Issuu

ISSUE NO. 1697

11 - 17 January 2018

A XARQUÍA - C OSTA T ROPICAL

YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

Bite fright

Miracle escape Photo by Rafa Ruiz/Twitter

A 35-YEAR-OLD man has reportedly undergone reconstructive work on his ear, after it was partially bitten off in a New Year’s Eve bar brawl. National Police have arrested a 40-year-old man thought to be known to the victim - after the Torre del Mar incident, according to reports. Quoting a witness statement, Spanish reports say the man was hit in the back before turning around to see a man rush at him and bite his ear. After a struggle, the victim - who said he recognised the attacker instantly - ran outside where observers were alarmed at the state of his ear. He reportedly had to hold the torn ear in place by hand before going to a doctor alone. He was then quickly referred to the plastic surgery department at Carlos Haya Hospital, where he received treatment including a number of stitches. The victim, who lives in Velez-Malaga, reportedly left hospital the same day. His alleged attacker, who reports say is Spanish, was quickly arrested. The police investigation is being organised by the Unit of Specialised and Violent Crime. In November, a 25-yearold American tourist was reportedly bitten on the ear during a fight in central Malaga that was recorded on a mobile phone. Police have located the alleged attacker.

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CRASH LANDING: The 61-year-old pilot slammed into the avocado field following technical difficulties.

ON THE RISE: Nerja’s beaches are a main attraction.

World beater Nerja makes global hotlist By Harrison Jones Nerja has come fourth in TripAdvisor’s rankings of the continent’s best emerging tourist destinations. And the coastal town also finished ninth worldwide in the website’s 2018 Travellers’ Choice rankings. The awards reportedly measure year-on-year increases in positive reviews for accommodation, restaurants and attractions, alongside increases in searches and booking interests. Listing its ‘Top Destinations on the Rise - Europe,’ TripAdvisor rates Nerja first in Spain. It is only beaten in Europe by Rovinj, Croatia; Riga, Latvia; and Gdansk, Poland. In eighth place, Cadiz was the only other Spanish city to finish in Europe’s top 10. Ishigaki, Japan, came first worldwide.

The American company dubbed the world’s largest travel site - provide reviews for all aspects of travel. It has become increasingly popular with tourists in recent years. Describing the city in its top 10 rundown, the website writes: “Positioned at the eastern tip of the Costa del Sol, Nerja boasts nearly 10 miles of powdery beaches featuring activities like water skiing, scuba diving and sailing. Although tourist-oriented, it hasn’t been overtaken by high-rises, and its huge promenade delivers panoramic Mediterranean views.” The company list the Balcon de Europa, Nerja caves and the River Chillar as the top ‘things to do’ in the Axarquia town, though tourists tend to flock to the palm-lined beaches. In 2009, the 33 square mile community had a reported total population of 22,000. It is cur-

rently ranked as the 25th most popular destination in Spain by the website, but this latest recognition could increase its popularity. The website does not list the same category for last year, but the awards have been running for a reported six years. TripAdvisor has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months and faced accusations that their review system is easy to fool. A London prankster recently managed to get his garden shed to the top of the website’s rankings for the British capital’s restaurants.

ANOTHER small aircraft has crashed in Velez-Malaga. The authorities are now investigating what caused the accident after a 61-year-old pilot crash-landed in an avocado field next to the Benamocarra bridge. The Colombian national, who was alone in the plane, is not thought to be injured and was able to leave the plane on his own before fire services arrived. He told the control tower his plane had been suffering mechanical problems and he was forced to ditch from a height of 300 metres as he tried to return to the Leani Benabu airfield. The plane crash is just one of several to hit Axarquia in the last year. In October a plane came off the runway as it landed at El Trapiche aerodrome. The plane, which was being flown by a student pilot, stopped at the perimeter fence. According to media reports no one was injured. In May another small plane crashed through the fence at the same aerodrome as it landed, almost landing in the riverbed. The three passengers, including one instructor, a student and a passenger, were unharmed. Several other plane crashes involving small aircraft have proved fatal in Axarquia last year. In January a man and a woman died after their plane crashed and caught light in an avocado field in Velez-Malaga, while three people were killed in May when their plane crashed into the Sierra Tejeda as they took part in an air rally.

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NEWS EXTRA

Wheelie bags axed RYANAIR’S new baggage rules come into effect next Monday, forcing travellers to book priority boarding to bring wheelie bags into the cabin and pay €5-6 if they want to take two items of hand luggage on board.

€3,000 aid NERJA Council has opened its application process for financial aid for self-employed workers. Those who are currently autonomo and fulfil certain requirements may be able to claim up to €3000 in help.

It’s alive A FOUNTAIN in Frigiliana has come back to life after years of running dry. The Fuente chorrera on Calle Chorrera will now serve as both an ornamental feature and provide drinking water.

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Toll use rises MOTORWAY users are increasingly paying to travel on toll roads. The section between Malaga and Guadiaro, which attracts around 32,262 vehicles a day, gained 7.1 per cent more visitors a day in 2017. The figure is in line with other toll roads in Spain, which have grown in popularity every year for the past four years. Traffic on national toll roads is at its highest level in seven years, up by an average of 4.5 per cent, although still down from the 23,909 using them at a peak in 2006. Experts believe the change is due to Spain’s improved economy, with people now more able to afford fuel and tourism. In 2012 after Spain’s eco-

NEWS

Bent coppers face prosecution

CHARGED: More drivers are paying to drive on Malaga Province’s roads. nomic crisis, the Ministry of Development was forced to ‘rescue’ nine toll roads which went bankrupt after traffic levels decreased and building costs spiralled.

Pet owners face fines DOG lovers are risking fines if they have not already registered their pet’s DNA. Residents of Malaga City had until December 31 to take part in the obligatory scheme to register dogs or face fines of between €110 and €130. The initiative, which follows a similar scheme in Rincon de la Victoria, Ojen and Benalmadena, aims to crack down on dog abandonment and fouling, with owners being fined up to €500 if dog mess is traced back to them. As of the end of last year it was thought only around 7,000 of the city’s 100,000 dog owners had signed up to the

scheme. Registration cost €35 and was carried out in veterinary clinics where dogs had a blood sample taken which was then sent off and logged in a database. The animal itself was given an ID number. Specialists will now be taking to Malaga’s streets and collecting samples of dog mess to identify owners who do not clear up after their pets. A similar scheme in Valencia has seen the level of dog fouling dramatically reduced. The initiative will also help track down owners who have lost or abandoned their pets which would in turn reduce the number of animals being put down if unclaimed.

PROSECUTORS are demanding justice from two police officers accused of accepting bribes. The two Guardia Civil officers are accused of using ‘their position’ to ‘press’ owners of transport companies for bribes, not fine them for exceeding maximum weights or failing to carry the correct documentation. According to prosecutors, “they always offered favourable treatment in exchange for compensation of all kinds, from cash to gifts.” Lawyers say in some cases the bribes were agreed prior to the transaction and in others, “it was requested after the materialisation of the favourable treatment.”

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TV GUIDE Your weekly guide to the UK’s best television P24 P26

TV COUCH CRITIC

LETTERS

Love it, hate it! The Best and worst of home viewing

Readers’ views on eclectic topics in print and online. P27

P25

P28

Still liable

THE number of bone marrow donors i n Ma l a g a Pr o v in ce in creased by more than 300 per cent in 2017. Andalucia now leads Spain in the number of bone marrow donations, according to Isidro Prat, director of the Regional Blood Transfusion Centre which handles the region’s samples.

What a bargain THE train company RENFE is offering up to 70 per cent off ticket prices available until February 26. Customers will have the option to travel on both high speed and long distance trains, meaning customers could enjoy trips from Malaga to Valencia from €22.

Road works ALMUNECAR Council is spending €150,839 revamping two streets. Calles San Joaquin and San Pedro will receive new sewage, storm drains and other infrastructure in a projec t l a st i n g f i v e m o n th s . T h e works will see 60 labourers hired in shifts and are financed through the Agrarian Employment Promotion Programme.

Gym bunnies ALMUNECAR’S municipal gym is set to move to bigger and better premises. The sports facilities are moving from the sports stadium to the same building as the municipal pool and are expected to open later this month. The martial arts room will now move to the sports stadium.

HOMES & GARDENS INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION FOR INSIDE AND OUT

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PLUS THE REGULARS

SPANISH FACTS OF LIFE...45 With the festive season now a distant memory, Spain is gearing up to wash away the January blues with its famous carnivals, writes Harrison Jones.

News 1 - 12

A TORROX judge has rejected Nerja Council’s claim to exempt itself from liability over the town’s illegal landfill scandal. The judge ruled the council could still face damages for the scandal while several current and former council politicians are under investigation.

Donations rise

Finance 13

GRAN CANARIA: A feather in Spain’s cap.

Leapy 19

COUNTRYWIDE: Revellers in Barcelona.

Carnival season SPAIN’S fiestas are famous the world over. But the action really heats up in the early months of the year, with carnival season sweeping in while most tourists are away. During late January and early February, processions, costumes, songs, dancing and drink fill the streets as Spaniards party into the morning. T h e re a re c ountle s s public celebrations across the country, though all the regional variations - particu larly on the me a nd costume - are impossible to list. The festivals take place across various dates but

Time Out

SONG AND DANCE: Cadiz is famous for satirical music.

all in the run up to lent which some believe is the origin of carnival season: the excess before restraint. The party season tends to take place in Christian c ountrie s a nd ha s Catholic origins. While Spanish carnivals may not ha ve the s w a gge r of Brazil or charm of Ve nic e , the y c e rta inly have charm. The public celebrations stretch across all the social divides - disregarding age, politics and class. Social satire, mockery and plain ridiculousness te nd to a c c ount for the majority of costumes.

Grab your skis LAYERS of snow have reached Almuñecar covering the natural park. Although temperatures are set to

22 -23

SOUTHERN SOFTIES? NOT QUITE THE most intensely celebrated events arguably take place in southern Spain. Cadiz, Andalucia, Tenerife and the Canary Islands are particular favourites with partygoers.

Health & Beauty 31

Social 32

THE BIGGEST AND BEST? FROM Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, the Santa Cruz carnival is broadcast on national television. Spain’s largest event attracts around a million people every February. Frivolities reportedly date back to the 16th century and there is apparently even a drag queen gala. In 1987, 250,000 people attended a concert by Cuban singer Celia Cruz - setting a Guinness World Record.

Pets 34

Services 35 - 36

SARKY CADIZ IN Cadiz, cutting costumes take a sarcastic dig at current affairs. Likewise, satirical songs highlight society’s problems. But even amid the criticism, there is a playful atmosphere and party feel.

IN Tenerife, a carnival queen is crowned - as is the case elsewhere - amid much glamour. Spectacular costumes and vibrant parades attract revellers from around the world.

Motoring

CARNIVAL QUEEN

rise this week, the municipal Peña Escrita complex, which is located at 1,200 metres high, saw heavy snow fall. It joined the Los Castillejos historic site between Almuñecar and Nerja in receiving a covering.

Classifieds

Sports 39 - 40

The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1696 of the Euro Weekly News Axarquía - Costa Tropical edition, including 32 local stories.

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Snow joke!

NEWS

POLL OF THE WEEK Will you be shopping in the January sales? Photo credit UME/Twitter

LAST WEEK’S POLL: Should Spain follow Mexico’s example and legalise marihuana-based products?

Yes 54%

No 46%

EWN online this week

117,065 Page views Top 5 stories

COLD SNAP: Spain shivers in the freezing conditions as police and soldiers battle to free thousands of cars. SPAIN was gripped by freezing weather as snowstorms swept the country. The icy blast sparked chaos after more than 3,000 vehicles were stranded on the AP-6 motorway between Galicia and Madrid as they returned from the weekend’s Epiphany celebrations. Many motorists were trapped for more than 18 hours leading authorities to call in the army, deploying 240 soldiers from the military emergency unit to help Guardia Civil and police officers battle snow

drifts and reach them. Some drivers took to social media to complain about the slow response by emergency services. Sara Ramos told Spanish TV: “I’m with my family, there are two children: one two years old, the other six years old. The adults haven’t eaten since midday yesterday. The children ate the small amount of food we brought with us, but since then they haven’t eaten anything.” But while opposition politicians called for Public Works Minister Íñigo de la Serna to

appear in parliament and explain how the debacle came about, the Spanish government is probing Iberpristas, the operator of the toll road. Mr de la Serna said that although the government owns the motorway, Iberpistas has “management responsibility,” and is contractually obliged to have the means to deal with emergencies. The icy weather was caused by a large and cold low-pressure system that formed before hanging over the Iberian Peninsula.

HARD AT WORK: The couple in their Irish bar.

couple ‘apprehensive’ to be 7,810 Engaged on Channel 4 show weather to hit Costa Blanca af6,924 Wintry ter record dry spell slides to a halt as snow grips 6,023 Spain country Lanes’ life honoured in emo5,923 Bunny tional Costa del Sol funeral service dead in ‘massive’ pitched battle 5,336 Two in southern Spain views

views

*For week 1-8 January

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FOR COMMENTS FROM EWN ONLINE TURN TO LETTERS PAGE 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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11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

Animals rescued A MALAGA animal shelter saved 1,567 cats and dogs in 2017. The Malaga Protectorate of Animals has warned it is now suffering from ‘tremendous overcrowding’ after numbers at the centre reached 889, far exceeding its capacity of 300. The shelter managed to rehouse 1,300 animals last y e a r, i n c l u d i n g 8 0 2 d o g s and 247 cats which went to new homes in Spain. A further 176 dogs and 13 cats were rehomed abroad. Twenty dogs and 14 cats were put down due to ill health, while 55 dogs and 33 cats died due to illness or old age. The organisation worked with the fire services, nature protection services, National Police and Local Police to rescue 147 dogs and 40 cats which were identified due to their chips. The body warned “almost none (of the cats) were chipped and only about 65 per or 70 per cent of dogs were,” leading to 100 dogs and five cats being returned to their homes. The shelter did not just rescue cats and dogs last year, however, with a further 109 other animals tak-

en in, including ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, turtles and birds. The organisation’s president, Carmen Manzano,

has said owners should show “conscience and responsibility” when deciding whether to add to their collection.

