15 - 21 February 2018
COSTA DE ALMERÍA YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION Photo by credit Guardia Civil, National Police and AgenciaTributaria
ISSUE NO. 1702
Armed bank robbers at large after heist TWO men are on the run after taking hundreds of euros in cash from a bank in the El Alquian neighbourhood of Almeria City. The armed robbers entered the bank and began threatening workers who were inside. There were no customers there when the men robbed the branch and no-one was injured. They left the bank with an unspecified amount of money but it is believed they made off with a few hundred euros, according to Spanish media. Police tried to block roads leading out of the area but the robbers were able to escape. Officers are now investigating the heist which took place at 2pm last Thursday afternoon. The robbery follows another bank heist in the province in January. Two hooded thieves reportedly entered a branch in Gador and took cash at gunpoint before fleeing in a getaway car with a third accomplice. Robberies in homes and businesses fell by 10 per cent in the province in the first half of 2017 according to data from Spain’s Interior Ministry. Violent robberies such as these bank heists fell further by 20 per cent in the same period. Almeria’s overall crime rate dropped by 2.8 per cent.
DRUG BUST: Police seized several kilos of cocaine from the warehouse-turned-laboratory.
Drug ring reeled in! €25m fine for cocaine traffickers after raid by Joe Gerrard The members of a gang who smuggled cocaine from Latin America to Spain via Almeria have been handed jail sentences and fines of up to €25 million by the country’s High Court. Five of the 14 defendants were arrested in Almeria following a police probe into the drugs trafficking network which had set up a laboratory near Las Salinas de Cabo de Gata. The network had operations in Valencia, Madrid and Cadiz and those convicted have each been sentenced to a total of 22 years in prison following the court ruling. Gang members including their leaders in Columbia organised shipments of the drug from South America to Spain where it arrived hidden in
containers at the ports of Valencia and Cadiz. The cocaine was hidden among bananas and palm flour and was then taken to Almeria to be refined in a warehouse the group had turned into a drugs laboratory. The site, referred to by those in the network as ‘the workshop,’ was set up to extract the drug and package it for sale. Police raided the warehouse and found almost six kilos of cocaine close to 90 per cent pure, according to analysis.
The amount discovered was valued at around €275,000 but it would have made the gang much more once it had been mixed with other substances before being sold. Officers also seized caustic soda, weighing scales, a hydraulic press and an inventory of chemicals used to produce the drug for consumption. The network used the Madrid agency to manage their money. Anti-money laundering officers from the Guardia Civil raided it during the national operation which took place in July 2014.
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€120,000 paid out for error THE Andalucian Health Service (SAS) has paid out €120,000 to a family for malpractice after a 70-year-old woman died while undergoing an operation. The husband and two children of the 70-year-old received the compensation after the woman’s death during neck surgery at Torrecardenas Hospital. The patient developed a blood clot after an operation on her thyroid gland. Fluid began to enter her throat which made it difficult for her to breathe. Doctors then attempted to open her throat to create a passage for air when they could not place a tube in her throat. The woman’s windpipe was torn during this procedure, which led to blood and air going into her lungs and caused them to collapse. She then died of lung and heart failure, according to reports. The Patient Advocate association, which deals with hospital malpractice cases, said doctors had taken no action to avoid the consequences of the woman’s torn windpipe. The family of the woman filed a complaint in court against the hospital which led to the opening of legal proceedings.
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NEWS EXTRA Official guilty AN Almerian environmental official on trial for defrauding public coffers of around €240,000 has been found guilty following a unanimous jury verdict. Prosecutors have requested eight years in prison for the civil servant.
Car crash FOUR people, including a pregnant woman who were involved in a three vehicle road accident in Roquetas de Mar, have been taken to hospital in El Ejido.
Stowaway A 51-YEAR-OLD who hid a migrant inside the engine of his van for the length of a ferry journey from Melilla to mainland Spain has been sentenced to one year in prison.
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Tool thieves held Picture credit Guardia Civil
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TWO men who allegedly stole power tools worth a total of €6,000 have been arrested by the Guardia Civil. Police began investigating the SCREWED UP: Officers seized power suspects after a tools worth thousands of euros after man from Los stopping the men. Gallardos made a complaint saying workers to get it finished. that his tools had gone missPolice have now sent proing. ceedings to a court in Vera. The 23 and 25-year-olds were then picked up after officers stopped them in their car in Garrucha. The men, from Garrucha and Carboneras respectively, were seen acting nervously by police who then stopped and searched the vehicle. They reportedly found several high-end professional tools which they later traced to the victim through the registration numbers on them. The complainant told police his work had been delayed because of the theft and that he had to borrow tools from other
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Teacher accused of showing students porn Prosecutors: He said killing women is as bad as slaughtering livestock by Joe Gerrard A TEACHER accused of showing pornography and promoting sexist violence to students could go to jail for three years if the court accepts prosecutors’ requests. The court heard the defendant, who worked at a school in Seron, projected videos and pictures onto the classroom screen and locked the door so passersby would not intervene. He told students that killing a woman should be considered the same as slaughtering a goat or a cow. The teacher also deliberately erased drawings and messages written on the classroom chalkboard promoting gender equality, according to reports. The man worked as a temporary teacher at the school from September 2015 to January 2016. Prosecutors said that he began expressing his opinions about women being inferior to men soon after he started taking classes there. He said women were ‘useless’ and that they should stay at home to do housework. He also told students that women should be responsible
for raising children. The defendant took part in events to mark the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with second year students on November 25, 2015. He reportedly told them that the day’s motto, which is: ‘Enough, open your eyes,’ should instead be: ‘Enough, open your legs and let’s go to bed.’ The man said the day should be spent putting pictures of women killed on the wall so stones could be thrown at them. He also said games where men earned points for shooting women and punching them in the head with boxing gloves should be created to mark the day, prosecutors said. The court also heard the teacher showed first year students pornography he had found online during most of a maths revision class. Prosecutors have asked the court to sentence the defendant to three and a half years in prison for hate crimes and sexual provocation. They have also requested that he be disqualified from teaching for a total of 10 years and be fined €10 per day for a period of nine months.
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Hunters caught SIX people have been caught hunting illegally on private land near Tahal in what authorities said was an important achievement in the fight against poaching. The hunters were reportedly trying to drive l a rg e g a m e i n a n i l l e g a l ‘ h o o k ’ when environmental agents picked them up.
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TACKLING ABUSE: DAVID NOON EXPLORES THE GENDER VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC THAT CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THROUGHOUT SPAIN
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Year of the Dog
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Finance 29
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SEVENTEEN towns and cities in Almeria have less than 10 per cent of people out of work, which is technically classed as full employment. Figures also showed more than 50 municipalities were losing 5 per cent of their population every year.
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Sports funds
DOG DAYS: Celebrations typically an explosion of sound and light - will take place in major Spanish cities including Madrid and Barcelona.
THE Andalucian Sports minister has unveiled plans to invest in improvements for sports facilities in six of Almeria’s towns. Francisco Javier Fernandez said more than €513,600 would be spent on modernising and repairing the facilities while on a visit to Fiñana on Monday.
THE residents of Vicar have been asked to help choose a name inspired by female literary figures for the Barrio Archilla-Cañada Sebastiana library. Clara Campoamor, Rosa Chacel, Maria Zambrano and Maria Moliner are on the shortlist of names for the vote which closes March 23.
Exports grow SALES of fruit and vegetables from Almeria to Asia were six times bigger in 2017 than five years before at almost €38 million. Sweet oranges, blueberries, garlic and products from extracts made up around 40 per cent of exports between January and November last year.
PLUS THE REGULARS News
Job figures
Library name
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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Spain to mark Chinese New Year THE countdown to one of the world’s most colourful celebrations is almost over. Ushering in the Year of the Dog symbolising luck - Chinese New Year 2018 starts tomorrow (Friday). Around a sixth of the world’s population is gearing up for the event, including tens of thousands in Spain. Following the lunar calendar and
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taking place on a different day between January and February each year, festivities continue for around two weeks. Normally starting by sweeping their homes, Chinese people also celebrate by decorating with red posters and lanterns, setting off fireworks, eating traditional food and attending dragon puppet parades, while children often
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receive ‘luck money’ in red envelopes or increasingly via a special app. Each year is given a name from the Chinese zodiac, with each of the 12 sections represented by an animal. Famous dogs include Dame Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Alan Rickman, Steven Spielberg, both Prince William and Kate Middleton, Justin Bieber, and Madonna.
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Health & Beauty 52 - 53
Social 54 - 56
Albox 58 - 61
Pets 65
Classifieds 66 - 67
Sport 71
The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1701 of the Euro Weekly News Costa de Almería edition, including 56 local stories.
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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Something’s goat to give
POLL OF THE WEEK Do you agree with Formula 1’s decision to replace grid girls with grid kids? LAST WEEK’S POLL: Would you prefer to see La Liga or Premier League coverage in the Sports section of the Euro Weekly print edition?
Both 54% Photo by Coixet/instagram
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TOP BILLY GOAT: A young single man from Bielsa dressed as a ‘Tranga.’ THIS is a ‘Tranga,’ in other words one of the young single men from the village of Bielsa in the Pyrenees who dresses in the skin and horns of a male goat and scares the children during the annual carnival. The Bielsa Carnival is the town’s most important festival of the year. It has been celebrated unchanged allegedly since the beginning of the village’s origins, retaining the essence of the tradition and the characters involved. In the past, the celebrations used to go on until Shrove Tuesday, but now have been confined to the last weekend before Lent. Neither the Spanish Civil War nor the ensuing dictatorship put a halt to the festivities. The Trangas dress up as goats, wearing a skirt, sandals and bells hanging around their waist. Their faces are painted black with soot and oil
and they carry a large stick, also called a ‘Tranga’ hence their name. The Trangas symbolise fertility, and are charged with ‘picking up’ the single women at the door of their houses during the carnival. The young women are called the ‘Madamas,’ they dress in regional costume which usually consists of silk dresses, white stockings and shoes and coloured ribbons. They adorn themselves with earrings and necklaces and are considered a symbol of purity The carnival begins with the making of ‘Cornelio Zorrilla’ - a doll made from old clothes stuffed with straw - on Thursday night that is hung in the window of the town hall throughout the carnival. The party then ends on Sunday evening, when Cornelio Zorrilla is judged for his misdeeds, sentenced to death and burned at the stake.
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SCAM: Some of the money seized.
Expat couple ‘ran €700,000 online scam’ in southern Spain ‘Heart breaking’ death leaves dog rescue centre in crisis
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Snow in Spain: Planes, trains and automobiles affected
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In pictures: Traffic freezes as Spain is covered in snow
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Weather experts warn of freezing temperatures as low as -12º Celsius in Spain
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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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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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OUR VIEW
Don’t look back in anger IT has become clear that the majority of expatriates living in Europe are opposed to Brexit and would prefer to maintain the status quo. Looking back, it would appear that David Cameron could not have been more mistaken in his belief that the British electorate would vote to remain in the European Union and had he not been so gung ho, he could still be in power. The concept of expatriate rights to vote has been something of a moveable feast with no obvious rhyme nor reason to the current 15-year limit which has also been 20 years and seven years at different times. One of the election promises given by the conservatives prior to the 2015 general election was that expatriates who had been registered to vote or had been born in the UK would have the right to vote, granting the franchise back to those who had lost it. That was three years ago and finally, the government is getting its act together in order to return the vote but arguably for Cameron and the country, it’s too little, too late! Having found the time to force through the referendum bill, it was ironic that the government couldn’t actually grant the promised rights to the disenfranchised who were probably more interested in voting on their immediate future than voting in a second general election (which they missed anyway). Had Mr Cameron actually given expatriates the right to vote in the Referendum it is possible that Brexit would be a broken dream for the likes of Nigel Farage, David Davis and Jacob Rees Mogg.
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One dead after head-on crash A MAN has died after his car crashed into another on the A-344 road near Purchena. Two women were also hurt in the collision which saw both vehicles hit each other head-on. The 27 and 41-year-olds were trapped in their car and the 32-year-old man was lying on the road when emergency services arrived on the scene, according to witnesses. The man was taken to the Hospital of Baza in Granada Province but died before the ambulance arrived. The 27-year-old was hurt slightly and the 41-year-old suffered multiple injuries following the crash on Monday afternoon.
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Ex-partner strikes out
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Phot
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THE ex-girlfriend of Stoke’s Spanish footballer Jese Rodriguez has spoken out about their acrimonious split. In an interview with Look magazine Aurah Ruiz, 28, said: “I found out that Jese broke up with me via Twitter.” She went on to slap down claims that the striker - currently on loan at the Premier League club -makes regular checks on baby son Nyan, who was born prematurely last ed June and has remained in
‘INJURED’: Alicia Campello, Álvaro Morata and (inset) the offending dance move.
hospital since. It comes after Rodriguez recently announced his separation on social media, as he wrote: “I want to ask respect for her [Aurah], my children, relatives and my person, since we have had very difficult and delicate moments for our son Nyan.” Aurah responded: “Do not ask them to respect me and your son when you were the first to have disrespected us. “You failed us at the worst moment of our lives.”
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Aura h Ruiz. Photo by Elsa Pataky/Instagram
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STOKED: Chris and Elsa.
Chelsea star faces WAG backlash CHELSEA’S €65 million Spanish striker Alvaro Morata has set tongues wagging on social media. It comes after manager Antonio Conte said that the forward might not play again this season due to a niggling back injury. But the 25-year-old ex-Real Madrid hitman’s wife shared a video in which the couple are seen dancing before he lifts her into the air. Currently pregnant with twins, Italian model Alice Campello, 22, captioned the video: ‘I love youuu my heart’s friend.’ And Chelsea fans were not impressed, as one wrote: ‘He’s supposed to have a bad back!!!!’ Another added: ‘He should play instead of dancing.’ The attacker has struggled to settle in London following his summer transfer, despite bagging 10 goals in 20 Premier League games. He recently told Spanish media that “Madrid is Madrid” amid rumours that French club Paris St Germain are set to target him this summer.
Land of Oz TH EY ’R E the movie s ta r couple who enjoy chilling out a t the ir B yron B a y home. B ut Thor a c tor C hris H e ms w orth, 34, ha s re vealed that it wasn’t easy to convince Spanish wife Elsa
Pataky, 41, to move Down Under. “I just needed to show it to her. I just needed to bring he r her e and t hen i t was hard to get her to leave,” he s a id i n a m agazi ne i nt erview.
Celeb focus Totally syked! SHE’S the forBY ‘ECK: Melanie mer BoddingSykes. ton’s girl who recently admitted that she prefers a toyboy lover. And it has emerged that Melanie Sykes, 47, has been secretly dating German pro golfer Martin Kaymer, 33, for three years. A comparison of their social media photos revealed that they are often in the same place at the same time, and have visited Spain ‘together’ on several occasions.
Booze warning ONE of the stars of hit TV sitcom Benidorm has hit out at the drinking culture on the show. Sherrie Hewson, 67, told UK media: “We are drinking ourselves to death. “When I first started Benidorm… I was out every night, it nearly killed me. It had to stop.”
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Local population grows by more than 2,700 ALMERIA was one of the few provinces in Spain which saw its population grow in 2017, with the amount of people living in the province now at more than 706,600. There were 2,735 more people living in the province in January 2017 compared to the same time the year before, according to official census figures. The data, collected by both Andalucian and national statistics bodies, showed Roquetas de Mar to have the largest population of the province’s urban areas after Almeria City last year. The town was larger than El Ejido which is the third biggest in terms of the number of people living there. Nijar, Vicar and Adra were also among the towns and cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants. Figures showed more than half of the province’s population lived in three urban areas: Almeria, Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido. There were more towns and villages with less than 500 people than any other group of settlements in terms of the number of inhabitants, at 36 out of 103. The residents of these
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
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GROWING POPULATION: Almeria City, Roquetas de Mar and El Ejido were the three biggest urban areas in the province as of January 2017. towns made up 1.4 per cent of the province’s total population. The number of foreign residents in Almeria stood at more than 137,500. Almost 66,000 of these were African making them the largest group of non-Spanish people in the province. Around 52,000 of these were Moroccan.
Europeans made up the next largest group at around 58,540. Romanians made up the largest group of people from the continent at almost 26,000, followed by British nationals at more than 14,100. Most of the non-Spanish population was concentrated in the west of Almeria in the area around El Ejido, Roquetas and Nijar.
Police find man on sofa after wife assault A MAN who allegedly assaulted his wife was found lying down on the sofa by police after they were called to their home in Almeria City. Police arrived at the home on the Calle Hernan Cortes after being called
by the couple’s daughter who was reportedly on the phone to her mother during the assault. They found the 67-year-old woman crying in the doorway. She told them she had just been assaulted by her husband and was hurt after
trying to defend herself with her arm. She said he had also psychologically abused her, according to reports. Police then went inside the house and found her 63-year-old husband lying down on the sofa. He re-
portedly admitted to hitting his wife so police arrested and charged him for gender violence crimes. The man is now being held while police make a report on the alleged assault which took place at 2.30pm last Saturday.
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Photo by Guardia Civil
Man held for lamb theft
BURGLED: The lambs were reunited with their owner and mothers after being found by police. A 43-YEAR-OLD who allegedly burgled six lambs from a farm in Berja has been arrested. Police began investigating after receiving a complaint from a farmer who said six of his animals were missing. The thief is believed to have jumped over the farm’s wall and forced open the metal fence of a pen where the
lambs were kept. He then stole the threemonth-old animals which their owner said were valued at around €240, according to the Guardia Civil. Police recovered the animals after a series of visits to neighbouring farms to track them down. They spoke to the owner of one farm in the Rambla del Boqueron area of
Your Belgian estate agent at the coast! You
Berja who said he had lambs which matched the description of those reported stolen. The animals were then returned to the complainant’s farm and began suckling from their mothers when they arrived. Officers then arrested the suspect on burglary charges. They have now sent proceedings to a court in Berja.
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Mayors meet to strengthen ties
BUILDING TIES: The two mayors (centre) met in Lorca to commit to closer cooperation between the town and Huercal-Overa.
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provincial borders the truth is that we are brothers with a lot in common,” he added. Mayor Fernandez said that although it had been 350 years since Huercal-Overa left Lorca’s municipal area, the roots, customs and traditions of the two towns remained the same. “We both want to strengthen this relationship so that both of our populations can benefit,” he said. The mayors said in a joint statement that they would have to work together to address issues relevant to both towns and to build a partnership that would benefit everyone. “Our relationship has to be close and we have to grow together. Hence this meeting between the councils’ members, which has been so important,” they said.
Boat thief could face 4 years in prison A MOROCCAN man accused of stealing a boat to transport 22 migrants could face more than four years in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors said the man used the boat to transport the Moroccan citizens, two of which were children, from Africa to Europe. He charged them between €800 and €900 for the journey aboard the five-metre long boat and did not provide lifejackets or lighting to them. The boat was intercepted by the Guardia Civil around 4.5 nautical miles south of
Photo by Salvamento Maritimo
OFFICIALS from two towns have held talks at Lorca’s city hall in a bid to promote initiatives that would benefit both areas. Fulgencio Gil, the mayor of Lorca hosted Huercal-Overa’s mayor, Domingo Fernandez for a meeting which saw the two politicians attempt to foster closer relations between their towns and citizens. The mayors were joined by officials and councillors from the Murcian and Almerian towns. Both leaders said relations between the two urban centres had to be close so they could both grow together. Mayor Gil said: “Lorca and Huercal-Overa have shared a common history for almost 200 years. We are frontier lands and we have inherited a rebellious and fighting spirit going back to the Middle Ages. “Although we are divided by
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Photo by Huercal-Overa council
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STOLEN BOAT: The man is accused of charging passengers more than €800 for the voyage. Balanegra at 11.40pm on July 31, 2017. The man allegedly worked with others to organise the crossing and piloted
the boat himself. He has been charged with crimes against the rights of foreign citizens and is set for
a court trial. Prosecutors have requested he be handed a total of four and a half years in jail if he is found guilty.
