ISSUE NO. 1666
8 - 14 June 2017
COSTA DE ALMERĂ?A
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
SEAT battle Expat strongholds compete By Matthew Elliott Two of Almeria’s most popular expat strongholds are set to go head-to-head in a battle for immortality. Spanish car maker SEAT is looking for a new Spanish village to name its 2018 model after and will hold a popular vote to choose the winner. Mojacar and Vera have launched competing campaigns, each eager to secure a place in motoring history, and the lucrative name recognition that comes with it. The councils, local residents and the voting public have three months to make their pitch and make up their minds. Entry is open to all small Spanish towns with a deadline of June 22. But with Almeria never having been represented in half a century of SEAT history, Mojacar and Vera are leading challengers, already with substantial popular support.
NEW MODEL: Name to be determined later this year. Previous SEAT models include the SEAT Marbella and SEAT Ibiza. Whether the hotly anticipated sevenseat SUV is named the SEAT Mojacar, SEAT Vera, or none of the above, will be determined later this year. A popular online vote will determine three finalists to be announced at the Frank-
furt Motor Show on September 12. Another vote will follow with the ultimate winner being revealed in November. While Mojacar has long been touted as a potential SEAT model, Vera is a late entry to the competition. Mayor Felix Lopez saw the economic opportunity for extra tourism and convinced the council to compete. Which, if any, Almerian town comes out on top is down to the people. With social media playing a huge role both Spanish and UK residents will undoubtedly be taking part.
Shotgun self defence A FEMALE soldier who shot a man wielding a knife faces prison for using excessive force. The Nijar woman is accused of deliberately shooting him in the chest, rather than the arm, or firing a warning shot. At the time she was being followed and harassed by her ex-partner and called a friend to report hearing strange noises in the garden. She went outside to check with a flashlight and her shotgun, which she was licensed to carry. Her ex then appeared from the darkness with a large knife and began marching towards her. She warned him to stay back and, when he continued walking, fired directly at him from a distance of three metres. The stalker was almost killed, spending three weeks in intensive care, requiring plastic surgery and enduring permanent injuries. Now prosecutors are charging the soldier with attempted murder.
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NEWS EXTRA
Half mast A MINUTE’S silence was held at Almeria Tow n Ha l l a n d f l a g s raised at half mast across the province in tribute to victims of the shocking terrorist attack in London last Saturday.
Green race VUELTA A ESPANA is best known as a bike race but the electric car version passed through Almeria as BMW, Nissan and Kia drivers competed in a 2,000km electric race around the country.
Ship death A 62-YEAR-OLD man was killed while working in a sh i p i n Ve r a . Heavy metal equipment fell o n h i m. R e sc u e teams were alerted too late and were unable to save his life.
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All eyes on UK British poll takes place today ALL eyes are on the UK as the nation today (Thursday) goes to the polls to select a new government. By tomorrow (Friday) the British electorate will know who is to lead them from 10 Downing Street for up to the next five years, with Theresa May heading the Conservative Party, Jeremy Corbyn the Labour Party, Tim Farron the Liberal Democrats, Nicola Sturgeon the Scottish National Party, Leanne Wood Plaid Cymru, and Paul Nuttall UKIP, with Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley jointly leading the Green Party. While in recent General Elections and other national votes opinion polls and national forecasts have frequently been inaccurate, in the countdown to today’s election they have pointed
to a Conservative victory despite the Labour party making up ground. Thousands of British expats in Spain will have taken part in today’s vote if they have only left to live abroad within the last 15 years, although there have been mixed reports concerning the arrival of ballot papers with some councils sending them out very quickly and others taking their time. Both leaders consider this the most important General Election for years, and while politicians call for a united country, the result is more likely to highlight deep divides between many UK regions. • Maddocks View On Life – Page 79
Theresa May.
Jeremy Corbyn.
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Taking care of numero uno A DOZEN councillors in Almeria Province, and the mayor of the capital, Ramon Pacheco, earn more than the president of Andalucia. Newly released salary figures show a variety of oddities and also just how residents pay their public servants. Mayor Pacheco is the highest paid ci vi l ser vant i n Andal uci a. Hi s €76,908 gross annual income is just €3,100 shy of the maximum permitted by law for mayors. His closest counterpart is Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre who earns substantially less at €63,428. Pacheco’s closest adviser and spokesman, Miguel Castellon, earns €74,490 per year. He has three other assistants who earn €68,462 per year. Nowhere else in Andalucia do such unelected city officials earn more than €60,000. Meanwhi l e 12 ci t y counci l l or s earn more than Andalucia president Susana Diaz, who is paid €64,446 before taxes. Last year Almeria politicians paid consultants a total of €1.01 million from the public purse.
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Brady poll results in IN an online poll, we asked whether Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley should have been handed death sentences saving UK taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds, and a massive 85 per cent of Euro Weekly News readers said yes.
Swept aside PLANS are afoot to minimise the noise of the municipal cleaning fleet after sleep deprived city residents in Almeria demanded a major decrease in decibels. Almeria’s fixed cleaning scheduled is between 10pm and 4am and found the cleaning crews regularly hit over 75 decibels, despite European regulations stipulating a maximum of 55.
Healthy habits FOR the ninth year running Mojacar celebrated Healthy Habits Promotion Week. Organised by the town hall and other bodies it saw local nurses give a free talk to an audience from the senior citizen’s exercise class. Topics included the importance of physical exercise and healthy eating.
SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...15 Whether avoiding the colour yellow or placing cacti on windowsills to ward off evil spirits, there are rafts of superstitions in Spanish culture, and none are more popular than fear of Tuesday 13th.
Unlucky for some WHILE Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in most Western countries, superstitious souls in Spain view Tuesday as the day to dread. This is because Tuesdays are said to be dominated by Ares, the G r e e k G o d o f Wa r, w h o w a s known as Mars in Ancient Rome and gave his name to dies martis (Tuesday) in Latin, which later became martes in Spanish. Events such as the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade, which happened on Tues-
TUESDAY 13TH: Unlucky. day April 13, 1204, and the fall of Constantinople to the Ott o m a n s o n Tu e s d a y M a y 2 9 ,
1453, added more weight to the belief that bad things happen on a Tuesday. In Greek, Tuesday is known as Tr i t i , m e a n i n g t h e t h i r d o f t h e week, and this has further boosted the superstition since bad luck supposedly ‘comes in threes.’ There is even a traditional Spanish proverb which warns: ‘En martes, ni te cases, ni te embarques, ni de tu casa te apartes’ [On Tuesday, don’t get married, don’t get on a boat, don’t even leave your house]. Occurring in months which start on a Thursday, next Tuesday marks the first and only occasion that sufferers of trezidavomartiofobia (fear of Tuesday 13th) need fret this year.
Very superstitious OTHER widespread superstitions in Spain include an aversion to the colour yellow, which is traditionally said to represent sulphur and the devil. Thus, Spaniards will not wear yellow in certain situations including job interviews and exams, while it is considered bad luck to gift friends or family
CACTI: Ward off spirits.
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Burka Ban 26-27
Finance 30
Leapy Lee 35
TV 42
Time Out 46
members, especially babies, with yellow clothes. C a c ti a re popula r w indow p l ant s i n Spain, and while this has plenty to do with the dry, sunny climate it is rooted in the long-established belief that the spiky succulents ward off evil spirits. The theory is that the plants absorb moisture from the air, drowning fiendish phantoms as they try to cross the threshold. Wicked spirits are also thought to dwell in human hair, from where they are easily transferred to headwear, so leaving a hat on a bed in Spain is also considered a bad omen.
Letters 48
Health & Beauty 49
Social 53
YELLOW: Do not wear to an interview.
Albox mindlessly killed it. Eyewitnesses said that they stoned it and then stamped on its head.
Duck disgrace Sun soaked A NUMBER of young people removed a duck from the water in the Parque del Andarax in Almeria and
INSIDE VIEW News
Green mile A MAJOR cannabis plantation has been taken apart in Carboneras after investigators swooped following a short probe into a private property, where the grow room could be detected by smell alone while a string of young people trailed in and out.
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A NEW promotional video unleashed by the Costa de Almeria
tourist board features beach, sun, desert and snow to capture all the province’s elements. Music was provided by flamenco icon Tomatito.
Cruise control Fake bills
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Property 62
Classifieds
SPANISH ferry operator Balearia
Skinchecker campaign for cancer THE climatic peculiarities of Almeria make risk factors high for skin cancer. That, together with rapidly rising rates, has led the Official College of Pharmacists of Almeria to launch a new public campaign focused on prevention. Incidence of the disease continues to increase around the world, now accounting for more than one in three cancer diagnosis. But pharmacists and doctors across Almeria want to spread the message that it’s fortunately also the most visible and easily detectable.
will on June 20 open its fourth international route linking Almeria to the Moroccan city of Nador, with the four-hour 1,200-capacity voyage departing twice daily.
They have collaborated with a laboratory to generate the new campaign, named Skinchecker. It hopes to raise awareness throughout the community about the risks of sun exposure, good habit, and how you might evaluate risks on a given day from the weather. An estimated 50-70 per cent of diagnoses in Almeria are directly related to overexposure to UVB and UVA radiation. A recent survey found that, while 88 per cent of the Spanish population is fully aware of the risks, just 22 per cent use daily protection.
AN entrepreneur and his eight ‘employees’ were arrested for pretending to be a plumbing business to swindle the social security office out of €140,00 in employment benefits.
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Sport 71
The total number of news and features appearing in Issue 1665 of the Euro Weekly News Costa de Almería edition, with 31 local stories.
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Key witness SPANISH Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will appear as a witness in a major corruption trial involving members of the governing conservative Partido Popular. Spain’s High Court called on the politician to give evidence in person at the so-called Gurtel trial and it is expected he will appear at a court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid in July. The case centres on a vast cash for contracts kickback scheme that is alleged to have helped finance Mr Rajoy’s PP, which has faced repeated accusations of corruption. The 62year-old leader is not accused of wrongdoing but it is believed as the head of the party since 2004, he could provide key evidence.
Curry favour INDIA’S Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Spanish firms to invest in his country saying it was “an enormous country” and there were “many opportunities” as his government set out a massive infrastructure programme. The politician met with Spanish government representatives and business leaders. India plans to build six massive sea ports, 250 airports, 27,000km of roads, and modernise 400 train stations by 2025. Mr Modi said Spain was a global leader in areas India needed as a priority.
Dignified rally TENS of thousands demonstrated in Madrid on a ‘march of dignity’ calling for better wages and job security as Spain recovers from a painful recession.
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e ye on SPAIN
Around the nation in 7 stories
Postcard from
People travelled from across the country to join the protest, walking behind a banner reading: ‘Bread, work, homes and equality.’ Critics maintain many workers face a precarious future with no guarantee over hours and are often poorly paid.
Taxi brake
Cáceres STONE WALLS: A medieval city. THE medieval city of Caceres has a starring role in the new series of the award-winning Game of Thrones, its stone walls and fortifications making it an ideal choice to be cast in the drama. Early in the morning or at dusk, visitors almost feel they have stepped into a time machine and returned to the Middle Ages, such is the feel of history all around. A lively university city with a population of 95,814, its old town Ciudad Monumental is a UNESCO world heritage site and is an impressive reminder of the past. It is 300km south west of Madrid, in the region of Extremadura, a drive of about three hours. It is a mixture of gothic and renaissance architecture and the narrow cobbled streets twist and climb amongst the ancient stone walls, a skyline decorated with turrets, gargoyles and enormous stork nests. The streets are packed with shops and taverns; people can enjoy full-bodied red wines, cherry, blackberry and chestnut liqueurs and cheese made from the milk of Merino sheep. Caseres is also famous for its food; stews, roast meats - especially pork, lamb and game - all recipes with a rich country tradition. The provincial capital of the province of Caceres, it has been home to Romans, Visigoths, moors and Spanish after the reconquest and it is situated on the Via de la Plata, the pilgrims’ route from Sevilla to Santiago de Compostela.
THOUSANDS of Spanish taxi drivers went on strike in Madrid and Barcelona in the ongoing protest against ‘ride-hailing’ companies like Uber and Cabify. Industrial action lasted 12 hours in the capital and a full 24 hours in Spain’s second city; taxi drivers believe their jobs are at risk while the new cheaper competition did not implement existing laws.
Pirates’ tale SPANISH actor Javier Bardem stars as bad guy Armando Salazar in the latest of the Pirates of the Caribbean, the fifth film in the saga of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Javier plays a Spanish pirate hunter leading a motley crew of ‘undead’ seamen trapped inside the Devil’s Triangle; naturally Capt Sparrow is the focus of his revenge.
Infant killed A MAN was arrested in Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz, after he suffocated his eight-month-old baby before brutally beating his pregnant partner. Police were tipped off by concerned neighbours, but they arrived too late to save the child while the mother was hospitalised.
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Birthdays • Bonnie Tyler (66) June 8, Pop Singer Welsh singer Bonnie, who recorded the hit song Total Eclipse of the Heart in 1983, is still performing as a singer today. When she was 19 years old, she entered a talent competition and won second place. Her successful singles included Lost in France and Holding Out for a Hero. • Johnny Depp (54) June 9, Film Actor He played the character of Captain jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and other roles associated with the director, Tim Burton, whose films include, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd for which he was gained a Golden Globe Award for best actor. • Prince Philip (96) June 10, Royalty The Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving and oldest spouse of a reigning British monarch. When he was 18 years old, he joined the Royal Navy and began writing to his third cousin, who was 13 years old, Princess Elizabeth. • Hugh Laurie (58) June 11, TV Actor Today, Hugh is more famous in America, for his role as the doctor in the hit TV series, ‘House,’ but he is an English actor who found success as part of the double act, ‘A Little Bit of Fry and Laurie,’ ‘Blackadder,’ and ‘Jeeves and Wooster,’ in the 80’s and 90’s. He has an OBE and also writes, directs, sings and performs music. • George Bush (93) June 12, US President The 41st President of the US was focused on trying to make the US nation, a kinder one and was also a follower of traditional American values. He was the youngest pilot in the Navy to receive his wings. During the Second World War, he went out on mission as a torpedo bomber and was shot down, but was rescued by a US submarine. Later, he was awarded the distinguished ‘Flying Cross’ for bravery.
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NEWS EXTRA
Hotel bias THE commercial director of an Almeria hotel group, ZT Hotels, which forba d e a g r o u p o f youngsters with Down’s Syndrome from reserving a sp a c e , wa s c o n demned and disqualified by a judge.
Weed peril URGENT action is being demanded to rid the Cuesta Blanca road near Purchena of dangerous weeds which pose a major threat to drivers and pedestrians alike.
Cat alarm A PE T c a t a w o k e a British couple in Vera as it detected burglars trying to break into their prope rt y i n Ve ra . T h e youn g b u rg l a rs c l am bered up a 10 metre wall to enter the apartment.
OUR VIEW
Bag disposal AS more councils in Spain tighten up their regulations concerning dog ownership and traceability, a new phenomenon seems to have appeared. One of the aims of the regulations is to cut down the amount of dog excrement seen on the streets and to some extent this is working, but there is a hidden surprise. Whilst owners have started to carry ‘poop bags’ with them and do stop to pick up the faeces, many appear to be unable to decide where to safely dispose of the bags and suddenly there are lots of little black bags appearing on pavements, roads or thrown onto waste plots. It’s a double-edged sword as there are fewer piles of poo on the streets which must make it safer for children, but there is the problem of cute little bags waiting to be picked up and opened. At least when it rained heavily or when the sun was at its strongest, the dog mess was either washed away or petrified, but now it has the potential to sit and fester within its own little home. Dog ownership comes with responsibility, not only for the well-being of the dog itself, but for those who don’t have a dog and for the sake of public health and pride, public bins should be used to dispose of the mess.