CROWDED: The Malaga Protectorate of Animals.

OUR VIEW

Drought concern must be addressed SPAIN was ravaged by a freezing cold snap days after unseasonal wild fires broke out in several parts of the country. These are signs of the times, as climate change continues to hurtle the planet towards an uncertain future. And while snow has blanketed large swathes of the Iberian Peninsula in recent days, it is unlikely to be enough to lessen the effects of Spain’s worst drought in decades, as national water reserves sit at just over 40 per cent of capacity. A recent report by the national Higher Centre for Scientific Investigations showed that rising temperatures have ‘increased the severity of droughts despite it raining more now than in previous dry periods.’ Water for irrigation accounts for around 80 per cent of consumption, and demand has increased by 20 per cent over the last 30 years, during which construction has rocketed by 75 per cent and the Spanish population shot up by 20 per cent. But the Spanish government seems to have its fingers in its ears when it comes to water. There are no water saving campaigns to be seen anywhere in the national or local media, the use of inefficient irrigation methods remains widespread, while desalinisation plants produce nowhere near the amount of clean water promised or remain unfinished following years of legal wrangling. Some towns even continue to dump raw human sewage into rivers or the sea as they have no means to process it. And with experts agreeing that 75 per cent of the country is susceptible to becoming a desert, Spain needs to wake up to its water woe before it is too late. Pick up next week’s Euro Weekly News for a special feature on the water crisis facing Spain.

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5 Sociedad Protectora de Animales y Plantas de Malaga/Facebook

NEWS

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Whine and dine SHE’S an ex-Royal Shakespeare Company thespian who has carved out a career in TV acting and writing. But Tracy-Ann Oberman, 51, was unable to conceal her confusion after husband Rob Cowan tried to eat a napkin in a Spanish restaurant. The couple were visiting an unnamed eatery owned by acclaimed chef Martin Berasategui, who has eight Michelin stars to his name. And the pair were puzzled by the presentation of their gourmet meal-for-two, culminating in music producer Rob biting into a cylindrical white item served in a block of stone, which turned out to be a napkin. Tracy-Ann, who has starred in Eastenders, took to Twitter to complain, as she wrote: “This is what happens when you apply a Michelin star or two or three. Honestly.” She added: “Delicious food served by acolytes of nonsense on receptacles of pure folly. #minireview.”

TIME’S UP: Penelope Cruz hits the red carpet. TracyAn nO/ Tw itte r

BAFFLED: Tracy-Ann Oberman and (inset) the offending napkin.

Hollywood blacklash! SHE was invited to present an award at this year’s 75th Golden Globes awards in Los Angeles. And Spanish star Penelope Cruz, 43, chose to don a glittering black dress in support of the Time’s Up movement, which aims to tackle sexual harassment and gender inequality in the movie industry. She was joined on the red carpet by many other celebrities wearing all black in a pre-arranged show of solidarity. The Fashion Court/Twitter

Hatchet buried on Bang Bang trip

TOGETHER AGAIN?: Gary and Julie-Ann.

THE Duchesss of Cambridge’s uncle is back with his estranged wife. It comes after Gary Goldsmith, 52, recently hit the headlines after hitting spouse Julie-Ann, 48, to the floor with a ‘left hook’ in October, leading her to kick him out of their London penthouse. He was banned from seeing to or talking to her while on bail, and was fined €5,650 in the wake of the attack, with a magistrate calling him a “mean, nasty drunk.”

But now the couple’s relationship appears to be back on after she spent Christmas and New Year with her husband of five years at his luxury Ibiza villa. Dubbed Maison Bang Bang, the property has previously hosted Prince William. And before leaving the party island the millionaire tweeted: “When two people really care about each other they will always look for a way to make it work, no matter how hard it is.”

Celeb focus Sheer joy SHE’S famed for Pedroche and her her New Year’s Eve New Year outfit. fashion choices. And actress and model Cristina Pedroche, 29, set tongues wagging once again after donning a seethrough bridal jumpsuit to present this year’s live TV coverage on national channel Antena 3. Designed by luxury Spanish wedding designer Pronovias, the nude bodysuit is adorned with 200 Swarovski crystals.

Plumb job BRITAIN’S best-known - and wealthiest - plumber Charlie Mullins is searching for a third Costa del Sol property. The Pimlico Plumbers entrepreneur and TV personality already owns a pair of million-euro villas in Marbella, and was joined by Katherine Ryan and a TV crew from Channel 4 show A Place In The Sun in his bid to increase his portfolio.

Pedroche/Instagram

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LA HERRADURA Credit: Wikimedia

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Credit: Google maps

10 E W N

CRIME SCENE: The crossing where the accident took place.

STRUCK: Three women were knocked down in Motril.

Accident victims named By Sally Underwood POLICE have released the details of three people knocked down in an accident in Motril. Officers are now investigating the incident after naming one woman, Dolores aged 72, as having been killed and releasing the ages of the two other women as being 79 and 66.

Police have used photos of the sunâ€™s position to investigate claims the driver of the vehicle which hit the women was dazzled. The 48-year-old woman driver said she could not see the victims as they walked over a zebra crossing next to the Mercadona supermarket on Avenida de la Rambla de los Alamos, knocking them around 10 metres.

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LUX MUNDI, Torre del Mar, invites you to attend the following upcoming events: Monday January 15: Art Appreciation Group. The group will use ‘The Private Life of Masterpieces’ which was a BBC arts documentary series that told the stories behind great works of arts languages. Janice will give a s hor t i n t r o d u c t i o n ab o u t th e artist. Then, they will watch the D VD o f T h e L a st S u p p er b y Leonardo Da Vinci, followed by a lively discussion. (Donation of €2). Time: 10.30am at the centre. Wednesday January 17: Quiz Night. Come and enjoy the Quiz Night at the c e n t r e . Te a m u p w ith friends and pit your wits in this fun quiz. A light-hearted evening which includes supper and a drink. Bar available and there will be a prize for the winning team. Ticket price: €6, available at the centre. Time: 6pm for 6.30pm. Thursday January 18 to Thursday January 25: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This is an opportunity to make the friendship and unity amongst the Christian Churches established in the Coast del Sol visible. Each day th e r e wi l l b e E cu men ica l

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Fun times ahead Credit; Unsplash

COMMUNITY

STUNNING: Don’t miss a visit to the Puente Nuevo bridge in Ronda. prayers at different churches, for the full programme information, please see the media and their web page: Lux-mundi.org. Thursday January 18: Coach Excursion to Gibraltar. Why not join Lux Mundi, Torre

de l M a r a nd vis it G ibra lta r, a chance to take a Cable Car to the top of the Rock, see the Unique Barbary Apes. It is also an opportunity to purchase Duty Free Items and typical English food from the Morrisons supermarket. Ticket

price: €12 available at the Centre. D e pa rt ur e t i m es: Puent e don Manuel (Bar Mis Tapitas) 6.45am, Algarrobo (Lidl) 7.15am, Caleta (Vets) 7.20am and Torre Del Mar (B us Stat i on) 7.30am . Depar t Gibraltar at 3.30pm approximate-

ly. Passports / ID required. Thursday January 25: Coach Excursion to Zahara de la Sierra and Ronda. Come and join friends on an excursion to the white village of Zahara de la Sierra in the province of Cadiz. On arrival at approximately 10.15am there will be free time to look around the village. You will rejoin the coach at 12.30pm for the drive to Ronda arriving at approximately 1.30pm. There will be free time in Ronda for lunch and to admire the view of the gorge from the 18th Puente Nuevo century bridge which also divides the new part of town from the Moorish area. You will leave Ronda at 5.30pm for the homeward journey. Ticket price €20, available at the centre. Departure times: Viñuela (Football Pitch) 7.20am, Algarrobo (Lidl) 7.45am, Caleta (Vets) 7.50am, Torre del Mar (Bus Station) 8am. For further information and bookings please contact the Centre, Torre del Mar on: 952 543 334 or email: luxmun di@lux-mundi.org. Please note you are unable to make bookings through the website and they cannot accept cards.

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RUSSIAN PRESS

I SPY: Drones will patrol Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium in summer.

Spy cameras VIDEO drones will be used to identify troublemakers at the World Cup this summer. Russia’s National Guard will fly the drones in and outside stadiums to both help prevent fights kicking off, and track down hooligans when they do. England fans have been advised to stick to just one beer.

Pyramid planes FLIGHTS from Russia to Cairo were restored two years after a bomb exploded on a St Petersburg-bound plane over the Sinai desert. All 224 passengers were killed. Last week President Putin signed a decree exempting Cairo from the Egypt flights ban. But trips to Sharm el-Sheikh are still banned.

War zone TWO helicopter pilots were killed and seven fighter planes destroyed by Islamist rebels in a bloody week for Russia’s military in Syria. The pilots crashed in one of the few remaining rebel-held areas of the w a r- t o r n c o u n t r y. T h e d e a t h s c o m e o n e month after President Putin declared victory over Daesh.

Deadly accuracy RUSSIAN gunsmiths have built the first sniper rifle that can accurately hit a target four kilometres away. A private factory in Tarusa, two hours from Moscow, created the SVLK14S Sumrak. It was made piece-by-piece and fires 408 CheyTac bullets which exit the barrel at 900 metres-per-second.

Baby benefits WITH 2018 well underway it is now illegal to send text messages anonymously, including on WhatsApp, which must collect and show all numbers. Poor families get extra benefits for their first born babies, shops outside Moscow will be banned from hiring foreigners, and the minimum wage shot up.

Factory fire SEVEN Chinese migrant workers were killed in a huge shoe factory fire in Novosibirsk. A Russian and two Kyrgzstanis also perished in the blaze. All the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to extinguish the flames. Police suspect the factory was in violation of fire safety laws.

Tax back WEALTHY foreigners arriving from outside the Eurasian Economic Union can now claim the tax back on some of their purchases. Department stores offering the 18 per cent rebate can be found in Moscow, St Petersburg and Sochi. A minimum of 10,000 rubles (€145) must be spent.

Tanzania Updates/Twitter

LONG RANGE: Sniper rifle can hit a bull’s-eye 4km away.

FINANCE Junqueras has appeal case in court

IN the wake of easing tensions in Cataluña, the service industry in Spain ended 2017 in an upbeat way, reporting an increase in the rate of activity. After two months of declines in the rate of growth, HIS Markit’s index of purchasing managers rose to 54.6 in December, up by 0.2 from November. “Although the final quarter of 2017 saw a weaker expansion in activity than the other three quarters of the year, the economy continued to grow at a healthy pace,” Andrew

By John Smith Harker, an associate director at HIS Markit said. “Overall, 2017 has been a positive year for the Spanish economy, leaving it well placed heading into 2018.” The marked increase in activity at the end of 2017 extends the current sequence of expansion to 50 months. The strengthening of economic conditions was deemed to be behind rises in both activity and new business. According to a survey of more

God has taken her but she has not gone, she will be forever in my heart,” says grandson Luis Alfonso de Borbon about the death of Maria del Carmen Franco y Polo, the only daughter of General Franco.

BUSINESS EXTRA

Jobless down

LOWEST EARNERS: To receive a welcome salary rise.

Minimum wage boost SPAIN’S lowest earners will receive a welcome 4 per cent salary rise in 2018, in a new pledge made by the Spanish government. In addition, if specific economic growth and employment targets are met, the figure could increase to as much as €850 a month by 2020. In an agreement reached with trade unions and company executives, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will implement the in-

crease which will see the country’s lowest earners receive €28.4 more a month this year. “This is a boost to rebuild the salaries of people who lost most in the economic crisis,” says Unai Sordo, leader of the Worker ’s Commissions, Spain’s largest union. The unions will consider the measure a triumph for their work, having long demanded wages to mirror Spain’s speedy recovery from the 2013 recession.

UNEMPLOYMENT in Spain shrank by 7.8 per cent last year as the numbers continue to recede from the record highs of 2013. The Labour Ministry said 3.4 million people were registered as out of work in 2017, representing 290,000 fewer than in 2016.

Ortega stays BUSINESS tycoon Amancio Ortega will retain control of his Pontegadea empire until 2029, when he will be 93 years old. The parent company of Zara and other fashion brands holds the most valuable block of shares in Spain.

Diesel injection THE price of diesel has seen a second consecutive rise, to climb to €1.146 per litre. This is a level that has not been seen since July 2015. In turn, the average price of petrol has also increased this week by 0.56 per cent to reach €1.242.

Santander axes 1,100 B A N C O S A N TA N D E R , t h e b i g g e s t lender in the Eurozone, will be cutting 1,100 jobs following its takeover of Banco Popular, unions have said. Santander bought Popular last June for the

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Services industry grows

A SPANISH court is considering an appeal by former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras against his detention during the recent political crisis. If he is granted bail, Junqueras may run to become the new Catalan leader. However, he faces being potentially charged for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement which could see him incarcerated for decades. Junqueras has already had two court appeals dismissed. His legal team hopes that the separatists’ victory in the elections to the Catalan parliament will help his cause.

EWN

the amount of the fine imposed on Banco Popular for the malfunction of customer €500,000 isservice during the period between January 1, 2012 and February 28, 2014.

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

Quote of the Week

Axarquía - Costa Tropical

11 - 17 January 2018

nominal fee of one euro, which helped avert its imminent collapse. At the time, Santander calculated that the cost of restructuring following the purchase would be €1.3 billion.

than 350 companies, new business, orders and job creation all grew in December. There had been fears that Spain’s economy would be hit hard by the political fallout over Cataluña’s vote for independence last year, when thousands of companies moved their headquarters out of the region. However, these concerns have not been borne out and another reason for Spain’s upturn can be attributed to the economic strength of the eurozone.

IT sector in need of reboot THE IT and telecommunications sectors are most in demand by companies, and yet are the professions that receive the least applications, according to a study by the employment site Infojobs. The survey revealed that job vacancies increase by up to 20 per cent in January, as a result of many people seeking a change at the start of the year. Openings within computing and telecommunications are the most numerous, making up 16.4 per cent of all the job offers published in Infojobs. Despite the fact these industries offer above-average salaries, there are far fewer applications per vacancy than other sectors. Companies are desperate to address this, particularly in relation to cybersecurity.

