Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1642

22 - 28 December 2016

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COSTA DE ALMERÍA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

SEE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE FLOODS PAGES 4 & 5

Weather cheer!

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Cool heads CALM, efficient reactions played a vital role in coping with the storms registered in Almeria’s Levante area at the weekend, the fire brigade has reported. When the orange/red alert was forecast on Friday, Levante Fire Consortium explained, all staff were placed on standby in preparation for what was to come. See page 4

Christmas forecast points to drier days Rock ‘n’ rail RAIL travel between Almeria and Sevilla was disrupted at the weekend when a train hit a rock on the line near Fiñana,

leaving it in need of repairs and meaning the six passengers on board had to continue their journey to the city by road. See page 8

Long stretch ALMERIA CITY: La Cañada de San Urbano. By Simon Firth Following the unseasonably bad weather things are looking brighter for the Christmas weekend. Weather forecasters expect little rain and certainly no huge storms. This good news follows the deaths of five people as waves of up to four metres and winds of force seven and eight battered coastal areas for the second time in a month. The death toll over December’s two weekends of heavy rain now stands at seven. The bad weather has led to absolute havoc in many communities as rivers overflowed or burst their banks and many people found their homes under feet of water. Commercially the weather has also cast an unseasonal cloud over what for many is

the busiest time of the year. In San Juan de los Terreros the Guardia Civil and fire crews rescued a man on Saturday who was found stuck and clinging to reeds and canes near a stream. His car had been completely submerged. Searches are continuing for a missing 65-year-old man who disappeared in Bedar. His brother believes the heavy rain could have disorientated him after the man was seen leaving a bar during the storm. The flooding was so widespread that special road repair

Photo by Paqui Torres

teams have been sent out by Almeria Provincial Council to mend and clear highways. Machines have been working day and night in the Almanzora, Filabres and Levante areas. Minister for development, Oscar Liria, paid tribute to the work teams but added “these damages could have been avoided if the Junta had done their job and cleared the riverbeds.” In Vera a number of ground floor homes were evacuated because of the danger of flooding. Police then laid on special patrols in an attempt to

prevent any looting. The need for round-theclock manpower meant all Levante fire service staff were placed on call over the weekend while the weather station at Almeria airport registered 70.6 litres of water per sq metre on Saturday - beating the previous record set in 2009. The excessive rain might have been good news for farmers at another time of year, but not in December. Farmers’ leaders voiced their demands for better infrastructure to collect and store rainwater.

ALMERIA’S Public Prosecutor will be requesting a 16-and-a-half year jail sentence for a man who attacked two National Police officers at the city’s Intermodal station, stabbing one in the face. Along with the jail sentence of attempted manslaughter and attacking members of a police force, the prosecutor has requested €8,375 in damages for the injured officer. See page 9

Hang fire THE mayor of Albox and the Provincial Council have reached an agreement which will allow the fire station to remain open. Officials sat down to discuss the controversial matter and eventu-

ally decided the station will continue to function with €150,000 funding from the Provincial Council and the promise of a new fire engine. See page 55

Twitchers’ treat FOR the first time a marabou stork has been spotted in Cabo de GataNijar Natural Park. Environmental officers from the Junta de Andalucia reported having seen the bird within the protected nature park and will this week be attempting to capture it on camera. See page 61

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Life-changing day! THIS is the time of year to bring your loved ones close and let one another know how much you mean to each other. It’s the same for our family, the Euro Weekly family. Our readers and clients help complete our very own circle of affection and appreciation. So at this time of year we’d like to send our greetings to you and yours, and wish you the very best of Christmas tidings and may you enjoy a peaceful and prosperous new year. From all of us at the Euro Weekly family, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LOCAL NEWS

Local is best

THE 1641 (December 15-21) issue of the Costa de Almeria Euro Weekly News contained no less than 20 local news items, demonstrating once again our dedication and commitment to delivering the news that matters most to you, our readers, in each of our six editions. Nobody does it better!

Community news VISITORS to the EWN website may have noticed our new ‘Community News’ section, currently stuffed full of Christmas news from all the local clubs, charities, theatre and church groups. Going

forwards it will feature all the latest from the Spanish expat community, and submissions (which will also appear in the paper, space permitting) can be sent to commu nity@euroweek lynews.com.

By John Smith TODAY (Thursday December 22) is the day that can change the lives of potentially thousands in Spain forever. With up to €2.44 billion of prize money on the table, the Spanish National Lottery, nicknamed El Gordo, has won a reputation over decades for spreading fame and fortune in life-changing doses. Throughout today millions will be watching it live on television and checking online to see if they are among the winners, with villages, office syndicates, clubs and associations plus bars often jointly buying tickets. Twenty children from San Ildefonso School (11 boys and nine girls aged from nine to 13) will today sing out the numbers as the various prizes are drawn with the top prize guaranteeing €4 million for a full ticket or €400,000 for a tenth. This Christmas lottery has been organized every year since 1812 by an arm of the Spanish Government now called Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and has been so popular that the draw even continued during the Civil War years. Nowadays even the government benefits, keeping 30 per cent of the total ticket spend and additionally charging a ‘profit tax’ on winnings over €2,500.

EL GORDO: Has spread fame and fortune.

There is only a limited range of numbers, but more than one ticket with the same number is offered for sale and most of the outlets only have two or three different numbers which means that there could be say 500 big winners within the same town. Although referred to as El Gordo by al-

most everyone, it only applies to the top prize and the correct name for the Government Christmas Lottery is ‘El Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad’ sometimes shortened to ‘Lotería de Navidad.’ To check if you are a winner of one of the 17 prizes, visit www.laloteriadenavi dad.com.

NEWS

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Featured News 3

Our View 6

Finance 27 - 32

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Calm against the storm By Eleanor Hawkins

Stocks 28

Leapy Lee 33

Letters 40

Daily TV 44

Time Out 45 - 48

Health & Beauty 49 - 51

Social Scene 52 - 53

Albox 55 - 60

Property 62 - 63

Homes & Gardens 64

Pets 65

Classifieds 66 - 67

Motoring 68 - 70

Sport 71 - 72

CALM, efficient reactions played a vital role in coping with the storms registered in Almeria’s Levante area at the weekend, the fire brigade has reported. When the orange/red alert was forecast on Friday, Levante Fire Consortium explained, all staff were placed on standby in preparation for what was to come. More than 50 emergency calls were registered at the station, and firefighters went to the rescue to deal with floods and help locals, including one man whose car was washed downstream in Pulpi. The fire brigade stressed the excellent coordination and calm, efficient work of the Guardia Civil, Local Police, Civil Protection and local councils in the face of complicated situations which led to minimal consequences. Prevention tasks, the brigade stressed, also help keep damage to a minimum during the heavy rain.

CLEAN UP: Firefighters dealt with the aftermath.

Search for lost man, 65, continues AT the height of the bad weather, as heavy rain made conditions both on the roads and underfoot treacherous, a 65-year-old man decided to make for home. But the man who has not been named, had been drinking in a bar near the town of Bédar and was on his own and on foot. He never made it home and has been

reported missing, leading the Guardia Civil to launch a search for him. So far, attempts to retrace the man’s likely route home have proved fruitless. The man is described as short and relatively thin with a beard. A witness has spoken of seeing a man fitting the description, trying to shelter

from the rain near a cash machine, but this has not yet been confirmed as the missing man. Volunteers have joined the search for the man who is thought to have become disorientated in the rain, but why he should not have been found so long after he went missing on Saturday is a mystery.

FLOODIN

G LATEST

22 - 28 December 2016 / Almería

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WEATHER NUMBERS

3,112 404 l/m2 29 Emergency calls received

of rainfall recorded in Beniarres

years since the Rio Segura last overflowed

5 5 70

people dead

major rivers burst banks

Municipalities with schools closed

Bid to keep roads clear AS the heavy rain lashed the region and previously dry river beds overflowed, hundreds of tonnes of mud, rock and rubble was washed away. The job of removing it from some of Almeria’s most important highways fell to a special team of engineers who have been working ‘day and night’ according to reports. Containing 10 engineers, the 30strong team have been working to re-establish traffic flows so that life after the floods can get back to normal as quickly as possible. Oscar Liria, deputy minister for development, has seen for himself some of the most affected roads but revealed that

structural damage was not a factor after this latest bout of heavy rain. In the districts of Almanzora, Filabres and Levante Almeriense, Liria praised the team for its efforts recognising that they had been working all weekend despite the harsh weather. He accused the Andalucian regional government of failing to invest sufficiently in preventative measures to ensure rivers and river beds could cope with the high level of rainfall, following months of drought. Much of the damage could have been avoided, he said, “if the Junta had cleaned the channels and done its work.”

Snow Calar Alto, Los Filabres, Almeria.

Almendricos

Almeria City.

Rio Almanzora Olula del Rio.

EWN

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OUR VIEW

Season’s greetings THIS will be the last edition of Euro Weekly News to be published before Christmas and all of the EWN family would like to wish our family of readers and advertisers the very best for Christmas and the New Year. 2016 has been strange with Brexit which whilst pleasing many has also caused worry for expats, especially those who are of advanced years and fixed income from UK pensions. The good news is the initial dip in sterling against the euro after the Brexit result has been reversed in parts although exchange rates are fragile and can drop if the news is bad. What has become clear in hindsight is on both sides of the Brexit argument there was a huge amount of misleading information and

scaremongering but 2017 will hopefully see some positive information about the rights of expats in Spain and also EU residents in the UK. By all accounts, the Spanish authorities want to make transition easy for people living and indeed visiting Spain as their contribution to the Spanish economy is so important. Many older British residents remember living quite comfortably in Spain before Britain joined the EEC and we will certainly continue to work within the community and publish Spain’s favourite English language newspaper. Wishing you every happiness in the coming year and we look forward to continuing to be an important part of the expat family within our adopted homeland.

Now we want to hear your views. YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION www.euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

Another side to the story By Eleanor Hawkins ALL is far from clear in the case of a Guardia Civil officer arrested and charged with biting off part of another man’s ear in Mojacar in September. At the time, the off-duty officer was arrested and charged after the alleged victim claimed he had picked a fight in a bar and bitten his ear. However, the suspect reported before a judge that he had in fact acted purely in self-defence. The policeman said the man who reported him had approached him when he parked his car and threatened him, leading to a short struggle which a friend managed to break up. After entering a bar, he told the judge, he heard his girlfriend shouting while he was in the bathroom and up-

on leaving was grabbed and held still by one man while his previous attacker and another man laid into him with a wooden stick and punched and kicked him. After falling to the floor, he said the man who later reported him, kneeled on his throat and he had to fight to defend himself. However, he claimed not to have been responsible for the bite to the ear and said it could have been another of the men involved in the fight. The statement led to investigations being launched regarding the alleged victim and the other men involved. Meanwhile the officer has been found not guilty of drunk driving reported by Mojacar ’s Local Police force. Almeria’s number two criminal court decided there was insufficient evidence of a crime.

Young drug farmer suspect caught with key for house A TEENAGED boy from Garrucha has been arrested for alleged squatting and growing marihuana at a

home in Mojacar. The owner of the property informed the Guardia Civil in Garrucha that he had been ab-

sent from his home for some months and upon returning found the front door had been partly broken and the lock changed. Entering through a back door, he told officers he found a variety of things which were not his, including 10 marihuana plants. After inspecting the house, which had been fitted with automated ventilation, heating, watering and fertilising systems, officers removed the plants and began investigations. These led to identification of a youth from the nearby town as the suspected occupier of the home and, after tracking him down, a search found a key which fitted the new lock on his person. The teenager was arrested for a suspected crime of occupation of another’s property and another against public health for growing drugs and the case has been placed in the hands of the juvenile authorities.

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NEWS

Brussels meets without Theresa May BREXIT PAGE By John Smith

WHILST there was a summit of EU leaders taking place in Brussels on December 15, there was one obvious absentee from a discussion on Brexit and that was British Prime Minister Theresa May. It is assumed that it would be unaccept-

able for her to be party to the plans of the other 27 members although they of course won’t come to any decision until such time as Britain formally confirms its decision to leave the Union. The imaginatively named Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David D av is h a s indic a te d tha t he e xpe c ts a smooth exit, even though he hasn’t quite agreed any strategy with his cabinet colleagues and didn’t expect to be able to reveal plans in detail before February 2017 at the earliest. This admittance that the government really doesn’t know how to proceed but is confident of success overlooks the fact that it is one against 27 and each of the 27 may well expect to have its own national criteria as well as a Federal criteria when negotiating.

Such a view appears to be backed up by the British Ambassador to the European Union Sir Ivan Rogers who according to the BBC has warned the government that the feedback he is getting from representatives of the other EU members is that it could take up to 10 years to negotiate the deal and it c ould the n be ve toe d by one or m or e members. The EU continues to make it clear that it will not enter into any advance negotiations unless and until Britain invokes Article 50 but in the meantime will be appointing a leader for the negotiating team shortly. A t the mome nt, de s pit e optimis m on the pa rt of those who wanted to see Britain leave the Union,

there seems to be more negative than positive news but once the government reveals its final policy then perhaps the future will appear more certain. One body that has moved both speedily and without any need to negotiate is the lexicographers of the Oxford English Dictionary who has now embraced and defined the word Brexit for their latest edition describing it as “the (proposed) withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the political process associated with it. Sometimes used specifically with reference to the referendum held in the UK on June 23, 2016, in which a maj or i t y of v o t e r s favoured withdrawal from the EU.”

Photo Credit: European Union

THERESA MAY: Frozen out of the Brexit discussion.

Train journeys are disrupted RAIL travel between Almeria and Sevilla was disrupted at the weekend when a train hit a rock on the line near Fiñana. The 5.56pm from Sevilla to Almeria on Saturday evening hit the large rock at 10.45pm, leaving the train in need of repairs and meaning the six passengers on board had to continue their journey to the city by road. This meant the train was not in Almeria for its

9am departure on Sunday morning and those who had tickets for the journey had to be taken by bus as far as Guadix in Granada, where they mounted another train to continue towards Sevilla, Renfe rail company reported. ADIF railway maintenance company reported that workers were sent to the scene of the incident on Saturday night and managed to clear the line by Sunday morning.

NEWS

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Jail requested for policeman attacker By Eleanor Hawkins ALMERIA’S Public Prosecutor will be requesting a 16and-a-half year jail sentence for a man who attacked two National Police officers at the city’s Intermodal station, stabbing one in the face. T h e prosecutor’s initial report

explains that the two police officers were called to the station by private security guards who reported a man was causing problems. After identifying themselves as police officers, the report continues, the officers asked the defendant to show them what was in his rucksack. At that point, he pulled out a 12cm steel kitchen knife and attacked the nearest

KITCHEN KNIFE: Was used to stab the officer in the face.

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

policeman, stabbing his face and screaming “I’ll kill you” as the officer fell to the floor. The second officer, who rushed to help, was also met with shouts of “I’ll kill you too” as the attacker brandished the knife. Eventually the unharmed officer managed to disarm and arrest the man, who was remanded in custody. Along with the jail sentence of attempted manslaughter and attacking members of a police force, the prosecutor has requested €8,375 in damages for the injured officer, who was left with a six centimetre scar on his cheek.

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NEWS

Spiky find in Almeria By Eleanor Hawkins TEN hedgehogs have been c onfis c a te d from a va n which was parked in Almeria City after police officers determined they were of a

protected species. A Local Police patrol noted a number of vehicles parked on grounds behind Maestro Padilla Auditorium which appeared to be offering goods for sale. Upon informing the owners of the vehicles that travelling sales were not permitted at the site, the officers noted that nobody had claimed to own a van parked there. Deciding to examine the vehicle, the policemen opened the back doors to find 10 hedgehogs hidden inside. The Guardia Civil’s Seprona nature protection branch and Soivre official

exports surveillance service were informed, and identified the animals as North African hedgehogs (Atelerix algirus), which are included in the catalogue of p r o -

tected species. The hedgehogs were confiscated and taken to a specialist animal shelter.

HEDGEHOG: Is a protected species.

Better to be safe than sorry THE regional government has announced it will be spending €567,000 on preventing forest fires in natural parks including Sierra Maria-Los Velez in 2017. The news was announced at the latest meeting of the local park’s governing body at Velez-Blanco Town Hall by Environmental delegate Antonio Martinez. Plans for the coming year include work to clear firebreaks and undergrowth across 168 hectares of woods within the park, involving 7,000 man-days of work. The board also decided to rely partly on grazing as an effective traditional method of forest fire prevention which will help keep forest paths and tracks clear to allow easy access

to firefighting vehicles in case of fire. In this respect, Martinez stressed the importance of prevention tasks “because they contribute to avoiding fire and help make the undergrowth in forested areas more resistant to fire.” Other plans for the coming year for the park discussed at the meeting included a trip to Germany in July regarding a proposed twinning of Sierra Maria-Los Velez with Altmühltal Natural Park. Next year it will be time to draw up new plans for the future, Martinez reported, as the governing board will be preparing the 20172023 sustainable development plans for the park and surrounding areas.

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NEWS

SPECIAL VISITORS: Delivered letters to pupils to fill in and heard requests for gifts.

A right royal visit By Eleanor Hawkins PUPILS at schools in Huercal-Overa had a special visit this week from the Three Wise Men’s pages, who delivered letters to fill in and heard requests for gifts. Accompanied by local Education councillor Belen Martinez, the pages visited Virgen del Rio, San Jose de Calasanz, Principe Felipe, Tierno Galvan, Las Estancias and De la Concepcion schools, where children received them with delight and grins. The c ounc il initia tive , Mar t i nez explained, not only aimed to bring a smile to

youngsters’ faces but also to encourage their parents to do their Christmas shopping close to home and help local commerce. As in previous years, the pages delivered letters for the children to fill in with their requests and return for delivery to the Wise Men. The councillor reported: “the children are really enthusiastic and their giggles and grins are helping us all get into the Christmas spirit with their requests. They were even brave enough to sing some of the carol s t hey have been pr epar i ng f or t hei r Christmas parties to us.”

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Smuggled smoke By Eleanor Hawkins ALMERIA may not see as much smuggling as other Andalucian provinces, it still

suffers considerable losses due to illicit tobacco sales, a new report has revealed. A huge police operation in

June this year, the largest to date in Spain, saw two people arrested and 95 tonnes of smuggled tobacco confiscated. This, combined with smaller confiscations, mostly at Almeria City port’s border points, led to the province being responsible for 21.6 per cent of confiscations in Andalucia over the first six months of 2016. The report is the result of investigations on the financial implications of illicit tobacco sales in Andalucia and Spain carried out by the Autonomous University of Madrid in collaboration with Sevilla’s Loyola Andalucia University and with support from the Center of Economic Scenario Analysis and Research. Altogether, the study found, smuggled tobacco sales caused losses of €236.6 million in Andalucia between January and June, €124.6 million of

ILLEGAL TOBACCO: Smuggling affects the job industry.

which would have been taxes. Not only that but smuggling, the report stated, impeded creation of 1,432 jobs within the tobacco industry and other interacting activities.

