Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 30 November – 6 December 2017 Issue 1691

ISSUE NO. 1691

30 Nov - 6 Dec 2017

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Brazen attack Photo credit Guardia Civil

Prison plan slammed

SHAMELESS: Thief threatened child with knife. A CHILD was the victim of an armed robbery in Adra. Police have since apprehended the suspect, a local male aged 34. He is accused of approaching the youngster and threatening him with a knife before snatching his mobile phone. The incident took place just outside the doors to the victim’s apartment building. Investigating officers conducted a wide range of inquiries before settling on their suspect, who has an extensive criminal record for violent robberies and theft. The suspect is now in custody and facing sentencing.

Runaway held A FUGITIVE on the run from Belgian police was captured in Carboneras. The suspect, wanted for the attempted murder of his ex-wife in October, was seized on a European Arrest Warrant. His ex-wife was found with 18 stab wounds on a bench in the Belgian seaside town of Koksijde but survived thanks to quick medical attention. He will soon be extradited to Belgium where he faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.

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GUILTY: The skipper faces more than five years in prison unless he chooses to appeal.

In deep water Skipper faces five years in jail By Kat Ashton A 29-year-old Algerian boat skipper will serve five years and six months in prison. It comes after a judge found him guilty of dangerously steering a boat across troubled seas which resulted in three people losing their lives. There were 14 people on board the five-metre inflatable motorised dinghy in total, who had allegedly paid around €800 each to make the journey. Despite the accused claiming he was in the same situation as the other men on board, a witness testified that this man in question had been in charge of

steering the boat and had been the only one with a compass. The rest of the men were apparently charged with emptying water out of the boat as they had no navigational experience. It is believed the man had organised the passage over with his associates, whom he has not named, and was also seen helping passengers into the boat before they set sail. The boat set off to Spain from the African coast in the cover of night, without any lights, life jackets or radios to call for help. It was spotted by a Guardia Civil patrol boat, just as a large

amount of water entered the boat and it began to sink. The passengers allegedly panicked and all stood up at once to be rescued, which capsized the boat and caused them to fall into the water. The emergency services were unable to locate three of the passengers, who were later ruled to be lost at sea following a three-day search effort. The Almeria Provincial Court ruled that the boat had clearly been overloaded, which increased the risk of it capsizing or sinking, and that making the trip at night without sufficient safety measures also increased the risk of fatalities.

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HUMAN rights activists reacted furiously to news that 500 illegal immigrants will be transferred from Almeria and Murcia to a Costa del Sol prison. The government made the announcement after nearly 1,000 immigrants reached the shores of southern Spain last weekend. Juan Miralles, president of the Almeria Acoge Association for immigrant rights, criticised the decision, describing it as “inhuman.” The national government has said prison is a temporary measure and that immigrants will be housed there safely for a maximum of 40 days.

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Horror crash A MAN was killed when he crashed his car down an embankment on the N340 at Vera early on Saturday morning. He was trapped in the vehicle and died before emergency services arrived.

Cyber week CHEAP train tickets from Almeria to Madrid, Malaga and Sevilla are still up for grabs, Renfe’s ‘Cyber Week’ ends on Sunday with tickets to the capital on sale for just €18.50.

In the money THE death of a generous local man has resulted in an unexpected windfall for Tijola Town Hall as the former resident left a tidy sum of €80,000 and three properties to the council in his will.

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Car thief curbed officers stopped and searched AN illegal immigrant was arthe man. rested by Guardia Civil and After finding stolen goods charged with breaking into and the wrong identithree cars in Nijar. fication on his perThe 21-year-old son, he was taken suspect was arrestin for questioning. ed by 14 officers Police discovered who were investian outstanding gating the spree of Latest news court warrant for car thefts. and his deportation and He was found more as it have charged him with stolen goods happens with three car in his possession. thefts. The detainee also carried an identity document belonging to another individual. Police became aware of the thefts thanks to the intervention of a local resident. The neighbour told officers the precise location of the cars when they were broken into, helping them tighten up their surveillance of the area. Eventually the suspect returned, and began wandering around peering through the windows of different vehicles. That was enough to arouse police suspicion and

Almeria Informacion /Twitter

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DAMAGE: Police inspect thief’s handiwork. Emergency calls to report a traffic accident were

24,918 made in Andalucia from January to October this year, a 12 per cent increase on the same period in 2016.

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Ex-boyfriend from hell A MAN who serially harassed his ex-girlfriend was jailed for one year. He was also fined and issued with a restraining order banning him from making any attempt to communicate with her for three years. Though he is an Alicante resident, his ex-partner lives in Almeria and he was sentenced by an Almeria court. He was found guilty of violence against women for plaguing her with an average of 15 phone calls per day and innumerable text messages begging her to return to him. The relationship lasted only two months before she broke it off. He continued harassing her for an even longer period, even changing phones and SIM cards when she blocked his number. She was also forced to quit Facebook and other social media sites he began pursuing her on.

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Heavy rain

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BACCHUS CELLAR Thoughts on various wines, but first a peep into Spain’s rich vino history

In the build up to Christmas, hordes of Spaniards spend hours queuing outside to buy tickets for El Gordo, the €2.3 billion festive lottery that has become the richest draw in the world.

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Feeling lucky? Credit: Barcex/Flickr

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Disability gala DOZENS of disability groups will meet in the Maestro Padilla Auditorium tomorrow night for the city’s first ever Disability Gala. An awards ceremony will honour 60 volunteers and care workers who have worked tirelessly this year. The fundraising event comes ahead of World Disability Day which is

Tech

50 FULL OF HOPE: A queue of people waiting to buy lottery tickets in Puerta del Sol, Madrid. ‘EL GORDO’ - or the ‘the fat one’ - is the nickname given to Spain’s unique annual Christmas lottery, also known as el Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad. According to state figures, around 70 per cent of the population take part each year, with each person spending an average of €60 on tickets, while the total prize money in 2017 is forecast to be €2.38 billion. The draw started more than 200 years ago in 1812, and is held every year on December 22 at the Teatro Real de Madrid in Madrid. A group of 40 children, aged between eight and 14, from the Colegio de San Ildefonso school in Segovia are chosen to select the numbers each year. The school used to be an orphanage and the winners of the lottery traditionally donate a portion of their winnings to the school.

Many people flock to watch the ball be drawn live, with many dressing up in lottery-themed clothing for luck. The numbers are drawn from two giant golden drums, one with the numbers of the lottery tickets and another with the prize amount, and the children traditionally sing the results as they’re drawn. The prize fund is split among thousands of prizes ranging in value. Unlike other traditional lotteries, it’s not possible to pick your own numbers. When you buy a ticket, the number is already printed on it and can range from 00000 to 99999. A full ‘billete,’ or ticket sheet, costs €200, but most people buy a 10th of a ticket, or a ‘decimo,’ for €20; meaning they win a 10th of the prize money allocated to the winning number. This can be split up further into ‘participaciones’ worth €1.

A fat chance

Speed cameras THREE new fixed speed cameras will b e o p e r a t i o n a l in A lme ria Province by the end of the year. One will be located at kilometre nine of the AL-3111 road. The other locations are yet to be decided but will be on secondary roads, rather than major highways.

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Letters

IT is not uncommon for people in the same location to win at the same time if they buy ‘decimos’ or ‘participaciones’ from the same place. Last year the first prize of €4 million was split between 10 people who all bought their tickets from the same lottery shop in Madrid. In 2011, all but one of the 250 residents in the tiny Spanish village of Sodeto won a share of €120 million,

on Sunday.

Nature threat CARDBOARD trees have been p lac e d aro u n d A lme ria C ity to

with people collecting prizes worth between €100,000 and €1 million depending on how many tickets they had bought. This was the first time in history that an entire village won the prize. The unlucky man who missed out was a Greek man who lived on the edge of town and allegedly didn’t realise what a big deal the Christmas lottery was.

protest against sanitary conditions. Citizen group Now Almeria covered the symbolic trees with slogans accusing the council of letting nature die and doing nothing to combat dirty streets, air and water pollution.

Credit: Madrid Directo/Twitter

THREE members of a hash-smuggling boat were sentenced to three years each in prison. The crew arrived at the Cabo de Gata coast with almost six tons of hashish, which they set on fire when they spotted customs officers. The shipment was valued at €12.5 million.

Finance

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Love affair

Boat blaze

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PLUS THE REGULARS

SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...39

A STORM system from the Azores Islands was expected to bring proper rainfall to Almeria Province for the first time in months. The heaviest rain was expected last night and early today, when temperatures will also p l u n g e . Sn o w is e x p e c te d above 2,000 metres.

A WOMAN has come forward claimin g t o b e t h e i lle g itimate daughter of the late Almerian singer Manuel Escobar. She has filed a paternity suit citing letters and photographs as evidence. Escobar, born in El Ejido was a superstar in the 1960s and died in 2013.

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SING WHEN YOU’RE WINNING: The draw is chanted by schoolchildren.

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Time out 51

TV 56

Social 62 - 64

Albox 65 - 68

Classifieds 74 - 75

Sports 79 - 80 The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1690 of the Euro Weekly News Costa de Almería edition, including 46 local stories.

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Crisis deepens ‘Spain has lived as if it were water rich’ Photo credit Pedro Armestre/Greenpeace

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Parts of Spain braced for the cold and wet weather.

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airline to launch daily flights 3,408 Icelandic between Spain and UK

DRY AS A BONE: The Entrepeñas reservoir, the TajoSegura transfer (inset left) and its course (inset right). By Matt Ford THE longest river in the Iberian Peninsula is drying up. It comes as a series of dramatic images showing the extent of the crisis gripping the Tagus river emerged. Known as the Tajo in Spain and Tejo in Portugal, the river rises in Aragon, northern Spain passing close to Madrid before forming a length of the border with Portugal and eventually emptying into the sea at Lisbon. Along its 1,000 kilometre length it is dammed 51 times, but its current problems arise at the headwaters. And they are likely to exert a knock-on effect in expatriate strongholds on the Mediterranean slope.

Constructed between 1966 and 1979, the 292-kilometre Tagus-Segura transfer is a concrete canal designed to carry water from the upper Tagus to the Segura river basin, where it is used to irrigate crops in Alicante, Murcia and Almeria. But much of the channel is open to the air, meaning tens of thousands of litres of water are lost to evaporation before reaching their destination. Environmental organisation Greenpeace this week published a scathing report on water management in Spain, as the country continues to battle its worst drought for two decades. The study, entitled Drought, Something More Than a Lack of Rain, concludes that 75 per cent

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of Spain is at risk of becoming a desert and claims that “the problem is not drought, but robbery.” According to the report, the national government “has not worked to mitigate dry periods” and Spain has instead “lived and legislated as if it were a waterrich country.” The Entrepeñas reservoir in Guadalajara near Madrid is one of the sources of the Tajo-Segura transfer, but currently sits below 10 per cent of capacity, with local villages forced to ship drinking water in by lorry. Our View - page 5

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LAST WEEK’S POLL: Amid air pollution fears in Spain, should cars be banned from city centres?

Yes 51% No 49% 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, nononsense manner. To ask for an inaccuracy to be corrected. Email: editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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OUR VIEW

It’s time to save water THE ongoing water shortage is a crisis that has been lurking in Spain’s shadow for decades. But the country appears to have no plan or will to deal with it. And as a Greenpeace report claims that Spain has ‘lived and legislated as if it were a water-rich country,’ then it certainly appears time to address a problem which is long in need of a solution. As reservoirs lie at their lowest levels since the 1990s, and state weather office AEMET forecasts a mild and dry winter, a natural fix may not be close at hand after the third driest year on record behind 1981 and 2005. Ill-advised infrastructure projects such as the Tajo-Segura transfer, largely created during General Franco’s era, are wasteful and woefully inadequate for a country as rich as Spain. Golf courses and public green spaces are typically irrigated with drinking water, while a number of towns and cities continue to pump raw sewage into rivers including the Tagus and Ebro. As climate change continues to show that it is far from a future problem, Spain must find a way to use its precious water resources more efficiently or suffer the inevitable consequences brought about by a perfect storm of rapidlywarming planet, over-exploited aquifiers and unchecked pollution. What is clear is that connecting more river basins by building pipelines, canals and dams is not the answer.

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What a nightmare ESSENTIAL repair work on the Villaricos desalination plant has been delayed once again. Not a drop of water will flow from the much-needed facility until mid 2020 according to state water entity Acuamed. The plant, which is needed to alleviate the Almanzora Valley of severe water shortages, has been closed since it was damaged in heavy flooding five years ago. A deadline to fix it within 30 months has long passed and local irrigators have offered to fix the plant with their own money. Another hurdle has now come to light. Acuamed will not permit any work until an environmental report is submitted by the Andalucian regional executive that confirms that

reconstruction works would not be threatened in the event of another major flood. The requirement has been roundly criticised by the Water Board of Almeria. It is a loose coalition of local irrigators, farmers, engineers, residents’ associations, and technicians set up to fight for better water infrastructure in the province. Spokesman Jose Antonio Fernandez said: “The slowness of the deadlines and new bureaucratic hurdles is the unfortunate culmination of five years of waiting and deceit. “Uncertainty surrounding four million trees and thousands of hectares is being translated into a loss of agricultural jobs across the entire province,” he added.

of Spaniards between the ages of 18-65 do not do

sports or physical activity according to a health 60% anysurvey by insurance company Linea Directa.

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Strutting her stuff

Purr-fect hostess!

SHE’S the philanthropic model who got her big break posing for Calvin Klein. And now Toni Garrn, 25, has SHE’S one of the most desired women in Spain. lent her looks to fashion brand And actress Blanca Suarez, 29, showed why she Calzedonia. leaves others in the shade as she appeared as The leggy star brand ambassador for British car manufacwowed in a short turer Jaguar at the launch of the new E-type dress with a seein Madrid. through chest panel After slipping into an eye-popping, mulover pear fishnet ti-coloured mini-dress combined with tights which perthigh-skimming stiletto boots, the TV star fectly showcased posed for a series of racy snaps with the her endless legs. car. Photo credit Toni Garnn/Instagram With her golden hair SHEER DARING: falling over her shoulToni Garrn. ders, the stunner wowed at the company’s 25th anniversary in Madrid. The German model, who spends her spare time raising money for girls’ education in Zimbabwe, showed off her tanned skin and chiselled cheekbones as she posed for photographers. Garrn made headlines in September when she was spotted dining with former flame Leonardo di Caprio in New York. The stunner previously dated the Hollywood star for 18 months between 2013 and 2014.

Celeb focus TOP CAT: Blanca Suarez.

Photo credit Twitter

Millionaire’s row

LAWSUIT: Nick and Holly.

HE’S a super-wealthy property developer married to a former star of Australian soap Neighbours. But multi-millionaire Nick Candy is suing a former good friend whose wife filmed him being ‘drunk and embarrassing’ in Ibiza. Emma Hollyoake, partner of his ex-business associate Mark Hollyoake, allegedly refused to erase the footage from her mobile phone, leading to a court battle.

The property tycoon, who tied the knot with Australian actress Holly Valance in 2012, is said to have ‘engaged in some embarrassing behaviour when heavily intoxicated’ at a party on Ibiza in 2010 as friends filmed him. He now claims his privacy and data protection have been breached. Candy, who is said to have a joint worth of €1.6 billion with his twin Christian, shares two children with his wife.

Neigh joke SPANISH actress HORSY: Elsa Elsa Pataky has a Pataky. new best friend. The Madridborn star, 41, took to Instagram to show off her new horse Dolly as she enjoyed an afternoon of riding near Byron Bay in Australia, where she lives with actor husband Chris Hemsworth and their three children. A smiling Elsa appeared to be fullyrecovered after a recent trip to Spain.

Crown glory SHE’S the monarch with a taste for high fashion. And Spanish Queen Letizia did not disappoint as she attended a Jubilee Year celebration in Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia. The mother-of-two slipped into a glamorous grey jacket and snakeskin heels, together with diamond earrings.

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Beach bar red tape CHIRINGUITO owners in Almeria City have warned that unless bureaucratic red tape is cut, they won’t be open in time for summer as it takes six months to complete licence applications.

Knife thugs GUARDIA CIVIL officers arrested two suspected muggers on Monday who they believe stole a mobile phone from a Campohermoso resident after threatening him with a knife.

Fake snow CANNONS will pummel Puerta del Mar square in Adra with artificial snow tomorrow, dyeing the square white for Christmas. LED lights and three-dimensional festive characters will also be deployed.

Car damage POLICE arrested a local man, aged 43, who is accused of scratching the paintwork and smashing the windows of 10 cars during an afternoon vandalism spree in La Mojonera.

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Radioactive red tape Nuclear saga goes on RADIOACTIVE waste at Palomares will not be removed any time soon. Attempts from Ecologists in Action to have the site cleaned have encountered new resistance from the Spanish government. The Almeria town was the victim of one of the worst nuclear accidents in history in 1966. An American B-52 bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs collided with a tanker plane during mid-air refueling. Two of the bombs leaked radiation across the Almeria countryside. The United States government shipped thousands of tons of contaminated earth away from Palomares at the time. But decades later it was discovered that the site was vastly more contaminated than previ-

THOUSANDS of energy jobs are at risk in both Almeria and Granada provinces. The Ministry of Energy has decided not to include the Caparacea-BazaLa Ribina electric line in its new National Electricity System Transport Network. The line directly supplies 40 municipalities from Almeria Province and 59 from Granada. Though it will continue, the decision not to include it in the na-

Photo by Wikimedia

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DISASTER: Hydrogen bomb casings from 1966 nuclear crash. ously feared. In 2015, a deal between Madrid and Washington saw the Americans pledge to clean up the site once and for all. Nothing has happened since. As reported in the Euro Weekly News, Ecologists in Action launched a legal case against Spain’s Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) two months

ago. They demanded that the site be cleaned while negotiations took place with the new American administration. But state lawyers now argue that the National Court has no competency to order the CSN to do anything. Nor is the CSN able to decide by itself to clean up the site. Instead, Ecologists in Action, have been told, they will have to challenge the national ministry of energy directly. The government has previously said it was satisfied with the safety of the site and will continue its custodial role until the US decides to make good on its promise to remove the waste. At present, Spain does not have the technological capacity to safely dispose of plutonium.

Jolt over jobs threat tional network could see 15,000 jobs and millions of euros in investment lost according to the Andalucian Cluster of Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (Claner). The organisation expressed its ‘surprise and frustration’ at not being included in the national electricity infrastructure plans.

As recently as April it fully expected to be incorporated into the network, due to be up and running by 2020. Claner is a major voice in the Andalucian renewable energy sector. It has asked the Ministry of Energy to reconsider its decision to help boost the socioeconomic development of eastern Andalucia.

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Flower power MORE than two million of the poinsettias set to adorn Spanish homes over Christmas have been dispatched from Almeria’s greenhouses. The province accounts for a quarter of Spain’s total production.

Image boost ZURGENA is undergoing a major facelift with a dozen local streets being cleaned up and repaired both for safety and to improve the image of the town.

Hot spot ALMERIA Province won half of all the funding granted by the Junta de Andalucia for agricultural projects from 2013 to 2016 despite having just 10 per cent of the region’s population.

Star gate EUROPEAN funding will contribute more than €1 million to the Calar Alto Observatory to help the astronomical centre improve its instruments and keep its position as one of Europe’s top stargazing sites.

Food lovers THE 2018 Michelin Guide will feature two restaurants from Almeria Province. La Costa in El Ejido and Alejandro in Roquetas de Mar both retained their stars. Eighteen Andalucian restaurants are featured.

Bright ideas RESIDENTS have been invite d t o sh a re t h e ir ideas for the’regeneration’ of Almeria’s historic quarter which will be revamped by the the Official College of Architects of Almeria next year.

