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Prison for bad mother A MOTHER was jailed for leaving her infant daughter locked in a car under the baking Almeria sun. Judges handed the Romanian woman a one-year sentence for the crime of temporary abandonment. Her mother, the child’s grandmother, received a nine-month term. The women left the two-yearold girl alone while they went shopping near Almeria’s train station. She was strapped into her seat for 50 minutes as temperatures soared to 38 degrees. Police officers smashed through the car window to rescue her after her cries for help alerted passersby. The window was open barely an inch. The girl had no water, was moderately dehydrated, and distressed. An expert told the court that temperatures inside the car may have approached 50 degrees. The judge ruled that the women’s actions could not be excused by mere forgetfulness. Instead they had intentionally set shopping as their priority, knowing full well how hot it was and that the girl was alone. At no point did either woman return to check in on the toddler. Had the police not intervened the girl would have spent another 20 minutes trapped inside.
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
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Gypsy turf war spreads
Gang warfare Photo credit Policia Nacional
ISSUE NO. 1674
By Matthew Elliott Three members of an Alboxbased gang are facing attempted murder charges after a shootout in Almeria City. Residents fled inside when three shots rang out in the peaceful La Cañada de San Urbano neighbourhood last week. It took just one day for police to identify the alleged shooters. All are members of the notorious Los Pertolos clan, which has operated in Albox since the 1920s. Two vehicles used in the attack, which was a drive-by shooting on a rival gangster in a third car, have been seized. Shots were fired from both cars and the target escaped unharmed. It is unknown whether the shots were a warning or a bungled assassination. No weapon was found, though detectives believe an old revolver was used. Bullet markings were found on a nearby house and are being investigated by forensics teams. The trio have been ar-
SHOOTOUT: San Urbano neighbourhood near the incident. raigned on charges of attempted murder, illegal firearms possessions, property damage and endangering the public. The Specialised and Violent Crime Unit of the National Police force has taken over the investigation. A
statement released expressed its belief that the shooting is ‘closely related’ to an ongoing war between rival drug gangs. No connection has been made to the arrest several weeks ago of three men in Albox for possession of a shotgun and pistol.
False money makers DOZENS of fake €200 notes were found stashed in a car. Police stopped the vehicle after seeing the occupants whispering together suspiciously. Upon closer inspection they found that the driver was drunk. They ordered all the passengers of the car, parked in Roquetas de Mar, to get out while they performed a quick search. The driver and another occupant both had obviously fake €200 notes in their wallets. Officers then searched the car and found another 32 bills stashed under the seats. In total there was €7,200 in fake currency. All three occupants, aged between 28 and 36, were arrested. At the station police found that the driver had given the arresting officers a fake ID. He faces charges of counterfeit, using a false identity and endangering other road users.
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NEWS EXTRA
Pop king wows FOUR thousand adoring fans gave Spanish superstar singer Manuel Carrasco a night to remember as he played Almeria’s Maestro Padilla Auditorium for the first time in years.
Tough guys THIRTY-FOUR Almerians were accepted into the Spanish Armed Forces during the latest recruitment cycle. Three are female, while 28 become regular army and six go to the navy and air force.
Green plot MORE than 2,500 marihuana plants were seized and one man arrested when police raided a greenhouse in Adra which doubled as a sophisticated drug-growing plantation.
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Battery baddies nabbed THIEVES stealing truck engine batteries in Turre and selling them across Almeria, Alicante and Murcia were arrested by the Guardia Civil. The man, aged 32, and woman, aged 24, are accused of committing 24 robberies over the course of several months. The man was caught redhanded trying to remove the battery from a truck in an isolated Turre car park. When accosted by a police officer he ran away, jumped in his car and drove so close to the officer that he ran over his foot. He was quickly caught and now faces assault charges on top of the two dozen theft offences. Both he and his female accomplice have been jailed without bail. Police had been hunting the
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Cash pledge for high speed
Green light
thieves since March and had dispatched search patrols to scour rural highways and car parks. Batteries reported stolen from Turre have cropped up in Murcia and Alicante recycling centres which offer cash for scrap.
The estimated percentage of the world’s olive oil that is produced in Spain.
PROMISE: Minister has pledged a railway revolution for Almeria. By Matthew Elliott AN investment of €365.5 million will be ploughed into enabling a high-speed train route between Almeria and Granada. The news was announced by Spain’s Minister for Development, Iñigo de la Serna during a visit to the province. At first €80 million will be used to substantially renovate
the current 181km track and expand its width to international standards. Some €75 million will then be invested in platforms and another €55 million on electrifying the track. The rest will be spent on a fleet of high speed trains, safety features and construction. The work is scheduled for completion in 2023. It will substantially reduce
journey times to Granada and bring Almeria within the transEuropean train network, dubbed the Mediterranean Corridor, according to De la Serna. Bidding is soon to open for the rights to build various sections of the new Almeria-Murcia track sections. Work will not likely begin until 2023 and will require a €1.8 billion cash injection from Madrid.
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Put to the test DRIVING test examiners from Almeria joined colleagues from across Spain during a protest outside the General Traffic Directorate in Madrid. Thousands of aspiring Almeria drivers have now missed their test due to the examiners going on strike. The 170 driving schools across Almeria have been desperately hoping for a resolution since examiners went on strike three days a week in late June.
SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...23 Despite the sweltering summer climate and regular droughts, Spain is home to some of Europe’s most impressive waterfalls thanks to its diverse and mountainous terrain.
Wet and wild!
Fishy affair AN illegal fishing net spanning 200 metres was removed from the protected marine reserve in the Cabo de Gata-Niar Natural Park, releasing hundreds of fish. All mass fishing is banned in the area.
Car chaos DRIVERS across Almeria have been urged to exercise extra care and plan trips ahead as up to 300,000 cars are expected on the province’s roads on busy days during August.
News 1 - 26
Finance Leapy Lee 35
TV POWERFUL: The reventon of the Rio Mundo.
WITH a head-spinning drop of 222 metres, the spectacular Salto del Nervion is Spain’s highest waterfall. Located in Alava Province at the border of the Basque Country and Castilla y Leon, intrepid hikers can reach either the bottom or top of the towering cascade, with late winter to spring the ideal time to visit.
THE source of the Rio Mundo is considered to be among the most beautiful waterfalls in Spain, exiting a 32-km long limestone cave almost 100 metres up one side of the Calar del Mundo mountain plateau. It is famed for the reventon phenomenon, which occurs when the river swells in spring, forming a breathtaking wall of water. Matt Ford/Shutterstock
HIGHEST: The Salto del Nervion.
Public call A PHOTOGRAPHY competition has been announced by the Almeria disabled persons federation FAAM. The group is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the initiative. Contestants are asked to submit photos of the everyday life of a disabled person which portrays the different challenges they face, or perhaps how they overcome them. The subjects can be themselves, friends or family, or even willing strangers.
INSIDE VIEW
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Educating Jose SEX education is the target of a new campaign aimed at young people across Almeria. Young adults aged between 15 and 25 in Albox, Carboneras, Garrucha, Macael, Roquetas and the capital will participate in the workshops. The campaign has been organised by volunteers from health awareness organisation IAJ Almeria, and a helpline for young people looking for information has been set up on 900 922 040.
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Letters 46
Time Out 48
Health & Beauty 51
UNIQUE: The Fervenza do Ezaro. THE Fervenza do Ezaro falls at the foot of Mount Pindo on Galicia’s Costa da Morte form an impressive 40-metre spectacle. They lie on the final stretch of the Xallas, the only river in continental Europe that empties directly into the sea via a waterfall. It now flows year-round after pressure from campaigners forced authorities to close a hydroelectric plant.
Social
SCENIC: The Cola de Caballo. A THREE-HOUR trek brings determined hikers to the picturesque Cola de Caballo (horse tail) cascade in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park situated in the Pyrenees of Huesca Province, Aragon. So-named because the water spreads out and remains in contact with the rock face as it descends, forming an effect resembling a horse’s tail.
Baby woes
Sinking ship
Taxi fiend
THERE is only one midwife for every 87,000 women in Almeria, the lowest rate in Andalucia according to non-profit health group, Marea Blanca, which also criticised the reduction in hospital beds.
NINE children were among 15 migrants rescued from a sinking boat 22 miles south-east of Cabo de Gata. They were discovered by plane and taken to Motril port.
A MAN accused of robbing four Almeria taxi drivers by pulling a knife on them from the backseat appeared in court. He stole hundreds of euros from his victims, all targeted in El Puche.
Christmas has been cancelled PLANS to reduce the working hours of teachers, nurses and other public sector workers have been frozen. Almost 20,000 state employees across Almeria had expected to see their weekly hours return to pre-crisis levels. The plan, approved at the regional level in January, would have seen them return to a 35-hour week. In 2012 the national government extended public sector hours to 37.5 as the recession took hold. Now the conservative national government has appealed the regional decision in the Constitutional Court. As an automatic consequence, the plan has been shelved
while judges deliberate. The majority of workers affected by the legal limbo in Almeria are teachers. More than 10,000 expected to return to school in September with a shorter working week. They are joined by more than 6,000 health workers, and almost 3,000 bureaucrats. Unions who represent them are up in arms over the interference from Madrid. Secretary-General of the Public Workers Union of Almeria (CCOO), Antonio Valdivieso, described it as a “new attack” on Almeria as it struggled to combat unemployment.
Albox 58
Property 62
Running man A BELGIAN arrest warrant was used to detain a Moroccan national attempting to board a ship from Almeria to Nador, Morocco. The fugitive is wanted on drug trafficking and robbery charges.
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Classifieds 66
Motor 68
Sport 71
The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1673 of the Euro Weekly News Costa de Almería edition, including 48 local stories.
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TRIVIA FROM AROUND THE WORLD Some of the women arguing with flight attendants.
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Rowdy hen party kicked off Ryanair flight to Alicante - 5,647 Weigh Hey! Fruit and veg boost for Mercadona shoppers - 2,991 Open letter to UK citizens living in Spain from British Ambassador Simon Manley - 2,696 Body of missing three-year-old girl found on railway track - 2,649 Parents outraged as couple romp in the sea in front of children in Marbella - 2,342
Poll of the week Given the number of thefts occurring in supermarket car parks, should there be signs put in place to warn shoppers?
LAST WEEK’S POLL: As controversy continues to surround the US President do you think Donald Trump will serve a full eight years as the world’s most powerful leader?
Yes = 18% No = 82%
Three hundred languages are spoken in London, more than any other capital city in the world. In 1923, jockey Frank Hayes won a race at Belmont Park in New York despite being dead. He suffered a heart attack mid-race, but his body stayed in the saddle until his horse crossed the line for a 20–1 outsider victory.
Top Social Media comments Almeria mother jailed for abandoning baby in baking sun - Children and/or animals must not be in vehicles and left alone in the summer months ANYWHERE!!!! It is just not acceptable... Sian Foster Tragedy in Mallorca as two-year-old on holiday drowns in a pool - 23 children equate to a lot of parents/guardians not being careful/watchful enough with their offspring. How many more were ‘near misses’ and did not actually die? Ron Curtis Fans evacuated from Tomorrowland UNITE Spain festival after fire engulfs stage - Oh dear! What a pity, but well done to the authorities for getting everyone out safely. Elizabeth Saunders Weigh hey! Fruit and veg boost for Mercadona shoppers - I like weighing my own fruit & veg. They could also ask their staff at the checkout to slow down and not chuck your groceries at you as fast as they can. But then other supermarkets are guilty of this too. Mike Rhys-Ponteaux Malaga infant was killed by train, police say - What I find annoying is how unsafe the train tracks are. They need to really up their game with safety. They are so accessible for any animal, person, child. Awful accidents waiting
to happen. Sam Smith Rowdy hen party kicked off Ryanair flight to Alicante - It’s about time people were only allowed one drink maximum per person per boarding voucher... and, if they present at Departures drunk - they don’t get to fly ! Or will it take a mass brawl in mid-air, or worse - damage that leads to a crash - before something’s done ! John Minshall. I thought drunk passengers (they must have been quite drunk at the departure gate) were not allowed into the cabin for safety reasons so, why are ground staff allowing them to board? I’ve known pilots to also refuse passengers themselves and have them ejected before departure. It’s time all airlines enforced this! Jan Andersen-Page Fourteen-year-old girl seriously injured in bull run in Spain - When will they learn? The bulls are tormented and goaded and people then wonder why they get hurt! So stupid! Sorry the young girl was hurt but what was she doing there unsupervised in the first place? Mary Anne Roberts Balearic Parliament approves bull runs ‘without blood, without suffering’- Not enough! An outright ban is needed! Laoiseach Ni Chleirigh
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When the American boardgame Twister was introduced in 1966, it was denounced by critics as ‘sex in a box.’
Did you know?
Little bits on the side
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Moving responsibility to someone else is called passing the buck because in card games it was once customary to pass an item - called a buck - to players whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to deal, he would ‘pass the buck’ to the next player.
Lost in translation
Please don’t touch yourself, let us help you try out. Thanks! CORRECTIONS At the EWN, we pride ourselves that reports are accurate and fair. If we do slip up, we promise to set the record straight in a clear, no-nonsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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OUR VIEW
Summer holidays, a blessing and curse THERE is something of a Catch 22 situation with regards to summer holidays with as many downsides as upsides. Britons travelling to Spain are an important benefit to the economy but as so many have to travel during school holidays, those with families have to be prepared to pay significantly more for the tickets and accommodation. Those without children, have to decide whether it is worth paying the extra to enjoy the best weather and also to weigh up if the increased number of fellow tourists, many of them either out to party or with increasingly boisterous children is something that can be ignored. Roads, restaurants and all forms of entertainment are busier than ever and even a simple visit to the supermarket can become an exercise in patience as the crowds of shoppers become bigger and bigger. Now the European Union has (hopefully unwittingly) added fuel to the flames by implementing new, relatively stringent checks on the passports of those who are not part of the Schengen area which effectively isolates British and Irish travellers. Despite the fact that Spain already required those travelling from the UK to register their passport details when booking flights, it is now following the rules by scanning passports on arrival which has led to exceptional queues and frayed tempers.
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Unfair water bills sham RESIDENTS of Almeria pay more than the Spanish average for their water according to a report from consumer watchdog Facua. The group compared tariffs in 35 Spanish cities and found that rates vary by as much as 256 per cent. The average amount paid was €17.01 per 10 cubic metres of water. In Almeria residents paid €19.45. A household with three people can easily consume 20 cubic metres per month, meaning an Almeria home would pay almost €5 more per month than the Spanish average, or €60 per year. Murcia inhabitants have it worse. City households pay €28.43 per 10 cubic metres, almost 50 per cent more than Almeria. Meanwhile in Oviedo people pay just €8.53, making an annual difference of €637. Facua argue that the discrepancies in regional water charges are unfair and should be replaced with a progressive charging system.
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Sim-ple pleasures
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Top rear! Clarkson teases lover
DIEGO SIMEONE: Honed. ATLETICO MADRID manager Diego Simeone has been enjoying a sun-soaked break in Ibiza ahead of the upcoming season. The 47-year-old has been described as the hardest boss in the game, and judging by his honed physique he has the muscle to back up the claim. He was pictured enjoying the high life on a high-end yacht with his stunning 28-year-old model girlfriend Carla Pereyra, who sported a barely-there leopard print bikini.
THEY announced their romance to the world earlier this year. But Grand Tour host Jeremy Clarkson, 56, and his girlfriend Lisa Hogan are clearly settling into their relationship after the controversial presenter took to social media to poke fun at his new squeeze during a romantic Mallorca getaway. Sharing a photo of the 46-year-old as she performed a steamy bikini-clad exercise routine outside the pair’s holiday retreat, the former Top Gear anchorman captioned the cheeky snap: “Still can’t play tennis though.” He followed it up with a wine-quaffing selfie, after which he wrote: “Weirdly, can play tennis.”
racy routine. CHEEKY: Lisa’s
DOWN THE HA TCH:
Jeremy guzzled plonk.
Titillating Thai-in SHE was nominated for a national film award after starring in director Pedro Almodovar’s 2011 film The Skin I Live In. And Spanish actress Blanca Suarez, 28, showed she is more than comfortable with her own body after posting a string of sizzling snaps to Instagram during a holiday in Thailand. She opened the series with a shot taken in her
Ayutthaya hotel room, where she shook off her jet lag by visiting the ruins of the old city in a tiny pair of denim shorts. After a tour of Bangkok she then sent temperatures soaring on arrival at the luxurious Ava Hotel and Spa in Nakhon province, where she slipped into a skimpy one-piece swimsuit on the beach before posing by the pool in a pink dress which partially exposed one of her breasts.