Another study by Ipsos, based on discarded empty cigarette packets in Almeria, reported that two of every 10 cigarettes smoked in Almeria are smuggled.

NEWS

Clean it up! THE regional government has told Berja Council it must do something about the state of Villavieja ruins, which were covered in graffiti more than a month ago. So far there has been no news on the identity of the vandals responsible for the graffiti, who local mayor Antonio Torres declared would be caught and taken to court for their crime against heritage. The police continue studying CCTV camera footage from nearby businesses in an attempt to put names to the crime. Meanwhile the Junta de Andalucia regional government has informed the council it must clean up and protect the site from future attacks of this type. The Junta stressed the works must be done by the owner.

SOCIAL NEWS

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CHRISTMAS LUNCH: Afterwards there was dancing for the livelier members.

Seniors flock to a Xmas do By Eleanor Hawkins NIJAR’S Christmas lunch for senior citizens at the weekend was very well attended with about 600 arrivals at Puerta de Europa in private cars and on five buses laid on by the council. After the lunch, local mayor Esperanza Perez and Social Welfare councillor Victoria Calatrava joined in a toast and the mayor gave a speech. Perez spoke of matters of interest in the town and also of the consequences of the rains of the previous day. She also had words of praise for the town’s elderly citizens: “for this council team, you are a vital part of the town as Nijar is what it is today thanks to your efforts. You have worked hard every day to create a future for this

land for everyone. You should be very proud.” After the toast and speeches there was a draw of gifts donated by local businesses.

A New Year’s message from PAWS-PATAS 2017 WE would like to wish everyone who supports the work of PAWS-PATAS - in whatever way - a very Happy New Year. We also send our heartfelt thanks for all the help we have received on behalf of abandoned or neglected animals in 2016. There are some far-reaching changes going on in PAWSPATAS at the moment - and more are planned for 2017. We will be organising some major events that will appeal to large numbers of people and really put PAWS-PATAS on the map as a progressive organisation. We now have a team of people in place who are looking at how best we can connect with a wider audience and give greater public awarenessto our current/plannedactivities. We also want to attract new supporters to help us bring our exciting new plans to fruition. We should love to have some more volunteers with skills and

experience in the following areas: • Fundraising • Event organisation and operation • Administration, planning and finance We still need more people to help at the shelter with the dogs and cats we are looking after until they can be re-homed. We also need people who can help with: • DIY • Gardening • Driving - locally, and to other countries on animal transports To help ease the burden we would also appreciate help with: • Distributing our newsletters and coming up with ideas on new outlets/areas of coverage We continue to need more volunteer support in our shops and assistance with translation from English to Spanish. Also help with our publicity and PR

work would be greatly appreciated. So, there is something for everyone at PAWS-PATAS. Why not make it a New Year’s resolution to get involved with a dynamic, cohesive and professional team of people working to make the lives of abandoned and neglected animals even more secure? Put your skills and talents to good use and gain from the camaraderie of working as part of a team and making new friends at the same time! • Go to our new website for more information: www.pawspatas.org • Call into one of our shops in Mojacar, Las Buganvillas, Turre or Vera • Email - info@pawspatas.org Watch this space for more exciting developments during the course of the year We look forward to welcoming more new people on board.

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

EWN

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SOCIAL NEWS

RBL Poppy Appeal 2016 MOJACAR Branch of the Royal British Legion in Spain would like to thank the business community in Mojacar and district who placed poppy trays in their premises, including the Iceland store that hosted a table manned by volunteers. They also thanked other businesses, organisations and groups that held events during the year in aid of the appeal. Finally thanks to the volunteers and all who bought a poppy. The money raised goes to help ex-members of the armed forces and their dependants. To date a total of €14,000 has been raised with other funds outstanding. ROBINSON CRUSOE: With many twists and turns and typical panto humour.

Indalo Players’ annual pantomime ROBINSON CRUSOE, written by Jim Sperinck, with kind permission from Jasper Publishing and directed by Ruth Wood is at The Venue El Cine Teatro in Vera in January 2017. Here’s what to expect; Robinson Poor is in love with Rosie but her mother Baroness Bossalot Rich wants her to marry Cedric Rich. Robinson and Rosie decide to escape and run away on a ship from Plymouth with Mrs Crusoe plus a very shady Captain and his mate. Their adventures see them shipwrecked into Queen Neptune’s ‘underwater world’ before finally arriving on an island. They then en-

counter Man Friday, Warriors and a very suspect King Rumble Tum. Many twists and turns plus typical pantomime humour lead to a grand finale of treasure and much true love. The performances will be Friday January 13 at 7.30pm, Saturday January 14 at 7.30pm and Sunday January 15 at 7.30pm. Tickets are €10 and available from Connextions in Turre, PC Playa and Gill’s Linen in Mojacar, Forget-Me-Not in Buganvillas and Los Gallardos Camping. Proceeds will support PAWS-PATAS Cats and the Vera Orphanage.

From shelter to forever home PAWS-PATA have their ‘first Wednesday’ event on January 4, at the Mojacar Centro de Usos Multiples from 1-3pm. The event is entitled ‘The Rehoming Journey - singing a happy song - from shelter gate to forever home,’ and will highlight the ups and downs which go into preparing these journeys to Holland and the UK. Attendees will see how the animals are prepared and how the charity works. All of this will be mixed in with a clothes sale, champagne raffle, questions and answers, bingo with cash prizes, dog and cat sponsorship and stalls, while a bar will be available. See www.paws-pata.org.

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NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER REGIONS

NEWS

COSTA DEL SOL

Christmas greetings tree COSTA BLANCA NORTH

ALTEA TREE: Up it goes!

By Linda Hall PUPILS at primary schools in Altea and Altea la Vieja made a Christmas tree for each town. Instead of pine needles and branches the trees were created from Christmas cards that the children had made themselves at school. In Altea la Vieja a four-metre high tree was put up in the Centro Cultural while Altea’s sixmetre tree was set up in Plaza de la Paz. “It was very rewarding to see how so many children took part and watch as the tree took shape th anks t o t he t owns’ st at e schools,” said Education councillor Vicenta Perez as she thanked the Altea la Vieja, La Olla, Blanquinal, Les Rotes and Garganes schools for their hard work.

Pope’s blessing A PRIEST from Ronda had the honour of an audience with Pope Francis in Rome, giving the Holy Father a special birthday present from the Costa del Sol town. The Pontiff turned 80 on December 17 and thousands of wellwishers descended on St Peters Square for a Christmas blessing.

Soulless act THIEVES stole a Christmas tree at the El Corralillo shopping centre in Ronda. It is the second incident in just a week after vandals smashed an angel statue at the town’s nativity scene.

Expat death COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

MALLORCA

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

AXARQUÍA

Ford gang

Death sentence

Cyclist’s signage

Man injured

A GROUP of criminals, known by police as the ‘Ford Gang’ have struck again in Petrer. In this latest case, the group stole a car ahead of carrying out a robbery at a petrol station.

CALVIA’s Amnesty International members celebrated the abolition of the death penalty in Tuscany in 1786 as people around the world called for an end to capital punishment.

IMPROVED information boards have been placed at the Via Verde de Denia to help encourage cyclists to discover new routes. The panel, with map, images and text covers a 36 kilometre route linking towns in the Marina Alta region.

A GERMAN man was badly injured when he was involved in a paragliding accident near Almuñecar. The man, 51, was discovered on the terrace of a farmhouse in the Loma del Gato area

Lorry overturned A LORRY driver, aged 37, was injured and had to be cut out of the lorry’s cabin by fire crews following an accident at kilometre 185 of the A-31 motorway at the entrance to Villena when the lorry overturned.

Life savers QUICK-THINKING Local Police in Sax saved a toddler’s life who had stopped breathing following a coughing attack. They carried out the necessary first aid to revive the two-year-old as they drove to the health centre.

Injured man A HOMELESS man, well known in Torrevieja as ‘the Antonio’ has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Torrevieja Hospital after being hit by a car.

Clean up BENIJOFAR is proposing the creation of an eco-park to prevent and avoid further waste dumps that are developing in different parts of the municipality. Opposition parties in the town hall have denounced the increase in illegal dumps springing up and want action taken.

Systems down A COMPUTER server crash in Madrid meant that all systems were down in the Balearic courts and no judges or lawyers could work properly on the islands.

Karma police MORE than 50 Palma police officers launched a surprise removal of local cars with an expired ITV, taking 90 away to the pound where their owners can expect hefty fines.

Local heroes PLAYERS and coaching staff from Real Mallorca paid a visit to children at the pediatric unit in Son Espases hospital. The local heroes visit the children’s wing each year at Christmas to sign autographs, bring gifts and raise spirits.

Anti-cruelty ANIMAL rights activists launched a campaign condemning the cruel slaughter of pigs across Mallorca. Pacma, a national political party devoted to protecting animals, claims techniques used on the island violate animal welfare laws.

Altea arrest GUARDIA CIVIL officers have arrested three people and dismantled a marihuana plantation in Altea. Officers launched their investigation when it was noticed that the rural location seemed to have a lot of unusual activity.

Food donation

Turned down LA HERRADURA’s request for its own ambulance service has been turned down by the Andalucian Health Service, which has decided that those in Almuñecar are close enough to cover the area.

Nerja fire

THE President of the Caixaltea Foundation, José Miguel Asencio Cortés, presented 450 kilos of food to the Food Bank of La Nucia.

THE residents of a block of flats in Nerja were evacuated following a fire caused by the occupant of a ground floor flat when she tried to dry a towel over an electric heater.

Budget knowledge

New square

MUTXAMEL has set aside €3,000 to hold financial workshops for its residents. It is hoped this will enable them to understand council funding and guide them in knowing how decisions are made.

THE old bus station in Motril will be demolished and the space converted into a public square provided that developers can obtain planning permission.

Park improvements BENIDORM’S Aiguera amphitheatre and its two accesses are being repaved during the first phase of park restoration. The €60,000 improvements should be completed by late December.

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

Road works ONE of the lanes in the road leading from Salobreña beach has been closed in order to allow work on the infrastructure to take place, but happily there appears to be no major disruption to traffic.

AN elderly British man who had been visiting the Materno-Infantil Hospital in Malaga crashed his car outside the hospital and died on December 16.

UK visitors BRITISH tourists have been praised for their loyalty to the Costa del Sol as the numbers visiting leapt considerably this year. Up until October almost one million Brits had stayed at hotels in the region, making them the largest foreign contingent by a country mile.

Easy riders CARTAMA police expanded its two-wheeled fleet with a pair of brand new motorbikes costing €11,000. Volunteers get the Kymco 125cc, while officers will cruise on a 300cc version.

Danger destroyed EDUCATION chiefs are using the Christmas holidays to remove asbestos from 10 schools across Malaga Province after a strong campaign to rid all public places of the danger.

EWN top for all the news from Spain.

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

RUSSIAN PRESS

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PRESIDENT Putin topped Forbes magazine’s world’s most powerful people list for 2016. It’s the third consecutive year he has won, this time beating Donald Trump and Angela Merkel to the top spot, due to the extensive impact of his political decisions across the world.

Olden times A SURVEY found that many Russians are harking back to the good old days of the Soviet Union with only 15 per cent believing things are better now. The ‘happiness’ quiz found that, while Russians are largely depressed about their conditions, west Europeans are quickly catching up.

Calendar chaos AN outspoken Russian politician has called on the country to celebrate Christmas on December 25 along with the West. Vladimir Zhirinovsky asked the State Duma ‘why not switch back?’ Russian Orthodox believers celebrate Christmas on January 7, following the Julian calendar.

cording to a Dutch court, despite Crimea now being a part of Russia. The court failed to recognise Moscow’s authority after the 2014 annexation of the territory, while the gold was on loan to an Amsterdam museum.

Show goes on RUSSIA will hold the 2018 World Cup according to Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, despite suggestions that doping allegations might see FIFA change its mind. A new report identified more

than 1,000 Russian athletes across 30 different Olympic sports accused of doping under a systematic state-sponsored regime.

Green card RUSSIAN politicians are considering launching the country’s very own ‘Green Card’ policy to attract skilled foreign citizens. It would follow America’s lottery-style system and help boost immigration levels. Only nationals of approved countries will be allowed to take part.

Advantageous spelling mistake SOPHISTICATED Russian hackers allegedly took advantage of a spelling mistake from an American bureaucrat to leak highly sensitive files in order to help Donald Trump get elected after the cheeky web wizards accessed Hillary Clinton’s private campaign information.

Blood and treasure SCYTHIAN treasures from the 4th century BC found in Crimea must be handed over to Ukraine ac-

WEB WIZARDS: Helped get Trump elected.

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

GERMANY

Legalising cannabis

Hitler’s house

DENMARK

COPENHAGEN is trying for a fourth time to get a trial programme allowing legal cannabis to be approved. Each attempt has so far been rejected by the national government.

Rich and poor

Freedom award BREAKING the Silence, an Israeli organisation that shares soldiers’ stories of serving in the West Bank and Gaza, has received the Freedom Award in Copenhagen.

Peaceful demo MORE than 5,000 Danes took part in a peaceful candlelit demonstration in

TRYING AGAIN: To legalise cannabis in Copenhagen.

support of civilian victims affected by bombing in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Shot dead POLICE have shot and killed a man

who attacked them with a knife. The incident occurred as officers were called to a late night noise complaint. When they tried to remove the man’s stereo he stabbed one of the officers.

Costly exit

Stop free lessons

Taxi protest

A NEW report has shown the ever increasing social divide in Germany with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. There are now more millionaires in the country but also the number heavily in debt has risen and 5.6 per cent of the population is officially classified as poor.

People’s train THE country’s first crowdfunded train has made its maiden voyage from Stuttgart to Berlin and even arrived five minutes early. The one return service a day is operated by Berlin-based startup Locomore.

Mother’s murder A MOTHER is on trial for attempted murder after she allegedly threw her three children out of a window in western Germany. The youngsters, aged three, four and six at the time, all survived the 8m fall and now live with their father.

BELGIUM

FRANCE PRESIDENTIAL candidate, Marine Le Pen, from the French far-right National Front party has said she would stop free education for children of undocumented immigrants saying “play time is over.”

THE house where Adolf Hitler was born in Austria, close to the German border, is to be demolished and replaced with a new building. The site has become a pilgrimage for neo-Naxis.

EUROPEAN PRESS

drivers protested at Charles de Gualle and Orly airports. Drivers were protesting their wages claiming they are earning just €3.75 an hour.

Tower closed THE Eiffel Tower was closed for a second day as workers took strike action over salaries and conditions leaving tourists disappointed. The attraction

has already lost about one million visitors this year compared to 2015.

Stronger security PARLIAMENT has voted to extend a national state of emergency until after next year’s elections. It means that the extra security measures in force since the Paris attacks in November 2015, will remain in place.

A HARD Brexit with the UK leaving the EU and not remaining a member of the single market, could cost Belgian businesses €1.6 billion in unexpected expenditure, according to figures from Belgium’s central bank.

No noise

Historical home A BELGIAN house built in 1964 in Tielt, has caught of the eye of The New York Times, which called it “a modernist masterpiece.” It was designed by the architect Georges Vandenbussche and in 2008, it was classified as a historical monument.

Airline acquisition

SWEDEN

NORWAY

A ZERO tolerance for planes that exceed noise levels risks forcing passenger carriers out of Brussels. As a result, Flemish PM Geert Bourgeois has called on the Brussels Region to drop the strict noise rules or risk losing thousands of jobs.

Profits up

Chess champ

HOLLAND

SMALL companies are reporting a successful 2016 with profitability increasing across most industries and profits increasing by an average 15 per cent this year, according to a consultancy firm’s profitability barometer.

THE Norwegian Magnus Carlsen is the new World Chess Champion after he played to victory in New York, USA. This is his third World Champion win and it was a good birthday present for him coming on the same day as he celebrated turning 26.

Fewer unemployed

SOME passengers missed their flights and suffered traffic chaos as taxi

Terror tax MORE tax is to be levied on those suspected of financing terror activities with 100 paying so far. It is part of a collaboration between the Swedish tax agency and security police.

Syrian smuggling TWO men accused of smuggling approximately 170 Syrians from Milan in Italy to Sweden, have been convicted of human trafficking. A third received a suspended sentence.

Nursing shortage A SHORTAGE of nursing staff has resulted in hundreds of empty hospital beds at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Patients are being sent home and operations postponed.

December gathering IN a bid to try and not offend anyone, a primary school in Stavanger has removed a festive hymn from its Christmas party and even renamed it a ‘December gathering.’ The principal of the school said this was because some people associate the word ‘Christmas’ with something Christian.

Smaller reindeer SANTA may have a struggle this year when delivering all those gifts as researchers say that reindeer on Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago are becoming smaller due to climate change. The average weight of the reindeer has fallen from 55kg to 48kg.

UNEMPLOYMENT in the Netherlands has fallen to below 500,000 for the first time since March 2012. According to the national statistics office, in November, 499,000 people were officially listed as unemployed, which is around 5.6 per cent of the working population.

Lacking integration MORE needs to be done to improve integration in the Netherlands with claims the move made in 2013 for new arrivals to organise and pay for integration courses themselves is not working.

LUFTHANSA has acquired Brussels Airlines with a promise to invest €600 million in the company, for the renewal of its fleet of long-haul carriers.

Name change AMSTERDAM’S main football stadium, owned by the Ajax club, is likely to change its name to the Johan Cruijff stadium in honour of the former international player who died in March.

Shopping spree RETAIL sales have increased by 5.4 per cent this year compar ed t o t he sam e per i od l ast year. Onl i ne sal es have al so i ncreased by almost 20 per cent in the Netherlands.

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

22 - 28 December 2016

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

British Airways threaten strike By John Smith BRITISH AIRWAYS crew flying out of Heathrow Airport have overwhelmingly given a strike mandate to their union Unite after rejecting a 2 per cent pay offer and the strike is due to take place sometime after December 21. Currently there is no confirmation of the actual dates or indeed the duration of the strike but to have made this decision so close to Christmas must be seen as very worrying for the management of the airline who Unite

Quote of the Week

£1.4 billion (€1.7 billion) is the amount of profit declared by the IAG group for the previous trading year.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Photo Credit: Timahaowemi Wikimedia

Saffron on the rebound

ZARA: Is the biggest brand of Inditex. By John Smith INDITEX, the world’s largest retailer of clothes continues to go from strength to strength and has announced a profit of €16.4 billion, an 11 per cent rise over the nine month period to the end of October last year. The owner of such diverse ranges as Zara (which is its biggest brand), Massimo Dutti, Bershka and Pull & Bear said that its best sellers this year have been military blazers, mi-

would like to see return to the negotiating table. The major problem arises with regards to staff employed after 2010 who were enticed to join the flight crew of the airline with expected wages of between £21,000 (€25,000) and £25,000 (€30,000) when in reality their basic wages turned out to be £12,000 (€14,500) plus a £3 (€3.6) an hour flight bonus. According to the union, staff are taking on second jobs, working whilst ill and many are suffering from depression and stress because

“Without reforms, the regional financing framework remains a risk for the achievement of fiscal targets.” Christine Lagarde, President of International Monetary Fund on Spanish economy

Inditex keeps making money

ni-skirts and velvet dresses and its online business is also continuing to attract new custom. Ironically, although competitors appear to be facing a much tougher period, the shares in the company have fallen slightly but with its policy of not overstocking, turning round production quickly for popular styles and its continued expansion into new markets, the succesful group looks destined to continue to grow.

