Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1656

30 March - 5 April 2017

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

Stop Press

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

DON’T MISS OUR PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT INSIDE! PAGES 39 - 44

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Need for weed A 36-YEAR-OLD man from Cuevas de Almanzora has been arrested for attempting to flee a police control with 10.7 kilos of marihuana buds in his car. Once he spotted the police in front of him, the man apparently attempted to reverse back along the motorway as traffic flew past him, but he was soon stopped and his vehicle checked over. See page 2

Gravel is the pits Balls up Beaches at risk due to use of cheap material

By Matthew Elliott Titanic efforts to regenerate key beaches ahead of a packed Easter week are instead causing serious damage, experts claim. Ecologists in Action issued a stark warning that beaches from Carboneras to Mojacar are being ruined to satisfy tourists. Instead of quality sand that adapts well to the gorgeous coastline from Cabo de Gata to Pulpi, diggers are bringing in dodgy material from local quarries. Ecologists in Action say Mojacar residents have witnessed 15 tons of spillage between Cuevas and Carboneras. The bulk of it was cheap gravel and clay. The environment ministry rejects the charges and claims the quality of imported material has been approved by the Mojacar Council. Recently the government set itself the Herculean task of replenishing Almeria’s most treasured beaches with thousands of tons of sand as the spring season gets underway. But its desperation to get the work done by the Easter holidays may have devastating consequences. The heavily protected marine ecosystems that make up the coastline of the Almerian

A MOTHER was left shocked and hurt on Father ’s Day when she was banned from a family photo with her son’s football team for being a woman.

When the team’s coach asked the Federation whether Jennifer could join in for the photo, he was told it was a men-only affair. See page 6

Family favours A NEW scandal has rocked Almeria Council. Three city politicians are accused of manipulating the tender to ensure that a lucrative construction contract went to family members. Detectives went so far as to wiretap the premises of Meson Gitano, a famous Gypsy-themed theatre cum restaurant built using €5.4 million of European funds. See page 12

Case resumes MARINE ECOSYSTEMS: Are in dire need of quality new sand. Levante are in dire need of new sand. But an avalanche of clay and gravel risks damaging the seabed, killing marine life and recklessly diluting what little sand is left. Even the colour of sea might change over time as the Costa’s cherished biodiversity becomes a gravelly

graveyard. By seeking profit from tourism in the shortterm, the government is counterproductively set to destroy Almeria’s greatest natural attraction, the group warns. Ecologists in Action claim they now have no choice but to launch an official com-

plaint to the European Commission, urging that Spain be stopped from wrecking the region’s natural heritage. They also warn that residents of Almeria must get used to the idea that, without dramatic action, the iconic coastline will vanish in the not-too-distant future.

ONE of the biggest corruption cases to ever engulf the Almanzora Valley is back in the courtrooms. The ‘Costurero’ case centres on whether the former mayor of Zurgena, Candido Trabalon, and other officials, padded out their bank accounts with a small fortune by issuing illegal planning licences. See page 58

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

LOCAL NEWS

Brat blunder A TEENAGER who sued his own mother because she took his phone away has been laughed out of court by a judge. The 15y e a r- o l d f r o m A l m e r i a launched the lawsuit him-

self, demanding that his mother be imprisoned for nine months and pay his legal costs. He claimed that confiscating his smart phone amounted to mistreatment.

Thyme bandits SEPRONA agents seized 650 kilos of illegally collected thyme from herb pluckers sneaking around Cabo de Gata-Nijar natural park. The aromatic herb, used in recipes around the world, is also hugely important to stablising the diverse ecosystems of the protected park. The collectors can expect heavy fines as environmental protection agents continue to clamp down heavily on poachers.

Tunnel vision CULTURE is the new buzz word for Almeria leaders who want to attract a more sophisticated breed of tourist to the province. Incredible subterranean tunnels used during the Spanish Civil War will be opened to the public and a ring of museums established around the city. At 9.5 kilometres long the tunnels are the world’s largest known shelter of this type.

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NEWS

Motorway arrest for drug trafficker By Matt Ford A 36-YEAR-OLD man from Cuevas de Almanzora has been arrested for attempting to flee a police control with 10.7 kilos of marihuana buds in the back of his car. The pungent plant life had been dried and vacuum-sealed ready for distribution and consumption, but the driver was flagged down by a Guardia Civil traffic unit on the A-7 motorway near Nijar. Once he spotted the police in front of him, the man apparently attempted to reverse back along the motorway as traffic flew past him, but he was soon stopped and his vehicle parked on the hard shoulder. As soon as they got inside, the police were struck by “an overpowering whiff of marihuana,” according to one of the officers involved. Opening up the boot, they quickly located 10 plastic bags alongside a ma-

HIDDEN DRUGS: There were 10 plastic bags inside the car. chine and materials used to shrink wrap the smelly bundles. The man must now appear in front of

a court in Almeria City, where he will face charges of drug trafficking and attempting to evade the law.

NEWS

Gypsy feast for hero martyrs UNDER the directions of Pope Francis, 115 Catholic martyrs from Almeria were beatified. Among them was the first gypsy martyr of the Church, Emilia Fernandez, who was tortured by Franco’s fascists. Aged just 24 she died in the notorious Gachas Coloras women’s prison when she was denied medical attention after giving birth. To her last breath she refused to reveal who taught her to recite the rosary. Hundreds of pilgrims, gypsies, nuns and priests celebrated the beatifications with a flamenco show at the Almera Apollo. There was music from Maria Jose Santiago, a famous Gitano singer who once performed in front of the Pope and 5,000 gypsies.

Deep sea challenge A SPORTS solidarity challenge got off to a flying start at Cabo de Gata-Nijar. The natural park organised a swim project to raise funds for children’s charities. A series of ambitious challenges will see brave athletes and fundraisers try to conquer the watery depths of Almeria’s swimming pools and coastline. There will be races in the pools to prepare for an epic swim around the park’s gorgeous blue waters when the weather heats up. All funds raised go to help children with cancer at a specialist hospital in Madrid. The challenge has attracted national attention. The opening ceremony was presented by Olympic swimmer and world record holder Rafael Munoz.

Banana republic OUTRAGED activists are furious over a Guardia Civil attempt to identify and punish peaceful protesters in Benahadux. Dozens of people gathered to express their anger that public works had destroyed a local site of tremendous archaeological value. But now the Guardia Civil, under the controversial gag law, are examining video surveil-

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...7 With 15 National Parks (NPs) covering an area of more than 325,000 hectares, Spain offers extraordinary landscapes and wildlife in addition to its more famous touristic charms. From snowcapped mountains to unspoilt archipelagos and alien-like lava flows, the state-protected natural spaces showcase the nation’s spectacular diversity.

INSIDE VIEW News 1 - 26

Call of the wild

Finance

A BITE-SIZED sample of the natural wonders in store for budding adventurers.

Leapy Lee 35

Picos de Europa.

Wildlife wonderland Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici.

Mountain high TWO of the most iconic NPs are found in the peaks of the Aragonese and Catalan Pyrenees, where the Ordesa y Monte Perdido and Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici NPs offer wild scenery filled with deep, glacial valleys, lakes and a myriad of crystal-clear streams. Equally memorable hiking and mountain biking can be experienced in the Picos de Europa, Sierra Nevada, and Sierra de Guadarrama NPs, in Asturias, Andalucia, and Madrid/Castile y Leon, respectively.

FOR those seeking a salty flavour alongside world class birdwatching, the Atlantic Islands of Galicia NP offers some of the most important seabird colonies in Europe. In the Mediterranean, the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial NP in the Balearics has one of the best-preserved coastal landscapes and is home to many birds and endemic plants, plus endangered marine species including turtles and whales. For a spot of continental twitching, head to the Tablas de Daimiel NP, a restored wetland on the otherwise arid plains of Castile-La Mancha, combined with a tour of the nearby Cabañeros NP, the most well-preserved remaining example of Iberian Mediterranean forest. Alternatively, check out the one of the planet’s largest black vulture colonies at Monfragüe NP in Extremadura, or see lynx or birdlife in Doñana NP, Andalucia.

lance with view to catching and fining the protesters. The gag law makes it illegal to protest without authorisation, disrespect a police officer, or even take a photo of one.

Historic plan approved MOJACAR’S general town planning strategy was given the green light at a

landscape formed of solidified lava. But finally, perhaps the most unique among Spain’s national treasures belongs to the island of La Gomera, where the Garajonay NP ranks among the world’s best example of laurisilva,

recent plenary session, which also approved an environmental protection strategy from the Andalucian government. The decision grants Mojacar the authority to have a total of 15,000 homes with a capacity for just over 25,000 residents. At present there are 9,511 homes built. The plan also includes new regulations on footpaths, rural roads, parks, beaches and viewpoints.

Man’s a dead give away A NERVOUS neighbour began to perspire when he came across a police patrol in Huercal-Overa. In fact the 52-year-old acted so suspiciously as he snuck past the officers gripping his pockets that they stopped to ask what was wrong. Noting his sweaty brow and shaky palms they conducted a quick search and found 20 grams of cocaine in

his pockets. At that point he cracked and admitted have even more drugs stashed in his home. He led the officers to his house and handed over a further 22 grams of cocaine and 56 grams of methamphetamine. It was easily enough to supply a localised drug dealing operation. Needless to say he was arrested on the spot and is now awaiting sentencing.

TV 46

Letters 48

Time Out 50

Health &

Life on Mars THE remaining four NPs are all in the Canary Islands, where ramblers can visit the active and imposing 3,718metre volcano Mount Teide, the nation’s highest summit. A volcanic influence is also conspicuous in La Palma’s Caldera de Taburiente NP which was formed via erosion, while on Lanzarote the Timanfaya NP has unique ‘Martian’

Property

Beauty 52

Social

Timanfaya. a humid subtropical forest that dominated southern Europe millions of years ago.

First class frigate ONE of the most advanced combat ships in the Spanish Armada docked in the port of Almeria. The Blas de Lezo is an F-100 class air defence vessel equipped with powerful anti-aircraft missile systems and spy radar. One of the most sophisticated warships on the planet, the F-103 category frigate can shift 5,000 tons of weight and costs approximately 500 million to build.

Albox 58

Classifieds 65

Motors 67

Sport 71

Postscript to ponder

43.4

The number of individual organ donors per million Spanish people last year, reinforcing the nation’s global leadership and outstripping the EU (19.6) and US (26.6) averages.

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Gang busted A GANG of mainly Romanians believed to have broken into more than 90 commercial buildings throughout Spain has been arrested near Madrid by officers who seized stolen items worth €96,000 together with firearms, six vehicles, 44 mobile phones, 2,000 metres of copper cable, 49 new tyres and €785.

No deals DISARMAMENT of the ETA must be unconditional according to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy who underlined his belief by saying that “there is no negotiation with terrorists,” a belief shared by Socialist Group spokesperson Antonio Hernando.

Food swoop EIGHTEEN tons of food and 6,000 litres of drinks - all out of date, counterfeit, unlabelled or improperly labelled - have been seized in Melilla following shop and warehouses checks.

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Mars goal

on SPAIN

Around the nation in 7 stories

Postcard from

JoJan Wikimedia

A NEW political party has emerged in Catalan whose primary focus is the conquest of Mars. ‘Alternativa’ claim Spanish politics has taken a backwards step and they want to distance themselves from rivals through space exploration and by not supporting the local independence referendum.

Time to pay up

GIRONA WITH a population of just under 100,000, Girona city with several rivers flowing through it is pleasant to visit especially given its proximity to Barcelona. For fans of author Dan Brown and adherents to the search for the Holy Grail, Girona has an important part to play in deciphering its whereabouts and also with helping identify with what it is. According to those who believe that the Grail was cared for by the Cathars in France prior to their massacre, there appear to be many similarities in their bases in the Languedoc to buildings in Girona. Urban myths suggest that Salvador Dali, Howard Hughes and Jean Cocteau were part of a secret society which understood the meaning of the Grail. Several books by Patrice Chaplin, former wife of Charlie Chaplin’s son, confirm this shared belief. What might once have been dismissed as nonsense has attracted interest from the University of West London which has helped research and develop a new pan-European Holy Grail tourist route which takes in Girona, a city that traces its establishment back to 79BC.

A GALICIA court has ordered lowcost airline Vueling to pay a disabled passenger €4,000 compensation after hearing that she was refused boarding for a return flight back to Chile because of claims her wheelchair was too heavy.

What a find THE tomb of an Egyptian noble has been found near Aswan by Spanish archaeologists who have been excavating locally for nearly 10 years. Believed to date back nearly 4,000 years a number of tomb ornaments were discovered along with the mummy.

Numbers that add up to local life 9,474,556 13.1 % 11% people in Spain now receive some form of State pension.

the Spanish industrial turnover rise for January 2017, the best for 11 years.

of Spaniards admit buying counterfeit goods, according to the European Union Intellectual Property Office.

NEWS

Birthdays • Sergio Ramos, Footballer, March 30 Spanish footballing legend Sergio Ramos is a long time fixture of both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, joining both in 2005. He played a key role in Spain’s World Cup win in 2010 and was named La Liga’s best defender for four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015. • Ewan McGregor, Actor, March 31, 46 Scottish actor McGregor shot to fame in his portrayal of Mark Renton in the cult 1996 film Trainspotting. He then went on to star in big budget movies, gaining recognition as the young ObiWan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. His most recent role is as Lumiere in the box office smash Beauty and the Beast. • Beth Tweddle, Gymnast, April 1, 32 British gymnastics champion Tweddle has had an incredibly successful career, competing in three Olympic games in Athens, Beijing, and London, where she won the bronze medal on the uneven bars. She has also won three World Championship gold medals, 11 World Cup gold medals and six European Championship gold medals. • Robert Downey Jr, Actor, April 4, 51 Robert Downey Jr’s most famous role is his portrayal of Iron Man in the Marvel universe. He won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ally McBeal in 2000 and another for Best Actor for his performance as Sherlock Holmes in 2009. • Pharrell Williams, Singer, April 5, 44 Grammy award-winning singer, rapper and music producer Williams is one half of record production duo The Neptunes and the lead vocalist of hip hop band NERD. He was nominated for an Oscar in 2014 for penning the song ‘Happy’ for the film Despicable Me 2.

