Euro Weekly News - Costa de Almeria 19 – 25 April 2018 Issue 1711 by Euro Weekly News Media S.A.

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19 - 25 April 2018

COSTA DE ALMERÍA YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION

‘I apologise’ suspect says ANA JULIA QUEZADA, the woman who allegedly murdered eight-year-old Gabriel Cruz, has spoken out about the crime in an open letter. Quezada wrote that she had acted out of “fear” and that his death was an accident. She added much of the reaction to her alleged part in the crime was racist in character. “I know that I have no excuse for the accident. I removed the person you love, the greatest thing one can have, a son. I hope that one day I can forgive myself,” she added. Quezada said she would always maintain the crime was an accident because she

knew it was “the truth.” She added she was “very shocked” by what she claimed were lies told about her. “I have been treated very badly by certain people. When I arrived in prison it seemed like heaven because they treated me properly,” she wrote. “I see people took a black plastic doll and burnt it as if they burnt me. I am no more a monster than those people.” Gabriel Cruz’s body was allegedly found in the back of Quezada’s car following a 13-day search around Nijar in Almeria. The investigation into the death remains ongoing.

Marble mining gets green light ALMERIA’S Economy minister, Miguel Ángel Tortosa López, has given Triturados Macael SA mining company permission to open a 36.5-acre marble mine in Lijar. The minister claimed that mining is one of Andalucia’s main productive sectors and ‘has the capacity to generate wealth and employment.’ He added that Andalucia’s government is cutting red tape that delays mine openings and backing research and development in the sector, while also respecting environmental law and that projects are sustainable. This project has the support of the environment ministry thanks to a land restoration and waste management plan that

guarantees the restauration of 84,000 metres cubed of affected land. The mining company will hold the mining rights for as long as it occupies the land. But it must meet conditions including appointing an expert director, starting works within six months, presenting a plan for the following year and keeping the mine’s boundaries in perfect condition.

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Brit drugs rap Credit: Guardia Civil

ISSUE NO. 1711

Newspaper in Spain 2017 & 2018

By Benjamin Park A BRITISH MAN has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of selling ecstasy pills at the Dreambeach Villaricos music festival. According to police, the man was stopped while attending the popular event in Cuevas del Almanzora. During a search, he was found to be carrying several different drugs, including 37 MDMA tablets and a ‘vegetable substance’ which contained THC, the psychoactive component found in cannabis. Appearing in the Provincial Court of Almeria earlier this week, he reportedly pleaded guilty to a crime against public health and was handed a two-year suspended sentence plus a €750 fine.

SENTENCED: The man was found guilty of selling ecstasy at the Dreambeach Villaricos festival in 2015.

‘Olive ebola’sparks scare ANDALUCIA’S olives could be under threat from a deadly disease. It comes as the Junta de Andalucia regional gove r n m e n t ’s M i n i s t r y o f Agriculture, Food and the Environment confirmed that the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa - dubbed ‘olive ebola’ - has been found on a nursery in Almeria. The incurable infection is native to the Americas and the first European cases were spotted in Puglia,

Italy, in 2013. But authorities failed to track its spread and it ravaged more than a million trees before spreading to Corsica, mainland France, and the Balearic Islands. It last year appeared in t h e Va l e n c i a r e g i o n b u t this is the first appearance of the killer bug in Andalucia. An official said that there is no immediate concern as the bacterium was found only in three orna-

mental plants in a greenhouse and is “an isolated case, not an outbreak.” It was not detected in more than 400 surrounding trees, according to reports.

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NEWS EXTRA Change the channel PARTIDO SOCIALISTA (PSOE) delivered a petition signed by more than 2,000 calling on the government’s sub-delegate in the province to include plans to channel the town’s river in the national budget.

Port project ALMERIA’S Port Authority has unveiled proposals for its Master Plan for the city’s harbour, with renovations to the Cable Ingles, extending rail links to the seafront and providing access to the Mediterranean Highway all suggested.

School call ANDALUCIAN Partido Popular (PP) parliamentarian Aranzazu Martin has called on the region’s Junta to lay out its plans to eliminate prefabricated classrooms from schools in Almeria.

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Drugs probe hell Brit bus driver was set up, family claim By Matt Ford THE family of a British bus driver ‘trapped’ in a Spanish prison in connection with a €4.6 million drugs swoop claim that he was set up. Dad-of-seven Michael Penney was driving a luxury double-decker coach used to transport touring rock bands when police pulled the British-plated vehicle over on the AP-7 toll road in Valencia. The 40-year-old from Margate, Kent, and his British co-driver, 59, were held and remanded in custody after more than 15 kilos of cocaine and 750 kilos of hashish were found stashed in hidden compartments under beds and behind cabinets. They were later denied bail by a Spanish judge, but 10 weeks after his arrest Michael’s wife Melissa, 34, insists that he is innocent and says she has been told that a

police probe could go on for two years. Melissa - who has set up a fundraising campaign to help her husband pay for a lawyer - told local UK media: “He would never get involved in drugs. He hates anything to do with that kind of thing and he has no convictions at all. “We are going out of our mind with worry. He’s keep-

ing his head down and getting on with it as best as he can, but he’s calling me in tears. “His children miss him and I miss him. “He has been set up. He would never get involved in anything like this. “There are two innocent men stuck in Spain and nobody will listen to us.” It comes as a European Arrest Warrant has reportedly been issued for the owner of the coach firm. Michael, a professional bus driver, was hired by a British company to fly to Spain and drive the vehicle back to the UK, his wife said. It had been used by golfers taking part in a competition, and the owner allegedly travelled with the two men before flying back to Britain. But as the men made their way up the Spanish coast they were stopped by

€4.6 MILLION STING: The Spanish government’s Valencia delegate, Juan Carlos Moragues, and regional Guardia Civil commander Amador Escalada congratulate officers on the haul in January and (inset) Melissa and Michael Penney. Guardia Civil traffic police at a toll near Sagunto, half an hour north of Valencia, at 2.30am on the morning of January 23. Investigators said at the time that they believed the coach was being used in an international plot to smuggle drugs from Spain to the UK. Melissa claims she did not hear from Michael until six days after he was arrested.