SPAIN is renowned for the use of saffron in many of its rice dishes but with the introduction of a usable ‘imitation’ and an increase in exports from Iran, the price dropped but Spain is now making a comeback in the market.

A fine mess A BARCELONA court has overturned a fine of €30,000 imposed by the regional government of Catalonia on Airbnb for advertising lodgings that did not have permits to accept paying guests arguing that Spanish law is currently inconclusive on the matter.

Victory pay NIGERIA’S victorious women’s football team protested outside parliament in Abuja over unpaid win bonuses on the day that the annual budget was to be debated. They argue that they are owed win bonuses of €16,000 and plan to continue until paid.

Bank loses out in court case AFTER 13 years, a British couple who lost €227,000 paid to a Spanish developer in Marbella for a dream home that was never built due to planning irregularities, has been awarded the full amount by a court in Malaga.

1.62 million is the number of people unemployed in the UK at the end of October representing 4.8 per cent, which is an 11 year low.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

EWN

Banco Popular has been instructed to return the money which it received from the developer and should have been held in a special guaranteed account. The bank can appeal but may be hesitant as the award would only escalate if the appeal failed.

of their financial position which is particularly galling as the BA parent IAG saw its profits rise by 64 per cent in the last year. With strikes being undertaken by BA staff, Post Office staff and members of rail unions, the government alleges that these are positively motivated and planned to cause major disruption to the public but in the case of the BA strike, their union Unite denies this and says that they are looking after their own long-term interests and those of their customers.

Trump hotel sues chef SPANISH celebrity chef José Andrés who is being sued for $10 million (€9.4 million) after pulling out of a deal to open a restaurant in a Trump hotel in Washington because of what he considered racist comments by the president elect has suggested that the case be cancelled and all legal fees likely to be paid by each side be donated to a US Veterans charity. Mr Trump’s response is now awaited.

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on opposite page

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 19

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 3i Group PLC 674.75 -5.50 Admiral Group PLC 1776.50 -5.00 Anglo American PLC 1113.50 -19.50 Antofagasta PLC 659.00 -11.00 Ashtead Group PLC 1602.50 -9.00 Associated British Foods PLC 2690.00 1.00 AstraZeneca PLC 4342.00 -59.50 Aviva PLC 474.35 -4.40 Babcock International Grp 946.25 -1.00 BAE Systems PLC 590.75 -1.00 Barclays PLC 225.90 -2.25 Barratt Developments PLC 458.85 1.50 BHP Billiton PLC 1283.00 -22.43 BP PLC 492.47 2.85 British American Tobacco PLC 4507.25 1.00 British Land Co PLC 634.50 5.50 BT Group PLC 367.52 0.55 Bunzl PLC 2070.00 -1.00 Burberry Group PLC 1487.00 -2.00 Capita PLC 494.60 4.20 Carnival PLC 3920.50 -147.00 Centrica PLC 230.35 0.20 Coca-Cola HBC AG 1658.50 1.00 Compass Group PLC 1420.00 4.00 CRH PLC 2686.50 -14.00 Croda International PLC 3187.50 -1.00 DCC PLC 5855.00 -10.00 Diageo PLC 2067.50 12.00 Direct Line Insurance Group... 356.40 -0.30 Dixons Carphone PLC 345.65 1.60 easyJet PLC 1047.00 3.00 Experian PLC 1509.00 -3.00 Fresnillo PLC 1100.50 -1.00 GKN PLC 329.05 -0.50 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1521.75 -4.50 Glencore PLC 267.67 -0.80 Hammerson PLC 560.25 6.50 Hargreaves Lansdown PLC 1237.50 2.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC 1800.50 10.93 HSBC Holdings PLC 658.85 -8.00 Imperial Brands PLC 3502.00 13.00 Informa PLC 671.50 0.50 InterContinental Hotels Gr 3510.00 5.00 International Consolidated 459.70 0.29 Intertek Group PLC 3324.50 -7.00 Intu Properties PLC 273.95 0.70 ITV PLC 196.45 0.40 Johnson Matthey PLC 3074.50 5.00 Kingfisher PLC 343.10 0.30 Land Securities Group PLC 1033.00 3.00

% CHG. -0.81 -0.28 -1.72 -1.64 -0.56 0.04 -1.35 -0.92 -0.11 -0.17 -0.99 0.33 -1.72 0.58 0.02 0.87 0.15 -0.05 -0.13 0.86 -3.61 0.09 0.06 0.28 -0.52 -0.03 -0.17 0.58 -0.08 0.46 0.29 -0.20 -0.09 -0.15 -0.29 -0.30 1.17 0.16 0.61 -1.20 0.37 0.07 0.14 0.06 -0.21 0.26 0.20 0.16 0.09 0.29

NET VOL 65.41 5.60 372.93 74.91 18.93 5.73 122.46 186.05 8.93 112.03 712.93 32.81 399.28 1,615.48 165.78 60.64 239.61 20.90 20.98 130.24 30.82 234.73 6.97 118.75 12.19 2.16 1.71 91.20 15.64 69.80 54.94 10.27 65.96 33.80 210.99 2,412.14 26.72 6.78 10.15 931.98 44.93 30.61 4.71 140.04 2.21 70.58 453.03 2.62 120.63 54.44

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Legal & General Group PLC 242.50 -0.05 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 63.65 -0.12 London Stock Exchange Group...2821.50 16.00 Marks & Spencer Group PLC 355.70 0.76 Mediclinic International PLC 733.25 8.50 Merlin Entertainments PLC 436.85 -1.10 Micro Focus International PLC 2154.00 -5.00 Mondi PLC 1566.50 6.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets PLC227.35 0.70 National Grid PLC 933.65 2.30 Next PLC 4952.50 0.00 Old Mutual PLC 197.50 -1.70 Paddy Power Betfair PLC 8617.50 10.00 Pearson PLC 821.50 -0.50 Persimmon PLC 1721.50 18.00 Polymetal International PLC 767.75 -7.00 Provident Financial PLC 2749.50 -2.00 Prudential PLC 1576.25 -7.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 5615.00 40.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC 6634.00 21.00 RELX PLC 1395.00 5.00 Rio Tinto PLC 3040.00 -52.50 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 672.50 -2.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Grou... 227.05 -0.50 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2290.00 1.00 Royal Mail PLC 451.30 -0.10 RSA Insurance Group PLC 568.00 -1.50 Sage Group (The) PLC 649.25 0.00 Sainsbury (J) PLC 250.00 0.07 Schroders PLC 2989.00 2.00 Severn Trent PLC 2191.00 8.00 Shire PLC 4590.00 -5.00 Sky PLC 991.50 0.50 Smith & Nephew PLC 1182.00 -1.00 Smiths Group PLC 1406.50 -5.00 SSE PLC 1517.50 1.00 Standard Chartered PLC 678.65 -6.40 Standard Life PLC 363.35 -2.30 St James's Place PLC 996.25 -3.00 Taylor Wimpey PLC 153.70 0.60 Tesco PLC 201.28 0.95 Travis Perkins PLC 1449.50 0.00 TUI AG 1109.50 0.00 Unilever PLC 3180.75 28.00 United Utilities Group PLC 886.50 6.50 Vodafone Group PLC 200.93 0.48 Whitbread PLC 3637.00 17.00 Wolseley PLC 4884.50 5.00 Worldpay Group PLC 269.40 0.87 WPP PLC 1782.00 1.00

% CHG. -0.02 -0.19 0.57 0.21 1.17 -0.25 -0.23 0.38 0.31 0.25 0.00 -0.85 0.12 -0.06 1.06 -0.90 -0.07 -0.44 0.72 0.32 0.36 -1.70 -0.37 -0.22 0.04 -0.02 -0.26 0.00 0.03 0.07 0.37 -0.11 0.05 -0.08 -0.35 0.07 -0.93 -0.63 -0.30 0.39 0.47 0.00 0.00 0.89 0.74 0.24 0.47 0.10 0.32 0.06

NET VOL 209.49 2,346.35 4.59 62.17 12.27 21.90 3.99 21.30 58.22 325.84 3.36 428.85 .89 36.05 27.58 29.59 4.32 49.59 51.01 52.30 50.20 156.48 46.60 227.09 181.69 53.61 18.42 24.87 95.55 1.69 9.47 23.50 131.16 36.94 14.54 23.35 208.93 148.76 13.44 182.28 376.30 1.55 33.49 67.91 31.00 1,102.90 4.14 8.96 58.27 66.20

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DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 19

COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CHEVRON CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DU PONT(EI) DE NMR EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACHS HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL CORP J.P.MORGAN CHASE JOHNSON & JOHNSON MC DONALD'S CORP MERCK AND CO. NEW MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER AND GAMBLE TRAVELERS CIES UNITED TECHNOLOGIE UNITEDHEALTH GROUP VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALT DISNEY CO

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 177,450 +0,81% 1,430 106M 75,0000 +0,08% 0,0600 68M 115,970 +0,13% 0,150 617M 154,500 +0,47% 0,730 95M 92,580 -2,06% -1,950 54M 118,08 +0,88% 1,03 223M 30,590 -0,13% -0,040 153M 41,74 +0,46% 0,19 179M 74,8600 -0,04% -0,0300 65M 91,18 +0,32% 0,29 376M 31,7500 +1,57% 0,4900 281M 238,90 -1,69% -4,10 95M 135,1100 -0,54% -0,7300 164M 166,73 -0,77% -1,29 158M 36,3100 -1,30% -0,4800 171M 84,9400 -1,23% -1,0600 304M 115,8800 -0,01% -0,0100 315M 123,2400 +0,72% 0,8800 102M 62,44 +0,11% 0,07 171M 62,300 -0,45% -0,280 484M 50,92 -0,72% -0,37 68M 32,8400 +0,27% 0,0900 198M 84,680 +0,00% 0,000 226M 121,60 +1,00% 1,20 34M 108,52 +0,36% 0,39 89M 163,94 +2,07% 3,32 155M 52,27 +0,89% 0,46 212M 78,35 -1,45% -1,15 145M 70,9800 -0,14% -0,1000 217M 103,9100 -0,46% -0,4800 165M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES

DECEMBER

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced TiGenix Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. Egalet Corporation Flex Pharma, Inc. Versartis, Inc. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Unity Bancorp, Inc. StealthGas, Inc. Horizon Pharma plc VOXX International Corporation ChemoCentryx, Inc.

$ 14.01 $ 2.15 $ 7.89 $ 6.13 $ 14.85 $ 6.19 $ 16.70 $4 $ 16.44 $ 5.05 $ 8.99

2.31 ▲ 19.74% 0.32 ▲ 17.49% 0.88 ▲ 12.55% 0.67 ▲ 12.27% 1.55 ▲ 11.65% 0.62 ▲ 11.13% 1.65 ▲ 10.96% 0.38 ▲ 10.50% 1.51 ▲ 10.11% 0.45 ▲ 9.78% 0.77 ▲ 9.37%

$ 9.98 $ 45.08 $ 3.20 $ 3.18 $ 2.98 $ 12.40 $ 28.87 $ 3.9299 $ 34.85 $ 6.63 $ 2.60

2.85 ▼ 22.21% 10.86 ▼ 19.41% 0.68 ▼ 17.53% 0.32 ▼ 9.14% 0.2659 ▼ 8.19% 1.08 ▼ 8.01% 2.44 ▼ 7.79% 0.3265 ▼ 7.67% 2.85 ▼ 7.56% 0.54 ▼ 7.53% 0.20 ▼ 7.14%

Most Declined XBiotech Inc. Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Diana Containerships Inc. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. Vanguard Natural Resources LLC TerraForm Power, Inc. Fossil Group, Inc. Presbia PLC Natus Medical Incorporated Everspin Technologies, Inc. Kopin Corporation

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

British gas pipelines set to be sold Photo Credit: Oxyman Wikimedia

By John Smith FORMED in 1990 and privatised in 1995, the National Grid not only controls the movement of electricity throughout the UK it also acts as the sole transporter of gas on behalf of all of the gas producing and marketing companies through its enormous network of gas pipelines.

Ofgem has been keeping a close eye on matters and will no doubt report any fears to the government before final approval is given.” Now it has announced that it has accepted in principle an offer from a foreign consortium to sell 61 per cent of its holdings in the gas pipelines for £13.8 billion (€16.4 billion) in order to distribute part of the proceeds to shareholders, a small part to energy users and to invest the balance in faster and more profitable areas. The main partners in the consortium are the Australian investment bank Macquarie (nicknamed the ‘Vampire Kangaroo’ for its alleged draining of the lifeblood of companies in which it invests), the China Investment Corporation (CIC), the Qatari Investment Author-

NATIONAL GRID: Is the sole transporter of gas. ity as well as fund managers Allianz. The British government will need to consider whether this is an investment that it can possibly allow in view of its recent comments

concerning the owning of important British utility companies by foreign companies and governments which almost resulted in a major incident with China over the Hinkley Point C

nuclear power station. Whilst Britain may be friendly with China at the moment their continued investment in the UK, particularly in utilities, could have a potentially negative effect on the country and Prime Minister Theresa May publicly stated that investment in critical infrastructure would be “scrutinised for the purposes of national security.” Although not having made a definitive observation on the proposed sale, it is known that energy regulator Ofgem has been keeping a close eye on matters and will no doubt report any fears that it may have to the government before final approval for the deal which is planned to be completed in March of next year is given. Unions are also worried about this proposed sale as they point to the activities of Macquarie in particular which purchased (with CIC) Thames Water which it allegedly used to syphon funds back to Australia whilst increasing both prices to consumers and company debt and after 10 years of ownership is now looking to get out by selling its majority shareholding. Having as it does a complete monopoly on the distribution of gas, the National Grid has 82,000 miles of pipeline, which delivers gas to approximately 11 million households and businesses and the gas division employs more than 5,500 staff.

White Elephant discovered in South Atlantic By John Smith

ipation of the opening of the airport in May of this year, but when Comair, a subsidiary of British Airways tried to land a commercial Boeing 737 on the runway they only just managed on their third attempt due to the problem of ‘wind shear’ which had been identified by Darwin. The opening of the airport was postponed indefinitely as it then transpired that the Department for International Development (DfID) ignored a Met Office report produced in January 2015 which made it clear that there would be considerable difficulty in landing due to the problems with the wind and to make matters worse, DfID underwrote ‘profits’ for Comair which means that they will have to pay the airline £1.9 million (€2.25 million) a year for lost revenue.

One bit of good news has appeared on the horizon however as in early December an Embraer ERJ-190-100 jet aircraft, operated by Embraer Commercial Aviation as a non-commercial trial and demonstration flight, visited St Helena Airport and made a number of succesful landings in different wind conditions over a period of three days. This aircraft type is one of a number of potential solutions to operating regular flights to St Helena and other aircraft have landed at the airport either as Air Ambulances refuelling or as tests by new aircraft being delivered to South America. It is just possible that the airport will become a commercial reality rather than a white elephant which has been paid for by the British taxpayer, if the Embraer report is positive and an airline operating that aircraft type can be persuaded to fly regularly to St Helena.

Photo Credit: Paul Tyson Wikimedia

AS early as 1836 Charles Darwin noticed that winds across St Helena, the British Colony in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, were exceptionally strong, almost constant and often changed direction, but this information didn’t seem to occur to the British government when it authorised the spending of some £285 million (€340 million) on building what was meant to be a commercial airport on the remote island. Currently an age-

ing vessel, the RMS St Helena potters along a route which takes it to three of the British Overseas Territories in the South Atlantic, Ascension Island, St Helena and Tristan da Cunha with journey time from South Africa to St Helena taking at least four days depending on the weather. The concept of an air strip on the island had been spoken about for years and was attractive to the 4,000 locals as it would not only make journey times to the outside world much quicker (and there is a large population of St Helenians in the UK) but would be likely to attract tourists who amongst other reasons would want to visit sites associated with Napoleon. Money was spent locally to improve hotel facilities, buy boats and vehicles all in antic-

COMAIR FLIGHT: Landing at St Helena.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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Chaos over Greek pension payout

RELIEF SUSPENDED: After the Greek Government’s Christmas bonus decision. By John Smith A DECISION taken by the Greek government to give hard hit Greek pensioners a Christmas bonus has resulted in eurozone lenders suspending a debt-relief plan as punishment. According to the lenders, the decision to make a oneoff payment of €617 million to elderly Greeks was not in accordance with any existing agreements with the lenders and it had not been put to them for approval. The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the body that helps eurozone governments facing financial problems, has decided to review the payment. In a statement it said “Following recent proposals by the Greek government to spend additional fiscal resources for pensions and VAT, our governing bodies have put their decisions temporarily on hold.” The actual agreement was only reached in early December and would have seen an extension of time concerning the maturity of existing loans as well as freezing interest

rates on some of the country’s debts which would have made repayments on the €300 billion of debt more bearable.

Following recent proposals by the Greek government to spend additional fiscal resources our governing bodies have put their decisions temporarily on hold.” Now however this decision to make the payment to pensioners and also to delay indefinitely increasing VAT in the Aegean Islands due to the financial burdens caused by the large numbers of migrants has meant that it may miss future targets which has spurred the German government in particular to demand the suspension of the proposed debt relief. Germany is already the least favourite country of the Greek people and this decision has caused some splits within the eurozone membership with French Finance Minister Michel Sapin suggesting that the decision had

not been taken unanimously by the 19-member Eurozone. “Individual statements are not the collective statements of the Eurogroup” Sapin told reporters when the decision was announced and even Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said that “the European Commission believes there is no reason for eurozone lenders to question a debt relief deal struck with Greece.” To add to this, the International Monetary Fund is not convinced that the agreements which had been reached with the Greek government are likely to be workable and that regardless of what the eurozone lenders may consider sensible, it is possible that the Greek economy will not be able to recover from such crippling debts. In the meantime the euro found itself under fire from the US dollar which hit a new 2016 high against the currency on December 15 and sterling also continues to hold its own against the euro after initial falls following the referendum.

