOvera, Domingo Fernandez, handed out the awards for the Christmas competitions carried out by the town hall. He was joined by the councillors for Culture, Antonio Lazaro; Commerce, Monica Navarro; Education, Belen Martinez, and for Social Services, Monica Sanchez. The competitions included Nativity Scenes, Shop Windows and Christmas Baubles. The mayor said that this year, children from local schools had taken part in the Christmas Baubles competition and that the quality of their work had been excellent. The winning decorations were on show at the local theatre and the rest were used to decorate the Christ-

PRIZE WINNERS: With the major and councillors.

CHILDREN: From local shools took part.

mas trees at the town hall and in Plaza de España, making the children a real part of the local celebrations. He also commented on how good and original the

Nativity Scenes had been, and how well local shops had decorated their windows to make it more enjoyable for people to do their shopping in the streets of the town.

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E W N 7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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SOCIAL SCENE

This New Year’s Eve goes according to plan

Photos www.co staalmeria.spectr umfm.net

REGIONAL TV channel Canal Sur returned to Almeria to welcome in the New Year despite the fiasco of the previous attempt. The Cathedral Square was chosen for the New Year’s Eve transmission which also included a public party in the historical centre. The start of 2015 was a bit of a disaster for Canal Sur, as just as the chimes started and thousands began to eat their lucky grapes, the channel cut to advertising features and the most important moment was missed. The channel had to apologise and heads rolled for the mistake. This year, however, everything went according to plan, with 24 per cent of viewers tuning into Canal Sur. It is also the third highest percentage of viewers they have had in their history and they were only beaten by national channel TVE1. A great evening was had by many locals and expatriates in the province, as can be seen in these pictures kindly sent in to EWN’s editorial department by Richard Shanley from Spectrum.

CYCLING RACE: Event was a success in previous years.

Get on your bike and win a pig NEW YEAR: A great evening was had by many locals and expatriates in the province.

Towns help to raise money for needy MOJACAR and Albox were amongst the towns which helped to raise 3,500 kilos of food for the Food Bank at the Christmas Telemarathon held in Vera. The aim of the event, organised by the councillor for Culture in collaboration with Indalo TV, was to collect 2,000 kilos of food. The first deputy mayor, Isabel de Haro, said that gestures of solidarity had been received from several

towns, from private citizens, companies, businesses, associations and others, and between them, they raised the amount. The council and Indalo TV provided the means and thanked those who collaborated. Isabel de Haro said that the Food Bank is open all year and that citizen cooperation is needed to keep it working.

Choice of 3 draught lagers, draught cider, football competitions, pool, darts, table football. Comfortable inside lounge area, large sunny terrace with sea views and much more.

Other towns which collaborated with collecting the food were Antas, Pulpi, Cuevas del Almanzora, Garrucha, and Taberno, all of which have held cultural events such as concerts and dancing, as well as the performance of ‘Aleluya’ by Paquita and Mercedes Campoy, which moved the audience and people who watched the event on TV. The organisers and participants were all pleased with the results.

HUERCAL-OVERA Sports Council has organised the fourth Piglet Cycling Race on Sunday (January 10). The winner of the general race will receive an award, and a piglet. The event, a success in previous years, will start at 10.30am for cadets and women, and at 11am for men and locals. Professional cyclists will take part in the race which has been widely reported due to the ‘different’ prize, and has been talked about in the press in the UK, Greece, Denmark, South Africa and China. The race is carried out throughout the local streets, and participants must complete 16

laps, starting and ending in Avenida Guillermo Reyna at Mercadona. The councillor for Sport, Blas Sanchez, said the race is popular amongst cyclists from Almeria Province and other areas, linking the name of the town to the world of cycling. He encouraged locals to watch the race, and thanked the sponsors and organisers. Participation is limited to 150 cyclists and registration is carried out on www.cronomur.es. There are trophies, as well as prizes such as legs of ham and bottles of wines. All participants will be given a commemmorative t-shirt and cycling gifts.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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Mobile blood unit is due in town 60 donations per day are needed to keep enough supplies By Eleanor Hawkins ALMERIA’S Provincial Blood Transfusion Centre has programmed a visit from the mobile collection unit to Albox health centre for January 13 and 14. The unit will also be visiting Macael on January 25 and 26 and will be set up in the plenary hall at Zurgena Town Hall on January 27. Centre director Aref Laarej said: “Almeria Province is self-sufficient in blood thanks to donations. Every month we make collections

to guarantee there is always enough stored to meet emergencies and for this we need about 60 donations per day.” For more information on times and places to give blood the centre has a website (www.transfusion.granada-almeria.org) and a freephone number (900 101 780). Those interested in giving blood for the first time are advised to check first whether they are able to do so as Spain follows EU guidelines which state that people who have lived in the UK for six months in a row between 1980 and 1996 cannot give blood.