“The kids are really upset,” she added. “They are putting on a brave face and saying ‘we’ll go to school and work hard for dad’ but it’s just terrible. “We’ve been told it could take two years to fight the case.” A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing assistance to two British men arrested in Valencia in January.”

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Plane crash injuries TWO men aged 59 and 60 were taken to hospital after crashing in a plane in the Tabernas area. The 59year-old needed surgery following the crash which took place after ultraviolet light reportedly caused the aircraft to crash while trying to take off at around 6.40pm on Saturday.

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LETTERS Readers’ views on eclectic topics in print and online. P54

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A 600 KILOGRAM bronze sculpture of a figure performing aerobics has been displayed in Almeria’s city centre. The statue, designed by artist Manuel Dominguez, was installed on the city’s seafront by the Tecnon company near the beach at the Case de Melilla in order to improve the area.

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Time Out 55 - 58

Father jailed

Health & Beauty 61 - 62

A MAN found guilty of leaving his three-year-old son at home alone has been sentenced to nine months in prison. The court heard the 22year-old defendant left the child ‘alone, naked and dirty’ for at least two hours when National Police officers found him after receiving calls from neighbours.

A 32-YEAR-OLD man and a 28year-old woman suspected of growing almost 430 marihuana plants in two houses and fraudulently linked the local electricity supply have b e e n a r r e s t e d . O ff i c e r s s e i z e d around 65 kilograms of the drug, as well as 82 transformers, 94 halogen lamps and around €400 in cash in the raid.

Street works PARTS of Almeria City will have their water cut of today (Thursday) due to maintenance works to the city’s network. The Pescaderia, the Plaza Pavia, Calle Reina, Nicloas Salmeron Park, Bayanna, Calle Reducto and the Plaza de la Constitucion are among those without water from 8am to 3pm.

PLUS THE REGULARS News

Acrobat statue

Drugs bust

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ALL THE MOOR REASON TO VISIT: The Alhambra is among Spain’s most popular tourist attractions. IT has inspired travellers for centuries. And Granada’s jaw-dropping Alhambra palace has been chosen for a new guide to the world’s 120 greatest man-made buildings. The Moorish architectural wonder is included in travel guide publisher Lonely Planet’s Amazing Architecture: A Spotter’s Guide, a grand tour of the planet’s most awe-inspiring constructions. Perched atop the red hill of Sabika with the Sierra Nevada mountains as

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a backdrop, the world heritage site attracts up to 6,000 tourists per day. It houses some of the most important Islamic architecture in Europe, with the Generalife gardens and 14th-century Palacios Nazaries the must-see showpieces. The fortified complex was first built as a walled citadel in AD 889. It was later rebuilt as the palatial seat of the city’s Nasrid emirs, the last Arab Muslim dynasty in Iberia, and the name derives from the Arabic al-qala’a al-hamra, meaning ‘the

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Red Castle.’ The Alhambra was later claimed by the Christians during the 1492 ‘reconquista,’ when the mosque was replaced by a church, before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V demolished a wing of palaces and replaced them with a giant Renaissance building. In the early 19th century French Napoleonic troops tried to blow the building up, partly destroying it, and restoration work has continued for almost 200 years.

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Albox 65 - 69

Property 70

Pets 73

Classifieds 74 - 75

The total number of news and features which appeared in Issue 1710 of the Euro Weekly News Costa de Almería edition, including 47 local stories.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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By George!

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POLL OF THE WEEK Was UK Prime Minister Theresa May right to order air strikes in Syria without consulting Parliament? LAST WEEK’S POLL: Should Spain reduce speed limits on main roads as proposed by authorities this week?

Yes 42%

No 58%

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TOP SAINTLY STUFF: Revellers build castells - human towers - in Barcelona on Saint George’s Day. HE’S the patron Saint of England, and is most famous for slaying a dragon. But as the Great British nation gears up for Saint George’s Day, parts of Spain are preparing their own celebrations. The feast of Saint George takes place each year on April 23, the accepted date of his death in AD 303. It is marked by many Christian churches plus towns, cities, regions and countries of which he is patron, which in Spain include the northern communities of Aragon and Cataluña. Legend has it that a vision of Saint George appeared above the crown of Aragon in the Battle of Alcoraz, which in 1096 saw King Peter I defeat the forces of Al-Mustain II to reclaim the city of Huesca and the region from its Arabic conquerors. As a result, St George’s Day (Dia de San Jorge) is a major holiday throughout the former Crown of Aragon region as well as the modern-day Aragon Community. On April 23, the area celebrates ‘Aragon

Day,’ when the regional government hands out its annual awards and parties take place in most towns and villages, including the provincial capitals Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel. In Cataluña, George is known as Sant Jordi, and the day is a normal working day, with festivities more romantic in nature. Hundreds of stalls spring up in the streets of Barcelona and elsewhere, with girls traditionally presenting boys with a book, receiving a flower - typically a red rose - in exchange. The custom of flower-giving dates back to the 15th century, when women attending a mass, in the Sant Jordi chapel at the Palace of the regional government, were handed a rose. The red colour is said to symbolise passion, and the blooms are often accompanied by an ear of wheat representing fertility. It is also popular for crowds to fill streets and squares to watch brave souls building human towers dubbed castells. In 1930, Catalan book day was moved from October 7 to April 23, and the current practice was born.