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A MAGISTRATE voted against her colleagues by ruling in favour of a man found guilty of using Twitter to call for the return of the militant Basque separatist group. Manuela Fernandez Prado, who was on the bench during the case, said because the group was no longer active, the Almeria defendant had not broken the law. The 43-year-old was found guilty by a majority of the magistrates over the tweets in which he praised ETA and other militant groups. He said it was ‘a pity’ the revolutionary Basque nationalist group were no longer active and they were an ‘example’ to be followed, according to reports. “You r e m e m b e r w h e n E TA pierced bosses and flew patrols. I remember it with tears, what good times,” he said on Twitter. The bosses and patrols mentioned were reportedly a reference to the group’s attacks on police officers. He also tweeted: “In my mind, you were an example to follow. It is a pity that you are not among us. “In the end it has been demonstrated that ETA was right,” he
Picture credit: Wikimedia Commons
Terror Twitter controversy
CELEBRATING TERROR: The ETA were active in Spain from 1958 to 2011. added in a post on the social network. The court said in its ruling that the man humiliated the victims of terrorism with his contempt and that he had shown nostalgia for the groups’ attacks. “We found ourselves before a series of messages which extolled and cheered the historical figures
of ETA terrorism,” the court said. “The hatred towards those who do not think like him is evident. So is the contempt for those he designates for hypothetical and desired terrorist targets by publicising a message of action against them. These are grounds for condemnation.” Prado argued, in her not guilty
decision, that it was not clear from the tweets that the defendant wanted to justify the actions of the groups or humiliate their victims. The magistrate pointed to a tweet posted about the assassination of a militant leader in 1978 and said it was more of a case of the defendant memorialising them. “The tweets are published on the
anniversary of his death. They mean to commemorate that date, which would be protected by freedom of expression, as it lacks any other connotations,” she said. She added the tweets were ‘vulgar ’ but that they did not make a direct appeal to terrorist action. “These facts should not be classified as glorifying terrorism and humiliating the victims of it. Therefore the defendant should be acquitted,” the magistrate said. ETA, or Basque Fatherland and Liberty group, was officially active from 1958 until 2011 when it declared an end to its armed operations. The NGO Amnesty International condemned the group for what it said were its crimes and human rights abuses. It also criticised Spain’s anti-terrorist policies against the group. The Spanish government have attempted negotiations with the group since the end of the Franco regime in 1975. Several ceasefires followed before the group laid down its arms in 2011. It then declared a complete end to operations in March 2017.
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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Picture credit: Guardia Civil
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NEWS EXTRA School strike MORE than 1,000 teachers supported a walk out over job uncertainty and in defence of public education last Friday, with 20 to 60 per cent of them attending protests in cities in Almeria.
Pulpi budget ALMOST €12 million will be spent by Pulpi Council in 2018 under budget plans approved last week, with medals also conferred on Local Police officers during the meeting.
Moped arrest A 34-YEAR-OLD man stopped, while riding his scooter without a licence, has been arrested in Almeria City after police found him using the licence of his older brother.
SEIZED: Various quantities of drugs were found in the suspect’s bag.
Drug ‘cooks’ held TWO men who allegedly prepared and packaged drugs for sale in Roquetas de Mar have been arrested by the Guardia Civil. Police began investigating the 24 and 51-year-old after suspecting that they were involved in the mixing and cutting of the substances. Officers then put houses under surveillance until they saw one of the men carrying a backpack through the neighbourhood.
Police followed the man as he went down several streets in the area until he reached the entrance to a building. They watched as he met another man before one went inside. Police reportedly then identified the other and stopped him to search the bag he was carrying. Almost 20 grams of cocaine, some in rock and the rest in powder, more than five grams of heroin and
various tools used to prepare the drugs were inside it. Police then arrested the man and seized the substances. The contents of the bag led police to believe the man was responsible for ‘cooking’ the drugs before their sale. The other man was arrested on the following day (last Friday). Both men have been charged and proceedings have been sent to a court in Roquetas de Mar.
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Civil war massacre remembered By Joe Gerrard THE Adra branch of the Partido Socialista (PSOE) has commemorated La Desbanda in which thousands of civilians fleeing from Malaga to Almeria died during the Spanish Civil War. Rafael Quirosa, a history professor at the University of Almeria and Martirio Tesoro, from Rocamar historical memory association was also at the event which marked 81 years since the massacre. Those at the anniversary event discussed the consequences of the fall of Malaga to nationalist rebels in the conflict. The flight to Almeria began after Francoist troops occupied Malaga with the help of Italian forces. According to estimates tens of thousands of people tried to leave the city for Almeria along the only road into Republican territory still open. Nationalist forces then bombarded the column of civilians with battleships and warplanes. Many of those in the villages on the route to Almeria refused to help the refugees due to fear of Francoist reprisals.
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NATIONAL
‘Drunk’ mother arrested with baby POLICE in Spain have arrested a woman for allegedly being drunk in the street and carrying a baby ‘on the verge of hypothermia’ in temperatures of -2 celsius in the early hours of the morning. Police said the baby was totally soaked and
without warm clothes or a coat when they stopped the woman in the Usera neighbourhood of Madrid. Health workers confirmed the baby was on the verge of hypothermia. When the police contacted the father, they
discovered the pair were separating and that another child could possibly be home alone. There they found a young girl sleeping and with the house windows open. The girl confirmed that she had been alone since she left school in the afternoon and that
the only thing she had eaten was a sandwich. Police took the little girl to her grandparents’ house to take care of her. The father told the police of his intention to denounce the mother of the two children for ‘abandonment of minors.’
VOTING RIGHTS: Britons who have lived abroad for more than 15 years are currently not allowed to cast their vote in the country.
UK government may extend expatriate voters’ rights BRITISH expatriates who have lived abroad for more than 15 years could soon be able to vote in the country’s elections, the government has said. The announcement is part of plans to enfranchise anyone living overseas who was previously a resident of or registered to vote in Britain. Plans for expatriate voting rights are currently making their way through Parliament and have now received official government backing. The second reading of the Overseas Electors Bill, tabled by Glyn Davies MP,
is set for February 23. Chloe Smith, Britain’s Constitution Minister said the plans were part of the country’s efforts to show it was an outwardlooking nation. “Participation in our democracy is a fundamental part of being British, no matter how far you have travelled from the UK. “It is right that we should remove the 15-year time limit on voting rights of British citizens living overseas and allow those who previously lived in the UK the chance to participate in our
democracy,” she said. The announcement follows a commitment to extend expatriate voting rights made by the governing Conservative party in their election manifesto. A public consultation held on the proposal has now closed. Current rules state that people who have been out of the country for longer than 15 years lose the vote in British elections and referendums. Expatriates have the lowest level of voter registration of any group, according to government sources.
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NATIONAL
A PAINTING depicting the Apostle Santiago has been covered in a church in Membrilla for reportedly being ‘too sexy and erotic.’ The portrait was donated to the church by renowned Membrillan artist Antonio Ximenez Muñoz, and portrays the Apostle in a knee-length tunic. According to Spanish media, the painter visited his hometown of Membrilla last summer and was shocked to see that the painting was no longer present in the Sacristy. It has reportedly been covered and out of sight ‘for years’ after being considered to be too erotic
TOO SEXY?: The painting covered for being ‘too erotic.’
by the church’s current pastor. And Ximenez, now 87 and living in Miami, has reportedly given the current pastor of the church a deadline to either redisplay the painting or return it. Spanish media have also reported that a writer, who is creating Ximenez’s biography, moved to Membrilla and asked to see the painting and was not allowed. Across a long successful career, Ximenez has been exhibited together alongside Antoni Tapies and Picasso, while his work has been displayed in prestigious galleries across the world including Rome, Florence, Milan, Bologna and Buenos Aires.
Photo credit; National Police
Thigh’s the limit: Painting covered in Spanish church for being ‘too sexy’
WHAT A LOAD: The record haul (inset) seized on the Costa del Sol.
Police seize record €120 million drugs haul DRUGS police have launched another spectacular swoop on the Costa del Sol. It comes after five people were held and 3,500 kilos of cocaine worth around €120 million seized during raids on two properties in Estepona. The haul is a record for Malaga Province and among the largest busts ever in Spain. More than two tons of the drug were recovered from a house on an urbanisation near the H10 Estepona Palace Hotel, with the remainder hidden in
containers of salt in an industrial unit. Investigations remain open as detectives continue to probe the case. The sting is the string in a succession of recent anti-drug operations on the Costa del Sol. Notorious cocaine kingpin Sito Miñanco was last week arrested in Algeciras, while the earlier seizure of cocaine-stuffed pineapples led to the arrest of 72-year-old mob boss ‘La Laca,’ thought to be the biggest smuggler in North Africa.
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15 - 20 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
NATIONAL
SpaceX to launch first Spanish spy satellite in California, United States (US) aboard one of the flamboyant billionaire’s Falcon 9 rockets. Built by Airbus Defence and Space, a division of aeroplane manufacturer Airbus,
the satellite is owned by Madrid firm Hisdesat, although the Ministry of Defence and a number of private individuals provided most of the funding. The Spanish Armed Forces
Intelligence Centre, CIFAS, will receive 30 of the 100 high-resolution images captured daily by Paz, with customers for the other 70 being sought. A contract with the European Space Agency has already been signed, and the craft will also collaborate with the European Union’s satellite centre. Its main base will be the National Institute of Aerospace Technology in Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, with support from the Maspalomas station in Gran Canaria, while project leaders are exploring the possibility of a third headquarters in the North Pole. In addition to its military tasks, the satellite will also be used for mapping, environmental monitoring, urban planning and topographical
studies. Originally scheduled for launch from the Yasny Launch Base, Russia, in 2014, the scheme was delayed due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea that year, leading to a €15 million International Court of Arbitration legal battle between Hisdesat and Moscowbased space company Kosmotras. While the US launch is more expensive at around €53 million, industry sources revealed that the cost has been reduced by including several mobile internet satellites on the same flight. Paz will be released at an altitude of 514 kilometres above the earth’s surface before it settles into orbit, and six months of testing will be carried out to ensure it is working correctly.
SpaceX made 18 successful launches last year, but in January a billion-dollar US satellite named Zuma was lost after being sent into space aboard a Falcon 9 from the Cape Canaveral complex in Florida. An unnamed multimillionaire has reportedly agreed to cover the cost of the Spanish project should anything go wrong. The news comes after South African-born entrepreneur Musk, earlier this week, used his Falcon Heavy rocket which employs two Falcon 9’s as boosters - to fire a convertible Tesla sports car into space. The red 2008 roadster, equipped with cameras and carrying an astronaut dummy dubbed ‘Starman’ is now thought to be heading towards Mars. CREDIT: Airbus
SPAIN is set to launch its first spy satellite, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has agreed to blast it into orbit. Named Paz [Peace], the €160 million unit will lift off from the Vandenberg Airbase
IMAGE: An artist’s impression of how Paz will look in orbit.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
COMMUNITY
FINALE: The show Stage Door recently performed for the Masons in Bar Solare, Turre.
Murder mystery STAGE DOOR recently performed a private event for the Masons in Bar Solare, Turre. All in all it was a great evening and a great deal of money was raised for local charities through the generosity of all who came to see them. Choosing the winner of best dressed gangster and moll was especially difficult as nearly everyone made a huge effort to look the part. Due to circumstances completely beyond their control, the performance in La Atalaya, Huercal-Overa on Tuesday will have to be postponed until April. They will keep you informed. However the news isn’t all
bad. You may think that their hard working cast deserves a well-earned rest, but no. Instead they are using the break to begin rehearsals for their brand new murder mystery entitled ‘The Mississippi Murder.’ It is set on a Mississippi showboat during the late 1800’s and tells the story of what happens when a varied group come together for a game of high stakes poker. Their paths have crossed and one among them becomes the victim of a blood curdling murder most foul. Of course there will be a lot of laughs along the way together with dancers and songs. “Oh no!” I hear you cry.
“Does this mean that we won’t get the chance to see The Speakeasy Murder?” Of course not! On March 22 they’ll be in the lovely Roof Garden, Parque Comercial, Mojacar, for a matinee performance. Tickets at €15 each, including meal, will be available from the Roof Garden. So if you want to become a member and take part simply telephone: 671 810 819 or email: williamwhite9552@aol.com. Stage Door are one of most well established, best equipped and active groups in the area and are always on the lookout for new people who may want to act or help back stage or with publicity.
Urgent fundraising for Paws-Patas PAWS-PATAS sends rousing applause to Shoestring Productions and the cast of Hotel La Resistance for bringing back their farce to the MontMartre Bar/Restaurant in Mojacar and raising €585 from ticket and raffle sales. This money is the first donation towards their much-needed Quarantine Unit. The Executive Committee have agreed that Paws-Patas desperately requires this construction especially after several deaths of
puppies last year who were left abandoned at the gates of their shelter and were infected with the life-threatening Parvo virus. Paws-Patas needs to raise €10,000 in order to purchase materials to build this safe haven away from the main kennel block. For further information regarding this project and details about volunteering and supporting this animal charity - please visit their website: www.paws-patas.org.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
N ETHERLANDS
S WEDEN
Euro star THE S we d i sh p o p s ta r M å n s Zelmer l ö w h a s b e c o me an overnight TV sensation in Britain follow i n g h i s g i g c o -h o s tin g BBC’s Eurovision: You Decide with viewers calling out on social media f o r h i m t o p r e s en t mo re shows.
Backing off THE leader of Sweden’s anti-immigration Democrat party seems to have backed away from his push for a burqa ban, following Denmark’s proposal to prohibit fullface ve i l s, sa y i n g i t w o u ld b e
Måns Zelmerlöw /Facebook
Squeezed out “problematic.” A DUTCH newspaper claims domestic students are being denied places at Dutch universities due to the increasing numbers of foreign applicants who apply to study degrees taught in English.
Bank error A S T U D E N T from the U S ha s been refused the right to stay in Sweden because she transferred mo n ey to h er p a re nts for s a fe keeping, causing her account to d ro p b elo w th e €8,100 fore ign non-EU students need to get residency.
Help up high THE mountain rescue services in Sweden’s mountains were called
SUPERSTAR: Måns Zelmerlöw woos the UK. out to more than 500 people last year, according to recent police figures, with 387 search and rescue operations executed in mountainous terrain.
Stay connected THE Netherlands have more household connections to the internet than any other country in Europe according to the National Statistics Office, with 98 per cent of Dutch homes online.
G ERMANY
N ORWAY
Holey moley
Scrambled!
A 95-METRE hole that appeared in a major motorway in northeast Germany has made the area’s tourist industry nervous, as repairs are set to last until 2021.
In a jam MUNICH was named traffic jam capital of Germany again by a study re-
EUROPEAN PRESS
leased by traffic data provider Inrix which revealed that motorists spent 51 hours stuck in traffic jams last year, four hours longer than in 2016.
Going 3D A PEDESTRIAN crossing that uses 3D visual effects to make it look like it’s floating, might soon be installed in the
city of Braunschweig’s Lehndorf district to increase road safety.
Finally! ANGELA MERKEL’S conservative party has agreed on a coalition deal with the centre-left Social Democrats, ending months of political deadlock following the German election.
F RANCE
B ELGIUM
Snow joke
Cat control
AIR FRANCE cancelled dozens of Paris flights due to heavy snow while travellers in the region also experienced widespread disruption to the roads and rail services.
NEW laws in Belgium decree that the majority of the country’s two million cats must be sterilised to control the stray population, making it the first country in the world to force residents to neuter their felines.
Sex scandal
Team effort
THE French environment minister Nicolas Hulot had to fend off ‘shameful’ rumours of sexual harassment following accusations allegedly from the granddaughter of a famous politician which date back to 1997.
BELGIAN police reportedly helped their peers in the UK, France and the Netherlands to dismantle a large smuggling ring suspected of having taken hundreds of Kurds illegally to Britain.
Case closed THE ride-sharing platform Uber won a case filed by a French driver claiming he should be considered an employee, and received reimbursement for holidays and expenses, after the judge decided the company was simply an intermediary.
Call to arms FRANCE announced plans to increase spending on defence by more than 40 per cent to meet NATO targets after Donald Trump complained that Europe is not pulling its weight.
On thin ice ONE in four Belgian borrowers are allegedly in a ‘delicate’ financial position according to a survey by the Banque Nationale de Belgique, with 26 per cent of households unable to make their mortgage payments.
Royal trip QUEEN MATHILDE visited Ghana for three days as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to determine how the country is alleviating poverty, strengthening equality and justice and fighting against the effects of climate change.
C H EFS f or Nor way’s Wi nt er Olympic team at the South Korean games accidentally ordered 15,000 eggs instead of the 1,500 eggs needed following an order mix up.
Going green THE UK revealed it wants to copy Norway’s bottle recycling system, which has existed since 1992 and is based on paying citizens a small surcharge when they return bottles via specific machines.
Heating hike ELECTRICITY bills in the Netherlands were 12.8 per cent higher in January as inflation reached 1.5 per cent and the price of gas rose by 5.9 per cent.
Moo point ALLEGEDLY 2,100 dairy farms in the Netherlands lie about the age of the cows they have to get round stringent rules about manure and phosphate reduction.
Topping sales SALES of frozen pizza in Norway have increased for the fourth year in a row according to figures from analysis agency Nielsen, with 50 million of the frozen meals sold last year.
Party scandal THE former deputy leader of Norway’s Labour party, Trond Giske, will reportedly return to parliament following allegations of sexual harassment which caused him to take a leave of absence.
D ENMARK
MP mucks up A DANISH politician who drove his car after taking cocaine has lost his job and been given a fine and a three-year driving ban. He also confirmed the incident on his Facebook page.
Burqa ban THE Danish government has proposed a ban on Islamic full-face veils and is expected to present the bill to parliament in the spring. Those who violate the ban could face a fine of 1,000 kroner (€134).
Building blaze POLICE have arrested a 27-yearold man from Jutland on suspicion of arson after a fire broke out in his building; luckily no one was injured in the blaze.
Mind matters THE number of children and young people in Denmark diagnosed with anxiety and depression has trebled over the last decade, according to the Danish Health Data Authority.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
RUSSIAN PRESS
‘NOT PARIS’: Former reality TV star Sobchak brushed off remarks that she was like the US celebrity.
President contender: ‘I am not Paris Hilton’ A CANDIDATE for the Russian presidency has hit back against comparisons made between her and celebrity Paris Hilton. Ksenia Sobchak, the only woman running for the country’s top job, made the comments during a visit to the United States. She first found fame on a series of reality television shows until quitting them in 2012.
Migrants riot INMATES at a migrant detention centre in Siberia burnt mattresses, smashed CCTV cameras and barricaded themselves inside after a riot broke out over demands for better treatment and faster deportation. The 20 undocumented migrants were reportedly angry that their cases were not being handled quickly enough.
Vote bet ban PROPOSALS to stop bookmakers accepting bets on the outcome of Russian elections and referendums have been drawn up by the country’s Finance Ministry. Russia’s
presidential election, set for March 18, is increasingly becoming a one-horse race with President Putin reportedly polling at more than 70 per cent.
Embassy Nazi denial ALLEGATIONS made by a Norwegian television programme that the Russian Embassy helped finance the training of neoNazi groups have been denied by the country’s diplomatic mission in Oslo. Military training for the Nordic Resistance Movement in Russia was among the claims which the embassy said were “stupid” and “blasphemous.”
Olympics hack claims RUSSIA’S Foreign Ministry has criticised western media following reports which accused the country of hacking the upcoming Winter Olympics. The allegations, which the ministry branded a smear campaign, were made after anti-doping officials’ emails were leaked by a Russialink hacker group.
Guns by mail
Paseo del Mediterraneo 30, Mojacar Playa, Almeria
T: 950 473 104
E: info@mojacarhomeimprovements.com www.mojacarhomeimprovements.com
POSTAL workers have seized a parcel containing an AK-47 assault weapon and a rifle en route from Moscow to Zabaikalsky in the far east of Russia. The workers have passed the address of the recipient onto police. A licence law for guns was passed in 2014.