A KITTEN was violently killed in the El Toyo neighbourhood near Almeria airport. Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s animal protection wing, are investigating the incident. Seprona agents are analysing CCTV footage from shops and other premises in the area as they hunt for the perpetrator. They were alerted to the situation

Hunt for kitten killer by animal protection society, Alma Felina. The group had taken in a stray black cat, just a few months old and named him Cesar. One member of the team noticed one morning that Cesar was nowhere to be found and went outside to look

for him. She found Cesar ’s body on Avenida de los Juegos del Mediterraneo. He was wrapped in a white plastic bag which was hung on a fence. The worker took him to a local

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vet to find out the cause of death. Cesar, who was soon to be adopted, was killed by a ‘heavy blow’ to the head according to the vet. “It is intolerable that someone can harm a helpless animal,” said Alma Felina in an official statement about the attack, adding that they trust police will find the person responsible.

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A FULL-SCALE rehabilitation of Almeria’s old railway station is now underway. A total of €1.6 million will be invested in the long-awaited project, which is estimated to take 13 months. The final goal of the renovation is yet to be decided. The historic building will be declared a site of cultural interest if the refurbishment is successful and no major underlying structural problems come to light. The unused station has a c e ntra l body of c a s t iron a nd a rtis tic s ta ine d gla s s windows. Built in the late 19th century, it is considered an invaluable part of Almeria’s architectural heritage.

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Iron and glass

HERITAGE: Station a masterpiece in iron architecture.

Animal-free nativity A COLLECTIVE of animal rights associations has urged the mayor of Cuevas del Almanzora not to put any living animals in the town’s Christmas crib. A total of 29 associations support the move and dispatched representatives to speak with Mayor Antonio Fernandez about their request. They presented a petition with 6,800 signatures, all collected with the hope of sparing ani-

mals from being used in nativity scenes. The mayor has agreed to honour their request and expressed the council’s desire to collaborate on various animal welfare issues. Signatory associations included PAWS PATAS from Mojacar, Puppy Rescue from Arboleas, Adopt a Friend Almeria, the Pandy House Refuge for Dogs in Felix, and Ecologists in Action Adra, among others.

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Helping hands A PROGRAMME encouraging entrepreneurs in Huercal-Overa has now helped 175 new businesses flourish in the past four years by offering state discounts and other financial incentives.

Top docs TWO doctors from Almeria - surgeon, Veronica Perez Garcia and podiatrist, Fernando Martinez Merino - were named among the top 28 most popular doctors in Spain in a survey of patients and colleagues.

Lotto luck A LUCKY lottery winner from Campohermoso picked up €30,000 in the draw, picking up their winning ticket from the kiosk in Calle Exportadores.

Hotels on the ropes Next generation tourism S H O RT term home rentals to tourists are more popular than ever. A growing number of tourists are choosing apartments over hotels and bed and breakfasts as Almeria Province attracts record numbers of visitors. A new report from the J u n t a d e A n d a l u c i a ’s tourism department reveals that there are 1,834 properties in Almeria Province dedicated solely to the thriving industry. Between them, the homes offer 8,613 beds, roughly 20 per cent of all those available for tourists. Under recent legislation, tourist apartments must be officially regis-

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tered with the Andalucian authorities. Penalties for non-compliance are severe but the actual number of tourist rentals is likely far higher than official figures. From January to Sep-

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growth in the Spanish economy this year is expected according to Deutsche Bank research.

tember this year more than 145,000 people have stayed at non-hotel accommodation, a rise of 20 per cent on 2016. A higher proportion of foreign tourists choose tourist rentals over traditional hotels. The phenomenon is largely due to the rise of the internet and the ability of tourists to plan their own trip with ease. Websites like Airbnb now dominate global tourism, offering people the chance to stay in ‘real’ homes. Almeria is still a long w a y o ff t h e s i t u a t i o n o n the Balearic Islands. Mass protests have broken out against tourist apartments, which are perceived as contributing to a housing crisis for locals facing much higher rents.

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Photo by Guardia Civil

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LOOK OUT: Police are patrolling rural areas.

Accidental arrest A PAIR of rural robbers were caught red-handed by the Guardia Civil. The two young men from Vera were found in possession of stolen loot from a local farmhouse. The arrest was almost accidental. The Guardia Civil were investigating the disappearance of a 13-year-old boy when they stumbled upon the crime. The boy’s mother had gone to the station to report him missing. Officers accompanied her to the family home in Vera to seek more information. By the time they arrived the boy had returned. However, rather than resolve the case, the suspicious officers wanted to know where he had been. Cracking under the pressure, he admitted to taking part in the burglary. Police doubted he acted alone and soon had the identities of the two thieves, aged 22 and 25. They were caught with car batteries and 60 litres of diesel stolen from the property. The arrests come amid enhanced police surveillance of rural areas to deter break-ins.

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Photo by Facebook/FICAL

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Rescue at sea MORE than 60 immigrants were rescued from the waters south of Cabo de Gata. Maritime Rescue intervened to stop three small boats. Two babies were among the people rescued.

New wheels A COMMUTER train could connect the seven towns of the Bajo Andarax with Almeria City if a Socialist plan goes ahead. An estimated 375,000 people annually would benefit from the railway.

BBQ blaze A FIRE destroyed three public bins in Vera, one used to recycle clothes, over the weekend. Firefighters suspect the blaze was caused by the remains of a barbecue.

STAR POWER: Sophia Loren helped boost record numbers.

Silver screen success Film festival strikes gold THE dust has settled on the Almeria International Film Festival (FICAL), which has proven to be a major boon for the local economy. The 16th edition of the festival saw 1,100 overnight stays in the city from filmmakers and staff alone. Over the weekend before last the city’s hotels registered an occupancy rate of 100 per cent as thousands of people flocked to the festival from across Spain. Flights sold out weeks before and hundreds of guests

had to be diverted to accommodation in Aguadulce and Roquetas de Mar because they hadn’t booked far enough in advance. Vice-president of the Almeria Provincial council, Javier Garcia, said the festival was hugely important in promoting off-season tourism. More than 24,000 people attended, he said, contributing more than €3.5 million in spending to the city. Many will have come to see cinema icons, including Sophia Loren who was awarded her star on Almeria’s Walk of Fame. More than one million people read stories about the festival online and it featured in media in the United States and throughout Latin America, said Garcia. Planning for the 2018 festival has already begun. It is set to be extended by a day or two to accommodate interest.

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Networks against violence AN annual cam pai gn acr oss dom est i c vi olence was launched in Almeria Province and across Andalucia. Under the slogan ‘Som os Tu Red’ ( We Ar e Your Net wor k) , t he cam pai gn urges t he public ‘to be an active participant in the fight against this scourge,’ in t he wor ds of cul t ur e counci l l or, Rosa Agui l ar. She sai d Almeria Province had been battered by sexist violence this year. In 2017, three women have been murdered by their current or former partners. Two have survived murder attempts. The We Ar e Your Network campaign will be spr ead acr oss t he pr ovi nce t hanks t o 16,000 street posters, television and radio adverts, and a huge social m edi a pr esence on Facebook and Twitter. Counci l l or Agui l ar says t he ‘ net wor k’ refers to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and others who are being urged to reach out to women affected by dom est i c vi ol ence t o lend their support.

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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By Kat Ashton THE ‘Padron’ is the town hall’s list of everyone who lives in the vicinity. It is the local authorities’ way of keeping track of how many people live in the area without delving into their financial affairs. Everyone who lives in Spain is legally required to get themselves on this list, yet there are many expatriates who have yet to do so, or are not aware this is something they need to do. What are the benefits? There are many benefits of ‘Empadronarse’ - the act of registering yourself on the ‘Padron’ - which could make a significant difference to your time in Spain. As the residence certificate (‘Certificado de Empadronamiento’) is your official proof of address, you will need it if you want to register for healthcare, enrol your children in Spanish schools or get Spanish number plates for your car. You can only have access to certain benefits and social care services provided by the town hall if you are registered on this list. It also helps to improve local services, such as health centres, fire department and schools, if you register as the Spanish government allocates money to different towns depending on how many people are on the ‘Padron.’ It is also required if you want to take part in local or European elections as this is how the census office gets their information to

Are you registered? Why it’s important for expats to get on the ‘Padron’

ON THE LIST: There are a multitude of benefits. put together the electoral register. What do you need to register? To get on the ‘Padron’ list, you just have to take the following documents to your lo-

cal town hall: • Your passport and a photocopy. • NIE certificate or residency card issued by the National Police Foreign Office.

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• Proof of ownership of property (either your deeds or a rates receipt in your name and a photocopy). • If you are renting a property, bring the rental contract in Spanish and a photocopy. • If you don’t own a property and are not renting, you need to bring the owner of the dwelling in order for them to sign the registration form to authorise you to register at the property. • All family members over the age of 18 must sign the registration form in person. For children, the birth certificates and passport have to be presented, but the form can be signed by parents. The procedure takes approximately 10 minutes, and then you will be issued with a certificate of registration with your name, NIE number and address on it. The information you provide when you register is kept confidential and is protected by data protection laws. You will need to renew the certificate again every two years if you registered with a passport or NIE number or five years if you registered with your residence card. If you are asked to provide the certificate under any circumstances, the date of issue should not be older than three months. If this is the case, you can ask the town hall to print you a new one. If you leave Spain, you must inform the town hall before you go so you will be taken off the ‘Padron.’

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

LIVING HISTORY: English Cable needs urgent intervention.

Embracing history Last link to industrial past A FINAL decision must soon be made on what to do with Almeria’s English Cable, said public works minister, Iñigo de la Serna during his visit to the province. The old mineral loading bay has recently been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). However, there is still debate over what to do with one of the province’s greatest industrial monuments. De la Serna said

24%

that, for now, the focus should simply be on protecting it from further saltwater damage. He advocated starting with a ‘light intervention’ to save the huge iron platform from rust. Once that is achieved, Almeria City and the national government can work together to find a permanent solution. The most likely outcome is that the pier will be transformed

of Catalans want to continue the independence process according to a national government poll.

into a cultural centre and tourist attraction showcasing the city’s industrial heritage. Other ideas, including converting it into a modern shopping centre with seaside cafes and restaurants, have also been floated. The English Cable was built in 1904 by Scottish engineers and used to load minerals from local mines onto cargo ships for delivery across Europe. It is considered a masterpiece of the flourishing iron architecture seen at the height of the industrial revolution.

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂ­a

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NEWS

Drug lab smashed POLICE raided an El Ejido property, finding 340 marihuana plants growing in the ba s e me nt. A loc a l ma n, aged 27, was placed under a rre s t a nd c ha rge d w ith drug cultivation. The ma jor ha ul c ome s amid greater cooperation between the Guardia Civil, electricity companies and local residents in the battle against drug plantations. As reported previously in the Euro Weekly News, drug gangs are costing Almeria Province homeowners millions in higher electricity ra te s due to the ir ille ga l hook-ups. Police were alerted to potential electricity fraud at the El Ejido property and began a surveillance operation. They soon determined that it was a drug production s ite a nd s w oope d in when they saw their main

70%

Photo by Guardia Civil

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NABBED: Police sniff out major bust. suspect was present. Inside they found the basement divided into two parts. The first was home to two industrial-sized air conditioning

of Spaniards who watch sports on TV say football is their favourite sport.

units and 30 transformers. In the second part were hundreds of marihuana plants, growing amid a sophisticated apparatus of heating lamps and humidifiers. The suspect is in custody and will soon appear before an El Ejido court.

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Dodgy petition slammed Bizarre deadlock continues EMBATTLED Partaloa mayor Antonio Peñuela has been accused of scheming to get himself pardoned. Rival councillors claim he misrepresented a petition to make it appear that he enjoyed widespread public support. In an increasingly bizarre standoff, Peñuela continues to remain in office seven months after being convicted of an administrative breach that disbarred him from holding public office according to the provincial court. In 2011, as a senior councillor, he sacked the municipal secretary, Mario Callejon, despite not having the competence to do so. Callejon’s legal team claim he was fired for cooperating with investigators looking into the illegal construction of new homes in the countryside. As the legal wrangling continues, Peñuela’s team presented a petition before the court that allegedly showed strong public support for his pardon. But the opposition claim that the petition was conducted months ago under the auspices of drumming up support for a local

ALBOX councillors have been summoned to court over an inquiry into the possibly irregular hiring of 11 people by the town hall. A total of eight current and former councillors will testify at a Huercal-Overa court on January 18. The case surrounds allegations that in recent years the town hall has hired 11 people in an improper fashion. They

Photo by Facebook/Antonio Peñuela

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STUBBORN: Partaloa mayor Antonio Peñuela (inset) won’t budge from office. court to stay open. The complaint, read aloud in court, stated: “Numerous neighbours, once made aware that their signatures appear on this request, have addressed the spokesmen of the opposition groups to say that they have never signed a petition for a pardon in favour of Antonio Peñuela Gonzalez.”

If and when Peñuela, and his deputy, are ejected from office, they are expected to be replaced by the next highest-ranking figures on the electoral list from the 2015 elections. This would make Dutch expatriate Lamberthe Margaretha Van der Aart the new mayor overseeing a team of senior British councillors.

Nepotism charges are said to be family members or have other connections with councillors. Prosecutors claims they did not go through proper job hiring channels. The hirings took place in the 2007-2011 and 2011-

2015 legislatures. So far there is no criminal case but prosecutors could order one if it emerges that senior councillors were involved in covering up the alleged irregularities.

Among the politicians summoned to appear before the court are current councillors Sonia Cerdan and Francisco Perez Conchillo. Disgraced former mayor Rogelio Mena will also testify.

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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COMMUNITY

Smashed it! €22,000 charitvy target reached VERA Orphanage is to receive its new roof. It comes as chief fundraiser Keith Holland and restaurant proprietor Shea Fox announced that a further, anonymous, donation of €10,000 to the fund had been received at a presentation in Vera of a cheque for the money raised at Shea’s Restaurante La Parata for the Vera orphanage roof appeal. This extraordinary gift lifts the total raised to meet the target €22,000 required by the orphanage in the centre of Vera to cover the

cost of much-needed repairs to its roof. Keith underlined the success of this fundraising project, saying that it will provide a springboard for organising future charitable fundraising projects for the needy in the Mojacar area. “Thanks to the efforts of Mojacar residents, the people of Almeria and those from other areas and nations, we have now been able to guarantee and maintain a safe and healthy environment for those who live and work in Casa Hojar,” Shea said. “Personally, I am immensely

proud to have joined the contribution of all who have made the effort to support this essential cause,” he added. Keith said that the recent donation was beyond his initial expectations: “I felt that the team had achieved more than it could have dreamed of by raising over €11,000 at the event at Shea’s on November 6. Now we have the unexpected bonus of another generous benefactor who has made a massive contribution that means that the appeal has reached its target.”

ALL SMILES: A cheque for €22,000 is presented by Shea Fox and the team to orphanage manager Hermana Antonia (centre). Looking forward, Holland added: “This second anonymous donation, generously made as a result of the success of the initial fundraising event and the first anonymous gift, recognises the significant and seri-

ous commitment and input from the whole of the team involved in this appeal. It helps provide an opening for the organisation of future fundraising events to benefit those in need in this area.”

Hitting the roof

THE Vera Orphanage, or Casa Hogar, has been open since 1872 and has a capacity to care for 24 children up to 18 years of age, providing care, comfort and encouragement to orphans and underprivileged and, occasionally, abused children and young adults. On November 6, over 100 people attended a fundraising event at Shea’s Restaurante La

Parata. Donations to the appeal were made through an auction, raffle and other activities. Shea Fox made a generous contribution and an earlier anonymous donation of over €4,000 was most gratefully received before the event. Entertainment was provided by Ashley and Dainius and ace crooner Jack Law. A total of over €11,000 was raised on the day.

COMMUNITY

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HAPPY FACES: From left, Chrissie Cremore, Inge Brown and Kris Wessels-Coles.

Santa Paws comes early INGE BROWN, Company Director/Accountant at Price Brown Estate Agents in Mojacar came up with an idea at the beginning of the year which has helped all local charities. In their full page advertisement with Euro Weekly News, they offered to donate €50 from each property listed with them during the month of October to help Paws-Patas. Chrissie Cremore (Communications Officer) and Kris WesselsColes (Acting Treasurer) gratefully received a donation of €500. The shelter requires a great deal of vital repairs and this money will help buy much needed fencing for the dog kennels.

Paws-Pata sends a big barking thank you to Inge and everyone at Price Brown. This is the first year that they have raised money from this inspirational idea and they have also supported MACS, Asprodalba, and in November they will be raising money for the Vera Orphanage Roof Appeal. PAWS-PATAS is in desperate need of volunteers to work at the shelter, even if you can spare a few hours or one day a week to help care for the dogs please call 678 490 217. For all other enquires and information please visit the website: www.paws-patas.org.

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

COMMUNITY

A merry market

ALL SMILES: Maggie, APSA shop manageress, with Leanne Plant.

Thank you Maloans MALOANS recently hosted a Christmas Craft Fete in Albox, organised by Leanne Plant, with 24 stalls and a visit from Father Christmas himself during the evening. Leanne visited the APSA shop in Avenida Lepanto to donate €167 from the event. They would like to thank Maloans for being such wonderful hosts, to all the stall holders and prize-donors and especially to those who supported the event.

Maggie, shop manageress, was delighted to receive the funds to assist with the welfare of the many animals in the care of AP SA, such as neutering, feeding, vets’ bills etc. There are many older dogs who will soon be finding the cold weather difficult to cope with so, if you are able to give a home to a dog, please call APSA on: 664 730 289 or visit their Facebook page.

BEDAR wi l l hol d t hei r third annual Christmas market, in the town hall square, with even more activities for the children this year. There will be a visit from Father Christmas, a lucky dip, Christmas gifts, mulled wine, mince pies and a hog roast. Ther e wi l l be Fat her Christmases placed along the streets, as usual, to show directions for the public to the town hall from the car park. Ther e i s al so as a f un game for the children with a prize at the end. The event will be held on Fr i day Decem ber 8 f r om 11am to 4pm.

Season’s meetings THE Anglican churches of Costa Almeria and Costa Calida are holding a Christmas Fayre in the Levante Bar car park (opposite Price Brown). The fair will start at 10am on Saturday. Entry is free and there will be many stalls, including bric-a-brac, crafts, a raffle, cakes, clothes and much more. This is a fundraising event for the upkeep of the churches which receive no funding from England. Christmas services Monday December 4, 8pm: Joint carol service (Roman Catholic Church, Mojacar Pueblo) Tuesday December 12, 6pm: Carols by candlelight (Llanos del Peral Church) Wednesday December 13, 5pm: Christingle service (Mojacar Anglican Church) Saturday December 16, 11am: Carols (Parque Comercial, Mojacar) Sunday December 17, 6pm: Nine lessons and carols (Aljambra Chapel, Albox) Sunday December 24, 11.30pm: Midnight Mass (Mojacar Anglican Church) Monday December 25, 11am: Christmas Day Eucharist (Mojacar Anglican Church).

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

RUSSIAN PRESS

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ICE FUN: Magical Christmas at Gorky Park.

A winter wonderland CHRISTMAS ice-skating has opened at Moscow’s Gorky Park. British music stars Maribou State and Holly Walker performed at the opening ceremony. The new rink is cube shaped and, like a Russian doll, has nine smaller rinks inside. There are 15 kilometres of LED strip lights.

High-rise Pisa TOY cars are rolling from one side of the room to another in a Nizhny Novogorod high rise now being described as Russia’s very own leaning tower of Pisa. More than 200 worried people live in the bendy building which began to tilt two years ago.

Health and safety HUNTING and gun sales will be banned in Yekaterinburg during the 2018 World Cup. The safety precaution will also see gun-owning residents banned from travelling with their weapons. Terrorist group Daesh have pledged to attack the summer football tournament, leading to a security crackdown.