NEWS

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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OUR VIEW

Wanton carnage THERE is absolutely no question that the terrible events which took place outside the Houses of Parliament are unforgivable and all of our hearts go out to those who were injured or killed and of course to their families. The fact is however that regardless of what any nation does, it will always be impossible to stop this type of attack from happening. According to reports the driver of the car who mowed down so many innocent people, including tourist visitors to London was born in Britain. Many talk about the radicalisation of the young but Khalid Masood (born Adrian Russell Ajeo) was 52 years of age and was known as a criminal who it is claimed became an agent of Daesh. Terrible as his actions were, in reality, there is little likelihood of the British people actually being intimated by what has happened and they will simply continue their lives as normal. One comfort that we can all take from this terrible event and other recent massacres in Europe is that the terrorists appear unable to make a major strike and rely upon individual madmen to drive their cars into crowds or attack people with knives. Clearly the authorities can now deal with major incursions but will never be able to stop the lone wolf!

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Step aside CARBONERAS Socialists have demanded that the Popular Party abandon its pla c e in the ruling coalition to allow fresh elections amid corruption a c c us a tions le ve lle d against Mayor Salvador Hernandez. Hernandez is an independent politician but is propped up by the conservative PP in his control of Carboneras Council. He is facing a wide range of allegations related to his activities while in office, inc luding ha nding out public contracts to associates. In February internationa l e nvironme nta l group Greenpeace announced it would take him to court over his role in the disastrous El Agarrobico hotel case.

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NEWS EXTRA

Bulletproof bobbies

NEWS

Mother banned from photo

POLICE on the beat will be equipped with 57 new bulletproof vests. But the union is demanding one vest per officer. Just last week one saved the life of an officer who was stabbed.

JENNIFER MARTINEZ: Left feeling small and helpless.

Lady luck RESIDENTS of the small Almeria town of Vicar celebrated winning €300,000 on the national lottery with the lucky number 15,922.

Hooking up DOZENS of residents of an Almeria neighbourhood protested against the Endesa electric company setting up new cables. They prefer keeping their illegal hook ups and even vandalised the new electrical supply.

A MOTHER was left shocked and hurt on Father’s Day when she was banned from a family photo with her son’s football team. Jennifer Martinez from Gador tragically lost her husband to pancreatic cancer at the tender age of 34 just last year. Since then she has played mother and father to her five-year-old son and went to watch him play in a football tournament on March 19. As it was Father’s Day the Almerian Football Federation invited

all the youngsters to take part in a group photo with their dads. Astonishingly, when the team’s coach asked the Federation whether Jennifer could join in, he was told it was a men-only affair. Despite protests the organisers were adamant that a mother couldn’t take part. Afterwards Mrs Martinez described being made to feel ‘small and helpless’ and wondered how many other children without fathers suffer on the special day.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

Money down the drain IF the Mediterranean Corridor included a high speed rail link from Almeria to Murcia fruit and veg growers would be able to save six cents per kilo on their exports, saving €160m per year. Last year Almeria sold 2.6m tons of agricultural produce outside of Spain. Construction of the Almeria-Murcia line would cost roughly €2.5 billion and last for a century. Within 15 years the investment would be paid off and the railway turning a profit. At present Almeria, Murcia and Alicante produce 5.6 tons of fruit and veg each year.

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NEWS

Almeria is stuck on a desert island By Matthew Elliott TRAIN chiefs are set to bypass Madrid and go straight to Brussels to demand a high speed rail link between Almeria and Murcia. Top businessmen and politicians claim that Almeria loses out on €168 million a year because of its lack of connections. The ‘passivity’ of the Spanish government in launching much needed infrastructure projects has led to the formation of the Train Bureau. The new platform is made up of rail experts, entrepreneurs, professionals and politicians who are sick of being stuck on a desert island. Train Bureau boss Jose Carlos Tejada said “we are going to Brussels because the

RAIL LINK: Almeria is missing out on its potential share of the profit. government has not done a damn thing to help Almeria in 18 months.” The group will now hold crucial talks with the EU transport commission and the parliament in what it describes as a historic trip. Though it appears a strictly Spanish matter, Almeria’s railways, or lack thereof, are actually hugely important to the European economy. For decades the EU has been urging Spain to improve links from Almeria to Catalonia

along what is known as the Mediterranean Corridor. This enormously lucrative corridor is one of the most promising, yet underdeveloped, trade routes in Europe. Billions of euros worth of goods, and people, travel from Andalucia to Catalonia, via Valencia, each year. But the dire state of its railways means Almeria is missing out on its potential share of the profit, while Valencia and Barcelona get richer by the day.

Campaigners were also infuriated to hear that the Spanish government spent a grand total of €6.5 million on Almeria railways in 2016. That is just 5 per cent of the total promised by the administration. In other word, for every 20 pledged, only one has been spent. The figure stands in stark contrast to the 1.7 billion given to Galicia, which has managed to connect its four main cities in a new high speed railway in under two years.

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THE Spanish Office of National Statistics (INE) collects Padron data annually, and the closing date for information to be submitted this year is March 31. This data is very important not just for town halls but for everyone living in Spain, as it is used for allocating local budgets, among other administrative process-

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Are you on the Padron, do you need to confirm your registration? es. You should register with the town hall where you live. The Padron is an administrative registration which pro-

vides proof of residence in your municipality. If you live in several places you only need to register in the place

where you live the most. Benefits include more and better public services, the ability to obtain Spanish residency, driving licence, pensioners’ card, health card, and school grants and registrations. According to the Spanish authorities, if you are resident in Spain, your registration on the Padron needs to be confirmed every five years. If you are not resident (eg living here temporarily), but are registered on the Padron, your Padron registration needs to be confirmed every two years. If your Padron registration is due for confirmation, you can do this by signing a declaration form at your town hall. In some

cases, your town hall may contact you in person (either an official from the town hall or the Local Police) or send you a letter asking you to confirm your registration. If you change your address or personal details with your local town hall, your Padron registration will be automatically confirmed. If you don’t confirm your registration every two or five years (depending upon your residency status), then your town hall will start the process to remove you from the Padron register. However, the town hall will attempt to inform you of this process, before you are removed.

The Brits in Spain FIGURES from 2016 show that 83,493 UK nationals are registered on the Padron in the Valencian region, 80,055 in Andalucia, 18,677 in Cataluña, 16,134 in the Balearics, 13,779 in Murcia, and 9,038 in Madrid.

NEWS

NEWS EXTRA

Brainiacs needed THE Popular Party said that Almeria needs at least another 21 neurosurgeons to bring it up to the Spanish average of top docs per capita. Right now there are just two for every 100,000.

Silver lining IN the decade since the financial crisis rocked the global economy, Almeria Province has lost more than 300 bank premises but perhaps it’s for the best. Most buildings are now restaurants, clothes shops and community centres.

Dead cats AN animal charity has contacted police after residents of Aguadulce found the bodies of poisoned cats littered around the streets and even near schools.

FINANCE

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Six things you should know about pensions today With Brexit looming, global uncertainty and more options than ever, pensions can be a source of concern and confusion. But expatriates could find opportunities ahead, especially those with final salary (‘defined benefit’) pensions. 1. Pension providers are vulnerable Employers providing final salary pensions guarantee a percentage of your salary throughout retirement. While income depends on salary and length of service, it is usually generous, especially compared to other pensions. Today’s low interest rates and increased life expectancy means the cost of funding these benefits has soared, making it harder for many companies to afford pension payments. Like BHS, companies with significant shortfalls can fail along with their pension schemes. 2. Transfer values have never been higher To offload pension liabilities, many companies are offering members large sums (‘transfer

By Brett Hanson, Partner, Blevins Franks values’) to leave. Some pay-outs have doubled over the last two years – sometimes by hundreds of thousands of pounds. Properly managed, such one-off pay-outs can potentially outweigh the benefits of drawing a guaranteed pension for life. 3. Expatriates can access taxefficient alternatives Expatriates may benefit from reinvesting UK pension funds into more tax-efficient arrangements for Spain or transferring to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). This can also unlock estate

planning and multi-currency advantages. While many UK pensions are payable to your spouse on death, structures like QROPS offer flexibility to include other heirs. And by holding investments in different currencies, you can potentially insulate pension income from volatility in the Pound and the Euro. However, tax benefits of QROPS vary greatly between providers and jurisdictions. Also, under certain circumstances the UK government now charges a 25% overseas transfer tax, although you will not be affected if both you and your QROPS are in the European Economic Area (EEA) or are both based in the same country outside the EEA. Nevertheless, taking professional, regulated advice is essential to establish if this approach is suitable, navigate the numerous options and avoid pension scams. 4. A lower pension allowance could catch you out Combined UK pension savings (excluding the State Pension) exceeding £1 million will breach the

lifetime pension allowance. This triggers 55% UK taxation when taking cash or 25% when drawing income or transferring to a QROPS, regardless of residency. Those with high-value pensions should consider HMRC ‘protection’ options or transferring to a QROPS to avoid tax penalties. 5. Advice is essential Transferring is not suitable for everyone and is a key target for pension scams, so it is essential to employ due diligence and use a regulated provider. For benefits worth over £30,000, the Financial Conduct Authority makes this compulsory. You should at least confirm your current transfer value and check if your scheme is at risk. If it is and your annual benefits are worth more than the government’s Pension Protection Fund maximum £33,678 compensation, consider transferring.

such high transfer values be shortlived, some speculate that the UK government may make withdrawals more difficult, or introduce more taxation on transfers for nonresidents. Amidst so much uncertainty, there has never been a better time to review your pension arrangements and consider what could work for you now, under current rules. Take personalised, professional advice to ensure you are on the right track to continue enjoying the retirement lifestyle of your choice in Spain. Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change. This article is general in nature and should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation and/or investment advice. Individuals should seek personalised advice.

6. The window of opportunity may close If you decide to transfer, now may be the time to act. Not only could

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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NEWS

As thick as thieves Furious father invades school By Matthew Elliott

A NEW scandal has rocked Almeria council. Three city politicians are accused of manipulating the tender to ensure that a lucrative construction contract went to family members. Detectives went so far as to wiretap the premises of M e s on G ita no, a fa mous Gypsy-themed theatre-cumrestaurant built using 5.4 million euros of European funds. Prosecutors claim to have iron clad evidence that three city officials made sure that the company of close family

members secured the highly sought after deal. This was despite the fact that the company concerned had no construction experience, heavy goods vehicles or e ve n re a l e s ta te in its name. The ms e lve s ke y s ha re holders in the company, the offic ia ls s tood to ma ke a s iz e a ble pe rs ona l profit through their corruption. It is only the latest in a series of executive controve rs ie s to e ngulf the province as the mayors of Carboneras and Roquetas are facing similar allegations.

A FATHER was arrested after launching a violent assault on a teacher at a Cuevas del Almanzora primary school. Sources close to the school suggested that the man entered the school during class hours to physically attack one of his sonâ€™s teachers. The incident occurred at the Our Lady of Carmen school and has been roundly condemned by police, teachers and the local government. It is understood the father was furious over an alleged

bullying incident involving his young son. He told police he had seen his son mocked and abused by other students. Why he held this one teacher accountable is unclear. He was not arrested at the scene, but only the following day when the teacher, who needed medical attention, pressed charges. The Almeria ministry of education has described the assault as an attack on all teachers and called for serious punishment.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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NEWS TOMATOES: Have cancerfighting powers.

Your secret health weapon TOMATOES are the latest secret weapon in the battle against cancer. Researchers from the University of Almeria have proven that key compounds in bright, red tomatoes can help prevent colon cancer and other manifestations of the disease. The study showed that tomatoes contain special

bioactive compounds that actively fight against cancer cells. The most important is lycopene, which is found in abundance in red tomatoes and watermelons. Even more interesting was the revelation that cooking tomatoes in olive oil intensifies their cancer-fighting powers. They combine with polyphe-

nols in the oil to form sturdy defences from the disease. The redder and rounder the tomato the better. But gazpacho, passata, and tomato juice are all excellent choices. Researchers found that rocket extracts have a similar effect and recommended the famous Mediterranean diet as the best in the business.

NEWS

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Death of infamous criminal PERHAPS Almeria’s most famous criminal of all time has died. Pompeyo Miranda Ruiz, once considered public enemy number one in Bolivia, died from cancer at Torrecardenas hospital aged 51. Miranda was serving time at El Acebuche prison for the armed robbery of a jewellers in 2016. But it is his exploits in South America that will go down in history. A petty Spanish criminal, he fled to Bolivia in the 90s and quickly rose up the ranks of a Colombian drug cartel. In 1991 he was captured by the FBI and convicted for the murder of his girlfriend and Gloey Weismam, an American DEA agent. In prison he murdered a drug dealer with a concrete slab for stealing the shampoo the Spanish ambassador brought him as a gift. He became known as the ‘Spanish Hannibal Lecter’ and briefly escaped to Peru before being caught by CIA operatives. In 2013 he was extradited to Spain and released after serving 22 years in prison but he was soon back behind bars.