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RAIN IN SPAIN: 38 provinces on alert

RAIN IN SPAIN: 38 provinces on alert for heavy rain, strong winds and snow SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS: Met Office upgrades alerts for Spain

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Passenger numbers soar at Malaga Costa del Sol airport

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Flight from Spain to London diverts as air traffic controller take mandatory break

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‘Disruptive’ passenger fined after flight forced to do U-turn back to UK

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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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NEWS EXTRA Online app roll out ALMERIA’S City Council is set to hold its first citizen consultations on an app this month, with residents due to be asked their views on naming a new library planned for Calle Santos Zarate.

Fire plans ENVIRONMENTAL authorities in Almeria are reportedly weighing up introducing a ban on fires in natural spaces, with official Juan Jose Alesina telling a press conference around 50 complaints of illegal blazes were reported last year.

Research aid OFFICIALS from the Junta de Andalucia have unveiled an aid package aimed at helping businesses with research and development during a visit to Almeria’s Technology Park (PITA), with a total of around €118 million available.

OUR VIEW Thanks for your help but… AS Britain emerged from the Second World War it encouraged men and women from its Caribbean Colonies to travel to the UK to take up vital jobs. The streets of London and other parts of the country were not paved with gold and as newly arriving West Indians were confronted with owners of bed and breakfast accommodation who were less than welcoming, they still performed a vital service at a time when it was needed. A large proportion of those known as ‘the Windrush Generation’ - after the MV Windrush which brought the first immigrants to the UK in 1948 - settled in Britain, paid their taxes and had children who became British citizens. Now that Britain is heading towards Brexit it appears that enthusiastic civil servants in the Home Office decided that a number of those who came to Britain before 1973 were actually illegal immigrants. Due to this decision, it is suggested that a significant number of these people have lost their jobs due to the need for employers to be satisfied with their immigration status and others have had to engage lawyers to fight extradition orders. With Commonwealth leaders in the UK at the moment the matter has been raised with the government and after first denying that there was a problem both Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Prime Minister Theresa May have had to apologise for the treatment that these people have received. The British government is currently unable to confirm whether anyone has been improperly extradited and will now be faced with a raft of claims for compensation.

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19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

Gere to marry pretty woman

AGE-DEFYING: Elizabeth Hurley in Ibiza.

ED | LOV

SILVER FOX Richard Gere is reportedly set to marry his Spanish girlfriend. The Officer and a Gentleman star, 68, and 35-year-old publicist Alejandra Silva have been an item since 2015. And according to Spanish media rumours, the couple will tie the knot in Washington DC on May 5. Alejandra is the daughter of a former Real Madrid vice-president and met the Hollywood heartthrob through R their mutual interest in hu- ich ard . and A man rights. lejandra The Galician was embroiled in a divorce from American businessman Govind Friedland when she met the icon, who was himself previously married to supermodel Cindy Crawford and actress Carey Lowell. But the wedding has yet to be confirmed, and Alejandra last year said during a red carpet interview: “I am recently divorced. As far as a legal wedding, no, but maybe we’ll have a celebraDARK SIDE OF THE FACTS: tion.” Roger Waters.

Gee Liz!

: UP

SHE recently raised eyebrows after revealing that her teenage son snaps her sizzling bikini shots. But British actress Elizabeth Hurley, 52, showed she is unmoved by the critics after flaunting her enviable curves in a series of skimpy swimsuits while soaking up the sun on the private island of Tagomago, Ibiza. The sexy designs are part of her own Elizabeth Hurley Beachwear collection.

Floyd star rages against the machine FORMER Pink Floyd frontman has told concert-goers that the White Helmets is a ‘fake’ organisation encouraging the bombing of Syria. The Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) hitmaker, 74, made the claim during a gig in Barcelona. His comments came as the United States, France and the UK launched controversial airstrikes in response to alleged

chemical weapons attacks on the city of Douma by Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s regime. And the strikes were based on video footage shot by the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue organisation operating in rebel-controlled parts of Syria and Turkey. “The White Helmets is a fake organisation that exists only to create propaganda for jihadists and terrorists. That’s my belief,” Waters told the crowd.

Photo credit Elizabeth Hurley/Instagram/Flickr

Celeb focus Monk-ey business FOUL

PLAY: Sophie SHE’S the glam Mo nk. pop star who is about to host the first season of Love Island Australia. And after jetting back to Oz from Mallorca as filming ended, Sophie Monk, 38, posted a hilarious video on social media. The footage shows the singer recording an introduction line for the show, as she tries to speak in a raunchy voice before fumbling her lines and blurting out “oh, sh*t.”

X factor AMERICAN actress Olivia Munn and Spanish hunk Alex Gonzalez been spotted driving around Los Angeles together. The pair, both 37, have starred in XMen movies, and they were snapped after parking outside a shopping centre in the home of Hollywood, parking rumours of a budding romance.

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NEWS EXTRA Hotel boss reinstated A FORMER director of the Grand Hotel Almeria is set to be reinstated to the company following a court ruling, with the building having being shut since 2014 for maintenance work.

Planting plan MORE than 600 trees have been planted in Almeria City as part of the Council’s plan to replace and embellish more than 850 empty tree beds across the city, which will also see 250 tree beds sealed up.

Tasty find A 25-YEAR-OLD woman has been arrested on Calle Arboleas after police allegedly found more than 170 marihuana plants in the kitchen of her home alongside several other utensils used for growing the plants.