Outraged conservatives in the Russian parliament demanded he apologise for insulting Soviet forces.

Rail birds SAKHALIN island will be connected to the Russian mainland in a huge infrastructure project. The 580-kilometre railroad will include a tunnel and will cost almost €10 billion. There has long been talk of connecting Sakhalin to the Japanese island of Hokkaido, creating a rail link between the two countries.

Elvis of opera ONE of the world’s greatest opera singers died in London. Dmitry Hvorostovsky, an acclaimed baritone from Krasnoyarsk, passed away from brain cancer aged 55. He performed Russian classics across the world, was best known for playing Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and was described as the ‘Elvis of opera.’

Sex scandal A MOSCOW university has been accused of a cover-up. A female student was threatened with expulsion unless she retracted allegations of sexual harassment. Other students have suggested that the Higher School of Economics is trying to avoid the embarrassment of a sex scandal.

Speech furore A TEENAGE student from Novy Urengoy who gave an anti-war speech in the German parliament has received threats. Nikolai Desyatnichenko expressed sadness over the fate of German POWs who perished in Soviet camps.

ELVIS: Handsome baritone was beloved by opera world.

FINANCE Investment bond lasts a millennium

A COMPANY in Denmark has seen its latest bond offer five times oversubscribed, even though the bond cannot be cashed in for 1,000 years. Orsted which builds wind farms is offering 2.25 per cent annual interest and could have raised €2.5 billion whilst analysts are surprised at how popular it has been. There is of course no guarantee that the company will still be trading in 3017 or that descendants of bond holders will still be around.

to be the last, group to have information compromised in this way, but what has horrified regulators around the world is that it kept the hacking secret for more than a year after reportedly paying a ransom of $100,000 (€84,000) to the hackers to have the data deleted. It is claimed by the company that no financial information had been taken and the head of security has since been dismissed

Photo by ICCI

BUSINESS EXTRA

Bank jobs SANTANDER Bank has reduced the number of redundancies that it expects to make following the takeover of Banco Popular from 1,585 to 1,384. Whilst this has been welcomed by the unions, they have asked the bank to consider keeping more staff in work.

Pakistan promotes EU trade THE Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of Pakistan in Spain returned to Islamabad to encourage local businessmen to expand their exports to the EU using Spain as a base. He made it clear that Spain was an ideal partner both as a stepping stone for exports and as a customer for IT and marble products in particular. Advising those attending a meeting at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Counsellor Dr Muhammad Hamid Ali observed that the Mobile

By John Smith

The challenge for us as a nation is to prove them wrong,” said British Chancellor Philip Hammond after the Office for Budget Responsibility slashed its 2017 growth forecast from 2 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

DR ALI (in tie) being greeted at ICCI.

World Congress would be held in Barcelona next February and urged that the Pakistani business community of relevant sectors should take active participation in this event to explore new business opportunities. In addition it was suggested that as law and order had become much stronger in Pakistan that inward investment from Spain should also be encouraged and that the Pakistan Embassy and the ICCI would consider ways of assisting exporters to encourage increased trade with Spain.

Price drop DESPITE the fact that the average cost of luxury properties in Barcelona has dropped by 20 per cent, the actual market has collapsed by 50 per cent. This figure has been calculated by estate agents Barnes and covers the six weeks since the Catalan referendum.

EU support THE European Union, taking into account the potential financial losses to the Spanish economy since the Catalan crisis has accepted the forecasts for the next two years may be reduced. There is no plan to threaten penalties if this is the case.

Giving Tuesday suggested FORGET Black Friday says Giving Tuesday, a global movement supported by ecologists in Spain who last year raised €558,617 for 321 projects. The concept that they have is that the Tuesday following Thanksgiving should cele-

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

Uber ethics under question UBER, the private hire company which is surrounded by controversy, may face an EU fine of up to €20 million if they fail to alert consumers to security breaches again. The company which has seen its licence to operate rescinded in London and taxi drivers all over Spain striking because of its presence, recently admitted that it had been hacked and lost data covering 57 million customers and drivers. This is not the first, nor likely

EWN

the amount of compensation paid to claimants following Spanish natural €877.27 million isdisasters since 2005 according to the Insurance Compensation Consortium.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

Quote of the Week

Costa de Almería

30 November - 6 December 2017

brate the action of giving food, money, time, second-hand objects or even blood to those worse off than oneself. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday, only Wednesday and Thursday are left without titles.

with offers of assistance being made to drivers but nothing to customers whose information was taken. A new General Data Protection Regulation is due to be enacted by the EU early next year which will require that companies have to notify data regulators about a breach within 72 hours of becoming aware of a hack. I n t h e e v e n t t h a t t h e y d o n ’t , then they can be fined 4 per cent of their global annual turnover or €20 million whichever is higher.

USA to tax olive imports DESPITE the recent warm meeting between Mariano Rajoy and Donald Trump, ‘Olivegate’ continues to be a problem and could result in annual import duties of up to €4.3 million. Following a complaint from Californian olive growers that Spanish exporters were receiving unfair subsidies of between 2.3 and 7.2 per cent, the US Commerce Department has agreed and will impose equivalent import duties on ripe Spanish olives entering America. Although the duties have been announced, it has been decided the matter is subject to final ratification in May 2018 alongside a number of other new duties aimed at protecting American producers.

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E W N 30 November - 6 December 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 N OVEMBER 27

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,450.00 -10.50 Associated British Foods 3,202.50 159.50 Admiral Group 1,917.50 31.50 Ashtead Group 1,881.00 -38.00 Antofagasta 967.00 -11.50 Aviva 497.50 -1.90 AstraZeneca 5,065.00 82.00 BAE Systems 540.00 -2.00 Babcock International Group 733.25 67.25 Barclays 189.25 -0.10 British American Tobacco 5,030.00 26.00 Barratt Developments 619.00 18.50 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,464.00 -211.00 British Land Co 616.50 -2.00 BHP Billiton 1,400.00 -10.50 Bunzl 2,160.00 24.00 BP 499.08 -2.22 Burberry Group 1,755.00 15.00 BT Group 257.40 10.95 Coca-Cola HBC 2,509.00 91.00 Carnival 4,980.00 22.00 Centrica 138.50 -0.50 Compass Group 1,555.50 45.50 Croda International 4,257.50 -45.50 CRH 2,773.50 124.50 ConvaTec Group 212.50 17.00 DCC 7,292.50 202.50 Diageo 2,640.00 17.50 Direct Line Insurance Group 395.00 38.10 Experian 1,560.00 -18.00 easyJet 1,364.00 -1.00 Ferguson 5,317.50 -2.50 Fresnillo 1,454.00 89.00 G4S 275.00 17.60 GKN 307.00 0.90 Glencore 362.50 0.15 GlaxoSmithKline 1,298.25 0.75 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,620.50 -2.12 Hammerson 519.50 5.00 HSBC Holdings 739.25 3.55 International Consolidtd Airs 598.50 2.50 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,320.00 -24.00 3i Group 933.00 3.50 Imperial Brands 3,132.50 1.00 Informa 703.50 -56.50 Intertek Group 5,152.50 1.87 ITV 153.95 3.55 Johnson Matthey 3,080.00 -3.00 Kingfisher 318.50 2.40 Land Securities Group 923.00 6.00

% CHG. NET VOL -0.72 20,373.85 5.24 24,328.15 1.67 5,405.37 -1.98 9,600.11 -1.18 9,661.40 -0.38 19,895.58 1.65 63,291.11 -0.37 17,313.94 10.10 3,450.70 -0.05 32,171.40 0.52 115,804.34 3.08 6,286.81 -5.74 5,050.99 -0.32 6,208.18 -0.74 29,790.77 1.12 7,279.23 -0.44 99,156.58 0.86 7,465.41 4.44 24,695.27 3.76 8,882.39 0.44 10,481.38 -0.36 7,722.04 3.01 23,912.79 -1.06 5,640.69 4.70 22,176.69 8.70 3,864.66 2.86 6,332.99 0.67 65,299.53 10.68 4,900.50 -1.14 14,343.45 -0.07 5,465.58 -0.05 13,403.94 6.52 9,948.06 6.84 4,029.49 0.29 5,269.22 0.04 52,404.05 0.06 64,213.39 -0.13 7,612.81 0.97 4,132.70 0.48 146,138.53 0.42 12,225.70 -0.55 8,247.47 0.38 8,891.98 0.03 29,978.11 -7.43 6,192.40 0.04 8,343.89 2.36 6,134.72 -0.10 5,937.61 0.76 6,948.76 0.65 6,828.64

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Legal & General Group 263.00 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 65.99 London Stock Exchange Grp 3,803.50 Micro Focus International 2,565.00 Mediclinic International 672.50 Merlin Entertainments 362.40 Marks & Spencer Group 300.00 Mondi 1,796.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 212.50 National Grid 879.00 NMC Health 2,859.50 Next 4,362.50 Old Mutual Group 201.15 Paddy Power Betfair 8,560.00 Prudential 1,908.50 Persimmon 2,590.00 Pearson 705.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,460.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 268.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,348.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,350.50 RELX 1,610.00 Rio Tinto 3,650.00 Rolls-Royce Group 817.50 Randgold Resources 6,520.00 RSA Insurance Group 632.50 Rentokil Initial 326.90 Sainsbury (J) 229.60 Schroders 3,535.00 Sage Group (The) 844.75 Segro 557.75 Shire 3,710.00 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,327.50 Sky 962.50 Standard Life Aberdeen 420.25 Smiths Group 1,525.00 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trst 460.60 Smith & Nephew 1,372.50 SSE 1,330.00 Standard Chartered 738.05 St James's Place 1,113.00 Severn Trent 2,186.50 Tesco 193.50 TUI AG 1,336.00 Taylor Wimpey 198.50 Unilever 4,142.50 United Utilities Group 778.75 Vodafone Group 225.00 Worldpay Group 414.75 WPP Group 1,267.50 Whitbread 3,555.00

CHANGE(P) -3.00 -0.10 27.50 -90.00 152.00 0.50 2.20 45.00 0.30 12.40 -6.05 56.50 8.55 -250.00 25.50 34.00 -3.00 -10.00 -2.80 10.50 -34.50 -154.00 -5.00 -69.00 -760.00 29.00 -0.48 2.20 78.00 40.25 0.65 -1.00 -39.50 22.50 1.25 22.00 -3.40 53.50 -14.00 -1.85 -73.00 80.50 0.90 -20.00 6.30 -118.50 -10.75 -0.50 -1.11 11.50 -21.00

% CHG. -1.13 -0.15 0.73 -3.39 29.20 0.14 0.74 2.57 0.14 1.43 -0.21 1.31 4.44 -2.84 1.35 1.33 -0.42 -0.15 -1.03 0.45 -1.45 -8.73 -0.14 -7.78 -10.44 4.81 -0.15 0.97 2.26 5.00 0.12 -0.03 -1.67 2.39 0.30 1.46 -0.73 4.06 -1.04 -0.25 -6.16 3.82 0.47 -1.47 3.28 -2.78 -1.36 -0.22 -0.27 0.92 -0.59

NET VOL 15,842.83 47,293.26 13,123.42 11,690.47 3,870.53 3,652.11 4,853.10 8,540.89 5,018.95 29,344.25 5,858.91 6,409.84 9,583.87 7,204.40 48,679.45 8,181.76 5,737.20 45,169.60 32,250.20 106,293.86 89,292.40 18,779.81 49,748.92 16,390.46 6,825.02 6,192.71 5,969.50 5,011.07 7,852.02 8,714.77 5,606.35 33,937.67 5,565.87 16,175.95 12,597.28 5,963.09 6,507.78 11,659.06 13,823.61 24,262.12 6,237.68 5,046.59 15,892.91 7,819.35 6,442.54 52,270.88 5,400.56 60,122.76 8,296.00 16,092.99 6,607.02

0.89511

1.11704 Units per €

US dollar ...............................................................1.19342 Japan yen .............................................................132.751 Switzerland franc..............................................1.16804 Denmark kroner ..............................................7.44243 Norway kroner.................................................9.70847 currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 27

COMPANY 3M AMERICAN EXPRESS APPLE BOEING CO CATERPILLAR CHEVRON CISCO SYSTEMS COCA-COLA DOWDUPONT EXXON MOBIL GENERAL ELECTRIC GOLDMAN SACHS HOME DEPOT IBM INTEL CORP J.P.MORGAN CHASE JOHNSON & JOHNSON MC DONALD'S CORP MERCK AND CO. NEW MICROSOFT NIKE PFIZER PROCTER AND GAMBLE TRAVELERS CIES UNITED TECHNOLOGIE UNITEDHEALTH GROUP VERIZON COMMS VISA WAL-MART STORES WALT DISNEY CO

PRICE 231,380 93,4800 174,970 265,880 137,390 116,51 36,490 45,88 71,16 81,42 18,1900 235,95 172,3300 151,84 44,7500 98,3200 138,0100 169,1100 54,35 83,260 59,32 35,4900 88,450 129,83 116,91 212,51 47,01 111,97 96,6200 102,6400

CHANGE% -0,09% -0,36% 0,01% 0,28% -0,45% 0,52% 0,11% 0,09% 0,79% 0,39% 0,22% -0,20% 0,16% 0,05% 0,22% -0,32% 0,52% 0,04% -0,04% 0,18% +0,42% 0,17% 0,14% -0,14% 0,15% +0,61% -0,19% +1,04% 0,22% -0,10%

CHANGE VOLUME(M) -0,200 137.811,80 -0,3400 81.140,29 0,010 898.350,57 0,730 158.352,42 -0,620 81.737,92 0,60 221.296,06 0,040 182.451,97 0,04 195.479,42 0,56 166.513,71 0,32 344.985,18 0,0400 157.745,23 -0,48 89.000,69 0,2700 201.238,12 0,07 140.599,94 0,1000 210.280,25 -0,3200 341.143,42 0,7200 370.766,63 0,0600 134.812,05 -0,02 148.073,14 0,150 641.288,84 0,25 77.250,82 0,0600 211.545,50 0,120 224.393,94 -0,18 35.533,94 0,18 93.392,75 1,29 205.965,60 -0,09 191.856,10 1,15 203.561,46 0,2100 288.623,42 -0,1000 158.422,89 M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES N OVEMBER 27

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Xcel Brands, Inc ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ATA Inc. Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Great Elm Capital Group, Inc. Videocon d2h Limited Compugen Ltd. IRIDEX Corporation Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.

$ 2.65 $ 74.56 $ 5.10 $ 11.51 $ 26.32 $ 7.23 $ 4.20 $ 9.39 $ 2.80 $ 8.58 $ 15.25

0.4144 ▲ 18.54% 11.21 ▲ 17.70% 0.60 ▲ 13.33% 1.27 ▲ 12.40% 2.83 ▲ 12.05% 0.77 ▲ 11.92% 0.40 ▲ 10.53% 0.89 ▲ 10.47% 0.25 ▲ 9.80% 0.76 ▲ 9.72% 1.35 ▲ 9.71%

$ 36.20 $ 10.945 $ 25.80 $ 8.78 $ 20.36 $ 17.90 $ 8.75 $ 11.90 $ 3.77 $ 6.90 $ 5.52

4.45 ▼ 10.95% 1.335 ▼ 10.87% 2.45 ▼ 8.67% 0.69 ▼ 7.29% 1.45 ▼ 6.65% 1.25 ▼ 6.53% 0.60 ▼ 6.42% 0.80 ▼ 6.30% 0.25 ▼ 6.22% 0.45 ▼ 6.12% 0.35 ▼ 5.96%

Most Declined SMART Global Holdings, Inc. Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. Editas Medicine, Inc. Tuniu Corporation Xencor, Inc. Hibbett Sports, Inc. Coherus BioSciences, Inc. Epizyme, Inc. Novelion Therapeutics Inc. Francesca's Holdings Corporation Maxwell Technologies, Inc.

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Pound reacts to budget & Brexit, EUR fluctuates on German concerns Ask the expert Peter Loveday Contact me at euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com

STAYING on top of the latest currency news can help you time your transfers more effectively, so find out what you should be looking out for over the next couple of weeks… Latest currency news The pound lost much of its strength at the beginning of November, but GBP was able to rebound from its lowest levels as the month progressed. Over the past two weeks GBP/EUR has trended between a high of €1.13 and a nine-week low of €1.10. GBP/USD, meanwhile, has seen even choppier trading, moving between lows of US$1.30 and a three-week high of US$1.32. Over the same period, EUR/GBP fluctuated between £0.88 and £0.90 while EUR/USD ranged from US$1.16 to US$1.18. What’s been happening? The pound has largely recovered from the significant GBP sell-off inspired by the November 2 Bank of England (BoE) interest rate decision. Although the central bank increased interest rates at the November gathering, policymakers made it

CURRENCY MOVEMENT: The pound could climb if UK/EU trade negotiations get underway. clear that borrowing costs wouldn’t be increased again for a considerable period, leading to widespread pound losses. Political scandals also rocked market confidence in the government and its ability to deliver a smooth Brexit, further weakening the pound. Theresa May was faced with mounting pressure from within her own party to sack Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Secretary for International Development Priti Patel following separate diplomatic incidents, Then it emerged that 40 Tory MPs were prepared to sign a letter of no confidence in May.

Since then positive Brexit news has given the pound a lift, with hopes that trade negotiations could progress bolstered by reports the UK plans to up its offer to the EU for the Brexit bill. The UK Autumn Budget turned out to be a bit of a non-event, having little impact on GBP exchange rates. The euro, meanwhile, was caught between positive economic data and a less rosy outlook for monetary policy. The latest Eurozone data continues to largely suggest that the currency bloc economy is in robust health and is headed for its strongest year of growth since the financial crisis.

However, the European Central Bank (ECB) is unlikely to make any positive adjustments to monetary policy for some time, somewhat limiting the euro’s strength. The euro also came under pressure in response to the news that German coalition talks collapsed, leaving the nation without a working government two months after the election. What do you need to look out for? Over the next couple of weeks, the euro will be responsive to any political developments in Germany. If it looks as though the nation will have to head to the polls again, the euro could be pressured lower. The pound, meanwhile, could climb if it looks as though UK/EU trade negotiations will finally get underway. UK data to look out for includes the nation’s consumer confidence figure and Markit’s Manufacturing PMI, while the Eurozone is set to publish inflation figures and German employment data. At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers. Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 210,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

Visit us at our Spanish offices in Costa del Sol, Costa Almeria, North Costa Blanca and South Costa Blanca. Telephone: UK +44 (0) 207 847 9400 SPAIN +34 950 478 914 Email: euroweekly@currenciesdirect.com • www.currenciesdirect.com

BBVA TESTS BLOCKCHAIN

NEW technology is being tested by BBVA which could speed up international transactions by days rather than hours. Many payments are made by use of a letter of credit which requires a great deal of physical work to actually set up and if there are any errors in the document then payment may be withheld. In the case of an agreement between a Barcelona-based company and a Mexican company for the purchase of 25 tons of frozen tuna, the bank issued the letter of credit using Blockchain technology. By allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, Blockchain technology created the backbone of a new type of internet. Originally devised for the digital currency, Bitcoin, the tech community is now finding other potential uses for the technology. Initially, the most well-known example of Blockchain technology was Bitcoin the computer generated currency

Photo Credit: Daniel Penfield Wikimedia

New technology could speed up commerce

BLOCKCHAIN: IEEE Computer Society TechIgnite conference 2017.

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which started as being worth less than the cost of a pizza and is now a whisker away from $10,000 (€8,377) for a single coin. Analysts believe that using the Blockchain procedures, a whole new and more efficient form of secure internet connectivity could be achieved in the not too distant future and this test by BBVA Bank is a major step forward in international commerce.

