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ISSUE NO. 1655

23 - 29 March 2017

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Shooting drama Police blast knife-wielding Brit in buttocks By Matthew Elliott A British man was shot in the buttocks by Albox police after allegedly trying to stab his ex-wife as she fled her Almeria home. The 43-year-old, with a history of violent spousal abuse, is in intensive care at La Immaculada hospital in Huercal-Overa after ignoring several police warning shots into the air. His expartner, also British, fortunately escaped unharmed. He h a s b e e n n a m e d in Spanish media only as AWCB. One British newspaper has identified him as Anthony Wayne, though other details are unknown. Local Police officers were called to the scene at around 1.25am on Saturday March 18. Police reports suggested that the suspect was lying in wait at his ex’s Albox property on Calle Cuerda. It is unclear wh e t h e r sh e , o r someone else, contacted police w h e n t h e si t u a tio n turned violent. When police arrived the woman had fled the home and was in her car as the man raced after her with a

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Prancing horse FERRARI has chosen Almeria Province as the perfect location to showcase its new model, the Ferrari 812 Superfast, to the world. Having made its international debut at the acclaimed Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, the Superfast has already been filmed cascading around Almeria’s sublime scenery. See page 5

Going down A MAN who confessed to the murder of his wife and her boss faces trial by popular jury in June. Prosecutors are demanding a 36-year sentence over the killings, which shocked Nijar and

Sorbas. Diego GG executed his wife and her boss in cold blood on May 3, 2015 using a hunting rifle taken from his mother’s finca. See page 10

Up in arms HUNDREDS of protesters gathered outside the San Isidro police station in Nijar after a local man died in police custody. The family of the 52year-old, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, are furious that the father was arrested rather than taken to hospital when they called for an ambulance. See page 12

Finger pointing WARNING SHOTS: Were fired but the suspect ignored these leaving police no choice. knife. Police shouted that he stop, fired warning shots a n d c la im th ey w e re le ft with no choice but to shoot the assailant, who seemed intent on hurting the victim. Four shots were fired in his direction, one aimed at a non-lethal body part, striking him in the buttocks. He

was taken to hospital under armed guard and is in stable condition. It is expected that he will be transferred to a prison hos pita l s oon a nd a ppe a r before a judge to hear the charges against him. Attempted murder, violent assault, and forced en-

try to a home will be among the charges faced ahead of what will surely be a long spell in prison. Polic e ha ve a ls o c onfirmed that the accused’s w ife ha d ta ke n out a re straining order against him, but that it had expired during his return to the UK.

POPULAR PARTY councillors in Albox claim to have found damning evidence the former PSOE-run town hall fleeced the town out of more than €300,000. The alleged evidence is an invoice billing the council for construction of a water treatment plant never built. The plant was supposed to have been built in Llano de los Olleres back in 2008. See page 72

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NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

Beach bonus THE council plan to spend € 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 o n A l m e r i a ’s b e a c h e s t h i s y e a r, a n i n vestment which is almost double that which was made last year. They are describing the

plans as their most ambitious yet, asserting that the beaches will have more services than ever before, including walkways, showers and improved first aid services.

Girl power THE number of women working in the employ of the council in Almeria is double that of men. Figures from July 2016 show that there were 12,939 women and only 6,349 men. The figures take into consideration women working across all departments, from education to health.

Water warriors ON World Water Day, people in Cuevas Del Almanzora celebrated the use of wastewater, embracing the UN slogan ‘Wastewater, why waste water?’ Their aim was to educate young people about the need to take advantage of purified water. In Almeria, processed water is the main water source in some areas, but investment is needed to upgrade infrastructure and increase usage.

DON’T FORGET: To move your clocks forward by one hour.

It’s finally time to spring forward into the summer By Francesca Souter DESPITE recent spells of bad weather, the days are now getting longer and summer is well and truly on its way. The arrival of daylight savings time this Sunday (March 26) means the clocks will go forward, bringing us longer and lighter

nights - the perfect excuse for an evening spent out with friends or family. This year, the change coincides with Mothering Sunday, so anyone planning to bring their mum a delicious breakfast in bed, or book a table at her favourite restaurant, will need to make sure that they don’t get caught out!

Spend five minutes changing the clocks around your house before bed this Saturday evening. Most mobile phones and radio clocks will adjust themselves, but it never hurts to double check your settings! Find yourself forgetting which way the clock is changing? Remember this handy mnemonic, ‘Spring forward, fall back.’

NEWS

Don’t forget Mother’s Day MOTHERING SUNDAY in the UK and Gibraltar is the fourth Sunday in Lent and differs from the date of Mother’s Day in Spain (first Sunday in May) and the USA (second Sunday in May) but although this is in some ways a relatively new holiday, its roots go back to Ancient Greece. More recently, it became a regular celebration in the UK as early as the 17th century, when following a church service where prayers were dedicated to the Virgin Mary it became traditional to give flowers and small gifts to mothers of all ages. The practice died out in the UK by the 19th century but was promoted in the USA by Julia Ward Howe, composer of the iconic ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ and by 1914, it was officially recognised in the USA. Today, Mother’s Day is recognised in at least 50 countries throughout the world and it is likely that restaurants and flower shops in certain parts of Spain will be particularly busy on Sunday March 26 as British residents and visitors take the opportunity to celebrate and thank their mothers.

Explosions and collisions A BRITISH woman was urgently taken to hospital following a serious car crash in Garrucha. Firefighters had to carefully remove her from her car after she collided with a truck and another vehicle on the A-370. Just an hour later firefighters were called to another crash on the A-370, just 300 metres from the first. Two men were transferred to hospital after one was trapped in the driver’s seat. Passersby managed to provide first aid until medics arrived. A day later on Friday March 17 Levant firefighters extinguished an extremely dangerous blaze on the A349. A car spontaneously combusted at 8.30am less than 100 metres from a petrol station.

Choose beauty of Almeria A NEW publicity campaign will see gorgeous images of the Costa de

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SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...6 SPAIN'S Michelin starred restaurants have been making global headlines for two decades, and with 30 new stars awarded for 2017, the trend looks set to continue. There are now nine restaurants in Spain with the maximum three-star rating for “exceptional cuisine with a special journey,” placing the nation fifth in world rankings behind Japan (26), France (25), the U.S. (14), and Germany (10).

INSIDE VIEW News 1 - 284

Finance 31

Leapy Lee 37

Cooking-up global fame LEGENDARY Basque chef Martin Berasategui is the holder of eight Michelin stars, more than anyone else in Spain. He began to work at his parent’s restaurant at the age of 14, when there were no Michelin stars in the Basque Country, but by 25 he owned the restaurant and had gained his first star. He opened his eponymous eatery in Lasarte-Oria, near San Sebastian, in 1993 and it was awarded its third Michelin star in 2001. Berasategui holds three more stars at Lasarte in

Barcelona and another two at M.B. in Tenerife, plus a further six around the world including two in the Dominican Republic and one in Mexico. However, having the most stars is not the only accolade to aim for. El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, run by the famed Roca brothers, was named the world’s best eatery by Restaurant magazine in 2013 and 2015, while the same title was handed to Ferran Adria’s El Bulli in 2002 and for four consecutive years between 2006 and 2009.

Almeria distributed across 12 Spanish cities in 39 shopping centres. It will be shown 16,000 times in cinema adverts and even make a splash in Paris at a French tourism fair. Video footage will showcase all the natural splendour of Almeria’s renowned coastline, especially the Cabo de Gata. Local tourist chiefs want to inspire Spaniards from Murcia to Madrid to choose Almeria for school holidays, weekend breaks, or simply for something a little different.

establishments, placing it among Europe’s top foodie destinations since six have two or more stars. DiverXo is the sole threestar restaurant, serving experimental modern cuisine. However, for those seeking quality over quantity, San Sebastian is the place to head, with its seven 3-Miche-

Postie propaganda A POSTMAN who sneakily added political pamphlets to the regular post in the run up to recent elections has been reinstated, mainly due to a staff shortage.

No way José AN incident in Almeria saw a Moroccan man caught at the scene when he

Dream study trip down under A YOUNG man from Almeria has managed to raise more than 5,000 online to fund his dream study trip to Australia. Juan Lisardo beat off stiff competition from around the world to secure a space at a prestigious MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in Brisbane. Courses fees, travel and accommodation amounted to a hefty €7,800. The enterprising Lisardo set up a GoFundMe campaign online asking people for dona-

tions to help realise his dream. The mechanical engineering student at the University of Almeria was the first Spaniard to qualify for the bootcamp. MIT is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, considered among the best universities in the world. One day Juan hopes to set up a car-sharing platform to reduce pollution in Almeria and beyond.

TV 56

Time Out 59

Health & Beauty

Culinary rivals WITH 30 stars across the city, Barcelona heads Spanish city rankings with the most Michelin awards. However, only one eatery - Berasategui’s Lasarte - enjoys the top accolade, collecting its third star in this year’s awards, the first addition in this category since 2014. The remaining 27 stars are shared between 24 restaurants. Meanwhile Madrid restaurants have 21 Michelin stars spread over 14

Letters

Social 65 SAN SEBASTIAN: For quality. lin star eateries placing it among the cities holding the most stars per square metre in the world.

tried to steal a girl’s purse. The victim had just stepped out of a nightclub and was in no mood to give it up. She held on so strongly to the bag that she was dragged along the ground by the thief before police officers stepped in.

Dastardly Dutch SURPRISINGLY, the biggest threat to Almeria’s agricultural dominance comes from The Netherlands. Despite its chilly clime Holland has invested heavily in hydroponics, greenhouses and renewable energy.

Albox 70

Property 76

Classifieds 82

Motors 84

Sport 87

Postscript to ponder

per cent of the Spanish population believe homosexuality is “morally unacceptable,” making the nation the most gay-tolerant in the world.

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Not so playful THE Barcelona brothel offering rubber sex dolls has been closed. After Lumidolls gained worldwide publicity, the landlord of their property cancelled the lease just as the city announced the business was unlicensed and local prostitutes protested over unfair competition !

Quite a scare MORE than 70 tourists abseiled 250 feet down after being stranded in a cable car on Tenerife’s Mount Teide. Two hundred more on the mountain top were rescued on foot though some with disabilities had to spend the night in a refuge.

Magic touch MORE than 500 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms and 28 boxes of seeds were found by police who raided a home in Puerto Santa Maria, Cadiz. The female Dutch occupant is thought to have been selling them for €50 per delivery, with some internet clients living in Australia.

39%

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Fighting protest

on SPAIN

Around the nation in 6 stories

Postcard from

Caught on film

CÓRDOBA ANDALUCIA’S third largest city , Cordoba with a 350,000 population and a fascinating mix of old and new is the globe’s largest urban space to be declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Despite mercury levels from June to September at times rising to 45o it is a year-round favourite with national and foreign tourists partly due to excellent road, rail and air links. With its history dating to pre-Roman times. Cordoba fell under Moorish domination as early as 711 and by the 10th century was one of the largest cities in the known world . Unlike in some parts of Spain, Christians and Muslims existed alongside each other and at one time worshipped in the same building. The building of the great Mosque ended this practice though when the city was restored to Spanish rule, the Mosque became a Cathedral and is still a place of worship today. Near to the Cathedral is the old Jewish Quarter and the city also boasts seven bridges, and an annual Patio Festival, in addition to hundreds of jewellery manufacturers and superb restaurants which blend the influences of Moorish and Spanish culinary tastes. Popular dishes include Salmorejo and Rabo de Toro.

IT ALL ADDS UP €134,000

The percentage of SEAT Ibiza cars listed among the total number of cars stolen in Spain last year.

The daily European Union fine the nation could face if it cannot pass a law on port workers.

TWENTY activists stripped to their underwear and covered themselves in fake blood in a Valencia street to protest against bullfighting as part of a regular activity by the Spanish charity and NGO AnimaNaturalis .

TWO men have been arrested after being filmed on CCTV installing copying and cloning devices at bank ATMs in the Madrid area in a Guardia Civil investigation dating back several months.

Zebra skin A ZEBRA skin rug and pieces of coral offered for sale against international laws have been seized by Seprona (the Nature Protection arm of the Guardia Civil) officers in Menorca.

Terror link A MOROCCAN aged 43 in Girona found sending money to a a relative in Syria believed to be a terrorist with Daesh has been arrested by Spanish authorities liaising with Europol.

495 The number of attacks on doctors reported to medical authorities while working during 2016.

NEWS

Birthdays • Mo Farah, Athlete, March 23, 34 British distance runner who won the Olympic gold medals for both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games. He is the most decorated British athlete who has won the European Athlete of the Year award and the British Athletics Writers Association British Athlete of the Year award six times. • Mary Berry, Cook/TV Host, March 24, 82 Popular judge on the TV show Great British Bake Off who has also hosted shows such as Mary Berry Cooks and Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites. She has published more than 75 cookbooks including her first book The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook in 1970 and the bestselling Baking Bible in 2009. • Elton John, Musician, March 25, 70 The English singer, pianist and composer’s career has spanned five decades and is one of the best-selling artists in the world having sold more than 300 million records. Some of his hit singles include Rocket Man, I’m Still Standing and Candle in the Wind. He was knighted by the Queen in 1998 for his services to music and charitable services. • Jennifer Grey, Actress, March 26, 57 American actress who starred alongside Patrick Swayze in the massive hit film Dirty Dancing which earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Actress. She also featured in Ferris Beueller’s Day Off and in 2010 she was the winner of season 11 of Dancing with the Stars. • Mariano Rajoy, Spanish Prime Minister, March 27, 62 Spanish politician who became the leader of the People’s Party (PP) in 2004 and prime minister in 2011. He failed to win the December 2015 general election in which the PP lost 64 of its 187 seats and ended in deadlock. The PP still fell short at the June 2016 general election however Rajoy was finally reappointed in October 2016 after PSOE members abstained in the parliamentary vote.

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OUR VIEW

The die is cast NOW that the European Union (Notification of withdrawal) Act 2017 has received Royal Ascent, those of us living in Spain but with British passports will have to look forward to a ‘Brave New World’ with some positivity. At the moment, rumours abound and many British citizens living in Spain are understandably worried about their future, but there is no point in panicking when noone knows what the final result of the Brexit negotiations is likely to be. Some elderly residents are worried about pensions and health commitments after 2019 (assuming that is the date that Britain leaves the EU), but the news coming out of the UK is hardly comforting with talk of the NHS crumbling under the pressure of too many patients and insufficient funding. Not everyone is particularly frightened by the unknown and it will take some time for any meaningful information to become public knowledge, but if the government is to be believed, it does want to protect those passport holders living in European Union countries and intends to try to negotiate their future at an early juncture. Patience is a virtue and whilst difficult to accept, those of us who are going to be affected will just have to ‘lie back and think of England’ for a while.

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A match made in heaven FERRARI has chosen Almeria Province as the perfect location to showc a s e its ne w mode l, the Ferrari 812 Superfast, to the world. Having made its international debut at the a c c la ime d G e ne va Motor Show earlier this month, the Superfast has already been filmed cascading around Almeria’s sublime scenery. The new television ad, which will be featured on small screens and cinemas all over the planet, shows the s lic k 812 s torming through the Ta be rna s Desert, take in the Cabo de G a ta c oa s tline , a nd pose an alluring reflection in the waters of the port. More than 100 people took part in the filming, which starred famous actor a nd mode l R ube n Batalla.

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NEWS EXTRA

Cowboys and Indians

Photo by Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

THE Almeria Western Film Festival has present ed t he new post er for its seventh edition in October. It is a nostalgic t hr owback t o t he ol d days of ‘Mini-Hollywood’ in Tabernas featuring cowboys and Indians.

Generous donor

TRADITIONAL: To give flowers or small gifts. tle Hymn of the Republic’ and by 1914, it was officially recognised in the USA. Today, Mother ’s Day is recognised in at least 50 countries throughout the world and it is likely that

restaurants and flower shops in certain parts of Spain will be particularly busy on Sunday March 26 as British residents and visitors take the opportunity to celebrate and thank their mothers.

AS reported in last week’s EWN, Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega is donating millions to put Almeria at the forefront of cancer therapy. The unprecedented private donation has now been reveal ed t o be €4.3 million for Almeria alone.

Biggest complaints CITIZENS across Almeri a submi t t ed 2,260 compl ai nt s t o t he Andalucian government in 2016. The vast majority were against phone and internet companies, hotels, transport services and banks.

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Double killer is to face trial by jury By Matthew Elliott A MAN who confessed to the murder of his wife and her boss faces trial by popular jury in June. Prosecutors are demanding a 36-year sentence over the killings, which shocked Nijar and Sorbas. Suspicious that they were having an affair, Diego GG, 51, executed his wife and her boss in cold blood on May 3, 2015. He used a hunting rifle taken from his motherâ€™s finca in both killings and handed himself in voluntarily to the Guardia Civil. There was no evidence that victims Francisca and Manuel were engaged in an affair. Investigators believe the double murder was planned well in advance and executed without a shred of remorse. Witnesses have reported seeing the couple argue violently at their

Photo Credit Wikimedia

NO REMORSE: The man confessed to the murders. Campohermoso home two days before the murders. The defendant first killed his wife who was in a remote Sorbas home looking after her sick mother and disabled brother. He fired two shots at her before she even had the chance to run.

Diego then methodically drove to Nijar where he executed Manuel at the nursery he had worked at for 15 years, again firing two shots. He is expected to receive a 19-year sentence for the murder of his wife, and 17 years for that of her boss.

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NEWS EXTRA

Fake heists HALF of all the violent muggings reported to Almeria police in the past month have been made up. The number of people pretending to be robbed to claim insurance money has risen threefold since 2008.

Local patter A NEW online dictionary compiles a list of all the words and phrases unique to Almeria. Aptly named ‘Almeriapedia’ the resource is a must for anyone trying to blend in at the local bar.

NEWS

Man’s death sparks fury at Local Police HUNDREDS of protesters gathered outside the San Isidro police station in Nijar after a local man died in police custody. The family of the 52-yearold, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, are furious that the father was arrested rather than taken to hospital when they called for an ambulance. On the morning of Friday March 17, he took extremely strong medication which made him aggressive. The Guardia Civil patrol, which arrived at

the family home before medics, claim they were responding to witnesses who heard him threatening a woman. Relatives beg to differ, saying at no time did he mistreat or abuse his wife, that he was in urgent need of medical help, not handcuffs and restraint. They claim that he collapsed when arrested and was unconscious when the police took him away. Roughly half an hour later they received a call from police stating that he had

suffered a heart attack and died. The estimated 500 people who gathered outside the police station on Sunday demanded to know exactly what happened to the victim. Many hailed from Almeria’s large Moroccan community, of which the deceased was a member. The Moroccan Consul in Almeria has been asked to demand an investigation. His body has since been taken to an Almeria medical institute for a full post-mortem.