E W N 11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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LONDON - FTSE 100

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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

C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 8

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,609.50 6.10 Associated British Foods 2,880.50 -1.50 Admiral Group 1,875.25 3.25 Ashtead Group 2,024.50 9.50 Antofagasta 985.30 3.50 Aviva 507.50 0.90 AstraZeneca 5,206.50 2.50 BAE Systems 578.60 6.60 Barclays 199.37 0.19 British American Tobacco 4,943.50 -26.50 Barratt Developments 652.20 -5.60 Berkeley Group Holdings 4,227.50 2.50 British Land Co 677.90 3.10 BHP Billiton 1,575.20 13.60 Bunzl 2,064.50 1.50 BP 527.85 -1.75 Burberry Group 1,790.25 7.75 BT Group 271.15 0.15 Coca-Cola HBC 2,370.00 -13.00 Carnival 4,853.00 1.00 Centrica 146.03 -0.12 Compass Group 1,564.00 -4.00 Croda International 4,475.00 -4.00 CRH 2,738.50 -23.50 DCC 7,562.50 12.50 Diageo 2,668.75 -3.25 Direct Line Insurance Group 368.50 -1.30 Experian 1,668.75 19.75 easyJet 1,526.50 15.00 Ferguson 5,449.00 19.00 Fresnillo 1,395.00 0.50 G4S 282.80 7.60 GKN 327.15 0.85 Glencore 389.95 1.35 GlaxoSmithKline 1,380.10 19.10 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,801.00 -23.00 Halma 1,286.50 -3.50 Hammerson 536.60 0.60 HSBC Holdings 759.65 -3.85 International Consoldtd Air Grp 665.20 1.20 InterContinental Hotels Group 4,690.50 -0.50 3i Group 937.20 -6.60 Imperial Brands 3,171.50 1.50 Informa 721.20 -0.80 Intertek Group 5,326.00 8.00 ITV 170.08 -0.82 Just Eat 807.70 -3.30 Johnson Matthey 3,186.50 -12.50 Kingfisher 337.50 -2.10 Land Securities Group 990.25 4.65

% CHG. NET VOL 0.38 22,521.57 -0.05 22,816.05 0.17 5,376.65 0.47 10,048.32 0.36 9,679.14 0.18 20,328.22 0.05 65,894.17 1.15 18,225.11 0.10 33,980.90 -0.53 113,993.55 -0.85 6,660.19 0.06 5,721.30 0.46 6,745.84 0.87 32,982.11 0.07 6,930.27 -0.33 105,168.07 0.43 7,565.37 0.06 26,888.15 -0.55 8,753.19 0.02 10,181.61 -0.08 8,184.81 -0.26 24,826.74 -0.09 5,885.08 -0.85 23,170.55 0.17 6,734.67 -0.12 66,480.47 -0.35 5,084.75 1.20 15,167.57 0.99 6,003.80 0.35 13,515.63 0.04 10,275.98 2.76 4,269.99 0.26 5,604.13 0.35 55,937.96 1.40 67,477.67 -1.26 8,651.57 -0.27 4,897.37 0.11 4,257.05 -0.50 152,665.21 0.18 13,599.04 -0.01 8,912.44 -0.70 9,182.01 0.05 30,233.46 -0.11 5,949.32 0.15 8,582.75 -0.48 6,879.42 -0.41 5,514.43 -0.39 6,191.13 -0.62 7,353.84 0.47 7,307.73

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

CHANGE(P)

Legal & General Group 272.00 0.30 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 68.12 0.05 London Stock Exchange Grp 3,753.00 -5.00 Micro Focus International 2,336.50 -245.50 Mediclinic International 629.10 3.10 Marks & Spencer Group 312.00 -1.70 Mondi 1,926.75 -1.75 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 226.10 0.90 National Grid 867.00 -1.40 NMC Health 3,131.00 -7.00 Next 4,868.00 14.00 Old Mutual Group 225.05 -0.45 Paddy Power Betfair 8,660.00 -210.00 Prudential 1,921.75 1.25 Persimmon 2,748.00 -30.00 Pearson 735.50 0.30 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,818.00 -23.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group (The)277.60 1.30 Royal Dutch Shell 2,525.25 -4.75 Royal Dutch Shell 2,556.25 -6.75 RELX 1,710.75 -2.75 Rio Tinto 3,967.50 8.00 Rolls-Royce Group 868.00 4.00 Randgold Resources 7,230.00 -38.00 RSA Insurance Group 623.40 -2.20 Rentokil Initial 312.55 1.65 Sainsbury (J) 242.05 1.05 Schroders 3,578.00 16.00 Sage Group (The) 805.00 -2.00 Segro 586.60 -0.10 Shire 3,842.50 -32.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,456.00 -8.00 Sky 1,012.25 2.75 Standard Life Aberdeen 433.20 5.50 Smith (DS) 514.20 -3.80 Smiths Group 1,542.50 -2.50 Scottish Mortgage Invst Trust 466.10 4.10 Smith & Nephew 1,286.75 1.25 SSE 1,322.00 -2.00 Standard Chartered 797.40 3.40 St James's Place 1,246.50 -4.50 Severn Trent 2,145.50 5.50 Tesco 210.55 0.85 TUI AG 1,556.00 1.50 Taylor Wimpey 209.60 -1.60 Unilever 4,093.50 1.00 United Utilities Group 819.80 2.00 Vodafone Group 236.65 -0.15 Worldpay Group 437.95 2.95 WPP Group 1,343.00 3.50 Whitbread 3,972.00 -22.00

% CHG.

NET VOL

0.11 0.07 -0.13 -9.51 0.50 -0.54 -0.09 0.40 -0.16 -0.22 0.29 -0.20 -2.37 0.07 -1.08 0.04 -0.34 0.47 -0.19 -0.26 -0.16 0.20 0.46 -0.52 -0.35 0.53 0.44 0.45 -0.25 -0.02 -0.84 -0.32 0.27 1.29 -0.73 -0.16 0.89 0.10 -0.15 0.43 -0.36 0.26 0.41 0.10 -0.76 0.02 0.24 -0.06 0.68 0.26 -0.55

16,189.08 48,991.99 13,030.37 11,244.25 4,615.15 5,096.82 9,363.91 5,305.07 29,267.83 6,414.82 7,087.43 11,123.27 7,501.74 49,686.70 8,580.03 5,893.27 48,147.27 33,058.09 116,307.54 95,996.83 18,219.82 53,491.83 15,902.76 6,837.49 6,398.86 5,712.27 5,278.44 8,050.92 8,726.43 5,883.17 35,254.08 5,836.01 17,353.48 12,740.91 5,531.74 6,114.14 6,484.26 11,250.94 13,431.40 26,172.80 6,618.76 5,056.14 17,177.22 9,130.93 6,917.68 50,410.07 5,576.48 63,164.82 8,700.00 17,010.75 7,326.08

0.88562

1.12951 Units per €

US dollar...................................................................1.1991 Japan yen ............................................................135.785 Switzerland franc ...............................................1.17145 Denmark kroner ..............................................7.44658 Norway kroner.................................................9.67607 currenciesdirect.com/marbella • Tel: +34 952 906 581 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER

DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 8

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 240,570 101,0800 175,000 308,840 161,960 127,90 39,530 46,07 75,42 86,75 18,5400 255,52 192,5000 162,49 44,7400 108,3400 141,7100 174,0500 56,99 88,190 63,98 36,8600 91,240 132,16 131,57 228,73 52,48 118,86 100,1300 111,6200

CHANGE% CHANGE VOLUME(M) +0,78% 1,860 142.534,98 +0,23% 0,2300 87.554,78 +1,14% 1,970 889.471,74 +4,10% 12,170 182.645,77 +1,58% 2,520 96.194,81 -0,16% -0,21 242.284,14 +1,38% 0,540 195.100,04 -0,02% -0,01 195.415,51 +1,30% 0,97 176.194,25 -0,08% -0,07 366.107,15 +0,05% 0,0100 160.520,29 -0,51% -1,31 96.209,01 +1,04% 1,9900 223.839,89 +0,49% 0,79 149.963,21 +0,70% 0,3100 208.470,60 -0,64% -0,7000 375.226,88 +0,83% 1,1600 379.014,25 +0,20% 0,3500 138.511,00 -0,11% -0,06 154.925,10 +1,24% 1,080 679.501,86 +0,85% 0,54 83.592,88 +0,19% 0,0700 219.115,60 +0,07% 0,060 230.774,39 -0,18% -0,24 36.053,96 +0,86% 1,12 104.782,91 +1,91% 4,28 220.806,86 -0,23% -0,12 214.089,06 +2,39% 2,78 213.671,60 +0,59% 0,5900 295.675,29 -0,54% -0,6100 168.077,01 M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES J ANUARY 8

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced TiGenix Cellular Biomedicine Group, Inc. Everspin Technologies, Inc. Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ChinaCache International Holdings Ltd. Atlantic American Corporation CRISPR Therapeutics AG Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. ABAXIS, Inc. TESSCO Technologies Incorporated Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

$ 40.73 $ 18 $ 9.47 $ 17.55 $ 2.72 $ 3.65 $ 26.81 $ 23.55 $ 55.06 $ 20.10 $ 9.53

17.05 ▲ 72.00% 3.50 ▲ 24.14% 1.56 ▲ 19.72% 2.80 ▲ 18.98% 0.33 ▲ 13.81% 0.40 ▲ 12.31% 2.90 ▲ 12.13% 2.50 ▲ 11.88% 5.55 ▲ 11.21% 1.75 ▲ 9.54% 0.82 ▲ 9.41%

$ 12.255 $ 24.18 $ 27.85 $ 3.36 $ 5.95 $ 7.41 $ 2.18 $9 $ 4.81 $ 36.625 $ 4.66

5.075 ▼ 29.28% 7.23 ▼ 23.02% 7.35 ▼ 20.88% 0.88 ▼ 20.75% 1.55 ▼ 20.67% 1.60 ▼ 17.76% 0.26 ▼ 10.66% 1.06 ▼ 10.54% 0.563 ▼ 10.48% 4.185 ▼ 10.25% 0.53 ▼ 10.21%

Most Declined Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. REGENXBIO Inc. Novan, Inc. Francesca's Holdings Corporation Shiloh Industries, Inc. Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. NewLink Genetics Corporation Dogness (International) Corporation Audentes Therapeutics, Inc. Future FinTech Group Inc.

E W N 11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Investment in roads Costs are lowest for three decades SPENDING on Spain’s road network under all of its administrations is down to 0.4 per cent of GDP, a level not seen since 1986. On top of this a new cut of €600 million in the funding of the Ministry of Development was announced last April. The majority of that reduction in investment is due to be sustained by the road network, for several reasons. The railways are likely to be protected in order to keep the European funds that are attached. Indeed trains are wrapped up in political commitments that the government will be reluctant to break. It is also seen to be faster and generally easier to cut funding from roads. “It draws attention to the way the authorities try to protect the railways from the cuts,” explains Matilde Mas, an Ivie Professor of Economic Analysis. As a result, spending on roads will regress to the levels of the mid90’s, when €4,500 million a year was allocated for road maintenance. Compared to 2008, at the end of 2015 investment in this area by the Central Administration fell by 85 per cent in construction, and 59 per cent in repairs. Of course once a road network is built, far less funds are required to maintain them, which the OECD has fixed at 2 per cent of the cost of the infrastructure. However, according to a study by the Spanish Road Association, the state of conservation of the State Highway Network on the autonomous regions is ‘deficient.’ The survey showed that as many as 325,000 road signs need replacing, and 50,000 km of road markings require repainting. However, conserving roads has no political glamour and does not require set piece speeches and photo-friendly presentations for politicians. Governments therefore prefer to cut investment here than more publical-

REDUCED OUTLAY: Spending on roads is at its lowest since 1986.

ly sensitive areas like health and pensions. Jacob Diaz, General Director of the Spanish Association of Cerretera, warns, “When roads are not conserved, damage does not increase linearly but exponentially, until there comes a time when you do not have to maintain but rebuild.” Although there is no study linking the maintenance for roads and accidents, it is clear that repairs are essential to ensure public safety.

ONLINE GIANT WILL LAUNCH LABOUR PROGRAMME

Amazon to ‘Flex’ its muscles DELIVERY giant Amazon is leading the way in showing that digital business models can revolutionise labour regulations. Moreover, it plans to launch its ‘Flex’ programme in Spain. This is a scheme where the company hires drivers in countries to deliver its packages. It is already up and running in the US, where people can earn $18 to $25 an hour and all they require is a car and a smartphone. The ‘flex’ moniker is justified as drivers tell Amazon where they want to work and how many hours they want to do. During the shift, packages are picked up at the nearest Amazon location and delivered to people in the local area. Rafael Chelala, a professor at Duesto Business School, comments, “The new model of Amazon is channelled into this so-called collaborative economy, which replaces the traditional model of assets with digital platforms.” There is even talk of a ‘platformisation’ of labour relations and Amazon is just one example of a growing trend in

‘COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY’: But are Flex staff self-employed?

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which online commerce and collaborative economy platforms converge. As the Uber court case has shown, questions arise in such systems as to whether each professional is simply self-employed, or a self-employed worker. This is clearly important when it comes to accountability and worker’s rights. As a result there are calls for the establishment of comprehensive reforms to labour regulations to make them fit

for this new digital world. In Spain there is only one legal precept that regulates teleworking and there is no reference to flexible days. However, some companies have taken progressive steps and Axa has become the first company in Spain to include the rights of its workers not to respond to mobile phones outside of working hours. Even the environment in normal working offices is evolving. “Before, it was going to the offices and a schedule was imposed because the means to work were there. This has changed with increasing flexibility, and face to face meetings are only required when absolutely necessary,” explains Chelala. Digital platforms and the ‘gig’ economy has become a popular route for students to earn money in hours that they can choose. There may be a risk of exploitation and socioeconomic effects for the foreseeable future, but it is a brave new world.