In this particular transaction, the entire documentation was completed in just two and a half hours rather than the normal seven to 10 days that a traditional letter of credit would take to be completed. Not only was the activity safe and made the entire transaction much more efficient, it allowed all parties to be able to view the documentation at the same time and to note any changes in delivery. Spain is particularly advanced in the use of new and developing technology and a recent European Union report which was very critical of the level of unemployment in Spain acknowledged that the number of students studying computers and programming was high and they were leaving university with much-needed skills and in demand. This innovative test by the bank could well pave the way for a massive increase in the use of Blockchain technology to speed up worldwide commerce.

Congress expected to approve new payment law A LAW pr oposed by t he Ciudadanos political party which could see fines as high as €819,780 for late payment of invoices is expect ed t o be appr oved by Congress. Research suggests that the larger the company, the later that payment is made and i n som e cases i t can t ake as l ong as 120 days when the legal requirement i s t o set t l e wi t hi n 60 days. Wi t hi n t he Eur opean Union, late payment occurs wi t h 30 per cent of pur chasers but in Spain the number is believed to be as high as 60 per cent which can have a crippling effect on the cash flow of smaller companies. Persistent offenders will face fines ranging from €406 to €819,780.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

Photo by Berkeley

EQUIPMENT: Ready for use at Retortillo.

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THE Spanish arm of Australian mining corporation Berkeley has had an appeal against an environmental group stymying its €454 million uranium project rejected. A Madrid court reviewed a number of complaints raised by the company against Ecologistas en Acción and political party Equo which had started a legal attempt in 2016 to stop the company from operating an open cast mine in Retortillo, Salamanca. According to the environmentalists, the mining company’s environmental assessment failed to recognise that the uranium processing activities and nuclear debris disposal at the mine could potentially cause health problems to the residents of surrounding towns. Berkeley had seen a previous appeal rejected by the judges at the court of National Audience and the current decision highlighted the fact that the presentation was weak in

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defending its position and was similar to the previously rejected appeal. The proposed mine is a major financial opportunity for the company which Berkeley has stated will show significant profits in the long run, especially as the local area has benefited from EU development funding and therefore initial investment is lower than normal. According to its forecasts, the company expects to produce 4.4 million pounds of uranium each year for the next 10 years and will make between $5 (€4.21) and $21 (€17.70) per pound over that period. There is already a ready demand for material from the mine, if it gets the go-ahead, as it has entered into a non-binding agreement with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to cede 35 per cent of its uranium activity in Salamanca in exchange for a $70 million (€59 million) investment.

In addition, there has been a further investment of $120 million (€101 million)in the project from the Sultanate of Oman which means that the approval for the opening of what will be the largest open uranium mine in Europe is attracting a great deal of interest worldwide. On one hand the environmentalists are fighting against the mine which is close to a river and a protected area as well as a number of towns, whilst the company is anxious to start converting its investment into hard cash. Politicians are also involved in the debate with a Podemos spokesman suggesting that the Castilla and Leon authorities would make things easy for the opening of the mine whilst the president of the Junta has responded that he has no personal opinions about the opening of the mine other than wishing to ensure that the entire project respects the law.

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Should do better

PROPOSED URANIUM MINE STILL CLOSED

Greens oppose opening

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BASED on information collected across Europe in 2016, the EU acknowledges that whilst Spain’s economy is improving, it could do better. Although it acknowledges that many countries, especially those in the east of the Union, are suffering from significant problems with unemployment it has highlighted Spanish inequality in income and the consistently high number of young unemployed. As the economy continues to improve and unemployment drops (often due to part-time contracts) Spain still has the second highest number of unemployed at 17.3 per cent after Greece at 21.6 per cent. Youth unemployment however at 40 per cent in Spain compares exceptionally badly in comparison with the EU average of 18.7 per cent whilst the average age of school leavers continues to drop.

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

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Photo credit BBC

You really couldn’t make it up could you? LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT APPARENTLY, the term Black Friday refers to the chance for businesses to get back into profit (black ink) after being in the red for the rest of the year. Ah well, each to his own. The only thing that has surprised me, is that some luvvie committee or another has not declared the term to be somehow non-PC! Well just about everything else has. This past week really has taken the whole ridiculous tin. Caring surgeon Colin Baillie was chastised when he praised a toddler’s father for acting ‘manfully.’ The child’s Mother accused him of ‘promoting sexism’ and demanded an apology from the surgeon’s bosses. Girl Guide leader advisors ruled that teenage boys who identify as girls would be allowed to use the girls’ changing rooms and showers. (Probably one of the best excuses for declaring gender confusion to date!). A woman was banned from giving a University lecture because she, quite acceptably, stated that young children, who are somewhat sexually confused, should not immediately be labelled as transgender. A terror suspect was awarded thousands of pounds in legal aid to overturn his travel ban, as it prevented him taking his children to a

DIANE ABBOT: ‘The savvy of a senile sea sponge.’ (non-halal!) McDonald’s. The whole, almost unbelievable debacle simply went on and on. We learned that re-arrested child killer and monster Jon Venables, has cost the taxpayer over five million pounds for his ‘rehabilitation’! Another scintillating snippet told us that last year, every six seconds, an immigrant won the right to stay in the UK (and they were only non-EU individuals!).

And of course, the greatest humdinger of all, the woman who wanted Sleeping Beauty banned because she considered the Prince, kissing the sleeping beauty without her permission, was tantamount to sexual assault! Sorry love chucking a bucket of water over her royal highness, just doesn’t have the quite the same romantic ring to it. Oh no it doesn’t. You really couldn’t make it

all up, could you? The only true bit of sanity to emerge this week was the doubling of Oscar Pistorius’s laughable sentence for the brutal murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. I always said the whole case involving this spoiled psychopathic brat, was a struggle of money and power versus justice and was delighted to see the rule of law finally emerged as the victor in this previously unsatisfactory example of the South African legal system. ‘Dumb, Dumber’ award of the week has to go to the producers who selected Diane Abbot to partner the razor-sharp Paul Merton on ‘Have I Got a Bit More News for you.’ This awful, incompetent political pretender, proved that with the personality of a plank and the savvy of a senile sea sponge, she could probably lose any future election of the Labour movement totally unaided. Sitting there with a blank, albeit slightly panicked expression (ala her mathematical budget gaffe) she was an embarrassment to all concerned. Keep at it love, the way you’re going, you could possibly get more votes for the Conservatives than Theresa May (the way things are going, not that difficult!). Keep the faith. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

Leapy Lee’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.

TECH FOR THE TIMID

Fake it till you make it MY favourite TripAdvisor review, for a really appalling hotel, said its best feature was the car park. And that was written by the manager. Well no, it wasn’t. But it could have been, because it turns out shock, horror - that by one professional estimate, up to 40 per cent of all online reviews are fake. There’s even a new word for it: astroturfing, or ‘the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public.’ In simpler words: ‘Will lie for cash.’ A recent trawl by an American consultancy unearthed 650 reviewers who had posted 40,000 fake reviews involving up to 6,000 businesses. Produce a new product or service and just over €4 buys you a good review. In the early days you could pretty much count on a review being genuine. So much so that when a couple logged a terrible review of

Would you buy a product with a one-star review? No, neither would Terence Kennedy, but you might both be wrong

FAKE REVIEWS: Scourge of the internet. Blackpool’s Broadway Hotel (‘a rotten stinking hovel’), the hotelier was deluged by bad publicity after adding a £100 (€112) fine to their bill for reputational damage. Now tens of thousands of more flattering hotel and restaurant reviews are written by the owners themselves. Amazon is struggling under a deluge of fake reviews and has launched more than a thousand

rearguard legal actions. The reviews may be fake, but in another twist to the tale the reviewers themselves often aren’t. Companies increasingly pay (okay, bribe) real customers to write good reviews, giving them products, perks and discounts. Why should it matter to the rest of us? Because the stakes are so high: online, 70 per cent of cus-

tomers read reviews before buying. Any number of websites offer tips beyond the ability of most of us to perform, to discover whether a review might be real or a rip-off. Google, Amazon and others put their faith in algorithms and Artificial Intelligence to sniff out patterns, serial reviewers and obvious inconsistencies like a whole rash of great reviews coming out just as a product hits the warehouses. But until someone creates that digital magic bullet, all the rest of us can do is sample as many reviews as we can to glean what might or might not be a realistic assessment of the product or service under review, take away the review you first thought of, and hope. Things were so much simpler when a journalist friend managed to sink a truly awful movie about an elephant almost single-handed in his home town. All he wrote was: ‘They say elephants never forget. Let us hope they forgive.’

Fake vs funny ONE thing fake reviews don’t do is ‘funny.’ Little could match this real review of a Kim Kardashian book: ‘It’s a little uncomfortable, but it doesn’t leave pieces behind when you wipe, like other toilet paper brands.’ Would you stay where ‘The owner kept trying to sell me the hotel?’ From a ‘dissatisfied’ buyer: ‘I measured the TV and it was actually 104.6 inches not 105 so I returned it.’ An Amazon grocery review for Tuscan Whole Milk: ‘Has anyone else tried pouring this stuff over dry cereal? A-W-ES-O-M-E!’ Or one I confess to writing myself after visiting the lost city of Petra in Jordan: ‘The tourist brochure says you approach the ruins, becoming more beautiful the further you go. Well I did, and I didn’t.’

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Travel

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FEATURE

Advertising feature

Spectacular show for Aguilas Northern soul

BREATHTAKING: The Santa Maria del Naranco church situated just outside Oviedo.

TUCKED away in one of Spain’s most unexplored corners is Oviedo, the bourgeois capital of Asturias. This bustling metropolis has always been relatively wealthy, so often stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the region. Perched between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay, Oviedo is a town that has managed to perfectly balance the best elements of its past and pre-

sent. Take a quick stroll around the town centre and you’re met with quaint mediaeval buildings in the old town, elegantly offset by vibrant shopping quarters and preened parks in the more modern quarters. Oviedo is also home to three churches that could easily be ranked among the best in Spain. All were built around the first half of the ninth century, when the region

of Asturias was almost desolate and only became part of Spain after it was conquered by the Christians. The stunning Cathedral of San Salvador takes pride of place in the town centre, while the picturesque churches of San Miguel de Lillo and Santa Maria del Naranco are located on hills on the outskirts of the town, but a regular bus service can take you to them both.

‘A SHOW full of energy with outstanding voices, unbelievable lookalikes, dancers, epic costumes, and the famous hits of the superstars!’ Helping Hands Sur, a registered charity, are so very proud and excited to present the last of three amazing shows. Michael versus Gaga features the outstanding talent of Mampuele and Carolina Serrato along with supporting dancers and Magnum professional PA and Lighting engineers. Priding themselves on producing top quality entertainment for their supporters, this

e v e n t i s t h e l a rg e s t y e t f o r H e l p i n g Hands and comes at no small expense to produce. Located beachside and just five minutes from the AP7 Aguilas exit, the beautiful Hotel Puerto Juan Montiel is the venue for this spectacular event on Saturday December 16. A magnificent pre-show buffet is offered by the hotel at just €14 and the main show tickets are priced at €20 Further information and tickets can be obtained by calling 634 456 701 (Linda).

PROPERTY S P E C I A L

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Look no further for a home. 16-page special starts here...

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© EWN MEDIA GROUP

Home improvement Expat property sales up by nearly 15 per cent

Credit: Unsplash

MOJACAR: Voted one of the prettiest towns in Spain.

HOTSPOT: A sunny street in Mijas on the Costa del Sol.

BRITISH homebuyers continue to flock to Spain. It comes after a report revealed that property sales to foreigners in Spain have increased by 13.4 per cent from last year. For the first time in history, the number of purchases by expatriates exceeded 50,000 between January and June of this year, according to the General Council of Notaries. More than 46 per cent of the foreign transactions were carried out by non-residents, an increase of 5 per cent from last year, while the rest was made up from those already living in the country. This figure was the highest it’s been since 2011. The highest amount of sales occurred along the Mediterranean coastline, with the Canary Islands taking the top spot with around 42 per cent of the purchases, the Balearic Islands were next with nearly 38 per cent, followed by the provinces of Valencia (35.5 per cent), Murcia (26.9 per cent) and Andalucia (19, 4 per cent).

While the biggest increase in sales amongst the hotspots was in Valencia Province (12 per cent up from last year), the highest increase nationwide was actually in the lesser-explored La Rioja region, which saw a whopping increase of 74 per cent in property sales to foreigners this year. The buyers with the biggest share of the market was once again revealed to be the British, making up nearly 14 per cent of the total purchases, closely followed by the French (8.8 per cent), Germans (8.2 per cent), Italians (7.7 per cent), Romanians (6.9 per cent) and Belgians (6.2 per cent). The average amount spent per square metre by foreign buyers turned out to be €1,667 per square metre, another increase of 2.9 per cent from last year’s figure. The amount was even higher when only the purchases by non-residents were taken into account, as they spent an average of €1,941 per square metre.

ISLAND DREAM: The Canary Islands proved popular amongst foreign buyers.

CHARMING: An enchanting street in Altea on the Costa Blanca.

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

A SWISS real estate platform is making major inroads into the booming Spanish property market. Stoneweg, a Geneva-based firm, has been gradually increasing its investments in Spain for two years. Earlier in 2017 Stoneweg decided to open a physical presence in the country, with new offices in Madrid and Barcelona. It ha s n o w a n n o u n c e d th a t it will invest €750 million in residential property developments along the Mediterranean coast, Madrid and Barcelona, in the next three years. The Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Costa Brava will benefit from more than 1,000 new homes built with S t o n e we g f u n d in g a c ro s s around 30 developments. The nationwide project begins in Madrid, where Stoneweg are investing in the ‘mature markets’ of the capital’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. On Spain’s popular Mediterranean coast, Stoneweg will concentrate on the second home market, lo o k i n g t o a t t r a c t fo reig n residents and wealthier Spaniards from major cities who want a seaside retreat. Curre n t l y p r e se n t in S p ain , Switzerland, Italy and the United

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Supreme confidence Photo credit Shutterstock/Twitter

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MADRID: Site of Stoneweg’s initial investment and (inset) CEO Joaquin Castellvi.

States, Stoneweg are now a major forc e in Europe a n re a l e s ta te . They have signed agreements with Banco Sabadell, BBVA, Santander

and La Caixa as part of a longterm Spanish investment strategy. C EO of St oneweg Spai n, Joaquin Castellvi, said: “We trust

Spai n’s cont i nual econom i c gr owt h and capaci t y t o at t r act t our i st s i n sear ch of a second home.”

Advertising feature

Grupo Platinum Estates, your local estate agent launches new Belgian website INT R ODUC I NG B ry an , y o u r D u tch speaking agent in San Juan de los Terreros and the coast of Almeria and Murcia. B o r n i n B e l g i u m , g re w u p in S p ain , graduated in Economics and Business M an a g e m e n t , r e c o g n is ed R ea l E s tate Agent and with the very ‘best’ knowledge of San Juan de Los Terreros, Pulpi and surrounding áreas. We a r e p r o u d t o in tro d u c e o u r n ew Netherland language version of the website: www.woningenalmeria.com. The aim of the business is to provide a service second to none, for vendors and purchasers alike. We understand that dedication and hard work is essential in this quick changing market, and our team, who speak seven languages have the same values. Having gained a well-earned reputation for offering a quality service, Grupo Plat-

BRYAN VANDENBERGHE: Extremely knowledgeable and proud to be part of a dedicated team. in u m Es ta te s ha s a lo n g li s t of c lie nts from many countries, o f all na tiona litie s with various budgets, looking for their perfect home in the sun. New property listings are urgently req u ired in a ll pric e brackets and of all property ty pe s , to me e t the ne e ds of the s e clients, following an excellent year, with properties selling faster than ever, please make contact now. For property vendors, Grupo Platinum

Estates guarantees maximum exposure of your property on our variety of websites and sales portals in many different countries as well as in local publications, including TV and radio.

If you are looking to buy a property in the area you can be guaranteed an honest and friendly service from a team who will be with you every step of the way during the buying process and beyond. Keen to provide the whole package, Grupo Platinum Estates also offers a range of associated services including property rental and management, financial and insurance services, along with renovations and upgrades to your property, in collaboration with trusted partners. Looking to buy or sell on the coast of Almeria and Murcia and the San Juan de los Terreros area, don’t compromise on service, choose the experts and contact Grupo Platinum Estates today.

Call, 950 466 112 or, 666 687 251, email info@grupoplatinum.com - Visit the English website: www.grupoplatinum.com, or in Spanish, www.inmobiliariasanjuandelosterreros.es. Or in Belgium www.woningenalmeria.com.

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FOOTBALL PLAYER PADS

Gerard Pique and Shakira WHO wouldn’t be jealous of Gerard Pique and Shakira? Barcelona star Pique, 30, has won all there is to win in football and pop sensation Shakira, 40, is reportedly the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time. As if that wasn’t enough, the couple also have a beautiful three-storey mansion in the Pedralbes area of Barcelona where they live with their two children Milan and Sasha. The 1,500 square-metre villa is surrounded by acres of private gardens and dense trees but has stunning panoramic views of Barcelona City from both the first and second floor. The seven bedroom house is equipped with two kitchens, a gym, a spacious game/living room and a swimming pool with a waterfall feature. Pique and Shakira paid €5 million for the property back

in 2015, a comparatively cheap price after they reportedly had an offer worth over €11 million for the same property the previous year.

POWER COUPLE: Shakira (right) and long term partner Gerard Pique.

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MANSION: The three-storey Barcelona home reportedly cost the couple €5 million.

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Rock ‘n’ roll! THE world’s first guitar-shaped hotel has broken ground in Florida. The novel design will form part of a €1.25 billion expansion to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, due to open in 2019. The hotel, which will boast a further 638 rooms and a 41,000 square foot spa, will be 450 feet tall when complete. The complex is expected to almost double in size once the 36storey hotel is built. A firework-laden ceremony saw a guitar smashed to mark the beginning of works, a tradition at the opening of Hard Rock venues. James F Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International, came up with the unique idea. He said, “it will be the first building in the world truly to

Photo credit Seminolehardrockhollywood.com

450-foot guitar hotel to cost €1.25bn

Guitar hero: The hotel will open in 2019.

scale designed as an authentic guitar,” adding, “so it’s not just an exterior facade, the curving of the building will be identical to an authentic guitar. We think the building will be an attraction.” In addition to a spa, the hotel will contain 1,270 rooms, as well as restaurants and lounges. The casino will have 3,267 slot machines, an 18,000 square foot poker room and 178 gaming tables. A 10-acre outdoor space will provide waterfalls, private cabanas with plunge pools, water sports and dining. Allen explained, “you’ll have Chickees (Native American log h u t s ) s u b m e rg e d i n w a t e r w i t h beds, bedrooms, showers and complete butler service built into the pool itself.”

PROPERTY SPECIAL

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REGULAR Costa del Sol visitor Eva Longoria has reportedly splashed out $13.5 million with husband Jose Baston on a new house in the upmarket Beverly Crest area in LA. The 11,000 square-foot Beverly Crest property has eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms alongside a private tennis court, spa-style bathroom and a wine cellar. Longoria is a regular visitor in the region on charity work on b e h a l f o f h e r c h a r i t y, t h e E v a Longoria Foundation and Marbella’s Global Gift Foundation. The star, who also enjoys holidaying in Costa del Sol, is now thought to be moving from her Hollywood Hills home, to the new, recently renovated property. On approach to the large white residence, there are a number of g a r a g e s o n t h e d r i v e a n d l a rg e glass doors at the front of the house lead directly to the 11,000 square-feet of living space. A minimalistic style is featured across the living and dining rooms, which have a black and white colour scheme, are fitted with plush sofas and a chic glass dinner table. The house boasts a number of

www.euroweeklynews.com

All that glitters

PROPERTY SPECIAL

CHARITABLE: The former Desperate Housewives star regularly visits the Costa del Sol on charity work.