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XXX factor! Brawling ‘lapdancers’ separated on Spanish flight by Matt Ford CABIN crew were forced to step in after three women believed to be erotic dancers downed spirits before sparking a punch-up on an easyJet flight to Tenerife. One of the friends, who w e r e t r a v e l l i n g t o g e t h e r, was left with a bloodied face after the scrap during which they ‘tore each other’s hair out.’ Horrified passengers later revealed that the trio were sharing a bottle of expensive vodka before the brawl. The booze was confiscated by attendants after holidaymakers complained about the women’s’ drunken swearing on the flight from Gatwick. Angie Dilloway, 50, was on the jet with daughter

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POLE POSITION: The women were pulled apart by cabin crew after downing vodka. Bella, 10, who can be heard screaming in the footage. She told UK media: “No one expected it to happen. They were friends and cuddling one minute and then getting louder and

drinking Grey Goose vodka the next. “They started arguing and they were swearing using the f word and the c word. Other passengers started to complain and the stewardess took the

bottle of vodka away from them. “Then a brunette lunged at a blonde, screaming. She was ripping her hair o u t . We f e a r e d s o m e o n e would get badly hurt.’’ The airline said in a statement: ‘easyJet can confirm that flight EZY8709 from London Gatwick to Tenerife South on April 13 was met by police on arrival in Tenerife South due to passengers on board behaving in a disruptive manner. The passengers were escorted away by police.’ It comes a week after the UK government announced it is considering a crackdown on inflight boozing, with tougher sanctions for drunk passengers and selling dutyfree alcohol in sealed bags among the proposals.

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Holiday horror A BRITISH holidaymaker has been hospitalised after plunging off a seafront cliff while snapping a selfie in Mallorca. The unnamed man, who is reportedly 38 years old, plummeted more than three-metres near the Puig de Ros housing estate in Llucmajor, after a rock he was standing on gave way. He had been staying at a nearby hotel with friends and was rescued by firefighters after a witness raised the alarm. Although conscious, he told onlookers he thought he had broken both arms and a leg. Medics said he may have suffered spinal injuries and was in “a serious condition” after an ambulance took him to Son Dureta hospital in the island’s capital Palma, where he was expected to u n d e rg o surgery.

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No sex on the beach By Greg Kirby LOVE ISLAND, Britain’s sauciest television sensation, will be back to Mallorca and Britain’s television screens this summer, but with some changes. The programme was a hit success last summer, capturing the nation’s eyes with its steamy sex scenes on the Spanish island of Mallorca. But new restrictions to this year’s Love Island may put off those coming back for a second helping of naughtiness. Reportedly, there will be full nudity ban, forcing participants to leave at least something to viewers’ imaginations this year. Another Love Island no-no this year is sex with drunken co-stars. This may cause frustration among contestants, although another ban - this time on masturba tion - rule s out tha t option as an alternative.

ISLAND LOVERS: Love Island’s 2017 winners, Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies.

But a new addition to this year’s show giving contestants access to counsellors following sexual intercourse - should rid fears that this season will be a dry version of last year’s. In preparation for a raunchy return to the island, the sun-loving love-seekers will receive a sexual handbook with advice on sexual consent and protection. Thirty-eight-year-old holiday host Caroline Flack is not surprised by viewers’ eagerness to travel to Love Island. “I m ean, why woul d you not appl y?,” she said.

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19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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Drunk and disorderly ‘Disruptive’ Brit passenger fined after flight u-turn A RYANAIR passenger whose ‘drunken antics’ forced a flight from Manchester to divert back to the UK, and delayed the journey for all the other passengers for a day, has been fined £2,500 (€2,892) in court. When the flight carrying father-of-five, Karl Wend, 45, arrived back in the UK he was arrested and his fellow passengers were forced to wait until the following morning for another flight. Wend, from Runcorn in Cheshire, was heading to Tenerife on a stag do with friends when he was aggressive towards another passenger accusing a young woman of stealing his phone and travel documents. The flight had taken off two-hours late during which time Wend and his pals drank at the bar. Shorty after takeoff Wend became abusive and Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that the Ryanair pilot decided to abandon the flight to the Canary Islands and return to Manchester Airport. Prosecutor Tess Kenyon said, “There was a two-hour delay to the flight and Mr Wend was with a group who were out for a stag do on that flight.

Photo credit Shutterstock/Twitter

By Karl Smallman

HOLIDAY HELL: The mid-air drama has seen Karl Wend (inset) fined. “A supervisor of the cabin was working on that flight when he was approached by a passenger who stated that a man was being hostile and becoming aggressive towards a young woman and accusing her of taking his phone. “The supervisor noticed this man was drunk, he smelt of alcohol, stumbled around

and he believed he was on a different planet. “The defendant then became aggressive with the supervisor and began shouting, so he called over other members of the cabin crew. “This man then became threatening and abusive and the woman involved explained to the staff that she was intimidated and scared.

“The crew attempted to separate the defendant from the young woman but he tried to push past to talk to the woman who he believed took his phone. He then began making accusations that she had stolen his travel documents. “Mr Wend continued to try and make his way towards this young woman and the supervisor ended up placing himself in between them. She was visibly upset. The supervisor came to the conclusion that it wasn’t safe to continue with the flight due to the behaviour of the defendant and told him this and asked a member of the crew to instruct the captain.” Since the incident Wend has issued an apology. “I just got carried away. I never normally drink, but that day I drank a lot. “People know me as ‘Karl the Smiler’ but I haven’t smiled since then. I understand how angry the passengers must have been, I know I ruined their flight and their holiday, I accept they would have had to rearrange the flights and I am truly sorry for that. A Ryanair spokesman said, “This flight from Manchester to Tenerife (March 8) returned to Manchester after a passenger became disruptive inflight. The aircraft landed normally and the passenger was met by police upon arrival.