An AK47 assault rifle was found along with another gun by postal workers.
FINANCE
business & legal
Economy to soar in 2018
Quote of the Week
STAT OF WEEK
SPANISH supermarket chain Mercadona has strengthened its position as national market leader. The company last year accounted for 24.1 per cent of supermarket sales in Spain - a year-on-year rise of 1.2 per cent - according to an annual report by consumer consultancy Kantar Worldpanel. Nine out of 10 Spanish families bought at least one product from a Mercadona store during 2017, and the Valencian firm was responsible for 20 per cent of all fresh product
‘
Number’s up for online gambling raft of new rules were nipped in the bud in the wake of strong criticism from the sector and a lack of agreement with other political groups. The new laws also prevent betting companies from using celebrities or fictional characters ‘attractive or striking to children’ in adverts, and extends to promotion of the football pools and all forms of lottery.
Yacht a disaster LUXURY boat builder Oyster Yachts - which has a boatyard in Mallorca - has collapsed with 400 employees set to lose their jobs despite the firm receiving orders worth more than €90 million-worth in 2017.
Winding up ITALIAN multinational Enel has struck a deal for its Spanish subsidiary Endesa’s renewable energy firm Enel Green Power España to buy five wind farms from Madrid-based Elawan Energy and Genera Avante for €178 million.
X Factory SPAIN’S industrial output last December grew faster than at any point since May 2000, official data has revealed, with a year-on-year increase of 6.1 per cent far outstripping the forecasted 3.9 per cent rise.
Hotel outlay shoots up INVESTMENT in Spanish hotels has broken all records. A jaw-dropping €3.9 billion was spent last year, smashing the previous high of €2.6 billion set in 2015. More than 180 hotels changed hands, compared with 147 in 2016, while the average revenue generated by a room over the course of the year rose to
€119,000, a 30 per cent year-on-year increase. As 82 million foreign tourists flocked to the country, entrepreneurs splashed €478 million on converting existing properties into hotels and buying new plots. Revenue from the resort sector shot up by 69 per cent, outperforming its urban counterpart which grew by 31 per cent.
29
A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION | WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/3.0.15/FINANCE
sales across the country. French rival Carrefour placed second in the national ranking with an 8.7 per cent market share, 0.2 per cent up on 2016 after it launched a series of takeover bids for hypermarkets formerly belonging to Basque chain Eroski. Madrid-based brand Dia completed the top three as it scooped 8.2 per cent of the market, falling 0.3 per cent, while the Eroski Group also lost 0.3 per cent to finish the year with a 5.6 per cent share.
» BUSINESS EXTRA
EWN
The windfall received by Spanish insurance company Mapfre’s American subsidiaries thanks to US President Donald Trump’s controversial overhaul of corporation tax, with rates slashed from 35 per cent to 21 per cent.
By Matt Ford
The prime minister and I have gathered support and believe there exists a clear possibility the Spanish candidacy will win.” Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos on his bid to clinch the European Central Bank vice presidency this year.
COMING CLEAN: Celebrities and ‘attractive’ people can no longer be used in ads.
THE Spanish government is launching a crackdown on gambling publicity. Radio and television adverts for online betting firms will be banned in ‘childrens’ hours,’ which are to run from 8-9am and 5-8pm. It is the second time that the Treasury has tried to restrict the placement of gambling promotion in the face of rising addiction among youngsters, but a
€38 mil
Store wars check out
Photo by Twitter
THE European Union (EU) has handed Spain a financial boost. In a new report, the bloc has raised the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for 2018 from 2.5 to 2.6 per cent. The move suggests that the EU does not feel that the Catalan independence crisis has adversely affected the Spanish economy. Spain’s output is currently growing at a much faster pace than the EU average, but is likely to fall to 2.1 per cent by 2019.
Costa de Almería
15 - 21 February 2018
German chain Lidl continues its steady growth in Spain, with sales increasing by 0.2 per cent to take a 4.3 per cent portion of the market. “Mercadona is revamping its stores and has become fashionable again,” said Kantar Worldpanel’s retail director, Florencio Garcia, adding that the company is also leading the pack in online sales. Spanish households spent an average of €4,190 on groceries during 2017, with Catalans (€4,599) splashing out the most and Valencians (€3,932) the least.
€656m offload to spark buyout THE battle for Spanish toll operator Abertis goes on. It comes after the company agreed to sell its majority stake in satellite company Hispasat to national grid operator Red Electrica for around €656 million. And the move could speed up the battle between Hochtief - the German offshoot of Spanish constructor ACS - and Italian motorway operator Atlantia, with both companies having launched bids to buy Abertis. Spain’s stock market regulator rubber-stamped Atlantis’ bid in October but has not yet endorsed Hochtief’s offer.
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LONDON - FTSE 100
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 12
PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,600.00 -4.40 Associated British Foods 2,550.00 -47.00 Admiral Group 1,875.00 22.50 Ashtead Group 1,945.00 -17.50 Antofagasta 889.50 12.70 Aviva 499.00 5.60 AstraZeneca 4,815.00 -30.00 BAE Systems 566.00 -2.00 Barclays 193.00 -1.10 British American Tobacco 4,550.00 137.50 Barratt Developments 561.00 12.80 Berkeley Group Holdings 4,035.00 275.00 British Land Co 632.50 -0.90 BHP Billiton 1,471.00 -4.00 Bunzl 2,050.00 27.00 BP 477.75 7.70 Burberry Group 1,540.00 42.00 BT Group 235.00 -0.50 Coca-Cola HBC 2,249.50 17.50 Carnival 4,807.50 20.50 Centrica 124.50 -0.30 Compass Group 1,467.50 -39.00 Croda International 4,274.00 0.00 CRH 2,513.50 117.50 DCC 6,717.50 25.40 Diageo 2,457.50 20.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 380.50 2.00 Evraz 366.00 29.20 Experian 1,571.00 54.00 easyJet 1,625.00 39.00 Ferguson 5,165.00 31.00 Fresnillo 1,303.00 65.00 G4S 267.00 7.90 GKN 404.00 4.50 Glencore 366.00 5.00 GlaxoSmithKline 1,290.00 -1.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,670.50 -6.50 Halma 1,160.00 4.00 Hammerson 477.00 14.00 HSBC Holdings 732.00 -1.60 International Consolidtd Airs Gr 622.50 25.90 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,580.00 76.00 3i Group 915.00 2.00 Imperial Brands 2,636.50 -47.50 Informa 698.30 38.70 Intertek Group 4,805.00 31.00 ITV 163.50 3.50 Just Eat 783.00 -23.80 Johnson Matthey 3,515.00 264.00 Kingfisher 353.50 3.80
% CHG. NET VOL -0.27 22,389.57 -1.81 20,567.70 1.21 5,225.86 -0.89 9,703.95 1.45 8,643.99 1.13 19,800.65 -0.62 61,356.88 -0.35 18,099.35 -0.57 33,120.77 3.12 103,156.42 2.33 5,550.74 7.31 5,044.22 -0.14 6,260.06 -0.27 31,153.06 1.33 6,913.51 1.64 95,910.84 2.80 6,458.70 -0.21 23,366.08 0.78 8,198.83 0.43 10,084.16 -0.24 7,073.20 -2.59 23,965.71 0.00 5,680.11 4.90 20,100.44 0.38 6,012.14 0.82 60,590.05 0.53 5,066.88 8.67 4,823.16 3.56 14,104.30 2.46 6,387.11 0.60 12,858.03 5.25 9,078.53 3.05 4,020.18 1.13 6,964.90 1.39 52,736.85 -0.08 64,644.95 -0.39 8,141.68 0.34 4,460.79 3.02 3,677.27 -0.22 146,689.51 4.34 12,277.96 1.69 8,616.06 0.22 8,882.45 -1.77 25,598.30 5.87 5,489.52 0.65 7,738.68 2.19 6,641.93 -2.95 5,464.18 8.12 6,291.77 1.09 7,573.46
COMPANY
PRICE(P)
Land Securities Group 967.50 Legal & General Group 236.50 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 68.80 London Stock Exchange Grp 3,955.00 Micro Focus International 2,294.00 Mediclinic International 583.50 Marks & Spencer Group 300.00 Mondi 1,847.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 216.65 National Grid 778.10 NMC Health 3,225.00 Next 4,795.00 Old Mutual Group 228.50 Paddy Power Betfair 7,717.50 Prudential 1,779.00 Persimmon 2,565.50 Pearson 670.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,500.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 281.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,255.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,270.00 RELX 1,490.00 Rio Tinto 3,805.00 Rolls-Royce Group 822.50 Randgold Resources 6,520.00 RSA Insurance Group 632.90 Rentokil Initial 290.50 Sainsbury (J) 224.50 Schroders 3,465.00 Sage Group (The) 722.10 Segro 580.90 Shire 3,085.00 Smurfit Kappa Group 2,514.00 Sky 1,049.50 Standard Life Aberdeen 412.40 Smith (DS) 471.85 Smiths Group 1,584.50 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trst 445.00 Smith & Nephew 1,257.50 SSE 1,192.50 Standard Chartered 797.00 St James's Place 1,132.75 Severn Trent 1,553.00 Tesco 195.50 TUI AG 1,629.50 Taylor Wimpey 184.45 Unilever 3,790.00 United Utilities Group 701.50 Vodafone Group 205.55 WPP Group 1,293.00 Whitbread 3,785.00
CHANGE(P) 30.60 -18.20 1.20 92.00 288.00 16.50 13.90 81.50 0.29 17.50 -97.86 73.00 1.90 -432.50 9.00 156.50 -10.50 190.00 6.50 12.50 -26.00 16.00 48.00 8.50 452.00 36.90 11.00 -20.40 115.00 40.10 29.10 10.00 74.00 1.50 27.00 3.15 84.50 17.00 30.50 -13.00 -0.50 4.75 -295.00 -3.80 43.50 2.50 -30.50 8.10 3.75 12.00 24.00
% CHG. 3.27 -7.15 1.78 2.38 14.36 2.91 4.86 4.61 0.14 2.30 -3.05 1.55 0.84 -5.31 0.51 6.50 -1.54 3.01 2.37 0.56 -1.13 1.09 1.28 1.04 7.45 6.19 3.94 -8.33 3.43 5.88 5.27 0.33 3.03 0.14 7.01 0.67 5.63 3.97 2.49 -1.08 -0.06 0.42 -15.96 -1.91 2.74 1.37 -0.80 1.17 1.86 0.94 0.64
NET VOL 6,943.75 15,176.48 48,719.46 13,585.15 8,933.42 4,206.71 4,706.89 8,783.67 5,109.76 25,693.53 6,675.44 6,997.20 11,330.45 6,788.67 46,337.53 7,395.01 5,386.37 45,043.67 33,935.16 104,791.72 85,996.38 15,637.85 50,656.64 15,264.26 5,708.57 6,147.40 5,144.53 5,392.49 7,736.75 7,388.73 5,570.26 28,152.09 5,779.33 18,015.30 11,660.06 5,078.95 5,959.98 6,070.33 10,748.07 12,229.73 26,291.84 5,968.03 4,366.27 16,580.01 9,298.34 5,960.95 47,059.66 4,850.95 54,323.06 16,521.82 6,907.93
0,8867
1,1279 Units per €
US dollar ..............................................................1.22766 Japan yen ............................................................133.352 Switzerland franc................................................1.15215 Denmark kroner ...............................................7.44341 Norway kroner..................................................9.75287 currenciesdirect.com/mojacar • Tel: +34 950 478 914 THE ABOVE TABLE USES THE CURRENT INTERBANK EXCHANGE RATES, WHICH AREN’T REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RATE WE OFFER
DOW JONES C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 12
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 225,210 91,7200 156,410 332,830 149,210 113,50 39,530 43,13 69,48 75,78 14,9400 249,30 184,1200 149,51 43,9500 110,0400 129,5300 160,8000 54,87 88,180 65,49 34,1600 79,920 137,08 125,03 220,96 49,88 116,32 99,3700 103,0900
CHANGE% CHANGE VOLUME(M) +1,04% 2,320 132.141,64 +3,83% 3,3800 77.413,08 +0,81% 1,260 785.051,29 +0,96% 3,170 194.643,11 +2,21% 3,220 87.764,60 +1,07% 1,20 213.261,70 +1,96% 0,760 193.814,70 +0,07% 0,03 181.717,46 +1,86% 1,27 159.961,73 -0,38% -0,29 317.458,71 +3,39% 0,4900 127.523,01 +1,20% 2,95 92.685,95 +1,60% 2,9000 211.385,86 +1,30% 1,92 136.341,30 +2,81% 1,2000 202.971,60 +2,00% 2,1600 373.734,48 +2,51% 3,1700 343.310,40 +1,15% 1,8300 126.601,04 +0,26% 0,14 147.609,99 +3,73% 3,170 670.629,31 +4,80% 3,00 84.063,36 +1,58% 0,5300 201.054,66 -0,37% -0,300 199.134,08 +1,53% 2,07 37.044,74 -1,92% -2,45 97.960,57 +2,08% 4,50 211.721,86 +1,71% 0,84 200.626,90 +2,16% 2,46 206.418,54 -0,65% -0,6500 292.475,92 +1,72% 1,7400 153.329,79 M - MILLION DOLLARS
NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 12
COMPANY
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
Most Advanced MobileIron, Inc. MCBC Holdings, Inc. Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Fluidigm Corporation Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. Innoviva, Inc. Imperva, Inc. Malibu Boats, Inc. Spartan Motors, Inc. Ever-Glory International Group, Inc.
$ 4.80 $ 26.35 $ 3.50 $ 15.30 $ 6.59 $ 41.80 $ 15.49 $ 46.90 $ 33.46 $ 15.70 $3
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E W N 15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
Roadmap for the future SPANISH car maker Seat has joined forces with French telecommunications behemoth Orange. The partnership will see the companies work together to turn the private car into the occupants’ ‘second digital home.’ In addition to the so-called connected car, the agreement will lay the groundwork for creating new entertainment options to improve driver and passenger experience, including bringing the digital home or office experience to car users. The firms will also launch a loyalty scheme offering benefits to those who buy into new ‘connectivity and mobility options’ as they are released. Speaking in the wake of contracts being signed, Seat’s head of business development, Arantxa Alonso said that “we feel privileged to have strategic arrangements with partners such as Orange that give a major boost to our development of car connectivity. “This partnership opens up a large collaborative space for both companies that are pursuing a common goal - promote the use of the connected car and make the car user’s experience easier and more efficient.” Luis Santos, Orange Spain’s director of innovation and new digital services, added: “This strategic agreement with Seat is a great step for Orange in its strategy of connected objects and Big Data and opens the door to innovations and new developments surrounding cars of the future, which will contribute to helping us achieve our goal of connecting our customers with what truly matters most to them.” Initial projects will reportedly focus on developing new audio, visual and educational apps focused on ensuring maximum safety while optimising functionality. The loyalty scheme will involve a cross-company series of offers
Photo by Seat
CONNECTED CAR PARTNERSHIP REVEALED
ONLINE EXPERIENCE: A Seat demonstration and (inset) Luis Santos and Arantxa Alonso announce the deal.
based on frequency of use, with purchase discounts, rewards and gifts all set to feature in an attempt to ensure customers do not defect to other brands. The car manufacturer will also take advantage of Orange’s Big Data technology to glean insights into user preferences and develop products that most closely match their needs. It comes after Seat recently confirmed agreements with other multinationals, including Amazon - with plans to integrate the smart voice Alexa assistant in the company’s cars - and Google for its Waze navigation system.
DEAL SEES COUNTRIES INCREASE TIES SPAIN is cementing its business ties with Saudi Arabia. The level of investment between the two nations is set to skyrocket after officials met during the second session of the Saudi-Spanish Joint Committee in the Arabic country. Co-chaired by Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Marisa Poncela Garcia, and Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment, Majid Al-Qasabi, a wide range of topics were reportedly discussed during the talks. Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alvaro Iranzo, told local media: “The joint committee held the second session in [Saudi capital] Riyadh and the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and issues and common interests, in accordance with the joint cooperation agreement that was signed by the two countries in Madrid on February 22, 2007.” He added that meetings are to be held in Madrid and Riyadh on an alternating basis, with the first having taken place in the Spanish capital in 2014. Mr Iranzo described the talks as “very successful” and revealed that the
Photo by Ministerio de Economia/Twitter
Investment Sheikh-down
BIG BUSINESS: The Saudi and Spanish delegations sign new agreements.
committee discussed bilateral trade relations, the promotion of trade and economic relations, plus mutually-beneficial investment opportunities in commerce, investment, economy, energy, industry, mining, science, technology, water, agriculture, finance, housing and tourism. “Many aspects of bilateral relations were discussed with both sides keen to further enhance economic and technical cooperation in line with Vision
2030,” the envoy said. Building new collaborations in the private sector was also a hot topic, with exchange visits between delegates set to help identify import, export and investment opportunities, share expertise in the small and medium-sized business sectors, and enrich the experience of entrepreneurs. “Companies from the kingdom doing business in Spain, and Spanish companies working in Saudi Arabia, will be encouraged to help further enhance bilateral cooperation,” Mr Iranzo confirmed. Saudi firms SABIC and Alfanar have already made significant investments in Spain, building large factories, and the official revealed that trade between the countries “stands at €5.5 billion … and we have scope to further increase the volume. “Saudi Arabia is passing through an exciting time with Vision 2030, and Spain is willing to be a partner in development for a positive change and for national transformation.”
Google to help fend off e-shop expansion INTERNET giant Google is fighting back against online retailers. The firm’s general director in Spain and Portugal, Fuencisla Clemares, said that the company aims to be a key ally of high street shops in the battle against Amazon and other virtual rivals. “We are working closely with companies including El Corte Ingles, Carrefour and Mediamarkt to understand how we can help them be more successful retailers using our technological strength,” she said. Speaking at the New Economy forum in the Spanish capital Madrid, Ms Clemares added that online commerce is growing fast in Spain, and that traditional brands must find ways of competing which capitalise on their assets, particularly the in-store experience. Her comments come days after El Corte Ingles president, Dimas Gimeno, told Spanish media that his company “is seeking partnerships to resist Amazon.”
Question marks over €3.6bn deal BRITISH private equity firm CVC Capital Partners is ramping up attempts to buy a stake in Spanish utilities firm Gas Natural. The investment group aims to purchase a 20 per cent share from energy company Repsol, and is reportedly negotiating a deal to secure external financing to cover around a third of the cost, with the overall package set to be worth €3.6 billion. But the price has come into question after €3 billion was wiped off the company’s stock market value, after the Spanish government announced a series of potential cuts to electricity and gas company subsidies.
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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DONE DEAL: Spain’s Mediapro has seen off its Italian rivals.
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SPANISH multimedia company Mediapro has signed a €3.15 billion deal to broadcast Italian football. The announcement comes after bosses from Italy’s Serie A pulled out of talks with Sky Italia after the latter refused to pay the sum, set by the league’s adviser Infront Sports & Media. Former Italian prime minister and AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset were also in the running. But the deal - which covers the next three seasons and must be rati-
fied by the Italian antitrust authority - has sparked outrage, with Sky suggesting it could take legal action. Under Italian regulations, Serie A rights cannot be held by a single company, but Mediapro has snapped up all packages available to independent intermediaries due to a lack of alternative bids, although they only cover the Italian domestic market. The sale of international rights will be handled by New York-based sports firm IMG, with the three-year deal reportedly worth €371 million per season.
