Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1644

5 - 11 January 2017

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Singer blackmailed Spanish star takes down extortionist By Matthew Elliott A blackmailer who tried to extort Almeria’s biggest celebrity with ‘compromising images’ of the star has been jailed. The man was sentenced to nine months for demanding cash from singer David Bisbal in return for not releasing the images publicly. The Grammy-winning, platinum-selling star, one of Spain’s most celebr a t e d p o p e x ports, brought a private cas e ag a i n st t h e m a n , named i n t h e Al m e ria court as 34-year-old Oscar B. The m a n , wh o h a s a lengthy criminal record, had managed to get a hold of the Almeria-born singer’s private mobile phone n u m b e r. He w ent t h r o u g h t h e star’s contacts, identified which ones he had an intimate or close relations h i p wi t h , a n d a s k e d them for photos, pretending to be Bisbal himself. Alarmed by the change in tone and strange requests, his friends contacted Bisbal s epara t e l y, sh o c k i n g h im with the news that he was being i m p e r so n a t e d . T h e 37-year-old singer then received an email from Oscar B, claiming to have ‘incriminating e v i d e n c e ’ an d

threatening to go public unless he was paid. Prosecutors said Bisbal went straight to the police. Armed with email and text message evidence, as well as courtroom testimony from th e s in g er ’s sister, the con-

viction was a straightforward affair. The court heard how Oscar B, a Catalonia native, incessantly asked for photos a nd informa tion from Bisb a l ’s

celebrity friends in the hope of blackmailing them too. B is ba l ha s re le a s e d s ix studio albums, selling more tha n five million c opie s worldwide. He is a huge star in Latin America and a ls o a n a c tor, re a lity TV star, and songwriter. He has never forgotten his Almeria roots and regularly makes music videos for the local government, helping encourage millions of tourists to visit the place he still calls home.

BISMAL BLACKMAIL: Ordeal is over now the culprit has been jailed.

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Wet ‘n’ dry ALMERIA Province registered what was probably the strangest year in history for weather in 2016, with an all-time low for rainfall followed by surprisingly violent storms. As experts announced that it had been at least a century since the province had seen so little rain, on November 19 the situation changed drastically as the heavSee page 2 ens opened.

Safety measures ALMERIA City will be running an intense anti-terrorism operation in the background during the Three Kings’ parades. The Ministry of the Inte-

rior and National Police force issued instructions across the country following the Berlin terrorist attack. See page 5

Official chat MOJACAR Mayor Rosmari Cano, accompanied by Maria Luisa Perez, councillor for non-Spanish speaking residents, and Emmanuel Agüero, councillor for tourism, were recently interviewed on Spectrum FM, the local English language radio station. Richard Shanley invited the mayor and councillors to his programme Almeria Today, which is broadcast on Mondays to Fridays from 10am to noon. See page 8

Nature’s call A NEW Andalucian government decree has permitted inclusion of various natural spaces in Almeria in the European Natura 2000 ecological network. The gypsum Karsts of Sorbas, Sierra Alhamil-

la and Tabernas Desert were declared to be ZEC (special conservation areas) under the decree, thus allowing European recognition of their status. See page 10

Fireman sham FOLLOWING months of doubts and numerous changes of tune, the mayor of Albox finally kept his word and closed down the fire station, forcing the provincial council to take over. Mayor Francisco Torrecillas had initially announced that the council would cease to provide the service from January 1 onwards. See page 56

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LOCAL NEWS

Local is best

THE 1643 (December 29 - January 4) issue of the Costa de Almeria Euro Weekly News contained no less than 71 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!

Signed off AN Almeria man has been found guilty of threatening his ex-wife using sign language. The court heard that the defendant sent messages to his ex in sign language reading: “you’re a

bitch, I’m going to get in the car and go and find you, call the Guardia Civil or whoever you like and forget about the children because you won’t see them again.”

Going pear-shaped EXPERTS are fighting to have prickly pears removed from the Spanish invasive exotic species list to allow them to be saved from pests of their own. The cacti, which are native to the Americas but have become an almost emblematic sight in the province as well as slowing soil erosion, are being attacked by the carmine cochineal scale insect.

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The warm, wet and very weird weather By Eleanor Hawkins ALMERIA Province registered what was probably the strangest year in history for weather in 2016, with an all-time low for rainfall followed by surprisingly violent storms. Between October 2015 and October 2016 the Almeria City area, for example, registered just 53 litres of rain per square metre, beating the 1912 record of 54 litres per m2 in a 12-month period. As experts announced that it had been at least a century since the province had seen so little rain, on November 19 the situation changed drastically as the heavens opened. In just three days the total amount of rain surpassed that registered in the previous year and most of the area remained waterlogged almost up to Christmas. Over two weeks Almeria went from one record to another as many areas of the province registered the greatest amount of rainfall since records began. In the Alto Andarax area, Fondon and Laujar collected 300 litres per square

ALMERIA CITY: Registered 178 litres of rain per square metre. metre while Nijar, usually a dry area, registered almost 260 litres and Almeria City 178 litres. Long-term forecasts for the winter lead to believe that there is plenty more rain to come, too. Weather experts are pre-

dicting a wetter than usual season for much of the Mediterranean coast due to predominant winds from the Atlantic and also believe that temperatures will be warmer than usual apart from the occasional cold front from the north.

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Featured News 3

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Paseo plans may not please all

Our View 6

Finance 27 - 32

Stocks 28

Leapy Lee 33 PASEO MARITIMO: The council hopes to extend the promenade.

Letters 40

Daily TV 44

Time Out 45 - 48

Health & Beauty 49 - 51

Social Scene 52

Albox 56 - 60

Property 62

Homes & Gardens 63

Pets 64

Classifieds 65 - 66

Motoring 67 - 69

Sport 71 - 72

By Eleanor Hawkins A PROJECT under study in Mojacar may see more beach bars affected as the council wants to extend the paseo maritimo (beachside promenade) further, separating chiringuitos from the sand. The plan is to create more than three kilometres of promenade and include rest areas, bike paths, childrenâ€™s play areas,

GUARDIA CIVIL divers have recovered the body of a man w h o fe ll in to a n Almeria reservoir and drowned. E me rg e n cy s e rv i c e s were alerted by friends of the victim, who reported

showers and pedestrian accesses to the beach. Current day tourism, the council believes, requires much more in the way of facilities than just sand and sunbeds. If the project goes ahead, as others did before them, chiringuitos (beach bars) will have little choice but to adapt to the changes and get used to being a little further from the sand. Meanwhile work continues on the

new town hall building and the council hopes the structure, and the new viewpoint, will be finished by Easter. At that point work will halt until next winter to avoid disruption during the busy tourist season. Once the new town hall is up and running the old building will be used for administrative purposes and to house the archives.

Body recovered that two men had fallen into the water during an afternoon outing. Guardia Civil officers, paramedics and firefighters were sent

to the rescue and managed to pull one of the men, a 26-year-old, from the water and take him to hospital. However, there was no

si gn of t he second m an, and his body was finally located and retrieved from the water 26 hours later. The Guar di a Ci vi l has launched investigations into the circumstances leading to the death.

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Photo Credit Ayuntamiento de Almeria

Safety first

THREE KINGS: The various security forces will be out to guarantee safety for all. By Eleanor Hawkins ALMERIA City, like most other places in Spain, will be running an intense antiterrorism operation in the background tonight (Thursday 5) during the Three Kings parades. The Ministry of the Interior and National Police force issued instructions across the country following the Berlin terrorist attack to put barriers (large flower

pots or bollards) into place in areas where crowds were likely to gather, to stop lorries or vehicles obtaining access. Almeriaâ€™s security forces ag ree d a t a mee tin g th a t, due to the fact that the January 5 parades are the only event which could be targeted and most pedestrian areas already have decorative barriers in place, the best option would be simply to park police vans at the ends

of streets. This option, the councillor for Culture, Education and Traditions explained, is both cheaper and easier to remove after the event. While not wishing to raise alarm, as the day is one which should be enjoyed by the public in general, the police, Civil Protection, private security companies and the fire brigade will all be out in force to guarantee safety for all.

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National Police release young woman in Almeria by John Smith A YOUNG Nigerian woman who had been forced into prostitution in Almeria has been released by officers of the National Police. As part of an ongoing action against Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation officers became aware of the fact that a Nigerian woman who had been smuggled into Spain had been blackmailed into acting as a prostitute by a gang of human traffickers. Officers searched three properties in the town, freeing the woman, arresting two members of the gang and seizing computer records which will be analysed with the expectation of identifying further information on the gang’s activities. The woman in question had left Nigeria with her two

brothers and settled in Morocco for a year and a half where she was reduced to begging in order to feed herself and her very young child before moving to Libya and then Italy where she settled in a refugee camp. It was whilst she was in the camp that she was approached by a woman who offered to help her move to Spain where she was promised a well-paid and legal job. However when she arrived in Roquetas del Mar she was told that she owed those who brought her there €25,000 and would have to turn to prostitution to repay the debt. This woman is one of a number who have been released from forced prostitution by the National Police across Spain during 2016.

COMMUNITY

OUR VIEW

A New Year hope IT seems that 2016 has been an incredibly bad year for the death of musicians and celebrities around the world and every loss has been very painful for their fans. For some reason, musicians appear to attract the loyalist fans and this past year has seen some real heroes pass on, although they leave the legacy of their music as well as a good potential for new profit for their record companies. What we sometimes overlook is that the death of every person be they famous or unheard of invariably leaves grieving relatives and a hole in a family dynamic. All death is difficult to cope with, but sudden and unexpected death is in many ways the most difficult for the family to handle whilst

those who die from long and painful illnesses are often considered to have had a merciful release despite the fact that the family will mourn their passing. As 2016 dies and 2017 is born, we hope the world will become a safer place and death whilst inevitable will not suddenly strike indiscriminately and the massacre of so many innocents in Syria and Yemen will come to an end so people can return to their normal lives and enjoy a peaceful period with their families. At the end of the day, there is little any of us can do to resolve these dreadful situations but sometimes we just need to count our blessings as life here in Spain continues to be safe and mainly comfortable.

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

Bank offers funding for victims of floods UNICAJA bank has announced it has increased the

amount set aside to provide preferential loans to those

affected by recent floods to €70 million to include residents in Almeria and Granada provinces. The loans, for which the bank budgeted €50 million following storms at the beginning of December in Malaga, Cadiz and Huelva, were extended to Almeria and Granada and the total upped following the flooding in the latter provinces in the middle of the month. They are aimed to assist businesses repair facilities and vehicles and get production up and running again and also to allow individuals and companies to obtain immediate funds while waiting for compensation from insurance companies. Those affected by floods have been invited to approach the bank for information on obtaining the loans.

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THE provincial appeals court has confirmed a two and a half-year jail sentence for a Spanish man who caused an accident through reckless driving on the Aguamarga road in Nijar. The defendant had appealed the sentence, which also banned him from driving for four years, claiming he had been unable to attend the original hearing at an Almeria City crimi-

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Reckless driver jailed nal court for medical reasons. However, the provincial court found the claim irrelevant and confirmed the sentence. The driver caused the accident by overtaking

on a blind bend in the road, the court heard, forcing a vehicle coming in the other direction to swerve sharply to avoid a head-on collision. The cars collided side on, seriously damaging the

Spectrum FM interviews mayor and councillors MOJACAR mayor Rosmari Cano, accompanied by Maria Luisa Perez, councillor for non-Spanish speaking residents, and Emmanuel Agüero, councillor for tourism, were recently interviewed on Spectrum FM, the local English language radio station. Richard Shanley invited the mayor and councillors to his programme Almeria Today, which is broadcast on Spectrum FM Mondays to Fridays from 10am to noon, to discuss local matters and give a round-up of 2016. Topics of interest on which the council members and their interviewer chatted included the Paseo Maritimo (seafront promenade) and a planned relief road for the beach area, and Shanley did not miss out on the chance to question his guests on the council’s position regarding Brexit. Cano and Perez both stressed that Mojacar intends to continue providing the same support and services to British residents as those offered to other foreign residents, regardless of whether or not the UK is a member of the European Union. During the programme, Shanley and the mayor agreed to keep in touch and provide local English speaking residents with local and council information every

STAYING INFORMED: The mayor and councillors agreed to keep in touch. other month. The mayor and her team also wished to take the chance to wish Mojacar’s British residents a happy Christmas and New Year. Spectrum FM Mojacar, Almeria, is part of Spain’s largest English language

radio network, committed to providing the local community with all the latest information. It has established itself in the years that it has been broadcasting as the local reference station, both for news and music.

NEWS

victim’s vehicle and causing him minor injuries. The defendant was found guilty of two charges of crimes against road safety, one for reckless driving and another for not having a driving licence. Just three months before the accident he had also been sentenced to 22 days of community work and fined for another offence against road safety in Madrid.

Pin-up of the year By Eleanor Hawkins A YOUNG lady from Almeria, Vanesa Gil, has been declared Interviu Magazine Girl of 2016 at a gala in Madrid. The waitress and event hostess was one of 10 finalists competing for the title which is awarded by the popular Spanish magazine known for its front pages and features of scantilyclad models and celebrities. Gil caught the attention of the panel of judges, which included actors, Interviu models, dancer Rafael Amargo, with a cocktail she prepared for them live. The ceremony was compered by radio presenter Mar Montoro, who has been featured twice in the magazine, and entertainment was provided by

singers Celia Flores and Leticia Sabater. Members of the audience included many Spanish celebrities and Interviu models like Marlene Mourreau, Malena Gracia, Olvido Hormigos, Carolina Sobe and Jennifer Lara who holds a record for featuring on one of the front pages which has been downloaded the most times from the magazine’s website this year. Photo by garci.es

VANESA GIL.

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Photo Credit: Crown Copyright Tom Evans

Home truths from Civil Service leader BREXIT PAGE By John Smith CIVIL SERVANTS in the UK who are not allowed to speak directly to members of the press on personal matters were less than pleased when the Prime Minister criticised them in early December. She took the opportunity in an article written for The Spectator magazine to complain that senior civil servants didn’t brief ministers adequately and had a tendency to say what they thought their minister’s wanted to hear rather than give them an accurate summary of events. In this article she made it clear that she wanted to know facts as well as opinions and then she and other politicians could make the actual decisions. Now however David Penman general secretary of the FDA union (formerly The Association of First Division Civil Servants) has spoken out to alert Mrs May to what the bulk of his 19,000 members are thinking with regards to Brexit.

DIFFICULT OPERATION: For Brexit Joint Ministerial Committee. He believes that the prime minister has decided to pretend that there will be no significant problems with handling Britain’s exit from the European Union when the fact of the matter, as far as his union is concerned, is that the staff won’t be able to cope. Mr Penman added that anyone who had the audacity to warn that the timing would be long and complex was vilified by the government and accused of ignoring the wishes of the people. According to the union supremo only two

ministries have received additional staffing whilst all of the others were being left to cope with implementing all of the legal requirements of Brexit without any additional resource. In his opinion, and that of his members who are the most senior civil servants, the government is going to have to postpone a number of its new initiatives and plans if it wishes to complete the Brexit operation within two years. The fact is that the Home Office is going to have to implement 1,200 EU laws which will

become British law and Defra (The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs) which manages Britain’s farmers and fishing fleets will have to handle 400 new laws and explain their contents to users who will suddenly lose a number of grants. Although not a civil servant, Mr Penman seems quite prepared to pass on apparently unpalatable truths to the prime minister who may have preferred that she and the country at large had not heard them!

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A TELEVISION crew from Japan is due in Almeria this month to record an episode for a popular travel programme. NHK, the Japanese public TV station, has been in touch with Almeria Film Office seeking advice on the best places to film and has said it will be visiting in the second half of this month. The programme is one of the most popular in Japan and has been airing for more than 15

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Cameras are coming years, showing viewers the attractions of the chosen location through the eyes of visitors using small cameras and authentic experiences. The TV station sought advice from the film office staff on various key points it wishes to include in its episode on Almeria, including

Programme shows viewers the attractions of the chosen location through the eyes of visitors.

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culture, museums, monuments and curious aspects and gastronomy, especially tapas. After the city visit, the film crews will also be making a brief visit to Tabernas Desert. Almeria’s Promotion councillor Lola de Haro said: “Spain has always been an attractive destination for the Asian market and NHK’s interest in making a documentary about our city shows that we are a unique destination in our country.”

NATURAL SPACE: Home to many species of flora.

