Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 24 – 30 August 2017 Issue 1677 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

24 - 30 August 2017

Kidnap sex ring smashed A NIGERIAN human-trafficking gang has been smashed by Almeria police. Working with colleagues in Madrid, police rescued four victims of the gang and arrested five of its members. An investigation into the group’s activities was launched by National Police in Almeria. A house in Nijar was identified as a stepping stone used by traffickers to smuggle victims to Madrid. Police unravelled a network of kidnapping, trafficking and prostitution that destroyed the lives of countless victims and raked in millions for the gangsters. African women were either lured to Europe under false pretences, or simply beaten, captured and trafficked. Boats took them across the Mediterranean to Italy to safe houses.

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Dogs suffer horrific conditions

Seven deadly sins

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Migrant crisis escalates

Guardia Civil

ISSUE NO. 1677

CRISIS: Almeria on front lines of migrant struggle.

STARVED: All seven dogs were malnourished and carried disease. By Matthew Elliott Animal abuse charges have been brought against a Sorbas man who kept seven dangerous dogs in atrocious conditions. Guardia Civil officers raided the Sorbas farm after being tipped off by suspicious local residents. They found seven dogs of dangerous breeds requiring special permits. All of the animals were in obvious physical stress. They were unable to stand, badly malnourished and dehydrated. One Rottweiler with untreatable gangrene was later

put down by a vet. A Bullmastiff had a serious wound in its neck from being tied so tightly to a chain. Another crossed mastiff was on the verge of starvation and needed urgent medical attention. Only four of the dogs were microchipped and the other three had no vaccinations. The farm owner could not provide the proper paperwork or permits. The animals were kept behind fencing and separated from one another. This was to prevent them from fighting said the owner, but police

noted they could hardly move, let alone fight. Sanitary conditions were extremely poor and each dog was tied to a different part of the square enclosure. Within the perimeter there was untreated faeces, pools of urine, scraps of hair, empty paint cans, and bones, possibly from other dogs which perished at the farm. The owner has been reported to Almeria’s criminal court. But it is extremely unlikely that he will face any jail time. Fines for animal abuse can be as little as a few hundred euros.

HUNDREDS of people have been rescued drifting in Almeria’s waters in recent days. The dozens of rescue operations come as the United Nation’s refugee agency warned that Spain lacks the capacity to deal with the crisis. In the middle of the Alboran Sea roughly 200 adults, including just 14 women were rescued by maritime agents and brought to Almeria Port. Just 15 miles south of the Cabo de Gata beaches, 21 men, a woman and her baby were saved by a Guardia Civil plane from their stranded vessel. In another incident 25 people were found aboard a fishing boat 24 miles south west of the Cabo de Gata coast. Dozens of other small rafts and boats carrying five to 10 people were spotted by coastguards. The Red Cross and police in Almeria have frequently decried the situation as untenable and warned they lack the capacity to handle arrivals at this rate. A report from the UN published last week agrees. Spain has suffered as authorities crack down on the Libya to Italy route. Almost 10,000 migrants have reached the Spanish shore in 2017 so far.

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Froome favourite as Vuelta returns

Lower level labour

On your marks! TIMES: Rough indication of where the race is and when. always subject to change. The most competitive parts are the climbs. There will be two key uphill battles on Stage 11. The first is the 30km climb up Alto de Velefique and the second is the final 15.5km stretch up to the Calar Alto Observatory. Parking can be awkward on the climbs and it is always wise to get there a few hours ahead of schedule to secure a decent spot. Official cycling photographer and verified diehard fan Beardy McBeard

POLICE investigating electricity fraud stumbled across a huge marihuana plantation hidden in a cellar. Two men were arrested and 621 plants seized when Guardia Civil later raided the property. Both were Spanish nationals, from Berja BUST: Police raid basement and La Mojonera, marihuana lab. will be heading up Stage 11 aged 21 and 48. They early with his caravan and stand charged with equipment. drug production and Chris Froome is distribution, and electricity fraud. among the Officers were originally dispatched to the property to favourites to win investigate extremely high electricity usage from a Stage 11, and the property hooked up illegally to the public supply, a telltournament overall tale sign of drug production. after reigning chamBefore knocking, they peeked into the basement and Latest news pion Nairo Quinsaw signs of what appeared to be a sophisticated drug and tana chose not to lab. For weeks Guardia Civil officers staked out the more as it compete. Victory property, identifying key comers and goers and estabhappens at would make him lishing the full scale of the operation. only the third man to win both When they made their move they were able to catch the two the Tour de France and the main players at the peak of production. Both men have been deVuelta in the same season. nied bail and await a hearing at El Ejido criminal court. www.euroweeklynews.com

ONE of the world’s top three cycling contests charges through Almeria this week. On Wednesday competitors take on Stage 11 of the Vuelta a España, a tough 187.5km ride from Lorca, Murcia to Calar Alto in Almeria’s Sierra de losFilabres. Cyclists, including British favourite Chris Froome, will push past major towns and villages on the route. They depart Lorca at around 12.28pm and are expected to finish the torturous climb up Calar Alto by 5.40pm. Residents of Garrucha, Mojacar, Turre, and Sorbas will be very close to the action. Riders are expected to reach Garrucha at around 2.15pm and pass through Sorbas just over an hour later. At Mojacar racers are scheduled to appear on the AL-6113 and at Turre on the AL-6111, though locations are

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Baywatch bodies TANNED torsos were on display as hundreds of athletes from across Spain played beach volleyball in the Almeria heat. Competitions took place in both Pulpi and the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Teams travelled from Madrid and Malaga to play more than 60 matches. Even strong winds couldn’t curb enthusiasm as Almeria cemented its place as the country’s beach volleyball capital.

Terror tribute ALL events were suspended during the first day of the Almeria Fair as the city paid its respects to victims of the Barcelona terrorist attack. Five minutes of silence were observed in the mayor’s office and the town hall flag hung at half-mast. Elsewhere across the province, from Mojacar to Albox, town halls followed suit, observing an official mourning period set by the government.

Hidden history ARCHAEOLOGISTS digging deep beneath Almeria have uncovered a treasure trove of ancient artifacts. They are using 3D modelling and laser scanning to get a fuller picture of what is described as the find of the century. The evidence suggests Almeria was a glamorous jewel in the Moorish empire in 955, with 200 military vessels in the port and a population of 27,000.

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SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...26 The Osborne group - founded in 1772 and now the second oldest business in Spain - may be famous for its brandy-sherry, but it’s the Osborne Bull silhouettes that constantly steal the national limelight.

Load of national pride moved, public outcry saw them retained, but THE Osborne Bull is a symbol of Spanish blacked out to remove all reference to the culture, both nationally and abroad. original advertisers. With black bull silhouettes on hilltops and The ruling in their favour was on the roadsides in many, but not all regions of grounds that they had become part of the Spain, the first was erected 60 years ago, 12 landscape with ‘aesthetic or cultural signifimonths after the Osborne group of wineries cance.’ - originally founded in Cadiz - ordered an Their wide distribution means the Osartist to promote a ‘Veteran’ brandy. borne bull is now associated with Spain itIt was set in motion by Manolo Prieto, a self, with its silhouette seen on national footprolific Andalucian artist who died in 1991. ball flags, t-shirts, caps, towels and He remains famous for the roadside monukey-rings. ments even though a personal source of disappointment given other works of which he CREATOR: Artist was proud failed to gain recognition. Manolo Prieto who The Osborne Bull silhouettes started life as four-metre-high wooden figures, but in Osborne Bulls in Spain include those in the designed and 1961 they were made from metal sheets to following locations: commissioned the better withstand the weather and their height 23: Andalucia, 14: Castilla y Leon, 13: symbol was increased to seven metres. Castilla-La Mancha, 11: Valencia, 6: Aragon, However, one year later new advertising 3: Asturias, Extremadura and Galicia, 2: La rules forced the Osborne company to move them away Rioja and Madrid, 1: Basque country, Canary Islands, Malfrom roadsides, and they were consequently increased in lorca, Melitta, and Navarre. size to their present-day 14 metres so that they would be In addition a few are in Mexico, though with a different demore visible. sign and with an advertising function rather than a symbol Then in 1994 the EU banned roadside advertising of alof past culture! cohol, but despite an initial campaign to see all the bulls regentedelpueblo

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INSIDE VIEW News 1 - 20

Finance 27

Leapy Lee 33

Where to find the bulls

Letters 44

Time Out 47

Health & Beauty 52

Social 54

Tourist lovefest WHILE Spain revolts against rampant tourism, Almeria bucked the trend with a rally in favour of more foreign visitors. Members of neighbourhood association Casco Historico marched with placards reading ‘Here we like tourists.’ They want greater investment in Almeria’s historic quarter to attract more offseason business. Association president Magdalena Cantero said it was surprising to see tourists still regarded as “exotic elements” in the city.

SPANISH SILHOUETTE: The Osborne bull stands proudly throughout Spain.

Serious wealth A LUXURY estate in Rodalquilar worth a cool €12 million is the most expensive property in Almeria according to Idealista. The 19-hectare estate is at the heart of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park and has three separate villas.

It has been on sale since 2014 and is almost three times as expensive as Almeria’s nearest competitor, a €4.65 million villa, also in Nijar, with views overlooking Aguamarga Bay.

Barrier reef AN underwater reef park is on the cards

EU funds rescue river AN expansion of the EL Bobar wastewater treatment plant will help rescue the badly polluted Andarax river. An investment of €23 million will improve the collection of waste water from roughly 200,000 people across Santa Fe, Pechina, Gador, Viator and Benahadux. With less dirty discharges being leaked into the river, residents can expect an end to the stench and mosquito colonies which have endured for years. It will take some time, however, for the expansion to take shape,

with 23 kilometres of new waste tunnels needing to be built. The project is being financed by European FEDER funds, which help investment blackspots improve essential infrastructure. Purifiers in Nijar and HuercalOvera will also be modernised. Almeria has been forced to turn to Europe for help after the Spanish government slashed the infrastructure budget for the province by 80 per cent this year.

for Aguadulce. The green light has been given for creative diving company Acebal Asempal to explore the project. An artificial barrier reef would be built on a vast 6,000 square metres underwater space. If successful it will attract adventurous divers and tourists from across the world.

Druggy drivers POLICE detected 258 drunk or druggedup drivers on Almeria’s roads in just five days. The Guardia Civil said it was extremely worrying to find 156 drivers high on cocaine, amphetamines or marijuana across the province. Checks coincided with the Dreambeach dance music festival.

Albox 58

Property 62

Classifieds 66

Motor 68

Sport 71

The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1676 of the Euro Weekly News Costa de Almería edition, including 32 local stories.

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PHENOMENAL EWN ONLINE SUCCESS THIS year has seen success all the way for EWN Online, with recordbreaking figures across the board. The latest statistics clearly spell out that the website and social media are now seen as go-to sources of accurate and up-to-date news from Spain in English, attracting millions of views. A concerted effort from the dedicated online team since the turn of the year, coupled with a commitment to honest, timely reporting has seen numbers fly, with a staggering 55,000 hits received on just a single day earlier this month. Social media platforms have demonstrated a similarly impressive rise with Facebook followers now

1 • 2,520,000 page views 2 • 55% visited the website on their phones 3 • 742,947 new website visitors 4 • 2,891 new followers on the EWN Facebook page 5 • 3,605,003 people saw EWN Facebook posts

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Poll of the week

TRIVIA FROM AROUND THE WORLD The Vatican’s Swiss Guard still wears a uniform inspired by the Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio, who lived 1483-1520.

numbering close to 22,000, far outstripping traditional rivals, and audience participation at an all-time high. From here it can only be onwards and ever upwards! STORY OF THE YEAR: This article attracted 42,000 views.

This year so far THE hard work and dedication of the EWN Online team has been rewarded with a bumper boost in website users, with a record 2.5 million visits so far this year. As the internet is constantly evolving, it is important to adapt, and with more than 50 per cent of readers visiting the EWN website via their mobile phones in 2017, compared to 37 per cent in 2016, it is clear that

Should horses be bred for food as they are in areas such as Valencia? LAST WEEK’S POLL: Looky looky men: Do you feel they are good or bad?

Bad = 73% • Good = 27%

changes can occur quickly with the right approach. And with nearly 22,000 strong followers on Facebook - and 10,400 on Twitter - the EWN is and will continue to be highly engaged with the expatriate community. From this solid base the aim is now to continue to grow and offer factual news, as it happens, while consolidating the hard fought position of Spain’s best online English-language newspaper. With more than half a million views e x p e c t e d t h i s m o n t h a l o n e, a l l a t EWN Online would like to say thank you to all our readers for supporting us and continuing to engage with our digital products.

FOR COMMENTS FROM EWN ONLINE TURN TO LETTERS PAGE

In a twist of irony, Louis XVI of France felt former ways of execution were inhumane, so he encouraged doctors to create a new method, which led to the guillotine. He was later beheaded by the very same device.

Did you know? The largest diamond discovered was the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905. Weighing 3,106.75 carats, It was cut into the Great Star of Africa (530.2 carats), the Lesser Star of Africa (317.40 carats) and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless colour and clarity. They now form part of the British Crown Jewels.

Little bits on the side

2017 in figures

Onwards and ever upwards

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Lost in translation

LET US DO THE BIRDS FRIEND 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

Catalonia mourns SADLY it was bound to happen in Spain at some time, but the terrorist attack in Catalonia certainly grabbed headline news around the world. If there is any consolation coming out of this dreadful sad affair as well as the subsequent knifings in Finland is that these are simply not as organised or as successful as those attacks that took place in 2015 and 2016. As Daesh finds itself being pushed back within Iraq and Syria this appears to be affecting its commander’s ability to recruit organised fighters in Europe and is having to rely on incompetents, some of whom even managed to blow themselves up. One of the very disappointing things about these attacks in Spain is the fact that it appears that all of those involved as well as most of the hundred plus who have been arrested over the past few years have been Moroccan. For many years, Moroccan immigrants have settled within Spain and of course Gibraltar, becoming part of the local communities whilst still holding on to their own heritage, religion and identity. There is now a radical dichotomy between those who want to come to Spain to find what they perceive to be a better life for themselves and their families and those misguided puppets who simply want to eradicate the so-called ‘Crusaders.’

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

Cleaners in revolt By Matthew Elliott HOSPITAL cleaners have refused to take on nursing roles on top of their usual work. The cleaner ’s union at Poniente say its members are often asked to perform tasks well outside their contracts. This includes cleaning medical equipment, patient’s beds, incubators and pharmacy carts. Such jobs are usually performed by nurses who have more medical knowledge. The cleaning committee is also angry over staff shortages. With 60 personnel, there are 45 less cleaners than at Torrecardenas hospital. During the night shift there is only one cleaner in charge for emergency service areas, wards, intensive care, theatres and dialysis according to the committee. They argue that too much money is being spent subcontracting nurses and nursing auxiliaries, who then pile more work on the poorly-paid cleaners.

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Argy bargy

to Spain. JAMES ARGENT: Moving

JAMES ‘ARG’ ARGENT, one of the bestloved original cast-members of ITV’s The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE), is permanently swapping the UK for Spain after being offered a residency in Marbella. The slimmed-down star has told fans he is looking for somewhere to live on the Costa del Sol after accepting a job at pal and former co-star, Elliot Wright’s, restaurant, Olivia’s La Cala. Arg, who lost considerable amounts of weight after entering rehab in Thailand earlier this year for substance abuse, explained he is looking forward to moving to sunnier climes, telling a publication, “I’ve been offered a residency next year at Olivia’s, I accepted the offer straight away. I’m in the process of finding a property in Spain and I’m going to be moving there. The residency will be for the whole summer. I’m so excited, it’s a fresh start.”

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Come on, Vogue TV presenter and model Vogue Williams has arrived in Ibiza with the man she met taking part in The Jump where she was injured and he was declared winner. It appears that Vogue and Spencer Matthews, the reality star first seen on Made in Chelsea, are now inseparable, except when one or the other has to become involved in another TV programme. They are however making up for lost time whilst soaking up the sun and cruising on this Ibiza holiday.

VOGUE: Shows off her model looks whilst at sea.

Beach babes SADIE STUART, fiancee of reality TV personality and restaurateur Elliott Wright and her mother Julie were spotted sunbathing at Bono Beach. Accompanying them were TV cameras as they were being filmed for the new ITVBE special, Elliott Wright: The Wedding which will be broadcast later this year.

Photo Credit: Vogue Williams Instagram

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Photo Credit: SM

Julie and Sadie at Bono Beach.

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NEWS

Leo the Lion: holding onto a miracle Bermejo from Almeria was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. In that short space of time the inspirational four-yearold has undergone several surgeries at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in the UK a nd, tha nks to a fund la unc he d la te la s t ye a r w hic h the Euro We e k ly News supported - travelled to Oklahoma in the United States for cutting edge pro-

ton-beam therapy. But Leo’s latest MRI scan has confirmed the cancer has returned and is growing quickly in different areas of the original cavity. Mum Karen said, “My baby boy is such a warrior, I coul d not be pr ouder of him. “Leo has been to hell and back, yet he still continues to smile.” She added, “We are really

trying to just enjoy and treasure the time with Leo now. I believe Leo was put here for a reason, he has made people see life differently and he has been an inspiration to thousands of people. She added, “He has done nothing to deserve what is happeni ng t o hi m now. I just hope that the beautiful big smile on his face will continue to be there to the end whatever his destiny.” Karen also wants to thank everyone for all of the lovely gifts and messages the f am i l y r ecei ve on a dai l y basi s, “We r ead each and every one of them. “I know the next few months will be the most difficult but Team Leo will be there for us all.” You can f ol l ow Leo’s progress on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com /leothelionsfight/

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KEEPING HOPE: Fighter Leo whose cancer has returned.

ON September 2 it will be exactly two years since Leo

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NEWS Photo credit Facebook/Vera Abandano.

ABANDONED: Vera residents sick and tired of neglected public spaces.

Residents demand action By Matthew Elliott A FACEBOOK group has been set up to campaign for a cleaner Vera. Named ‘Vera

Abandono,’ the page displays photos showing how the beach and public spaces have been neglected. It calls for a grassroots

movement among Vera residents to demand action. Photos depict crooked trees, broken street-lamps, mattresses dumped on the beach, rampant weeds, and faded road signs. The group has also established a Twitter account and has launched a petition to the mayor on Change.org. Hundreds of people signed the petition or to join the Facebook page within hours. Key demands include the maintenance of public gardens, clean streets, and new pavements, sewers and bins.

Members want improved road safety and cycle lanes on the AL-7107, streets to be properly signposted and zebra crossings repainted. A dedicated cleaning budget should also be established each financial year to ensure consistency and transparency. The petition notes that many residents owning second homes in Vera pay taxes but cannot vote, making it hard for their voice to be heard. It identifies Salinas as an area of acute concern, alongside the beach at the entrance to the pueblo.

Cabbies to mind their manners TAXI drivers will have to clean up their acts if they want to keep their licences. A new code imposed by Almeria bans flip-flops, sandals, and shorts. Air conditioning and heating are a must. Those with guide dogs will be able to transport them free of charge. Smoking is completely banned. Cabbies will be obliged to provide a printed receipt and have a working card payment machine installed. Also, routes and fares should be visible and taxi drivers will require basic knowledge of English and of local vicinities. The city will invest in sprucing up taxi interiors with enhanced accessibility for disabled passengers.