Almerian expats blowin’ in the wind WHERE do Almerians go when they become expats abroad themselves? Almost 50,000 people born here are now scattered across the four corners of the world seeking new lives abroad. The figure amounts to roughly 6 per cent of the province’s population, with an estimated 2-3,000 per year voyaging abroad, many to find work. Despite being able to live anywhere across the EU, a common language,

family connections, and glorious weather sees most Almerians choose Latin America. Almost 20,000 live in Argentina, followed by around 6,500 in Brazil and just north of 1,000 in Cuba. In Europe neighbouring France is the favourite, chosen by 6,000 Almerians. There are almost 3,000 in Germany and just 960 in the UK. Further afield there are 899 in the US, 82 in Australia, and 13 Samurais in Japan.

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A very special tour guide By Matthew Elliott BRITISH publisher and writer Claire Hopley will represent the Costa de Almeria during a special press trip to the UK and USA. The acclaimed writer spent two days travelling across Almeria’s most remarkable destinations in preparation for the trip. Hopley specialises in travel and gastronomy writing. Her work has been published in British Heritage Travel, the Washington Post, the Guardian and Woman’s World among many other publications. During her tour of the province, Hopley visited the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, the Isleta del Moro, Alcazaba of Almeria, and the

CLAIRE HOPLEY: Will represent Almeria in the UK and US. city’s Arab Baths. She also visited farms and restaurants producing some of the region’s most inspired products and cuisine. On the shores of the UK

and US she will discuss the incredible heritage, tourism potential, scenery and food of Almeria Province, as it prepares for one of the busiest years in history.

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Spruced up for spring

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NEWS EXTRA

Safe space ALMERIA is one of the safest places in Spain for hospital staff. There were 22 physical attacks last year, compared to over 150 in Sevilla and Malaga. In Andalucia there are three attacks per day on average.

Superstar line-up BEACH WORKS: Dozens of tons of sand will be brought in to make up for losses. REGENERATION work has begun on Vera beach in preparation for the busy Easter period ahead. Crucial to the works is establishing long term environmental protection of key areas right across the area. This includes

all the beaches between the port of Garrucha and the Almanzora river delta. All of Vera beach, and the Cuevas de la Almanzora, will be part of the much-needed repairs. There will be greater protection against storms and

dozens of tons of beach sand brought in to make up for losses experienced over the winter. Potholes, ruined beach furniture and bars, and patchy spots will also be fixed in the upcoming works.

A sinister family plot A TOP politician is facing prosecution over claims he oversaw a corrupt web of real estate contracts and construction licences. Gabriel Amat, mayor of Roquetas de Mar and the ruling Popular Party’s strongman in Almeria is accused of handing out favourable contracts to his cousins, nephews and brother-in-law. The Office of Economic Crimes is investigating 25 companies with strong or familial links to Amat. Meanwhile a Roquetas de Mar court has been conducting an inquiry since 2012 into whether Amat helped 53 of his relatives benefit financially through his office. In one case Amat, a former farmer who made

a fortune when the property market overheated, is accused of shameless nepotism in granting licences for his nephew’s firm to build 465 new homes. His brother-in-law’s company was permitted to build over 200 homes. Amat himself bizarrely managed to sell six of his own cars to his own Roquetas de Mar council. Investigations into Amat first began with the Mediterranean Association of Anti-corruption and Transparency. The group has accused the 72-year-old of being at the heart of a sinister family plot to loot more than €100 million from the public coffers of Roquetas over a 15year spell.

THE most famous Almerian in the music world, singer David Bisbal, will be performing alongside Sting, The Pretenders, Tom Jones and the Pet Shop Boys at a special music festival in July celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Madrid Coliseum.

Hard truths A TWO month public debate on the state of Almeria City will begin in May. A no-holds barred discussion will tackle transport, pollution, safety and corruption.

Road danger SIX people have died in 2017 on roads across Almeria. Five of the deaths ocurred on rural roads. In 2016, 32 people died despite more cameras and speed limits than ever before.

Lost love A MAN was arrested after drunkenly breaking a restraining order and banging on the door of his parent’s home late at night demanding to talk.

Run over A WOMAN was rushed to hospital after being struck by a car in Campohermoso. The 31-year-old is expected to fully recover from her injuries.

NEWS

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

Crucial glaucoma test helps prevent blindness GLAUCOMA affects more than 15,000 people in Almeria and doctors believe that around half of them don’t even know it. The disturbing data came out during World Glaucoma Week which finished on March 18. The degenerative eye disease is the second

most common cause of preventable blindness. It is believed to affect one million people across Spain, with around half of all cases still undiagnosed. Without treatment the condition worsens and some 150,000 Spaniards have developed blind-

URGENT ACTION: Has been demanded to revive Almeria’s public hospitals.

Shocking statistics By Matthew Elliott CRITICS have demanded that urgent action be taken to revive Almeria’s public hospitals. Popular Party spokeswoman Carmen Crespo said they have been stripped of staff and resources to the severe detriment of patients. Shocking statistics were

employed to make the devastating case. There are just two beds per 1,000 inhabitants across the province, well below the Spanish average of 3.4. There are 72 less beds than there was four years ago, a five per cent drop. Almeria has just 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people, compared with 44.4 in Andalucia

and 52.3 across Spain. Nurse numbers are also far below regional and national averages. Instead of reversing the trend, Almeria has actually axed 99 professional jobs from the public health sector since 2011. There are less toilets than before and the waiting list for operations now stands above 7,000.

ness unnecessarily due to lack of proper care. Early diagnosis is difficult due to a lack of obvious symptoms. At the early stages of the disease the brain compensates for optical weaknesses making it nearly impossible for patients to notice a difference in their vision.

The Spanish Glaucoma Association recommends having an optical exam once a year after the age of 45 to increase the chances of early detection. Quick diagnosis can help prevent blindness in 95 per cent of cases making tests extremely worthwhile.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Photo Credit: No 10 flickr

Article 50 to be triggered March 29 BREXIT PAGE By John Smith THE good news is that the European Union will be allowed to enjoy its 60th birthday celebrations without the announcement of the triggering of Article 50 but the bad news is that because the formal date won’t be until March 29, almost six weeks of negotiating time will be lost. The British government, through its Ambassador to the European Union Sir Tim Barrow, advised the EU as a matter of courtesy that the trigger date would be Wednesday March 29 and this has resulted in a number of ‘pithy’ observations from various European leaders. Gianni Pittella, the president of the socialist bloc in the European parliament is quoted in The Guardian as saying “Congratulations, Theresa May. Nine months to give birth to a

THERESA MAY: In Cardiff with Carwyn Jones the Welsh First Minister. date for Article 50 notification. We will make sure that Brexit won’t affect EU and UK acquired citizens’ rights. “Before negotiating the new relationship with UK, first and foremost we want substantial progresses on the withdrawal agreement to be ensured.” The date is important as the leaders of the 27 remaining states had hoped

to discuss the whole situation at a special summit due to be held on April 6 and 7 but the short time frame between the triggering of Article 50 and the summit makes it highly unlikely that any formal response will be made and therefore negotiations are unlikely to start for about six weeks and some believe that it could take even longer.

Whilst president of the European Council, Donald Tusk has promised to send his observations on the matter to the 27 leaders within 48 hours of the formal declaration, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker who has been a consistent critic of Britain since David Cameron tried to block his appointment said

“Britain’s example will make everyone else realise that it’s not worth leaving.” In the meantime, Mrs May set off on a whistle stop tour of the regions to try to ensure a measure of unity, with Wales her first stop even though there is no formal power sharing agreement in Stormont in Northern Ireland and Nicola Sturgeon First Minister of Scotland has made it clear that she is looking for a second independence referendum prior to Brexit. The Prime Minister insists that she will be looking to obtain the best deal for Britain including a free trade arrangement but lead negotiator for the EU, Michel Barnier indicated in a tweet that there was no certainty over such an arrangement and customs controls would have to be considered as one option. One thing is certain, the initial period of waiting and speculation is now over, to be replaced by a further period of waiting and speculation but at least the British government will be likely to give regular updates on discussions rather than simply indicate what it considers possible although it may take more than two years to resolve all outstanding matters.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

RAIL NETWORKS: Are of immense importance for local commerce and economy.

Squandering a fortune ENTREPRENEURS filmed Almeria Province from a helicopter to expose the shoddy state of the region’s railways. The business group from Valencia, who are launching a documentary on opportunities on the Mediterranean coast, described Almeria as suffering from the worst rail connections in Spain. A recently released clip from the film shows film crew visibly shocked by the total lack of

public and commercial transport links. The footage has already been seized upon by a group of Almerian employers who have called for a public protest demanding the arrival of high speed rail to the province. Rail networks across Spain’s Mediterranean corridor are of immense importance for local commerce and economy. The area includes Almeria, Andalucia, Valencia and Catalonia.

Those regions alone comprise more than 50 per cent of the Spanish population, 45 per cent of its GDP, 46 per cent of employment and 51 per cent of its exports. If the corridor were an independent country it would have the seventh greatest GDP in Europe. By that measure alone billions of euros are being flushed down the drain thanks to the lack of high speed rail networks.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

By Matthew Elliott IT’S been no secret among avid cyclists that 2017 was shaping up to be an exciting year for the sport across the province. The Almeria Tour is fast becoming one of the most important competitive routes on the professional calendar. In only its second edition the

www.euroweeklynews.com

Stage set for super cyclists Vuelta Almeria will be held in three stages on April 1 and 2 and attract 35 top teams from across the country. The race gets underway in Carboneras with a 27-kilometre dash across the coastline. The second stage runs a tough 72 kilometres to

Nijar, finishing up in Huebro. Finally the last leg, known as the Queen stage, takes in a spectacular 122-kilometre ride from Nijar to Albox. The 205 competing cyclists will all be top amateurs and professionals. Exclusivi-

ty is the test ride’s calling card and a major selling point to the thousands of cycling lovers expected to make the trip. Hotels from Benizalon to Lucainena de las Torres and Albanez are expected to be

jam-packed with guests eager to catch a glimpse of the action. The race is already drawing serious attention from the international cycling press, despite being in only its second year. The third edition, next year, is already planned and will begin where 2017 leaves off, in Albox.

NEWS

NEWS EXTRA

Titanic struggle FOOTAGE of the ship Fortuny almost capsizing amid rocky waters as it arrived in Melilla from Almeria has spread like wildfire on social media. Transmediterranea were forced to suspend the route due to strong winds.

New home

ALMERIA TOUR: Important on the professional calendar.

A GROUP of 27 Syrian refugees arrived in Spain from Greece and will be resettled throughout Almeria and Malaga. Spain has promised to welcome 17,000 by September.

Serious smash FOUR people were badly injured in a collision between two vehicles in Almeria City. Three men and a woman were taken to Torrecardenas hospital.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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COMMUNITY

Dames in Turre DAMES IN TURRE celebrated International Women’s Day with a buffet lunch prepared by Manuela and her staff at the Hostel Rural Turre. Some 62 members and friends attended and they were fortunate to have Carol Kratzke from Albox who came along with her beautiful paintings and provided a talk on the difference between using water colours and oils which was very interesting. Zoe from Currency Direct also gave a short address about the Financial Services they have available before presenting members with a key ring. The afternoon was very relaxing and finished up with a raffle, the proceeds of which will be donated towards local charities. The next Dames In Turre meeting will be held on Monday March 27 at The Hostel Rural Turre from 11am. Spain is famous for

ALMOST TIME: For the plot to unravel at Mont Marte. BUFFET LUNCH: Some 62 members and friends attended. its olive groves and the beautiful oil it produces so the group is very lucky to have Angela of Olivas Querencia as the speaker. She will be talking on Spain and the olive tree which is

sure to be very interesting. Dames in Turre is a friendly group that raises money for local charities. Guests are always welcome to go along and see for themselves, so if you would

be interested the members look forward to seeing you. For more information please contact the secretary Pam Smith on 677 543 031 or the president Lesley Barlow on 661 085 551.

Hotel La Resistance IT’S almost time for the plot to unravel at Mont Marte in Mojacar as play Hotel La Resistance opens on Thursday March 30 for four nights. Tickets are €12 and include a snack and refreshment during the interval. All proceeds will go to PAWS-PATAS. For further information please contact chrissie.3@hotmail.co.uk.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

RUSSIAN PRESS

VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY: Set to oppose Putin in next year’s elections.

Hang em’ high CONTROVERSIAL politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky promised to execute his opponents if he became president in 2018. The far-right nationalist is set to oppose Putin in next year’s elections, pledging to ‘drive into the Kremlin and hang all the corrupt scoundrels.’

Health crisis RUSSIA’S HIV epidemic is no longer spread by drug users, but by sexual contact. The head of a St Petersburg lab expressed concern that typical patients were now ordinary people, workers, housewives, and students rather than heroin addicts and criminals. Russia has one of the worst rates in the world.

Moon landing RUSSIA is looking for half a dozen budding cosmonauts to fly the country’s first manned trip to the moon. Its space agency hopes to land Russians on the moon by 2031. Applicants must be under 35, between 150 and 190cm, and weigh less than 90kg.

Collision course MOSCOW has become more deeply involved in the latest violence to engulf Libya. Russia has promised military aid to a renegade general with control over profitable oil fields. The move puts Russia on another

collision course with the US which is backing rival forces in the war torn country.

Little hero A GRANDMOTHER was rescued by her four-year-old granddaughter who trekked 12 miles through the freezing Siberian wilderness to seek medical help. With only a box of matches for light, she survived temperatures of -34C and was lucky to escape roaming

wolf packs in remote Tuva, near the Mongolian border.

New club RUSSIA’S richest man has opened a new avant garde nightclub. Geometry of Now is the brainchild of billionaire Leonid Mikhelson and features a man playing one note on a cello for hours, techno DJs from Detroit, Buddhist chanting and lectures on revolutionary politics.

Eurovision battle YULIYA SAMOYLOVA, a singer who uses a wheelchair, will represent Russia at this year’s Eurovision song contest in Ukraine. But the decision has already been branded a provocaYULIYA: tion by To represent Ukraine beRussia. cause she played in its former territory Crimea after Russia annexed it.

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

23 - 29 March 2017

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

$31 million (€29 million)

THE Inditex Group just can’t stop itself from growing and making greater profits year in year out and 2016 is no exception with profits up by 10 per cent and stores opened in five new markets. As an employer, the group which owns such iconic brands as Zara, Massimo Dutti and Bershka added slightly less than 10,000 new staff to its workforce, making a total of 162,450 people employed, of whom 48,589 are in

Quote of the Week

€1.256 billion is the amount of dividend that Amancio Ortega, Chairman of Inditex is expected to receive from 2016 profits.

Spain. Thanks to an increase in areas covered by an online presence and

the opening of 279 new stores, turnover reached €23.3 billion (which would place it at number

Good riddance to the unfair NIC tax rise. Now what about that £2 billion black hole?” Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell on the government U-turn.

Photo Credit: Mazda.eu

The smell of industry

BUSINESS EXTRA

Tivoli news HAVING staggered on without significant investment for some years, Tivoli Park in Benalmadena may well be transformed if approval for plans to invest €300 million in modernisation is received. Work on the property could generate 1,600 jobs and once open up to 3,300 more jobs could be created.

Repsol find SOUL OF MOTION: The winning team. FORGET David Beckham, Lady GaGa and Beyonce, the latest perfume to hit the streets and to win an award is ‘Soul of Motion’ which has been developed by fragrance manufacturer Shiseido to represent the Mazda Kodo philosophy. Kodo is based on the concept of breathing life into the design of a car and the packaging of the fragrance won a gold medal at the recent iF Design Awards 2017 held in

Munich, just two years after Mazda requested Shiseido to develop a perfume which expressed all that was special about the car maker. The perfume maker toured a number of Mazda factories, testing various vehicles and getting an understanding of one of Japan’s most important manufacturers before coming up with the fragrance that is ‘Soul of Motion’ showing the unexpected synergy between two unconnected industries.

SPANISH oil and gas giant Repsol in partnership with Armstrong Energy has announced what could be the largest discovery of onshore oil in Alaska in the US in the past 30 years. It is anticipated if all turns out well that light oil will start flowing from 2021 with a potential 120,000 barrels a day.

US interest THE US Federal Reserve has announced it will raise the interest rate by 0.25 per cent to 1 per cent thanks to healthy economic results in February which has seen less unemployment, rising inflation and overall pay rises. After a decade of dropping interest rates, this is expected to be an ongoing programme with at least two additional increases expected.

Eurostar blames terrorism THE effects of the terror attacks on Paris and Brussels, the two destinations for the Eurostar services are being blamed for a drop in passengers carried by 4 per cent to 10 million in 2016 and for an operating loss.

Having moved from a 2015 profit of €31 million to a loss of €28 million, the company hopes that new larger trains and renewed customer confidence will bode well for 2017.

is the amount revealed that Donald Trump paid in 2005 as ‘alternative minimum tax’ levied on the very rich, which he has vowed to scrap. A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM

Inditex profits continue to grow By John Smith

EWN

106 in GDP if it was a country, just behind Estonia) and profits amounted to €3.157 billion even after taking into account the dividends to be paid to its chairman. According to its President, Pablo Isla, the company makes significant contributions to countries in which it operates by paying all of the tax due around the world and in the past five years has paid €2 billion in corporation tax to Spain alone, which equates to 2 per cent of the total collected by the state.

Diamond will have benefits ALTHOUGH there is a major diamond exploration company in Sierra Leone, local individuals have been responsible over the last few years for major finds and the latest, a 709 carat stone was discovered by a local pastor. This gentleman sent it to the President who in turn has had it locked in the safe of the Bank of Sierra Leone until it is valued and its future is decided. Although there is thought to be a flaw in this stone, President Koroma has thanked Pastor Momoh for turning it over and has promised that he and the people of Sierra Leone will benefit from the sale.