Nature areas recognised By Eleanor Hawkins A NEW Andalucian government decree has permitted inclusion of various natural spaces in Almeria in the European Natura 2000 ecological network. The gypsum Karsts of Sorbas, Sierra Alhamilla and Tabernas Desert were declared to be ZEC (special conservation areas) under the decree, thus allowing European recognition of their status. Located in the central-eastern part of the province, the Sorbas

Karsts are considered to be one of the world’s most important evaporitic karsts and contain more than 1,000 cavities in an area of 12 km2. The semi-deserted area is of extraordinary geomorphological value, experts say. Sierra Alhamilla, to the north west of Almeria City, is a natural space valued for its diverse birdlife. The wooded area forms an island within a semiarid area and lies across lands belonging to the municipalities of Tabernas, Almeria, Pechina, Rioja and Turrillas.

Tabernas Desert, about two kilometres west of Sierra Alhamilla, is considered the only desert area in Europe and is a unique site for study of erosive processes and their relationship with geological phenomena over the last eight million years. It is the home of many species of flora and vegetation unique to the area and rare species at a world level. Inclusion of the local spots in the network will allow for special conservation and protection measures to be put into place.

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NEWS EXTRA

First born THE first Almeria baby of the year was born at Ponie n t e Ho sp i t a l at 1.22a m o n Ja n u a r y 1 . Franc i sc o Fe r n a nd o weighed 4,450 grams. His father will be happy since f r o m Ja n u a r y 1 , paternity leave in Spain has been doubled to four weeks.

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A little Christmas cheer By Eleanor Hawkins MEMBERS of Levante fire brigade paid a visit to children at Huercal-Overa’s La Inmaculada hospital to bring a little Christmas cheer to those forced to spend the festive period in hospital. With an aim to bringing a smile to the faces of the sick

and helping the hours pass a little quicker, firefighters bore gifts and spent the day with the youngsters, who were eager to play and try on the firemen’s gear, especially their helmets. The firefighters’ association thanked the hospital management and the medical staff for their assistance and warm wel-

Thief jailed A MAN has been jailed for two years and three mont hs f o r st e a l i n g €455 and 57 car-wash tokens f ro m a pe t ro l station in Almeria City.

Busy night A TO TA L o f 1 2 1 c alls were made to 112 Emergency Services between 3pm o n De c e mb e r 3 1 and 8am on January 1. Fifty-eight of the calls were related to medical emergencies. FIRE BRIGADE: Visited children in the La Inmaculada hospital.

come during their generous visit. Bomberos del Levante fire brigade is well-known for its collaboration with various charities, sporting events, etc and has expressed its desire to maintain close contact with the people whose lives it is dedicated to improving.

NEWS

Spending plan announced THE regional government will be spending €30 million on roads and bike paths across the province this year, Public Works and Housing delegate for Almeria, Joaquin Jimenez has announced. During his end of year report, Jimenez summarised work done by his department in 2016 and spoke of projects planned for 2017. The most important of these projects include further work on the Roquetas de Mar ring-road, which has already started and is hoped to be linked up to residential complexes by the summer. For this year, €11 million had been allotted to the project. Also imminent is a €5 million project to widen the A-1200 road between Vera and Garrucha, a €1.8 million project to improve safety on the A-358 between Dalias and Berja and a €1.5 million project for work on the A-332 in Cuevas de Almanzora. Jimenez also announced 12 kilometres of new bike paths in El Ejido under the Andalucian Bicycle Plan, work on which is due to start on January 9 at a cost of one million euros. Vera is also due to have a new bike path beside the A-1207 road in Las Buganvillas, for which €100,000 has been set aside. The remaining funds include €10 million budgeted for maintenance of provincial roads and improvements to bus services including new shelters, electronic information signs and reduced prices on tickets for holders of special transport cards.

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TWO British residents in Spain have been awarded honours by Her Majesty The Queen in the New Year Honours List 2017.

Liz Parry, former Editor of SUR in English, an Englishlanguage newspaper in Southern Spain, and Malaga

Province resident, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to British nationals living in Andalucia. Roger Cooke, latterly President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain and resident in Madrid, has been appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to British business in Spain and British-Spanish trade and investment. Honours lists are published twice a year, on the Queen’s official birthday in June and at New Year, and recognise extraordinary achievement and service to the UK. Following a nomination process, an honours committee reviews all the submitted nominations. The Queen then awards the honour. The British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, said: “I’m delighted the achievements of Liz Parry and Roger

Cooke have been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen in this way, whether it be Liz through her distinguished journalism and consistent promotion of Britons’ integration into Spanish society, or Roger and his leadership of the British Chamber, our principal partner in strengthening a €46 billion bilateral commercial relationship.” Reacting to the news Liz said: “I’m delighted and proud to have been awarded this medal for service to British residents in our international community! It came as a complete surprise and I don’t know who nominated me, but I would like them to know that I am honoured and grateful.” Roger, similarly surprised, said: “I’m delighted to receive this award and that a contribution to Anglo-Spanish trade has been recognised at a time when this is so important to both countries’ economic

Liz Parry (top) and Roger Cooke.

wealth and to their citizens. As always there’s a team effort behind this success and it would not have been achieved without the great support of the team at the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain.”

Photo by British Embassy Madrid

British residents in Spain awarded honours by Her Majesty The Queen in New Year Honours List 2017

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Advertising feature

PAPERWORK: Make sure you follow the correct procedures.

Register a vehicle in Spain correctly REGISTERING a non-Spanish vehicle in Spain is a complex and potentially costly procedure. However, you may be exempt from Spanish registration tax by getting Spanish number plates within one month of entering the country. But to do this, you need to become a resident. Linea Directa has been insuring expat drivers in Spain for over a decade and understands all the steps involved. Below we outline this process. STEP 1: OBTAINING A CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY This is a statement by the car’s manufacturer that it conforms to EU regulations. You will need the car’s chassis number to complete this straightforward process online at www.euro coc.eu/en/certificate_of_conformity. The charges for this service will vary according to type of vehicle, make and country of first registration. STEP 2: CURRENT LOG BOOK The vehicle’s original log book showing your name as the owner, the vehicle’s age and a valid UK address. You will also need the bill of sale for the car. STEP 3: RESIDENCY IN SPAIN The Spanish residency certificate (Certificado de Empadronamiento) is your official proof of residency in Spain. Your local town hall can provide you with this doc-

ument. You will need to take your passport and proof of Spanish address (rental contract, contract to purchase or property deeds). STEP 4: OBTAINING A SPANISH MOT CERTIFICATE All vehicles over four years old must be roadworthy and clearly display a valid ITV sticker. The ITV (Vehicle Technical Inspection) must be tested at an authorised centre, just as for an MOT test. You can find out the location of your nearest ITV centre on DGT website (equivalent to the DVLA). You can also call your local centre to make a booking. If the centre is busy, especially pre-summer, this can save a lot of time. The cost can vary but generally is around 40€ for petrol-engine cars and 56€ for diesel-engine cars. Step 5: OBTAINING A SPANISH EQUIVALENT OF A TAX DISC The Spanish Tax Agency can provide your vehicle with a valid ‘tax disc’ for Spain, which must be carried in the car when in use. You will need to complete the relevant form online and pay the amount according to your car’s tax band. You can carry out all these procedures yourself or you can seek the assistance of an accountant to do this for you.

If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 900 123 026 More information on Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

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Fatal round NIJAR Guardia Civil considers the death of a security guard at Almeria Michelin Experience Centre to be a work accident. The deceased and a colleague were carrying out their usual rounds in the early hours of the morning when their car fell into a ditch, the police force reported. While one of the security guards, both in their early 40s, was taken to Torrecardenas Hospital complex in Almeria City in a serious but stable condition, the other was pronounced dead at the scene. Police investigations continue into the causes of the accident, and the Work Inspection authorities are also looking into the matter.

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A Christmas party to remember

THANK YOU: Alex Elder poses as Santa at the Christmas Fair. WHAT a great Christmas party the 15 children from the Vera Orphanage had at the Carmona Hotel in Vera on December 20. Don Broadbent provided the hamper worth over €200 put together using donations from his friends in Albox, while 108 raffle tickets were sold raising €540. The winning ticket was number 376 - 380 and was bought by Wendy and Bill of Blue Sea Villas, who ironically raised funds two years ago to take the children to Disneyland Paris for a weekend!

At the Dames of Turre Christmas Fair on December 6 €421 was raised. Thank you to Joy Kelsey who donated an amazing lentil broth, David Allan from Ellean-Homestyle in Turre for the loan of the new toilet enabling the group to do their ‘Mucky Dip.’. Altogether €1,142 was raised towards Christmas presents for the children. Thank you to Alex Elder, ex-professional footballer for Barnsley, for donating the funds for the party food and drink and being Santa with

Lee-ann as Santa’s Helper, and to Carrie and Bill (The Altoonas) who played two hours of spectacular pop and rock music free of charge. With the help of Carrie and Bill’s children, Amalie and Jake, the party took place on time. The children of the orphanage danced, played games and sang with Carrie before everyone did the Conga around the room and played musical chairs to screams of joy. Approximately €100 was spent on each child, buying them Disney-themed winter quilts with matching sheets, €40 vouchers for Blanes, a cosy wrap for the cold nights, a new school bag to be proud of and a selection box. Alan and Carrol Atkins gave each child a box of sweets, Paul and Peggy Fitzhugh new binders for school, and The Divine Life Society Almeria run by Sharon Fisher raised money for gifts for the children. Tracy and Paul Ingham also gave presents, and Sister Antonia and her staff couldn’t believe their eyes at such generosity. Thanks also go to Bill Ruttens, GSF Mojacar, Oases Fashion, Mojacar, Linda Grassy and Pat Tomlinson. From Sister Antonia, the children and Beth at the Etticut Salon in Turre, a heartfelt thank you and a Happy New Year!

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Application on way

VICAR: Proposal will boost spending and help create more jobs. By Eleanor Hawkins VICAR is going to apply to be a high tourist influx area to allow businesses to open longer. The proposal was put to the council at a plenary session and agreed to by all political groups apart from Izquierda Unida. The status, already held by Almeria City, Carboneras, El Ejido, Mojacar, Roquetas de Mar and Vera, means that shops are able to open every Sunday rather than the eight permitted by law and bars and restaurants have more lenient opening hours. This, said Mayor Antonio Bonilla: “would

boost spending, generate more productivity and, therefore, help create more jobs.” The council is not expecting any opposition from the regional authorities, indeed they say given that other areas have already been awarded the status it would be unfair for Vicar not to receive it. The same plenary session served to approve adherence to the Andalucian Accesibility Pact. The Town Planning department will be starting work this month on a project to improve access for those with mobility difficulties, which will include installing a lift at the Puebla de Vicar council offices.

Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!

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Alleged perfume thief arrested AN Almeria man has been arrested by the National Police for allegedly injuring a shop assistant and stealing two bottles of perfume valued at €110. The suspect, the perfume shop

More digs confirmed over the next year ARCHAEOLOGISTS will carry on digging at the feet of Almeria City’s Alcazaba and hope to make further exciting finds in the coming year. The council has announced that investigations are to continue for a further 12 months due to the importance of discoveries made in 2016 during work on the Meson Gitano project. More information on the Roman remains believed to date back to the 3rd or 4th century found on the site during 42 digs last year and a 12th century settlement at the spot is likely to come to light during this year ’s work, experts believe. The council has therefore put a €200,000 contract out to tender for a specialist team to take on responsibility for examining and digging at the site and cleaning, conserving and preparing any finds for display. The team will also be expected to date and photograph its finds and provide the council with full reports in keeping with the Law of Andalucian Historical Heritage. This data will be used as the base for information panels at the future Meson Gitano interpretation centre.

employee told the police, had entered and wandered about for a while before asking her why the b o x es o n d is p la y w e re e mpty. When he approached the counter, pretending to be preparing to pay

for a purchase, he grabbed three perfume sets from a display case and made to flee. The shop assistant grabbed hold of the man and tried to stop him, but was eventually slightly hurt as

he broke f r ee and m anaged t o make off with two of the boxes of perfume. After receiving treatment for minor injuries at a health centre, the victim reported the matter to

the police, who viewed CCTV images and arrested the 27-year-old suspect three days later. The man under investigation has a record of 16 previous arrests for theft and violence.

5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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EUROPEAN PRESS

HOLLAND

GERMANY

Tourist tax

Suspect arrested

AMSTERDAM is to raise tourist tax in a bid to reduce the number of stag and hen parties going to the city for cheap breaks. Currently, 28 per cent of bookings in the city are in budget hotels.

POLICE have arrested a suspected accomplice of the Christma s m ar ket t er r or at t ack i n Berlin which killed 12 people. His contact details were found in the phone belonging to the main suspect.

Veggie sausages

Homeward bound

More action

N EARLY 20,000 m i gr ant s were turned away at Germany’s borders this year and a further 55,000 more chose to leave and return to their home country, the largest voluntarily deportation in 16 years.

A NEW poll has showed that 53 per cent of Germans want increased military action against the Daesh terror group in Syria and Iraq. The increased support comes after the terror attack at a Christmas market in Berlin.

CITY BREAKS: In budget hotels.

British exit A DUTCH woman who has lived in the UK for 24 years and has two British children, was told by the Immigration Department to leave after her application for permanent residency was declined. She has now resubmitted her paperwork.

to find a 1.5m python in the toilet of her flat in Amsterdam. Police arrived and the snake was removed, but no one has yet come forward to claim it.

Toilet surprise

Wrong sperm

A DUTCH pensioner was surprised

‘HUMAN error’ has been blamed

on mistakes made at a fertility lab in Utrecht. The hospital said the wrong sperm may have been used to fertilise the eggs of 26 different women. Whilst the likelihood is very slim, the hospital has informed all those involved and offered DNA tests.

FRANCE

Round the world FRENCH skipper Thomas Coville

BELGIUM

Missing at sea

Woman kidnapped A FRENCH aid worker who handed out food to malnourished children in Mali, has been abducted by armed men. French and Malian security forces are working together to locate and free the 67-year-old woman.

GERMANY’ S agr i cul t ur al m i ni st er want s t o ban m eat names for plant-based foods saying things such as ‘vegetarian sausage’ confuse consumers.

has set a new round-the-world solo sailing record after completing the trip in 49 days and three hours, slashing eight days off the previous record.

sources to fund a presidential campaign in 2017 as French banks are reportedly refusing to lend the party money.

No snow

No cash FAR-RIGHT leader Marine Le Pen may struggle in her bid for president as her National Front party lacks the re-

IT wasn’t such a white Christmas on France’s ski resorts as unusually high temperatures left some ski runs without snow and holidaymakers disappointed.

A BELGIAN trawler capsized off the English coast around 10km from Ramsgate. A UK sea rescue helicopter rescued a crew member, a second was later rescued, but the third crew member remains missing.

New recruits BELGIUM’S five largest employers are expected to be recruiting around 6,000 posts in 2017 according to estimations made by two local Belgian newspapers.

Free trade

Rest and recovery

BELGIUM’S Foreign Minister has been in Australia to discuss free trade talks within the EU. Australia currently sees their agriculture products blocked from the EU market through restrictive tariffs.

QUEEN PAOLA, mother of Belgian King Philippe, is recovering after fracturing her vertebrae in a fall. It is not a life-threatening injury but she will need therapy for several months.

SWEDEN

NORWAY

Murder retrial

Self-drive tests

A MAN who has spent more than a decade in jail for a murder he says he didn’t commit, is to have a retrial after being found guilty despite a lack of forensic evidence.

THE government is working on a bill for parliament that would allow the general public to test self-driving vehicles on the country’s roads in a bid to make the roads even safer.

DENMARK

Pen plea

More tourists

Christmas spending

THOUSANDS of people have helped cheer up a Swedish boy by sending him pens. The 10-year-old has autism and collects promotional pens. His mum made a plea for pens to be sent to him following the death of his grandmother.

NORWEGIAN tourism enjoyed a bumper 2016 with the Tromso region reporting a 32 per cent increase in foreign tourists compared to 2015. The country has seen a notable increase since the release of Disney’s Frozen, developed with the support of Norway’s tourism agency.

Risky drinkers

Separate ways

ONE in five Swedish men are ‘risky’ drinkers compared to one in eight Swedish women. A report states that almost 20 per cent of men consume enough alcohol that could have harmful effects on their health.

NORWAY’S church and the government have separated ways after nearly 500 years together. It means clergy are no longer government officials and the church is an independent business. The move has been eight years in the making.

Wheelchair trek

Care case

A SWEDISH man claims to be the first person in a wheelchair to reach the South Pole. Aron Anderson completed the 300km trek in a 21-day journey to help raise money for children with cancer.

INDIA’S foreign minister is urging Norway to return a five-year-old boy to his Indian parents after he was put into care over suspected abuse saying foster parents are ignorant of Indian culture.