Luck smiles on local shop A TICKET bearing the number 00943, which won a fifth prize on the El Gordo Christmas lottery, was sold at a sweet shop in Albox and the lucky holder won €6,000. Remedios Jimenez, an employee at the shop, said that as soon as she heard the children from San Ildefonso sing the number she thought, “I

sold that number,” although she couldn’t remember who to. Although the shop also sold a winning ticket for a National Lottery draw a couple of months ago, this was the first time it had been lucky enough to sell a Christmas lottery winner, Jimenez said.

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

FUNDS RAISED: To provide a mu

Harmon

MANY thanks go from HARMONY Community Support was started in April 2015 aiming to provide voluntary, practical and informative assistance to those in need. Since then, with the help of many volunteers and the support of local businesses these aims have been ful-

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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uch needed safe heating system for the classrooms to ensure the comfort of the pupils.

ny helping local school

m the support group to all who have helped in so many ways filled and a very successful Community Fair in October raised nearly €3,000 for the charity. Harmony were therefore very happy to be able to step in to help solve an urgent need for the school in Zurgena. On Friday December 18, Harmony presented the Direc-

tor of the school and the town hall with €1,000 to assist in providing a much needed safe heating system for the classrooms to ensure the comfort of the pupils. This has been a great end to 2015 and Harmony will be starting 2016 with the ability to fulfil

specific other needs which have already been identified. Many thanks go from Harmony to all individuals and businesses who have helped in so many ways. Telephone Monday to Friday 11am till 2pm: 634 339 192 help@harmonycharity.com

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Local businesswoman suffers violent attack WOMAN was on her way to the bank with takings By Eleanor Hawkins

JUST before Christmas a well-known local businesswoman had her bag snatched in a violent incident in broad daylight.

After parking her car in the Rambla area, the woman, a member of a family which owns a petrol station, headed up the steps towards the bridge on her way to pay takings into the bank.

A family acquaintance reported she was approached by two people wearing caps and dark glasses and one grabbed hold of her handbag. She tried to hang on and, in the ensuing struggle, was pushed down the steps. Her cries for help alerted a passing driver who stopped and managed to catch hold of one of the attackers’ arm but was punched to the floor before the pair leapt into a waiting car and were driven away by a third person. The Guardia Civil is investigating the crime and has asked for anyone with any information on the crime to contact them.

A good start to the year for people in need SEVENTY-SEVEN people from families at risk of social exclusion in Albox have been given the chance to work for two weeks thanks to a regional government employment scheme. The scheme, launched by the Junta de Andalucia regional government as part of its Social Exclusion Decree, has provided €41,312 to pay the workers a fair wage for two weeks work carrying out cleaning, gardening and maintenance tasks. “This council has always been and will always be happy to collaborate with schemes which give those in need a chance. In this case the scheme concerns local families in need who, for one reason or another, don’t have the same chance as others do of finding a job,” local Mayor Rogelio Mena explained.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Walkers reach their challenge ZURGENA residents walked a million steps By Eleanor Hawkins THEY did it! A group of Zurgena residents, including many expatriates, have reached their self-imposed challenge to walk one million steps as part of a healthy lifestyle initiative organised by the town hall and promoted by the Northern Health District. Entitled Por Un Millon de Pasos (for a million steps), the activity, split into two days’ walking sessions organised by Zurgena Sports Department, aimed to have participants, between them, walk a million steps.

More than 50 people took part in the walks, which also allowed them to explore little known parts of their surroundings including La Alfoquia, Cañada del Herrero, Los Llanos del Peral church and Cerro Limaria. On the first of the two walks the group notched up 518,238 steps and they passed the million mark during their second walk, held the weekend before Christmas. The walks not only helped locals keep fit but also encouraged integration of expatriates into the local community and were popular with local residents of various different nationalities.

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HOMES

GARDENS

Time to set your resolutions Photo by Laurel F wikipedia

2016 is upon us and now is the perfect time to think of your gardening goals for this year Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.

WITH the festive season over and a day’s rest after the Three Kings celebrations, it is perhaps opportune to set some New Year gardening resolutions before you are overtaken by the winter cut back, which may need more days of winter exercise than normal. The extra work caused by the exceptional autumn growth of many perennial plants as a result of the almost perfect growing conditions of bright sunshine, light showers and heavy overnight dews. So what are your priorities for the year ahead? May I take the liberty of offering a few suggestions. 1. Finally make the garden an ecological haven and persuade your Spanish and expat neighbours to do likewise. There are plenty of ecological insecticides, fungicides and fertilisers available in thoughtful garden centres and agricultural cooperatives, and also by email. If stuck have a look at the website of Trabe, it has an English version.