BLANCA SUAREZ: Exposed.
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NEWS
Panic at the disco By Matthew Elliott A R AV E o f D J s h a v e a c cused Mojacar mayor Rosa Maria Cano of discrimination. A group of 14 loc a l dis c joc ke ys told the A ndalucian ombudsman that her crackdown on entertainment threatens their future in the town. In the complaint the DJ guild accuses the council of doing everything in its power to prevent venues from hiring independent DJs. It cites the council’s power to
gra nt mus ic lic e nc e s for shows on terraces, at beach bars, and restaurants. Licences are only granted, the DJs allege, when the ve nue c hoos e s a ba nd or singer to perform, but never a DJ. They also claim the council has instructed police officers to warn venues that they may face prosecution for breaching noise regulations by hiring a DJ. Effe c tive ly, the 14 D J s who signed the complaint say, they have been forced out of Mojacar, solely be-
cause of their profession. Bars and restaurants no longer want the hassle of hiring a DJ when they can choose a band and avoid the council and police breathing down their neck. Executive power to grant and t ake away m usi c l i -
cences is the “tool used by t he m ayor t o pr event us from working” allege the artists. They have publ i cl y demanded a meeting with Ms Cano to resolve the matter, but the mayor has already rejected the idea.
Facebook/Mojacar DJS
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SOUND OF SILENCE: Mojacar DJs feel under attack.
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A living legend swings by played a concert at the Valparaiso Foundation headquarters. He was a visiting scholar at the Foundation, staying at its Artists’ Residence, which regularly welcomes musi-
cians, writers, painters and poets. Mojacar is an attractive destination for artists looking for inspiration and time to reflect on their work. Leo de Aurora comes from flamenco royalty and
was a child prodigy playing in Madrid aged just seven. His great-grandfather, Ramon Montoya, is credited with inventing the modern flamenco guitar. Still young, de Aurora is in his mid-30’s, he has performed around the world and won comparisons with
NEWS EXTRA
the legendary Paco de Lucia, one of flamenco’s first crossover international stars. In Almeria he enthralled an intimate audience at the Valparaiso Foundation with his pieces, including a new song entitled simply ‘Mojacar,’ an ode to the sunrise over the beach.
Black sheep FOUR teenagers on two m opeds wer e caught r ed- handed by pol i ce driving along the A-92 in Abla with two lambs t hat had been st ol en from a nearby farm.
Fire risk Facebook/Mojacar Informa
ONE of Spain’s greatest guitar talents has spent the past two weeks in Mojacar working on new compositions. Leo de Aurora received an award from Mojacar ’s town hall and even
NEWS
A CAR caught fire as it drove down t he A- 7 past Huercal-Overa towards Al m eri a and was ext i ngui shed by f i rem en. It was t he fourth car to catch fire on t he A- 7 i n f our weeks.
Fuel help
STRUMMER: The talent of flamenco (centre).
ELDERLY residents of Carboneras can now apply for their energy bills subsidy. Energy aid will go up to €112 this year with €25,000 set aside for formal residents and homeowners.
Poor castle THE most famous building in Almeria is worth only €468,000 according to the Land Registry. The Alcazaba castle is now officially cheaper than at least 200 local flats and villas on sale today.
FINANCE
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The Spanish tax regime allows the Autonomous Communities to adjust some rules and tax rates, for example income and wealth tax rates, and rates, allowances and reductions for succession and gift tax. As a result there are substantial tax differences between regions, making some much more beneficial, tax wise, to live in than others. At a meeting of regional Prime Ministers with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in January this year, Andalucía requested a tax harmonisation of the Spanish tax system (especially for succession and gift tax and wealth tax) to avoid unfair competition and tax dumping between the different Spanish regions. Some other regions, including Comunidad Valenciana and Murcia, supported the petition, suggesting that a maximum and a minimum rate applicable for succession and wealth tax should be established, to reduce the differences between regions. On the contrary, Madrid and Islas Baleares rejected this proposal. After this meeting, the central and regional Spanish governments appointed a tax experts committee to look at the issue. This committee has been working on some
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Spanish tax harmonisation Some possible future guidelines
By Brett Hanson, Partner, Blevins Franks recommendations to amend the Spanish regional funding system. The final report with their conclusions should be available soon, but in the meantime some information was released showing part of the guidelines that could be suggested by the committee. Wealth tax • A state law should establish
minimum and maximum wealth tax rates applicable to all the regions. Then each Spanish region can decide the applicable rates within those brackets. • The possibility to apply a 100% allowance on the final wealth tax bill for all regions so that no wealth tax is payable at all (as currently applies in Madrid). • While some experts have suggested the abolition of wealth tax, this idea has not garnered enough support, so it seems unlikely that wealth tax will disappear in the coming years in Spain. Succession and gift tax • A state law should establish minimum and maximum succession and gift tax rates applicable to all the regions. Then each Spanish region can decide the applicable rates within those brackets. • Tax rates of around 5% for close relatives (i.e. Groups I & II beneficiaries – ascendants, descendants and spouses).
• No option to apply an allowance so that this tax is not payable at all. • These suggestions will benefit those individuals resident in the regions with the highest taxes (e.g. Andalucía) but they will be detrimental for those living in regions with very low succession tax rates, like Madrid. Once the final report has been published, all regional and central governments will discuss and decide the way forward. The committee’s findings are simply suggestions; they are not binding. For example, a previous committee was appointed to help the government with the major 2015 tax reform. It suggested, amongst other recommendations, that wealth tax should be abolished – but the proposal has not been followed and wealth tax remains in place. How will this impact you? If committee’s guidelines are followed, it is likely that some
taxpayers, especially those in regions with high succession tax rates, will see their succession tax bills reduced at some point. We do not know exactly what affect there may be on wealth tax at this time. We will have to wait until they release their final report and how the different regional governments will decide to proceed in this regard. In the meantime, seek up-to-date specialist advice if you are looking for effective tax planning in Spain. Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice. Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com.
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NEWS
Students of geology by Matthew Elliott IF you’ve seen, passed, noticed from a distance or been told about a group of six youngsters - they’ll appreciate me calling them this - trekking up and over dusty and uneven mountain tracks or bounding along tarmacked roads, sometimes in couples, trios, even individually, in the Mojacar, Turre, Los Molinos, Cabrera and Cortijo Grande region, carrying a rucksack on their backs and a clipboard in one hand, they are not looking for lizards, geckos, snakes, bees, birds, butterflies, plants, shrubs or water, and they’re certainly not picking up litter. In fact, they are geology students from the University of Liverpool in the UK. The intrepid geologists, aged 19 and 20, comprise two girls, Emma King and Lisa Widdows, and four young men, Thomas Rock, Mark Evans, Daniel Harrison and Jamie Dickson - the latter two having already qualified as ge-
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: Are in Spain to study three main types of rock. ological physicists. All six of them are here in Andalucia on a compulsory five-week, 35-day adventure (up to mid-August) as part of a scheduled module, listed in the University of Liverpool cirriculum. And when I asked the question, who selected this specific area of Spain to investigate, Lisa replied: “It was our lecturer and team leader, Dan Faulkner who chose the Mo-
jacar/Turre region, having visited the area some years ago. He loved it so much that he promised to send some of his students back to the region. He’s done just that. And we are enjoying it immensely - despite the hot and humid conditions. Actually Dan popped over to see us last month… just to keep a check on us!” Mark, one of the group’s drivers, added: “We didn’t expect
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it to be this hot, but we’ve acclimatised okay and we only go out between the hours of 7.30am and 12 noon. That’s enough really.” Lisa was out on her own when I saw her and she looked absolutely done in, but told me: “It’s so fascinating. We have found the experience challenging but extremely rewarding, and we’re loving our time out here in Spain.” The dedicated university graduates are in Spain to study three main types, or classes, of rock which is supposed to be prominent in the area - sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. The differences among them have to do with how they are or have been formed. Well done all of you, and good luck with your final exam on the subject.
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NEWS
LAST LEGS: Almost one in two cars in Almeria are over 10-years-old.
Chitty chitty bang bang A TRAFFIC police crackdown saw hundreds of drivers fined across Almeria Province. Serious concerns were raised that thousands of cars on the province’s roads are dangerous. In just seven days the Guardia Civil stopped 2,345 vehicles on the province’s key roads. They found that 83 motorists were driving without a
valid ITV. Another 271 were fined for problems with the condition of their vehicle. The Guardia Civil estimate that roughly 20,000 vehicles are circulating in the province today without a valid ITV or proper documentation. Being caught driving without an ITV is punishable by a €200 fine, unless the offender is on his
way to the mechanics. Figures from the General Traffic Directorate (DGT) indicate that 47.2 per cent of all vehicles in the province, more than half a million, are over a decade old. The DGT say that the risk of death or serious injury doubles in accidents involving cars between 10 and 15 years old.
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Albox RBL closes during August THE Albox Branch of the RBL will not be holding any meetings during August, but here are two diary dates: On Thursday October 5 the branch is looking to organise a day trip to the Parque Comercial Nevada in Granada (or for those who do not fancy shopping, the Science Museum in Granada). Costs will be €12 for members (and also for their family members) or €14 for non-members. For further details of pick-up times, locations and to book a seat on the coach please contact Sarah via email sarahedkins123@gmail.com or mobile 634 372 143. On Saturday October 14 the branch is holding an event to launch Poppy-Tide. The event will be held at the Bar International (opposite Los Llanos Market) starting at 12 noon. There will be live music and a BBQ, all for the price of €12
per head. They will be having a small quiz, a raffle and a stall where items may be purchased to raise monies for the RBL. There will also be an auction of works of art donated by their members and others. To book tickets for this please contact Judith via email sutoju@hot mail.com or mobile 634 376 201. For more information or tickets for either event contact Ken, their chairman, on 679 605 320 or email at ken.matthews10@gmail.com. For those who are willing to sell poppies to raise monies for the Legion at either Arboleas or Los Llanos Saturday markets (Saturday October 21, Saturday October 28 or Saturday November 4) please contact Judith via email sutoju@hot mail.com or mobile 634 376 201. Their next coffee morning
will be held at Café Bar Oasis (off Avenida America, Albox) on Thursday September 7 starting at 11.30am, nice nibbles and beverages and plenty of chat. They have more new members so do come and welcome them. Guests are welcome to any of their events when accompanied by a member. New members are welcome to join their branch at any of their meetings. or contact Sandy, their membership secretary, on 648 049 491 or email stucker99@hot mail.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. They are here to serve you. Get in touch for advice, information and guidance 676 451 780 or email: assistance. rbl.dns@gmail.com.
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NEWS
UK clampdown on fraudulent sickness claims BRITISH AMBASSADOR for Spain, Simon Manley recently wrote to key stakeholders in the Spanish tourism industry informing them of the steps taken by the UK government to tackle fraudulent sickness claims. Ambassador Simon Manley said: “The issue of fraudulent sickness claims rightly caused concern in Spain, and has a serious impact on Spanish hoteliers. The recent measures announced by the British government show how seriously we take this issue, and our determination to clamp down on loop holes and fraudulent claims. Eighteen million British tourists visit Spain each year, and whilst the vast majority of holiday makers will not make false claims, these recent measures will help clamp down on those who do. As our travel advice says, making a false claim could result in legal proceedings in the UK or in Spain.” The Ambassador stressed the seriousness with which the British government and package
holiday industry are treating false claims, and set out the steps that have been taken and legal measures put in place to put an end to this unethical and illegal practice. The letter laid out the recent announcement by the British Ministry of Justice to implement changes to the law that will close the loopholes which have allowed these fraudulent claims to happen. The system of fixed recoverable costs have been extended to cover claims arising abroad, limiting the legal costs that are paid out and making the costs of defending a claim predictable to tour operators. The Civil Justice Council (which is sponsored by the British Ministry of Justice and is responsible for modernising the civil justice system) is reviewing how low value personal injury claims are handled, with the aim of reducing the incentive to bring claims which lack merit. The British government has also asked the Association of B r i t i s h Tr a v e l A g e n t s ( A B TA ) and other industry representa-
British Ambassador Simon Manley. tives to present further data on the volume and costs of claims, which will help inform further action from government and in-
dustry to tackle the issue. The UK package holiday industry, in conjunction with Spanish hoteliers, is also taking a firm
stance and tightening up their own internal processes and fraud screening programmes, some of which have already resulted in claims lacking merit being challenged in a court of law and holidaymakers being prosecuted. For example, a UK court recently dismissed a claim by a British family who had been encouraged to submit a claim on a ‘no-win no-fee’ basis by unscrupulous claims management companies alleging that they had fallen ill with gastroenteritis during an all-inclusive holiday to Gran Canaria in 2013. Having ruled the claim implausible due to lack of medical evidence and because no mention of illness had been made either to hotel staff or tour representatives at the time, the judge ordered the couple to pay the tour operator thousands in legal costs. The Ambassador concluded that, although the vast majority of holidaymakers will not make false claims, the British government continues to warn travellers that those submitting false claims could face legal action in the UK or in Spain.
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NEWS
BEACH TENNIS: Children encouraged to join in the sport.
Mojacar holds summer beach tennis competition THE annual Summer Tennis Cup, organised by Mojacar Council along with the Provincial Council of Almeria, recently took place on the town’s El Cantal Beach. Even though it was a hard fought competition, with a high standard of tennis on show, the usual great atmosphere prevailed throughout the heats. The tight competition saw Andrea Morillas Carretero and Sabrina Lopez Garcia and Patricio Egea and Marcos Piñon (women’s and men’s
doubles respectively) becoming this year’s Spanish Tennis Beach Champions. Ana Garcia, local Councillor for Sports, was there throughout to see all the heats and, afterwards had the pleasure of handing the prizes out to the winners. She said, “There is no doubt that this sport is becoming better known and every year we see the number of participants increasing.” This gives an indication of the support by Almeria Provincial Council and the local council to bring tennis
to beaches in the province. The Summer Beach Tennis Cup is designed for both beginners and professionals with men’s, women’s and junior categories. The maximum age for juniors is 14, but to encourage youngsters to join in the sport, those under 12 are scored differently whilst being in the same tournament as all other participants. The beach tennis started off in 1996. The game is played the same as tennis, but with paddlelike bats and softer balls.
Mojácar Playa
Mojácar Playa
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Spacious ground floor apartment of 95m2. 3 bed, 2 bath, ample terraces & sea views. Communal pool, located next to the property. Very close to the beach.
Spanish style 2 bed, 1 bath, top floor apartment of 68m2 on a small front-line community. Newly decorated & no community fees. Shops & restaurants close by.
1st floor 2 bed, 1 bath, apartment of 98m2 with sea & village views. 2 ample terraces. Small gated community with pool. Close to the beach.
Modern 2 bed, 2 bath, apartment of 72m2 plus large terrace with outstanding sea views. Allocated parking, community pool & gardens. Furnished.
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Modern 3 bed, 2 bath, penthouse of 104m2 with sea views. Huge terrace & A/C. Lift access. Storeroom & underground parking.
Ground floor 2 bed, 2 bath, apartment of 82m2 with sea views. Parking. Community pool. Quiet residential location but short distance to beaches.
1 bed, 1 bath, penthouse of 43m2 very close to the beach. NE facing, underground parking & store-room. Ample terrace with sea views.
Palomares
Carboneras
Tabernas
Cortijo Grande
3 bed, 3 bath, furnished townhouse of 131m2 with superb sea views. Just minutes from the beach with A/C, 2 terraces & garage. Community pool.
2 bed, 1 bath, semi-renovated townhouse of 149m2, + solarium, in walking distance of the town centre. Tabernas is a thriving busy town including a theatre.
2 bed, 2 bath, frontline golf townhouse of 85m2 + 22m2 of garden terrace in a small complex. Furnished. A short drive to towns & beaches.
Vera
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Cortijo Grande
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Super 3 bed, 2 bath, detached house of 220m2 on a level plot of 10,000m2! Paddock + 3 stables & tack room. Fully fenced. Must be viewed!
Unique 3 bed, 3 bath, refurbished cortijo of 157m2 on a plot of 2,720m2. Superb village, sea & mountain views. Full of character, just a short walk from Mojácar village.
Superb property consisting of a main house, guest bungalow & annex of a total of 188m2. 4 bed, 4 bath, in all. Beautiful gardens & pool. Outstanding views.
3 bed, 2 bath detached villa of 125m2 on an easily maintained plot of 386m2. All on one level with a garage & store-room. Walking distance to beach & amenities.
Mojácar Playa
A1306
165,000€
A1308
A1311 160,000€
3 bed, 3 bath, linked villa of 235m2 on 116m2 plot. Solarium, integral garage & gardens. Sun room + sea views. A/C & part furnished.