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

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22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Foto Copyright Emi Cristea

Celebrate Christmas while you still can LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

JUST when you thought you’d heard it all, another gem pops up. Last week some jobsworth or other, decreed that we should no longer address our school children as ‘girls and boys!’ Apparently, they inform us, labelling youngsters in this fashion can be ‘upsetting to children who may have transgender leanings.’ This bright idea of course comes hot on the heels of not running in the playground and wearing goggles plus crash helmet to play conkers! Of course, they haven’t managed to come up with any alternative titles for our poor beleaguered offspring. What about ‘bits,’ ‘no bits’ and ‘assorted bits’? Or perhaps ‘he’s,’ ‘she’s’ and ‘maybe’s’ might fit the PC acceptable bill. The mind truly does boggle. Honestly, where do they find these people? More to the point, who pays their wages? (I know I know, silly question.) What I do find almost beyond

BURNING BELGIUM: Another example of where complacency of the west has got us. comprehension is that adult people (persons) actually sit around tables

seriously discussing these ridiculous directives. Personally I think they

have a great job. I could think up all sorts of things to drive people (per-

sons) around the bend. How about all of us wearing onesies and referring to each other as ‘IT’S’? Ah well. C’est la vie. I see they are burning Christmas trees in Brussels. Belgium of course has the biggest Muslim population in Europe. For a number of years, their more radical leaders have been boasting Belgium would be the first country ‘to fall.’ I suppose the destruction of anything sacred to other religions is a natural progression. Yet another example of where the complacency of the west has got us. It’s all too late now of course. It was actually too late 20 years ago. Ah well, let’s all wish each other a Merry Christmas, while it’s still considered acceptable and let us hope our future children will be allowed to do the same! (Don’t hold yer breath) Personally I’m off to Dublin for my Christmas sojourn. Can’t wait to see ‘em all. Bring on the black beer! Have a good one. Remember whose birthday we are celebrating. Always Keep the Faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Have yourself a merry little Christmas with our ultimate Christmas security and travel guide

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OPINION & COMMENT

LEGALLY SPEAKING

When police want to pull you over AS part of the series, we answer some common driving questions and keep you updated on the latest driving and road news 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.

Christina Sharp GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL christina@globelink.co.uk.

IT’S beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and with millions of us away over the holidays, read Globelink’s tips on a stress-free festive season. Make a list and check it twice! Make your travel checklist and check it as many times as it takes to ensure you are good to go well before you travel. Keep essential documents handy so you can breeze through check-in and security. Driving home for Christmas? (… or flying) Plan your route well in advance and check that nothing will scupper your well-laid plans, like scheduled closures, maintenance work, or even strike action. Baby it’s cold outside! Seems obvious, but check the weather at your destination in advance and pack accordingly. UK temperatures have varied between minus five and 17 degrees this month, so you never know! Bring us some figgy pudding? Your Christmas pudding may be a firm family favourite, but check that you are permitted to carry whatever item you plan to take if you are travelling by plane, or crossing country borders. Don’t go crackers Even though crackers are a Christmas tradition, many airlines don’t allow Christmas crackers in your luggage. Also you cannot take party poppers, fireworks or sparklers. Blue Christmas Nothing will give you the Christmas blues and dampen your spirit like an exorbitant excess baggage charge at the airport, so check your allowance and weigh luggage before leaving home. Also avoid pre-wrapping presents in case you’re selected for a security check. Home alone? Avoid worrying about your home security at Christmas while you’re away by taking a few straightforward steps to minimise risk, leaving you to enjoy your travels. Start by cancelling any regular deliver-

ies, and arrange for the local postal service to hold your mail when you’re away. This will avoid a pile of newspapers in the doorway, or a bulging mailbox which is a sure sign that nobody’s home. Be discreet when discussing travel plans where others may overhear. Be especially careful on social media and avoid recording details on your voicemail. Don’t close curtains or blinds in an attempt to make your home look less tempting. It’s likely to do the opposite. Instead, move desirables (car keys, for instance) out of sight, and fit a timer switch on lights and radios. It’s not rocket science but it will deter casual observers and opportunists. If you can, leave a key with a neighbour or friend who will clear away telltale post, open and close curtains and maybe park their car on your drive to give an ‘I’m home’ impression. Your neighbours could be invaluable in spotting suspicious behaviour in your absence. Also avoid the unwanted surprise of burst pipes by setting your heating to automatically come on for short time periods, or if temperatures drop below zero. And insulate any exposed outside pipes. And finally, why not take snapshots of special value items, preferably in their normal surroundings; it could be useful evidence for your insurance company if you are unlucky enough to have a problem. Lastly have a wonderful Christmas from Globelink and don’t forget a decent Travel Insurance policy for essential peace of mind. Visit www.globelink.co.uk, or call (UK) +44 1353 699 082 or our Spanish link lines on 96 626 5000 or 95 124 2434.

FLASHING LIGHTS: Indicate officers want you to pull over. WITH increased police patrols now due over the festive period to prevent drink driving, you may spot extra officers on the roadside, so it is important to know what actions the patrols will take in order to stop a vehicle on the roadside if they wish to speak to a driver. Amongst their duties, the Guardia Civil is tasked with controlling road traffic to ensure road safety and prevent offences as well as providing assistance if necessary. If an official vehicle wants to stop you, it will display a flashing light in addition to the blue lights. This red light means you must stop your vehicle and pull over to the right hand side of the road. When stopping

however, you must ensure you do so in a safe place that does not pose a risk to the other road users. When you have safely stopped the patrol car will stop their vehicle behind yours. All occupants within your vehicle must remain inside the vehicle as the officer will approach you on the right side of your car and inform you why you have been stopped. When they have finished with you they will help you join the flow of traffic back on the road. So remember, flashing red light indicates you must stop. Stop the vehicle in a safe area and make sure all passengers remain in the car.

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

Can the president recover debt? WE are a small community of 16 houses, and we have just suffered our first bad debt in 10 years. Our administrator has advised me as president to call an EGM in order to obtain a majority of voters agreeing to take the case to court. We wish to use the ‘procesomonitorio’ to save on costs. Under the Law of Horizontal Property, is it necessary for a president to do this? I thought the president would have executive powers to provide simple evidence of the bad debt. Or is this a wise precaution to enable the judge to come to a decision? M.G. (Costa Blanca) First, your thinking is correct. The president is authorised to act in court for the community. With certification of the debt and of your election as president, you can initiate the ‘procesomonitorio’

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

against the debtor. This requires no lawyer and is

designed as a sort of small claims court. Second, your administrator is not wrong to suggest that every possible legal measure be taken. If you hit a snag, you can always go back to this.

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

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

Christmas is falling victim to politically correct obsession Nora Johnson

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

PARENTS have been told by academics to stop pretending Father Christmas is real in case the ‘lie’ damages relations with their children who might then question what else mum and dad are lying about. What! First, no Father Christmas; next they’ll be telling us politicians tell the truth and do their ‘underpaid’ job for the love of serving their country! Why do academics want to sweep away the myths and legends which are part of our cultural heritage? All part of childhood and growing up. How boring and unimaginative life would be without Father Christmas, the tooth fairy and fairy stories. What would children do without them? Obsess about video games, sexting, selfies? There are more obvious ways to get

DIWALI LANTERNS: Embracing every culture except our own. children adjusted to the harsh realities of life than to take away their Christmas ‘magic.’ Why not start reintroducing a sense of competition in schools, competition they’ll face soon enough in business and job applications?

I’m also reminded here of a recent report that political correctness is crippling British culture to the extent that Christmas itself is at risk. Christmas trees have already been renamed ‘festive trees’ by some and Christmas itself

‘the winter holidays.’ Way back in 1998, Birmingham City Council already called it ‘Winterval.’ When my friend’s daughter was at primary school 10 years ago, she never painted a fireworks picture in Novem-

ber, made Halloween lanterns, took in a contribution for harvest festival or acted in a nativity play. All things I did at school. She did make a lantern for Diwali, fine in itself, but not as an alternative to Britain’s own traditions. All these years we’ve been exhorted to celebrate diversity by embracing every culture except our own. Such a shame. Ah, with all this talk of political correctness, it’s already beginning to feel like Christmas. And a sure sign Santa’s already having his sleigh valeted at Kwik Fit. As for me, not exactly a hard ‘BrXmas’ here but definitely no free movement of loads of in-laws - I’m too busy writing my latest thriller! HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99; £0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

LETTERS

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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

Speaking another language Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com Foto Shutterstock riggsby

WELL done Mike Senker for bringing up the so-called celebrityspeak from programmes such as Strictly, X Factor and many more. Not only do they smash it, they step up to the plate, put on their game face, don’t have an option of failure, winning means everything, ride the rollercoaster, relish the journey, use awesome armography, on and on and on......... To endorse not that Grumpy, Mr Senker, STOP IT!!!!! Philip, San Fulgencio.

Berlin heartache

Dump Trump THE world seems to be so angry with traditional politicians that we somehow think it’s a good thing to elect Donald Trump! I think Americans will come to see that their political system prevented a good man from doing as much as he would have liked! Barack Obama was a missed opportunity. After Trump’s tweets does anybody think this bloke will get a second term? Not me, and I actually think he’s not all bad. If he gets through his first term without a military scrap with someone I’ll be amazed. Perhaps he’ll just divide up the world and let the bad guys have their bit as long as it doesn’t concern America too much. Sally

Droned to death IF, like me you are a regular flyer, I urge you to consider the problem that is happening within our skies. There are countless drones being allowed to fly amongst our planes, with frequent near misses. Without any regulation experts say there will soon be a major incident. Please consider signing my epetition on www.gov.uk/petition-gov ernment. Anyone who is a UK resident can do this. It will take three minutes. Our security and safety is at risk so I am contacting people from all walks of life. If we can get 100,000 clicks on this petition our MPs have to discuss the matter. We all need to do something before there is a serious accident in our skies. Please inform as many people as possible and consider the following: In the USA their airline security

Maybe it should be brought into schools too. For me, too many areas of Britain are made up of young and old who feel closer to altogether different cultures. Extend this oath and make it a part of daily school life as well. That seems to be the way forward to me. Margaret, Almeria

FIFA fine for poppy teams ENGLAND, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been fined by FIFA for wearing poppies as a mark of respect for the fallen and injured of conflict. The figure in England’s case is more than £35,000. Is there anyone who thinks the actions of an organisation as corrupt as FIFA has shown itself to be can be defended? They could have taken the moral high ground

FAA brought in new drone rulings. We need something similar. There are countless near misses reported every week despite having a recommended maximum height. In April 2016 a passenger plane was hit. Pilots have expressed their serious concerns about these toys being unregistered. Every week packages are dropped into our prisons and operators are never found. No licences are required to operate these smaller drones. Someone can film you or your children without your permission. Most police forces do not have any procedures in place to deal with drone nuisance. In the wrong hands they could be a serious threat to our security.

and insisted on levying the fine for rule breaking but made it a token. All sides would have been satisfied. Wouldn’t FIFA have been seen as taking the heat out of a thorny issue and at the same time received much needed positive publicity f or a change? Instead, they again look like the corrupt overlords of world football. David, Marbella

They should be treated in the same way as firearms Ann Paterson, Santa Pola

Stamp of disapproval TRILBY is truly fortunate to be buying his stamps for Britain from the Post Office in Calahonda as that branch must surely have the cheapest postal charges in Spain. I cannot remember when I last paid less than 80 cents to send a ‘standard’ letter or card to England (‘standard’ being 14x9cm and 23.5x12cm, and less than 20gr according to the Correos website). Since the beginning of 2016 the

price of a stamp to Britain has been 1.15€ (1.55€ for non-standard). I do hope his cards all reach the recipients safely! Barbara Wicker, Torrox

Oath of allegiance MAKING every civil and public servant swear to uphold British values seems sensible to me and long overdue. Even if it doesn’t stop radicalism, it helps to make people aware our society is based on a belief in democracy, equality and being able to say what you want. The USA uses such an oath and it seems to be successful.

THE awful events in Berlin bring to mind the attack on shoppers in the French city of Nice. I know there is no way to be completely safe but perhaps it’s time to stop traffic coming into the centres of our big cities after rush hour. But how do you stop the driver of a giant lorry who intends to kill and maim? There’d be almost no way to stop a 40 ton lorry especially one going at full speed. All we can do is express our sorrow and sympathy with the families of those who died in Berlin. How many more attacks will there be in Germany’s cities? Jane, Costa del Sol

Flood damage SPARE a thought for the victims of the floods that have hit our area of Spain. Having just arrived from the UK I thought that we had it bad, not least because we always seem to react with such surprise when the water hits. But in Spain the infrastructure seems to be taking a hammering. And officials make the right noises but will they actually pay up? I hope so for the sake of all those affected. To have everything you own destroyed by water and this close to Christmas is awful. As one who has experienced it many years ago, I know how heartbreaking it can be. Bill, Almeria

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

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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 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

PHOTO COPYRIGHT levgenii Meyer

Your escape word for the holidays! Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.

IT is an unusual Spanish word for me to teach you. Yet, within its connotative meanings there is a built-in escape clause that allows you to be left out of immediate consideration for any duty or transaction. Although I warn you, that a good and proper Spanish gentleman would never admit to such a happening. The word is ‘Resaca’ and essentially it means (hangover) - a seasonal calamity not infrequent in the 12 days from Christmas to Reyes (January 6th). Most bars and even banks will have a plate full of small cakes and cookies for their esteemed clients to partake. Banks even follow this ageless custom providing bottles of brandy, wine and especially anisette. Such a welcoming situation presented itself to me back in 1970 on that most infrequent of occasions of me depositing money in my bank account. There, next to me in line were tiny cups to allow you to pour

PERSONAL DIGNITY: The Spanish hold their heads high and suffer the consequences. yourself a small vivation while standing aimlessly awaiting your turn at the teller. I sampled it all, but it was the anisette that I especially remember coming back up on me. I have written previously concerning drunkenness. I had lived here a full 19 years before I ever

saw a Spaniard inebriated in public, or squabbling and fighting caused by drink. It was a thing that just didn’t happen. Below their dignity no matter how low on society’s class totem pole they might be perceived. A Spaniard always held high his personal dignity and wore it with pride.

His festive education had come from the hands of his nearest relatives and nearby family. Mojacar pueblo was the contrary to that rule, even well before the 1970s. Unfortunately many of the locals picked up quickly on the novel way of deporting oneself—in public.

(In fairness that Iberian youth had faced nothing stronger than wine while growing up whereas when the foreigners arrived, so did mixed drinks, cocktails and brandy; endless rounds and drinking them quicker than sipping wine. Their home rules gradually became bent and broken). Yet, while the foreigners seem to revel in telling everyone within listening distance how inebriated they got last night, the young Spanish held their heads high and suffered the consequences as real men must do—in clanging dried tongue silence. Besides, if the young in the village were to drink too much, it wouldn’t be in front of the local guiris (foreigners) who made a nightly habit of becoming ridiculous. The Mojaqueros’ wildest antics were in private or with their closest true friends. OK, it’s a word that foreigners can utter but not make pretence about it. Use it lightly to remain with some scent of personal pride and dignity. You are being observed by those closest. They talk amongst themselves more than you can imagine. ‘Resaca’ is a word best whispered during these festive days.

A Christmas Tale from Tuscany By Dario Poli (part 2) GIOVANNI’S childhood friend was solidly impressive in a rough checked shirt and a rope holding up his corduroy trousers and wearing thick boots. Of medium height, he had fair wavy hair, ruddy complexion and steely grey penetrating eyes. His handshake, firm but gentle, was his calling card. I sensed immediately this man was built by nature, blessed with an abundance of good health. Wiry and physically strong, a morally incorruptible individual, with genuine spirituality exuding from every pore in his body. He grabbed the ropes, held and restrained the two excited mules. One particularly aggressive mule with his eyes on me, clearly intended to kick me as hard as he could, turning and twisting, to deliver the blow. With Silvio still firmly holding them, they finally calmed down and he amiably conversed with us about the old times and mutual friends. I asked him about local Christmas customs, and he told me about the little town of Castiglione, where at twilight, a man whose identity is known

only to the priest, enters the vestry and is closed inside the wardrobe. After Mass, the congregation leaves the church in procession and find the penitent (the same man who had been closed in the wardrobe) at the door dressed like Jesus Christ. The man leads the procession through the streets of the village wearing a hood to prevent anyone from recognising him and carrying a cross. At the end of the procession the penitent is closed again inside the wardrobe and emerges unseen only late at night. He invited us to enter the ninth century Church, of which he was the keeper. He released the mules and drove them away from the nervous visitors, then with a large metal key unlocked and pushed open wide the huge creaking doors. Once inside, I was met with the pungent smell of incense and as my eyes gradually became accustomed to the darkness, I was able to pick out a white marble altar directly in front of me fully prepared for a Christmas Mass. The interior had been left exactly as it was, as the final celebration of Christmas.