DURING the first 23 days of December, Danish consumers spent 30.5 billion kroner (€4.1 billion), 2.9 per cent more than in 2015.

Totally unacceptable OVER 30 people who left Denmark to fight for Daesh in Syria have been receiving unemployment benefits. Employment Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said it was “totally unacceptable” and promised to take action.

Gender change IN Denmark children from 12 can receive hormones to prevent puberty, used by those who feel they are the wrong gender and more youngsters this year have received the treatment with 130 minors wanting a gender change.

Checking out AS of January 1, cheques are no longer accepted in the nation’s banks with the payment method now rarely being used. You can currently still cash a cheque at the same bank it was issued at.

5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

NEWS

RUSSIAN PRESS

It’s a conspiracy

RUSSIAN ATHLETES: Were plyed with performance enhancing drugs. RUSSIAN doping officials have admitted that there was an ‘institutional conspiracy’ to ply athletes with performance enhancing drugs. More than 1,000 athletes competing in some 30 different sports have been accused of doping, with some of the Olympic team even banned from Rio 2016.

Viral threat A DEADLY new strain of HIV spreading across Russia is far more dangerous than the normal virus. Known as A63 it was brought to the country by immigrant workers from Central Asia. It is different from the virus in western Europe and worryingly resistant to drugs.

Fascist major

Space grub

A POLICE trainer has been exposed as an active neoNazi. Oleg Chursin is a major at Moscow’s Interior Ministry University but moonlighted as a member of two Nazi gangs notorious for their violence. Russian National Unity believes in the expulsion of Jews.

AN entrepreneurial restauranteur has come up with a new business plan that is out of this world. Andrei Vedernikov plans to sell old Soviet space food from vending machines to hungry Russians tinged with nostalgia. Pureed soup and borsch are firm favourites to be sold in different museums.

Air tragedy

Compos mentis

RUSSIA continues to mourn the 92 people killed in the military plane crash into the Black Sea on Christmas Day. Dozens of Red Army Choir singers died in the tragedy. Investigators now believe it was a pilot error or technical fault, not terrorism.

A POLL found the vast majority of Russians would like to see the minimum age for buying alcohol raised from 18 to 21. Almost four in five people supported the move. It comes after 70 people died from drinking poisonous moonshine in Siberia.

Bear killers OUTRAGE erupted over a video showing a group of laughing men crushing a bear to death in the Siberian snow using heavy duty trucks. The men shouted ‘squash him!’ in the video, which was posted on YouTube. A criminal investigation has been launched amid unprecedented public fury.

BEAR: Crushed to death in the snow.

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

5 - 11 January 2017

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

Salaries should be reduced By John Smith IN A newly published research document from the Lancaster University Management School, the link between salaries and bonuses paid to company directors and a company’s financial performance in the UK is described as being ‘negligible.’ Salaries of these executives have increased by an average of 82 per c e n t d u r i n g t h e p a s t 11 y e a r s a l though return on capital increased by just 1 per cent!

Quote of the Week

£1.9 billion (€2.23 billion) is the average salary of a CEO of a stock market quoted company in the UK.

Photo Credit: Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley Shutterstock

James Rodriguez was sold to Real Madrid. By John Smith THE Football Leaks release of information continues with news that French football team Monaco has had to agree to pay a large amount of tax to the Spanish government based on profits from transfers. According to the official view of the Spanish government, Monaco is considered to be a tax haven and as such levies 19 per cent tax on any profit made from the sale of anything (including people) into Spain.

In November of this year, Prime Minister Theresa May said that it planned to make companies explain as well as justify large salaries for their executives and at one stage, it was suggested that she would also encourage worker participation on company boards although this seems to have been diluted recently. To some extent, having discovered that UK company directors’ pay can be as much as 50 per cent more than their European counterparts, corporate investors and

Being out of what is a pretty unsuccessful European Union - particularly in the economic sense - gives us opportunities as well as obviously great political difficulties.” Lord King former Governor of the Bank of England on Brexit.

Spain grabs tax from Monaco

It appears therefore that the total amount involved comes to €11.7 million based on the purchase and sale of Colombian Captain James Rodriguez who they bought from Porto for €45 million and then sold to Real Madrid for a reported €80 million just one year later. Also adding to the financial pot were profits on the sale of Belgian player Yannick Carrasco to Atletico Madrid and the Tunisian Aymen Abdennour to Valencia.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Tobacco hikes THE decision by the Spanish government to increase duty on cigarettes and tobacco has seen price increases of between 5c and 20c depending on the brands involved but this may simply encourage more tobacco smuggling.

Credit cards WITH an expensive Christmas and much reported alcohol consumption in the UK, uSwitch a comparison website has reported that large numbers of people are looking to defray payment of interest on credit cards by moving their accounts to take advantage of interest free options.

Bitcoin value DESPITE the fact that Bitcoin supplies can be relatively easily hacked and they are not popular with the majority of governments due to the fact that they are a currency which can be used by criminals, they keep increasing in value and are close to the €900 ceiling for a single coin.

Workers beware of the chatbot

ACCORDING to Barcelona development company Inbenta, by 2020, there are unlikely to be any more call centres manned by humans as all such jobs will be taken by chatbots. The word is short for chat robot, a computer program that simulates human conversation, or chat, through artificial intelligence. Although at

$854 million (€820 million) is the amount that US chipmaker Qualcomm has been fined for allegedly breaching competition law in South Korea.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

EWN

the moment, chatbots used for these purposes are typically limited to conversations regarding a specialised purpose, so the ability of the chatbot will expand with it. Naturally, this programme can respond 24 hours a day and doesn’t have maternity leave or need an HR department.

shareholders are not waiting for the government to act and have already rejected pay rises for executives in Anglo American, BP and Smith & Nephew with more expected in the future. One well-respected investment manager has criticised the greed of company executives, accusing many of them for helping to cause the financial crisis, but still acting as if they had a divine right to increase their salaries whilst planning to reduce staff or their salaries.

Expansion trail for BP DUE to the anticipated long term rise in oil prices, BP is back on the investment trail and has just announced that it will be purchasing 543 service stations in Australia for a cost of €1.3 billion. The deal is Woolworth’s which will then allow it to team up with the supermarket to trial 200 convenience stores at the new stations in a strategy that has worked well in the UK, where with partner Marks and Spencer both companies have seen an increase in turnover.

E W N 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 2

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY 0Anglo American 1,145.50 -14.50 Associated British Foods 2,710.00 -35.00 Admiral Group 1,739.00 -88.00 Ashtead Group 1,573.00 -7.00 Antofagasta 673.75 -1.25 Aviva 483.20 -3.20 AstraZeneca 4,344.00 -93.50 BAE Systems 583.25 -8.25 Babcock International Group 881.50 -71.50 Barclays 221.73 -1.72 British American Tobacco 4,523.25 -98.25 Barratt Developments 461.20 -1.20 British Land Co 624.50 -5.00 BHP Billiton 1,293.25 -13.25 Bunzl 2,109.00 22.00 BP 504.80 -4.80 Burberry Group 1,471.50 -25.50 BT Group 363.95 -2.95 Coca-Cola HBC 1,770.00 38.00 Carnival 4,102.50 -22.50 Centrica 217.15 -16.95 Compass Group 1,475.50 -25.50 Capita Group (The) 508.25 -22.75 Croda International 3,151.50 -44.50 CRH 2,565.00 -265.00 Convatec Group Ord 10p Wi 232.90 -1.10 Dixons Carphone 324.30 -30.30 DCC 6,020.00 -20.00 Diageo 2,082.50 -27.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 346.55 -22.85 Experian 1,557.50 -16.50 easyJet 997.50 -7.50 Fresnillo 1,200.50 -20.50 GKN 328.35 -3.35 Glencore 274.00 -3.35 GlaxoSmithKline 1,543.50 -18.50 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 1,852.50 -40.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,208.50 -4.50 Hammers 560.50 -12.50 HSBC Holdings 649.95 -6.95 International Consolidatd Air 437.95 -2.95 InterContinental Hotels Grp 3,638.00 55.00 3i Group 702.50 7.50 Imperial Brands 3,518.75 -23.75 Informa 630.00 -50.00 Intu Properties 280.55 4.00 Intertek Group 3,481.00 49.00 ITV 201.70 -4.70 Johnson Matthey 2,941.00 -241.00 Kingfisher 342.65 -7.65

% CHG. NET VOL -1.25 16,280.02 -1.28 21,612.71 -4.82 5,152.46 -0.44 7,847.83 -0.19 6,669.32 -0.66 19,707.97 -2.11 56,003.83 -1.39 18,895.59 -7.50 4,780.42 -0.77 37,711.57 -2.13 85,695.78 -0.26 4,669.80 -0.79 6,471.43 -1.01 27,478.05 1.05 7,003.63 -0.94 99,540.45 -1.70 6,532.83 -0.80 36,938.52 2.19 6,288.48 -0.55 8,893.92 -7.24 12,786.09 -1.70 24,331.23 -4.28 3,485.81 -1.39 4,176.30 -9.36 23,159.41 -0.47 4,585.96 -8.54 4,021.72 -0.33 5,410.37 -1.30 52,864.69 -6.19 5,049.00 -1.05 14,893.61 -0.75 3,980.03 -1.68 9,019.58 -1.01 5,642.33 -1.21 39,657.51 -1.18 76,719.25 -2.14 4,455.96 -0.37 5,762.97 -2.18 4,465.65 -1.06 129,166.97 -0.67 9,400.03 1.54 7,077.05 1.08 6,775.31 -0.67 34,024.65 -7.35 5,599.11 1.44 3,757.53 1.43 5,538.79 -2.28 8,211.84 -7.57 6,150.49 -2.18 7,790.42

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Land Securities Group 1,040.50 -25.50 Legal & General Group 244.80 -2.80 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 61.26 -1.25 London Stock Exchange Grp 2,914.00 59.00 Micro Focus International 2,171.50 16.00 Mediclinic International 771.00 -2.00 Merlin Entertainments 447.65 2.90 Marks & Spencer Group 349.00 -1.00 Mondi 1,666.00 1.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 229.10 -1.60 National Grid 945.30 -6.30 Next 4,944.00 -39.00 Old Mutual Group 200.15 -7.15 Provident Financial 2,838.00 44.00 Paddy Power Betfair 8,775.00 55.00 Prudential 1,588.75 -38.75 Persimmon 1,738.00 -38.00 Pearson 811.75 -6.75 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,724.50 -161.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 223.05 -1.55 Royal Dutch Shell 2,171.25 -71.25 Royal Dutch Shell 2,327.25 -26.75 RELX 1,434.50 -14.50 Rio Tinto 3,134.25 -24.25 Royal Mail 460.50 5.00 Rolls-Royce Group 667.00 -1.00 Randgold Resources 6,362.50 -52.50 RSA Insurance Group 584.25 6.50 Sainsbury (J) 247.70 -1.60 Schroders 2,749.00 -249.00 Sage Group (The) 650.25 -4.75 Shire 4,627.00 -57.00 Smurfit Kappa Group 1,884.00 -4.00 Sky 858.25 -132.75 Standard Life 356.50 -15.50 Smiths Group 1,283.00 -133.00 Smith & Nephew 1,199.50 -21.50 SSE 1,553.00 -10.00 Standard Chartered 653.85 -9.75 St James's Place 907.00 -107.00 Severn Trent 2,189.00 -33.00 Tesco 205.18 -1.67 TUI AG 1,163.00 21.00 Taylor Wimpey 153.40 -0.10 Unilever 3,271.25 -21.25 United Utilities Group 895.50 -5.50 Vodafone Group 198.93 -0.92 Wolseley 4,726.00 -236.00 Worldpay Group 269.90 2.40 WPP Group 1,803.00 -13.00 Whitbread 3,683.00 -93.00

% CHG. -2.39 -1.13 -2.00 2.07 0.74 -0.26 0.65 -0.29 0.06 -0.69 -0.66 -0.78 -3.45 1.57 0.63 -2.38 -2.14 -0.82 -2.35 -0.69 -3.18 -1.14 -1.00 -0.77 1.09 -0.15 -0.82 1.12 -0.64 -8.31 -0.73 -1.22 -0.21 -13.40 -4.17 -9.39 -1.76 -0.64 -1.47 -10.55 -1.49 -0.81 1.84 -0.07 -0.65 -0.61 -0.46 -4.76 0.90 -0.72 -2.46

NET VOL 8,294.74 14,808.78 44,808.43 10,001.25 4,959.66 5,698.90 4,527.46 5,704.40 8,084.47 5,371.50 35,657.07 7,270.48 10,091.42 4,141.67 7,322.88 41,671.74 5,384.51 6,729.07 48,019.60 26,448.40 99,495.32 88,318.58 15,695.04 43,306.43 4,571.00 12,466.98 6,012.91 5,907.18 5,467.07 6,737.73 7,112.10 41,887.39 4,462.22 17,001.08 7,317.49 5,579.28 10,609.21 15,817.21 21,405.16 5,295.79 5,364.03 16,872.17 6,703.98 5,001.93 42,219.40 6,188.14 53,340.94 12,532.60 5,350.00 23,076.48 6,841.08

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

0.85225

1.17336 Units per €

US dollar....................................................................1.05198 Japan yen ................................................................123.042 Switzerland franc ...................................................1.07181 Denmark kroner....................................................7.43431 Norway kroner.....................................................9.07802 currenciesdirect.com/moraira • Tel: +34 966 265 072

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 2

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 178,57 0,09% 0,16 107m 74,08 0,22% 0,16 67M 115,82 -0,78% -0,91 616M 155,68 -0,01% -0,01 95M 92,74 -0,59% -0,55 54M 117,7 -0,10% -0,12 221M 30,22 -0,79% -0,24 151M 41,46 -0,34% -0,14 178M 73,4 -0,56% -0,41 63M 90,26 -0,10% -0,09 373M 31,6 -0,35% -0,11 278M 239,45 0,53% 1,27 95M 134,08 -0,75% -1,02 163M 165,99 -0,37% -0,61 157M 36,27 -1,06% -0,39 171M 86,29 0,47% 0,4 307M 115,21 -0,24% -0,28 312M 121,72 -0,87% -1,07 101M 58,87 -0,29% -0,17 161M 62,14 -1,21% -0,76 483M 50,83 -0,45% -0,23 67M 32,48 -0,03% -0,01 196M 84,08 -0,32% -0,27 224M 122,42 0,11% 0,13 34M 109,62 -0,84% -0,93 90M 160,04 -0,62% -1 152M 53,38 -0,67% -0,36 216M 78,02 -0,40% -0,31 144M 69,12 -0,20% -0,14 211M 104,22 -0,33% -0,34 165M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 2

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced ImmunoGen, Inc. Oncobiologics, Inc. United Security Bancshares Fulgent Genetics, Inc. Everspin Technologies, Inc. Nabriva Therapeutics AG Health Insurance Innovations, Inc. Conifer Holdings, Inc. TRACON Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Lonestar Resources US Inc. Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

$ 2.04 $ 3.01 $ 7.75 $ 11.57 $ 8.29 $ 5.96 $ 17.85 $ 8.15 $ 4.90 $ 8.54 $ 3.61

0.46 ▲ 29.11% 0.51 ▲ 20.40% 1 ▲ 14.81% 1.38 ▲ 13.54% 0.91 ▲ 12.33% 0.61 ▲ 11.40% 1.80 ▲ 11.21% 0.75 ▲ 10.14% 0.45 ▲ 10.11% 0.78 ▲ 10.05% 0.30 ▲ 9.06%

$ 9.30 $ 4.5792 $ 4.22 $ 4.39 $ 2.05 $ 5.50 $ 4.06 $ 23.80 $ 8.65 $ 5.85 $ 2.34

2.16 ▼ 18.85% 0.5208 ▼ 10.21% 0.37 ▼ 8.06% 0.37 ▼ 7.77% 0.15 ▼ 6.82% 0.40 ▼ 6.78% 0.29 ▼ 6.67% 1.70 ▼ 6.67% 0.60 ▼ 6.49% 0.40 ▼ 6.40% 0.16 ▼ 6.40%

Most Declined Opko Health, Inc. MediWound Ltd. XOMA Corporation ALJ Regional Holdings, Inc. Ever-Glory International Group, Inc. Immune Design Corp. Corium International, Inc. Lawson Products, Inc. Zions Bancorporation Neos Therapeutics, Inc. Prima BioMed Ltd

E W N 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

We are in the midst of volatile times Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