Spain holiday sales slip as Turkey gains ground HOLIDAY giant Thomas Cook says that Turkey and Tunisia are hot destinations for UK holidaymakers in 2018, with Spain viewed as expensive. Chief executive Peter Fankhauser revealed that the brand is shifting capacity east this summer, with Turkey the standout market so far. “From all that we see so far, customers’ appetite for a summer holiday abroad shows no sign of slowing down. We’ve taken early action to meet strong demand for destinations in the eastern Mediterranean. “This has enabled us to shift capacity out of the Spanish islands where we have seen a continuation of the margin pressures we experienced last summer, particularly for the UK market.” Around 30 per cent of the company’s holiday
sales are traditionally to Spanish destinations, but last year the figure approached 40 per cent. Mr Fankhauser added: “The very strong demand for Spain is returning to slightly more normal levels. Spain is getting more expensive compared to the good value-for-money proposition we are seeing in the eastern Mediterranean.” Greece is also selling strongly, and the travel agent is about to relaunch in Tunisia, after a threeyear absence in the wake of the deadly Sousse beach attack during which 30 British holidaymakers were killed. The group’s revenue rose by 7 per cent to just under €2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017, as it benefited from the collapse of airlines Monarch and Air Berlin.
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
EWN
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FEATURE
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
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Photo credit Twitter
Back to the ‘norm’ this week! LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT ONE thing I am heartily sick of are the increasing issues in today’s society that appear to somehow, cause ‘offence.’ Whinging snowflakes, the luvvy PC brigade and female libbers, who constantly inveigle us, seem to exhume more of this self-righteous, attention seeking pathetic claptrap every day. Well, this week I’ve lined up a few of my own ‘dissents.’ And I have plenty! Beginning with the recent TV commercial, which shows in full close up, two girls sticking their tongues down each other’s throats. Aware as I am of the voyeuristic attraction of this, and by no means against this depiction in the context of a story line, I object most strongly to this being presented as an advertising ‘norm’ in front of young, impressionable children in my front room. What about the media onslaught of sneering ungrateful foreigners telling us how the British should run the country? The building of mosque after mosque, instigated by people from countries who don’t even accept the teaching of other religions, let alone the erection of buildings to worship them in. Normal heterosexuals being forced to accept extreme gender issues, often nastily. The cruel bleeding to death of animals for
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS: Have we gone too far? Halal meat. Being told how to discipline your children, usually by those who have none of their own. Minorities being given undemocratic precedence over majorities, simply because they are minorities. Moves to change our time honoured, much loved fairy tales, because they are deemed sexist or encouragers of sexual abuse. Children, who are already shy and confused,
being forced to use ‘gender free’ toilets at schools. The removal of centuries old important works of art, merely because they are considered offensive to a very small minority. Unidentifiable people being allowed to walk among us masked and shrouded from head to foot. Being told by immigrants we should change our culture to accommodate theirs. Benefit scroungers who consider their bone
idle existence a ‘right.’ Authorities who, citing human rights, kowtow to the criminal perpetrators, while denying the rights of their victims. Women who would like us to re-establish Victorian attitudes, which presumably would include the placing of skirts on the legs of grand pianos. The term ‘Happy Holidays’ replacing the titles of our religious celebrations. The ongoing, paedophile abuse cover ups of politicians and celebrities. Being considered racist for uttering some incongruous trivial remark. Objected to by individuals, who, by their extreme reactions, reveal themselves as the biggest racists of all. Our appeasing, beleaguered police, afraid to react to the insults and disorder of ethnic minorities in case they get ‘upset’ or run riot. The growth of ‘no go’ areas and Sharia courts. And the biggest affront of all? Women who constantly gripe about men who never put the seat down! There you are. That should ‘offend’ just about everyone. 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 IF you’re still listening to music on your own CDs, MP3s or even (gasp) cassettes, the bad news is that you’re officially a dinosaur. Guilty as charged m’lud. The reality of our techno-age is that we’re spoilt for choice in how we ‘consume’ our music these days. Great for us, tough luck on the performers who apparently earn less than 0.005 euro cents every time their song is ‘streamed’ on Spotify or other music sites. Remember when we might have paid €10 for a CD? Now if I played the same track every day for a year on Spotify (definitely grounds for divorce), the artist might get €2. It’s little wonder that performers make their real money these days from concerts and merchandising. Not that we’re much more moral now when it comes to pirating music. Napster unleashed a frenzy of MP3 music sharing nearly two decades ago. Streaming was supposed to put an end to piracy, but in fact 40 per cent of users currently ‘stream-rip’ music (rising to 53 per
All I have to do is stream LP or not LP, that is the question, says Terence Kennedy
MUSIC STREAMING: Half a cent a track. cent among the young), with YouTube as the absolutely leakiest source. Those of us who want to do the right thing with music have a cornucopia of ways to access music these days. The most popular music sites right now are Spotify, Deezer,
Tidal, Amazon Prime Music and Apple Music. Through your phone, tablet, computer or, increasingly, digital assistants like Amazon’s Echo series or Google Home, you pay a small fee each month, or even get the music for free if you can put up with advertising, and you get ac-
cess to huge music libraries to listen to whenever and wherever you fancy. Pay around €10 a month (what we used to shell out for a single CD), and in some cases you can actually download the music to listen to offline, AND you lose the ads. Amid this onslaught of music for the millions, it’s perhaps surprising that good old-fashioned vinyl LPs are on the up, with 40 million sold last year. Who would have thought that the snap, crackle and pop of needles on plastic would break through the niche nostalgia barrier, normally reserved for anorak steam enthusiasts, philatelists and people who thought life was better when we all lived in cardboard boxes and walked 30 miles to school. Barefoot. What certainly isn’t coming back is the late and largely unlamented cassette, a triumph of convenience over quality. Even if the amazing ability to compile your own mixtape back in the 70’s and 80’s meant cassetting there was half the fun.
Play it again Sam DIGITAL assistants are well on their way to being the fastest-growing techno-toy of the era, with nearly 60 million due to be sold in 2018. Using one like Amazon’s market-leading Echo can be a truly spooky experience. Simply say ‘Alexa, play...’ plus the genre, artiste or actual track of your choice and away it goes in high quality, either on its own or through your home stereo if you’ve hooked it up by cable or Bluetooth. Sadly, trying out the sniggeringly popular command, ‘Alexa, play baby-making music’ shows that Amazon’s engineers really need to get out more. I can’t speak for anyone else, but the cheesiness of its ‘elevator muzak’ choice had my partner and I in gales of laughter. ‘Baby-making’ romantic that certainly ain’t.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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SPECIALNEW
Spain ramps up fight against domestic violence
Taking on gender violence While love has been in the air to mark Valentine’s in recent days, gender violence continues to be a major concern across the country. David Noon looks at what measures Spain has already put in place and asks what more can be done? ALENTINE’S DAY is a time to celebrate, to unashamedly kiss in the streets without fear of being judged and to shower your other half in heart-shaped gifts. And while the presence of lovebirds frolicking gaily through the streets may turn the stomachs of singletons, it can be an especially traumatic time for the women, and men, who are trapped in an abusive relationship. For while a lot has been done - and is being done - to tackle
V
24 per cent of domestic abuse cases relate to married couples
domestic violence, it is still an ugly stain on the nation and the world as a whole. In 2017 alone, some 47 women had died at the hands of their partners in Spain. Thousands more domestic violence cases are reported each year, and more worryingly still is the number that go unreported. There were 28,281 officially registered female victims of gender-related violence in Spain in 2016, a 2.4 per cent rise from the previous year, according to the country’s National Statistics Institute (INE). The rate of abuse is highest in people aged 25-29, with three out of every 1,000 requiring some form of official protection. In terms of teens, there were 569 victims of domestic violence recorded in 2016, a slight decrease
PROTESTS: Thousands take to the streets in Madrid.
compared to the previous year. At the other end of the scale, complaints by women aged 75 and older increased by nearly 15 per cent, while offences against those aged between 40 and 44 increased by 8.5 per cent. Across all age ranges 24 per cent of domestic abuse cases relate to married couples. And there were few signs of change at the start of 2017. The year had in fact started off with some of the worst figures for genderrelated murders in Spain, with 16 women killed by partners or ex-partners as early as March 2. The backlash from these shocking figures saw seven women from the Asociación Vel-la Luz, a Galiciabased organisation working with domestic violence survivors, go on a 25day hunger strike in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol.
TOO LATE: Arrest of Jose Parejo after he killed his ex-wife.
TRAGIC: Ana Orantes on TV appearance.
Horror story that started a movement
AFTER suffering at the hands of an abusive husband for four decades, Ana Orantes bravely went on television to retell her traumatic ordeal. Joined by her youngest daughter Raquel, Ana retold horrific tales of how her recently divorced husband had submitted her to continuous beatings, forced her to drink, to have sex against her will and constantly insulted her over a 40-year period. Her aim was to raise awareness of a situation that many women suffered in Spain behind closed doors but did not dare to mention in public. Some 13 days after the interview, Jose Parejo beat his ex-wife until she was unconscious, tied her to a chair and then burned her alive in front of 14-year-old Raquel. Parejo died in prison after being handed a 17-year jail term. But more poignantly, hundreds of people lined the streets of Granada to
pay their respects to Ana on the day of her funeral. Spain stood united in agreement that something had to be done to stop gender violence. And yet, some 20 years after Ana’s death, women are still dying at the hands of their husbands and Ana’s daughter Raquel is demanding more to be done. In an open letter broadcast on Cadena SER in December, Raquel lamented that ‘almost nothing’ has been done to prevent cases such as her mother’s from happening again. “I would love to tell you everything has changed, that there is political will and that all the people who work to eradicate violence against women have managed to move forward, but that is not the case, the victims are still the same and continue to kill with impunity. Unfortunately, we are still second class citizens,” she said.
WS FEATURE
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
www.euroweeklynews.com
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Latest reforms
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: 24 per cent of domestic abuse cases relate to married couples.
AS part of a wider reform of Spain’s gender violence and domestic abuse laws, the government has introduced 200 reforms to legislation. Among the reforms are the following: • The status of victim will be extended to women who have not yet filed a criminal complaint, to allow them to access safeguards and assistance • Mechanisms for identifying victims of genderbased violence will be established in hospital emergency rooms and primary care • Children orphaned by gender-based violence will have priority access to state benefits including educational support. Their guardians (excluding the abuser) will receive tax benefits and priority access to housing • Tougher sanctions for gender-based crimes committed on the internet • School curriculums to include lessons to tackle sexism and raise awareness of the feminist movement
They were joined by millions more women - and men - on International Women’s Day who marched in the Capital as well as cities across the country demanding an end to gender violence. And the Spanish government took note. In fact, Spain should be applauded for recent measures it has introduced (regardless of whether or not you believe they should have come into force before now). Set out in July and brought into force at the turn of the year, some 200 new measures have been put in place in relation to domestic abuse and gender violence (see Latest reforms). These range from providing greater education about gender violence at schools, to enforcing greater sanctions to those prosecuted and offering better protection for those who report violent partners. It was hailed as an ‘unprecedented event’ by Javier Maroto, a lead-
569 teenage victims of domestic violence recorded in 2016
ing figure in the ruling Popular Party and while some activists argue that it doesn’t go far enough, it is most definitely an encouraging step in the right direction. The long road to this point was started in 1997 when 60-year-old Ana Orantes was beaten, thrown over a balcony and then burned to death by her ex-husband after repeatedly complaining to authorities about his violent behaviour (see Horror story that started a movement). Ana was the 59th woman to die at the hands of her partner that year and her death was the final straw for many. It led to seven years of protests, parliamentary debates and finally legal battles.
At the end of it, in 2004, the government introduced a law designed to reduce the number of domestic violence cases. A network of courts was set up to specialise in the matter and funds were ploughed into programmes aimed at supporting surviving victims of abuse.
28,281 officially registered female victims of gender-related violence in Spain in 2016
It came after 71 domestic murders were recorded in 2003, leading to reinvigorated protests for change. Yet, while the reforms were initially seen as a sign of progress it didn’t take long for cracks to begin to appear with activists readily pointing out where the law fell short. Before the latest reforms many campaigners demanded legislation that properly tackles the issue once and for all. “We need legislation that really addresses femicide, that really gives it the importance it needs,” said Isabel Muntane, director of the Master’s Programme on Gender and Communication at the Autonomous
Shocking study AN EU-wide study carried out in 2014 found that gender violence and domestic abuse is an issue that transcends borders. In fact, the statistics in the study show that there is need for greater reforms and tougher laws across the continent in order to tackle the problem head on. Here are some of the key findings from the study: • One in 10 women have experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 15, while one in 20 has been raped • One in five women have experienced some form of stalking since the age of 15, with 5 per cent having experienced it in the 12 months preceding the survey • However, three out of four stalking cases reported in the survey never come to the attention of the police • One in 10 women have been stalked by a previ-
ous partner • Of women in the survey who indicate they have been raped by their current partner, about one third (31 per cent) say they have experienced six or more incidents of rape by their partner • Just over one in 10 women experienced some form of sexual violence by an adult before they were 15 • Most violence is carried out by a current or former partner, with 22 per cent of women in relationships reporting partner abuse
796 women officially killed in act of domestic violence since 2004
University of Barcelona. “Women are being murdered for being women, and it seems that society is immune to these murders. We always say that if it were football players being murdered, there would be a social revolution.” In fact, in the 14 years since the dedicated courts were created, official statistics record some 796 women have died as the result of domestic abuse. However, according to the activistrun site Feminicio.net, which compiles an unofficial count of femicide murders not exclusive to romantic partnerships, the number of women killed since 2004 as a result of gender violence is closer to 1,500. “The official femicide count doesn’t include the murders of minors, sex workers, murders done by family members, trans-phobic murders,” said Muntane. “If we’re not aware of the reality of all femicides, we’re not aware of the magnitude of the problem.” Following the economic crisis in 2008, the government also slashed funding to many previous-supported programmes set up to tackle gender violence. In total, government funds allocated to dealing with gender violence have been cut by some 29 per cent over the last decade. Although you could be forgiven for looking at the latest measures with a pinch of cynicism, the introduction of new reforms should hopefully start moving that figure in the other direction once more. One thing is for sure: a lot more still needs to be done to stamp this unnecessary evil out once and for all.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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FEATURE
Winter’s doldrums alleviated by Dominique’s gourmet lunches! Ric Polansky Ric Polansky moved to Mojacar in 1969 as a pioneer developer. He reads extensively and has travelled in South America panning gold and looking for El Dorado.
IF the days appear grey and similar this winter, that’s because they have been. Sometimes it is sunny but cold and others grey and cold. That’s when we need wine and friends most. The pueblo’s best ambling ambassador has solved that. She organises lunches at the culinary school where one can enjoy a taste of Mojacar’s best ‘casera’ (home-made cooking) and gourmet plates done by students and equally presented by them. You get a taste of so many wonderful dishes, never even dreamt of by the common man. Wine appears too. Delicacies I’ve never heard of but the school give you a chance to sample and enjoy. Starters often are three different dishes with distinct flavours. You are given a complimentary menu so you can keep score of the culinary treats. Booking can be difficult so I would go to Dominique.
WINTER: A great time to relax with friends. She arranges a table for 10 each month. She generally has two to four extra seats. Call her on 610 699 506 to attempt to book for this month or next. Her table is always full of interesting people. Then, Dominique runs into me at the Parque Commercial saying she has been looking all over for me. She has met many new people that she wants me to meet therefore she needs my house for a luncheon. It’s agreed, two weeks later cars start arriving
and people begin presenting themselves and handing over trays of food and bottles of wine. I have a nice sun room and we all talk there finding out where each is from, how did they find Mojacar and who else they might know so we have a commonality. No one is in a rush to eat so we all relax in the sun and knock back bottles of wine. It’s cold outside so everyone is drinking red. We are two Americans, hosts; four Spanish (two artists:
painter and sculpture) two from the Basque Country opening a place in the village called Viento del Norte; French Dominique, Mojacar’s most famous ambassador and Delphine, another charming French personage who has opened a restaurant on the beach part of Tito’s called Magnifique; and the former town hall ombudsman and tourist guide British Lesley. We all hold in common the language of Spanish and talk loud and incessantly. But the real excitement started when we sat down to eat. Hotel Ritz type canapés were brought by the Basques. Of course the restaurants were not to be outdone by amateur preparations and the French produced some exquisite quiche. The Basque renown for tapas brought up tortilla de chorizo, moist and succulent. Dominique a renown good cook had crepes filled with fish and gambas inside. More wine all around. We all ate and ate to fullness. Then fine cheeses appeared with more wine and then cakes. How we all suffered and could barely talk. Satiated and delightfully replete. Even the brandy would have to wait while we got our breath back.