Teachers go full monty A FULL MONTY strip show performed by a group of stressed Almeria teachers received rave reviews. The teachers bared all in their March 25 show to raise awareness of the lack of class-

room resources. Following an attack on a teacher in Cuevas del Almanzora they also demanded better security for teachers and students. With a standing ovation greeting the brave performers,

the show was a huge hit. There are now calls for them to just give up the poorly paid day job and tour the country fighting for teachers’ rights. Who knows, there could be a film in it someday.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Labour leader takes up pension cudgel By John Smith FOR those 450,000 living in the European Union who are worried about the possibility of their state pensions being frozen in the same way that they are for other overseas residents once Britain leaves the EU, Jeremy Corbyn has offered some words of comfort. A motion to change this situation for the 550,000 retirees who receive no increase in the pensions because they live abroad is to be debated in the House of Commons and now Jeremy Corbyn has thrown his support behind MPs from most parties including the odd Conservative, DUP, Lib Dem and SDP. As Leader of the Opposition, Corbyn can actually bring the matter to greater prominence in Parliament and has said: “It is contrary to natural justice for some pensioners living abroad

to be left behind while others have their pensions increased in line with inflation.” “The next Labour government will treat all our pensioners equally, wherever they live, and ensure that overseas pensions are levelled up, not down when Britain leaves the EU.” Whilst it is too early for pensioners to get too excited and the government has a good enough majority if it doesn’t want to spend the money, up to 1,000,000 pensioners all able to vote by 2020, cannot be ignored and it will have to tread carefully if

it doesn’t wanted to be ousted by a bunch of ‘Silver Surfers.’ FIGHTING: For pension equality.

NEWS

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Plashing Vole Flickr

Jeremy Corbyn enters the Brexit fray BREXIT PAGE By John Smith AS the countdown to the triggering Article 50 continued, Jeremy Corbyn who appeared to have been a staunch supporter of the British Government decision to recognise the referendum vote has now thrown something of a ‘spanner in the works.’ During a TV interview with Robert Peston, he said that Labour would not vote for any Brexit deal presented to parliament unless it guaranteed “unfettered access” to the European market, a proposal which has already been dismissed by EU leaders. The timing of his comments has been questioned by pro-Brexit supporters with an immediate response coming from former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith who basically suggested that this was an ab-

JEREMY CORBYN: Has thrown a ‘spanner in the works.’ surd observation and was being made so that it looked as if Labour has a policy. Although the Conservatives have a majority in Parliament, a decision by Labour to vote against the deal could

attract Tory dissidents and the SNP and DUP but in the event that a majority decided to reject the deal, if Mrs May decided to ignore the vote and leave without a deal, this could lead to a very hard Brexit.

What is clear however is that those in the EU who want to ‘punish’ Britain for deciding to leave, will certainly be able to use Mr Corbyn’s comments to their possible advantage in negotiations. As Corbyn becomes more hawkish over Brexit, Jean-Claude Juncker almost became dovish when he announced that Brussels will approach the negotiation of Britain’s withdrawal in a “friendly” and “fair” way, but warned that European institutions were not “naive” about the process. He did however go on to say the UK will be handed a bill when it leaves although not as a “punishment” but as its fair share of pensions for EU officials as well as diverse ongoing projects. Whilst no figure has been confirmed, it is estimated that it could be as high as €60 billion assuming that it is ever paid. Juncker also said that he regarded Brexit as “a failure and a tragedy” but did make it clear that one major priority was to protect the rights of EU citizens currently living in the UK and British passport holders living in the European Union.

Europe protest march A MIXTURE of Britons bor n and l i vi ng i n t he UK and t he Eur opean Union as well as Europeans living in the UK t ook t o t he st r eet s of London and Edinburgh on March 25 to protest again Brexit and to dem and t hat pl ans be r eversed. I t i s est i m at ed t hat m any t housands t ook par t i n t he London ‘Unite for Europe’ march whi ch hear d speeches from MPs David Lammy and Tim Farron as well as Sue Wilson from the Bremain in Spain group i n Par l i am ent Squar e, where they also held a one- m i nut e si l ence i n memory of those caught up in the Westminster attack.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Do you want to be a TV star? PRODUCTION company Fl am e TV i s pr oduci ng t he next ser i es of Channel Five’s hit series The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door, and this time they are bringing the show to Spain. The com pany i s looking to hear from Br i t i sh expat r i at es who may have recentl y exper i enced a falling-out with their neighbours. Al l i nf or m at i on will be held in confidence and there is no pressure to take part. If you would like to know m or e, pl ease send an outline of the dispute and your contact details to neigh bours@flametv.co.uk or cal l +44 785 411 4859.

Mother Nature’s warriors TEAMS from Mojacar and Almeria City will meet with counterparts across Andalucia to discuss how to preserve valuable coastal ecosystems. The project has financing from the EU and involves all areas which are part of the Natura 2000 network. Experts will develop action plans to protect the natural wonders of the province from climate change, human damage and erosion. In Almeria the ambitious project is divided into three regions – the dunes, salt marshes, and forests. Key actions will include the protection of endangered native species, the wiping out of exotic invaders, the control of waste and the management of fencing, parking and walkways around protected areas. The wider project covers all of Andalucia, including natural parks in Malaga and Cadiz.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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COMMUNITY

Celebrate Mother’s Day at the theatre MOTHER’S DAY has been celebrated for many years now, even during wartime. Some of us will remember the Women’s Land Army from Second World War, and all of us must respect the fact, that some of those unsung heroes were also mothers.

of whom were mothers or becam e m ot her s dur i ng those times of turmoil. Li f e on t he hom e f r ont could have been a lot worse for everyone, if it had not been for the Women’s Land Army and the special role they played as mothers, in everyone’s lives.

Come and join us in celebr at i ng t hese wonder f ul people at The Zurgena Municipal Theatre on Saturday evening, April 1 or Sunday afternoon April 2. Fi nd out m or e at Tot al Entertainment, Albox and Arboleas and 1 Stop Pools by Longo in Albox.

Celebrating those courageous women of war.

The Independent Theatre Group in Zurgena is celebrating those courageous women of war, by presenting Lilie s on the La nd: a story that is set around the reminiscing of four Land Army girls, about 60 years after the end of the war; all

Photo by Shutterstock

MOTHER’S DAY: Has been celebrated for many years.

FINANCE

Costa de Almería

30 March - 5 April 2017

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

$3.3 billion (€3.05 billion)

ACCORDING to a new Mintel report, whilst 60 per cent of British residents believe they could obtain credit if they needed to, almost the same percentage would either have difficulty or would pay a higher rate than expected. One thing that goes against applicants for credit is if they have made just one late payment in the previous 12 months which would be likely to sound warning bells and suggest that they may have problems with managing money.

Quote of the Week

66 is the percentage of adults in the UK who owe money on a loan or credit product.

Those who have changed address on a regular basis or are in temporary employment (now known as the gig economy which is growing rapidly)

could also find their credit scores reduced which in turn would mean that they could face difficulty in obtaining credit.

There can be no margin for error, and no excuses, when it comes to billing customers correctly.” Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom consumer group director after PlusNet was fined for overcharging former customers.

Photo Credit: Stefano Garau Shutterstock

Boycott of YouTube

BUSINESS EXTRA

Public jobs THE Spanish government has held meetings with Trade Union leaders to discuss the reduction of temporary positions in the civil service and replacing them with permanent positions, the appointment of additional staff to replace those who have retired and a possible increase in wages for public servants.

Port workers YOUTUBE: Companies are pulling their ads. By John Smith AFTER a serious complaint from the British government concerning advertisements paid for by the tax payer on Google subsidiary YouTube, which were placed next to videos promoting extremist views and generating income for them, a number of companies have withdrawn their advertising. Google had hoped to contain the damage following the public reprimand from the government (although why it needs to advertise at all on YouTube is another question) but not only

have 250 British companies pulled their ads, but a number of major US brands have followed suit. According to The Times AT&T and Verizon, Enterprise and GSK have all publicly declared they will no longer advertise on YouTube until they are assured that this will not happen again. Google responded “We’ve begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear.”

DESPITE the fact the law to reform employment of stevedores in Spanish docks was defeated in the Cortes, the unions and port owners are still in negotiation as they recognise the change will eventually take place. As far as the unions are concerned, they are looking for guarantees concerning the employment terms of exiting stevedores.

Swiss charge THE Swiss bank UBS has announced that with effect from the beginning of May it will be charging customers 0.6 per cent for any deposit exceeding €1 million, to follow up similar charges for customers who deposit large amounts of Swiss Francs with it.

Trading benefits after Brexit ACCORDING to a recent report from think tank CIVITAS, the benefits to Britain from trading with the European Union are nowhere near as good as people tend to think. Their research suggests that Britain was exporting far more than countries like

the USA to EU states prior to joining in 1993 but since becoming a member, Britain has been overtaken in the trading states by the non-EU exporters and therefore might be better off without an EU deal.

is the amount estimated by Forbes magazine as the value of the estate of the recently deceased David Rockefeller. A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM

Credit availability in the UK By John Smith

EWN

Those in low paid jobs will also face some difficulty in obtaining the best rates, if indeed they can obtain credit of any type and according to the report, 23 per cent of households in Britain have an annual income of less than £15,500 (€17,900) which makes their positions difficult to say the least. Student loans and mortgages also impinge upon the ability to obtain new credit which means a high percentage of those who do believe themselves likely to be able to obtain credit when needed, could be in for a rude awakening.

Social services A REPORT from Spanish Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services has criticised the Spanish government for its poor investment in social services, although there are currently 1,212,048 people (2.5 per cent of the population) who are dependent upon the state for financial assistance. It is estimated however that no less than 350,000 people receive no assistance whatsoever and 125,000 have died in the past four years after receiving nothing from the state by way of support. If those 350,000 people were to receive help, then it is estimated that at least 100,000 would be able to find work and income taxes would pay for additional costs.

E W N 30 March - 5 April 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 27

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,224.75 -27.75 Associated British Foods 2,630.50 0.50 Admiral Group 1,963.00 -15.00 Ashtead Group 1,579.00 -30.00 Antofagasta 806.50 -24.00 Aviva 520.75 -4.75 AstraZeneca 4,917.75 -10.75 BAE Systems 646.00 -7.00 Babcock International Group 893.00 -23.50 Barclays 222.85 -4.10 British American Tobacco 5,245.00 -32.00 Barratt Developments 534.25 -8.25 British Land Co 603.00 -4.00 BHP Billiton 1,214.50 -30.50 Bunzl 2,313.00 -9.00 BP 448.60 -3.25 Burberry Group 1,743.00 -19.00 BT Group 319.43 -6.22 Coca-Cola HBC 2,015.00 -8.00 Carnival 4,506.00 -44.00 Centrica 217.85 1.45 Compass Group 1,504.50 -6.50 Croda International 3,582.00 -26.00 CRH 2,765.00 -56.00 Convatec Group 266.55 1.75 DCC 6,940.00 -35.00 Diageo 2,298.50 -9.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 334.15 -3.45 Experian 1,629.00 -7.00 easyJet 994.75 -10.25 Fresnillo 1,567.50 22.50 GKN 368.35 -3.65 Glencore 307.95 -11.80 GlaxoSmithKline 1,671.25 0.75 Hikma Pharmaceuticals 2,003.00 2.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,278.50 -14.50 Hammerson 571.25 -1.25 HSBC Holdings 643.30 -5.00 International Consldtd Airs Grp 529.75 -19.75 InterContinental Hotels Grp 3,826.00 -22.00 3i Group 702.50 -7.50 Imperial Brands 3,816.50 1.50 Informa 642.75 -4.25 Intu Properties 274.10 -1.30 Intertek Group 3,896.00 -25.00 ITV 208.00 -1.60 Johnson Matthey 2,906.00 -17.00 Kingfisher 322.35 -1.45 Land Securities Group 1,049.00 -6.00 Legal & General Group 246.15 -2.35

% CHG. NET VOL -2.22 17,577.13 0.02 20,916.03 -0.76 5,664.30 -1.86 8,232.23 -2.89 8,246.69 -0.90 21,550.29 -0.22 62,756.84 -1.07 20,730.69 -2.56 4,641.38 -1.81 37,990.64 -0.61 96,462.78 -1.52 5,528.25 -0.66 6,250.65 -2.45 26,506.50 -0.39 7,829.78 -0.72 89,335.48 -1.08 7,756.61 -1.91 33,008.06 -0.40 7,376.50 -0.97 9,746.23 0.67 11,813.04 -0.43 24,648.21 -0.72 4,752.48 -1.99 23,612.63 0.66 5,151.89 -0.50 6,190.50 -0.41 57,917.66 -1.02 4,620.00 -0.43 15,355.41 -1.02 4,003.86 1.46 11,318.69 -0.98 6,302.82 -3.69 46,300.68 0.04 82,358.48 0.10 4,861.88 -1.12 6,123.45 -0.22 4,572.73 -0.77 128,652.69 -3.59 11,571.75 -0.57 7,619.87 -1.06 6,989.58 0.04 36,426.22 -0.66 5,236.55 -0.47 3,754.82 -0.64 6,305.38 -0.76 8,392.98 -0.58 5,747.94 -0.45 7,228.46 -0.57 8,326.59 -0.95 14,839.84