WITH the UK electing to leave the EU, Matteo Renzi’s crushing referendum defeat in the Italian referendum and the ECB choosing to expand its QE programme, we are in the midst of volatile times. Seeing ranges between 1.10 and 1.20 over the last quarter, the market has clearly reacted heavily to the political turmoil erupting throughout Europe. On June 23, the UK announced a majority vote in favour of leaving the EU - on this day we saw a high of 1.30 before plummeting over 10 per cent within the two weeks that followed. A lot of speculation has followed… will the pound recover before the year is out? Where will it be trading against the majors next year in comparison to where it has been? Will it fall further? The truth is, there is such a lack of reliable information available and so much contradiction that it’s been nigh impossible for any establishment to forecast a market analysis that isn’t par-

ROCKY END: To 2016, with little visibility into the future currency prices. tial to remaining fairly vague. As of yet, it looks like we’ll be sitting on our hands until March 2017 when Article 50 is (supposedly) finally going to be triggered in order for Britain to leave the EU in March 2019, immediately ahead of the next European Parliament elections. For now, the key focus has been hedg-

ing any potential further threat that lies within these plans for the future. In terms of the ECB, they’ve made the decision to scale down its monthly purchases from €80bn to €60bn to ensure policy continuity, sending a clear signal there is a limit to how far the ECB’s Quantitative Easing programme can

run and how high their balance sheet can grow beyond 2017, before it runs into hard technical and political constraints. They’ve effectively chosen to pump more money into the Eurozone economy until the end of next year, and longer if needed while maintaining a steady and controlled approach by lessening the monthly amounts and extended the overall time-scale of the plan. The prospects of tapered monthly purchases and lower-for-longer negative yields means the ECB’s reflation channels have shifted in favour of a weaker euro and higher equity markets, with negative discount rates and a cheaper exchange rate. I think it’s safe to say that the ECB are certainly looking to take a short-term currency hit while focusing on their long-term plan to improve the state of the Eurozone economy which we could expect to see beginning to reflect going into 2018, should everything go to plan. With that all said, it’s going to be a rocky end to 2016 with little visibility into the future currency prices until at least Q1 2017 on the majors - Hence all of the corporate risk hedging. We stand to see The Bank of England looking further into inflation, tension between EU members and retaliation to the threat of terrorism. Be ready for another big year.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com

US law firms accused of poor cyber security WHENEVER there is a takeover of one company by another, lawyers are invariably involved in drawing up contracts, heads of agreement and due diligence documents. American prosecutors have discovered that a trio of bright Chinese hackers made a fortune by taking advantage of the very poor cyber security in many law firms and having gained easy access to numerous sites, they simply discovered information concerning a number of takeovers. Having found out which companies were in merger and acquisition talks, they were able to purchase stocks in advance of public announcements and it is alleged that they made in excess of $4 million (€3.8 million) in profits. Of the three men involved who are all from Macau, one has been arrested by Hong Kong police and will be extradited to the USA to face charges of conspiracy, insider trading, wire fraud and computer intrusion, whilst the other two although identified have not been found and there appears to have been no direct request to the Macau authorities to assist. This revelation of a new target for cyber intruders has come as something of a wake-up call for corporate America and US State Attorney Preet Bharara who is prosecuting the case has warned law firms that they will continue to be vulnerable not only from external hacking

Photo Credit: U.S. Navy JAG Corps flickr

By John Smith

US STATE ATTORNEY: Preet Bharara (centre) is prosecuting the current case. but from internal manipulation unless their security is considerably improved. According to the New York Times the trio had successfully hit seven different lawyers’ firms during 2015 and had ‘attacked’ their sites and e-mail servers on more than 100,000 occasions with their profits coming from information concerning at least two major takeovers.

With accusations of the Russian government trying to influence the result of the latest Presidential Election through cyber manipulation and almost daily announcements of major banks and servers being hacked, it is possible that the activities that have been discovered are just the tip of an iceberg which could be more dangerous to interna-

tional economies then ever imagined. It is not just computers in offices that are at risk, with the increase of available information on tablet and Android smart phones, these are also becoming a major target for malware and hacking especially with the proliferation of apps from banks which allow for the payment of goods and services.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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Trump advisor says relocations are inevitable

CHIEF OF TRADE: Billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross with Donald Trump. By Matthew Elliott THE man who will be responsible for negotiating a free trade deal between Britain and the US has encouraged other countries to take advantage of the UK’s post-Brexit vulnerability. Billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross will be Donald Trump’s chief of trade in the president-elect’s new administration. He has said it was ‘inevitable’ that there would be ‘relocations’ and has urged Cyprus, Germany and Ireland to take full advantage of the volatility. The investor, who will play a key role in determining the nature of Britain’s transatlantic relations, described Brexit as a ‘God-given opportunity’ for London’s financial rivals while addressing Cypriot bankers. The revelations come amid a stream of developments related to Britain’s post-Brexit trade prospects. Ireland’s future position as

the only English-speaking country in the EU has reportedly seen more than 100 top companies inquire about relocating from London to Dublin. The man in charge of attracting foreign investment to the Republic has claimed to have received a huge increase in interest from financial services companies keen to maintain access to the European market. Head of the Irish Industrial Development Agency, Martin Shanahan, said that Ireland is particularly attractive to Asian and American companies. Especially those looking for a European base with access to the single market, proximity to the UK that speaks the language of business and has low corporation taxes. That places Ireland in prime position to make the most of Britain’s likely withdrawal from the single market. However if the former governor of the Bank of England is correct, Brexit could be positive

for both the UK and Ireland. Speaking to Radio 4 on Boxing Day, Lord King said that the UK could soon take advantage of ‘real opportunities’ to sign trade deals with other countries outside of the EU. “Being out of what is a pretty unsuccessful European Union particularly in the economic sense - gives us opportunities as well as obviously great political difficulties,” he told the programme. “I think there are real question marks about whether it makes sense to remain in the customs union. “Clearly if we do that we cannot make our own trade deals with other countries.” In the meantime, the Spanish National Council for Market Values is offering an advice service to British companies that want to invest in Spain but are scared of the bureaucracy and will supply English speaking advisors to explain Spanish laws and legal requirements.

5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

EWN

OPINION & COMMENT

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5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

The world is well rid of this man LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT

HOW typical of that petulant pillock Obama to make Trump’s accession to the White House as difficult as possible. Why didn’t he just leave the decisions as to what action to take against Russia to the new administration? Why? Because he wants to throw that final rattle out of the pram, that’s why. The fact that his favourite white Nanny didn’t win the election meant that the country was also delivering its verdict on his own pathetic Islamic sympathising regime. And what a limp wrist ‘retaliation’ it turned out to be. The expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, just before Christmas, merely resulted in disrupting a few family lives and ruining their holidays. Yeah. Nice one Obama. That really showed ‘em who was boss. I wonder how many Iranians he

would have expelled just before Eid!? And what a wonderful reaction Putin had to this final effort to deliver as much infantile nastiness as possible. In true leadership fashion, not only did he not retaliate with the tit-for-tat childish nonsense Obama was no doubt expecting, he actually extended greetings and invitations to American diplomats and their families to join the Russian people in their celebrations and attend their Christmas and New Year shows at the Kremlin!

Onward and upward everyone, stay healthy, positive and above ground.”

serious threat to the safety of the West. I know m any have been sucked in by his apparent striving for world peace and unity, but I t hi nk t hat under al l t he rhetoric lurked an ulterior motive that, thank the Lord, with the demise of his chosen successor, wi l l now be destroyed and consigned to the bin of dubious leaders, where it well and truly belongs. Onwar d and upwar d ever yone. Stay healthy. Stay posi t i ve. St ay above gr ound. And what ever ya do. Always Keep the Faith love Leapy leapylee2002 @gmail.com

I’d like to have been a fly on the wall when Obama and his equally arrogant missus heard that one. I can hear the toys hitting the bedroom wall from here. No, the world is well rid of this man, who to my mind posed a

Barack Obama.

5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

9 hours and I have the hump Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man ‘HAPPY New Year to you both’ was the message I woke up to on New Year’s Day. It was one of many that I had received on WhatsApp over the last few days. ‘So what?’ you may ask. Well, the difference with this one was it was just from a telephone number. There was no name which meant this person was not in my contacts. I stared at it for a while and then decided the best way to deal with it was to politely respond by saying, ‘Happy New Year to you too, but who is this?’ Back comes the response ... ‘it’s Peter.’ Mystery solved you may think. Nothing is ever that simple with me as I still haven’t got a clue who Peter is. Oh and to make matters worse it’s an English number. Then the phone goes and the mystery number comes up. It’s a WhatsApp call. ‘Hello Michael? It’s me Peter.’ ‘Sorry, Peter who?’ ‘Hello Michael.’ ‘Hello Peter.’ Now we can’t hear each other and he hangs up. I call back but there’s no answer. I send a message and there’s no answer and no blue ticks. So now I have got the raving hump and we are only

nine hours into 2017 which has to be a record even for me. Good start. I’m peed off. Peter has obviously got the raving hump with me and will never speak to me again. Hey ho, off we go - another year under way. I got a lovely poem from a reader called John Stevens about dodgy hosepipes. It is really good and I enjoyed it as I have one of the said hosepipes. It’s the type that expands when you turn it on and contracts when you turn it off. His poem is all about how they split. Anyway nice poem, as I said, and I was going to read it on the radio. I also thought how unlucky he and his friends were as mine was fine... until today! I don’t have a tap on my balcony but do have lots of plants so I had a tap fixed under the sink in the bathroom. I then attach the hose and take it through the bedroom on to the terrace. Guess what happened today? IT SPLIT! Water was gushing everywhere. Rugs were soaked, the floor was soaked and it was an absolute disaster. How can it happen? What makes it split? John, did you ever find out what causes it? Is it the sun? So before lunch on January 1, I’ve managed to get the hump with someone, whose only transgression was to wish me a Happy New Year, and flood my bedroom .You couldn’t make this stuff up. Email me at mikesenker@gmail.com.

OPINION & COMMENT

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LEGALLY SPEAKING

Paperwork needed 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. ITV CARD: Must be carried in vehicle.

IT is basic knowledge to know as soon as you get your car and start driving in Spain, but still many are not fully aware of what documents they should be carrying in the vehicle with them. It is compulsory to carry certain documents with you in your vehicle and these include: The ITV card. This is the official documents that relates to the technical inspection of the vehicle, or the ITV. Once your vehicle is four years old it will have to undergo this mandatory test and the vehicle will then be issued with the ITV report detailing what happened during the inspection. This report must also be carried in the vehicle. Permiso de Circulacion. The Permiso de Circulacion is similar to a log book for the vehicle which contains information such as the number plate and vehicle owner. Insurance Policy. Despite some being led

to believe otherwise, carrying the insurance policy details in the vehicle is not compulsory by law as the information is contained on a central computer, however, in the case of an accident, it is advisable to have the paperwork to hand. European Accident Agreement. Again, this is not compulsory, but it is advisable to carry a European Accident form as it will help you ensure data is recorded correctly in the event of an accident. They are available in various languages and are all laid out the same making it easier to deal with it if different nationalities are involved in an accident. It is also not compulsory to carry the information relating to the annual SUMA tax paid on the vehicle. For the documents you carry, they must be the originals not photocopies. The only copy allowed are those that are stamped and certified by an official notary.

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

Reducing the size of our pool I recently wrote to you regarding the reduction of our Community swimming pool. I showed your response to our Administrators but they refuse to accept that we only need a simple majority vote and insist that, because the pool is part of the original structure, there must be 100 per cent agreement by attendees at the meeting. Where can I find the legislation that makes this clear? Is it in the Horizontal Law? If so, which section? S.K. (Costa del Sol) The requirement for a unanimous vote is set out in Article 17, paragraph 6, of the Law of Horizontal Property. It says that any change which modifies the original Constitutional Title or Statutes requires a unanimous vote. It would be most unusual

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

for the exact size of the swimming pool to be registered here. Nevertheless, it is possi-

ble, and so would require a unanimous vote in order to change its measurements. In any case, most lawyers prefer to see a unanimous vote for any major change, even when it is not strictly necessary. This may explain your Administrator’s insistence.

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 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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OPINION & COMMENT

How to make the most of your year ahead move through the year with faith and confidence. Talk to friends about your plans, do something every day towards your goal and then go with the flow of life. This year is bringing you the chance to know yourself better and to courageously move forward, so seize the moment and make the most of every day!

Sally Trotman www.sallytrotman.com Sally Trotman is a qualified Counsellor who works with Astrology, Numerology and the Tarot. Each month she will deliver the forecast as an intuitive tool to aid increased self awareness.

WHAT would you like to create in 2017? Find out how you can make the most of the year ahead with your Astrology, Numerology and Tarot Forecast for the New Year...

Create your best year yet!

Astrology: Begin anew Sun in Capricorn: With the new moon in this earthy sign at the end of last month guiding you, start the year by making practical plans. Begin with a spring clean (it is never too early to declutter!) and finish the month by taking action towards new goals for the year ahead. With the darkest part of winter now behind you, this is the time to embrace the light, feeling a sense of freedom and anticipation as the New Year begins. Get in tune with the moon : The full moon in Cancer on January 12 brings the focus to your home life. Are there any changes you would like to make to your home to make this a more nurturing and comfortable place?

BEGIN ANEW: Start the year by making practical plans. Perhaps it is time time redecorate, change the furniture or brighten your living space in some way. This watery sign is encouraging you to look at what you really need in order to look after yourself. On January 28 the new moon in Aquarius will help you to expand your vision. Aim high under the influence of this sign and work out your most important vision for the year ahead. What do you really want to do this year? Ask yourself this question on the eve of this new moon, and then boldly move forward with your plans.

Numerology: Itâ€™s all about you! Number 1 : Numbers are symbols which carry energy and the influence of this number in January reminds you to focus on what you want. Worry is a form of negative prayer, so watch your thoughts. The number one also brings the focus back to yourself. It can be easy to hide behind the needs of others in order to forget your own dreams, but actually you have a responsibility to yourself to follow your heart! Chose something you have been thinking about doing for some time

and take action this month towards this goal. Be bold and fearless - the universe will reward you for your actions!

The Tarot: Create the life you desire and deserve The first card in the major arcana Tarot deck is The Magician. The man depicted on this card has everything at his disposal. You have all the talents to create what you want this year and by staying focused on what is important to you, opportunities will present themselves as you

Would you like to discover how you can make the most of the unique numbers and astrological placements based on your date of birth so that you can make 2017 your best year yet? Sally Trotman can help you to make the best choices for you in the New Year, based on your date of birth, by looking at your Numerology, Astrology and associated Tarot cards for the year ahead. I also offer compatibility reports, looking at the unique connection between you and your partner, helping you to understand the strengths and challenges within your relationship. Readings are available via Skype or email. Contact Sally by email at sally.trotman@btinternet.com or visit www.sallytrotman.com to book in.

E W N 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

LETTERS

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OPINION & COMMENT

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

Cowboy builders come to Spain LAST May I approached a kitchen business to find a reliable expert to lay a laminate floor in my villa. After an agreed quote this socalled expert carried out the work but within four weeks it had failed. After some trouble I managed to contact him through the kitchen business. He returned to carry out repairs to the new floor at further cost to myself! In October the flooring developed further faults and since then I have called him five times and texted three times, but ‘Yes’ you’ve guessed it, ‘No Reply’! So I a p p r o a c h e d t h e k itch en business who first recommended this ‘expert’ to see if they would help to c o n t a c t h i m b u t ‘Yes ’ you’ve guessed it correctly again, ‘two emails with no further replies from them’! I was advised to employ Spanish contractors but felt supportive towards Brits trying to run a business in another country! I now have to employ another contractor to carry out repairs at further costs. We all know the pitfalls of being ripped off with poor workmanship, promises and lack of responsibilities towards those that pay good money to help keep them in business!! My experience is a warning to others! R J Gammon, Alicante

Weapons testing TH E te st i n g o f a r m a m en ts h a s been going on from the beginning of time! Acco r d i n g t o r e p orts in th e newspapers, Russia has tested ‘162 types of modern armaments during the campaign in Syria.’ What is their ambition, to be the sole superpower? Some 80 years ago Nazi-Germany aimed at world domina n c e a n d c e r t a i n ly s o me testing was needed: aerial warfare was crucial. Hitler’s support of Franco gave the Luftwaffe the opportunity and Guernica paid the price and was destroyed. At the Nuremberg trials Hermann Goring testified that “The Spanish Civil War gave me an opportun i t y t o p u t m y y o u n g a ir force to the test and a means for my men to gain experience.”

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

answer to me. I don’t see much evidence of people taking the environment seriously in Spain. But i f we don’t t ake car e t he consequences will be severe and human lives will be lost. Will that make people sit up and think? Ellie T, by email

Honours compromised

TRAIN TRAVEL: Nationalisation could win an awful lot of votes.