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Farm robbery gang arrested NINE men and three women who allegedly carried out at least 73 robberies in farms across Almeria, Granada and Malaga provinces have been arrested by the Guardia Civil. Police claimed the group were based in Santa Maria del Aguila del Ejido in Almeria and that they would set out from there daily to chosen targets for the thefts. Arenas and Algarrobo in Almeria were both affected by the robberies. Officers began their investigation after a series of robberies were reported to have taken place in Guadix in Granada over the course of a few days. Farmhouses, cottages,

farm huts and agricultural buildings were all among the buildings police claimed the group targeted in those robberies and later ones. The group allegedly chose targets in areas with small populations to reduce the chances of being caught. They travelled at night to avoid detection and after arriving at their chosen location the driver would leave the area to avoid the car being linked with the theft. The group then broke into the buildings with a crowbar before making off with farming goods, according to police. Officers said the amount of robberies was enough to cause alarm among the public.

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Five finally caught

FINALLY CAUGHT: Laujar de Andarax resident arrested for suspected murder of Romanian drug trafficker. FIVE people have been arrested, including one Spaniard from Laujar de Andarax, for the alleged murder of a 28year-old Romanian drug trafficker. The Spaniard and four Frenchmen are said to belong to a drug trafficking gang and are suspected of the murder committed in Carcassonne, France on October 20, 2013, according to the Guardia Civil. The Romanian victim’s half-buried remains were found hidden under bush-

es and with signs of knife wounds. And the victim’s family - not linked to narcotrafficking themselves - were able to confirm the identity of the remains. Investigators believe that the victim travelled to France in a vehicle to provide back up to a second car carrying drugs. Once in France the drugs were hande d ove r but the paym ent was post poned until the buyers could raise the

necessary funds. However, instead of paying the debt, the French gang planned to kill the debt-collector that they had planned to meet with, police claimed. The arrest of four French nationals led to an arrest warrant for a fifth suspect from Almeria. The suspect was then caught by the Guardia Civil with the support of Almeria prosecutors and will now be prosecuted in Spain’s national courts.

Vehicle robbery arrest A 36-YEAR-OLD man accused of committing six robberies in homes across Lucar

over the course of 10 days has been arrested by the Guardia Civil.

The suspect is believed to have damaged several vehicles during the thefts. A mo-

torcycle and a car were among the vehicles that police claimed the man robbed. Officers began their investigation after receiving a complaint from the owner of a business who claimed €150 was stolen from him after someone broke in through the building’s window. Police also probed five other robberies in the area, as well as one involving the theft of the car and the motorcycle. Damages to vehicles were also investigated, with the brake cables cut in one and punctured wheels in others. Officers arrested the suspected thief after he was implicated in other robberies in the Garrucha area. He was remanded in custody and the investigation remains open to determine if other assailants were involved

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Booze binge scam

Child abuser locked up

FOUR British revellers on a stag-do in Mallorca have been held on suspicion of using counterfeit money to party for free. The unnamed quartet, aged between 30 and 50, had been staying in Magaluf, where they were allegedly spending the false €20 and €50 bank notes on booze-ups in bars and nightclubs before accepting change in legal tender. They were sporting specially designed t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Marty, the game is over my friend,’ featuring a black silhouette of a man on all fours wearing a dog collar held by a woman. Local Police launched a probe after business owners on the riotous Punta Ballena strip reported that the bogus cash was appearing

in their tills. The investigation led to the arrest of one of the suspects, who was carrying five forged €20 notes plus small amounts of cocaine and cannabis as he drank in a bar. But when they took him to his holiday flat in the Torrenova neighbourhood to check his passport, officers found more counterfeit m o n e y i n t h e p r o p e r t y ’s safe, leading to three others being held after Guardia Civil investigators were called in. Investigators requested a search warrant for the apartments, seizing €800 worth of forged cash, plus €3,000 and around £1,000 in legal notes. All four men had been on the island ‘for a short time,’ police said in a statement. The arrests came after three people were charged

CREDIT: Guardia Civil

Brit stag party held on forged cash rap By Matt Ford

GOODBYE KITTY: The counterfeit and legal money seized from the Brits’ holiday flats in Mallorca. with smuggling false bank notes from Italy into mainland Spain. Two of the suspects were held in Alicante and the third in Barcelona, with one surprised as he left a post office clutching a package

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containing €4,600 in counterfeit cash. The notes were reportedly brought from Naples to Spain by an Italian citizen, or mailed by his son. A fourth individual who is serving time in a Tarrag-

ona prison has appeared in court for allegedly heading the plot from his cell, detectives confirmed. A total of €5,050 of fake bank notes and €4,535 in legal tender were seized during the sting.

A MAN accused of the repeatedly sexually abusing a five-year-old boy in Levante Almeriense has been sentenced to five years in prison. The suspect has also been dealt a restraining order and eight years of supervision upon his release from jail. The crimes happened on August 14, 2015 when the defendant showed up at a garage in Levante with his cousin. The father of the victim was present at the workshop when the boy rode off on his bike. The suspect allegedly followed the boy, grabbed him and forced him to carry out oral sex. He then touched the young boy’s legs before returning with him to the garage.