Eva Longoria purchases new $13.5 million home special features, including a b r e a k f a s t b a r, o u t d o o r k i t c h e n space with BBQ, swimming pool, cosy fire pits and a separate kitchen for a private chef. Longoria and husband Baston are thought to currently reside in t h e i r $ 11 . 4 m s e v e n - b e d r o o m house in the Hollywood Hills area, which was previously owned by Tom Cruise. The couple will now join the likes of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend in the upscale area of LA, while other celebrities, such as Kanye West live close by.

First occupation licence explained THE LICENCE OF FIRST OCCUPATION (LFO) is a licence granted once building works have been completed on new builds. Issued by local town halls, they allow buyers to legally dwell or rent their new Spanish property. It is the responsibility of developers to apply for the LFO, which is also known as First Occupancy Licence, First Occupation Licence, Cedula de Ocupacion, or Cedula de Habitabilidad. Developers apply for licences on all new builds (though properties are often grouped together for administrative ease) once a Certificate of End of Construction (CEC) has been granted. Town halls must also confirm that the development complies with building and planning regulations. New buyers generally need an LFO to connect to utility companies and be given a mortgage. The time it takes to be granted an LFO varies dramatically. Larger cities and towns tend to take longer to issue the licences, due to the increased

amount of administration they deal with. Most buyers expect to wait at least a couple of months for LFOs, but if three months elapse without response, they are automatically granted through the Administrative Silence Rule (ASR). The Spanish Lawyer Raymundo Larrain Nesbitt - an authority on LFOs has suggested that if an LFO is not granted after over a year, there tends to be serious underlying issues with the properties. Completion without an LFO is legal, however there are numerous legal and practical issues with doing so, including not being able to occupy the property. Legal advisers therefore tend to suggest buyers should obtain an LFO before completion, though there are some exceptions to this advice. Different regions of the country apply different rules and timescales to LFOs and their expiry. Owners are responsible for checking with their town hall.

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Peter Kay’s Car Share to make surprise return Richard Shanley

Dishing the Dirt

There’s only so much you can do in a car.

OF EUROPA DIGITAL

FANS of Peter Kay’s sitcom Car Share thought it had ended for good - but the comedian has announced there will be two more episodes. Kay said he wanted to “quit while you’re ahead” after series two ended earlier this year. But he’s announced a ‘special finale’ to show what happened between John, his character, and Sian Gibson’s Kayleigh. It will follow Car Show Unscripted, an improvised episode. Both will be screened on BBC One next year. The second series ended in May with Kayleigh declaring her love for John but walking out of his car and his life when he refused to say how he felt. The lack of a twist bringing the two characters together at last surprised and disappointed many viewers who had convinced themselves the show was building up to the perfect romantic finish.

SPECIAL FINALE: Peter Kay’s Car Share sitcom. “People have been very angry that the series ended in that way,” Kay said. “But [now] there is a series finale explaining what hap-

pened the next day, after the big argument. After the series ended, he said there would be no third series or Christmas specials be-

cause he was worried about running out of ideas. There’s only so much you can do in a car and the last thing you want to do is ruin

it, because I think it’s a lovely thing,” he said. Car Share won two Bafta TV Awards in 2016 best scripted comedy and best male performance in a comedy programme for Kay. If you would like me to answer any questions you may have on satellite TV or to expand on anything I have written about please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europa-digital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show every weekday from 10am on Spectrum 96.1 and 106.8FM, now covering almost 3,000sq kms of Costa Almeria and Calida or listen online at costaalmeria.spectrumfm. net for the latest news and views from the world of television.

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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.

It’s nothing to do with the EU SIR, I see Leapy Lee adding weight to the argument that the most ardent Brexiteers are those with least knowledge of the European Union. In his last column he gleefully cites the case of a Somali criminal as absolute justification for leaving the EU because of the decision of the much maligned European Court of Human Rights. Although it has the word ‘European’ in its title, this court is NOT an EU body, and is part of an entirely different legal system to the European Court of Justice with which it is constantly confused. It was set up after the war by the Council of Europe to uphold the Convention of Human Rights and in fact the UK was one of the first members to ratify the Convention when it passed through Parliament in 1951. The EU has actually decided not to be bound by the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights Elaine, Torremolinos

HAVE YOUR SAY

Editor’s note: This is correct, and was noted by other readers. The error slipped through due to pressing deadlines in the editing process, and we apologise.

What a puzzle! A reader wrote in asking for puzzle answers to be printed the same week, sparking a deluge of replies. Here is a selection. STAR APPEAL? From left, Nicky Minaj, Nicole Scherzinger and Gorka Marquez.

Strictly cobblers I WOULD be interested to know how your editors decide what news is worth including in this publication, because I see no obvious logic. Anybody ever heard of Nicky Minaj, Nicole Scherzinger or Gorka Marquez? Er… who? Yet for some reason we are informed of their activities and of other non-entities in your page labelled Celeb Focus. Sorry, this does not qualify as news. No way! By publishAll letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

ing this nonsense, the Euro Weekly is simply playing into the hands of those press agents who will do anything to get publicity for their talentless clients. Please, EWN, use your valuable space to give us real news! David Baird, Frigiliana Editor’s note: Since introduction, the celebrity page has been warmly welcomed by thousands of EWN readers. Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

Woman rescued above busy road Firefighters worldwide are all heroes. With love and gratitude to each and every one of you. Irene Margaret Weston Good job. Hopefully she will get the help she needs. Jeni Potter

Gibraltar ‘to fall out of the single market’ ‘Blow for the UK leaving the EU!’ You are totally mistaken! It is a blow for EU, UK leaving the EU! That is the reason that EU put up all the obstructions, they can find, in the ‘Brexit’ negotiations! They know, that UK leaving the sinking ship, will mean the beginning to the end, for EU! Carsten Thorvald

Comments from EWN online Police reopen toddler death I said before that there is no way a three-year-old could walk 4km on her own at night without something happening. Debbie Tobin Strange, all of it. Something doesn’t add up. Keep delving more and see what the outcome will be. Jay Ellis Something doesn’t add up!!

It’s a blow for everyone Carsten Thorvald but it will be a bigger mistake for the UK singularly and every indicator is showing this to be the case - nothing positive is jumping out to show us that leave is the way forward. As for sinking ship, well all the predictions of collapse, capitulation and other members queing up to leave haven’t transpired and if anything Brexit has galvanised the other members to stick together. Obstructions? The EU negotiators have made it clear what is required to move this forward, the obstructions to progress are internal caused by a divided government that is wasting more time and energy from belligerent in-fighting, and power positioning. The only ship sinking is the Brittania! Dave Syd

Karen Joy Harley

Spain defends holding migrants in prison Here in Malta they are sent to detention centres for two years! Moira Palmqvist Yes, sounds like they are warm, dry and being fed, what’s the problem? Madeline Wilson Best place. Can keep track and process... well done at least they know where they are and if not eligible for staying

they can be returned from whence they came. Susannah Washington Spain is battling this type of immigration virtually on its own. Eleven thousand arrived in boats on the shores of southern Spain this year alone to date. The problem is the trafficking mafias in their h o m e c o u n t r i e s, t h a t i s w h e r e t h e s o l u t i o n s should start. Carl Verwulgen

Passengers ‘quarantined’ after flight from Spain Better still, a dab of Vaseline in each nostril will catch the germs. Most throat and chest problems are caught when breathing through the nose. I always take a cotton handkerchief with tea tree oil on it and inhale it regularly, as it’s antibacterial. I do this in hospitals as well. Jeni Potter Just returned from trip to UK and back. I think I have picked up every germ on those planes. People will get on, sit down and put the air-con on... Don’t they realise that just spreads everyone’s germs around. Clare Lloyd Wear a mask on every trip. The amount of people that have nasty colds when flying to and fro from the UK is terrible. The air circulation/aircon units are crap.... Thank god I don’t fly these days... Sian Foster

The case for… I THINK putting puzzle solutions in the same week as set would be a bad move, as often I find that the answer is so obvious I wonder why it took me so long. If you get a majority response to include answers, will you please put them on a different page so that they are not seen accidentally! Les Johnston, address withheld REGARDING the letter from Norman (November 23-29) - no, no, no - please DON’T publish the answers to the puzzles in the same issue, it takes all the fun away! Sometimes it can take me two-three days to complete the cryptic crossword and people should have a little patience to wait for the answers to be given the following week. Barbara, Alhaurin de la Torre

…and against I AM one of the loads of people and I definitely agree with last week’s reader! It is infuriating not to be able to check the answers to the puzzles immediately. I particularly like the crosswords and even using a dictionary I cannot find one or two of the answers so have to wait. Muriel, Algorfa I AM writing with regard to the puzzle answers being printed in the same issue. My partner and I take two papers every week so that we can each do the Codebreaker and puzzle. We both feel that it would be much easier for most of us if the solutions were in the same issue, obviously printed on a different page, otherwise we might peek. Lynn Hopkins, Fuengirola

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MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) When you are at home this week I would like you to consider how you view your surroundings. This is a good week to make changes and have discussions about future directions. It is assumed that those close are happy with the status quo, but this may not be the case.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

‘ TAKE A GOOD LOOK GIRLS - A MALE GENDER SEX CHANGE WOULD RUIN THE LOOK OF YOUR JEANS! ‘

Women’s wit

Trivia from around the world

‘

I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values and follow my own moral compass - then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” Michelle Obama, American First Lady

Famous quote • ZIONA CHANA is head of the world’s largest family. Chana has 39 wives, 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren, who all live in a 100-room, four-storey house in India. • Beer was not considered an alcoholic beverage until 2011 in Russia, where it was previously

classified as a soft drink. • Approximately 2,500 lefthanded people die a year as a result of using equipment designed for right-handed people. • The United States has the most prisoners in the world with more than 2.2 million inmates, which is 21 per cent of the global total according to the

‘ ‘

It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela, Statesman

HANDS FULL: Ziona Chana and family. website prisonstudies.org. • Germany has the most McDonald’s restaurants in Europe with 1,470 outlets.

World of English

Litotes - makes an understatement by denying the opposite of a word that may have been used - The terms of the contract are not disagreeable to me.

DID YOU KNOW? It would take over 1,000 years to watch every video on the video platform website YouTube.

Pat yourself on the back for all of your efforts of recent weeks. Looking back just a few months, would you have thought so much progress could be made? Because of your efforts, home life is enhanced and you are more appreciated. Give yourself a break at the weekend and do something with a loved one that you have not done together for some time.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Rarely has your mind been as sharp as it is at the moment. There have been some awkward and downright bad periods in the recent past, but this week everything falls into place. Why, you wonder, have you worried so much about things which could not be changed?

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) For all of the things that you want to do, there are three others that you wish to do. Maybe they are waiting for their own time to come. During the course of this week you will be thinking of what the future could hold, even though dealing with practical issues.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

LOTTERY

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

Saturday November 25

4

7

IRISH LOTTO

Saturday November 25

4

16

Tuesday November 21

2

Friday November 24

19

45

18

24

14

56

BONUS BALL

8

32

35

BONUS BALL

46

21

28

3

50

LUCKY STARS

LUCKY STARS

5

3

32

39 50

34

10

When it isn't possible to change something, often it is just as effective to rearrange it. That is the solution which comes to you this week. Instead of being frustrated at a delay, try changing the conditions or times. This may mean that you save money or delay a payment to your advantage.

24 31

31

7

29

Sunday November 26

30

28 54

Saturday November 25

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

24

10 29

LA PRIMITIVA

EURO MILLIONS

46

REINTEGRO

38

4

54

REINTEGRO

6

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) When we have long-standing friendships, these are often taken for granted and yet often we could make so much more of them.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Consider what is the most important thing to you at the moment? Is it wealth or social position? Your work, or how it may be possible to afford that new conservatory are minor considerations compared with your greatest asset which is your health.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) As the saying goes, ‘no one ever said it would be easy’. In the past few months you have found this to be true. Hard work is not alien to you, but there is a point where you want to shout ‘enough’. It may be that business or home life needs some rearranging, or that someone is moving job and the routine is severely disrupted.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) As a home-loving Libran, you are torn between making changes to your surroundings and getting some cash in on the business side. Apparently, it is not possible to do both because energy levels fluctuate.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) There is so much in you that is determined and looking forward to a fresh start, but something that you are trying to get rid of, or give up, may be giving you more trouble than anticipated. Some things have to be done alone, or so you think, but others have gone through this before you so they are able to give support.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Is playing the waiting game really to your advantage? Your Sagittarian character naturally leads you to be optimistic, and why not? Even so, it won't hurt to hurry someone along rather than having them go at their own pace. Bear in mind that, in letting someone get away with sloppiness, you are doing them no favours at all.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The enthusiasm of your bright Capricorn mind is also capable of making you restless. There are mixed feelings about being at or near home this week, with thoughts of more progress being possible elsewhere. Your need to make things better for those round you may not make you money but it can bring great joy.

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Quick

Across 1 Corporal revised by lido (6) 4 Improves barracks around the street (6) 9 Distant from pedalo off the coast (5) 10 Scottish town’s tune has dire arrangement (7) 11 Broad squadron leader is in tears (8) 12 Five hundred sick, Herb? (4) 14 Animator Sidney’s upset (6) 16 From and to Kensington for souvenirs (6) 19 Voice quality begins to offend nearly everybody (4) 20 Naval ice breaker in Spanish city (8) 23 Company chief ordered to get a small house (7) 24 Withdraw yearbook, it has a letter missing (5) 25 Father’s address is now in a closer Monaco villa (6) 26 Prevents the desert crumbling (6)

8 Fashionable to be covered in fat? That’s hard to see (5) 13 Average fashion cost (8) 15 Failure to snare legislator (7) 17 Small pieces of furniture for farm buildings (7) 18 Rubbery stuff of recent times (5)

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE

19 They secure money for the government, so we hear (5) 21 Stick nothing in boat (5) 22 Bermuda dollar contains part of a wall (4)

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 1 represents Z and 22 represents B, so fill in Z every time the figure 1 appears and B every time the figure 22 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 Fresh bread is cooked (7) 2 Doctor has a small aircraft (5) 3 Nobleman might feel pier shake (4,4) 5 Blades appearing when people have a row (4) 6 Presume serum is destroyed (7) 7 It’s metal crime, reportedly (5)

TIME

SPONSORED BY

Down 1/8 Rough, tight embrace (4,3) 2 Rough (5) 3 Dry (4) 4 Plays for time (6) 7 Ludicrous (6) 9 Open space in a wood (5) 10 Go across or through (4) 12 Counterfeit or pretence (4)

Across 2 Annoy continually or chronically (6) 5 Second letter of Greek alphabet (4) 6 Eyeball membrane (6) 7 Weapons (4) 8 See 1 Down 11 Fewer (4) 13 African country (6) 14 Dreary (4) 15 Long for (6)

English - Spanish

Across 1 Dump (hovel) (9) 8 Hueso (4) 9 Courgette (9) 10 Botella (6) 13 Suitcase (6) 15 Seaweed (5) 16 To owe (5) 17 Peludo (5) 18 Guante (5) 21 Raffle (draw) (6)

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

22 Mirror (6) 25 Amusing (9) 26 Yesterday (4) 27 Locutor (entre programas, en anuncios) (9) Down 2 Used (stamp, syringe) (5) 3 Corazón (5) 4 Viajar (6) 5 Language (6)

6 Ama de casa (9) 7 Alemania (7) 11 Stools (seats) (9) 12 Grande (5) 14 Cenizas (5) 16 Recogedor (7) 19 Lotion (6) 20 Poison (6) 23 Python (5) 24 Juez (5)

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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 (DOCTOR) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

ARDENT DOCTOR (10) ECHOES FERRIC HECTOR HORROR METEOR MOROSE RASTER RETORT SCANTY SPEEDY SPOTTY STANCH STEREO TEETHE TERROR TETHER THIRST

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Ransom 2 Series 3 Bounty 4 Seamen 5 Nimble 6 Subtly 7 Endure 8 Barfly 9 Oxcart 10 Defect 11 Trauma 12 Astute 13 Sherry 14 Depose 15 Cheese 16 Treaty 17 Breast 18 Arrest 19 Teeter.

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 P) 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: • Average: 24 • Good: 33

• Very good: 48 • Excellent: 62

TARGET:

SCORING:

• Average: 13 • Good: 19 • Very good: 27 • Excellent: 34

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 otter tower tote toter titter tuft were twos mitt fitter fins fine fines erose wore woes mower mows more mouse moue moues quin quins insure rows rose rouse roes reuse ruse rues swore sower sore sour sure suer rift rinse euro euros ensure ensue peso pens

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION aged ague drag dreg drug egad frag frug gaud gaur gear gird grad grid guar rage urge argue auger dirge fudge grade grief guard guide raged ridge urged urger argued arguer figure fridge girder grader guider regard figured figurer gaudier guarder argufied FIREGUARD

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across:

1/4 Rub out, 3 Rabo, 5 Esto, 6 Soft, 8 Risa, 11 Bed, 12 Aula, 15 Once, 16 Leal, 17 Onda, 18 Yes.

CODE BREAKER

Down:

1 Roer, 2 Bees, 3 Rosada, 7 Fall, 9 Iron, 10 Abuela, 13 Ugly, 14 Arms, 15 Oro.

CRYPTIC

QUICK

Across:

Across:

1 Lush, 3 May apple, 9 Parsnip, 10 Issue, 11 Taboo, 12 Erodes, 14 Crummy, 16 Starve, 19 Mantra, 21 Altar, 24 Alarm, 25 Sceptre, 26 Pleasure, 27 Reed.

1 Pastime, 5 Bling, 8 Pious, 9 Baggage, 10 Recline, 11 Seems, 12 Suffer, 14 Canyon, 18 Stoat, 20 Shatter, 22 Edifice, 23 Agree, 24 Scarf, 25 Satisfy.

Down:

Down:

1 Lipstick, 2 Scrub, 4 Apples, 5 Amigo, 6 Pasteur, 7 Eyes, 8 Inform, 13 Befriend, 15 Unaware, 17 Thanet, 18 Hawser, 20 Times, 22 Title, 23 Wasp.

1 Papyrus, 2 Stoic, 3 Inspire, 4 Emblem, 5 Bogus, 6 Imagery, 7 Guess, 13 Florida, 15 Adamant, 16 Nursery, 17 Assess, 18 Sheds, 19 Thief, 21 Turns.

App of the week Land Snake In this new addictive strategy game, players grow territory by enclosing the land with the snake’s long trail. Eliminate opponents by hitting their tails and avoid being hit in order to achieve the ultimate aim of having the biggest kingdom in land snake.

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TODAY

TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO

ALBOX

VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA

HUERCAL OVERA

GARRUCHA

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

RETAMAR

ROQUETAS

ADRA

Malaga

Almeria

Bilbao

Madrid

TODAY: MAX 14, MIN 3-SH

TODAY: MAX 13, MIN 6-SH

TODAY: MAX 9, MIN 6-SH

TODAY: MAX 10, MIN -1-S

Fri 8 Sat 8 Sun - 9 Mon - 10 Tues - 11 Wed - 10

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

16 16 15 16 16 16

4-S 6-S 6 - Cl 6-S 6-S 7 - Cl

16 15 15 15 15 16

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

6-S 6-S 6-S 8-S 9-S 9-S

5 - Sh 3 - Sh 1 - Cl 2 - Cl 2 - Cl 4-S

10 10 10 10 11 10

Alicante

Benidorm

Mallorca

Barcelona

TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 6-CL

TODAY: MAX 13, MIN 5-CL

TODAY: MAX 12, MIN 3-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

16 15 14 15 16 16

S: Sun

5-S 4-S 5-S 7-S 7 - Cl 7 - Cl

17 15 14 14 15 16

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Cl: Clear

6-S 4-S 5-S 8-S 8 - Cl 9 - Cl

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

13 12 13 14 15 15

C: Cloudy

4- Sh 3 - Cl 3 - Cl 5-S 5 - Cl 6 - Cl

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

11 11 11 11 13 13

ROQUETAS

SATURDAY

-2 - Cl -4- Cl -4 - S -3 - S -3 - S -2 - S

TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 6-CL

VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR

2 - Cl 2-S 1-S 2-S 3-S 3-S

Sh: Showers

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

ROQUETAS

Sn: Snow

Th: Thunder

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

BIRTHDAYS

THE people who call End of the Line need hope and reassurance life is still worth living. But some are unlucky enough to get through to Laura, who doesn’t want them to hope. She wants them to die. Laura has survived sickness and a difficult marriage throughout her life and now finds herself heading towards 40, unsettled and angry. She doesn’t just love talking to people worse off than she is. She craves it but now someone’s on to her, Ryan. Ryan’s world falls apart when his pregnant wife decides to end her life, hand in hand with a stranger. The sinister truth is right around the corner for Ryan, but he has no idea of the lengths Laura will go to because the best thing about being a Good Samaritan, is you can get away with murder.