Reasonable rail fares? I GO to the UK fairly often and when I do I am forced to travel around by train. These journeys are relatively infrequent so I do not feel I am being taken advantage of by the cost. But I do remember being a professional commuter and having to put up with dirty, uncomfortable trains that were late and too full. Is it beyond the wit of

That ambition brought Germany to its knees. Leif Krogstad, Palma Nova

man to run a train service that provides a level of comfort at a reasonable price? I am a fan of the West Coast main line run by Virgin. Virgin isn’t big enough to take over the whole network. I know it’s been said before, but in my opinion nationalising the rail service would win a political party an awful lot of votes. D Smith, Marbella

on their hands. Did his sacrifice achieve anything at all? Kate, by email

Meaningless Brexit blues death? I AM too young to remember young men of conviction going to fight Franco’s forces in the Spain of the 1930s. Many died and everyone knows their efforts were ultimately futile. Why though are young men going to fight against Daesh in Syria? For the same reasons? I don’t know, but it is all over the internet that a chef from Sussex appears to have been killed leaving his family with a tragedy

LIKE most people I intend to tough it out and see what happens. Spain is my home now and to be honest I do not feel I have much in common with those who voted to leave the EU. M a ybe the y don’t c a re a bout pe ople like me . O ne thing tha t does worry me is the number of EU citizens in the UK who say they have been subjected to abuse, just because they’re not from the UK. Almost all of them are holding down proper jobs and paying their

taxes. And some are doing jobs I know that Brits wouldn’t want to do. One Spanish paper featured a young teacher who has returned from the UK because he said the atmosphere has changed. It is very s a d w hen a t eacher f eel s t hat strongly. Roy L, Almeria

Planet plea THE election of Donald Trump made me happy at first, someone who will shake up the system. But I can’t be the only person who’s worried he doesn’t seem to think mankind has much impact on his environment. Drilling for oil and gas in some of the world’s last wildernesses doesn’t seem the

WHY are we still giving honours t o peopl e who suppl y pol i t i cal parties with the most money? I’m all for recognising the great and the good, but they have to deserve it. Knighthoods for civil servants nobody has heard of, gongs f or cr oni es and even gi vi ng a knighthood to a sportsman when they’re still young? None of that seems right to me. Honours should rightly be for those who give service to their communities and there are plenty of these people. I worked with one for many years. Maybe the system needs another review! P Richards

Fond farewell ON the subject of people we lost in 2016, I would like to remember Alan Rickman. He died of pancreatic cancer in January and is a great loss. He appeared, at least in public, to be a very unselfish man who was not bowled over by stardom. I watched the Harry Potter films and I’m too old for them, just because he was such a lovely actor. A great loss to all of us. Frank T, Benalmadena

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 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

Don’t sleep – there are snakes! 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.

YUP, a really good read and it’s not about what you might think. It’s good to start the new year attitudes with breaking all codex regarding book buying. Forget the picture on the cover and just buy the title. New Year’s resolutions can be that way. I’ve broken more annual promises than I can remember making. Don’t start the year off badly with self regrets. Just get on with living and marching in the direction you want to go - forget the regulations, even selfimposed ones and roll - your way. So, the book. I know you’re dying to know. Well the word ‘snake’ is mentioned only briefly five times in the first 225 pages. Not the adventure story I had yearned. In fact, get this, it’s the story of a missionary that goes to the loneliest place in Brazil to learn the obscure language of a forgotten tribe called the Pirahã (Pee dah han). They reside in the deepest of the most forgotten jungle. Colonel Fawcett could easily still be there. An in-

GOOD READ: Forget the cover. digenous nation that could only speak in the present conjugation tongue, couldn’t count, as they had no number system; had no words for colour, had no history nor mythological background. There certainly must have been better groups for the academic scrutiny, yet the author spent 35 years learning their language so he could produce them a Bible in their own language (in which 95 per cent of the resident souls can’t read anyway). Well, the missionary soon lost faith in his own God when he observed how peaceful, jovial and kind the tribe al-

A GOOD TIME: To learn a little bit about flamenco.

ways lived. “This pervasive happiness is hard to explain, though I believe that the Pirahãs are so confident and secure in their ability to handle anything that their environment throws at them that they can enjoy whatever comes their way,” writes the author. One for the bin? Nope, the writer has a gift for understanding their rare language but also interpreting their life styles as a Grammatik reflection about how they view the world. And, whether or not man’s cognizant understanding of his world is ruled by his words that make up his communal speech. Heavy thinking concerning an end of the world cul de sac ethnic group. The month of January is a good time to experiment with some new reading; away from your usual rut exposing you to novel thoughts and deviant spiritual routes. It’s a good time to re-examine how the pyramids were built, why and by whom. Or learn a little about flamenco, the toros or better yet the pre-history of Spain, the Argar culture that dominated this area and extended far to Sevilla. You want snakes? Look under your bed, or better yet, mine.

E W N 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de AlmerÃa

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 05 JANUARY

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FRIDAY 06 JANUARY

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MONDAY 09 JANUARY

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WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY

BBC London News The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders Death in Paradise BBC News at Ten BBC London News Die Hard with a Vengeance Weather for the Week Ahead Antiques Road Trip Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Match of the Day Live BBC News at Ten BBC London News Graham Norton's Big Red Chair Uncle BBC London News Celebrity Mastermind Pointless Let it Shine Casualty Taboo BBC News Match of the Day: FA Cup Highlights The Double

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Match of the Day Live BBC News BBC London News Countryfile Antiques Roadshow Still Open All Hours Sherlock BBC News BBC London News Match of the Day: FA Cup Highlights

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BBC London News The One Show Fake Britain EastEnders Panorama Silent Witness BBC News at Ten BBC London News Class Graham Norton's Big Red Chair

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BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City Silent Witness BBC News at Ten BBC London News The War on Loan Sharks Italy's Invisible Cities

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show The Sheriffs are Coming Italy's Invisible Cities BBC News at Ten BBC London News A Question of Sport Parkinson's: The Funny Side The Other Man

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Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Rick Stein's Long Weekends The Great Interior Design Challenge Yellowstone Mock the Week Newsnight The Last Kingdom Great British Railway Journeys Big Dreams Small Spaces Mastermind Only Connect World's Most Extraordinary Homes QI Newsnight The Last Kingdom Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney Dad's Army Bowie - The Last Five Years The Man Who Fell to Earth Walkabout Yellowstone Ski Sunday School Swap Dragons' Den Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise A Most Violent Year QI XL Countryfile Holby City This is BBC Two Match of the Day Antiques Road Trip University Challenge An Island Parish Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney Insert Name Here Newsnight Bowie - The Last Five Years Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Rick Stein's Long Weekends The Great Interior Design Challenge Our Dancing Town Revolting Newsnight NFL Great British Railway Journeys Rick Stein's Long Weekends The Great Interior Design Challenge Hospital Common Sense Newsnight Our Dancing Town Alan Bennett's Diaries Muslims Like Us

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ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Save Money Unforgotten ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London Piers Morgan's Life Stories Tipping Point

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Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury Coronation Street The Big Soap Quiz: Coronation Street v Emmerdale ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London Fishing Impossible The Wine Show

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ITV News and Weather You've Been Framed! Unchained! Ninja Warrior UK The Voice UK Through the Keyhole ITV News and Weather Jaws 4: The Revenge Jackpot247

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ITV News and Weather Unbelievable Moments Caught on Camera Dance Dance Dance Endeavour ITV News and Weather Robson Crusoe: A Surprising Adventure Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights

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Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Restoration Man Ep1 Spies 60 Days in Jail A Very British Brothel The World's Greatest Spy Movies A Place in the Sun Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast Big Fat Quiz of Everything First Dates Hotel

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ITV Evening News Emmerdale The Money Saving Good Health Show Islands of Australia Sugar Free Farm ITV News at Ten and Weather Wilderness Walks with Ray Mears Trawlermen Tales

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ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Midsomer Murders ITV News at Ten and Weather Unbelievable Moments Caught on Camera It's Not Rocket Science Jackpot247 1000 Heartbeats

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The Simpsons A New Life in the Sun Darts Speed with Guy Martin Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. Ride Along The Mechanic Derren Brown Sunday Brunch Darts Find it, Fix it, Flog it Channel 4 News Britain's Wildest Weather 2016 Walking the Americas The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Big Fat Quiz of Everything Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Health Detectives Food Unwrapped The Undateables First Dates Hotel Tattoo Fixers Spies

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Darts Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News How to Lose Weight Well 24 Hours in A and E This is Us The Undateables Bodyshockers

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Darts Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Location, Location, Location No Offence 19 Kids and Counting Finding My Twin Stranger Live From Abbey Road Classics

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5 News Tonight Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Celebrity Big Brother Get Your Tatts Out: Kavos Ink Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

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5 News Tonight That's So 1989 Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 3 Celebrity Big Brother Lip Sync Battle UK Celebrity Big Brother Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side Super Casino

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

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

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5 News Weekend Legally Blonde Along Came Polly Kittens Make You Laugh Out Loud 5 News Weekend Celebrity Big Brother Celebrity Botched Up Bodies The BAFTA Britannia Awards 2016

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Famous quote

This week

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

‘

When you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It’s only painful and difficult for others. The same applies when you are stupid.” Ricky Gervais

in history 1066 – Harold II was crowned King of England after his brother-in-law Edward the Confessor died. He himself died only nine months later at the battle of Hastings after invasion by William the Conqueror and his army. His death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England. 1605 – The first edition of El Ingenioso Hidalgo de Don Quijote de la Mancha (book one of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid. 1714 – British inventor Henry Mill received a patent after designing the first typewriter. 1863 – The Metropolitan line between Paddington and Farringdon, the world’s first underground railway, opened in London. 1929 – Mother Teresa arrived in Calcutta to begin working with the poor and diseased in India. 1930 – Bonnie Parker met Clyde Barrow for the first time at Clarence Clay’s house. 1935 – Elvis Presley was born in Tulepo, Mississippi, 35 minutes after his identical twin brother Jesse was delivered stillborn. 1938 – King Juan Carlos I of Spain was born in Rome on January 5. 1939 – American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was declared legally dead in absentia 18 months after her aircraft the Electra disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. 1946 – Delegates from 51 countries met in London for the first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. 1964 – The first official government report on the hazard of cigarettes to health was declared by the US Surgeon General. 1972 – Richard Nixon, the US president, approved a bill for $5.5 billion over six years to build and test the NASA space shuttle. 1974 – A three-day working week was introduced in the UK by the Conservative Government to reduce electricity consumption and conserve coal stocks. 1979 – The Village People topped the UK singles chart with YMCA. It remained number 1 for a total of three weeks and became their biggest selling hit. 2001 – George W Bush is finally announced as the winner of the 2000 US Presidential election more than five weeks after the election due to disputed Florida ballots. Although beaten by Al Gore in the popular vote he managed to defeat Gore in the electoral college vote. 2007 – The first iPhone is unveiled by Steve Jobs, the CEO, of Apple. 2011 – Football star Lionel Messi won FIFA’s inaugural Ballon d’Or for being the best football player in 2010. 2016 – Singer, songwriter and actor David Bowie died after battling cancer. With a career that spanned five decades he was one of the world’s best-selling music artists.

Women’s wit

‘

As you get older, the pickings get slimmer, but the people don’t.” Carrie Fisher

World of English

‘

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

‘SHE IS THE SAME AGE AS YOU - SHE GAVE UP SMOKING IN 2014 ALCOHOL IN 2015 AND HER HUSBAND THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY!’

Kakuro

for next 7 days

Costa de Almería

weather

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

VELEZ RUBIO

TODAY HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

ALMERIA

RETAMAR

ADRA

VELEZ RUBIO

ALBOX

ROQUETAS

HUERCAL OVERA

GARRUCHA

TOMORROW

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

MOJACAR ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

14 8 C 15 7 C 16 6 Cl

Benidorm MAX 17C, MIN 10C Mon - 16 7 Cl Tues - 15 7 Cl Wed - 15 7 C

15 9 C 16 8 Cl 17 8 S

MAX 19C, MIN 10C Mon - 17 8 Cl Tues - 17 8 C Wed - 16 9 Cl

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

10 3 C 13 3 C 13 3 S S Sun,

TODAY:

11 0 S 12 1 S 11 5 S

MAX MIN

Mon - 9 Tues - 9 Wed - 9

5 C 4 Sh 4 Sh

Madrid MAX 12C, MIN 5C MAX MIN

Mon - 13 4 S Tues - 12 3 Cl Wed - 12 2 Cl Cl Clear,

TODAY:

Fog,

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

14 4 C 15 5 Cl 16 4 S

CLOUDY MAX 11C, MIN -2C

10 -2 C 10 -3 S 11 -3 S C Cloudy,

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 10 -3 S Tues - 10 -3 S Wed - 10 -2 C Sh Showers,

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

15 6 C 15 4 C 15 3 S Sn Snow,

IRISH LOTTO

LA PRIMITIVA

EURO MILLIONS

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

MAX MIN

Mon - 16 7 Cl Tues - 16 7 C Wed - 16 6 C

MAX 14C, MIN 5C MAX MIN

Mon - 15 5 S Tues - 15 5 C Wed - 15 5 C

Murcia

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

16 9 C 16 8 Cl 16 6 C

Mallorca

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

SUNNY MAX 20C, MIN 11C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 15 8 S Tues - 14 7 Cl Wed - 15 6 C

SUNNY MAX 9C, MIN -1C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

14 8 C 15 7 Cl 16 8 S

Bilbao

SUNNY MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Malaga

SUNNY MAX 17C, MIN 9C

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Almeria TODAY:

ROQUETAS

MAX 17C, MIN 9C MAX MIN

Mon - 15 4 S Tues - 15 5 Cl Wed - 15 5 Cl Th Thunder

Euro Weekly News accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the weather forecasts which are supplied by a third party.

LOTTERY

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Saturday December 31

Tuesday December 27

Friday December 30

BONUS BALL

LUCKY STARS

BONUS BALL

Sunday January 1

22 35

Saturday December 31

LUCKY STARS

REINTEGRO

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

Hexagram

NEW ON DVD Snowden Directed by: Oliver Stone Starring: Joseph GordonLevitt, Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, Nicholas Richardson

Cage,

Joely

This thrilling film is based on a true story and follows the epic account of former CIA and US government employee Edward Snowden. Whilst working for the CIA and US government Snowden becomes aware of numerous illegal surveillance activities by the National Security Agency (NSA). After leaving his job with the NSA he travels to Hong Kong and proceeds to leak thousands of classified documents he has copied from the NSA to various press publications. To some he is a traitor and to others a hero as he then becomes the most wanted man in the world.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, Professional Golfer, January 5 Born in Malaga he was inspired to take up golf at the age of 15 after watching his idol Seve Ballesteros. He turned professional in 1982 and currently has 21 European Tour victories as well as holding the record as the Oldest Winner on the European Tour. He has also been a member of the Ryder Cup team four times.

• Nigella Lawson, TV Cook/Writer, January 6, 53 Successful cookery book writer, her first book How to Eat became a best seller with over 300,000 copies sold. She has gone on to host her own cooking shows such as Nigella, Nigella Bites and Nigella Express. The daughter of former Chancellor Nigel Lawson she was once married to Charles Saatchi, co-founder of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. • Nick Clegg, Politician, January 7, 50 Former leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 until 2015 he served as the deputy prime minister under David Cameron after his party formed a coalition with the Conservative Party. He can fluently speak five European languages and is married with three sons. • Stephen Hawking, Scientist, January 8, 75 A successful author the physicist and cosmologist is well-known for his work around the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that has left him almost entirely paralysed. He uses his cheek muscle to communicate via a speech generating device. • Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, January 9, 35 Married to Prince William since April 2011 whom she met in 2001 while they were both studying at the University of St Andrews. In July 2013 she gave birth to their son Prince George and daughter Charlotte arrived in May 2015. She is patron of a number of charities including Sportaid, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice and Action on Addiction. • Rod Stewart, Singer, January 10, 72 With a career spanning six decades this raspy rocker is one of the best-selling music artists. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide and had 62 UK hit singles including songs such as Baby Jane, Sailing and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy. Married three times he has eight children to five different mothers.