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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

C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 20

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,292.75 0.25 Associated British Foods 2,599.50 -16.50 Admiral Group 1,898.00 -47.00 Ashtead Group 1,720.50 36.50 Antofagasta 831.75 -20.75 Aviva 524.50 -11.50 AstraZeneca 4,822.50 -74.50 BAE Systems 649.00 2.50 Babcock International Group 940.00 15.50 Barclays 231.25 0.85 British American Tobacco 5,111.50 -80.50 Barratt Developments 545.00 2.00 British Land Co 606.00 -6.00 BHP Billiton 1,323.75 -9.25 Bunzl 2,250.00 -75.00 BP 464.00 1.00 Burberry Group 1,802.50 17.50 BT Group 331.50 -2.85 Coca-Cola HBC 2,006.50 0.50 Carnival 3,555.00 -954.00 Centrica 220.00 3.50 Compass Group 1,497.00 -17.00 Capita Group (The) 571.25 0.00 Croda International 3,640.00 19.00 CRH 2,814.50 -12.50 Convatec Group 260.70 0.00 Dixons Carphone 302.10 0.00 DCC 7,145.00 0.00 Diageo 2,285.00 -34.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 335.20 0.80 Experian 1,632.50 -9.50 easyJet 995.00 -27.00 Fresnillo 1,415.00 -96.00 GKN 380.00 7.10 Glencore 340.50 -1.80 GlaxoSmithKline 1,682.50 -5.00 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,259.00 91.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,408.00 90.00 Hammerson 586.00 7.50 HSBC Holdings 664.30 5.20 International Consldtd Air Grp 545.00 -23.50 InterContinental Hotels Grp 3,789.50 -108.50 3i Group 696.00 -25.00 Imperial Brands 3,905.00 -1.00 Informa 636.75 0.00 Intu Properties 280.55 0.00 Intertek Group 3,903.00 0.00 ITV 212.00 3.70 Johnson Matthey 2,907.50 -99.50 Kingfisher 339.20 -6.20

% CHG. NET VOL 0.02 18,194.12 -0.63 20,821.03 -2.42 5,425.44 2.17 8,516.79 -2.43 8,320.63 -2.15 21,915.89 -1.52 61,573.70 0.39 20,492.41 1.68 4,661.60 0.37 38,932.35 -1.55 95,996.69 0.37 5,382.24 -0.98 6,286.69 -0.69 27,826.55 -3.23 7,786.15 0.22 89,853.96 0.98 7,857.52 -0.85 32,883.56 0.02 7,194.90 -21.16 9,628.29 1.62 11,955.76 -1.12 24,730.42 0.00 3,872.75 0.52 4,762.98 -0.44 23,787.91 0.00 4,995.77 0.00 3,512.72 0.00 6,372.57 -1.47 57,766.64 0.24 4,589.75 -0.58 15,383.70 -2.64 3,987.97 -6.35 11,127.09 1.90 6,410.84 -0.53 49,143.65 -0.30 83,120.61 4.20 5,255.44 6.83 6,237.29 1.30 4,592.56 0.79 132,906.66 -4.13 12,090.52 -2.78 7,685.36 -3.47 7,057.68 -0.03 37,145.25 0.00 5,261.27 0.00 3,823.92 0.00 6,292.47 1.78 8,292.34 -3.31 5,736.33 -1.80 7,678.70

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Land Securities Group 1,025.00 -12.00 Legal & General Group 251.50 1.60 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 69.50 0.16 London Stock Exchange Gr 3,180.00 110.00 Micro Focus International 2,102.00 -98.00 Mediclinic International 750.00 -17.00 Merlin Entertainments 485.30 1.00 Marks & Spencer Group 334.00 4.70 Mondi 1,966.50 31.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 242.00 3.60 National Grid 977.00 -7.70 Next 4,012.50 135.50 Old Mutual Group 211.70 -9.60 Provident Financial 2,923.50 -12.50 Paddy Power Betfair 8,747.50 0.00 Prudential 1,773.00 12.50 Persimmon 2,100.00 -7.00 Pearson 670.00 20.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 7,267.50 -124.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Grop 240.50 -3.40 Royal Dutch Shell 2,140.00 17.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,240.00 10.00 RELX 1,537.00 1.00 Rio Tinto 3,480.50 27.00 Royal Mail 410.70 -3.20 Rolls-Royce Group 762.50 -10.00 Randgold Resources 7,430.00 360.00 RSA Insurance Group 589.50 0.50 Sainsbury (J) 246.00 -23.70 Schroders 3,182.50 34.50 Sage Group (The) 647.50 8.50 Shire 4,862.50 52.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,148.50 -83.50 Sky 1,006.25 16.75 Standard Life 372.50 12.70 Smiths Group 1,516.50 -65.50 Smith & Nephew 1,239.50 -1.50 SSE 1,515.00 11.00 Standard Chartered 726.50 -3.90 St James's Place 937.50 -134.50 Severn Trent 2,225.00 -152.00 Tesco 189.20 1.85 TUI AG 1,193.50 51.50 Taylor Wimpey 190.50 -4.20 Unilever 4,042.50 2.50 United Utilities Group 955.00 -44.00 Vodafone Group 210.75 -0.65 Wolseley 5,107.50 0.00 Worldpay Group 285.35 -5.25 WPP Group 1,717.50 31.50 Whitbread 3,850.00 -53.00

% CHG. -1.16 0.64 0.23 3.58 -4.45 -2.22 0.21 1.43 1.63 1.51 -0.78 3.49 -4.34 -0.43 0.00 0.71 -0.33 3.08 -1.68 -1.39 0.80 0.45 0.07 0.78 -0.77 -1.29 5.09 0.08 -8.79 1.10 1.33 1.09 -3.74 1.69 3.53 -4.14 -0.12 0.73 -0.53 -12.55 -6.39 0.99 4.51 -2.16 0.06 -4.40 -0.31 0.00 -1.81 1.87 -1.36

NET VOL 8,247.51 14,816.02 49,721.84 10,754.41 4,980.53 5,695.21 4,894.17 5,429.84 9,366.33 5,500.27 36,906.17 5,748.44 11,176.21 4,349.07 7,392.71 45,262.02 6,443.16 5,420.85 51,615.04 28,446.59 93,782.04 82,962.53 16,607.53 47,811.66 4,086.00 14,241.69 6,669.73 6,013.44 5,862.91 7,131.01 6,935.22 43,968.54 5,261.42 17,035.46 7,123.01 6,216.46 10,753.02 15,146.03 24,364.28 5,697.13 5,616.97 15,278.95 6,668.75 6,297.37 51,999.36 6,839.34 55,771.70 12,911.54 5,746.00 21,754.07 7,167.32

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

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US dollar ....................................................................1.07712 Japan yen...................................................................121.261 Switzerland franc.................................................1.07338 Denmark kroner ..................................................7.43406 Norway kroner.....................................................9.09370

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 20

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 192,360 1,08% 2,050 114M 79,2500 -0,65% -0,5200 71M 139,990 -0,50% -0,700 734M 180,100 1,07% 1,910 110M 92,910 0,06% 0,060 54M 107,68 -0,17% -0,18 203M 34,230 0,00% 0,000 171M 42,03 -0,52% -0,22 180M 81,2500 0,79% 0,6400 70M 82,00 -0,09% -0,07 340M 29,8800 0,44% 0,1300 260M 243,94 -1,72% -4,28 97M 149,6000 0,58% 0,8700 182M 175,65 -0,90% -1,59 165M 35,2700 0,37% 0,1300 166M 90,6800 -1,05% -0,9600 323M 128,0600 -0,31% -0,4000 347M 128,6400 0,52% 0,6600 105M 63,90 -0,44% -0,28 175M 64,870 0,36% 0,230 501M 57,80 +0,35% 0,20 76M 34,3200 -0,32% -0,1100 204M 91,000 -0,48% -0,440 232M 123,14 0,33% 0,40 34M 113,45 0,99% 1,11 90M 169,70 -0,93% -1,60 161M 50,39 0,70% 0,35 205M 90,24 +0,22% 0,20 167M 69,8900 -0,78% -0,5500 215M 111,7600 0,04% 0,0500 176M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 20

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Pulmatrix, Inc. $ 3.09 Northern Technologies International Corporation$ 19.30 Arbutus Biopharma Corporation $ 3.40 RGC Resources Inc. $ 22.50 Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. $ 22.95 AstroNova, Inc. $ 15.55 AveXis, Inc. $ 84 REGENXBIO Inc. $ 22.10 Microvision, Inc. $ 2.08 MOCON, Inc. $ 22.75 Avid Technology, Inc. $ 4.96

0.75 ▲ 32.05% 3.70 ▲ 23.72% 0.55 ▲ 19.30% 3.43 ▲ 17.99% 3.35 ▲ 17.09% 2.25 ▲ 16.92% 11.22 ▲ 15.42% 2.40 ▲ 12.18% 0.22 ▲ 11.83% 2.35 ▲ 11.52% 0.51 ▲ 11.46%

Most Declined Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. AXT Inc Destination XL Group, Inc. Exa Corporation Editas Medicine, Inc. Destination Maternity Corporation Trans World Entertainment Corp. Calithera Biosciences, Inc. Omeros Corporation Hovnanian Enterprises Inc

$ 23.67 $ 17.58 $ 5.55 $ 2.40 $ 13.80 $ 22.30 $ 4.48 $ 2.35 $ 12.40 $ 10.54 $ 6.55

5.98 ▼ 20.17% 4.03 ▼ 18.65% 1.05 ▼ 15.91% 0.35 ▼ 12.73% 1.89 ▼ 12.05% 2.61 ▼ 10.48% 0.48 ▼ 9.68% 0.25 ▼ 9.62% 1.30 ▼ 9.49% 1.06 ▼ 9.14% 0.63 ▼ 8.77%

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

The Chancellor and the lady are for turning after budget goof JUST a week after announcing that there would be significant increases in the cost of National Insurance contributions for the self-employed, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has had to make a humiliating U-turn. He announcement that he will not now increase such contributions during the lifetime of this parliament and the confidence that he appeared to show when delivering the spring budget soon started to unravel when it was pointed out by a journalist that this was a breach of the election manifesto that saw the Conservatives obtain a majority in parliament. After first trying to bluff his way out by denying that any promise had been made with regards to the self-employed, he found himself receiving criticism from his own back-benchers, some of whom, it is suggested, don’t trust his position on Brexit which he was against and want to see the back of him. Reports also suggest that the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs had indicated to Prime Minister May that this was a very unwise course of action to follow and it would appear that she took their advice.

Photo Credit: Parliament TV

By John Smith

EU causes strike action in the docks

U-TURN: Mrs May defending the decision in parliament. The official explanation is that the government wants to stick to the spirit of its manifesto pledge but doesn’t explain why nobody remembered what the pledge was beforehand. Labour scored a few points when Shadow Chan-

cellor John McDonnell described Mr Hammond’s reversal as “humiliating” and his plans being in “chaos,” suggesting he should have spent less time on writing “stale jokes” which Mrs May enjoyed, “guffawing like a feeding seal.”

IT has been widely reported that stevedores in Spain had been threatening strike action in protest against sweeping new changes in the law which will see their terms of employment swept away. Prior to the new legislation, ports in Spain were required to only employ stevedores who belonged to SAGEP, to guarantee minimum numbers at all times and to pay them in accordance with union rates. Thanks to the intervention of the European Union, the European Court of Justice has ruled that this practice is in breach of EU legislation and therefore the Spanish Government was required to effectively break the current monopoly and allow ports to employ whoever they want and on terms to be agreed between the parties. A further problem affected the legislation as Podemos and PSOE vote against the law and Ciudadanos decided to abstain which meant that the Spanish government was unable to push it through.

Spanish Bernie Madoff going to jail Photo Credit: WHYFRAME Shutterstock

By John Smith THE financier, Germán Cardona Soler, often described as the Spanish ‘Bernie Madoff’ has been convicted of a number of crimes based on fraudulently taking money from investors under false pretences and will be going to prison.

It is claimed that 180,000 investors lost amongst themselves €350 billion. Considered to be the leader of this long term fraud which crossed national boundaries, Soler has been sentenced to 13 and a half years imprisonment and a fine of €300 million, which is only a tiny percentage of the actual money lost by his investors. His partner, Lina Maria Matilla received a much lighter sentence of three years imprisonment and a fine of €900,000, whilst two other defendants were acquitted of all charges. The basis of the trial was that in 2007, the two who have been found

LONG TERM FRAUD. Many clients were desperately losing money. guilty, set up a company called Forex Finances which was supposed to invest money received from members of the public on purchasing and selling, but it transpired that they used the money for themselves and to purchase real estate.

Like many of these ‘pyramid schemes’ they needed new investments all of the time to allow them to pay dividends to early investors and produced grossly exaggerated advertising material in order to attract more members.

Although they indicated that investors could expect a 20 per cent return or more, only a tiny part of the money received went into genuine currency investments and a great deal of the money that didn’t find its way into their pockets was spent on re-

cruiting ‘promoters’ who were rewarded for finding new investors. There is no doubt that some of them enjoyed some high value returns in the form of gifts to reward them for bringing in ever increasing amounts of money, but they were few and far between and did not realise that they were supporting a fraud. Eventually, the group started to move its registration and targets to Latin America and large numbers of members of the Colombian Armed Forces and Police were encouraged to invest in their business. It is claimed that 180,000 investors from 10 different countries, lost amongst themselves €350 billion during the life of the scam but now all funds including gold bars, cash and property that could be recovered is to be distributed by the courts to those investors by way of partial compensation for their losses. Although much larger, this is in many ways similar to the scam operated by Spanish stamp investment company Afinsa who went under in 2006 having taken more than €3.5 billion from Spanish pensioners and investors who were encouraged to invest in what turned out to be worthless philatelic confections.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Good and bad news for Volkswagen THERE have been mixed blessings for the Volkswagen Group over the last week as it has suffered another police raid in Germany, saw its SEAT group return to profit for the first time in a decade and seen a distributor sued in Spain. German investigators descended on nine different Audi and Volkswagen factories in Germany as part of the ongoing investigation into the installation of devices that cheated emission tests and on this occasion, they were acting on behalf of the US authorities. Questions had arisen over the sale of 80,000 three-litre diesel cars manufactured and sold by the group between 2009 and 2015 who may not have realised that their cars could have been affected and the investigators wanted to establish who in the company had provided false information on these cars. Despite all of the troubles and the huge financial burden created by fines and reparations, Volkswagen still managed to report a €3 billion profit for 2016 and part of this was thanks to a turn-around in the fortunes of Spanish subsidiary SEAT.

Photo Credit: © SEAT

By John Smith

FIRST SUV: The successful SEAT Ateca.

After a decade of reporting significant losses, SEAT which is a major employer in Spain announced a staggering profit of €153 million, mainly due to the introduction and success of its’ first SUV the Ateca and its margin of profit

was only 0.1 of a per cent less than the Volkswagen brand. One piece of slightly less helpful Spanish news was that an 83-year-old woman in Santander was granted a 10 per cent refund on the cost of a vehicle

she purchased in 2013 because it came with Volkswagen engineered gas emission software. The case is up for appeal, but if finally successful, could lead to a number of new claims for compensation.

EWN

ABTA site is hacked THE Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) which is a body representing customers and travel businesses has just discovered it has suffered a cyber-attack on its website and details of up to 43,000 people and companies may have been compromised. It appears the hacking occurred on February 27 but the organisation has only now released the information. Whilst it will do everything it can to assist those who are affected, it appears the information taken is not in itself of sufficient importance to allow hackers to obtain benefit from identity theft or online fraud. Basically, they mainly stole email addresses and passwords although information on some complaints as well as certain members has been taken. Anyone who registered on the site after January 11, 2017 is advised to change their password and advised to monitor their bank, social media and email accounts.

Losing mental capacity whilst living abroad by Stone King Charlotte Macdonald Contact me at international@stoneking.co.uk

MANY UK expatriates living in Spain own properties in the UK and have pensions and investments in the UK. They rely on their UK assets to maintain their lifestyles (and those of their families) in Spain. If they can no longer manage their affairs in the UK due to a loss of mental capacity, it can cause many difficulties.

You can choose a person or people, who you trust, to act for you when you are no longer able. The best way to avoid the legal and practical difficulties that can occur with the loss of mental capacity is to plan for it in advance by drawing up a document called a ‘Lasting Power of Attorney’ (‘LPA’).

An LPA must be made while you have full mental capacity.

What is an LPA? An LPA is a legal document that enables you to appoint one or more attor-

neys to act for you when you are no longer able to act for yourself. Your attorney can be a professional,

such as a solicitor or a family member or friend. There are two types of LPA: ‘Health and Welfare’ or ‘Property and Financial Affairs’ An LPA must be made while you have full mental capacity. It is therefore important to make one while you are in good health. Why should you get an LPA? You can choose a person or people, who you trust, to act for you when you are no longer able. If you lose your mental capacity and do not have an LPA, then your family (or the authorities) will have no choice but to make an application to the Court of Protection to appoint a ‘deputy’ to look after your affairs, which can be time consuming and costly. Will my LPA be recognised in Spain? Unfortunately there is no international type of LPA which is guaranteed to work in both the UK and Spain. The advice we give to our clients at Stone King, is that if you have assets in both Spain and the UK, your only safe option is to appoint attorneys in both jurisdictions.

If you would like to discuss LPAs contact Charlotte Macdonald or Dan Harris at Stone King LLP by email international@stoneking.co.uk or by telephone on +44 (0)1225 337599.

OPINION & COMMENT

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23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

A strong border would be needed LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT AS I’ve mentioned in the past, writing a weekly column dealing mainly in current affairs, can often be extremely difficult. If I could have published this piece the day after Sturgeon’s announcement of a further referendum, I would have had a positive tsunami of ‘column fodder’ to call upon. Now of course, over a week later, most of it has already hit the coastline. Bearing this in mind, I thought I would concentrate on the consequences, should the ‘Krankie’ party’s ‘freedom at any price,’ disastrous ambitions ever be realised. Undoubtedly we would first have to build the equivalent of a Hadrian’s Wall. As in times of yore, this would need to be erected purely in the interest of the South. With the advent of independence, Scotland would become a magnet for untold numbers of migrants landing on unprotectable Scottish beaches, before streaming across the country heading for England and its ripe pickings. The South could not allow this to happen and Scotland can look forward to Calais style border ‘jungle camps,’ desecrating their once

HADRIAN’S WALL: Would need to be erected purely in the interest of the South. beautiful countryside for the entire length of the barrier. Good luck with that. A strong border would also be needed to keep out the undoubted deluge of smugglers that will emerge. Whatever rubbish the SNP tries to foist on its constituents, Scotland would not be able to stay in the EU, or its free market. It would be left hanging in no man’s land, try-

ing to negotiate with an EU that is visibly crumbling as we speak. In any case what’s it going to negotiate with? At present Scotland is 15 billion in debt. Set to rise to 50 billion by 2020. Its oil resources are plunging. Outside of whisky it has no serious industries of its own. A million of its workers rely on amalgamation with the

UK and ‘t doesn’t even know what currency it will be using! And the saddest fact of all? The rest of the UK citizens are so utterly peed off with the whole sorry affair that frankly my dear, they no longer really give a damn. Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

Pedro Sánchez.

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OPINION & COMMENT

Accentuate the positive PEDRO SANCHEZ’S “No means no” has metamorphosed into “Yes means yes.” If it weren’t somewhat overworked, the former PSOE secretary general would probably appropriate Obama’s “Yes we can” too. Sanchez aims to restore the party’s fortunes by beating off his rivals in the May primaries to return to the post he left last October, barnstorming in towns and cities where he can be sure of a rapturous reception. He visited Cadiz recently in pointed defiance of Andalucia’s regional president Susana Diaz. She was the party barons’ choice for secretary general in 2014 and still is. Sanchez told his enrapt audience that they must choose between a PSOE that supports Mariano Rajoy “or us.” But with Sigma Dos and Metroscopia polls putting Unidos

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

Podemos in second place after Rajoy’s Partido Popular it looks as though a hefty number of voters could make an entirely different choice.