COMPANY PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) Lloyds Banking Group ORD 66.17 -1.88 London Stock Exchange Grp 2,998.50 -17.50 Micro Focus International 2,174.50 -18.50 Mediclinic International 766.75 3.75 Merlin Entertainments 473.75 -2.15 Marks & Spencer Group 329.80 -2.10 Mondi 1,927.00 -2.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 234.25 -1.55 National Grid 1,011.25 -1.75 Next 4,122.50 -7.50 Old Mutual Group 222.35 -0.15 Provident Financial 2,950.50 -15.50 Paddy Power Betfair 8,687.50 -7.50 Prudential 1,699.00 -22.00 Persimmon 2,063.00 -20.00 Pearson 634.00 -9.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 7,320.50 -24.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Grp 235.40 -3.60 Royal Dutch Shell 2,070.50 -12.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,166.00 -14.00 RELX 1,558.00 -2.00 Rio Tinto 3,180.00 -77.50 Royal Mail 417.25 -2.85 Rolls-Royce Group 746.00 -10.50 Randgold Resources 7,297.50 137.50 RSA Insurance Group 592.50 -3.50 Rentokil Initial 241.70 -2.30 Sainsbury (J) 264.75 -1.85 Schroders 3,058.50 -25.50 Sage Group (The) 627.50 -3.50 Shire 4,677.75 1.25 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,069.00 -18.00 Sky 981.25 0.75 Standard Life 354.15 -2.75 Smiths Group 1,591.00 -10.00 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt 355.95 -3.45 Smith & Nephew 1,239.00 -4.00 SSE 1,498.00 -6.00 Standard Chartered 715.85 -10.75 St James's Place 1,052.00 -9.00 Severn Trent 2,409.00 -2.00 Tesco 188.93 -2.07 TUI AG 1,115.00 -7.00 Taylor Wimpey 189.65 -1.85 Unilever 4,016.25 -1.75 United Utilities Group 1,002.00 -2.00 Vodafone Group 210.88 -0.72 Wolseley 4,918.00 -54.00 Worldpay Group 288.40 -2.00 WPP Group 1,667.50 -17.50 Whitbread 3,888.50 -21.50

% CHG. -2.76 -0.58 -0.84 0.49 -0.45 -0.63 -0.10 -0.66 -0.17 -0.18 -0.07 -0.52 -0.09 -1.28 -0.96 -1.48 -0.33 -1.51 -0.60 -0.64 -0.13 -2.38 -0.68 -1.39 1.92 -0.59 -0.94 -0.69 -0.83 -0.55 0.03 -0.86 0.08 -0.77 -0.62 -0.96 -0.32 -0.40 -1.48 -0.85 -0.08 -1.08 -0.62 -0.97 -0.04 -0.20 -0.34 -1.09 -0.69 -1.04 -0.55

NET VOL 48,900.05 10,624.79 5,033.29 5,643.60 4,802.75 5,480.21 9,424.60 5,476.92 37,776.05 6,174.91 10,993.81 4,326.91 7,317.06 44,448.93 6,517.22 5,223.43 51,362.92 28,375.65 92,896.26 82,344.53 16,780.19 45,209.66 4,180.00 13,864.73 6,665.03 6,038.94 4,484.93 5,830.11 7,024.78 6,800.18 42,226.09 5,102.77 16,889.34 7,010.20 6,153.18 4,826.79 10,954.26 15,206.74 23,891.25 5,570.53 5,706.54 15,499.67 6,592.44 6,372.61 51,543.73 6,873.44 56,171.02 12,721.85 5,798.00 21,382.75 7,196.66

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

0.86604

1.15467 Units per €

US dollar ..................................................................1.08643 Japan yen ..................................................................119.747 Switzerland franc.................................................1.06975 Denmark kroner...................................................7.43824 Norway kroner ......................................................9.16933

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

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 27

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 191,510 -0,33% -0,630 114M 78,2000 +0,46% 0,3600 70M 140,640 -0,20% -0,280 737M 175,820 -0,81% -1,440 106M 92,150 -0,09% -0,080 54M 107,99 +0,11% 0,12 204M 34,080 +0,35% 0,120 170M 42,12 -0,12% -0,05 180M 79,6000 -1,19% -0,9600 68M 81,23 -0,77% -0,63 336M 29,7200 +0,34% 0,1000 258M 228,41 -1,50% -3,49 90M 147,7100 -0,19% -0,2800 179M 173,83 -0,57% -0,99 163M 35,1600 -0,31% -0,1100 166M 87,2900 -0,11% -0,1000 311M 125,4800 -0,33% -0,4200 340M 129,3400 +0,26% 0,3400 105M 63,18 -0,16% -0,10 173M 64,980 +0,17% 0,110 502M 56,36 +1,79% 0,99 74M 34,0000 -0,85% -0,2900 202M 90,570 -0,22% -0,200 231M 120,77 -0,43% -0,52 33M 111,80 -0,04% -0,04 89M 165,00 -0,18% -0,29 157M 49,68 +0,08% 0,04 202M 89,19 +0,37% 0,33 165M 69,6100 -0,36% -0,2500 213M 112,1400 -0,09% -0,1000 177M

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES M ARCH 27

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. Cogint, Inc. Mazor Robotics Ltd. Global Brokerage, Inc. Brightcove Inc. Microvision, Inc. Investors Title Company Layne Christensen Company Selecta Biosciences, Inc. Altisource Portfolio Solutions S.A. Audentes Therapeutics, Inc.

$ 9.65 $ 4.30 $ 28.87 $ 2.15 $ 9.05 $ 2.53 $ 147.82 $ 8.68 $ 12.04 $ 31.49 $ 16.81

5.72 ▲ 145.55% 0.75 ▲ 21.13% 3.37 ▲ 13.22% 0.25 ▲ 13.16% 1.05 ▲ 13.13% 0.26 ▲ 11.45% 14.23 ▲ 10.65% 0.83 ▲ 10.57% 1.15 ▲ 10.56% 2.53 ▲ 8.74% 1.35 ▲ 8.73%

$ 4.65 $ 12.93 $ 2.65 $ 2.30 $ 11.31 $ 15.35 $ 3.59 $ 2.79 $ 5.16 $ 4.64 $ 12.04

5.20 ▼ 52.79% 3.13 ▼ 19.49% 0.45 ▼ 14.52% 0.30 ▼ 11.54% 1.42 ▼ 11.15% 1.65 ▼ 9.71% 0.36 ▼ 9.11% 0.25 ▼ 8.22% 0.44 ▼ 7.86% 0.39 ▼ 7.75% 0.86 ▼ 6.67%

Most Declined Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. The Finish Line, Inc. Real Industry, Inc. Xcel Brands, Inc Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc. Donegal Group, Inc. AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. Oncobiologics, Inc. Lonestar Resources US Inc. Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, Inc. Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

UK airlines could lose routes in continental Europe after Brexit EU chiefs have warned UK-based airlines that they may need to relocate their headquarters if they want to keep their continental European routes after Brexit. Executives at major carriers have been reminded they would also need to sell off shares to European nationals in order to operate on routes across the continent - for example, Malaga to Berlin - according to a report in The Guardian. This puts airlines such as easyJet in a difficult position, as European routes have become increasingly important assets to their business models. Decisions to move bases to the EU would lead to a significant number of jobs lost in the UK. Should negotiators fail to reach an agreement, along the lines of the ‘open-skies’ deal granted to EU members, the UK could impose its own ownership rules, which would prevent airlines such as Ireland-based Ryanair from flying UK domestic routes. A Ryanair spokesman said the company would “adapt” to changes but the airline’s chief executive officer, Michael O’Leary, has warned of the dangers of a “cliff-edge” Brexit, and criticised the

Photo Credit: Ryanair

By Jay Emeny

Fashion fiesta for Madrid

RYANAIR: The company has said it will adapt to changes. “mildly lunatic optimism” of the British government. easyJet is reported to be in the process of estab-

lishing an EU operating company, in order to obtain an EU air operating certificate, but insists that it will continue to be headquartered in the UK.

THOSE living in or visiting Madrid are in for a fashion treat as Mango, having invested €79 million will open their new flagship store in the Calle de Serrano which will spread over four floors, have an indoor garden and will allow customers to choose music to be played. Not to be outdone, the Inditex group is about to open their fourth Spanish outlet store, this time in the capital which will sell clothes, shoes, bags and fashion accessories from previous collections and seasons at discount prices. The venture known as Tempe Outlet Store is part of a very special programme known as For & From which specifically aims to include disabled people in design, factory and store to ensure that they are able to enjoy the same work opportunities as others. Based in the Sambil Outlet Shopping Centre, this store will join others such as El Corte Inglés and Mango in offering quality products at reduced prices and helps the environment by ensuring that old stock is not destroyed.

Cost of death to increase in the UK By John Smith ALTHOUGH living in Spain, many people prefer to nominate to have their wills written in the UK and recorded under British law, as it is believed that individuals can have greater control over who receives what.

The new fees will come into effect from May 1.

What needs to be considered however is what actually has to be done to obtain a grant of probate which will allow the executor to distribute any funds that exist in the deceased’s estate. Two new matters have emerged which are causing some distress to the recently bereaved in the UK and that is because the cost of obtaining probate has risen on a sliding scale that means that the greater the value of the estate the more that has to be paid. This is nothing to do with inher-

GRANT OF PROBATE: Allows the executor to distribute any funds that exist in the estate. itance tax, simply an extra charge that the government collects in order for probate to be allowed. Under the new rules, anyone

who inherits an estate worth more than £50,000 will see the fee for probate rise to between £300 and £20,000 depending on the value of

the estate and these new fees come into effect from May 1. In theory that is relatively straight-forward, but because of

backlogs at the tax office, it can take several months for applications to be processed and rather than charging the new fees on estates where death took place from May 1, the new charges are to be made on any document issued after that date. It has not been publicised to any great extent, but provided all paperwork is presented by May 1 together with a note confirming that the inheritance tax form has been applied for, then the old fees should be payable. Those living in Spain but trying to act as executor for an estate under British law would be well advised to consider using a solicitor and should also remember that if the bulk of the value of the estate is in shares and property, it may be necessary to make an advance payment to the government to cover a percentage of the likely inheritance tax. In some cases, if there are insufficient funds in bank accounts or savings available to cover this advance payment, it may be necessary to apply to a bank for a short term loan as it is not generally possible to sell shares or property in order to cover the advance payment.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

Photo Credit: Carlos Delgado Wikimedia

Dutch leader upsets Eurozone neighbours

ALBERT RIVERA: It was agreed that his comments were ill-judged. By John Smith SPAIN does not “spend money on alcohol and women, we spend it on corruption, empty airports and roads without cars” according to Albert Riviera, leader of Ciudadanos. This was spelled out when he replied to comments by the Dutch leader of the Eurozone Finance Ministers who chided that unlike some EU states

facing ongoing financial problems, he could not “spend all my money on liqueurs and women and then go and ask for your support.” This comment was seen as being a direct attack on southern European states unfavourably referred to as the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain) and their indebtedness and received an immediate response from senior politicians

in Portugal and Italy suggesting that he was both racist and xenophobic and should stand down immediately. Whilst some members of the European Commission have agreed that his comments were ill-judged, he has refused to withdraw his comments and various Spanish politicians in the European Parliament have also taken him to task.

UK state pensions reviews DUE to the fact that not enough people are dying quickly enough, the NHS and Pension Department in the UK are continuing to experience financial difficulty which has resulted in two reports suggesting that the retirement age will have to be increased again. These reports which are to be studied by the government within the next two months conclude that workers under the age of 30 may not qualify for a state pension until they reach the age of 70 and those under the age of 45 may have to work until they are 68 if the pension age is raised earlier. Currently the retirement age is on a ‘sliding scale’ so for men it is 65 and for women

it depends upon their date of birth, but by 2018 to 2020 the retirement age for men and women will be 66 and remain until 2026 when it goes up to 67 and eventually 68. Possibly of more importance for those currently or about to take the state pension, it is also recommended that what is known as the ‘triple lock’ on annual pension increases should be removed. At present this means the increase is whichever is the highest of earnings growth, the inflation rate or 2.5 per cent but by limiting the increase to earnings only, it is estimated that the pension cost would eventually reduce from 6.7 per cent to 5.9 per cent of GDP.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

EWN

FEATURE

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

Let me just spell it out for you! LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT IS it not unbelievable, that, in the light of the recent Westminster terrorist atrocity, the authorities issue a statement informing us that ‘the real reasons for this attack may never be known’!? Despite all the evidence and facts surrounding this horrendous occurrence, our limp-wristed leaders are still in denial as to the motives and allegiances of this murdering scum. Well let me just spell it out. The individual that committed this act was a moronic extremist psychopath. A follower of Daesh, he used their twisted interpretation of the Koran to suit his own evil ends and used it as an excuse to make his ultimate mission in life the murder of as many of the ‘infidels’ as possible. Brainwashed by evil corrupted doctrine he believed that that he would subsequently be welcomed in paradise as a true hero and, among many other rewards, be presented with 72 virgins who would be enslaved to comply with his every twisted fantasy for all

TERRORIST ATROCITY: The real reasons for this attack may never be known.

eternity. Some of his fellow numbskull compatriots have even been known to strap armour around their nether regions to protect their privates from the blast of the suicide bomb! These are the reasons this lethal maniac carried out this attack, and there are thousands more goat grabbing gnat brains out there waiting to step into his shoes. Until those in authority accept that this evil satanic corruption of Islam is at the root of all the death and destruction of innocent citizens its followers will continue to flourish. It’s time the moderate Imams stood up and convinced their brethren there is room for all and that those who believe in different routes along the path of life will never be eliminated by the fear of physical destruction. This primitive interpretation is the reason Jihad has never prevailed for some 1,500 years. And as a final warning to those who wish us harm, make no mistake. More evil and dangerous individuals than you have discovered that there are limits and when the worm decides to turn the vengeance of the infidels will be terrible indeed! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

Advertising feature

Off-Plan Property Deposit Refunds could help you IF you are one of the many who paid over a deposit when deciding to buy an off-plan property in Spain and then the developer went bankrupt or disappeared and you lost your money, then all is actually not lost. In a number of circumstances, it is perfectly possible to obtain a refund of what you have lost thanks to a ruling by the Spanish government and the involvement of a savvy group of lawyers and advisors. Sheldon Grossmith was caught in exactly this situation but as a real estate agent based in Spain not only did he have a good idea of the law, he also knew a very astute and successful lawyer who helped him recover his funds. Now, through his company OffPlan Property Deposit Refunds based in Estepona, Sheldon and his Spanish associates are offering expatriates and Spaniards the opportunity to recover their funds, even if, as is often the case, they

were lost 10 years ago. The answer is very simple and that is that the banks with whom the original deposit was lodged could well be responsible in law for the refund of the monies lost, provided that they didn’t insist that monies lodged were covered by bank guarantees, separate insurance policies or in escrow accounts. Almost none of the money lost was ever in a ‘safe haven’ and this is where OPP can assist. Sheldon isn’t totally altruistic as he will make a charge for putting this together, but purely on a no-win-no-fee basis! Those who have suffered a loss are invited to contact him with a copy of the original purchase contract and proof of payment (as well as where it was paid to). A decision as to whether there is a viable case to prosecute can be made very quickly and if the decision is positive, then it is intended that there will be a three-way agreement,

signed between the person losing the money, OPP and the lawyer who will undertake the case. Once they proceed, it is likely that it will take 12 to 18 months to obtain a final court ruling although they have already managed to obtain full refunds in just eight months for some clients and in the event of the judge making an award to the person whose money has been taken, there will be a 15 per cent charge (plus IVA) from OPP and the lawyers will keep any interest that has been awarded by the court. Should the case be unsuccessful, then no costs are charged to the client. OPP was formed at the beginning of 2016 and is about to be featured on Sky TV to explain the concept. If you want to find out more visit www.off-planproperty depositrefunds.com or call Sheldon on 642 740 708.