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Microchip torn from abused dog This summer the Guardia Ci vi l i n Al m er i a has l aunched a cam pai gn against animal abuse, encouraging people to report any instances of neglect or violence. It can be followed on Twitter under the hashtag #Yosipuedocontarlo.

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Photo credit Guardia Civil

Polic e ha ve la unc he d a A STARVING and infected search for the owner, a task dog was rescued by Guardia that will prove difficult with Civil officers in Chirivel. no ID chip. The animal has They were contacted by a since been transferred to anlocal resident who found the ima l re s c ue a s s oc ia tion Argentino breed wandering H ue lla Fie l a nd ha s be e n dis orie nta te d a round the treated by a Huercal-Overa campo in an extreme state vet. of malnutrition. The dog had a severely infected wound where someone had ripped out its microchip and left the scar to heal by itself. A vet later confirmed the animal Latest news had leishmaniasis and more as it and was badly dehappens at hydrated. www.euroweeklynews.com

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NEWS EXTRA

Terror alert HEAVY goods vehicles and security buffers have been planted around Almeria City centre as a precaution against terrorism following the deadly van attack in Barcelona last week.

Jail chaos THE guard union at Acebuche prison wants an end to the hiring of private security. It claims outsourcing leads to chaotic management and that the state pays €3,000 for each private guard hired.

Bald cure RESCUED: Abused dog had microchip torn from body and infected wound.

The ranking of Spanish among the most spoken languages across the globe.

STATE-of-the-art alopecia and premature balding treatments are now available at Almeria’s private HLA Mediterranean Hospital. The FUE technique collects donor hairs and implants them in the desired area.

Fire ball A CAR was completely destroyed after catching fire on the A-7 at Los Gallardos on Sunday. There were no injuries but traffic was delayed due to the intense smoke.

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COMMUNITY

Lockdown for dogs at shelter RECENTLY, seven puppies have been abandoned at the shelter gate at Paws Patas animal refuge between Mojacar and Los Gallardos. They turned out to have the highly contagious and potentially lethal Canine Parvo Virus (CPV) which led four of the pups to die. The needs of the surviving puppies and the commitment of the team at the shelter has led to many sleepless nights and hours of dedication. However, due to high risk of infection, the shelter has had to close its doors to any intake of dogs until further notice. The cattery will not be affected and remains busy

Photo by paws-patas.org

ABANDONED: Puppies containing the infectious virus were left at the shelter. as usual. Those wishing to view and potentially adopt cats can contact cats@paws-patas.org or phone 627 835 109 to make an appointment. As ever, Paws-Patas ask that no animals are abandoned at the gate

which has led to this epidemic endangering residing animals in our care. The shelter would like to thank all those who continue to donate toys, food, towels and money. It is always greatly appreciated.

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COMMUNITY

Royal British Legion - Albox branch SOME diary dates for the next three months: Thursday September 7 at 11.30am - Coffee morning held at Cafe Bar Oasis (off Avenida America, Albox). Thursday September 21 at 11am - Members’ meeting held at La Parrilla, Albox. Guest Speaker will be Maura Hillen from Albox Council. Wednesday September 27 at 10.30am - Members’ meeting: Casa Cultura, Cüllar. Two guest speakers - Pam Twissell-Cross from District North Community Support, and John Watson with Milo (explosives search dog). Thursday October 5 - Coach trip to Granada is now full. Note, no coffee morning in October! Saturday October 14 at 12.00 - Poppy Tide Launch at Bar International (opposite Los Llanos Market) BBQ and live music, quiz, raffle, auction and poppy stall. To book tickets please contact Judith via email sutoju@hotmail.com or mobile 634 376 201. Monday October 16 to Saturday November 11 - Poppy Tide - remember to buy your poppy from local shops and bars. If you are willing to promote poppies to raise monies for the Legion at either

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GUEST SPEAKER: Councillor Maura Hillen will attend the meeting on September 21.

Arboleas or Los Llanos Saturday markets (Oct 21, Oct 28 or Nov 4) please contact Judith via email sutoju@hotmail.com or mobile 634 376 201. Thursday October 22 at 11am - Members’ meeting held at La Parrilla, Albox. Saturday November 11 at 10.30am - Remembrance Service at the Chapel in La Aljambra. Baza area will be holding a Christmas lunch at the HoThe age of the oldest Spaniard ever, Ana Vela Rubio tel Galera, Galera. Albox lived from 1901 to 2016. area will be holding a Christmas Dinner and Dance at La Parrilla, Albox. Both events to be held on Friday December 15. Further details announced in September. Cash membership renewals can be made at any of the meetings during September and October (or contact membership secretary, Sandy stucker99@hot mail.co.uk or mobile 608 049 491). Those in the Baza area should contact chairman, Ken, via email ken.matthews10@ gmail.com or mobile 679 605 320 to arrange payment. The Legion does vital work, providing practical support to serving men and women, veterans (ex-Service of all ages) and their families. Get in touch for advice, information and guidance 676 451 780 or email: as sistance.rbl.dns@gmail.com.

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COMMUNITY

Casa Carma - the area’s top home CASA CARMA in Turre is a shop r u n b y t wo l o v e ly ladies from Cabrera - Carol and Margaret. It has absolutely everything you require to make your h o m e i n Sp a i n l o o k

something special. F ro m cu rtain s to c u shions, towels to duvets and blinds to bed linen, there is a wide range of other exclusive gifts including scented candles, exclusive greetings

cards and sculptures plus a huge range of other interior and household accessories. The re is s ome thing for everyone. Carol and Margaret also do alterations to practically

anything including clothing, making the customer feel at home and happy. Casa Carma lies directly opposite Super Turre, and is open weekdays from 10am 4pm and on Saturdays from

10 until 2pm. Closed Sundays. Pop in and have a chat or

telephone (34) 645 080 310. You don’t know what you’re missing.

DEVOTED Carol (left) with Margaret in their shop, which has now been open for eight months.

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REGIONAL NEWS AXARQUÍA

NEWS FROM OUR FIVE OTHER EDITIONS

(Un)fun fair

Plenty more fish in the sea Photo credit: Asc1733

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

FISH FARM: More cages could be added to Villajoyosa installation.

COSTA DEL SOL

COSTA BLANCA SOUTH

THE regional government is expected to rubberstamp an application to enlarge a fish farm off the Villajoyosa coast. Another 12 cages, each with a 38-metre diameter, will be added to the existing 30 cages where sea bass, gilthead bream and corvina are raised. Once the regional government’s permission comes through, those opposed to the scheme will have a month in which to appeal. There is less opposition to this extension than plans for an entirely new installation in front of La Vila’s El Centro beach. This has been challenged not only by Villajoyosa Town Hall and the local fishing guild but national and international archaeologists and academics. A new fish farm would adversely affect the Bou Ferrer wreck, a sunken Roman galley still laden with amphorae and lead ingots. Now a protected archaeological site, this would be rendered “unviable” by another fish farm, the Heritage General Directorate announced.

MALLORCA

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

High-flyer

Plain police

Shabby spy

Big brother

MALAGA-born 33-year-old, Carlos Perez, has been chosen by NASA to join the Cassini spacecraft’s last mission. The vessel, which was launched to explore Saturn in 1997, will make its final flight on September 11.

LOCAL POLICE in Callosa are reportedly driving around in an unmarked car and one that is being rented. The only official police vehicle with blue lights is unroadworthy.

A SWISS man was arrested after he tried to fool Andratx police with a fake Maltese diplomatic passport. A suspicious officer called his bluff and checked the passport number with the central computer.

ALCOY Council responded to local manufacturers’ requests by tendering a €171,989 contract for CCTV cameras and number-plate readers for the city’s six local industrial estates.

EWN India

Break begins

Poet queen

On view

ONE of the regular Euro Weekly News writers John Smith appeared on Indian TV last week to comment on the Barcelona terrorist attack. English speaking WION needed an insight from this country and naturally contacted Spain’s largest English language newspaper.

SHOPS, restaurants and even politicians in Orihuela City centre have begun their annual holidays to coincide with most of the local residents who are taking theirs.

A YOUNG English teacher and scientist from Palma has won Spain’s national poetry slam contest. Margalida Calahorro Bover will travel to Paris next year to compete against the world’s best spoken-word poets.

MOUNTAIN village Guadalest, which receives as many visitors as the El Prado art gallery in Madrid, has a registered population of 220 and boasts nine museums, Spain’s highest proportion.

Arson attack

Day off

FIRES destroyed large forest areas in Sant Elm and Puig d’en Trobat, both in Andratx. Police suspect arson and have launched an investigation. Fortunately there were no injuries.

VILLAJOYOSA Council voted to include St James’ Day on July 25 as a local bank holiday as this falls during the Moors and Christians fiestas that traditionally begin on July 29.

Time to wait

Belly full

What’s up?

MORE than 1,000 properties were sold in three months. The first quarter of 2017 saw Marbella come second only to Madrid in property sales.

WAITING lists in Murcia for surgical procedures have dropped by 17 days but the average waiting time is still more than three months in the Area II health authority.

A HUNGRY crowd in Porreres devoured a giant Ensaimada pastry weighing 80 kilos within just two minutes. The deluxe dessert took 120 eggs, 36 kilos of flour and 12 litres of water to make.

CAMPELLO’S Youth department now sends information on courses, services and alerts via WhatsApp. Those interested need only send a WhatsApp message to 627 258 500 to be included in the service.

No bulldozing

‘Moor’ spaces

Filth fine

No frills

A FINE of €4,000 was levied for unauthorised bulldozer use in an important archeological site. The council imposed the sanction for the unapproved use of machinery at the Basilica Paleocristiana Vega del Mar in San Pedro.

TORREVIEJA now leads the way with the amount of moorings in the Valencian Community. The marina can now accommodate up to 2,500 boats of varying shapes and sizes.

THE number of fines issued for disposing of waste incorrectly is set to more than double this year. Offences include pumping wastewater into rivers, burning dangerous items and illegal dumping.

A 16TH CENTURY painting of Virgen de Loreto was displayed for two days in Muchamiel without its usual surround of lace and adornments after its reliquary was removed for cleaning.

New fizz A POPULAR non-alcoholic Champagne has set up its base of operations in Marbella. ‘Mirage’ will be supplied to Spain and Arabian countries. The high-end, zero per cent beverage is similar to cava and includes an edition with edible gold.

High sales

Oil recycled OVER 3,200 tons of oil used in Murcia’s factories and workshops is being recycled which accounts for 44 per cent of the annual consumption of industry and the vehicle fleet.

For more local news from our five other regions see www.euroweeklynews.com

FRANCISCO DE LA TORRE, Malaga’s mayor, has claimed the city’s feria, which ended on Saturday, has lost popularity in 2017, with revellers instead choosing to visit the Real de Cortijo de Torres.

70% complete VELEZ-MALAGA’S Council is complying with 70 per cent of the aims with the Municipal Plan against Homophobia and Transphobia, according to Zoila Martin, councillor for Equality.

Life savers A LOCAL man who was enjoying a quiet day on the beach in La Herradura suffered a heart attack but was stabilised by medical staff. He was taken to the Centro de Salud in Almuñécar for further care.

3 Cultures FRIGILIANA’S famous Festival of 3 Cultures will celebrate its 12th edition from August 24 to 27 with over 35,000 people expected to attend. The festival will include food stalls, music and a souk.

Pedal power A YOUNG female cyclist, Yasmina Boto Medina, who is a member of the Almuñecar Cycling Club, has been chosen to compete in the Spanish National Cycling Championships.

Pool party WORKS to Rincon de la Victoria’s first heated indoor pool are almost complete, at 75 per cent completion. The council explained they are confident it will open in early 2018.

EWN top for all the news from Spain.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

EUROPEAN PRESS

DENMARK

NETHERLANDS

Best university

Murders down

THE University of Copenhagen came 30th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities and was the highest-ranking Scandinavian university in the latest edition.

THE Netherlands experienced fewer killings last year with 110 people murdered, 10 less than in 2015. Figures show that a quarter of the men murdered in the past five years died in gang-related violence.

Foodie paradise COPENHAGEN’S Cooking and Food Festival welcomed over 200 events during 10 days as thousands descended on the city for the event.

First day IT was a case of first day nerves for Prince Vincent as he prepared to head

GOING UP: University of Copenhagen is highest ranking.

Study choices

off to school. However his twin sister seemed more confident and was all smiles as they posed for traditional ‘first-day’ photos with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.

A STUDY at the University of Copenhagen believes that samesex siblings are less likely to make gender-stereotyped education choices.

Egg crisis MPs are returning from their summer break early to discuss the growing egg crisis with millions of eggs believed to be contaminated with a fertiliser. It is estimated the crisis is set to cost the Dutch egg industry €150 million.

Booming breweries AROUND 500 breweries are now based in the Netherlands thanks to the increase in small local beer markets. At the beginning of the 1980s there were just 20 breweries.

Radio hostage A WOMAN was held hostage at a radio station after an armed man stormed the building. The 3FM station continued broadcasting as police brought the situation under control and arrested the man.

GERMANY

SWEDEN

Liveable city

Asylum rejected

A REPORT on global liveability by the Economist has named Hamburg the most liveable city in Germany and 10th in the world, thanks to its health care and its infrastructure.

NATO funding GERMANY has pledged to increase its funding to NATO with Angela Merkel

announcing plans to assign 2 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2024, an increase from its current 1.2 per cent.

man, with English being the preferred language.

Airline talks

No locals TENSIONS are reported to be increasing in Berlin with locals raising concerns and frustrations at the number of restaurants where staff speak no Ger-

CASH strapped Air Berlin is in talks with three competitors to buy up its assets and offer Air Berlin a secure future. The government has already stepped in with a €150 million bridging loan.

ONE of the world’s oldest asylum seekers could be deported back to her home in Afganistan. The 106-year-old fled her home in 2015 with her son and grandson but it seems her asylum application has been rejected by authorities.

Rare find IMAGES have been captured of Sweden’s rare white moose by a man who spent three years trying to spot it. There are around 400,000 moose in the country but only around 100 of them are white.

FRANCE

BELGIUM

Ram raid

Belgium trial

A TEENAGE girl was killed after a car crashed into a pizzeria. Thirteen other people were injured as police say it was a deliberate act, but are not treating it as a terror attack.

THE suspect in the 2015 attacks on Paris, Salah Abdeslam,will also face trial in Belgium over a police shoot which occurred at his suspected hideout in Brussels.

NORWAY

Privacy invaded

Ancient cemetery

Poll results

PRESIDENT Emmanuel Macron has made a legal complaint against a photographer who he claimed harassed and invaded his privacy during his holiday in Marseille.

A FOSSIL cemetery has been found off the coast of Zeebrugge. The site has the remains of around 50-100 animals with half being walrus remains from the Pleistocene era. Sea mammal remains could be some 40 million years old.

Lost yachts OFFICIALS on the French Riviera have complained to President Macron that yacht owners are fleeing the area due to high taxes and are opting for cheaper Italy and Spain. The port of Saint-Tropez has lost 30 per cent of its business this year.

Barcelona victim A BELGIAN woman has been named as one of the victims who died in the Barcelona terrorist attack when a man drove a van into crowds along Las Ramblas. The Foreign Minister said two other Belgians were injured.

Delivery pay

Safe or not?

AROUND 50 bicycle couriers working for takeaway service ‘Deliveroo’ have been protesting in cities over the company’s decision to scrap their hourly rate and pay per delivery.

BRUSSELS’ biggest skate park could face closure after a study by the new owner of the site found there were stability problems, however Planet Park’s president said the problems only affect a part of the site not in use.

AHEAD of the elections, the latest opinion polls have shown the opposition Labour Party has its worst poll results in four years. The poll showed just 27.1 per cent of voters supporting Labour.

English concern CONCERNS have been raised by the Language Council of Norway over the the amount of English used in courses at Norwegian universities and colleges, with some being entirely taught in English.

Summer snow WHI LST Spai n st i l l basks i n sum m er, Sweden has exper i enced its first snow fall of the season. It was registered at Sweden’s highest mountain station at 1,228m above sea level.

Maternity protests PROTESTS are planned against the ‘chaos’ in maternity care. Demonstrations have been organised in 15 towns and cities to highlight the strain in the industry amid cost-cutting measures.

Pay inequality FEMALE managers and executives earn around 77 per cent of what their male colleagues earn in the same positions according to a report highlighting wage inequality.

Clean energy AN energy think tank believes Norway can become the world’s first fully electric-powered country by 2050. Hydro power provides over 96 per cent of Norway’s electricity and there are more than 110,000 electric cars already in use.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

Charge sheet 45,000 tons of plastic waste produced by Spanish greenhouses every year

3,000 tons of plastic on the Med

www.euroweeklynews.com

SPECIALNEW

On land and at sea waste is more than an eye-sore

In need of plastic surgery...

As record numbers of tourists touch down on Spain’s shores, David Noon examines how the plastic problem is worse than ever

291 identified uncontrolled waste landfills across Spain

90% of Mediterranean Sea turtles ingest plastic

30% of plastic is recycled in Spain

5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste in world’s oceans

5 trillion plastic bags consumed each year across the world

AMILIES basking in glorious sunshine, children digging for buried treasure beneath golden sands and loved-up couples frolicking in the shallows are all things you’d expect to find on Spain’s beaches this summer. However, there is one unwanted visitor that is making a repeat appearance: plastic. (And no, we don’t mean TOWIE stars in Marbs or the latest batch of Love Islanders in Mallorca.) This year - more so than ever before - tourists along Spain’s coastlines and its islands are having to wade their way through plastic bottles, bags and packaging as they attempt to enjoy a dip in the Med. In total, researchers estimate that there is around 3,000 tons of plastic floating on the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, with more added to the fray every year. (No doubt, the travel agents didn’t mention that to the record number of tourists expected to touch down in Spain this summer.) And because the Med is almost enclosed the plastic is effectively trapped, taking decades to be broken down. However, it is not just the tourists affected by the plastic floaters. Marine life is also suffering as sea turtles mistake bottle tops for crustaceans and Mercadona bags for jellyfish.