There were a number of ornate pillars supporting the wooden beamed roof, and beneath them were several rows of wooden benches for the villagers to occupy during past services. Near one of the pillars a large beautiful crib had been built to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus and was totally illuminated like a stage spotlight, Ga rfa gn an a, vi lla ge of by a penetrating shaft Ce se ra na . of light emanating from a round stained-glass window The men deep in their meditations above. With the exception of light were not at all disturbed by the arrival coming from the entrance, the rest of of worshippers from the animal kingthe church was in almost total darkdom. The touching and quite amazing ness. scene of two men, two mules, and a Giovanni and Silvio standing dog, gazing silently and reverently in silently beside the crib made the sign homage at the crib appeared to be the of the cross and prayed. most natural occurrence in the world. The silence was broken by the Had I not seen this event with my echoing sound of hooves clip-clopown eyes, I would never have given ping on the stone floor. this story any credence. The two mules and Silvio’s brown Leaving the church Giovanni and I hunting dog, entered the church and said our goodbyes and in silence calmly ambled down the aisle, then turned towards the path, engrossed in stood silently in front of the crib.

our own private thoughts. Before descending, I turned and saw Silvio; his dog and the two mules, watching us depart framed by the magnificent mountains behind them. Mentally thanking each one of them for sharing with me a little of their living time and giving me a rare glimpse of innocence. The imagery of that special Christmas Eve holiday will be forever engraved in my memory and my heart. THE END

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de AlmerÃa

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 8:00pm

22 DECEMBER

FRIDAY 23 DECEMBER

SATURDAY 24 DECEMBER

SUNDAY 25 DECEMBER

MONDAY 26 DECEMBER

TUESDAY 27 DECEMBER

WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER

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Celebrity Mastermind EastEnders Who Do You Think You Are? The Royle Family BBC News at Ten BBC London News Mrs. Brown's Boys Katherine Jenkins: Home for Christmas

7:00pm

EastEnders Citizen Khan Have I Got 2016 News for You Walliams and Friends BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Graham Norton Show Mrs. Brown's Boys The NFL Show

7:00pm

Walliams and Friends BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Graham Norton Show Mrs. Brown's Boys The NFL Show Signs Weather for the Week Ahead

7:00pm

Michael Mcintyre's Big Christmas Show EastEnders David Walliams Celebrates Dame Shirley Bassey Peter Kay's Christmas Comedy Shuffle The Vicar of Dibley BBC News Revolting Rhymes The Great Christmas Bake Off EastEnders Still Open All Hours The Witness for the Prosecution Outnumbered BBC News Match of the Day Fleabag EastEnders Holby City The Witness for the Prosecution Walliams and Friend Christmas Special BBC News BBC London News Mrs. Brown's Boys Outnumbered Pointless BBC News BBC London News Antiques Roadshow Ethel and Ernest Jonathan Creek BBC News BBC London News Mrs. Brown's Boys Sport Relief 2016: The Final Score Fleabag

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Nigella's Christmas Kitchen The Cook Who Changed Our Lives University Challenge MasterChef: The Professionals Close to the Enemy QI Mock the Week Alpha Papa

9:30pm 10:00pm

Inside the Christmas Factory University Challenge Wild Tales From the Village Saving Mr. Banks Mock the Week Close to the Enemy And Now for Something Completely Different

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Inside the Christmas Factory University Challenge Wild Tales From the Village Saving Mr. Banks Mock the Week Close to the Enemy And Now for Something Completely Different Splash Snow Chick: A Penguin's Tale Gorilla Family and Me Gorilla Family and Me Carols from King's Dad's Army Alan Bennett's Diaries

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ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ITV News ITV News London Paul O'Grady's Favourite Fairy Tales Jackpot247 ITV Nightscreen

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ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ITV News ITV News London Paul O'Grady's Favourite Fairy Tales Jackpot247

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Blankety Blank Coronation Street Birds of a Feather Grantchester Christmas Special Through the Keyhole ITV News and Weather Christmas Carols on ITV

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University Challenge Dad's Army Nature's Weirdest Events Gordon Buchanan: Elephant Family and Me The Entire Universe Pride Gospel Christmas Tommy

5:10pm

Gordon Buchanan: Elephant Family and Me The Real Marigold on Tour Inside No 9 Live at the Apollo Insert Name Here NFL David Walliams Celebrates Dame Shirley Bassey

7:40pm

University Challenge Robot Wars: Battle of the Stars Dragons' Den Live at the Apollo The Real Marigold on Tour Song for Marion Alan Bennett's Diaries The Lady in the Van This is BBC Two

Countrywise Extraordinary Weddings ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London Shaun of the Dead Jackpot247 Tonight ITV Nightscreen

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8:00pm 8:30pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:45am

5:25pm

6:30pm 7:25pm 7:40pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:10pm 11:25pm 1:40am

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street You've Been Framed! Coronation Street Captain Philips ITV News and Weather

7:50pm

ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ITV News and Weather Pompeii with Michael Buerk Rugby

5:20pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

Paul O'Grady For the Love of Dogs at Christmas Blankety Blank ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ITV News Jaws Jackpot247

8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 12:10am 2:20am

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

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

Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Secret Life of the Zoo at Christmas The World's Most Expensive Toys Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas Gogglebox The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Food Unwrapped Does Christmas The Last Leg Christmas Special The Windsors Christmas Special Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas

7:10pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:35pm 12:05am 1:25am 6:25pm 7:55pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

12:05am

Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Food Unwrapped Does Christmas The Last Leg Christmas Special The Windsors Christmas Special Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas

6:25pm 7:55pm 8:00pm

We're Going on a Bear Hunt Gogglesprogs Christmas Special 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Rude Tube Christmas Cracker 2016 Trigger Happy Christmas Special The Inbetweeners

9:00pm

Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. The World's Most Expensive Toys A Big Lego Christmas Big Fat Quiz of the Year Pitch Perfect Travel Man Stuart Little The Simpsons Hollyoaks Posh Pawn at Christmas Amazing Spaces Snow Special This is Us Gogglebox 2016 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown A Big Lego Christmas Channel 4 News The Simpsons The Simpsons Hollyoaks Arrivals What Britain Bought in 2016 24 Hours in A and E David Blaine Big Fat Quiz of the Year

9:00pm 10:00pm

12:05am

10:00pm 11:00pm 1:55am 3:25am 5:00am

3:15pm 6:20pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 1:05am 2:55am 7:15pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:30pm 11:35pm 12:05am

All New Traffic Cops World's Strongest Man 2016 Santa Makes You Laugh Out Loud The Peter Kay Story Peter Kay at the Comedy Store The Graham Norton Story Super Casino A Christmas Star 5 News World's Strongest Man 2016 Christmas with the Double Acts The Morecambe and Wise Story: Look Back in Laughter Morecambe and Wise Live! 1973 A Christmas Star 5 News World's Strongest Man 2016 Christmas with the Double Acts The Morecambe and Wise Story: Look Back in Laughter Morecambe and Wise Live! 1973

5:30pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 12:00am 1:30pm 2:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 12:00am 2:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 12:00am

The Yorkshire Vet at Christmas Eamonn and Ruth: A Million Pound Christmas Greatest Ever Christmas Movies Scrooge Super Casino The Trafford Centre: Countdown to Christmas

1:00pm 4:00pm

West Side Story The Love Punch World's Strongest Man 2016 Mega Builders Football on 5 Football on 5 Britain's Favourite Abba Songs Muriel's Wedding Super Casino

4:00pm

Battlebots: World Championship World's Strongest Man 2016 There's a Croc in My Kitchen Dirty Dancing 5 News Dirty Dancing Greatest 80s Movies

4:30pm 5:30pm 6:30pm 10:00pm 2:00am

6:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am 12:30am 1:00am 1:30am 2:00am 10:30am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 3:45pm 6:00pm 9:00pm 1:00am

5:25pm 7:10pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

1:05am

Kelly's Heroes Battlebots: World Championship World's Strongest Man 2016 Kitten Rescuers at Christmas Most Shocking Celebrity Moments of 2016 Pete Burns: The Last Interview

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

Premier League Legends Fantasy FC: Merse Meets Gazza Barclays Premier League World Sporting Records Live World Darts Championship 2017 Premier League Matchpack Joe Hart: The Italian Job Live World Darts Championship 2017 Game Changers Gareth Bale: Year of the Dragon The Fantasy Football Club Barclays Premier League Preview Live World Darts Championship 2017 Game Changers Gareth Bale: Year of the Dragon The Fantasy Football Club Live World Darts Championship 2017 Barclays Premier League Preview Football Joe Hart: The Italian Job NFL - A Football Life NFL - A Football Life Live NFL Action from the NFL. Live NFL Action from the NFL. Live NFL-Cincinnati @ Houston Gillette Soccer Special Football Football Nissan Match Choice Football Football Football Football Scottish Football Round Up Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Football Live World Darts Championship 2017 Football Football Sky Sports Originals Out of Contract Gareth Bale: Year of the Dragon Barclays Premier League World Football Barclays Premier League World Premier League 100 Club

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22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Famous quote

This week

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

‘

Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticise, wait. Before you quit, try.” Ernest Hemingway

in history 1066 – After invading England from France and defeating and killing King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. 1642 – English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. 1831 – On board the HMS Beagle Charles Darwin set off from Plymouth in England on a five-year global expeditions collecting fossils and studying plants and animals that undoubtedly provided some of the evidence that led to his theory of evolution. 1888 – Suffering from depression Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh cut off his left ear. 1899 – Star of films such as the Oscar winning Casablanca and Oscar nominated The African Queen, the iconic actor Humphrey Bogart was born in New York City. 1900 – The first ever Mercedes car to be produced was delivered to its buyer Emil Jellinek, an Austrian car racer who had commissioned it from German company Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. The car was named Mercedes after his 11-year-old daughter. 1914 – A German monoplane dropped a single bomb on Dover during World War One signalling the first-ever air raid on Britain. 1941 – Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Washington DC to meet with the President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to discuss war and peace. 1947 – John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley invented the transistor at Bell Laboratories. The invention revolutionised electronics and earned them a Nobel Prize. 1956 – Coco the baby gorilla was born at Columbus Zoo in Ohio. She was the firstever to be born in captivity. 1987 – A new world record was set by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager after they flew continuously for 216 hours around the world without refuelling. Travelling at a speed of around 115 miles per hour they covered 24,986 miles in their aircraft the Voyager. 1991 – Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev resigned. 1996 – The body of six-year-old American beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found in the basement of her parents home in Colorado after they reported her missing at 5.52am. Although it is suspected she was killed by her parents, this has never been proven. Her murder remains unsolved and is still under active investigation. 1993 – The hit Hollywood film Philidelphia opened, starring Tom Hanks and becoming the first to focus on the subject of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). 2001 – JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter, married anaesthesiologist Neil Murray in Aberfeldy, Scotland. 2004 – An enormous tsunami devastated shorelines in 14 countries that bordered the Indian Ocean including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand triggered by a 9.3 magnitude earthquake on the sea floor killing around 230,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless.

Women’s wit

‘

I knew that with a mouth like mine, I just hadda be a star or something..” Barbra Streisand

World of English

‘

If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.”

‘WE ARE LATE - FORGET RUDOLPH I’M GOING TO CALL YOU USAIN - NOW BOLT!’

Kakuro

for next 7 days

Costa del Sol

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.

VELEZ RUBIO

TODAY HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

ALMERIA

RETAMAR

ADRA

VELEZ RUBIO

ALBOX

ROQUETAS

HUERCAL OVERA

GARRUCHA

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

TOMORROW MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

17 9 S 17 9 S 17 9 S

Benidorm MAX 17C, MIN 8C Mon - 17 10 C Tues - 16 10 Cl Wed - 16 10 C

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

17 9 S 17 9 S 17 9 S

MAX 17C, MIN 8C Mon - 17 10 C Tues - 16 10 Cl Wed - 16 10 C

CLEAR MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

16 7 S 15 7 S 14 6 C S Sun,

16 8 Cl 14 7 Sh 15 6 Cl

MAX MIN

Mon - 14 6 C Tues - 14 7 C Wed - 13 7 Cl

Madrid MAX 16C, MIN 6C MAX MIN

Mon - 15 6 S Tues - 15 7 S Wed - 15 6 C Cl Clear,

TODAY:

Fog,

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 18C, MIN 8C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

18 8 C 18 8 S 17 6 C

CLOUDY MAX 13C, MIN 3C

13 3 S 12 2 C 11 2 C C Cloudy,

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 11 2 C Tues - 12 3 S Wed - 11 4 C Sh Showers,

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

18 6 S 18 7 S 17 6 S Sn Snow,

IRISH LOTTO

LA PRIMITIVA

EURO MILLIONS

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Mon - 16 9 Cl Tues - 16 9 Cl Wed - 16 8 C

MAX MIN

Mon - 18 6 C Tues - 17 7 S Wed - 17 7 C

Murcia

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

17 8 S 18 8 S 17 8 S

Mallorca

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

SUNNY MAX 18C, MIN 7C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 17 11 S Tues - 16 10 C Wed - 16 9 C

SHOWERS MAX 15C, MIN 9C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

18 9 S 19 9 S 18 11 S

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Malaga

SUNNY MAX 19C, MIN 10C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

ROQUETAS

MAX 17C, MIN 6C MAX MIN

Mon - 16 7 Cl Tues - 16 8 C Wed - 16 8 C Th Thunder

LOTTERY

Alicante TODAY:

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Saturday December 17

Tuesday December 13

Friday December 16

BONUS BALL

LUCKY STARS

BONUS BALL

Sunday December 18

28 18

Saturday December 17

LUCKY STARS

REINTEGRO

E W N 22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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The Magnificent Seven Directed by: Antoine Fuqua Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett This action film is remake of the 1960 classic western. The town of Rose Creek is in an impossible situation after the corrupt industrialist Bartholomew Bogue besieges the town and slaughters a group of locals when they stand up to him. Despairing of the town’s situation the people, led by Emma Cullen, reach out to warrant officer Sam Chisholm for help to recruit seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns in order to protect the town. While the seven mercenaries are preparing for the fierce confrontation that lies ahead they find themselves having to fight for more than the money.

Javier Arenas, Politician, December 28

Spanish Partido Popular politician who is currently spokesman for the group in the Andalucian parliament. Born in Sevilla he was raised in Olvera and is married with two children. He graduated in Law and has a Masters degree in Business Management.

Noel Edmonds, TV/Radio Host, December 22, 68 Famous TV presenter for more than 40 years he has hosted shows such as Top of the Pops, Noel’s House Party and Deal or No Deal. He used to host the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. He has been married three times and has four daughters. Danny MacAskill, Cyclist, December 23, 31 The Scottish cyclist gave up his job as a mechanic to work professionally as a street trials rider. He has appeared in many films that showcase his amazing stunts and tricks including one titled The Ridge that featured him riding the step and rocky Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. Ed Miliband, Politician, December 24, 47 Former leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition who has been an MP since 2005. At the tender age of 40 he became the youngest leader of the Labour party after defeating his older brother David who was also a candidate in the leadership election. Annie Lennox, Singer, December 25, 62 Award-winning singer and songwriter who has had a successful career both as a soloist and also with the Band Eurythmics. She has sold over 80 million albums worldwide and had hits with songs such as Thorn in my Side, Why and Sweet Dreams. She is also a political and social activist. Milos Raonic, Tennis Player, December 25, 26 Born in Canada he started playing tennis when he was only eight years old. In 2011 he earned his first ATP victor at the SAP open. He became Canada’s highest ATP ranked male singles player in 2013 when he was ranked in the top and in 2016 became the first Canadian male tennis player to reach the Wimbledon final.

Funagram

Just Joking

Unscramble the title of a UK Christmas number one single from 1990s (three words): A SHADY ATTORNEY

After all the little children finished visiting Santa at the shopping centre, a 20-year-old young lady went up and sat on Santa’s knee. “I want to ask for just one thing for Christmas,” she said, “and it is for my mum.” Santa replied, “I usually only answer little children, but since it is for your mum go ahead and ask me what she would like for Christmas.” “She would really, really love a handsome son-in-law.”

Unscramble the name of a famous pantomime character (two words): BUYING A STEEPLE

Hexagram

10-Star Quiz

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

ADVENT (10) CARROT CEREAL DECEIT DETOUR ENTICE HARDEN INCOME INTENT IODINE

NOTICE ORIENT PARIAH POLITE ROUTED SKIMPY THEORY TRANCE VENDOR

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

1 Abrupt 2 Bureau 3 Blanch 4 Resume 5 Blouse 6 Launch 7 Massif 8 Bobcat 9 Defray 10 Subset 11 Titian 12 Critic 13 Mastic 14 Tracer 15 Auntie 16 Select 17 Object 18 Legume 19 Spongy.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Pat yourself on the back for all of your efforts of recent weeks. Looking back just a few months, would you have thought so much progress could be made? Because of your efforts, home life is enhanced and you are more appreciated. Give yourself a break at the weekend and do something with a loved one that you have not done together for some time. Think of the great times you had and relive them to warm your heart. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Rarely has your mind been as sharp as it is at the moment. There have been some awkward and downright bad periods in the recent past, but this week everything falls into place. Why, you wonder, have you worried so much about things which could not be changed? With this clarity of vision, the future seems so much brighter. Use your talents and advantages to the full in this sparkling seven days and beyond. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) For all of the things that you want to do, there are three others that you wish to do. Maybe they are waiting for their own time to come. During the course of this week you will be thinking of what the future could hold, even though dealing with practical issues. While you are doing the ordinary tasks of the day, or thinking of how you can save money, also think about how to save your dreams.

CAPRICORN

WE WISH YOU A MERRY QUIZMAS 1. According to Dr Seuss, which bitter, grouchy, cavedwelling green monster with a heart ‘two sizes too small’ attempts to put an end to Christmas by stealing Christmasthemed items from the homes of the nearby town Whoville on Christmas Eve? 2. George Washington and the Continental Army crossed which river on the night of December 25, 1776? 3. Spoken by Tiny Tim, what are the last five words of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? 4. The Father Christmas Letters are a collection of letters written and illustrated between 1920 and 1942 by which famous British novelist and literary scholar for his children, from Father Christmas? 5. What did Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart steal from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1950? 6. What two-word Latin phrase did the Queen use to describe the year 1992 in her Royal Christmas Message of that year? 7. What was the title of Dickie Valentine’s 1955 song that was the first UK number one hit single title to actually contain the word ‘Christmas’? 8. Which American singer/dancer/actor starred as Private Phil Davis alongside Bing Crosby in the 1954 film musical White Christmas? 9. Which light cake, usually made with sultanas and candied peel, is traditionally eaten at Christmas in Italy? 10. Who was crowned king of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066? Not a lot to people know that… in Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to Santa Claus. She is also referred to as the Christmas Witch.

YOUR STARS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) When you are at home this week I would like you to consider how you view your surroundings. This is a good week to make changes and have discussions about future directions. It is assumed that those close are happy with the status quo, but this may not be the case. The things which you find irksome may also irritate them. Ask in a tactful and gentle way and you will be surprised at the outcome.

TIME

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(December 22 - January20)

The enthusiasm of your bright Capricorn mind is also capable of making you restless. There are mixed feelings about being at or near home this week, with thoughts of more progress being possible elsewhere. Your need to make things better for those round you may not make you money but it can bring great joy. Give of your time and talents generously. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) When it isn't possible to change something, often it is just as effective to rearrange it. That is the solution which comes to you this week. Instead of being frustrated at a delay, try changing the conditions or times. This may mean that you save money or delay a payment to your advantage. We all have set ideas, whatever our age or circumstances. CANCER (June 22 - July 23) When we have long-standing friendships, these are often taken for granted and yet often we could make so much more of them. How long is it since you had a really deep conversation with your closest friends? What has changed in their attitudes and fortunes over the years? How could you help each other to make better progress? Working together brings so much more forward movement and satisfaction. LEO (July 24 - August 23) Consider what is the most important thing to you at the moment? Is it wealth or social position? Your work, or how it may be possible to afford that new conservatory are minor considerations compared with your greatest asset which is your health. This week, then, is all about boosting this valuable commodity and building its future. Worry, stress, overwork should be words not in your vocabulary. VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) As the saying goes, ‘no one ever said it would be

easy’. In the past few months you have found this to be true. Hard work is not alien to you, but there is a point where you want to shout ‘enough’. It may be that business or home life needs some rearranging, or that someone is moving job and the routine is severely disrupted. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) As a home-loving Libran, you are torn between making changes to your surroundings and getting some cash in on the business side. Apparently, it is not possible to do both because energy levels fluctuate. I have a proposition for you. Get business out of the way during the week and plan home activities for the weekend. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) There is so much in you that is determined and looking forward to a fresh start, but something that you are trying to get rid of, or give up, may be giving you more trouble than anticipated. Some things have to be done alone, or so you think, but others have gone through this before you so they are able to give support. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Is playing the waiting game really to your advantage? Your Sagittarian character naturally leads you to be optimistic, and why not? Even so, it won't hurt to hurry someone along rather than having them go at their own pace. Bear in mind that, in letting someone get away with sloppiness, you are doing them no favours at all.