SHELDON GROSSMITH: Could help recover off-plan deposits paid.

PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT

30 March - 5 April 2017

Costa de Almería

EWN

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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREA

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.

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

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

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

‘ MUM AND DAD ARE DETERMINED TO SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH SPAIN - RATHER THAN BE BREXITED BACK TO BRADFORD! ’

LOTTERY

Costa de Almería

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

TODAY

Saturday March 25

VELEZ RUBIO

BONUS BALL HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

GARRUCHA

IRISH LOTTO

MOJACAR

Saturday March 25 ALMERIA

ADRA

ROQUETAS

TOMORROW

VELEZ RUBIO

EURO MILLIONS Tuesday March 21

BONUS BALL

Alicante TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 11 - CL Fri - 21 13 C Sat - 22 12 Cl Sun - 21 11 S Mon - 20 11 Cl Tues - 20 11 Cl Wed - 21 11 Cl

Bilbao TODAY: MAX 25, MIN 12 - C Fri - 19 9 Sh Sat - 15 8 Sh Sun - 16 7 Sh Mon - 19 8 Cl Tues - 18 8 Sh Wed - 18 8 C

Almeria TODAY: MAX 24, MIN 13 - C Fri - 21 13 C Sat - 22 13 C Sun - 22 13 S Mon - 23 13 Cl Tues - 23 13 S Wed - 22 13 S

Madrid TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 7 - C Fri - 19 5 C Sat - 18 4 Cl Sun - 21 4 S Mon - 22 6 S Tues - 22 6 S Wed - 21 6 S

Barcelona TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 8 - S Fri - 17 9 C Sat - 15 8 Sh Sun - 17 8 Sh Mon - 19 10 S Tues - 19 10 S Wed - 19 9 S

Malaga TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 10 - CL Fri - 23 13 Cl Sat - 23 12 Cl Sun - 23 12 S Mon - 22 12 S Tues - 22 13 S Wed - 21 11 S

Benidorm TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 11 - C Fri - 21 13 Cl Sat - 21 12 Cl Sun - 20 12 S Mon - 19 11 S Tues - 20 12 C Wed - 20 11 S

Mallorca TODAY: MAX 20 MIN 8 - S Fri - 21 9 Cl Sat - 19 9 Sh Sun - 19 9 Cl Mon - 20 8 Cl Tues - 21 9 Cl Wed - 21 9 C

RETAMAR

BONUS BALL

weather

HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

TARGET: • Average: 8 • Good: 11 • Very good: 16 • Excellent: 21

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION cart cert kart rata rate rete tack taka take tare teak tear tree trek carat caret carte cater crate eater erect karat rater react recta taker terce terra trace track aerate crater create errata karate racket retake tacker tearer tracer caterer retrace teacake terrace tracker CARETAKER

Sudoku Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

Friday March 24

BONUS BALL ALMERIA

RETAMAR

5 ADRA

ROQUETAS

SATURDAY

LA PRIMITIVA

VELEZ RUBIO

Saturday March 25

HUERCAL OVERA

ALBOX

8 7

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

ALMERIA

RETAMAR

Sunday March 26 ADRA

32 39

35 41

ROQUETAS

BONUS BALL

3 S: Sun

Cl: Clear

F: Fog

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

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

BONUS BALL

OUT

30 March - 5 April 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

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

CRYPTIC

Quick

Across:

Across 1 Small label for men only do (4) 4 Contrary for every stanza (8) 8 Heard a singer’s note (6) 9 Building detail is closely followed (6) 10 Put up with a large carnivore (4) 11 Con isn't worried receiving a boycott (8) 13 Variety no longer lists famous rock group (7,6) 16 Admires spectres at sea (8) 19 Swat up on part of Sacramento (4) 20 Borsht is cooked pulses (6) 22 Fungus spoilt a cigar (6) 23 Britain always has time for a cuppa (8) 24 It’s unpleasantly damp hiding in old Ankara (4) Down 2 Consequently the umpire gets money from Scandinavia (9) 3 Nonspecific military rank (7) 4 Studies intensely the tiny holes (5) 5 Grades given to sailors (7) 6 Order some draught cider in retrospect (5) 7 She can prosecute (3) 12 Change to open-air function (9)

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Crossword

EWN

7 Facile, 8 Elixir, 9 Case, 10 Streamer, 11 Farrier, 13 Laden, 15 Armed, 17 Sub zero, 20 Trespass, 21 Aida, 23 Galore, 24 Enough. Down: 1 Gala, 2 Linear, 3 Feasted, 4 Beard, 5 Tirana, 6 Life peer, 12 Agrarian, 14 Pursued, 16 Euston, 18 Zealot, 19 Label, 22 Doge.

QUICK Across:

14 Capital I put into new casino (7) 15 Old church with tough fruit-trees (7) 17 Likely to be in favour of the northeast (5) 18 Heads turn in the gloom (5) 21 First hold out every tool (3)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 4 represents [letter1] and 15 represents R, so fill in [letter1] every time the figure 4 appears and R every time the figure 15 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 Horrifying beast (4) 3 Move hurriedly (8) 9 Give details (7) 10 Snares (5) 11 Cut by 50 per cent (5) 12 State of commotion and noise and confusion (6) 14 Confesses to (6) 16 Armed engagement (6) 19 Car repair shop (6) 21 Low in stature (5) 24 Common viper (5) 25 Sure, confident (7) 26 Necromancer (8) 27 Come upon, as if by accident (4)

Down

5 Make different (5)

1 Surplus, 5 Orate, 8 Bonus, 9 Retract, 10 Even, 11 Saboteur, 13 Turban, 15 Walrus, 18 Consider, 19 Keen, 22 Avarice, 23 Unite, 24 Poker, 25 Squeeze.

6 Brazenly obvious (7)

Down:

7 Posing no difficulty (4)

1 Subject, 2 Range, 3 Lush, 4 Spread, 5 Optional, 6 Amateur, 7 Enter, 12 Familiar, 14 Ransack, 16 Sincere, 17 Recess, 18 Clamp, 20 Elite, 21 Guru.

1 Located or originating from above (8) 2 Force or drive back (5) 4 Be in agreement (6)

8 Natural ability or quality (6) 13 Fated (8) 15 Wander aimlessly (7) 17 Senseless or meaningless (6) 18 Free from harm or evil (6) 20 Be in accord (5) 22 Giraffe-like African animal (5) 23 Officially disallows (4)

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

ENGLISHSPANISH Across: 1 Sweets, 4 Odio, 8 Anger, 9 Aisle, 10 Encontrar, 13 Heels, 14 Siglo, 15 Wash, 16 Jarras. Down: 1 Swan, 2 Engineers, 3 Tortoise, 5 Descargar, 6 Obey, 7 Fantasma, 11 Chew, 12 Dogs.

CODE BREAKER

Across 1 Cercano (6) 4 Polvo (en el aire) (4) 8 Sobrina (5) 9 Envelope (5) 10 Bibliotecas (9) 13 Nail (metal) (5) 14 Bag (paper, plastic) (5) 15 Oriente (4) 16 Patatas fritas (de bolsa) (6)

Down 1 Ninguno (4) 2 Estadounidenses (9) 3 Remolacha (8) 5 Paraguas (pl) (9) 6 Dedos del pie (4) 7 To write (8) 11 Dolor (4) 12 Country (nation) (4)

30 March - 5 April 2017

Costa de Almería

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EWNLIFESTYLE.COM

TO READ MORE

And sleep.... STI L L wa ki ng up fe e lin g tired a n d groggy despite going to bed early? Well it could be that you woke up during your sleep cycle. Scientists say an average adult has slee p i n 9 0 - m i nut e c y cle s me a n in g there are five or six a night and if you wake up during this cycle it can leave you feeling tired and lethargic, so to try and optimise your sleep it is important to work out the best time to nod off and a ‘sleep calculator ’ predicts just that. Blind retailer Web Blinds created the ‘sleep calculator’ based on it taking an average of 14 minutes to fall asleep, which aims to help people know when the best time to go to sleep is for when th ey ha v e t o g e t u p , en s u r in g th ey wake up refreshed. For example, if you need to wake up at 7am, the sleep calculator believes that you should try and sleep at the begin ni ng o f a sl e e p cy cle a t eith e r 9.46pm, 11.16pm, 12.46am or 2.16am.

HEALTH BEAUTY

Strength and determination for recovery

SLEEP CYCLE: Ensures you wake up refreshed.

ELEVEN months after a car accident completely sliced off her arm, a woman from America is finally able to use it once more after it was reattached in ground-breaking surgery. The woman from Texas was driving home in April 2016 when her vehicle rolled off an exit ramp and a metal guardrail crashed through the passenger window slicing off her right arm above her elbow. Doctors initially thought little could be done but seeing it was a clean cut, managed to reattach it. It was the first time this type of operation had been carried out at the San Antonio Military Medical Centre (SAMMC) in Texas and the procedure has been done fewer than 10 times across the USA. Over the last 11 months, the woman has required numerous surgeries, procedures and rehabilitations but is now said to be recovering well, having a good use of her arm, even able to do push ups. Doctors praised her strength and determination and hope the medical breakthrough will mean more reattachments can be carried out in the future.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

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Brought to you by

Dealing with bites

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. WITH recent wet weather and the onset of the summer months, mosquitoes are now starting to buzz about and cause a nuisance. For many people, a bite from one of these bugs can go unnoticed, but for others it can become a serious problem. There are a variety of reactions mosquito bites may cause, varying from a small amount of redness, swelling and itchiness, all the way up to those who experience a full blown allergic reaction. Why do I seem to attract so many mosquitoes? Research is not conclusive on this issue, but there is evidence that mosquitoes do tend to prefer certain victims over others. People with type O blood seem to be more susceptible to being bitten. Also, because mosquitoes are attracted to heat, wearing dark clothing could make you a more likely target. Why do I swell up when bitten? Chemicals found in mosquito saliva prevent blood from clotting, spurring your immune system into action. The body detects the presence of the saliva and begins to produce a substance called histamine to fight it. When this reaches the bite, it causes the surrounding bloody vessels to swell as it tries to heal the bite.

How can I treat a bite? In the case of a normal reaction, a topical treatment can cool the itch of the bite, whilst an antihistamine tablet can help to soothe the swelling. Avoid scratching the bite as this can create openings in your skin that allow bacteria in. Can mosquito bites be dangerous? Mosquito bites can become a serious matter. In some countries, mosquitoes can carry and transmit viruses and deadly diseases like the West Nile Virus and Malaria. Recent years have seen the rise of the Asian Tiger mosquito here in Spain, a species which can carry more than 20 exotic diseases. Can I avoid being bitten in the first place? Although it may seem impossible to avoid them, there are steps you can take to reduce the chance of being bitten. Peak time for mosquito activity is between dusk and dawn, so if you are outside make sure you spray yourself with an insect repellent containing DEET and cover up as much as possible.

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

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

The great outdoors is great for your health EVER wondered why the great outdoors is called ‘great’? Well it seems that living closer to open spaces and the countryside could reduce your chance of an early death by up to 16 per cent. Scientists say after reviewing hundreds of previous studies, they have concluded that living closer to fields and trees not only helps prevent an early death, but also reduces your risk of being obese or depressed. The study was funded by Friends of the Earth Europe (FoE) and also showed that

Spaniards fear the dentist ALMOST half Spaniards (49.1 per cent) suffer from odontophobia; a fear of dentists. According to data from the Oral Health Study of Sanitas 2016, four out of 10 Spaniards suffer on a ‘moderate’ level but only one in 10 patients report being ‘very scared’ of a visit to the dental clinic. In children, 53.9 per cent of children report experiencing fear, however, irrational and intense fear is uncommon, with only 11.1 per cent of minors actually feeling that scared during their consultation. In both adults and children, the Sanitas study indicates up to 15.4 per cent of those with odontophobia use it as a cause for not going to the dentist. The Oral Health Study of Sanitas shows the main causes of fear are injections in the mouth (63.2 per cent); pain (56.9 per cent); teeth extraction (56.0 per cent) and past bad experiences (27.9 per cent).

the great outdoors had benefits for pregnant women, being considered a ‘natural healer’ with women giving birth to children of healthier sizes. If you are struggling to sleep, camping could also help. Scientists found that sleeping under canvas for a few nights, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, helped to reset the internal body clock, with the body reacting to the natural cycle of light and dark rather than being influenced by artificial lighting from computers and televisions.