€0.05 EU tax imposed on each plastic bag purchased

Scientists at the Society for the Protection of Turtles have been keeping a close watch on the Med and are alarmed by what they are seeing. Robin Snape, project co-ordinator for the group, said: “In the green turtle (the presence of plastic is) really common. The vast majority of them have some plastic in their gastro-intestinal tract. It’s more than 90 per cent of the population.” And it is not just turtles that are mistakenly chomping down on the plastic at sea. In 2013, a whale beached in Almeria with 17kg of plastic waste inside its stomach. The sheets of plastic discovered inside the whale were strikenly similar to those used in Almeria’s infamous

plastic greenhouses - of which 45,000 tons of plastic waste is produced each year. Conservationists are attempting to compensate for the deaths of the sea turtles by protecting nesting sites that are often dug up by dogs and foxes. But is that really the answer? Shouldn’t we all be doing more to prevent the plastic waste in the first place? While the likes of US president Donald Trump dismiss plastic waste, ocean pollution and global warming as ‘fake news,’ there are others doing their best to raise awareness. In Mallorca, conservation group OceanCare is attempting to raise awareness through its ‘I Care’ campaign. “People are becoming increasingly aware that our throw-away plastic culture needs to change fundamentally,” Fabienne McLellan of OceanCare said. “This is why OceanCare launched the ‘I Care’ movement which unites people around the world who want to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: to put an end to the age of single-use plastic and thereby limiting the amount of plastic debris ending up in our oceans.” One (unconventional) way in which OceanCare is attempting to motivate people to join the cause is through

Dirty little secret

NOT SO GREEN: Almeria’s plastic greenhouses are an environmental disaster

SPAIN has almost 300 known illegal landfill sites, according to the EU. Earlier this year, the EU courts ruled that Spain was in breach of the European body’s Waste Framework Directive for failing to bring 61 landfill sites in line with EU environmental safety rules. Moreover, the EU has alerted Madrid to a further 230 landfill sites that are in breach of environmental regulations. The European Commission has been attempting to stamp down on Spain’s landfill problems for more than a decade. In ‘an effort to urge Spain to speed up the process’ of dealing with its landfill sites, the Court of Justice of the EU has ordered the 61 illegal landfills to be ‘closed, sealed and restored, without fur-

ther delays.’ In the meantime, the EU expects Spain to look into further illegal waste sites after an EU executive sent a formal notice to Madrid over ‘at least 291 identified uncontrolled waste landfills across Spain.’ But as policy officer for Zero Waste Europe Ferran Rosa says, the problem is not just limited to Spain. “The Spanish case highlights a problem that exists to a varying degree across Europe, and the difficulty of enforcing existing legislation, said Rosa. “Just taking this example, the infringement procedure for Spain is open since 2007 and even if the commission is willing to push for the implementation, potential sanctions take years to come,” Rosa said.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

Photo OceanCare

WS FEATURE

ON VIDEO: Shooting taking place in Mallorca.

PLASTIC BEACH: Rubbish washed up on shore is a common sight.

the medium of rock music. Collaborating with German rock band Itchy, OceanCare supported the band’s efforts to shoot its video for campaign song ‘The Sea.’ Set in Mallorca, the German rockers’ music video attempted to motivate its young fans by exposing the consequences of plastic pollution. McLellan added: “With these activities, we not only wish to raise awareness, but to also invite people to rethink their behaviour and join our movement - without pointing fingers but rather, with empowering them.” But while OceanCare is doing its bit in the Balearics, the mainland is facing a slap on the wrists for failing to meet an EU order on plastic bags. Supermarkets across the country may have started implementing a five cents charge per bag, but that falls far short of the EU’s Plastic Bag Directive. The EU Commission has sent Spain a final warning, informing the member state that it must either implement EU rules on lightweight plastic carrier bags or face infringement proceedings before the European Court of Justice. Spain - along with Greece, Italy, Poland and Cyprus - now has just IN DANGER: 90% of sea turtles have ingested plastic in the Med.

two months to satisfy the Commission if it wishes to stave off a court case. The Commission maintains that the member states have not properly implemented the Plastic Bags Directive which is intended to dramatically cut the consumption of carrier bags with a wall thickness of less than 50 microns within the EU. And in typical ‘mañana, mañana’ fashion, Spain has missed the deadline and some. Adopted more than two years ago, the deadline for transposition expired on November 27, 2016. Nine months later and Spain is still dragging its heels. In the long run, the ruling hopes to drastically cut down the number of plastic bags circulated in Europe. The Directive obligates member states to take measures which may include requiring that a price be charged for these bags and/or introducing national reduction targets that ensure that no more than 90 lightweight carrier bags are consumed per person and year by the end of 2019 and no more than 40 bags by the end of 2025. Spain may or may not receive a financial telling off by the EU courts for its failure to curb the plastic flow. But it is not the public coffers nor the politicians who are the real sufferers here. For every day that plastic regulations are ignored, the Mediterranean’s remarkable sea life will continue depleting.

Eating your problems EVERYONE has been guilty of tucking into a tub of Ben & Jerry’s or gorging on a packet of crisps in an attempt to eat their problems away. Now scientists think they have discovered one hungry critter who is ready, and willing, to eat away our plastic problems. Wax moth larvae are usually bred as fish bait, but a chance discovery has revealed their taste for plastic - which could be used to beat polluting seas. In the wild wax worms live on beeswax, making them a constant pest for beekeepers across Europe. When Federica Bertocchini a scientist and amateur beekeeper - removed an infestation from one of her hives and put them in a plastic bag, the worms simply ate their way out. “I went back to the room where I had left the worms and I found that they were everywhere,” she said. “The bag was full of holes.” The prison break led Bertoc-

PROBLEM SOLVER?: Plastic-eating worms. chini, a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council, to investigate the feeding habits of the centimetre-long Galleria mellonella grubs. To her surprise lab tests revealed that 100 worms can devour 92 milligrams of polyethylene in as little as 12 hours. With such a voracious appetite for plastic, the worms could be put to good use, the scientists reasoned. And with 3,000 tons of plastic floating atop the Med and thousands more tons sitting in landfills in Spain and across Europe, scientists are now pushing these plastic-eating

worms as a way to tackle the waste. “We want to know if they’re munching the plastic to use as a food, or just because they want to escape,” said fellow researcher PaoloBombelli. “If they just want to escape, they are going to get fed up very soon. But if they’re munching it to use as an energy source it’s a completely different ball game. We are not yet able to answer this, but we’re working on it.” While more tests are currently being carried out, a beekeepers nightmare could soon be heralded as an environmental saviour. .

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

RUSSIAN PRESS

DIRT CHEAP: Moscow taxis among cheapest city fares on planet.

Cheap rates TAXIS in Moscow are among the cheapest of the world’s major cities according to the 2017 Taxi Price Index. Moscow taxis cost an average of 23 cents per kilometre. In Zurich the price is €4.44 per kilometre. Prices have plunged due to increased competition from Yandex and Uber drivers.

Plot backfires A JUDGE from Stavropol landed himself in hot water trying to sell his job to an unqualified lawyer for four million rubles (€60,000). The lawyer contacted police who set up an undercover meeting. The judge was filmed discussing how he could forge his credentials and put the lawyer in his place.

Never forget AN activist who attached a plaque to the home of a former Gulag prisoner was arrested. Dmitry Kozlov is a leader of the Last Address project, which seeks to commemorate the millions of victims of Soviet political purges by placing small plaques outside their last known addresses.

Relic riddle NEW archaeological findings could push back the consensus view of when Moscow was established by a century. The city’s head archaeologist Leonid Kondrashev said that new evidence suggests Moscow was a thriving town during the reign of Prince Iziaslav I. He ruled 100 years earlier than the accepted date of 1147.

Topless challenge THOUSANDS of Russian men of all shapes and sizes have been whipping off their tops to pose for Putin-style photos. The humorous campaign was inspired by the president’s recent Siberia holiday which was spent half-naked by a lake. The #PutinShirtlessChallenge forbids flexing and photoshop manipulation.

Poet battle A VIDEO of two Russian rappers battling each other with lyrics gained more than 10 million views in just 24 hours. Veteran rapper Oxxxymiron was defeated by Slava KPSS by dent of public reaction. The pair skillfully insulted one another in Russian-flavoured English rhyme.

TRIUMPH: Crimea’s return to Russia welcomed by patriots.

Silent film A BLOCKBUSTER film about the Russian annexation of Crimea is unlikely to receive international release. Western and Ukrainian fury about the 2014 move means the film is set to be screened only in Russia and Belarus. It depicts a love story amid the return of Crimea to Russian control.

FINANCE More Indian tourists

RESEARCH suggests that up to 60 per cent of Spain’s workforce would be prepared to move overseas to take up a new position should the opportunity arise. This means that if the answers received are accurate, some 11 million Spanish workers would be quite content to move abroad if their ideal job became available. When one considers the high unemployment rate amongst younger people, it is not surprising that the analysis by Randstad - a leading company in human resources solu-

EvanAmos Wikim edia

means that UK prices for walnuts have increased by a fifth in the last few months. This price rise has had a knock-on effect on the production of Walnut Whips - a British favourite for more than 100 years - making manufacturers Nestlé introduce a new range of Whips flavoured with caramel, mint and vanilla but without the traditional nut on their peak. The traditional Whip, complete with walnut will continue to be sold singly and at Christmas, there will be a special six-pack.

The original Walnut Whip.

By John Smith tions in Spain - identifies the under25s as the group most likely to look to travel abroad for work. In the 1960s and 1970s, a large number of Spaniards travelled across Europe to find work which resulted in many waiters and hotel staff arriving in the UK, saving money and in many cases returning to their homeland to retire. The situation today is somewhat different as those who have moved through to higher education in Spain

BUSINESS EXTRA

Iberia Airline THE Spanish flag carrier airline Iberia has formally confirmed that it is looking to reduce staff by slightly less than 6 per cent. This will be the third round of redundancies in four years.

Trendy brew SPANISH beer has grown in popularity throughout the world in the past decade and exports have increased by 261 per cent. The main target audiences are China, Portugal and the UK with San Miguel being much sought after.

Banco Popular BOND holders who lost €850 million following the handover of Banco Popular to Santander have now launched an action in the European Court of Justice. They hope to demonstrate that the sale was unnecessary and should be reversed.

Spanish airline shares fall TERRORIST attacks in Barcelona immediately caused a drop in the value of shares in Spanish airlines as well as airlines who serve Spanish airports. This only adds to the perceived problems of travelling in and out of Spain by air with record

A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION | WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/3.0.15/FINANCE

I am worried that the political system of this country will take us in a direction that, in my opinion is very dangerous,” Stanley Fischer vice-president of the US Federal Reserve on calls to relax banking regulations.

Walnut whipped off treat

EWN

is the amount that the Spanish public debt reached by the end of June and 100.3 per cent of GDP.

Spaniards will emigrate

WHILST much is made of the love that fellow Europeans have for Spain as a holiday destination, an estimated 1.8 million travellers from India are expected in 2017. With such a huge population and a growth in an affluent middle class, many Indians have decided to take holidays in Europe and can obtain Schengen visas relatively easily which will often allow them to travel between countries once they are in the Schengen zone.

WHILST the economy of Extremadura is said to be fragile, one piece of good news will please walnut growers in the region who account for 20 per cent of world production. A poor crop in Chile, a growing demand for the nut and a weakening of the pound

€1.138 trillion

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

Quote of the Week

Costa de Almería

24 - 30 August 2017

queues of people waiting to have their passports checked and a decision by security staff to hold 25 days of strikes leading up to the Christmas holidays. It is hoped that some settlement will be reached before the next peak travel season.

have studied one or more foreign languages which means that they are better equipped than their parents and grandparents to find work abroad and apart from the UK, many who speak English and Spanish are attracted to the USA. Understandably, the older workers grow, the less inclined they are to want to cope with the upheaval of moving abroad but overall, Spaniards appear to be the most likely to be prepared to move to a new country when compared to citizens of most other Western European countries.

Outrage affects bonds INVESTORS have started to take a major interest in what are known as ‘safe haven’ bonds within the eurozone. This move towards euro bonds reflects certain investor worries about the US economy and has been exacerbated by the Catalan terrorist attacks. Money tends to flow into what are regarded as secure areas during times of economic or general turmoil which has meant Spanish government bonds will have to increase rates to attract new sales.

E W N 24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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

C LOSING P RICES A UGUST 21

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,277.50 -2.50 Associated British Foods 2,950.00 -190.00 Admiral Group 1,944.00 -21.00 Ashtead Group 1,622.50 51.50 Antofagasta 926.50 -17.00 Aviva 531.00 9.00 AstraZeneca 4,450.00 3.00 BAE Systems 593.50 10.00 Babcock International Group 882.50 67.50 Barclays 194.50 -1.15 British American Tobacco 4,837.50 85.50 Barratt Developments 612.50 2.50 British Land Co 624.00 13.00 BHP Billiton 1,350.00 -1.00 Bunzl 2,278.50 -27.50 BP 443.50 3.50 Burberry Group 1,751.00 5.00 BT Group 293.50 1.00 Coca-Cola HBC 2,582.00 28.00 Carnival 5,145.00 -145.00 Centrica 207.50 5.90 Compass Group 1,665.00 35.00 Croda International 3,853.00 45.00 CRH 2,601.00 -70.00 ConvaTec Group 286.30 0.69 DCC 6,815.00 -4.74 Diageo 2,579.25 29.75 Direct Line Insurance Group 377.55 -7.55 Experian 1,487.50 -27.50 easyJet 1,302.50 12.50 Ferguson Ord 10 5366p 4,763.50 183.50 Fresnillo 1,586.00 53.00 G4S 324.15 25.85 GKN 324.50 8.80 Glencore 337.00 -6.45 GlaxoSmithKline 1,492.50 2.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,420.00 80.00 Hammerson 566.00 -0.81 HSBC Holdings 737.50 1.30 International Consolidated Air 603.00 -8.50 InterContinental Hotels Grp 3,924.00 0.00 3i Group 955.50 15.00 Imperial Brands 3,250.00 80.50 Informa 672.00 -25.00 Intertek Group 4,558.50 -275.50 ITV 171.95 5.25 Johnson Matthey 2,910.00 129.00 Kingfisher 308.50 15.40 Land Securities Group 1,017.50 15.50 Legal & General Group 268.50 1.70

% CHG. NET VOL -0.20 17,964.91 -6.05 25,175.24 -1.07 5,695.65 3.28 7,887.77 -1.80 9,311.42 1.72 21,222.83 0.07 56,720.27 1.71 18,838.17 8.28 4,247.01 -0.59 33,601.99 1.80 110,822.29 0.41 6,174.02 2.13 6,401.20 -0.07 28,766.42 -1.19 7,832.56 0.80 87,563.80 0.29 7,603.77 0.34 29,117.23 1.10 9,417.66 -2.74 11,427.00 2.93 11,419.63 2.15 26,109.27 1.18 5,032.34 -2.62 22,773.62 0.24 5,643.66 -0.07 6,195.40 1.17 65,103.57 -1.96 5,346.00 -1.82 14,280.05 0.97 5,167.68 4.01 11,728.17 3.46 11,539.75 8.67 4,665.64 2.79 5,480.29 -1.88 49,661.86 0.17 74,072.28 5.97 6,370.10 -0.14 4,549.12 0.18 148,533.80 -1.39 12,979.53 0.00 7,576.81 1.59 9,276.10 2.54 30,918.43 -3.59 5,862.80 -5.70 7,824.21 3.15 6,819.04 4.64 5,453.77 5.25 6,454.90 1.55 8,089.41 0.64 15,947.15

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Lloyds Banking Group ORD 65.06 London Stock Exchange Grp 3,887.00 Micro Focus International 2,137.50 Mediclinic International 802.75 Merlin Entertainments 465.00 Marks & Spencer Group 334.75 Mondi 1,944.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 248.25 National Grid 967.50 Next 4,064.50 Old Mutual Group 204.50 Provident Financial 2,075.00 Paddy Power Betfair 7,482.50 Prudential 1,827.50 Persimmon 2,463.00 Pearson 650.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 7,325.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 251.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,122.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,175.00 RELX 1,541.50 Rio Tinto 3,441.00 Royal Mail 406.10 Rolls-Royce Group 904.50 Randgold Resources 7,300.00 RSA Insurance Group 700.75 Rentokil Initial 262.50 Sainsbury (J) 237.00 Schroders 3,497.00 Sage Group (The) 695.00 Segro 537.50 Shire 3,897.25 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,177.50 Sky 866.00 Standard Life Aberdeen 430.00 Smiths Group 1,565.00 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trst 413.00 Smith & Nephew 1,375.00 SSE 1,425.00 Standard Chartered 748.50 St James's Place 1,160.50 Severn Trent 2,221.00 Tesco 178.50 TUI AG 1,341.00 Taylor Wimpey 196.40 Unilever 4,338.50 United Utilities Group 990.25 Vodafone Group 219.70 Worldpay Group 402.50 WPP Group 1,585.50 Whitbread 3,801.00

CHANGE(P) 1.15 -57.00 -36.50 82.25 4.50 17.65 -124.00 4.65 7.20 -85.50 0.80 223.00 302.50 16.50 -58.00 45.00 68.00 -6.00 8.00 29.50 -128.50 11.50 13.90 3.50 -195.00 48.75 -33.00 -0.10 117.00 1.00 15.50 132.75 -106.50 -86.00 -1.60 16.00 -7.50 7.00 -12.00 -2.90 -28.50 5.83 1.95 16.00 3.60 -115.00 92.75 0.65 -21.10 21.50 8.00

% CHG.