ALMERIA

books@euroweeklynews.com

Sudoku LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

• Ben Stiller, Actor, • Britney Spears, Singer, November 30, 52 December 2, 37 The actor is most wellThe pop singer’s first two known for starring in films albums, Baby One More Time and Oop!... I Did it such as Starsky and Hutch, Meet the Parents and the Again, sold over 20 million Bette Midler Night at the Museum series copies worldwide and was and also won an Emmy Award for The recognised by Billboard as the best-selling Ben Stiller Show. female artist of the 21st century in 2009. • Ozzy Ozbourne, Metal Singer, • Bette Midler, Singer, December 1, 72 Actress and singer Midler has sold over December 3, 69 30 million records worldwide and is Rock and Roll legend gained fame as lead known for starring in popular films Get singer of Black Sabbath and became known as the Prince of Darkness and the Shorty and Hocus Pocus.

Godfather of Heavy Metal. • Jay Z, Rapper, December 4, 48 Shawn Carter, better known as Jay Z, rose to fame with his first hit ‘Dead Presidents’ and has gone on to win 19 Grammy Awards and sold over 75 million albums worldwide. • Little Richard, Rock Singer, December 5, 85 Rock ‘n’ roll dynamo who sang hit songs Good Golly Miss Molly and Tutti Frutti in 1955. His influence on the music industry in the 1950’s has been compared to the influence of Elvis Presley.

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.

Sierra Nevada SNOW REPORT Snow fell on parts of the mountain on Tuesday and Wednesday with more expected to fall today. Temperatures will plummet with clear skies, highs of -3 degrees expected and lows of -12 expected for the weekend. The Borreguiles ski slope is still the only area with enough snow to ski on.

Word Ladder POSE

GIFT BACK

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

1874 - Winston Churchill born Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, Prime Minister who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of the Second World War, is born at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. 1884 - Washington Monument completed In 1884, in Washington DC workers finish the impressive white marble monument by placing a nine-inch aluminum pyramid atop the tower. 1912 - First Balkan war ends After a two-month conflict, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro sign an armistice with Turkey, effectively ending the first Balkan War. 1933 - Prohibition ends in America The 21st Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing to an end the era of national prohibition in America. 1952 - Smog kills thousands in England Heavy smog, which persistently hovers over London for five days, leads to the death of an estimated 4,000 people. 1955 - Rosa Parks ignites bus boycott Rosa Parks is jailed for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man, a violation of the city’s racial segregation laws, in Montgomery, Alabama. 1967 - First human heart transplant Fifty-three-year-old Lewis Washkansky, a South African grocer dying of chronic heart disease, receives the first human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

This week in history

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DVD

The ultimate mission JUST before the fall on the Berlin Wall in 1989, MI6 secret agent Lorraine Broughton is sent to Berlin, right in the heart of Cold War Germany. As the most elite agent the MI6 has to offer, she is asked to go to the German city and retrieve an invaluable dossier as well as find out what happened after the murder of a fellow undercover agent. In order to complete the mission, she must retrieve the list of double agents, while battling waves of agents and henchmen, before times runs out.

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E W N 30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

TV LISTING

THURSDAY 30 NOVEMBER

FRIDAY 01 DECEMBER

3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country Royal Recipes Flog It! Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders DIY SOS The Big Build Love, Lies and Records

3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm

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

BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Sounds Like Friday Night EastEnders Still Open All Hours Have I Got News for You Mrs Brown's Boys New Year Special 2017: Chez Mammy BBC News at Ten

3:15pm 4:00pm 5:30pm 6:15pm

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Len Goodman's Partners in Rhyme BBC News BBC London News Pointless Strictly Come Dancing Michael Mcintyre's Big Show Casualty BBC News Match of the Day

2:50pm 5:15pm 5:55pm 6:55pm 7:10pm 7:20pm 8:20pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm

FA Cup Final Score Songs of Praise Blue Planet II BBC News BBC London News Countryfile Strictly Come Dancing Blue Planet II Howards End BBC News BBC London News

5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Panorama EastEnders Would I Lie to You? The Real Marigold on Tour BBC News at Ten

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SATURDAY 02 DECEMBER

SUNDAY 03 DECEMBER

MONDAY 04 DECEMBER

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WEDNESDAY 06 DECEMBER

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Escape to the Country The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City The A Word

12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 6:15pm

The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas Money for Nothing Pointless BBC News at Six BBC London News The One Show Mary Berry's Country House Secrets The Apprentice BBC News at Ten BBC London News

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Going Back Giving Back The Indian Doctor The Indian Doctor Oxford Street Revealed Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip MasterChef: The Professionals Blitz

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

Going Back Giving Back Match of the Day Live Oxford Street Revealed Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Strictly - It Takes Two Mastermind Match of the Day Live QI Newsnight Snowfall

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

Operation Snow Tiger Mastermind Snooker Rugby League World Cup Final 2017 Highlights Front Row Natural World Dad's Army Imagine... QI XL

5:00pm 5:25pm 6:00pm

Saturday Kitchen Best Bites Food and Drink My Life on a Plate MOTD2 Extra Snooker Match of the Day Turkey with Simon Reeve Robot Wars Expedition Volcano Snowfall

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Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Celebrity Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Match of the Day Wild Cameramen at Work University Challenge Nigella: At My Table Employable Me Insert Name Here Newsnight

3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

BBC Newsroom Live The Daily Politics Snooker Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Celebrity Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip MasterChef: The Professionals

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

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Celebrity Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip MasterChef: The Professionals Peaky Blinders The Apprentice: You're Fired! Newsnight

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The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Elderly Theft: Robbing the Relatives - Tonight Emmerdale Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Great Canal Journeys Trump: An American Dream

3:00pm 4:45pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Australian Wilderness with Ray Mears Coronation Street I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast Gogglebox

3:00pm

Thunderbirds are Go The Cruise Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs You've Been Framed! ITV News London ITV News Ninja Warrior UK The X Factor I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

3:00pm 3:35pm 4:35pm 5:35pm 6:35pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

How to Spend it Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield ITV News London ITV News The Chase: Celebrity Special The X Factor I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! ITV News

3:00pm 3:30pm 3:55pm 4:25pm 4:55pm 6:50pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

Judge Rinder Dickinson's Real Deal Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martin Lewis Money Show Coronation Street

4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

Lost and Found A Place in the Sun Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Paul Hollywood Supershoppers 999: What's Your Emergency?

4:45pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Save Money: Good Food How to Spend it Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! ITV News

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm

Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Political Slot Kirstie's Handmade Christmas Finding Me a Family Extraordinary Teens: My Gay Life

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

Emmerdale Coronation Street Gino's Italian Coastal Escape Coronation Street I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV News London UEFA Champions League Highlights

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:55pm 9:00pm

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9:00pm 11:25pm

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Come Dine with Me A Place in the Sun A Place in the Sun Best Laid Plans Grand Designs Channel 4 News Can We Live with Robots? The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel I, Robot The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Arthur Christmas Shrek Channel 4 News Coastal Railways with Julie Walters Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Political Slot The Secret Life of the Zoo The Channel

10:00pm 11:00pm 11:05pm

4:45pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 6:25pm 7:25pm 7:30pm 8:10pm 9:05pm 9:55pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 1:00am 5:45pm 6:45pm 6:50pm 7:30pm 9:15pm 9:55pm 10:00pm

12:05am

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm

2:25pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 4:45pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

Finding Mrs Claus The Christmas Angel 5 News at 5 Neighbours 5 News Tonight UK's Strongest Man 2017 Bargain Loving Brits in Blackpool Seventh Son 5 News Seventh Son

3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 10:30pm 11:00pm 1:30am 5:50am

SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports Tonight Cricket Live NFL: Washington @ Dallas Cricket

Wishin' and Hopin' at Christmas A Family for Christmas 5 News at 5 Neighbours 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show Greatest British Bridges: The Severn Eight Days That Made Rome

11:00am 11:30am 2:30pm 3:00pm 6:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am 4:50am

Premier League Daily Live European Tour Golf Sky Sports Today Live Rugby Sevens: Dubai Ram Slam T20 Challenge Football The Debate - Live Cricket Cricket

A Dream of Christmas 5 News A Dream of Christmas Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! NCIS: New Orleans 5 News Weekend Football on 5 Live Championship Boxing. Super Casino

7:00am 12:15pm 12:30pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:15pm 8:40pm 11:00pm 4:50am

Cricket My Icon Football Live Rugby Sevens: Dubai Rugby Classic Football Live PGA Tour Golf Cricket Cricket

Northpole 2: Open for Christmas 5 News Northpole 2: Open for Christmas Call Me Claus Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights 5 News Weekend The Paul O'grady Story

7:00am 12:00pm 1:30pm 2:15pm 4:30pm 8:00pm 10:00pm 2:00am 5:30am

Cricket Goals on Sunday Football Live Nissan Super Sunday Live Nissan Super Sunday Live PGA Tour Golf Live NFL: Sunday Game Live NFL: Sunday Game Cricket

The Christmas Calendar 5 News at 5 Neighbours 5 News Tonight Weather Terror Sinkholes Concorde JFK's Secret Killer: The Evidence JFK Jr: The Crash That Killed a Kennedy

3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News SKY Sports News Sky Sports Tonight Football Birmingham City meet Wolves at St Andrew's in the Sky Bet Championship.

Neighbours 5 News Tonight Yorkshire: A Year in the Wild Jo Brand‘s Cats and Kittens Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild The 00s: The Most Shocking Celebrity Moments

6:00pm 7:00pm

Eredivisie SPFL Round Up 2017/18 SPFL Greatest Games Soccer A.M. Football Years Gillette Soccer Special Revista de la Liga La Liga World

5 News Lunchtime Neighbours Spirit of Christmas Marry Me at Christmas 5 News at 5 Neighbours 5 News Tonight All New Traffic Cops GPs: Behind Closed Doors My Son: The Serial Killer

7:15pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 5:30pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am

La Liga Greatest Games La Liga Greatest Games Football Years Football Countdowns Revista de la Liga La Liga World Football Years Gillette Soccer Special EredivisieEredivisie Magical Messi

The schedules for the television programme pages are provided by an external company: we regret that any changes or errors are not the responsibility of Euro Weekly News.

FEATURE

www.euroweeklynews.com

TV Couch Critic HOW could Kay Mellor make the day-to-day running of a register office interesting? Simply through her usual brilliant writing. Welcome to Love, Lies & Records (BBC1), her latest creation situated at Leeds City Hall and starring Ashley Jensen as Kate, a Superintendent Registrar who combines chaotic home surrounds with her professional life. It may be a cliche but Kate doesn’t always play by the rules and where work is concerned it’s very successful. There was the man registering his baby’s birth, born to a mother with cancer who refused treatment to save the child. They are not married, but as Kate does weddings as well, cue the resulting tears. Staff wise, Registrar James announces plans to work dressed as a woman, with all are pleased except Judy who happens to have been passed over when Kate was promoted to superintendent. Popular with everyone except Judy, Kate is particularly liked by Rick, especially after they sidled off

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

Kay raises the smiles but its heartache from rubber ducks to a storeroom for some festive fun at the Christmas party. But Judy had a copy of the CCTV recording their event in full, with this leading to a proposal from Kate to her partner Rob, a detective investigating the local murder of a young woman. This will no doubt be linked to one of the future story lines in a comedy drama series that is yet another triumph for Mellor, making Thursday evening one to look forward to.

BRILLIANT WRITING: Kay Mellor.

Blue Planet II (BBC 1) was a bitter-sweet highlight with the consignment of 7,000 plastic duck bath toys ready to embark on their various journeys after being tipped from a container ship in high seas off Alaska. The star performer landed off the west coast of Scotland, but then there was the sad sight of tons of discarded plastic, endangering and killing the blue world, including a whale carrying dead offspring, thought to have been poisoned by pollution. It was t r u l y heartbreaking and

thought provoking as usual. I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here (ITV) is beginning to scrape the barrel for so-called celebrities, though many viewers clearly still enjoy it and it’s good to see Ant fit and well and self depreciating about his personal life over the last six challenging months. The sight of the first five contestants meeting and not knowing who each other was served up amusing viewing. But the camp mates discussing each others’ fame with Rebekah Vardy claiming recognition for her charity work (really?) and Hollyoaks ‘star’ Jamie Lomas telling Made in Chelsea ‘star’ Georgia Toffolo “that’s what your talent is, being yourself,” was another matter. Boxer Amir Khan’s frightened reaction to pulling out a snake thinking it was a rope, however, was priceless… showing there is still potential for comedy gold. Would I Lie to you (BBC1) is back

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for a new series. Arguably television’s funniest panel show is as good as ever, but why put it on Monday evening opposite Coronation Street which is a traditional graveyard slot? Meanwhile The A Word (BBC1) is back for a second series and as good as ever. This time around it follows Joe’s move to a more specialised school and the effect this has on his dysfunctional family. The separation of Alison and Paul, Joe’s mum and dad, while travelling to his new school leads to problems between them and the inter-action between Paul’s own father and music teacher Maurice and Louise is both amusing and sad as he tries to support her during her cancer fight whilst bringing back memories of his previous wife’s death from the same disease. Eddie (Alison’s brother) and Nicola pretend to her parents that they haven’t separated, with this leading to amusing moments, and as always some brilliant music is a theme throughout with the talented actor Max Vento having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the songs and lyrics as he sings along to them. Critique: SC, Torrevieja, Costa Blanca

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

It’s a complete wind up Mike Senker

In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man WE have inherited a few things from the USA but this Black Friday nonsense is a complete wind up. First of all it’s the day after Thanksgiving - a holiday that doesn’t even exist in the UK or Spain. Secondly, it goes on for two weeks so it should be called Black Fortnight. I suppose you could say it’s a good time to start your Christmas shopping but I think December 24 is fine for me. In fact, I now prefer to go Christmas shopping after Christmas when the real sales start, not this Black Friday nonsense. Having said that, my daughter wanted a cordless vacuum cleaner and asked me to research some for her as she is a very busy lady and well, to be honest, I do absolutely nothing. In fact, if doing nothing was a sport, I’d play off scratch. So I got online and typed in ‘best cordless vacuum cleaner’ and that’s when the fun started. This make, that make, then there’s the different models within the makes, then there’s the different prices. I get four or five different ones up on screen and it has a comparison fea-

ture. This model has loads of tools but needs charging every 30 minutes, another one lasts for 60 minutes without charge but has no tools. Another weighs a bit more than the other two but has got a shoulder strap and on and on it goes. Then there’s the model numbers. Fifteen digit numbers and letters which are impossible to remember and probably even too complicated to use as an Apple password and, believe me, that’s saying something! When I was younger you had a Hoover. That was it no different models; just a Hoover. You might have had a choice of colours and every couple of years they might bring out a slightly different model. I also quite like the Henry. That’s simple you went in the shop and asked for it by name. They should just make it a simple model number 1, then 2, then 3 so you can just look at it and know if it’s the latest model or not. It ticks me off big time when I buy something and then find out it’s a deleted model. I sent my daughter all the information and said it was now up to her and what did she do? She ordered the only one that didn’t have any discount on it and wasn’t in the Black Friday sale! KIDS!! columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Email me: mikesenker@gmail.com

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Classic cars in Spain 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.

NO RULE CHANGE: Classics subject to same road laws as newer cars. ROYAL DECREE 1247/1995, deals with the laws for historic vehicles, or classic cars, under article 10 of the circulation rules. First and foremost, unless rules are specifically in place for this type of vehicle, classic cars are governed by the same laws and rules as normal vehicles, including the requirement of liability insurance. The rules relating to the technical inspection and registration are also applicable, as per normal vehicles. The period of the technical inspection also remains the same, unless otherwise indicated in the official report. Those vehicles which, on account of their age or constructive characteristics, do not have lights or indicators as are normally required by law, are not allowed to travel between sunset and sunrise, or in circumstances which would normally require use of lights and indicators. Historic vehicles that are not able to exceed the speed of 40 kilometres per hour should drive on the shoulder, if practicable and it is suffi-

cient, or, alternatively, as close as possible to the right outside edge of the roadway, except when overtaking or turning left, manoeuvres which may force other drivers to abruptly change the direction or speed of their vehicles. Historic vehicles are not allowed on the motorway if they are unable to reach a speed of at least 60 kilometres per hour. The General Directorate of Traffic also reserves the right to prohibit classic cars on certain dates and routes, if they are not able to exceed the speed of 80 kilometres per hour. Vehicles categorised as classic cars under Royal Decree 1247/1995, or over 25 years old and in numbers greater than 10, and with a speed of less than 50 kilometres per hour on average, as well as participating in events or demonstrations, rallies, competitions or, in general, any kind of event in which there is established classification on the basis of vehicle movement, either in terms of speed or regularity, will require administrative authorisation.

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

How does he pay CGT? I read your article in the Euro Weekly News concerning inheritance tax. If I sell my house in Spain for €225,000, how is the CGT paid or can I roll this into another property? M C (by email) You have left out some important information from your question. So, let us first suppose that you are a non-resident who lives in the European Union. You pay Spanish capital gains tax at 19 per cent. You file Form 210 within 30 days of the sale. If your profit is €50,000, your tax will be €9,500. If

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

you are tax resident in Spain, and the house is your principal residence, where you have lived for three years, and you use all of the amount of the sale to purchase a new principal residence, you are free of capi-

tal gains tax. If, in addition, you are more than 65 years old, you are completely free of CGT. If you are resident but the house is not your principal residence, you must pay Spanish CGT on your profit at a slightly higher rate than the non-resident, declaring on your next year’s income tax declaration.

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

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30 November - 6 December 2017

Costa de Almería

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

SCIENTISTS have announced up to four cups of coffee a day will not harm health. The professionals assessed the results of 740 scientific studies and found 400mg of caffeine is a safe limit for consumption, while pregnant women can enjoy 300mg a day. Looking at studies carried out between 2001 and 2015, the group debunked claims coffee can cause heart disease and dementia in reasonable quantities. Instead, coffee has been found to improve brain function and reduce inflammation. Dr Eric Hentges, executive director of the International Life Sciences Institute, led the report which considered coffee’s impact on bone, heart, brain and reproductive function, as well as its toxicity. He explained, “this provides evidence that furthers our understanding of caffeine on human health,” adding, “also, this provides

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What a pain the research community with data and valuable evidence to support the development and execution of future research on caffeine safety that will impact public health.” Dr Hentges went on, “we concluded that the previously-defined levels of caffeine intake in a healthy caffeine

consumer (400mg) were not associated with overt, adverse effects,” adding, “the complete transparency with which the data has been shared will encourage other researchers to build upon this work.” While this news will be welcomed by coffee

drinkers, there are many other drinks which include caffeine, and it is important not to unwittingly breach daily guidelines. Coffee contains around 95mg per serving, while tea has around 26mg, coke 30mg, a bar of dark chocolate 50mg and an energy drink around 90mg.