E W N Costa de AlmerĂa

30 March - 5 April 2017

VISIT WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

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SCENE

OCIAL

Sounds of the revolution A NEW date has been set for one of the biggest music festivals in Almeria.

The 30th edition of Candil Rock takes place in Huercal de Almeria on July 1.

The free gig will attract s o m e o f t h e p r o v i n c e â€™s finest and wildest rock stars and singers. In the three decades since it first began, Candil Rock has gotten bigger and bigger. It is now one of the very best free concerts in Spain. With thousands of people set to attend the one night only spectacular, it w i l l b e h e l d i n t h e Vi l l a San Pablo football stadium. To p p i n g t h e b i l l i s t h e legendary Amparo Sanchez. Born in Granada, Sanchez made her name performing for revolutionary causes in Mexico. She is highly regarded f o r h e r e ff o r t l e s s y e t i n toxicating fusion of classic Cuban music and reggae.

AMPARO SANCHEZ: A fusion of classic Cuban music and reggae.

SOCIAL SCENE

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Olympic extravaganza ALMERIA’S spectacular spring cultural season is set to get underway across the entire province. The cultural agenda has copied the Olympic mantra ‘faster, higher, stronger’ and adapted it to ‘quality, affordable, variety.’ Perhaps not quite as inspired, but definitely better for the bank balance. Almost everything under the sun will be included in the enormous extravaganza which will sweep across Almeria from early April. Flamenco, tango, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and classical music will all be covered in hundreds of separate gigs and street concerts.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

Brexit just won’t go away GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH

GARRY WAITE

OLLOWING MY ARTICLE in last week’s column about EU staff in Britain, the investors, on which the UK hospitality industry relies, have spoken of their concerns in the event of a hard Brexit. “There is still confidence and demand in the UK for hospitality investment - but its reputation as a ‘safe haven’ for investors could be under threat.” That was the message of a recent discussion panel ‘PostBrexit British market opportunities’ at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin. “There are clouds over the UK in terms of its safe haven status for us as investors,” said Martin Bruehl, chief investment officer at Union Investment Real Estate. “We are continuing to invest in the UK but it’s getting more challenging for us to underwrite,” he said, adding that his company is being more cautious about UK investment. Keith Evans, vice-president

- hotel acquisitions at Starwood Capital Group, agreed, and said that a lot of domestic investors in the UK had either put their transactions on pause around Brexit or were looking at smaller transactions. However, he also said that he felt there are still good growth opportunities in both London and the regions. “We are believers in the UK,” he said, adding that although the uncertainty surrounding Brexit had made large investment decisions more complicated, Starwood is focusing on “driving its assets forward” in the UK. British Hospitality Association chief executive Ufi Ibrahim addressed the uncertainties in terms of worker concerns - she quoted statistics that there are approximately 700,000 EU workers in hospitality in the UK, 97,000 of which would be unable to stay under proposed immigration restrictions. She said that the industry could be looking to replace 50-75,000 people every year “just to stand still,” and described immigration policy as “the single biggest threat to our business in the UK” and reiterated the association’s call for a cut on VAT.

DURING MY TIME IN BRISTOL many years ago, a fledgling street artist, whose work suddenly started to appear on buildings throughout the city, went under the name of Banksy who till this day has managed to stay anonymous. It would appear that he has never been seen, but I am sure his mother and bank manager know who he is!! His artwork is in demand even though at one stage his work was cleaned off walls and buildings. Now, some of his work fetches more than 1.5 million euros. As protected art the city council are now unable to clean off his work or knock down the walls on which his art appears. He has now turned his incredible talent into the interior design of the wonderfully named Walledoff Hotel in Bethlehem, Palestine. Situated adjacent to the Israeli West Bank wall, which divides Palestine from Israel, one room allows guests to sleep underneath one of his artworks showing a Palestinian and an Israeli in a pillow fight. Artists Banksy, Sami Musa and Dominique Petrin have customised guest rooms, with more to follow. The hotel also houses a gallery dedicated to art created in Palestine and the Diaspora (*), a piano bar, and a museum

SOCIAL SCENE

The difference between being a good cook and a good chef is as big as the difference between playing Texas Hold ‘em in your pyjamas and holding a chair at the World Series of Poker.” Gabrielle Hamilton from Israeli military barracks, is available from 30€ a night. Wisam Salsaa, the owner of the hotel, said the establishment, which officially opened on 11 March 2017, will be operated by the local community, the hotel staff did not know about the artist’s involvement until the opening. The hotel is aiming to remain open during 2017 - the centenary anniversary of the Balfour declaration, when Britain pledged to support the establishment of a ‘national home’ for Jewish people in Palestine. Banksy’s website says of the hotel: “The aim is to tell the story of the wall from every side and give visitors the opportunity to discover it for themselves.” Needless to say that the hotel restaurant has its own Walledoff salad!! Well it would wouldn’t it?

I hope whoever owned the bin on which banksy did this piece of art never cleaned it off unknowingly ! which tells the story of the wall. A ‘budget’ room, outfitted with surplus items

IN OUR WINE CORNER where you buy). THIS WEEK, I am focusing on Tasting notes reveal, ‘that in many wineries in Priorat, the Priorat, one of my 2013 is clearly better than favourite areas and the wine 2014, but it’s not that clear featured is Terroir al Limit Les Maynes 2014. in the case here, and you In 2004 Eben Sadie (a have to take it wine by wine. In the case of this Les winemaker from South Africa) Manyes, the 2014 was the and Dominik Hubre started a big surprise, with a combinanew project in the trendy tion of depth, perfume, subCatalan wine region of Priorat, called Terroir al Limit. They tleness and power difficult to prospected the region for achieve. The clay and chalky soils great old vines to work with, provide for an extraordinary and then began taking a very texture of tannins, a lot less un-Spanish approach in the TERROIR AL LIMIT: Made in quite a natural way. cellar, avoiding small oak barcoarse than those from slate rels and instead opting for inert tanks and larger foudres (*). soils. It distills all the Mediterranean herbs and flowers, the essence of ripe red cherries and wild strawberries with some The wines are made in quite a natural way, and the vineyards chalky minerality in a nose and palate that is close to perfection. are managed biodynamically. So fine, supple and elegant with a lovely purity, but it has real Eben is now so busy he's not involved in any practical way mineral power with good acidity and fine structure. There were with the project, so it’s now Dominik’s baby (although Eben remains a significant shareholder). These wines are stunning: so only 1,008 bottles produced.’ fresh and expressive, and are a unique expression of this dra*(A Foudre is a generic French term for a large wooden vat matic region, whose wines are so often blighted by new oak and between 20-120 hectolitres in size (hectolitre = 100 litres). over-ripeness. Alas, they are fiendishly expensive with the village These large oak barrels vary enormously in size but are signifilevel wines at 25€, the mid-range 45€, and the last two top cantly larger than the normal oak barrels.) wines are 140€ a bottle (prices are approx and depending

*(The term Diaspora comes from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘to scatter about.’ And that’s exactly what the people of a Diaspora do - they scatter from their homeland to places across the globe, spreading their culture as they go. The Bible refers to the Diaspora of Jews exiled from Israel by the Babylonians.)

TELEVISION PROGRAMMES these days are besotted with teaching/featuring people who can’t cook and then training them up to prepare a ‘Michelin’ star standard meal for their unsuspecting family and friends - or ‘celebrities’ who are novices too and put them in competition with each other, then select a winner who suddenly opens a restaurant or does the TV circuit as a ‘guest celebrity ‘celebrity’ chef!!! Don’t get me wrong anything that gets people interested in food and getting them to discover new abilities I am all for. But it does sort of imply that great chefs (and even not so great chefs) have worked for years to perfect their craft, but actually you can turn it all out after a week or so of training!! But the funny thing about these programmes is that they are often presented or involve the same chefs that have been on this long and arduous journey to hone their skills only to appear to impart their knowledge to a housewife in less time that it takes to make a perfect soufflé! Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White come to mind in Hell’s Kitchen and everyone from Raymond Blanc to Brian Turner extolling the virtues of cooking a gourmet meal to please or appease your spouse. Just take them out for dinner - I say!!!

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.

FEATURE

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Wear your seatbelts 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.

BELT UP: A seatbelt halves the risk of death in the event of an accident. POLICE checks by the Guardia Civil, supported by colleagues from the National and Local Police, are increasing with officers paying particular attention to the wearing of seatbelts and correct child restraint systems. Statistics show that using a seatbelt halves the risk of death in the event of an accident; a message repeated by countless authorities, experts and organisations around the world. It is important to remember that children under 135cm in height, regardless of their age, must sit in the rear seats and be properly restrained in the appropriate child safety device. The use of seatbelts and child restraints is compulsory for all occupants of a vehicle on any distance of route and on any road. The use of child restraint systems reduces injuries by up to 75 per cent in the event of a collision.

According to the DGT, road traffic incidents are the leading cause of death amongst children under the age of 14 and tragically, 40 per cent of those children who lost their lives wore no protection system. In 2015, the last year of which completed data is registered, 22 per cent (159) of those who lost their lives in cars or vans on interurban roads were not wearing a seatbelt. On urban roads, the figure was 19 out of 70 of those killed. Many of those could be alive today if they had been wearing a seatbelt. Using the seatbelt in the front seats protects the occupants from getting thrown from the vehicle or impacting the dashboard. Using the seatbelt in the rear seats prevents the occupant impacting with the seat in front and causing further injury to other vehicle occupants.

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

Do they pay wealth tax? My husband and I have two apartments on the Costa Blanca. In the current market, they are probably worth about €250,000 for both. We have owned them since 2002, but have never rented them. We are non-residents. Our solicitor here started taking Spanish wealth tax again in 2014 and we are now paying from Until changes in 2014, non-residents did not have the exemption on the first €700,000 and had to pay Spanish wealth tax from the first euro of valuation. Now they share

€111 to €140 per person per apartment. This is four declarations because we each own half of the properties. Her invoice for this is around €500. I have read that you need assets of €700,000 to pay this tax and no one else here seems to pay it. I would appreciate your advice. L P (Costa Blanca)

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

in the exemption, in the same way as residents, so

you should not have to pay wealth tax. Make sure you are not confusing non-resident property owners imputed income tax, declared on Form 210, with Wealth Tax, declared on Form 714.

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

What is reaching out? Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man THE conversation with my American mate starts, “You will never guess who reached out to me the other day?” “What?” “You will never guess who reached out,” he repeats. “I dunno, a baby wanting a cuddle?” He then tells me an old friend of ours sent him an email. Great, but what’s with this ‘reaching out’ nonsense? Just say so and so emailed me. Why is it necessary to use these ridiculous new sayings and who invents them? The only reference to it I can remember is when the Four Tops sang ‘Reach Out and I’ll be there.’ I’ve decided to put it at the top of my ‘stupid sayings list’ replacing some nonsense about ‘windows of opportunity.’ Dr S, my daughter, is trying to buy her first house and at a price that makes my eyes water. My first house was about four grand and I had a mortgage of £59 a month and I was always struggling to pay it. It was sold to me by an estate agent who was also a valuer and surveyor. He was so proper that he could even sign my passport! He was helpful and would answer all my questions. I could go and view the property as many times as needed because I was making a

commitment to spend, what was then, a lot of money. So jump forward to now renting a room, not a house, in London which can cost you a £1,000 a month easily. What makes me really angry now is the attitude of these snotty nosed salesmen that call themselves estate agents. Dr S is saying to me that she has just had a survey done and apart from the little bits of damp that need doing, the surveyor has said it’s about £10k overpriced. She wants to go and see it again with her boyfriend and the agent is saying he will see what he can do. Have I missed something? They are making the biggest single purchase that they have ever made. They are committing themselves to a monthly payment for the next 25 years or so and this geezer is saying he will see what he can do! If that was me I would do anything to try and make the sale happen. Yes, they have agreed to buy it, but the service shouldn’t just be one sided to the seller. The buyer has to be looked after too rather than ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ How about, ‘certainly you can, when’s a good time for you?’ Terrible things to hear on a Sunday. I haven’t done roast potatoes, I forgot to buy bacon, it’s Monday tomorrow. The doorbell! No Donny Trump this week, although I have loads to say. Maybe Leapy and I should do a joint article. Email me at mikesenker@gmail.com.

E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Closer to justice The three alleged masterminds are acONE of the biggest corruption cases to cused of bribery, lying and embezzlement ever engulf the Almanzora Valley is back of public funds. in the courtrooms. The More than 1,000 homes ‘Costurero’ case centres were illegally built under on whether the former the scam from 2003 to mayor of Zurgena, Candi2007 and a substantial do Trabalon, and other ofnumber of British expats ficials, padded out their lost money. bank accounts with a homes were illegally The trial began last year small fortune by issuing built under after eight years of investiillegal planning licences. the scam from gation. It continues until Trabalon, who faces a 2003 to 2007. April with oral testimony 180-year sentence, was arfrom witnesses and vicrested in 2008 alongside tims, with the final judgement expected betown planner Manuel Tijeras, and confore summer. struction chief Tomas Zurano.