NET VOL

1.80 -1.45 -1.68 11.42 0.98 5.57 -6.00 1.91 0.75 -2.06 0.39 12.04 4.21 0.91 -2.30 7.44 0.94 -2.33 0.38 1.37 -7.69 0.34 3.54 0.39 -2.60 7.48 -11.17 -0.04 3.46 0.14 2.97 3.53 -4.66 -9.03 -0.37 1.03 -1.78 0.51 -0.84 -0.39 -2.40 0.26 1.10 1.21 1.87 -2.58 10.33 0.30 -4.98 1.37 0.21

46,311.82 13,668.41 5,081.89 5,389.25 4,717.42 5,184.52 10,007.26 5,797.96 33,037.76 6,182.26 10,175.20 2,799.86 6,306.30 46,894.63 7,814.37 5,061.75 51,734.36 30,727.69 95,850.63 80,939.97 18,095.38 47,155.71 4,003.00 16,776.88 6,961.22 6,642.42 5,365.01 5,249.16 7,677.98 7,566.22 5,302.16 35,153.10 5,463.81 16,425.21 12,843.77 6,177.35 5,936.78 12,102.57 14,344.87 24,851.75 6,295.84 5,310.39 14,645.40 7,831.09 6,324.75 56,383.48 6,167.68 58,682.41 8,460.00 20,315.52 7,041.24

0.91316

1.09509 Units per €

US dollar ...............................................................1.17399 Japan yen .............................................................128.157 Switzerland franc..............................................1.13450 Denmark kroner ..............................................7.43630 Norway kroner ..................................................9.31298 currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES A UGUST 21

COMPAN 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CATERPILLAR CHEVRON TEXACO COCA-COLA CISCO SYSTEMS DU PONT EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACH HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL JOHNSON & JOHNSON JP MORGAN CHASE MCDONALDS MERCK MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER & GAMBLE ST. PAUL TRV UNITED TECHNOLOGIES UNITEDHEALTH VERIZON VISA CLASS A WAL-MART WALT DISNEY

PRICE 203,530 85,380 157,500 235,770 113,920 106,480 45,670 30,370 81,180 76,640 24,550 222,150 147,490 139,700 35,010 132,630 90,740 157,760 61,490 72,490 54,950 32,670 92,470 127,890 115,480 190,820 47,690 102,510 79,310 100,700

CHANGE% CHANGE VOLUME(M) -0,89 -1,820 121.460 -0,82 -0,710 75.474 -0,23 -0,360 862.694 +0,08 0,180 139.360 +0,69 0,780 67.324 +0,53 0,560 201.780 -0,41 -0,190 194.796 -2,16 -0,670 152.752 +0,40 0,320 70.448 +0,50 0,380 324.732 -0,81 -0,200 212.553 +0,33 0,730 85.944 -1,46 -2,180 176.332 -0,71 -1,000 130.192 -0,45 -0,160 165.317 -0,31 -0,410 355.979 +0,10 0,090 319.311 -0,08 -0,130 127.785 -0,52 -0,320 167.705 +0,12 0,090 569.805 -4,37 -2,510 72.103 -0,85 -0,280 194.300 +0,43 0,400 235.800 -0,23 -0,300 35.291 -0,53 -0,620 92.242 -0,98 -1,880 184.496 -0,42 -0,200 194.547 +0,34 0,350 187.529 -0,49 -0,390 239.080 -0,67 -0,680 155.429 M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES A UGUST 21

COMPANY

Kleinwort Benson Elite PCC Ltd

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, Inc. Amyris, Inc. China Finance Online Co. Limited Xunlei Limited Ross Stores, Inc. Yangtze River Development Limited ProQR Therapeutics N.V. Control4 Corporation QuinStreet, Inc. 21Vianet Group, Inc. Lincoln Educational Services Corporation

$ 4.34 $ 2.41 $ 2.31 $ 4.60 $ 59.02 $ 10.73 $ 4.75 $ 24.31 $ 4.64 $ 4.72 $ 3.13

0.88 ▲ 25.43% 0.39 ▲ 19.31% 0.31 ▲ 15.50% 0.55 ▲ 13.58% 5.69 ▲ 10.67% 0.94 ▲ 9.60% 0.40 ▲ 9.20% 2.04 ▲ 9.16% 0.38 ▲ 8.92% 0.36 ▲ 8.26% 0.23 ▲ 7.93%

$ 4.80 $ 38.80 $ 3.58 $ 11.01 $ 17.20 $ 2.68 $ 40.375 $ 15.78 $ 2.05 $ 19.93 $ 3.98

0.45 ▼ 8.57% 3.60 ▼ 8.49% 0.33 ▼ 8.44% 0.98 ▼ 8.17% 1.35 ▼ 7.28% 0.21 ▼ 7.27% 3.125 ▼ 7.18% 1.08 ▼ 6.41% 0.14 ▼ 6.39% 1.27 ▼ 5.99% 0.23 ▼ 5.46%

Most Declined Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation Viacom Inc. Quotient Limited The Finish Line, Inc. Atlantic Capital Bancshares, Inc. Zion Oil & Gas Inc MyoKardia, Inc. Shoe Carnival, Inc. Westmoreland Coal Company Altisource Portfolio Solutions S.A. YogaWorks, Inc.

E W N 24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

ONLINE SHOPPING BECOMES EASIER

Beatles’ relics still popular

By John Smith A NEW report suggests that with up to 80 per cent of the Spanish population having access to the internet, e-commerce is about to accelerate dramatically. Currently Amazon Spain is estimated to be the largest internet seller in the country with turnover in excess of €3 trillion, followed surprisingly by Chinese site Alibaba which operates in Spain under the name Aliexpress at just over €1 billion, whilst el Corte Ingles trails in third place at €530 million. As more retailers offer an online purchasing service, so more consumers are purchasing through them but what isn’t known or even understood is how many of these sales would have been made in store and therefore how profitable these sites really are. For small retailers online outlets such as Amazon are without doubt an ideal option as consumers can compare prices and read service reviews. This also becomes an attractive option for larger stores but whilst they benefit from their strength in purchasing in bulk, they have to ensure that their operating costs don’t make them uncompetitive. Stores such as those owned by the Inditex and Mango groups are able to reach customers in areas where shops are spread thinly and they have invested large amounts into ensuring that their sites are quick, efficient and easy to use. Supermarket sites, which are very popular in the UK, are perhaps not so profitable here and appear in some cases to have been introduced for the sake of having an online site rather than actually planning them out properly. The Mercadona group is a perfect example as it has had to be redesigned and responsibility for this has been handed to the founder’s

Photo Credit: Pormezz Shutterstock

Retailers build better sites

ONLINE SHOPPING: The trolley on your desk.

youngest daughter Juana Roig, but the results suggest Mercadona is well ahead of its competitors with growing purchases online. Having said this, it is estimated that total turnover is somewhere between €170 million and €190 million which is just 1 per cent of annual turnover and this division currently trades at a loss. Conversely however, customers tend to buy larger amounts of goods than they would in store in order to justify the delivery and handling charges. Those with an eye for a bargain however have discovered that some (although not all) sites outside Spain will deliver via couriers, often free of charge, so it is possible to purchase perfume from the UK, costume jewellery from Germany or even clothing from Debenhams online with substantial savings over Spanish retail prices.

AMERICANS BEEF UP MARKET

Repsol share forecasts Photo Credit: YouTube

Huge growth for burger chains A SIMPLE piece of minced beef in a bun is fuelling a whole new revolution in the fast food market in Spain. For generations, the vast majority of restaurants and food outlets in Spain sold traditional Spanish food and to a great extent older generations of Spaniards have remained loyal to this cuisine. As with so many other European countries however, the American way of eating started to spread and by the middle of the 1980s, both Burger King and McDonald’s were firmly entrenched in the Spanish psyche. The concept of this type of fast food spawned a number of local eateries such as Vip although other American food outlets including KFC and Friday’s promoted the opening of franchise operations around the country. The two big burger giants saw off the presence of Wendy’s American burgers but are now facing an onslaught of beefy competition. In many towns, local, un-franchised burger restaurants with names like Gourmet Burger and American Burger have opened up. These offer a burger ex-

Model Nina Agdal promotes Carl Jr burgers.

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perience rather than simple fast food and attract a trendy audience. Having seen the success of McDonald’s with its 500 branches and Burger King with 700, at least three US chains have now decided that the time has come to expand their empires within Spain. Although not household names in Europe, Steak ‘N Shake with 544 outlets in the USA, Five Guys with 700 and Carl’s Jr leading the way with 1,385 have started to test the Spanish waters by opening restaurants in some

ALTHOUGH it is nearly 50 years since the Beatles split up, they are still the most collected group worldwide with a page of lyrics likely to sell for €20,000. This is the amount expected to be paid in auction in September for Paul McCartney’s handwritten score of Eleanor Rigby which has been signed by the ‘fifth Beatle,’ producer, the late Sir George Martin. This is believed to be a piece handed to one of the backing octet consisting of violins, violas and cellos who helped record the original version of the song. Coincidentally, a bible owned by Eleanor Rigby whose name on a gravestone inspired the song - has just been found and is also included in the auction. John Lennon famously spent some time in Spain and who knows whether other forgotten Beatles’ treasures are waiting to be found here and in the UK.

of the main cities in Spain. Clearly if these are successful then there is likely to be a massive expansion especially in areas with shopping centres where each of these operations would fit in well. One of the problems that the existing companies running burger outlets may face is the cost of franchising as it appears that the ‘new boys on the block’ are prepared to undercut McDonald’s and Burger King with lower start-up costs in order to gain a speedy increase in market share.

B A R C L AY ’ S B A N K d i f fers from other investment advisors although downgrading its forecast for Spanish oil company Repsol. Whilst it doesn’t believe that Repsol will generate large amounts of dividend in the immediate future it has indicated a target price of €19 which is hugely higher than any other forecast. According to the British Bank, it expects to see a growth by Repsol of 35 per cent and its share forecast price compares to an average of €14.57 and a low of €10.89. At the time of writing, the actual share price was €14.01 and had seen some decent growth in the last few weeks but it is unusual to see such diverse opinion amongst investment houses.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

23 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Ryanair Media Centre

Angry at Lufthansa support

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Ryanair eyes on expanding German business. insolvency has obviously been set up so that Lufthansa can take over a debt-free Air Berlin and this is contrary to all competition rules of Germany and the EU.” In accordance with this belief, the company has filed a complaint with the German Federal Cartel Office as well

as with the EU Competition Commission. Ryanair which has been trying to increase the number of airports in Germany from which it can operate suggests that the demise of Air Berlin and take-over of ‘cheap aircraft’ by Lufthansa will reduce competition and see higher fares on routes which were previously run on a competitive basis. The German government rejects all of Ryanair’s accusations but the European Commission decision may play an important part in seeing how matters progress in the German market which is so important to Lufthansa. Unions at Eurowings, a low cost carrier which is a subsidiary of Lufthansa also criticise the deal, believing that it will allow the German parent to take over Air Berlin staff on terms which are potentially worse than those who work for the company. Cabin crew are now considering whether it would be appropriate to take strike action in support of their pay claims which have coincidentally broken down recently.

Go slow at airports

RYANAIR ACCUSES GERMAN GOVERNMENT OF CARVE UP

ACCUSATIONS are flying across borders as one of the main carriers of German tourists to Spain applies for liquidation. Air Berlin which was the largest carrier serving the Balearics and Mallorca in particular was supported for some time by Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad but with their financial backing withdrawn, the airline can’t continue. It has already passed some of its routes to former subsidiary Austrian airline Niki (originally founded by Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda) and now with a €150 million grant from the German government, it hopes to continue to fly until it is taken over by Lufthansa. This support has infuriated Ryanair which is currently the second largest operator in Mallorca and the Irish company has accused the German airlines and government of what it calls ‘a carve up’ which will be to the advantage of Lufthansa. In a statement, a spokesperson for Ryanair said “This artificially created

EWN

AS the strike of security staff at Barcelona El Prat a i r p o r t i s c a l l e d o ff t e m porarily, staff at other Aena managed Spanish airports have announced their own programme. Whilst Barcelona was the touch paper and an arbitrator is likely to be appointed by central government, the explosion of anger by staff could bring a winter of delays and irritation to passengers. It is expected that Marcos Peña, who was involved in trying to resolve the recent S t e v e d o r e ’s d i s p u t e w i l l be appointed to try to get the parties to agree on a way forward. If the staff in Barcelona can be placated, then it is p o s s i b l e t h a t s t a ff i n t h e other airports will be likely to settle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FEATURE

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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I truly am very fed up with being told to call a spade a fork THIS latest travesty, which resulted in the resignation of MP Sarah Champion is a glaring example. Ms Champion had the ‘nerve’ to state that Pakistani men were targeting white British girls for sexual exploitation. In the light of the recent evidence and subsequent prosecutions, to most minds the only thing this MP was guilty of was stating the blatantly obvious. Naturally the Corbyn’ites didn’t agree. The first priority in the forming of a dictatorial state is the suppression of free speech. It is therefore no surprise that Corbyn cynically forced out one of his own, perfectly capable party members purely for speaking the truth. (A statement which also wouldn’t of course win his party many future ethnic votes!) Freedom of expression is at the very core of a democratic society. To suppress it results in frustration, social unrest and ultimately, without that valve of non-physical release, violence. We have to be able

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT to voice opinions, which, as long as they don’t incite riotous behaviour, can be discussed and argued about among our peers without fear of arrest or legal proceedings. Political correctness is the scourge of modern society. Needing to bottle up the truth for fear of recrimination, is a completely unacceptable EU-inspired edict, that hopefully will soon be wiped off our constitutional pages, in the same way thousands of other ridiculous and destructive laws, that Brussels has forced upon us over the last 60 years will also disappear. Another

example was the terrorist exercise recently carried out in a London shopping centre. Apparently, some factions of Muslim society were ‘upset’ that the ‘perpetrators’ were told to scream ‘Allua Akbar’ at the start of the incident. Oh really? I suppose the fact that every single terrorist attack that has taken place has been preceded by this shouted phrase has nothing to do with it? Hearing this could be the first indication of an attack, and indeed save lives by giving the public at least a fraction of time to react to whatever outrage is about to occur. The decision to use the phrase was perfectly correct and certainly didn’t need ‘apologising’ for. I also have reservations about Caster Se-

FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Political correctness has gone to the extreme.

menya, the Olympic gold-medalist runner who won gold in the women’s 800 metres in the recent World championships. Due to a condition called Hyperandrogenism, she has testosterone levels three time higher than a female, no female organs and internal testes. She is in fact considered Intersex. Whatever gender she prefers, as is her right, I consider it completely unfair to allow her to compete against women in these events. Female toilets, women’s armed forces and even her recent marriage (to a female!) are fine, but unless she agrees on medication to lower her testosterone levels, physical competition should never be allowed. I know many will disagree, but to me it simply isn’t on. Just another example of PC madness, which left unchecked will be the end of society as we know it. Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

Sounds like a lot of money Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man THIS week I’m going to mention again a certain airline that, if you don’t pay extra to select a seat, will make sure that you and your travelling companion do not sit together. A friend of mine called Bill, who is much wiser and smarter than I, has come up with a solution that he has tried and which has worked and I’m going to pass it on to you. Even if it doesn’t work I’d have to try it. Here we go. When you get on the plane don’t stress take your allocated seat, which will most likely be a middle seat, because that’s how they punish you. Then when everyone is seated get up and go to your partner, wherever they are sitting, and say to them, ‘How you feeling?’ Then produce a sick bag or even a carrier bag and say, ‘Look make sure when you throw up, that you get it all in the bag.’ By now the people each side are going to be looking a bit uncomfortable and usually, if they are travelling alone, one will say, ‘Would you like to sit here?’ because no one wants to sit next to someone who is going to

be sick on a flight. Worth a try! I saw this week that they are now not building a new bridge over the Thames. Well, that’s OK then, except it’s already cost £50 million. That’s right, £50 million has already been spent. How? Where? Please explain to me how this happens. Someone has made a nice few quid out of this and it’s scandalous. And how about that HS2 train network. It’s going to add 350 miles of new track all at the knock down price of £55 billion - that’s £157,142, 857.1428571 per mile. Now that sounds like a lot of money to me. All that to cut an hour off your journey time to get to Manchester. I’ll tell you what spend the money on hospitals and health and let all the punters for the fast train get up an hour earlier. And don’t be under any illusion - the first bits of snow or rain or a few dodgy leaves on the line and it will all grind to a halt and, of course, you just know it will run over budget too. I have a message for Mr Donald J Trump this week. You CANNOT over react to Nazis walking through the streets of the USA or any country come to that. Did you not hear their chants? Did you not see the burning torches they were carrying? You are an embarrassment and should be removed from office immediately. If anyone has any comments my email is mikesenker@gmail.com.

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FEATURE

Albox/Mojacar Insurance. For all your motoring needs.

www.alboxinsurance.es

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Documents to carry 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. Photo credit: autofacil.es

DON’T FORGET: The necessary documentation to have in your car. A COMMON question that often crops up for drivers in Spain is what documents must be carried in the car with you. Here the N-332 team have the answers... The ITV card This is the official document which relates to the technical inspection of the vehicle. ITV report Once your vehicle is four years old it is required to have the mandatory ITV test and the report which states what happened during the inspection and confirms it is road worthy, and it must be carried in the vehicle. Permiso de Circulacion The Permiso de Circulacion is similar to a log book for a vehicle and contains information such as the number plate, vehicle owner and other details relating to the vehicle. There are also some other documents which are not compulsory, but it is advisable that you carry them with you. These include:

Insurance policy This is not compulsory as all the information is contained on a central computer, however, if you are involved in an accident you will need to know your policy details so it is easier to have them to hand. European Accident Agreement Again, this is not compulsory, but it is advisable to carry the European Accident form as it will help you ensure data is recorded correctly in the event of an incident. The forms are available in a number of languages but are all laid out the same so it bridges any language gaps. Copies of your Suma annual tax which is paid to municipal town halls is also not compulsory. Remember that the documents you carry must be the originals, not photocopies. Notarised copies are allowed, but this is the only exception.

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

How to quiet noisy renters? We need your advice on a problem with a detached property behind our house with private pool. The owner lives in Scandinavia and rents out this property for most of the year. It is advertised on websites.They have a local property manager who welcomes the people and handles cleaning. We and other neighbours have been kept awake by loud partying around the pool long after midnight. Try phoning the property manager after midnight when the noise becomes loud. Then call the Local Police. Encourage your neighbours to call too. If your absent owner advertises on

Who is responsible? Should we notify the town hall or the police? As this is a business, is there a way to formally complain? Should the house be registered with the local authority for rental and how can we check if it is?

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

the web, his advert must feature his registration number for tourist rentals. If he does

P S (By email) not have this, he can be subject to heavy fines. The website can also be fined. If your property manager is a business, you can complain to the OMIC, consumer advice municipal office.

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

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Compensation gravy train isn’t grinding to a halt any time soon Nora Johnson

Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

A HOLIDAYMAKER’S claim that she suffered ‘nausea and diarrhoea’ during an all-inclusive Thomas Cook holiday in Egypt has been branded a lie. During the period when she was supposedly ‘trotting back and forth to the toilet,’ she was posting on social media about being in ‘luxury.’ This follows another £10,000 bogus food poisoning claim against Thomas Cook by tourists who didn’t mention food poisoning at the time, had no medical verification, and after their return (from Gran Canaria) returned to work and their children to school. What is wrong with people? I know of a woman who sued a

BAD HOLIDAY? More and more holidaymakers are making false compensation claims. previous employer because she slipped on a staircase in the workplace and hurt herself (no broken bones). She also sued the local council because she had fallen after tripping on an uneven paving stone. Why? Sometimes it isn’t anyone’s fault. Other than, occasionally, someone’s own clumsiness. The whiplash industry and its successor, the holiday enteritis industry, form part of the UK’s ever growing compensation

culture where companies actively try to encourage people to make bogus claims. And you don’t need to have been in any sort of accident - car crash scammers call at random. I’ve written about this before. About British travel agents said to operate an annual £1m fighting fund to cope with huge personal injury payouts to ‘aggrieved’ holidaymakers. About teaching staff securing major compensation for minor acci-

dents and likewise illegal immigrants for ‘unlawful detention’ while awaiting deportation. I’ve said this before as well but I’ll say it again anyway the UK’s thriving compensation culture is not only still keeping the door wide open for all these claimants but continuing to carry them over the threshold too. Solution? Make it harder for those keen to exploit the system for profit at the slightest excuse. Enough to drive the rest of us crazy! Which reminds me of a joke. A pair of cows are talking in a field. One says, “Have you heard about the mad cow disease that’s going around?” “Yeah.” The other cow says, “I’m glad I’m a penguin.” Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Girl in the Red Dress,’ ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.norajohnson.net) available from Amazon. Profits to Cudeca.