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NEWS

Language row Spanish woman attacked on tube train Credit: BTP

ATTACK: British Transport Police are investigating. THE British Transport Police Service (BTP) has issued an appeal for witnesses to a racial attack on a Spanish woman on a Central Line train in London. What they refer to as a vicious and racially-motivated assault took place a week ago when the victim, a 24-yearold woman, was talking to

some friends in Spanish. Two nearby women heard her and started shouting at her, saying she should be talking English when in England. They then grabbed her hair and pulled her around by her hair. This resulted in injuries to her scalp and cuts to her face. The aggressors who were

responsible for the attack on the train that was travelling from Liverpool Street to Stratford are both reported as being black and in their late twenties. This appeal is in support of the current enquiries being undertaken by the force whose officers are also checking CCTV recordings.

NEWS

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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Drink drive outrage A N ov e r t h e d r i n k - d riv e limit, American tourist, who ploughed into and killed a British cyclist on the Spanish holiday island of Menorca has avoided jail. Fath e r- o f - t h r e e Ph illip Rasmussen, 47, was struck from behind while cycling on holiday on the road from S ant L l u i s t o Al c a u f a r a t kilometre 8 on April 1. Tw o a m b u l a n c e s w ere sent to the scene but paramedics could do nothing to save him. The Brit, from Cardigan in Wales, was the chief financial officer at technology company IQE that makes compo n e n t s f o r Ap p le ’s iPhones. American tourist Bryan Leeds, aged 25, was arrested after failing a roadside alcohol test and testing positive for drugs. But he was able to show he had a medical receipt for amphetamine tablets found on him as part of treatment

Credit: 061 Balearics

Tourist blamed for Brit death avoids jail

CYCLIST KILLED: Paramedics were unable to save the life of Phillip Rasmussen (inset). for an unidentified health condition. He was released on bail of €10,000 the day after his arrest but was banned from leaving Menorca until his court appearance last week. After the hearing in Mahon he has been allowed to leave the island with a one-

ye a r s us pe nde d ja il s e ntence. U nde r Spa nis h la w manslaughter is punishable by a prison sentence of one to four years. J a il s e nte nc e s of tw o years or less are normally suspended for first-time offenders.

E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

‘DESPERATE CROSSINGS’: The number of migrants arriving in Spain is on the rise according to the UN.

Migrant deaths ‘doubled’ ONE in every 27 migrants who attempted to cross the Mediterranean to Spain this year died during the journey, according to estimates from a United Nations (UN) report. The Desperate Crossings report, from the UN’S High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), stated that one in every 52 migrants trying to reach Spain died between January and March last year. The report added the number of those arriving in Spain doubled in 2017 to 28,000. The figure for the year before was 14,000. The growth trend appears to have continued into this year with arrival numbers rising by an estimated 13 per cent, according

to data. Moroccans and Algerians were the two largest groups of those arriving last year. The rate of sub-Saharan Africans arriving in Spain rose in 2017 and Syrians made up the majority of those arriving by land, coming mainly via Melilla in Africa. The figures for Spain come as statistics showed the number of those arriving in Europe as a whole declined over the past year. The rate of decline began from 2015 onwards after the European Union (EU) signed an agreement with Turkey which attempted to stem the flow of new arrivals. Arrival numbers throughout Europe fell

from 1,000,000 in 2015 to 364,000 in 2016 and to 171,000 in 2017, according to data. Death rates have increased across Europe despite the decline in arrival numbers. Around 3,140 people died crossing the Mediterranean in 2017 as have 501 since the beginning of this year. The report found the Italian migration route was the most dangerous of those taken. One in every 14 people crossing to the country died, with the arrival rate dropping by 74 per cent. The amount of migrants resettled in the European Union increased by 54 per cent last year, according to the report.

E W N 19 -25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Brit’s fight to clean coast’s beaches EXCLUSIVE

Credit: Coastal Cleaners Andalucia

by Benjamin Park A BRITISH expatriate living in Almeria is on a mission to clear up Spain’s beaches. Sue Parmenter-Philips, w h o l i v e s i n Ve r a , b e g a n the ‘Coastal Cleaners Andalucia’ Facebook group earlier this year in the hope of not only highlighting the action needed against plastic, fishing paraphernalia and other litter on the country’s coastlines, but to also find like-minded volunteers to help fight the problem. Group founder Sue Parmenter-Phillips exclusively told the Euro Weekly News: “I have been litter picking alone for about three months. “Initially I was encouraged by the pick up three campaign as three felt very doable. “My wife Mandy said I should show people how much I was getting so I started to post about it on Facebook. “Coastal Cleaners Andalucia began on March 19 and has just gone from strength to strength. Since the group was created, Sue has already organised two litter picks, with eight turning up to the first in March, while 20 volunteers turned out for the second, clearing rubbish for more than an hour and a half on

MISSION: The Coastal Cleaners are determined to clear Spain’s beaches. Vera Playa on April 12. Prior to the most recent pick, Sue, along with wife Mandy and friend Stephen, released a music video about the waste on the c o u n t r y ’s b e a c h e s i n t h e hope of spreading the word about the coastal litter problem. Sung to the tune made famous by nursery rhyme teddy bear’s picnic, ‘Our Rubbish Song’ explains the forms of rubbish that they have found during their litter picks and also helps explain how to help with the clean-up operation. Available on their Facebook page, the video, which took three months to prepare, has already been seen more than 17,000 times. On how the music video

came about, Sue said: “Whilst litter picking when out with my dog, I began to make up a little song. “It was a bad day for litter and I was feeling very frustrated so I came home and wrote out the basics with some help from Mandy. “Our friend Stephen Gear is a guitarist and so I messaged him about what I had been doing and he said let's make a music video!” Sue has already planned further picks for beaches in Palomares in Cuevas del Almanzora on Monday and Garrucha on May 1; while she is also planning on running some events for World Ocean Day on June 8. “ U l t i m a t e l y, I w o u l d

love to be able to walk down the beach and pick up shells and stones to look at, rather than plastic and rubbish,” she added. “Clean seas and beaches would be great but that takes sharing knowledge of the problem and working together to reduce plastic pollution and litter in general. “I just want to be part of the solution. It can get quite depressing seeing the rubbish and hearing about sealife suffering because of human behaviour so doing something, however small is a positive step. “Our litter picks are casual and friendly and the groupchat and meet new people while we do some good.”