TIME

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PISCES (February 20 - March 20) This month, there is much to be celebrated. So much has happened in the latter part of last year. Certainly, congratulations are in order. When you have made such an effort and are rewarded for it, the satisfaction level is high. Be aware, though, that someone close also needs to feel that there is progress. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) The importance of making the right choices is clear to you. Where to begin seems to be a sticking point. Starting by taking away the things you really do not want is essential. Be practical and logical. This is not a time for sentiment or muddled thinking. Although you will need patience in abundance as the week progresses, take one thing at a time. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Although you have the feeling that younger members of the family are not interested in your point of view, this is far off the mark. They, in their inexperience, may not know how best to approach you in this regard. Getting out family photos or starting a family tree with them can be both entertaining and fascinating. Altogether, this week is for the generations to come together and find a common cause. Teenagers seeking answers should ask grandparents. GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The prospect of travel sets you thinking.

SERVER

DEPICT

SHELVE

FORMIC

SHERRY

GORGON

SPRINT

HURLEY

STRIFE

INVITE

THRONE

LOITER

TINGLE

MUTTON (10)

TOILET

RESIST

TWENTY

SCREEN

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Specie 2 Demean 3 Tissue 4 Tallow 5 Impish 6 Jumble 7 Icicle 8 Nestle 9 Chapel 10 Cheers 11 Blonde 12 Chisel 13 Tendon 14 Vacate 15 Teeter 16 Patron 17 Wealth 18 Rotten 19 Teethe.

Play on Words

YOUR STARS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) When it comes to throwing wobblers, please don’t. It is so important this week to stay cool and unruffled. Change nothing that you can avoid changing. Even having discussions about change can set your nerves jangling. What is needed now is a comfort blanket and someone to put it around you.

DECREE

CAPRICORN

(December 22 - January 20)

You are in for a bit of a bumpy ride this week. Some things will go well but other outcomes can be quirky. People change their minds, technology doesn’t work, phone calls don’t come. Be assured, however, that if you keep your sense of the absurd it could all be quite amusing. Have you been spending too much time considering others? Should you take steps now to get time alone then these plans cannot be changed. This will save any discussions as to how or when. Taking charge of your own time is liberating. Someone has to make the decisions, why not you? CANCER (June 22 - July 23) With the best will in the world it is only possible to spend money once. We are all guilty of trying to get over this truth, but it never works. Have patience when looking to improve your possessions. There are more pressing needs and these, in the long run, prove more satisfying. Should you be thinking of taking on a commitment, have clear ideas of how it will be managed. LEO (July 24 - August 23) Going over old ground is counterproductive. There is nothing to be gained from repeating methods that did not work in the past. If it is not possible to find a fresh approach then seek the opinions of others. You do not need experience of a situation to be able to come up with a useful idea. Staying in the same old rut has not served you in the past and will not do so now. Get a few days away and it will help to free your thoughts. VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Getting together with others to entertain is sure to be successful after the sixteenth. Before that there may be some irritations, particularly with people who refuse to be positive and make decisions. Those moving house or going on a journey need a

lot of patience, and forward planning is essential. Do not assume that all will go according to plan. Having been forewarned, you will have plan B ready. Take a suggestion to make fast money with a pinch of salt. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is an important week for both your physical health and your mental wellbeing. Because of things beyond your control, you may have let your diet or exercise slip. Having sorted out any problems that side-tracked you, there is a need to be particularly strong. There is no soft option when it comes to self-control but the rewards are amazing.

THAI TALE TALE Answers: Clowning around, Black tie and tails.

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.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) This is a week to let yourself be heard. Be it writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls or making conversation, you must express yourself. Being honest and outspoken need not mean upsetting people. Think of the way that a child gets its point over. Eye contact, simple speech, humour, a smile: all will help to oil the wheels of achievement. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Having problems with that new computer? Fallen foul of the new mobile phone? That wouldn’t be surprising this week. As you are prone to mistakes and misunderstandings, try not to tackle anything vital. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and fresh air. Someone who is supposed to help you proves more of an irritation than a saviour, and you may wish that you had stuck with the manual. This is a week to try to keep life simple.

TARGET: • Average: 14 • Good: 19 • Very good: 28 • Excellent: 36

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION acme ahem amah amen came camp game gamp hemp mace mage mana mane mean mega name champ mange encamp manage chapman chapmen CHAMPAGNE

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page

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

Cryptic

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Across 1 Fish left around here in France, more for Will (7) 5 Amazing girl? (5) 8 Mabel arranged a leisurely walk (5) 9 Difficulty returning cover to Jane Austen book (7) 10 I’m sure ten became insurgents (9) 12 Film location in middle of Ossetia (3) 13 Remained sober, so we hear (6) 14 Characters of Rebecca in America turn into a mad person (6) 17 A parliamentarian has power (3) 18 It's very common to stop framing Capone (9) 20 Long article on measure of rope (7) 21 Crowd in hydro-vehicle (5) 23 Temporary police force that left post-haste (5) 24 Indicated a negative time in legal document (7) Down 1 Allegation about mail dispute (5) 2 Spot the bad back (3) 3 Absolve church holding lists (7) 4 Women with many strange ideas (6) 5 A leg's easily broken in such winds (5) 6 It’s a crime to ruin the peace agreement (9) 7 ‘Stretchy’, the Spanish cat, is hiding (7) 11 Netting the head of state’s paraphernalia (9) 13 All cops cook this seafood delicacy (7) 15 A pop group on leave (7) 16 Looked after dented fiddle (6) 18 The spot to find fish, one hears (5) 19 Walk on part in first reading (5) 22 Not at home in the youth centre (3)

Code Breaker

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Crossword

EWN

Across: 1 Wiser, 4 Washer, 9 Sterner, 10 Strut, 11 Ears, 12 Service, 13 Apt, 14 Grin, 16 Easy, 18 Bid, 20 Decline, 21 Vote, 24 Rondo, 25 Cheroot, 26 Disney, 27 Swell. Down: 1 Wasted, 2 Smear, 3 Reno, 5 Absorbed, 6 Harries, 7 Rotten, 8 Tryst, 13 Antidote, 15 Recants, 17 Adored, 18 Bench, 19 Rental, 22 Ozone, 23 Keys.

QUICK Across:

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 2 represents C and 6 represents Z, so fill in C every time the figure 2 appears and Z every time the figure 6 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 Cutting (5) 4 Like better (6) 9 Stop holding on to (7) 10 Neck wrap (5) 11 Information about recent and important events (4) 12 Dash together (7) 13 Feline (3) 14 American tramp (4) 16 Any long and difficult trip (4) 18 Falsehood (3) 20 Brief look (7) 21 Small island (4) 24 On your own (5) 25 Outside or upper layer (7) 26 Makes up for (6) 27 Fraudulent (5)

Down 1 At peace (6) 2 Permit (5) 3 Highest point (4) 5 Determined (8) 6 Easily broken, damaged or destroyed (7)

1 Standard, 7 Speak, 8 Available, 9 Rat, 10 Lend, 11 Rested, 13 Betray, 14 Boring, 17 Scream, 18 Give, 20 Eat, 22 Examining, 23 Turns, 24 Tadpoles.

Down: 1 Small, 2 Against, 3 Dull, 4 Robber, 5 Weird, 6 Skating, 7 Section, 12 Marries, 13 Beneath, 15 Initial, 16 Banana, 17 Stare, 19 Edges, 21 Limp.

7 Automatic response (6) 8 Respond to (5) 13 Having all necessary qualities (8) 15 Lengthy South American river (7) 17 Large American lizard (6) 18 Smallest in amount (5) 19 Defies authority (6) 22 Informal language (5) 23 Informal term for a meal (4)

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

ENGLISHSPANISH Across: 1 Aceite, 3 Util, 7 Lip, 9 Relleno, 10 Mariposas, 13 Rhubarb, 14 Lie, 15 Peso, 16 Cansar. Down: 1 Aula, 2 Terminar, 4 Toenail, 5 Leon, 6 Alfombra, 8 Peanuts, 11 Drip, 12 Leer.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Gemelos (de camisa) (9) 6 Ver (persona, objeto) (3) 7 Streams (brooks) (7) 9 Orquesta (9) 13 Happiness (cheerfulness) (7) 15 Aunt (3) 16 Peligroso (9) Down 1 House (4) 2 To fry (5)

3 Cuero (piel) (7) 4 I am (3) 5 Weight (4) 8 Rescue (7) 10 Rhythm (5) 11 Glass (drinking) (4) 12 Aficionados (de equipo, grupo) (4) 14 Final (de ceremonia, vida, aventura, guerra) (3)

E W N 5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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BOOKS The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

By Joanna Cannon SET in a small housing estate in England in the sizzling hot summer of 1976 Mrs Creasy, who lives at number eight in the avenue, goes missing. The story follows would-be amateur detectives, 10 year olds Grace and her best friend Tilly, as they try to unravel the mystery and discover the whereabouts of Mrs Creasy. Along the way many more mysteries and secrets are uncovered as the houses and their residents are revealed in a cul-de-sac where everybody knows everyone else’s business and where they all have secrets that they are trying to hide. As the summer progresses the once virtuous and upstanding appearance of the residents start to literally melt as the girls find out more than they imagined. books@euroweeklynews.com

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Healthy foods for 2017

January is upon us once more and many of us will be feeling sluggish after a little overindulgence over the festive period. No need to start any whacky or faddy diets. Simple healthy eating and portion control will soon have you shedding those extra pounds and feeling more energetic. Here are some nutrient-rich foods you should try to incorporate into your diet to give you a healthy boost. 1. Salmon Rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as a great source of protein and Vitamin D it is well known for helping to reduce the risk of heart disease but is also good for skin too. The omega-3 helps to regulate oil production in skin and boost hydration to help keep your skin clear and give you a healthy glow. 2. Blueberries Full of fibre and vitamin C they are also packed with antioxidants which help to protect memory and cognition and in fact may help improve memory. In particular they contain anthocyanins (a type of antioxidant) that lower oxidative stress and inflammation that may reduce the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 3. Kale Jam-packed with essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, fibre, calcium and iron it provides more antioxidants than most other fruit and vegetables. A super ingredient for your skin it can even slow down premature aging. One serving of this dark

SALMON: A great source of protein and Vitamin D. leafy green provides more than half of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. 4. Eggs ‘Go to work on an egg’… oh no, what about salmonella? Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, folate and iodine so are brilliant for repairing the skin, organs and muscles. Eating eggs is unlikely to give you salmonella and in moderation will not give you high cholesterol. Try to buy free range, from a reputable supplier and store ideally in the fridge. Enjoy! 5. Garlic Used for centuries as food and medicine it provides us with calcium, phosphorus selenium vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. Ok it may leave us a bit smelly breathed but it really

Blogged

enhances flavour and offers many health benefits including increased immune function, growth of white cells, slowed growth of harmful bacteria, yeasts and fungi and lowering harmful LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. 6. Broccoli A rich source of fibre and magnesium it also has very high levels of vitamin C and folate. Vitamin C is a powerful immunity booster and is known to help fight infections and viruses and can reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes and certain cancers. It helps promote production of the antibody interferon that blocks viruses and infections from getting into cells. Try not to overcook and if possible eat raw. 7. Strawberries Loaded with antioxidants they can help repair

TARGET:

SCORING:

• Average: 16

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

• Good: 22 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.

Sudoku

• Very good: 32 • Excellent: 41

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION anew anele anal happy hyena hyaena heap hear heart hearty heal healer healers healed herald hetero aper earn earl erne erred errs elan elder elders ayah area arena arty arrow alder alders alert alter altern alto altered alters alley alar allay eterne eternal dale dele delay dell derro

Word Ladder CASH

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.

damaged skin caused by environmental factors such as pollution and UV rays. They provide fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium as well as being an excellent source of vitamins C and K. In fact a 200g portion of strawberries contains more than a whole orange. 8. Nuts With lot of varieties available each offers different health benefits but in general they are packed with protein, fibre, healthy oils, vitamins, magnesium and iron and are a great snack. Walnuts are great for protein and are packed with tryphtophan - helps create the feel good chemical serotonin. Almonds are the most nutritionally dense so offer the highest concentration of nutrients. 9. Spinach Bursting with iron, vitamins C, E and K, folate and antioxidants it is a great way to fuel your body and is good for promoting vision and bone health. Research has found compounds in spinach increase the efficiency of the energy-producing mitochondria in our bodies so should leave you feeling more energetic. 10. Yoghurt A great source of calcium, protein, vitamin B12 potassium, magnesium and riboflavin. The calcium is great for bone density and may help prevent osteoporosis. Also many yoghurts contain active cultures so are probiotic thus help to maintain a healthy balance in the digestive system and may help conditions such as lactose intolerance, constipation, diarrhoea and inflammatory bowel disease (IBS). A good food for a healthy gut.

POTS BACK

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

Solution CASH LASH LASS LOSS LOTS POTS

HEALTH BEAUTY

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Advertising feature

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Have a dental check carried out before scuba-diving COULD scuba-diving be damaging your teeth? It may be a favoured holiday pastime for many, but a study has found that around four in 10 people who dive suffer dental problems afterwards such as jaw pain and broken fillers. This is believed to be caused by the fluctuations in pressure underwater that can lead to air pockets in the roots of teeth causing

a condition known as ‘tooth squeeze.’ This can become painful for those with cavities, broken or temporary fillings or an abscess. This, combined with some divers clenching their teeth against the mouthpiece can cause damage especially as in many cases the regulator is not the correct size for a diver. The study looked at the more inexperienced

who dive for recreational fun rather than professionals or those who do it for a living. The report, published in the British Dental Journal, concluded that recreational divers should consider consulting their dentist before scuba-diving. SCUBA-DIVING: Many people suffer dental problems.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Stay on trend this year ANOTHER new year and another new healthy food fad. Move over coconut water and kale, top nutritionists are already predicting what will be helping you lose weight in 2017... Jackfruit From the same family as the fig, mulberry and breadfruit, the jackfruit is sometimes also known as jakfruit or simply jack. Young jackfruit isn’t sweet as it is harvested before the sugars develop, but the fully ripened fruit has a similar texture of a banana. Studies have shown it has anti-inflammatory properties and the seeds are a good source of Vitamin C and antioxidants, that can help to prevent cell damage.

Plant water Coconut water now has a new friend in the form of cactus plant water which is being tipped to be a big seller in 2017. It is believed to help fight high cholesterol levels and is even reported to help cure hangovers and prevent them if drunk before a night on the town. Poke bowls A poke bowl is a traditional Hawaiian dish consisting of a raw fish salad often served in a sushi dish but has now migrated to the mainland and is becoming more and more popular with entire restaurants being devoted to them. They combine raw fish such as tuna and salmon with fresh vegetables into super-nutritious meals full of good fats. It is recommended to eat at least one portion of foods rich in Omega 3 each week and poke bowls are a good source of this as well as staying bang on trend. Jackfruit.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

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Some tips for a healthy new year

ANTIBIOTICS: Spanish children are prescribed more.

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. HEALTH is a very important matter which everyone should keep in mind, and it is very much influenced by our lifestyle. There are a series of measures which can be taken to help us feel better and noticeably improve our health for a healthier 2017. These are the main points we should concentrate on to improve our health: 1. Diet: the saying “we are what we eat” is very true. Following a balanced diet which is rich in fruit and vegetables and limits meat, especially red meat, favouring fish instead will help us to maintain an optimal state of health as it helps reduce the amount of ‘bad’ fat and sugars we eat. All of this is included in the Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to be the healthiest. 2. Physical exercise: to keep our bodies fit and help out mental health, it is vital to carry out moderate daily physical exercise. An example of exercise would be walking or jogging for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the person’s level of fitness, every day or at least five days per week. 3. Avoid tobacco and alcohol: tobacco is ex-

tremely toxic and should be avoided in all its forms. Regarding alcohol, it is healthy to drink one or two glasses of red wine per day, but stronger alcoholic drinks should be saved for special occasions. 4. Avoid being overweight/obese: if we follow a healthy diet and maintain a good level of physical exercise, we will manage to keep our weight under control and stay healthy, reducing our risk of suffering diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart attacks among other things. Staying at a healthy weight also avoids putting excess strain on our joints. 5. Control stress: it has been proven that people who are subjected to a lot of stress, either at work or in their personal lives, suffer worse health and are at risk of serious illnesses. Stressful situations should be avoided as much as possible. 6. Sleep: decent sleep is essential to strengthen the body and mind. Avoid heavy meals, alcohol and stressful situations before bedtime to ensure a good night’s sleep.