Answers 1. THE GRINCH, 2. DELAWARE River, 3. GOD BLESS US, EVERY ONE!, 4. J R R TOLKIEN, 5. STONE OF SCONE, 6. ANNUS HORRIBILIS, 7. CHRISTMAS ALPHABET, 8. DANNY KAYE, 9. PANETTONE,10. WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR

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

TARGET: • Average: 8 • Good: 12 • Very good: 17 • Excellent: 21

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION acne acre cane cant care cart cent cere cert cran cure curt cute ecru narc race tact acute caner caret carte cater crane crate cruet cuter enact erect eruct nacre react recta tacet terce trace tract truce acuter canter careen center centre create curate cutter nectar recant recent tenrec tercet trance centare centaur crenate cuneate curette reenact uncrate truncate UTTERANCE

OUT

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page

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

Cryptic

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Across:

Across 1 Wise man chopped-up elm before excited choir (8) 5 Show Ruby around American capital (4) 9 Brags about clutches (5) 10 Drove back at pace to give information (7) 11 Some bottles of wine are stored next door (7) 12 Small beers for after Christmas events (5) 13 Support donkey and sit awkwardly (6) 15 Core gym is in shed for a change (6) 19 Chooses Portsmouth to host the game (5) 21 He levitates without this to improve (7) 23 Rubbish time to walk like a duck (7) 24 Are potentially about a foot past (5) 25 Fat little girl with tiny top (4) 26 Holds a rally in favour of experiments (8) Down 1 Name tag rewritten in red (7) 2 Pack animal kept in cell a matter of hours (5) 3 Carelessly she lost lodging places (7) 4 Highly decorated in the Battle of Little Big Horn, a terrific achievement (6) 6 Record allowed to include gold US decoration (7) 7 Follows eating programme and dies with time inside (5) 8 Lofty pursuits, a right stop-start (4) 14 Or in stage warehouse (7) 16 A gentle dance is beautiful (7)

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Crossword

EWN

1 Turns, 4 Barium, 9 Replica, 10 Paces, 11 Apse, 12 Granite, 13 Rue, 14 Robe, 16 Sage, 18 Pie, 20 Restate, 21 Dent, 24 Strut, 25 Spanner, 26 Steven, 27 Exile. Down: 1 Threat, 2 Ropes, 3 Skin, 5 Appraise, 6 Itching, 7 Master, 8 Barge, 13 Repartee, 15 Observe, 17 Trusts, 18 Pepsi, 19 Sterne, 22 Ennui, 23 Dame.

QUICK

17 Grassier Rastafarian land contains mountain ranges (7) 18 Finish even confused the queen (6) 19 First staff at the Esso station fills up (5) 20 Reportedly joined the rush (4) 22 Singers lost a production (5) Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 2 represents Q and 5 represents G, so fill in Q every time the figure 2 appears and G every time the figure 5 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 Feel remorse (6) 4 Smooth fabric (5) 8 Small adhesive token stuck on a letter (5) 9 Post conveyed by planes (7) 10 Within a building (7) 11 First light of day (4) 12 Beer (3) 14 Range of food of a particular type (4) 15 Artificial source of visible illumination (4) 18 Colour like blood (3) 21 Listen (4) 23 Ceremonial dress (7) 25 News (7) 26 Sound of any kind (5)

27 Hoard (5) 28 Edible seed (6) Down 1 Characteristic of rural life (6) 2 Mother of your father or mother (7) 3 Boss (8) 4 Arrange in order (4) 5 Jewelled head wear (5) 6 Hosiery (6) 7 Latin American style of music (5) 13 Refined grace (8) 16 Thousand thousand (7) 17 Snaps (6) 19 Put on clothes (5) 20 Father or mother (6) 22 Wireless (5) 24 Leg joint (4)

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

Across: 1 Cupboard, 7 Brave, 8 Exonerate, 9 See, 10 Peek, 11 Deduce, 13 Casual, 14 Versus, 17 Carrot, 18 Hard, 20 Try, 22 Terrified, 23 Seize, 24 Rehearse.

Down: 1 Cheap, 2 Profess, 3 Obey, 4 Reared, 5 False, 6 Defeats, 7 Bemused, 12 Narrate, 13 Contest, 15 Scarier, 16 Coarse, 17 Cynic, 19 Dodge, 21 Fine.

ENGLISHSPANISH Across: 2 Right, 6 Raza, 7 Ojal, 8 Stair, 9 Damp, 10 Miel, 11 Bride, 12 Jefe, 13 Noon, 14 Roast, 15 Door, 16 Abad, 17 Years. Down: 1 Camareros, 2 Raspberry, 3 Granizada, 4 Tormentas, 5 Cacerolas.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Brazalete (6) 3 Heladas (6) 8 Trineos (5) 10 Chestnut (fruit) (7) 11 Emotion (7) 12 Dream (while asleep) (5) 13 Camello (5) 15 Goose (5) 20 Árboles (5)

22 Milagro (7) 24 Reunión (7) 25 Girls (young) (5) 26 Cocinas (aparatos) (6) 27 Precios (6) Down 1 Cesto (6) 2 New (5) 4 Laughs (5) 5 Patinadores (7)

6 Estación (parte del año) (6) 7 Perfume (5) 9 Deslizarse (5) 14 Dressing (culinary) (7) 16 Delantal (5) 17 Sellos (6) 18 Friend (f) (5) 19 Banquetes (6) 21 Especia (5) 23 Brandy (5)

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TOP 10

BOOKS Cross The Line

James Patterson AL E X CROSS hunts a cold-blooded killer. Shots ring out in the suburbs of Was hington, DC It’s former chief of detect i ves lies dead leaving a leadership vacuum. Under pressure from the mayor, Alex steps in to investigate the case. Meanwhile a dead l y stream of murders sweep t he region with only o n e factor in common. All the victims are criminals. C ro s s mus t purs ue a murderer who believes he has justice on his side making him all the more dangerous. A l ex mus t beat him a t his own game, and take the l aw back into his own hands before the city plummets into chaos. Will he succeed against someone who has appointed himself as judge, jury and executioner? books@euroweeklynews.com

CHRISTMAS is upon us once again and is celebrated by billions of people around the world. There are some weird and wonderful traditions around the world from Christmas pickle ornaments hidden on the tree to sculpted radishes to add colour to the holiday celebration. Here’s a look at some of most popular and less wacky traditions. 1. Christmas Cards Sending cards started in the UK in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole who was a civil servant who had helped to set up the new Public Records Office (now known as the Post Office). He wanted to encourage ordinary people to use the new service and with the help of artist John Horsley created the first Christmas card. Advances in printing brought down the cost of making cards and by 1900 the custom had spread across Europe. 2. Christmas Trees Estonia and Latvia both claim to have first used trees at Christmas in 1441 and 1510 respectively, but they didn’t arrive in Britain until the 1830s. They became popular after Prince Albert had a tree put up in Windsor Castle in 1841 and in Victorian times they were decorated with candles. In 1885 a hospital in Chicago burned down because of candles on the tree. In 1895, Ralph Morris invented the first electric lights, similar to what’s used now. 3. Mince Pies Love them or loathe them they are a popular tradition and originally were filled with meat rather than dried fruit. In Stuart and Georgian times they were seen as a status symbol at Christmas as rich people showed off at their parties with pies made in different shapes. Children often leave one with a drink for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. Around 370 million are sold in the UK each year. 4. Christmas Stockings Arising from the legendary St Nicholas who secretly threw bags of gold down

Sudoku

Christmas traditions

XMAS TREE: Lit up with lights. the chimney of a poor man for his unmarried daughters. They landed in the stockings hanging to dry on the chimney and hence the custom was born. Many children now hang up an empty sock or bag on Christmas eve so that Santa can fill it with small stocking filler gifts. 5. Holly and Ivy Originating from pre-christian times they were used to celebrate the winter solstice adding a splash of colour, warding off evil spirits and celebrating new growth. An old English tradition states that whatever plant was brought into the house first over winter would tell whether the man or woman of the house would rule that year! 6. Christmas Crackers First made around 1845-1850 by Tom Smith, a London sweet maker, early

versions were based on an idea he brought back from France where he had seen almonds wrapped in pretty paper. He added a small motto or riddle and eventually the ‘crack’ when pulled open. After he died his sons introduced hats thought to symbolise the crowns worn by the Wise Men. 7. Turkey With origins in Mexico the first turkeys were brought to Britain by William Strickland in 1526. It was very fashionable in high society in the late 19th century and enjoyed very much by Henry VIII. It used to take a week’s wages to buy a turkey so it was a luxury until the 1950’s when they became more widely available. Around 76 per cent of families in the UK will serve up a roast turkey. 8. Christmas Pudding It originated in the 14th century as a porridge called ‘frumenty’ made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. It evolved over the years with the addition of eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and spirits to become the customary Christmas dessert around 1650. In the UK a silver sixpence is often added for luck. 9. Mistletoe The tradition of hanging it in the house dates back to the ancient Druids. It is supposed to possess mystical powers which bring good luck to the household and ward off evil spirits. There are two beliefs as to how the custom of kissing under the Mistletoe originated. One being it has the power to bestow fertility and the other considers it a plant of peace where enemies declare a truce. 10. Christmas Carols Carols originate from pagan songs sung at the winter solstice celebrations as people danced around stone circles. The word ‘carol’ actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! They used to be written and sung throughout the year but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has survived. Carol services are still a popular custom today.

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

App of the Week Microsoft Translator Do you want to travel but are afraid of language barriers? Microsoft has solved this problem with their translator app. It can interpret in-person conversations with up to 100 people simultaneously using computers, tablets or phones currently in nine different languages; English, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German, Arabic and French.

Play on Words CHRISTMAS

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: 24 • Good: 33 • Very good: 48 • Excellent: 62

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

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION babies bast baste bastes baster base baser bairn inept impend bias bier biers absent absentee absentees aster astern airs sire sett ires setts enter enters erst efts fete fetes fest feist fetus fern fries fret frets

Word Ladder PASS

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.

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GIFT BACK

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

Solution PASS LASS (PAST) LAST LIST LIFT GIFT

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Answers: Snowball , White Christmas.

HEALTH BEAUTY

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Go smart with your child’s toys STILL wondering what Santa can bring the little people in your life? Then think smart. Experts say babies and toddlers should be stimulated as much as possible and the toys they receive play an important part in that. Even from babies, eager to learn about the world, every shape, colour and texture is new to them and toys act as a fascinating tool to help build motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It is also reported that in this stage black and white forms the largest stimulation in an infants brain that is continually developing. As they reach the toddler stage toys such as shape sorters and building blocks are ideal for developing their imagination and teaching about colours and shapes and building the basics in life skills. Equally, such toys can detect gaps in the development of infants as found by a university project. A project carried out by several universities in Madrid has allowed the design of different toys, from rattles, balls or cube towers with built-in sensors that can serve as support in the early detection of gaps in the development of young children. This early detection is important because certain motor difficulties can be warning signs for other diseases related to poor motor development and developmental problems. One toy used was a tower

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of cubes that had motion sensors in and is now pending a patent. It measures time, speed and maximum acceleration of the blocks being moved when the tower is made. Analysis of this data allows experts to detect the possibility of some kind of problem or motor impairment in children. The toy is currently being tested out in three nursery schools, one in Alcala de Henares and two in Madrid, with 60 children aged between two and six years of age. The project has been funded by the State Programme of Research, Development and Innovation Challenges. EARLY DETECTION: Toys are used to detect developmental gaps.

Enjoy life and live longer SIMPLY being happy and having fun could help you live longer. Experts from University College London followed more than 9,000 people in their 50’s and 60’s in England and every two years between 2002 and 2006, they were asked about how much they enjoyed their life and daily activities. Over the next seven years to 2013, 1,310 of the participants had passed away with many of them being those who had reported having no or little enjoyment in their daily lives when asked during the assessments. Scientists believe that being happy reduces stress and anxiety hormones which can put pressure on the heart and lead to increased blood pressure. Whilst the researchers said they could not conclude a direct biological link between happiness and mortality, they said their study did indicate a correlation.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

A whole new meaning to biting your nails IT may have a strong online following, but we’re not sure the latest beauty trend will catch on; edible nails. A nail artist from New Zealand has created edible nail art with the videos viewed on Instagram 57,000 times on the account ‘Nailed It NZ.’ They come complete with white, milk or dark chocolate and some are decorated with icing and silver balls to create the looks. The inspiration came from

another nail trend this year which involves applying more than 100 coats of nail polish to create a hard lump on each nail. Whilst some love the edible art, an on the go snack treat, others have criticised it and questioned the hygiene surrounding eating chocolate off your nails. EDIBLE NAILS: Come complete with chocolate.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

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Pneumonia: to vaccinate or not?

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. WHAT is the vaccination against pneumonia we’ve been hearing about recently? The vaccination against pneumonia is an injection which prevents infection from pneumococcus, a bacteria which can cause serious infections. There are about 100 different varieties of pneumococcus, only a few of which can cause infections in human beings. Who should have the vaccination? The groups who are most vulnerable to this type of infection are children under the age of five, especially those under two, but it can also affect the elderly, especially those over 65 or who have conditions which make them prone to infections from this germ. Therefore, these groups are under increased risk of suffering an infection from this germ and should be vaccinated. Is it expensive? The Spanish health system covers the cost of vaccinations for people in the high-risk groups, so they do not have to pay for the injections. If you wish to have the vaccination outside the normal vaccination dates or are not in the high-risk groups, the price is approxi-

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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mately €80 although this depends on the brand and the country. How long do the effects last? If you are correctly vaccinated the effect can last for many years. From the age of 65 onwards it is advisable to have a reminder dose to maintain coverage for years to come. Is it efficient? The vaccination is very efficient, as proved by many studies, although no vaccination is 100 per cent effective. Does it have many side effects? The most common side effects reported have been reactions at the injection site including swelling, redness, pain at the site of the injection and difficulty moving the arm. Others are: fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, fever and vomiting among others. In very rare cases serious adverse effects may occur at a neurological level or affect the respiratory system. Is it really worth having the injection? It definitely is. Anyone who meets the vaccination criteria should most definitely be vaccinated against pneumococcus.

If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com

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Have a flatter stomach this Christmas WANT to stay looking trim this festive season, then try the s e tric ks to a void the bloa t a nd ke e p a fla tte r stomach this December: Little and often That big over indulgent Christmas Day feast may be something you have been looking forw a rd to for weeks but it can be hard for the body to dige s t a nd process all that food leading to excessive gas and bloating. Ea ting s ma lle r me a ls more re gula rly is a pre fe rre d option a nd me a ns those festive buffets may not be as bad as you think if you keep returning for little nibbles every now and then. Avoid the fizz We a ll like a gla s s of fizzy stuff at Christmas but the bubbles in prosecco and Champagne as well as beer and coke can end up in your stomach leaving you dehydrated and bloated. Get active A s te mpting a s it is to slob around catching up on television viewing during your time off, try and stay a c tive during the fe s tive s e a s on. Enjoying a w a lk along the beach, even getting active with the family on Wii s ports ga me s , c a n help speed up a sluggish digestion and help ease IBS symptoms. Choose carefully N o one w a nts to turn

CHOOSE CAREFULLY: Try to go for healthier options.

Try and stay clear of pastry and fried foods and go for the healthier option of prawns, salmon and lean meat and indulge all you like in vegetables and fruit on offer.”

down a party invite and the buffet at the office party can be har d t o avoi d but , you can make careful choices in what you eat. Try and stay clear of pastry and fried foods and go for the healthier option of pr awns, sal m on and l ean m eat and i ndul ge al l you like in vegetables and fruit on offer. Take time chewing your food to allow your digestive

system time to work. Thi s wi l l al so hel p you r eal i se when you ar e f ul l bef or e you over i ndulge. Hot water and lemon Try swapping that morning coffee for hot water and lemon to help wake up your digestive system. Peppermint and chamomile tea are also known for easing stomach problems.

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OCIAL

Three awards in a row

TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMEN: Were also invited to display their arts.

Sweet traditions By Eleanor Hawkins IN keeping with tradition, Huercal-Overa’s Pasty Day was well attended and helped raise funds for charity. For the 16th year in a row, the Historical Centre Residents’ Association organised the day with support from the local council, which laid on ingredients for the traditional Christmas almond pasties. Dozens of women and a few men gathered early in the morning at the municipal gastronomy classroom on Plaza de Abastos to begin preparing

pasties, which needed a total of 10 litres of aguardiente, 10 kilos of fat, 10 kilos of sugar and 30 kilos of flour for the pastry and 40 kilos of sugar, 45 kilos of almonds, five kilos of lemons and 17 dozen eggs for the filling. Local Mayor Domingo Fernandez and councillors Monica Navarro, Maribel Sanchez, Blas Sanchez, Belen Martinez and Monica Sanchez all joined in the day and watched as they were made. This year the event was also opened to other associations including the local cancer and ADHD associations which were able to sell their

TA B ER N A S’ public l i bra ry ha s , for the thir d time, been awarded with the National Maria Moliner prize for encouraging reading from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. All year round, Modesto G a rc ia libra ry ha s been running activities in colla bora tion w ith local schools to encourage social integration, intercultural relations and technological development under

a project entitled Ven que t e cuent e ( Com e and l et me tell you). Tabernas library is one of f i ve i n Al m er i a Pr ovi nce whi ch has r eceived this prize, which consists of a selection of new books from this year’s new titles. Towns and villages with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants from all over Spain com pet e f or t he pr i zes wi t h pr oj ect s t o boost r eadi ng, especi al l y

am ongst chi l dr en and youths. The l ocal counci l expressed its pleasure at receiving the prize again. In 2013, the library’s From A t o Z, r ead and get acquainted with your library project won the Maria Moliner Prize, and in 2014 it was also rewarded for its At home at the library project. Last year the ministry failed to organise the competition.

Activities for Christmas CHRISTMAS has arrived in Mojacar with plenty of activities for all the family. This afternoon, Thursday December 22, families with children have a date at the C e ntro de U s os M ultipl es. The Thr ee Kings or Wise Men’s pages will be ready to collect letters from local youngsters to deliver to the royal trio, and there will be bouncy castles, trampolines, music and a variety of activities. Entry is free and

events kick off at 6pm. Tomorrow, Friday, the municipal band will be performing its free Christmas concert at the parochial church at 8pm. Those who wish to attend Christmas mass (in Spanish) have two choices: the Chr i st m as Eve m ass wi l l begi n at t he parochial church at 11.30pm on Saturday, December 24, and the church will also be holding a Christmas Day mass at 11.30am.