KEEPING HENS: Means you will enjoy the freshest eggs possible. When I was at school I was taught that the air we breathe in non-polluted places included 20.5 per cent of vital oxygen. I read recently that with the heavy pollution of the Mediterranean coastal belt this is now down to 19 per cent, although it was 25 per cent in the time of the dinosaurs and the appearance of new plant species. 2. Aim to eat more of your Mediterranean diet from the garden and recognise that an essential ingredient in that diet was the absorption of around

350 grams of oxygen from herb smelling air. A full description of a traditional healthy holistic Mediterranean diet is provided in chapter 3.3 of my book ‘Living well from our garden Mediterranean Style – Spiritually, mentally, physically, gastronomically and economically’. 3. With forecasts of continuing reductions in annual rainfalls in the Mediterranean regions of Spain and further increases in costs per metre, aim to reduce the watering

needs of your garden by 20 per cent or more. The book ‘How to use less water in your garden – A practical guide to waterwise Mediterranean style gardening worldwide’ considers the water needs of some 30 types of gardens, presents some 300 practical ideas for reducing water needs and in appendices presents useful plant lists of the more drought resistant plants for our gardens. 4. Complete the winter cut back asap to enjoy the dry sunny winter days and give pruned

plants the maximum time to build up strength for spring growth. 5. Keep a couple of hens to eat kitchen and garden waste and lay two or three eggs a day of top quality. Friends who regularly buy even ecological eggs say the quality of the yolks do not equal those of the eggs they occasionally have from my hens. Hens can also make good friendly pets. We started to have a couple of hens when lo-

cal producers of eco eggs decided that EU regulations had become prohibitive, and we had an interesting experience on an AVE train from Cordoba to Valencia, in president class because the tourist carriages were fully booked. Once the ticket checker had left the carriage a well-dressed, 80-year-old lady sitting opposite us laid out small bowls of water and grain on her fold down table and then took out a fully grown hen from a basket to have its breakfast. She explained to us that she lived with her chicken pet in a seventh floor apartment in the centre of Barcelona. The hen had a metre square run on the balcony with a hen-door into the kitchen where it had a further one metre run and an egg laying box. This was next to the cooker so a fresh egg for breakfast could not be fresher. 6. With that I am off for my own omelette for breakfast filled with just harvested healthy shiitake mushrooms grown in the empty garage alongside Oyster mushrooms. These take less effort than any other vegetable. Try it yourself. © Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com January 2016

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Smart homes

7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

IT began with smart phones, then we had tablets and the smart tv, smart watches, smart whiteboards in the classroom, and now we have smart homes. For those who have luckily managed to avoid the ongoing fanfare of technological advances (and probably save a bit of money in the long run), smart technologies are an advanced form of interactive computing which you can personally adapt to your needs. With smart homes, however, it becomes much more than a simple gimmick like a fitness tracker on your phone, the technology can radically alter your home life and is completely under your control if you can withstand the publicity. A smart home is a networked home, with multiple devices linked wirelessly to an outside hub, which can monitor household

HOME LIFE: Radically altered by technology.

rhythms to optimise or personalise the inside environment. Examples would be a thermometer which learns about your energy usage and takes measures to ensure you never spend more than necessary, or a smart meter which switches on washing machines when the cost per unit is at its lowest. Outside devices can monitor weather reports and adapt watering systems appropriately, or check acidity levels and email you when the pH needs upping. Smart fridges can alter temperatures depending on the contents and let you know when a particular item is running out, while smart beds can monitor

your sleeping patterns and wake you up at precisely the right moment to enhance your morning energy. The so-called ‘Internet of things’ is already upon us, with 13 per cent of UK homes already having one or more of these devices, expected to rise to 69 per cent by 2019. There are of course privacy matters inherent in this new era. The smart course of action would be to avoid becoming entirely reliant on such technology, or give away too much control to outside agencies. In the not so far away future, however, this may be more easily said than done.

Solar power saves money

MUCH more than a simple gimmick By Matthew Elliott

EWN

Photo by Steve Hillebrand via wikipedia

HOMES & GARDENS

SOLAR PANELS: Technology has come a long way. IF you’re lucky enough to have a home out here in the Spanish sun then you may have already considered installing solar panels in a bid to save money on bills, become more environmentally friendly, or a little bit of both. Solar power had something of a renaissance back in the early 1990s when, along with Sonic the Hedgehog, it was seen as something of a revolution and the way of the future. There were serious problems though, which held solar back and discouraged people from taking the leap. For starters, solar panels require quite a large investment at around £5,000 £10,000 (€6,770 - €13,550) for installation costs. Today, however, there is a variety of flexible financing plans and government incentives that

could see your panels become profitable in just a few years. With energy savings of around 50 per cent, panels can also add significant value to your property. Technology has also come a long way from the old image of a home cast in brutalist panels that only work on sunny days. Nowadays technology developments have led to a new generation of solar collectors which take up a minimal amount of space, look stylish, and are incredibly efficient, working even on cloudy days and employing conservation systems for energy over the evening. If you’re considering solar power, make sure you look up all the relevant information, from possible subsidies to any restrictions on your property so you get the best value for money.