NEWS

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS EXTRA Plastic waste plant ALMERIA’S Delegation of Environment and Agriculture has announced plans to introduce a plastic waste treatment plant to the region, which would see the high amount of waste produced by Almeria’s agricultural sector properly treated.

Acrobatic art ALMERIA’S City Council has placed a large 600 kilogram bronze stature believed to be of an acrobat close to the beach on the Casa de Melilla.

Car crash A MAN has died in Huecija after his car came off the A348 road passing through the town and he became trapped inside the vehicle while his passenger, was left seriously injured following the accident.

Playing ball ALMERIA City’s 2019 bid to become Gastronomical Capital of Spain will sponsor the Almerian police’s football team when they participate in the International Police Football Championship in Tarragona at the end of May.

Big turnout MORE than 14,000 people have visited the town of Macael as members of the town’s community recreated some of the region’s historical events including the battle of the stonemasons and the murder of Julio Tijeras among others.

Child fund ALMERIA Council has announced that it will allocate more than €1 million to the Treatment Programme for Families with Children in Situation of Risk or Deprivation, which serves more than 900 children in the region.

€15 million company corruption NATIONAL POLICE officers have uncovered a €15 million social security fraud in Almeria and 13 other provinces. Officers, working together with the General treasury for social security, identified 43 business people suspected of social security related crime including benefits

fraud, document falsifications and money laundering. The investigation began in 2016 following a social security treasury tip-off to the National Police’s benefit fraud unit. The scandal involves companies from Almeria, Barcelona, Cáceres, Cádiz, Granada, Huel-

va, Las Palmas, Lugo, Madrid, Malaga, Navarra, Sevilla, Toledo and Valencia. One of those arrested was a businessman who refused to hand over €120,000 worth of social security debts. In an attempt to cover his back, he invented a series of fake thefts that exactly coincided with the

dates of the treasury’s payment requests and the amount of money he owed them. According to reports, without the police’s collaboration with the social security treasury gathering evidence for the arrests would be much more complicated and tedious.

E W N 19 -25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

No more claims

Bogus holiday sickness clampdown By Karl Smallman MINISTERS in the UK have announced a crackdown on bogus holiday sickness claims which could come into effect within weeks. They plan to introduce a cap on the legal costs tour operators have to pay out after the number of gastric illness claims has soared by 500 per cent in five years, hitting travel operators with massive bills. Speaking last year Justice minister Dominic Raab said: “Bogus claims against tour operators risk driving up the price of summer holidays

abroad for hard-working families who have earned a break. We’re taking action to deter these claims, and protect holiday-makers from being ripped off.” The clampdown comes after it emerged that British tourists are being barred by some hotels after a surge in bogus sickness claims. Most cases target all-inclusive resorts, with claimants saying they only ate at their hotel in a bid to identify it as the cause of their supposed food poisoning. Tui, which owns all-inclusive specialist, First Choice,

recorded a 1,400 per cent rise in claims in the last two years. The company’s UK managing director, Nick Longman, said: “There’s a distinct risk that if this carries on as it is unabated, the hoteliers will say to us either ‘we don’t want to work with the British market at all’ or ‘we’re not going to offer you all-inclusive’.” In October of last year Spanish police said that they had identified 800 British tourists accused of sickness scams. Officers claimed the holidaymakers acted through more than 70 UK-based law firms.

FAKE ILLNESS: The government is set to act. Allegedly, ‘lawyers’ would pick up clients in the hotels by telling them they could claim the cost of their holiday back by filing a food poisoning complaint. The tourist would then contact the law firm once they re-

turned to the UK, with some complaints not appearing until three years after the trip was made. In November 2017, holiday firm Thomas Cook partially blamed fake holiday sickness claims for a 40 per

cent fall in UK profits. Recent research discovered that one in five Britons (19 per cent), or around 9.5 million people, has been approached about making a compensation claim for holiday sickness.

Pro-Independence march back in Barcelona By John Smith ACCORDING to police figures 315,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona to demand the release of the Catalan leaders currently in prison in Spain. They also want those who fled the country prior to the arrests to be allowed to return without threat of incarceration although the Spanish government is currently supplying fresh evidence to the German judiciary in its bid to have putative Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont returned under a European arrest warrant. Organisers of the demonstration which include the two main Catalan independence parties as well as regional branches

FREE THEM: Catalans call for Independence and release of ‘political prisoners’ still strong. of two major Trade Unions believe that some 750,000 people attended the rally and once again the streets of the city were

awash with yellow and red as well as Catalan flags. The slogan for the day was “For rights

and freedoms, for democracy and cohesion, we want you home!” and this was welcomed by Mr Puigdemont.

NEWS

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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A load of rubbish? YOU might just lose the shirt off your back if you fork out a whopping €650 on a new fashion item from the Balenciaga fashion house in Spain. Thei r l a t e st c o l l e c t io n fea tu res a neon-green top, made from 100 per cent polythene - the same material used to make plastic carrier bags. It made its debut on the 2018 spring and summer catwalk in Paris and the fashion house’s name features on the front and back in gold lettering. On an online store web page the top is dressed up to read: ‘Creative director Demna Gvasalia’s satirical approach to traditional tailoring is showcased with Balenciaga’s green Plastic-Bin shirt. ‘Seen on the SS18 runway, it’s crafted in Italy from a shiny water-repellent fabric and cut to a classic point-collar, short-sleeved shape with a metallic-gold logo print on the chest and across the back.’ An additional note warns that it needs ‘specialist’ cleaning. The luxury fashion house was founded in 1919 by Cristobal Balenciaga, a designer born in the Basque Country, and now has its headquarters in Paris, France.