Advertising Feature
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As well as being inundated with property buyers there are many, many people wanting a long-term rental property whilst they look around for a property to buy. If you are a property owner considering renting out your property but you have concerns Adele is available to talk you through the process on 0034 659 077 998 or at adele@vosshomess pain.com. The Voss Homes office is just 1km off exit 553 of the A7 motorway, 100m from Lidl in Huercal-Overa. Voss Homes Estate Agents, 155a Carretera Estacion, HuercalOvera, 04600, Almeria Office Tel: 0034 950 616 827 Mobile: 0034 678 002 006 or 667 891 741 Website: www.vosshomesspain.com Email: info@vosshomesspain.com
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E W N 15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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Eggheads Great American Railroad Journeys Winter Olympics Sea Cities - Sunderland Generation Gifted The Mash Report Newsnight Dragons' Den Chris Packham: In Search of the Lost Girl
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Heir Hunters Bargain Hunt Winter Olympics Eggheads Great American Railroad Journeys Winter Olympics Sea Cities - Sunderland Generation Gifted The Mash Report Newsnight
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Tenable Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Plastic: Can You Live Without it? Tonight Emmerdale The Cruise Children Who Kill
Nigel Slater's Middle East: Turkey Tom Kerridge's Lose Weight for Good Dragons' Den Hugh's Wild West Winter Olympics David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities Dad's Army QI XL
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Celebrity Catchphrase Tipping Point The Chase ITV News and Weather Local News and Weather Take Me Out The Voice UK Through the Keyhole ITV News and Weather Lethal Weapon 3 Jackpot247
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The Crane Gang South Korea: Earth's Hidden Wilderness Lifeline Songs of Praise Back in Time for Tea New York: America's Busiest City Winter Olympics Today at the Games. Dragons' Den
1:55pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:30pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 9:00pm
ITV News and Weather The Harbour The Cruise What Would Your Kid Do? Britain's Brightest Family Tipping Point ITV News and Weather Local News and Weather The Chase Dancing on Ice Endeavour
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Bargain Hunt The Daily Politics Winter Olympics Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Winter Olympics Today at the Games. Only Connect University Challenge Collateral
1:30pm 2:30pm 3:00pm
Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News James Martin's American Adventure Tenable Tipping Point The Chase Local News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale
The Daily Politics Winter Olympics Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Winter Olympics Back in Time for Tea Flatpack Empire Mum The Archiveologists Newsnight
5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm
Winter Olympics Eggheads Great British Railway Journeys Winter Olympics Today at the Games. Tom Kerridge's Lose Weight for Good Trust Me, I'm a Doctor Murdered for Love? Samia Shahid Mock the Week
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James Martin's American Adventure Tenable Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Plastic: Can You Live Without it? Tonight Emmerdale
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Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Extreme Cake Makers The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News George Clarke's Amazing Spaces Married at First Sight
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A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Extreme Cake Makers The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News George Clarke's Amazing Spaces Married at First Sight The Job Interview
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The Simpsons Come Dine with Me Coast v Country A Place in the Sun The Secret Life of the Zoo The Supervet Channel 4 News Penelope Keith's Coastal Villages Britain at Low Tide Ted 2
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Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast The Simpsons Spongebob Movie: The Sponge Out of Water Rio 2 Channel 4 News Posh Pawn The First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man
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Posh Pawnbrokers Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Extreme Cakemakers The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Dispatches Food Unwrapped
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Tipping Point The Chase Regional News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale 100 Year Old Driving School What Would Your Kid Do? Benidorm: Ten Years on Holiday
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Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Extreme Cake Makers The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Joe Wicks: The Body Coach 24 Hours in A and E
James Martin's American Adventure Tenable Tipping Point The Chase Regional News and Weather Party Political Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street The Brit Awards 2018
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Countdown A Place in the Sun A New Life in the Sun Four in a Bed Extreme Cake Makers The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Supershoppers Savers Special The £1 Houses: Britain's Cheapest Street
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A Husband's Confession 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Wonderful World of Puppies Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Dale Winton's Florida Fly Drive
2:00pm 5:00pm 8:00pm 11:30pm 1:00am 2:00am 3:00am 4:00am
Live ATP 500: Rotterdam Live PGA Tour Golf Featured Groups Live Premier League Darts Sky Sports News at Ten Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News Sky Sports News
NCIS: Conspiracy to Murder A Husband's Confession 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Wonderful World of Puppies Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun
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Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Rich House, Poor House The Wonderful of Puppies Cruising with Jane McDonald World's Most Luxurious Cruise Ship 5 News
7:30am 9:40am 11:45am 12:00pm 1:00pm 3:30pm 3:45pm 4:00pm 6:15pm 8:40pm
Live Rugby League Live Rugby League Super League Highlights Soccer Saturday PreMatch Football My Icon My Icon Rugby Union Rugby Union Live PGA Tour Golf
Make You Laugh Out Loud Justin and the Knights of Valour P.S. I Love You Something's Gotta Give 5 News Greatest Celebrity Wind-Ups Ever! Caught in the Act When Comedy Goes Horribly Wrong
6:00am 10:30am 12:30pm 3:00pm 5:15pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 8:40pm 10:45pm 12:30am 1:00am
Cricket Live European Tour Golf Football Football Football Sky Sports Tonight La Liga Greatest Games Football Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports News Sky Sports News
NCIS: Conspiracy to Murder Final Recourse 5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door
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Sky Sports News Good Morning Sports Fans Premier League Daily Sky Sports Daily Sky Sports News My Icon Live Netball Superleague Football The Debate - Live Live ATP 500: Rio
NCIS: Conspiracy to Murder Deadly Departure 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight World Rally Championship 2018 The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies NCIS: Conspiracy to Murder A Housekeeper's Revenge 5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door GPs: Behind Closed Doors
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Live PGA Tour Golf Featured Groups Live Premier League Darts Sky Sports News at Ten Sky Sports News All the news from the Premier League and beyond. Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News Good Morning Sports Fans Premier League Daily Sky Sports Daily Sportswomen Sky Sports News Soccer Special Pre-Match Gillette Soccer Special The Debate - Live Live ATP 500: Rio Premier League Legends Live Tri-Series Final Live Tri-Series Final Good Morning Sports Fans Premier League Daily Sky Sports Daily Sky Sports News Cricket Football The Debate - Live Live ATP 500: Rio
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.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
TV COUCH CRITIC I THOUGHT this week I would stick to mainstream channels and delve into the world of some of the most watched shows in the UK what could possibly go wrong? Let’s start with Hunted (Channel 4, Thursdays). There is a £100,000 prize at stake, and if the hunted can evade capture by Chief Bleksely and his team, then the money is yours. The hunters have CCTV, social media tracing, sniffer dogs, drones, number plate recognition and helicopters at their disposal, and yet not one of the hunted simply decamps to the cupboard under the stairs of a long lost Aunt and waits for the next set of instructions. Surely we all know by now that using a mobile phone will give you away, don’t we? This is a simple show, evade capture and the money is yours. The answer is just as simple. Hide under Auntie’s stairs and you are halfway there. My favourite Aunt wouldn’t enjoy hanging out with Rylan Clark-Neal as he guides minor celebrities on a Celebrity Ghost Hunt (Channel 5 - 5Star, Tuesdays). Let’s start with Rylan. If he’s going to look for ghosts the lad needs to eat something and gain a few pounds. His current frame is in danger of being blown over by a draught from an open window, never mind a paranormal happening. He should hold back on the fake tan too. Nobody other than my lovely
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FEATURE
Celebrity Ghost Hunting in the First Dates Hotel - maybe not?
HUNTED: ‘Somehow draws you in.’ CELEBRITY GHOST HUNT: ‘Hold back on the fake tan.’ friend Lindsay looks good covered with that amount of tan in a tube and Rylan, Linds is in Puerto Banus not Hever Castle in deepest Kent. The celebrities include James ‘just call me Arg’ Argent of TOWIE fame (I use the word fame lightly), Georgia Harrison from Love Island and Sam Thompson - I’m struggling to remember why Sam is a celebrity; maybe it’s the
handsome good looks, upper class accent and a certain show made in a posh London Borough? Made in South Shields doesn’t have the same ring, but Shields folk are just as nice as their Chelsea counterparts. The ghosts are asked to reveal themselves by self-designated psychic Alex Gibbs. Alex is a
close friend of Rylan. Alex is in no danger of being blown over by a gust of wind and has terrible dress sense. Rylan is adamant that nothing is staged and if that is true, our celebrity spook hunters do have something approaching a close encounter in each episode. Rylan is reported to have been so frightened in one of the episodes he ran out of a room and straight into a wall. It was nothing to do with ghosts, he was running from the lunch buffet. Despite an impromptu ghost hunt, there were no sightings at the First Dates Hotel which concluded its run on Channel 4 this week. Series two is on CH4 catch up. The real stars here are not the people looking for love but Fred and the other staff. That said, I was rooting for Nick and Lewis in the final show - two people who deserve each other. Maitre d’ Fred Sirieix and the team deliver advice on romance and the occasional broken heart in a wonderful setting somewhere in southern Italy. The format is a little predictable but if you like the original First Dates make up, you will love this one... Happy viewing. Critique: Adam Whalley-Lewis, Casares, Costa del Sol
Generation snowflake delays the real world as long as possible Nora Johnson
Breaking Views Nora is the author of popular psychological suspense and crime thrillers and a freelance journalist. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/3.0.15/nora-johnson
ACCORDING to a recent medical study, adolescence now stretches to the age of 24 as growing up is slowing down. Is this delayed development because we’ve feather-bedded today’s youngsters so that they stay at school till 18, followed by three further years avoiding responsibility at uni (for them, just three more years of partying) followed by gap years etc, such that their brains have readjusted to adolescence lasting longer? (Nonetheless, this period of transformation from child into mature adult can take
longer with some than others. Some - Jeremy Corbyn, I’m looking at you! - may regard Venezuela’s sinking economy as a better economic model for the western world while others - Trump? - may believe that grabbing a woman by the crotch is a turn on for most women.) And when they finally do get to university, these snowflake-students will inevitably regard deadline extensions, exam resits or exemptions from procedures deemed ‘upsetting’ as a welcome cop-out. Newsflash: Doctors will no longer have to undertake training in surgery or pathology as many find this work ‘distasteful, creepy and upsetting.’ A spokesperson for the NHS stated that: “Doctors will be exempt from cases of
who have grown up. Whatever next? A trigger warning at the beginning of a crime novel that someone, possibly even another person, will be dead by the end? Phew! As the author of crime thrillers - The Girl in the Red Dress the latest in the series (all profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity as you know) - perhaps I’d better switch to writing fantasy and fairy tales! Photo credit: unsplash
GENERATION SNOWFLAKE: Out of touch with the world. legal and insurance action arising from deaths from surgically related non-procedures”. I made this up, but you get the idea. Our snowflake-generation is so pampered by decades of
child-centred parenting/education, is it surprising they’re putting off real life? But you can’t hold back time, careers, finding lifepartners, babies. They’ll regret it waking up at 40 totally
alone in the world. So, snowflakes, if you’re likely to be distressed by things, simply stay at home daydreaming, cocooned by your blanket, teddy and fantasy books and leave real life to those of us
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-johnson.net) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore.
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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OPINION & COMMENT
YOUR PAPER - YOUR VOICE - YOUR OPINION Letters should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com or make your comments on our website: www.euroweeklynews.com
Views expressed and opinions given are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements.
Praising the bravery of Father Schiller to tell the truth MAY I offer my admiration and respect to Father Miguel Ángel S c h i l l e r, p a r i s h p r i e s t a t A l f a z del Pi, who recently had the courage to speak out publicly against the ongoing scandal of child-molesting priests in the Catholic Church. Like so many I am dismayed at these events, that historically have left hundreds, if not thousands of vulnerable children worldwide, traumatised and powerless to defend themselves against a person, held in high esteem in their community, who have shamelessly, sinfully, taken advantage of them. Even a s a l a p se d C ath o lic it shames me - more so the Church itself - that it should protect those that si n a n d n o t t h o s e s in n ed against. God bless you Father Miguel and let us trust that he is not, himself, victimised for saying what so many people think and believe. The Church must be seen to be addressing this problem. Sheila Skinner, Parcent
HAVE YOUR SAY
Sexual harassment
Response to Our View issue 1700 YOU mention you want Benidorm to be like ‘Ibiza’ closed down for six months of the year. What will happen to all the people who work here with young families to support? If shops, restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and bars are closed, do you think the council will be happy to support all the out of work people? You mention the Stag and Hen parties, the revenue these bring into Benidorm keeps bars, hotels and restaurants open, all employing many staff. It’s a small minority that spoil it. The people who are making these complaints do not have business in Benidorm that is obvious. What does need dealing with is the ‘Pea-men,’ the thieving and heartache
BENIDORM: Is a fun place to be. they cause. There is not a mayor or the police who have managed to stop these people. We think there should be more live bands and more music through the day and night to accommodate ‘party-people.’ Benidorm is a beautiful place, beautiful safe beaches, the beaches are cleaned every night, the promenade is washed from top to bottom. The newspaper quoted... ‘Benidorm is the second most visited
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.
place in the WORLD.’ It’s got that way by being a safe (no bombs, no terrorists (the police do a good job there) PARTY TOWN! Wendy, Benidorm Editor’s note: Wendy thank you for your letter. To be fair, Our View didn’t say that Benidorm should close for six months it just observed that Hen and Stag parties are being discouraged by local business and that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Readers who have missed correspondence can see all letters - which can be edited before publication - posted on: www.euroweeklynews.com.
Police ski four hours to deliver medicine WOOW... wonderful always going that extra mile for the public. Marje Turner Great respect for Spanish police they are the best! John William Roberts Great job well done all of you around the country. Stuart Ridgley
Woman loses both legs in car accident It’s about time people here learnt how to approach and exit roundabouts. I passed my test here in 1972 and have respect for most of the d r i v i n g a n d p a r k i n g a b i l i t i e s, b u t r o u n d abouts... disgraceful. Not logical. Sandra Russell OMG that poor woman.. what is happening here. Too many careless drivers. Linda Cooper That roundabout is lethal, too many lanes to choose from. Unfortunately nobody ever seems to know which lane to be in. Terri Prodage How the devil can a roundabout be lethal, aw-
Comments from EWN online ful or anything else along those lines? Yes it can be pretty, plain or dull, it can even vary in size or design. People say similar things about junctions, traffic lights etc, but in reality the only time that there is an incident at any of these points there is a driver or rider involved. Funny that! Ted Milsom
by the UK. Pauline Parker Yo u a r e l u c k y, y o u B r i t i s h e x p a t s. A n e x p a t from Denmark, lose their voting rights, from the first day, in a foreign country , even within EU! Carsten Thorvald B i t t o o l a t e n o w, d o n ’ t w a n t t o k n o w, m y home is here in Spain for 32yrs, two children, five Spanish grandchildren. Elaine Mawer
Costa Blanca is tops for UK airport
W h y w o u l d a n y o n e wa n t t o h a v e a v o t e o n what another country does,if you don’t live there, it really doesn’t affect you! June Waterhouse
Leeds Bradford airport is still operating like it is still back in Dick’s days, walking 500 yards outside to board a plane. Millions supposedly s p e n t o n p a s s e n g e r c o m f o r t , b u t w h e r e. N o rail link, poor highway links, scandalous taxi charges, the best transport service to this airport is the bus from Leeds, number 757, about every 30 minutes, the drivers are very courteous, and pleasant. George R Carman
But they are still affected. They may still have property in the UK, family in the UK and a pension they have contributed to for a working lifetime. Health care also currently paid for
Use Leeds Bradford airport often but I do wish they’d sort the walk from the plane through the ‘bike sheds’ out! It’s so depressing after leaving Alicante airport. Christine Simpson
Expat voting rights proposal approved
TALKING to a friend, she told me that one of her bosses ‘touched her up’ and she just slapped him across the face. She was a hairdresser, did not leave her job then, but founded her own beauty salon. The same thing happened to me and knowing my worth, I just told him where to go. Don’t be embarrassed, denounce on the spot. Many of the cases going public these days are dubious... I should think some of the ‘victims’ of long ago wanted the job - at any costand put up with it - why was the abuse not declared at the time? Ena Amengual, Mallorca
Happy to be Gay Dear Nora, I LOVED your article about names, they have always had a fascination for me, especially as I have to keep telling Spanish people that my surname means HAPPY. The end bit of your article about the policeman reminded me of the two police officers who often went to the local schools to talk about road safety. I think that they were partly chosen for their names as the children (my own included) thought it was hilarious that they were PC Copp and PC Peacey. My Mum had a friend Rose whose married name was Bush and I have a friend Mrs Rolls who called her daughter Louise (Lou) and another Mrs Peacock whose son Andrew became known as Drew at senior school... think about it!! Look forward to your next article. Margot Gay
Cry baby HE cries if he loses; he cries if he wins. How many more times do we have to witness the unsightly spectacle of Federer dissolving in tears in public. His achievements undeniably place him among the greats, but the natural joyful reaction of Wozniacki was much easier on the eye. Likewise, other all-time greats such as Graf, Laver and Nadal were able to handle victory and defeat in a more seemly manner. David R Worboys, Nerja
TIME OUT
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) An area in which you have experience means that you are able to help someone close this week. Keep the advice free from personal opinions wherever possible. Some upsets on a day-to-day basis are all minor and will pass. Your sensitivity this week is certain to cause frustration and even mayhem. Being in a calm situation will help. So will realising where the source of the aggravation comes from.
‘ MRS MAY AND HER BREXIT BRIT HAVE JUST ARRIVED SIR. ’
*** It was technically illegal for women to wear trousers in Paris until the 214-year-old law was repealed in 2012. *** A chef from Singapore became the world’s first street vendor to earn a Michelin star in 2016. *** Chubut province in Argentina is home to around 25,000 Welsh speakers. It has the highest population that speak the language outside of Britain. *** Rats have been trained to sniff out landmines in Mozambique. So far they have unearthed 13,000 mines and 1,100 hectares of land have been reclaimed. *** The Red Sea gets its name from dying algae in its water that turns it from blue-green to red. *** Antarctica is home to the driest place on earth where 200mph winds blow rain away.
LOTTERY
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Saturday February 10
3
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Picture credit Wikimedia Commons.
Trivia from around the world
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Thursday February 8
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Surprising and happy news about the 28th really puts some bounce into you. Having been so busy recently, you may not have noticed that someone has a special interest in you. Another surprise then, but how will you react?
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Family members bring a sparkle to your eyes and a spring to your step. When there is so much going on it is easy to forget how much we are part of a whole. If you have neglected keeping in contact of late, this serves to remind you to try to do better.
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA
Saturday February 10
A trip to the cinema or theatre makes you take notice and may even shock. There are many things in life that normally do not touch us but, once we are aware, there seems to be a need for action.
Sunday February 11
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LUCKY STARS
LUCKY STARS
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BONUS BALL
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Cryptozoology - the search for and study of animals which are not proven to exist like the Yeti.
What will really be appreciated this week is if you will give your time to others. I realise that your life is busy but the emotional rewards from helping someone will be more than worth it. To see yourself in a truly positive light, imagine being in the positions of those round you.
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) 17
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World of English
LA PRIMITIVA
EURO MILLIONS
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BONUS BALL
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Almost every piece of plastic ever produced still exists today. The material was only invented in the early 20th century and takes at least 500 years to decompose. There is an area of plastic bigger than France floating in the Pacific Ocean.
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One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion.” Simone de Beauvoir, Philosopher
You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” Albert Camus, Writer
DID YOU KNOW?
Tuesday February 6
Women’s wit
Famous quote
STILL HERE: More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year.
IRISH LOTTO
PISCES (February 20 - March 20)
EL MILLON: XBF99540
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REINTEGRO
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JOKER: 7 355 415
REINTEGRO
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JOKER: 9 104 800
REINTEGRO
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Expecting others to automatically know what you want is unrealistic. Even dropping heavy hints can go well astray of the mark. Although it is unpalatable to your sensitivity, plain talking is needed. Stop wanting everyone to like you and your personality will grow in leaps and bounds.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Oh, gosh, this is a really sensitive time for Leos. Although it is easy to upset you, it is equally easy to fire your enthusiasm. Anyone considering not keeping a promise or appointment with you should beware because they will be whipped into shape.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) This is a week of deep thinking and meaningful conversations. Someone's opinion of you reaches your ears and pleases you greatly. Work that has been progressing at home faces hold-ups and tact is needed to avoid a row. Some compromise is required at work, perhaps related to a planned holiday.
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Take extra care where finances concern your home. A legal matter should be considered carefully. When planning home improvements, get plenty of good advice and do not trust your heart. A new activity means new friends.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Being protective of those close does not mean worrying all the time. With their cooperation, the burden, welcome though it may be, can be lightened. There is the opportunity to have fun with some young friends, which may not come again for some time.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Be determined to make a budget and stick to it. Even if you are arranging a holiday, resist the urge to splash out. Because this is such a busy week, it may not seem that there is time to read the small print. However, that would be a mistake, causing problems later.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) With a big event coming up, you need someone to give plenty of love and support. Starting a new interest could lead you into their path. Going for looks alone will do you no favours. Be as broad-minded as possible when it comes to making friends.
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Across 1 Places one vessel inside another (5) 4 Rattles baffled young film actress (7) 8 Name of bloke to steal cattle, it's said (7) 9 Dance in a state of uncertainty (5) 10 Stick with musical animals (8) 11 We must accept silver as payment (4) 13 Scottish beginners wrap an ancient manuscript (6) 15 Bird of prey, a sort of parrot (6) 18 Abit of apathy is a way of life (4) 19 Use girl outside fairground ride (8) 22 Anointed muddled oldie (5) 23 Rearranging set with needle is unproductive (7) 24 Priests drunk some spirits (7) 25 Paper money produced by musician (5)
7 Time rove to wander about to find treasure (5) 12 Emperor turning pale? No, no! (8) 14 Rear back around that dry, little snake (7) 16 They help make curls and waves (7)
Code Breaker
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION FACING PAGE
17 Prepared sauces for the campaigns (6) 18 Phosphorus is put on many bits of land (5) 20 A good person isn't a revolutionary (5) 21 Correct some submitted items (4)
Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 1 represents F and 20 represents C, so fill in F every time the figure 1 appears and C every time the figure 20 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.
CROSSWORD PAGE
Cryptic
Down 1 Bands' trip to England in a ship (7) 2 Headless rodent left by bird (5) 3 Outlines for small, confused clients (8) 4 Recognise a South American stringed instrument (6) 5 Actually has one on your side (4) 6 Criticise bats, male bats (7)
TIME
Across 1 Of or relating to very low temperatures (9) 7 Agreement's conditions (5) 8 Synthetic silk like fabric (5) 9/5 Rallying shout (3,3) 10 Large edible fish (6) 14 Edible nut (6) 15 See 19 Down 18 South American mountain range (5) 20 Cognisant (5) 21 Mobsters (9)
English - Spanish
Across 1 Estrellas (5) 4 Snail (7) 8 En contra de (7) 9 Hielo (3) 10 Alga (7) 11 Down (physical movement) (5) 12 Escobas (6) 14 Finally (6) 17 To fear (be afraid) (5) 19 Barriles (7) 22 Caliente (3) 23 Example (7) 24 Respect (7) 25 Afeitar (5)
Down 1 Make reference to (4) 2 Nautical-spar part (7) 3 Breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted (4) 4 Being usual, typical or standard (6) 5 See 9 Across 6 Sunshade (6) 11 Ordinary, banal (7) 12 Yellow fruit (6) 13 Occurring together or simultaneously (6) 16 Forbids (4) 17 Charges for services (4) 19/15 Cigarette butt (3,3)
The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.