Property firm to float shares R E A L E S TAT E f i r m Metrovacesa has ann o u n c e d p l a n s t o s e l l o ff 25-40 per cent of the company via the stock market. Scheduled to take place i n F e b r u a r y, t h e m o v e i s likely to set a new record as the largest listing by a European residential property developer. The current record holder is Neinor Homes, which last year listed with a market capitalisation of €1.3bn, but Metrovaseca has a net asset value of €2.6bn. It comes as the residential property sector in Spain continues to recover, with house prices rising steadily over the last two years. Metrovaseca was responsible for the biggest property deal in British history when it acquired a tower in London’s Canary Wharf for €1.6bn in 2007.

Rental prices rise again RENTAL property prices in Spain continue to rise, with last year seeing an increase of 18.4 per cent. According to a survey produced by property portal Idealista.com, the average price now stands at nearly €900 a month for an average house of 90 square metres. Barcelona and Caceres are the only cities in Spain where prices have reduced in 2017, although Barcelona unsurprisingly remains the most expensive place to rent in. The provincial capitals of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have seen the highest price rises, increasing by 22.7 per cent and 22.5 per cent respectively. The biggest rise has happened in the Canary Islands, where owners asked for 27.8 per cent more for leasing their properties than in 2016.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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SPANISH BRANDS HOPING TO BOUNCE BACK

Bargain boom begins

JANUARY SALES: Already started for many brands.

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SPAIN’S traditional sales campaign, the day after many Spanish children receive their presents from the Three Kings on January 6, has lost ground in the face of year-round discounts and a huge increase in online shopping. Nowhere is this growing trend more visible than during Black Friday, when nearly a third of all Christmas shopping gets done, according to a study by Deloitte. All the main fashion brands, including Mango, H&M, Cortefiel, and Women’s Secret, large department stores such as El Corte Ingles, and the online retail giant Amazon are already offering early sales with discounts of up to 70 per cent in some cases. This change of emphasis towards yearround sales is having a negative impact on small and medium firms in the textile industry, as reduced prices eat into their profit margins. The Spanish Commerce Confederation (CEC) has again insisted on the need to establish a well-defined sales period. “Early sales by many commercial brands have forced small and medium

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stores to do the same, as a way to get rid of their excess stock,” said the CEC in a statement. The surplus is the result of a slow autumn-winter sales season.” Despite the general tendency to get ahead of the pack on sales season, Inditex - the parent company of Zara and other major fashion brands, continues to wait until after January 6 before slashing its prices. Meanwhile, El Corte Ingles has taken a balanced approach: some items are already 40 per c ent off their regular

price, but the bulk of the offers will come after the January 6 Three Kings. At the other end of the spectrum, fashion brands are already offering large discounts for online and physical shopping. “Consumers take advantage of these offers to do their Christmas shopping, and businesses are offering more promotional prices in order to adapt and defend their sales,” explains Emilio Gonzalez, who teaches economics at the Madrid-based business school Icade. Despite the endless discounts, businesses remain hopeful that the Christmas and official sales season will yield positive numbers, even if profit margins suffer. “This is our key campaign, it is still out great sales bastion,” says an El Corte Ingles spokesperson. The textile business association Acotex said it is expecting to see sales growth of between 5 and 10 per cent but described it as a bad thing. “There are going to be very good sales with a lot of products available, which is bad because it’s going to eat into companies’ profit margins,” said Acotex president Eduardo Zamacola.

EWN

Brent oil price at high level OIL has been one of the great boons to the Spanish economy in recent years and during the past year led to a saving of €2.3 billion via crude imports. The steep drop in oil prices between 2014 and 2016 left more disposable income in the pockets of households and companies. As a result, the rise in the oil price in the second half of 2017 is a slight concern for the economic outlook. The Brent oil price, a notable benchmark in Europe, has begun 2018 at its highest level since early 2015, exceeding 65 dollars. This represents a rise of 50 per cent in the last six months. The reasons for this spike are varied but involve policies restricting the supply in oil producing countries, as well as geopolitical conflicts.

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

11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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Locals don’t know what’s hit them LEAPY LEE SAYS IT

OTHERS THINK IT ONE thing I did learn on my recent London trip was not to engage an Uber driver in any political discussion. In the main, most Uber employees are immigrants. True to any London taxi drivers form, they are, (or consider themselves to be!) experts on just about any subject you care to mention - with current affairs undoubtedly a favourite. The problem is, once they start they are difficult to stop. In around a dozen journeys I found out more about Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and their opinions of Saddam Hussein than any ‘Arab Spring’ discussions I’ve had since the criminal acts of Blair and Bush got us into it all. The open attitude of these cabbies rather sums up the feeling I got from most of London’s ethnic immigrant population. The majority are extremely upbeat (well they would be wouldnt they?). From shop assistants to museum guides, I found them generally polite, enthusiastic, confident and certainly not backward in coming forward. In fact, while shopping in a local chemist, I remarked to my companion that we needed candles. Her lighthearted suggestion of buying ‘four candles,’ ala the Two Ronnie’s, bought a roar of laughter from

LONDON: British sense of humour sadly lacking. the Pakistani assistant, who then proceeded to regale us with jokes from his favourite TV show, which happened to be Fawlty Towers - ‘I come from Barcelona’ he said ‘I know nothing’! Unfortunately, this light-hearted attitude doesn’t extend to the Brits. Personally, I think the locals simply don’t know what’s hit them. To me, most of them appeared to be living under a cloud of doomy acceptance. And who can blame them? They have been battered by Brexit, paralysed by

the politically correct brigade, fleeced of free speech, overwhelmed by immigration, ill-advised, and deprived of political leadership to the point of utter submission. They also appear to have relinquished to my mind one of their most endearing and strongest weapons, the wonderful British sense of humour. Any attempt at a merry quip, particularly at shop assistants, is met by an icy glare of suspicion while they apparently try and work out whether

you are being sexist or in some way abusive. The look I got when, purely by force of habit, I said thanks ‘love’ to a checkout girl (person!) had me looking back over my shoulder to see if she was dialling 999! Just how long can anyone go on living under these circumstances without something snapping? Oddly enough, I actually do believe it could all still work, but not under this bunch of indecisive political pussies and certainly not under Corbyn’s fascist bunch. What they need is a Winnie or Thatcher. Strong decisive leadership. Someone to give the British a degree of optimism. A leader who can instil a national ambition to somehow succeed in this unprecedented diversity of existence they have been conned into by the incompetent self-centered politicians and luvvie brigade. All in all I actually left the old country with a certain degree of sadness. The only thing that hadn’t changed was the weather! One thing I will miss however is the politeness. ‘Excuse me,’ ‘oops I’m sorry,’ ‘my fault’ and ‘after you’s’ were expressions one doesn’t hear quite as often as one should in the country of our choice! Keep the faith Love Leapy columnists@euroweeklynews.com

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 WOULD you buy a car programmed to kill someone? No, me neither. Except that soon, we will. Consider the self-driving car which is steadily motoring its way towards acceptance. Behind the scenes, engineers are wrestling with the notorious ‘Trolley Problem’ and its variants. In short, its ethical puzzle is whether you would divert a runaway trolley (or train) onto a track where it will kill four people, or to the only other track to kill just one. So what happens when your driverless car has to decide between flattening a pedestrian, or killing you by swerving into a lamppost? Whether they admit it or not it’s a no-brainer: the pedestrian is toast. Wiping out customers is certainly not a good business strategy for Tesla’s Elon Musk and his fellow autonomous vehicle innovators. Remakes of Stephen King’s awful killer-car movie aside, we need to step back and realise that the driverless cars the majority of us will be driving by 2030 will not be safe. They will be safer… It takes the average driver an es-

The rise of the robocar: give me a brake! Could the ever-popular bumper sticker eventually read ‘My other car doesn’t drive itself,’ asks Terence Kennedy?

RUNAWAY TROLLEY: Kill one person or four? timated 160-million kilometres to wipe someone out. But put that in the context of the globe’s 1.5 billion vehicles, killing someone every 25 seconds. Taking out the fallible human factor by removing driver fatigue, intoxication and texting has to be an improvement. Like those late 19th-century legislators who insisted horseless carriages had to be preceded by a man with a red flag, some of the knee-jerk measures now under

consideration make little sense. Logic says the car which drives itself fully is as inevitable as tomorrow’s sunrise (Kim Jong-un permitting). Yes, some states may insist we keep our eyes on the road while the car drives us. Or my favourite futile gesture of all not just for self-driving cars, but for electric cars in general: the demand that they make a loud noise, however artificially - thus negating the

huge benefit of reducing today’s deafening traffic noise. Media interest being what it is, it’s inevitable that every time an autonomous car has an accident we’ll read about it in huge headlines, with the resulting rage against the machine. But don’t let that put us off. See it instead in light of that old newspaper adage: when did you last read a headline that ‘Thousands of aircraft landed safely yesterday’? Oh and for the record, 90 per cent of ethics students would consistently let their trolley run down one person rather than four. Although quite a few would instead turn the four to strawberry jam - if the person on the other track happened to be their ‘romantic partner.’

Self-driving us crazy IT certainly doesn’t help the cause of self-driving cars to read about the ‘Darwin Award’ for stupidity won by the owner of a brand-new mobile home in the States several years ago. He collected the vehicle from the factory, hit the interstate highway, engaged Cruise Control, then went into the back to make coffee. His Darwin Award was posthumous. A self-driving bus recently made headlines in an accident on its first day out. But the culprit was a trucker who backed into it without looking. A semi-autonomous car hit the news, and a truck, when its driver was watching Angry Birds instead of the road. We can at least look forward to a whole new slew of self-driving vehicle humour. How about a country song where the guy’s truck leaves him too?

11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

Travel

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FEATURE

LEGALLY SPEAKING Are dash cams legal 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.

ROOM WITH A VIEW: Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca.

Alicante’s underrated tourist base TORREVIEJA is not the destination at the top of many travellers’ lists in Spain. However, the city makes for an ideal base from which to see a number of quaint, charming villages and popular beach spots. The waterfront promenade, lined with palm trees and Spaniards out for a stroll, comes alive in the evenings. Buskers and merchandise sellers add spirit to a number of endearing bench-based monuments, while the lively restaurants culture adds to the homely feel. The real draw, though, is the sea view particularly at sunset - and the ice cream vendors who serve all manner of flavours, from the exotic to the traditional.

Another tourist favourite is the Go-karting just outside of town. Though the city is not particularly authentic - or much different to other touristfilled seaside towns - what is impressive is the number of nearby locations that you can day trip to. With relatively cheap accommodation on offer, tourists can see the delights of countless local beaches. Try the quiet Lomas de Cabo-Roig or Punta Prima, wavefilled Guardamar, or popular sand and sun-filled La Zenia. Nearby Spanish towns are also worth a visit for travellers after a more authentic experience.

DASH CAMS: Legal and even useful in Spain. A FREQUENTLY reoccurring question searched for is ‘are dash cams legal in Spain?’ Although there are data protection issues, when referring to traffic law the simple answer is yes. One point that must be considered is that under data protection legislation you can run into problems if you share the footage on social media showing faces or number plates without permission, for example. That said, not only are dash cams legal in Spain, they can also be extremely useful, especially in providing evidence in the event of an incident, or worse, and can be used by the authorities to help prosecute offenders, such as was the case when a lorry driver embarked on an extremely dangerous overtaking move, the footage was used to track down and prosecute the driver. What we must take notice of is that the installation of the dash cam must not interfere

with our primary field of vision. The optimum position will depend on the style of camera and vehicle, but if the camera can be hidden behind the rear view mirror, then it will not impede your view of the road ahead, and will not create an additional distraction. Like all devices, such as GPS and mobile phones, they must also be secured and you must not touch them whilst you are driving. In terms of them being useful, dash cams have been in use in many countries for many years, serving not only as a means of providing evidence in the event of an incident, but also protecting vehicle owners against false claims. Russia is one of the countries where dash cams have been in use for many years and in America, a move to make them mandatory gained support in recent years, on account of the value they provide.

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

Are they exempt from fees? I have been led to believe that, if your house is immediately facing the main road, then you are exempt from Community fees. Our housing estate is not fully enclosed. Can you explain? D S (Costa Blanca) Not true. If you are a member of a Community of Property Owners, you must pay the fees, whether you are an apartment, a terraced house or a free-standing villa on its own plot. Only properties which are on a street in a town or a farm in the country and which do not belong to a

David Searl You and the Law in Spain

Community are free of Community fees. Instead, they pay taxes to the town hall to maintain the street and the services. Confusion may arise because some housing

developments where city streets or roads are used wind up paying both municipal taxes and Community fees to maintain streets and lighting. These complex legal situations, which grew from rapid property development, are gradually being sorted out along the Spanish coastal areas.

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

E W N 11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

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THURSDAY - 11 JANUARY

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Rip Off Britain 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Wanted Down Under 12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Father Brown 4:00pm I Escaped to the Country 4:45pm The Farmers' Country Showdown 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Big Cats 10:00pm Death in Paradise 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Question Time 12:45am This Week

7:30am The Farmers' Country Showdown 8:15am Antiques Road Trip 9:00am MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Coast 2:15pm Brazil with Michael Palin 3:15pm Himalaya with Michael Palin 4:15pm The Great British Winter 5:15pm Great Barrier Reef with David 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Rick Stein's Road to Mexico 9:00pm Hairy Bikers' Mediterranean Adventure 10:00pm A House Through Time 11:00pm Live at the Apollo 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Michael Palin: A Life on Screen

11:30am This Morning Morning magazine programme. 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV News The latest ITV News. 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News The latest ITV News. 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm The Cruise 10:00pm Transformation Street 11:00pm ITV News The latest ITV News. 11:30pm ITV News London 11:45pm Great Art 12:45am Joanna Lumley's Postcards

9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV News The latest ITV News. 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London The latest news and weather from London and the South East. 7:30pm ITV News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm The Cruise 10:00pm Transformation Street 11:00pm ITV News 11:30pm ITV News London 11:45pm Great Art 12:45am Joanna Lumley's Postcards

TV LISTING

FRIDAY - 12 JANUARY

8:00pm Beyond 100 Days 8:30pm Great Continental Railway Journeys 9:00pm Bloody Queens: Elizabeth and Mary 10:00pm England's Forgotten Queen: The Life and Death of Lady Jane Grey 11:00pm Fit to Rule: How Royal Illness Changed History Dr Lucy Worsley explores the medical histories and fraught family dynamics. 12:00am Lost Land of the Volcano 1:00am Top of the Pops: 1981 1:40am Bloody Queens: Elizabeth and Mary. 2:40am England's Forgotten Queen: The Life and Death of Lady Jane Grey

7:20am 3rd Rock from the Sun 7:45am 3rd Rock from the Sun 8:10am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:05am Frasier 10:35am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00pm Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Darts 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 10:00pm Hunted 11:00pm Derry Girls 11:35pm The Undateables 12:35am Working Class White Men 1:35am The Secret Life of the Zoo

12:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm The Hotel Inspector 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm Dear Diary, I Died 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Baby Ballroom 9:00pm Big Family Values: 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Celebrity 100% Hotter! 12:05am Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 1:00am Super Casino Live interactive gaming featuring roulette and autowheel.