Unfair advantage EIGHT of the people convicted of terrorism linked to the Madrid bombs that killed 192 commuters on March 11, 2004 are now free. Most would prefer to see them serving life-means-life terms but the law is the law and has to be the same for all. How fortunate that they can benefit from the rights and freedoms they and their caliphate want to destroy.

Non-shock tactics JORGE FERNANDEZ DIAZ, former Interior minister who engendered the infamous Public Safety Law, popularly known as the G a ggi ng Law, cont i nued working while undergoing cancer treatment. He kept quiet about it and the news of his illness - and undeniable bravery - has only emerged now. Th i s coi nci des wi t h t he c re a tion of t he par l i am ent ar y

commission investigating recorded conversations that revealed his plans for a ‘dirty war ’ in Cataluña. Fernandez Diaz, an openly religious man who belongs to the Catholic sect Opus Dei and goes to Mass each day, wanted to discredit separatist politicians by linking them to corruption. He m ade a bl oom er t her e, though. Sadly, like everyone in Spain, the Catalans are so used to corruption they are no longer shocked by it but have come to expect it.

Same difference PODEMOS has discarded its scornful use of Caste to dismiss and deride Spain’s principal parties. It is now using Trama to convey the sleazy network of corruption that permeates Spanish politics although Podemos is in no position to throw the first stone. Their little fiddles include undeclared earnings (Monedero), an abused academic grant (Errejon), social security cheat (Echenique) and social housing sold at a profit (Espinar). Comparatively modest ripoffs, but nice little earners all the same.

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OPINION & COMMENT

The truth may be out there! Trudy Stewart EVEN if you’ve had the most cursory of glances at the newspapers in the last few months, you can’t have failed to see the rise of ‘fake news.’ The first time I became aware of the phrase was when POTUS runnerup, Hillary Clinton, used it in relation to those pesky emails. I’m not sure it’s right to call it fake though. In some cases it’s more like uncomfortable truths that can’t be irrefutably disproved so are instead discredited. But, is this really a new phenomenon or just rebranding of something which has existed for a lot longer and was till now covered under the all-encompassing heading of conspiracy theories? From the moon landings to 911, for everyone who believes things are as they appear, there are many others who question the official version of events and prefer to interrogate the data looking for clues of cover-ups and sinister involveTravel FAMED for being home to popular US sitcom Cheers, Boston is a city that deserves you to raise a glass in its honour. The authentic replica to the Cheers set is in historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace, a haven for shopping, entertainment and dining. Cheers bar may be a tourist hotspot where you can see costumes, the replica of the bar and pick up a souvenir or two, but even if you are not a fan it still has great food and entertainment at weekends. For those wanting to know where it all started, visit the original Cheers in Beacon St. Previously known as the Bull and Finch pub, it is understood producers of the show found the bar and loved it so much they based the show around it. This may be too much modern, cultural history for some, but history fans will be in their element

ment of covert agencies. It seems strange that people can look at a certain event or scientifically proven evidence and draw such widely different conclusions, but I think that’s part of being human. Some people are happy to accept what they read or are told as absolute fact and feel no need to look for deeper meaning. However, for many among us it is easier to believe that nothing is as it seems and to try to disprove the facts and provide new theories. So who is right? Well that’s the million dollar question and one that I don’t think has a right answer. It depends how far you want to go down the rabbit hole. When I was younger, I dismissed all conspiracy theories as nonsense but as I get older, I don’t have that same conviction mainly because there is sometimes quite compelling evidence to ‘prove’ the theory. That’s not to say I’ve been converted by the ‘flat-earthers’ but, I am less certain than I used to be that man has actually walked on the moon. I’m also not convinced that the royals are lizard people, but I do

have questions about an illuminati. And maybe that’s how it should be. Perhaps we should all be a little more inquisitive. Of course there are some bonkers beliefs out there, but there are also some thought-provoking theories that might get your brain firing. With the rise of the internet and explosion of social media, anyone can be a citizen investigator nowadays. You don’t have to accept information at face value and can look for evidence yourself or find a video made by someone with similar ideas to yours. You don’t have to believe everything you see or hear. It’s too easy to dismiss conspiracy theorists as tin-foil hat wearing wackos but what if they are right about just some of it even? Would you rather know the truth or continue to accept everything at face value believing this to be for the common good?

I think I’ll keep an open mind, after all the truth really may be out there.

CONSPIRACY THEORISTS: Tin-foil hat wearing wackos.

Cheers to Boston as Boston is one of the oldest cities in the USA and played a major part in the American Revolution being the scene for the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile-long path that passes by 16 significant historic locations that visitors can view on foot. Freedom Trail maps are available as well as an audio tour or you can have a guided walking tour. The history oozes out of the city. The traditional red brick buildings, Old South Meeting House and Trinity Church give the old world charm and

HISTORIC: One of the oldest cities in the USA. a delight that reminds visitors of the city’s past, yet they equally fuse well with the more modern aspects and architecture, making Boston a bustling and lively cosmopolitan city. Surrounded by water there is a peaceful element and you can easily escape the hustle and

bustle if you wish. Enjoy the daily goings on from the Charles River Esplanade with the backdrop of the city landscape. Boston is also the gateway for Cape Cod where you can go back in time and see New Eng-

land in all its glory. Arrive by bus, ferry or train, the Cape territory has evolved from fishing areas to resort destinations with the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard now popular summer spots for the wealthy. A popular visit outside of the city of Boston is to Salem, home to the 1692 Witch Trials which are still firmly rooted in the town’s history with a visit to the Witch Museum able to answer all questions about witches and the trials. Whilst during the spring and summer you can easily spend a few days driving around the coast and relaxing in the sand dunes of the Cape, sampling

the famous fish dishes and chowder, there are day trips available from Boston so you can easily combine the best of a city stay with some beach time. Whilst everyone may not know your name in Boston, it will soon have your heart after just a short stay. Top Tips - For more information on The Freedom Trail or to book tours, visit www.thefreedom trail.org. - www.bostontours.us has an extensive range of day trips in and around the city and Cape. - British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines all flight direct to Boston from Madrid. - We stayed in the Fairmont Copley Plaza in the historic Back Bay area. For an added treat, check into Fairmont Gold where you will have a personalised service and your own private lounge for pre-dinner cocktails.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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OPINION & COMMENT

Brexit and the latest act in political drama “project fear” 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

TOGETHER with news that Theresa May’s fired the starting pistol for triggering Article 50 imminently, it was also announced that Parliament will need to pass at least seven controversial bills to prepare Britain for life outside the EU. Each new law will give MPs and peers the opportunity to influence the terms of Brexit, raising worries for Number 10 that bills could be amended or blocked during what’s already a tight twoyear schedule. But as with all such complex issues, the devil will be in the detail of all of this. Leaving the EU isn’t quite the same as resigning from your golf or gym club. As in all divorces, everything has to be screwed down so you don’t end up being taken to the cleaners. So yes, some turbulent times ahead but surely no surprise to our politicians who, doubtless, will have (or, at least, should have)

been aware of the small print issues before even opening divorce proceedings. Yet another cause for concern for Number 10, apparently, is the actual wording of the letter triggering Article 50: just how brief or detailed should it be? Well, this is where I feel I can help out with the following which, I’m sure you’ll agree, is neither too brief nor too detailed:

There will be law upon law that will need to be repealed or amended. ‘Dear Donald (No, not that one! Donald Tusk, European Council supremo), I’m sorry, but it’s just not working out, so I’ve decided it’s best we split now and divvy up what we’ve built up together over the years. I’m sure you’ll get along fine and find someone else soon. Bye, Theresa.’ Finally, and back to those seven new laws, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There’ll be law upon law that will either need to be repealed, amended or left for the creation of the ‘Brexit loophole’ that’ll be fully exploited by those in the know.

Oh, and red tape. Buy yours now because it will be sold out in a few years’ time as it’ll soon appear all over the place. You read it here first! Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-john son.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

DONALD TUSK: European Council supremo.

MOJACAR SPECIAL www.euroweeklynews.com

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

EWN

The traditional village open to all

NESTLED in the foothills of the Sierra de Cabrera, Mojacar is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. A sea of traditional white houses adorned with brightly coloured flowers, as you weave your way through the labyrinth of streets, every corner you turn is a new delight for the senses. Each house appears to cling to the mountainside and it is no surprise that the village is internationally acclaimed for its charm. In Mojacar, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Walkers will be drawn in by the impressive tracks and paths weaving their way through the Sierras and hills, where they can enjoy breathtaking views over the Mediterranean. The history of the village is evident and alive in every celebration of their tradition and culture. From the more pagan Carnival to the religious pilgrimages and festivities, the history of this small village is vast and loved by those who live there. Colourful and exciting, the events calendar is jam-packed throughout the year, and a visit to Mojacar during any one of them is a special sight to behold. The beachgoer will not be left disappointed as the village boasts 17km of unspoilt coastline abundant in marine life. Visitors can enjoy some time alone on virgin beaches, or revel in a more lively experience complete with a range of leisure activities. The quality of water, beachside facilities and information on the local environment are unprecedented. There are shaded areas for the more sun conscious among us and with the summer months come lifeguards operating throughout the day. It is therefore no surprised that Mojacar has been awarded the EU Blue Flag for its first rate beaches. Mojacar offers it all; heritage, sun, sea and mountains – a recipe for true bliss.

MOJACAR: Is a beautiful sight.

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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MOJACAR SPECIAL

Tremendous traditions V I S I T I N G M o j a c a r, i t i s obvious that tradition and heritage are at the forefront of their minds. From food, to festivals, to the so-called ‘muñecos mojaqueros’ or Mojacar dolls, you can see the impact that history has

had on the people. During the height of the year ’s festivities, the village is transformed from the calm, sleepy, archetypal Mediterranean village, to a busy whirlwind of colour and sound. The events cal-

endar is launched in February with Carnival, a colourful musical extravaganza. In a spectacular display, the streets are filled with people dressed in elaborate and unique costumes singing original music and songs. The week concludes with the Grand Carnival Parade which is complete with impressive local and regional floats celebrating the long tradition of the village. Greatly anticipated all year, June then welcomes the festival of the Moors and the Christians, celebrating Mojacar’s cultural roots and the legacy of the occupation of the ‘Moros’ in Spain. The whole town divides into guilds, parading through the streets dressed in original, colourful costumes which identify them as either Arab or Christian soldiers. This is a celebration of cultural co-existence and respect which is still a crucial part of daily life in Mojacar.

MOJACAR SPECIAL

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SPOILT FOR CHOICE: There is something of interest for everyone.

Visiting Mojacar IT is unsurprising that in a village with such a historical heritage, visitors are spoilt for choice when choosing what places to check out. You can decide to relax and head to one of the idyllic sandy beaches, take in the traditional sights of the historical centre, or head to one of the many viewing points and enjoy the stunning vista. Whatever your interest, there is something to see in Mojacar. Down on the coastline you will find the Macenas Tower, an 18th century military watchtower used to keep one eye on the Mediterranean and spot any threats to the mainland.

On the southern side, a track leads you to the Perulico Tower which dates back to between the 13th and 15th centuries and was also part of a defensive system along the coast. It is built into the rock, and coupled with the natural arch, it is a uniquely beautiful attraction. Known as the best kept secret of the coast, Sopalmo is a district of Mojacar which has truly kept heritage and local tradition alive. Over the years it has attracted artists and painters who come for its light and landscapes, and it has become the inspiration for many pieces of art.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

EWN

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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MOJACAR SPECIAL

Celebrating culinary heritage

DELICIOUS DISHES: Made from high quality fish and seafood. IT is said if you want to truly know a place, you should sample its food, and in Mojacar you simply must sample the gastronomic delights on offer. The diverse and quality food celebrates the culinary heritage of the village, emphasising the importance of authentic flavours handed down over many generations. The use of fresh ingredients is key - no

surprise considering the Mediterranean Sea is on its doorstep! This means that delicious dishes are made from high quality fish and seafood, together with vegetables and grains produced in its marketgardens. In a village packed with so many great quality restaurants producing great quality food, visitors will be spoilt for choice.

NEWS

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Adventures on Spain’s secret coast By Matthew Elliott SPAIN has been a popular travel destination for so long, and placed under such a powerful microscope, that it’s difficult to imagine where the unbeaten track may lie. But if its informal nickname, ‘the secret coast,’ is true, then Huelva may be just the place. Nestled on the far south-west corner of Spain, right on the border with Portugal, a visit to Huelva brings Atlantic beaches into the mix. And they are some of the finest in the world. The words ‘unspoilt’ and ‘virgin’ are thrown around a lot when applied to beaches but in Huelva they find their real home. Explore the Playa de Mazagon and Playa de Castilla for some real gems. Off season you might even have these pristine miracles to yourself. Both are surrounded by wonderful restaurants and boutique hotels to relax after a gorgeous sunset stroll and enjoy some of the finest seafood in Spain. The city of Huelva itself isn’t one of the provinces main attractions but is a wonderful Spanish city in its own right, replete with its fair share of history, cuisine and culture.

EL ROCIO: The gateway to Doñana National Park.

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, and have a car, a must-do on any trip to Huelva is a visit to the Donana National Park. This vast untouched wildness, one of the last in Spain, straddles across three provinces – Huelva, Seville and Cadiz – a majestic 100,000 hectares of beaches, pine forest, sand dunes, marshes and mountains. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it would be a shame not to see one of the genuine wonders of the world

right on your Spanish doorstep. Another terrific opportunity on any Huelva visit is taking a boat to another country. After all this is where Christopher Colombus acquired his ships to sail to the New World. You don’t have to go that far, Portugal is just a 15 minute ferry ride away. For a reasonable price you can visit the charming town of Viloreal do Santo Antonio and gorge on the famous Portuguese custard tart Pasteis de Nata. Be sure to turn your

clocks back! Huelva is easily accessible from almost anywhere on the Spanish mainland. The fastest way to get to the capital would be on the motorway through Seville from Malaga province. But the coastal route through Cadiz isn’t much longer and affords many more opportunities to stop and explore Spain’s majestic coast along the way.

ABOVE: Horseriding on Mazagon beach. BELOW: Huelva City.

23 - 29 March 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

Expansion congratulations!!! IT’S great news the notice of your expanding. Toast for your independent voice!!! Llorer-dô Sartre, Mallorca

Last word MIGHT I suggest that your ‘correspondent’ Roy Peters should get a life and accept that we’re queer, we’re here and we’re not going away? Yours. David Sharpe, Torremolinos

Go Leapy! OVER in Costa del Sol to escape the UK winter for a couple of months. Just wanted to let you know how refreshing to read your insightful comments last week on Tony Blair and this week on the UK media. At last someone who not only sees the real situation but

comments publicly. You have a fan - pity our own media, as you so rightly point out, are incapable of being more supportive and positive rather than putting their own selfish ‘spin’ on stories that they don’t want to believe. Steve UK, resident

Cala Mosca WITH reference to the ongoing battle to save ‘Cala Mosca,’ a fight that has been going on for several years now. Isn’t it time Orihuela City started to show some consideration to the wishes of people of the Costa and back them in this battle? Or is it as so many people on the Costa believe that the Orihuela City Council only see the Costa as a cash cow and offer nothing?

Yes we have a town hall which has a limited police office and other official offices to collect revenue. We also have a Suma Office to collect revenue. Do we have an ambulance station? NO. Do we have a fire station? NO. Why? Because no revenue can be collected from these services. The same as other services denied to the habitants of the Costa. No library, no theatre, nowhere to bury our loved ones, the list goes on. If Orihuela City Council continues to bury its head in the sand this battle may be the straw to break the camel’s back. Orihuela Costa should seek to be either independent or governed by a closer municipality. Could either San Miguel or Torrevieja do a better job? So come on Orihuela City

come out and support the fight of the people, support thebBattle for Cala Mosca. Or the fight may be against you? TJ Sawkins, Orihuela Costa

Safer roads I UNDERSTAND work is complete on the bridge between the Bourganvilias and Puerto Rey roundabouts. We are relieved that cyclists and pedestrians can now use the additional path and cross the bridge safely. However, we notice some people are not using it due to having to negotiate the abrupt end of the concrete on to rough ground and a ridge up to the road. Couldn’t the town hall manage some additional concrete for a smoother passage? Coral, Vera Playa

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

Valenciano spoken THE economy of the Costa Blanca is very dependent on tourism and construction. Foreigners and tourists contribute a very important part to this. It is therefore important that foreigners feel welcome and can communicate with the locals. In that light, it is difficult to understand that the Valencian government and various municipalities, including Alfaz del Pi, endeavour to promote Valenciano. This is to the extreme drawn in education. Good English teachers are not accepted as they do not speak Valenciano! With high unemployment, particularly among youth, one might expect that more importance should be attached to the fluency in English, Ger-

COMMENTS from EWN Online Scots referendum MAY does not like this. She instantly gave her arguments for being against it by telling Sturgeon, you are being divisive and it would be stupid economically to leave your biggest market. It seems she thinks it is stupid for the Scots to leave the Union but it is a good idea for us to leave an even bigger one. Talk about the contradiction of the Pot calling the Pan, Sooty Arse. It seems that England is run by fools. This is however a good idea for some, when it allows those at the top to line their own pockets at the expense of the majority. Peter

Police inhibitor Torremolinos WHAT an interesting and quite disturbing story. Some 10 years ago I recall staying with a friend in Alcazar de San Juan. He lived directly opposite a police station. The next day when I tried to start my car it was dead. My pal towed me to a local Renault garage. There the mechanic could find no problem, as my car started at the first attempt. We drove away very puzzled and relieved. My pal, who is Spanish, was convinced that it was something to do with the Police Station transmissions opposite his apartment block. So it would appear that this problem has been going on for some considerable time and apart from the inconvenience. Thankfully no one has been injured... yet. Roy Leon

More damage on the coast TIME for the world to put some real effort into sorting out climate change. When we all do nothing about it, then this will get worse year on year. Roy Peters

Leo the Lion THE most positive thoughts I can muster are sent to be with him. Hope he can come out a winner. Peter

House of Lords withdrawal

MORE IMPORTANCE: Should be attached to fluency in other languages. man and French. From the government it must be expected that residents’ interests is a top priority. With the actions of promoting Valenciano, the interests of the resi-

dents of the province are being sacrificed to nationalistic purposes. The many unemployed people and especially the youth deserve better! Kees Hilgers

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

THE House of Lords should have not even tried to interfere in this process, for a house of people that are supposed to be intelligent they have shown again the bunch of fools most of them are, the sooner this gravy train of mostly old fools is abolished the better for everyone... except them of course. I really do not see any point in setting out any amendments in Article 50 at this stage, doesn’t make any common or logical sense to do that before any negotiating has started. I understand the frustration from those who are not capable of understanding the way the EU citizen situation will most likely go forward but I am afraid if those people cannot grasp the likelihood of what will logically happen then unfortunately that is their problem, the process of Brexit must go forward with an open slate, no cards up and no closed options on the table either. Shows how much these fat cat idiots trying to prove their existence are so much out of touch with reality, why they should not have tried to interfere in their attempt at delaying the process that only makes an aggravated situation aggravating and gives even more reason as to why they should be abolished. Mike in ESP

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.