Down 1 Tiendas (5) 2 Device (technical) (7) 3 Soft (pleasant to the touch) (5) 4 Sister-in-law (6) 5 Delay (hold-up) (7) 6 Fall (physical action) (5) 7 Acostarse (3,4) 12 Carnicero (7) 13 Label (tag) (7) 15 Mop (for floor) (7) 16 Worker (agriculture, industry) (6) 18 Motorbikes (5) 20 Cuerdas (gruesas) (5) 21 Salsa (5)
Hexagram
The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (RAISIN) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.
AERATE ARTERY CORONA COWMEN COYOTE CRAVAT DOMAIN INDIGO INLAND JIGSAW JOVIAL PIGEON PUNDIT RAISIN (10) REVVED TOILET UNDOES VANDAL VELLUM
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Fossil 2 Sizing 3 Salary 4 Misery 5 Teensy 6 Spread 7 Regent 8 Treble 9 Arrear 10 Needle 11 Bridge 12 Detest 13 Medley 14 Abrade 15 Sleuth 16 Guilty 17 Teethe 18 Tedium 19 Retire.
Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? • The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. • Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. • No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. • No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.
Kakuro
How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case L) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.
TARGET: • Average: 23 • Good: 32
4 letters: 1 point 7 letters: 5 points 5 letters: 2 points 8 or more letters: 6 letters: 3 points 11 points
TARGET: • Average: 7 • Good: 9 • Very good: 14 • Excellent: 18
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION letup lets lute aids adieu tattle tats tads upend upends tidy title diet diets ditsy date days green greens pule putt putts peer peep prep preen preens pent pend pends pens pest peeper nest stet staid stat stay sneer save saver septet septa sent send serge sere seer seep aver avast epee epees repute repent repents rent rents rend rends rest revs entitle ends vast vase vent vents vend vends vest verge veer veep peen peens hens here herpes heresy hues taste tavern taverns
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION chat echt etch hate heat mate math meat meet mete meth tach tack take tame teak team tech teem thee them catch cheat ketch match teach theme cachet machete CHECKMATE
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
QUICK Across:
CODE BREAKER
• Very good: 45 • Excellent: 59
SCORING:
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
1 Crab, 3 Tuba, 7 Anonymous, 12 Expectant, 17 Yeti, 18 Cars.
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Down:
1 Cava, 2 Alto, 4 Undo, 5 Ales, 6/14 Pay cut, 8 Nix, 9 Née, 10 Met, 11 Urn, 12 Envy, 13 Pact, 15 Aria, 16 Taps.
CRYPTIC
ENGLISH-SPANISH
Across:
Across:
1 Imbibed, 5 Moist, 8 Milan, 9 Deadpan, 10 Travail, 11 Trove, 12 Upset, 14 Paper, 19 Arras, 21 Sort out, 23 Ingrate, 24 Scorn, 25 Gangs, 26 Possess.
1 Cotton, 3 Molido, 8 Iglesia, 10 Aisle, 11 Trozo, 12 Propina, 13 Gales, 15 Ashes, 20 Acrobat, 22 Nests, 24 Libra, 25 Castaño, 26 Rarest, 27 Abuela.
Down:
1 Inmate, 2 Bella, 3 Bondage, 4 Doddle, 5 Meant, 6 Implore, 7 Tinder, 13 Paragon, 15 Arrests, 16 Ealing, 17 Asleep, 18 Stints, 20 Slaps, 22 Ozone.
Down:
1 Chiste, 2 Toldo, 4 Opaco, 5 Inspire, 6 Ovejas, 7 Happy, 9 Snore, 14 Aprobar, 16 Songs, 17 Bailar, 18 Stick, 19 Escoba, 21 Brass, 23 Stare.
App of the week Magic golf This is a new game that features thousands of player-created crazy golf courses. There’s also the chance to create your own character and update them with wacky accessories.
QUIZ: EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS 1. In the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, what was the name of the character played by Kylie Minogue? 2. ‘I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with’ is the first line from which novel by Emily Brontë, first published in 1847? 3. In which decade was the politically incorrect British sitcom Love Thy Neighbour initially broadcast? 4. Released in September 1991, Waking Up the Neighbours was the sixth studio album by which Canadian singer-songwriter? 5. The character Dill Harris in To Kill a Mockingbird is believed to be based on which famous author, a childhood friend and neighbour of its author Harper Lee? His best known works include the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) and the true crime novel In Cold Blood (1966). 6. Voiced by Harry Shearer, what is the name of the good-natured, cheery next-door neighbour to the Simpson family, who is generally loathed by Homer Simpson?
7. What is the title of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film that starred James Stewart as a wheelchair bound photographer who, during a powerful heat wave, watches his neighbours, who keep their windows open to stay cool? 8. Which rather grumpy television character had neighbours called Patrick and Pippa Tench, played by Angus Deayton and Janine Duvitski? 9. Whose (television) neighbours were Fred and Ethel Mertz played by Vivienne Vance and William Frawley? 10. Which song-writing husband and wife team composed the theme tune to the Australian soap opera Neighbours? Not a lot of people know that... not only do Ant and Dec work together, they also live next door to each other, on the same street in Chiswick, West London. They said they didn't care people think this is "bizarre" because they’d spend a "fortune in cab fares" if they lived further apart. And that's not all - the pair even purchased two villas side by side in a luxury Portuguese golf resort on the Algarve so they can holiday together too.
Answers: 1. CHARLENE ROBINSON (MITCHELL), 2. WUTHERING HEIGHTS, 3. 1970s (from April 1972 to January 1976), 4. BRYAN ADAMS, 5. TRUMAN CAPOTE, 6. NED (Nedward) FLANDERS Junior, 7. REAR WINDOW, 8. VICTOR MILDREW (One Foot in the Grave), 9. LUCILLE BALL/ARNAZ (I Love Lucy), 10. TONY HATCH (music) and JACKIE TRENT (lyrics)
OUT
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weather
Costa de Almería TODAY
TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO
ALBOX
VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX
HUERCAL OVERA
HUERCAL OVERA
GARRUCHA
GARRUCHA
MOJACAR
MOJACAR
ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA
RETAMAR
ROQUETAS
ADRA
Almeria
Bilbao
Madrid
TODAY: MAX 20, MIN 9 - S
TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 12-S
TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 10 -S
TODAY: MAX 15, MIN - 5 CL
Fri 19 Sat - 11 Sun - 9 Mon - 11 Tues - 12 Wed - 11
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -
19 19 17 16 17 16
9-S 9-S 9-S 8 - Cl 8 - Sh 8 - Sh
18 18 16 16 16 16
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -
12 - S 11 - Cl 10 - Sh 10 - Cl 9 - Cl 9 - Sh
9-C 6 - Sh 5-C 4 - Cl 5-S 5 - Cl
16 12 11 12 12 12
6-C 2 - Sh 1-C 1 - Cl 1 - Sh 1 - Sh
Benidorm
Mallorca
Barcelona
TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 11 - S
TODAY: MAX 18, MIN 7 - S
TODAY: MAX 15, MIN 7 - S
18 18 15 16 16 16
S: Sun
11 - Cl 10 - Cl 9-C 9 - Sh 8 - Cl 8 - Sh
17 17 14 15 15 15
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Cl: Clear
11 - Cl 10 - Sh 9 - Sh 9 - Sh 9 - Cl 9 - Sh
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -
17 16 14 14 15 15
C: Cloudy
9 - Cl 8-C 7 - Cl 7-S 7-S 7 - Cl
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -
16 14 13 14 13 13
VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX
HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA MOJACAR
Alicante TODAY: MAX 19, MIN 11 - S
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -
ROQUETAS
SATURDAY
Malaga
10 - C 8 - Sh 7-C 7 - Cl 6-S 7-S
Sh: Showers
ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA
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Sn: Snow
Th: Thunder
Euro Weekly News strives for accuracy, but cannot be held responsible for any errors in published forecasts
BIRTHDAYS
LINDA is a 14-year-old living with her parents in a former commune on the banks of a lake in rural Minnesota. She is called a freak at school and is mostly left alone in a place where most people have longsince moved on. But soon a mother and father and their young child Paul move into the cabin next door. Linda starts to babysit for the family and soon feels as though she has somewhere to belong. Linda is then forced to make a choice as she is drawn into a darkness that she does not understand in Emily Fridlund’s poetic novel and haunting novel History of Wolves.
ALMERIA
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Sudoku LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
• Matt Groening, Cartoonist; School and received a Lifetime February 15, 64 Achievement Award at the UK The brains behind The SimpSoap Awards in 2005. sons and Futurama debuted • Michael Jordan, Basketball player; February 17, 55 when his cartoon characters appeared on the Tracey Ullman Jordan is considered by many to be Matt Groening. Show. His series set in the ficone of the greatest basketball tional town of Springfield is one of the players of all time. Despite not making his longest-running on US TV. high school team because of his height, he went on to play for the Chicago Bulls and • June Brown, Soap Star; February 16, 91 is a six-time NBA champion. Albert Square’s Dot Cotton first began • Yoko Ono, Artist; February 18, 85 playing the role in BBC soap EastEnders Japanese avant-garde artist Ono has played a major role in anti-war and environmental in 1985. She trained at the Old Vic Drama
activism throughout her career. She married Beatle John Lennon after the two met in the 1960’s and they spent their honeymoon in bed for a week for peace. Their son Sean was born in 1975. • Millie Bobby Brown, Actor; February 19, 14 The Strange Things star was born in Marbella, Spain before she moved to Bournemouth with her family when she was five years old. Brown also had roles in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy.
Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.
Sierra Nevada SNOW REPORT Daytime temperatures are set to go above freezing starting today (Thursday) with highs of up to five degrees until Saturday. No snow and partly cloudy skies are forecast for the week but temperatures will plummet below zero from Sunday onwards. 119 of the 128 ski slopes are open.
Word Ladder LEFT
SHOE BACK
Move from the start word (LEFT) to the end word (SHOE) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
• 356 - Paganism shut down Roman Emperor Constantius II issues a decree closing all Latin pagan temples in the empire, another step in the rise of Christianity in Europe. • 1229 - Holy Land handed over Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II signs a pact with Egyptian Sultan alKamil, retaking Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem in the Sixth Crusade. • 1613 - Romanov crowned Mikhail I is elected Tsar of Russia, beginning over 300 years of Russia being ruled by the Romanov dynasty. They will remain in power until the revolutions of 1917 and the foundation of the USSR. • 1753 - Calendar change February 17 is followed by March 1 in Sweden after the country moves from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. • 1863 - Red Cross founded A group in meeting in Geneva creates the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded. It would later change its name to the International Committee of the Red Cross. • 1942 - Fall of Singapore British general Arthur Percival surrenders to Japanese forces after their attack on Singapore in the largest surrender of British led forces in history. • 1971 - Emergency broadcast mistake The United States’ Emergency Broadcast System is accidently activated after a national alert is sent out in error. The EBS was designed to send messages to the public during times of war and crisis. • 2005 - Kyoto protocol enacted Russia ratifies the international Kyoto agreement on climate change and emissions leading it to come into force across the world.
This week in history
Time to choose
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Solution LEFT LOFT SOFT SOOT SHOT SHOE
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DVD
Life or death
WHEN surgeon Dr Ben Bass (Idris Elba) and journalist Alex Martin (Kate Winslet) are stranded on a mountain after a plane crash they become dependent on each other for survival. They then begin their trek across the wilderness to reach civilisation. Falls, wild animals and arguments plague them on along the way, but they both become closer through their shared struggle. The Mountain Between Us is a tale of two strangers thrown into a desperate effort to survive.
Freelance correspondent, London, England
IN an average lifetime we spend upwards of 26 years sleeping, a third of our lives. We are advised that we should replace our beds at least every eight years. At John Lewis & Partners, my local department store, an unscientific survey online and in-store offered mattresses costing from €284 for a basic mattress and divan up to a heroic €20,500 at the top end for the mattress alone. The most expensive mattress boasted fillings and ingredients of hemp, linen, horse hair, Egyptian cotton, British fleece wool, Yorkshire wool, goat angora, silk, cashmere, tree silk, Alpaca and Pashmina with 44,500 springs, while towards the budget end of the offer lay a bed whose list of ingredients were merely polyester, recycled cotton and wool, and a humble 288 springs. Scientific research and surveys among them the National Sleep Survey showed that 50 per cent of the UK’s population have sleep issues. And 80 per cent confirm that their sleep is disturbed regularly. The negative impact of sleep deprivation extends into all aspects of our waking lives. You are more likely to be overweight if you sleep poorly. Science has even demonstrated that poor sleep patterns lead to a shorter life span than would otherwise be the case.
What price a good night’s sleep?
PRICEY: A Hastens Vividus will set you back more than €113,500.
DECADENT: A Savoir bed in the Savoy Hotel, London.
How much would you pay to live longer, healthier, slimmer and be even more productive? Sir Richard D’Oyly Carte opened the Savoy Hotel, London in 1889 and decided that no bed then on the market reached the standards of the world famous hotel, commissioning James Edwards Ltd to create the Savoy Bed. To maintain its exclusivity the Hotel subsequently bought the bed factory during the 1930s. The factory did not change hands again till 1997. Savoir Beds of London still manufactures the original Savoy Bed, branded as the Savoir No2 with the trademark Trellis ticking de-
signed by Lady D’Oyly Carte in 1905. Frank Sinatra would only sleep on a Savoir Bed when he was in London, and stipulated that condition in his contracts. Reputedly Liza Minelli actress and singer decided to purchase one after just one night. The Savoy Hotel was last totally refurbished in 2010, with €234 million invested, and a Savoir Bed is found in all its best rooms, with the sumptuous No1 installed in the Royal Suite. A family-owned manufacturer, Hastens Sangar has been making beds for more than a century. It’s top of the line ‘Vividus’ bed costs
Red card for Ronaldo Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene
MADRID and Barcelona: are we talking politics or are we talking sport? Both are inseparably co-dependent and there are areas where it’s never easy to define which is which. Take Cristiano Ronaldo, the Real Madrid ace who is currently much exercised over the way that Spain’s tax authority Hacienda is treating him. The Madrid player is accused of fiscal jiggery-pokery and owing Hacienda €14.7 million, which is hardly surprising bearing in mind the telephone-number amounts he earns. He could also spend seven years in jail if Hacienda decides to bare its fangs. Some time back Barcelona’s Lionel Messi found himself in a similar fix, but avoided a prison term after making his excuses and coughing up the €3 million or so that he owed. All of which prompted Ronaldo’s lawyers to cry Foul! and claim that Hacienda treated Messi far less harshly and used different criteria. If it’s not referees favour-
ing Barça - Madrid’s reason for consistently losing to them - then this time it’s Hacienda, moving the goalposts so that Ronaldo gets a red card.
Change in the air ACCORDING to an October - January CIS poll, the Partido Popular is still on top with 26.3 per cent of the electorate’s potential vote. The PSOE comes next with 23.2 with Ciudadanos on 20.7. Sighs of relief at
Photo bY Hastens
Nick Horne The Rich Pick
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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Photo by Savoy Hotel
FEATURE
party headquarters in Calle Genova were not exactly gale-force because the PP had lost 1.7 percentage points. It was little consolation that the intervening three months shaved 1.1 points off the PSOE’s share, not when Ciudadanos had jumped 3.2 points. Uncharacteristically, the PP’s coordinator, general Fernando Martinez-Maillo, said that despite the improvement, the party needs to change “and take the political initiative.” Talking about change is the easy bit: putting it into practice is more difficult because Mariano Rajoy isn’t going to change. He wouldn’t know how to, but until he does the party will always remain the same.
Life means life
MARIANO RAJOY is often wrong about many things, but right when he said there is wide social support for ‘life means life’ sentences. But he now wants crimes incurring these sentences to automatically include murders where the convicted killer will not reveal the victim’s whereabouts, murders involving ‘nuclear, chemical and fire elements’ or kidnaps ending in death. Rajoy’s default setting has come to the fore again, beCRISTIANO RONALDO: Bitter over taxes.
more than €113,500. Where is the quintessence of beds the ‘Vividus’ to be found? In the Swedish city of Koping, lying to the west of Stockholm is the factory. Your investment buys the skill, experience and commitment of 140 craftsmen, and each bed takes more than 320 man hours to make with 200 kilos of natural materials, from slow growing pine timbers to fabric. At this level what is the difference between one bed factory and another? History. Heritage. Materials. Design. The craftsmen. Each bed is a work of art, built to specifications following personal consultations. Probably a combination of factors will influence your ultimate choice. Whatever your personal choice is, sleep tight!
Freedom to choose MARTA ROVIRA, second-in-charge of pro-independence ERC now that her boss Oriol Junqueras is remanded in prison, called for a second investiture session to decide Cataluña’s next president. Regional MPs, she stressed, would need to know they did not risk prosecution when voting for their candidate. That shouldn’t be hard to arrange: just choose a candidate who isn’t remanded or self-exiled. Simple.
cause heinous as these crimes are, every ‘life means life’ sentence should be analysed individually and not filed under government headings.
The rhinoceros in the room CARLES PUIGDEMONT, heir presumptive to the Catalan presidency, now occupies a Belgian des-res. His businessman pal Josep Maria Matamala Alsina did the haggling and is said to be footing the €4,400 bill each month. columnists@euroweeklynews.com
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Drugged up AROUND a quarter of young people between the age of 13 and 18 are thought to experience anxiety on a regular basis, according to a recent report, with approximately 5 per cent of all children i n E u r o p e e s t i m a t e d t o s u ff e r from ADHD. The situation has prompted the Duchess of Cambridge to launch a website that aims to help improve mental well-being of children in primary school and the support they receive if they suff e r f r o m a n y d i ff i c u l t i e s . T h e website claims that ‘one in 10 children experience a mental health difficulty by age 11.’ H o w e v e r, M a t t H u d s o n , a leading behavioural change expert and founder of Motivational Change and the Hudson M i n d T h e o r y, i s w a r n i n g parents of the dangers of confusing common emotions such as sadness, fear and grief which are commonly experienced
by children with some symptoms of actual medical conditions. He revealed: “We are constantly hearing that mental illness among children is on the rise; more anxious, stressed and depressed than ever before. Confused and insecure children are likely to be diagnosed as depressed or traumatised. Energetic or disruptive youngsters are said t o b e s u ff e r i n g f r o m a t t e n t i o n deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children who give their t e a c h e r s a h a r d t i m e o r a rg u e with adults might even find themselves labelled victims of ‘oppositional defiant disorder.’” Hudson advises parents to seek other tools to help their children cope with their feelings, as “The authorities now have the power to issue drugs like Ritalin for ADHD, which is as powerful as cocaine, directly to children - and the parents have no say in the decision.
THERE’S a lot of research that praises the benefits of Pilates, from reducing the risk of certain illnesses to strengthening muscles and improving flexibility. It’s also a gentler workout than most but it can be just as effective, meaning you get all the benefits of exercise without any of the soreness afterwards. According to a study by the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, Pilates can help ease back ache as those with chronic
MIND MATTERS: Mental health difficulties among children are thought to be increasing. “The prescription is based on a chemical imbalance theory, a theory that has never been proven to this day.” If you have any doubts or con-
cerns about the well-being of your children, it is wise to seek out advice from numerous mental health professionals and always seek out a second opinion if your
Stretch it out lower back pain who attended classes for a month experienced more relief than those who went to see a physician or other specialist. This is believed to be because Pilates strengthens the core, which then alleviates stress on the lower-back region.