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

Concern over antibiotic use The results suggested A STUDY has found that that in the first two years Spanish children are being of life, Spanish youngsters prescribed more antibiwere being given up to 50 otics than many other per cent more antibiotics countries. than the GerThe study mans and was carried Over use A m e r i c a n s . out by the of antibi- The study Foundation otics can found South for the Promake young- Korea most motion of Sanitary and sters become f r e q u e n t l y Biomedical resistant. p r e s c r i b e d antibiotics Research of followed by the Region Italy and Spain, with Norof Valencia (FISABIO), way the lowest. which is attached to the The concern is that over Department of Health, touse of antibiotics can gether with a consortium make youngsters become of German, Italian, Norresistant to them and inapwegian, Korean and propriate use can lead to American scientists. more problems. They followed more FISABIO warned there than 74 million children needs to be more social from birth to 18 between awareness on the use of 2008 and 2012 in what the antibiotics in Spain and Valencian Government is paediatricians should be calling the first and the first to act by reducing longest study ever carried the number of prescripout on antibiotic use betions issued. tween countries.

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Get on your bikes By Eleanor Hawkins SUNDAY, January 8, will see Huercal-Overa host the fifth Carrera del Cochinillo (Piglet Race) cycle race with well-known Spanish sportsmen taking part against local enthusiasts. The race will be ridden on an urban circuit covering Avenidas Guillermo Reyna and Dra Ana Parra and Calle Alamo, with the starting gate and finish line on Guillermo Reyna near Mercadona supermarket. Women and children’s categories start at 10am, while the male category will be setting off at 11am to complete 16 circuits against the clock and each other. Names known on the cycling competition scene who have signed up to join the popular race include Juan Manuel Camacho Tudela, Manuel Sola Arjona, Javier Chacon Quesada, Manuel Martinez Costa and Jose Manuel Cayuela, all of whom have placed

PIGLET RACE: There will be a total of 36 prizes for winners in different categories. in national competitions and championships in the past. The race, announced local mayor Domingo Fernandez, has in past editions reached the international press in the UK, Greece, Denmark, South Africa and China

and is unique in Almeria Province. A maximum of 120 participants are permitted to guarantee safety and there will be a total of 36 prizes for winners in different categories, with the most noteworthy being

piglet stuffed toys as trophies. Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Huercal-Overa, which hosts a number of competitions and cycle meets over the year and has recently launched its own cycling school for children.

A traditional celebration of music MOJACAR Council hosted a traditional flamenco Christmas Zambomba gala at the Centro de Usos Multiples on Friday, December 30. Of all flamenco events held during the year in the town, the Christmas ones

are by far the most popular and serve to keep traditions of old alive. Born in the neighbourhoods of Jerez in the 18th century, these meets consisted of people gathering in patios and courtyards to sing carols, play zam-

bombas, tambourines, rattles and anis bottles, eat, drink and be merry from the beginning of December onwards. Mojacar was treated to a performance with dancing by Ana Alonso, Isabel and Maria Angeles Carril-

lo and Tony Santiago, singing by Antonio Garcia ‘El Genial,’ Cristo Heredia and Eduardo Garcia, accompanied by guitarists Antonio Luis Lopez and Eduardo Aguileta and percussion by Moises Santiago.

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A year of concerts ALMERIA City’s Culture department has announced some of the high points of a bumper agenda planned for the coming year, including concerts by David Bisbal and Raphael. Local star Bisbal will be launching his 2017 tour in Almeria on June 2, while Raphael will do the same a little earlier, on April 21 and 22, Culture, Education and Traditions councillor Ana Martinez Labella reported. “In 2016 the Maestro Padilla theatre hosted the launches of the tours of Manuel Carrasco and Los Vivancos and now we’re adding another two top names to the list,” Martinez Labella said. Other concerts confirmed for the year include Las Migas, a female quartet which has surprised the public with the quality of their music and will be performing Vente Conmigo on February 4, and Miss Caffeina, who will be performing the best of her indie rock album Detroit on March 10. Two concerts have also been announced for Almeria fair in August: Sweet California and Ole Ole. The concert programme begins this month however, with saxophonist and composer Juanma Linde performing with his mix of Funk, Soul and Smooth jazz on Thursday 12. Also at the Apolo on Saturday 14 there will be a charity concert by Los Vinilos, Brasi and Guardia de Di os and Fuel Fandango wi l l be playing on the 27th at the Maestro Padilla.

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OPINION & COMMENT

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

HAVE you recovered yet? No, not from your annual boozathon, but from 2016. What a year for pollsters, pundits, bookies getting it wrong! First, Brexit, then Donald Trump. Yes, if only Michael Fish (remember him?) had been plying his tra d e l a st y e a r, h e ’d h av e looked bang-on. It’s too early to say where 2016 will rank in modern world history compa r e d wi t h , sa y, 1 9 1 4 an d 1939. But it was undoubtedly the most dramatic moment in British politics since the Second World War. Plus, the USA elected a president who publicly admitted he gropes women, doesn’t pay taxes and, reportedly, summarised his future Republican supporters thus in People Magazine: “they believe anything... I could lie and they’d still eat it up.” I mean, what do

you have to do to be unelectable? A d d th at to th e de a ths of s o many celebrities, and it’s difficult to s ee h o w 2 0 1 7 c ould be a ny more ‘surprising.’ But then, consider what’ll be happening. The Supreme Court ruling, the triggering of Article 50, Trump’s inauguration, the French and German elections, Russian and Chinese expansionism, the next inevitable terrorist attack and our response to it. Maybe we’re heading for more of the same - 2016 Mark II? As wishes for 2017 go, mine are pretty modest. Of course, a comp lete en d to w a r, dis e a s e a nd famine. But if I can’t have that, maybe I can have something a little easier to achieve: an open, grown-up and serious debate about the future of the NHS (not helped by recent news of foreign patients running up £30m of unpaid NHS bills in one year) and of the Government’s foreign aid spending target of 0.7 per cent of GDP (despite some worthwhile projects, enormous sums of taxpayers’ money are currently wasted and would be surely

better allocated to hard-pressed defence, healthcare and education). And as for the Brexit/Trump aspect: yes, who knows what the future holds, but there’s been worse: the Blitz, for example. For some, 2016 is set to take its place alongside 9/11, 24/7 and 360 as numerical descriptors that become words. So, 2016: never again, please! Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore.All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

DONALD TRUMP: Publicly admitted he doesn’t pay taxes.

PHOTO a katz/Shutterstock.com

The good, the bad and the bizarre of 2016

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

About turn sees fire station close By Eleanor Hawkins FOLLOWING months of doubts and numerous changes of tune, the mayor of Albox finally kept his word and closed down the fire station, forcing the provincial council to take over. Mayor Francisco Torrecillas had initially announced that the council would cease to provide the service from January 1 onwards, claiming that it was down to the provincial council to do so and was costing the town too much money. Although he later changed his tune and announced a few weeks ago that he had reached an agreement to continue running the local fire station, everything changed again at a plenary session called at the last minute. The agenda included a vote on whether to withdraw the

FIRE STATION: Was costing the town too much money.

previous decision to close the station, which the provincial council required in order to sign the new agreement. Yet, although expected to vote in favour, Torrecillas and PSOE socialist party confused all and sundry by voting against his own proposal, thus maintaining the closure of the station. In a hastily prepared press conference after the Albox plenary session, vice-president of

Almeria Provincial Council Javier Aureliano Garcia criticised the move but called for calm, promising that Levante Fire Fighting Consortium will provide a service to the Almanzora Valley. Small municipalities which relied on the service provided from Albox will however have to apply to the provincial council to be covered and prove they are unable to pay for their own fire brigades.

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Easier dealings By Eleanor Hawkins ZURGENA Council has launched a new website which will allow residents to obtain information and deal with the authority without the hassle of going to the town hall. The new online portal can be found at www.zurgena.es and locals can use it to deal with everything to obtaining a padron (residents’ register) certificate to applying for building licences or tax reductions. The system, the council reported, is easy to use and will allow residents to request information or manage their person-

New system will help save time, unnecessary trips and paperwork. al data and companies which work with the council to deal with invoices online. This will help save time, unnecessary trips and paperwork. To use the new portal, created in collaboration with Almeria Provincial Council, residents will need to ask for a digital signature (firma electronica) from the town hall.

Doctor honoured A POPULAR, recently deceased doctor has been honoured by having a street in the historical centre of Albox named after him. Jose Antonio Garcia Ramos treated patients in the town for more than 30 years and the council’s proposal to name part of Calle Andalucia after the doctor was well met by local residents.

Dozens of the doctor’s relatives, friends and patients attended.

M a y o r F r a n c i s c o To r recillas, at a ceremony to unveil the new name

p l a q u e a n d o ff i c i a l l y r e name the street, said: “Jose Antonio was a real doctor, not just a medical employee. He was a doctor 24 hours per day and always attended locals whenever we needed him.” D oz e ns of the doc tor ’s relatives, friends and patients attended the ceremony.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Fishy dealings at council suspected By Eleanor Hawkins ALBOX Council has allegedly paid bills amounting to €1.7 million to the deputy mayor ’s son-inlaw’s company over the last 10 years. Local online news site La Comarca Noticias reported that the PP opposition party is investigating 24 invoices which the council has paid Alcaina since PSOE came into power in the town in 2007. One of the company’s shareholders is listed as the son-in-law of Francisco Perez Conchillo, former mayor and current deputy mayor and councillor. The relationship between the council and the company, La Comarca claims, is so

special that the first began paying Alcaina three months before the company was even legally established. Three projects awarded to the company are already under investigation by a

24 invoices are under investigation. Huercal-Overa court: that of the Rambla, awarded €374,940, for a sewage treatment facility in Llano de los Olleres, which still has not been built although the council paid €371,200 for it, and another for wa-

ter channelling, for which €377,600 was paid. Former mayor Jose Garcia Navarro, a retired civil servant and member of UGT trades union and the legal representative for Alcaina face four charges of corrupt practice, three of faking public documents and four of embezzlement of public funds. Another of the projects awarded to the company which has sparked suspicions is that of Terdiguera industrial estate in 2013, for which Alcaina was paid €46,374. The opposition recently demanded the money be returned as the contract included a clause stating that the council was not obliged to pay if the work was not carried out.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Taking over the road ALBOX Council and the regional Public Works and Housing department are nearer to agreeing for the A-1204 road to be handed over to local councils. Albox mayor Fransico Torrecillas and head of the regional department Joaquin Jimenez met to discuss the change, which will see Albox, Cantoria and Arboleas take over responsibility for the road. The c ha nge c ome s due to the fact that the 8.5 kilometre stretch of roa d running through the three municipalities is used mainly by urban traffic following opening of the Albox ringroad as part of the Almanzora motorway.

ALBOX SCHOOL: To be closed permanently.

School doomed By Eleanor Hawkins THE Francisco Fenoy infant and primary school in Albox is to be closed permanently as of the end of the school year, disappointed parents have reported. In spite of years of promises, first that the old school building in the town centre would be demolished and a new one built, then that it would be fully renovated, the Education Department and local mayor Francisco Torrecillas have informed the parents’ association that this will not be the case. As of September, pupils at

the school will be integrated into Virgen del Saliente school where they have been temporarily housed since 2012 pending works. Parent association president Maria del Mar Alfonso stated: “all the promises over the years, from previous and current authorities, have been broken. We feel tricked by the local and provincial authorities. We will continue to fight for our school and if it does close we will demand answers from those responsible.” The association, Alfonso reported, had been requesting a meeting with the mayor to discuss the situation for some weeks and was not aware that the decision had already been made. They did, however, fear the worst since a proposal to urge the Junta de Andalucia regional government to set aside funds for renovations was rejected at a council plenary session in November.

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Incredible price drop: Now only €150,000 reduced from €240,000 for a quick sale!! THIS is a unique opportunity to acquire a penthouse for such a great price in San Juan de los Terreros. Entry to the apartment is from the stairs or lift access: the property is all on one level. A large lounge with an American-style kitchen allows the whole family to enjoy the views whilst dining, relaxing or sunbathing. This property is a three bedroom, two bathroom penthouse apartment with a huge front terrace and a private solarium. With wonderful views across the bay, and the mountains of ‘Aguilon’ it is located in one of the newest urbanisations of San Juan de los Terreros, with very clean communal areas and a big swimming pool. The price also includes a spacious private garage. There will be a high rental yield for this property. With a lovely microclimate, a place where the sun shines almost all year round and with good temperatures, this is a lovely area. There is stunning scenery, contrasting mountains against the green fields and

sandy beaches. You will find a whole host of beaches: Mar Serena, Mar Rabiosa and Calipso with Blue Flag beaches: La Higuerica, and La Carolina, as well as the coves of Tía Antonia, Cala Cuartel and Cala Cerrada, ‘La Entrevista’ and ‘Los Nardos.’ Safe for the whole family and there is disabled access. Aguilón Golf is just 3km away from the complex, while Desert Springs, Marina de la Torre and Valle de Este Golf can all be found not too far away. There are numerous bars and beach front bars/chiringuitos, and a new commercial centre offering, bars, restaurants, shops, a supermarket and gym facilities, pilates classes, body fitness, a running club and more. Open all year round, San Juan de los Terreros has facilities covering all the basic daily needs including a medical centre and pharmacy. Finally, a short drive away you will find Pulpi and also Aguilas, with

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Accessible housing By Matthew Elliott SPAIN may be finally getting with the programme when it comes to providing much needed accessible housing for elderly and disabled people. A pioneering accessible home, specifically designed for people with reduced mobility, has just finished a tour across the nation. The three-month journey through 15 Spanish cities allowed 30,000 people to see the accessible home of the future with their own eyes. Everything from bathroom design to faucets, floor material, corridor width, bed height, windows, drawers and doorbells is specially adapted. More importantly designs are flexible, meaning the slightest of changes can make winter a little easier to bear. The home marks the entry into the property market of new architectural companies and opportunities and a growing wave of mobility-friendly homes. It has taken a surprisingly long time, especially as there is such a strong demand across Spain and in expat communities.

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A favourite for thousands of years WINTER is truly upon us with the days short to find time in the garden. At least watering is no longer the issue as it is in summer. A good way to reduce your time in the vegetable garden is to plant perennial plants that will produce for several years. A favourite for thousands of years in the Mediterranean is the artichoke. It is well recorded in Greek and Roman times in medical journals for digestive problems, including lack of libido and is included in Greek mythology, with the artichoke originating from the exploits of the greek god Zeus. The botanical name is Cynara scolymus from which cynara is a derivative of the Greek name for artichoke, kynara, and scolymus indicates it is a thistle. It is thought to have been evolved through cultivation of the Cardoon, as artichokes do not occur naturally in the wild. The Cardoon is a thistle type vegetable and the stem of the leaf is used as the edible part. Cardoon has

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By Graeme Tyrrell

ARTICHOKES: The part we normally eat is a flower bud. lost its popularity due to the long preparation time to remove the bitterness by blanching the stem in the garden and extra time to peel and cook despite its delicious taste and ease of growing in warm climates. The artichoke part we normally eat is, like capers, a flower bud. They are ready when the flower receptacle is

fully swollen and heavy but still compact with the parts closed and they squeak when squeezed. Once they start to open or separate they become inedible but they will form a large spectacular mauve/purple thistle like flower. They are sometimes grown just for their attractive foliage and flowers as a border or feature plant.

Artichokes grow well with good soil preparation placed about a metre apart and will produce well for around five years before needing to be dug up and divided to gain maximum benefit. Division is the removal of small offshoots that form on

the main root stem that allow a continuous supply of new plants to replace the old ones or to give to friends. If the tips of the artichoke buds start to show browning tips when forming, it is an indication the plant has passed its premium quality produce time and should be replaced. They prefer soil that is a sandy loam but adding compost to the natural soils in Spain and fertilising with nutrients high in potash will assist with bud formation. If you grow artichoke plants, the stem of the leaf, called bracts or chard can also be eaten like the cardoon, so its use is not limited to the buds. Artichoke chard is not generally available in shops but is delicious when prepared using traditional recipes from Sicily and regions of Italy and Spain. It can be a welcome addition to your Mediterranean fare along with capers and olives and your traditionally Spanish artichoke omelette, barbecued artichoke with a sauté of olive oil with garlic or paella with artichoke.