OPINION & COMMENT

THURSDAY THOUGHTS By Angus Sylvie

“It’s a vicious circus” I HAVE a relative who regularly creates sentences that sound fine in her head but when they emerge from her mouth contain unintended or mixed-up words that can either render the sentence meaningless or amusing, or both. Here are some examples. She once finished an argument with what she triumphantly thought was the decisive question “How would you like it if the foot was on the other shoe?” which had the unintended consequence of causing the object of her anger to collapse in fits of laughter. After complaining of a pain in her wrist, she announced “I think I’ve got repetitive arm syndrome.” She wanted to listen to her radio so asked “Do you mind if I put my headstones on?” We were watching some football. Bored, she asked “is it half-term yet?” Yes, she meant half-time. Recounting a debt collection documentary she had watched, she announced “In the end they had to send the bayleaves round!” TV programmes do not escape her verbal mangling. Keen to catch a comedy TV show, she said “I need to get home so I can watch Have I Been Framed For You.” Then there was the time I was trying to end a phone call so I could watch World’s Strongest Man. She guessed this and said “I suppose you want to watch The World’s Biggest Man now?” which would be a very short programme as all you would need are some scales and a tape measure. Why is it that some people’s brains work like this and don’t seem to learn from their mistakes? Indeed my relative feels that the more mistakes she makes, the worse she gets. As she herself says “It’s a vicious circus.” 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.

E W N 24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de AlmerÃa

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TV LISTING

THURSDAY 24 AUGUST

FRIDAY 25 AUGUST

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Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Who Do You Think You Are? Ambulance BBC News at Ten BBC London News Deadliest Place to Deal Killing at the Carwash

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 11:00pm 11:25pm 11:35pm

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show A Question of Sport EastEnders Celebrity MasterChef BBC News at Ten BBC London News The Ronnie Barker Comedy Lecture with Ben Elton Miranda

12:20am

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WEDNESDAY 30 AUGUST

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Weather Len Goodman's Partners in Rhyme Pointless Who Dares Wins Casualty Mrs. Brown's Boys BBC News Weather Match of the Day People Just Do Nothing

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BBC News Regional News Weather Countryfile Diana Strike BBC News Regional News Weather Match of the Day 2 Live at the Apollo

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Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave EastEnders Would I Lie to You? Strike BBC News Regional News Weather Imagine... Frankenstein

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BBC News Regional News The One Show EastEnders Holby City Trust Me BBC News Regional News Weather New Tricks Ambulance

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FEATURE

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

The old lady looks fabulous! 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.

SHE might have been around for at least four millenniums, but looks fashionably good today. The positive reports keep flowing in. So many friends I have met over the years return for the summer pilgrimage pronouncing rave reviews. They are all astounded how well the lovely Mojacar looks, both village and beach. The older friends well recognise the hard work that went into making the transformation. The new arrivals smile unexpectedly and enjoy. “Wow, what a wonderful job fixing up the beach.” I had nothing to do with it… still can’t vote either. But, it does look good, white and clean. Must be the cleanest village in all of Spain. And, in any case they all

WHITE BEAUTY: Mojacar can be proud of its charm and beauty. will be back and bring more friends. Maybe next year all those that show up will spend money in the bars too and not just the supermarkets. From all accounts it hasn’t been a profitable season for the bars and restaurants. If someone charged for parking, fortunes would be made. Parking appears

to be the Achilles tendon for all of Mojacar, above and below. There is never enough and consequently the locals cannot visit their favourite eating places or watering holes without taking a massive hike or prolonged death march. It is a real problem that will need a well thought-out approach to solve and keep the merchants

and locals content. In the meantime, let us all enjoy the greenery along the front, the paseo walks and drive the clean streets. Some even question whether they are still in Spain because as you well know, Spain has always been a partial project in progress forever - threatening to complete

the task mañana (which, like free beer, never comes). Mojacar sparkles, glows and is most liveable, most likeable and easy to share. But it hasn’t just been just a cosmetic facelift but also clamping down on the drunken hen parties that started to take over the town and the streets on the beach. Turning the town into another Magaluf ruled by the teen mentality and rowdy as they want to be. Furthermore the town hall has offered a summer list of worthy events to attend, flamenco shows, art exposes, ceramics, philharmonic orchestras. All culturally beneficial and informative. The cultural building is getting well-used and enjoyed by all. Hats off and a standing applause for Mayor Rosa Maria and company. Making Mojacar somewhere special and award-winning. I hope the new rules to come don’t become too Draconian.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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FEATURE

JB Gill to combine his faith and music in Songs of Praise Richard Shanley

Dishing the Dirt OF EUROPA DIGITAL

IT’S definitely a good time to be a JLS fan. Following the news that Aston Merrygold has joined this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, it’s now been announced that his former bandmate JB Gill has a new telly gig lined up too… on Songs of Praise. Indeed, the singer will join the BBC show’s team as a features presenter and has revealed that he’s excited to combine his faith and music. “BBC One’s Songs of Praise has played an integral part to my childhood,” he said. “I remember growing up watching and singing along to all of the hymns, many of which I’d learnt during hymn practice at my Church of England primary school. Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited to be taking on this new role as a Songs of Praise presenter.

JB GILL: The singer will join the BBC show’s team and is looking forward to being a features presenter.

“I’m especially looking forward to combining my faith with my love of music, performing and my passion for the outdoors. Hopefully you’ll also get to see me sing a few more hymns along the way!” Apple is spending a massive $1 billion on original TV shows in the next year, as it looks to compete with the likes of Netflix. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company is keen to invest and deliver up to 10 series to its

customers. However, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos has also revealed that the streaming giant will be shelling out $7 billion on content next year. Speaking to Variety, Sarandos said that Netflix is sustainable as a business. “We’re not spending money we don’t have,” he said. “We’re spending revenue... We have one of the low debt levels in the industry.” The executive added: “The vast majority is still licensed content. We’re still a couple years from seeing it go 50/50.” If you would like me to answer any questions you may have on satellite TV or to expand on anything I have written about please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europadigital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show every weekday from 10am on Spectrum 96.1 & 106.8FM, now covering almost 3,000sq kms of Costa Almeria and Calida or listen online at costaalmeria.spectrumfm.net for the latest news and views from the world of satellite television.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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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.

Tourist quality, not quantity TOO much tourism in Spain seems to be focused around attracting cheap and cheerful! This is clearly displayed with the recent Ryanair ban (EWN Issue 1676) on passengers on certain routes (including to Ibiza) boarding flights with dutyfree drinks in their baggage. It must go into the hold, or be left . And the boozy antics do not just stop on landing, nor are they merely a reflection of younger tourists. Too many visiting Spain put cheap alcohol as a major foundation to their holidays, often leading to bad public behaviour including rowdiness and at times even violence. Millions of tourists are well-behaved, but I am in favour of any moves for the ones who fly in for a boozy holiday to be brought to heel! Quality not just quantity must be the way forward.

THE article about the risk of summer wild fires (Issue 1675) was timely. How sad that we annually have to not only face up to, but equally deal with wild fires that at times (as highlighted) lead to the loss of life and end in people losing their homes, and at times livelihoods. Some fires are accidental, but so many are through stupid and at times criminal behaviour with individuals holding summer BBQs in risk areas , discarded cigarettes, and burning of garden waste, As a retired UK fireman, I appeal to all... take responsibility and help Spain face up to the harsh fact of summer.

L Powell, San Pedro

S Furness, Albox

HAVE YOUR SAY

Empty feeling

Fire! Just beware

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.

I CONSTANTLY see new housing developments being started at a time when thousands of properties remain empty, and unsold. Each slice of land that offers potential sea views continues to be built on, despite such clear and crass planning decisions in recent decades leading to much of southern Spain looking like concrete jungles in parts. Ravaged and savaged, sadly so much of what was so beautiful in our surrounds - along with the annual weather - has been spoiled for ever. With the recession over the construction industry is facing better times, but the national government should keep a close check on the number of plans approved for more new holiday and residential homes against the need to sell and fill the thousands of remaining empty ones. Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

Reversed racism threat (Leapy Lee) YOU’RE nicely integrated in Spain, then, Graham? Fluent in Spanish? Conversant in current affairs (albeit with apparently no opinion on them)? Watch Spanish (not British) TV? After all, you’re an immigrant and you admit ghetto lifestyles are undesirable. The Grenfell victims’ origins were not stated as they’re utterly irrelevant. But they included Brazilians and gallegos who’d lived in the UK for 40+ years (longer than I or your nephew ever did). Kally SORRY but do I think the fact that those residents that lived in the tower block mainly consisted of non-white British citizens is relevant, The local councils are not making any effort to integrate the immigrants within Britain today and as a result of these actions by the councils we have far too many areas now within cities that could be classed as ghettos or no go areas. Tony

Death of seven-year-old confirmed (Barcelona) IT’S so awful. Poor little boy and his family must feel devastated. There are no words to make it better. RIP Melissa Baker

Comments from EWN online UNBEARABLE. The whole situation is beyond belief, but to lose your little boy like this is unbearable. Very very sad.

Mabel Winterburn

Two wildfires on the Costa del Sol INFOCA are fantastic, we watch often when there are numerous fires especially at this time of year, as we can see into the valley and their response time is incredible. Well done lads. Ken Clarke

Police kill five bomb vest attackers RIP to all victims that lost their lives. Sincere condolences to the families and we have to pay tribute to security services

for the hard work they do in preventing attacks. We know there will always be attacks we are not prepared for and sadly there will be casualties and we were made aware Europe and holiday spots would be targeted earlier on in the year. Why scumbags want to harm others is beyond me and beggars belief they are now using vehicles to attack

Elizabeth Green LARGE towns and cities need concrete bollards to be placed alongside the road and pedestrianised streets should be blocked off to traffic. Emergency vehicles can enter by way of a gate which will open only by the driver of police, ambulance, fire brigade swiping a card. My family were in Zaragoza two weeks ago and the ease in which a terrorist could drive a car around the Pilar where hundreds of people were walking around was frightening. Michael Hearne

Bathers harass dolphin to death THEY should be at least fined, I personally would put them in prison for a couple of months or more and see how they like that. They are complete morons.

S Wardman, Elche

Need answers WHAT a laugh when Grenville Tower fire victims in Kensington, London, actually turn down alternative council accommodation saying 15 minutes walk away from their homes is too far. Have they become spoiled living in such a high-class area? But whose idea was it in the first place to build council homes in such a wealthy zone of London... and why so little information about the innocent deep freeze said to have caused the fire outbreak? There are so many questions for the planned inquiry to find answers to. Name and address supplied

Singled out I WAS dismissed like a dog when I tried to rent a sunbed in Fuengirola because I was single. They only accepted couples. Can the Spanish do what they want? What’s next that single people are denied; perhaps no service at restaurants because they want to fill up the table? Visiting as a single lady from Norway, I once experienced that too during winter time with no guests in sight.

Gerrie Lewis Fed Up

TIME OUT

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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YOUR STARS

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” Diana, Princess of Wales

‘

FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

Famous quote

Yours is a big ship. You are able to take a lot on board but you don’t have to. In this special week, when you see things so clearly, be selective. Allow into your life only that which is valuable and worthwhile. This is not selfishness, it is providing a source of inspiration for the present and the future.

‘

You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” Robin Williams Actor and Comedian

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

World of English

‘

TOP 5

Theme parks in Spain

LOTTERY

VERY BENDY: The eight loops of Dragon Khan, Port Aventura, are something to behold. the test of time and still attracts high numbers. Combining thrills with nature, this park has five zones. Naturaleza Zone is home to two famously wet and wild water rides whilst Maquinisimo Zone houses the Abismo roller coaster as well as the Tarantula. With the addition of the new Nickolodeon Zone, it promises fun for the entire family.

Saturday August 19

Tuesday August 15

Friday August 18

BONUS BALL

Sunday August 20

11 14

LUCKY STARS

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

35 52

Saturday August 19

5. Tivoli World, Benalmadena, Costa del Sol One of Malaga’s top attractions, the Benalmadena-based theme park is a big hit and draws huge crowds from all across the Costa del Sol and beyond. Ideal for families, the park is home to a host of super fun rides including the Torre de Caida Libre with its huge drop as well as the totally spooky Mansion del Terror.

LA PRIMITIVA

EURO MILLIONS

14 39

That little bit of extra cash has made you realise something. Not everything is as simple as you would wish it to be, and throwing money at a problem will not make it go away entirely. There are some things that you need to come to terms with. It is much easier to incorporate the uneasy into your life if you take a more relaxed attitude.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)

IRISH LOTTO

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Photo credit: Costa blog.

1. Portaventura, Salou, Costa Dorada A huge, action-packed, multi-themed park in the popular tourist destination of Salou. Home to a variety of wild rides including Dragon Khan with eight loops and Shambhala with its thrill-inducing drops, the park also boasts a variety of family shows from a wild-west stunt show to the fiery Temple del Fuego experience. 2. Terra Mitica, Benidorm, Costa Blanca A real gem in the heart of the Valencian community. Boasting five different themed areas and an array of rides to suit thrill-seekers and families alike. The giant wooden rollercoaster of Magnus Colossus is sure to provide participants with a windswept grin whilst Titanide now features a virtual reality option. 3. Warner Brothers Park, Madrid Warner Brothers has given the world a host of great entertainment from cartoons to films to comic book franchises so it doesn’t get much better than a theme park that celebrates all of this. Hollywood Boulevard, Cartoon Village and Movie World Studios are some of the fun themed sectors to visit as well as DC Super Heroes World. 4. Parque de Attraciones, Madrid One of Spain’s oldest theme parks, it has stood

Saturday August 19

Your old shoes are comfortable and still have a lot of wear in them but someone is suggesting that you should buy some new shoes and throw the old ones away. They are no longer shiny. They are no longer fashionable. They do, however, provide all that you need.

‘ CIRROCUMULUS - STRATUS - NIMBOSTRATUS - CIRRUS GOOD GAME, GOOD GAME! ’

Children should be seen and not heard.

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Women’s wit

EWN

REINTEGRO

Sometimes, when we are making a journey, it is not the usual route that is best. Something has changed in your sphere and there is a need to adjust to it. There are other options that will bring the same result and maybe even a more convenient one. You will need to do two things. The first is to open your mind to the possibilities. .

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Someone needs to learn to stand on their own two feet. It isn’t you, but it’s close. Finding a balance between helping and idly standing by while mistakes are made is necessary. It’s not easy but it has to be done. You may break into a sweat this week and it won’t suit your nerves, but you’ll get through.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) A way opens up before you that can bring wealth. Branching off from that is a path to certain happiness. Which will you take? If having that money means changing your nature (or trying to) is that going to make you happy? On the other hand, if you sidestep the money can you still be happy? Keep things simple. You know where you are.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Are you looking for guidance? Maybe you are thinking that a recent acquaintance will be able to provide it. You ran something by a few friends and they are not so sure. That is because this is a situation where you need an expert, not a well-wisher. Best not to waste your time and jangle your nerves. Get that expert even if it costs a few pennies.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) It appears at times that you are in the middle of a play. The lights are on you, the mike’s wired, your audience awaits, then nothing. Not that you are lost for words. You know exactly what to say and do. What you are wondering is why you are there in the first place. Maybe where you are was not intended.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) There’s a lot of buzzing going on in your head. No, it isn’t tinnitus, it’s something quite different. You know it’s a great time to get ideas and act on them. However, trying to act on too many at once is causing some confusion. Maybe there’s too much going on.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You’ve been working hard, maybe in the dark some of the time. This week someone shines a torch on your situation and you see exactly where you are. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Getting a creative project started has opened your eyes to many things. Perhaps you question why you did not do it before. The fact is that it doesn’t matter. You are where you are right here and not because that was where you were heading. Enjoy the feeling, the praise and the satisfaction. .

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Just imagine for one day that you have achieved everything your heart has desired. When you wake up in the morning believe it is so. Feel how your spirits lift and your heart sings. Carry that feeling through the week and beyond. If you believe that you are a success you can be. Why stop when it feels so good?

E W N 24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Quick

Across 1 Request treatment of colitis (7) 5 Wants to be lenient by the sound of it (5) 8 The heat in a strange relationship (5) 9 Foot part ruined elation (7) 10 Nobleman with award for part of listener (7) 11 Point ties out on locations (5) 12 A fat profit (5) 14 Completed before time, it’s obvious (5) 19 Fiend starts a demonstration (5) 21 Becomes aware of a new section (7) 23 Has dire trouble being more unsavoury (7) 24 Clothing right for a frolic (5) 25 Saltpetre is awfully inert (5) 26 Princes treated nippers (7)

6 A novel division of a religious community (7) 7 Betting the Spanish silence is a sensation (6) 13 Runaway sheep and doggy breath (7) 15 Wine vessel I am able to find in religious palace (7)

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE

16 Inventor backed no side (6) 17 Trick intoxicated parent (6) 18 Is, is or not exactly an Egyptian god (6) 20 The sound in a piano is exhilarating (5) 22 Small group of trees policemen reported (5)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 19 represents K and 21 represents V, so fill in K every time the figure 19 appears and V every time the figure 21 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 Some catfish are delicious when cut up (6) 2 Drink alcohol a German provides (5) 3 Odd trinkets containing uranium (7) 4 Show some amusement when a sober chap gets in a row (6) 5 Vegetables are running out of water, by the sound of it (5)

TIME

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Across 1 Wants (7) 5 Marine carnivorous fish (5) 8 Large seagoing vessels (5) 9 Worthless matter (7) 10 Long-tailed rodents (4) 11 Messages informing of danger (8) 13 Repetition of sounds by reflection (6) 15 Not in physical motion (6) 18 Got temporarily (8) 19 Alone (4) 22 Tales (7) 23 Rows (5) 24 Apologetic (5) 25 Domestic beasts of burden (7)

Down 1 Earn (7) 2 Garment worn on the upper half of the body (5) 3 Repose (4) 4 Indicator (6) 5 Power (8) 6 Opposed to (7) 7 Retains (5) 12 Speed (8) 14 Refuge or shelter (7) 16 Selects (7) 17 Came to an end (6) 18 Foundation (5) 20 Snow leopard (5) 21 Give a broad smile (4)

English - Spanish

Across 1 Lentamente (6) 4 Flower (4) 8 Nobody (5) 9 Skillful (5) 10 To find (9) 14 To walk (5) 15 Sonrisa (5)

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

16 Parrot (4) 17 Press (newspapers) (6) Down 1 Arena (tierra) (4) 2 Computer (9) 3 Mentira (embuste) (3) 5 Bibliotecario (9)

6 Rollo (de tela, papel, cuerda fina, cable fina) (4) 7 ¿Qué? (interrogativo) (4) 11 Work (4) 12 Clavo (de carpintero) (4) 13 Eyebrow (4) 15 Southern (side, part) (3)

OUT

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Hexagram

The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (SUPINE) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ANOMIE ARREST ATTIRE CENTER EARWIG GINGER GORGON INGEST LAYOUT ODIOUS POMPON PONDER REMEDY RUSSET SUPINE (10) TEEING TEETER TRAVEL WHITEN

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Eyeful 2 Reside 3 Mirage 4 Droopy 5 Glossy 6 Carrot 7 Hubris 8 Pillar 9 Goober 10 Holdup 11 Apathy 12 Upside 13 Redial 14 Retard 15 Tissue 16 Homily 17 Grisly 18 Triton 19 Linkup.

Nonagram

EWN

Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? • The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. • Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. • No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. • No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

Kakuro

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.