A stronger core also will help to improve your posture and overall sports performance as all the body’s muscles are connected through the core, so this will make your movements sharper and help you run faster. It’s also easier on your joints than other
doctor prescribes drugs for your child’s condition. For more information visit: www.mentalhealth.org/ and www.mind.org.uk
workouts as the slow, controlled movements cause minimal impact. One of the major benefits of practising Pilates is the wonders it does to your flexibility, which can improve your body’s range of motion and, therefore, your exercise performance. A study that followed young Brazilian women, without any prior experience, as they attended 20 Pilates sessions showed they became 19.1 per cent more flexible by the end of the research.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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Feeling the pulse SWEET THING: Sugary food to be reduced.
Cracking down on sugar cTHE Spanish health ministry has announced it plans to reduce sugar, salt and fat levels in 3,500 products by 2020. In order to achieve this, the ministry has partnered with more than 500 food and beverage companies and catering companies will now have to improve the quality of the meals offered in schools, by reducing the amount of processed and fried products as well as offering more fruit, vegetables and fish. Vending machines will also have to be filled by at least a third with more ‘balanced foods’ and the maximum amount of sugar added to hot drinks machines will be cut down by 15 per cent. The news comes after the Lithuanian government made a similar announcement of its decision to partner with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of salt and sugar in food instead of bringing in a sugar tax. Dolors Montserrat, the Spanish health minister claimed the move is “a pioneering plan to improve the composition of food, promote the health of Spaniards and prevent chronic diseases.”
PULSES are cheap, tasty and a good source of nutrition, as well as being an important food group in many traditional diets across the globe. They are part of the food group known as legumes and comprise food such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and beans. However, the Linus Pauling Institute has revealed they are not a common component in the typical Western diet, despite their many health benefits. If you can’t remember the time you ate a healthy portion of pulses, it might be time to change your diet as they are a great source of fibre, protein and essential nutrients and help to ward off all manner of diseases. Pulses are great for your heart, and eating a significant portion on a regular basis could lower the risk of cardio-
vascular disease as they are high in fibre. Just one cup of cooked lentils contains around 15g of fibre, 60 per cent of your recommended daily amount. This may help to keep your heart healthy by lowering
cholesterol levels and the high levels of potassium they contain can help to lower blood pressure. Pulses also have a low glycemic index, meaning they only cause a small spike in blood sugar levels when consumed. Those who consume
GOOD STUFF: Pulses are packed with potassium, protein and fibre. more low-glycemic foods have less of a risk of developing diabetes, while they can also
help those who already suffer from the disease to manage their blood sugar levels.
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THE wicked witch Malicia has completed her enchantment and has placed the Princess Alba into an eternal sleep. Only the fairies will be able to give the hope of ending this sleep and are searching for a prince to awaken her with a kiss of true love. Everything is complicated when the prince discovers the three fairies but can’t remember who he is and what he needs to do. Where the princess doesn’t not want to be a princess, the witnesses are not so bad but the prince is not so romantic. This is a journey full of adventures, magic and musical numbers where young and the old can access and appreciate values like diversity and respect for those who are different. This fun family musical is on at the Teatro Auditorio in Roquetas de Mar at 6pm this Sunday and costs €13pp.
Update on food, drink, entertainments, what’s on and weekly happenings
SCENE
OCIAL
Italian photographer Ivan Mazocco on display Photo by Mojacar Tourism
Sleeping Beauty for young and old
15 - 21 February 2018
Photo by Kick'em Jenny Facebook
54
PICTURE PERFECT: Ivan Mazocco brings his vast experience to the exhibition. MOJACAR Municipal Art Centre, located by the town’s characteristic fountain, has recently opened its doors to an exciting photography exhibition by Ivan Mazocco. The Italian has around 40 examples of his most recent works on show, which are based on an architectural theme. The shots have been taken on Ivan’s global travels, but are focused mainly in Italy and Spain and include Mojacar and Garrucha, the town where he lives. Ivan studied his craft in Italy and the Canary Islands, working in both traditional and digital techniques and has since curated numerous exhibitions. This show is his first in Spain and Mojacar’s councillor for Culture, Raquel Belmonte, was delighted to be at the opening and
to be given a personal tour by the artist himself. Belmonte spoke afterwards about the window that photography opens into the art world, one in which the ‘camera acts as a traditional brush and canvas,’ expressing the artist’s ideas and messages to the viewer. Ivan is already planning his next project, and without abandoning the architectural theme completely, intends to incorporate mankind’s imprint in time and space within a social context. The public can see the exhibition at the Municipal Art Centre in Mojacar until the end of February. It takes place from Tuesdays to Fridays, 9am to 1pm, and Saturdays/Sundays from 10am to 1pm. Admission is free.
GET READY: For Kick’em Jenny.
Rockabilly Weekend NOT necessarily spoken of in the same breath as Woodstock and the Glastonbury, Mojacar Council believes that the town will become the capital of rock and roll in April when it hosts the Mojacar Rockabilly Weekend. Running from Friday April 27 to the following S u n d a y, e v e r y t h i n g i s free to see except for the big Saturday night when the cream of rockabilly in the form of AJ & the R o c k i n ’ Tr i o , K i c k ’ e m Jenny, The Delprice and Mario Cobo take over the council multipurpose
centre with tickets costing just €20. There will be plenty of free activities, concerts, turntables, dance classes, a thematic market and much more for this musical meeting designed for all audiences, but with a special appeal for lovers of the scene of the 50’s and the followers of this lifestyle and music. Apart from the various dance demonstrations, workshops and ad hoc concerts, there will be three great DJs who will be introducing a large crowd to some of the coolest music of its kind.
SOCIAL SCENE
Bringing light to Dr Frankenstein THE world-renowned Black Theatre of Prague is bringing the Adventures of Doctor Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to Almeria City on Sunday March 11. This is not a spine tingling horror fest but despite its dark title has been adapted to suit the whole family and will excite the audience with fun, participation, magical effects and despite the title of the group, a general sense of colour. The classic use of lights, a phosphorescent wardrobe for the actors and a plot that takes those involved through a number of different countries will excite the senses and capture the interest of audiences both young and old. There will be some exciting effects, with unexpected appearances and disappearances of characters with many of
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Excellence of Aragon BACCHUS CELLAR by Lorenzo Barbareschi
MAGICAL EFFECTS: Dr Frankenstein on his travels. the props floating through space in an inexplicable manner, all of which is a perfect example of why the Black Theatre of Prague has become so popular over the years. Parents, be assured that this is not a work of terror, but
completely humorous and suitable for all audiences. The performance at the Padilla Municipal Auditorium starts at 7pm with tickets costing €15 in advance or €18 at the box office on the night.
CARIÑENA: Old school wine. mainly for local consumption. CARIÑENA is a Spanish Denominación de The most planted variety is Garnacha tinta Origen (DO) created in 1932 for wines pro(55 per cent) for reds and rosés, followed by duced on the Campo de Cariñena plateau near Viura (20 per cent), Mazuelo and Tempranillo the centre of Aragón, the acknowledged source (15 per cent), while Moscatel Romano is used of the Carignan grape or Mazuelo. This is also for the production of sweet Moscatels and a grown in Italy and new world regions. rare red grape called Vidadillo. The vineyards lie between 400-800m above Tempranillo is blended with Garnacha to sea level with temperature extremes over 12 make the Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. months as well as daytime and night which The whites are made with Viura and the contribute to the characteristic intensity of Carrosés use Garnacha along with other white and iñena wines. red varieties and are macerated for colour. The local population had been producing Both the fresh young whites, which repremead since 300 BC; during the Middle Ages sent 20 per cent of total production, and rosés, wine-making prospered under the protection of are best consumed within the year of producmonasteries and by the 16th century vineyards tion. covered 50 per cent of the territory of Zaragoza Reds have the characteristic style of GarProvince. nacha wines produced in hot climates and, in Since 1995 Cariñena exports have quadruthe case of oak-aged Crianzas, have the taste pled thanks to changes aimed at attracting and strength provided by 5 per cent of Cariñemore overseas buyers through fruitier, lighter na grapes which pair well with red meats and and well balanced wines while the traditional game. Happy tasting. robust, high alcohol content wines are retained
La
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SOCIAL SCENE Photo by Ayuntamiento de Adra
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SHELL SHOCK: Ninja turtles were just some of the colourful characters on show.
Record crowds turn out to enjoy Carnival 2018 THE people of Adra enjoyed three full days of partying to celebrate the 2018 Carnival in style. Crowds were predictably large as young and old, big and small took to the streets in an array of colourful and creative costumes. The sixth children’s parade beat all participation records, and featured all the schools in the locality. Anticipation was high for the main Carnival parade and it did not disappoint, featuring
music, animation, floats, and hundreds of people dancing in costume. It started at the Plaza de San Sebastian and went through Natalio Rivas and the Fisheries Interpretation Centre before ending back at the Cultural Centre. There onlookers were treated to the vibrant performance of the Carnival group ‘Surcando Mares’ of the Mojonera. Francisco Montoya was the host and announcer of Carnival 2018, who encouraged
everyone to enjoy the spirit of the festivities. Indeed he received a plaque from mayor of Adra, Manuel Cortes, in recognition of his contribution to the event. Prizes were then given out to the best of the parade costumes for individuals, couples, and groups. The final day saw the end to the Carnival with the traditional Burial of the Sardine ceremony, and a giant sardine figurine was burned on the beach of San Nicolas.
FEATURE
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LEGALLY SPEAKING Checkpoint advice 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.
NOTHING TO FEAR: Police checkpoints are designed to catch lawbreakers. THE security services (Guardia Civil, police, etc) carry out regular checkpoints on the roads. Sometimes these are part of routine operations such as combatting drink driving, or vehicle inspections. Sometimes these checks are part of an increase in security. Sometimes, although rarely, they are directly related to a specific threat. Although it may seem daunting to approach and be stopped at one of these checkpoints, it is important to remember that they are being conducted for your safety. These checkpoints do catch criminals, those risking road safety, terrorists and others, but the vast majority of people are allowed to go about their business normally. The key phrase to remember when you see one of these checkpoints is, ‘Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear’. It is only those who have done wrong, or are considering it, who should in fact be concerned. The first rule when approaching such a checkpoint is to stay calm. Respond and react to the instructions given to you by the officers conducting the check. They may usher your vehicle to a chosen place, they may ask you to exit the vehicle and they may wish to check the con-
tents of your car, as well as your documentation. Simply let the officers get on with their duties and they will let you get on your way as soon as possible. Secondly, and equally important, do not share this location information. Posting this information on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter for example can alert those who have done wrong about the presence of the checkpoint, allowing them to get away. The point of these checkpoints is to catch bad people, so please don’t share the information. You might think you are doing others a favour, but if a criminal is allowed to avoid being caught, they will be free to carry out even more of their chosen activities. Finally, do not be overly alarmed. The presence of additional security teams on the streets is not a direct indication of an increase in the threat level. The Spanish Interior Ministry publish the details of the current threat level on their website, www.interior.gob.es. On the righthand side is a green box marked NAA, or Nivel de Alerta Antiterrorista. If you click that you will see the current status level.
For more news and articles visit www.n332.es or search N332 on Facebook.
No time limit on minutes? THE Horizontal Law says that the minutes of the AGM must be distributed to the owners’ address within 10 days after the meeting. I have not received them. The community wishes to send them by email. This ofNOT good. Sorry, but in fact there is no legal time limit for distribution of the official minutes of the AGM. The minutes must be signed by the President and Secretary within 10 days of the meeting, and this signa-
fer I refused. I was told I could collect a copy from the administrator’s office. This, I stated, does not comply with the Horizontal Law. What is my legal position? R P (Costa del Sol)
David Searl You and the Law in Spain
ture puts into effect any measures passed in the meeting. The law itself says only that
the minutes shall be sent to the owners, who have 30 days after the notification to register any challenges against the results of the voting. In today’s electronic world, many communities distribute the minutes by e-mail.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
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I was happy this week Mike Senker In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man I NEEDED a blood test before I went to see my specialist at the Costa del Sol hospital. I know this goes out all over Spain but I’m sure it’s the same in your area. What I normally do is, about two weeks beforehand I go to the local clinic to make an appointment to have the blood test and Robert’s yer relative. When I go for the specialist appointment they have the info. Simple, right? That system has worked fine for years. This time I went to book a blood test and was informed that, from now on, you have to have the blood test at the hospital and they will call you and tell you when to come. My specialist appointment date was getting nearer and nearer and no call. Now I had done a blood test before Christmas so I thought, worst case scenario, I’ll use those results. The day before my appointment on the 7th I got a ‘phone call telling me to come for my blood test on the 12th which, of course, was after my specialist appointment. I told her that and she said, “No it isn’t, it’s been changed.” “To when?”
She gave me the new date and would not have it that nobody had told me. Believe me, as grumpy and stubborn as I am, I have learnt to never ever fall out with the receptionist at the doctors or hospitals because you will forever be lost in the system. So I just said thank you and had a hissy fit when I put the phone down. Why do they have to keep changing things? Something made me very happy this week. I was in Carrefour and saw a Local Police officer walking round handing out tickets to all the lazy bar stewards that had parked in the disabled bays. Now, I had been told that they were not allowed to give out tickets in private car parks, but apparently the law is that if there is no barrier it’s ok for the police to come in and do all those that tell me, ‘They are only going to be a minute’ and then abuse me for arguing with them. I’m pleased to see them arguing with the police who were just wiping the floor with them. Funny how the abuse I get suddenly changed to pleading not to get a fine. Being an inconsiderate SOB is not a disability. Happily it cost at least four or five of them over €100 to find that out. BOOM! Email me: mikesenker@gmail.com columnists@euroweeklynews.com
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ANCIENT stone from a Roman mine near Arboleas has been moved to the Prado Museum for an upcoming exhibition on the Italian Renaissance. A sample of the stone has arrived in the museum in Madrid and was placed in its Kingdom Hall. It has
ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Archaeological find hits the road been treated and cleaned by specialists and will join works by Sebastiano del Pio m b o a n d Ti t i a n i n t h e
Painting on Stone exhibit from April 17 to August 5. The stone, known as lapis specularis, is believed to have been used to decorate houses and as a mirror because of its reflective surface. Cristobal Garcia, the mayor of Arboleas, said there were plans to carve an image into the stone which would then be displayed at the exhibit’s entrance. “Representatives from the Prado Museum got in touch with us, making it possible for these stones to go to Madrid,” he said. The exhibition will showcase works of art painted on stone and how techniques changed during the 16th century, according to the museum. Garcia added he was negotiating to get the stone displayed internationally in future.
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A festival full of fun
PARADE: A pirate ship float joined several others for the procession.
WINNERS: The Lego figures who were awarded first prize for best costume. THE streets of Albox were lined with hundreds of people in a variety of costumes who took part in the town’s carnival held last weekend. The carnival’s procession began at the Plaza de la Libertad at 6pm. Residents from the town took part in the parade through the town and were joined by a number of floats. Pupils from the Rural School of Almanzora in Albox also took to the streets
dressed as Egyptians, Romans and Medieval knights. People from the Centre for People with Disabilities also took part in pirate costumes, among others. Mayor Francisco Torrecillas awarded a group dressed as Lego figures the first prize in the costume competition, with the Las Panteras del Kronos cheerleaders coming second.
Albox Council congratulated the winners and thanked the participants on Facebook. “A spectacle of colour, music and joy flowed through the streets of Albox for the carnival organised by the council in collaboration with residents, schools and other groups. “Congratulations and thanks to everyone for your collaboration and congratulations to competition winners,” the council said.
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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS
Almond tree route marks 10 year anniversary Photo by Somos Albojenses
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10 YEARS: The route has taken walkers through Albox’s almond trees since 2008. ALBOX Council has announced events to celebrate the town’s almond tree walking route, which turns 10 on February 25. The town’s mayor, Francisco Torrecillas, presented plans for the anniversary alongside the head of Somos Albojenses Diego Carillo and tourism officials. An 11-kilometre medium to high difficulty walk is planned for February 25. Walkers are set to be joined by guides who will talk about the area. The route, which has seen thousands of walkers travel along it since 2008, was designed to show-
case the town’s countryside and its notable sites. It is centred on Albox’s almond trees which begin to blossom at the end of the month. The route has also inspired the creation of similar walking paths in other parts of Almeria, such as in the Sierra de Filabres-Alhamilla. The walk through the Albox area, organised by the town’s council, has seen walkers sample food harvested in the area and visit sites such as the Sanctuary of the Salient. It has showcased natural sites around the area and photo contests have been part of the walks.
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High-tech homes are a smart move By Tom Woods UP to 39 per cent of Spaniards would be interested in living in a smart home in the next fiv e y e a r s, a c c o rd in g to th e S ma rt Home Survey. The report, produced by the consultancy firm Context, appears to confirm that smart homes are in fashion as people look to maximise their creature comforts. Saving on electricity bills, contributing to the environment and improving home security are some or the reasons for the popularity of technology. Companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Apple are already making advances into this emerging market. State of the art possibilities for domestic bliss include arriving home to find the house at the perfect temperature, controlling the lighting of the house from a mobile phone, and remote burglar alarm activation. Of course having a reliable internet connection is crucial in having a properly functioning smart home. It allows bluetooth, infrared and other systems to communicate with each other or with the provider. Many users rely on cloud software so that
FORWARD THINKING: The rise in smart home demand seems unstoppable. important data is not lost in the event of a computer system failure, and your passwords should be periodically changed for security. Given the range of different technological
Taylor Wimpey España celebrates its 60th anniversary in Spain THIS is a significant year for housebuilder Taylor Wimpey, as it celebrates its 60th year in Spain. In 1958 Taylor Wimpey was already an established developer in the United Kingdom
when Frank Taylor, the company’s founder, spent his honeymoon in Mallorca. He and his wife, Christine, fell in love with the island and decided that Taylor Wimpey
should also operate in Spain. With the support of friend and partner, Jaime Ballester, they set up the subsidiary, Taylor Wimpey España, and built their first properties in Canyamel, in the east of Mallorca. Over the years they extended their presence to other coastal areas and the company is now present on Mallorca, Ibiza, Costa Blanca North and South and the Costa del Sol. Over six decades Taylor Wimpey has become a leading specialist in residential tourism. It selects exclusive enclaves on the Mediterranean coastline to build attractive developments, characterised by their quality, careful design and respect for the environment. Further to this, the biggest overseas property show in Europe - A Place in the Sun - will take place from March 16 to 18 for savvy buyers thinking of making a move in 2018. Taylor Wimpey España will be on hand to help potential investors find their dream home.
devices likely to be in a smart home, it is advisable to link them to a central hub. Examples of this would be a smart TV, computer, tablet, or mobile phone, from which to
control and manage all products. According to the Gartner consultancy, 67 per cent of the smart devices sold will be connected in private homes by 2020.
Franco’s grandchildren in inheritance battle THE seven grandchildren of General Francisco Franco, Spain’s former fascist dictator, are mired in a feud about the family fortune. Media and public attention has inevitably followed the siblings throughout their lives, with their divorces, marriages, and extravagant parties featuring heavily in glossy magazines. Now they are back in the spotlight as questions are raised about their right to inherit a property empire left by their mother, Maria del Carmen Franco y Polo. Carmen, Franco’s only daughter, died just after Christmas and historians claim that some of the assets in her £438 million (€494 million) will include treasure plundered by her father during the 1936-39 civil war and his subsequent reign. Emilio Silva, who runs an association dedicated to the repossession of historically valuable items, said: “A large amount of the family fortune was acquired illegally and it’s shameful that the state has never investigated.” The Franco family fortune includes apartment buildings in Madrid and underground car parks. Silva wants more exposure of Franco’s ‘war crimes’ and the closure of a foundation
dedicated to him. “In Germany you’d never find a Hitler foundation,” he complained. Carmen was known as the ‘Lady of the Necklaces’ for her love of high-end jewellery, but her funeral attracted a crowd of 1,200 and was carried out by two cardinals. While she preferred to stay out of the limelight, her children have long been scattered across the society pages. Last week Francisco, the eldest, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for deliberately crashing into a police car following a high speed chase in 2012. His younger brother Jaime was given a one-year suspended sentence in 2009 for beating his girlfriend in a hotel. Leftist politicians in the northern Galicia region where Franco was born are demanding that a 19th century castle there should be handed back to the provincial authority. Last year the castle was briefly occupied by militants who unfurled a banner saying ‘Give back what was robbed.’ British historian Paul Preston has said: “It always used to be said that Franco didn’t steal anything because he thought everything belonged to him anyway.”