SOCIAL SCENE

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PAINTING COMPETITION: About 20 artists from all over Almeria took part.

Outdoor painting prizes presented By Eleanor Hawkins THE prizes for winners of the second Mojacar outdoor painting competition have been presented at a ceremony in the town. Organised by Mojacar Pueblo Merchants Association and sponsored by the local council, Unicaja social foundation and Cervezas Glamour, the competition saw about 20 artists from all over Almeria and other areas take part. First prize of €800, sponsored by Mojacar Council, went to Manuel Sanchez Lucas, who was born in Barcelona and is now based in Almeria. Second prize of €500, from Unicaja, went to Jose Maria Sarabia and third prize, €300 from Cervezas Gourmet, was for Francisco Perez. First prize was presented by

Culture councillor Raquel Belmonte, manager of the Mojacar branch of Unicaja Antonio Hurtado Guirao presented second prize and Cervezas Glamour manager Jose Antonio Moya Gonzalez presented third prize. President of Mojacar Pueblo Merchants Association, Isabel Sanchez Redondo, also attended the ceremony along with members of the board of

judges, Tourism councillor Emmanuel Aguero and Foreigners’ councillor Maria Luisa Perez. There was also an extra €200 prize in this year’s competition, provided by the merchants’ association, for the painting which best portrayed Mojacar’s annual noche de velas (night of candles). This prize was presented to Francisco Perez.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

Although the Albox mayor stressed at the time of announcing the closure that when he made a decision he always followed through, this time he has had to backtrack and accept the conditions offered to avoid the service disappearing. Therefore, the new vehicle - valued at about €350,000 - the order for which had been cancelled, has been reordered and the fire station staff’s list of necessary equipment is being studied by the Provincial Council. Garcia explained that Albox Council will continue to run the service for the time being and, once 16 new firefighter posts are filled, will be able to decide whether to keep it up or hand it over to the Provincial Council.

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In agreement for fire station THE mayor of Albox and the Provincial Council have reached an agreement which will allow the fire station to remain open. Mayor Francisco Torrecillas and provincial deputy head Javier Aureliano Garcia sat down to discuss the controversial matter and eventually decided the station will continue to function with €150,000 funding from the Provincial Council and the promise of a new fire engine. The future of the station had been up in the air since Torrecillas announced his intention to close it on January 1, 2017, endangering the service which attends approximately 70,000 residents in the Almanzora Valley and Los Velez area.

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Toys needed THE Red Cross in Macael is collecting toys for children in need. Anyone who can help is asked to take them to Avenida de Andalucia 136 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays between 10am and noon or 5-7pm before January 2.

Well spotted TOWN HALL: Will receive funds to cover the cost of materials.

A cash injection By Eleanor Hawkins ALBOX, Purchena and Lucar will be receiving €39,677 to fund materials for the PFEA rural employment schemes from the Provincial Council. The PFEA scheme is an important Andalucian project in which unemployed workers are taken on to carry out specific improvement jobs in towns and villages with 75 per cent funding from the Junta de Andalucia regional government. Almeria Provincial Council is providing an in-

valuable service to 87 municipalities in the province, managing their PFEA schemes for them, however it has not forgotten Albox, Purchena and Lucar, which chose to manage them themselves. Therefore, each will be receiving funds to cover the costs of materials to be used for their projects from the provincial authority, PFEA delegate Guillermo Casquet has announced. “The PFEA is a balloon of oxygen for rural inland municipalities and a priority for the Provincial Council,” Casquet stated.

THREE burglars had to run away empty handed after they were spotted by a neighbour entering a country property in Olula del Rio, who called the police.

Keep on PP political party has pledged at a provincial meeting in Tijola to continue pushing the government for long promised infrastructures including the Almanzora motorway, announced in 1986 and still incomplete.

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Ban for ex-m

Karate kid IT is with great pleasure to announce from the Girasol Karate clu b t h a t Ma r c o s J u s te r h a s achieved his orange belt. Marcos has just turned 11 years old and has been with the club for a year. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s M a rc o s a n d keep up the good work. Girasol Karate club meets on a Monday afternoon at 5pm. The instructor is Sensei Richard Barrett 6th Dan who has over 40 years experience of Martial arts. If you are interested in Karate please contact Claire on alboxgirasol@hotmail.com.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

By Eleanor Hawkins

MARCOS JUSTER: Achieved his orange belt.

End of year report GEOCYCLE waste plant in Albox has reported on the year’s achievements at a meeting with representatives of the local community. Head of the plant Cristina Gomez spoke of the celebration, in May, of a health and safety fortnight which included a number of courses on first aid, nutrition and handling of defibrillators among other topics of interest. She also underlined the importance of an educational campaign carried out at local schools as part of the company’s corporative social responsibility programme, which aimed to raise awareness of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The company also presented its first report on sustainability in Spain which defines a number of fundamental goals based on four main pillars: climate, circular economy, water and the natural environment and people and communities. Albox’s Environmental councillor Angel Pardo stressed the importance of maintaining collaboration in health and safety matters, while the headmistress of Martin Garcia Ramos secondary school spoke of the need to continue with training courses on the importance of recycling.

THE former mayor of Partaloa, Jose Gonzalez, has been found guilty of corrupt practice and banned from public office for eight years. Three councillors also on trial for the incorrect dismissal of the municipal secretary in September 2011 were found not guilty as the judge decided they were completely unaware of the irregular nature of the matter. Enrique Montalvo, Antonio Peñuela and Federico Molino, former councillors of Works, Treasury and Culture, added their signatures to that of the mayor on a letter stating the secretary was no longer required. However, judge Javier FerminVillarrubia stated there was no evidence they were aware of the irregular situation and in fact one of the three stated in court that he had no idea what he was signing. The secretary, a civil ser-

JOSE GONZALEZ (right): Has been found guilty of corrupt practic vant, was appointed to the post in Partaloa by the Junta de Andalucia regional government in April 2011 and Gonzalez was warned by the Junta, both over the telephone and in writing, that it was not down to him to dismiss him, the judge stated.

However, Gonzalez went on regardless and had a document drawn up and signed by all members of his council which bore no official stamp and made no reference to a correct administrative procedure, meaning it was not legally

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

mayor

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Photo Credit Diputacion de Almeria

Raining on the rally HEAVY rain at the weekend failed to stop a straggle of supporters of AVIAL association attending a rally in Albox to protest against anti-rain planes. With the province under orange alert for rain, the association in defence of health and the environment and against anti-rain systems decided to cancel buses due to arrive from Granada, Murcia and Almeria City but went ahead with the rally for locals. AVIAL spokesman Juan Antonio Sola explained: “it was a bit risky but as we had announced the rally over megaphones and on posters we decided to go ahead as we had no way of informing people if we cancelled it.” The association members and supporters marched through Albox to express their concern over chemical spraying which they claim has been carried out for more than 30 years to break up clouds and avoid rain. Not only does this cause drought conditions and damage the environment, but it is a health risk.

Better bus shelters

ce and banned from public office. binding, the court decided. Although the private prosecution demanded €2,400 in damages for lost salary, the judge decided not to award them and stated the matter would be down to the administrative procedure rather than the criminal court.

SHELTERS at 11 of the areas busiest bus stops are currently being replaced by the Public Works and Housing Department to improve public transport for users. New shelters have already gone up in Seron, Olula del Rio and Tabernas, department head Joaquin Jimenez reported, and will soon be followed by more in Cantoria, Lubrin, Arboleas,

Palomares and Mojacar. The shelters include stronger aluminium roof, meet universal accessibility standards and have been given an anti-corrosive coating, the delegate explained. The locations of the new shelters were chosen taking into account the amount of use the stops receive, with those close to hospitals and health centres given priority.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Plants make a happier Xmas By Eleanor Hawkins CHILDREN who have fallen victim to domestic viole nc e a nd a re living a t a shelter in Almeria City will be re c e iving gifts this C hris tma s tha nks to the generosity of Albox residents. This year, the traditional sale of Christmas plants by the staff of the Municipal

Women’s Information Centre at the Tuesday market raised a total of €281.60, which will be spent on toys and gifts for the children and mothers at the shelter. The plant sale has been held for some years in Albox as a way t o suppor t women and children victims of gender violence and help t hem sm i l e at Christmas, Equalit y and So-

cial Welfare councillor Angel Pardo explained. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to t he 128 peopl e who have supported this initiative and helped us help the children and mothers have a slightly better Christmas thanks to their gifts from Albox,” Pardo said.

FUNDS RAISED: Will be spent on toys and gifts.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Season ends with a gala MOTOCROSS: The last race was held in Cuevas del Almanzora.

Photo Credit www.mxfull.com

MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP: The winners were presented with trophies. By Eleanor Hawkins CUEVAS DEL ALMANZOR A ha s hos te d the e nd of season gala for the Provinc ia l M otoc ros s C ha mpionships. The town was the site of the final race of the year, orga nis e d by M otoc lub

Almizara and MX Almeria in collaboration with the local counci l , whi ch saw a high number of participants race at Rincon de la Bonil racetrack. After the race, the bikers and audience moved to the Nave Pol i val ent e, wher e Mayor Antonio Fernandez

and Sports councillor Miriam Quintana presented the winners with trophies and ot her par t i ci pant s wi t h diplomas. The council representatives were presented with a gift from the clubs in order to thank them for their collaboration.

Mischief in the city A YOUNG man from Albox has been arrested for public disorder and resisting the authorities in Almeria City. Local Police officers on patrol in the early hours of the morning reported having spotted two young men urinating in the en-

trance to a block of flats on Calle Rueda Lopez. When they attempted to identify the men, both tried to flee the scene on foot however one, aged 20 and a resident of Albox, was caught and eventually arrested after putting up a fight.

OPINION & COMMENT NEWS EXTRA

Worried farmers COAG farmers’ association has reported its concern over an increase in agricultural theft. The latest break-in saw 4,000 aubergines stolen from a greenhouse.

Man burned A MAN, 34, was taken to hospital with severe burns to one arm after a fire broke out at his home in Roquetas del Mar at 3am, emergency services reported.

22 - 28 December 2016 / Costa de Almería

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Rare visitor spotted By Eleanor Hawkins FOR the first time a marabou stork has been spotted in Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Environmental officers from the Junta de Andalucia regional government reported having seen the bird while carrying out surveillance tasks within the protected nature park and will this week be attempting to capture it on camera. The marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) is a large bird of the stork family which can grow to heights of 1.2 metres and weight between four and five kilos. Its natural habitat is in the swamps and arid areas of southern Africa, where it preys mostly on small vertebrates but also on carrion. This had led, the Junta e x p la in ed , to th e

bird being sighted in past years at feeding areas maintained for carrion eaters in Los Velez, yet this was the first time its presence had been reported in Cabo de Gata. These feeding areas are kept to provide food for rare species including marabous and Rüppell’s vultures from nearby Africa and those from Western Andalucia like black vultures and imperial eagles. Environmental delegate Antonio Martinez reminded avid bird watchers that any sightings of rare species should be reported to the Environmental Department, the Guardia Civil or 112. MARABOU: Is a member of the stork family.

Found safe A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD girl reported missing from Almeria City on November 17 has been found at a home in Benahadux by the Guardia Civil.

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To the rescue THE Maritime Rescue service put on an impressive display of efficiency in the waters of the bay of Almeria earlier this week during an emergency drill. Although no lives were really at risk during the drill, part of regular training schedules, Helimer 219 helicopter and Polimnia lifeboat crews put their skills to the test with the helicopter collecting an injured person (actually a dummy) from the ship at a speed of eight knots. Lifeboat captain Miguel Parcha explained that these regular drills are of vital importance and what is learned at the time is later put into practice to save lives. Polimnia lifeboat is one of the fastest the Spanish service currently owns and comes equipped with a variety of technology to enable it to carry out rescues in extreme conditions, often in darkness. Posted in Almeria, it plays a vital role in Mediterranean waters, generally rescuing African migrants from dinghies adrift at sea. This year 117 dinghies have tried to reach the coasts of Almeria from Africa, carrying more than 1,900 migrants. Between December 11 and 13 alone the Maritime Rescue service and Guardia Civil rescued 194 people from the waters near Cabo de Gata.

Big guns for a minor disturbance Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

THE Spanish are not overwhelmingly monarchist but have too much on their minds to start agitating for changes in this department. But for Catalans who want independence, the monarchy symbolises unsympathetic central domination. This is particularly true of the CUP party, whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts thanks to its parliamentary support for the centre-right regional president Carles Puigdemont. CUP is anti-everything except independence and its MPs are actively sup-

Carles Puigdemont.

porting party members hauled up before the Madrid National High Court for burning photos of the King. By bringing out the big guns for a minor dis-

turbance the establishment is walking its usual route plagued with elephant traps and minefields. It doesn’t do the King many favours, either.

Kicking off the conversations SORAYA SAENZ DE SANTAMARIA, the national government’s vice-president recently paid her first visit as Minister of Territorial Administration to Cataluña. The radiant politician (fillers, botox, surgery or hair extensions?) smiled broadly and reiterated the government’s promises of dialogue regarding Catalan independence. Saenz de Santamaria’s first meetings were with the

PSOE’s regional secretary Miquel Iceta and Ines Arrimadas of Ciudadanos, prompting the regional government’s spokeswoman Neus Munte to express ‘surprise’ that the minister should have preferred to meet the Opposition first. Not the best of starts, then.

Altogether now! FIFTY-NINE PER CENT of Basques might want an independence referendum but centrists can stop rending their Madrid-manufactured garments. The same poll found that only 31 per cent of the Basque population would back secession. They might be anti-Constitutional but referendums are paradoxically the best way to ensure that Spain remains intact.

Discreetly keeping their distance PEDRO SANCHEZ is tenacious. No longer PSOE secretary general or an MP in the national parliament, he is popping up all over the place and if he has his way party members will again choose the next PSOE secretary general in primaries. This is how he rose to the top in 2014, a prelude to leading the party from bad results to worse. So far Sanchez is holding meetings and visiting towns where he believes he’ll get a warm welcome from the membership. Meanwhile the few politicians who backed his ‘no means no’ diktat to prevent Mariano Rajoy from forming a government once more are discreetly distancing themselves from him. Everyone loves an underdog but nobody backs an outcast.

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Close to glorious sandy beaches IF you are looking for a lovely authentic villa on a beautiful beachside complex that is priced to sell then look no further. Located on a small private urbanisation this is one of only two semi-detached villas on this unique complex which is only 50 metres from the glorious sandy beaches of Mojacar Playa. The property is made up of a small entrance terrace and hallway to the front of the villa which is fitted with an ornate reja that leads into the property where you will find the fully fitted kitchen to the left-hand side that has a newly replaced hot water heating unit, a gas hob and a ceiling fan along with a large serving hatch which makes this room lovely and bright. Directly to the front of the kitchen is the spacious open plan lounge dining room that has twin ceiling fans and large double opening terrace doors leading out to the covered terrace and the open side terrace from where you can relax and look down over the beautifully manicured gardens and double swimming pool areas then out to sea which is a one minute walk away. There is a small central hallway that gives

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FANTASTIC VILLA: Situated on a unique and small private urbanisation.

access to the two double bedrooms the master being fitted with a shower room, large built in wardrobes plus an additional storage cupboard and an air conditioning unit. The guest bedroom also has a large built storage cupboard and benefits again from those lovely views down over the gardens to the lovely Mediterranean Sea. The property comes with a communal parking space which is adjacent to the house and satellite TV which is connected to the property via a communal antenna supplied by the community. To aid any potential purchase the current owners are more than happy to negotiate a deal for the sale of the property to include the contents of this fantastic villa. 950 615 388 / 653 722 290 country@spanishpropertychoice.com www.spanishpropertychoice.com

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Tourist rental confusion SPAIN’s crackdown on unregulated tourist holiday rentals has been dealt a blow as a Catalan court annulled Barcelona’s €30,000 fine on accommodation platform Airbnb. The city has been at the forefront of efforts to regulate and tax online platforms and homeowners which rent properties to tourists outwith the legal framework of hotels and hostels for several years. Andalucia, Valencia and the Balearics have followed suit, demanding people who rent their homes register with the state and be included in some kind of legal framework i.e. pay taxes. But only Barcelona has actually imposed fines on offenders and punished Airbnb, a global company that has transformed the tourist industry, for advertising properties for rental which hadn’t been registered with the authorities. The city has a serious problem with landlords rent ing short-term to tourists, raking in upwards of €100 a night rather than issue long-term rentals to local families at a far lower profit. The court has now ruledtourist rentals cannot be dealt with by punitive fines in lieu of an alternative.

Reduced rate of evictions THE amount of evictions in Spain between July and September this year represented a drop of 11.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2015. The data released by the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) potentially represents another sign the country is making its way out of the crisis. The CGPJ has indicated the amount of evictions carried out in the third quarter of the year 9,094 - is the lowest number since the fourth quarter of 2007. Every region in the country saw a decrease in evictions in the third quarter of the year in comparison to 2015.

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Spanish property sales are up as market stays strong By Sam Croft PROPERTY sales in Spain are still on the upswing in comparison to 2015, although the growth slowed down slightly in October. Data from the National Statistics Institute has indicated that in October, sales of houses and flats were up by 6.5 per cent in comparison to the same month of the previous year. This percentage represents another encouraging figure for the real estate sector, even if it can’t quite match up to the impressive jump experienced by the market in September, when sales were 13.2 per cent higher than the same month in 2015. The secondhand market did the majority of the legwork in October. A total of 24,010 people snapped up used residences, whereas 5,359 buyers opted for new homes. The most successful regions in October in regards to sales per 100,000 residents were the Balearic Islands

ENCOURAGING FIGURES: For the real estate sector. (113), Valencia (109), and the Canary Islands (92). Andalucia was the region which saw the most transactions, with

5,624, followed by Cataluña (5,164), Valencia (4,253) and Madrid (3,965). Altogether, property sales in Spain

Government will not combat ‘vulture funds’ THE National Government is concerned about social housing being sold to ‘vulture funds’ but considers the issue to fall under the jurisdiction of the autonomous communities. During a Senate meeting, Maria Pilar Garrido Gutierrez, the senator from the parliamentary group Unidos Podem-En Comu PodemEn Marea grilled Minister of Development Iñigo de la Serna on the subject. She asked the minister what measures the National Government plans to implement to stop investment funds or profit-seeking entities from snapping up social housing and using it for their own personal gains. De la Serna pointed out that matters relating to

real estate fall under the umbrella of the autonomous communities and that “the National Government respects the current legislation.” According to De la Serna, the National Government can only approve property-related plans once they are run through the regional governments. Representatives from the Ministry of Development are scheduled to meet with representatives from the autonomous communities on Thursday December 15 to discuss the potential direction of future property plans. STOP SALES: Of social housing.

in the first 10 months of 2016 saw an increase of 13.9 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2015.