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.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

TARGET:

TARGET: • Average: 20 • Good: 40

• Very good: 28 • Excellent: 52

SCORING:

• Average: 6 • Good: 8 • Very good: 12 • Excellent: 16

4 letters: 1 point 7 letters: 5 points 5 letters: 2 points 8 or more letters: 6 letters: 3 points 11 points LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION neep neeps dept depend depends deep deepen deepens deeps dens dent dense desk desks tens tend tends tense tepee tepees tees pend pendent pedes pees pens pent pends peen peed peens peek peeks ends ekes knee knees kens kept keep keeps skep skeet skied skies skis teen teed teens spend sped spent spends speed sent send sends sense sept seep seeped seen seed seek seeks eked

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION ante anti atop etna into iota neat note onto pant part pate peat pent pert pint pita poet pont port rant rapt rate rent riot rite root rota rote tape tare tarn taro tarp tear tern tier tine tire tiro tone toon tope topi tore tori torn trap trio trip antre aport apter atone atrip inapt inept inert inter intro irate niter nitre nitro noter oaten orate paint panto paten pater patio peart pinto piton point prate print proto ratio repot taper tapir tenor tinea toner toper train trine tripe troop trope aroint enrapt enroot entrap opiate option orient ornate pantie parent patron pineta pirate pointe potion pronto protea proton ration retain retina tarpon tonier toonie trepan operant oration painter patroon pertain pointer portion pronate protean protein repaint tropine atropine OPERATION

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across:

1 Cesped, 4 Opal, 8 Among, 9 Stiff, 10 Llamada, 14 Abeja, 15 Cueva, 16 Push, 17 Sprain.

CODE BREAKER

Down:

1 Claw, 2 Shoulders, 3/15 Egg cup, 5 Primavera, 6 Left, 7 Isla, 11 Abad, 12 Damp, 13 Warn.

CRYPTIC

QUICK

Across:

1 Sabres, 3 Thebes, 8 Orderly, 10 Lions, 11 Cheap, 12 Lattice, 13 Revel, 15 Cadet, 20 Epitome, 22 Barge, 24 Beard, 25 Elegant, 26 Adhere, 27 Watson.

1 Scatter, 5 Cargo, 8 Appeals, 9 Venus, 10 Fresh, 11 Soldier, 12 Afford, 14 Single, 17 Against, 19 Songs, 22 Thorn, 23 Tractor, 24 Dirty, 25 Satisfy.

Down:

1 Scorch, 2 Budge, 4 Helot, 5 Bromide, 6 Sister, 7 Cycle, 9 Rupee, 14 Epitaph, 16 Amble, 17 Serbia, 18 Newer, 19 Merton, 21 Order, 23 Roams.

1 Staff, 2 Apple, 3 Teacher, 4 Resist, 5 Civil, 6 Running, 7 Observe, 12 Adapted, 13 Flavour, 15 Instant, 16 Status, 18 Nanny, 20 Notes, 21 Stray.

App of the week LANDMARK This app allows you to draw graffiti onto the real world, without requiring you to physically paint. The augmented reality app lets you leave a ‘tag’ wherever you are and using geolocation, leaves the drawing there for you and others to see.

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weather

Almería TODAY

TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO

ALBOX

VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA

GARRUCHA

Fiestas and Siestas Miles Apart EVER wondered how easy it would be to start a new life in a different country? Fiestas and Siestas Miles Apart, is a humorous look at what happens to the C u t h b e r t s o n f a m i l y, A l a n and Heather along with daughters, Stacey and Ashlie, when they decide to sell everything, (including the family stationery business) load the family car and move from England to Spain. Unfortunately, halfway through the process, the girls have other ideas and take off on their own adventure across Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The naivety of the, unstreet wise pair, is shown in the e-mails and texts received by their parents, who themselves, are finding Spanish life a very steep learning curve.

RETAMAR ADRA

RETAMAR

ROQUETAS

ADRA

Malaga

Almeria

Bilbao

TODAY: MAX 29, MIN 22-C

TODAY: MAX 30, MIN 23-C

TODAY: MAX 25, MIN 18-SH

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

29 30 30 29 29 29

21 - S 21 - Cl 21 - S 21 - C 20 - Cl 21 - S

TODAY: MAX 30, MIN 23-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

31 30 30 29 29 29

S: Sun

29 29 30 29 28 28

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

23 - Cl 23 - Cl 23 - S 23 - C 23 - Th 22 - S

Benidorm

Alicante 23 - Cl 23 - C 24 - C 23 - C 22 - Th 22 - C

32 31 30 29 28 28

Cl: Clear

Madrid 26 27 26 26 25 24

17 - C 17 - C 17 - Sh 17 - Sh 17 - C 17 - Sh

Mallorca

TODAY: MAX 31, MIN 23-C

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

24 - Cl 24 - C 24 - C 23 - Th 23 - Th 23 - Th

SATURDAY

TODAY: MAX 37, MIN 20-CL

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

35 32 31 29 30 30

18 - C 18 - Cl 18 - S 17 - Th 17 - Cl 17 - Cl

VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA

Barcelona

TODAY: MAX 33, MIN 22-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

ROQUETAS

32 32 32 31 29 29

22 - C 22 - C 22 - C 22 - Th 21 - Th 21 - Th

MOJACAR

TODAY: MAX 29, MIN 22-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

C: Cloudy

29 29 28 28 27 27

23 - Cl 23 - Th 22 - C 22 - C 21 - Sh 20 - Sh

Sh: Showers

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

ROQUETAS

Th: Thunder

Sn: Snow

Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts

BIRTHDAYS

by Alan Cuthbertson

MOJACAR ALMERIA

1814: British capture and burn Washington. General Robert Ross and his troops overwhelm American forces during the battle of Bladensberg. 1821: Mexican independence accepted by Spain. Eleven years of war see Spanish Viceroy Juan de O’Donoju sign the Treaty of Cordoba, acknowledging Mexico as an independent constitutional monarchy. 1879: The Zulu king is captured. King Cetshwayo is captured by British forces following his defeat in the British-Zulu war. 1888: Jack the Ripper murders his first victim. Prostitute, Mary Ann Nichols is found mutilated in Whitechapel, London. 1955: The first Guinness Book of Records arrives featuring a wide array of feats of both humans and animals. 1959: The Mini car makes its debut. The British Motor Company releases the small affordable Mark One Mini. 1988: The Ramstein air disaster sees three jets collide during an air show, falling into the crowd and killing 69 as well as injuring hundreds. 1991: Michael Schumacher makes his Formula One debut in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps and retires during the first lap due to clutch problems. 1996: Prince Charles and Princess Diana finally divorce following a four year separation.

This week in history

MOJACAR ALMERIA

books@euroweeklynews.com

Sudoku LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

August 24, Vince August 25, Sean Connery McMahon (72) (87) Actor Entrepreneur Legendary actor, Sean Vincent Kennedy Connery and original James Bond. The famous Scotsman McMahon is chairman and CEO of World Wrestling has appeared in a number of Entertainment Inc (WWE). blockbusters including Taking over the company Highlander, The Rock and from his father in the 1980s, The Untouchables. He was Vince helped make WWE WWE’s Vince McMahon knighted in 2000 and declared the huge industry it is today. ‘sexiest man alive’ by People He has included himself as the villain of magazine in 1989. many storylines and had his head shaved August 26, Macauley Culkin (37) Actor and musician by Donald Trump at Wrestlemania.

A child star thanks to the popular 1990’s Home Alone series, Culkin also starred in Uncle Buck and Richie Rich. His acting roles may have diminished but since 2013 he has been the lead singer of a Velvet Underground cover band called Pizza Underground, famed for giving boxes of pizza out to spectators. August 27, Aaron Paul (38) Actor Rising to fame as a result of the highly addictive series, Breaking Bad, Aaron’s previous claims to fame were a role in the 2000 film Whatever it Takes and being a contestant on TV show ‘The Price is

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.

Right.’ He is one of the first five actors to win two prime time Emmy awards for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. August 28, Jack Black (48) Actor, Musician, Comedian Nominated for a Golden Globe award for best actor for his role in School of Rock, Black has starred in a number of other big hits including King King, Nacho Libre and Tropic Thunder. He forms one half of the comedy rock band Tenacious D whose songs discuss everything from alien invasions to battles with the devil.

Word Ladder YARD

LEAF BACK

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

or YARD HARD HERD HEAD LEAD LEAF

BOOKS

TIME OUT

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Solution YARD LARD LORD LOAD LOAF (LEAD) LEAF

DVD

Credit: Vimeo

Alien Covenant Directed by: Ridley Scott Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston ON a distant planet, the colony ship Covenant is en-route to create a new chapter in humanity. As a solar flare damages their ship, they run into problems, killing many of the crew. Whilst repairs are underway, a mysterious signal is intercepted and the decision is made to change their course. Landing on the planet they meet its sole inhabitant, David (Michael Fassbender), the only survivor on the ill-fated expedition. The planet appears devoid of all life until a disaster occurs on the landing shuttle leaving the crew marooned. It’s apparent David’s presence is not mere coincidence.

Trivia PS HTTP in a website stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol

FEATURE

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The CUP has runneth over Cassandra Nash A weekly look

A helping hand

- and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

THE Partido Popular would still be the most-voted party in an election, while the PSOE has made a modest comeback and Podemos marks time. Ciudadanos led by Albert Rivera did reasonably well in the last CIS poll but is dawdling compared with the others. Rivera once said he would rather be helpful than famous, which he demonstrated by trying to help Pedro Sanchez form a government in March 2016. Seven months later Rivera’s help and Ciudadanos’ parliamentary seats put Mariano Rajoy back in the Moncloa Palace.

THE CUP party is anti-system, anti-capitalist and anti-everything except Catalan independence. Its 10 seats currently shore up Junts pel Si in the regional parliament because DXJpS - a coalition of centre-right PDeCat and Oriol Junqueras’ left-wing nationalists ERC - failed to win a majority in the 2015 regional elections. These were called early with the intention of obtaining an independence mandate which did not materialise and the coalition is in power only thanks to CUP. The price of CUP’s support was the exit of the PDeCat leader and regional president Artur Mas, who was substituted by Carles Puigdemont. If PDeCat and ERC were unlikely bedfellows, the threesome with

RIVERA: Ciudadanos popularity is rising but still not leading. Photo credit: Wikimedia

anarchical CUP is a monumental mismatch that forces even the politically prurient avert to their eyes. CUP are clearly holding Junts pel Si hostage while Carles Puigdemont and Oriol Junqueras are happily unaware that they are in the clutches of Stockholm Syndrome.

Action stations MARIANO RAJOY must come up with something regarding Cataluña. Inaction, the Spanish president’s usual plan of action in a crisis, has seen him through until now. But unless he pulls something out of the

bag before Cataluña’s independence referendum planned for October 1, soon it will be all action and big trouble.

Kicked out CUP’s pro-Referendum poster entitled ‘Sweep them out!’ is based on a 1920s’ Soviet poster that showed Lenin brushing away the enemies of the people. This version shows not only the usual suspects - the King, Mariano Rajoy, Cardinal Rouco, Jose Maria Aznar, Ana Botin and Artur Mas getting the old heave-ho from the Paisos Catalan but also Florentino Perez. He is present not because of his position as president of Real Madrid but as boss of the multinational ACS. So it has nothing to do with Madrid’s current superiority over Barça, has it? Of course not.

Life in the hive PSOE secretary general Pedro

Sanchez hopes to wedge his own people onto provincial committees, come the primaries in Andalucia’s eight provinces next month. In the national primaries last May, Sanchez suffered resounding defeat only in Andalucia, the home ground of his rival candidate, the regional president Susana Diaz. Tipping the balance towards him on the provincial committees promises to be more complicated than in other regions, as candidates will need pledges from 20 per cent of the registered party members. These pledges are later translated into votes, which has caused considerable chuntering at party headquarters in Calle Ferraz in Madrid because Sanchistas are unlikely to get a look-in. Pedro Sanchez’s political stock is rising, his ratings are increasing and he reigns supreme in the party but Diaz is still queen bee in Andalucia.

Advertising feature

Safe bet IT’S a sobering thought that last summer brought attacks on our doorstep including the tragic Bastille Day in Nice, Istanbul Ataturk Airport and this season we have already experienced the indiscriminate attacks at London Bridge and Manchester, and now Las Ramblas and Cambrils. Our hearts go out to all those effected by these atrocities. Despite the ongoing threat of these indiscriminate assaults, the consistent theme that binds us together is our determination to carry on enjoying what life has to offer and maintaining our characteristic resilience in the face of adversity. So for those shortly heading off on their travels, or to see family and friends this summer, how do we protect ourselves against these unsavoury manifestations of today? In truth, nowhere is completely risk free, however, you can review the latest travel advice to make an informed choice about your next destination by checking the

NO MANS FORT: Has now been converted into a unique luxury hotel that you reach by boat.

Christina Sharp GLOBELINK INTERNATIONAL christina@globelink.co.uk.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website, www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Earlier this summer the Met Police also issued safety advice in the unlikely event that you are caught up in an incident. Their mantra is ‘Run, Hide, Tell.’ View their short video by visiting www.npcc.police.uk. On the assumption that you are a savvy traveller and purchase Travel Insurance, make sure your policy provides financial protection in the event of conflict, or terror attacks breaking out where you are booked

to travel. Some policies don’t provide this cover, whereas Globelink Comprehensive policies provide essential financial protection as standard. If you are venturing to the UK this summer, what could be safer than staying in a sea fort, or a castle? My two great tips, if you fancy treating yourself to a luxury hotel getaway are No Mans Fort in the Solent, originally a sea fort, built between 1865 and 1880, it’s now been converted into a unique, luxury hotel that you reach by boat. Or Thornbury Castle in the Cotswolds, England’s only Tudor Castle Hotel constructed 500 years ago with previous guests including Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Mary I. Both offer a truly luxury, unique experience where you can get away from it all. Finally, thanks for the great Travel Tips

you have emailed Globelink already! Our favourites: • Rhonda Kimberley: Pour a few drops of tea tree oil on to a cotton hankie and inhale from time to time to ward off germs (especially useful on a long haul flight with recycled air and the risk of infection). • Sally Phillips: Always carry a couple of days worth of your prescription medication in your hand luggage, just in case your luggage goes astray. Email your Top Travel Tips to: globelink@globelink.co.uk. Globelink Travel Insurance: for people living in the EU. Trusted for 20 years by our customers. Get an instant quote and secure cover with www.globelink.co.uk, or call or our Spanish link line +966 265 000.

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Is too much TV affecting your health?

HEALTH BEAUTY

Ask The Doctor

Brought to you by

Sea urchins

SLEEP DEPRIVATION: Can disrupt the activity of appetite hormones. IS binge-watching your favourite TV shows affecting your sleep? With an increase in the popularity of being able to watch several episodes of TV shows in one go through internet streaming and the likes of Netflix, it can have a negative effect on your health compared to watching TV for shorter

periods of time. Researchers at the University of Michigan in the USA and the Leuven School for Mass Communication Research in Belgium found that binge-viewing can lead to poorer sleep quality and increased insomnia. They surveyed over 400 adults between the ages of

18 to 25 about their TV habits in the past month to learn about how this affected their sleep quality, insomnia and fatigue. The study found that 81 per cent had binge-watched and 28 per cent did so more than once and 7 per cent admitted they did it n e a r l y e v e r y d a y. M e n were found to do it less but when they did their viewing sessions were almost double those of women. Researchers said that many shows are created to entice the viewer to want to continue watching the next episode and with this, many get absorbed into the show delaying their sleep and affecting their natural sleep pattern.

Other studies have shown that binge-watching can have other numerous effects. Researchers from the University of Queensland found that it led to a lower muscle strength in participants who watched a lot of TV in one go and another study from the Univ e r s i t y o f To l e d o f o u n d watching two or more hours of television a day was linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Michigan said that those who watch more than three-and-a-half hours of television a day are at a higher risk of cancer and heart disease.

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. WHAT are sea urchins? Sea urchins are some of the strangest animals known due to their physical characteristics. Starting from the Echinodea family, the sea urchin has been around for more than 200 million years. Where are they usually found? They are usually found on the sea bed, close to coastlines. Bathers tend to find them after they have trodden on one of their spines. They can live up to 2,500 metres below sea level and are usually found in between rocks and crevices. Is their sting dangerous? Sea urchins are covered in large, sharp spines and are sometimes venomous. Touching or treading on them is usually very painful as they tend to break off and become lodged in a person’s skin. This can

lead to chronic pain and swelling if they are not removed. They can also cause pain in a person’s muscles and eruptions on the skin. How can you treat their sting? A sea urchin sting needs to be removed immediately. Vinegar dissolves most spines, and washing or bathing the area in it should usually be enough to treat the area unless it has gone deep into the skin. For lodged spines, surgery may be necessary. Soaking the area in warm water will alleviate the pain. Sometimes anti-inflammatories, analgesics and antihistamines are also needed to manage symptoms. Should you seek medical aid if you are stung? Whenever you are stung by a sea urchin you must go to the nearest medical centre so they can assess the situation.

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

HEALTH & BEAUTY

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Stay safe this summer TANNING is a natural mechanism of skin protection from the sun’s harmful rays with sunburns caused by excessive exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays. Whilst they may appear to be only a temporary irritation, they can actually cause life-long damage, due to the ‘memory’ of the skin. The American Skin Cancer Foundation says that the most vulnerable are children and those who suffer from blisters caused by sunburn in childhood or adolescence have double the risk and chances of developing melanoma later. The Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) adds that a person’s risk of developing melanoma also doubles if they have five or more burns during their lifetime as melanomas are associated with intermittent and

SKIN DAMAGE: Exposure to strong sunlight can cause lasting damage to skin. very intense exposures to the sun. The AEDV explains that sunburns take place because the ‘ultraviolet B’ radiation causes a lesion of the epidermal cells. This can be in the

form of redness or the appearance of blisters, which would be a classed as a second degree burn. When treating these burns there are a number of tips to advise on the best skin care: Hydrate both inside and out. Drink plenty of water and also treat the burn with calming

products such as aloe vera and store in the fridge for an even better cooling sensation. In the case of serious burns, a doctor may prescribe something stronger to help reduce inflammation and ease the pain. Avoid the sun. Following serious sunburn avoid further exposure. Wear clothes with natural fibres to avoid further irritation to the skin, particularly at bed time when sunburn pain can become more prevalent. But the AEDV advises prevention is always better than cure and you should always wear a high protection sunscreen and if your cream is lasting the whole summer you are not using enough of it.

Heat can increase car accidents AROUND 17 per cent of traffic accidents may be due to excessive temperatures, according to studies conducted by Prevensis, a company specialising in the analysis of driver behaviour. When the temperature of a car reaches 30 degrees Celsius, it increases the risk of making errors during driving by 20 per cent and can also reduce the reaction time by 22 per cent. Experts at the Quironsalud Hospitals of Torrevieja and Valencia warn that heat affects the driver's capabilities and behaviour with the excess temperatures in our body surface affecting the area of the brain which controls our moods, modulates sleep and our reactions to certain unexpected circumstances. When the heat affects this gland in the brain it can lead to feelings of tiredness, drowsiness, aggressiveness and even reduces the capacity of concentration and attention, which can limit the reaction times when driving. In addition, it is believed that having an interior temperature of the vehicle between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius is just as dangerous as having drunk five beers. For safer driving, it is advised to try and park cars in shady areas if possible and use sunshades which can reduce the temperature in a vehicle by up to 15 per cent compared to the outside temperature. Remember when driving long distances to stop every two hours or around every 200km to rest and eat light foods to help stay hydrated such as salads and fruit.