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Behaviour is inherited

DOGS are born with certain compulsions to behave in a specific way

David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

SO much depends on how your dog gets on in life. I thought it appropriate to write about ‘inherited behaviour’ because all dogs will certainly have inherited behaviour. The behaviour of dogs, like all animals, gets inherited via genetic predisposition and genetic memory. Genetic predisposition towards certain types of behaviour or attitudes in life are inherited at birth, much like the preprogrammed default factory settings you may find

SHEEPDOGS: Know how to round up sheep without another dog showing them. on a computer or TV when you buy it new. What they govern are things like a dog’s prevailing temperament, personality and the type of behaviour

that comes instinctively to him when faced with different situations or events. As an example, everything from how readily he will pursue prey to

how confident, fearful or aggressive he will become in more testing situations, and even how strongly he will emotionally attach to people making later separation issues more likely. Genetic memory is a rather different phenomenon. If an animal repeats a specific behaviour enough times, a ‘memory’ of this behaviour eventually gets stored in its genes and cells, which is then passed down from one generation to the next. This is how birds know when to migrate or how to build nests without any other bird showing them. Or how sheepdogs know how to stalk and round up sheep without any other dog showing them. It is purely down to the effects of inherited genetic predisposition and memory. The same phenomenon is behind all different and also far more genetically magnified working instincts found in different breeds of dog. In other words they are born with certain inherited compulsion to behave in a specific way.

How lon will you pet live

LIFESPAN of a tortoise is 75 y By Matthew Elliott AFTER our recent feature on Jack the yorkshire terrier who became Britain’s oldest dog at 26 years of age, we were inundated with requests from keen readers curious to know the statistics for other pets. Hamsters, mice and gerbils can expect to live around two to three years if well taken care of, while the slightly larger guinea pig can be part of the

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ng ur ?

years family for around six years. Snakes and rabbits may be uncommon bedfellows but both will on average bring you eight to nine years of slithering fun and games. Goldfish buck the trend for small animals by living a full decade, but don’t expect to get too acquainted with your aquatic friends, notorious for their short memory. Despite Jack’s record breaking run, most dogs will

on average live 12 to 13 years, while their feline rivals can clock up around 14 to 15. For those lucky enough to have a horse, they can be with you for almost a generation with an average lifespan of 18 years. And for those who never want to have to say goodbye, a tortoise is an excellent option, as the chilled-out reptiles can potter around for more than 75 years.

Pet rights!

BUTCH: Our competition winner.

Meet Butch, our funny pet photo winner! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521508

SANDRA: The orangutan is now a ‘non-human being’. THERE is a growing movement across the world to provide legal rights to animals which may impact on whether pets can be considered the property of owners as they are now. Last year the town council in Trigueros del Valle in northern Spain voted to define cats and dogs as ‘non-human residents’. In May a US court declared that four chimpanzees held in a research laboratory should be considered ‘legal persons’ and

therefore could not be property. Over Christmas a Brazilian nature reserve took in Sandra the orangutan, who became famous after an Argentinian Court ruled that, given her thoughts and feelings, she should be considered a ‘non-human being’ who was unlawfully held in a local zoo. It remains unclear where this brave new world will end up but at the very least the courts will soon hear some interesting arguments.

WE’D like to introduce you to Butch! He is a rescue dog who was found a few years ago abandoned with some other puppies, starving and desperate. He is now part of Sheila and Richard’s fur family living in Andalucia, in a lovely home with mountain views. He is much loved member of the family and has matured into a fun-loving, sweet-natured dog. Recently, HouseSitMatch sponsored a Funny Pet Photo

competition. And out of all the entries we selected this fun photo of Butch, dressed up in a Santa costume as the winner! The winners received a £10 Amazon voucher and a free homeowner membership to HouseSitMatch.com to help them find house-sitters. If we can help you please contact us or register as homeowners directly on our website www.HouseSitMatch.com. Happy New Year to one and all!

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NEWS

Starting a peculiar reign in Spain! I CAME here back in September 1969 with my wife, son Joby and a crisp $5 bill quired such fundamental changes that I knew weren’t going to come

Ric Polansky

More than 65 per cent of America didn’t want the war but the political parties did.

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.

IT seems to be the trend lately to publish a book. I’ve been asked for mine quite often and now can warn you that it is a task well in progress. The text (as you’ve been reading) is completed. But, my preliminary stories were concerning an anthropologic metamorphosis as I grew into living here. That’s a difficult story to tell and gets more complicated if you want photos. People shots I have in abundance but as you well know I haven’t yet begun to write about those characters that made Mojacar so exciting and vibrant. When, in fact, it shouldn’t have been anything other than a backwater hideout from Franco or a place to collect seagull crap. I came here back in September of 1969. I carried with me great treasures, my wife, son Joby and to