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Summer fire ban ANDALUCIA’S fire ban is to be enforced until at least mid-October. The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has banned the use of fire in all fields throughout Andalucia as well as banning motor vehicles from driving through forested areas. The 2009 legislation activates the ban every summer to try and reduce the number of wildfires in the region. It also prohibits the burning of vegetation or agricultural waste and the use of barbecues even in designated areas at camping resorts and any area within 400 metres of a forest. A spokesperson for the Environment councillor, Juan Servan, said areas “will be monitored” by authorities to ensure the rules are enforced. Barbecues will only be permitted in tourist establishments, rural restaurants, educational camps and traditional ovens and boilers used
for distillation. Prior authorisation from provincial Environmental delegations will however be required. FIRE BAN: Until mid-October.
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Balearic babes SHE’S in Mallorca as filming for the new series of ITV’s Love Island is about to begin. But Caroline Flack has clearly been taking the opportunity to relax as she posted a cheeky topless shot as she lounged in the pool next to friend and stylist Fiona Fagan, who also dispensed with her bikini top. The 37-year-old presenter added the caption: “When you work with your bezza.” The pair are reportedly holed up in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, which is where the upcoming series of the hit augmented reality show will be set. Elsewhere in Mallorca, 2003 Miss Wales winner and Big Brother star Imogen Thomas, 34, put on a busty display atop a stallion as she posed to promote her Chasing Summer swimwear range. Rocking a skimpy scarlet bikini with a halterneck top and
tie side bottoms during the red hot photoshoot, the curvaceous beauty seemed to enjoy her horseback experience after earlier slipping into a sea-green number on the beach. In Ibiza, 32-year-old Victoria’s Secret model Izabel Goulart paraded her impossibly pert posterior in a thong bikini as she cuddled up to German boyfriend and Paris St Germain goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, 26. Her break came after she wowed the red carpet crowds in Cannes during the film festival, and provided an equally showstopping spectacle as she performed an eye-popping exercise routine on Izabel Goulart. their rented yacht.
Tickled pink SHE grabbed the nation’s attention 20 years ago following a skimpily-clad appearance in a TV ad campaign for Boddington’s bitter. But Melanie Sykes, 46, showed that her own bikini bod hasn’t aged a day as she shared a series of sexy snaps to her Instagram page during a break in Mallorca. The mum-of-two flaunted her fabulous figure after slipping into a bright pink bikini, although it ap-
Imogen Thomas.
MELANIE SYKES: Brrrrr r.
pears the Balearic weather failed to match her enthusiasm after she captioned one of the pics: “Thank god I brought my cardi, it’s bloody
freezing #mallorca #minibreak shot by @samhemsley come on sun please don’t be shy #brrrrrrr.”
Cup a load of this! REAL MADRID stars warmed up for their thumping 4-1 victory over Italian giants Juventus in last Saturday’s Champions League final by enjoying a break in Ibiza. Defender and Captain Sergio Ramos was joined by girlfriend Pilar Rubio and several of his team-mates aboard a luxury yacht. CHILLING: Sergio Ramos The group savouring some much-needand Pilar Rubi. ed down time ahead of the showpiece in Cardiff also included Luka Modric, Lucas Vazquez, Keylor Navas and Mateo Kovacic. Ramos was pictured aboard a powerful jet ski before taking the plunge as he launched himself into the Mediterranean from the side of the boat. And the Andalucian helped ensure his team did not fall short after they became the first club to retain the European Cup since AC Milan in 1990. Photo Credit Vertele/Twitter
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NEWS EXTRA
A fine girl POLICE apologised for fining a woman from Sevilla €600 for failing a breathalyser test. She proved she was at home asleep 400km away and not galavanting around El Parador, Almeria at 4am.
Red eyes COCAINE use among Almeria drivers has exploded in recent ye ar s . I n 2016 one in four positive drugs tests were for cocaine, up from 15 per cent in 2012.
Hard work AN estimated 7,200 new work contracts will be generated this summer in Almeria in the hotel, transport, airport and agricultural sectors. Most are temporary until September.
HAPPY: Customers will be able to use their phones throughout Europe.
Free roaming charges may not be so free MUCH has been made by the EU decision to scrap mobile phone roaming charges from June 15, but Spanish customers may be in for a surprise. At least one Spanish media source suggests that in order to offset any loss of income caused by this decision, a number of mobile
line suppliers are considering increasing their base tariffs for Spanish subscribers. Effectively the decision to allow regular travellers to save on their mobile calls whilst travelling within up to 30 countries in Europe could mean that their gain will be subsidised by those who don’t travel and those who do travel may have to pay more for their package as well. Those with British phones will be able to benefit by using them anywhere within the European Union and paying the same as if they were calling from the UK but no-one is able to confirm whether this is likely to continue after Brexit.
There may also be a ‘fair use’ agreement which means that those who use their phones more than would be reasonable to expect whilst abroad may have to pay an additional charge, but the EU has pegged this at a maximum of 3.2 cents for a call and one cent for a text message. The cost of data roaming will also drop by a third from June 15 for each gigabyte used and will continue to drop until 2020 when it should cost no more than €2.50 per gigabyte. Every phone company is required by law to advise customers of any new or special charges before imposing them.
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INES PLAZA: Councillor at the Zoosanitary Centre asking questions.
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Brazen dog centre thefts By Matthew Elliott TWO dangerous dogs were stolen from Almeria’s Zoosanitary Centre in a brazen attack on the province’s biggest stray
and abandoned animal facility. The dogs are extremely dangerous and likely to fail any physical or psychological testing, meaning they will probably be kept or sold illegally.
Numbers in the news 43%
of under-30s are currently unemployed in Spain.
It is the second time in months the Zoosanitary Centre has been targeted. In December last year thieves stole six dogs, five of them dangerous, killed one pup, and released two ponies. During both incidents the attackers caused serious material damages. Ines Plaza, a Socialist councillor for Almeria said, “it is unacceptable that the animals are kept in such a vulnerable location.” She told an investigative committee that there are no cameras, alarms or even proper nighttime guards to protect the centre from thieves. Worse, there is no guarantee that the dangerous animals will not end up in the hands of unfit people, with no insurance or expertise, who may use them for illegal purposes, including fights. It is the second time in recent months that the centre has come under the spotlight. Councillor Plaza is still investigating a discrepancy in the centre’s accounting figures. She suspects that the deaths of hundreds of animals have been kept under wraps.
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Ruthless tortoise trade RESCUED: Tortoises uncovered at Almeria port en route to France.
GUARDIA CIVIL officers rescued seven tortoises trapped inside a cardboard box in the boot of a car at Almeria port. The highly endangered species, known as the spurthighed tortoise, had been
trafficked from Algeria to Almeria by ruthless gangsters Border patrols conducted a routine search on the car, which was destined for France. Stashed in the boot among personal belongings and luggage they found the cardboard box, sellotaped with breathing holes for the crammed in reptiles. Quick research revealed that the species was pro-
tected under Spanish and international law, making their smuggling into Spain a criminal offence. The driver was promptly arrested. S p u r- t h i g h e d t o r t o i s e s a r e r e g u l a r l y t r a ff i c k e d from North Africa to Europe, where they are kept as illegal pets. The trade has placed the species on the verge of extinction.
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clubs put Spain third in European wife swapping, ranking Germany at the top and the UK second.
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Sacre bleu! THE number of students taking private French exams in Almeria quadrupled this year to 528, forcing the French Alliance to seek out a new examination hall.
One shoe A MAN who stole one trainer from an Almeria shoe shop, then got involved in a violent life and death struggle with the security guard was caught and jailed by National Police.
Real risk FOUR women and a baby were among the 3 5 m i g r a n t s re s c u e d seven miles south of Almeria port by Salvamento Maritimo agents. They are now b e i n g t re a t e d b y t h e Red Cross.
Taxi cheat A WOMAN who spent â‚Ź550 on a taxi from Almeria to Sevilla then paid the driver with a cheque after her card failed was arrested when the cheque bounced.
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Ghost town warning
LUCAINENA DE LAS TORRES: One of many Almerian areas with a population under 1,000. RURAL Almeria has been singled out as being on the verge of a demographic disaster. Ageing populations and migrating youngsters mean a growing proportion of municipalities have less than 1,000 residents. President of the Andalucian Federation of Municipa litie s a nd Provinc e s (FAMP), Fernando Villalobos, claims depopulation poses a severe threat to the survival of hundreds of villages across the province. Villalobos notes that toda y in A nda luc ia one in four councils govern a pop-
ulation of less than 1,000 people. But in Almeria the figure is almost half at 49.5 per cent. Only Granada at 39 per cent comes anywhere close to this level of sparse population. The very future of Almer i a’s uni que cul t ur e i s threatened by these developm ent s sai d Vi l l al obos, who is set to speak at a special regional congress on depopulation next week. He
will pledge FAMP’s support in combating depopulation and the economic decline that often accompanies it. The problem is one which affects all of Spain. Younger generations are increasingly moving from rural province to major cities for jobs and opportunities. Meanwhile millions of Spaniards continue to seek higher wages in the UK and across Europe.
Numbers in the news
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out of 25 top speed camera hotspots in Spain are located in Andalucia.
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NEWS EXTRA
Pretty vacant HOTELS across Almeria are preparing to welcome more than one million guests this summer as tourist numbers continue to skyrocket. Hundreds of thousands more will stay in holiday apartments.
Third quake A MINOR earthquake registering 3.1 on the Richter scale occurred 15km below the Alboran Sea with slight tremors felt in Almeria City. It was the third small earthquake in the past month.
Big mistake A DRUNK man from the Basque Country swinging a belt and screaming ETA separatist slogans was arrested in Almeria after punching a police officer who tried to stop him.
Huge haul A NEW report revealed that Almeria police seized 44,748kg of drugs last year, 12 per cent of all those confiscated in Spain, thanks to the province’s proximity to North Africa.
Cat burglar POL ICE a r re st e d a Palmores man accused of 23 burglaries in Vera and Cuevas del Almanzora. During the spree he is believed to have snuck into variou s h o m e s whi l e h is victims slept.
Con artist A MAN who conned his way into an old lady’s Almeria home, copied her k e y, a n d l a t e r robb e d h e r o f € 8 , 0 0 0 worth of jewellery and cash, was jailed for two years.
PANICKED nuclear scientists launched a desperate public plea for help and a warning after they lost a radioactive device on a rural forest trail in Almeria. Fortunately days later it was found by a local resident out for a stroll. He wisely called police when he came across the bright orange radioactive briefcase with RADIOACTIVE in capital letters lying suspiciously in the bushes.
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Nuclear panic over briefcase The warning was issued by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) last Thursday. Top scientists classified the loss as a Level One incident on the International Nuclear Event Scale, which sounds terrifying but is actually the lowest threat level.
The briefcase contained radioactive materials and a computer system for measuring soil density. Both radioactive sources are classified as category four on a scale of 1-5, with five being the least harmful. Exposure to humans would unlikely result in damage unless
the briefcase was opened. It was somehow misplaced by a scientific team working for Geotecnica South near the AL-3103. Warnings were issued online, in local newspaper and broadcasts and on social media before the device was found.
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Billion cigs smoked ALMOST one billion cigarettes were smoked in Almeria Province last year. The 256 tobacconists scattered from Mojacar to Nijar sold 40.2 million packs of 20, with many more either imported or bought on the black market. If every man, woman and child in the province smoked equally, they would have three cigarettes per day to keep them going at present rates. The number shows that an expected decline in smoking rates has stagnated. In 2008 more than 75 million packets were sold but, after new smoking restrictions, the number dropped to around 40 million in 2013 and has remained steady ever since. Profits of course have gone up as prices increase. The latest Andalucian Health Survey found that 32 per cent of men in Almeria, and 23 per cent of women, smoke. They average 13 cigarettes per day and 75 per cent expressed a desire to quit. T h e n e ws c o me s a s d o c t o r s a n d c lin ics a c r o ss t h e p r o v in ce la u n c h e d a n an ti-
smoking health drive after World Tobacco Day. Leaflets, workshops and other free information is available from health centres. A free phone number, 900 850 300, is also available for those wishing to quit.
SMOKING: Rates have levelled out in Almeria at roughly one in three adults.
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COMMUNITY
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FACE faces up to a busy June FACE (Fundraising in Arboleas, Caring for Everyone) are pleased to announce that their Summer Market this year will be held at the Bar Kubatin, underneath the Hostel Mason in Arboleas on Friday evening June 23, starting at 6pm. There will be a variety of stalls including jewellery, household goods and many other items of interest. There will also be a raffle and a tombola, which will be run by FACE themselves. If you would like to make a donation of a prize for these games, please get in touch with any FACE committee members
CHARITY EVENT: Come along and take part. or leave your donation at either one of the Total Entertainment shops in Albox or Arboleas, or
at Maloan’s Bar in Albox. Ray Peters of ‘Smooth FM radio,’ will provide the
Albox Branch events THE Albox Branch of the RBL had a stall in the sun for the Aljambra Flower Festival (May 26-28). It was a very successful event and thoroughly enjoyed by all present. Following on from their excellent open meeting in May, ‘discovering the benefits of Royal British Legion membership,’ their next members’ meeting is also an open meeting. It will be held on Thursday June 15 at 11am at La Parrilla, Albox. All expats, veterans, families and friends are welcome, just come along Everyone is welcome!! The speaker is Alejandro G Salvador. He is the British Honorary Consul for Almeria. If you want to know about legal and fiscal obligations for residents and non-residents in Spain, including: NIE what is it, what is it for and why you need it; Legal and Tax Residence in Spain; Health care access; Will and Inheritance Tax; Spanish car plates transfers and Dri-
ving licences and much, much more then this is the place for you. There will be a Q&A session afterwards, which will alleviate some Brexit concerns. Just come along, have a bit of fun at the same time. Take part in a short quiz, try the raffle and buy items from our Poppy Stall - all to raise money to support our veterans and their families. New members are welcome to join the Branch at any of the meetings or contact Sandy, membership secretary, on 648 049 491 or email stucker99@hotmail.co.uk. The Legion does vital work; they provide practical support to serving men and women, veterans (ex-Service of all ages) and their families. The monies raised in Spain stay in Spain to help the beneficiaries here. Get in touch for advice, info and guidance 676 451 780 / assistance.rbl.dns@gmail.com.
evening’s entertainment and we will also have the pleasure of Charlie, the English Singer in Spain and star of UK television, who is going to sing a few songs for us. Throughout the evening, presentations will be made to various organisations in the Arboleas and Albox area. Food and drink will be available from the Bar Kubatin and admission to the market will cost €1. On Saturday June 24, there will be a FACE charity event at Legends Bar on the Poligano Llanos de Arboleas. This event starts at 9pm and tickets cost €10 per person only. The Fabulous Bella Luna will be appearing. Food will be available on the night, although it will have to be pre-booked and there will also be a raffle. Tickets can be purchased by calling 642 057 558 or by contacting any member of FACE Committee. Find further information about FACE at www.face-char ity.com or at the FACE Facebook page.
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8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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COMMUNITY
Spain Cancer Research cycle ride starts in UK A CHARITY cycling event is taking place starting from Bourne, Lincolnshire, UK all the way to Almeria, Spain, for Cancer Research, UK. Volunteers set off on May 27 to cycle 2,000 miles and will be arriving in Arboleas on June 14. If you would like to join us in celebrating and help to donate towards the charity; come along to Bar/Restaurant, ‘La Vida,’ Cucador, on June 15. The event starts at 5pm and there will be a barbecue and live music entertainment with ‘The Singing Dutchman.’
RIDE SPAIN: Volunteers will arrive in Arboleas on June 14.
Dames in Turre - AGM DAMES IN TURRE will be holding their AGM on Monday June 12 at 12.30pm for 1pm at the Hostel Rural Turre. This meeting is for members only, but friends and guests are welcome to join us for the lunch afterwards also, at the Hostel Rural 1.30 for 2pm. This will be our last meeting be-
fore closing for the ‘Summer Break.’ May we wish you all a safe and happy holiday wherever you spend it and look forward to seeing you all again in September. For more information please contact the Secretary Pam Smith on 677 543 031 or the President Lesley Barlow on 661 085 551.
Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!
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8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
The two faces of Naseema NASEEMA CARLISLE was born and will die a Muslim. However, her life in reality has two faces, for when in Spain - where she mainly lives - few but her closest friends realise her faith, even though she is proud of it. When residing in Spain she assimilates her attire to match Western customs. But when she annually visits family in her native Malaysia each winter for up to two months she wears a headscarf when out with aunts and uncles and goes dry, not drinking any alcohol. She dresses and acts exactly the same as many other local Muslims in Malaysia. While not choosing to wear a burka, she covers her hair with a full scarf when out with family ‘and I wear only a little make-up.’ This is a far cry from when she is in Spain, for though she dresses conservatively compared to many Spanish and visiting tourists (not wearing short skirts or tight skimpy tops) Naseema does not purposefully hide her religion. “The global call that we should wear a burka and cover up in public totally to me is mainly driven by frequently uneducated men who seek to control women so that it is of benefit to them, but of no benefit to the women,” she says. But this does not mean that when in Spain, Naseema forgets her religion. She regularly gets out her prayer mat at her smart three-bedroom duplex apartment in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca, ‘especially when [she is] feeling down.’ Living alone having separated from her British-born husband of more than 20 years prior to her own move to Spain from Thailand eight years ago, the couple met when both were working in Singapore. They later married in a civil ceremony in
the UK where they then settled to bring up their own now grown-up daughters.. Now aged 53, Naseema has in fact spent around half of her life living abroad in non-Muslim countries. Shortly after meeting Alan some of her former school friends who wore burkas and sarongs (traditional Malay attire) ‘began to distance themselves,’ as ‘they did not see me as the same person.’
Some of the burkas are very colourful and appear to have become a fashion statement.” “But I still respect my religion and though I choose not to wear a sarong when in Malaysia I fully respect my local culture.” Even so she feels many of the Muslim girls in Malaysia ‘cover up to be the same as friends and to compete on how they look.’ “Some of the burkas are very colourful and appear to have become a fashion statement.” Viewing life internationally, Naseema supports the belief that people living in foreign countries should follow local traditions. “If I was in Saudi Arabia, I would cover up fully as it is part of the local culture,” she adds. “But in Spain I have no desire to wear my religion so firmly on my sleeve and show I am Muslim. I have no need. I dress conservatively and make sure I do not stand out, but enjoy wearing jeans, dresses and high fashion clothes, depending on the occasion. “I also drink in bars with friends, wear more make-up than I do in Malaysia, and occasionally eat bacon which I love. “When I die it will be between me and my God,” she concludes.
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SPECIALNEW
After a decade of debate the future of th
The big question Does outlawing the Muslim headdress improve security or alienate a vulnerable minority? David Noon weighs up the pros and cons of a burka ban FOR more than a decade, Spain has tussled with the idea of banning the burka. Those for the ban argue that burkas support outdated sexist ideologies and pose a security threat. While those opposed to it say that outlawing the burka will alienate a vulnerable minority and gives Islamist extremists further ammunition to carry out acts of terror. While some towns (mainly in Cataluña) have enforced a partial ban, a nationwide blanket ban on the Muslim headdress has yet to come to fruition. The debate has failed to go away for 10 years and looks likely to rumble on for some time yet. What Spain does next is anyone’s guess. Tensions between European Muslims and non-Muslims have never been as high as they are right now. A spate of terrorist attacks by Islamist extremists in France, Belgium and the UK - including the London Bridge killing rampage at the weekend - has only intensified the arguments of those claiming that burkas should be banned across Europe. But is it the time to risk further alienating a culture that is already feeling cut-off or is it time to put political correctness to one side and stop worrying about hurting people’s feelings? In Cataluña, as many as a dozen municipalities have laws against the face coverings including the burka and the niqab. The town of Lerida was the first to do so in 2010, introducing a ban on the headwear in municipal buildings. In the same year, a similar ban was introduced in Coin in Andalucia’s Guadalhorce Valley. However, just three years later Spain’s Supreme Court overturned the law in both towns, ruling that it ‘limits religious freedom.’ Even so other areas have continued to implement their ban, bolstered by a 2014 ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) ruling that banning the veil does not breach human rights. In the same year, Spain’s interior minister Jorge Fernández Díaz said that the government was considering including a burka ban in national security reforms. In fact, proposals for a ban were part of a draft bill but were eventually knocked on the head before it passed through parliament. And while Spain has debated the issue (almost to death), its European neighbours
BEHIND THE BURKA: Many fear burkas will be used by terrorists as disguise have been clamping down. France - most notably - outlawed the burka in 2011, with Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria following suit. Germany is about to make it illegal to wear burkas while driving. And just last month, the Austrian parliament passed a bill banning the burka in public, issuing fines of up to €150 for those wearing full-face veils. Outside Europe, the burka is banned in many African countries (including Morocco) for security reasons. Last month, the Iraqi government even took the unprecedented step of banning the burka in the city of Mosul in a bid to clamp down on Daesh militants using the headdress as a disguise. But does that mean Spain should follow suit? While the threat of a terrorist attack in Spain has remained high since Daesh rose to prominence a couple of years ago, none has been carried out on mainland Spain since the Madrid train bombings in 2004. Instead of improving security, introducing a ban now could have the opposite ef-
fect and make Spain a target. It also has huge social implications which undermine the freedom of daily life in Europe. By outlawing certain clothing, the freedom that Europe prides itself on would be ironically undermined. The only time the government should restrict personal choice is if it can cause considerable harm to others. Maybe the burka does, maybe not? And that is the conundrum that Spanish politicians have been wrestling with for a decade. Many point to the limitations of identifying people wearing a burka as being conducive to terrorism. While at the same time, implementing a ban undermines freedom of choice and punishes all Muslims for the actions of a minority of extremists. The best estimates state that 106,000 of the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide are members of designated Islamic extremist groups, meaning just 0.006 per cent of the Muslim population are extremists.
WS FEATURE
8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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he burka remains unanswered
facing Spain
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When a burka isn’t a burka THE term burka is largely used in non-Muslim countries to label all forms of Muslim headdress. In reality, burkas themselves are infrequently worn and there are dozens of forms of headdress sported by Muslim women. Knowing the difference is important before casting any judgement or passing any laws. The most popular headdresses are the burka, the niqab, the hijab and the chador.
HEADDRESS: There are dozens of different forms.
Burka bans around Europe WHEN France outlawed the burka in 2011, it came under immense pressure from global bodies to reverse the decision. However, as the threat of terrorist attacks from Islamic extremists continues to mount, a raft of European neighbours have quickly come round to the French way of thinking. Hot on the heels of the French, Belgium outlawed the headdress later in 2011. By 2015, the Netherlands had outlawed the burka along with Latvia and Bulgaria. A year later and Switzerland was in on the ban, imposing fines of up to €10,000 for those wearing full-face veils in public. Meanwhile in some parts of Italy, local authorities banned ‘burkinis’ or full Islamic swimming costumes last summer. Austria is the latest country to ban the burka (imposing the law last month) and Germany is pushing through a bill to ban the headdress while driving. Which European countries follow suit remains to be seen.
es. Similarly, many point to the burka as a symbol of female oppression, especially contradictory to Spain’s liberal attitude where women regularly sunbath topless without thinking twice. Yet, some Muslim women value the sense of privacy that comes with the burka. For every reason to ban the burka there is a contradictory argument why it shouldn’t be outlawed. If Spain takes the bold decision for such a ban it needs to be for the right reason. Not just a knee-jerk reaction to fear. Maybe - for once - Spain’s slow and steady judicial process is the right action to take.
BIKINI OVER BURKA: Spain embraces liberal values.
POLL OF THE WEEK THE Spanish terror threat level remains at level four out of five after recent attacks in the UK and Western Europe, but with concerns that outlawing traditional dress may incite Islamic extremists, should Spain ban the burka? To vote, log on to our website www.euroweeklynews.com or see our Facebook or Twitter pages.
EUROPEAN BAN: Which countries follow suit remains to be seen.
FINANCE
Costa de Almería
8 - 14 June 2017
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal
€13m
€400 million
CHINESE conglomerate Wanda decided that it had made a mistake in purchasing the Edificio España in Madrid and has sold it at a loss of €7 million. Initially intending to turn the building into a modern hotel, it got cold feet over the Spanish market generally and was worried about possible problems in obtaining planning permission. After entering into a heads of
INDUSTRY: Workers at a plant in Pontevedra.
Manufacturing sector healthy SPANISH industry is growing at the fastest rate since January 2016 and job creation is the highest in 19 years. Orders received in May have increased dramatically and in some cases, manufacturers have been unable to keep up with demand as although there has been an increase in the cost of some raw materials, others are simply not available in the volumes required. The best markets for Span-
Matador’s jacket. Having paid €272 million for the property without bank borrowing, he unexpectedly announced that rather than lease the property to the Riu Hotel chain from Mallorca as previously
If they told me that I had to sign a document, as President I signed it,” was the testimony in court of Modesto Crespo denying all knowledge of what was going on in the CAM Savings Bank.
Mimohe Shutterstock
Quote of the Week
is the amount that the Riu Hotel Group has indicated it expects to spend on transforming the Edificio España building in Madrid into a hotel.
agreement with the Baraka Group headed by eccentric millionaire Trinitario Casanova 10 months ago, it finally completed the sale in Madrid this week with the new purchaser turning up wearing a
ish exporters are currently Europe and South America especially as some economies such as Argentina are showing signs of recovery with an increasing demand for imports. Most forecasts suggest that this will not be a short term rise which will end quickly but is a sign of increasing prosperity with the expectation of even more manufacturing jobs being created during the rest of the year.
BUSINESS EXTRA
Temporary work MERCADONA has increased its work force by 7,000 for the summer to a total of 79,000. Although many of the positions are temporary, the company hopes to be able to make some of them full time as business expands.
Banco Popular TROUBLED Banco Popular has announced that after a revaluation of its real estate debts, provisions in the accounts could be as low as €2 billion. No firm offer to take over the bank has yet been received.
Finance help THE Spanish government is expected to announce the creation of a financing line worth up to €50 million to support small export and investment companies. This and a number of other financial projects are being considered by the council of ministers.
Unions call for dockers strike DESPITE the fact the new Stevedores bill finally received approval in the Spanish Parliament, unions have called for more strikes. The government finds itself in a difficult position as it wasn’t policy to change the law which
protected dock workers’ jobs but was forced into the position by threats of major fines from the European Union. It seems unlikely the matter will be settled quickly as the unions don’t want to see any existing members losing rights.
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amount given to Barcelona by the EU to share amongst its poorest residents in an economic experiment. A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM
Bought and sold on same day By John Smith
EWN
announced, he was actually selling it to them but his company will be managing a 15,000 square metre shopping centre within the building. The Mallorcan hotel group was set up as a private company in 1953 and family members are still involved in its management but sold a percentage of its shares to Europe’s largest tour operator, the German company Tui. It is planned that the new four star hotel will have 650 rooms, restaurants, a conference centre and a rooftop swimming pool.
Spain tries to repay euro debt WHEN the Spanish banks suffered so badly from the financial downturn, Spain borrowed €41.3 billion from the eurozone rescue fund. Now it has requested and received permission from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to repay €1 billion, taking the total repaid so far to €7.6 billion. As the economy is relatively buoyant, the government wants to repay a further €2 billion later this year but has had to apply to the MEDE, a division of the fund for permission to do this and any payment will depend upon the amount fitting in with the fund’s finance plans.
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% CHG. NET VOL 1.99 14,523.61 0.93 23,829.39 -4.64 5,852.28 0.75 7,962.65 0.53 8,059.38 -0.33 21,542.69 -0.78 67,433.33 -0.37 21,424.54 6.34 4,745.02 0.76 35,950.73 -0.95 102,690.21 2.52 6,061.99 -0.04 6,595.75 -0.30 25,028.05 -3.18 8,140.05 0.85 92,509.81 -0.03 7,934.68 2.34 30,264.95 3.66 8,328.08 -8.52 10,744.11 1.26 11,084.02 -7.40 27,625.40 0.52 5,247.83 0.00 23,628.22 -12.01 6,455.47 0.33 6,661.23 -0.11 58,980.04 0.12 4,775.38 2.22 15,176.98 0.22 5,521.19 -1.39 11,723.98 2.39 6,065.54 0.09 41,176.16 -0.56 83,768.46 1.19 4,101.35 2.93 6,668.92 0.17 4,699.65 0.42 135,713.89 2.88 12,642.51 0.00 8,782.70 0.67 9,017.99 0.30 35,036.09 -6.63 5,640.32 -0.15 3,756.17 0.46 7,001.12 1.25 7,712.68 0.81 5,982.12 7.28 7,320.02 -2.70 8,548.00 0.35 15,185.69
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70.01 3,465.00 2,449.00 874.75 525.00 375.00 2,050.00 248.00 1,033.00 4,375.00 198.95 3,059.00 8,560.00 1,760.00 2,391.00 705.00 7,960.00 257.50 2,062.50 2,187.50 1,675.00 3,130.00 451.85 875.00 7,385.00 625.50 260.20 271.05 3,142.50 685.00 4,650.00 2,160.00 892.50 384.50 1,598.50 394.75 1,297.50 1,475.00 737.50 1,131.50 2,534.50 186.25 1,193.50 194.60 4,301.00 1,042.00 229.63 4,860.00 320.90 1,735.00 4,210.00
CHANGE(P) 0.66 -18.00 -28.00 77.25 -12.00 7.30 -7.00 0.90 -1.00 14.00 1.95 0.00 0.00 -7.00 -7.00 -9.50 -57.00 -0.90 -24.50 52.00 -5.00 -26.00 12.75 -16.50 -270.00 0.00 -10.20 -4.05 -15.50 -44.00 96.00 -50.00 -97.50 0.90 -28.50 -5.75 -76.50 -10.00 -7.50 -61.50 59.50 3.70 -4.50 9.80 -71.50 40.00 -0.32 -175.00 9.00 -19.00 -15.00
% CHG.
NET VOL
0.95 -0.52 -1.13 9.69 -2.23 1.99 -0.34 0.36 -0.10 0.32 0.99 0.00 0.00 -0.40 -0.29 -1.33 -0.71 -0.35 -1.17 2.44 -0.30 -0.82 2.90 -1.85 -3.53 0.00 -3.77 -1.47 -0.49 -6.04 2.11 -2.26 -9.85 0.23 -1.75 -1.44 -5.57 -0.67 -1.01 -5.16 2.40 2.03 -0.38 5.30 -1.64 3.99 -0.14 -3.48 2.89 -1.08 -0.36
50,136.31 12,053.31 5,644.85 5,757.87 5,409.18 6,097.60 9,958.71 5,771.28 36,132.21 6,470.49 9,401.45 4,538.28 7,089.63 45,442.61 7,418.41 5,844.48 55,774.36 30,659.90 94,525.43 80,827.60 18,088.98 43,477.45 4,413.00 16,294.39 6,917.25 6,366.00 4,944.26 6,112.88 7,185.25 7,874.06 40,729.16 5,231.07 17,078.44 7,622.24 6,370.72 5,400.58 11,935.78 15,304.89 24,466.11 6,266.38 5,871.62 15,013.47 6,985.75 6,216.19 55,445.45 6,968.90 61,071.05 12,886.73 6,288.00 22,341.96 7,881.43
0.87527
Units per €
US dollar ................................................................1.12619 Japan yen............................................................124.483 Switzerland franc.............................................1.08574 Denmark kroner...............................................7.43962 Norway kroner.................................................9.47808
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PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 206,700 +1,15% 2,350 123M 78,4900 +0,27% 0,2100 70M 155,450 +1,48% 2,270 810M 190,230 +1,55% 2,910 114M 105,950 +0,28% 0,300 62M 103,11 -1,11% -1,16 195M 31,980 +0,50% 0,160 159M 45,89 +0,22% 0,10 195M 80,5100 +0,59% 0,4700 69M 79,50 -1,49% -1,20 336M 27,8800 +0,58% 0,1600 242M 213,31 -0,79% -1,70 83M 155,3500 +0,13% 0,2000 185M 152,05 -0,41% -0,62 142M 36,3200 +0,55% 0,2000 171M 82,6400 -0,51% -0,4200 293M 130,0800 +1,01% 1,3000 350M 153,7400 +0,89% 1,3500 125M 65,47 +0,32% 0,21 178M 71,760 +2,37% 1,660 554M 52,98 +1,30% 0,68 69M 32,5400 -0,52% -0,1700 193M 88,590 +0,52% 0,460 226M 125,15 -0,20% -0,25 34M 122,12 +0,27% 0,33 97M 179,39 -0,11% -0,19 172M 46,44 -0,15% -0,07 189M 96,15 +0,79% 0,75 177M 79,6200 -0,24% -0,1900 241M 107,1800 -0,95% -1,0300 167M
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Most Advanced Egalet Corporation Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. lululemon athletica inc. Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Codexis, Inc. Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. RGC Resources Inc. Vicor Corporation XBiotech Inc. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc.