LV729
169,950€
DV1431 345,000€
A1295
LV730
89,000€
171,000€
175,000€
DV1432 690,000€
A1309
A1304
LV724
145,000€
128,000€
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DV1438 395,000€
Call us today +34 950 478 915 Fax: +34 950 478 963 Email: info@pricebrown.com www.pricebrown.com Paseo del Mediterraneo 171, 04638 Mojácar, Almería, España
A1310
A1305
LV626
125,000€
95,000€
59,000€
DV1400 284,500€
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3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa
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FEATURE
Advertising feature
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and repairs can run into thousands. Even small leaks from faulty washing machines or dishwashers can quickly cause expensive damage, especially as people go on their summer breaks. Flooding and mudslides Any material damage suffered as a result of flooding or an accidental diversion on the ordinary course of water flow in channels, ditches, or sewage flows. Tips if you have a leak I f you di scover a l eak, t ur n off t he stopcock to stop the flow of water and then turn off your main electricity supply. Try and contain the water as much as possible placing buckets under leaks and turning on taps elsewhere in the house to reduce the pressure of escaping water. We advise taking photos of any resulting damage and keep all damaged possessions as evidence in the event of a claim.
We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 902 123 309 More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com
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3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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Expat cancer survivor writes process that lies ahead. Having talked to a number of medical specialists, Iain explains how to choose the right hospital and specialist. Of central importance are the chapters covering nutrition and 10 alternative therapies that will halt tumour growth and alleviate side-effects which Iain used alongside his own treatment.
APRIL TO APRIL: Getting the message across.
www.euroweeklynews.com
“I’VE been a professional writer/researcher for 30 years and have lived in Spain for 20,” explains Iain McLean, “So it makes sense that when I was diagnosed with the highest grade prostate cancer in April 2015 and having beaten it by the following April, I would write a book about it.” ‘April to April’ is Iain’s own quest for a cure. It is for all men who suffer from this cancer (or wish to prevent it), and for their families and friends who want to understand what their lovedone is going through. “Although all the information is scattered around the internet, there is not one single book that covers all the bases. This book does.” In this entertaining and informative five-star read, Iain’s main argument, with respect to conventional treatment, is that doctors do not tell a patient all they need to know about the
EWN online Latest news and more as it happens at
Iain’s approach is that beating cancer is a war and each patient needs all the tools at their disposal, not only to win, but to adapt strategies for each stage in what will be a long campaign. There are also a few more colourful passages about Spain, where Iain’s treatment took place. With 90,000 words of information, anecdotes and hope, ‘April to April - Beating Prostate Cancer with Conventional Medicine, Alternative Therapies, Mind Games and Emotions, Diet, Exercise and Love,’ is available on all Amazon websites for all electronic devices. The first 20 pages are free to read and the book has its own Facebook page. An audio version has been produced and will be online soon. “It is extremely important to get the message and knowledge across to as many people as possible,” says Iain.
Your Belgian estate agent at the coast!
NEWS
PEPA animal rescue lunch PEPA, now i n i t s 12th year of rescuing animals in distress, are to hold their next lunch on Tuesday August 8 at Bar L’Irlandes, Castellon de Rugat. A variety of menu choice is available on the day and lunch wi l l be at 1.30pm for 2.00pm. A r aff l e wi l l be hel d and al l pr oceeds wi l l go t o PEPA. For further information, please contact Des smith at des.smith68@gmail. com or t el ephone 962 807 086. Booking deadline is Sunday August 6.
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3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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DENMARK
NETHERLANDS
Popular list No gangs
DANISH actor Pilou Asbaek has been named the ‘10th most popular in the world’ on IMDB’s Star Meter. He has stared in major films such as ‘Lucy’ and ‘Ghost in the Shell.’
COPENHAGEN is continuing its clampdown on gangs. Six gang members have been arrested in two separate raids as anti-gang police continue patrols.
Tattoo closure?
PILOU ASBAEK: Popular actor.
EUROPEAN PRESS
Murdering veteran
‘TATTOO OLE’ believed to be the world’s oldest tattoo studio, having first started in 1901 in Copenhagen, is at risk of closure after the building’s owners have decided not to renew the studio’s lease.
A WAR veteran has been formally charged with the murder of his parents. The 43-year-old former soldier is charged with killing his parents and then storing their bodies in his car.
Farm fire Email hackers
A FIRE at a factory farm near Erichem has killed almost 20,000 pigs. It comes just weeks following another major farm fire which killed nearly 80,000 chickens.
POLICE have set up a database allowing people to check if their email addresses have been hacked following investigations by cybercrime in-
Rides stopped
vestigators.
DUTCH company KMG International BV has suspended the use of all of its rides similar to one which killed a man in the USA. An 18year-old was killed on the ‘Fireball’ ride at a state fair in Ohio after the seats snapped off.
In work LAST year saw long-term unemployment in the Netherlands fall for the first time since 2009 according to a report from Statistics Netherlands.
GERMANY
SWEDEN
Special case
Safety concerns
A TEENAGER who was born in Germany to Nepalese parents and was de p o r t e d t o Ne p a l w ith h er parents has been allowed to return on a study visa following a campaign to allow her to stay.
Teenager found A GERMAN teenager arrested in
Mosul, alleged to have been fighting for Islamic State, is reportedly Linda Wenzel, a 16-year-old who went missing from her home last summer.
Brexit move US investment bank Morgan Stanley has announced plans to expand in Frankfurt, creating a post-Brexit
hub that could see 200 London jobs be relocated to Germany.
School abuse MORE than 500 boys have reportedly been abused at a top Roman Catholic choir school. An independent report said the physical or sexual abuse went on for years between 1945-2015.
Historic memory
PRIME MINISTER Stefan Lofven, said his minority government will not resign following the security crisis relating to sensitive public data being mishandled.
THE family of a Swedish diplomat who disappeared after saving thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Second World War, are suing Russia’s security service to force them to give access to their original files and archives to restore his memory.
Mountain rescue RESCUE crews attended to an emergency call out to a mountain climber to find that a couple had called for help simply because they were tired. They ended up paying for the helicopter to take them down the mountain.
Set free
FRANCE
BELGIUM
Tourists evacuated
Port tax
OVER12,000 people were forced to flee campsites and homes as wildfires broke out along the French Riviera. The island of Corsica has also been affected.
BELGIUM has been ordered to stop port tax breaks. The European Commission said the tax exemptions in both French and Belgium was not fair competition amongst countries in the EU.
NORWAY
Visitors return
Storm protection
Cycle Norway
IT seems tourists are shunning previous terror threats and are returning to Paris. The capital saw a record 2.6 million foreign arrivals in the first four months of this year, 19 per cent more than the same period last year.
IN a bid to offer protection from storms, an artificial reef made up of algae, mussels and worms will be placed off the coast of La Panne. They will not be visible from the beach.
Pool pollution THREE new floating pools on a Paris canal were closed to the public over pollution concerns and ‘unsatisfactory’ water quality. They were closed just a week after opening helping city residents to stay cool.
Police criticised THE Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised police for ‘abuse’ of migrants in Calais. The group’s report claims police regularly abused them in the hope of them leaving the town.
Tax break A TAX measure that benefited Belgian football clubs and other sports clubs, enabling them to save some €400 million during the last nine years, may be illegal as the authorities did not inform the EU of these tax privileges.
Unfriendly neighbours? IT seems Belgians are perhaps not the friendliest of nations as a survey showed that just 8 per cent of Belgians said they invited people into their own homes on a daily or weekly basis. Mexico was found to be the most welcoming with 42 per cent opening their doors regularly to friends or neighbours.
THE Tour de France could be headed to Norway as Norwegian oil company Statoil is looking to bring the Grand Tour to the western coast to mark the company’s 50th anniversary.
Too many tourists NORWAY could implement a tourist tax to help deal with the influx of visitors. The country has seen an increase in tourists thanks to the 2013 release of Disney film Frozen which was developed with the help of Norway’s tourism agency.
AFTER almost six years in captivity in Mali, Swedish man Johan Gustafsson, has been released. He was kidnapped by Islamist militants whilst on a motorcycle tour through Africa.
Shop stabbing A TEENAGE girl has died following a stabbing incident at a shopping centre in Kristiansand. Another victim, aged 23, is in critical condition. A 15 year-old girl has been arrested in relation to the attacks.
Swan song A SWAN which was due to be put down after it attacked a group of children and dragged a girl into the water, has been given a second chance as the authorities have said it will be moved to a new location.
FINANCE
Costa de Almería
3 - 9 August 2017
€12.96 billion
STAT OF WEEK
business & legal
DUE to the continued droughts in certain parts of Spain, it has been agreed that grants will be paid to farmers earlier than usual this year. The money will be made available to farmers who have suffered losses by the middle of October rather than the end of December which is the norm. In addition, farmers will not have to dedicate 30 per cent of the grant to environmental improvements but may use it to help defray losses.
A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION | WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/3.0.15/FINANCE
TOPPING UP: With biofuel.
Biofuel import may hurt farmers THERE is disquiet in Spain over a forthcoming free trade agreement with a number of South American bio-fuel producing countries. The European Union is close to signing a pact with Mercosur (which incorporates Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) which will allow biofuels from those countries into the European market according to a statement made by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström in Madrid. New agreements may allow
By John Smith
Money for such purchases appears to be readily available as it has just extended a €300 million loan and also has significant amounts of cash on hand. Eroski has been repositioning its business significantly over the last 12 months and has sold many of its larger stores to Carrefour allowing the French company to expand, particularly on the Costa del Sol, whilst Eroski is increasingly opening smaller ‘convenience’ stores in busy urban areas.
We intend to launch a simple and affordable OTT service in Spain, the Eurozone’s fourth largest economy and the market which has the largest free-to-air headroom,” announced Sky TV CEO Jeremy Darroch. Photo Credit: Thieury shutterstock
Quote of the Week
cheaper yet more environmentally damaging fuels made from palm oil and soybean oil - allegedly more damaging than fossil diesel to be imported into Spain, damaging both the environment and Spanish business. Some experts say that sustainable sugar cane cultivation can provide food and ethanol for fuel without damaging the environment whilst others disagree fearing that the planned trade agreements contradict the spirit of the Renewable Energy Directive.
BUSINESS EXTRA
Popular appeal THOSE investors who lost their money following the sale of Banco Popular to Santander have been told by the EU that they have until August 7 to appeal. The only route available to them said the EU is via the European Court of Justice.
Cleaner water THE EU is helping to fund the building of a desalination plant in Djibouti with most of the €46m cost going to Tedagua in Madrid. This will increase the supply of clean water to 200,000 people.
Going up RESEARCH by Spanish bank BBVA suggests that the economy is on target to grow 3.3 per cent during 2017 which is over original forecasts. This upgrade is in accordance with adjusted government expectation and if correct will please the EU.
Britain and Holland help tax havens A REPORT states that Britain and Holland are the two members of the EU who channel up to €170 billion into tax havens around the world. The Spanish authorities increasingly try to identify tax avoidance schemes and often blame Gibraltar for allowing hidden money to cross the border.
29
is the amount that Telefonica earned in the second quarter of 2017, despite a downturn in its Spanish market.
Early Sweet smell of success grants SPANISH supermarket Eroski is selling 103 perfume outlets and its online business to German perfume retailer Douglas outlets for an undisclosed sum. This is the company’s second recent purchase in Spain following their takeover of Grupo Bodybell and Douglas is owned by American equity group CVC Capital which invested some €3 billion in the business in 2015. Douglas now owns more than 2,400 perfumeries in 19 countries and has also recently purchased two other chains, this time based in Italy.
EWN
This report however - produced by researchers at the University of Amsterdam - suggests that Holland accounts for 23 per cent of corporate investments sent to tax havens whilst Britain handles 14 per cent. Estimates of amounts involved are exceptionally wide and range from €50 billion to €170 billion.
The perfume market continues to be buoyant from the cheaper end, where supermarkets obtain exclusive rights to sell specially branded ‘smells’ often manufactured by wellknown brands to the ‘named brands’ marketed through department stores such as El Corte Ingles and through online sales. Canny shoppers and those with time to spare are however often able to obtain substantial reductions by visiting online discount stores which will ship to other EU member states at minimal delivery cost and charge in euros.
Profits up THANKS in part to discoveries of new gas and oil deposits Repsol has seen a massive jump in profit to €1.05 billion for the first half of 2017. With an overall increase amounting to 65.3 per cent compared to the same time last year, the energy giant has seen a significant increase in sales as well as a reduction in costs. Also assisting profitability was the renewal of production within Libya.
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LONDON - FTSE 100
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY WITH US See our advert on opposite page
C LOSING P RICES J ULY 31
PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,256.50 24.50 Associated British Foods 2,932.50 -29.50 Admiral Group 1,998.00 -44.00 Ashtead Group 1,623.00 -9.00 Antofagasta 899.25 -39.25 Aviva 544.75 10.75 AstraZeneca 4,481.50 84.72 BAE Systems 587.50 -17.50 Babcock International Group 861.50 17.00 Barclays 203.40 -1.70 British American Tobacco 4,960.00 -102.56 Barratt Developments 637.50 24.50 British Land Co 616.00 9.00 BHP Billiton 1,328.75 -35.25 Bunzl 2,260.50 -11.50 BP 454.75 11.10 Burberry Group 1,741.50 25.50 BT Group 302.08 -8.32 Coca-Cola HBC 2,209.50 -75.50 Carnival 5,012.00 -63.00 Centrica 196.35 -5.05 Compass Group 1,619.50 15.50 Croda International 3,688.00 -3.00 CRH 2,693.50 26.50 ConvaTec Group 305.45 -5.25 DCC 6,685.00 -0.60 Diageo 2,478.75 36.75 Direct Line Insurance Group 378.60 7.40 Experian 1,489.50 -17.50 easyJet 1,300.50 25.50 Fresnillo 1,516.00 -6.83 G4S 313.95 -11.75 GKN 319.40 -2.80 Glencore 331.25 -0.03 GlaxoSmithKline 1,548.75 30.25 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,349.00 7.00 Hammerson 566.25 -7.25 HSBC Holdings 743.60 -0.15 International Consolidtd Air 595.00 1.50 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,104.50 -189.50 3i Group 943.50 18.50 Imperial Brands 3,333.00 17.50 Informa 707.50 10.50 Intertek Group 4,246.00 -58.00 ITV 171.65 -2.05 Johnson Matthey 2,655.00 -142.00 Kingfisher 290.50 -8.40 Land Securities Group 1,028.00 13.00 Legal & General Group 263.75 -1.35 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 66.50 0.73
% CHG. NET VOL 1.99 17,325.81 -1.00 23,615.64 -2.15 5,880.76 -0.55 8,287.15 -4.18 9,291.70 2.01 21,694.96 1.89 54,744.77 -2.89 19,393.56 2.01 4,297.57 -0.83 35,532.42 -2.07 99,226.81 4.00 6,168.34 1.48 6,354.22 -2.58 28,766.42 -0.51 7,714.91 2.50 87,857.49 1.49 7,525.65 -2.68 31,353.22 -3.30 8,284.49 -1.24 10,914.82 -2.51 11,290.31 0.97 25,524.03 -0.08 4,924.60 0.99 22,731.69 -1.69 6,113.96 -0.01 6,034.67 1.50 60,639.07 1.99 5,143.88 -1.16 14,382.05 2.00 5,092.21 -0.45 11,333.42 -3.61 5,160.60 -0.87 5,547.27 -0.01 47,603.41 1.99 75,300.98 0.52 6,521.88 -1.26 4,628.43 -0.02 151,901.61 0.25 12,400.16 -4.41 8,255.07 2.00 9,071.61 0.53 33,037.18 1.51 5,784.52 -1.35 7,020.49 -1.18 7,141.08 -5.08 5,618.28 -2.81 6,662.29 1.28 8,128.94 -0.51 15,892.53 1.10 48,482.71
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
London Stock Exchange Grp 3,643.00 Micro Focus International 2,229.00 Mediclinic International 743.00 Merlin Entertainments 461.00 Marks & Spencer Group 318.75 Mondi 2,043.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 237.60 National Grid 902.00 Next 3,634.50 Old Mutual Group 190.50 Provident Financial 2,026.00 Paddy Power Betfair 7,432.50 Prudential 1,845.75 Persimmon 2,532.50 Pearson 677.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 7,277.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 242.25 Royal Dutch Shell 2,115.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,206.25 RELX 1,625.00 Rio Tinto 3,504.00 Royal Mail 404.65 Rolls-Royce Group 901.75 Randgold Resources 6,907.50 RSA Insurance Group 635.50 Rentokil Initial 284.65 Sainsbury (J) 238.00 Schroders 3,499.00 Sage Group (The) 680.50 Segro 513.55 Shire 4,326.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,248.00 Sky 952.50 Standard Life 418.30 Smiths Group 1,514.50 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt 399.80 Smith & Nephew 1,331.50 SSE 1,379.00 Standard Chartered 843.65 St James's Place 1,193.00 Severn Trent 2,066.00 Tesco 173.30 TUI AG 1,171.00 Taylor Wimpey 190.65 Unilever 4,300.00 United Utilities Group 828.75 Vodafone Group 220.30 Wolseley 4,417.50 Worldpay Group 375.30 WPP Group 1,532.50 Whitbread 3,838.50
CHANGE(P) -118.00 -24.00 -17.00 -3.60 -4.65 40.00 -3.00 -32.70 -230.50 -4.30 -60.00 -137.50 36.25 49.50 10.00 -73.50 -4.55 2.21 74.75 -26.00 -23.54 7.95 -27.25 -142.50 -15.50 -2.05 -8.70 52.00 3.50 -12.95 64.00 -35.00 -10.50 -14.40 -21.50 -3.80 7.50 8.51 16.55 -18.00 -86.00 0.00 -26.00 3.75 -27.00 -42.75 -0.58 -82.50 0.30 -18.50 -15.50
% CHG.