MY BOOK: It is a task well in progress. my delight I had remaining in my wallet one crisp $5 bill. It was enough, it had to be. I was on the lam. America was tearing its heart out over Vietnam, national Gallop polls

indicated that more than 65 per cent of the country didn’t want the war, yet both political parties did. Resolute thoughts of the actual worth of a representative democracy already so stratified yet that re-

easily, if not ever. Naturally major life-changing decisions needed to be made, both drastic and almost unthinkable. Much of the pain of my transition was alleviated by the fact that my mate was of Czech ancestry and like my parents hers were also first generation Americans. A ‘leaving’ pattern had already been laid down previously with firm personal resolve. The calamitous stateside circumstances and their predestined outcome were already anticipated by my brother Paul and the rest of Europe. In reclusion, I was surrounded by comforting friends. I had envisioned that if all went right we would be in self exile for six months to a year. If not, I had

already anticipated buying myself one of those large sombreros I presumed Spanish people owned and wore, purchase a donkey and begin a new life form of existence. Those sophomoric thoughts were obviously the naivety of youth and inexperience confronting the real world. In the international papers everyday were rumors of peace, entire phrases of compromise and settlement. But, they never came to pass. Not for a long time or until the Vietcong showed their pure resolution of what the outcome was destined to become. It seems that all the youth in America already knew that, as did all the university professors. But, something as big and powerful as the government, our flag, land of our father’s - didn’t. The American Industrial complex continued to reap the benefits from explosives that slowly converted dense jungle into a parking lot. For the money spent concerning that war all of South Vietnam could have been asphalted one metre deep making it a perfect landing site for alien aircraft rather than using the distant Nasca lines in Peru.

Whoosh! There goes another year and, hopefully, some of its irritations 2015 is over and I can’t recall a year so full of irritating phrases Nora Johnson

ment can sometimes sound weirdly irritating to non-Brits. But to us Brits, the use of the stiff-upper-lip is often strangely reassuring, adding calm and self-control in these stressful times. After police tasered a terrorist who stabbed a man at a tube station in December, London Underground issued this no-nonsense, no-frills update: “Delays on the Central line due to a customer incident at Leytonstone.” WC Fields once said he spent most of his money on booze and fast cars...the rest he squandered. He was talking about money, but surely time’s important too? So, why do so many Brits squander their time whingeing? OK, had enough of all my own whingeing, next scandal please!

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

LOOKING back over 2015, I can’t recall a year so full of irritating phrases. Phrases like ‘with all due respect’ (almost always coupled with an insult or unsolicited advice). ‘It is what it is’.(In other words, ‘I have nothing helpful to say, but don’t want to stop talking yet.’ Weakest. Advice. Ever.) And, ‘Just sayin’. (Thanks for clarifying the thing you just said is a thing you are saying.) Not to mention all those buzzwords like ‘crisis’ (refugee crisis, euro crisis, political crisis, NHS crisis, housing crisis), and buzzwords relating to the economic downturn like ‘austerity’ (code for ‘the government’s broke’). TV subtitles (especially the BBC’s), essential for foreign-language dramas (though sometimes inaccurate), can produce amusingly unintended results.

NO-NONSENSE: Update after police tasered a terrorist after a stabbing in a London tube station. On a recent Match of the Day, for example, the camera focused on the former chairman of Aston Villa. “Great to see Doug Ellis here in his Villa scarf,” the commentator announced.

The subtitles translated this as ‘. . . here with Hezbollah’. Another subtitle error during an interview with Labour’s Neil Coyle about the death threats he’d received,

the MP was quoted as saying that he was trying not to let abusers ‘get in the waif doing my job’. Let’s trust she’s at least paid the minimum wage. The British capacity for understate-

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore. All profits to Cudeca charity.

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Property of the week

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Beautiful five bedroom cortijo A MUST see for all those looking for complete privacy and a real feel for Spanish country life A BEAUTIFULLY reformed five bedroom cortijo located just five minutes outside the market town of Cuevas del Almanzora. This detached 220m² property is sat on a plot of over 3,500m² and offers complete privacy with unspoilt mountain and country views. The cortijo has been completely renovated giving you a modern design which has been finished to a very high standard. The entire plot has been fenced and gated with access through a pedestrian gate or fully automated double gates for easy vehicle access. A set of stairs leads up to the front porch offering you a magnificent outdoor dining area with elevated views to the gardens and from here you can walk down to the pool via another staircase. Entering the cortijo you find yourself in a very spacious hall which never ceases to impress. To your right you have a huge living room with a separate seating area which enjoys great views. The living room is also home to a log burner

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COMPLETELY RENOVATED: Giving a modern design which is finished to a very high standard. which offers heating and hot water. The modern kitchen is accessed via the living room and incorporates spotlights, granite worktops and

plenty of storage space along with room for a dining table. There is a spacious double bedroom which has views out to the

pool. Next is a second bedroom with fitted wardrobes and at the end of the hallway you have the main bathroom with a large walk-in shower.