12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Father Brown 4:00pm I Escaped to the Country 4:45pm The Farmers' Country Showdown 5:30pm Antiques Road Trip 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Room 101 10:00pm Would I Lie to You? 10:30pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:25am Witless

7:00am Flog it! Trade Secrets 7:30am The Farmers' Country Showdown 8:15am Antiques Road Trip 9:00am MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm Coast 2:15pm Himalaya with Michael Palin 3:15pm Himalaya with Michael Palin 4:15pm The Great British Winter 5:15pm Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Great British Railway Journeys 8:00pm Rick Stein's Road to Mexico 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm A Vicar's Life 10:00pm Rome Unpacked 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am Deep Water

8:00pm World News Today The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective. 8:30pm Top of the Pops John Peel and Richard Skinner present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 03 January 1985. 9:10pm The Good Old Days 10:00pm David Bowie: Five Years 11:30pm David Bowie and the Story of Ziggy Stardust 12:30am Glam Rock at the BBC 1:30am Top of the Pops 2:15am Northern Soul 3:15am David Bowie and the Story of Ziggy Stardust 4:15am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

7:15am Kirstie's Vintage Gems 7:20am 3rd Rock from the Sun 7:45am 3rd Rock from the Sun 8:10am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:05am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:35am Frasier 10:05am Frasier 10:35am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00pm Sun, Sea and Selling Houses 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Darts 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 10:00pm The Big Fat Quiz of Everything 12:05am First Dates Hotel 1:10am Amy

9:05am Digby Dragon 9:20am Rusty Rivets 9:35am Shimmer and Shine 9:55am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05am Mofy 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm The Hotel Inspector 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm The Perfect Stalker 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Wine Show 9:00pm Costa Del Celebrity 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Will and Grace 11:35pm Celebrity Big Brother 12:05am Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

7:55am 8:55am 10:00am 10:25am 10:55am 11:25am

7:00am 7:50am 8:10am 8:35am 9:35am 10:40am 11:45am 12:50pm 1:50pm 2:55pm 3:55pm

9:00am Live European Tour Golf 11:00am Premier League Daily 12:00pm Info not available 12:30pm Sky Sports Daily 1:00pm Live European Tour Golf 4:00pm Info not available 4:30pm SKY Sports News 5:00pm SKY Sports News 6:00pm SKY Sports News 7:00pm SKY Sports News 8:00pm Info not available 8:30pm Live European Rugby 11:00pm Info not available 11:30pm Info not available 12:00am SKY Sports News 1:00am Live PGA Tour Golf 4:30am Eurasia Cup

9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson's Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm River Monsters 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Lethal Weapon 11:00pm ITV News The latest ITV News. 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Take Me Out 12:40am Through the Keyhole 1:35am Jackpot247 4:00am Alphabetical 4:50am ITV Nightscreen

7:55am 8:45am 9:20am 9:50am

7:55am 8:55am 10:00am 10:25am 10:55am 11:25am

7:00am 7:50am 8:10am 8:30am 9:35am 10:35am 11:45am 12:50pm 1:50pm 2:55pm 3:55pm 5:00pm 6:05pm 7:05pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 11:05pm 12:15am 12:20am 1:35am

7:00am Eurasia Cup 8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 8:30am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:00am Live European Tour Golf 11:00am Premier League Daily 12:00pm Info not Available 12:30pm Sky Sports Daily 1:00pm Live European Tour Golf 4:00p Info not available 4:30pm SKY Sports News 5:00pm SKY Sports News 6:00pm SKY Sports News 7:00pm SKY Sports News 8:00pm Football 11:00pm The Debate Live 12:00am Cricket New Zealand take on Pakistan in Dunedin in the third ODI in their series.

12:30pm 1:35pm 2:40pm 3:40pm

4:15pm

5:20pm 5:55pm 6:25pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 11:00pm 1:15am 3:10am

Heartbeat The Royal Judge Judy Judge Judy Judge Judy The Darling Buds of May The Darling Buds of May The Royal Heartbeat Classic Coronation Street Sally makes Kevin see that they need to have a place of their own. Classic Coronation Street On the Buses Rising Damp George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote Agatha Christie's Marple Foyle's War Inspector Morse ITV3 Nightscreen

5:00pm 6:05pm 7:05pm 8:05pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:05pm 12:25am 1:25am

The Chase Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder Drama series about the shady dealings of a loveable rogue and his reluctant sidekick. The Sweeney The Professionals The Car Chasers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Reality series. The Chase From Russia with Love FYI Daily From Russia with Love Goodfellas FYI Daily Latest news from the world of entertainment.

10:25am

11:10am 12:10pm 1:10pm 1:45pm 2:15pm 2:45pm 3:30pm 4:40pm 5:45pm 6:50pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:05pm 11:10pm 12:10am 12:40am

Dress to Impress Emmerdale Emmerdale You've Been Framed! The Ellen DeGeneres Show Who's Doing the Dishes? Dress to Impress Emmerdale Emmerdale You've Been Framed! The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show Take Me Out You've Been Framed! Gold Two and a Half Men Superstore Paul FYI Daily Paul Family Guy Family Guy

12:30pm 1:35pm 2:40pm 3:40pm

4:15pm

5:20pm 5:55pm 6:25pm 6:55pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 1:10am 3:05am 3:55am

Heartbeat The Royal Judge Judy Judge Judy Judge Judy The Darling Buds of May The Darling Buds of May The Royal Heartbeat Classic Coronation Street Classic Coronation Street On the Buses Rising Damp George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote Rosemary and Thyme Rosemary and Thyme Foyle's War Inspector Morse Love and Marriage Death on the Nile

2:35am 2:40am 3:30am 4:00am

The Chase Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals The Car Chasers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Hornblower Platoon FYI Daily Platoon Dawn of the Dead FYI Daily Dawn of the Dead The Protectors Teleshopping Shopping from home.

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

11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

www.euroweeklynews.com

TV Couch Critic

Soap yawns, festive laughs and cracking drama

MURDERS, thefts, assault, drug overdoses, lying, fraud and much more are all served up in the most popular soap operas nowadays. Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale are very dangerous places to live at present. I realise the script writers are competing for ratings but come on guys, get real. These repeated hospital scenes being shown, really are beginning to grate with the British public. I also think the writers are missing a trick, let’s have some groundbreaking rating busters. H o w a b o u t a p lag u e o f lo c u s ts , o r Noah’s Ark anchored in Albert Square? Being a policeman on any of these soaps virtually guarantees employment. A yearly compulsory watch over Christmas for us is Nativity!; a children’s film on BBC about a primary school teacher Mr Madden (Martin Freeman) tasked with putting on the school Nativity with the headmistress’s loony nephew, a classroom assistant called Mr Poppy wonderfully played by Marc Wooton. It’s a hilarious and touching comedy come musical that plays with the heart strings, and watch out for cameos from Ricky Tomlinson and Alan Carr. Pointless, the BBC’s nightly quiz show

presented by Alexandra Armstrong but overseen and directed by the irrepressible Richard Osman seems to be still going s tro n g a fte r w ha t fe e ls like a million shows. The two presenters’ professionalism keeps the programme fresh, unlike many that went before. I particularly like the celebrity editions, usually shown over the holidays, in which the s tan d a rd of c e le b brain power is put under scrutiny. It’s amazing where these celebs come from, one or two I must confess I thought were deceased. Some

THURSDAY THOUGHTS By Julius Sweeting, San Pedro

Rose tinted specs IT seems that many British expatriates in Spain are particularly worried about the effects that Brexit will have on their medical treatment. At the moment, little is set in stone and it is quite possible that nothing will change with UK citizens resident in Spain or visitors with EH1C cards being eligible for free medical treatment as they are now. Those who have been in Spain for some time may be looking back to the UK and the National Health Service (NHS) with rose tinted glasses as it surely isn’t what it used to be. In the past week, the Minister of Health Jeremy Hunt publicly apologised for having to cancel all non-urgent operations until the end of January and admitted that waiting times in A&E continued to get longer. The following day, Prime Minister May effectively contradicted him, suggesting that things weren’t so bad as the government had increased funding in the NHS. In an almost unheard of turnaround however, the next day she had to backtrack and apologised herself for the thousands of operations that had been cancelled as new figures were released showing that 16,900 people had been stuck in ambulances for more than the proscribed 15 minutes before admission to A&E. By contrast, I had to attend an emergency clinic in Marbella the other evening with a burst vein in my nose and although it was a bit third worldy, I was checked in immediately by a charming receptionist and seen within 20 minutes of arrival. I wonder if that would have happened this winter in the UK where even GP appointments normally run late. columnists@euroweeklynews.com Readers interested in submitting articles for this guest column should send articles of around 250 words on topics felt to be of interest to the cosmopolitan EWN readership to editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

stars should clearly change their agent. Storage Hunters on Dave TV is a rip off from the A me ric a n s e rie s of t he sam e name. It features a motley crew of punters bidding for the contents of storage containers presumably left by their owners. The original American version is slick, smart and full of brilliant one liners from

Photo credit BBC

COMPULSORY: Martin Freeman in Nativity!

the punters. The English version is dim, dul l and f ul l of f al se peopl e buyi ng garbage. Against my better judgement but in the line of duty I watched Doctors Behind Closed Doors on My 5 and found myself enjoying it to the degree of taking in a few more episodes which were running continuously. There’s something quite bizarre about being in a doctor’s treatment room ‘spying’ on seemingly unsuspecting patients. It’s really interesting to see what the diagnosis is and what treatment is prescribed, but also very scary at times. Different doctors featured with different patients and my conclusion was what a great job they do. McMafia is both stunning and confusing but highly watchable. Maybe my brain’s incapable of absorbing this fast moving plot. It’s an everyday tale of a Russian oligarch (!) and his family, conflicting with the shadowy criminal past activities of the ageing father. Violence and huge finance abound as Alex Goodman (James Norton), son of the tortured father tries to unravel the exact cause of his father’s grief. The quality of the filming is stunning and it’s a class watch. Critique: PM, San Fulgencio

Looking back at some of 2017’s daftest food trends Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson

ic lattes and edible ‘glitter’ (made from sugar and food colouring) on everything from coffee to crisps and even chickens. But hey, as long as it’s on Instagram, looking way better than it tastes...

WHAT’S the 2017 food trend you’d most like to see the back of? For some, it’s sharing plates that come out in the order that suits the kitchen, and waiters taking orders without notepads. Plus: communal seating, no bookings, no getting in. Except for making you stand in a line outside in the rain, driving hipsters into a frenzy to get in because of the long, long queue way down the street. For others, it’s plates filled with cloud eggs, Yorkshire pudding wraps or ‘unicorn’ food - ie anything dressed in rainbow pastels with a shedload of sprinkles. (A side of ‘unicorn sprinkle,’ anyone? Hmm, must be a Leave Voter’s invention!). Plus: turmer-

We generally eat what we’re familiar with; but different cultures are used to different things. Intestines, insects and other nutritious foods are repellent to many in the West, but commonplace elsewhere. Milky turmeric drinks, for instance, seen as a fad in Britain, are not unusual in India. Asian families in the UK drink turmeric milk but not as a fancy drink but when you have a cold. You’d simply be laughed at if it was served to guests as a delicacy. It’s weird how something can become hip and pricey if it’s sold to a different demographic.

Nora Johnson

Breaking Views

And what about food trends for 2018? As far as weddings are concerned, couples apparently still want ‘Instagram moments’ and cakes with moving parts. Like a recently created four-tier cake with a spinning unicorn in the second tier. Really! All this plus

doughnut walls, DIY biscuitdecorating stations and displays of confectionery. Sounds more like food aimed at toddlers. Are these people old enough to get married if they need to be stuffed with all this childish nonsense? Heck after all that, they’ll all look as though they’ve been out on the razz with Keith Richards night after night after night... Nora Johnson’s psychological crime thrillers ‘The Girl in the Red Dress,’ ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-john son.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99; £0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Credit: lottielondonau/instagram

GLITTER FEVER: Has the ‘unicorn food’ trend gone too far?

E W N 11 - 17 January 2018 / AxarquĂa - Costa Tropical

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SATURDAY - 13 JANUARY

7:00am Breakfast 11:00am Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30pm Mary Berry Everyday 1:00pm Football Focus. 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather 2:15pm Athletics 4:15pm Money for Nothing 5:00pm Final Score 6:10pm Celebrity Mastermind 6:40pm BBC News 6:50pm Regional News 6:55pm Weather 7:00pm And They're Off...For Sport Relief 7:40pm Pointless 8:25pm Wedding Day Winners 9:25pm Casualty More realistic medical drama with love, life and emergency operations. 10:15pm BBC News 10:30pm Weather 10:35pm Hard Sun 11:30pm Match of the Day 1:00am The NFL Show

8:10am The Pets Factor 8:30am Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch 9:00am The Dengineers 9:30am Deadly Top 10 10:00am Robot Wars 11:00am Natural Born Winners 12:00pm Pets: Wild at Heart 1:00pm Hairy Bikers 2:00pm A Vicar's Life 2:30pm Back to the Land with Kate Humble 3:30pm Rome Unpacked 4:30pm Brendan Foster: A Life in Athletics 5:15pm Flog It! 6:00pm Trust Me, I'm a Doctor 6:30pm Tom Kerridge's Lose Weight for Good 7:00pm Hugh's Wild West 8:00pm A House Through Time 9:00pm Dad's Army 9:30pm Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs 10:00pm Live at the Apollo 10:45pm QI XL 11:30pm Madonna Rebel Heart Tour

9:00pm Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom Three-part series following pioneering Alaskans, both animal and human. 10:00pm Spiral Crime drama following criminal investigations in Paris from all the different points of view. 11:05pm Spiral 12:10am The Vietnam War 1:05am Top of the Pops John Peel and Richard Skinner present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 03 January 1985. 1:45am Great Guitar Riffs at the BBC 2:45am Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom 3:45am Shipwrecks: Britain's Sunken History

10:30am Saturday Morning with James Martin 12:25pm Info not available 12:55pm Info not available 1:25pm ITV News and Weather 1:35pm Dancing on Ice 3:30pm Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home 5:20pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 6:20pm Local News and Weather 6:30pm ITV News and Weather 6:45pm The BRITS are Coming 7:45pm Take Me Out 9:00pm The Voice UK 10:30pm Through the Keyhole 11:25pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm Jaws 2 1:45am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am Babushka

9:40am Coronation Street Omnibus 12:30pm Take Me Out 1:35pm Totally You've Been Framed! Gold 2:40pm The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 3:40pm FYI Daily 3:45pm The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 4:45pm Hotel Transylvania 5:45pm FYI Daily 5:50pm Hotel Transylvania 6:25pm The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 7:25pm FYI Daily 7:30pm The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 10:00pm 2 Fast 2 Furious 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm 2 Fast 2 Furious 12:10am Family Guy Animated comedy series about the trials of family life.