$ 2.48 $ 6.20 $ 54.29 $ 5.03 $ 4.45 $4 $ 27.25 $ 19.55 $ 10.21 $ 2.35 $ 10.20
0.34 ▲ 15.89% 0.75 ▲ 13.76% 5.62 ▲ 11.55% 0.52 ▲ 11.53% 0.45 ▲ 11.25% 0.37 ▲ 10.19% 2.40 ▲ 9.66% 1.70 ▲ 9.52% 0.88 ▲ 9.43% 0.20 ▲ 9.30% 0.85 ▲ 9.09%
$ 12.725 $ 4.40 $ 5.07 $ 11.08 $ 13.08 $ 16.64 $ 24.67 $ 2.14 $ 17.90 $ 9.33 $ 7.59
1.725 ▼ 11.94% 0.40 ▼ 8.33% 0.41 ▼ 7.48% 0.89 ▼ 7.44% 1.04 ▼ 7.37% 1.21 ▼ 6.78% 1.77 ▼ 6.69% 0.15 ▼ 6.55% 1.25 ▼ 6.53% 0.65 ▼ 6.51% 0.52 ▼ 6.41%
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E W N 8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
May the cash be with you Photo Credit: Correos
THE Spanish Post Office has jumped on the Star Wars wagon and could make €1 million from a single stamp. It has just released a sheet containing one postage stamp with a face value of €5 and five labels which look like stamps but are simply unvalued labels in a ‘limited edition’ of 300,000 which means that if all are sold, the Post Office will receive €1.5 million.
The cost of the sheetlets is unlikely to be more than 20c per sheet, but the main cost will be the licence fee.
A postage stamp is a receipt for a service yet to be fulfilled and by producing the sheetlet in this manner using a value that doesn’t actually cover any postal rate (the nearest being €4.85 and €5.25), it has been suggested that this is purely a money making operation. The cost of production of the sheetlets which use a form of lenticular (adding depth to an image) printing developed several years ago by the Spanish State Printers is unlikely to cost more than 20c per sheet, but the main cost will be the licence fee charged by The Walt Disney Company. Normally, licence deals require a recoverable advance guarantee and a percentage of revenue earned but assuming that this is no more than 25
MONEY MAKING: Star Wars sheetlet. per cent, then the total cost of production and licence fee if all sheetlets are sold to Star Wars collectors rather than for postage would be €435,000, leaving the Post Office with a profit of €1,065,000.
Even more unusual is the fact that customers can also spend €20 on purchasing two different Star Wars cash cards to which they can add funds and use in any outlet that accepts MasterCard.
Numbers of unemployed still falling THE month of May is historically a good one for employment and 2017 is no exception with a fall in unemployment of 111,908 people. This takes the number of unemployed to 3,461,128, the lowest level in eight years and to add to the good news, 223,192 new workers were added to the Social Security lists. Whilst the fall in unemployment is without question helpful to the economy, much of the work created will last for the summer only and then these figures will creep up again before falling in the run up to Christmas. More young people are being employed, but the increase is smaller in percentage terms than for older people and many who have good skills but no work are looking to other parts of Europe and the USA as potential work places, making it more difficult in some areas of industry and hospitality to recruit good quality staff.
Mariano Rajoy and Canary Islands leader Román Rodríguez agree terms for budget. can simply renew the 2017 budget and carry on. The budget which sees less
cuts and forecasts more income and expenditure now has to be passed by the upper house but
as the ruling PP has a clear majority in the Senate, approval should be forthcoming.
Photo Credit: SM Casa de S.M. el Rey Twitter.
THE 2017 Spanish budget was finally approved last Thursday even though Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy voted against an amendment by mistake. From an economic point of view this was a very important vote and the minority ruling party had to offer a number of ‘sweeteners’ to smaller and regional parties in order to gather sufficient votes to carry the day. With a renewed opposition now that Pedro Sanchez has been re-appointed as leader of the PSOE - even though he is no longer an MP - the government can expect a much harder time in the future. Under the Spanish Constitution however, if the government continues to hold power as there may be a vote of no confidence in it shortly - and its 2018 budget is voted down, it
Photo Credit: La Moncloa flickr
Spanish budget for 2017 has finally been accepted VISIT: King Felipe with Mr Modi.
India looks to Spain for investment in economy SOON after she became Prime Minister, Theresa May travelled to India to try to obtain business, but in contrast the Indian Prime Minister has visited Spain. The visit by Narendra Modi is the first official visit by an Indian leader to Spain for 30 years and is part of a short tour of Europe which included France, Germany and Russia, but ignored the UK. Whilst Britain is hoping to increase direct trade with India, the Indian government has its eyes firmly fixed on investment from Europe and Mr Modi met with a number of CEOs from major Spanish companies inviting them to considering investing in the growing Indian economy. He went on to meet King Felipe and discussed the need for India to develop its railways, and infrastructure which were two of a number of areas where Spanish companies could find opportunities to create new companies in the sub-continent.
www.euroweeklynews.com
Photo Credit: International Airlines Group.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
LEVEL: First cheap Spanish long haul airline.
Pay as you fly – it’s on the Level A NEW economy long haul airline owned by the IAG Group has taken off from Barcelona with almost every item costing extra. Level is offering a range of different cost options with the cheapest guaranteeing a seat and hand luggage only with additional charges for, suitcase, seat choice, food, drink, wifi, in-flight entertainment, toothbrush and blanket. Passengers are used to paying for everything on short haul flights but with flights to Buenos Aires, Los Angeles and San Francisco taking up to 13 hours and to the Dominican Republic 11 hours it is likely that passengers will require food and drink at least. IAG which owns Aer Lin-
gus, BA, Iberia and Vueling has announced that this new option attracted 134,000 advance ticket purchases prior to the first flight departure to Los Angeles last Thursday and will attract a whole new group of travellers flying long haul for the first time.
Passengers can pay extra for seat choice, food, drink, wifi, in-flight entertainment and a blanket. Whilst much has been made of the need to pay for everything and the lack of trolleys going through the cabin, the new airline is introducing a fleet of new A330
Airbuses and there are all inclusive options in economy and premium economy plus Avios points which can be used on any airline in the group will be awarded. The initial launch saw no frills flights as cheap as €149 one way but even paying full fare, costs are considerably cheaper than other airlines offering similar facilities. Seeing off the first flight, Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive said: “This is the start of a fantastic new adventure for IAG. The brand has resonated with a new audience, many of whom are flying long haul for the first time. “In 2018, Level will increase its fleet to five aircraft and we are considering other European bases for the operation.”
Inflation rates drop MORE good news for the Spanish economy as inflation rates fall to match the European Central Bank (ECB) target of 2 per cent. May consumer prices have risen at their lowest rate since December 2016 and the result has been that Spain has met the ECB inflation target for the first time in five months which is encouraging. Germany however sees an even lower
rate of inflation at 1.6 per cent and the euro zone as a whole stands at 1.9 per cent so Spain needs to ensure that it takes action to try to remain close to the target figure. Some raw material price increases will be reflected in consumer prices later in the year, but it is forecast that the Spanish economy will continue to prosper during 2017.
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FEATURE
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Drastic times call for drastic measures LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT WELL well. I almost don’t know what to write this week (I can hear the squeals of delight from here!). The reason being, that in the light of yet another terrorist atrocity, Ms May has finally echoed, if not all, certainly a number of the Leapy ‘rantings’ I’ve taken stick for over the years. Shame they’ve come too late to save scores of precious lives. Better late than never? Not, for the tragic victims. Still at least her recent Downing Street statement showed that she, and hopefully the rest of her cabinet, are finally emerging from all the years of appeasing denial which allowed us to be drawn into this dangerous and horrific state of affairs in the first place. What she failed to mention was, in the light of this new tough approach to Islamist terrorism (yes she actually admitted it folks; I wonder if the
traitor Obama would have done the same!?) was to say exactly what these ‘new measures’ would include? Well, apart from reiterating my suggestions of last week, ie, stopping provocative, hate inspired marches through the streets of towns that have b e come pre-
dominantly Islamic. Banning public ‘religious rituals,’ such as selfflagellation and the ilk and outlawing the hated full Burka, I would also suggest; cancelling the passports of any ethnic young men travelling to Mid-East countries without thoroughly bona fide reason. Interring and interrogating any suspected of
THERESA MAY: Better late than never.
returning from terrorist conflict areas. Banning streets being taken over for prayers, denying planning permission for any more Mosques and probably most controversial, but undoubtedly the most effective deterrent of all, deporting back to their country of origin, the entire family of all those who commit acts of terror. Bit drastic? Well drastic times call for drastic measures. If they save even one innocent person’s life, to my mind any action is worth the uproar of indignation that would no doubt issue from the ‘do gooders’ that still lurk among us in their towers of ivory and never-ending pacifistic and dangerous opinions.
Photo by Reuters Media Express
Well, by the time you read this the first results should be coming in. Let’s hope that the week is a proverbial long one in politics and Ms May has managed to redeem herself from what, to my mind has been a pretty disastrous campaign. Still the alternatives don’t even bear thinking about. Frankly the thought of Corbyn and the ilk of Diane Abbott preening on the steps of number 10 and ultimately sitting around the Brexit negotiating table, actually brings a shudder. Likewise the idea of Nicola Sturgeon ‘propping up’ Labour on a ‘policy by policy’ basis, is even more terrifying. Thanks for all your letters of support, particularly those of last week. They all mean a great deal, let’s hope a couple find their way to the letters page. Have a good week, Make sure your X marks the spot of good sense and whatever you do. Always Keep the Faith. Love Leapy. leapylee2002@gmail.com
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FEATURE
CUETA: You can fly from Malaga by helicopter.
Adventures in Africa ONE of the best perks about living in southern Spain, or visiting there often, are the amazing travel opportunities to exotic destinations. But what about Africa? A quick glance on the map tells you that a vast continent is just a sail away, or even a swim if you’re fit enough. But travelling there for the first time can be quite a daunting prospect, especially with visas, vaccinations and language issues. Enter the Spanish enclaves
of Ceuta and Melilla. Just as the UK has maintained Gibraltar, Spain has its own overseas territories, both claimed by Morocco. Ceuta is an old Spanish penal colony with a fascinating history, while Melilla has been under the Spanish flag for more than 500 years. Ceuta and Melilla are not
in the same region. Ceuta is near the Moroccan port of Tangier, about a six hour drive from Melilla to the east. Ceuta doesn’t have its own airport but you can fly from Malaga by helicopter if you’re feeling adventurous. Melilla is less touristy but does have its own airport with flights from Malaga.
Numbers in the news
€59
million the amount paid out to Brit tourists in Spain, claiming sickness.
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FEATURE
Battered, bothered and bewildered by a boring election campaign Nora Johnson
Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson
WHAT a boring, unexciting election campaign we had overall! But it’s sad that, initially at least, Theresa May had to resort to personal smears on the opposition leader in an attempt to garner votes. She made a fundamental mistake in attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s integrity. Every attack she made gave him credibility and the impression that not being Mr Corbyn was the only policy that she had - other than negotiating ‘aggressively’ on Brexit. As for Corbyn and the Labour party, for those of us who recall growing up at the end of the 70’s when the trade unions brought their own ‘coalition of chaos’ to the UK, and Labour’s economic incompetence gave rise to spiralling inflation, it’s beyond belief that they nonetheless seemed happy to foist on
BORING CAMPAIGN: Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. younger generations a multibillion-pound debt with their wild promises and ‘magic money tree.’ Well, remember the economic mismanagement of a previous Labour government? Step forward Mr Gordon Brown, ‘saviour of the world.’ And nearly destroyer of Britain. And as for Corbyn’s admission that the UK’s in-
volvement in Middle Eastern and North African wars has been a factor in breeding terrorism, step forward Mr Tony Blair. If this were the end of a full five-year term of office, the Conservatives would have been facing a landslide against them for their incompetence on most levels with Theresa May a liability. This, though, was an election for
socialism of 1945 versus Conservatism and things should have been in the Conservatives’ favour, what with a controversial Labour Party, a controversial Labour leader and a ‘wish list manifesto.’ In the final analysis, which is better: an incompetent Conservative government or the alternatives on offer? Well, whatever your choice it just goes to show that this was a negative election. There was no positive sounding of hope anywhere. The vote will inevitably be for the least bad option. So, a negative election with little hope and probably higher taxes whoever’s elected. Actually, probably one of the most negative, depressing, unimpressive campaigns of the past 20 years. Even Major was more exciting - something I never thought I’d write ... Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
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TV LISTING
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Thriving art in Mojacar. Like angels coming home - the artists have returned! Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.
TAKE a deep breath and let it all out again… Ahhhh. It’s good for you and for our entire area. The artists are coming back to Mojacar to live. Take some time and see their works. No longer has Isabel Raths to be her lonely self in the vanguard of artistic promotion for our area. Now, even more people are arriving and the cultural shows are getting better. Well worth your visits. Art galleries are springing up and one man shows in some bars. Take them in. I am not mystified by their return. Some of the new artists I have known for years. I never knew they could draw, paint or sculpt. Then one day the muse touches them and they are forced to perform and do their duties as demanded by the Gods. Then, almost by accident you see their works on Face-
ART: Take some time out to see the various works. book or the internet and are truly shocked. Something inside them had to break free, come out; bloom. As I gasp at their works I am always astounded that such formidable powers could have slept so dormant and then like a minor erruption - shown up for all to see. Today I really need five pages for script and drawings. But, will try to name a handful that have caught my
eye. Yet, there is tenARTISTS: Are retur ning to Mojacar. fold more just coming out and yet to be appreciated. them. Her most recent show was a Bea Onieva Segovia has been a success too. We need a place for a visitor to Mojacar since a little girl. permanent display of Bea’s works. Her father was one of the distinAward-winning creator of posters guished gentleman I had the opportuJill Bennett has won almost every nity to know and work with. Then competition she entered. Her Moors one day she posted some art and just and Christian posters are still major bowled me over. Soft sentiments with collectors items to be sold and resold. just the right touch of light to expose
Julie Jones Peel, has thrown her hat into the ring, she is just beginning again following an eight-year layoff. And there is also Jackie Miles Kirby, friend and world traveller sharing her colourful images and humour. This month’s show in the art centre above the fountain will feature the well-known painter Didi Arias who is finally dedicating more of her time to the fine arts. She is special, her works always contain a unique blend of spiritualism embracing nature. Her horse sketches are amongst the best you will ever see. We bought one some years back and have cherished it since. Didi will be accompanied by Bernice Willis, a Cornish painter new for me to view and my sunrise beach girl Anika who always posts bright and sparkling dawn photos to begin each day. And one last admonition: if you like it, buy it! Last year I was offered 15,000 Euros for a piece I bought from Maestro, local painter Felix Clemente from Garrucha for 1,600 Euros.