A staircase leads down to another living space, a master bedroom and private en suite bathroom with walkin shower. On this floor you also find the main bathroom with large shower and two further double bedrooms. Towards the end of the hallway there is a second kitchen. Externally the pool and seating area really takes your breath away. The whole area has been enclosed in a fly-free structure allowing you to soak up the beautiful views whilst being able to sit outside insect free. There is also an additional W/C. The gardens that surround the cortijo are immaculate and there are many established fruit trees. The owners have also expressed that the majority of the furniture may be included, subject to negotiation. 950 469 592 / 659 265 907 www.colespain.com

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Service, or the lack of it, still winds me up!! Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man LET’S start by saying I have been with the same mobile phone supplier for 12 years and their service, or lack of, still manages to wind me up. Every time I have a query with them I just wish I could swap to another provider, but it seems they are all as bad as each other. One of my biggest problems is their operators, and this isn’t only with phone companies, it happens with nearly all companies that offer an English speaking operator. They may speak English but they do not understand English - at least not mine. I decided to upgrade my phones so I went to my local service provider’s store which is all ramped up with their logos and products. This was last year by the way. I chose the two phones and agreed the price for the upgrade with the store manager. He told me they would be in stock within 14 days which was fine as I was going away. This was January and I returned the first week of February. I go in, ask if the phones

are there and am shown that indeed they are. As I go to conclude the transaction I notice that one phone is €50 and the other is €100 dearer. “What’s this all about?” I ask. “Price went up 1st of Feb,” I’m told. “But I ordered them in January and they have been here since then.” I’m told again that they have to charge me the new price. So I phone the company from the store and they agree I can have the phones at the old price. “Cheers! Give me the paperwork.” “Ah but you can’t have these phones.” “What? They are there on the counter!” “You have to order them direct as this store is not company owned and can’t do that offer but they will deliver them within 48 hours.” I get a phone call to confirm the order. They read out my address and it’s slightly changed because the town hall has changed the street name. “Ah sorry, it takes 15 days for us to change an address on our system.” “Ok don’t worry, use the old address.” “No can’t send it there now as you have changed it.” By now I am about to explode. But there is nothing I can do. So I wait the two weeks and finally get a note through the door saying they have tried to deliver the phones but no one was in and now we have to go to the depot to collect them!!!!!!!

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OPINION & COMMENT

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Spain change laws NEW legislation will meet the requirements of the EU AS part of a new series, we answer some common driving questions, kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers.

NEW LAWS: Will help create a standardised road network across the continent. WHILST renewing many of the older traffic laws in order to adapt to the modern world, Spain is also undergoing changes to legislation to meet the requirements of the European Union and help create a standardised road network across the continent. These changes are constantly being developed and adapted and, although many of them are aimed at creating safer roads, some of them are questionable, although they are to become mandatory in the New Year along with others. One of the changes that is causing most concern is that of pillion passengers on mopeds. From January, moped riders who qualify for the AM licence for mopeds are permitted to carry passengers, so long as the vehicle is adapted thereof. This new rule is regardless of the age of the rider. Prior to

this change, in Spain children under 18 were not permitted to carry passengers. So-called ‘Mega-Trucks’ up to 60 tonnes in weight and 25.25 metres in length are now permitted on the roads of Spain. This authorises trucks with more than six axles to travel through the road network, although special authority must be obtained so the impact on road safety can be assessed. The idea is reducing transportation costs and subsequently, passing savings onto consumers. Other law changes concerning matters related to sufferers of sleep apnea, the BTP category being removed from licences, and the government liabilities for medical costs in RTA’s involving fatalities, can be found on the N332 website in the new eBook The New Rules of the Road.

For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.

Who should do the work? I LIVE in a community of 27 units. In the shower I noticed the water was filthy, leaving a nasty residue in the bath. Our water comes from a central tank pumped to the houses. I went to the Administrator, who informed me the water system had undergone mainte-

You raise two questions here. Firstly, it is indeed quite ‘normal’ that some residue from work on a water tank or pipes leaves a residue that turns the water brown for a short period of time. The residents should

nance, and the residue from the pipes would have disappeared after running the water. It turns out a relative of his secretary has been awarded all the maintenance work. He has a cleaning company. I ask if this work should be done by a specialist company. V.F. (Costa Blanca)

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

have been warned to run the water until it cleared before using or drinking it.

Secondly, there is really no need for a specialist company to clean a water tank. In answer to your unspoken question about employing relatives, as long as they do a good job at a reasonable price, let it be.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

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Retro Malaga A NEW YEAR’S treat for Classic car and motorcycle fans will hit Malaga on January 29, 30 and 31, 2016. The third edition of the Salon Retro Auto and Moto Malaga, will be hosting a ‘Classic-fest’ of historical, awe-inspiring and momentous machines from the past. Supported by the interest of clubs, groups, exhibitors and professionals, a full show for anyone with a passion for classic vehicles awaits. The exhibition will again take place at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos (Congresses and Exhibitions Palace) in Malaga from January 29 to 31, and will put the city of Malaga in the spotlight of automobile clubs, fans and the general public in Andalucia. The organisation hopes to surpass the 20,000 attendees last year, as more than 150 exhibitors will be displaying their goods and services for ‘all things classic.’