NET VOL
-3.14 -1.07 -2.24 -0.77 -1.44 2.00 -1.25 -3.50 -5.96 -2.21 -2.88 -1.82 2.00 1.99 1.50 -1.00 -1.84 0.10 3.51 -1.57 -0.67 2.00 -2.93 -2.02 -2.38 -0.72 -3.53 1.51 0.52 -2.46 1.50 -1.53 -1.09 -3.33 -1.40 -0.94 0.57 0.62 2.00 -1.49 -4.00 0.00 -2.17 2.01 -0.62 -4.91 -0.26 -1.83 0.08 -1.19 -0.40
13,263.39 5,245.95 5,614.11 4,775.32 5,282.00 9,919.86 5,706.16 32,410.29 5,774.91 9,710.91 3,097.79 6,436.26 47,424.55 7,703.27 5,400.28 52,450.07 29,917.61 94,587.65 79,067.23 17,779.26 48,156.93 3,980.00 17,144.99 6,589.90 6,688.15 5,342.96 5,454.69 7,852.02 7,398.65 5,302.11 39,506.75 5,551.44 16,640.09 8,597.01 6,153.58 5,683.65 11,760.68 13,823.80 27,621.78 6,486.08 5,168.00 14,387.05 7,079.68 6,085.89 55,214.73 6,024.48 59,401.39 11,448.58 7,548.00 19,715.15 7,160.12
0.89483
Units per €
US dollar.................................................................1.17321 Japan yen ............................................................129.937 Switzerland franc...............................................1.13537 Denmark kroner...............................................7.43627 Norway kroner .................................................9.28675 currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ULY 31
COMPAN 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CHEVRON CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DU PONT(EI) DE NMR EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACHS HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL CORP J.P.MORGAN CHASE JOHNSON & JOHNSON MC DONALD'S CORP MERCK AND CO. NEW MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER AND GAMBLE TRAVELERS CIES UNITED TECHNOLOGIE UNITEDHEALTH GROUP VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALT DISNEY CO
PRICE 199,720 84,8000 149,500 241,270 114,100 108,12 31,520 46,01 83,9800 79,60 25,5300 223,61 148,0800 144,29 35,3100 91,2800 131,8500 155,8500 64,11 73,040 58,67 33,1500 90,210 127,21 118,87 191,15 47,94 99,15 79,8100 109,9600
CHANGE% -0,16% +1,13% -0,70% +0,11% -0,24% +1,89% -0,16% -0,24% -0,72% -1,52% -1,01% +0,96% +0,24% -0,54% +0,97% -0,29% +0,78% -0,70% +0,66% -0,16% +0,89% +0,45% -0,52% +1,06% +0,15% +1,18% +0,27% -0,42% +0,04% -0,04%
CHANGE VOLUME(M) -0,330 119.186,33 0,9500 74.961,47 -1,060 779.469,08 0,270 145.625,99 -0,270 67.222,82 2,01 204.840,00 -0,050 157.601,70 -0,11 196.580,45 -0,6100 72.878,35 -1,23 337.286,33 -0,2600 221.701,58 2,13 88.019,79 0,3500 177.037,78 -0,78 134.469,67 0,3400 166.274,79 -0,2700 321.214,32 1,0200 355.181,89 -1,1000 127.028,69 0,42 175.351,40 -0,120 563.906,42 0,52 76.983,73 0,1500 197.834,04 -0,470 230.722,39 1,33 35.103,22 0,18 95.201,85 2,22 182.980,55 0,13 195.524,17 -0,42 181.436,92 0,0300 240.587,18 -0,0400 172.074,10 M - MILLION DOLLARS
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ULY 31
COMPANY
Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd
1.11752
Most Advanced ArcBest Corporation Novan, Inc. Zion Oil & Gas Inc LeMaitre Vascular, Inc. ImmunoGen, Inc. Omnicell, Inc. Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. DAVIDsTEA Inc. Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. Mitcham Industries, Inc. Align Technology, Inc.
$ 26.95 $ 5.31 $ 4.22 $ 33.94 $ 6.96 $ 48.55 $ 23.06 $ 5.65 $ 47.20 $ 4.19 $ 173.06
5.45 ▲ 25.35% 1.05 ▲ 24.65% 0.79 ▲ 23.03% 5.54 ▲ 19.51% 0.87 ▲ 14.29% 5.775 ▲ 13.50% 2.61 ▲ 12.76% 0.625 ▲ 12.44% 4.86 ▲ 11.48% 0.41 ▲ 10.85% 15.80 ▲ 10.05%
$ 17.25 $ 139.99 $ 71.85 $ 13.85 $ 4.45 $ 13.30 $ 35.80 $ 12.70 $ 3.60 $ 63.90 $ 4.50
6.40 ▼ 27.06% 49.19 ▼ 26.00% 20.40 ▼ 22.11% 3.50 ▼ 20.17% 1.10 ▼ 19.82% 2.35 ▼ 15.02% 6.10 ▼ 14.56% 2.10 ▼ 14.19% 0.55 ▼ 13.25% 9.70 ▼ 13.18% 0.675 ▼ 13.04%
Most Declined CyberOptics Corporation MicroStrategy Incorporated Meta Financial Group, Inc. Echo Global Logistics, Inc. MobileIron, Inc. Bojangles', Inc. Huron Consulting Group Inc. 8x8 Inc Acacia Research Corporation Wix.com Ltd. Kamada Ltd.
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
BoE and ECB in the spotlight Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com
PART-WAY through July the pound tumbled to an eight-month low against the euro, with GBP/EUR sliding from €1.1432 to €1.1123. While the pound has briefly pushed above €1.12 a couple of times in recent weeks, GBP has failed to sustain any momentum. EUR/GBP, on the other hand, has been moving between £0.8830 and £0.8990, while EUR/USD surged all the way to a 2 ½ year high of $1.1767 in the wake of the last Federal Reserve interest rate decision. What’s been happening? Sliding UK inflation led many to bet that the Bank of England (BoE) will keep interest rates on hold for the foreseeable future, and those expectations have left the pound pressured over the last couple of weeks. Other UK data has also failed to offer GBP any encouragement, with the UK economy
GBP/EUR: Suffering from eight-month lows. growing by just 0.3 per cent in the second quarter and retail spending slumping. Rumours of infighting in the Tory government and conflicting commentary on the subject of a transitory deal for the UK once it Brexits are another reason the pound has so far been unable to move away from its recent eight-month low against the euro. The euro, meanwhile, was bolstered by the European Central Bank’s (ECB) intention to discuss winding down quantitative easing in
the autumn. EUR gains were also the result of the US dollar tumbling in the face of falling Federal Reserve interest rate hike bets. The Fed adopted a cautious stance on the subject of domestic inflation at July’s gathering, an attitude which left the odds of a third rate adjustment taking place in 2017 in doubt. Additionally, questions about President Donald Trump’s ability to successfully introduce his planned spending and tax adjustments have fur-
ther limited USD exchange rates, helping the euro strengthen in the process. What do you need to look out for? Over the next couple of weeks developments in Brexit negotiations will remain a driver of the GBP/EUR exchange rate. Indications that negotiations are progressing well would be poundsupportive, while further signs of discord could send GBP/EUR to new lows. This week the biggest cause of pound movement is likely to be the Bank of England’s (BoE) interest rate announcement. If the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is more split than previously on the subject of when interest rates should rise it could give the pound a serious shot in the arm. However, if the number of members of the MPC voting for an immediate interest rate adjustment has fallen in light of the decline in UK inflation, GBP exchange rates are liable to slide. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 150,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.
Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com
BARCELONA TAKES TO THE STREETS
One of the beds placed in a Barcelona square. www.facebook.com/euroweeklynews
THERE has been an ongoing battle between the Barcelona Council and internet giants such as Airbnb and Home Away with fines of €630,000 raised already. There are stringent rules in Spain requiring that short term rental property including bed and breakfast has to be registered with local councils and properties need to meet certain standards with owners paying tax on the income. According to the Barcelona Council, Airbnb in particular allows unlicensed property to be offered on its site and this has caused a massive upsurge in illegal holiday rentals, taking long term property off the market. The council estimates that nearly 50 per cent of Barcelona’s holiday properties are being rented out illegally and it has fined Airbnb in particular on more than one occasion, with the threat of more fines to come if the company doesn’t remove another 1,000 properties from its site. Indeed it was only a few weeks ago that a person in Barcelona dis-
Ayuntamiento de Barcelona
Battling illegal holiday lets
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covered that the property she was renting out on a long term basis had been ‘hi-jacked’ by the tenant who had changed the locks and was offering the flat for short term high cost rental. The only way that she could regain possession of her property was to rent it through Airbnb for the night and change the locks again! This lack of affordable property and the massive rise in the number of tourists making bookings via the internet has irritated hoteliers and
genuine letting agents as well as those who are paying the correct taxes to the council and national government. So irritated is the council that it has set up a website www.fair tourism.barcelona which gives details of the proper way for tourists to rent properties and also the possibility of reporting unlicensed properties. To add to this, it has placed beds in various popular tourist spots around the city behind imitation computer screens which state ‘Just because this bed is available on the internet doesn’t mean it is legal’ in a number of languages. Tourism is recognised as being an important revenue earner for the city but it could be higher if managed properly and those renting properties actually complied with the law. In response Airbnb has confirmed that it would consider its position but has argued in the past that European laws do not require such sites to monitor for illegal activity but the onus to do this is on the council.
Jobless numbers reduce THE number of unemployed in Spain fell to 3.9 million at the end of June, compared to the previous quarter figure of 4.25 million. Most of these jobs are seasonal and thanks to an e v e r- g r o w i n g n u m b e r o f holiday visitors so many of the positions will be on temporary rather than full time contracts. The good news is that the current unemployment situation shows that 17.2 per cent of potential workers are unemployed, down from a historical peak of 26.9 per cent but this is still almost double the eurozone average. A large number of those without work are young and the government has recently announced new measures to try to persuade employers to assist those youngsters with training and employment.
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JAEN TOWN HALL: The most indebted in Spain.
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Council debts
Best and worst JAEN in Andalucia has been revealed as the most indebted council in Spain owing more than €435 million, whilst Marbella owes less than €1 million. A review of the finances of municipalities with populations in excess of 100,000 showed that there was a massive difference in the amounts of money owed by councils across the country. To put this into perspective, Jaen owes slightly less than €4,000 per resident whilst the equivalent debt for Marbella is actually less than €1 per person. As both of these examples are
based in Andalucia, it shows the widely differing situation between different municipalities and it may be coincidence, but out of the top five towns or cities with highest debt, three of them are controlled by the Partido Popular. This report was compiled using evidence from various government sources and is up to date to the end of 2016. It would appear from official statements that the national government is not overly concerned with the state of municipal debts and has approved deficit targets up to 2020.
Big Brother is doing its best to help you ALTHOUGH first proposed by the EU in 2012, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force in May 2018 has caught many by surprise. The purpose of the regulations are to set out a new set of rules in order to allow citizens of the European Union to regain control of their personal data and supposedly make things easier for business to understand its obligations. With the ever increasing importance of the digital market place, it is considered imperative that data protection reform is introduced in order to protect the rights of individuals and to ensure that out of date information is not kept on company files. Whenever an individual opens any form of bank account, enrols for social media,
books a flight or even applies for a new job, certain information has to be supplied which will often include age, address and even credit card numbers. Under EU law, personal data can only be gathered legally under strict conditions, for a legitimate purpose. Furthermore, persons or organisations which collect and manage your personal information must protect it from misuse and must respect certain rights of the data owners which are guaranteed by EU law. The problem is however that many businesses have not really come to grips with the procedures needed to be introduced to handle the new protection of data and problems are now envisaged next May.
3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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FEATURE
3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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We shouldn’t be dictated to LEAPY LEE SAYS IT
OTHERS THINK IT I TRULY am becoming utterly fed up with all the doom, gloom and negativity surrounding the Brexit negotiations. In fact, I am pretty certain that if the referendum were to be held again the remainers would romp home. Frankly I find the ‘expertise’ of many of our politicians, including Ms May, so filled with non-constructive rhetoric and indecision, I’m seriously concerned there is not some clandestine plot to scupper the negotiations altogether! Where are all the ‘leave’ champions? Why are we not hearing enthusiastic and excited discussions about the wonderful new role and limitless chances of wealth and prosperity the UK could enjoy with new world trade deals and business opportunities? Why are we not sending highly publicised British trade delegations to Australia, the USA, Canada, China,
GLOOMY OUTLOOK: Where have all the leavers gone? Saudi Arabia and the countless other outlets that are soon to become accessible? Why are we not organising trade fairs in all our major cities and inviting the world in to do business with our entrepreneurs and business people? Don’t our esteemed leaders realise how much stronger our negotiating position would be at the Brexit table
if we had a number of juicy deals pending, or already under our belts? At the moment, it’s akin to playing poker with no chips. In fact, to date it seems that the rest of the EU are calling all the shots; arrogantly laying down everything we have to comply with before they ‘allow’ us to break away with any concessions at all. Well to hell with that.
We now have the opportunity to do business on our own terms with the entire world. We need to be conducting these leave negotiations holding a royal flush, not hedging our bets with a pair of deuces. We should be dictating these concessions, not allowing ourselves to be dictated to. They really do need us more than we need them. Stop the dithering.
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Stop the bickering and start playing the UK’s hand like winners; not simpering ‘also rans’ looking for a handout for the cab fare home. I dunno; sometimes I really do despair with all of ‘em. Now for something completely different (hurrah!) Couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw a couple of reports this week that a man had nearly died from chewing a couple of cherry stones! After checking the month and confirming it was nowhere near April the first, I ventured into Google. Lo and behold, to my horror I found that it is actually true. Not only do two cherry stones contain enough cyanide to kill a human being, but so do apples! Apparently both of these sources are ‘relatively’ safe if they are not chewed, and you would actualy need the pips from at least 18 apples to cause problems, but two cherry pips would do it. Touch disconcerting don’t you think? Mind you Agatha would have loved it! Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
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Having fancy footwork and being quick on the uptake is for the birds IN a twist on the famous psychological experiment of selfcontrol - would you like one Breaking Views marshmallow now, or could Nora is the author of popular psychological susyou wait just 15 minutes for pense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her coltwo instead? - scientists found umn, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson ravens outdid chimpanzees and even four-year-olds when challenged to defer gratification and plan ahead. According to the Swedish researchers, ravens chose and held on to tools they’d need to extract chunks of tasty dog food the following day. They also learnt to gather up tokens they could trade for tidbits 15 minutes later. Their most striking accomplishment, though, was selecting a tube-winkling stick over a meal with a view to using the tool to get a bigger and more tasty snack up to two days later. One female raven was so canny she bypassed the experiRAVENS: Outdid the chimps. ment by discovering a way to
Nora Johnson
ransack a food container without the use of an implement. But corvids (the family to which they belong) aren’t alone in this. Octopuses can unscrew jars and use coconut shells as portable houses. Monkeys in Bali were recently found to be stealing tourists’ valuables and ‘bartering’ them back to them in exchange for tasty treats. And orangutans? Apparently, they can bear lasting grudges against humans. One called Santino used to plan for attacks on visitors to his enclosure. He’d stash away a heap of rocks, saunter casually around when he saw tourists approaching, and then scarper off to his munitions dump and start hurling the rocks the moment they were turning away for the next enclosure. Right! So, bird brain no longer an insult then? It may well be that certain animals have aspects of intelligence far
beyond our own, but based on our general behaviour that’s not a high bar, is it? And, yes, well this is most probably the pinnacle of these particular corvids’ intellectual potential whereas the fouryear old referred to by the scientists likely has the potential (when grown, with her brain fully wired up) to become a doctor, a scientist... or even a US president. And a final thought: can ravens outsmart their parents? Most four-years-olds have been doing that for half their lives. Nora Johnson’s psychological/suspense crime thrillers ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-john son.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.