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FEATURE
THURSDAY THOUGHTS By Angus Silvie
Why no headphones? THE other day I took a bus to Malaga. Well, the driver did, I was just a passenger. As we moved off a young man sat next to me and decided to forcefully entertain all the passengers, but me in particular, by blaring some tinny drum beat ‘music’ out of the woeful speakers on his phone. My plans for a dreamy stare out of the window were put on hold as this awful noise assaulted my ears. It got me thinking what it is about human beings and their selfish need to impose their musical tastes on others. Hardly a day goes by when you don’t see a teenager loping along with music blasting out of their hand (via a phone), and here in Spain I regret to say I have seen quite a few old gents doing this too now as they combine running with shuffling in an effort to keep fit. It is not as though they benefit from superior sound quality through this approach, indeed quite the opposite, so why do none of these people use headphones? It can only be the same primal urge that persuades young men in their first cars to open their
windows and pump up the volume to prove that... well, what does it prove? In the 1980s, you might want to show off a big sub-woofer you had just spent the weekend attaching to your parcel shelf. These days, almost all cars have decent speakers as standard so rocking the street in your standard issue Seat Ibiza isn’t going to impress anybody. But here’s the thing - when people look at you in your car because you are banging out what you think is a top tune nobody is impressed anyway. They are looking at you because they are thinking ‘prat,’ not ‘legend.’ So perhaps it is all about dominance. I’m a top dog, you lot are going to listen to my sounds whether you want to or not (that still doesn’t stop us all thinking you’re an idiot, mate). People walking along the pavement wasting their batteries blaring out music because they are too lazy to put headphones on may as well be holding a big sign which says ‘I am a nuisance and a fool’ to complete the effect. On second thoughts, maybe you don’t need the sign.
Readers interested in submitting articles for this guest column should send articles of 3-400 words on topics felt to be of interest to the cosmopolitan EWN readership to editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
LEGALLY SPEAKING
Do you need a hat? 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.
OPEN TOP CARS: Are usually safe. A REGULAR question that occurs is ‘do you need to have some sort of hat protection when driving in a convertible?’ According to the N332 Guardia Civil team, no. Hat protection is not required when in an open top car. In fact, there is a chance that wearing a hat would prove dangerous if not worn correctly and it blows off potentially blocking the view of other drivers. However, not talking legally, it does make sense to wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun and its harmful rays whilst driving, but it is not a legal requirement. Convertible cars are designed to be as safe as cars with full roofs. They are often fitted with strengthened supports around the windscreen and roll bars although these are not often as clearly fitted as those you see in rally cars. So as long as drivers and passengers are
positioned correctly, sat down, wearing seatbelts in the correct manner, open top cars are usually perfectly safe. As in all vehicles, it is when passengers don’t follow the design and safety guidelines that problems occur and accidents can happen. It is becoming more increasingly common to see occupants with their arms out of the windows or doors and legs up and feet on the dashboard, particularly during the summer months, but this is a dangerous and illegal practice. The legs and feet can obscure the driver’s view, but also, in the event of a collision, as the airbag is deployed, legs over the airbag will feel the full force which can result in serious injuries. The only safe way to sit in any vehicle is within the design of the seat, with the seatbelt securely fastened.
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
Can we change our ‘cuotas’? We are proposing to change the way we divide our Community fees. Our ‘cuotas’ are not the ones recorded in our “‘escrituras.’ Our fees have been changed three times without unanimity. The current fees have never been registered either in the Property Registry nor our Book of Minutes and some owners are paying much more per square metre than The short answer is yes. In your unusual circumstances, you may change your system by majority vote, a s y o u a p p a re n t l y h a v e already done. Properly, the percent-
others. The community has re-measured all 144 properties by a qualified architect. We will soon vote for the changes at our AGM. The proposal is that we base the fees on the area of the property. My question is: If we do not get a unanimous vote but only a simple majority, can we proceed with the change? A W (Costa Blanca)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
age of Community Fees assigned to each property should be established in
the original charter document of the Community, re g i s t e re d i n a s p e c i a l s e c t i o n o f t h e P ro p e r t y Registry. These would be the ‘cuotas’ which appear in your ‘escritura’ or title deed.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
E W N 8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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Kakuro
Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.
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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 M) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
‘ NO MORE TALK - JUST LEG IT ’
LOTTERY YOUR STARS FOR 7 DAYS Saturday June 03
12
19
21
38
47
51
BONUS BALL
48
IRISH LOTTO Saturday June 03
8
10
22
31
36
37
BONUS BALL
43
EURO MILLIONS Tuesday May 30
BONUS BALL
7
12
27
Friday June 02
BONUS BALL
8
10
24
3 9
42
33
LA PRIMITIVA Saturday June 03
BONUS BALL
9
12
13
22
23
43
40 9
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA Sunday June 04
6
15 29
22 43
LEO (July 24 - August 23) After a few recent excesses, bad habits can prove hard to shake off. Remember that any time of the year is a good time to make a fresh start. Don’t put off looking after your health any more than you would put off stashing a cheque in the bank. Use it or lose it? You know it makes sense. Think about combining health with a holiday.
6 9
48
38
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) When your feelings are so positive, which they should be now, it is hard to remember that they have ever been any other way. You may have a plan in mind for a new activity to get the adrenalin flowing. How much more enjoyable, though, to find someone to share this with you. Book that course and maybe you will meet them there.
BONUS BALL
8
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) It happens that energy is sometimes low. Take the chance to read up on why this could be. You may think that you know it all, but in this world there is no chance of that. Maybe you are out of touch generally, or just out of touch with your own needs. Give building your strength priority. How much better you will cope with extra energy. LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) With so much going on, you are in danger of burning yourself to a frazzle. You won’t realise until you have done it, so make a point of getting some peace and quiet, preferably both of them at the same time. Relax and don’t even think about things that are unchangeable. Time will sort out most things for you. SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Leave nothing to chance when it comes to
GEMINI
(May 22 - June 21)
There are so many things to do or try that you should be spoiled for choice. No, don’t settle down in front of the TV. Get out, make some friends and aim to learn something new every day. That may only be the name of your neighbour on the bus but it counts. You are charming and urbane, so don’t keep it all to yourself.
your health. Although you are feeling good now you will soon have problems because you are more concerned with others than yourself. This can be good but can also be overdone. You know how good you can feel. Increase this by simply not accepting second-best treatment. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Your tendency to see yourself through the eyes of others can lead you to undervalue your worth. This could see you going pear-shaped, emotionally. Try not to believe everything that you are told because there are always at least two ways of seeing things. Be positive. You are capable of so much. Take care of your needs on a daily basis. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Concentrate on your physical needs this week and spend much more time on yourself. There will be plenty of opportunities to look after others when you are feeling 100 per cent yourself. Stay in control of day-to-day plans. AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Keep up the pace this week so that you have plenty to discuss and ‘write home about.’ With your mind so active, you are
capable of doing in a day what would normally take a week. By-pass those who try to slow you down. There will be plenty of time to be a plod later. PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Others may be changing their minds, and generally being a bit of a pain. That may irritate you but it is no reason to change your plans. Both you and your colleagues will be glad that you did in the longer term. You may need to find some peace and space for yourself come the weekend. ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Looking back over the past few months you will realise that fine adjustments are needed. Both your working life and diet need attention, so be determined that progress made will continue apace. Certainly, you have no qualms about facing any problems straight on. You thrive on responsibility and there is no shortage of that at the moment. TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Now that you are feeling much better, it will be tempting to put aside your healthy eating and exercise, but if you remember what a difference it makes it would be silly to stop now. Enlist the help of a friend or two in keeping the momentum going.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION adit alit alto anti aunt auto data dint dolt into iota lint loti lout tail tala toad toil told tolu tuna unit unto adult audit daunt donut natal talon tidal tonal unlit until atonal untold ADULATION LAUDATION
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.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
TARGET: • Average: 5 • Good: 7 • Very good: 10 • Excellent: 12
AK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
page
Enjoy filling in the following puzzles and check the answers in next week’s edition
Cryptic
CRYPTIC
Quick
Across:
Across 1 Ma’s Latin is poor, that’s its charm (8) 4 Hand out port (4) 8 Large one next to a country in Africa (5) 10 A hundred agree about extent of land (7) 11 Ruler hiding a chemical (7) 12 Consumes ingredients from meat safe (4) 14 A refusal, thanks to a minor railway official (6) 16 Spot a good man, one good with mum (6) 19 Courage that may be needed on icy roads (4) 21 Influence in part of church (7) 24 Ali runs around, surrounded by water (7) 25 On the lookout for real model tenant (5) 26 Rich heavy drinker (4) 27 Lump of rock broke the radio set (8)
Down: 1 Strides, 2 Reserve, 3 Police, 4 Learn, 5 Cap, 6 Sweet, 8 Fan club, 12 Enchant, 15 Laggard, 16 Sees red, 17 Fracas, 18 Cinch, 19 Lathe, 22 Gin.
QUICK Across:
English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
1 Simple, 3 Stupid, 8 Links, 10 Tenuous, 11 Observe, 12 Chose, 13 Happy, 15 Eager, 20 Arson, 22 Brittle, 24 Avarice, 25 Nurse, 26 Denies, 27 Affect.
Down: 1 Seldom, 2 Minus, 4 Tunic, 5 Propose, 6 Dispel, 7 Steel, 9 Scrap, 14 Abstain, 16 Avian, 17 Hazard, 18 Abbey, 19 Recent, 21 Naive, 23 Terse.
ENGLISHSPANISH Across: 1 Amable, 4 Util, 8 Lápiz, 9 Again, 10 Esmalte, 14 April, 15 Pulga, 16 Heel, 17 Carrot. Down: 1 Aula, 2 Apple-tree, 3 Luz, 5 Traveller, 6 Lana, 7 Tail, 11 Milk, 12 Wash, 13 Last, 15 Pea.
26
D P
25
I 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
T N W C A G Y F O B
Down 2 Dirección (7) 3 Coal merchant (9) 4 Diamonds (9) 5 Anchovies (7) 6 Respuestas (7) 9 Lawyer (7)
14
Across 1 Scoreboard (8) 7 To swim (5) 8 Despierto (no dormido) (5) 10 Azada (3) 11 Goose (domestic) (3) 12 Aceite (3) 13 Nave (de iglesia) (5) 14 Suit (for man) (5) 15 Librería (8)
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
CODE BREAKER
5
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 14 represents Q and 16 represents B, so fill in Q every time the figure 14 appears and B every time the figure 16 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.
Down 1 In a softened tone (7) 2 Viper (5) 3 Search or inquire in a meddlesome way (3) 4 Be against (6) 5 Pupa of a moth or butterfly (9) 6 Own up (7) 7 Desire strongly or persistently (5) 11 Undue assumption of importance (9) 14 Ship's captain (7) 16 Gives as a gift (7) 17 Against (6) 18 Give a benediction to (5) 20 Depart (5) 22 Continuous portion of a circle (3)
4
15 Unsettle informant with title it lost (6) 17 Depressing English muck (5) 18 Big cat losing direction is in the river (6) 20 Breaks in to arrest suspect (5) 22 Musty endless yarn (5) 23 Quietly unwell, so take a tablet (4)
Across 1 Liquid preparation for washing the hair (7) 5 Overly self-confident or self-assertive (5) 8 Pal (5) 9 Small, voraciously carnivorous South American freshwater fish (7) 10 Noisy disturbances (7) 12 Beer mug (5) 13 Long for (6) 15 Not open (6) 18 Flashy, ostentatious jewellery (5) 19 Fifth letter of Greek alphabet (7) 21 Extends in one or more directions (7) 22 Separate (5) 23 Rise rapidly (5) 24 Triumph (7)
3
Code Breaker
1 Scour, 3 Palaces, 7 Refusal, 9 Ample, 10 Donor, 11 Concert, 13 Seller, 14 Blocks, 18 Cobbler, 20 Grape, 21 Night, 23 Charter, 24 Hunters, 25 David.
2
Down 1 Open-minded to the French rave (8) 2 Phoney engineer is a disgrace (5) 3 Stays will alter a waist (6) 5 Was once on the stage to be precise (5) 6 Told tales about idle doctor (4) 7 Hemingway and Sterne break up (6) 9 Bishop’s final outburst (5) 13 Brilliant tent deal is ruined (8)
47
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
E V Z S K Q U J H M X R L
Crossword
EWN
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OUT
8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
LETTERS
www.euroweeklynews.com
FEATURE
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION
Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments straight on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Breeding political contempt I HAVE lived in Spain for 20 years and have been deprived of my right to vote for the UK elections. I cannot vote for the Spanish parliament much as I would like to participate. There are 1.6 million UK citizens living in the EU. There are 3.3 million EU citizens living and/or working in the UK. Theresa and her fellow Brexiteers claim the British people have spoken. Is this true or just an exaggeration, let us look at the figures - 37.4 per cent of the electorate voted to leave, the rest either didn’t vote or voted to remain; 26.7 per cent of the population voted to leave, is this the voice of the British people? I fear not but it does show that apathy is the prelude to the death of
democracy and the fertile ground for a dictatorship or autocracy. What of our future? No one knows. Why the general election, is it for Mrs May to attempt to alienate those that consider that the UK should remain.in the EU? In a free society everyone has the right to express their views, whether they are in conflict with the leader or not. Robert Peake, Mijas
A taxing situation THE annual vehicle tax renewal needs to be made available oline in Spain as
it now is in the UK. I arrived in Spain two weeks ago to find the annual renewal invoice in my mailbox. I proceeded to the bank the next day but after queueing for 15 minutes the cashier told me the bill had ‘expired’ it should have been paid by May 19. There was no alternative but go to the government offices at the marina in Estepona, join the queue and get a new bill with the penalty added! Arriving back at the bank I found the cashier was closed for the payment of bills - I had to be there by 10:30! Too late - come back tomorrow! What takes five minutes online in the UK takes over 24 hours in Spain! Tony Pride, Estepona
COMMENTS from EWN Online John Noakes dies I was sorry to hear of John’s death as he was so much part of my childhood and express my appreciation for all the enjoyment he gave me. My sympathy to his wife Vicky and family at this sad time; may he rest in peace. Hugh McCann
Named and shamed Good, as we would say throw, the book at them.
Adrian Brooks
One Love Manchester concert The future is in safe hands. The One Love concert in Manchester is the confirmation. On Sunday night in Manchester something changed. Our younger generation fought evil with good. Fought lies with truth. Fought violence with love. The message to all self-serving politicians, terrorists and pedlars of hatred? It is time to hand over power to the up and coming generation of young people who love each other. It is time to replace hatred with love.
Brian Eagleson
Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com
ITV visits Benidorm SIR, Hello, I would like to address your columnist, David the Dogman, this week in the Euro Weekly News he had an article on flying with pets. I have read the article and agree entirely with his opinions and advice, as he mentions about more and more people are moving to Spain or spend a considerable amount of time in Spain. Me and my wife retired here in Spain last year and we have a little dog. When we need to go back to England we have been quoted quite ridiculous fares of 600 euros!!!! This is crazy!! Can we possibly address all airlines who fly to Spanish airports that this is a problem and by admitting especially small dogs who with mild sedatives can sit on the passenger’s knee our little dog is absolutely so well-behaved they wouldn’t even realise he was onboard and the airlines could make a lot of money out of this, albeit a reasonable charge, taking in mind that the dogs have all the neces-
Flying with pets
Just returned from Friday to Friday break, hotel, weather and place visited good, plenty of police around main beach areas. Stag and hen parties numbering upwards of 10 on sea front very loud, boisterous and intimidating. To quote a person who had been visiting for years, Benidorm has lost its sparkle to stags and hen, it is a very different place at night. Drunkenness, fighting and dirty streets. The danger is that the stags and hens spend money on drink in bars, but don't necessarily spend money in the ordinary shops. Don't let it get out of hand.