7:00am Murder, She Wrote 7:50am Murder, She Wrote 8:50am Lewis 10:50am Foyle's War 1:00pm Foyle's War 3:15pm Rosemary and Thyme Light-hearted drama series about a pair of gardening enthusiasts turned amateur sleuths. 4:20pm Columbo 5:55pm Midsomer Murders 8:00pm Midsomer Murders 10:00pm Midsomer Murders Mysterious lights are seen in the sky over famous UFO hot-spot Cooper Hill. 12:00am Lewis 2:00am On the Buses This bold, bawdy and brash sitcom hit British screens in 1969. 2:30am On the Buses

7:25am 7:50am 8:15am 8:40am

TV LISTING

SUNDAY - 14 JANUARY

King of Queens King of Queens King of Queens Everybody Loves Raymond Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier. Frasier Frasier The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Come Dine with Me Darts A Place in the Sun Channel 4 News Spying on the Royals Queen Victoria's Last Love Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation Transporter 2 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA

11:50am Police Interceptors Documentary series profiling the work of a high-speed police interception unit in Essex. 12:55pm Police Interceptors 1:55pm The A-Team 2:55pm The A-Team 4:00pm FIA Formula E: Preview Show 4:30pm FIA Formula E Race: Marrakech 6:15pm Dogs Make You Laugh Out Loud 7:15pm The Secret Life of Puppies 8:05pm Greatest Ever Celebrity Wind Ups 9:00pm Blind Date 9:55pm 5 News 11:00pm Football on 5 Goal Rush. 11:30pm Celebrity Big Brother 12:30am Lip Sync Battle UK 1:00am Super Casino

11:00am The Big Questions 12:00pm Sunday Politics 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather for the Week Ahead 2:15pm Money for Nothing 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:30pm The Truth About Looking Good 4:30pm Big Cats 5:30pm Songs of Praise 6:05pm Attenborough and the Sea Dragon 7:05pm BBC News 7:20pm Regional News 7:25pm Weather 7:30pm Countryfile 8:30pm Still Open All Hours 9:00pm Info not available 10:00pm Mcmafia 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm Regional News 11:25pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:30am Man Like Mobeen 12:50am Man Like Mobeen

7:00am Coast 8:00am The Instant Gardener 8:45am Gardeners World 9:15am Greatest Gardens 9:50am Countryfile News and stories concerning the heart of the British countryside. 10:45am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:15pm Raymond Blanc: How to Cook Well 12:45pm Food and Drink 1:15pm MOTD2 Extra 2:00pm Masters Snooker Coverage of the Masters snooker tournament. 6:35pm Ski Sunday 7:20pm Mr Holmes 9:00pm Yellowstone 10:00pm Dragons' Den 11:00pm The Water Diviner An Australian farmer travels to Turkey in search of his three missing sons. 12:40am Masters Snooker Highlights

8:00pm Only Connect A show in which connections must be made between seemingly unconnected things. 8:30pm University Challenge 9:00pm Voyager: To the Final Frontier 10:00pm Neil Armstrong First Man on the Moon 11:00pm The Sky at Night A look at the world of astronomy. 11:30pm Churchill's First World War 1:00am The Story of Maths Series about the history of mathematics, presented by Professor Marcus du Sautoy. 2:00am The Story of Maths 3:00am Neil Armstrong First Man on the Moon 4:00am Voyager: To the Final Frontier

7:00am King of Queens 7:30am King of Queens 8:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:30pm Jamie's Quick and Easy Food 2:00pm The Simpsons 2:50pm Two by Two 4:50pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather. 5:15pm Darts 9:00pm The Biggest Little Railway in the World 10:00pm SAS: Who Dares Wins 11:00pm The Big Fat Quiz of Everything 1:00am Killing Them Softly Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini star in writer-director Andrew Dominik's violent thriller.

11:15am Football on 5 The Championship 12:15pm Football on 5 Goal Rush 12:45pm Are We There Yet? 2:30pm Dennis Strikes Again 4:05pm Will and Grace 4:35pm Blind Date 5:35pm Garfield Jon Arbuckle buys a second pet, a dog named Odie. 7:10pm Pixel 9:00pm Badass Brides 9:55pm 5 News The latest news coverage. 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother A group of celebrities move into a secure house,under the watchful eye of Big Brother 11:00pm The Boy Next Door 1:00am One Night with My Ex

7:00am The Protectors. 7:25am The Professionals 8:20am The Professionals Action-packed drama series about two criminalintelligence agents. 9:25am The Professionals 10:30am ITV Racing: The Opening Show 11:30am Snooker v Darts 11:35am Pawn Stars 2:30pm ITV Racing: Live from Kempton 5:00pm From Russia with Love 6:10pm FYI Daily 6:15pm From Russia with Love 7:20pm Kelly's Heroes 8:20pm FYI Daily 8:25pm Kelly's Heroes 10:25pm Payback 11:25pm FYI Daily 11:30pm Payback 12:30am Maximum Conviction 1:30am FYI Daily 1:35am Maximum Conviction 2:35am Car Crash Global

8:00am Good Morning Sports Fans Round-up of the sports news with live analysis and comment plus extended interviews with the headline makers. 9:00am Good Morning Sports Fans 9:30am Cricket Day one of the second Test between South Africa and India from SuperSport Park in Centurion. 1:00pm Football 3:30pm Info not available 4:00pm Live European Rugby 6:15pm Football 8:40pm My Icon 9:00pm Sky Sports Tonight 10:00pm Live NFL: Divisional Round Game

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7:00am Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 7:25am You've Been Framed! Gold 7:50am Emmerdale Omnibus 10:35am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:35pm Take Me Out 2:50pm The Voice UK 4:20pm Smurfs 2 5:20pm FYI Daily 5:25pm Smurfs 2 6:25pm The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 7:25pm FYI Daily 7:30pm The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 10:00pm Ibiza Weekender 11:00pm Family Guy 11:30pm Family Guy 12:00am Family Guy 12:30am American Dad! 1:00am American Dad! 1:30am That Awkward Moment 2:30am FYI Daily

8:40am 9:45am 10:50am 12:25pm

7:00am World Cup Rivalries England v Argentina 7:20am The Sweeney 8:15am The Sweeney 9:15am Minder 10:20am Minder Modern-day reimagineering on the classic comedy-drama. 11:25am Storage Wars Texas 11:55am Storage Wars Texas 12:20pm Storage Wars Texas 12:50pm Pawn Stars 2:40pm Hornblower 4:50pm Kelly's Heroes 5:50pm FYI Daily 5:55pm Kelly's Heroes 7:55pm The Adjustment Bureau 8:55pm FYI Daily 9:00pm The Adjustment Bureau 10:00pm Unknown 11:05pm FYI Daily 11:10pm Unknown 12:15am Inside Man 1:15am FYI Daily 1:20am Inside Man

10:00am Cricket Day two of the second Test between South Africa and India from SuperSport Park in Centurion 1:30pm Live Nissan Super Sunday Bournemouth host Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League 4:30pm Live Nissan Super Sunday Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield in the Premier League. 8:00pm Live NFL: Divisional Round Game 10:00pm Live NFL: Divisional Round Game 2:00am SKY Sports News 3:00am SKY Sports News 4:00am SKY Sports News

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CITV ITV News River Monsters Peston on Sunday The Martin Lewis Money Show Live The Voice UK ITV News and Weather Tipping Point Britain's Brightest Family The Cruise Local News and Weather ITV News and Weather Death Becomes Her Dancing on Ice Vera Detective drama based on characters created by crime writer Ann Cleeves. ITV News and Weather Peston on Sunday Next of Kin Great Art

2:40pm 4:55pm

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Heartbeat Heartbeat Columbo Foyle's War Feature-length drama about an enigmatic detective working on the south coast during World War II. Foyle's War Foyle's War Drama about an enigmatic detective working on the south coast during World War II. Agatha Christie's Marple The Secret Life of Dogs Tonight at the London Palladium Chicago Lewis

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OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

11 - 17 January 2018 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical

EWN

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.

SIR, On Christmas Day, ADANA - the Estepona dog rehoming centre - welcomed many volunteers to help clean the pens, walk the dogs and give them their Christmas Dinner, donated by an anonymous benefactor. How sad, then, that amid this goodwill we received messages from disgruntled members of the public asking why we had not taken action over a case of serious dog abuse in the El Padron neighbourhood. First of all, it has to be said that ADANA was only made aware of this abuse after people had seen the dogs at first hand. Nobody contacted ADANA to tell us about it. Second, people need to be aware that ADANA is not a Spanish version of the RSPCA. We have no more influence with the authorities than any concerned member of the public. So why did none of these people who had witnessed the abuse not make a formal complaint? Until this is done no police action can be taken. But instead of doing the right thing, people criticised ADANA. We are a

HAVE YOUR SAY

Photo credit Matt Ford/EWN Media Group.

Animal charities have no power A fitting tribute WE arrived outside the former Bunny’s Bar around 12.15pm and there were already at least 100 people there. Phil was busy with guests so we stood to one side but he noticed us and came straight over which was a teary moment. We decided to go to the church near Bonanza Square and watch the coffin arrive. Everybody on the terrace gave a rapturous applaud for well over a minute on the cortège 50 feet below - this truly hit both Phil and his family as it was totally unexpected and out of the blue. The church is vast - probably 500 seats - and was at least half full which is incredible for a guy

HUGE TURNOUT: Hundreds attended Bunny Lane’s funeral. of 75. The service was delivered in a humanist manner which was very apt considering Barry’s life and paid great respect and tribute to his career in theatre. With no prayers and no hymns, the finale was awesome and can never be repeated by another English person still alive on this

All letters by email or post should carry the writer’s address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

coast with a rendition of ‘I Am What I Am.’ Everybody stood and clapped like old times in Bunny’s. Totally brilliant day the perfect tribute to a very funny and muchloved guy. Trevor and Annette Whitehouse, Costa del Sol

Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.

IN PICTURES: Spain slides to a halt as snow grips country Yesterday in the morning it was rain but soon started snowing heavily lasting throughout the day. Today the mountains (Fuensanta ) are still covered and cold temparature, more snow threatened... On the day of the Kings I did not appreciate snow as my present from them... chocolate next year please...gracias. Tim Mcmahon We need the water this is good. Angela Mansfield Sunny and dry in Mojacar! Anita Oakes Sun and clouds Coin campo, Malaga, with snow on the Sierra de las Nieves, bit chilly. Ruud Faber What! No snow? I’m not going to La Manga then. Gonna stay in North Wales. Davejune Higgins

38 starving dogs rescued Wouldn’t it be great if we could now stick them in a cage and let them starve to death! Jean Gray I wonder what punishment these scum will get? How can anybody do this to these poor dogs? Absolutely heartbreaking. I hope they will rot in hell. Doris Teasdale

Comments from EWN online Could the Animal Shelter not put down the animal that lead to these poor dogs suffering the way they did? Andrew

Passenger leaves plane by emergency exit Good on him! There is never enough information given.... No drinks, no food and continual lies!! Why stay on board!! Rob Whaley He was probably thinking he was going to die whilst having an asthma attack and needed air but was being ignored, so he let himself out. Stephen Richards You're all too quick to criticise Ryanair. That plane was on the ground and on its stand. It

then becomes the airport’s designated ground handling service, not the airline. If they failed to service the flight with stairs, the agent service are to blame. Will Murphy

Catalan crisis ‘cost Spain €1 billion’ The damage these people have done is incalculable. Which is why it would have been a good idea for Rajoy to put a stop to it a lot sooner. Even now, he’s just pussyfooting around the problem. Peter Harvey

Two dead in ‘massive’ pitched battle in southern Spain How is it that no arrests were made in the four hours that this lasted? Jace T Adams What an awful situation leaving two dead, it must have been pretty frightening for people in the area. Neecie Russell

small charity which cares for for over a hundred unwanted dogs at any given time. We are run by volunteers and totally reliant on public funding. We wish we could do more to intervene in cases of cruelty and neglect but we simply don’t have the power. My New Year’s wish is that every one of us becomes more aware of our personal responsibility to act in the face of evil and not pass by on the other side and leave it to others. Mary Page, President ADANA Estepona

Rental trap I HAVE rented apartments and houses for some years in Spain and while many private owners are honest, some are not. The problem is that the owner, by law, holds the deposit. For example in my previous rental, they held €400. And when it came to handing the deposit back - after first deducting water and electric bills for two months - that they would keep the other €348 for cleaning expenses. When I complained to the owners, who were both out of work, they refused to reply to my emails. After some advice from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Malaga, it gave me the information I needed. Owners should leave the deposit with the AVRA (the Agencia de Vivienda y Rehabilitación Andalucia). If they have not done so, it is probably because they do not want to pay taxes on the rental income. I sent a letter to the owners saying I would contact the AVRA and then the local tax offices to see if they had paid taxes on their rental income if I did not get my money back. Paying me was cheaper than paying the taxes, so my money was returned. Surely the law should be changed so the money automatically goes to the AVRA to help stop any such problems? Michael Hill, Torre del Mar, Malaga