Some of the top kitchen trends for next year IF you’re thinking of renovating your kitchen this year, there are a variety of new trends which are set to be firm favourites this year. Industrial style Practical kitchen areas with an industrial style are becoming all the range as a change to modern fitted kitchens. Their key elements combine exposed features including brick walls and beams with understated cabinets, metallic appliances and exposed pipes, all highlighted by reclaimed or imitation factory light fittings. Modern but classic Those old favourites, Shaker kitchens, are still all the rage and can be combined with country-style accessories or high-tech gadgetry to vary the final effect. For a modern take on the traditional style, use plain wood and pale paint to lighten the effect. Whereas in the past Shaker units could be pricey, there

are now versions available for all budgets and a sleek, modern worktop on top will be the perfect finishing touch. A brightly coloured kitchen range between the light coloured cabinets will create an eye-catching focal point, and hide your appliances behind doors. Bold and brave Playing it safe is out of fashion. Bold, brave colours are the latest way of saying it with your kitchen and there is a wide range of tones, patterns and textures on the market with something to suit every personality. Dulux’s Colour of the Year for 2017 is denim, and blues and greys are still in favour although darker shades are coming into fashion. Those not quite ready to go all the way can opt for more traditional toned cabinet doors and add splashes of bold colour in tiles or work surfaces, or by

adding the odd coloured door to break up a monotonous wall. Sleek chic Those in search for something chic and streamlined have an endless range of highgloss finishes for a modern look. Clean lines, handle-free doors and lots of hidden storage space to hide clutter and keep everything slick and tidy combine perfectly with the latest in gadgets and equipment. For a half and half version, combine traditional Shaker units with long, sleek handles,

shiny built-in appliances and cool white worktops and fun, quirky accessories.

MODERN TAKE: Use plain wood and pale paint to lighten the effect.

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Preparing your dog for vet’s inspection 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

IT is essential that all dogs are regularly inoculated and wormed; inoculations and boosters every year, worming treatments every three months. The only effective worming products are from your vets. Many pet owners encounter problems at the vet. The dogs and cats do not like to be exam-

VISITING THE VET: Many prefer to examine their patients on a table. ined. From an early age make it a pleasant experience for your pet to be handled and examined by different people. Always do this while you are present to reassure and reward the dog with praise and ‘titbits.’ Some if not most vets prefer to examine their patients on a table. So if you have a dog that can be lifted onto a suitable table, get the dog used to it. Hold him in a comfortable position for a few seconds, praising him and reassuring him, then give him a ‘titbit.’ Never let a dog jump off the table by himself. If you use a table make sure a mat or cover is placed on it so that it is not slippery for the dog. Administering treatments: Often following a visit to

your vet you will be required to continue a course of treatment at home such as giving pills or liquid medicine (orally); applying ointments to eyes, ears and skin; giving eye or ear drops. The only reason dogs object to taking medicine is that they are not used to being handled. Pills can often be given by disguising it inside a little piece of butter, margarine or cheese. Do not give dogs any medicine unless specifically prescribed for that dog by a vet. If in doubt about your dog’s health, consult a vet, never take advice from unqualified people. Do not put anything in your dog’s ear. Report discharges or smells to your vet. Do not put any drops or ointment into your dog’s eyes. Consult your vet.

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Spaniel Doc loves the beach 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. COCKER SPANIELS as a breed are known to have friendly, and loyal temperaments. They can be a little ditzy too over their human families. Doc is very much an only dog, and gets very possessive and jealous in the company of other dogs. He particularly loves being at home or the beach at Fuengirola. Once a year his family go on holiday to visit family back in England. At that time he used to stay with family friends, and once he went to a kennels that had been recommended to the family. When they returned he had lost his voice, it simply didn’t suit him. He missed his family and spent the three weeks howling for them for as long as his voice lasted. Then they decided to try to find suitable house-sitters. They joined HouseS itMatch.com as homeowners and posted an advert online for the dates of their next holiday. They’ve been finding petsitters this way ever

COCKER SPANIELS: Are friendly dogs.

since. It seems to work for them and Doc is happy because he can stay at home, near the beach - his favourite place - and he awaits his family’s return in the company of friendly sitters who love to play with him… Do you need a sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner now with a 20 per cent off introductory offer using coupon code PERFECT20. To find a house petsitter go to w w w. H o u s e s i t Match.com.

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5 - 11 January 2017

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On the Corvette Z06: “As something to live with every day, I’d rather have bird flu.” Some might say...

By Matthew Elliott

FITTING FINISH: At an Andalucian farm.

two-seat layout and became a global phenomenon after starring in the opening credits to The Italian Job in 1969.

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A fierce fighting bull A GRAND tour celebrating 50 years of the Lambourghini Miura somewhat surprisingly finished up on an Andalucian farm. After 12 months of touring Europe’s glamour spots, from Monte Carlo to Madrid, the tour rolled to a stop at a renowned but off-the-beaten track bull-breeding farm in the Spanish hinterlands. It would be surprising if not for the interesting fact that Miura is actually the word used to describe a fierce fighting bull from the famous ranch. The farm is owned by the sons of a man who inspired the great Ferruccio Lamborghini to call his new model the Miura and make 50 years of motoring history while he was at it. Produced between 1966 and 1973 the Miura was the fastest production car in history when first unleashed in the new sports car era. It was one of the first cars to trailblaze the mid-engined

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As well as the grand tour, 2016 also saw the release of the Aventador Miura Homage. The Miura bulls of Andalucia

are said to be intelligent, fierce, and overwhelmingly powerful. A fitting name then if ever there was one.

Motoring shorts

An electric rip-off A REPORT found that British electric car-owners are paying well over the odds to recharge their batteries. Some of the new public charging stations charge upwards of €15 for an hour of driving, making it far more expensive than refuelling with petrol or diesel. The problem is a lack of consistency. Some points are free, others dirt cheap, and some eye-wateringly expensive. There are now thousands of public points across the UK and the government is planning to establish pricing control. Once something of an oddity, electric cars are now quite commonplace on British streets and even motorways. By the end of 2018 estimates place the likely number at over 100,000, up from only around 3,000 just five years ago.

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MOTORING

ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Megane Dynamique S Nav THE battle for car sales is at its most intense in the family hatchback sector dominated by the likes of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf - but there are other strong contenders with a lot to offer. Among them is the new Renault Megane, which scores well for standard equipment levels, load space and its pleasing driving dynamics. All versions come with alloy wheels, Bluetooth, and air-conditioning, with entry level pricing from £16,950 (€20,066). Mid range Dynamique models add sat-nav, parking sensors, reversing camera, climate control, auto lights and wipers and larger 17 inch alloys as extras. There’s a choice of petrol engines and two diesels, 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre units. My Dynamique S Nav test model came with the 110 hp 1.5 litre diesel engine and priced at £20,400 (€24,155). While the 0-60 mph time of 11.3 seconds and top speed of 116mph are not exceptional by class standards, the fu-

el figure of 76.4 mpg combined is impressive, and coupled with emissions of just 96g/km gives this model ultra-low running costs. As soon as you get behind the wheel, you find it easy to get a comfortable driving position thanks to multi-adjustable driver’s seat and reach and rake adjustable steering wheel. Underway, this Megane has a smooth agile feel to it and is reassuringly balanced on corners, instilling plenty of driver confidence. Ride quality on smooth surfaces is excellent and only on rutted pot-holed roads will the Megane begin to feel a little unsettled. The exterior restyling of the car provides a sporty low-slung look and the bonnet features a

larger Renault badge and reshaped grille which together give the Megane a bolder and more charismatic appearance. In the cabin, there is a smarter, more classy look to the dashboard, which is well-laid out and with controls easier to use than in the previous model. Seating is comfortable and there is space in the rear for all but the tallest adults. Load space is important to family car buyers and here the Megane scores well for practicality. The boot is a boxy shape and holds 405 litres, and the rear seats fold to boost capacity to 1,129 litres, though it has to be said that stowage space around the cabin for small oddments is rather minimal.

Stats panel (optional): Model: Renault Megane Dynamique S Nav Engine: 1.5 litre diesel Transmission: 6 speed manual Performance: 0-60 mph 11.3 seconds, top speed 116 mph Economy: 76.4 mpg combined Emissions: 96g/km

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5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Toyota Verso Design TOYOTA’S Verso MPV is built in Europe and designed specifically for the European market, and since its launch in 2002 more than 700,000 have been sold. Over the years, the MPV market has become more crowded and high-demand for these versatile family vehicles means models are frequently revised and upgraded to help stay with the pack leaders. The Toyota Verso is among the latest to be refreshed, with a revamped interior, upgraded multi-media system and addition of a new 1.6 diesel engine choice. Prices start at £17,995 (€21,338) for an entry level 1.6 petrol version, though most buyers opt for the diesel which offers better fuel economy - 62.8 mpg combined. However, my recent test model featured a 147 hp 1.8 petrol engine with CVT auto gearbox and in mid-range Design trim costs

£24,205 (€28,696). You get a lot of kit for the money, with highlights including cruise control, dualzone climate control, DAB radio, Bluetooth, on-board connectivity, sat-nav, rear view camera, 17 inch alloys, and a wealth of safety features including collision warning, auto emergency braking and lane departure warning. The Verso is compact by MPV standards which means it is easier to park, yet there is still plenty of space for five occupants, though space in the third row of this sevenseater is really just for children. Boot space is good at 440 litres in five-seat mode, and can be boosted to 1,009 litres with both rows of seats down. Flat-fold rear seats aid practicality, and the middle row of seats slides to vary load space or leg-room, a useful feature.

Stats panel (optional): Model: Toyota Verso Design Engine: 1.8 petrol Transmission: CVT Auto Performance: 0-60mph 11.1 seconds, top speed 115 mph Economy: 43.5 mpg combined Emissions: 150g/km

The Verso is attractively styled, looking good from all angles, and while the dashboard is conventionally laid out for functionality, the overall appearance is pleasing and the seating very comfortable. Underway, the Verso is relaxing to drive and handles reassuringly on faster roads. It cruises well on motorway trips and the suspension set up en-

VERSO MPV: Revamped. sures good ride comfort. The CVT transmission on the test model was smooth and seamless and a boon in city traffic. This latest Verso may not be biggest in the class nor the most economical, but it does have big-plus points in Toyota built-quality, reliability and strong resale values - all important factors for wouldbe MPV buyers.

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SPORT

5 - 11 January 2017 / Costa de Almería

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An exciting year ahead By Matthew Elliott WITH no World Cup, Olympics or E u r o p e a n C h a m p io n s h ip s 2017 may be a slightly quieter year than the barnstorming 2016, but the sporting calendar holds plenty of promise. Tennis will hold the first major e v e n t wi t h t h e A u s tra lia n Open kicking off down under on January 16. Andy Murray may have been awarded a Knighthood and be the world No 1, but he’ll have his hands full with Novak Djokovic. The Serb is the defending champion and has won a record six titles in Melbourne. In the women’s game Angelique Kerber will be looking to hold on to the title. The German became world No 1 in Sep-

tember and won a silver medal at the Olympics. Wimb led o n fa ns w ill be sharing airwaves with avid cyclists as the Grand Slam runs alongside the Tour de France in early July. Golfers will look forward to the Masters, held this year in Augusta from April 3-9. The US Open is in Wisconsin th is y e a r from June 1 5 - 1 8 , w h ile th e British Open is a t S o u th port’s Royal Birkside Golf Club from July 2023. In the rugby world th e E n g lis h wome n’s

team will be stamp their authority on the gam e by def endi ng their title at the 2017 World Cup, held in Ireland from August 316. Games will be played both north and south of the border. Other miscellaneous sporting highlights across the year will include the Super Bowl in Houston, Texas on February 5, Spec ia l O lympi cs Wor l d Wi nt er Games in Austria from March 3 a nd the Conf eder at i ons Cup, held in Russia from June 17. Key dat es for the

ity. There’s been talk of an audacious deal worth more than €150 million being put together to lure French forward Antoine Griezmann and Spanish defensive midfielder Saul Niguez away from Madrid to Manchester. Mourinho is thought to be content with his striking line-up and should be, after Zlatan Ibrahi-

calendar include the Grand National on April 8, Kentucky Derby on May 6, FA Cup final on May 27, and Champions League final on June 3. On April 29 there could be a new unified world heavyweight champion when British Olympic gold-medallist Anthony Joshua

Wimbledon fans will share the airwaves with avid cyclists. takes on Wladimir Klitschcko, the Ukrainian former champ known as Dr Steelhammer. The two Goliaths will fight in front of at least 80,000 baying f ans at Wem bl ey St adi um i n what i s set t o be one of t he bi ggest bout s ever st aged on British soil.

ANDY MURRAY: Will have his hands full playing Novak Djokovic.

La Liga’s transfer talent JANUARY’S transfer window is a week old and the rumour mill is well oiled as the Champions League race heats up and relegation fears are stoked. The top teams are said to be largely content with their squads but there’s always room for a January surprise - or disaster. Atletico Madrid could have the happiest shareholders in Spain if a proposed swoop by Man Utd’s Jose Mourinho becomes real-

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movic scored his 17th goal of the season and declared to have made critics ‘eat their balls.’ Real Betis meanwhile have terminated the loan transfer of Chelsea winger Charley Musonda, whose knee injury held him back from La Liga competition. The Blues and Arsenal are said to be interested in snatching Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi. The Spanish club expect to lose the Frenchman in January but hope to reel in €30 million from the sale. Chelsea are also thought to be sniffing around Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk, while Liverpool won’t be rescuing Joe Hart from loan exile in Italy.

MOURINHO: Happy with his striking line-up.

This week’s Footie Fixtures FA Cup THE third round of the FA Cup gets underway this week with an evening fixture in London’s east end as West Ham entertain Manchester City on Friday December 6. Most of the cup match-ups will take place on Saturday. Look out for your team on the list below: Manchester United v Reading; Accrington v Luton; Barrow v Rochdale; Birmingham v Newcastle; Blackpool v Barnsley; Bolton v Cr yst al Pal ace; Br ent f or d v East l ei gh; Brighton and Hove v MK Dons; Bristol v Fleetwood Town; Everton v Leicester; Huddersfield v Port Vale; Hull v Swansea; Ipswich v Lincoln; Millwall v Bournemouth; Norwich v Southampton; Queens Park v Blackburn Rovers; Rotherham v Oxford United; Stoke v Wolves; Sunderland v Burnley, Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon; Watford v Burton Albion; WBA v Derby; Wigan v Nottingham Forest; Wycombe Wanderers v Stourbridge; Preston North End v Arsenal. Sunday’s games include Cardiff v Fulham; Liverpool v Plymouth; Chelsea v Peterborough; Middlesbrough v Sheffield Wednesday; Spurs v Aston Villa. Fi nal gam e i n t he r ound i s on Monday evening between Cambridge and Leeds. The Premier League is set to get back underway on Saturday January 14.

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5 - 11 January 2017

VIRGIL VAN DIJK: In the Premier League, Chelsea are thought to be sniffing around the Southampton centre-back player.

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19th Hole scramble ON Thursday December 29, the19th Hole Golf Society played a Team Scramble at Aguilon Golf Resort. The team of Terry Ayling, Steve Lawrie, John Ball and Karyn Esposito comfortably took the win scoring a nett 60 from the much fancied team of Doug Birrell, Mick Craswell, Ralph Hunter and Steve Tucker with a nett 63. Last team home was David Wadey, Tony Mackay and Syd Walker who were rewarded with a bottle of wine each, donated by David White in celebration of his birthday. David also supplied wine to each of the Nearest the Pin winners and Twos. The 19th Hole Golf Society plays Aguilon every other week. For information 610 340 653 or email gs19thhole@hotmail.co.uk

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Aguilon Golf members report on stablefords THE four days of rain have made the course very soft and with no run on the ball very long: however a few days of dry weather should soon get things back to normal. Wednesday December 21 – Individual Stableford Our pre-Christmas competition was made more difficult due to the wet conditions and the fact that all buggies had to keep to the pathways, this made our winner’s score all the more creditable. 1st Norman Whibley 38 pts 2nd Robin Hawkins 34 pts on a card play off 3rd Tony Phillips 34 pts Twos: Mike Hooker 8th, Rick Hull 12th, Rabbe Thun 14th Wednesday December 28 – Individual Stableford The last competition of the year p r o v i d e d a r u n a w a y w i n n e r, w h o hopes, despite a handicap cut, that he

NORMAN WHIBLEY: Won the pre-Christmas competition with 38 points. can transfer his good form in to the new year. 1st Peter Death 40 pts 2nd Terry Moore 35 pts 3rd Roy Lewis 34 pts

Twos: Peter Death x2 8th, 12th, Phil Miles, Dave Wilson 12th, Rabbe Thun 14th For more information log on to aguilonmembersclub.com.

Los Amigos knockout CABRERA LAWN BOWLING CLUB hosted the Los Amigos Drawn Triples Knockout Competition which is sponsored every year by Los Amigos Bar and Restaurant on Mojacar Playa. The competition was played between December 8-11, the final being played on the latter. As the name suggests you are not allowed to pick who you play with as names are drawn. There was one stand out team in the competition who did not have to complete the full 18 ends to win their rounds. They were David Schofield, Sandra Marriott and Josie Gee. In the final they met Austin Crilly, Alan Saunders and Sheila Howe. Austin’s Team started the better and after four ends were 7-3 up but true to their form in this competition David’s team fought back and won the final 21-12 after 18 ends. Many congratulations.