Nic They must address this issue if they continue to be soft on crimes against holidaymakers the resort will end up being used only by hen and stag dos and this will ruin the resort and encourage more criminals to the resort. Listen to the holidaymakers who have seen a huge difference for the worse in their favourite resort and act now. Jean Hunter
FLYING DOGS: Fares are ridiculously high. sary paperwork and up-to-date passports. I along with many many people would use the service more often. Keep up the good work EWN we look forward to your paper every week. Many thanks, Michael, Crevillent Hello Michael, Unfortunately the ‘budget’ airlines (not cheap) have it all their own way. If you were doing long haul this normally goes through the airline which arranges space in
the hold, meaning it seems cheaper to fly off to the USA than more local destinations. This is all commercial and there certainly is no pressure that can be applied other than numbers. You might want to consider forming a group with a name like ‘Flying Dogs,’ get members and build it up. I will help you through the EWN with some publicity and then you have power to your elbow. Why not have a go? Regards David the Dogman
HAVE YOUR SAY All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published. Letters may also be edited. Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com
I have recently been to Benidorm. I witnessed the pea men scamming tourists. I noticed two different groups of pea men just yards apart with their lookouts and pickpockets working with them. The prostitution problem is rife too. They stand outside certain hotels looking for drunk groups of tourists to rob them. It seems much more needs to be done to stop the ongoing problem in Benidorm.
Paul
Neo Nazi food bank closed I have no problem with Spaniards looking after Spaniards. There are plenty of support organisations for other groups; the Jews have organisations such as Jewish Care, Tzedek and World Jewish Relief who ‘combat poverty and disadvantage to the Jewish community.’ Gypsies also have several organisations offering help and support for travellers, including Spain. I wonder why this group is singled out? Europeans are becoming a persecuted group, unable to look after each other. Do we have to wait 30 years to become a minority before we are afforded the same privileges as others groups?
William Joyce
Porsche thief abandons car after finding baby inside There you go: even thieves are scared of children and responsibilities which come with them... ! gowriel
The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
HEALTH BEAUTY
&
Costa de Almería
8 - 14 June 2017
TO mark World No Smoking Day, Spain has released figures that show around 60,000 people die every year in the country as a result of tobacco. Worldwide, tobacco kills more than seven million people, with around 890,000 of these being non-smokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke according to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Around 27 per cent of the Spanish population are still daily smokers spending an average of €282.39 each year on tobacco. The average smoker has 1,264 cigarettes a year. Lung cancer and heart disease are not the only health concerns to worry about. Smoking can lead to a range of other diseases and problems such as osteoporosis, emphysema, loss of hearing, cataracts, teeth deterioration and psoriasis. But despite these health concerns many continue smoking
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Stop smoking and even for those who want to stop, breaking the bad habit can be tough. But there are things you can do: Change habits. Breaking the routine you had as a smoker can help you forget about tobacco and focus
CHANGE HABITS: Breaking your routine can help.
on new things. For example if you always have a cigarette with your morning cup of tea try and skip the tea or have something else instead so you don’t associate that action with smoking. Make it public. By telling everyone your intentions you are more likely to succeed as you will engage the support and encouragement of others not to give up quitting.
Wait 10 minutes. If you have not smoked for a few days when you feel the urge to light up, breathe and wait for 10 minutes. Have a glass of water and go for a short walk and usually the urge will go, but these short battles will go a long way to helping you achieve your long term goal. Save the money Put aside the money you would have spent on tobacco and watch it soon increase. Treat yourself with your extra cash and this economical motivation will soon have you quitting. Hypnotherapy For those needing extra help some hypnotherapists offer quit smoking sessions which many claim to help them stop for good.
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8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa
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Medical experts on the increase NATIONALLY, Spain has an average of 4.7 doctors and 5.5 nurses per thousand inhabitants. The number of doctors and registered nurses continues to grow in Spain and there are already 247,974 doctors and 291,848 nurses, an increase of 2.1 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively compared to 2016. That’s according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which began to collate figures on the number of doctors and nurses in 1952. The largest increases in the medical professions have been observed in physicians, dietician nutritionists, occupational therapists, dental technicians and physiotherapists. Figures show that the health world is largely dominated by female workers with speech therapists having the highest percentage of women, being 93.8 per cent of the total. Over 91 per
cent of occupational therapists are women along with 87.8 per cent of nutritional dieticians. However men dominate the fields of dentistry, spe-
Figures show the health word is largely dominated by female workers. cialist physicians and doctors. Taking into account the number of professionals active in relation to the population, Madrid has the highest rate of doctors with 5.9 doctors per thousand citizens, followed by Aragon (5.5 per thousand) and Navarre (5.4), which also has the highest rate of nurses at 8.6 per thousand inhabitants, followed by Madrid (6.8) and Cantabria (6.3). Andalucia has the lowest rate of nurses in relation to the
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Ask The Doctor
Brought to you by
Dealing with the effects of hay fever
population with just four per thousand inhabitants, followed by Murcia with 4.2. DOCTORS: Madrid has 5.9 per thousand citizens.
SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. What is hay fever? Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is a reaction in the mucous membrane when it is exposed to dust, pollen, sometimes cold temperatures or other substances that a person is allergic to. It mainly affects the eyes and nose. What are its symptoms? The reaction can cause nasal secretion and an itchy nose during the months in which plants are flowering or exposure to other allergen triggers. Other symptoms of hay fever include nasal congestion, headaches and in rare cases nausea similar to when a person is suffering from vertigo. How do you treat it? Can it be cured? There are various ways of treating allergic rhinitis. The most common are antihistamines, decongestants and corti-
coids which all help manage the symptoms. Another way to treat it is through the use of injections, known as immunotherapy. The vaccinations help the body tolerate the allergens which trigger allergic reactions and help manage symptoms, in some cases they have been known to cure hay fever. Is it hereditary? No, although some people are genetically predisposed, meaning they are more likely to develop hay fever. Can it be prevented? The best way to prevent hay fever is to avoid exposure to allergen triggers or to take antihistamines during the periods where symptoms are the worst. In general the best way to prevent it is to see a specialist who will be able to find the best course of treatment for you.
If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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PEOPLE living with Epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic skin disease more commonly known as Butterfly Skin have seen a positive start to 2017 as a clinical trial on a possible treatment is starting this year in Spain. The aim of the trial is to evaluate how mesenchymal cells, derived from bone marrow, can improve the healing of wounds caused by Butterfly Skin. This important trial is being promoted by the Foundation for Biomedical Research La Paz Universi-
ty Hospital and will be carried out by the Department of Haematology and Dermatology at the hospital in Madrid.
The trial has a budget of €308,000.
The trial, which is approved by the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Sanitary Products, has a budget of €308,000 of
which 75 per cent is being financed by the Carlos III Institute of Health and the remaining 25 per cent by the patients association ‘DEBRA, The Butterfly Children Charity.’ In addition, the charitable association will also be funding a molecular geneticist for one year and with this extra resource Butterfly Children families will have better access to genetic diagnosis of their condition. This is extremely important for both the affected and their relatives because
Photo by Ciberer
Clinical trials to help Butterfly Children
51
CLINICAL TRIALS: Necessary for future family planning. it clearly defines what type of Epidermolysis bullosa they suffer from therefore providing prognostic val-
ue. It is also necessary for future family planning and for the affected to take part in clinical trials such as
this. For more details on how you can help visit www.pieldemaripos.es.
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8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
Could the humble strawberry offer fresh hope to cancer research? AS the strawberry season comes to an end in Andalucia, it might be the right time to take advantage of the ever-popular red berry as new studies across Italy and Spain reveal their possible benefits in preventing breast cancer. Experiments carried out on mice show that concentrations of strawberry extract block the division of aggressive cancer cells and at the same time, decrease the probability of secondary tumours. Experiments were carried out using female mice divided into two categories with one group being fed a standard diet and the other a diet enriched with supplements derived from the red fruit. Cancerous growths were implanted in all mice prior to the experiment as the strawberry’s properties were put to the test. Results of the experiment were striking and confirmed scientific speculation as the second group were not only clear from secondary tumours but also demonstrated a dramatic reduction in the size of the implanted tumour. This offers exciting prospects for scientists and cancer researchers although further investigations will be needed to support and consolidate these findings. In the meantime, biologists maintain the overall health benefits of the Mediterranean fruit and hope to make further advances examining its composition.
STRAWBERRIES: Extracts can block the division of aggressive cancer cells.
IN LOVE: Meeting someone special can give you a buzz.
The drug of love MEETING someone special and falling in love can give the same buzz as being high on drugs. Findings have shown that those feelings of excitement, anticipation and butterflies in our stomach triggers certain brain cells and activates the ‘feel good’ hor-
mone dopamine. This chemical is also released after taking recreational drugs such as cocaine. Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, USA, who carried out the study on prairie voles, which, like humans, are one of the few monogamous mammals, say
they believe the findings give insight into how we can influence social interactions. They believe this may one day be used to benefit patients suffering from autism as by controlling the release of dopamine, it may help improve interactions in socially awkward people.
SCENE
OCIAL
8 - 14 June 2017
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Medieval spectacle arrives! MOORS AND CHRISTIANS: Festival set to take over Almeria this weekend.
THE official party programme for this weekend’s Moors and Christians festival has been announced by Mojacar Council. A special ceremony welcomed the 29th edition of the festival in its current guise with a photo exhibition and even the first ever Moors and Christians magazine. The festival, easily one of the biggest and certainly the most colourful in Spain, kicks off tomorrow and runs through to Sunday when a massive parade and street party will conclude a weekend that promises to be especially wild. Sunday’s parade will see 1,600 people participate, dressed in wonderfully designed costumes. There will be 14 bands, dozens of floats and dressed up horses taking part in the fun and games. People taking part include locals and others with roots in Mojacar who have travelled for miles to take part in the celebration. An estimated 6,000 people will visit Mojacar each day from Friday to Sunday to take part in the action. The entire village will be converted into a medieval stage as locals dressed up as Moors and Christians to recreate the centuries-old battles that shaped modern Mojacar, and indeed Almeria and southern Spain. Expect the party to last well into the night. Pitched battles and special events take place on the beach, and town centre, with live music and activities keeping revellers awake until daybreak. Similar festivals will take place in towns across Almeria, especially in Vera, which is preparing for the biggest spectacle in its history. In both Mojacar and Vera almost a year’s worth of intensive preparation has gone into making this a weekend to remember.
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8 - 14 June 2017 / Costa de Almería
Advertising feature
Charities party on the marina available by calling 634 456 701 or 630 SATURDAY June 17 sees the very talent528 464. ed Bella Luna return to entertain guests The show has been organised by Helpof two animal charities, Helping Hands ing Hands registered charity which is and San Animal Santuario. dedicated to helping With the reputation animals and, wherever of being ‘one of the possible, assisting hubest acts on the This is just mans in time of need. Costas’ this Spanish one of a This concert is also in trio are guaranteed to summer support of fellow have everyone on the full of charity San Animal dance floor all night spectacular Santuario. with their huge range shows This is just one of a of tributes to Michael organised by summer full of specJackson, The Gypsy Helping tacular shows organKings, Elvis and so Hands. ised by Helping much more! Hands. The next is on The beautiful mariJ u n e 2 0 a t Va l l e d e l na of the Hotel Puerto Este with a fantastic Michael Jackson Juan Montiel in Aguilas is the setting for and Lady Gaga tribute show with profesthis fabulous show at 9pm. A pre-show sionally choreographed dancers. Tickets magnificent buffet in the hotel, priced at are already on sale costing €20, call 634 €14 is also available at 7pm for those 456 701 and look out for more details with an appetite and love of good food. coming soon. Tickets for the show, also at €14 are
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SOCIAL SCENE
One romantic evening BRACE yourself. To celebrate the summer sols t i c e t h i s y e a r, M o j a c a r will be taking part in a passionate attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest kiss the planet has ever seen. On Saturday June 24 Mojacar and the gorgeous hamlet of Lucainena de las Torres will participate in La Noche Romantica (The Romantic Night). Together with hundreds of other pueblos included
in the official association of Spain’s most beautiful villages, and even more i n I t a l y, t h e A l m e r i a n towns will be transformed into magical romantic getaways to celebrate summer beginning under the stars. Part of the coordinated event, which is just two w e e k s a w a y, w i l l b e a huge kiss, with puckered lips reverberating around the world. An estimated 100,000 people live in, or will visit, all the partici-
pating pueblos, setting the scene for a truly record-breaking kiss that will put Mojacar in the record books. There will be much more to the night than mistletoe. Plans include parades, shows, plays, concerts, art exhibitions, live music, markets and whatever else can be hastily arranged to ensure Mojacar and Lucainena make the 2017 summer solstice one to remember forever.
Moments of light A FANTASTIC new photography exhibition has opened in Mojacar. Running until next Thursday Momentos de Luz 3 is a collection of 60 Mojacar-inspired photos taken by members of local group Colectivo FotoArt. All five professional photographers live in Mojacar and have more than 250 years of
experience between them. Photos include both colour and black and white works and are an incredible homage to the intensely beautiful scenery surrounding Mojacar. The exhibition can be viewed between 10am and 2pm at the Mirador del Castillo Art Centre.
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SOCIAL SCENE
CLASSIC JAZZ: Almeria is undoubtedly the place to be for live music.
Dreams of classic jazz THOSE who have the urge to experience some quality jazz are in for a treat this summer in Almeria. The province's hottest jazz club has an exciting programme for those wishing to wash away the heat and humidity with a cool drink and
some even cooler music. In recent years Almeria has made a name for itself on the jazz scene, a perfect stopover place for top international musicians on their way to Barcelona or Madrid who want to experience the coun-
try’s wilder regions. Especially those such as Almeria, steeped in a powerful flamenco history. Many travelling musicians pay a visit to Almeria’s Classijazz club which holds weekly big band, swing and funk sessions at their spacious new venue at Comercial Oliveros. More than just a jazz bar with taste, the company offers special workshops for both adults and children. They teach amateurs, professionals and novices alike about jazz musicianship, especially classical jazz. If you’re in a band yourself they also allow practice
rooms with excellent sound systems to be hired out. It’s a jazz centre that is growing in critical acclaim and luring some of the very best in the business. This month highlights include a jam session next Wednesday with entrance priced at just €2 and the show running from 10pm till midnight. Next Saturday June 17 there is a special Billie Holiday tribute show, followed up by operatic jazz on the Sunday. Music lovers looking for something a little different should embrace Almeria’s quicky growing jazz scene.
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A very pleasant port from 1960 GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH
GARRY WAITE THE WINE CORNER IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS WEEK. I received a letter from Phil who sent me this photo of a bottle of 1960 Offleys port. It was interesting as I had a bottle some years ago which I consumed and found it to be very pleasant. Well it should be, it was one of the finest vintages of the last 60 years or so, 66 was great and 63 generally undeclared but still very drinkable! It’s worth about €120 and below is some interesting information regarding the bottlers.
I
Quinta Boa Vista (literally Beautiful View Vineyard) hints at the dramatic views enjoyed by one of the most renowned vineyards in the entire Douro valley. Boa Vista is the jewel in the Offley Forrester crown, which is one of the oldest Port Houses (1737) and rose to prominence under Joseph Forrester. He was a legendary figure in the history of port credited with mapping the upper regions of the Douro, only to be drowned in one of its rapids, allegedly weighed down by the weight of gold he had collected from his tenants. Forrester ’s life was devoted to improving the quality of port and in recognition of his endeavours the King of Portugal made him Baron Forrester. Offley’s vintages from the 1960s are a rare treat for Port buyers, as little has appeared under the label since.
CHARITY EVENT: Raising money for Lymphedema.