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Clarkson Quote of theWeek

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On the McLaren P1: “And as you hurdle around in a puddle of your own faeces, grinning like an infant, the car is working on ways to go even faster.”

Some might say...

Husqvarna riders take on their first Dakar Rally

THE off-road competition is one of the most gruelling in the motorsports calendar By Steve Walsh THE Dakar Rally 2016 marks a special milestone for the newly formed Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, who will contest what is effectively the most important and gruelling off-road competition in the motorsports calendar. The 2016 edition of the Dakar Rally began with the prologue in Buenos Aires on January 2, and will be running until January 16. Riders will set off west through Argentina and follow the spine of the Andes moun-

DAKAR RALLY: Over the 13 stages riders will travel in excess of 9,000 km. tains north into Bolivia. They will then travel directly south,

criss-crossing the mountains until they reach San Juan in Ar-

gentina, where they will turn east to finish in Rosario.

Over the 13 stages they will travel in excess of 9,000 km and will be confronted with very difficult conditions that will test their navigation skills, bikes and bodies to their limits. Pablo Quintanilla said: “I am very happy with the Husqvarna factory bike because it’s reliable, very fast and very tough for this sport. This time we are not riding in Chile so there is no open desert, but the difficult navigation in Fiambala, Belen and San Juan, plus the altitude and rainfall in Bolivia will make it difficult for everybody.”

False hopes raised as Schumacher fortune dwindles THE German driver Michael Schumacher, who has spent nearly two years in a vegetative state after an accident in the French Alps on 29 December 2013, is showing slight signs of recovery, but nothing like the claims made in a German magazine stating: “Michael is very thin. But he can walk again with a little help from his therapist.”

The magazine quoted a ‘confidant’ of the racing driver as saying: “He manages to walk a few steps. He can even raise his arm.” The publication went on to describe the improvement in Schumacher’s condition as a ‘Christmas miracle.’ However, Michael Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm, has denied a magazine report which claimed

the severely injured Formula 1 star is walking again. The Telegraph reports she said: “Unfortunately, we are forced by a recent press report to clarify the assertion that Michael could move again is not true. Such speculation is irresponsible and it gives false hopes.” During this time his wife Corinna has spent a fortune to try and save her husband.

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9 Series BMW: rumour or reality?

BMW: May launch a new and innovative coupe. MANY rumours have reported on the possibility that BMW might launch an innovative four-door coupe under the name Series 9, with Rolls Royce in its sights. However, BMW’s plans regarding the launch of this model are ‘something for the future.’ According to information disclosed by the network, the German company is preparing the BMW Series 9. Very little is known about

this model, although rumours suggest it will be a large-bodied four-door coupe built on the platform of the Series 7 but with abundant cosmetic changes and equipped with highly innovative technology. Named the 9 Series, the coupe will ride on a modified version of the platform that’s being developed to underpin the next Rolls-Royce Phantom. It will be as large as it sounds, but its weight

will be kept in check thanks to the use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and ultrahigh-tensile steel. The rumours of a rangetopping BMW coupe have been circulating for years without ever materialising. Company officials haven’t commented on the report, so only time will tell whether it’s finally coming true. The next Phantom is due out in 2016, meaning the 9 could arrive as early as 2017.

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7 - 13 January 2016 / Costa de Almería

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England beat South 19th Hole Golf Society Africa by 241 runs in the first test EXCELLENT win in Durban over the world’s number one team From back page

low-carded in the recent Levante-Malaga game – a record for La Liga. • Recently, Don Howe, exWBA, Arsenal and England right-back, who also managed both his clubs and coached his country… Former Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek… El Salvador’s most-capped player Alfredo Pacheo (shot dead by bandits)… and former Wigan star Steve Gohouri (drowned in River Rhine) all lost their lives. • On Tuesday, Stoke met Liverpool in the first leg of the LC semi-final; Everton played Manchester City last night in the other ‘semi’. • Over the next four days there are 32 third round FA Cup ties including holders ArsenalSunderland, BirminghamBournemouth, Chelsea-Scunthorp, Doncaster-Stoke, Eastleigh-Bolton, Everton-Dagenham & Redbridge, ExeterLiverpool (live on BBC TV tomorrow night), Manchester United-Sheffield United, SpursLeicester (re-run of 1961 final), BOXER: Carl Frampton has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