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THE Mediterranean climate allows for a wide range of plants to be grown. The restrictions of soil quality, water availability and the ability to create microclimates are really where gardening skills are required to make the most of the possibilities. It will require more planning and preparation and after care to maintain exotic plants but if you have the time it can be a great interest. If you want to add some elements of exotic interest or reminders of home to your Mediterranean garden or balcony, it is possible to grow many temperate and various tropical plants. There are many gardens in Spain that, in addition to their almond, citrus and olive trees, have tropical avocados and bananas and yet

also pears, apples and peaches of the temperate climates. The secret to growing exotic plants successfully is to replicate the natural environment they come from as far as possible. If you are really adventurous, there is a plant, with heavenly connotations for many people, that can add great interest to a garden. It is known as the food of the gods, recognised by the greek botanical genus name Theobroma which means god food. It is better known by its species name, cocoa. In the indigenous Mexican regional language of Nahuati it is known as xoclati, but to most of us it is known for being the main flavour source of chocolate, the cocoa tree. Cocoa beans from the tree were first introduced into Europe by the Spanish and their

Photo Credit: Dr. Morley Read shutterstock

Go loco and grow cocoa By Graeme Tyrrell

CHOCOLATE TREE: It is possible to grow your own with careful planning and care. use soon spread as a sweet delicacy, with regional recipes developed to give us the vast range of delightful delicacies we have today. The cocoa tree grows naturally as an under storey plant shaded by taller trees

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in rain forests but as it matures it can tolerate full sun. So a well shaded, sheltered spot in the garden is ideal. They are cold sensitive below 8°C so the best place is next to a heated building or, if in a pot, it can be brought indoors in winter to a well lit location. They will tolerate cold below 8°C but may lose their leaves and be set back. Frost is likely to kill them. Windy conditions are detrimental. The soil required to grow them needs copious amounts of organic material of high fertility with regular addition of nutrients several times a year, as in a tropical

GARDENS

forest environment. Ensure the soil stays moist all year through supplementary watering as necessary, like in a rainforest environment. Flowers can appear throughout the year and the cocoa fruit is gradually harvested over several months. The pod contains 30-40 bean seeds which you can separate from the pod to be dried in the sun. The cocoa bean is naturally bitter but when crushed into powder and a sweetener added, it reveals the exquisite taste of chocolate we all know. So with careful planning and care, you can have your own chocolate tree.

Design trends for year ahead PINTEREST is a social media platform which has become increasingly popular with those looking for decorating inspiration. With this in mind, its insights team has analysed data from the last year to predict the interiors trends for 2017. The colours of the year are likely to be navy and copper. Popularity of navy instead of black has increased by 80 per cent, Pinterest deduced, while that of copper instead of gold rose by 90 per cent. The pattern everyone is expected to be mad about next year is marble, with companies quickly catching on and creating wallpaper and accessories with a marbled effect. Hygge, a trend based on the Scandinavian style of cosy living, is set to stay in fashion with warm yet simple designs and rustic or farmhouse tones being the overall atmosphere to go for. For accessories, Pinterest has forecast we will all be going for indoor vines, which has seen a 260 per cent increase in interest on the platform since September, and floating art.

Christmas cactus care CHRISTMAS cactus or Schlumbergera are cacti which originally come from Brazilian tropical rainforests, meaning they are a little different to other types of cactus. They are ideal for planting in hanging baskets as their stems and flowers tend to droop downwards. This is the best time of the year to buy Schlumbergera as they are in flower and it’s easy to choose a plant with multiple shoots, a sign of strength and health. In the warmer months they can be kept outside, however they hate direct sunlight and should be kept in a cool, shady spot. Whereas most cacti store water, this is not the case for Christmas cacti, meaning they require more frequent watering (once per week in the summer and every 15 days the rest of the year). Make sure though that the earth is dry before watering and avoid waterlogging the pot as this can lead to mould.

To favour flowering add a phosphorous and potassium rich fertiliser to the water. Common problems: Fungus or rotted stem-bases are a sign of excessive watering. Reduce frequency of watering and cut off the damaged areas. Flowers which fall off before opening are usually due to draughts or a lack of water. Stems which lose their colour are a sign of a lack of light. Place the cactus in a lighter area, but not directly in the sun.

COOL CACTUS: Keep outside in summer in a shady spot.

PETS PAGE

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Daisy and Glossy have made themselves at home House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! To find a pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742.

Puppies bought from the Internet 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

RESIDENTS’ REPORT: Gail keeps Ann updated on the cats and the house. ANN a homeowner in Fuengirola Spain has found that in the seven years since living in this part of Spain she has attracted large numbers of stray cats. They simply turn up at the door looking for a caring hand and over the years she has crossed paths with a large number who simply move on after a few meals. Daisy and Glossy, however, have stayed with her for four years now. They are fixtures in her home and don’t need a great deal of attention but she has grown very fond of them. As a working lawyer with a base in the UK Ann still travels a great deal and worries about her cats when she is away from them. Her current trip is a long one and may stretch from three to six months. She found HouseSitMatch online and registered. Within a couple of weeks we had

found her an experienced house-sitter in Gail. Ann has returned to the UK to take care of some urgent business leaving Gail in charge. Gail sends Ann regular updates on the property and its feline residents. Gail in the meantime has three to six months free accommodation in a sunnier climate to her Scottish homeland. Both joined HouseSitMatch as standard members for the cost of only £35 per year! Do you need a sitter? Get in touch. Housesitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as a house-sitter or homeowner now with a 20 per cent off introductory offer using code PERFECT20. To find a house pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com.

MORE people are buying pups online and sadly paying the price. Many puppies bought online, often used by puppy farmers, require longterm vet treatment or die before six months. Research by the UK Kennel Club found one in three

PUPPY FARMS: Dogs often become ill or die young. may have bought from a puppy farm after sourcing the animal through the internet, social media or newspaper adverts. An increase from one in five last year. The research found a third of puppies failed to experience overall good health; almost one in five bought via social media or the internet died before six months of

age; and 12 per cent ended up with serious health problems. Meanwhile, 94 per cent of puppies bought direct from a breeder were reported as having good overall health. Remember, you could be lumbered with a sick animal, and incur heavy vets fees all because you didn’t do enough research to find out where your pet came from.

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Koenigsegg are saying that the new CCX is more comfortable... more comfortable than what? Being stabbed? Some might say...

Changing of the guard By Matthew Elliott GOOGLE has launched its first foray into the pioneering world of autonomous cars with the formal unveiling of new sister company Waymo, which is expected to whet its appetite for world domination with a self-driving taxi service. Waymo says that drivers around the

world clock up an incredible 10 trillion miles each year, one of those fantastically difficult to challenge numbers, and that it will make every one of those miles safer. First step in the Google revolution will be a self-driving taxi fleet. It probably

won’t be sparing expats awkward conversations of payment moments in far flung corners of the world. More likely the fleet will occupy the pristine streets of tech cities like San Francisco and Seattle, charging executives

an arm and a leg for WiFi access on their way to meetings. After the taxi fleet, the sky is the limit. The motoring world will be transformed beyond all recognition with the entrance of tech and software companies into the market, challenging the power players of Ford, Volkswagen etc, who has ruled the roost for a century.

GOOGLE TAXIS: Will be a self-driving fleet.

Motoring shorts

What is in a name? AFTER almost a century in the motoring game, Porsche have become so irritated by constant mispronunciations of their deliberately hard to pr onounce nam e t hat t hey’ ve now r el eased a video telling people exactly how to say it. Those who pronounce it as one syllable, dropping the ‘e’ at the end now have no excuse and will be accordingly humiliated at mot or i ng gal as and cockt ai l parties until the end of time. The video is just 16 seconds long in keeping with a strict German no nonsense approach and features a man voicing how exactly to say i t phonet i cal l y onscreen... Por-she.

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ROAD TEST

The Retro Fiat 500 Lounge by Nick Fletcher FIAT’S cute little 500 was a masterstroke of retro design which set it apart from more conventional city hatchbacks. The result was a bestseller for the Italian company, which added charisma and style to a car class which was previously rather humdrum. Fiat 500 prices start at £11,050 (€13,083) and there is a 0.9 litre turbo-charged two cylinder engine, and a 1.3 diesel, but the choice of most buyers is the 1.2 litre petrol unit – my test model - which though offering only 69hp, is still sufficiently perky to propel the 500 at decent pace. Top speed is 99mph, the 0-60 mph time 12.9 seconds, and while neither are best in class figures such is the cachet of the car that it just doesn’t seem to matter. The 500 is much more about

style than out-and-out performance – though the racy Abarth versions do offer hot-hatch pace for those who want it. Fuel economy is a big pluspoint for the 1.2 litre 500 – the combined figure is 60.1 mpg, and that, along with its neat day-to-day practicality, make it an ideal city runabout. It is at its agile best nipping through busy urban streets and slotting into tiny parking spaces. Its light steering, slick gearshift and good all-round visibility add to its pleasing driving dynamics. Out of its natural city habitat, the 500 sometimes shows its lack of speed, and the ride quality is more fidgety due to its short wheelbase, but that really is the only negative against this

little charmer. Front-seat space is very good and even the small rear seats will take a couple of adults as long as you are not on a long journey. The bootspace is adequate for modest shopping needs, and the rear seat split folds to accommodate larger loads. The cabin is pleasingly retro, simple and unfussy, and very easy to use, with big buttons for instant touch. Although some of the trim materials are rather basic, such is the clever design of the cabin, it still looks chic. All models come with front, side and curtain airbags, plus one to protect the driver’s knees. Entry-level Pop models are modestly kitted, but the Lounge trim as fitted in my test car, £12,800 (15,156 euros) is a popular choice, featuring extra equipment including air-conditioning, alloy wheels, fixed glass roof panel, and Bluetooth.

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Honda HR-V: compact SUV by Nick Fletcher HONDA’S entry into the compact SUV market was a little

HONDA HR-V: Worth the wait.

later than most rivals, but the current HR-V underlines why it was certainly worth the wait. Dynamic styling, generous levels of standard equipment and classleading interior

space give the HR-V compelling appeal in a class already well served with the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Yeti and new Suzuki Vitara. HR-V prices start at £18,695 (€21,053) for an entry level S version which comes with alloy wheels, climate control, CD/DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB socket, cruise control with speed limiter, four power windows, and auto lights. For many that will tick most of the must-have boxes. There is a 1.5 litre petrol engine or 1.6 litre diesel, with manual and CVT options. My test model was the higher-spec SE Navi model, priced in manual form at £23,050 (€25,956) and adding extra kit including larger 17” alloys, front and rear parking sensors, 7” touchscreen infotainment centre and driver assistance pack with lane departure, forward collision warning and traffic sign recognition. It had the 130 hp 1.6 litre diesel unit with a 0-60 mph

time of 10.2 seconds and top speed of 119 mph. Fuel economy is impressive at 68.9 mpg combined. Visual styling is a good pluspoint. Its more sporty stance and coupé appearance (it has four doors but the rear door handles are hidden to give a two-door look) give it a boost over less sleek rivals. The dashboard is user friendly though visually dull. Front and rear occupants get plenty of space and the load area is good, 470 litres with the rear seats in use, and 1,553 litres with them folded. The seats fold flat easily and a minimal lip makes loading easier. There is also useful under-floor storage. When it comes to the driving it establishes its credentials as soon as you move off. Smooth quiet power delivery, light intuitive steering and nicely balanced suspension enable you to feel immediately at home, and confident you know just how the car is going to behave. It has poised cornering with minimal body-tilt, and a comfortable ride on all but the roughest road surfaces.

Stats panel: Model: Honda HR-V SE Navi Engine: 1.6 litre diesel Transmission: 6 speed manual Performance: 0-60 mph 10.2 seconds, top speed 119 mph Economy: 68.9 mpg combined Emissions: 108 g/km

SPORT

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Chelsea top at Christmas as Murray wins for third time 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

THERE is always plenty of sporting action over the Festive period - enough for everyone to enjoy. And the 12 days of Christmas for 2016 is no different to any other with full programmes of outdoor sport including football, rugby and horse racing, plus the usual indoor events.

who presented him with the trophy in Miami. It is the third time the tennis star has won this prestigious annual award. Triathlete Alistair Brownlee was second with showjumper Nick Skelton third. The Team of the Year award went to Leicester City whose manager, Claudio Ranieri was voted Coach of the Year, while teenage Paralympic swimmer Ellie Robinson claimed

BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR Andy Murray was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year last Sunday and it was ex-boxer Lennox Lewis

ANDY MURRAY: Won trophy for third time.

DID YOU KNOW? Surprisingly Harry Kane, the Spurs and England striker, made his Football League debut with Leyton Orient; goalkeeper Joe Hart started out with Shrewsbury Town; defender Gary Cahill played his first League game for Burnley and Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson made his bow with Sunderland.

the Young Sports Person of the Year prize, and deservedly so. The ‘Unsung Hero’ award CHELSEA: Are PL leaders.

Manchester United 12 have better sequences) enter Christmas as PL leaders after successive victories over WBA (1-0) and Crystal Palace (1-0), Diego Costa scoring both goals! Chasing Antonio Conte’s men are Manchester City (2-1 winners over Arsenal who suffered two defeats in the North-west in five days after taking the lead), Liverpool (who met Everton in the Merseyside derby on Monday) and Spurs (recent 2-1 victors over Burnley). Manchester United (after two hard-earned away wins at Crystal Palace and WBA) are sixth, while Southampton won the south coast derby, beating Bournemouth 3-1. As we head towards Christmas, just three points (one win) separate the bottom four in the Premiership: Crystal Palace (17th), Sunderland (18th), Swansea (19th) and Hull City (20th). Newcastle United (on 49 points), Brighton (48) and Reading (40) sit 1-2-3 in the Championship with Rotherham United at the bottom on 10 points out of a possible 66. The top three in FL1 are Scunthorpe United (47 points), Sheffield UnitLEICESTER ed (44) and Bolton CITY: Wanderers (43) while Team of Plymouth Argyle (44), the Year. Carlisle United (42) and Doncaster Rovers (42) hold the first three places in FL2, and table-toppers Celtic have an 11-point advantage over Glasgow rivals Rangers in the SPL. Last weekend, hot-shot Cristiano Ronaldo scored yet another hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Kashima Antlers 401 marathons in (Japan) 4-2 after extra-time to 401 days) won the win the World Club Cup. ‘Helen Rollason’ Boxing Day fixtures inaward and the brilliant clude Arsenal-WBA, American swimmer, Chelsea-Bournemouth, Hull Michael Phelps was presentCity-Manchester City, ed with a Lifetime AchieveLeicester City-Everton, Livment award. erpool-Stoke City, Manchester United-Sunderland and FOOTBALL Southampton-Tottenham HotIn-form Chelsea, with a run spur in the PL; Brighton and of 11 successive Premiership Hove Albion-QPR, Derby wins (only Arsenal 14 and

went to boxing coach Marcellus Baza; champion distance runner Ben Smith (bullied at school who went on to run

County-Birmingham City (whose new manager is Gianfranco Zola) and Newcastle United-Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship; Bradford City-Scunthorpe United in FL1 and Crewe AlexandraCarlisle United and Plymouth Argyle-Wycombe Wanderers. CRICKET England collapsed in their final innings losing six wickets for just 15 runs and handing India a 4-0 series win. Nair made 303 in a wonderful innings while KL Rahul became the ninth batsman in Test match history to be dismissed for 199. India won by an innings and 75 runs. Geoffrey Boycott said England in Chennai had played “awful cricket.” In the New Year, there are three One Day and T20 internationals between the two countries. RUGBY UNION In last weekend’s European Champions Cup, there were wins for Leicester 18-16 v Munster; Connacht 20-18 v Wasps; Leinster 60-13 v Northampton and Exeter 2012 in Bordeaux. Ospreys 71-3 v Grenoble and Harlequins 75-3 v Timisoara, both recorded big wins in the European Challenge Cup. Tomorrow Northampton play Sale in the Aviva Premiership followed on Saturday by Exeter-Leicester, Saracens-Newcastle and Wasps-Bath on Saturday. ROUND-UP Two-time Olympic equestrian show-jumping/dressage champion, Valegro, ridden by Charlotte Dujardin, has been officially retired. And in Formula One, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has hinted that he wants Valtteri Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton next year, although some sources have also said that Wolff is a fan of the Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo. And to all readers everywhere, I wish you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Enjoy.

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GUNDOGAN tweets: “Don’t worry - I’m still alive” after Manchester City shirt tribute goes viral. The midfielder will miss the rest of the season due to injury.

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Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

Badgers Golf Society A CHILLING morning at Alboran was the venue for Badgers Golf Society on Wednesday December 14. However it didn’t take too long for the sun to burn through the cloud, so the players enjoyed the warm sunshine for most of the 18 holes and everyone had a good day. Full Results: 1st Steph Glynn 37 points. 2nd Duncan Smart 34 points. 3rd Jock Glynn 33 points. NTPs Derick Dale 2nd Roger James 7th. Steph Glynn 17th. Roger James Nearest the pin 2 at 5th. On the day none of the players managed a two.

SPORT

Indalo Bowling plays the Veteran’s singles TO prove age is no barrier 32 veterans entered this very popular competition. Competitors have to be over the age of 68 and the standard of bowling was again of the highest quality. The competition was postponed a few times because of a water logged green, which hasn’t happened for a very long time. Eventually, after some very good competitive matches, the semi finals were contested between Tony Davis and Bob Green with Bob winning 21 to 14 and Maggie Holmes against our Club Captain Dave Ebdon. This was another good game but Maggie came out on top 21 to 15. The final between Bob and Maggie was a game of two halves. Bob was in the lead after 15 ends 19 to 10 with consistently good draw bowling. Maggie held her nerve and gradually pulled the game back 18 to 19. By now they had played 24 ends and all

GOOD BOWLING: Winner Maggie Holmes with Bob Green. rested on the next end. Maggie sent down three really good match winning bowls and won the game 21 to 19. The most exciting, entertaining match to watch in spite of the cold weather!

Well done to Maggie and Bob for a wonderful game of bowls. Indalo Bowling Club wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

19th Hole at Aguilon ON Thursday December 15 on a particularly cold and damp day, the 19th Hole Golf Society played its Monthly Medal at Aguilon Golf Resort. Maybe it was the conditions prevented a good low score but certainly Nigel Greenwoods net 70 was well below the accepted norm for the Medal Round. In the Ladies Medal the same applied with Nekana taking the win with a nett 80 which was well below the normal winning score. Significant also was the complete absence of anyone scoring a two as to how difficult the conditions were. 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 gs19th hole@hotmail.co.uk.