An emotional event I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE AUCTIONEER AT A RECENT CHARITY EVENT for the Tour de Sands, held at Avanto Beach restaurant in La Cala. The charity was set up by Sandra Watson’s husband Jerry after the premature passing of his beautiful wife from cancer in March 2016. I met the couple more than 20 years ago on a Classic Eurosport classic car rally through France and Spain where I organised hotels and victualing. Their passion for classic cars and life in general was infectious. I am not going to go into everything as it is too sad for reading in a newspaper, but I would urge you to go to the website and read the uplifting story of Sandra and her family, it is truly inspirational. Full details of the story, blow by blow of the trip, the charity and the people involved can be found there, as can the giving page that at this moment has helped the charity reach more than £70,000 from the event (www.tourdesands.com). The Charity - to which Jerry’s efforts have concentrated - was set up to improve the misunderstanding about lymphedema, the side effects of her type
OFFLEYS: A bottle of 1960’s port.
of cancer. The run started in Easton on the Hill in Lincolnshire and travelled to Elviria in Spain. The E2E was not done in Classic Cars, but on bicycles. Sandra’s bicycle was ridden by different people throughout the 2,600 kilometre trip. Supported by riders from all over, who joined the ride at different stages but only four people completed the whole trip. Jerry, of course, being one of them. One of the most poignant moments for me was when the four that received their trophies were given a section of Sandra’s drive chain to drape over said trophy. It was the most emotional event I have been to in a long time and I hope that I contributed in some way to the event and to the amounts raised by everyone concerned. Avanto Beach restaurant, Restaurant 1870, San Pedro, Virgin Balloons, TreeTops, La Chaparral and with special thanks to The George Hotel in Stamford, Lincolnshire (a popular haunt for many of the English contingent) for their Lobster and Champagne Lunch - and many more who gave products and services to the memory of a beautiful woman, inside and out, who was also a loving mother and wife.
Keep the noise down please WAS LUNCHING IN MY FAVOURITE CHINESE RESTAURANT the other day. It was relatively early so it wasn’t as busy as normal. This also meant that the acoustics were more pronounced. I have always known that the Chinese can be pretty loud when talking, discussing and generally giving instructions but on this occasion it was more noticeable. But it got me thinking, the Spanish are pretty good at it as well. How many times have you sat in a family restaurant to the cacophony that is a family at play! But then, so do the Italians. The Russians are not so noisy in a group, but individually when they talk it sounds like a machine gun! However, if you really want to judge noise how about a bunch of half cut Brits in a bar! KEEP THE NOISE DOWN PLEASE AS I WRITE THIS READY TO GO TO PRESS, yet another pointless loss of life unfolds before our eyes. Much blame for these terrorist attacks is blamed on understaffing of police and armed officers. But the fact that the response time was so rapid and the perpetrators were shot dead within eight minutes from the first 999 call, does show that the organisation of the first responders is solid. Once again stories of unbelievable acts of bravery emerge. People that do extraordianry things under pressure without thinking of themselves. I often wonder whether I would be able to carry out similar acts if faced with such horror.
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Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. Albert Einstein, Genius You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a bicycle and that’s pretty close. Anon
THE SPANISH ARE MAKING THEIR MARK in the eating out experiences in the UK. Tapas bars abound. Great restaurants, like Fino and Barrafina in Frith Street, owned by Sam and Eddie Hart, the latter opened in January 2007 and earned a Michelin star under executive head chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho in 2014. This talented Spanish Chef, together with her partner, José Etura, himself General Manager of Barrafina Restaurants, is opening their own restaurant, Sabor. The name, meaning ‘flavour’ in Spanish, (as I am sure all readers know) reflects the restaurant’s focus on the flavours of Spain, through the use of traditional ingredients and cooking methods, and a relaxed approach to dining. Situated in London’s Heddon Street it is spread across two floors, the ground floor will feature a dining counter surrounding an open kitchen and fresh seafood display. The kitchen will serve regional dishes from across Spain, including those from the Basque country and Catalonia. A separate bar area will offer Sherries, txakoli, vermouths, beers and wines. Txakoli or Chacolí is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Spanish provinces of the Basque Country, Cantabria and northern Burgos. We don’t see much of it here. Upstairs the focus will be on Galicia and Castile with a menu centred around two specialities from those regions - octopus and suckling pig. Galician octopus will be cooked in traditional copper pans with olive oil and paprika, while a Castilian roast suckling pig will be cooked in the asador (a traditional wood fired oven). So next time you are in London get some ‘home from home’ comforts.
Once again a community pulls together and will not allow itself to be beaten. But the world has to do something - and quickly. I have Muslim colleagues who have worked for me for many years. They do not understand this interpretation of their beloved Islam claiming it represents love not hate and certainly not murder. But religious leaders must accept more responsibilty, especially those that preach wahhabism, an extreme Islamic doctrine practiced by Daesh and taught in Mosques apparently funded by countries such as Saudi Arabia and Quatar. What the answer is I do not know - sadly at the moment it would seem that nobody else does either.
ON THOSE SAD NOTES I will bid you farewell until next week and should aspiring restaurateurs need some help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact me. A toast to Good Food, Good Wine and Good Friends.
Garry Waite is a well-known foodie and restaurateur as well as a Hospitality Management Consultant. If you are contemplating setting up an operation in Spain, or indeed having problems with an existing project contact him on garrywaite@euroweeklynews.com.
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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
CARE HOME: New place for elderly residents ready in 18 months.
Life changing centre THE first bricks were laid for Albox’s new elderly care home in a symbolic ceremony attended by Mayor Francisco Torrecillas. Neighbours, construction workers and local leaders watched as work finally began on the Virgen del Saliente de Albox facility. The three floor high residence, located just next to the new bridge, will have 25 double rooms and 10 singles, allowing for a total of 60 people. It will be spacious at more than 3,000 square metres inside, and ample outside grounds. Torrecillas described its construction as “a very important day” for Albox, highlighting the care home’s future role in taking care of the town’s elderly residents while also providing jobs and a stronger community ethos.
Work is expected to take at least 18 months. Together with the new town hall and other ongoing projects, the care home is one of many aspects of Albox life set to change in the next few years as the town invests deeply in its future. Perhaps one of the most symbolic, especially for residents of Las Pocicas, is the commencement of renovation works on the doctors office. The old building has fallen into a terrible state of disrepair in the past few years. Fortunately a €16,000 investment from the Andalucian government and European Social Fund will help overhaul the building and restore it to its essential function in the local community.
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White night magic MUSIC, discounts and drinks galore, Albox celebrated the fifth edition of Noche en Blanco last weekend with a tremendous two-day spree of shopping and activities. Hundreds of people flocked to the town to join residents in the annual festivities. This year, for the first time in history, Noche en Blanco wasn’t just one night, but two, running on both Friday and Saturday. A spectacular variety of products from right across the Almanzora Valley were on display for excited shoppers. Goods, food and craftsmanship from Macael, Purchena, and HuercalOvera made its way to Albox, where the biggest shopping party in Almeria was underway. The hugely successful event was organised by the open mall El Arriero and was a major boon for local businesses who got their names out there and showcased their excellent products at even better prices. El Arreiro worked closely with the Junta de Andalucia and with the collaboration of the As-
NOCHE EN BLANCO 2017: Albox residents enjoy the community spirit. sociation of Entrepreneurs and Professionals of Albox-Valle del Almanzora (AEPA) and the Albox Council to give locals a
night they will remember. AEPA president Martin Martos thanked residents who have made previous events such a success that this year they could open for two nights running. There was a special outlet area distinct from the humming stalls where the cheapest deals on offer throughout the year could be found. There were sweepstakes with prizes, flowing beer and tapas, lively music and children’s activities. Noche en Blanco is a special cultural initiative, combining community, shopping and art it encourages people to celebrate their local foods and products.
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WHILE Albox today is flush with enthusiasm and new construction projects, financial ghosts are coming back to haunt local politicians. Narrowing in on long standing corruption allegations, the Popular Party has identified precise payments of €117,174 for public works which were never completed. The substantial figure relates to three different projects. These include the legalisation of the Venta industrial estate, extension of the Terdiguera estate, and also its redevelopment. None of the projects have been completed despite years passing since they were paid for by the PSOE-run council between 2008 and 2011. Needless to say this came at great expense to residents. The Popular Party investigators believe the money was embezzled and are seeking more evidence to bring the case to court. With the litany of financial scandals in the council’s recent history they categorically reject the notion that human or administrative error is to blame.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Ghosts of scandal past Sanchez was named as a potential suspect in the alleged diversion of €1.7 million of public funds under the administration of former mayor Jose Garcia. Though his own reign remains relatively untainted by scandal, current mayor Francisco Torrecillas is feeling the weight of his predecessors. In calling for the public to come forward with donations to help renovate the new town hall, he was forced to reveal that the town has a debt of €22 million. He has heroically tried to avoid discussing how it was BELEAGUERED MAYOR: his own party which ratcheted Francisco Torrecillas. up the debt, while asking for public trust.
Corruption investigations in Albox are rapidly racing towards a head. In April Popular Party spokesman Juan Perez Quiles was threatened outside his home by a local businessman. Franc i s c o
Photo by Francisco Torrecillas/Facebook
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V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E W W W . E U R O W E E K LY N E W S . C O M
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Luxury that never sleeps LUXURY homes across coastal Spain are selling like hotcakes, sparking the property market’s strong wider growth. Sales of €1 million plus properties have shot up in recent years, with wealthy Brits and Germans powering the trend. On the Balearic Islands for instance the number of million euro home sales rose by a staggering 50 per cent last year, concluding with a sales volume exceeding €1.5 billion from foreigners alone. Just two years ago hitting the €1 billion mark was considered to be strictly in the realms of fantasy. Their efforts are being more than matched by a booming Spanish professional class, who bought €1.9 billion worth of luxury properties. That brings the sales total to €3.4 billion, edging close to the record €5 billion set in the halycon pre-crisis days. Price rises have combined with sales volume to present a similar picture across Spain’s coastal hotspots, which continue to lure foreign investors eager to snap up a second home in the sun. Red tape has been cut too. Many foreign buyers have enough cash reserves to seal quick deals without recourse to a mortgage. The luxury home stats also show that Brexit
BALEARIC ISLANDS: The number of million euro home sales rose by 50 per cent last year. has had zero impact on the market, which continues to grow with both British and other European buyers at the helm. There has also been a substan-
tial increase in luxury rentals across Spain. Some villas are being taken by wealthy Middle Easterners for up to €50,000 per week.
Spain’s real estate ace IT’S not often you’ll hear a government minister confess that things are going better than expected. But that is exactly how Alberto Nadal, budgets chief, sees the ongoing boom in real estate and construction. Nadal was presenting his outlook for the future at the annual Real Estate Exhibition in Madrid where he noted that GDP growth in Spain this year is expected to exceed the official forecast of 2.7 per cent. Nadal believes that real estate is set to play a crucial role in Spain’s economic rise. The country is already among the fastest growing economies in the EU. In order to reap the benefits of real estate growth, Nadal believes the market should be left to develop organically rather than pushed. The construction of roughly 50,000 homes per year until 2020 would keep it at a reasonable cruise speed, fuelling growth without becoming too large and unwieldy.
Healthy home shock A NEW report found that Spanish residents who live in a building with humidity or a lack of natural light are twice as likely to suffer from health problems. The healthy housing 2017 report from the
Velux Group also estimated the health cost across Europe from unsafe properties to be a shocking €84 billion per year. Researchers analysed 100,000 households across the EU’s 27 member states
and found that seven in 10 properties are in some need of renovation that the owners can’t, or are unwilling, to pay for. In Spain one in 10 people were found to be living in a building with a leak, inadequate winter heating or temperatures which are unhealthily high in summer. Associated problems across Europe contribute to asthma and breathing problems. Around €40 billion is spent on medical interventions and another €40 billion lost on indirect costs, including lower productivity. Three out of four Europeans live in homes which are energy inefficient, with increased CO2 levels contributing to health issues. Spain is fortunate in that it offers more potential than almost anywhere else to resolve the issues. New energy systems are on the rise, including solar, in new developments. While natural light in sunny Spain should never be a rarity.
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By Graeme Tyrrell LUSH green gardens and thriving pot plants do not need to have copious amounts of water to keep them that way. Conserving water is important for everyone to have enough without wasting resources or having unnecessarily high water bills. Plants need moisture to survive but application of water can be done in numerous ways. Selecting the best method for your garden can make a big difference to the amount of water you need and the time spent providing it for your plants. Selection of plants that require minimal watering for the climate is fundamental for low maintenance gardens but as we love to grow a variety of plants for their interesting characteristic and culinary uses we need to take care of them. The most important step to water conservation is to ensure that your soil has water retentive properties to keep the water around your plants where it is needed. Incorporating plenty of organic matter into the soil will greatly
improve the soil’s water holding capacity. For container plants, having a water retaining tray under the container to capture excess water and prolong the period between watering is very beneficial. Reducing evaporation of the moisture from the soil is important. Keeping the soil covered with a mulch greatly reduces evaporation by reducing soil temperature. It insulates the soil surface and it provides a barrier from the drying effects of direct summer sun. Evaporation can also be reduced by using a drip watering system that allows water to enter the soil at a point near the plants and spread out underground rather than spraying water on the surface where it can evaporate more easily. Using a hose can be very effective at just putting water where it is needed and gives a time to review how the garden is progressing but it is time consuming. Using sprinklers is usually wasteful as evaporation is high and coverage may water zones that do not have equal need of the water being applied.
Watering during the cooler periods of the day, ie early morning and evening, will, to a greater degree, allow the water to soak into the soil before it can evaporate. Placing plants in positions where they have shade during the middle of the day when the sun is hottest will also reduce evaporation and overheating of the plants and the soil for plants not well adapted to the Mediterranean summer. Having a windbreak by planting a hedge, erecting a fence or wall around your garden will greatly reduce evaporation in summer as the wind dries out the garden very quickly. Container plants can be placed in sheltered positions. Shade trees that are deciduous to allow winter sun into the garden is ideal in the Mediterranean climate. The shade of the trees in summer reduces the temperature of the garden making a more pleasant environment for the garden and the gardener allowing a more productive and healthy place to enjoy the wonderful summer months.
Photo by Burapa Nammulsint / Shutterstock
Effective watering ideas for the garden
CONSERVE WATER: Use a drip watering system.
A smoking success and apply sunscreen. You BARBECUE cooking has want to cook the food, not stood the test of time, and for yourself. very good reason. There is no Keep away from any flambetter way to celebrate summables. The mertime than last thing you sparking the Starting need whilst coals, getting the embers a good cooking up a glowing and BBQ takes storm is to set those prawns patience. your garden alight. Ensure sizzling. With a your BBQ is little bit of secure, and the flames are preparation, you can make kept far from any combustible this your best and safest summaterial. mer yet. Last but not least, stay hyProtect against the sun. drated. Keep water handy so Starting a good BBQ takes you can keep yourself healthy. patience, and a lot of time in After all, the food is only ever the heat. Make sure to don a as good as the cook! hat and a pair of sunglasses
PERMACULTURE EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Telephone: 666 33 33 35 info@permamed.org http://permamed.org/
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Who is to blame for dog bites? David THE Dogman Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm
SOME time ago I mentioned that cars do not kill people it is the drivers who kill! Of course there are many defence barriers which come into effect when someone is bitten. “He didn’t mean it,” “He is not dangerous,” “He has never done anything like that before,” “He is wonderful with our children,” but who is to blame? I blame owners I do not blame dogs, I blame own-
ers for not keeping the dogs locked up. I blame owners for not caring about their community, and their neighbours. I blame owners who are breeding and have not neutered their pets. I blame the owners for not being able to control their pets. I blame parents I do not care how good a dog is, children and dogs should always be supervised. If a child gets bitten, I blame the parents for lack of supervision. Children must be taught dog’s ears are not for pulling, we do not poke the dog’s eyes, we do not stick a pencil or pen up the rectum, and we do not pinch dogs. Any large breeds like the Rottweiler, German Shepherd and Doberman are not suitable for homes with young children. Most parents forget that children have friends. When little Johnny’s friend Tommy comes to play, what assurance is there that the dog will like Tommy? I blame breeders The area of ‘catchment attention’ where people will listen is when they
buy a pet from breeders. The pet shops and breeders are the main area of misinformation. It is a sad fact that all new owners will take advice from breeders when buying a puppy. Anyone can get the title of breeder. I am of the opinion that a lot of misinformation comes from breeders who know little if anything about canine behaviour. I meet pet owners every week who think it is good for their female to have a litter of puppies. No health tests have been carried out or indeed to check if their behavioural genes are suitable for breeding. Dogs with unhealthy eyes, ears, hips or elbows can have behavioural problems. I blame lack of training All breeders and other sources of supply and vets should make their clients aware that a dog needs to be trained. Most people believe that dogs should not be trained until they are six months old. This is nonsense. All dogs should be trained as soon as possible. All dogs should be attending a social class as soon as possible in or-
der to get them used to other dogs, children and people. I am not advocating that pet dogs should be trained like police dogs. I am of the opinion all owners should be able to walk their dogs without pulling on the lead, and they should be able to make their dogs
sit and go down. I blame the vets When the new puppy is taken to the vet for its vaccinations most owners will listen to the vet’s advice, it
is at this time training should be discussed. Vets see dogs every day. Vets should recognise owners have no control over their dogs. Vets should be directing owners to training clubs or in my opinion they are irresponsible.