Leapy woe I FOLLOW your column most weeks and agree with a lot of what you say in your articles. But to say that the whole careers and promotions of the UK police is based entirely on arrests and convictions is absolute rubbish! Am I a cop? No. But a retired one yes. Indeed I was promoted from Constable to Chief Superintendent, and at one time served as Head of the Career Development Department. I therefore believe that I have a very good understanding of the system. Clearly, you do not!! Keep the faith. Derek Lynch, Altea, Costa Blanca North

E W N 11 - 17 January 2018 / AxarquÃa - Costa Tropical

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9:00pm Highlands Scotland's Wild Heart Documentary looking at the wildlife of the Scottish Highlands. 10:00pm Anjelica Huston on James Joyce: A Shout in the Street 11:00pm Ireland's Treasures Uncovered 12:00am The Victorians 1:00am Top of the Pops: 1981 1:40am Top of the Pops: 1981

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Coronation Street Heartbeat The Royal Judge Judy Judge Judy Judge Judy The Darling Buds of May The Darling Buds of May The Royal Heartbeat Classic Coronation Street Classic Coronation Street On the Buses On the Buses Rising Damp George and Mildred Heartbeat Murder, She Wrote Endeavour) Foyle's War Inspector Morse ITV3 Nightscreen Teleshopping

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Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals Ironside Quincy, M.E. Minder The Sweeney The Professionals The Car Chasers The Car Chasers Pawn Stars Pawn Stars River Monsters Unknown FYI Daily Unknown Lethal Weapon Maximum Conviction FYI Daily Maximum Conviction The Car Chasers ITV4 Nightscreen Teleshopping

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HEALTH BEAUTY

Axarquía - Costa Tropical

11 - 17 January 2018

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EWN

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

Every little helps HAVE you ever splashed out on an expensive new face cream only to find the whole tube is gone in a couple of weeks? The disappointment at investing in a ‘miracle’ cream which comes in microscopic proportions can be high. But the good news is we may be using far too much of our favourite products, according to one beautician, and can get away with using less. Dr Natasha Cook, an Australian dermatologist, has told one publication one of the most expensive products - facial serum - can be used in tiny proportions because it is so concentrated.

She explained, “for serum, all you need is a pea-sized amount over the entire face,” adding, “these products are, in theory, concentrated with a high percentage of active ingredients. This means you shouldn’t need too much.” Sticking to the same theme she says moisturiser should be used in an “almond-sized amount,” adding, “two pumps if it is a pump applicator or an almond-sized amount over the entire face.” Foundation, which can be expensive if used several times throughout the day, can also be used in pea-sized quantities. Dr Cook explained, “if you’ve got a

Why not drinking could be a good thing WE all know drinking to excess can cause a raft of health problems. From heart disease to liver failure, alcohol in large quantities has consistently been shown to cause our bodies damage. But until now researchers had never fully understood the connection between excessive intake and cancer. A group from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge has now come up with ‘a simple plausible explanation.’ They say alcohol in large quantities may damage our DNA, allowing cancerous cells to form. According to the group, the process of breaking down alcohol produces a harmful chemical called acetaldehyde which in small doses can be removed from the body but in large quantities damages our stem cells. These cells are the ones which regenerate and when damaged can form tumours.

The study’s lead author Professor Ketan Patel explained, “some cancers develop due to DNA damage in stem cells,” adding, “while some damage occurs by chance, our findings suggest that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of this damage.” He went on, “our study highlights that not being able to process alcohol effectively can lead to an even higher risk of alcohol-related DNA damage and therefore certain cancers,” adding, “but it’s important to remember alcohol clearance and DNA repair systems are not perfect and alcohol can still cause cancer in different ways - even in people whose defence mechanisms are intact.” Professor Linda Bauld, cancer prevention expert at Cancer Research UK, added, “this thought-provoking research highlights the damage alcohol can do to our cells - costing some people more than just a hangover.”

larger face, you may need slightly more,” adding, “I recommend applying it to the back of your hand, before getting a ‘kakubi’ make up brush and evenly buffing it all over your face.” Lastly, for improving dark circles and puffiness use a “sunflower seed equivalent,” of eye cream as, “these creams tend to be rich so you only need a small amount.”

JUST A DROP: Experts recommend using serum in small amounts because of its high potency.

Beware the dreaded lurgy ARE you ever surprised by how your friends often notice you are under the weather before you’ve even mentioned it? Well according to scientists from the United States, Sweden and Germany, humans are able to tell if a person is displaying signs of illness even in the very early stages. The group found people were able to distinguish a healthy person from an unhealthy one just by looking at very subtle differences in the faces. These included pale skin and lips and drooping eyes. Twenty-two volunteers took part in a trial led by scientists from Stockholm University and

QUICK GIVEAWAY: Pale lips and drooping eyelids are among the early signs of a cold. New York University (NYU), half of whom were given a placebo and half of whom were given a drug which temporarily mimics illness. Sixty other participants were

then shown photos of the group and asked to point out who looked ill and who looked well. Of the 16 photos they were shown, the 60 observers were able to correctly identify

whether a person was ill or not in 13 cases. Three main signs of illness were identified, including looking pale. The study’s authors explained, “redness signals a healthy and attractive appearance in both humans and animals and that appearing tired is strongly related to appearing healthy.” The researchers also said drooping eyelids on ill people were a sign of tiredness from fighting off infection. Finally, the scientists noted the most obvious clue was pale lips on those who were ill, explaining it is a good place to look if you are trying to work out if someone is ill or not.

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

Enjoy a meal and listen to the best of Puccini SPEND an evening in the company of some of the greatest arias and duos from

the mind of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. Gaining popularity in the late 19th century, his operas are still well-liked today and are performed around the world as they are known for their modernity and wonderful melodies. Soprano Mónica Campaña and tenor Francisco Arbós, accompanied by María del Carmen Pérez Blanco on piano will be performing extracts from Madame Butterfly, Don Giovanni, La

Bohème, Tosca and Carmen, as well some of the composer’s chamber music. Tickets which are strictly limited cost €48 and in addition to the recital which starts at 7.30pm on Friday January 26 include a welcome aperitif and a full dinner buffet including drinks. The evening will be enjoyed in an intimate setting on a winter night, ideal for a song recital and fine dining at Playa & Sol Restaurant on Burriana Beach in Nerja. Reservations may be made on the organiser’s website at h t t p : / / w w w. v e n t a n a abierta.es and there is a 15 per cent discount for members. This is the first of a number of monthly presentations of music and food organised by Ventana Abierta (Open Window), a non-profit organisation that wants to promote the arts and culture to all.

FROM HEART TO HEART: The Amor Fino trio.

Russian trio brings the class A CLASSICAL trio from St Petersburg in Russia will be performing free of charge in Almuñecar this Sunday at the Parish Church of La Encarnación. They are a group of professional musicians who have trained in some of the best conservatories in Russia and who have come together for the love of music and people. Amor Fino which consists of tenor Radomir, mezzo-soprano, Miroslava, and pianist,

Bratislav will present their concert De Corazon a Corazon (From Heart to Heart) at 8pm and all are welcome until the church is full. The repertoire is wide and will include such popular pieces as the Ave María by Schubert, the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo and O Sole Mio as well as a mixture of classical works and more modern arrangements. This is a great opportunity for local residents to see and hear an international trio.

Third in world rating A relatively neutral taste and flavour and high acidity has made Airén the production choice for alcohol used as the base by Lorenzo for Brandy, thus limiting Barbareschi its use to develop blended or varietal wines. Additionally due to AIRÉN, an old Iberian processes used including white grape, represents fermentation in terracotta about 30 per cent of all vats, Airén wines do not Spanish varieties and is always receive favourable the world’s third most publicity. grown. In general, Airén wines Unknown to many and are characterised by a palpredominantly grown in lid colour with yellow irithe south, central and AIRÉN: In decline but descences and an alcowestern regions of Spain, well worth a try. holic content of about 12 its production is now de- 14 per cent making it quite pleasant and clining and being replaced with red varieasy to drink, with mature fruit scents ineties including Tempranillo. cluding banana, pineapple or grapefruit. The grapes - late to bud and ripen and To get the best out of it, pair Airén wine very resistant to drought and diseases - are with grilled sardines with green pepper, perfectly adapted to the harsh arid climate garlic prawns or something spicy. of La Mancha with its calcareous soils Better label Airén wines including and vineyards 700m above sea level. Castillo del Moro; Sendas del Rey by FeAirén is also known under the many lix Solis and Don Octavio by Bodegas synonyms, including Aidén, Blancon, ForVillarrobledo are priced €4 – €6, though callada, Forcallat blanca, Forcayat, Laeren some can be found for just over €1. del Rey, Layren, Manchega, Mantuo Happy tasting. Laeren and Valdepenera blanca.

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Photo Credit: Ayuntamiento de Almuñecar

Classic guitar competition THE 33rd International Classical Guitar Competition Andrés Segovia will bring together the best international classical guitar players in La Herradura from January 23 to 27. It has once again been organised by the mayor’s office of La Herradura and Almuñécar Council in collaboration with the Diputación de Granada, the Ministry of Culture and the University of Granada. This festival is competitive and is aimed at performers who play and study classical guitar and who honour the memory of the great musician Andrés Segovia who was named ‘Son Adoptivo’ of the municipality in 1983. This event is also a tribute to the Italian composer Mario Castelnovo-Tedesco on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death.

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Bumper 2018 projected The future’s bright FORECASTS for Spain’s 2018 property market are now in place. Barring an expected crisis, higher prices, more sales, more construction and higher rewards on investments are all on the cards. The sale of new homes is expected to continue growing, after increasing for the first time since

BOOM: 2018 is expected to be an excellent year for Spain.

2006 last year. Servihabitat expects that total sales of new and second-hand homes will reach 560,000, up from 472,000 in 2017, but still shy of the high water mark of 775,000 in 2007. New homes will account for almost 120,000 of those sales, more

than a quarter, as construction booms across the country. Permits to construct new properties are expected to swell by 18 per cent to almost 140,000 this year. Developers are expected to be the dominant figures of the 2018 marketplace as buyers renew their faith in newly built properties.

The number of mortgages taken out is projected to increase from the 320,000 in 2017 and interest rates expected to stay low after falling below 3 per cent in October. Investors who snapped up properties to let out long term, or to tourists, can expect a profitable year. The Bank of Spain is projecting long

New house smell

Wage worry Credit; Unsplash

NEW home prices rose by 5 per cent in 2017, the highest annual increase since 2007. The timely jump comes as Spain prepares to build tens of thousands of new homes this year after a decade of construction decline. During that period almost all buyers o p t e d f o r se c o n d hand homes. But a study from the Appraisal Society of 400 municipalities suggests that might soon change. Prices of new homes rose by 1.7 per cent in the first half of 2017, and 3.3 per cent in the second. The a v e r a g e p r i c e n o w stands at €2,227 per square metre. New homes in Barcelona now cost €3,865 per square metre, compared to €4,500 in 2007. Prices are similar in M ad r i d a n d t h e l u x u ry seaside destination of San Sebastian. They are lowest in Ciu-

PRICEY PADS: Homes in Barcelona are some of the most expensive in the country. dad Real where a new home fe tc h es ju s t € 1 , 1 6 0 pe r square metre. Cataluña is well ahead as the most expensive region

in Spain for new housing. But it is also the only region where the real estate confidence index fell, plummeting by two points at the tail

term returns of more than 10 per cent. After rising 4.5 per cent in 2017, prices are expected to increase by a minimum of 4.7 per cent this year. More optimistic figures project a rise of between 6 and 8 per cent. Moody’s is confident of an 8.6 per cent rise over the next three years.

end of 2017. The political crisis is the obvious cause, w ith buye r c onfide nc e in every other Spanish region remaining high.

RISING property prices are good news for investors but problematic for Spaniards on average wages trying to get on the property ladder. New research found that a Spanish resident earning an average wage would need to devote 13.7 years of their salary to buy an average-priced house, which costs €141,200.

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Your garden in January

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This was the same time when gardening problems multiplied with a drying climate, the use of an increasing number and variety of plants from outside Spain, wide variations in the sources and qualities of composts and the occurrence of unwanted plant pests, from the ever increasing number attacking fruit trees to feral cats. Most expat January gardening needs are common along the Mediterranean coast from north to south, but what is feasible from day to day are influenced by the tremendous gales, continued droughts on the Costa Blanca and widespread rain in Andalucia. Fortunately mild temperatures so far have allowed continuing good harvests of a diverse mix of tasty salad leaves and flowers. Chemical free salads with up to 20 ingredients continue from my raised beds and line of builders buckets sur-

PRUNING ROSES: Recommended for January. rounding the boule court. One very useful job for a dry day is to clean up roses and prepare them for the 2018 flowering season. First prune to an appropriate shape leaving two strong budding points on each pruned stem. Spray with a strong garlic spray and plant two garlic seed segments under each plant before placing a deep manure mulch, preferably horse, under each plants.

Climbing plants now need pruning to manageable heights and prevent them from becoming straggly when spring growth commences. To achieve a healthy garden environment for humans, pets and beneficial insects and ensure that all possible vegetables and fruit can be eaten safely, only spray when essential and try to restrict your spraying to ecological sprays such as garlic

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and neem as insecticides and propolis for a general fungicide. Inexpensive spring bulbs are now appearing so it is a good time to plant some extra ones. But do water and improve the soil first. It is also not too late to sow sweet peas for early spring displays. If you have an area of bare vegetable growing soil top it up with a layer of animal and vegetative compost.