OPINION & COMMENT

LEGALLY SPEAKING

New measures to check ITV validity AS part of a new series, we answer some common driving questions, kindly provided by members of the Guardia Civil based in Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, who set up the N332 website and Facebook page to help break down barriers.

ITV TESTS: A new database will record vehicle movements and history. AS part of the new wave of reforms aimed at modernising traffic monitoring and safety, the DGT has announced the creation of a database of vehicle movements and history, which will then be able to check ITV tests. The technology behind the scheme will see cameras installed around the road network and at entrances and exits of towns and cities which will record the registration numbers of vehicles as they pass. This database will then link to the ITV test reports and will collate information from traffic incidents, crashes and repairs. Workshops and garages will be given a deadline to adapt to the new and appropriate computer technology for reports to be logged about vehicles.

The DGT will also carry out intensive campaigns to remind vehicle owners of the legal requirements to ensure their vehicle has passed the ITV tests. It is estimated there are currently between 1.5 and 2 million vehicles in Spain on the roads without a valid certificate. At the moment, when speed detecting radars spot a vehicle that exceeds the speed limits, it automatically checks to ensure the ITV has been passed, but now, taking this idea one step further, the new equipment installed at the entrances to towns and cities will scan licence plate numbers and detect vehicles that have an out of date ITV certificate or have been for an inspection and failed and where appropriate, action will be taken and a fine issued.

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

Can vice-president resign? I currently hold the position of Vice President in our Community and I understand that, if our President resigns and no one else accepts the position at the AGM, then I will automatically be installed as President for at least one year. YES, the VicePresident can resign at any time, simply by writing to the President. Keep in mind that the President is an officer of the Community. The Administrator is an employ-

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

I do not want to hold that position. In fact, I am considering selling up to return to the UK. How can I resign before the AGM is held? Is it just a case of writing to the administrators and the President?

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

ee. There is no provision in law that says a VicePresident can automati-

R P (Costa Blanca) cally be installed as President. He may be assigned the duties of the President, but only the AGM can elect the President of the Community, who is legally responsible for his actions.

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

Oops I did it again x! Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man I AM quite techno literate and pretty good with computers and stuff. I love all the apps I can get for my iPhone and I’m always using WhatsApp or messaging and I always finish my messages to family and friends with an x - which, as you all know, represents a kiss. The other day I was having a WhatsApp row with a plumber and, of course, I finished the message and, like a complete donut, I finished it with an x. I just cyber kissed a plumber I’m having a row with! Where do you go from there? I was absolutely stuffed! Needless to say we are not using this plumber any more but I am meeting him for a drink next Friday and we will see where it goes from there! Back to one of my favourite grumps at the moment - Donny Trump. This man just never ceases to amaze me. This week he has manged to fall out with the rapper Snoop Dogg and GCHQ. He just says anything he wants and then leaves his team to clear up the mess. He wakes up at silly o’ clock in the morning and starts tweeting. Mostly I think it’s stuff he has just dreamed of. He says GCHQ bugged his office for Obama then all his team run around promising he will never say it again. It’s a com-

edy show. The tweet after he said Obama had his office bugged was about Arnold Schwarzenegger losing his job on the Apprentice. You can’t make this stuff up. Sorry to all you folks that think this man is fit to be POTUS, but you have got this all wrong. The man is a raving lunatic and I will say again, he will not last his first term. I am usually very pleased with the service I get from the special assistance team at Malaga airport but when I arrived back the other night there was a few of us that needed assistance plus people travelling with them. I was alone. There were about 10 passengers. I travel with my own wheelchair and we were met by two guys driving two trolley things. Now, I can fold my chair up and sit on the buggy but by the time I got there it was full with people that needed assistance and their able bodied travelling companions. I was told someone would be right there to help me but, of course, that never happened and I sat there for a further 20 odd minutes before anyone came back. So please folks if you don’t need assistance, let the guy in the wheelchair use the service provided. Thanks x. Oops did it again! Have you ever noticed, and it’s mostly the older generation that do this. When asked if they are married the answer is never yes or no, it’s just a number and a shrug. Are you married? 40 years shrug. mikesenker@gmail.com with your thoughts.

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 23 MARCH

FRIDAY 24 MARCH

SATURDAY 25 MARCH

SUNDAY 26 MARCH

MONDAY 27 MARCH

TUESDAY 28 MARCH

WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH

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

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Shop Well for Less The Red Nose African Convoy BBC News at Ten BBC London News Question Time This Week

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Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News Red Nose Day 2017 EastEnders Shop Well for Less BBC News at Ten BBC London News Red Nose Day Red Nose Day

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Casuality All Round to Mrs Brown's BBC News Weather Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Weather for the Week Ahead BBC News

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BBC News Regional News Weather Countryfile Antiques Roadshow Line of Duty BBC News Regional News Weather Iron Man 3 Celebrity Apprentice USA

6:00pm

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

Regional News The One Show Inside Out EastEnders Question Time BBC News Regional News Weather All Round to Mrs Brown's Have I Got a Bit More Old News for You

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Regional News The One Show EastEnders Holby City Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad BBC News Regional News Weather Panorama Fugitives

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BBC News Regional News The One Show MasterChef DIY SOS The Big Build BBC News Regional News Weather Peter Kay's Car Share A Question of Sport Weather for the Week Ahead

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Eggheads The Hairy Bikers' Comfort Food Great Continental Railway Journeys The Great Pottery Throw Down The Last Kingdom Mock the Week Newsnight Top Gear Great Continental Railway Journeys Gardeners' World Only Connect Wild Ireland Red Nose Day: Greg Davies' Hot Tub Half Hour Newsnight Robot Wars When Lynne Barber Met Phyllida Barlow Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands Dad’s Army Geri’s 1990s: My Drive to Freedom Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories QI XL Albatross

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Athletics: World Cross Country Highlights Inside the Factory Robot Wars Top Gear Turkey with Simon Reeve Cold in July Live at the Apollo Night Train to Lisbon

1:15pm 3:05pm 5:15pm 5:30pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 11:15pm

Eggheads The Repair Shop Top Gear University Challenge Mary Berry Everyday Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Cradle to Grave Newsnight Weather Imagine...

7:00pm

Eggheads The Repair Shop The Best of British Takeaways Stargazing 2017 American Justice Inside No 9 Newsnight Weather Turkey with Simon Reeve

7:00pm

Life Story Antiques Road Trip Eggheads The Repair Shop Great Continental Railway Journeys Stargazing 2017 Incredible Medicine: Dr Weston's Casebook Mock the Week Newsnight Weather

12:30am

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Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule Prime Suspect 1973 The Nightly Show with Dermot O'leary ITV News ITV News London

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ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Judge Rinder's Crime Stories Coronation Street Lethal Weapon The Nightly Show with Dermot O'leary ITV News ITV News London

6:00pm

Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather You've Been Framed! Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway The Voice UK ITV News and Weather Lethal Weapon The Chase

4:35pm 5:35pm

The Voice Dr. No ITV News and Weather World Cup Qualifier You've Been Framed! Vera ITV News and Weather World Cup Qualifier 2018 Highlights The Nightly Show Best Bits

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Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street The Kyle Files Coronation Street Broadchurch The Nightly Show ITV News Peston on Sunday

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Britain's Busiest Motorway Martin Lewis Live Play to the Whistle The Nightly Show ITV News Prime Suspect 1973

6:00pm

Tipping Point The Chase Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Little Big Shots Benidorm The Nightly Show ITV News When Phillip Met Prince Philip

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11:45pm 12:50am

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Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Great British Buildings: Restoration of the Year Ep1 Three Wives, One Husband Syria's Disappeared: The Case Against Assad 24 Hours in A and E

7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

12:05am

Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Unreported World George Clarke's Amazing Spaces Gogglebox The Last Leg First Dates

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

A Place in the Sun Location, Location, Location Grand Designs Channel 4 News Escape to the Chateau The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Robin Hood Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA

5:15pm

The Restoration Man Location, Location, Location Channel 4 News Our Guy in China Rivers with Jeremy Paxman Homeland Gogglebox 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

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The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Dispatches Travel Man 24 Hours in A and E How'd You Get So Rich? Tattoo Fixers Three Wives, One Husband

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Couples Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Secret Life of the Zoo Mutiny Catastrophe This is Us Gogglebox

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The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Hidden Restaurants with Michel Roux Jr The Royal House of Windsor 999: What's Your Emergency? Bare Knuckle Fight Club

6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am 1:05am

5 News Tonight Police Interceptors On Benefits and 40 Grand in Debt The Last Days of George Michael Extraordinary People: Nelly the Snakeskin Woman Shannon Matthews: What Happened Next

7:30pm

5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show Tony Robinson: Coast to Coast Fury 5 News Fury Schindler's List

4:30pm 4:55pm

Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away! Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away! NCIS: Los Angeles NCIS: New Orleans 5 News When Celebrity Goes Horribly Wrong Super Casino

5:25pm

The Princess Bride The Wizard of Oz The Parent Trap Dirty Dancing 5 News Michael Jackson: Rich and Acquitted Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story Michael Jackson's This is it Kings of Pop 5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News MotoGP Police Interceptors Inside King's Cross: The Railway All New Traffic Cops Fury Super Casino Home and Away 5 News Police Interceptors The Secret Lives of Puppies: Meet My New Families Yorkshire: A Year in the Wild When Celebrity Goes Horribly Wrong Super Casino Neighbours Home and Away 5 News America's Hidden Pyramid City GPs: Behind Closed Doors Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! One Night with My Ex Extraordinary People The Last Days of George Michael

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Crolla: The Million Dollar Story Boxing Live Premier League Darts Boxing Crolla: The Million Dollar Story Darts Gold Barclays Premier League World Football Gold The Fantasy Football Club Live International Football Live International Football The Fantasy Football Club Barclays Premier League World International Football Highlights Live International Football Boxing Premier League Legends Premier League 100 Club Premier League 100 Club Football Football Live International Football Live International Football International Football Highlights Goals on Sunday International Football Highlights Premier League Legends Spanish Football Gold Spanish Football Gold Football Gold Football Gold Live ATP Masters 1000- Miami The Premier League Years Football Gold

ATP Masters 1000Miami Highlights Live ATP Masters 1000- Miami La Liga World Premier League 100 Club Premier League 100 Club Premier League Legends Premier League Legends ATP Masters 1000Miami Highlights Live ATP Masters 1000- Miami Barclays Premier League World Premier League 100 Club Premier League Legends

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OPINION & COMMENT

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23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

Let the sun party continue! 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.

THE sun is rising again. And, can finally be seen as such; warming our lands and our cheeks too. It seemed an endless winter, if it is actually over. In fact, it was the first continuous rains in more than 10 years. So, much needed. For my personal outlook each day is a page turned whether I like it or not. New plans must be made and quite frankly, the more complicated the better. Our village seems to be coming alive too. Green everywhere, new flowers and new people bouncing about. Off stage, but seriously preparing are all the theatre folk and musical groups that have taken up residency lately. We are blessed to have so many near and spread amongst us. Generally there is something playing close to visit each night. Show time.

THE SUN IS OUT: Our village seems to be coming alive too. This does make us a unique community (as long as it lasts) as from newspaper reading old popular drinking haunts like Benidorm have gone to the muggers and super seri-

ous drinking crowds (which diminishes your personal safety while supposedly having a fun night out). New restaurants seem to be sprouting up and old ones being re-

vamped and getting prepared for the coming Easter holidays. To complicate the issue work is now started and in full hum along the beach front for the promenade’s

extension (like it or not). It’s all a bit much for me. The frenzied activities, the trucks, large machinery and traffic wardens guiding you in various directions. I just wanted the sun, seagulls and blue sky. But, it is not to be. In the olden days, you had to earn enough during the three-day Easter break to support you until August when the folk from Madrid arrived. That coupled with the fact that it always rained for Easter - it all was a risky business, really making a profit. In reality Spain should have a cake walk of a tourist season. With most of northern Africa shut down for possible terrorism where else do they have to go for the sun? A float down the Nile or glimpse of the pyramids is also verboten. So, it’s southern Europe or nowhere near. Greece should sprout a firm tourist base of paying intruders finally. By the fall everyone should be smiling. If, all goes to plan. But, as the saying goes: “life is what happens while you are busy making plans.”

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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FEATURE

Advertising feature

Why not make a splash with your next break? Christina Sharp GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL christina@globelink.co.uk.

NOWADAYS if you can dream it, you can pretty-much do it as far as holidays go, so what have you decided this year? Unfavourable exchange rates swayed you towards a ‘staycation’? Or are you a ‘life is for living’ type, and looking for something special to wash away the doom and gloom? Whatever floats your boat, you’ll be sure to find a cruise holiday that’s right for you, with greater than ever choice to suit all budgets. And you will be in good company too, because a record 1.9 million Brits took cruise holidays in 2016. That’s almost 10 per cent more than in 2015 according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Once seen as the reserve of the rich or more mature traveller, cruises now offer remarkable value, with tailor-made itineraries of tantalising locations sailing into view each day and accommodation, meals and entertainment all included in the package. Whether you chose a firm favourite Mediterranean cruise, the Baltic, Caribbean, or

Whatever floats your boat - chose a cruise and make a splash on your next holiday. Far East, you will wonder why you ever packed your paperbacks or Kindle, as most cruises offer a mindboggling array of entertainment and activities on everything from yoga, painting, putting, salsa, wildlife watching, culinary classes on gourmet dining and even how to making a perfect crepe Suzette. The choice of cruise ships is equally remarkable, including award winning ‘super

yachts’ styled on Marie Antoinette’s 18th-century Chateau de Versailles; unique boutique Clipper ships; to gigantic floating skyscrapers like the Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas with its 6,000 passenger capacity, waterslides, and amphitheatre. Smaller ships can offer unique interiors and itineraries that take in lesser-known destinations, or opt for an epic transatlantic voyage to The Big Apple.

Either way you can experience luxury that many five star hotels would envy. Many operators offer short taster cruises which are great for first-timers. But with so many cruises available, it’s wise to speak to a specialist who can help navigate you through the options, and find the cruise that’s just right for you. Even with the best planning, the unexpected can happen. At Globelink we know from 20 years’ experience that cutting short a cruise trip due to an emergency back home, or being medically evacuated from a cruise liner due to illness is a very-very expensive business. Be a savvy traveller and don’t just go for the tour operator, or cruise company insurance option. This may be expensive and may not suit your insurance needs. We are delighted that Globelink customers are covered as standard for their cruise holidays, so you don’t have to pay extra for that essential peace of mind. Globelink Travel Insurance: for people living in the EU. Get an instant quote and arrange cover securely with www.globelink.co.uk, or call (UK) +44 1353 699 082 or call our Spanish link line on 966 265 000. Your Policy and Emergency Assistance Card will be delivered immediately by email.

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

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONSOR GO TO WWW.LINEADIRECTA.COM

SPONSORED BY 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.

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EWN

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

‘ WOW! THAT’S A STURGEON - WE SCOTS NOW HAVE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! ’

YOUR STARS FOR 7 DAYS

Women’s wit

‘

I’ve been on a calendar, but never on time.” Marilyn Monroe

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Starting on a new hobby or job has opened your eyes to much that is round you. You ask yourself why it was not so clear to you before. This does not matter. This is where you are and where you need to be at the moment.

Famous quote

‘

I don’t need you to remind me of my age. I have a bladder to do that for me.” Stephen Fry, Actor/Comedian

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) The buzz in your head is not a mysterious thing. It is the sound of something quite different. Clearly, it is time to act on an idea held for a long time. The buzz will not go away until you are satisfied. Get with the yoga and plan your approach. One step at a time avoids confusion.

World of English

‘

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) An emotional journey which you made last year comes to mind again.

Why are ‘wise man’ and ‘wise guy’ opposites?”

LOTTERY

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

Saturday March 18

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday March 18

Friday March 17

BONUS BALL

LUCKY STARS

LEO (July 24 - August 23) A branch is dangling in the wind. You feel that, if you grasp it, finances will improve. Your hesitation is felt as weakness but it is good to check. See this branch from all angles. The last thing that you want is to tug on it and find that it is too much to hold. You may not go to the woods this week, but you will receive an offer.

Saturday March 18

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Sunday March 19

BONUS BALL

Although there are adjustments to be made, you are now more at ease. Whichever way you go now will be a lucky improvement in your sphere.

5 19

(March 21 - April 20)

There is something comfortable about your life at the moment. Even though there seems to be a good

LA PRIMITIVA

EURO MILLIONS

Tuesday March 14

ARIES

LUCKY STARS

REINTEGRO

reason to change it, you hesitate. A situation seems to have become outdated and no longer works well.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Are you hoping that a recent acquaintance will provide the answer to a question? Your friends have given their opinions but you are still not convinced. Here is a situation where expert advice is needed, not a random opinion. A few pennies will be well spent and save you lots of tension later. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) There is a lot to take on board this week. At times, you may feel that it is too much to cope with. You, however, are made of stronger stuff. Are you telling me that Fred down the road is better than you? No, of course not. Show everyone what you are made of this week by getting it sorted.. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Yours is a big heart, but be more selective about what and who you let in. As you are currently seeing things so clearly, make some choices. Your quality of both life and work will change for the better. You are not being selfish. You know there is such a thing as necessary self-preservation. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Sometimes you feel that you are on a

stage. Attention is on you, lights shining bright, people waiting. There is no problem with doing what is expected, but maybe an uneasy feeling about where you are. We can all end up in the wrong place, so do what is necessary to get back to where you want to be. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) There is a difficulty with someone not standing on their own two feet. It’s someone close, but it’s certainly not you. It is not possible to stand by and see bad mistakes happen. On the other hand, there needs to be a balance so as not to enforce dependency. A friend may help, but you will manage this. AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Working in the dark is not your favourite thing. Blazing lights on everything is more your style. Why, then, do you not have control of the facts? Maybe hiding in the shadows and avoiding something has put you where you are. Let others know that the lights are about to be switched on. PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Throwing money at a problem will not make it go away, it will merely be a delaying tactic. Life is not always so simple that it brings you comfort. Coming to terms and dealing with something is necessary for your peace of mind. I do not want to appear dramatic, merely practical.