DOGS: Need to be trained.
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Motoring shorts Some might say...
Mega Volkswagen festival By Matthew Elliott MORE than 100,000 people attended Austria’s eccentric Volkswagen show at the idyllic Alpine resort of Worthersee. The one time small gathering of VW obsessives has transformed into one of the biggest motoring spectacles on the continent. Thousands of people bring along their own modified, styled and heavily individualised Volkswagens to show off to fellow enthusiasts. Flowing beer, dancing showgirls and mouthwatering barbecues make the event an annual favourite. Volkswagen took the opportunity to showcase its new UP, a popular smaller model doing record sales across Europe. But the biggest welcome was
reserved for the unusual antique specimens doing the rounds. The event celebrated its 36th year in 2017 and runs in late May or early June. It’s held amid the spectacular surrounds of Lake Worthersee, a hugely popular bathing retreat in the glorious valleys of southern Austria. This year highlights included a VW Karmann Ghia, the once derided Phaeton, the bizarre VW Type 181 convertible, and several hundred Beetles. Fantastical modification included psychedelic paints, dinosaur themes and a boot converted into a Jaegermeister mixing station. Celebrated over a long Austrian weekend, the event attracts VW lovers, campers, corporate executives, and all the
family, beer and pets they can cram into their vintage Volkswagen. Well worth a visit.
VINTAGE: VK Karmann Ghia was among many models at Worthersee.
Road rage alarm A SHOCKING new survey found that almost two thirds of British motorists have been victims of road rage. An alarming 61 per cent claim to have been verbally or physically abused on the roads. When threatening gestures were included the number of people targeted by angry drivers rose to 80 per cent. Both men and women are subject to abuse in equal measure although women are often abused repeatedly in short periods of time. Almost one in three women reported being worried they will be road rage victims before they get in the car. The typical offender is a man in his late 30’s. Just 6 per cent of cases are reported to police, while cyclists today are in particular jeopardy.
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Triple Crown glory SPANISH speeder Fernando Alonso astonished spectators with his strong performance in the Indy500. Alonso was so close to victory but his Andretti Autosport Honda retired just 20 laps from the finish. His strong performance strengthened opinion that the Oviedo man might be the best all-round Formula One driver in the game today. Alonso, gaining confidence from the race, considered among the top three motorsport competitions on the planet, declared his intention to win the prestigious Triple Crown. Only the legendary Graham Hill has ever completed the feat, which involves winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 Race, and the Indy 500. Alonso, 35, won the Monaco Grand Prix in back-toback races in 2006 and 2007. Last week he showed the Indy 500 is easily within his grasp, leaving only Le Mans. Only a few months ago Alonso was cracking jokes about winning the Indy500 and
ALONSO: Almost won Indy500 on debut as he targets Triple Crown. not taken seriously. Mark Webber, a top endurance racer, said he reckons the Spaniard has roughly a decade to win Le Mans and cement his legacy at the very pinnacle of the sport. At 35, with an already glorious career behind him, and millions in the bank, Alonso is also
talking publicly about becoming a free agent. He leaves Honda this summer and has ruled out a partnership with Red Bull. With his name and popularity Alonso might be able to escape the long term contracts most drivers are subject to.
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MOTORING
ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher
Subaru Forester Lineartronic AUDI A8L: Is going all electric.
Audi shifts gear AUDI is putting the diesel scandal behind it to become the latest motoring monster to throw its hat in the electric ring. The German giant has unveiled its self described ‘strategic transformation,’ which involves an exclusive focus on the luxury market this year and a gear change towards electric in 2018. Audi debuts its glamorous A8 hybrid in Barcelona next month, then will start the hype train rolling on its Q8 and Q4 concepts, set to go into production in 2019. Both are entirely electric and mark a major shift for Audi, which has been mired in hugely damaging emissions investigations. Last week the group were forced to recall 24,000 A7 and A8 models from the market. Audi is accused of fraud and criminal advertising for selling thousands of cars at nowhere near the stated emissions levels. The scandal shouldn’t hurt Audi’s finances but its reputation has taken a pounding alongside Volkswagen. Chairman Harald Kruger says Audi aim to have 30 per cent of all production vehicles electric by 2025, roughly twice what BMW are aiming for.
SUBARU is best-known for its formidable four-wheel-drive models, with its rugged Forester a firm favourite with a very devoted following. The Forester is a practical and well-equipped model noted for its bulletproof reliability and virtually unstoppable off-road capability, yet it still has enough panache and luxury touches to double up as smartly-styled SUV transport. Prices start at €30,051 (£26,180) with all models featuring 4WD, air-conditioning, Bluetooth, heated seats and cruise control among standard equipment.
The Forester is popular with rural dwellers including the farming community and those needing tough towing capability, and its remarkable off-road credentials mean it can often out-perform rival brands costing almost twice the price. Petrol and diesel engines are available, and manual or CVT auto gearboxes. My test model was a Forester Lineartronic with CVT and 2.0 litre 146 hp petrol engine. Diesel versions are bigger sellers but petrol versions have a performance pluspoint - 0-100 kph is just 7.6 seconds - better than some sports cars - and top speed 220
Stats panel: Model: Subaru Forester XT Lineartronic Engine: 2.0 litre petrol Transmission: CVT Auto Performance: 0-100 kph 7.6 seconds, top speed 220 kph (137 mph) Economy: 8.9 kpl (25.2 mpg) Emissions: 197g/km
kph (137 mph). The fuel figure of 8.9 kpl (25.2 mpg) is its only downside! On the tarmac, this Forester displays high levels of grip, minimal cornering pitch and has a firm though still comfortable ride. Acceleration is smooth, the CVT transmission seamless and efficient, and coupled with good steering feedback, gives the driver a feeling of full control. Revised styling a few months ago has given the Forester a classy new look and allows it to compete against SUV rivals such as the Ford Kuga, and Mazda CX-5 which have there own plus-points but none can compete when it come to
off-road capability. Here, the Forester is king. The cabin is well-designed, well-built and well-finished, with user-friendly switchgear and a seven-inch touchscreen housing many of the main controls. Seating is very supportive and there is plenty of occupant space front and rear. Boot space is 505 litres with all the seats in use and a massive 1,592 litres if the rear seats are folded. Standard kit on the XT Lineartronic test model €35,580 (£30,995) includes alloy wheels, roof rails, power sunroof, protective body cladding, heated leather seats, dual-zone air-conditioning, powered tailgate, push-button start, and sat-nav.
FORESTER: Popular with rural dwellers.
Model tested is UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.
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It’s the ‘Real Deal’ in Wales as Dovizioso wins MotoGP in Italy Tony Matthews International Sports A former player, Tony is now the world’s most prolific author of football books with 150 published since 1975. He has also been a PE teacher and a policeman, and is now a quiz-organiser, fund–raiser, for various charities, and sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio. Costa de Almeria
I’LL start by congratulating Real Madrid on their magnificent 4-1 victory over Juventus in last Saturday’s Champions League final. They were superb and thoroughly deserved their victory in front of 65,842 fans inside Cardiff’s National Stadium. See my Champions League Facts. CALENDAR OF EVENTS On Sunday, we have the Canadian F1 Grand Prix from Montreal. Lewis Hamilton - 25 points behind Sebastian Vettel in the driver’s championship would love to repeat last year’s victory. In football, there are several 2018 World Cup qualifying games coming up including Belarus-Belgium, HollandLuxembourg and SwedenFrance tomorrow, followed by Azerbaijan-Northern Ireland, Germany-San Marino, Norway-Czech Republic, PolandRomania and Scotland-England on Saturday, and the Republic of Ireland-Austria and Serbia-Wales on Sunday. Also tomorrow Brazil meet Argentina in a friendly. There’ll be plenty of grunts, groans, snorts, screams and squeals in the French Open Tennis tournament which ends on Sunday. At the start of the week Kevin Anderson (South Africa), Marin Cilic (Croatia), Novak Djokovic (Serbia), GB’s Andy Murray (after a straight sets win over Juan Martin Del Potro), Rafael
Nadal (Spain), Dominic Thiem (Austria), Fernando Verdasco (Spain) and Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) had all reached round four of the men’s singles while three women, Simona Halep (Romania), Carla Suárez-Navarro (Spain) and Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) were also going well. Ice hockey’s Stanley Cup competition is taking place right now, along with the NBA (basketball) finals in Canada/ USA. And GB’s Land Rover BAR sailing team, with Ben Ainslie at the helm, are competing in the Americas Cup in Bermuda; they faced New Zealand on Monday. ROUND UP The 238th Epsom Derby was won in dramatic style by 40-1 outsider Wings of Eagle with Irishman Padraig Beggy in the saddle. Cliffs of Mohar (Ryan Moore) came second at 5-1, ahead of 3-1 favourite Cracksman, ridden by Frankie Dettori who, 24 hours earlier, had guided Enable to victory in the Oaks. This was the sixth Derby win for Aidan O’Brien, Ballydoyle’s master-trainer, and very few punters backed it! Home rider Andrea Dovizioso won last Sunday’s Italian MotoGP in Mugello. Maverick Vinales (Spain) and Danilo Petrucci (Italy) finished
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: Won the MotoGP in Mugello, Italy.
DID YOU KNOW? Barcelona players’ wage bill for 2016-17 was a world record £279m; Manchester United’s was £265m; Chelsea’s £256m and Real Madrid’s £250m.
second and third. England’s cricketers started their Champions Trophy challenge with an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh; Joe Root scored 133 not out and Alex Hales 95. England’s second Group game was against New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday; their third is on Saturday versus Australia at Edgbaston. India also started with a win, over Pakistan. The British/Irish Lions failed to roar when beating the Provincial Union XV, including students, painters, maintenance engineers, a gym owner, builders, a nurse, office worker and shop-keeper, unconvincingly by 13-7 in their first match in New Zealand. Yesterday, the Warren Gatland’s tourists played the Blues in Auckland and on Saturday they face the Crusaders in Christchurch. In football, Darren Fletcher has left WBA for Stoke; Yaya
Toure has signed a new contract with Manchester City; Chelsea have transferred ‘keeper Asmir Begovic to Bournemouth; AS Roma want England’s number one Joe Hart; Arsenal are chasing Atletico Madrid’s Alexandre Lacazette and Roberto Mancini is Zenit St Petersburg’s new manager. And last Friday, Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) became the first player to score a hat-trick for France since 2000 with a treble in a 5-0 win over Paraguay. In this same game, Spurs’ Hugo Lloris set a new French record for a goalkeeper with his 88th cap. 2017 Champions League Facts Cristiano Ronaldo hit two goals in last Saturday’s win over Juventus, having previously netted in the 2008 and 2014 finals. And the Portuguese star (for Manchester
SERGIO RAMOS: Holds the Champions League cup aloft.
United and Real) and Mario Mandzukic (for Bayern Munich and Juventus) have now scored in Champions League finals for different clubs. Also last Saturday, Ronaldo scored his 600th goal at senior level for club and country. Real are the first team in the Champions League era to retain the trophy. Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) became the third player to be sent-off in a CL final. Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is the first manager to win back-to-back European Cup/Champions League finals since AC Milan’s Arrigo Sacchi (1989, 1990).
Real have won their last six European/CL finals, last losing in 1981, and at the same time they have become the first team in CL history to score 500+ goals (503 as it stands). This latest victory was Real’s 12th in the European Cup/Champions League. Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was the third oldest player to appear in a European Cup final, aged 39 years and 126 days. Real Madrid will now face Europa League winners Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Super Cup in Skopje, Macedonia on August 8.
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Zinedine Zidane is the first manager to win back-to-back European Cup/Champions League finals since AC Milan’s Arrigo Sacchi (1989, 1990).
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Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport
CAA Hong Kong Pairs Bowling Competition 2017 THIS popular Costa Almeria area bowling competition is contested by teams from Almeria, Indalo, Mojacar, Cabrera and Indalo bowling clubs and played over a few weeks at the different venues. It is a very good test of bowling as it is played at all the
Clubs with unfamiliar conditions and rinks for all the players to contend with. After some very close matches, the semi-final was contested by Tony and Mary Mullen from Indalo BC against Roy Brown and Roy Savage from Mojacar BC. After a very competitive
game with some excellent bowling, Tony and Mary came out the winners. The other semi-final was a very exciting and close encounter between Keith Harvey and Gerrard Donck playing Doreen Hall and John Henworth, all from Indalo BC. The
lead changed hands four times with Keith and Gerrard finally winning on the extra 19th end. The final was expected to be a great match between Tony and Mary against Gerrard and Keith. Unfortunately, Gerrard was hampered by a back injury and had to concede the game.
Aguilon Golf members report APART from the beautiful weather, another item worthy of note was a hole in one for Les Raufer, playing in a Summer League match, on the 17th hole he despatched his nineiron to the green and with the second bounce it lodged in to the bottom of the cup, a fitting way to close the match out.
Wednesday May 24 - Individual Stableford 1st Julie White 39 pts 2nd Phil Miles 38 pts 3rd Bob White 37 pts Twos: Norman Whibley x2 3rd & 12th, Phil Miles x2 3rd &17th, Tony P h illip s 3 rd , R ob B a nton, D a vid Lees, Derrick Stephenson 8th, John
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Bridgen x2 12th & 14th, Roy Lewis, Les Raufer 12th, Terry Moore 17th Wednesday May 31 – Individual Stableford 1st Jim Laing 40 pts 2nd Chris Tyler 39 pts 3rd Les Raufer 38 pts on a card play off Twos: John Holder, Dave Sharp
19th Hole Golf Society all the results you need THE Rocket continues his thrust towards the dizzy heights of the outer stratosphere with a magnificent individual score of 41 points at the 19th Hole Golf Societies Team Waltz event at Aguilon on Thursday June 1. Octogenarian Ron (The Rocket) Curtis assisted his team of Peter Death, John Ball and Nekane Galindez to third place in the Team Waltz with 86 points. The Rockets Eagle on the par five 10th proves you needn’t have biceps like Tiger Woods or the height of Nick Faldo to hit three straight shots in a row and be able to play this funny old game well beyond retirement age. The winning team of Peter Dow, Gina Doyle, Sharon Stevens and Peter Watts scored an impressive 94 points to eclipse the opposi-
tion leaving the team of Tony Mackay, Peter Hodges, Dave and Zeta Denyer in second place with 90 points. Sharon Stevens had a profitable day taking two, Nearest the Pins and a Two as well as ably assisting her team into first place in the Waltz. Result: Waltz 1st Pete Dow, Gina Doyle, Sharon Stevens and Peter Watts 94 points Individual Stableford 1st Ron Curtis 41 points Nearest the Pins 2nd in Two Sharon Stevens The 19th Hole Golf Society arranges weekly games around the area playing Aguilon every other week. For more information ring 634 315 813 or email gs19th hole@hotmail.co.uk.