SPECIALIST: Doctor Luis Perez Belmonte. THIS week, the doctor answers our questions on Raynaud’s phenomenon. What is Raynaud’s Phenomenon? Raynaud’s Phenomenon is a condition whereby cold temperatures or strong emotional reactions lead to vascular spasms which block blood flow temporarily. If when you are out in the cold or at emotional times find that your fingers, toes, ears or nose turn white, then blue, then red over a period of a few minutes or up to a few hours, you may have Raynaud’s. When does it happen and what is the cause? This phenomenon is usually caused by low temperatures and stress. There are two types: primary Raynaud’s, where the cause is unknown and most patients have few symptoms, and secondary Raynaud’s, which is associated with autoimmune diseases, artery problems, certain medications, infections and heavy smoking among others. Can I beat it without having to take drugs? These steps can help keep Raynaud’s under control: keep your body warm, avoid

exposure to the cold in any form, use gloves when outside or touching ice or frozen food, avoid getting cold after active sports, stop smoking as this causes blood vessels to narrow, avoid caffeine and medicines which case blood vessels to spasm. If these measures are not enough to control the problem, you should see a Specialist in Internal Medicine for evaluation who may prescribe medication if necessary. It is important to treat the cause of the phenomenon. Who does it usually affect and why? When does it appear? Primary Raynaud’s usually appears in women under the age of 30. Secondary Raynaud’s is association with other conditions and generally appears in the over 30s. Can it cause other health problems? Primary Raynaud’s Phenomenon is usually related to other illnesses and only appears due to cold or stress. Secondary Raynaud’s however is associated to other conditions. In any case, patients suffering symptoms of Raynaud’s should see a specialist in Internal Medicine for evaluation

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

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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Photo by Lulu Adams/Twitter

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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Junk food overload

CALORIFIC: An acai salad.

BEFORE AND AFTER: Lulu Adams.

Beat the bulge IT takes nine months to put it on a n d c a n e a si l y t ak e nine or more to take it off. But c e l e b r i t y p e r so n al trainer, Lulu Adams, has offered one publication simple tips on how to safely return to y o u r p r e - b a b y weight after giving birth. The p r o f e ssi o n a l , w h o helped Ma d e i n C h e ls e a star, B i n k y Fe l st e a d , g et back into shape after giving birth five months ago, starts by explaining it is important to appreciate your body has been t h r o u g h a l o t o f change and take workouts slowly. S he g o e s o n t o a d d it takes a r o u n d e i g h t t o 1 0 weeks f o r t h e a b d o m in al muscles to heal after giving birth, explaining exercise should focus on re-strengthening the core and pelvic floor muscles. S ugg e st e d t r a i n i n g in cludes contracting abdominal and pelvic muscles on

an out breath and relaxing them on an in breath. You could also try gentle stomac h c ru n c h es b y ly in g on your back with bent knees before slowly raising your head to your chest while engaging your core muscles. L u lu a ls o rec o mmends s tick in g to lo w -impa c t training for six months after giving birth and avoiding weights to prevent healing mu s c le s a n d o rg an s fro m b e in g p lac e d u n d e r too mu c h p re s s u re a s w ell a s upping your water intake to

help cells renew. The trainer suggests further boosting your body’s cells with healthy fats, including those found in coconut oil and oily fish, as well as taking a multivitamin to ensure you are getting a ll the nutrie nts you need as you heal. Fina lly, Lulu te lls ne w mothers to be relaxed about returning to their pre-baby weight and not give themselves a hard time, advising, “just have some faith and be patient!”

A DIETICIAN has warned some so-called ‘superfoods’could be as bad for us as junk food. Australia-based nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen, has told one publication there are several junk foods disguising as healthy options. Lyndi’s first victim are acai salads which are commonly mentioned as a superfood. According to the dietician, “while they do contain good nutrients and have the same amount of antioxidants as an apple, they are simply not worth paying the extra money - just because they are a so-called ‘superfood’,” adding, “in fact, acai bowls can be incredibly high in both sugar and calories.” Instead she says, “swap the acai berries for one banana and a cup of frozen blueberries and

top with a handful of seeds and nuts.” Next on the list are rice cakes. Lyndi explains, “they might be low in calories, but they are not a healthy option,” explaining they, “offer fast-burning carbohydrates without much fibre or nutritional value.” Her alternative? Grainy brown bread topped with avocado of cheese. Finally, prepare to forgo your favourite fruit juice. According to the nutritionist, “while a whole piece of fruit is healthy, fruit juice is really high in sugar without the benefit of fibre to help slow how quickly it’s digested.” She adds, “it can also take six to seven oranges to squeeze one cup of orange juice, yet you’d never just sit down and eat seven tangerines.”

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Update on food, drink, entertainments, what’s on and weekly happenings

SCENE

FASHION pop up shop The Trendy Room is back in Almeria for two days only. Now in its fourth year, the concept showroom is a space for artists, designers, architects and entrepreneurs to show off their new creations to savvy Christmas shoppers. The Trendy Room pops up just before Christmas in dozens of Spanish cities, taking over a building for a few days and allowing the public to explore works from different designers. Everything from funky clothes and bed-sheets, to painting and modern art, will be available for the public to peruse and purchase if they like. There will be food, wine and Champagne. This year The Trendy Room pops up in Almeria City tomorrow and disappears by Saturday night. It will take over 25 rooms of the Aire de Almeria hotel in the city’s famous Plaza Vieja. Each room will be entirely decorated by the artist or designer responsible. It will showcase their products, whether interior design, art works, unusual gastronomy,

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Trend setters return

SUPER TRENDY: Style for women, men and children at The Trendy Room.

clothes or handicrafts. Guests will be able to explore the hotel, visiting each artist in their room and seeing a variety of products that are nowhere to be found on the typical high street. All of the designers come from outside Almeria Province and bring a national reputation for quality with them. Among them are Moises Nieto, a designer who won the 2017 National Fashion Award, and Francisco Segarra, who is famed for his vintage furniture collection. Other rooms will showcase watches, bridal dresses and jewels among other attractions. There will be a pop up restaurant on the terrace and, for for the first time, a special children’s section offering clothes and toys. Music will be provided by a DJ. Space is limited to 250 people on Saturday, with slightly more space on Sunday. Entrance costs €10 per person, which includes a welcome cocktail.

OCIAL

Ladies have a weekend away AFTER a successful weekend away for 50 Mojacar ladies, similar excursions are being planned for the future. Mojacar Council recently organised a trip to Madrid and nearby Toledo for the local women, who were accompanied by three female councillors. The women took in a musical, did some shopping, saw the capital’s major sights and enjoyed a guided tour of the historic old town of Toledo. A wide variety of local women took part in the community adventure. Ages ranged from just 15, all the way up to 80. Now more efforts will be made to ensure the trips are regular. They have taken place over the past three years, with one usually fitting in around International Women’s Day in early March. Women’s councillor Raquel Belmonte, and her colleagues Ana Garcia and Maria Perez Lopez are working on the next trip. It is likely to be to the historic Andalucian city of Cordoba in early 2018.

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

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SOCIAL SCENE

PETANQUE PARTY: Players from across Spain joined sports day.

Seaside petanque party SEVENTEEN sports clubs brought 89 players to Mojacar for the Spanish Championship of Petanque for People with Intellectual Disabilities. It was the third successive year that Mojacar held the event, which draws petanque teams from all across Spain. Players stayed at the Hotel Marina Playa, playing at the courts just 500 metres away. They were split into three different competitive sections. Those who could play normal petanque formed one group, while another played an adapted version of the popular game. Those with poor motor skills who needed assistance made up the final grouping. There were two teams from Almeria Province,

TORO is a Spanish Denominacion de Origen (DO) for wines produced in the Castile and Léon areas of Zamora province. The DO takes its name from the town of Toro with wines made locally since 100 BC and where King Alfonso IX 1300 years later granted by Lorenzo lands to reli- Barbareschi gious orders with the obligation to plant vines. Many of the 40 churches that still exist in Toro - which sits above the Río Duero and boasts medieval architecture and the site of Spain’s first university - were built through wealth generated by the wine trade. Producers established underground bodegas to ensure more effective temperature control, as many vineyards sit at 600 - 750 metres above sea level amid sand, clay and calcareous soils that suffer climate changes from winter lows of -11c to

from San Marcos and Los Carriles, and another three from the rest of Andalucia. Five travelled over the border from Murcia, and there were single representatives from the Balearic Islands and Madrid. Mojacar has some of the best petanque courts in the country, which ensured it was chosen to hold the event for a third time. The Spanish Sports Federation for People with Intellectual Disabilities thanked Almeria’s provincial council for its help in promoting the weekend event, which attracted more than 300 people. Vice-president Jose Antonio Antolin also thanked Mojacar for providing stunning seaside views and proper mobility access for the disabled.

Spanish value

BACCHUS CELLAR

TINTO DE TORO: Deeply coloured and full-bodied. summer highs of 37c. Due to the protection provided by the sandy soils, Toro vines were not affected by the phylloxera louse at the end of the 19th century, and many vineyards 80 to 100 years old are now the source of grapes for special cuvées. Tinto de Toro, which is synonymous with Tempranillo, is an early-ripening grape with small berries and thick skin translating into intense, deeply coloured, full-bodied, tannic

and excellently valued wines that pair well with meat dishes. Most of Toro’s best wines are 100 per cent Tinto de Toro, although those with just 75 per cent of the variety and blended with Garnacha, also qualify for DO status. Tempranillo Colegiata by Bodegas Fariña (100 per cent Tinto de Toro) and Caño Tempranillo-Garnacha (Blend) by Bajoz are among my recommendations. Happy tasting.

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SOCIAL SCENE

FESTIVE: Mojacar is all set for Christmas.

Bells are ringing out Christmas calendar set A PACKED Christmas calendar has been released by Mojacar Town Hall. It begins on Monday and runs right up to the Three Kings Celebrations on Friday January 6. Early next week will be devoted to carols. There will be

a choir performing at Mojacar parish church on Monday at 8pm. Then on Wednesday Dames in Spain are holding their annual Christmas carol concert at the Third Age Hall in Mojacar’s Multiple Uses Centre at 11am.

A week on Friday pulses will be racing at the Christmas Flamenco Gala. It kicks off at 9pm at the Multiple Uses Centre and tickets can be purchase in advance from the Tourism Office and the kiosk at Parque Comercial. The Estanco Turre is also selling tickets. A huge Christmas concert will be held on Saturday December 16 at the Multiple Uses Centre. Entrance is free, there will be local artists playing live music and the event

begins at 8pm. Before the concert there will be Christmas sweets, treats, and hot chocolate available at the same venue from 6pm. Mojacar parish church is holding a midnight mass on Sunday December 24, and a mass on Christmas Day at 11.30am. Church bells will ring in the New Year from 11.30pm at Plaza Fronton. As always the biggest celebrations will be reserved for the Three Kings festivities in early January.

Greased lightning! GREASE: The Musical is coming to Almeria a week on Friday. The enormously popular musical will be performed at the Maestro Padilla Auditorium’s Aedea Theatre on Friday December 8 at 9pm. Tickets are still available and cost €10 per person. The production is in Spanish and is a faithful interpretation of the original 1971 American musical. It is just one highlight in a busy December calendar for the Auditorium. There is a Christmas theme with productions of the Nutcracker on Sunday and Snow White on Tuesday December 12. The Moscow Ballet on Ice will be dazzling spectators on Saturday December 30 right after an official Christmas concert featuring South American carols on Wednesday December 27.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

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30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

Serve up a salad A WORKPLACE health promotion campaign was launched by the Almanzora Valley’s biggest company. The Cosentino Group is participating in a wider health-boosting initiative from the Junta de Andalucia. Health delegate for Andalucia, Jose Maria Martin, visited Cosentino’s vice-president Alvaro de la Haza at the company’s headquarters in Cantoria to publicise the joint campaign. The aim is to establish healthy life habits among Cosentino’s thousands of employees so that it might be an example to other companies in the region. There will be an emphasis on healthy diets, exercise and quitting smoking in free workshops provided to employees. Cosentino is an economic engine of the region, hiring thousands of people. But it has been accused of covering up cases of silicosis among employees working with quartz to produce its famous kitchen counters. The company denies the allegations. THE felling of four palm trees in Albox’s Plaza Mayor has been described as “an attack against the nature and heritage of Albox” by the local Popular Party branch. The party said that the trees were healthy and could easily have been transferred to another part of the town rather than axed. The felled palms have been estimated to be

FIT: Cosentino ambassador Rafa Nadal exudes good health.

Palm felling outcry more than 70 years old. The outcry comes after two other Plaza Mayor palms were felled in 2016. The latest felling was described as “indiscriminate” by the PP, which accused the

mayor of ordering them to be cut down early in the morning to avoid detection. Some local residents reportedly did see the trees being cut down and tried to contact the mayor’s office. Plaza Mayor is currently undergoing an ambitious remodelling project the town hall claims will be of huge benefit to local families.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Poppy pride POPPYTIDE was very successful for the branch this year and the Albox Royal British Legion Branch banked more than €2,800. A big thanks goes to all who helped, the shops and bars that displayed collection tins for them and to all who donated, as well as the winners of the Quiz of Quizzes 2017 who chose the Royal British Legion as their charity. RemembranceTide concluded with the Service of Remembrance on Saturday November 11 to remember those who fought for their country. The RBL are grateful to Chaplain Duncan Burr who continues to support the RBL whenever he can. They also welcomed Maura Hillen, the deputy mayor of Albox, who attended the service. The branch will have the usual coffee morning at the Bar Oasis in Albox on Thursday December 7 starting at 11.30am. The next members’ meeting will be the Christmas Quiz on Thursday December 21 starting at 11am in La Parrilla Hotel and Restaurant in Albox. Tickets are still on sale for their Christmas Poppy Dinner Dance, with entertainment by Brendan O’Dee. It will be held at La Parrilla, Albox, on Friday December 15 at 7pm. For tickets and menu choice,

FUNDRAISERS: Quizmaster, Ian Holmes presenting the Quiz of Quizzes donation to Judith Tope, RBL Treasurer. please contact Sarah via email on: alboxr blegion@gmail.com or by phone: 634 372 143. Tickets cost €21 for members or €23 for non-members. For those in the Baza area there will be a lunch on Tuesday December 12 at 1.30pm, held at Hotel Galera, Granada. Tickets are priced at €17.50 for members and €20 for non-members. They are available from Lin Oldham (email: linold ham@hotmail.com). Cash-paying members are reminded

that they can renew their membership at either the coffee morning or before the Quiz. Those in the Baza area should contact the chairman Ken on: 662 022 523 to arrange payment. The Legion does vital work; they provide practical support to serving men and women, veterans (ex-service of all ages) and their families. They’re here to serve you. Get in touch for advice, information and guidance on: 676 451 780 or email: assistance.rbl.dns@gmail.com.

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Expert career advice YOUNG people from across the Almanzora Valley attended a major jobs fair in Olula del Rio on Tuesday. Secondary schools from Albox, Fines, Macael and Olula del Rio dispatched busloads of students to the event. There were also business students and unemployed people of all ages at the town’s Casa de Cultura. Mayor of Olula del Rio, Antonio Martinez Pascual, said the purpose of the fair was “to help our young

people escape seeing a very dark horizon, and instead see a bright one.” From 10am until 7pm hundreds of job-seekers attended workshops and seminars. They listened to advice from successful entrepreneurs and were able to meet representatives from local and even international companies and organisations. They were able to hand out their CVs and get advice on improving their skill sets be-

fore entering the competitive jobs market. The European Voluntary Service was present to inform local students about the possibilities of volunteering in another EU country to boost their chances of landing a job abroad. Meanwhile companies from the Almanzora Valley and beyond told attendees what real working life was like, about the prospects of career progression, and salary expectations.

Water emergency A WATER crisis is affecting homes in the British-dominated urbanisation of El Fas in Cantoria. The council has ordered an urgent investigation after social services reported that some elderly residents had no regular, or legal, access to water. People who were originally deceived when they bought illegally constructed homes were promised that the water supply would be resolved once planning permission was achieved.

That never happened and the water crisis has been getting worse for years. The council has held meetings with residents and is hastily trying to arrange new services. PSOE councillor Puri Sanchez said: “We want the people of El Fas to feel like any other resident of Cantoria, because they have been here for many years, but the criminal actions of some politicians stripped them of their right to be treated properly.”

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FEATURE

Astrology: Shoot for the stars! Welcome to your December 2017 forecast. Every month I write about how the Astrology, Numerology, and Tarot for the month ahead affects you. Below is your forecast for December 2017

Sally Trotman www.sallytrotman.com Sally Trotman is a qualified Counsellor who works with Astrology, Numerology and the Tarot. Each month she will deliver the forecast as an intuitive tool to aid increased self awareness.

SUN in Sagittarius : This month the sun is ruled by Sagittarius. This fiery sign will give you the energy to complete tasks before t h e y e a r e n d s . Tie u p lo o s e en d s , practically or emotionally this month, so that y o u c a n b e g i n th e n ew y e a r w ith peace of mind. Sagittarius is a confident and outgoing sign, so be brave and tackle anything which has felt too challenging to face this year. Make a start and feel good about yourself for diving in! Get in tune with the moon : On December 3 the full moon in Gemini brings an upb e a t e n e rg y t o th e b eg in n in g o f th e month. This air sign, ruled by Mercury (planet of communication) blesses you with an abundance of ideas and an increased ability to share these with others. Notice any inspiration which comes to you around the time of the full moon. Consider your three most important

goals for the New Year and begin making a plan. The last new moon of the year on December 18 will help you to become clear about your future direction. Influenced by the sign of Sagittarius, this expansive sign is encouraging you to dream big! Numerology: communicate your truth Number 12: Numbers are symbols which carry energy, and the influence of the number 12 this month will help you to c le a rly c ommunic a te your n e e d s . O fte n w e put othe r ’s needs before our own. As the year draws to a close, it’s time to be selfish. What do you need to do for yourself this month to feel healthier and happier? The Hanged Man: practice patience In the Major Arcana Tarot deck the the 12th card is the Hanged Man. This card reminds you to be patient, and even perhaps to change your perspective a little. Ideas will come quick and fast this month,

SAGITTARIUS: This fiery sign will give you the energy to complete tasks before the year ends.

a little, and to rest in order to feel energised as you prepare for the New Year. Your Personalised Forecast - receive your free gift!

and yet you will need to remain patient and persistent in order to fulfil your vision. Take some time out on the Winter Equinox (December 21) to reflect on this year, to meditate

Book in for an Astrology, Numerology and Tarot forecast in December, based on the unique numbers and planets in your date of birth, and receive a free gift unique to you. Forecasts are available via Skype and Facetime. Written forecasts are available by email. Visit www.sallytrotman.com for more information. Email at sally.trotman@btinternet.com or call on 07944 744493.

One should consider ‘Spain’ as a concept, not a destination way and Orson Welles spent many a good summer there as did the German-Czech poet Rilke praising “I have sought everywhere the city of my dreams, and I have finally found it in Ronda” and “Nothing is more startling in Spain than this wild and mountainous city.”

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.

HAVING lived here close to 50 years now my mind wanders back to those earliest days of attempting to understand the philosophical flow of my newly discovered nation. Driving out of Almeria then, going south there were not the logical place names on the road signs one would presume would be in a lineal society. No road sign had written on it Malaga, or Torremolinos, highly populated areas along the coast and in the southerly direction. But, there was a signpost for Ronda. In later weeks I also noticed that Murcia had the same set up circumstances, nothing advising that Almeria was further down the one

Spain is more than a place, it should be lived and appreciated.