1,000

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Ronaldo meets his match By Matthew Elliott AN Easter padel tournament in Albox has managed to attract national attention with its fantastically outlandish poster. Rather than just your run of the mill Easter week community advertisement, the poster is an artistic poke in the eye to the everyday. It has an enormous image of Jesus Christ being crucified on a huge cross styled like a padel defence baton. Next to Jesus there is a half naked Cristiano Ronaldo wielding a sword in gladiator garb coupled with shin guards, a shield, padel racket and Real Madrid shorts. Perhaps the most famous footballer on the planet, the Portuguese star is as about diametrically opposed to Jesus

EASTER POSTER: An artistic poke in the eye. Christ as an ego can manage. Needless to say the poster has drawn more than a few heads across Catholic Spain where Ronaldo and padel, a tennis-like sport popular in Spain and Mexico, rarely oc-

cupy the same public space. This yearâ€™s Padel tournament takes place at the water and health centre from March 31 to April 2 with a leg of lamb for the winner and cheese for the runner-up.

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Hoax kidnap alert ALARMING text messages warning that kidnappers are targeting local children have been denounced as fake by Huercal-Overa police. For several days many residents received anonymous WhatsApp messages on their phones warning of a suspicious

van hunting for vulnerable children. With many parents understandably anxious, the police waded in to say they have no evidence of any threat and the messages are almost certainly a hoax. Similar scare stories have been reported all across Spain in recent weeks.

Testing the water ULEILA DEL CAMPO will soon have a guaranteed supply of drinking water following an inve s tme nt of €130,000 by the provincial council. The village was pre-

viously suffering from being located on top of one of the most overexploited aquifiers in the e ntire M e dite rranean basin, but work on a ne w c onne c tion via ins ta lla tion of a

1,350 pipeline has now begun. The pipe will be coupled to a pump and has been designed to carry water from deep undergro und t o r esi dent s’ homes.

School improvements THE Velázquez de Albox primary and secondary school is going to have work to the value of €70,636 spent on it by the Junta de

Andalucia in order to improve retaining walls, remove trees with long roots and upgrade stairs in the main building.

NEWS EXTRA

Student success AN Albox school will benefit from renovation works worth more than €70,000. CEIP Valazquez will have better sports facilities and rain protection for its roughly 460 students.

Pavement pounders BIG hearts and knackered legs did Albox proud as more than 300 runners raised €2,000 for a local cancer charity. The money from the annual March race will go towards a tremendous cause while the organisers set their sights on next year.

Promised boulevard WORK has begun on transforming the Albox crossing into one of the town’s key avenues. An investment of €80,000 will iron out any road bumps, improve driving conditions, and build two new roundabouts.

E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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HOMES

GARDENS

Advertising feature

How to heat your pool in 4 easy steps? I WANT my pool to be at 28° by next week, is that feasible? Albert from Poolworx: “This is a question we frequently get via our website and the answer is always YES, when you’re living in Spanish costa climate conditions. Swimming whenever you want, whatever the season, that’s what our customers are looking for and that’s what we make possible. With a pool cover on, we are always confident of the timing and result. You can start your count down from the moment the installation is done. The best part is always the feedback we get from our customers when they really see the temperature going up day by day!” A week is only seven days… are you sure that is possible? Paul, technical expert at Poolworx explains: “Sure! In my personal experience with heat pump installations, I see that it’s actually less than a week! As soon as outside temperatures exceed 10°, it takes about four days to heat a pool

HEAT PUMP: The single, most efficient way to heat a pool. from let’s say 15° to 25°. “Few people know this, but a heat pump is the single, most efficient way to heat a pool. The cost to run, outside summer season is less than 2€/day. Because for every kW of electricity consumed by the heat pump, six are returned to heat the pool. That’s 5kW for free! The warmer it gets, the cheaper the heating. And the best news, you don’t need sunshine, only the right ambient temperature. This is the great thing

about heat pumps! How that actually works is explained in detail on the Poolworx website, but basically it’s a reverse aircon unit.” How is the installation of a heat pump done? Albert: “Wait… Step 1 is actually talking to you in person! Choosing the right heat pump, fit for your pool is where it all starts. We do the calculations for you and assess your current pool situation. This includes an analysis of the circulation system set-

up. We pick a good spot to install the unit, or a new solid base is put in place. After that, it’s a natural job for a skilled installer. Look for yourself and get an idea of what you need, with our online calculator on www.poolworx.eu.” Paul: “Step 2 is the installation of the unit itself. Once the heat pump is on site, we mount it on rubbers and hook up the electrics. This is straightforward as all our heat pumps for domestic use can be connected to your

existing wiring, 230V single phase. All heat pumps can be triggered to start and stop by the water flow of your pool pump. Another option is that the heat pump steers the entire system autonomously. This means you have full flexibility! “Step 3 is the installation of bypass valves to direct the flow of pool water from the existing circulation piping to the unit and back into your pool. There’s no need to run the water through the unit during boiling hot summer months! “Step 4 is setting the desired temperature via the digital control panel and after that … a few days patience and you can start enjoying your pool at any moment you feel like it!” Contact Poolworx or refer your preferred installer for a no obligation ‘pool specific’ price quote, by calling Spain 643 363 179 or Belgium (+32) 497 408 800, email albert@poolworx.es.

Lavender, a bloomin marvellous herb By Francesca Souter PEOPLE have been enjoying the c a l m i n g a r o m a o f lavender as they drift off to sleep for hundreds of years, but did you know that the

benefits of lavender oil extend further than relaxation? With its gray-green foliage, beautiful purple flowers and that distinctive fragrance, it is no surprise that a n cie n t tex ts tell u s th a t

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

lavender essential oil has be e n us e d for ove r 2,500 years. The Egyptians used it in mummific a tion a nd pe rfume, the Romans used it for bathing and cooking and quite possibly the most famous of all, it is said that Mary used it to anoint Jesus. With its use in so many areas of life, this versatile herb should be a staple of any garden. La ve nde r oil c a n he lp s c a lp c onditions , s uc h a s dandruff, and an antioxidant found in the plant can help with poor digestion. It can

even be a healthy and delic ious , if not s lightly s tra nge , a ddition to food and is being increasingly us e d in ba king, a dding a distinctive floral taste to cakes and biscuits. Perhaps its most unexpected quality, Lavender works as a natural repellent for scorpions, and you will see bunc he s of the he rb on windowsills throughout the south of France to ward away the stinging critter. So w hy not c ons ide r planting a few seeds and start reaping the benefits of this useful herb!

LAVENDER: Nature’s best kept secret.

HOMES & GARDENS

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30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

EWN

Asparagus season has now arrived By Graeme Tyrrell THE asparagus season is upon us. Asparagus has been a natural food source in Europe for thousands of years as far east as Egypt. Those who love wild growing asparagus will no d o u b t b e o u t o n th e lo o k o u t fo r patches of the prickly plant to risk plucking the slender new shoots to gather a bunch for making traditional Spanish omelettes and various other recipes. Some people even eat them raw, as apparently was the case with the ancient Roman manner of eating asparagus.

Asparagus has been a natural food source for thousands of years. Not everyone likes the naturally occurring green asparagus shoots from the wild as the taste is rather strong. Cultivated white asparagus is normally a much thicker cultivar that is blanched by mounding up the soil around the plant as the new shoots emerge. The blanching makes the taste much milder and more agreeable to many, although it still has the distinctive asparagus taste.

To minimise the discomfort of searching through the prickles and to maximise the harvest, I d is co v e re d a gre a t w a y to pick plenty of bunches with no pain and plenty of gain. I have encouraged the wild asparagus to grow naturally a lo n g th e s tone w a lls of my property by simply cutting back everything else and leaving them to grow as a hedge. Now they are mature after several years, I cut back to th e g ro und a bout one third of plants in March and another third in May, leaving about a third of the plants to just grow naturally for the year. The next year I cut the row or section left growing naturally the year before in March and the section from the previous March is then cut in May and the third section is left to recuperate.

What this rotation method does is give bare ground for the new shoots to emerge from and an extended harvest period. The shoots can then be collected im-

Photo Credit: Dusan Zidar Shutterstock

Fresh growing asparagus.

mediately and they are the right size without getting prickled. If some grow a bit quicker than I can harvest, I pick the tip and just let the branching shoots keep growing to form the plant again. When the first early harvest is finished or my next row is producing, I let the plants of the first harvest recuperate. The plants that are not cut for the year give the added bonus of being able to be harvested if you need or want to. I havenâ€™t tried blanching the naturally occurring shoots as I prefer the strong taste of green asparagus, but using the above rotation method it would be easy to build up t he soi l over t he r oot s t o bl anch t he shoot s as t hey emerge if you prefer a milder taste. I donâ€™t add any fertiliser, apply any pest control or even irrigate the naturally occurring aspar agus as i t i s wel l adapt ed t o Mediterranean living and thrives here. Another great advantage of having asparagus as a hedge is that in the flowering season the wonderful scent permeates out across the field and garden making an evening walk around the property delightful.

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House soiling cure – The problem JUST like a human infant, for the first part of his short life, your dog had no control of his functions. Then, when control

started, he learned it was ok to go anywhere except in his bed. That is his world now. As far as he knows, it’s ok to go anywhere when the urge strikes.

PETS PAGE www.euroweeklynews.com

Part Two

The basic rule When you can’t monitor your pet’s behaviour he must be in the crate. Easy, no? When he makes a mistake, and he will, you must see it. If you miss it, even by a couple of seconds, it’s too late. Don’t get angry at your pet, it’s your failure, not his. He didn’t do wrong. The process When you first bring him home, take him outside. Try to use the same door to take him outside all the time. Start saying over and over again, ‘Busy, busy, busy,’ in low soothing

tones. As soon as he goes, get excited. Keep saying, ‘Busy, busy, busy’ and add ‘That’s a gooooood dog. What a gooooood dog you are.’ Repeat these phrases as long as he is urinating. When he’s finished, bend down and stroke him, still repeating,‘Break, break, break,’ and ‘That’s a gooooood dog’ in a happy and upbeat voice. Take him inside and put him into the crate with an old towel, this will help comfort him. Try not to leave him alone at this point. If you do, he may start crying and whining.

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Leave him in the crate except for when you can monitor him every second. He will need to go outside after every meal and every three to four hours. When you take him outside, behave

just as you did when you first brought him home. Coax him into urinating with, ‘Break, break, break’ and praise him heavily when he does. When he’s outside the crate, he will try to urinate on the floor. As soon as the first drops hit the floor, grab your dog by the scruff of his neck and loudly yell, ‘No, bad dog.’ Pick him up, shaking him gently and carry him outside. Put him down where he’s gone before and immediately start saying, ‘Busy, busy, busy,’ and within a few moments, he’ll start to urinate. When he does, praise him lavishly just as you did before. When he’s finished, take him back inside and monitor him.

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E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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SITUATIONS VACANT ARE you self motivated and hard working? We are looking for administration/telesales candidates. Experience not essential as full training is given. Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruit ment@euroweek lynews.com WE ARE looking for a full time local reporter for the Almeria edition of our newspaper. Candidates must have relevant experience and Spanish is a bonus. Please contact me for further details jackie@ euroweeklynews. com

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If you want to win all you have to do is go a little bit faster than all the others.”

Motoring shorts Some might say...

Classics and crashes at Goodwood By Matthew Elliott A 1963 JAGUAR E-Type and 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO, worth tens of millions of euros a piece, almost collided at the 73rd annual Goodwood Members Meeting. They missed one another by millimetres on a drizzly English afternoon that gathered some of the finest classic cars on the planet to the famed Goodwood estate in Sussex. Cars from all eras, including a 1909 Blitzen Benz and an army of single seaters, raced the circuit in front of dozens of motoring celebrities and wealthy patrons. David Coulthard was in attendance as was Goodwood estate owner Lord March, who regularly donates millions to motoring causes. One of the most prestigious events on the motoring calendar, the Members Meeting is an intentionally quiet affair, allowing attendees to get up close and personal with some of the finest cars in the country.

CLASSY: Emerald green dream machine.

Highlights included an Edwardianera race, a mini chasing a rover, and a moving Wall of Sound/Minute of Noise tribute to Formula One legend John Surtees who died in March. There was a special Group A touring cars race featuring a Rover, Alpha

and Capri battering around the 2.4 mile track and the Graham Hill trophy pitting Ferraris against Aston Martins. The next big event at Goodwood will be the spectacular Festival of Speed from June 29 to July 2. This

year’s theme will be ‘Peaks of Performance - Motorsport’s Game Changers.’ Lucky ticketholders can expect to see the world’s finest racing collection of 1930’s Grand Prix cars, Turbo-charged F1s, and Group B Rally cars take to the hallowed circuit.

Top Gear: Stateside DESPITE its post-Clarkson To p G e a r b e i n g r o u n d l y ridiculed as one of the most d i s a s t r o u s T V e ff o r t s o f 2016, the BBC is launching an American version of the s h o w. A n a l l - A m e r i c a n line-up will bring the B r i t i s h s h o w ’s f o r m a t across the pond for an eight episode run. It is the third time American producers have tried to turn the hit show, one of the most popular in history, into a stateside phenomenon. The latest incarnation will be produced by BBC America and led by actor William Fichtner alongside drag racer Antron Brown a n d w r i t e r To m F o r d . A l l three are apparently serious motorheads, suggesting the B e e b i s n ’t t a k i n g a C h r i s Evans-sized gamble with its budget this time around and hoping for third time luck.

E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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MOTORING

Teenage kicks at a decent price GOOD CHOICE: Look at me!