FEATURE
THURSDAY THOUGHTS By Graham Braben, Almeria
Explain that one! IN the early 70’s, the CIA tested Uri Geller, the well-known psychic, to see if he could be co-opted into their organisation. Apparently, the tests were quite successful, but whether he became an agent has never been revealed. Strangely enough, around the same time, Granada Television ran a similar experiment, this time with John Toshack and Kevin Keegan, two Liverpool footballers, who supposedly had a telepathic relationship on the pitch. Unfortunately, neither of them would have been anywhere near becoming CIA agents as the tests were, to be kind, inconclusive. I clearly fail in the psychic ability stakes because I should have been seeing images of big purple dinosaurs. Not because of too much make you see things juice, but because my bit of research revealed that the man who played that rather odd purple dinosaur Barney in the childrens’ programme, claims he is psychic. He said, before he landed the role, he had a premonition, which came to him in a dream, that he would definitely be the next Barney. If I dreamt my next job involved dancing whilst wearing a purple dinosaur suit, I’d wake in a cold sweat, give that audition a miss and head for the hills. However, outdoing Uri, Barney and co is a Korean politician who wins the prize for lack of foresight - despite believing he has psychic powers, an IQ of nearly 500 and the power to levitate. This man confidently claimed he could drive his car using only psychic power. Guess what! He crashed his psychic driven Rolls Royce into the back of another car. Explain that to your insurers! Which just goes to show, as the General Election proved, politicians are likely to be seen as more psycho than psychic! Readers interested in submitting articles for this guest column should send articles of around 300 words on topics felt to be of interest to the cosmopolitan EWN readership to editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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FEATURE
3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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Making plans in Spain never a good idea 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.
WE had been here less than two months and had too much time. We started strategising. Our plan was to stay two years, see some of Europe and naturally a few bullfights, flamenco, then go back to that comfortable world whence we came. With each passing day I was learning, desperately finding logic to what seemed an everyday national anarchy. Locally our area’s entire mercantile season lasted one week at Easter and most of the month of August. You made your yearly livelihood then or ate tree bark.
That is, if you could find a tree. When those few glorious days passed you could sit back and sharpen your game of dominos, constantly tighten your belt and dream. Life’s prospects didn’t provide much else. Not much happened. The sun came up, the waves foamed up into brilliant glistening white bubbles when dragged across the beach and conversations hinged on waking dreams and contained the word ‘IF’ too frequently. People talked a lot. It gave them personal reference to being alive. By having something to say you also implied you were in control of your own destiny, which was never the case. Rumours in the street mentioned Malaga, Torremolinos and Benidorm, mythological and much heralded places where for-
eigners abounded supposedly spending money like drunken sailors. No one believed those tales but they fell easily upon our ears. Life was a daily dilution. Reality was spoken of only when referring to the nearest traffic light some 60 miles distant in Almeria. Although spoken of frequently, few had ever witnessed such technological wizardry. But, explaining its mechanisations and why it controlled the flow of traffic on jammed streets minds boggled, jaws gaped open and shop owners squirmed in their wicker chairs. ‘Fashion’ was as foreign a word as ‘agenda.’ I believe I lived here at least two years before I ever saw a calendar and that was hung on a wall for the value of the picture alone. Iowa had a dearth of seagulls and
Waves foamed up into glistening white bubbles. lack of an expansive blue sea. The infrequent but occasional chugging fishing boats brought a quiet delight and routine calmness to my unruly nature. The calm beset me but any-
thing new or abrupt became a nuisance. Nobody had much of anything unless it was time. It seemed that no one ever died and a few got angry just to create something to do. Their furor never lasted more than minutes as any convulsion of sadness or frivolity was swallowed up immediately by the great nothingness that permeated all of our daily lives. For fun we would sometimes get inventive and plan a situation or outing. They never once came off as envisioned. With each passing day you learned this truth of daily living. You either learned to be creative or didn’t survive. Once you knew those rules you would hint to your companion what you ‘might do the next day’ but nothing was ever said definitively so as to not upset the Gods.
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It’s just all too confusing Mike Senker
In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man IN the news this week we have been informed, once again, something we had all obediently adhered to for years may not be true. Case 1 is antibiotics. We have always been told to finish the course. Now we are told don’t finish the course. Well, maybe finish the course, we aren’t too sure. Maybe don’t if you think you are feeling better. So it’s now down to me how I feel. As I’m not a doctor I don’t know if I’m better or not do I? Or do I? Too confusing for me. I’ll just finish them to be safe. Case 2 - drinking. I don’t drink any more. I used to drink ... a lot, so I stopped and over the years of over indulging I developed type 2 diabetes. Now this week I read that if I start drinking again it might help my diabetes. But everything I’ve been told by my doctors is different. The point I’m trying to make is that so many things we are told or sold as being correct finish up being bad. Eat eggs, don’t eat eggs. Take statins, don’t take statins. What about the whole pregnancy thing? Babies have been born every minute of every day worldwide for thousands of years. Now there are pages and pages of things you can’t eat or do. How did
the world exist before? Of course, science and research tells us things like smoking are bad for everyone but for years it was cool to do. Which brings me on to driving. First we were all sold petrol cars. Then, after a few years, we were told to dump our petrol cars and get diesel cars and then surprise, surprise we were told diesel is actually killing us all so get rid of them and go back to petrol. And now we have to get rid of them both and go electric. Oh and by the way after 2040 you won’t even be able to buy a non-electric car. Just how are they going to make this work? Isn’t too clear to me because there are very few electric cars that can do over a hundred miles without needing to be recharged. Now, I’m sure over the next 20 odd years they will sort that problem. But what about the 10 extra power stations that will need to be built? How are you going to charge your car at home? I mean, in Spain, if you turn the hairdryer on whilst the dishwasher is on your whole fuse box shuts down! According to a National Grid report, peak demand for electricity could add around 30 gigawatts to the current peak of 61GW - an increase of 50 per cent. What will happen to all the giant oil companies? I’m going to look at this more later but I don’t think they will be able to do it in the time allotted. But I won’t be around so someone else can be grumpy about it then. Email mikesenker@gmail.com.
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LEGALLY SPEAKING
Summer warnings 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.
CHECK FIRST: For animals sheltering.
Email scam warning THE N-332 Guardia Civil Traffico team are warning readers of a new email scam that is starting to resurface notifying the victim of a supposed traffic fine. The emails usually say the victim has been caught speeding by the DGT and must pay a fine, as well as losing points from their driving licence. As a way of proving the case, the email informs the recipient there is a photo attached taken by a traffic camera which the person is encouraged to click and open. However this file is malware and infects the users system once clicked. So the Guardia Civil warns anyone if they receive an email notification along these lines, not to open it and delete it immediately. Remember, the DGT, or any other offi-
cial traffic authority in Spain, never issues notifications by email, unless the recipient has expressly requested them to do so, so any random email alleging to be from the DGT is likely to be fake. Sheltered from the sun The second warning this week from the N-332 team is to be aware of animals potentially sheltering from the hot summer sun under parked cars. Occasionally they may find their way into the engine compartment or wheel arches so always check your vehicle before starting the engine and before driving off. If you do find an animal and are unable to move it, call for assistance. This was the case in Elche this week when Local Police had to rescue a cat which had found its way into the engine compartment.
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
Is there cause for complaint? Recently we were ‘ambushed’ by a couple of local plumbers along with our Community President, declaring that a water leak from our bathroom was entering apartments below us. They proceeded to tear out our toilet and only then informed us, in a threatening manner, that it would cost €700 to fix. When we said that we wanted a In theory, yes. The plumbers attempted to extort from you more money than the job w as w or th and then threatened to leave the job
formal ‘factura’ with all their details on it, they suddenly dropped the price by half. Then they said that they would not continue the work until they were paid, and we said we would call the police. The next day they finished and replaced the toilet. Do we have grounds for a complaint? P W (Costa del Sol)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
undone unless you paid.
Finally, they committed a tax fraud by getting paid i n bl ack. However, you st ood up t o t hem. Good f or you. The probl em i s then how to prove this.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
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FEATURE
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Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene
PEDRO SANCHEZ is making eyes at the PNV Basque Nationalist party in hopes that its MPs in the national government in the next General Election would help the PSOE form a majority government. It’s not a far-fetched hope as the PSOE and the PNV have supported each other in the past in Madrid and the regional parliament in Vitoria. But Mariano Rajoy was able to put through his 2017 Budget thanks to the votes of PNV MPs, support that came at the price of an annual €1.3 billion that the Basque Region will receive until 2021. But Pedro Sanchez,
IN DENIAL: Mariano Rajoy.
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Can’t give you anything but love, baby who still doesn’t have a seat in the national parliament, can only offer promises and good intentions at present. And both come a poor second to hard cash, especially in politics.
Get out of jail free MARIANO RAJOY denied during his court appearance - as a witness it must be stressed all knowledge of illegal Partido Popular funding and the Gurtel graft scandal. While those on both sides of the Gurtel fence were allegedly raking in money for themselves and the party through kickbacks and commissions, he was occupied only with political issues and knew nothing of party finances. Rajoy stated that on taking over as party leader in 2004, he distanced the PP from Correa “for misusing the party’s name.” Yet he didn’t stop the PP in the Valencian Community from using Correa’s services long afterwards. So explain that one, Mariano.
Turkeys vote for Christmas THE Catalan parliament, at the behest of regional president Carles Puigdemont, approved a law that will allow him to implement - without debate - both the October 1 referendum and secession
should Cataluña vote to leave Spain. There is a word to describe legislation of this kind - and it certainly isn’t ‘democracy.’
No clothes on dry land THE PSOE and Podemos are in a cleft stick over Cataluña. Both parties and their leaders can shelter behind the Spanish Constitution which makes no provision for the kind of referendum that Carles Puigdemont and his hench people are preparing. Podemos in its Catalan version was the most-voted party in the December 2015 and June 2016 General Elections and its supporters are at heart pro-independence. The PSOE in the past counted on Cataluña
for many of its seats in the national parliament in Madrid, but no longer. Too many PSOE voters are pro-referendum if not pro-secession. So you get Pedro Sanchez trying to win back PSOE votes with plurinacionalismo which is too little for Cataluña and too much for everyone else. Pablo Iglesias as usual minces his words while sounding hard-hitting by defining the independence referendum as “legitimate mobilisation” while adding that it can’t be binding. Both men are resorting to the Spanish practice of trying to swim while keeping their clothes safe at the same time. Put another way, they want to please everyone which as usual results in no-one being happy and no clothes on dry land.
The Catalan One-step POLITICIANS in Cataluña are increasingly ‘stepping aside’ as the regional president Carles Puigdemont purges his Cabinet of possible waverers from the straightjacket of secession. One of the latest was the Education department’s second-in-charge and the same department’s Education Policy director. Seems there could soon be a dance called the Catalan One-step although in best Palais de Danse tradition (millennials: your elders will explain) perhaps it should be called the Elimination Waltz.
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OPINION & COMMENT
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.
No muzzle? It’s the pits SIR, Apparently there are no laws in Spain against vicious dog attacks. My husband and I with two visiting friends went to Cantera de los Arenales, Mijas with our two small dogs for a leisurely walk. Suddenly around a corner appeared a pair of vicious American pit bulls without leads or muzzles. As soon as they saw our dogs they went into attack with the Spanish owner shouting ‘pick up your dogs’ but it was too late. One of the dogs grabbed one of ours and was shaking it trying to kill it, I raced forward to try and save him but fell badly on the rocky surface just in front of the dog. This was enough thankfully to startle the pit bull and it released its bite on my dog. This was a terrifying incident caused by a totally irresponsible owner who had no control over his dogs and who lets killer dogs run freely and without muzzles where many people walk with their children and dogs. I managed to take photos of
HAVE YOUR SAY
the’American Pitt Bulls, the owner’s car and the number plate. We went to the Guardia Civil to denounce the incident only to be told nothing could be done about the dogs or the irresponsible owner, we could only take out a civil case in court before a judge asking for compensation and would involve us in costs as we would need a lawyer. Elizabeth Simner, Mijas
Be fair to all DEAR Sir, Spain - a nation so dependent on hard earned coffers from tourism - will do well to equally understand the importance of fairness. Recently a report in the EWN revealed increased toll road fees for motorists, with many from abroad presumably totally unaware that they have higher charges than other motorists using the same roads out of the main summer season. This to my thinking is totally unfair and unjustified. And it does not stop there, for in La Cala de Mijas, and I suspect many other places, from July 1 the price of sunbeds has been increased 10 per cent. OK, a parasol and two beds even
Talking shop SUNBEDS: Why increase the price in summer? since the increase still costs only €10, a snip compared to the €100 plus charged at some more fashionable Marbella beach clubs. But even so, why increase the price
All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.
in summer... and this is not just one beach bar, but all local ones, and price cartels to me stink! I Moss, Alhaurin El Grande
Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com
Open letter to UK expats from British Ambassador THANKS for that, Sir. Now we know what you want. Let us know how it pans out. That is, for us, the only thing that matters PM We ‘No one,’ can’t know what is going to happen, the UK’s exit has to be negotiated, decisions will be taken on both the UK and EU sides. The final situation will depend on many things and how each side decides to go forward on discussion! I despair at the number of people who seem unable to grasp nor understand this! Mike in ESP The word ‘hope’ is used three times. I would rather have read ‘we will ensure.’ As I said in here a long time ago, we could have at the outset have said we will ensure EU citizens in the UK maintain their rights after Brexit but this will be enacted at the same time as the EU enacts a reciprocal agreement for UK citizens in the EU. The above may placate some but will not give confidence to many others. John Price
Rowdy hen party kicked off Ryanair flight to Alicante GOOD grief, no! We don’t want those silly cows over here. Send ‘em back to Liverpool! But hopefully they
Comments from EWN online won’t be allowed on any airline for a while as a punishment. What with them and the tourists beating up the film crew in Mallorca and all these fake sickness claims, Brits are getting an even worse name over here than ever. BTW, why do airlines and airside bars even serve alcohol? They should stop doing that. Olivia
Why not offer ‘family only flights’ and a ‘singles only’ on another, similar as in the supermarkets for the few items queue and another for those with a full trolley! Felipe
Spain says ‘hola’ to Android Pay THIS is not smart technology - it’s bloody dangerous technology. Someone can still nick your phone. Besides all of that all this smart tech is designed to enslave us into a cashless society where we all wear rfid chips. food for thought. Rolf Petersen
Travellers taking advanBull runs ‘without blood, tage of baggage rules, says Ryanair without suffering’ in IT’S Neil Sorahan who is taking the piss, does €443 milBalearics lion profit in the last three months.not sound enough. I bet O’Leary will start charging kids who bring on Kiddie cases. Why don’t you get a life Neil. Steve Kane True about the selfish who take advantage of their children taking (or as-if) more oversized baggage that makes boarding and disembarking very tedious… passengers should get used to the idea they don’t need half the things they lug with them anyway!
UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Torturing animals... a culture in our modern western world?? Well then let’s go back to the older cultures of ‘damnatio ad bestiae’ where imposters and thieves were thrown in the arenas with wild animals... have Xavier Pericay run the first trial, and the bulls as an audience… Felipe
SHOPS being closed on Sundays is normal, and just because Brits expect everything yesterday it does not mean other countries should follow. Shops here open at around 9am-2pm and again from 5-8pm; these times are five days a week with supermarkets being open longer and if you can’t get your shopping in these times then you need to organise your life better. To say this is good for the tourist is rubbish, as if tourists have nothing better to do on Sundays but go shopping then why are they on holiday? I am tired of people wanting things to change, we all left the UK for different reasons but part of that was a better quality of life and having all shops closed on Sunday is part of that quality life which you can never get in the UK. Ron Chivers, Busot, Alicante
Dear Leapy IN the last paragraph of your recent article is sounds as if you don’t understand how the British political system works and you therefore risk misleading your readers. Britain does not have a presidential system and individuals don’t ‘run for office,’ they stand for parliament as part of parties. Nigel Farage doesn’t seem to have a party at the moment let alone one capable of winning a majority in the House of Commons that would enable him to become prime minister. He has never had to take responsibilty for any real world consequences of his proposals, but as prime minister he would be forced into the messy business of actually delivering policy, when he has shown none of the skills necessary for political leadership. It doesn’t surprise me that you misunderstand Jeremy Corbyn if you are not clear how the system works. Nick Inman No address supplied
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Across 1 The surest learner affected the answers (7) 5 Space research takes in first asteroid (5) 8 Dull way to help (5) 9 Influence in part of church (7) 10 One petrel at sea is a lizard (7) 11 Not moving yet (5) 12 Harbour with own pole (5) 14 Ostentatious, but only for a very short time (5) 19 Calls the conditions (5) 21 Made up recital item in the press (7) 23 Devise trick before cold short month? (7) 24 Nintendo character's Mum goes to South American city (5) 25 Paper put to bed (5) 26 Cross or medal for a British nobleman’s realm (7)
packing crates (5) 6 Sir Ian’s ingredients are dried fruits (7) 7 Tense in marine mammals' lifts (6) 13 Organise a run to the mountains (7) 15 The French kept a watch on an English cleric (7)
Code Breaker
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE
16 What Pooh might throw in underworld river, say (6) 17 Keep chess piece (6) 18 Improvement concerning appearance (6) 20 Hiding in bushes to attack an animal (5) 22 Crude material made better (5)
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 18 represents M and 26 represents J, so fill in M every time the figure 18 appears and J every time the figure 26 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.
CROSSWORD PAGE
Cryptic
Down 1 Getaway destination in the Azores or Tenerife (6) 2 Not blunt instrument - it has point on front (5) 3 Opposer of technology diluted cocktail (7) 4 Tennis player Pam loses right to feel cold (6) 5 Inca sesame seeds hidden in
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Across 1 Precious metal (6) 4 Food seasonings (6) 9 Comprehend completely (7) 10 Small fragment (5) 11 Felines (4) 12 Entire (8) 14 Threaded metal fastener (5) 16 Nautical units of speed (5) 20 Made, joined or united into one (8) 21 Blemish (4) 24 Drama set to music (5) 25 Pharmacist (7) 26 Coming or existing after (6) 27 If not, except when (6)
English - Spanish
Down 1 Exact (6) 2 Smallest (5) 3 Wicked or bad (4) 5 Hold back to a later time (8) 6 Make right (7) 7 Evening meal (6) 8 In or to a place that is lower (5) 13 Fragile (8) 15 Remark (7) 17 Educational institution (6) 18 From this time onwards (5) 19 Position (6) 22 Feeling of self-respect and personal worth (5) 23 Eager (4) The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
Across Down 1 Paraguas (pl) (9) 2 Margarina (9) 8 Stepbrother (11) 3 Royal (4) 9 Rezar (4) 4 To praise (4) 10 Hormigas (4) 5 Authentic (9) 13 Crew (aeroplane, boat) (11) 6 Dummy (for baby) (7) 14 Soft drinks (9) 7 Primos (7)
11 To run away (4) 12 Country (nation) (4)
OUT
LOTTERY UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
1
26
41
55
56
59
IRISH LOTTO Saturday July 29
‘ UNFORTUNATELY HIS BATMOBILE IS A DIESEL - ANY CHANCE YOU COULD TART UP AN ALL ELECTRIC NON POLLUTING MINI CAR BEFORE 2040? ’
7
18
29
32
34
41
BONUS BALL
20
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.
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 R) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
TARGET: • Average: 6 • Good: 9
Tuesday July 25
BONUS BALL
• Very good: 13 • Excellent: 16
14
43
2 11
48
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AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Feel sympathy for those who lack the gift of insight. Their lack of understanding upsets you, but their horizons are narrow. This is a time of giving to yourself. Look forward to some time away or indulging in something that really relaxes you. Should you be searching for someone special, they may be closer than you know.
PISCES (February 20 - March 20)
EURO MILLIONS
12
YOUR STARS
BONUS BALL
36
Kakuro
This is not a time to drift into things because the planets are urging you to take control and forge ahead. Let others know exactly what you want and expect from them. If you do not, others will make decisions for you that could prove less desirable.
Friday July 28
BONUS BALL
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
5
dent derv diet dine ding dint dire dirt dive dreg edit gird grid nerd rend retd ride rind tend tide tied vend vide vied deign digit diner dirge diver drive grind indie indri ivied ridge rigid rived tined tired trend tried divert divine diving driven engird girned indite reding riding ringed tidier tiding tinder tinged dieting dingier diviner driving editing ignited invited nitride deriving DIVERTING
9
29
4
41
31
2
LA PRIMITIVA Saturday July 29
BONUS BALL
Sudoku
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.
20
23
35
43
44
47
16 5
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA Sunday July 30
12
14 34
32 48
BONUS BALL
4
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
CRYPTIC
QUICK
Across:
Across:
Across:
1 Castro, 4 Hallow, 9 Relents, 10 Acres, 11 Aces, 12 Fireside, 14 Dated, 16 Binge, 20 Airstrip, 21 Bare, 24 Meats, 25 Slovene, 26 Rotund, 27 Pewter.
1 Insist, 4 Damage, 9 Salon, 10 Warning, 11 Pioneer, 12 Enter, 13 Digest, 15 Ferric, 19 Clasp, 21 Abandon, 23 Opulent, 24 Tense, 25 Solved, 26 Adders.
1 Bruise, 4 Pear, 8 Sudor, 9 Again, 10 Ordenador, 14 Heels, 15 Peaje, 16 Para, 17 Farola.
Down:
Down:
1 Cereal, 2 Salve, 3 Rend, 5 Academic, 6 Larking, 7 Washer, 8 Aspic, 13 Jettison, 15 Abreast, 17 Hammer, 18 Tipsy, 19 Veneer, 22 Avert, 23 Bone.
1 Insipid, 2 Salvo, 3 Singers, 5 Agree, 6 Aviator, 7 Eager, 8 Award, 14 Gradual, 16 Exalted, 17 Confess, 18 Hasty, 19 Cross, 20 Piece, 22 Dense.
CODE BREAKER
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FOR NEXT 7 DAYS
Saturday July 29
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ENGLISH-SPANISH
Down:
1 Beso, 2 Underwear, 3 Ser, 5 Enamorado, 6 Rent, 7 Cama, 11 Easy, 12 Shop, 13 Vela, 15 Pea.
KAKURO
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Someone who appears to be putting themselves in the way of your progress could simply be trying to help. They may have a valid point to make but just not be good at expressing themselves. Be aware of this because there could be a link to your health and love life.
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) With your mind sharp and energy high, you want to make fast progress and, indeed, you can. You are only too aware of the time that has been wasted waiting for others. Now, most of that may be dealt with. See how others react when you do not. Leaving others to their own devices works better than nagging. Your lack of interest could worry them.
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) When you meet opposition try to use persuasion and logic to win the day. Failing that, you may decide that ‘enough is enough’ and forge ahead, anyway. In this positive mood you find yourself attractive to the opposite sex. That does not mean you have a right to be pushy. Just use your charm. Combining business with pleasure could lead to trouble, so try to keep these two areas separate.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) There is a strong feeling of 'self' this week, and you realise that you have many things to be thankful for. These thoughts come after a period of uncertainty that saw a lack of progress. With this feeling of renewed inner strength, it is now possible to tackle a pet project.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) You know in your heart that you should take control of your future. This is a time to talk with others and consider their thoughts. At the end of the day, however, you are the one who has the final say. Socially, it is sometimes confusing to have more attention than you are used to.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) At times this week you will feel that a certain relationship is not developing along the right lines. Although it seems that your efforts are often in vain, this is a situation that requires thought and patience on your part. It is perhaps a good time to look to your business matters for a change of scene and to set your mind on a more constructive course.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) You should not feel responsible for the failings of others. Although you may think you could have done more in a certain situation, it is unlikely that any significant difference would have resulted. This is a busy time but also one in which a small persistent voice will be heard: the voice of logic and practicality. Listen to it.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) A long-term relationship has its wobbly moments this week, but all is not lost. Listen to your heart as it speaks louder than any other voice. You know what you need but that may conflict with what you feel you should want. In an ideal world, these two areas would be in harmony. Give a little happiness to others and your own heart will be lighter.
SAGITARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Making firm decisions in your love life may prove difficult. Do not be rushed. This is far from a straightforward week and you need to remember how to relax. You are able to deal with what comes your way but it is upsetting to find that someone has been less than honest.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Your sense of balance in the universe could be upset, but do not let this sour either your thoughts or your character. You are in the eye of the storm so take this time to think. A bit of care and attention is what you need and you know where to find it.
HEALTH BEAUTY
&
At risk of extinction? ARE humans at risk of extinction? A worrying drop in sperm counts is causing alarm as a study warns an urgent ‘wake up call’ is needed to investigate the drop. A study published by the Human Reproduction Update said sperm counts were rapidly falling and had dropped almost 60 per cent since 1970 in Western countries. Sperm counts are the best measure of male fertility as the lead author of the study called for further investigations to look at lifestyle factors, chemicals and the environment which are believed to be causing the drop, as it could have public health implications showing more and more men are infertile. The study analysed data collected from between 1973 and 2 0 11 f r o m m e n i n E u r o p e , A u s tralia, New Zealand and North America.
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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
Going to sunbathe this summer? Do it safely AS much as we know we shouldn’t, many of us still want that perfect summer glow. But if you are not faking it from a bottle, is there ever really a safe way to sunbathe and get a tan? Dermatologists say yes, there are ways to still enjoy the summer sun. The Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venerology (AEDV), explains that there are four or five types of skin, from skin phototype one which always burns and never tans, to skin type four or five, for black skin, which has more melanin in the skin. It is this melanin that reacts to the sun and causes the skin to darken or tan as it protects your skin from being damaged even more by the sun. Even for skin which is naturally dark or never burns and always tans, this tan is still a sign that there is some sort of skin damage from the sun. Therefore, dermatologists always advise you wear a sun cream with an SPF of 50, the highest protection factor
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according to European regulations. This does not block the sun totally, so the skin will still gradually tan over time, but it is best to have the highest protection and not to reduce the level of the filter, since the objective of the cream is to avoid sunburn. Cream should be applied as per the product’s instructions and re-applied every few hours and after swimming. Always gradually expose the skin to the sun. Many visitors to Spain make the mistake of thinking they are only on a two-week holiday so want that instant burn and will spend hours in the sun the first day of their holiday, making the skin react even more harshly. Exfoliation of the skin is also recommended as removing dead skin cells and making it more hydrated will naturally make it healthier. The AEDV reminds that some exposure time is necessary for the production of vitamin D, but just 15 minutes a day is adequate. For those wanting to
enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle in the summer, it is still recommended not to be out in the heat of the midday sun. You will still get a healthy colour early morning and later on in the day without the risk of dangerous sunburn.
HEALTHY GLOW: Tan slowly.
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Walk rather than rest to ease those driving pains ACHES and pains caused by compressed body parts when driving can be eased from a simple 10-minute walk. Scientists say these rest breaks are not just important to prevent tiredness, but also to help the body which can tire in the discomfort of car journeys. So whilst at motorway rest areas you may want to sit and relax with a tea or coffee, actually going for a walk will be better for you. The effectiveness of different types of comfort breaks was part of a study carried out by researchers from Nottingham Trent University, Imperial College and Loughbor-
Ask The Doctor
Brought to you by
Mosquito bites
REST BREAKS: Help prevent tiredness and go for a walk when you stop driving. ough University using a driving simulator and a treadmill. It was found that a 10-
minute stroll after a one-hour drive prevented that discomfort feeling for a further hour,
compared to a 10-minute stop when drivers remained seated.
Amazon to offer pharmacy services? SPECULATION is rife that Amazon is set to move into the pharmacy market in the
HEALTH & BEAUTY
USA. CNBC reported that Amazon was allegedly hiring a
team of staff to head up the move into the multi-billion dollar market that could see Amazon selling prescription medicines direct to consumers. It is unclear whether they will invest in an actual physical pharmacy, teaming up with a medical partner, or purely offer an online pharmacy, but it would face challenges as the sector is heavily regulated. It tried to enter the market in the late 1990s part-
nering with Drugstore.com but the deal fell through. Amazon has also been testing its voice-enabled personal assistant Alexa in numerous medical settings, including within a surgery with it potentially being able to be used to assist patients discharged from hospital or the elderly or vulnerable at home, answering questions about their condition, symptoms or even upcoming appointments.
SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. Are mosquito bites dangerous? Most insect bites and stings are not serious and will get better within a few hours or days. But occasionally they can become infected, cause a severe allergic reaction or spread serious illnesses such as Lyme disease and malaria. What are the symptoms of mosquito bites? Mosquito bites usually cause a red, swollen lump to develop on the skin. This may be painful and in some cases can be very itchy. The symptoms will normally improve within a few hours or days, although sometimes they can last a little longer. Some people have a mild allergic reaction and a larger area of skin around the bite or sting becomes swollen, red and painful. This should pass within a week. In extreme cases a severe allergic reaction can occur, causing symptoms such as dizziness, difficulties breathing, and a swollen face or mouth. This requires immediate medical treatment. What can you do to treat the bite?
Washing the affected area with soap and water and applying a cold compress, such as a flannel or cloth cooled with cold water, or an ice pack to any swelling for at least 10 minutes helps reduce the swelling and itchiness. Do not scratch the area, as it increases the risk of infection and also avoid traditional home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda as they are unlikely to work. The pain, swelling and itchiness can sometimes last a few days. If the bite is particularly irritating, ask your pharmacist about over-the-counter treatments that can help, such as painkillers, creams for itching and antihistamines. How can you stop getting bitten? There are some simple precautions you can take to reduce the risk of being bitten such as avoiding using products with strong perfumes, as they can attract insects, applying insect repellents that contain 50% DEET, wearing shoes when outdoors and being observant when around flowering plants, stagnant water and in outdoor areas where food is served.
If you have any questions for Dr Perez Belmonte, please send them to: jefemedico@helicopterossanitarios.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Hypochondriacs could live longer IT is often said that those who worry and stress will put themselves into an early grave, but scientists now claim that those who worry about their health could actually have a lower risk of dying. It is thought that hypochondriacs could be classed as ‘healthy neuroticists’ and whilst worrying, they actually take better care of their health seeking medical advice more often. The personality trait is normally linked to negative health effects, but researchers from the UK said that their findings suggested that this type of neuroticism can sometimes have a protective effect, as those people were perhaps more vigilant about their health. The findings were concluded after a study using UK Biobank data collected from more than 500,000 people aged from 37 to 73 in the UK. Participants had to complete a personality questionnaire and answered whether they thought their health was excellent, good, fair, or poor. It showed mortality was higher among those with higher levels of neuroticism but when the figures were adjusted for participants’ self-rated health, they found higher neuroticism was linked with a lower risk of death in people who rated their health as fair or poor. Hypochondriacs take better care.
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How to protect your throat this A SORE throat can be annoying and frustrating but are particularly common in the summer. During the warmer months, many of us neglect the throat which is affected by changes in routine and habits, but the Speech Unit of the Hospital Quironsalud San José said there are things you can do to help protect it: Avoid cold things. Ice cold drinks for example can irritate the area of the throat responsible for the resonance a nd the tra ns mis s i on of sound. All these systems in the throa t a nd a t the ba ck of t he mouth work to produce sounds and speech including the respiratory muscles and respiratory system with its mucous membranes, but these delicate are a s c a n e a s ily suffer. In and out of air conditioned areas can a ls o ta ke a toll of the throat, so it is always advis e d to c a rry a light
scarf, to protect the neck area in air conditioned rooms. Units should not run below 24 degrees. Being in front of aircons a long time, or sleeping with one on, can produce dry mucous, a sore throat and loss of voice. Swimming in pools can also lead to a bui l d up of bact er i a i n t he mouth so it is recommended to gargle with warm water and salt, at least before bed, to remove any unwanted sediment.
Gargle with warm water and salt.
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Weekend sporting triple BIRDY: Players will be swinging for success at Mojacar tournament.
SPORTS lovers are in for a treat in Mojacar this weekend with three friendly competitions. Golf, padel, and petanque tournaments will be held on both Saturday and Sunday. Bright and early on Saturday the second Vila de Mojacar golf tournament gets underway at Campo de golf Marina de la Torre. Reservations to info@marinagolf.com or by calling 950 133 325. Entrance fees are either €30 or €40 and space is limited. A week later the club holds its sixth Mediterranean Sun tournament. On Saturday and Sunday evenings from 7pm the sixth Mojacar Padel Tournament will be held. There are male and female competitions and the draw is made tomorrow afternoon, so registration must be asap. The competition takes place at the municipal padel ground and entrance costs €10 per person. On Sunday at 5.30pm petanque players will compete in the annual championships. The contest takes place at the Pistas Petanque court.