COLOURFUL HISTORY: Ronda. and only road that went that way, but rather another sign for Ronda. It took me weeks to find a decent map of Spain and to locate Ronda, a small village in the mountainous hills well above the coast. This perplexed me. It slept well in the back of my mind for years, yet it remained a restless cogitation rather than a snooze. It just didn’t make sense. I gradually deduced that the centre

point of the directional signposts must therefore be the town, a place that I knew nothing about and most certainly wasn’t as well known as the citadels of Granada, Cordoba or Sevilla. Ronda indeed has a colourful historical background varying from the political to the spectacular of having the oldest continuous bullring in Spain. Modern day writers like Heming-

The fact that the flag of Andalucía was designed there as were many of the original by-laws made it an emblematic capital for the region. And, Spain’s first famous man to confront bulls alone on foot, Pedro Romero and his descendants are largely responsible for initiating and bringing to public popularity the ‘fiesta national.’

Many important battles between the remaining Muslims and Christians were fought there too; a historic gilded the compilation of emotional and historical facts lends the place to a certain acclaimed ‘attitude’ appreciated by those knowledgeable enough. This obviously included the road sign makers. But it also alludes to higher truths well above the mundane understanding of what is the next town down the line. Spanish artists are a cut above the rest as they are not viewed simply by their profession but rather how much they have personally connected to the individual. Singer-dancer Lola Flores’ death was next to a state funeral with every important dignitary in Spain’s multifarious cultural scene vying to be seen in attendance. A great torero would cause public consternation of a national level. No, Spain is more than a place. It’s a concept to be learned - then lived and appreciated.

& Roses

GARDENS

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de AlmerĂ­a

ROSES are one of the most favourite flowers for their wonderful form and beautiful scent. To grow a rose plant in the Mediterranean is a challenge though as they prefer cooler summers and winters to be at their best. There are ways to improve the ability to grow them. The most important difference in the Mediterranean climate is to provide summer shade for roses for at least half of the day, preferably shaded from the afternoon sun. The normal requirements for growing roses applies in terms of providing a rich soil with soil amendments of compost, manures and other fertilisers suited to alkaline soil. Alkaline soil is predominant in the Mediterranean regions. Roses prefer neutral to acid soil but will tolerate a

degree of alkalinity. Applying mulch around the rose plants will also help to keep their root zone cooler in summer, so a thick layer is recommended to provide the most insulation. Organic mulches are the best for roses as they allow greater aeration for the soil to breath. If you apply the organic mulch after the start of the hot weather it should last through summer and even if it breaks down by winter it does not need renewing until the next spring. Allowing the mulch to thin out over winter permits the colder weather to affect the rose plants to become dormant and rest before the spring awakening. Planting roses adjacent to buildings can keep the rose plants too warm in winter so they are better planted in rose beds in zones more exposed to the winter cold but protected from strong winds. Roses have the advantage in the Mediterranean of hav-

ing a spring flush of flowers and a second flush in autumn. They often reduce their flowering over summer due to the heat and may have some flowers over winter, although it can make the plants stronger to remove the winter buds, it is also wonderful to be able to get roses at that time. Pruning is best done at the start of spring to create a good framework for the coming flower season and another pruning at the end of summer to reduce height and remove crossing branches, but leaving many of the new shoots that have grown over summer to support the autumn flower display which can often be their best display if treated in this way. Spring and summer removal of rose hips is also a good idea to make the plants stronger and more attractive. Aphids can be a problem in late spring but a 50/50 mix of pharmacy type alco-

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A FAVOURITE: The beauty that is a rose.

hol and water sprayed on them can clean them up easily and it is safer than many chemical products. Caterpillars usually attack at the end of summer.

They can be sprayed off with water from a hose. I leave a lot of them though so that the air is full of butterflies in autumn at the cost of perforated rose leaves for a

month. The rose plants always recover quickly and they seems to flower better or at least the flowers stand out better for their perfect form and beauty.

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

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Planning to go away Your questions answered! this springtime ...? AS Christmas approaches many of us try to get ahead of the game to book our flights and hotels early with good prices for a spring break. If you’re planning a holiday you may also be wondering what to do with your dog, cat or other animals. There are many options today, but keeping them at home in their own environment with minimal disruption to routines, can often be the best option. That’s where we come

HOUSE-SITTERS: For when you can’t holiday with pets. in, we can help you find house and pet-sitters to keep your property and

pets safe and sound in your absence. If you are not yet familiar with our house-sitting network, www.HouseSitMatch.com, take a look online. It is easy to join and we can help you get started. Check out our Trustpilot reference online to see what our verified customers say about us too. So if you have holiday plans firming up, best to pin down your house-sitter now. Get ahead and start early.

Do you need a house or pet-sitter? Get in touch. House-sitting can be a win-win for both parties, free house and pet-sitting and the experienced and checked sitters get free accommodation! Register as either house-sitter or homeowner now with a 20 per cent off introductory offer using coupon code PERFECT20. To find a house or pet-sitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on 00 44 (0) 777 214 2742.

NEW research has suggested that those who own dogs are less at risk from developing serious illnesses than those who don’t. Scientists studying heart disease came to the conclusion after examining data from more than 3.4 million Swedish nationals between the aged of 40 and 80. As registering a dog and going to the hospital both require Swedes to present

David THE Dogman LISTEN to David on TRE on Saturdays 10am to 11am Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9fm, 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 columnists@ewnmediagroup.com

Q. My dogs like to eat grass and mushrooms. Is this a problem? A. There is no definitive answer as to why dogs and cats eat grass. Three veterinarians will most likely give three answers. Theories range from their stomach is upset to the need for vegetation in their diets. The fact is grass has no nutritional value for pets.

Leaders of the pack their national identification number, scientists were able to analyse the records of people over a 12-year period to see if there was any correlation between the two factors. They discovered those who had registered a dog in the system were less likely to be treated for heart disease in the long

run if they had not shown any previous symptoms of the illness. Although the research did not draw any conclusions why this was the case, scientists suggested that it might have something to do with the fact that having a dog gives people more motivation to do exercise.

The most plausible explanation is that it is a habit dating back to their ancestors where a certain amount of roughage was required for normal bowel activity. Present-day dog and cat foods contain varying amounts of fibre making grass eating unnecessary. It is most likely an instinct that has just not faded away with time. It is true that too much grass can be irritating to the stomach lining, which can cause vomiting. Although some dogs enjoy eating grass, it is best to discourage them from grazing like cows. Some mushrooms can indeed be very toxic to pets. Most cause gastric irritation resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea. Others can cause damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. In some cases, seizures and death can occur. The best advice is to identify

the species of mushrooms in your garden. If they are safe for human consumption, they will not be harmful to your pet. Remove all poisonous and unidentifiable mushrooms from your pets’ environment. Cats are finicky and less likely to ingest mushrooms. The potential for ingesting such toxic agents is another reason to keep your dog from roaming freely. Owners should constantly inspect their pets’ outdoor environment for potential toxins. These include garbage, dead animals, dangerous mushrooms and toxic plants. Remember pets, especially dogs, are non-discriminating when it comes to potential food. Items such as rotting garbage and dead birds may appear disgusting to us, but they can be filet mignon to some pets. Sharing is caring!

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Clarkson Quote of the Week

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After three days in the Kia Rio my kids thought it a great idea to walk to school instead... even though their school is 18 miles away.” Some might say...

Volvo strikes taxi deal By Matthew Elliott VOLVO is set to supply Uber with 24,000 cars which the American tech-taxi company will convert into driverless cars. Uber has transformed the transport market in recent years by supplanting the traditional taxi industry in almost every country it operates in. Users order taxis and pre-pay using an application on their smart phones. The company

is also at the forefront of driving technology. Instead of hiring drivers, who have frequently been accused of sexually assaulting female passengers, it wants a legion of autonomous cars to serve as taxis. Swedish carmaker Volvo has stepped in, signing a deal to provide Uber with 24,000 cars between

2019 and 2021. Each car will be compatible with Uber’s pioneering driverless technology. Uber chief, Travis Kalanick, said: “Over one million people die in car accidents every year. These are tragedies that self-driving technology can help solve, but we can’t do this alone. That’s why our partnership

with a great manufacturer like Volvo is so important.” Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the firm has ambitions to be the major worldwide supplier of vehicles for the emerging driverless taxi industry. If the Uber deal goes ahead it will be the biggest for Volvo since it was taken over by Chinese giant Geely in 2010.

NO CHAT: Driverless XC90 new ride for Uber users (right).

Although Uber will be responsible for the autonomous component of the cars, Volvo has its own designs on the intelligent car market. It is currently trialling its driverless XC90 in the United States and has four other models Volvo engineers are working on making it 100 per cent autonomous.

Motoring shorts

Boozy antics A SURVEY published in the run-up to Christmas reveals that more than a quarter of British motorists regularly drive under the influence. Three out of four admitted to driving hungover, while still effectively drunk. The poll of 2,000 drivers also uncovered the methods used to escape police detection after enjoying a few drinks. Roughly one in three said they stuck religiously to the speed limit, while 16 per cent took the long way home via quiet country roads. One in 10 said they chewed gum to help mask the smell if stopped. Five per cent used perfume for the same effect, while 11 per cent guzzled coffee in an effort to sober up. Bizarrely 2 per cent stuck their fingers down their throat to throw up before hitting the road.

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VOLVO has long been noted for capacious estate models and its latest V90 upholds this tradition, with practicality complementing executive luxury and sporty performance. The company has also been a pioneer of new technology, and even on entry level versions, from €40,530 (£35,865), you get large touch-screen, sat-nav, connectivity, voice control, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, and safety kit which includes pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, auto emergency braking, and Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous system to aid steering, acceleration and braking, plus 17-inch alloys and leather-faced upholstery. My test model was V90 D5 PowerPulse AWD Inscription, a top-spec version laden with many extra features including a premium sound system, 360degree surround-view parking camera, head-up windscreen display, powered glass sunroof and much more, taking the price to €64,338 (£56,935). The car featured Volvo’s smooth and quiet 2.0 litre 235 hp diesel

30 November - 6 December 2017 / Costa de Almería

ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher

Volvo V90 D5 engine mated to an eight-speed auto gearbox, with all-wheeldrive. This is a beautiful combination of refinement, performance and economy - so good I felt I could drive right across Europe and still be relaxed at the end of the journey. The 0-100 kph time of 6.9 seconds underlines its sporty credentials and top speed is 233 kph (145 mph). The fuel figure is very respectable at 20.3 kpl (57.6 mpg). The V90 has elegant classy styling which turns heads, and the cabin also impresses with

its use of top-quality materials, thoughtful layout and comfortable seating. I did find the touch-screen menu hard to fathom though admittedly, I was trying it without first reading the 22-page instruction book! There is good space for occupants front and rear and the boot space with rear seats in use - while not the largest in the class - is still a substantial 723 litres. The rear seats drop flat to boost capacity to 1,526 litres and the tailgate is powered. On the road, the relative quiet of the car, its seamless auto

Stats panel Model: Volvo V90 D5 AWD Inscription Engine: 2.0 litre diesel Transmission: 8-speed automatic Performance: 0-100 kph 6.9 seconds, top speed 233 kph (145 mph) Economy: 20.3 kpl (57.6 mpg) Emissions; 129 g/km

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

gearshifts, responsive acceleration and reassuringly composed handling get top marks. Overall, I rate this Volvo estate as arguably best in class.

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Three Lions set to roar in 2018 World Cup Harry’s top quality - we’re fortunate to have him - Southgate “Playing for England is different from that at club level and one of the key things we have to continue to work at,” said Southgate. There will be players ‘missing out’ in the England 23, with Daniel Sturridge, dropped in the friendly internationals against Germany and Brazil, desperate to return to the fold. Liverpool outcast Sturridge, 28, in the cold at Anfield under manager Jurgen Klopp, is among a plethora of players that could miss the cut. Ashley Young, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fraser Foster, Chris Smalling, Danny Wellbeck, Jermaine Defoe and Theo Walcott await their fates. Sturridge could miss out, with Liverpool teammate Dominic Solanke, 20, getting the nod after his surprise call up to the England squad. “We assess who can take us forward - that’s the challenge for

with Andrew Atkinson

HARRY KANE: Top quality - fortunate to have him Southgate. all the players - you have to be playing well enough to get into the squad,” said Southgate. Klopp, ahead of Liverpool’s

Premier League game at Brighton on Saturday, said: “Solanke will be a future player for England, 100 per cent.

“Apart from his football skills, his character is absolutely outstanding. He is completely calm and doing so well, but doesn’t feel like ‘roll out the red carpet’; he is a smart lad.” Chelsea duo Ruben LoftusCheek, 21, and Tammy Abraham, 20, on loan at Crystal Palace and Swansea, respectively, are among new blood, alongside Solanke, brought in by Southgate. “Ruben and Tammy are two really good young players - the future for Chelsea,” said Blues boss Antonio Conte, ahead of the Blues fixture against Newcastle on Saturday. Two players who have surely got their England passports stamped for Russia are Phil Jones and Harry Kane: “Phil Jones has got the pace and the reading of the game at a relatively young age. “He competes well and it’s clear what he brings to the team.

SPORTSCENESPAIN with Andrew Atkinson Photo by England/Twitter

JULEN LOPETEGUI’S shoulders carry the hopes of Spain’s 2018 World Cup glory in Russia - after qualifying undefeated to top Group G - in a bid to repeat Spain’s success in 2010. “Whoever wants to do something special at the World Cup, besides having great players, they will need a great team,” said Lopetegui. Spain, who beat the Netherlands 1-0 at Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa after an extratime goal by Andrés Iniesta, giving Spain its first World Cup title in 2010, have a great team. Spain qualified for the 2018 World Cup, winning nine and drawing one of their 10 group games, scoring 36 goals, conceding a paltry three. That underlines David de Gea will be the No. 1 goalkeeper pencilled in by Lopetegui, knowing their chances of glory are in safe hands. Spain are in Pot 2 at The Kremlin in Moscow on Friday December 1, along with Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Croatia, for the draw on the road to the final on July 14 at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. Spain have a plethora of talent, including Carvajal, Pique, Ramos, Alba, Azpilicueta, Nacho, Alonso, Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Silva, Isco, Koke, Alcantara, Niguez, Pedro, Deulofeu, Asensio, Morata and Alcacer. Will Juan Mata, Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Iago Aspas, Nolito and David Villa get the nod in Lopetegui’s 23-man squad?: “There are many that will be in Russia,” said Lopetegui. “But I have not got the clear 23 players that will go to the World Cup. There are some that

UKSPORTSCENE Photo by England/Twitter

THE 2018 World Cup Group draw is set to take place in the Kremlin Palace, Moscow, Russia, with England’s Three Lions set to roar. The 32 teams playing at 12 venues in 11 different cities that go head-to-head during June 14July 15, 2018, will be split into four pots, based on their current FIFA world rankings. Pot 1 contains Russia and the highestranked seven teams. The December 1 draw will divide the 32 teams into eight groups of four, from A to H. Each group will play three matches, before the top two countries advance to the second round. Russia are in Group A as host nation. England meet Italy and Holland in friendlies in March, prior to manager Gareth Southgate naming his final 23-man squad: “The team are getting clearer messages in how we want to play,” said Southgate.

MORENO: World Cup dream.

Baby talk from Moreno as he dreams of Spain World Cup glory are certain and others that have an excellent opportunity,” said Lopetegui. Spain have a strike force to be reckoned with and Lopetegui said of striker Alvaro Morata,

who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in the summer: “Morata is a very good No. 9 and we are very happy with him.” Costa, Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas, Valencia’s

Harry’s finishing is top quality, as good as anyone, we’re fortunate to have him,” said Southgate. Manchester United travel to Arsenal on Saturday and Red’s boss Jose Mourinho said of defender Jones, 26: “Phil Jones is still young, still learning.” The 2018 World Cup Final Draw: Pot 1: Russia, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France. Pot 2: Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Croatia. Pot 3: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran. Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia. Group Stages: June 14-June 28: Round of 16: June 30-July 3; Quarter Finals: July 6-July 7; Semi Finals: July 10-July 11; Third place play-off: July 14. Final: July 15.

Rodrigo and Athletic Bilbao’s Aritz Aduriz are all vying for striker roles in Russia, and Lopetegui said: “Rodrigo is very good - so is Aspas - Diego Costa too. “We will decide who our No. 9 player will be for our first game. It may be that we will not play with the same No. 9 for our second game. We shall see. They all have possibilities to be the starting No. 9 for Spain.” Atletico Madrid’s Costa cannot play until January 2018, having last played for Spain in June, having missed the final four qualifying games, after a dispute with his former club Chelsea. Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno, 25, returned to the Spain squad for the friendlies against Costa Rica in Malaga and against Russia after a three-year absence. “Alberto, a left-back that suits us, is someone that is eager to go forward, and is also very fast at correcting his position,” said Lopetegui. Former Sevilla star Moreno and his wife Lilia, who became proud parents following the arrival of Alberto Junior two weeks ago, said: “Last season was bad for me. I didn’t play. “I am playing all the games now, and at a good level. I am here now, and with the World Cup so close why not dream?” Defending champions Germany, bidding to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, are the 5-1 favourites; France 11-2; 6-1 Brazil; 7-1 Spain; 8-1 Argentina; 14-1; Belgium; 20-1 England; Portugal 24-1; Russia 40-1; Mexico 80-1.

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MALAGA, Real Madrid and Barcelona were all in Copa Del Rey action earlier this week. La Liga clubs dominate the final 16, which may provide more drama than the league, where Barca remain comfortably top.

Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

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ENGLAND c o a c h Wa y n e Bennett believes his side’s huge task in defeating Australia in the Rugby League World Cup final is unlikely: We probably won’t win. “ We ’ l l b e t h e r e , w e ’ l l still go to the game, but we probably won’t win,” said Australian Bennett, 67, a Wo r l d C u p w i n n e r w i t h New Zealand in 2008, when assistant coach. England, who defeated

To n g a i n t h e s e m i - f i n a l , p l a y i n t h e i r f i r s t Wo r l d Cup final since 1995, against holders Australia, 1-9 odds-on favourites, in Brisbane on Saturday. Australia, unbeaten under coach Mal Meninga, are on a path to win a fourth World Cup crown in five attempts. Underdogs E n g l a n d ’s o d d s a r e 6 - 1 . Will defeat see Bennett retire?: “Retiring isn’t in my head. “The England job challenges me - there’s a lot of talent in this team - the type I want to work with,” said Bennett. REALISTIC: Wayne Bennett.

Photo credit You Tube

Global Sport: England to take on Australia Rugby League World Cup Final Cricket: Ashes ENGLAND and Australia go head-to-head in the opening day of The Ashes 2 n d Te s t a t t h e A d e l a i d e Oval on Saturday December 2 after the First Test in Brisbane. Vice-captain Jimmy Anderson has laughed off speculation it will be his l a s t Te s t S e r i e s a f t e r Aussie off-spinner Nathan Ly o n t a l k a b o u t e n d i n g England players’ careers. “ T h e s t u f f h e ’s b e e n coming out with has been tickling us - we’ve been laughing about it in the dressing room - it’s good for team spirit,” said Anderson. Swing bowler Anderson, 35, played in the 2010-11 series in Australia, that England won; and the

2013-14 Ashes series humiliating 5-0 whitewash. “I am not thinking if we don’t win I am ‘done.’ My body feels fine. It’s just a case of looking after myself. If I can keep fit, keep my speeds up,” said Lancashire star Anderson. Anderson, who broke onto the international scene in the 2002-03 season, says he could be in the 2021-22 Ashes series in Australia. “There’s no reason why n o t . T h e r e ’s n o r e a s o n why I can’t extend my career - I wouldn’t rule it out,” said England’s most successful test bowler Anderson. T h e A s h e s 2 n d Te s t i s during December 2-6 at the Adelaide Oval.