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HAVING your own garden is a privilege. The convenience and cost saving of living in an apartment though often makes a garden that can provide fresh herbs, fruits, flowers and veggies just a dream. It is possible however through linking in with local community gardens to participate in the healthy and productive activities while enjoying the companionship available in neighbourhood gardens. There are many community gardening projects available that provide garden plots for people without a garden. Local governments often set aside a place where you can reserve a space to grow your own plants and there are also organisations such as associations or foundations that have land available for people to share in gardening activities. If you love gardening but do not have your own space there are plenty of opportunities available, even if you just want to do it for a while. Many projects are undertaken to plant trees and create gardens on a project basis for only a limited time. Mostly the projects are on a voluntary basis with the benefit going to the neighbourhood where the project is undertaken. You can check at your local town
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Community gardens for growing a garden when you don’t have your own Photo by Alôsnys
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An aerial view of a community garden. hall or search through social media to find a community group that suits the type of gardening activity that you may be interested in. There are many that are looking for volunteers and others that provide you with your own space for your own garden. Many community garden plots have waiting lists due to the demand for this
type of activity being so popular, but the more interest that is shown to have places available, the more that will be created. The municipality of Inca in Mallorca recently raffled 24 urban garden plots at the local Serral de les Monges Park to bring the number of garden plots available for use to 36 places after peo-
CREATING a green space that complements the environment requires a bit more thought than you would think. However, there are several simple techniques you can adopt that will make all the difference to your new garden. A significant part of ecofriendly gardening is using
PERMACULTURE EDUCATION SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Telephone: 666 33 33 35 info@permamed.org http://permamed.org/
ple had been waiting up to three years for a space. Community gardens are a great way to meet new people with similar interests and to share gardening ideas and methods. It also gives a good reason to get out into the fresh air and undertake fruitful exercise with a project that can provide many benefits.
Many non-government organisations provide training to improve your gardening skills as well as projects to participate in to benefit the community such as tree planting and sustainable gardens to provide examples of what is possible with community support. One of the most widely known group of organisations is Permaculture. Permaculture is a worldwide movement that researches ways to provide sustainable methods of gardening and other lifestyle activities to bring harmony into our lives. Their activities are well publicised and often have government and community support for the projects they undertake. You can find a wide range of projects at https://permacultureglobal.org/ projects or more locally in Spain at https://www.ecoherencia.es/areas/agro ecologia-y-permacultura/. It is a good idea to also ask locally as many such projects are not publicised outside of the local region.
More ways to make your garden eco-friendly untreated, non-GMO seeds and plants. Distributing organic, sustainable seeds throughout your garden is
much easier now that many seed companies have taken the safe seed pledge, but ecologically-friendly plants can
be harder to source. The best way to source plants raised in organic gardens is to go to a plant fair at a garden centre where you will be able to talk to the grower about how the plants were raised. An easy way to reduce waste is to re-use supplies year after year, such as plant pots and tool, and use the oldfashioned wooden seed starting trays instead of the plastic ones. You can even re-use glass or plastic bottles as cloches to protect small plants from frost. Conserving water is an important part of eco-friendly gardening as tap water is often chlorinated, which can have a negative impact on soil and plant life, and is viewed as a waste when used outside. This can be achieved by installing swales or rain barrels so you can direct rainwater to your garden.
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Words of wisdom..
David THE Dogman columnists@ewnmediagroup.com
I HAVE recently retired from radio work so after some 30 years I am free to sleep in on a Saturday! Radio work keeps the brain active, one must be up-to-date as this is such a vast subject. I was lucky to work with Nazli, a top vet and owner of Pointer Clinic Estepona for many years and Celia Haddon PhD, a small animal expert who for the show mainly spoke about felines. Now publicly I thank both these wonderful professional people for their participation and support. Most people are not aware when they say the word ‘dogs’ this is a vast subject that involves first aid, vets, rescue, dog shows, charity work, trainers, behaviourists, specialists in scenting, tracking, flyball, agility, dancing, police-style arrest work, and preparing a young dog for the visits to the vet. Not forgetting it is a good idea to have pet
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The right trainer is vitally important since this is early training.
BAD DOG: Firmness is important when disciplining your canine. insurance. I used to use Protecta Pet. In my opinion the most important classes are for puppies, which most
AFTER a recent surge in the number - and range - of animals passengers have tried to bring on a flight as a form of emotional support, airlines are cracking down on what passengers are allowed to bring on board. Hedgehogs are one of the most recent animals to be included on a list of banned pets drawn up by US-based United Airlines, which also includes, ferrets, rodents, spiders, snakes, reptiles and ‘non-house-
good vets arrange on your first visit with a puppy. If they do not, then you have in my opinion the wrong vet.
The right trainer is vitally important since this is early learning, get it wrong then you will have the wrong type of behaviours. Expect to
Looking for support hold birds.’ The airline revealed that requests have risen by 75 per cent to 76,000 in a year, and recently had to turn down a request for an ‘emotional support’ peacock at New York’s Newark Airport. A spokeswoman for the airline said that the rules regarding which animals passen-
gers can bring on board needed to be tightened because of a “significant increase in on-board incidents involving these animals.” Passengers will now have to provide proof that their animal has been ‘trained to behave properly in a public setting,’ as well as giving 48-hours notice.
start as soon as possible from eight weeks. Usually the area for puppy training is safe for unvaccinated dogs but of course ask the vet. Your chosen vet is going to be your pet’s best friend and anything odd in behaviour such as not eating, swelling, fatigue, and sudden aggression could well be a veterinary problem. Do not go to a pharmacy and do not ask people what they think, you must go to a known professional vet. Know your dog; commitment, firmness, but kindness.
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INSURANCE MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now!
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PETS THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs 6 euros, medium dogs 6.75 euros, big dogs 7.50 euros, cats from 5.25 euros a day. 630 234 556 / the5boneho telturre@gmail.com New opening hours Mon-Sat 9.30-12.30 and 18.00 – 19.00 Sundays 9.30-10.30
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MOTORING FACT JAGUAR has announced that they will be creating a limited amount of brand new D-Types, the most successful race car ever. Only 25 ‘new’ D-Types will be made at the Jaguar Classic Works factory later this year, the first time in 62 years that Jaguar has produced the car. The limited production versions will be built to the exact ‘period-correct’ spec of the originals and will complete a project first started in 1955. Jaguar planned to build 100 D-Types when production first began, but only 75 were ever made so the final 25 to be created this year will officially bring
“Un-D-lievable
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DRIVING licences have been in use since the Motor Car Act was installed in 1903. However, rather than being a means of identifying capable drivers, they were instead used simply to link drivers to their vehicles.
Jag reveal new €1.1 mill D-Type down the curtain on the D-Type story. Prices of the new versions of the iconic 1950’s three-time Le Mans winner are yet to be announced, but are expected to cost in excess of €1.1 million (£1 million) each. Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land
Rover Classic director, told British media: “The Jaguar DType is one of the most iconic and beautiful competition cars of all time, with an outstanding record in the world’s toughest motor races. And it’s just
as spectacular today. “The opportunity to continue the D-type’s success story, by completing its planned production run in Coventry, is one of those oncein-a-life-
time projects that our worldclass experts at Jaguar Land Rover Classic are proud to fulfil.” Original versions of the cars are currently selling for fortunes. In 2016, the 1956 Le Mans winning D-Type became the second most expensive car of all time when it sold for just under €19 million (£16.6 million). And just last year, a 1954 model, signed by Sir Stirling Moss, sold for more than €12.5 million (£11 million). BEAUTIFUL: The D-Type won the Le Mans 24 Hour three times between 1955 and 1957.
Photo by Jaguar
MOTORING
15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería E W N
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Cheap as chips FORD has revealed a new mini SUV that will cost just €12,000. The new Ka+ has been upgraded with the new ‘Active’ range which comes with a host of new features despite its budget price. It has a new raised roof height, roof rails, extra ‘off-road’ trim-like scuff plates and inside has a huge tablet touchscreen, equipped with Ford’s range-topping SYNC3 infotainment system. The latest SYNC3 features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, plus DAB and sat nav services. Rain-sensing wipes, heated rear seats, parking sensors, automatic headlamps and quickclear heated windscreen are all also available to purchase. Performance wise, the Ka+ will have a range of pollution-busting petrol and diesel engines, including the new 1.2 litre, three-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.5 litre diesel for higher mileage. Prices start from €12,291 (£10,750) and it is expected to be on sale later this year
NEW car sales in Spain increased by 20 per cent in January. According to a report released by the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Cars and Trucks (ANFAC), a total of 101,661 units were sold in Spain last month. By brand, Volkswagen was Spain’s best-selling brand in January, with 8,909 sales equating to a 34 per cent increase. VW topped Spanish brand Seat in sec-
Spanish sales soar ond place with sales of 8,540, while PAS Group’s Peugeot and Opel took third and fourth place respectively. Toyota rounded off the top five in Spain after posting a 12 per cent increase with 6,337 sales. Communications director at Spanish
automotive dealers Faconauto, Raul Morales, remained cautious despite the positive incline. He told Automotive News Europe: “We cannot be overly optimistic about February. We don’t think the good results will
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be sustained because in January we saw a decline in orders.” January sales to rental companies rose by 24 per cent to 16,219, while demand from private customers also increased by 16 per cent to 52,253 units, In a statement, ANFAC said: “Rental companies have started renewing their fleets before the beginning of the tourist season, which starts early with the Easter holiday starting at the end of March.”
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15 - 21 February 2018 / Costa de Almería
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La Liga Preview
REAL MADRID will look to return to third in the table this weekend as they travel to mid-table Real Betis. Los Blancos ran riot last time out against Real Sociedad as Cristiano returned to form with a perfect hat-trick in a 5-2 win. They briefly moved into the top three with the win, but Valencia’s 3-1 win over Levante saw them jump back into third spot. A victory against Betis will see last season’s Champions return to third in the table provided that Valencia fail to overcome struggling Malaga. However that seems unlikely as Los Boquerones remain rooted to the bottom of La Liga following their 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid last time out and have scored just once in 2018. Antoine Griezmann grabbed the only goal of the game in the first minute as he ghosted in behind the Malaga defence to lash home from six yards out.
Following last week’s victory, Atletico will look to cement their hold on second place as they return to the Wanda Metropolitano to host Athletic Bilbao. The Madrid side are currently nine points ahead of Valencia and only seven points behind Barcelona after they could only draw 0-0 with Getafe. League leaders Barca will look to get back to winning ways as they head to Eibar after they struggled to create any real chances against Getafe in their last La Liga game. Elsewhere, sixth placed Sevilla, who have lost just once in their last six games in all competitions, will look to leapfrog Villarreal into fifth position as they face Las Palmas while Villarreal facing a tough tie against Espanyol. Espanyol have put on some decent performances of late, picking up vital points against Barcelona and Celta Vi-
RETURN TO FORM: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 43rd hattrick for Real Madrid against Real Betis last week.
Credit: @ChampionsLeague/Twitter
Madrid look for back to back victories
SPANISH LA LIGA 2017/18 TABLE
go in their fight against the drop and will be full of confidence ahead of their fixture against the fifth placed side. In the weekend’s other fixtures, Girona face Leganes, Real Sociedad take on Levante, Celta Vigo travel to Getafe and Alaves host Clarence Seedorf’s Deportivo La Coruña. Weekend’s fixtures Tomorrow (Friday) Girona vs Leganes Saturday Las Palmas vs Sevilla Eibar vs Barcelona Alaves vs Deportivo La Coruña Malaga vs Valencia Sunday Real Sociedad vs Levante Atletico Madrid vs Atletic Bilbao Espanyol vs Villarreal Real Betis v Real Madrid Monday Getafe vs Celta Vigo
FA Cup returns
Wigan host Man City in repeat of 2013 final LEAGUE ONE side Wigan Athletic host the Premier League’s runaway leaders Manchester City as the FA Cup returns for the fifth round this weekend. In a repeat of the 2013 final, where Wigan famously triumphed 1-0 winners, Manchester City will be looking to avenge their final defeat from five years ago. Both teams go into the match full of confidence and Wigan especially will be dreaming of another FA Cup upset. Elsewhere, Huddersfield Town will face Manchester United for the second time this month as they host the 12time holders at the John Smith stadium. United ran out 2-0 winners the last time the two sides met, with Alexis Sanchez grabbing his first goal for the club following Romelu Lukaku’s opener. But Huddersfield will be hoping to emulate their result earlier in the season when they ran out 2-1 winners at the John Smith stadium to beat United for the first time in 65 years. Elsewhere, last season’s finalists Chelsea face Championship side Hull as they look to bounce back from last year’s 2-1 final loss with an eighth trophy.
Hull sit just above the relegation zone in the Championship in 21st place and will be looking to continue their cup run to give their fans something to cheer about. In the weekend’s other fixtures, Brighton and Hove Albion host Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion host Southampton, League One Rochdale host Tottenham, Sheffield Wednesday host Swansea City and Leicester City play Sheffield United. Full fixtures - Tomorrow (Friday) Leicester City vs Sheffield United Chelsea vs Hull City Saturday, February 17 Sheffield Wednesday vs Swansea City Brighton and Hove Albion vs Coventry City West Bromwich Albion vs Southampton Huddersfield Town vs Manchester United Sunday, February 18 Rochdale vs Tottenham Hotspur Monday, February 19 Wigan Athletic vs Manchester City
TEAM
PJ
PG
PE
PP
GF
GC
PT
1 • Barcelona
23
18
5
0
60
11
59
2 • Atlético
23
15
7
1
34
9
52
3 • Valencia
23
13
4
6
45
27
43
4 • Real Madrid
22
12
6
4
50
23
42
5 • Villarreal
23
11
4
8
34
28
37
6 • Sevilla
23
11
3
9
29
34
36
7 • Eibar
23
10
5
8
32
34
35
8 • Betis
23
10
3
10
38
45
33
9 • Celta
23
9
5
9
41
34
32
10 • Girona
23
8
7
8
31
30
31
11 • Getafe
23
7
9
7
26
21
30
12 • Leganés
22
8
5
9
20
22
29
13 • Athletic
23
6
10
7
24
25
28
14 • R. Sociedad
23
7
5
11
43
45
26
15 • Espanyol
23
6
8
9
21
31
26
16 • Alavés
23
8
1
14
21
33
25
17 • Levante
23
3
11
9
21
35
20
18 • Las Palmas
23
5
3
15
17
50
18
19 • Deportivo
23
4
5
14
24
52
17
20 • Málaga
23
3
4
16
14
36
13
Champions L.
Europa L.
Relegation
PREMIER LEAGUE 2017/18 TABLE TEAM
Pl
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
1 • M. City
27
23
3
1
79
20
72
2 • M. United
27
17
5
5
51
19
56
3 • Liverpool
27
15
9
3
61
31
54
4 • Chelsea
27
16
5
6
49
23
53
5 • Tottenham H.
27
15
7
5
52
24
52
6 • Arsenal
27
13
6
8
51
36
45
7 • Burnley
27
9
9
9
21
24
36
8 • Leicester City
27
9
8
10
39
40
35
9 • Everton
27
9
7
11
32
46
34
10 • Bournemouth
27
8
7
12
31
41
31
11 • Watford
27
8
6
13
37
47
30
12 • West Ham Utd.
27
7
9
11
34
46
30
13 • Newcastle United
27
7
7
13
25
36
28
14 • Brighton
27
6
10
11
22
36
28
15 • Crystal Palace
27
6
9
12
25
42
27
16 • Swansea City
27
7
6
14
20
37
27
17 • Huddersfield Town
27
7
6
14
23
47
27
18 • Southampton
27
5
11
11
28
40
26
19 • Stoke City
27
6
7
14
27
53
25
20 • West Bromwich
27
3
11
13
21
40
20
All to play for as Spain face Romania in WC qualifier SPAIN gave their hopes for automatic qualification to the 2019 Rugby World Cup a huge boost as they battled to a 20-13 win over Russia on Saturday. In a tightly fought affair, Los Leones seemed to have killed the game off following Pierre Barthere’s second-half try after a brilliant crossfield kick from fly-half Mathieu Belie.
But it seemed to all the world that Russian forward Tagir Gadzhiev had put his team within just a point of Spain with only a few minutes remaining as he picked up the ball from the base of a ruck and dived over into the in-goal area. Despite clearly planting the ball over the line, referee Frank Murphy’s view was obscured and without a Television Match Official (TMO) pre-
sent, he decided to award an attacking five-metre scrum instead. Spain managed to withstand the late Russian onslaught to secure a 20-13 victory ahead of Saturday’s top of the table clash with high flying Romania. The victory moves Spain to within just three points of the table-topping Oaks, but they will
need to be at the top of their game against their opposition who come into the match off the back of an 85-6 destruction of Germany. A win by more than seven would see Spain leapfrog Romania into first place in the Round Five Rugby Europe Championship and be in pole position for automatic qualification to next year’s World Cup.
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E W N Costa de Almería
15 - 21 February 2018
SPAIN’S Javier Fernandez will be competing for the gold medal at the Winter Olympics tomorrow (Friday) as he competes in the Men’s Figure Skating gold medal final. He is hoping to win Spain’s first Winter Olympic medal for 26 years.
Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport
Cabrera host Ladies and Gent’s Singles Club Championship CABRERA Lawn Bowling Club has held two of its most prestigious competitions The Ladies’ and G e n t ’s S i n g l e s C l u b Championship. This competition is the first player to score 21 shots and is a very sought after title as the champio n ’s n a m e g o e s o n t h e club’s board of honour. As always, there were some very good rounds and the two finals were
contested between Steve To w n s e n d a n d M a l c o l m Smallwood, a winner two years ago, Jean Smallwood and Karen Rushton. I n t h e G e n t ’s f i n a l , Steve got off to a flying start and after 13 ends was 15-4 up. But then, Malcolm picked up a four and started his fightback. Sadly for Malcolm though, Steve was on brilliant form and went on to win the Championship 2112. In the Ladies Final, the two ladies were drawing a f t e r 1 3 e n d s 11 - 11 s o a real tussle was ensuing. Gradually though, Jean started to pull away and went on to the win the Championship 21-14.
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Marczynski misses out POLISH cyclist Tomasz Marczynski was forced to miss this year’s Ruta del Sol after suffering nasty injuries following a collision with a car. The 33-year-old, who lives in Granada, was involved in a nasty accident while on a training ride last Saturday and was forced to miss the race across Andalucia that began yesterday (Wednesday). While he suffered no broken bones during the reported head-on collision, he confirmed prior to the race that he had suffered facial injuries and whiplash and would take no part. In a team statement, he said: “I was finishing one of my last training sessions for the Ruta del Sol when I was hit by a car. “I was cruising down a main road when a car from a right-hand side street turned left. I could not brake in time, and crashed head on in-
INJURED: Marczynski, who won two stages of last year’s Vuelta de España suffered nasty facial injuries in the crash (inset).
to the vehicle. “The x-rays fortunately revealed that nothing was broken. My face is heavily bruised and my nose had to be stitched. “I also have a whiplash and that’s what hurts the most at the moment. I am currently back home, but I will undergo a series of tests next week.” Marcynski, who won two
stages of last year’s Vuelta de España, was replaced by Britain’s James Shaw in LottoSoudal’s line-up and prior to the race, Sports Director Bart
Leysen expressed his disappointment at the Pole’s absence. He told British media: “It is unfortunate that we have to miss Tomasz Marczyński in the Ruta del Sol, which is a home race for him since he lives in Granada. “He could have played a prominent role as road captain. But we can mostly be pleased that his injuries are not too bad after his crash; this could have been much worse.” The Ruta del Sol continues until Sunday where it will end in Barbate.