West Ham-Wolves and Wycombe-Aston Villa. There’ll be some upsets no doubt! • And the transfer window is now open with players moving here, there and everywhere! CRICKET • England beat the world’s number one nation South Africa by 241 runs in the first test in Durban. Moheen Ali, with seven wickets, was voted ‘Man of the Match’. In the second Test which has just ended in Cape Town, England, backed by a ‘barmy army’ of 12,000 fans, smashed 629-6 declared in their first innings. Ben Stokes (258) and Jonny Bairstow (150 n.o.) put on 377 for the 6th wicket and Stokes’ double

hundred was the fastest-ever by an Englishman (163 balls) and the second-fastest in Test history. • Martin Guptill smashed an amazing 93 runs off 30 balls (50 in just 17) for New Zealand in their 10-wicket ODI victory over Sri Lanka in Christchurch. • Sadly, Sussex cricketer Matt Hobden has died, aged just 22. ROUND-UP • Jockey Michelle Payne (30), on board Prince of Penzance, has become the first female to ride the winner in the 155-year-old Melbourne Cup. • Saracens (after an impressive 26-6 win over Leicester), Bristol and Scarlets top the Aviva Premiership, the IPA and Pro12 League Rugby Union tables. • Former Harlem Globetrotter basketball star Meadowlark Lemon has died, aged 83. • Racehorse Lancelot du Lac has broken the 5 furlong track record at Chelmsford. • Gary Anderson beat Adrian Lewis 7-5 to win the 2016 World Darts Championship. Anderson is the only man Ever to claim a nine-dart finish and record a maxi-

mum 147 break in snooker… and get a hole in one in golf! CONGRATULATIONS • Several sporting personalities received awards in the Queen’s New Year’s Honour’s list. It’s now Sir Anthony (‘AP’) McCoy. Ex-footballers Denis Law and Francis Lee ,and former racing driver John Surtess received CBEs. MBEs went to England women’s footballer Steph Houghton, boxer Carl Frampton, rugby player Mark Queto, England netball captain Tracey Neville, sister of footballers Gary and Phil and BBC reporter Jackie Oatley. While cyclist Chris Froome and former tennis star and current Question of Sport presenter Sue Barker are now OBEs.

LORCA was the venue for this Best Two from four, and the final game of 2015. Eight teams competed for the win in excellent golfing conditions, the course is now in the best condition seen and is a credit to all at Lorca. The team of Alan Chippingdale, John Kennedy, Bob Tagg and Billy the Ghost, narrowly took the win on a card countback from Mike Esposito, Gary Grey, John Ball and Dave Denyer, with both teams on 93 points. Gary’s individual score of 27 points on the front 9 was the driving force in the team. Gary also had a Nearest the Pin on the 8th, and a pair of Twos on the 4th and 8th. Results: 1st, Alan Chippingdale, John Kennedy, Bob Tagg and Billy the Ghost Nett 93 2nd, Mike Esposito, Gary Grey, John Ball and Dave Denyer Nearest the Pins: 4th, Bob Tagg 6th, Nigel Greenwood 8th, Gary Grey 10th, Nigel Greenwood 18th, (in Two), Mike Esposito Twos: Gary Grey, 4th & 8th Mike Esposito, 8th Nigel Greenwood, 12th The 19th Hole Golf Society arranges weekly games around the area playing Aguilon every other week. For more information ring 610 340 653 or email gs19thhole@hotmail .co.uk.

Los Amigos Triples

THE Los Amigos Drawn Triples winners: Alan Saunders, Janet Jackson and Peter Marriott accepting their trophy at Cabrera Lawn Bowling Club.

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LIONEL MESSI: Scored his 425th goal on his 500th appearance for Barcelona in the win over Real Betis. Costa Blanca’s best guide to local sport

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Supermen: Cech, Anderson, Bairstow and Stokes Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

FOOTBALL • After a hectic Christmas/New Year period, Arsenal (two wins out of three) are two points clear in the PL from Leicester who had two 00 draws and missed a penalty in the match against Bournemouth. • Arsenal’s ‘keeper Petr Cech has broken David James’

record of clean-sheets in the Premiership – 171 in 353 games against James’ 169 in 572 outings. • Manchester United, with a terrific Rooney goal, ended their winless run with a 2-1 victory over Swansea. • Courtesy of two superb goals by Toure and Aguero, Manchester City hit back to win 2-1 at Watford. • Sunderland beat bottom club Aston Villa (only 8 points out of 57) 3-1 in an early relegation battle. • WBA completed their first double over Stoke since 1977. • Middlesbrough (winners over Brighton and Derby), Burton Albion and Plymouth are top of the Championship and

Leagues 1 and 2, while Celtic, Rangers, Dunfermline and Elgin City head their respective divisions in Scotland. • Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, PSG, Ajax and Bayern Munich all started the New Year on top of their League tables. • Just after Christmas, Lionel Messi scored his 425th goal on his 500th appearance for Barcelona in a 4-0 win over Real Betis. • Ten-man Real Madrid drew 2-2 with Gary Neville’s Valencia and then learned that their appeal for being ‘kicked out’ of the Copa del Rey had been rejected by the Spanish FA. • Twelve players were yelSTEPH HOUGHTON: England women’s footballer has been awarded an MBE.

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