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 sixletter 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 (PLATEN) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

Hexagram ATTEST ENCORE ENTIRE FOREST INSTEP INTERN LICHEN MOSAIC PESETA PHRASE

PIERCE PLATEN (10) PLENUM POETRY STRAND STROBE SYSTEM THIRST TISSUE

This week in history 1807 – Slave trade was abolished by the British Parliament. 1874 – Harry Houdini, the world famous escape artist, was born in Budapest, Hungary. 1953 – Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother Queen Mary died in her sleep. 1963 – The British Transport Commission reported that British Rail was running at a loss of £140 million a year and recommended routes should be reduced by a quarter. 1965 – A 15-minute live broadcast showed the Ranger 9 space probe crash landing on the moon. 1973 – Ten newly elected female members entered London’s Stock Exchange for the first time in the institution’s 200year history. 1975 – Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal died after being shot at point blank range by his nephew Prince Faisal Ibu Musaed. 1977 – Two Boeing 747 jets collided on the ground in the Canary Islands killing 570 people. 1979 – Prime Minister James Callaghan called an early general election after he lost a parliamentary vote of confidence, brought by opposition leader Margaret Thatcher, by one vote. 1980 – The British Olympic Association (BOA) voted to send athletes to the Moscow Olympics despite pressure from the government not to attend due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. 1981 – The first ever London Marathon, which followed a route from Greenwich Park to Buckingham Palace, was held in London. 1991 – A jury returned a verdict of accidental death following an inquest into the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 football fans died and 170 were injured. 1995 – Davie Cooper, Scottish professional footballer, collapsed and died at the age of 39 after suffering a brain haemorrhage whilst filming a coaching video.

TIME

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LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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

1 Winter 2 Stereo 3 Stasis 4 Petrel 5 Screen 6 Twenty 7 Repeat 8 Secant 9 Rabies 10 Preach 11 Delete 12 Behind 13 Teasel 14 Ideate 15 Notice 16 Pillow 17 Gentry 18 Auntie 19 Arouse.

Costa de Almería TODAY

VELEZ RUBIO

HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

ALMERIA

weather Alicante TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 18 - C Fri - 13 8 Sh Sat - 15 8 Sh Sun - 17 10 C Mon - 18 11 C Tues - 19 11 Sh Wed - 19 11 C

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 11, MIN 2 - SH Fri - 12 7 Cl Sat - 13 8 Sh Sun - 14 6 Sh Mon - 17 7 Sh Tues - 16 7 Sh Wed - 17 7 Sh

Almeria TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 8 - C Fri - 14 7 C Sat - 16 9 C Sun - 18 11 Cl Mon - 19 11 Sh Tues - 19 11 Sh Wed - 20 12 Cl

Madrid TODAY: MAX 12, MIN -1 - C Fri - 14 3 C Sat - 10 2 Sh Sun - 15 4 Sh Mon - 15 4 Sh Tues - 17 4 Sh Wed - 18 4 Sh

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 8 - C Fri - 13 11 Sh Sat - 13 9 Sh Sun - 15 9 Sh Mon - 16 9 C Tues - 16 10 C Wed - 17 9 C

Malaga TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 5 - CL Fri - 14 5 C Sat - 15 7 C Sun - 17 10 C Mon - 18 9 Sh Tues - 20 10 Sh Wed - 21 10 Sh

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 16, MIN 7 - C Fri - 13 8 Sh Sat - 15 8 Sh Sun - 17 10 C Mon - 17 10 C Tues - 18 10 C Wed - 18 10 Cl

Mallorca TODAY: MAX 17 MIN 7 - C Fri - 15 8 Sh Sat - 15 8 Sh Sun - 17 8 Sh Mon - 18 8 Sh Tues - 19 8 Cl Wed - 20 8 S

TARGET: • Average: 9 • Good: 12 • Very good: 18 • Excellent: 23

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION army arty dory doty dray many mayo myna nary tony tray troy tyro yard yarn adyta anomy atomy atony dormy mayor moray randy rayon tardy toady today dynamo notary amatory anatomy drayman yardman MANDATORY

RETAMAR

ADRA

ROQUETAS

TOMORROW

VELEZ RUBIO

HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

NEW ON DVD The Light Between Oceans

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

ALMERIA

RETAMAR

ADRA

ROQUETAS

SATURDAY

VELEZ RUBIO

HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

ALMERIA

RETAMAR

ADRA

S: Sun

Cl: Clear

F: Fog

ROQUETAS

C: Cloudy

Sh: Showers

Sn: Snow

Th: Thunder

Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of published forecasts

Directed by: Derek Cianfrance Starring: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz Tom Sherbourne is a young World War One veteran who, numb from years of combat, moves to the remote island Janus Rock to become a lighthouse keeper. When he meets Isabel Graysmark on the mainland and falls in love he finally begins to feel happy again. After they marry Isabel joins him to live on the island but their happiness is marred when they are unable to have a child. Then they discover a baby adrift in a boat and Isabel believes her prayers have been answered. Tom is torn but agrees to keep the child and raise it as their own, a decision that changes their lives forever.

OUT

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

page

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

Cryptic

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Across:

Across 7 It’s dead simple if Alec goes off (6) 8 Get angry about team having magical potion (6) 9 Event in Monica Seles's diary (4) 10 Current Queen’s banner (8) 11 Smith crashes Ferrari (7) 13 Left port weighed down (5) 15 Carrying some nuclear medicine (5) 17 Nothing’s following the U-boat, it’s below freezing (3,4) 20 Press sat around and intrude (8) 21 Give support to a Verdi opera (4) 23 Georgia collected knowledge in abundance (6) 24 Ample chicken ought to be included (6)

1 Dish, 3 Clear cut, 9 Launder, 10 Pence, 11 Gulls, 12 Inches, 14 Trains, 16 Statue, 19 Rescue, 21 Reels, 24 Ledge, 25 Arizona, 26 Radishes, 27 Bede. Down: 1 Delegate, 2 Skull, 4 Larkin, 5 Aspic, 6 Convent, 7 Teem, 8 Edison, 13 Persuade, 15 Amended, 17 Torrid, 18 Relate, 20 Chews, 22 Evoke, 23 Slur.

QUICK

Down 1 Young lady going to a festival (4) 2 American aboard cruise ship is one dimensional (6) 3 Refused to eat with Earl, then ate plenty (7) 4 Bread is bad for facial hair (5) 5 Volunteers surrounding Islamic republic’s capital (6) 6 Free pile designed for a member of the House of Lords (4,4) 12 Arraign a disorderly land reformer (8)

Code Breaker

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Crossword

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Across:

14 Went after and usurped criminal (7) 16 Sue going back to North London railway station (6) 18 Fanatic Zionist leader gets a lot after the end of June (6) 19 Tag first murder victim found under lake (5) 22 Italian magistrate is in a dog eat dog world (4)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 3 represents R and 20 represents Q, so fill in R every time the figure 3 appears and Q every time the figure 20 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 Quantity much larger than is needed (7) 5 Talk pompously (5) 8 Additional payment (5) 9 Draw back (7) 10 Flat and smooth (4) 11 Fifth columnist (8) 13 Traditional headdress consisting of a long scarf wrapped around the head (6) 15 Large marine mammal (6) 18 Perceive or think about in a particular way (8) 19 Eager or enthusiastic (4) 22 Covetousness (7) 23 Join together (5) 24 Metal rod with a handle, used for prodding and stirring an open fire (5) 25 Grasp tightly (7)

Down 1 Thing or area being discussed (7) 2 Series of hills or mountains (5) 3 Rich, juicy and succulent (4) 4 Disperse widely (6) 5 Left to choice (8) 6 Non-professional (7) 7 Come or go into (5) 12 Well known or easily recognised (8) 14 Plunder (7) 16 Open and genuine (7) 17 Niche or alcove (6) 18 Fastening device (5) 20 Best of all (5) 21 Spiritual teacher (4)

1 Subdued, 5 Silos, 8 Regular, 9 Llama, 10 Waste, 11 Nothing, 12 Peseta, 14 Dagger, 17 Barista, 19 Scalp, 22 Infer, 23 Stagger, 24 Haydn, 25 Conceal.

Down: 1 Shrew, 2 Bogus, 3 Ugliest, 4 During, 5 Split, 6 Leading, 7 Swagger, 12 Publish, 13 Scruffy, 15 Abstain, 16 Parsec, 18 Siren, 20 Argue, 21 Peril.

ENGLISHSPANISH Across:

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

1 Estrellas, 8 Sala de estar, 9 Lamb, 10 Belt, 13 Saltamontes, 14 Toothpick. Down: 2 Solomillo, 3 Rude, 4 Leer, 5 Authentic, 6 Useless, 7 British, 11 Wait, 12 Soap.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Caramelos (6) 4 Hatred (4) 8 Ira (de persona) (5) 9 Pasillo (en avión, teatro) (5) 10 To find (9) 13 Talones (de pies, calcetínes, zapatos) (5) 14 Century (5) 15 Lavado (4) 16 Jugs (6)

Down 1 Cisne (4) 2 Ingenieros (9) 3 Tortuga (8) 5 To unload (9) 6 Obedecer (4) 7 Ghost (8) 11 Masticar (4) 12 Perros (4)

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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BOOKS The Fifth Letter

TOP 10

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1. International Talk Like a Pirate Day When John Baur and Mark Summers were playing a game of racquetball in 1995 one of them exclaimed ‘Aaarr!’ after being hurt and spent the rest of the game speaking like pirates. They had so much fun they decided to create a national day. A low key celebration until 2002 it went international after they got humour columnist Dave Barry on board. He loved the idea, helped promote it and it now has its own website. Blimey!

By Nicola Moriarty BEST friends since the first day of school Joni, Trina, Deb and Eden have grown up together but now that they are in their 30’s life has got in the way. Husbands, babies and careers have got in the way but in an effort to revitalise their friendship they come up with an idea for their annual girly getaway. Each of them is to write an anonymous letter that reveals their deepest and darkest secrets. The idea backfires however as the friends start to discover the revelations the letters reveal. Worse still Joni finds a fifth letter in the fireplace that someone tried to destroy which contains a devastating secret. But who wrote the letter and what should Joni do about it? books@euroweeklynews.com

3. Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day This is thought to have started when New York mum Florence Rappaport attempted to entertain her children on a cold and snowy morning. Her

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

Whacky celebration days

IT seems there’s hardly a day goes by when it’s not a national or world day of something. There is a whole host of topics covered with some promoting serious messages eg about health such as No Smoking Day or well-being such as Zero Discrimination Day. However some are just for fun and here we have a look at some of those that are fun and just a bit whacky.

2. Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Celebrated on the last Monday of January it’s sure to please bubble wrap lovers around the world who just love to pop those bubbles. Maybe you’re a regular popper or perhaps you have yet to pop! Although it may sound whacky many people find it makes a great stress reliever so perhaps we all need to show a little more appreciation when it next returns. But why wait until then, go grab some bubble wrap today!

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PIRATE DAY: ‘Aaarr!’ idea has taken off and is now celebrated by many people around the world on February 4. Not exactly a healthy and nutritious way to start the day, but hey if it’s only once a year then get the spoon out and delve into your favourite flavour. 4. Wear your Pyjamas to Work Day Although the origins of this day are not known for definite it has been suggested it first started in the USA. It is celebrated on April 16 as a day for taxpayers to relax after Tax Day which is on April 15. If you’re planning on participating this year prepare yourself for some backlash as not everyone finds the wearing of pyjamas in public appropriate.

Boggled

5. World Juggling Day Although juggling dates back to the 15th century in Egypt, National Juggling Day has only been celebrated since the mid-1980s. It was started in the USA in a bid to raise awareness of the art and science of juggling and enourage more people to juggle. It commemorates the International Jugglers Association which was founded in 1975 and is held on the Saturday closest to June 17 (which happens to be a Saturday this year). 6. I Forgot Day Gaye Anderson from Indiana in the USA created this day in 1999 during a period when she was struggling to remember things. Celebrated on July 2 she made it a day to relax and not stress about what she couldn’t remember giving herself permission to just forget. This July you could do likewise or alternatively you could use it as an opportunity to acknowledge or apologise to someone for something you forgot. Either way, just remember not to forget the date!!! 7. Mole Day The National Mole Day Foundation was established in 1991 and on October 23 every year on

Sudoku

9. Work Naked Day One for all those naturists out there this was created by author and home office expert Lisa Kanare. Although it wasn’t really about working without clothes it was more about being able to work from the comfortable confines of your own home. This might just be taking the dress down day at work a bit too far though. 10. World Sword Swallowers Day In 2008 the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) created this event to celebrate the ancient act of sword swallowing and honour people who practise it. Sord swallowing is the passing of a 16-inch long sword or blade through the mouth into the stomach. If you want to observe this day it’s probably best to go and watch a professional at work. Please don’t try this at home!

SCORING:

• Average: 11

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

• Very good: 23 • Excellent: 29

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION defy defend defied define defined derro heir hero heifer heirs defer deify hied hire hired eyed error errors errs equine equip fermi ferried fever fend fried from fiend find fine fined firs ever dried drip

Word Ladder CARD

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.

8. Nothing Day An ‘un-event’ which was started in 1973 by a newspaper columnist Harold Pullman Coffin who was aiming to make it a day where people do not need to celebrate, observe or honour anything. Nothing more to say about this ‘un-event’ except perhaps that it’s a bit of a contradiction, don’t you think?

TARGET: • Good: 16

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.

its anniversary it honours the mole which measures chemical entities such as atoms or molecules. The mole approximates to 6.02x1023 and is named after Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro. It is therefore celebrated between 6.02am and 6.02pm on October 23 as when written in the month-date format it includes the digits in Avogadro’s number 6.02, 10/23. Go figure!

POOL BACK

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

Solution CARD WARD WORD WOOD WOOL POOL

HEALTH BEAUTY

Costa de Almería

23 - 29 March 2017

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EWN

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Advertising feature

New MACS shop to open at Las Buganvillas THERE are exciting times ahead next month for MACS, cancer support group. The charity is due to open its fifth shop on Monday April 3 and plenty of work is going on behind the scenes to ensure everything is ready! The new shop, located at Las Buganvillas roundabout, near Vera Playa, is the latest in the chain of charity shops and joins those in Mojacar, Turre, Albox and Huercal-Overa. The shops are crucial fundraisers for the charity and thanks to the volunteers who operate them and the kind donations of items from local people, they bring in vital revenue to enable MACS to continue helping cancer patients throughout the area. With a new shop comes the need for more stock, the team is keen to open next month with shelves brimming with bargains and asks for anyone having a spring clear-out to bag up any unwanted items of clothes, bric-a-brac or household goods and drop them into one of the existing shops. Of course the new shop can’t run itself and MACS is desperate for volunteers to give up their time to work in the shops and provide a

CHARITY SHOP: Offering quality goods at fantastic prices.

very important service to the charity. Volunteering in the MACS shops is very re-

warding and also a lot of fun, many volunteers commented that it is a great way to meet new

friends and really play a part in the community. Shop volunteers’ hours are flexible and they can do as little or as many hours as they want. Every day is different, and the work of a volunteer is varied, ranging from sorting through new stock, serving MACS loyal customers or helping dress the shelves and windows. Along with regular volunteers, MACS is also looking for team leaders to head up the crew and take on more responsibilities. A special team leader is also needed for the Vera patients, survivor and carers meetings, held once a month. As well as offering quality goods at fantastic prices, the new shop will also eventually be the centre for equipment hire, including beds, wheelchairs and other equipment to make life easier for patients and their carers. The equipment will be available to hire free of charge for cancer patients and at a small fee for other patients. The Las Buganvillas shop will be open from 10am to 2pm Monday to Saturday and anyone interested in lending their time as a volunteer should call 634 328 334/5 or call in to any of the current shops to fill in a form.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Brits drinking less alcohol A THIRD of British drinkers have reduced or limited their alcohol intake over the last 12 months, although the survey that revealed this statistic did not question the drinking habits of their expat counter-parts living in Spain. Research from Mintel reveals that 32 per cent of all British people have reduced or limited the alcohol they drink in the year from November 2015 to November 2016, compared to what they would normally consume. Half (51 per cent) of the nation’s beer, wine and cider drinkers say they are drinking less alcohol than a few years ago, confirming Brits are actively moderating their drinking habits. But why the cutbacks? Is it for health reasons? Well the survey reported that economical factors were the main reason for consumers to reduce their drinking with over two in four (44 per cent) saying they have done so to save money, with 41 per cent saying they reduced their alcohol intake to

lose or avoid gaining weight. Additionally, some 14 per cent of all those who have cut back on alcohol have done so because they are worried about becoming dependent on alcohol and the same proportion have cut back to stay within current NHS and government guidelines. The consumers most likely to have cut

back at some point are those aged 25-34 (35 per cent) and 35-44 (36 per cent); meanwhile, geographically this peaks at 41 per cent in the North East and dips to 27 per cent in the South East/East Anglia. Mintel, the world’s leading market intelligence agency, said these figures show a significant opportunity for low-alcohol

and alcohol-free beers, ciders and wines. Today, lower-alcohol beer, cider or wine is drunk by around one quarter (23 per cent) of alcohol drinkers, while overall, 14 per cent of Brits drink non-alcoholic or alcoholfree beer, cider or wine.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

Brought to you by

Controlling your weight

For more information on Mintel, visit www.mintel.com

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte.

ALCOHOL INTAKE: Thirty two per cent of all British people have reduced the amount they drink.

Try yoga to fight against depression A STUDY has found that yoga could help combat depression. Harvard University in Massachusetts and Columbia University in New York, held a 12-week study involving 30 people, practising yoga and breathing exercises. Participants, who had all been diagnosed with major depressive disorder,

were split into two groups with one taking three classes a week and one taking two yoga classes each week. Their depressive symptoms were measured at the start of the study and at the end and found that symptoms had declined considerably in both groups. Previous studies have shown that yo-

ga increases serotonin production which is a mood stabiliser and this can help ease symptoms of depression. Depression affects around 6.7 per cent of the US population and more and more doctors are beginning to suggest yoga before prescribing anti-depressants.

ACCORDING to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, one in every four British adults is obese, with more than half the population predicted to be excessively fat by 2050. The cause of the rapid rise in obesity has been associated with modern life trends, such as our increasing reliance on cars, television, computers, desk jobs and high calorie food. What is obesity? Obesity is a chronic illness characterised by an excessive accumulation of fat in the body, both on an external level (under the skin) and an internal level (between and entering vital organs). This causes an increase in body weight and volume which affects peoples’ lives. What’s the difference between being overweight and being obese? There are different levels of excess fat and obesity. The easiest way to differentiate and classify the problem is known as the corporal mass index, which is calculated by dividing weight by the square of height in metres. If this gives a number between 25 and 29.9 then the person is overweight, if the result is more than 30 they are considered obese.

Is obesity dangerous? Obesity is considered to be a major cardiovascular risk, meaning people with obesity are more likely to have heart attacks, strokes, etc. Today it is considered the most frequent preventable cardiovascular risk and has virtually become the epidemic of the 21st century. It is not just an aesthetic problem, it is a real health risk. Also, type two diabetes is usually associated to obesity. What can I do to control it? There are various difference causes but most are down to an imbalance between the amount of energy we put into our bodies and how much we use each day. The best way to control obesity and lose weight is by following a balanced, low calorie diet and increasingyour daily exercise.