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SCENE

Last fiesta of summer

Dancing with the stars

MOJACAR celebrates fiestas to honour the pueblo’s patron saint this weekend. The San Augustin party gets underway tomorrow and will last until Sunday evening. The traditional holiday, with centuries of history, will see a fun range of music, dancing, sports activities and other curiosities that have stood the test of time. Children will be able to ride bikes around special areas, or even hop on ponies for a stroll around town. Local women keeping traditions alive will wear flower wreaths around their heads and carry water during a procession to the local church. There will be bands playing live music at night, with the party generally lasting the whole day and into the early morning hours.

FOLLOWING the success of Mojacar’s magic, another candlelit night is planned for romantic-minded Almeria residents. This time the spectacle under the stars takes place in Rodalquilar on Saturday evening from around 9.30pm. Residents of the pretty pueblo nestled in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park will switch off their electricity. All public lighting will be turned off and from 10pm until midnight, people will rely only on candles, lanterns and the stars. The streets will be packed with stalls selling souvenirs and fresh food. There will be live music, flamenco, fire jugglers, and a huge public show put on by La Duda Theatre. This year will also include a special celebration

MAGICAL: Candlelit night comes to Rodalquilar on Saturday.

of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Carmen de Burgos. The Almeria-born writer was one of Spain’s first professional journalists and is considered an icon of Spanish feminism. Although the spectacle coincides with the last Saturday of the Almeria fair, attendance is expected to b e v e r y h i g h . M o j a c a r ’s own Candlelit Night was a remarkable success and Almeria’s villages and unrivalled clear night skies are becoming a major tourist attraction. An estimated 3,000 candles will light the streets and local bars and restaurants are expected to be full to the brim. Rodalquilar has become the cultural centre of the Cabo de GataNijar Natural Park and is certain to put on a show for visitors.

OCIAL

Soulful star takes stage SINGER-songwriter Vanesa Martins plays the Almeria fairgrounds tonight. The Malagaborn starlet is one of Spain’s most popular southern pop stars. Her performance at the Recinto Ferial begins at 10pm, with back-up music beforehand. Tickets start at €29.05 and can be purchased online. Martin is touring across the country to celebrate the success of her latest album ‘Munay’ which was released to critical acclaim last year. She has shared stages and sung duets with some of the biggest names in Spanish music, including Pablo Alboran, Alejandro Sanz and Almeria’s very own David Bisbal. Her soulful pop-rock albums have sold more than one million copies in Spain alone. Her performance will be one of the highlights of the city’s festival, which runs until next weekend.

SOCIAL SCENE FOOD, music and fun will be in abundance as the Feria de Almeria continues into the weekend. After a quieter opening day to pay respect to the victims of the Barcelona terrorist attack, the festival has gone into full bloom. Visitors to the city have until Sunday night to enjoy the live music, food markets, horse parades, and buoyant atmosphere. There is also an exciting variety of organised tours to choose from. The city is running regular guided tours of different food markets to celebrate local cuisine. For the more adventurous there are subterranean trips to the labyrinth of Civil War-era bomb shelters which lie underneath the city. Shoppers beware, some of

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Feria in full throttle

PARTY TIME: Almerians are going overboard with feria celebrations this year. the major chains, including H&M, Zara and Mango, have agreed to reduce opening hours during the fair to between 9am

and 3pm, including in the Mediterranean Shopping Centre. Making up for that loss will

be thousands of independent stalls selling the finest food, crockery and art products Almeria has to offer.

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Things I hate - or don’t like very much

SOCIAL SCENE

I learned that you don’t take dishes from the table to the dishwasher; you have to rinse them first. I think that’s stupid because I don’t go out in the back yard and hose off before taking a shower. Bill Engvall

GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH

GARRY WAITE I T HOUT s o u n d in g to o much like my esteemed cocontributor Mike Senker, I want to have a bit of a moan. There are certain bits of equipment that I found annoying and pointless. I have never been a lover of dishwashers. The domestic version I mean. We couldn’t do without them commercially - but in the home? I accept that, not being a family man, there is normally only one or two of us contributing to dirty c u t l e r y a n d c r o ck ery in my household so it is no hard task to wash by hand and of course saves piling the machine daily until you have sufficient to turn on a machine that is going to take hours to complete to say nothing of water and electric consumption! The only time that there would be more is if I hold the occasional dinner party, but even then I tend to try and wash up as I go. It must date back to w hen t h e se m a c h i n e s firs t b ec a me popula r. I f I r e m e m ber rig h tly o n e used to have to swill plates etc before putting t h e m i n t h e m ac h in e . T h is seemed a double whammy as far a s I w as c o n cerned . I f you are g o ing to d o t h a t , y o u may as well wash the stuff in the first place and be done with it. This brings me to the first positive in my washing up regime. I am blessed with a drainer above my sink that is behind closed doors. Wash, rinse, put up - dry in 10 minutes, put away (or in my case leave it there for as long as I want or until I need it!) Clean, tidy and very effective. I used to have a next door neighbour who, when having a dinner party, put all her dishes etc in the em p t y o v e n u n t i l s h e co u ld b e bothered to put them in - yes you’ve guessed it - the dishwasher! Before I get to a couple of items that I have in my kitchen that I would not do wit h o u t , I wi l l m e n tio n my tw o

There is some good news

My kind of dishwasher.

On a positive side I HAVE three pieces of equipment in my kitchen that are without doubt some of the least recognised labour saving devices ever invented. Remember grating cheese and having to clean the cheese from all those horrible little holes. Or mashing potatoes with the usual masher and having to rid the piece of equipment of its stuck-on potato. Or even sharpening a knife? There are many new methods that are available now, but my Father always did his sharpening on a stone, and I, a ‘steel’! But let me tell you dear reader, I have the most amazing cheese grater, probably 40 years old. It is made with Teflon. It just swills off! A potato masher, about the same age, with the same coating - same thing, warm soapy water and its off!! As for the knife sharpener, a hand held V-shaped device which you place on your counter top and run your knife through it - and Voila! Keep your dishwasher - look for real labour saving devices!

A waste of hot air. biggest hates which are not linked to the kitchen or food. The Leaf Blower and the Strimmer. The noise of the latter drives me to distraction especially at 8.00 in the morning when our gardeners decide to ramp up the damn thing!! But the blower? Not only does it make a helluva noise I really don’t see the point! Living on a golf course it would appear to be one of the green keeper’s favourite machines. The noise it makes belies its inefficiency. Imagine a fairway full of autumn leaves?

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.

M a n blows - with irritating machine - all the leaves to the side of said fairw a ys , only to ha ve a s light gus t of wind - blow them all back. Absolute waste of time. Why not a mechanical vacuum cleaner?

*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.

DESPITE talks of Brexit, recessions, double dips et al m o r e than 7,500 hotel bedrooms opened in the UK during the first half of 2017 - the highest figure for the first six months of the year since 2012. The number of openings is also 40 per cent higher when compared to the same period last year, according to the Q2 2017 Hotel Bulletin. The figures are slightly behind those forecast in the Q4 2016 Hotel Bulletin that suggested 20,000 hotel bedrooms would open in the UK during 2017, representing a supply growth of 3.3 per cent, which is more than double the average net increase of 1.6 per cent. The budget sector has continued to account for a significant proportion of new hotels and is expected to continue to do so in the future, with 43 per cent of all openings over the next three years expected to be budget properties. Budget hotels currently make up 33 per cent of the

Keeping Lenny Henry in work for the foreseeable future. current hotel supply, with the four- and five-star sectors accounting for 31 per cent and 5 per cent of the market respectively. The four- and five-star sectors are forecast to make up 32 per cent and 9 per cent of all new openings between now and 2020. Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel brand with 67,000 bedrooms across more than 760 hotels, is highlighted in the report as continuing its ‘unyielding brand roll-out.’ Key openings for the Whitbreadowned brand in Q2 2017 included a 613-bedroom hotel at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 and the fifth Hub by Premier Inn with 389bedrooms in London’s King’s Cross. Premier Inn intends to have 85,000 bedrooms open by 2020. Should keep Lenny Henry busy!! (Some content courtesy of the Caterer and Hotelkeeper)

1887

The year that Jospehine Cochrane invented the dishwasher.

1950 79%

The year that the first dishwashers were on sale to the public.

42%

The number of people who rewashed their dishes as they were not happy with the results first time around.

The number of people surveyed who said they re-ran their dishwasher rather than empty it.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂa

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Railway resurrection DEMANDS are growing to reopen the Guadix-Baza-Almanzora-Lorca railway line, which once stopped at Olula del Rio and Huercal-Overa. Running from Granada to Murcia through the Almanzora Valley, the line was shut down 32 years ago. A petition to reopen it on Change.org has gathered hundreds of signatures and the support of various railway platforms. The Association of Friends of the Railway in Baza is working with partners in Almanzora and across Almeria. Together they have called for public protests and marches demanding the return of the historic line. The Andalucian parliament has commissioned a survey into the feasibility of the project, which would dramatically improve transport links for Olula del Rio residents. Speedy travel to Murcia and Granada

Photo credit Facebook

CONNECTED: Olula del Rio in dire need of revamped links to Granada and Murcia. has become harder despite the passage of time and advances in technology. There is also a sentiment aspect. The line ran for 90

years from 1894 until 1984 and was once considered a vital part of the Andalucian landscape.

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Mine strikes tourist gold WORK is well underway to convert the Roman mines of Arboleas into a top tourist attraction. The mines opened to the public earlier this year and have been thoroughly examined by archaeologists and specialist engineers. The Limaria mine dates from the Roman occupation of Iberia and was recently named a protected site of cultural interest. Months of work has gone into exploring whether it is safe and interesting enough to generate mass tourist interest. The town hall has decided it does. The mine is now being cleaned and prepared for potentially thousands of explorers. It is almost perfectly preserved and showcases Roman construction techniques.

ODU CARMONA: Floral and fruity artwork to be exhibited at Olula del Rio’s museum.

Flowers of freedom NATURE-INSPIRED artist Odu Carmona has seen her exhibition at Olula del Rio’s Ibañez Museum extended until next month. The well-regarded local painter has been compared to the great Georgia O’Keefe and is showcasing 16 large paintings which will soon find a new home at Almeria’s Museum of Art. Entitled ‘Private Garden’ the exhibit comprises a variety of incredibly detailed paintings of small flowers and fruits. It has been described as a kind of visual poetry, with the flowers representing freedom from the burdens of life. Packed with alive and striking colours, the extension of the exhibit to September 16 has been warmly received by the local art community.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

Fabric of village life A SPECIAL series of workshops examined the architectural history of Oria. A conference was held by architect Jorge Moya Muñoz on the town’s interesting heritage and the construction techniques which built it. The event was coupled with a photography exhibit showcasing Oria’s architectural passage through time. People were invited to ask any questions they had about various civil, religious and military buildings, with experts on hand to share the story behind them. An underlying theme was how older artefacts and buildings in Oria, and across the Almanzora Valley are threatened by modern interventions. Muñoz shared his concerns about a lack of contemporary respect for local heritage and fears that a cheaper, less passionate modern architecture could ruin smaller towns and villages. Funding and maintenance are also lacking due to economic difficulties and a lack of political willpower. Attendees heard how Oria’s historic architecture is in many ways a reflection of the town and Almanzora life in a distant age. Protecting against humidity using clay and soil is something of a lost art form, but is an immensely important part of the Valley’s architectural heritage.

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Plot twist for teen chain gang JUVENILE offenders locked up in the Purchena Internment Centre are being sent out into the fields to learn the value of hard work. The new programme sees wayward youngsters train as agricultural labourers. They will plant seeds, collect crops, irrigate ditches, and wash, weigh and package produce. Training begins when jailed offenders reach the age of 16. There are around 70 young offenders living in the centre who are eligible for the programme. They will also be taught painting, gardening, and craftsmanship. Already the centre’s gardens are well-stocked with fresh produce planted, grown and reaped by the youngsters. The programme teaches them new skills, the value of professionalism and helps control anger and energy levels. Most are non-violent but repeat offenders who have little in the way of qualifications.

Ghosts of the past Photo credit Shutterstock

BACKBONE: Hard labour will teach offenders key skills for their release.

A NEW book exploring 100 years of scouting in Albox has been published. ‘The Explorers of Albox: A Scout Odyssey in Almeria’ casts light on the unknown history of the local scout movement. Written by historian Miguel Angel Mellado it shares a range of old stories, some of which continue to influence present day Albox. One regards the image of St John that is paraded through the streets of the town every Easter. In Albox the saint’s face takes the form of a young boy who died in 1935 after a fall aged nine. The boy’s father asked a Barcelona artist to recreate an old photo he had of his son. The image sent back is now that of St John and has been an integral part of Almeria's religious tradition for over 80 years.

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Against landlord goldmine THE debate over Airbnb is heating up after the American company revealed it connects properties in every single neighbourhood in Madrid to tourists. There are 13,335 homes in the capital being used to accommodate travellers on the Airbnb platform alone. The firm’s main competitors, HomeAway and Rentalia, are no slacks either. The result is tens of thousands of properties are now almost exclusively devoted to the tourist market. Just three years ago Airbnb had less than 5,000 homes. They have since tripled their supply and no single district of Spain’s biggest city is free from Airbnb apartments. Madrid’s situation, and that of Barcelona, is profoundly different to that experienced by smaller cities across Spain. The original aim of Airbnb tourists renting an apartment to escape the city centre hotel experience - still holds true on the costas and campo, but not in Spain’s

UPMARKET: Classic central Madrid flats losing touch with residents. major metropolises. In both Madrid and Barcelona, city centres are reserved for offices, the wealthy and tourists. Protests from residents fighting expulsion to the outskirts of the city have convulsed the Catalan capital but been absent in Madrid. That looks set to change as

the scale of Airbnb’s impact on Madrid becomes clear. Last week it was revealed more than 23,000 long term residents have been forced to leave central neighbourhoods since 2010. Such is the demand that even quieter working-class districts just outside the city centre are being swamped with tourist

apartments. More than 640,000 Airbnb’ers visited Madrid last year, an increase of 78 per cent on 2015. The city’s powerful hotel lobby has taken note. They are seeing little profit from the huge rise in tourist numbers and are piling pressure on the government to impose a crackdown.

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Chilling out in the casa AMID heatwaves and regular high temperatures, Spanish homeowners are hunting for alternatives to air conditioning. Formerly considered a Godsend in the summer months, air con now stands accused of all manner of crimes. There is growing awareness in Spain over its effects on health. Cheaper systems in particular can cause throat pain, muscular contractions, even lead to pneumonia. Meanwhile a standard-sized conditioner recycling air for five or six hours during a hot August day can set a household back by €60 a month. Enter a growing number of Spanish companies offering specialised tweaks to more efficiently chill homes, while adding value to the property. Proper awning for instance is growing in popularity. It

can reduce the need for electric air conditioners by up to 80 per cent simply by neutralising the sun’s rays. A more traditional method, the fan, is also making a comeback. Slow spinning and whirring ceiling fans are a thing of the past. Today’s contraptions can adapt their motion and speed to take account of room dimensions. They have far greater range and hum along almost in silence. Spanish homeowners are also experiencing the benefits of aluminium windows. Modern version use crystals to protect the windows from high temperatures. This smart glass also works to fend off the cold, acting as a dual-purpose system that shaves a huge amount from both heating and air conditioning bills.

A second British invasion underway WAVES of retired Brits are set to settle in Spain and other sunny EU countries as a final Brexit deal looms in the near future. Since the referendum websites and property portals advertising Spanish homes have seen the number of British visitors skyrocket. Nor is the phenomenon restricted to pensioners. Young professionals willing to dive head first into a new life abroad while keeping their EU passports are also gazing enviously at Spain’s thriving property market. But B r i t s wh o h a v e lo n g ey ed a s u n soaked retirement are the likeliest buyers. Thousands who were planning to move in the next decade or two now have just a few years to decide as any final deal looks certain to make a fresh start harder and more

HOME sales shot up by 19 per cent in June according to the latest public release from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE). The more than 51,000 registered transactions represent an increase of roughly 10,000 on June of 2016. May’s sales were 25 per cent higher than May of last year. With June’s strong performance, sales have risen on a year-on-year basis every month for more than three years.

expensive. Whether Spain would welcome and provide services for an older cohort of immigrants, boosting the local economy but not jo in in g the w orkforc e is the que s tion. M a d rid ma y le ve ra ge its a c c e pta nc e of British expatriates against the ease Spanish workers can reside in the UK. Regardless of the eventual Brexit deal, the news is good for sellers and real estate agents based in Spain, who can expect buyer interest to rise substantially as the negotiations crack on. Spain dominates online searches for properties abroad among British nationals, well ahead of France, Portugal and Italy. On property portal Rightmove more than 2.5 million searches for Spanish homes are made from UK computers every month.

GOLDRUSH: Brits racing to snap up dream Spanish homes.

Home sales rise strongly Good news for developers is that new home sales rose by 20 per cent in June, the best year on year increase since 2010. Flat sales jumped up by a healthy 18 per cent. The average price of homes sold in June was €1,358, an increase of 1.4 per cent. Sales vol-

ume and prices rose across Spain’s Mediterranean coast, with the Balearic Islands, Costa Brava and Costa Dorada clocking up exceptional performances. The pace of sales in Alicante is now over 100 per day, a milestone not hit since 2008.

The number of mortgage loans granted also rose. There were slightly over 33,000 in June alone, with an average of €162,899 loaned out, a slight drop on June 2016’s average. Sales are tipped to soar past the half million mark by the end of the year. By 2020 figures above 600,000 are being floated. At the peak of Spain’s property bubble a decade ago figures sales surpassed 250,000 per quarter.

HOMES

GARDENS

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Espalier: a two dimensional garden GRAEME TYRRELL THERE are so many different opportunities to garden in the Mediterranean that the keen gardener may find that they don’t have enough space for all the plants they would like to have growing. Nothing tastes better than fresh fruit from your own garden but of course a fruit tree can take up a lot of space and usually has more fruit than necessary when mature. Fruit trees are therefore often a lower priority in the garden unless you have a big garden area and the time to maintain it. A proficient gardener doesn’t let this drive him up the wall though, instead he will train the fruit trees or other space taking ornamental plants up the wall using the art of espalier. Espalier makes a tree two-dimensional by training it to grow against a wall or support by selectively pruning all but the desired branches to form the pattern required to fit the space selected for it to grow. The tree is al-

An exceptional example of the art of Espalier. lowed to grow up and across but not out from the wall. It is an ancient garden art form used by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans that has been well used in Europe for centuries. It requires some skill and understanding of the nature of the trees’ growth patterns and of pruning

so you may need to do some research but it is worth the effort to be able to grow trees in this way. As the trees are more controlled, fruit trees often have bigger and better fruit than standard trees as the energy from the roots is supplied to fewer fruits.