THE first choice car of a newbie driver should be safe, reliable, and not too flash to arouse passing patrol car suspicions or raise the insurance bill through the roof. Britain’s Money Supermarket website decided to find out just which cars were most popular among new drivers. The Ford Ka took fifth spot thanks to its incredibly cheap insurance packages, relatively speaking. It’s a terrific city car, perfect for urban commutes, easy to park and simple to fix. Next up, is the second gen Renault Clio which has top marks for safety and can come

packed with an unusually strong 75hp 1.2 litre engine for a decent price. Volkswagen’s supermini-style offering, the Polo, has intentionally targetted first time buyers. It is tough, hardy and often comes with lots of added extras, including insurance deals that make it appealing for budget buyers. The UK’s best selling car, the Ford Fiesta, comes second among novice buyers, almost through sheer popularity. Tops is the Vauxhall Corsa. Cheap parts, flexible payment, insurance deals and reliability make it a no brainer for new drivers.

MOTORING

30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería E W N

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ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Peugeot 3008 GT Line PEUGEOT says its new 3008 will become ‘a key player ’ in the booming S U V s e c t o r, a n d a n y o n e who sees the car - a radically different design from its predecessor - and what it offers will find it hard to argue with that assertion. The 3008, priced from €25,035 (£21,795), is very well kitted with even the entry level Active model having driver attention alert, programmable cruise control and speed limiter, a u t o e m e rg e n c y b r a k i n g , large 31cm digital instrument display and a separate 20cm touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone climate control

GT LINE: Practical and versatile.

and rear parking sensors. Launched in two-wheel drive form, you can specify a Grip Control option which in effect provides a form of all-wheel-drive for slippery conditions. There are 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre turbo petrol engines and 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesels, each with two power versions. B u t w h i l e t h e 3 0 0 8 ’s generous specification and multiple engine options are stand-out features, the c a r ’s s t u n n i n g e x t e r n a l styling and refined driving dynamics give it the sort of appeal that takes it to the head of the class. It has a beautifully designed and rather futuristic-looking quality interior and latest t e c h n o l o g y, a n d o ff e r s

practicality and versatility, and a smart upmarket appearance which exudes the cool persona the SUV market requires. On the road, the 3008 v o t e d C a r O f T h e Ye a r a t the Geneva Motor Show by 58 motoring journalists from 22 countries - reveals a neat balance of ride comfort with lots of grip and composed handling, taking corners with minimal body pitch and tackling rough surfaces with aplomb, despite its raised ride-height. The 3008 is roomy for front and rear occupants and the boot space at 591 litres is one of the largest in the sector which also expands to a massive 1,670 litres with the rear seats folded. The top-seller is likely to be the 1.6 diesel, but my test model was the three-

cylinder 1.2 litre PureTech GT Line turbo-petrol version which is smooth, fluent and surprisingly powerful. It packs 130 hp, has a nippy 0-100 kph time of 10.8 seconds, top speed of 190 kph and fuel economy of 19.61 kpl (55.4 mpg). This sporty GT Line version is €29,286 (£25,495) and extra kit includes 3D s a t - n a v, e x t e r i o r s p o r t s trim, LED self-levelling headlights, and smartphone charging plate. The new 3008 is an impressive new model in an SUV class already packed with impressive models, and I struggled to find any negative points. It is right at the top of the class. Model tested is UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

Stats panel: Model: Peugeot 3008 GT Line Engine: 1.2 litre turbo-petrol Transmission: 6 speed manual Performance: 0-100km 10.8 seconds, top speed 190 kph Economy: 19.61 kpl (55.4 mpg) Emissions: 117g/km

Brexit and electric black taxi cabs MOTORING costs in the UK have soared by 10 per cent in the past year. Hard up British drivers are paying more for fuel, repairs, and higher taxes. All the while their cars are slowly losing value. Average fuel prices leapt up 20p per litre from March 2016 to 2017 as the pound continues to struggle after the Brexit vote. The average cost per mile has jumped by around three pence to just under 30p for most cars. Factor in higher insurance costs and the prospect of difficulty importing parts after Brexit and British motorists are in pretty bad shape. The stats come as the London Taxi Company, which produces all of the capital’s black cabs, urged the government to protect the industry during Brexit negotiations. The manufacturer recently opened a huge production facility in Coventry that is the size of 20 football pitches. With more than €400 million of Chinese investment they plan to produce thousands of electric black cabs. But they are mindful of an alarming new report which suggests a hard Brexit might increase the cost of manufacturing a car in Britain by £2,370 (€2,740).

E W N 30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

Team EWN makes official racing debut EURO WEEKLY NEWS publisher Steven Euesden was back in the driving seat at the Mike G Racing circuit in Guadix, Granada, on Sunday March 26, as he began his quest to attain his Race International B driver’s licence. The first stage of the process involves accumulating a particular number of points in nationally-recognised race events, so this outing saw him take the wheel of a Renault Clio Cup IV car for two 10-lap contests in the year ’s first meeting of the Andalucian Velocity Motor Racing Championship. Steven, Team EWN, and the SPV Racing Team arrived at the track bright and early to compete in qualifying, and he managed to secure a position of eighth on

the grid in the ‘Touring’ class after a solid performance. There were several more powerful cars in this group, including a Porsche 944 Cup and a Porsche 997 GT3 alongside other Clios, a Seat Leon Supercopa Mk2, Mazda MX5, a Citroën AX GT and several Hyundai Accents. SPV had kindly decked out Steven’s car in full EWN livery, which looked spectacular, and he was given a full technical briefing on his qualifying performance by SPV CEO Raul Garcia Isern and manager Lars GV Linberg. Prior to the first race, Steven said that his main concern was getting away cleanly without stalling the car and he managed to do so, unlike fellow Brit and teammate for the day Shawn

Wakefield, who last year drove for SPV in the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries. Shawn eventually managed to make up the gap and almost made the podium, but Steven was nevertheless delighted to gain two places and finish sixth in his first ever competitive race, having been held up by two slower cars in the latter stages.

The SPV team were certainly impressed with his performance and he will compete in Valencia next. He thus achieved his primary aim of finishing cleanly and getting some points on the board. Following a lengthy break to allow the drivers to recuperate and the cars to be refuelled and tweaked, there was a second chance for Steven to check out his performance statistics on the laptop and get some tips on how to improve. During the second race Shawn sped away and

e) and the SVP pit crew. Lars (right), Raul (centr STEVEN EUESDEN with

Steven also started strongly before he found himself in fourth position and in no danger of being passed. The event featured a few collisions, including a remarkable incident which saw one car drive into the back of the other, forcing it off the track as race officials waved the yellow flag. Steven’s race was somewhat more uneventful as he avoided trouble to clinch fourth place at the chequered flag and obtain more crucial points, an impressive debut considering he had never even seen the car prior to the day. The SPV team were certainly impressed with his performance, and he is now set to compete in Valencia in two week’s time. A huge thank you to everyone at SPV Racing for another cracking day, plus Clive and all the staff at The Mike G Racing Circuit for their superb hospitality.

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30 March - 5 April 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Wins for Northern Ireland, England and Scotland 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

Maverick Vinales won the first MotoGP of 2017 in Qatar; Andreas Dovizioso came second and Valentino Rossi third. The cars and motorbikes race again on April 9, in Shanghai and Argentina respectively. ROUND-UP: • England lost last week’s friendly 1-0 in Germany before beating Lithuania 2-0 in their 2108 WC qualifier on Sunday. Also in WC qualifiers, the Republic of Ireland drew 0-0 with Wales, Scotland, following a 1-1 draw with Canada, beat Slovenia 1-0, Northern Ireland defeated Austria 2-0 and Spain won 41 against Israel. • Dundee United beat St Mirren 2-1 in the

Scottish Challenge Cup final. • Ronnie Moran, the former player, coach and assistant-manager of Liverpool, has died at the age of 83. • This weekend’s Rugby Super League games include Catalan Dragons v Wakefield, Leigh v Widnes and Warrington Wolves v Hull. The Wolves have yet to win this season! • In the Aviva Premiership, Leicester beat Northampton 36-31 to move into fourth place behind Wasps, Exeter and Saracens. • The Miami Open tennis championship is underway and is followed almost immediately by two more top events, in Mexico and in South Carolina. • The Houston and Mississippi Open golf championships are taking place in the USA and Dustin Johnson won the recent match-play tournament in Texas. • Thousands of runners are getting ‘fit and well oiled’ for the Boston and London marathons on the April 17 and April 23 respectively. • On Saturday we have the Cambridge-Oxford University boat race. WHO WILL WIN THE MASTERS? The first major golf tournament of the year, the US Masters, starts in Augusta next Thursday (April 6) and

JORDAN SPIETH: A home favourite to win the US Masters golf tournament.

I believe one of these six players will end up wearing the green jacket. * Home favourite Jordan Spieth from Texas, winner in 2015 and runner-up in 2014 and 2016. * Recent Match Play winner and World Number One Dustin Johnson from South Carolina, sixth in 2015 and fourth last year. * Ireland’s Rory McIlroy with three consecutive top10 finishes and a best of fourth in 2015. * Australian Jason Day, second in 2011 and third in 2013. * Reigning champion from England, Danny Willett, despite his poor form of late. * Japan’s Hideki Matsuyma, who ended up fifth and seventh in the last two years. Another six to ‘watch out for ’ are Emiliano Grillo from Argentina, Spanish youngster Jon Rahm Rodriguez, Bubba Watson from Florida, South African Charl Schwartzel and the Australian duo of Adam Scott and inform Marc Leishman who won recently in Orlando. And of course the winner, and the runnerup, may come from the following… the English quintet of Paul Casey, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose… Germany’s Martin Kaymer… Alex Noren and Henrik Stenson from Sweden … Italian Francesco Molinari… South Africa’s Branden Grace… the Spanish duo of Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Sergio Garca. Plus the huge American

contingent which includes Texans Roberto Castro and Patrick Reed; Clevelandborn Jason Dufner; Californians Phil Mickelson (now aged 46) and Rickie Fowler; Charley Hoffman from San Diego; JB Holmes from Kentucky; Kevin Kisner from South Carolina; the Florida pair of Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar; 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson from North Carolina; Nashville’s Brandt Snedeker; Justin Thomas from Louisville; Jimmy Walker from Oklahoma City. Or even Tiger Woods, if he competes! However, if he does, even his diehard supporters don’t think he’ll make the cut. Watch and enjoy… it will be another excellent golfing weekend.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL: Winner of the first Grand Prix of 2017.

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E W N Costa de Almería

30 March - 5 April 2017

ENGLAND lost last week’s friendly 1-0 in Germany before beating Lithuania 2-0 in their 2108 WC qualifier on Sunday.

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19th Hole Golf Society Vettel secures first F1 Grand Prix win of 2017 at Aguilon Golf Resort ON Thursday March 23 the venue for the 19th Hole Golf Society’s Three Division Stableford competition was the exquisite Aguilon Golf Resort. With the course and weather just about perfect for golf it was inevitable that scoring would be exceptional. But as with all forecasts the results rarely match expectations. Only the overall winner managed a below par for the course score, Dave Denyer in division three scored a very neat 42 points to take the win and the abuse from the fellow players, which he sportingly shook off and graciously accepted the prize money. Ellen Lea and Zeta Denyer were second and third in that division decided on a card countback both on 33 points. Division one was again a tight affair with Tony Mackay and Paco Ocaña Grajal only being separated with a card countback. Di-

vision one was a decisive win for Mike Esposito with a score of 32. Results 1st Division: 1st Mike Esposito, 32 points (12). 2nd Mark Coffey, 27 points (16). 3rd Steve Newberry, 27 points (10). 2nd Division: 1st Tony Mackay, 36 points (22). 2nd Paco Ocaña Grajal. 27 points (18). 3rd Steve Lawrie, 27 points (24). 3rd Division: 1st Dave Denyer, 42 points (28). 2nd Ellen Lea, 33 points (32). 3rd Zeta Denyer, 33 points (35) Nearest the Pins: 2nd in two Mark Coffey, 3rd Ellen Lea, 8th Mike Esposito, 12th Pat O Dwyer, 14th Mark Coffey Twos: 8th Mike Esposito and Steve Newberry, 17th Vince Swain and Dave Denyer. The 19th Hole Golf Society arranges weekly games around the area playing Aguilon every other week. For more information call 634 315 813 or email gs19th hole@hotmail.co.uk.

by Tony Matthews FOOTBALL: THIS weekend’s PL matches are Arsenal v Manchester City, Burnley v Spurs, runaway leaders Chelsea v Crystal Palace, Hull v West Ham, Leicester v Stoke, Liverpool v Everton, Manchester United v WBA, Southampton v Bournemouth, Swansea v Middlesbrough and Watford v struggling Sunderland. The second tier matches include Brighton (second) v Blackburn, leaders Newcastle v Wigan, Huddersfield (third) v Burton Albion and Reading v Leeds (fourth); it’s Bolton (second) v Chesterfield in FL1 and

Grimsby Town v high-flying Doncaster Rovers in FL2. Also on Sunday, Coventry City face Oxford United in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley. Then, next Tuesday/ Wednesday in the PL, we have, among others, Arsenal v West Ham, Chelsea v Manchester City, Hull v Middlesbrough (a real sixpointer this), Leicester v Sunderland, Liverpool v Bournemouth, Manchester United v Everton and Swansea v Spurs, plus Brentford v Leeds, Brighton v Birmingham, Huddersfield v Norwich and Newcastle v Burton in the Championship. Plenty of interesting fixtures all round, I would say.

• Arsenal are on their worst run of results for 21 years, six defeats in nine, and leaking goals galore. • Everton has agreed building details for a new 50,000+ capacity stadium in the north of Liverpool. MOTOR SPORT: Around 118,000 spectators saw Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) win last Sunday’s first F1 Grand Prix of 2017 in Australia. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valterri Bottas were second and third. This was Ferrari’s 225th F1 race victory. And on two wheels, S p a i n ’s Turn Page 71