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

SCENE

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Orchestral spectacular AS Lent gets fully underway the 14th annual cycle of sacred music will bring gorgeous orchestral music, choirs and concerts to churches across Almeria. From March 23 until April 7 there will be 10 spectacular concerts held in eight churches throughout the province. The cycle has been a much-admired musical preamble to Semana Santa, or Easter Week, for more than a decade. Wonderfully, and in keeping with the religious spirit, all of the concerts are entirely free. The Bishopric of Almeria reckons that more than 50,000 people have enjoyed these ever-improving concerts over the years. Participating churches are the Cathedral, the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Sea, Parish of San Sebastián, Parish of San Luis Gonzaga, Los Angeles, Santa Teresa, La Cañada and the Pure Convent. Taking charge of the music is the municipal band of Almeria. There will be concerts from the Young Baroque Orchestra of Sevilla and individual violists and other classical music stars from across the country. The programme begins at San Sebastian Church on March 23 at 8.30pm and continues everyday until April 7. Holy week begins on April 9 this year.

EWN

Star crossed lovers date WHETHER it’s flamenc o , f i l m o r s t a rg a z i n g , the brand new cultural programme taking in s o m e o f A l m e r i a ’s b e s t attractions has you covered for a night out. More than 50 activities h a v e b e n o rg a n i s e d b y the University of Almeria’s cultural programme. Running until the end of March, there are films being screened at the Apollo Theatre, a flamenco concert at the Auditorium and, on March 31, a trip to an observatory. The Calar Alto observatory is one of the biggest and best in Europe and represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any star crossed lovers to have a truly special date.

ALMERIA CATHEDRAL: Will feature spectacular concerts in the lead up to Easter.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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SOCIAL SCENE

Dream beach arrives THE line-up has been announced and tickets are now on sal e f or Al m er i a’s bi ggest m usi c f est i val . Dreambeach features some of t he best DJs and el ectronic music in the world and is a staple of the Spanish dance scene. In 2017 the fifth edition of the five-day festival runs from August 10-15 at Playa Villaricos in Cuevas del Almanzora. For those with a full pass there are camping zones amid the pine forests with showers, a canteen and even a minimarket. Thi s year ’s l i ne- up i ncludes perhaps the biggest DJ on the planet right now, David Guetta, and hundreds of ot her s f r om acr oss t he world. Tickets begin at €65 for a day pass

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Only one in 50 people that apply for jobs are British GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH

GARRY WAITE

HERE HAS BEEN MUCH discussion over the last few years, as to what will happen when Britain leaves the European Union. Understandably people in Spain are concerned for their positions. Will they be able to stay? Will they be able to work? How safe are their properties? Well, I am no politician and have no insight into the machinations of such things, but personally I can’t see the Spanish government spitting out their dummies to lose the investments and current taxes etc that the expats provide to their economy. But of course it is not just the expats in Spain and the rest of Europe it is those that are from Europe and living and working in the UK. The very far right and the racist element have been shining on their policy ‘all the foreigners are taking our jobs!!’ I think that could be a gross exaggeration. The Eastern Europeans - and there’s a lot of bad ‘uns!! - usually are hard working and yes they will work for less than maybe their British counterparts, but the British themselves can be work shy, preferring over generous benefit pay outs to an actual job. God knows what would happen to the NHS in the UK if it were not for the thousands of expat doctors and nurses. BUT, the catering industry would be hit even harder. And it’s not that employers are trying to find the cheapest employee. We do know however that ‘immigrant’ workers will work harder and longer so as to ensure they can live in their new found home. That applies to those that live and work here and I am sure many other European countries.

AN AMUSING LOOK: At a Prêt a Manger sandwich. A case in question is the Prêt a Manger fast food sandwich chain. Only one in 50 people that apply for jobs are British, according to the company’s HR Director Andrea Wareham. Speaking at a House of Lords economic affairs select committee investigating Brexit and the labour market held on March 8 this year, she said it was a difficulty in attracting, rather than selecting, British workers, and that 65 per cent of Pret’s workforce is made up of EU nationals. She said the company would struggle to fill its vacancies with British-only applicants. Her concern was not just the chance of losing her workforce if it was a hard Brexit and EU nationals were refused permission to stay, but how she would fill the vacancies if no more ‘Europeans’ were allowed in. It would not seem to be a question of salaries either. The average worker gets around £16,000 a year including free lunches and paid breaks. Managers earn around £33,000. But it is hard to get people into the Hospitality industry as many people still do not consider it a ‘cool’ career. I suppose it’s back to the old acorn of unsociable hours. I have always found the hours very sociable as when everyone is having a good time, I’m sharing it with them!!

SPEAKING OF SOMEONE WHO HAS MADE THE JOB COOL, Gordon Ramsay! Despite his ‘effin and blinding he is a great Chef and a successful businessman. At first it has to be said probably because of the backing of his father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, as Managing Director of Gordon Ramsay Holdings. But things went sour in 2010 when there was a public spat as Gordon fired his father-in-law for embezzlement. The now 67-year-old was accused of hacking into his private and company computers and stripping the company of more than £1.4 million. It would appear that Tana Ramsay’s father has been living a double life and had another family for more than 30 years that produced more children to add to the four he already had. He even paid his mistress £5,000 a month. He also put his son and wife on the payroll and wrote himself five figure cheques. After an acrimonious split which left Tana siding with Gordon after finding out what her cheating father had been up to Gordon paid Hutcheson £2 million in severance and share purchase in 2010, but in December of 2012 Ramsay was awarded £250,000 compensation when a judge ruled that the Hutcheson family were in breach of confidence as they hacked into

SOCIAL SCENE

So what the bloody hell was I thinking of in Liverpool... ordering a bottle of la-di-bloody-da rosé wine? Ordering Whispering Angel in Liverpool is like a Liverpudlian strolling into the Savoy at teatime, in a shell suit, and demanding seven pints of vodka.” Jeremy Clarkson, The Sunday Times, Feb 22, 2015

GORDON RAMSAY: With wife Tana miscarrying last year it’s been a difficult couple of years for the celebrity chef and millionaire businessman. the company computers. Organised Crime Division. This story has taken a twist now, as Describing it as a “convoluted” case Chris Hutcheson - along with his sons with voluminous amounts of paperwork, Adam and Chris Hutcheson Jnr and daughhe said it concerned “hacking of a comter Orlanda Butland - has been charged puter system of Gordon Ramsay Holding under Operation Tuleta with conspiring to Ltd and email accounts of company emcause a computer to access programs and ployees.” data without authority, between October Senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot 23, 2010 and March 3, 2011. granted unconditional bail to all four deAll four appeared at Westminster Magfendants until April 11 when a preliminary istrates’ Court on March 14 of this year hearing has been scheduled at the Old and spoke only to confirm their names Bailey. and addresses. Prosecutor Dan Suter told Even a cool chef, TV personality, millionthe court that the prosecution was aire and very happily married man can’t brought by the International Justice and get everything right!!

CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP last week. What a spectacle!! I was born in Cheltenham - quite a while ago now - and was there until I was about four years old. But I did get back there to work in the early years. I was Assistant Manager of the Carlton Hotel in Parabola Road with a great cigar chomping Welshman by the name of Alan Terret as my General Manager. Although the memories are fading I do recall a character that was a client of the hotel Mike ‘somethin’-or-other’ who was a Ferrari driving young millionaire. He decided to take a few of his fellow drinking buddies and me to Gold Cup Day. It was chucking with rain and we went straight into the VIP tent where Champagne and Guinness (not necessarily together - although they do make a Black Velvet) were in full flow. Oysters, Caviar, Lobster etc all courtesy of our friend!! Huge screens meant that we didn’t have to get wet to watch the races. Fabulous day out. Didn’t go again until some few years later when I opened the De La Bere hotel just on the edge of Cheltenham town. A beautiful boutique hotel by a fledgling company owned by Michael and Sally Cannon. Again invited by a millionaire client on Gold Cup Day and repeated the exercise!! As an aside I have just read an old press cutting from the Bristol Evening Post from 2012 where the then 73-year-old Cannon had a wealth of £240 million and was ranked

321st in the Forbes Rich List. So there is money in catering!!! Mind you, he did buy and sell a few pub chains over the years. I wonder if he is still around? THOSE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME are aware that my favourite quaffing wine, especially when the sun shines, is a good quality Spanish Rosado, from the Navarra or maybe the Penedes. I am not a lover of blush rosés which include the French and American varieties. But I was intrigued by a quote from Jeremy Clarkson (see the balloon above!) that I had a quick look at the very well-known and popular Whispering Angel. It’s a blush, from France, from a good house, Chateau D’ESCLANS. Apparently, also rated by people such as Noel Gallagher, as well as many wine specialists and reviewers. If anyone out there has tried it please let me know what you think!! WHISPERING ANGEL: A French blush rosé.

ON THAT NOTE I will bid you farewell until next week and should aspiring restaurateurs need some help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact me. A toast to Good Food, Good Wine and Good Friends.

Garry Waite is a well-known foodie and restaurateur as well as a Hospitality Management Consultant. If you are contemplating setting up an operation in Spain, or indeed having problems with an existing project contact him on garrywaite@euroweeklynews.com.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Sued for slander CRIMINAL proceedings have been launched against the Popular Party in Albox. Former mayor and Socialist Party member Sonia Cerdan is suing the rival party for slander. The Socialists point to a statement from a PP spokesman accusing Cerdan of giving public construction contracts to a relativeâ€™s company while in office. With no evidence offered for the accusation, Cerdan is taking the PP to court to clear her name. In a classic political manoeuver she said she will donate any compensation to local charities.

SONIA CERDAN: Is trying to clear her name.

Almanzora Valley supercycle HUNDREDS of cyclists, amateur and professional, gathered in Seron to blaze through the latest edition of the Extreme Filabres Trail. The intense 32.5-kilometre trek taking in the scenic highlights of the Almanzora Valley forms part of a points scoring test for the Andalucian Mountain Racing Cup.

More than 200 took off from Macael before taking in Somontin, Purchena and Tijola. A stop in Seron saw the famished racers polish off some ham, cheese, sausage and fruit. That supplied the energy for a final burst through Baceres, Olula del Rio and then back to Macael for a giant paella and awards ceremony.

E W N 23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Councillors claim to have found evidence POPULAR PARTY councillors in Albox claim to have found damning evidence that the former PSEO-run town hall fleeced the town out of more than €300,000. The alleged evidence is an invoice that bills the council for construction of a water treatment plant that never saw the light of day. The plant was supposed to have been built in Llano de los Olleres back in 2008. According to the invoice and PP allegations, the council paid a compa-

ny named Alcaina €320,000 to construct the plant. Needless to say there is nepotism involved. Alcaina is owned by the son-inlaw of the lieutenant mayor Francisco Perez Conchillo. Making matters worse is the fact it has taken so many years for the PP to get their hands on what should be transparently public documents. They claim that successive Socialist PSOE leaders have done everything in their power to stop public investigators doing their work.

The PP note that nobody could possibly steal from the public purse in a small town like Albox without the complicity of the entire executive team. With this latest revelation courts are now investigating more than €1.5 million of missing funds over non-existent projects and dubious advisors. The PP claim this has been a sophisticated robbery perpetrated by the PSOE, making multiple party members millionaires at the expense of Albox people.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Olula women get training THIS week marks the end of a course on Electronic Commerce and Digital Marketing organised by the Depar t m ent of Equal i t y f or women in Olula del Rio. The training took place over 100 hours and was requested by the council in order to adapt to modern day commerce. E-marketing is becoming a fundamental tool within the work of any com-

pany, with the likes of social networking and interactive advertisements increasingly fundamental to success. Mayor Antonio Martinez Pascual delivered the diplomas to the 12 women who took part, congratulating them and encouraging them to apply what they have learned, not only to their jobs, but also in their own lives.

Spark of genius BUDDING entrepreneurs in Huercal-Overa have been given a tremendous opportunity to put their bold ideas to the test. The local council has offered dozens of trailblazing business minds the use of old ships and industrial warehouses, giving them a physical location to help get their new enterprise off the ground. The project is expected to boost the entrepreneurial spirit that can transform the local economy of small, tightly-knit communities. Users will pay rent on the premises, but at a highly subsidised level for the first six months. If they create local jobs the subsidy increases.

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V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E W W W . E U R O W E E K LY N E W S . C O M

Spain takes No1 spot

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PROPERTY www.euroweeklynews.com

Real estate empire MADRID: Xanadu shopping centre is next.

HOUSE SALES: Have seen a healthy rise. EVERYONE’S favourite property programme has given a glowing review of Spain in its latest 2017 report. Spain has taken top spot in the 10 Best Places to Buy in 2017 from Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun. Not only has Spain kept its No1 spot. Thanks to a booming local economy and staggering high tourism numbers, the report says its ‘dominance has gotten even stronger.’ It notes the healthy rise in home sales and prices, month-onmonth improvements for three con-

secutive years, and long term optimism among property experts. With terrorism fears in other A Place in the Sun regulars like Turkey and Tunisia, Spain has also benefited from its safe and secure western European location and culture. The report highlights the Balearic Islands and Almeria as showing the best year-on-year improvements, and the Costa Blanca as offering terrific value for money with an exciting future ahead. Analysis from

By Matthew Elliott A BRITISH company has secured its position as one of the biggest real estate landlords in Spain. Intu Properties, which owns the Trafford Centre in Manchester, will soon acquire Madrid’s Xanadu shopping centre and the SnowZone company for a combined €530 million. Intu now owns three of Spain’s top 10 shopping centres and has am-

Global property strength KNIGHT FRANK is one of the biggest real estate consultants on the planet. The hugely influential firm has just released its global house price index for 2016. The excellent analysis makes terrif-

ic reading for buyers and sellers alike, especially in Spain and Europe. Knight Frank data reveals that house prices across the globe rose an average of 6 per cent last year. That’s a

substantial rise on the 4.1 per cent increase seen in 2015, and the best overall performance in three years. In fact Russia and the former Soviet states was the only major global region which saw a decline in prices. Iceland topped the table with an incredible, though unsustainable 14.7 per cent rise. Western Europe as a whole has performed remarkably well, buoyed by stellar economic growth. There are more foreign buyers boosting domestic markets than ever before, which contributes to the excellent 2016 data. Spain, of course, attracts a huge volume of foreign investors and continues to increase its global appeal beyond Europe, opening up the vast Chinese and American markets. The global economy has also consolidated recent growth according to Knight Frank, which bodes well for the stability of domestic property markets.

bitious plans for the future, most notably the much-awaited Indu Costa del Sol in Torremolinos. In Madrid the British firm will transform the iconic shopping centre. There are plans for a Nickelodeon theme park and even an aquarium. It is part of a much wider investment strategy in Spain, which has seen a tremendous commercial real estate boom since 2013. Other Indu centres are turning a tidy profit in

Asturias, Oviedo and Zaragoza. Xanada will be the crown jewel on its emergent empire. More than 13 million people visit each year to enjoy 15 cinemas, hundreds of shops and Spain’s only indoor ski slope. The firm has seen an opening in the lack of one dominant shopping centre in many Spanish regions. With the economy in fine shape and the property market heating up, now is as good a time as any to invest.

Gardens are now a luxury in the UK LESS than a third of properties for sale in British towns and cities have a back garden. Even including leafy suburbs and rural villages buyers are less likely than ever before to secure their own plot of green. Research from online esta te a ge nts s how s tha t in London four in 10 properties have no outside space whatsoever. It’s far from a southern problem, however. Eight of the 10 worst cities for buye rs hoping for a s umme r ba rbe c ue a re the north of England. Greenfinger buyers would do best to look in the Yorkshire and Humberside regions where the vast majority of homes have at least a communal space. With the pa c e of home building set to escalate to me e t high de ma nd in the

BACK GARDENS: Are set to become a premium asset. coming decade, gardens are set t o becom e a pr em i um asset, or a charming bonus, like an old fireplace, or cellar. New developments under pressure to build fast and furiously while earning a handsome profit will view garden space as a luxurious

waste of square footage. There is already controversy over the quality of the new builds slowly taking over gr een bel t s. Sever al developers have had to pay out substantial compensation to owners who found extremely dangerous structural faults in the buildings.

OPINION & COMMENT

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Paul Hollywood says he stayed with Great British Bake Off for the crew Richard Shanley

Dishing the Dirt OF EUROPA DIGITAL

PAUL HOLLYWOOD wants you to know that he didn’t just sign on with Channel 4’s revamped Great British Bake Off for the whopping pay cheque. (Although it probably didn’t hurt!) The veteran baker and breadmaker (not a euphemism) was the only member of Bake Off’s on-air team to make the move to Channel 4, after his fellow judge Mary Berry and presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins chose not to leave their home at the BBC. Some angry fans accused Paul of a money-grab, but he insists that it wasn’t the money that swayed him to sign on the dotted line with Channel 4. “There can be as many as 100 people working behind the scenes and it’s the same people every year,” he told us. “I’m always very loyal to those I work with. I am on screen but we are all part of the team.” He added: “Now [that the new se-

GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF: Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry had their differences. ries] is approaching, I am getting excited. Chapter one has finished, the ride was amazing and now chapter two is about to start.” Mary Berry recently opened up about her own decision to quit Bake Off, and admitted she’d disagreed with Paul about how to pro-

ceed once the show moved from the BBC. “I would always stand by him,” she insisted. “Paul and I had our differences about what was important to us, but he is a brilliant bread-maker and I admired him a lot.” Channel 4 is reportedly zeroing in on restaurateur

Prue Leith as Mary’s replacement, although there’s been no firm announcement yet. Everyone knows that alongside David Attenborough, James Corden is basically a national treasure. Anyway, Smithy’s BACK and he’s bringing The Late Late Show to the UK. Speaking to Radio Times, he said: “We do have some stuff planned this year - which might involve being in the UK.” Asked whether that means a home-grown version of the show or broadcasting from the UK, the 38-year-old presenter added: “We’re talking about it now, really.” If you would like me to answer any questions you may have on satellite TV or to expand on anything I have written about please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europa-digital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show every weekday from 10am on Spectrum 96.1 & 106.8FM, now covering almost 3,000sq kms of Costa Almeria and Calida or listen online at costaalmeria.spectrumfm.net for the latest news and views from the world of television.

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GARDENS

How to grow Aloe Vera with flowers By Graeme Tyrrell HAVING an attractively sculptured flowering cactus type plant that is easy to grow with minimal watering and care makes the Aloe Vera a perfect addition to any balcony, terrace or garden. Aloes grow very well in pots, containers and planter boxes indoors or outdoors and any well drained areas of the garden with shade. It doesnâ€™t grow very big when restricted to a smaller container and it will not become invasive in the garden.