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SCENE
OCIAL
Night of candles Photo credit Facebook/Mojacar Informa
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MAGIC: Night of Candles has become an iconic Mojacar festival. AFTER the huge success of June’s summer solstice kiss, Mojacar is expecting an impressive turn out for one of the most magical nights of the year. On Tuesday the village celebrates the famous Night of Candles, which will see the
streets illuminated with small candles held by thousands of residents and visitors. The night is timed to coincide with the meteor shower locally known as San Lorenzo’s Tears. The stars are out in full force, the skies usually clear,
and Mojacar’s residents turn off all the electric lights to allow people to gaze at the stars freely without the usual haze. Not only candles, but lanterns, torches and paraffin lamps are used to light the streets as throngs of people walk down to the promenade. With thousands of people flooding in from across Almeria, Spain and the UK, local merchants are out on the streets in force, providing a terrific community ambiance. The electric lights are typically shut off from around 11pm until 3am so the affair doesn’t interfere with residents’ daily lives. Many people dress in white to lend an extra glow to the evening, while kiosks and stalls sell candles and lanterns to those worried they might miss out. Live music, parades, and fire jugglers add to the magic, which is jointly organised by the council and the Pueblo Association. Together with the new Romantic Night, the Night of Candles is one of Mojacar’s most defining events.
SOCIAL SCENE
3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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ON THE BILL: Riot Propaganda.
Rock ‘n’ Roll all night ONE of the biggest rock festivals in southern Spain is underway in Adra. Tickets for the Juergas Rock Festival, now in its fifth year, are still up for grabs. Having kicked off yesterday, the festival wraps up on Saturday night, leaving three more days of rock ‘n’ roll action for diehard music lovers and festival goers. This year the festival has a different spin. Unlike previous editions attendees will be able to listen to the bands from San Nicholas beach thanks to powerful new
acoustics. There will also be music workshops and other initiatives to get people involved behind the scenes. Tickets for tomorrow and Saturday can be purchased online at the Juergas Rock Festival website. They cost €35 for a full day pass. Camping is also available for anyone wishing to star overnight and enjoy the afterparties. Headline acts include Las Drogas, Riot Propaganda, Skindred and Mafalda. A full breakdown of performance
schedules can be found online. Meanwhile dance music lovers have just one more week to wait until the Dreambeach Villaricos festival be-
gins in Cuevas del Almanzora. One of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals, the five-day spectacle attracts top DJs including Tiesto and David Guetta.
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SOCIAL SCENE
They only work once GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH
I make no excuse
GARRY WAITE
O
YSTERS, those mythical oft maligned, love or hate, concha. With their reputation for foodpoisoning outbreaks, sometimes fatal, and their promise of increasing sexual prowess - do oysters really deserve their bad press? I love oysters, technically you don’t chew them you break them on the back of your tongue and suck allowing the freshness of the sea to tickle your tonsils. Some lemon juice, a touch of Tobasco and a little black pepper with half-a-dozen oysters, and a glass of Champagne, is undoubtedly one of the best ways to start a leisurely lunch or an evening’s dining and entertainment. As I reported in last week’s column on food poisoning, Oysters can be a cause well the bug that can be found in shellfish can be, as Heston Blumenthal’s 500 customers found out to their dismay having eaten at his famous Fat Duck restaurant. It’s worth bearing in mind says Tom Pickerell, director of the Shellfish Association, that last year, more people got ill from eating unpasteurised cheese than oysters. “It is just one of these things that the public have concerns about,” he says. “Our regulations are some of the strictest in the world.” Britain produces almost 14,000 tonnes of oysters - Pacific and native o per year. In the past 12 months, there were only four incidents of food poisoning outbreaks related to shellfish, one of which was at the Fat Duck. A fraction of the illness caused by, say, barbecues. Legislation insists that all oysters are screened for E coli and salmonella, and producers also regularly check for norovirus. Oysters are also then purified, where they are held in tanks of seawater that is continuously pumped through an ultraviolet chamber; a process that works very well at destroying bacteria, which are flushed from the mollusc’s gut into the chamber to be killed. The chances, after all of this, of the oyster harbouring noxious contaminants
ELECTRIC RAY, the TV production company behind Class of ’92 and Carjackers, is looking for talented, would-be restaurateurs to pitch their ideas, meals and b r a n d s t o s o m e o f t h e U K ’s biggest food and beverage in-
FOR reprinting the following reply from a restaurateur in York who replied to a customer who complained about paying £2 for a hot water and lemon as a “rip off.”
Love ‘em or hate ‘em only one works! are, according to some experts, very slim indeed. The NHS states on its website that, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), there are about 850,000 cases of food poisoning each year in the UK and about 500 deaths from it. However, over the past 12 to 18 months, the only two single-case food poisoning deaths reported in the national press were the death of a forager last autumn from mushroom-poisoning and the alleged oyster incident in London’s Quaglino’s restaurant in May where a diner who passed away shortly after visiting the restaurant had eaten oysters for the first time there. As it happens, both Quaglino’s and its oysters were cleared of any involvement in the woman’s death, a fact not widely reported, which goes to strengthen the argument, that ‘people will always look to blame an oyster.’ I know a Chef, specialising in seafood and is a passionate consumer of oysters. After consuming his usual dozen, he felt very ill and went into anaphylactic shock. He was rushed to hospital where the specialist informed him he had developed an allergy to his favourite seafood and perhaps shellfish in general. This was akin to being told that a passion and desire he had nurtured for years was being taken away from him. Keen to ensure this diagnosis was 100 per cent correct, a short time after, he
I’m out vestors for a new business series for the BBC on the same lines as Dragon’s Den!
On that note! I will bid you farewell until next week and should aspiring restaurateurs need some help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact me. A toast to Good Food, Good Wine and Good Friends.
picked up half a dozen and with his wife, drove to the local hospital where he sat in the car park and shot back all six. Banking on the theory that if he was going to go into shock again, he wouldn’t have far to go to get help. He sat and waited, but after an hour or so symptom-free, the couple drove home, and he has continued to enjoy oysters almost daily. On a trip to Mont St Michel with a group of like minded foodies one of our crowd developed nausea as we got on the ferry. This turned into full blown food poisoning. Based on the fact that we had all consumed much the same thing, the blame had to fall on an oyster. We plied him with water for a while and after some time, just before reaching Blighty, he came out of it. He went back on the gin and by the time we got into port where a doctor was waiting, he was as right as rain. The doctor reckoned the amount of gin he drank could have helped him recover. The Romans popularised oysters in Britain, with large numbers of shells having been found at Roman sites. Through to Victorian times, oysters occurred naturally in such large numbers that they were seen as a food for the poor. In Charles Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers, Sam Weller remarks: “Oysters and poverty always seem to go together.” How times have changed! I like them andthink they are ‘seductive’ and am sure they can be an aphrodisiac. But in my experience if you eat a dozen oysters - only one of them works!
If successful, the restaurateurs would get the opportunity to trialrun their concept in a pop-up restaurant and have the chance to impress ‘some of the best names in the business.’ Applicants could receive ‘life-changing’ investment.
*Garry Waite is a foodie and restaurateur and Hospitality Management Consultant. If contemplating setting up an operation, or having problems with an existing project contact him on garryphwaite@gmail.com.
Bennets Bistro York, Manager, responded to that report: I’m sorry that you feel you were “ripped off” and I will try and explain to you why you weren’t. You entered the café and the waiter showed you to your seat and gave you a menu, waited for a time and then took your order. He entered it into the till, collected a cup, saucer and spoon and then took them into the kitchen. There he selected a knife, chopping board, got a lemon from the fridge, cut off a slice and put it in the cup. Then he returned to the dining room, drew off the necessary hot water and carried the cup to your table. When you were leaving, he printed off your bill, took it to you, processed your credit card payment and cashed off the till. After you left, he cleared away your cup, saucer and spoon, took them to the kitchen, washed and dried them, along with the chopping board and knife and put away the lemon. Then returning to the dining room, he restacked the cup, saucer and spoon, wiped down your table and replaced the menu awaiting the next customer. That’s at least two to three minutes work for the waiter. The costs of overheads for the business ie rent, business rates, electricity costs, bank charges etc works out at £27.50 per hour of trading. I pay my colleagues a decent living wage and after taking into account holiday pay, national insurance and non-productive time prior to opening and after closing the waiter who served you costs me £12.50 an hour. Therefore together the cost is £40 per hour, or 67p per minute, meaning that the cost of providing you with two to three minutes of service was £1.34 - £2.00. Then the government add on VAT at 20 per cent which takes the cost of that cup of fruit infusion to between £1.60 and £2.40 irrespective of whether you had a tea bag costing one and a half pence or slice of lemon costing five pence. I have to pay my suppliers otherwise the facilities won’t be available to other people who use them in the future. I accept that it makes the price of a cuppa in a city centre café look expensive compared to the one you make at home but unfortunately that’s the cruel reality of life. It’s actually the facilities that cost the money, far more so than the ingredients. Perhaps the rudeness you perceived in me was triggered by the disrespect that I perceived in you by your presumption that you could use our facilites and be waited on for free. I can hear Basil Fawlty saying this can’t you? It might be over the top, but he has a point. In fact go to his TripAdvisor site he has similar equally outrageous comments.
£30m
a year. The UK’s oyster industry worth, an increase of £5m from two years ago.
13,000
tonnes of Pacific oysters and 600 tonnes of native oysters annually the amount produced in the UK, second only to China.
124 designated shellfish waters to production. 130,000 France produces tonnes annually. 50
oysters the amount per year eaten by the average Frenchman.
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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
School bully warned A BULLY at an Olula del Rio school has been given six months probation by Almeria’s juvenile court. The adolescent, aged under 16, was found guilty of beating and harassing a classmate, even threatening him in front of his mother. The boy is believed to have been the ringleader of a group of youngsters who targeted the same victim repeatedly. For an entire school year the victim was schooled at home by a teacher as he was too scared to attend classes. The court ordered the defendant to attend antibullying workshops, and submit to special monitoring at school. If he fails to comply he will be sent to a young offender’s institution.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
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A HUGE donation was provided to the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Albox. Members of the Anglican congregation in La Alijambra displayed their big hearts in helping raise €1,350 for the charity. The donation was given to AECC Albox chapter president Maria Saez by the church members with the town’s International Relations councillor, Maura Hillen, in attendance. Ms Saez graciously welcomed the donation and said such fundraising initiatives were crucial to helping the AECC continue its local work, helping cancer sufferers and their families. Councillor Hillen said it was tremendous that a community of mostly foreignborn residents put their hearts and minds together for the good of Albox. The AECC is a national charity with dozens of offices across Spain. It is com-
Facebook/AECC Albox
Big hearts run free
HOMETOWN HEROES: AECC volunteers are fighting the good fight. posed of patients, families, medical professionals and volunteers constantly striving to improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
In Albox the group have launched multiple fundraising campaigns, both online and on the street, and is well-integrated with the local community.
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Legal wizard A LAWYER from Albox was named among the top 10 of a group of 1,500 legal experts summoned to a special gala in Madrid. Francisco Alonso Serrano stood out among the crowd of scholars at the Pastrana Palace in Madrid. The Albox-native is a joint founder of Alonso and Garrido Abogados which specialises in civil, penal and administrative law.
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Money trouble ACOUNTANTS at Albanchez town have been landed with a €37,000 bill from the Andalucian business ministry. The regional body is demanding a return of the money invested between 2011 and 2013 in the Guadalinfo Centre. The bill alleges that the project has not been properly
The bill allleges the project has not been properly fulfilled. fulfilled, with less than 75 per cent of targets met. The money, originally €31,442 with more than €5,500 interest, is to be paid back urgently or a collection notice will take effect next month. Mayor Isabel Padilla has admitted that the bill poses a serious problem for the town hall’s finances. The bill “represents almost 10 per cent of our entire budget” and there was no prior knowledge of the debt, she said.
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Megacomplex plan collapses PERHAPS the most ambitious real estate deal in Spanish history has been put on the backburner after Madrid rejected new plans to build a mega-hotel and leisure complex. Powerful American outfit the Cordish Group said it was “completely shocked” by the decision, which came after months of torturous negotiations over a proposed new ‘Integrated Development Centre.’ Cordish claim to have already secured €2.2 billion worth of funding for the project, which would create an estimated 56,000 jobs. Executives say they have met every single one of Madrid’s demands. The megacomplex was to be built on a huge 134-hectare space, flush with casinos, hotels, shops, ski slope, cinemas, and even an artificial beach the size of five football pitches. Negotiations were wrought with tension over taxes, development permits, casino regulations, environmental concerns and financing. Cordish CEO Joseph Weinberg says he is still unclear why the deal was suddenly rejected, saying it “makes no sense.” The main hiccup appears to have been over the casinos. The city government insisted that gambling not be the primary attrac-
Photo credit Cordish Group
By Matthew Elliott
LEISURE COMPLEX: Was to include casinos, hotels, shops, ski slope and a cinema. tion, apprehensive about creating a mini Las Vegas. Cordish drew up a blueprint whereby casi-
nos would only account for 10 per cent of the total space. But a government analysis of the business plan found that, regardless of
physical space, casinos would account for more than 60 per cent of the complex’s total income after five years.
Message in a bottle as former bank governor warned of potential storm SPAIN’s property disaster may have been averted had a warning from as far back as 2003 been heed e d . T h e B a n k o f S p ain warned in September of that year that house prices were overvalued by as much as 20 per cent.
After the financial crash, Spain suffered perhaps the greatest fall in Europe. Th e i n f o r m a t i o n w as ma d e public last week as former bank governor, Jaime Caruana, testified over his role in attempting to prevent the crisis. A letter written by Caruana to the ministry of finance was used
JAIME CARUANA (inset): Testified over his role in attempting to prevent the crisis.
as evidence that he had ‘done his bit’ to warn that a potential storm was gathering. The letter states that prices are grossly overvalued and that the longer the situation continued the harder the fall would be. Needl ess t o say, af t er t he f i nanci al crash Spain’s property market suffered perhaps the greatest fall in Europe. Caruana has admitted, however, that perhaps his language was “excessively bureaucratic” and not as alarmist as the situation truly called for. As a consequence, neither minister for the economy Rodrigo Rato, nor his successor in 2004, bothered to do anything. Only in 2006, when the crisis was already inevitable, though still invisible, did Caruana repeat his warning, just before he left the bank.
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HOMES
GARDENS
Play it loud ARE you struggling to hear yourself think? If you had to think about that question then chances are cicadas have made it to a tree near you. The red-eyed critters that many would describe as cute make an almighty nuisance of themselves as the heat increases at this time of year in Spain, scaring away birds and emitting a silence-shattering racket. Spain is home to at least 20 species of the noisy insect and they usually remain in an area for between four and six weeks. It is only males that produce the distinctive sound which can reach up to 120 decibels (dbs), among the loudest of insect-produced sounds. It has the capacity to cause permanent hearing loss should one sing just outside a human ear and is almost a third louder than the EU limit on personal audio device volume. The song is used to attract females but there is another more erratic version which highlights danger and wards off predators when in great quantity. Some species even have a quieter song of courtship which is reserved for when they have attracted a mate. They typically live in trees, feeding on sap and laying their eggs in a slit in the bark whilst natural predators include birds, squirrels, bats, wasps, mantises, and spiders. Despite popular belief, they do not bite or sting but may occasionally mistake a person’s arm for a plant limb and attempt to feed.
3 - 9 August 2017 / Costa de Almería
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Jaded prosperity or money tree GRAEME TYRRELL MANY plants have myths, legends and other attributes to make them of interest and ensure their popularity. One of the more wellknown plants in all the world largely due to its association with the Chinese art of Feng Shui allocating the plant as a promoter of wealth is the Jade plant, Crassula ovata, also known as the Friendship tree, Lucky plant and Money tree. The Jade plant is a very hardy, long lived and attractive succulent with shiny circular leaves and very fine white to pink star shaped flowers in clusters that form in the right conditions in early spring. It needs minimal maintenance as it rarely needs pruning except as a bonsai, requires watering only when the soil mix is touch dry (rather than a regular watering regime) and can live happily in the same quality soil mix for many years. It is slow growing, so if you obtain one it should be about the size that you want. It can live for 100 years when in the right condition, but may only grow just over a metre in a smaller contain-
The Jade plant or Money Tree.