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Positive thinking 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

IF you give your dog a command even a simple one like ‘sit’ - then the reward of good dog is given as the dog’s bottom hits the ground. Just a verbal praise given in a light happy voice can be enough for most dogs. Sometimes people will use food or a motivator for this reward system. I believe if you have used treats for a couple of months, a dog will now be content with the bright happy voice which should be sufficient for such a simple command. As your commands become more difficult for the dog to achieve you

GOOD BOY: Rewarding your dog is important, but only when he deserves it. can always up the reward, especially if you are doing scent work. A motivator that the dog really loves can now be used such as that spe-

cial ball or toy. Most professional working dogs are rewarded in this manner as soon as they have found something. This reward for work

well done is a must. Whatever you use, you only have a split second to give it on completion of an exercise. Personally I

like to use my voice and a quick touch under the chin as my rewards. I always have my voice with me, so it is always on hand, where a different type of reward may not be with me at that crucial time. Think about the dolphin which performs in a show. He is being taught to jump out of the water. If he jumps about two metres, he gets a small whistle to call him back, and when he returns to the edge of the pool he is in, he gets a small fish. As his training increases, and he jumps about six metres or more out of the pool, he gets a huge instant whistle while he’s at the top of the jump, which brings him swiftly back to the pool edge where he gets a bucket of fish as his reward. The timing of any reward is important. (If your timing is out, you may be rewarding for the wrong action.) Watch the height he jumps from there on. The reward is always there for him immediately and will he give his best every time.

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MORE than half of all new cars sold in Norway in 2017 were electric or hybrid models. Zero-emission cars made up a fifth, while hybrids accounted for a third of all sales, said the Norwegian Road Federation. The stats put Norway firmly at the front of the electric revolution. The Scandinavian nation is planning to ensure that all new cars sold are entirely electric by 2025. Meanwhile the UK plans to ban petrol and diesel by 2040. Norwegians are buying green cars in record numbers for several reasons. Drivers of electric vehicles enjoy lower road taxes, free use of ferries and tolls, and free parking. They can recharge their cars freely and can use

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British favourites

Driving a Reliant Robin is about as dangerous as inviting your mum over for an evening on ChatRoulette.” Some might say...

Northern light Norway goes green

TOP UP: Teslas rule the roost in Norway. bus lanes alongside taxis. O n e o f t h e w o r l d ’s wealthiest countries, critics attacked Norway for

WHILE British production took a hit with lower domestic demand in 2017, German manufacturers are reaping a bumper harvest. Volk swa g e n r e v e a le d th a t it h as shaken off the emissions scandal, producing a record-busting six million vehicles last year alone. They were built in 50 factories worldwide. Last year brought Volkswagen’s total production since the first post-war

giving tax cuts to some of its richest citizens, who could drive an expensive Tesla Model X on the bus

lane while paying almost no tax. A c o n t r o v e r s i a l Te s l a t a x͛ w a s i n t r o d u c e d o n

German efficiency civilian Beetle debuted in 1946 to 150 million vehicles. The figures don’t include production from other brands under the VK umbrella, including Audi, Seat and Skoda. Meanwhile in Munich, BMW cele-

brated the production of its 100,000th electric car in 2017 by lighting up its 100-metre-tall headquarters. Electric cars now account for 7 per cent of all BMW sales in Western Europe and the United States.

electric vehicles weighing over 2,000 kilos, but quickly scrapped. Norway is the biggest o i l p r o d u c e r i n We s t e r n Europe but also produces 98 per cent of its electrici t y f r o m h y d r o p o w e r, making electric cars clean and reliable. The only hurdle in the way of achieving the 2025 goal is manufacturing might. It takes longer to produce electric cars and, while demand might be rising, sceptics wonder whether car makers can keep up. There are now long waiting lists for electric cars and delivery schedules are notoriously lengthy. But the Norwegian experiment will be watched keenly by other European nations.

BRITAIN’S biggest used car website Auto Trader has revealed its most searched for used cars of 2017. The BMW 3 Series was the most searched for car for the seventh year running as the British public’s love affair with the German classic. It beat stiff competition from the Volkswagen Golf, which is also one of the UK’s most popular new cars. The midsize Mercedes Benz C-Class scooped third spot, making an all-German top three. The Ford Focus came in fourth, proving more popular second-hand than the Fiesta, which leads Britain’s new car sales. Fifth spot was another BMW, this time the 1 Series. The rest of the top 10 was made up by the BMW 5 Series, Ford Fiesta, Audi A3, Mercedes Benz E-Class, and the evergreen Vauxhall Astra.

Stylish SUVs hit market Sleek and affordable THE luxury division in the SUV market has been heating up with Bentley, Jaguar, Range Rover and Audi vying for supremacy. But more affordable options are now on the market with the release of Renault’s latest five-seater Koleos and the new look seven-seater Sorento from Kia. The Koleos is by no means cheap, with a starting price of £27,500 (€30,900). Renault offers drivers a lot of bang for their buck with ample space compensating for less seats than the average SUV. The boot can be expanded to 1,690 litres. For those keen on their gadgets, Renault offers an upgrade on the Koleos, the Initiale Paris line, which begins at £36,700 (€41,200). For the extra 10 grand drivers get heated Nappa leather seats, an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, TomTom satellite navigation, LED headlights, a panoramic

sunroof which opens and a 13-speaker Bose stereo. There’s a spare wheel, automatic parking sensors and even cup holders which can be heated and chilled. The Initiale Paris comes powered by a 2.0 litre dCi 175 turbodiesel engine with an all-wheel drive and automatic gearbox. Deliveries start in spring. Kia’s popular Sorento has been given a sporty GT-Line Series for 2018. This large SUV boasts all-black leather seats, LED headlamps, twin exhausts and an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with a six-speed manual alternative available. There is a 2.2 litre CRDi turbodiesel engine. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available on all models and the SUV retains Kia’s trademark ice cube fog lights. Prices range from £28,995 (€32,600) to £41,995 (€47,200) for the GT-Line S automatic.

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Rock ‘n’ Roll for Jose MANCHESTER UNITED’S Premier League’s fixture against struggling Stoke City at Old Trafford will be just another ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ day for Red’s gaffer Jose Mourinho. “The king of the rock and roll said I was underperforming,” said Mourinho. Ex-Real Madrid boss Mourinho, who enters the final 12 months of his existing annual £12m deal this summer, has pointed the finger at Oasis star Noel Gallagher, fan of arch rivals Manchester City. Gallagher aired his views after City’s 2-1 win against United in December: “It’s payback time. Respect to the United fans who clapped Pep Guardiola. “They know they’ve seen something special. The hypocrisy of the man (Mourinho) is staggering,” said Gallagher, referring to Mourinho’s post-match comments, which took issue with the nature of City’s win. United, who host Stoke on Monday, have invoked options to extend the con-

UKSPORTSCENE with Andrew Atkinson tracts of Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Ashley Young and Daley Blind until the end of next season. Bestikas are linked with Marouane Fellaini, 30, out of contract at the end of the season. Fellaini, who joined United in 2013 in a £27.5m move from Everton, has rejected a

WILL HE STAY?: Mourinho has said he wants to extend his stay at Manchester United.

SPORTSCENESPAIN with Andrew Atkinson EVERTON striker Las Palmas born Sandro Ramirez could be set to depart Goodison Park, just seven months after arriving from Malaga last summer in a £5.2m move. Toffees boss Sam Allardyce continues to trawl the January transfer window to bring in more firepower after signing striker Cenk Tosun, 26, from Besiktas for £27m. “Securing the player is most important as the club’s biggest area of concern is the number of goals we’re capable of getting,” said Big Sam. Sandro, 22, whose future is unclear on Merseyside, eyed Champions League football this season, citing sacked manager Ronald Koeman as one of the reasons he joined Everton. On Sandro, Allardyce, who replaced Koeman in November, said: “There’s never a guarantee when a top player comes from abroad that he will settle in his first year. “And certainly not settle when the team isn’t doing very well. Every new player that came from abroad would find it difficult to

new contract. United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Mourinho’s advisers are set for talks over extending his stay: “My commitment is total and I want to stay,” said Mourinho. Premier League fixtures: Saturday: Spurs v Everton; Newcastle v Swansea; Chelsea v Leicester; Crystal Palace v Burnley; Huddersfield v WHU; WBA v Brighton; Watford v Southampton. Sunday: Bournemouth v Arsenal; Liverpool v Manchester City. Monday: Manchester United v Stoke.

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‘Rocket Ronnie’ still potting balls, not plants RONNIE O’SULLIVAN who won a record seventh Masters title in 2017 when defeating Joe Perry 10-7 in the final at London’s Alexandra Palace, says: “It’s just a job. “I still like playing, but for me it’s just a job,” said O’Sullivan, in his 26th year on the green baize, who plays Marco Fu on January 16. O’Sullivan, who has earned his nickname as ‘The Rocket’ with 31 ranking tournament wins, won the UK Snooker Championship in December, potting another £450,000 first prize. “It’s not always about the money,” said Sullivan, edging towards a milestone £10m career winnings, following his bow on the green baize in 1992. World Champion in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013, Sullivan pocketed the £200,000

Spain Europe Global World of SPORT with Andrew Atkinson ANDY MURRAY’S hopes that 2018 would be a better year than his injury plagued 2017 is in tatters with the former world number one’s hip injury woes continuing. “I want to be fit and healthy. It isn’t about winning every match or winning more slams,” said Murray, who missed almost five months with hip issues in 2017. Murray, who underwent an intensive programme of rehabilitation in preparation for 2018, withdrew from the Brisbane International and the Australian Open this month, due to his long-term hip injury.

Ex-Malaga star, Barca prodigy Sandro set for Spain return?

STRUGGLES: Sandro (centre) has failed to make an impact at Everton.

first prize, when successfully defending his 2016 Masters title, superseding Stephen Hendry’s six Masters wins. “It is great to get some records. To win seven, someone up there is looking after me,” said O’Sullivan, who once told me he’d rather be potting plants, than balls. All Masters matches, up to and including the Semi Finals, will be best of 11 frames. The Final is best of 19 frames. Draw: January 14: Mark Allen v Luca Brecel; Mark Selby v Mark Williams. January 15: Ding Junhui v Ryan Day; Judd Trump v Liang Wenbo. January 16: Ronnie O’Sullivan v Marco Fu; Barry Hawkins v Kyren Wilson. January 17: Shaun Murphy v Ali Carter; John Higgins v Anthony McGill.

“I had every intention of making a strong start to the year,” rued Murray, who rose to world number one in 2016, now ranked 16th. Murray, who spent off-season in Miami, returning to the UK in December, could be suffering a torn labrum. A hip labral tear involves the ring of cartilage - labrum. The Australian Open starts in Melbourne on January 15 and Murray said: “Sadly I won’t be playing in Melbourne. I am not yet ready to compete.” If Murray is suffering a torn labrum surgery would be fraught with uncertainty. A hip labral tear may predispose osteoarthritis in the future. Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray who has not played a competitive match since Wimbledon - considering surgery, said: “I just want to enjoy playing again.”

perform to his best level when the team struggles.” Everton were in dire straights under Koeman - sacked after the 5-2 home defeat against Arsenal in October - that left them in the Premier League relegation zone. Sandro has been linked with a loan move to Valencia in the January window, with a view to a permanent move. Sandro started his career at Barcelona where he was a member of the youth academy, aged 14, and went on to make 17 first team appearances in La Liga, during 201416. Released by Barca, Sandro joined Malaga on a three year deal in July 2016. A year later he moved to Everton on a four year deal after triggering a £5.2m release clause. With just 15 appearances in all competitions Sandro has netted a sole goal, having featured in Europa League football, the Premier League and the EFL Cup. Spurs host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, with Newcastle hosting Swansea and Chelsea hosting Leicester. Sunday January 14: Bournemouth v Arsenal; Liverpool v Manchester City. January 15: Manchester United v Stoke.

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PHILIPPE COUTINHO has officially signed for Barcelona for a fee that could reportedly total €160 million. The Brazilian was officially presented at a ceremony held at the Camp Nou on Monday after passing a medical.

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IT is safe to say that things haven’t quite gone to plan for Malaga CF so far this season. After Monday’s 1-0 loss to Espanyol, Los Boquerones sit in a perilous position. Following defeat to fellow relegation rivals Alaves in their final match of 2017, coupled with Monday’s loss, the Malaguistas sit second from bottom on 11 points; five points and four goals adrift of safety. Things are currently looking pretty bleak, but are there signs of hope for the rest of the season? We look at the stats that show there may be hope of a revival after the New Year and it is too soon to write off Malaga just yet.

Post Christmas cheer

T Christmas last season, Malaga were sitting pretty. On December 18, 2016, Malaga were in 11th position on 19 points, having only lost just five of their first 16 matches in the La Liga season. Fast forward to this season and there is a stark contrast. Sat deep in relegation trouble, it is difficult to see a way out for them, but Los Boquerones have a knack for picking up

points after Christmas. Last year, 56 per cent of the team’s total 45 points came after the Christmas break as they went on a five match unbeaten run in April and May, where they picked up 13 points from a possible 15. Their after Christmas form is undoubtedly a feat they will have to continue if they are to avoid the drop at the climax of the season.

Credit: @MALAGACF/Twitter

Signs of hope for Malaga? RELEGATION BATTLE: Can Malaga beat the drop?

Results against teams around them DESPITE somewhat unfavourable results against their relegation rivals this season, Malaga’s form against those in and around them reads positively for the rest of the season. Malaga have lost just once in seven matches in their previous four seasons against Deportivo La Coruña, winning four, including the dramatic 3-2 win at La Rosaleda in November. They also similarly had a good run of results against both Las Palmas (W2 D1 2L) and Levante (W2 D2 L1) across the last four seasons. While results against the other teams vary, it is safe to say they will need to get the wins

against the teams around them to have any chance of survival. TRANSFER WINDOW The January transfer window will be key to Malaga’s season and if they are to have any chance of survival then they seriously need to strengthen a number of key positions. Los Boquerones have leaked goals in La Liga so far this season, 31 to be precise, while only managing two clean sheets and desperately need new recruits to stop leaking goals. Former Arsenal defender Ignasi Miquel and midfielder Manuel Iturra have already signed on in the hope of shoring up the defence, but they may

not be enough. Similarly they have the joint second worst scoring stats in La Liga, with just 13 goals all season. Midfielders Chory Castro and Diego Rolan lead the way with three apiece, while Borja Baston, a loan signing from Swansea in the summer, has managed just two goals in all competitions. But with Alberto Bueno signing on loan from FC Porto for the remainder of the season, and rumours of former striker Sandro returning after struggling to make an impact in the Premier League with Everton, Malaga are already taking a step in the right direction.