The difficult thing however is to obtain its flowers. The yellow tubular flowers of Aloe Vera, borne on an up to 90 centimetre branched panicle or stem, are striking but there is an art to encouraging it to form flowers. The plants usually need to be more than four years old to flower. Aloes must be kept healthy by not exposing to cold in winter or sunburn in summer. They need plenty of light but not direct summer sun for very long in the day as the leaves will become burnt and, as they

ALOE VERA: The yellow tubular flowers are striking.

are long lasting leaves, it can take a long time to recuperate with new leaves. They should, however, have maximum exposure to bright indirect or filtered sunlight. The flower buds form in late winter for blooming in spring so this is the time to allow the maximum exposure to sunlight with periods of direct sunlight from some milder winter sun. In the garden under a deciduous tree is perfect for this to occur naturally. This will encourage flowers to form. They require minimal fer-

tiliser if you use a good quality soil mix and repot with new mixture every couple of years. An annual weak liquid fertiliser in early spring will help inspire the flowers and healthy growth. Aloe Vera has been grown for thousands of years as a medicinal herb, particularly for sunburn and as a moisturiser in many parts of the world. To grow Aloe successfully it must have good drainage from the soil mix that it grows in. Propagation is very easy as offset shoots appear around the mature parent plant.

PERMACULTURE EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Telephone: 666 33 33 35 info@permamed.org http://permamed.org/

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House Soiling Cure – Read Part 1 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

IF you follow this programme you will have a happy, reliable pet in three days. That’s right, THREE DAYS. I know you think that’s impossible or will take a miracle, but I promise you it’s true. Housetraining is easy but only if you do it right. The wrong way, yelling, screaming, hitting your dog, creates lasting bad feelings between the two of you and often fails. The right way is quick, easy, stress free and creates the proper, loving relationship between you and your pet.

You should have a few specific tools for this job as well as a leather leash, leather collar, and proper food for the age of your dog, a food dish and a water bowl. The tools There are two essential tools for the housetraining process. One is any of a few products which contain enzymes to remove all traces of the inevitable mistakes that will occur and the second is a ‘crate’ or ‘kennel’ to house your dog when you can’t be there to monitor him.

This crate is the key to this method of housetraining. Selecting the crate Crates come in different sizes so you should select one based on the present size of your dog. Your crate should be just big enough so your dog can turn around in it. Don’t worry that it’s too small, too cramped, for the short periods of time that you dog will be in his crate, it will be just fine. Enzyme products There are many of these on the market and they’re all good.

These will be used according to the directions, whenever your pet makes a mistake and are essential. Without them,

your dog will be attracted back to the same spot. No amount of scrubbing or cleaning will remove the odour.

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I’m in the seat of a Ford Sierra Cosworth... holding a flamethrower. Can’t get much happier than that.”

MOTORING www.euroweeklynews.com

Motoring shorts Some might say...

Wild adventures for BMW By Matthew Elliott BRAVING some of the harshest winter weather in Europe, the new BMW X6 M50d Drive passed its icy test with flying colours. The powerful three litre diesel, which has enjoyed critical acclaim since its 2016 release, was in Romania to tackle a high altitude mountain road for a film project. BWW brought the cars to the wild mountainous region in freezing temperatures below -20C to shoot it along the Transfagarasan h i g h w a y, o n c e c a l l e d t h e m o s t beautiful road in the world by Jeremy Clarkson. The short film even includes footage of the gorgeous car, which can reach 100kph in 5.2 seconds, gliding along past the infamous Dracula Castle on the snow-covered road. A total of 10 Translyvanian locations were covered, a distance of 2.5km, reaching altitudes above

ICY TEST: Passed with flying colours.

2,000 metres. The resultant masterpiece is called Frozen Romania and is available to view online. The BMW X 6 M50d handles the

ice and extreme conditions with ease. Small turbo-chargers offer extremely sharp response times. Fuel consumption is low and efficient,

while a powerful engine output of 381hp can conquer even the half-vertical ice slopes of the Carpathian mountains.

Enzo: The Film A NEW biopic on motoring legend Enzo Ferrari will star Australian actor Hugh Jackman. Directed by Michael Mann, the film will be set in 1957 when the Italian firm was engaged in a fierce rivalry with Maserati and on the cusp of greatness at Le Mans. The film will tackle Ferrari’s extemely tough management style, the deaths of some of his most famous drivers on the tracks, and his long, complicated relationship with wife Linda. Welsh star Christian Bale reportedly backed out of talks to play Enzo. Another biopic starring Robert de Niro may also be in the works. Mann’s production has been on the table for 17 years but was plagued by legal controversies.

MOTORING

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23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Renault Grand Scenic RENAULT was a pioneer of the MPV, introducing its Espace model in 1984 and later its compact MPV the Scenic. Since then, competition in the sector has become much more intense, but the Scenic is still a mainstream contender, available in five and seven seater form, and priced from €26,890 (£23,375). My test model was the seven-seat Grand Scenic, priced at €32,719 (£28,445) in Dynamique S Nav spec, and with a 1.6 litre diesel engine and 6speed manual gearbox. Fuel economy is a plus-point for this model - 21.7 kpl (61.4 mpg). Top speed is 190 kph, the 0-100 kph time 11.4 seconds. Striking appearance is also a Grand Scenic ace card - its sweeping curvy lines give it an eye-catching infusion of French flair. This Grand model is no wider nor taller than the five-seat Scenic, but has a longer rear overhang and longer wheelbase to create the space for a third

GRAND SCENIC: Striking appearance.

row of seats. Entry-level versions include massive 20-inch alloy wheels, active emergency braking, hill start assist, cruise control and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with DAB radio and Bluetooth - a lot of kit for the money. My Dynamique S Nav model adds much more, including head-up display, rear parking camera and panoramic glass sunroof. On the road, the car gives a very comfortable ride - not as soft as in the C4 Picasso but nice enough on good surfaces. On rutted or pot-holed roads, the big wheels do feel the bumps. The 1.6 litre diesel unit pulls well, with good mid-range power for safe overtaking. The cabin has a practical layout but like so many rival models - looks rather dull thanks to overuse of dark plastics. There are plenty

of places to stow oddments, the rear seats are easy to adjust and fold and the middle-row provides very good leg room. The rear seats are really just for children, or adults on short journeys. With the third-row folded flat, there is plenty of luggage space - 765 litres. With all seven seats in use, there is still a useful 233 litres. The Grand Scenic is a very strong contender in its class, and you do feel that you could drive right across Europe in it and still be relaxed on arrival. And its charismatic visual styling ensures that when you do arrive, you’ll be noticed! Model tested is UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

Stats panel: Model: Renault Grand Scenic Dynamique Engine: 1.6 litre diesel Transmission: 6-speed manual Performance: 0-100 kph 11.4 seconds, top speed 190 kph Economy: 21.7 kpl Emissions: 119g/km

EWN

Nerves and speed in Barca MCLAREN has endured a nightmare start to the Formula One pre-season. Engine problems forced two stoppages on the last of Barcelona trials, an enormous embarrassment with the new MCL 32 under intense scrutiny. That Honda supplied the engines will come as little surprise to fans, who have watched McLaren’s shaky starts since their partnership with the Japanese firm began two years ago. Fernando Alonso and teammate Stoffel Vandoorme were

left furious when electrical problems forced the heavily hyped car to sputter out and head to the pits. Alonso didn’t mince his words and publicly criticised Honda for being ‘unreliable.’ Formula One has spent two weeks in Barcelona ahead of what promises to be an extremely competitive season. Red Bull is set to pose a serious threat to Mercedes and Ferrari. with Australian star Daniel Ricciardo proving in Spain that the emergent team are up for a fight.

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

Behind the scenes with SPV Racing FOLLOWING Euro Weekly News publisher Steven Euesden’s recent debut in SPV Racing’s Ligier JS P3 European Le Mans Series car, we headed to the Costa del Solbased outfit’s Alhaurin el Grande headquarters to chat with manager Lars GV Linberg. During our talk, the overriding impression was an admirable attention to detail, as he readily explained. “In my previous life I worked with the McLaren F1 technical guys, McLaren Applied Technologies, and part of the work there was to take Formula 1 into the aviation sector. “What we looked at there was the massive amount of simulations they are doing with the Formula 1, not only looking at their car but at the competition, and then when you start taking data from all the millions of runs that you’ve done, you can get some real information, LARS GV LINBERG: Manager.

so that when something happens, you have the answers. “I used to run Group C cars 20 years ago, also racing Porsches, but then I got too caught up in aviation as a captain for Scandinavian Airlines and then a test pilot, but when we moved to Spain from Dubai I found I had time to get back into things.”

One of the most impressive pieces of kit was the Oculus Rift VR headset that the drivers use.

How did the team itself come about? “Together with Raul, who was working at Ascari [circuit in Ronda] doing the technical operations but left to form his own company, running everything up to Formula 1 cars, and we joined forces to create SPV. “Last year besides our Le Mans car we ran two Nascars in the European Series and we had eight podiums during the season which was quite fun, although very different to the Ligiers.” A little bit more about the Ligier car, and about your plans to compete in LMP-2 next year? “So, on the racing side we have a fouryear plan, and next year our plan is to go up to an LMP-2 car and run that in the European Le Mans Series and qualify for Le Mans, and longer term we want to race in the World Endurance Championship, which is like Formula 1 for prototypes. “Within that you have the LMP-1 which is the pinnacle, you have Toyota and Audi and Porsche and Nissan, and it’s extremely high tech with energy recovery systems and so on.” How much input do you have into the current Ligier car in terms of adjustment and tweaking? Is there a series of parameters you have to stay within? “Yes, there are a set of parameters which you can’t adjust, but there

are quite a few you can work with, like the angles, the camber, tyre pressure which is enormously important. “Last year we had Borja Garcia, exToyota and Williams F1, a brilliant, absolutely fantastic driver, but I drove the car at Ascari after him, and I never, ever felt a car that was so nervous. “For him, the car was extremely responsive, but I was completely dry in my mouth!” Is the Ligier difficult to drive? “With the braking, and I think Steven had the same experience, you have to really push it hard and you can go really deep in, and basically you slam your left leg in as hard as you can and then you have to ease off a bit as it slows down. “You can drive much, much faster than you think at first. “Every lap we take all the data out of the car, so we have the engine parameters, how much braking, we know where you are on the track, so when you look afterwards with the engineer you can see exactly what you did, and how the car behaves if we make a change on the suspension or the angles.” Perhaps one of the most impressive pieces of kit was the Oculus Rift VR headset that the drivers use in conjunction with a mock-up cockpit, and Lars was clearly impressed by the technology. “With this, you have a complete 3D environment, so the driver can really test and really feel the car, and we can do all the changes on the car virtually, and you can feel it! “We can take data from the car and put it in the computer, allowing the drivers to practise without going on the track.” Many thanks to Lars for a brief but fascinating insight into the world of motorsport, and best of luck from all at EWN Media Group for the forthcoming season.

LIGIER JS P3: European Le Mans series car.

SPORT

23 - 29 March 2017 / Costa de Almería

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EWN

Irish Eyes are smiling as the F1 engines start revving up Tony Matthews International Sports A former player and now the world’s most prolific author of football books with almost 150 published since 1975, Tony is also the sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio and lives on La Pilica in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains overlooking Turre. Costa de Almeria

FOOTBALL After the excitement of FA Cup and European football, we have international action at various levels over the next week or so. In friendlies last night, Scotland played Canada while in Dortmund, Germany met England whose coach Gareth Southgate was contemplating using Jermain Defoe and four Manchester United players, as well as handing debuts to a couple of others. Tomorrow, in 2018 World Cup qualifiers, it’s Italy v Albania, Spain v Israel and the Republic of Ireland v Wales. Then on Sunday, we have England v Lithuania, Northern Ireland v Norway and S c o t l a n d v Sl o v e n ia, followed next Tuesday by the Republic of Ireland v LEICESTER CITY: Had a brilliant win over Sevilla.

Iceland. Premiership and Championship clubs are ‘off duty’ this weekend but there are some intriguing matches in the lower divisions including Oldham v Sheffield United and Shrewsbury v Bolton in FL1 and a top-ofthe-table clash between Doncaster and Plymouth in FL2. After their brilliant win over Sevilla in the last round of the Champions League, Leicester City (UK’s sole survivors after Manchester City blew it in Monaco) will face Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. The other ties are Barcelona v Juventus (a repeat of the 2015 final), Bayern Munich v holders Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund v Monaco. In the last eight of the Europa League, Manchester United (after overcoming FC Rostov) will face Anderlecht, Celta Vigo play Genk, Ajax meet FC Schalke and Besiktas visit Lyon.

As it stands, we could have an all-German or allSpanish CL final and an allBelgium EL final. And for the record, Leicester have met Atletico twice before, in the ECWC of 1961-62 and UEFA Cup of 1997-98, and in 1956, Manchester United beat Anderlecht 10-0 in a European Cup preliminary tie. On the domestic front, Chelsea (2-1 winners at Stoke) lead the PL by 10 points from Spurs; Hull, Middlesbrough and Sunderland are the bottom three. The top three in the Championship are Newcastle, Brighton (recent 2-0 losers at Leeds) and Huddersfield (despite a 4-0 thrashing at Bristol City) while Blackburn, Wigan and Rotherham are at the bottom. Celtic, 25 points clear, need one more win to clinch their sixth successive SPL title; Real Madrid lead Barcelona by two points in La Liga; Bayern Munich (Germany); Juventus (Italy) and Monaco (France) are eyeing up their domestic titles. PL/FL managers are still being dismissed thick and fast… the latest being Aitor

Karanka by Middlesbrough. He was the 44th boss to lose his job this season and the seventh in March alone, following Gary Brazil (from Nottingham Forest after 59 days), Warren Joyce (Wigan), Steve McClaren (Derby), Alex Neil (Norwich), Graham Westley (Newport) and Russell Slade (Coventry). Who’s next I wonder? FORMULA ONE The first F1 Grand Prix of 2017 takes place in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday… and following an excellent practice campaign, Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) is among the favourites to win this opening race, but never write off Lewis Hamilton! RUGBY UNION Last Saturday ‘champions’ England failed to set a new world record of 19 successive Test victories by losing 13-9 to Ireland in their final 2017 Six Nations match in Dublin. The other ‘last

day’ games ended France 20 Wales 18 (after 20 minutes of added time) and Scotland 29 Italy 0. Leicester beat Exeter 10-6 in last Sunday’s AngloWelsh Cup final. Exeter (2nd in the Aviva PL) play Sale on Saturday. HORSE RACING Race-goers at Cheltenham last week (+ millions of TV viewers) saw some terrific racing with Buveur D’Air (Champion Hurdle), Special Tiara (Champion Chase) and Sizzling John (Gold Cup) winning the top races. Ruby Walsh (four winners) and Gordon Elliott (six firsts and more seconds than Willie Mullins) won the top jockey and top trainer awards respectively. The next big meeting is at Aintree, from April 6-9, with Vieux Lion Rouge favourite to win the Grand National.

Cheltenham Facts The four-day festival attracted 261,834 spectators 65,896 on St Patrick’s Day. Revenue from ticket sales/sponsorship/hospitality topped £20m; £4.3m went in prize money in 28 races; £100m entered the Gloucestershire Economy; 105,000 passengers used the local railway; 80,000 preferred the bus; 20,000 bottles of Champagne and 120,000 bottles of red/white wine were corked; 265,000 pints of Guinness were pulled; 8,000 gallons of tea/coffee was served; 45,000 bread rolls were eaten; of the 5,936 staff, 350 were chefs who prepared nine tonnes of potatoes, five tonnes of fresh/smoked salmon, plus beef, chicken, fish and loads of curry and rice, and 30 extra flights flew Irish punters across from Dublin. ROUND-UP Bangladesh’s cricketers won their 100th Test match, beating Sri Lanka by four wickets… and Roger Federer beat Stan Wawrinka in the final of the men’s singles at Indian Wells.

BUVEUR D’AIR: Won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham races.

DID YOU KNOW? It costs one UK household £1,105.38 a year to get ‘live’ football matches on TV - £145.50 for a licence plus £49.50 per month for Sky and £22.99 a month for BT.

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LAST Saturday ‘champions’ England failed to set a new world record of 19 successive Test victories by losing 13-9 to Ireland in their final 2017 Six Nations match in Dublin.

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Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

Campbell Lamont Qualifier for Aguilon THE warmer weather is promoting the growth of grass around the course, whic h sh o u l d g e t it in pristine condition over the next few weeks. A g u i l o n m e m b e rs played in the Campbell Lam o n t Qu a l i f i e r o n Friday March 10. It was a lovely sunny day with very little wind which proved to be helpful in the players returning good scores. Results: 1st Derek Man n i n g 3 7 p t s, 2 n d George Holland 36 pts on a card play off, 3rd Phil Miles 36 pts. Twos: Rick Hull 3rd, Chris Baker 8th, Chris Tyler 12th. Wednesday March 15

w as th e p en u ltima te Campbell Lamont Qualifier and members were subjected to very strong winds. However after two days of heavy rain, the course had drained well and the sun was out again, although scoring was difficult. R es u lts : 1 s t L o u is L o n g 3 4 p ts o n a ca rd p lay o ff, 2 n d S an d ra Hooker 34 pts, 3rd Ann Miles 33 pts on a card play off. Tw o s : R o y Bis h o p 8 th , M ik e H o o k er, D ere k M a n n in g an d Dave Sharp 17th. For further information log on to the club’s website at aguilonmem bersclub.com.

SPORT

Carbrera LBC Pairs Championships CARBRERA LBC hosted the Ladies Pairs and the Gent’s Pairs Club Championships between February 24 and March 12. As was expected there were a lot of entries for these prestigious competitions. The gent’s final was contested between John Wilson and Chris Cole against Rod Band and Malcolm Smallwood. Malcolm had won this competition last year but with a different partner. John and Chris were always ahead but on the 14th end they dropped a six to give the lead to Rod and Malcolm 19-15. John and Chris picked up a three on the next end but then dropped a four on the 16th end losing 25-19 after 18 ends. Many congratulations to Rod and Malcolm and commiserations to John and Chris. The ladies final was played at the same time keeping the many spectators enthralled. This match was between Sandra Marriott and Jackie Mayhew against Lyn Band and Jean Smallwood. The ladies final was a repeat of last year’s when Lyn and Jean were the victors. Sandra and Jackie started off the stronger but Lyn and Jean fought back gallantly and after nine ends were only three shots behind. After 17 ends Lyn and Jean were only

ABOVE: (left to right) Jackie Mayhew and Sandra Marriott. FAR RIGHT: (left to right) Rod Band and Malcolm Smallwood. one shot behind but on the last end Jean bowled two fantastic woods moving the jack to within six inches of the ditch resulting in a toucher in the ditch leaving them holding two shots and a match winning position. Sandra, with her last wood, cut it down to one shot leaving the match all square which would result in an extra tie break end. Jackie, however, with the

very last wood of the 18 ends bowled what can only be described as the perfect bowl firstly resting on the jack and then both jack and wood gently dropped into the ditch giving them the match by two shots. Absolutely fantastic! Many congratulations to Sandra and Jackie who got their reward after last year’s final. Commiserations to Lyn and Jean but a great final.