Damp in Spanish homes MANY British expatriates may believe that the year-round sun in Spain means waving goodbye to damp problems but those under that illusion are likely to learn otherwise if enjoying a prolonged stay on the continent. Each year, the average Spanish home copes with around 45,000 gallons of rain water and as many homes are old or not constructed with damp proofing, it can become a problem. As a tourist destination, the prominence of high rise hotels and apartment blocks are prone to rising damp as fungal spores can spread through walls and ceilings. Older buildings in particular are more prone. Signs to look out for include water marks or salt deposits on the inside of walls, stained decoration and damaged and crumbling plaster. This can be gradual but widespread. As well as making a property cold and miserable, it can aggravate respiratory prob-

lems. The best way to eliminate rising damp is to completely scrape off all effected plaster and allow the wall to dry out completely.

Most ferreterias (Spanish DIY stores) will stock products to prevent the problem reoccurring but should there be any uncertainty then it is best to call a professional.

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

Unless you obtain a tree already prepared to be planted as an espalier, you will need to start with a maiden tree of a year old with no side branching or with branching in the appropriate places. This is to ensure it will have branching that aligns with the supports provided on the wall or structure they are to grow on.

Typically the central trunk will have branching growing horizontally on both sides at the same height and there would be three to five such branching from the trunk at about 30 - 40 cm distance apart up the trunk. Branches need to be tied to the wall or support wires to maintain the integrity of the design for supporting the weight, including the fruit and the direction of growth. Some trees do not grow naturally to this typical form due to excessive branch forming so it may be necessary to create a fan shape with branches spreading out from the truck at different angles or other design forms that may be suitable to allow the tree to grow two-dimensionally. This is where research and imagination are required to form a suitable pattern for the trees natural growth thus making it an art form. It will take more time and planning to get a plant established but once the form is developed it can be less work to maintain than a standard tree and it will display the skills of a proficient gardener.

Garlic: an age - old remedy GARLIC is a staple part of the Spanish diet just as a whole range of other naturally healthy herbs and spices and can create a beautiful odour when mixed with balmy summer air. As well as adding delicious flavour to food, these pungent cloves have a range of fantastic health benefits. Heart disease, strokes, cancer

and infections are the four main causes of death worldwide and the good news is this cheap garden bulb can help treat all of them. Garlic can unclog build-up in arteries and scientists even attribute it to helping to prevent certain cancers. High blood pressure can be lowered thanks to polysulfides found within garlic.

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SPONSORED BY DOG foods do vary in quality. So do the companies that make the foods. To some companies quality is only a word. To others, it’s a way of life many include rice which has no value whatsoever. Ultimately, the quality of a dog food is best measured by your dog. How your dog performs on the food, how he looks, feels and acts are the best measures of the quality of any food. At least 80 per cent of my clients that report behavioural problems find a change of food changes the unwanted behaviour. No matter what a food company claims unless your dog has bright eyes, silky hair and supple skin, and is not overweight, then the food is not right for him. Not all dogs do well on a particular brand of food some dogs simply do better than others. Most foods are categorised as Economy, Regular, Premium, Super Premium and Performance. Regular and Premium foods are not formulated like a Super Premium or Performance food.

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Food secrets 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

Dogs have simple stomachs and short digestive tracts for digesting meat. They also lack the saliva enzyme amylase, which is necessary for pre-digesting starch. Dogs have adapted to foods with high vegetable protein levels, however they perform better when fed foods high in meat protein and animal fats.

Checking the label of a Super Premium or Performance food an animal protein will be listed as the first or second major ingredient. These should include either chicken, or turkey meat, or poultry by-products meals, meat or pork meals or other animal by-products. A least two sources of fat or oil should be included for adequate energy and essential fatty acids. Fat in food is the dog’s source of energy. Animal fat contains essential and non-essential fatty acids as well as provides a highly digestible and easily metabolised energy source. Generally, poultry, turkey or chicken fat are higher in quality because they have more unsaturated fatty acids and are more digestible than animal tallow. Vegetable oils, such as soy-

bean oil, lecithin corn oil, wheat germ oil, sesame seed oil or linseed oil all contain high levels of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid for dogs. These should be combined with animal fats for the best long-term results of a glossy hair-coat and soft pliable skin. Carbohydrates are the third most important nutrient and ingredient class in modern Super Premium and Performance foods. Simple carbohydrates in

DOG DINNERS: Choosing a dog food brand or quality can be difficult.

dog food come from quality sources like rice, oatmeal, corn or wheat. These are easily digested when properly cooked. Fibre, a complex carbohydrate is essential for proper digestion and stool formation. Beet pulp and tomato promace are both high in fibre. Other sources of fibre include rice, soy hulls, oat hulls, wheat bran and peanut hulls. All these come from the external portion of the seed coat. These sources except peanut hulls have microscopic sharp

edges, which can cause small cuts in the intestine. This reduces the intestine’s effectiveness in nutrient digestion. Peanut hulls on the other hand, have the potential of being contaminated with aflatoxins and should never be used in a quality dog or cat food. Vitamin and mineral fortification is an absolute necessity in nutritionally balancing any food for dogs. While the vitamins and minerals generally, make up less than 2 per cent of the total food by weight, they provide some of the most crucial nutrients. These include 12 to 16 vitamins and 15 to 25 minerals. Often the list of these micro nutrients is much longer than the list of major ingredients. Expect this list in all dog foods. Super Premium usually feature more than one source for each vitamin and mineral. The ingredient list will be longer compared to non-premium foods. It is not recommended that you add anything by way of food supplement, or vitamin to Super Premium Foods.

PETS

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Taking in a stray animal ONE of the many things British people in Spain will automatically apprehend is that stray cats and dogs seem to be more of a normal sight. The problem is of course intensified by the lack of services and financial support available to the dedicated shelters across Spa in which prevents ea r l y neutering and excessive breeding of more feral felines. The belief seems to be that a stray cat will undoubtedly be feral and therefore impossible to tame. This is not strictly the case. Stray cats can make wonderful pets and even with a tendency towards more ‘wild’ behaviours, there are solutions. Taming a more feral stray cat is no easy feat and patience is required. After making sure the physical needs are dealt with (vac c inations , regis trati o n , chipping and neutering), the

next stage is developing trust. Gloves may be an essential at first as stray cats can be fearful and bite or scratch in self-defence. To create security for the cat, the house should become its home little by little by designating areas to it and giving it its own corner, bed or feeding space. Do n ’t wo r r y i f t h e c a t d ecides to hide frequently or doesn’t always show great affection. This will come with time. Food and treats will help the cat trust its new owner and see them as a friend instead of a threat and consistency here is truly the key. To prevent further straying, keep the cat inside for a longer period and make sure it knows where its best interests are by offering it a good life and loving environment.

A tail to tell CATS generally have the same set facial expression and express a lot of how they feel using their tail. As well as a balancing aid, it is a great tool for communication though perhaps like every language, misunderstood. It is common knowledge that when a cat flicks its tail back and forth, it is best to leave it alone unless bites and scratches are desired, but there are a number of other signs to look out for. A straightened back signifies a friendly, content cat whilst when accompanied by quivering means great happiness or excitement. A tail in the air with a curved end shows an outgoing yet unsure state of mind whilst horizontal can suggest indifference. A tail between the legs highlights a submissive feline whilst a low, yet slightly stuck out tail can be a sign of aggression. Thrashing or swishing and a clear sign of rage or fear is when it is pointed straight to the sky. A cat may meow, purr and nuzzle but the tail provides a great way of finding out just exactly how your moggy may be feeling.

Caring for koi carp in an unsold property MANY homeowners find an unexpected challenge when they leave one property unsold moving to their new home. What happens to the empty property and more importantly, what happens to the koi carp you’ve nurtured for years? Often, they are a feature of the property in an ornamental pond and need feeding on a daily basis until the house is sold. Having house-sitters move in to keep the koi carp well-fed and alive can serve another purpose. The housesitters can also keep your home visibly occupied, insured and safe from unwanted intruders. Our checked house-sitters will follow your instructions as part of their brief, whether you need them for a short term house-sit or long term. Many home-owners with a large property awaiting prospective buyers will find house-sitters through HouseSitMatch to keep their home safe.

IDEAL SOLUTION: HousesitMatch can look after pond animals. We help you to prepare that brief by providing you with guidelines and templates and check lists to ensure you have a good brief ready for the

sitters. Feel free to call me directly if you have a special requirement and we can try to help. Lamia’s mobile telephone +44(0)7772 142742.

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 a 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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Motoring shorts

A special edition A SPECIAL edition of its 2018 GT supercar has been unleashed by Ford amid 50th anniversary celebrations over the GT40 Mark IV’s Le Mans victory. An extremely limited number of the ‘67 Heritage edition will be produced. Ford has developed a range of collectible supercars lately aimed solely at conoisseurs and investors. It is designed exactly like a classic race car and pays homage to the iconic 24-hour race winner with glossy red paint, white stripes and numbered plaques. Ford has revealed a special edition of its 2018 GT supercar in celebration of the GT40 Mark IV race car driven to victory in the 1967 Le Mans 24-Hour race. It is the second Ford Heritage edition. Design manager Garen Nicoghosian said a 21st century-tweaked remake of the GT40 Mark IV “was simply something we needed to do.”

Clarkson Quote of the Week

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Having a twin turbo V12 diesel is like turning your central heating off and keeping warm by burning Rembrandts.” Some might say...

Pebble Beach classics on fire by Matthew Elliott STEVE MCQUEEN’S old Porsche was among five cars sold for more than €10 million at the classic Pebble Beach auction in California last weekend. His 1970-built 917K was used in the legend’s race film Le Mans and became the most expensive Porsche ever sold, going for around €15 million. With the cash still rolling in, an estimated €250 million worth of classic cars were flogged at one of the globe’s hottest auctions. That figure is down substantially from the highs of 2014 when almost €400 million was raked in. Organizers say investors and speculators are taking a brief hiatus from the

€250 million worth of classic cars were flogged at one of the globe’s hottest auctions.

classic car market. Despite the lower turnover, Pebble Beach has thus become closer to motoring purists. To hammer that point home the world’s only street-legal BMW M1 Procar, produced in 1979, was spotted lounging around the luxurious golf course. There were also eight cars and motorbikes from the collection of music legend J Geils, who passed away recently.

Among them were a 1967 Lancia Flamina with a 3.0 litre V12 engine and a Fiat Dino Spyder from the same year, both in mint condition. His 1983 Benelli 900 SEI and 1970 Ducati 350 Demo were also up for grabs. Over the weekend 18 Porsches, 10 Aston Martins and 29 Ferraris were sold. Aside from the five valued at over €10 million, another 89 cars secured bids surpassing the €1 million mark. A huge cohort of cars valued at less than €100,000 were snapped up by a new breed of buyers, professionals in

BULLITT: A Porsche 917K once owned by Steve McQueen sold for a fortune.

the 30-40 age bracket. The star of the show was a 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 which went for just over €20 million. It is the very first of the only five DBR1s to have ever been produced. It won the 1959 Le Mans race and was driven by Stirling Moss.

MOTORING

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ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Lexus IS300h

LEXUS IS 300H: Has a strong business-user appeal. LEXUS is not at all modest about its latest IS 300h model, describing it as ‘the most efficient sports saloon available today.’ Hard-headed motoring journalists like to challenge such sweeping statements, but in this instance, it is difficult to dispute. The hybrid Lexus IS competes against more mainstream compact executive saloons such as the Audi A4, Jaguar XE, Mercedes C Class and BMW 3 Series but not all are available in comparable hybrid form and those that are tend to cost more or offer less standard kit. The IS 300h - also available in non-hybrid turbo-petrol form - is priced from €33,065 (£30,105) and comes with distinctive styling, is laden with equipment, beautifully built and finished. Its driving experience is quick and quiet and the only minor downside is perhaps that it is so refined, it is not as exciting to drive than some of its rivals. But then the Lexus scores highly for relatively low running costs - 23.2 kpl (65.7 mpg) and very low emissions. The car has potent styling - the deep gaping grille and narrow headlights make rivals such as the Jaguar XE appear quite muted - and its performance figures underpin its sporty look with 0-100

kph in 8.4 seconds, top speed 201 kph (125 mph). The 2.5 litre petrol engine offers 178 hp boosted to 220 hp by an electric motor, and with a revised chassis and slightly firmer suspension, the overall result is smooth rapid progress with seamless multi-mode CVT gearshifts and composed handling. The cabin has a luxury look which suggests it might belong to a class above, and the seating is exceptionally comfortable. The dashboard looks less conventional than most, with stepped styling dominated by a big 26cm (10.3 inch) screen. There’s good head and leg room front and rear and the 430 litre boot capacity is good given that some space has been sacrificed to accommodate the hybrid batteries. A useful feature on this saloon is split-fold rear seats which means longer items too large for a normal boot can still be loaded. Standard equipment on the test model (€38,853 - £35,375) includes keyless entry and push-button start, dual zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and rear view camera, alloy wheels, LED lights, leather upholstery, DAB radio/CD, Bluetooth and USB ports. My test model also had Premium sat-nav with remote computer-mouse style control.

Model tested is UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets.

24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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24 - 30 August 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Belgian Grand Prix and British MotoGP coming up From Back page

Watford (2-0 v Bournemouth) and WBA (1-0 v Burnley). Manchester City met Everton on Monday. After four games, unbeaten Cardiff (excellent 2-1 winners at Wolves), Wigan, Swindon and Celtic top the Championship, Leagues 1 and 2 and the SPL respectively. On Tuesday/Wednesday we saw action in the League Cup and the top PL matches are on

Saturday, Bournemouth Manchester City, Chelsea Everton, Huddersfield Southampton, Manchester United - Leicester, Newcastle - West Ham and Tottenham Burnley and on Sunday, it’s Liverpool - Arsenal and WBA - Stoke. Reigning Serie ‘A’ champions Juventus, whose goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saved a penalty, opened their season with a 3-0 win over Cagliari and Real Madrid and Barcelona both won their opening La Liga games. Last night, Everton (2-0) played the second leg of their Europa League qualifier against Hajduk Split in Croatia. Real Madrid’s Cristiano

Ronaldo, sent-off in the first leg of the Super-Copa against Barcelona, received a fivematch ban and £3,200 fine. Real lifted the trophy after winning both legs by 3-1 and 2-0. And Barcelona have offered £130m for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho; Manchester City want Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal and Chelsea are seeking three Southampton players. SPORTS DIGEST • It’s practice tomorrow and qualifying on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s Belgian F1 Grand Prix at Spa. And the British MotoGP takes place at Silverstone on the same day. • On Saturday, Hull play Wigan Warriors in Rugby League’s Challenge Cup final at Wemb-

ley. And Castleford beat Warrington Wolves to secure their first ever ‘League’ shield victory after 91 years of trying. • Ex-New Zealand All Black, Sir Colin Meads, who played in 55 Tests and 133 internationals, has died, aged 81. • In Rugby Union, England met France and the USA played New Zealand in Tuesday’s women’s World Cup in Ireland. The final takes place on Saturday. • USA’s women golfers easily beat Great Britain 16½ to 11½ to retain the Solheim Cup. And the Made in Denmark and the Northern Trust

Open competitions start today. • Grigor Dimitrov beat Nick Kyrgios and Spain’s Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza outclassed Simona Halep in their respective Cincinatti Open singles finals. For Dimitrov, it was his first Masters title. • Tonight, GB’s star athlete Mo Farah will run his last-ever race in the Diamond League meeting in Zurich. He won his final race in the UK last Sunday – the 3,000m in Birmingham. Also on Saturday, the triathlon World Series continues in Sweden. • In Las Vegas on Saturday, Floyd Mayweather junior fights Conor McGregor in the ‘farce’ of a light-middleweight contest. Meanwhile, the AIBA World Championship is taking place in Hamburg. • The Vuelta a Es-

paña started in Nimes, France last weekend and ends in Madrid on September 10. Team Sky’s Chris Froome made a solid start in the 3,300 km race as did Vincenzo Nibali (Colombia), Fabio Aru (Italy) and Romain Bardet (France). • The USA, with 30, topped the medal charts at the recent World Athletics Championships. • Jockey Davy Russell is under investigation after ‘striking’ his horse, King’s Dolly, on the head before a race at Tramore, Ireland last Friday. • Team GB ended up with three medals overall - including its first gold since 2009 - at the European Equestrian/Eventing Championships in Strzegom. • The ‘Clipper round the world’ yacht race started from Liverpool last Sunday. • And finally England beat Poland 6-0 in their opening game of the 2017 EuroHockey championships in Amsterdam.

POGBA: Celebrating a goal scored against Swansea. DIMITROV: Won his first Masters title.

WELL DONE to all players sticking it out in incredible and very tiring humidity on August 17. The conditions didn’t seem to affect the scoring though with some very creditable results being recorded, and once again a countback was required to determine the prizes. A welcome return for Trevor Elms who pipped Tony Dudley to second place but a very creditable win for

Valle Del Este Golf Society the in form ‘El Presidente.’ 1st Alan Townsend 35 points 2nd Trevor Elms 33 points 3rd Tony Dudley 33 points Nearest the pin (5th hole) – Derek Pearce

Nearest the pin (14th hole) – Nick Fitzpatrick Valle Del Este Golf Society is affiliated to the Valle Del Este Golf Resort in Vera. The group plays every Sunday, Tuesday

and Thursday. Singles competitions are played every Thursday including a monthly medal. Visitors are welcome (subject to available tee times). Please call Alan Townsend on 634 379 887.

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24 - 30 August 2017

IN Las Vegas on Saturday, Floyd Mayweather junior fights Conor McGregor in the ‘farce’ of a light-middleweight contest.

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Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

United on a roll, so too are England at cricket and rugby 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

OVER the next week (or so) there will be enough action going on to suit everyone, yes everyone, with athletics, cricket, football, rugby (both codes), boxing, cycling, triathlon, motor sport, tennis, gymnastics and golf … And there are a few more indoor events taking place as well.

CRICKET England completely outplayed (thrashed) the West Indies in the first day-night Te s t m a t c h i n t h e U K – winning by an innings and 209 runs at Edgbaston. Alastair Cook (243) and skipper Joe Root (136) topscored in England’s total of 514-8 declared. The Wi n d i e s ( W I n d i e s ) w e r e then ‘blown away’ twice, dismissed for 168 and 137, losing 19 wickets on the third day with bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad effectively doing all the damage. Anderson is now only

eight wickets away from reaching the milestone of 500 in Tests, while Broad (384 wickets) has overtaken Ian Botham to go second in the rankings. The next Test starts tomorrow in Leeds. In the domestic T20 blast competition, the first five teams Birmingham (Bears), Derbyshire, Leicester, Somerset and Surrey are into the last eight… finals day is at Edgbaston on September 2. The former Glamorgan bowler Don Shepherd, who took 2,218 first-class wickets during a wonderful career, has died, aged 91.

FOOTBALL Last weekend, Manchester United made it two successive 4-0 PL wins by crushing Swansea. There were also victories for second-placed Huddersfield (1-0 v Newcastle), Leicester (2-0 v Brighton), Southampton (3-2 with a late Charlie Austin penalty against 10-man West Ham), Stoke (1-0 v Arsenal),

ENGLAND: Beat the West Indies in the first day-night Test match.

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