Large ones can often be found gracing interior courtyards of historic buildings. er and up to four metres in open soil. To obtain new plants the easy way, the less conspicuous branches of a well-established plant can be cut off just above a node. Remove the leaves above the cut to about a third of the cuttings length. Before planting, it’s a good idea to leave the cutting a day or two in a shaded place to allow the wound to heal. Plant the cutting in a good soil mix with the lowest set of leaves just above the soil. This gives a ready-made plant if the soil is kept moist
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but not wet. In Asia, the Jade plant is often gifted as a symbol of good fortune and it is placed in the eastern zone of the entrance of homes and buildings to attract positive energy to enter for the family or business. This concept has proliferated with the distribution of the plant around the world. The Jade plant has been popular in the Mediterranean and large ones in containers can often be found gracing interior courtyards of historic buildings and well-established gardens. It is considered an old fashioned plant by some as a reaction to its previous popularity, but its attributes have made it a highly suitable plant for interior and shaded exterior (out of summer ’s direct midday sun), Mediterranean gardens, pa-
tios, balconies and terraces. This is testified by its popularity in ancient times
when water was drawn from wells and ornamental plants were a luxury. Few such hardy, compact, long-lived plants exist that require so little maintenance but will look good all year with the bonus of prolific flowers in spring when supplied with its simple needs. It gives prosperity as it doesn’t cost much to grow from cuttings, maintain with minimal water requirements or to replace every 100 years. To me, it is not something to be jaded by.
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Older children and canines 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
THE same rules covered last week apply, especially the ones about mutual respect and supervision. Stress that dogs are not living toys, especially when bringing a puppy into a family where children already live. Don’t allow children (or anyone else!) to feed dogs from the table; suitable leftovers can be mixed into their meals afterwards.
Most dogs need space.
It is particularly important to ‘clear up’ after dogs in the garden when children become old enough to play there. Keep dogs out of the way when children have friends round or are playing energetic games. It’s fun for children to fuss and play with dogs, but teach games where control can be kept, and always supervise.
Older children should help feed, groom and train pets so that they learn about the responsibilities as well as the fun of pets. Make sure children always thoroughly wash their hands afterwards, especially before eating any meals. Children generally love to hold the lead, but don’t allow them to walk your dog alone.
They may be able to manage a well-behaved pet, but how would they cope if the dog was attacked by a large stray? Show children the correct way to befriend other people’s dogs - ask the owner first, then offer a hand for the dog to sniff from below his nose before patting him. Not all dogs are friendly. Children should not approach strays and must never go with strangers to see ‘the puppies at home’! Visits from other people’s children. Again the general rules apply, but (however much they love them) a dog’s ‘level of tolerance’ will be lower if they do not live with children all the time. Children and dogs must learn together (from adults) how to get along. If it all gets too much, they may appreciate some time in their indoor kennel or another room.
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Do you need a house or pet-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting, and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner now with a 20 per cent off introductory offer using coupon code PERFECT20. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742.
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THE FIVE BONE HOTEL TURRE DOG grooming salon is getting very busy. Anita asks all clients to please book well in advance to avoid disappointment 662 344 734 or the5bonehotel turre@gmail.com New opening hours Mon-Sat 9.30-12.30 and 18.00 – 19.00 Sundays 9.3010.30 (251818)
ZURGENA branch of the Royal British Legion hold Branch Meeting on the 1st Thursday of the month. Coffee morning 3rd Wednesday of the month. Quiz night with a hot and cold buffet last Friday of the month. We also arrange outings to places of interest and have regular lunches together. (253989)
ALARMS
COMPUTERS
PLUMBING SERVICES
INTERNET
KNOWLES PLUMBING. No 1 for plumbing! Central heating, solar hot water and water deposits. Tel: 950 137 197 or 606 807 797 (250103)
GET YOUR business noticed online! Make sure that expats in Spain can find your product, service, restaurant, bar or shop. Contact Spain’s newest and brightest online directory TODAY. Call 952 561 245 or email mark.w@euroweeklynews.com for more details.
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Clarkson Quote of the Week
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The only way this car (the BMW X5 M) could be more annoying to eco-mentalists is if its engine ran on sliced dolphin.” Some might say...
BMW takes Brexit gamble by Matthew Elliott BMW confirmed that an electric version of its popular
Hatch model will be built at its Oxford plant. The news assuages fears that the German manufacturing giant was
set to shift production to the continent as a consequence of the Brexit vote. The firm itself had warned that the referendum result would force it to reconsider production priorities, but the all-electric Hatch is officially scheduled for British production in 2019.
The decision was welcomed by British union leader Len McCluskey, and presumably by the Oxford plant’s almost 5,000 workers. “Around the world and for generations the Mini means made in Britain,” said McCluskey “with the electric Mini being built in Cowley the tradition continues, but with the added bonus that this is one of the important innovations of tomorrow.” Almost all of the 360,000 Minis produced each year are built in the plant, which has enjoyed investment worth €500 million from BMW since 2011. MINI: Iconic model enters electric future in the UK.
2019 is when the all-electric Hatch is scheduled for official production in Britain.
As such BMW’s decision to build the Mini E there is likely more due to investment and cost considerations than a ‘vote of confidence’ in Britain, as the government was keen to suggest. Fears that exiting the single market will see the import costs of manufacturing materials shoot up, and export tariffs imposed by Europe, will persist until the details of a Brexit deal are made clear. There are roughly 1.7 million cars built in the UK each year, with 80 per cent being exported to the continent.
Motoring shorts
Elderly regiment THERE are now more than 100,000 British drivers aged 90 or over. The latest figures from the DVLA show there are 100,281 fully licensed drivers in the country. There are 248 centenarian drivers and more than 1.2 million aged over 80. The oldest licence holder in the UK is a 103-year-old woman. There is no maximum age for drivers, but those aged over 70 are obliged to renew their licence every three years and answer medical questions. A substantial portion of the 100,000 nonagenarians will be effectively retired from the roads. There is little data on driving safety among such senior citizens, but generally those aged over 70 are far less likely to be involved in crashes than teenage drivers.
MOTORING
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Curtains for the combustion engine SALE of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2040 in the UK as the country grapples with dangerous levels of pollution. The pledge is akin to others made in France and Scandinavia, perhaps signalling the beginning of the end for the combustion engine. Poor air quality was cited as the ‘biggest environmental hazard to public health’ by a government spokes-man. Car fumes contribute to the premature deaths of tens of thousands of people each year and an estimated €3 billion in lost productivity due to sickness. The clean air plan will also have a more immediate impact. Clean Air Zones will be established in areas which exceed EU pollution standards. In London a £10 (€11.2) charge is being imposed daily on the most polluting vehicles
BENTLEY: British brand has an electric deadline in the UK. when they enter the city limits. Tens of millions of pounds will be spent on improving Britain’s electric infrastructure, with new plug in points and innovative city schemes. Cycle lanes and green public buses will be encouraged. The announcement comes weeks after Volvo announced
that it will only produce electric or hybrid vehicles from 2019. New French president Emmanuel Macron promised France will follow suit. Though welcomed in environmental quarters, motoring industry experts believe imposing the ban in just over 20 years may be a tall order.
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Half a million orders for the Model 3 THE hype surrounding the release of Tesla’s Model 3 was so huge that comparisons were made to the Ford Model T, the car that really did change the world. The third generation of Tesla’s electric, semiautonomous car is the first to be primed for a mass market release, with half a million preorders already made. Unlike previous incarnations it is affordable, at around €40,000, and designed for family use, rather than being solely a billionaire’s plaything. The Model 3 has five seats and is unlocked and switched on with a smartphone. The cheap-
est version has a range o f 2 2 0 mile s o n a fu ll battery charge and a top speed of 130mph. A mo re e x p e n s iv e model can hit 140mph and cover 310 miles on a full charge. It has full self-driving capacity which is only w aitin g o n th e g re e n light from the American and European governments to be activated. P h o n es ca n be c h arg e d fro m th e c a r battery using USBs, there is 4G internet, voice control software, a n d a n E n h an ce d A u topilot package that offers speed advice, selfparking and live traffic information.
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MOTORING
ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher
Mazda CX-5 SE-L Nav MAZDA’S new CX-5 builds on a model which was already outstanding in its class and even though the sector now has more rivals, the Mazda still holds most of the ace cards. The CX-5 is a mid-size SUV priced from €26,476 (£23,695). There are petrol and diesel engines, though most buyers will opt for the smooth responsive diesels, available in 148 hp and 163 hp form. My test model had the 148 hp unit offering a 0-100 kph time of 9.4 seconds and top speed of 204 kph (127 mph). Fuel economy is 20 kpl (56.5 mpg). This version, with sixspeed manual gearbox and in SE-L Nav 2WD form, costs €28,712 (£25,695). The new CX-5 has a dominant exterior look, with narrow headlights,
deep grille and wide bonnet giving it real presence - and image is very important in the SUV sector. The cabin impresses too with a smart clear dashboard, quality trim materials, and a wealth of standard equipment which includes dual-zone aircon, auto lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, engine stopstart, multi-media touchscreen, Bluetooth, sat-nav, four USB imputs, privacy glass and alloy wheels. The CX-5 is a five seater and even taller adults get plenty of leg and headroom in the rear. Seating is very comfortable - with the rear seats reclining - and the driver gets good all-round visibility - the front pillars are slimmer than most and the large rear screen
helps too. Boot space is roomy at 506 litres, expandable to 1,620 litres. And the seats drop to form a completely flat floor - no ledges to make loading awkward. Mazda designers have also taken care of oddmentstowage, providing a large glovebox, roomy doorbins and other cubby holes, and of course cup/bottle holders. And with USB ports in the rear, children can plug in their gadgets with trailing wires from the front. So far, a totally positive report, but what it is like to drive? Well, the praise keeps coming! The diesel engine is
smooth, quiet and eager, the gearbox precise and the suspension, though a tad firm, is still compliant enough for a comfortable ride. The steering gives plenty of feedback so you feel fully in control and the grip is reassuringly composed even on tight cornering. I tried hard to fault the new CX-5 but failed on any significant issues. Certainly one or two rivals can score points for being slightly greener or maybe a little more fun to drive, but in my view the overall strength and depth of the CX5 package overwhelms these aspects.
Stats panel: Model: Mazda CX-5 SE-L Nav Engine: 2.2 litre diesel Transmission: 6-speed manual Performance: 0-100 kph 9.4 seconds, top speed 204 kph (127 mph) Economy: 20 kpl (56.5 mpg) Emissions: 132 g/km
MAZDA CX-5: A mid-size SUV.
Model tested is UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.
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Cricketers Toby, Ben, Moeen and goal scorer Jodie all star for England 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
THE 2017-18 FL Championship season starts tomorrow with Nottingham Forest-Millwall and Sunderland-Derby. Also there’s the all-London Charity Shield clash between the Gunners and Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday. Also tomorrow, the fourth and final Test between England
and South Africa starts at Old Trafford (12 noon); cricket’s T20 bash continues and the World Athletics Championships begin in London (6pm) where the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, will run his final race. On Saturday, it’s the next stage of the Triathlon World Cup in Canada (GB’s Jonny Brownlee was fourth behind Spain’s winner Mario Mola, in last week’s race); horse racing is underway at ‘Glorious’ Goodwood; we have the Multisports World Police & Fire Service games (August 5 - 18); the Ladies Major in Scotland and four WGC and PGA Golf tour-
QUIZ Pre-Premiership season football quiz I have a football quiz a week tomorrow, Friday, August 11, at the Emerald Isle pub on Mojacar Playa: 6pm-8pm. There are some great prizes and a chance to win some of my best-selling books.
naments in the USA (August 3 - 6) and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland (August 9 - 16); first up: England v Spain in Dublin. Round-Up England (353 & 313 -8 declared) beat South Africa (175 & 252) by 239 runs in the 100th Test at The Oval to go 21 up in the series. Middlesex bowler Toby Roland-Jones had a ‘Michelle Pfeiffer’ (5-57) – making him the first doublebarrelled named Englishman since George Simpson-Hayward (6-43 v South Africa in 1910) to take five wickets on his Test debut. Ben Stokes smacked 112 in England’s first innings before Moeen Ali won the match with a hat trick. In the first Test in Galle, India (600, with Virat Kohli’s 103, and 240-3 declared) beat Sri Lanka (291 and 245) by 304 runs.
Jodie Taylor’s goal gave England’s women a 1-0 win over France in their European Championship quarter-final tie. Tonight’s semi-finals are England v hosts Holland and Denmark v Austria. The final is on Sunday. South Korean Lee Mi-Hyang won the Women’s Scottish Golf Championship at Dundonald; GB’s Georgina Hall finished ninth. GB’s Adam Peaty (50m & 100m breaststroke), Ben Proud (50m butterfly) and the 4x200m men’s relay team won gold medals at the World Aquatics/Swimming championships. Everton defeated MFK Ruzomberok 1-0 in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier thanks to Leighton Baines’ 65th minute deflected goal. The return leg is in Slovakia tonight. Aberdeen beat A-Limasol 2-
1 their 1st leg qualifier; the Dons are in Cyprus for this evening’s second leg. British Horse Racing's governing body is investigating an incident whereby the ‘wrong horse’ - a 50-1 shot - won last Thursday’s 13.40 race at Great Yarmouth. The Charlie McBride-trained two-year-old Mandarin Princess beat 6-4 favourite Fyre Cay but a scan afterwards identified the horse as the winner’s stable-mate Millie’s Kiss who was to run in a later race that same day. Said McBride: “It was an honest error and no-one stood to gain anything by it; the head lad simply put the saddle on the wrong horse.” It is Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas, 1-2-3 in last Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton came fourth and trails Vettel by 14 points in the driver’s
championship. Last Saturday’s Carl Frampton-Andres Gutierrez World featherweight bout was postponed after the Mexican injured himself, falling over in the shower! Holders Hull (after thrashing Leeds 43-24) will face Wigan in this season’s Rugby League’s Challenge Cup final. Congratulations to Eddie Jay Wade (17) from Los Gallardos - the 2017 85cc motor-cross world champion. Gary Megson has returned to WBA 13 years after leaving The Hawthorns. The ex-Baggies’ manager is now assistant to current boss Tony Pulis. This year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards will take place at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Sunday, December 17. Anthony Joshua and Chris Froome are fancied to win.
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@DavidMaguire3: How many seasons until you break Shearer’s record? @petercrouch: I've worked it out and retirement age in England is 65 isn't it, so I should come close.
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Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport
Aguilon golf members report WITH all the water required to keep the course from burning up and the sun beating down, it was like playing golf in a sauna early on and they still had some members walking the course! Wednesday July 19 - Individual Stableford Despite the heat and humidity, the players were still recording good scores and handicaps kept tumbling. First: Dave Sharp 38 pts Second: Les Raufer 37 pts on a card play off Third: Mark Newall 37 pts Twos: Ian Jenner third, Dave Simpson, Norman Whibley
12th, Bill Gibb 14th, Peter Death, Les Raufer, Dave Sharp, Dave Wilson 17th Friday July 21 Match v Forum Golf Society. Forty-eight players took part in a pairs betterball match on a very warm day and some great golf resulted in a close finish with the members coming out on top by 112 pts to 104 pts Wednesday July 26 - Individual Stableford A very humid day for our last competition of the month and the scoring ranged from poor to excellent, with the handicap secretary called upon yet again to cut a few
SPORT
Valle Del Este Golf Society HOT weather and some hot golf. This week’s Stableford was a very close run affair with some very commendable scoring. Past Captain, Geoff Owen, showed a welcome return to form with a great win on 37 points, just pipping Bill Foster on countback. The ever-dangerous Andrew Tatlow came third, beating new member Steph Glynn, also on countback. At the hallway stage the Order of Merit started to get really interesting with only 15 points separating the top six places. Bill Foster narrowly leads from Andrew Tatlow followed by Patrick Vickery. First Second Third
DAVE SHARP: Winner of the competition. handicaps. First: Glyn Ombler 40 pts Second: Rich Hull 38 pts Third: Kevin Manser 37 pts Twos: Paul Harrison, Rich Hull, Phil Miles, Mark Newall, Chris Scrafton, Chris Tyler,
Colin Waters 12th, Dave Sharp x2 12th & 17th, Glyn Ombler 14th, Roy Bishop, Arthur Davies 17th. For further information log on to their website at aguilon membersclub.com.
Geoff Owen Bill Foster Andrew Tatlow
Nearest the pin 5th hole Nearest the pin 14th hole
37 points 37 points 36 points Bill Foster Andrew Tatlow
Valle Del Este Golf Society is affiliated to the Valle Del Este Golf Resort in Vera. They play every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Singles competitions are played every Thursday including a Monthly Medal. Visitors are welcome (subject to available tee times). Please ring Alan Townsend on 634 379 887.