Photo credit Balenciaga

€650 ‘plastic-bin’ top launched in Spain

MAKING A STATEMENT: The bright green garment.

E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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COMMUNITY

new kennel managers, Barbara and Wayne. The charity has over 4,000 members on Facebook and the charities President, Di, said that since its inception in 2003 they have helped over 1,000 dogs.

Membership continues to grow and supporters are kept upto-date with developments through the charity newsletter, produced by Maria. Everyone was thanked for their many fundraising efforts. The annual summer event this year will take place at Kubatin on July 14 and a sponsored walk will be held later in October. Two of the new volunteers welcomed at the meeting were Judith and Wendy who work in the shop in Avenida Lepanto. They have only just started to work in the APSA shop but both have helped charities in the past and love animals. At present, they are working for just one day a week but, like all the volunteers, they have quickly fitted in and are enjoying assisting customers. The friends like the opportunity to meet people and to practise their Spanish. They are concentrating on tidying and stocking the boutique area of the shop, as Judith said, “there are some very good labels here such as Coast and Per Una, as well as

FABULOUS VOLUNTEERS: Judith, left and Wendy volunteering on the shop floor. new and nearly new quality clothes and accessories.” Wendy added that they intend to introduce a cruise wear section in the boutique area. Donations of clothes, bric-abrac etc are needed to keep the shop going and are always gratefully received. If you are spring cleaning your wardrobe

and have quality items for the boutique, please do mention this to the volunteers when you take your donation to the shop. The charity is seeking more volunteers for the shop - for just a few hours a week or to provide occasional holiday relief - as well as for dog walkers and fosterers. The shop is open from

Monday to Saturday, 10am to 2pm and is located next to Harrisons in Albox. If you would like to support the charity in some fashion, please call in and speak with the manageress Maggie, contact the charity through Facebook or see the volunteers at the Los Llanos market stall.

Out with a bang Credit: Bill White

APSA Charity held its annual general meeting recently at Chapmans in Albox. The event was well attended and many new shop and kennel volunteers were welcomed, together with the essential foster-carers and the

Credit: APSA charity

Volunteering and fundraising

MAGNIFICENT: The recent finale performed at Le Magnifique. THE Indalo Players recently held their last performances of ‘The Speakeasy Murder’ at Le Magnifique in the Mojacar area. They were delighted to see that the venue was packed to capacity with engaging audiences on both nights. The cast have now successfully performed this play in eleven very different venues and it is to their credit that the play has remained just as fresh as when it was first performed some months ago. There is still one final opportunity to see ‘The Speakeasy Murder’ as they are performing it in Legends, Albox on the evening of Wednesday

May 30. Following this, they will be commencing rehearsals for their new mystery ‘The Mississippi Murder.’ They are always on the lookout for new actors, as well as people to support with back stage, front of house, publicity, logistics, make up and wardrobe. If you would like to enquire about tickets for their last performance or if you are interested in becoming a member, please call William on 671 810 819 or email him to williamwhite9552@aol.com.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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S WEDEN

N ETHERLANDS

Swedes snubbed

Mosque row

FACEBOOK will not join Google and Twitter at a Swedish government meeting stating that the Swedes had already attended a similar meeting on the removal of illegal content at Facebook’s Dublin headquarters.

A FAR-RIGHT group has protested outside mosques in Houten and Enschede provinces in the Netherlands. The group, called Rechts in Verzet (Rights in resistance), planted banners reading, ‘we don’t want a mosque,’ and ‘Islam is terror,’ at the mosques’ entrances.

Nobel King THE King of Sweden is considering using a royal decree to support members who wish to leave the Nobel Literature Prize awarding committee. Without royal support the members are expected to serve on the committee for life.

China spies SWEDISH prosecutors have charged a 49year-old man for spying on exiled Tibetans ‘of importance to the Chinese regime.’

Sour song

Drugs rap A MAN has been charged in Sweden after Gothenburg police caught him with 78 kilos of amphetamine in his car. The 40-yearold driver said he was forced to carry the drugs which are estimated to be worth just under €2 million.

NOBEL KING: The King of Sweden considers using royal powers to over-rule the Nobel Literature Prize awards committee.

A MAN is suspected of killing his ex-

THE ex-treasurer of a local arm of the Christian Democrats party will spend a year in jail for keeping Netherland’s biggest ever drugs lab in a shed on his farm. The prosecutor said that the ‘industrial scale lab produced ecstasy and amphetamines valued at around €10 million per day.

Saharan skies A LARGE cloud of Saharan sand blew across Europe delighting the Dutch with intense sunsets and sunrises. But the bright red sandy skies left their trace, leaving locals to wipe a thin layer of sand off their vehicles and garden furniture.

Europe’s first

Skier vanishes

Hamburg stabbings

A SINGING road which plays the Friesland regional anthem if drivers stick to the 40 km/h speed limit has angered locals. Residents from Jelsum and Leeuwarden are complaining that the tune, which sounds across the village, is keeping them awake at night. The local council has reportedly agreed to remove the sound strips.

Drugs up

N ORWAY

G ERMANY ONE of Germany’s richest men disappeared while skiing solo in the Swiss Alps. A ‘full-speed search’ is underway for billionaire supermarket magnet Karl-Erivan Haub who was skiing offpiste to prepare for an endurance race. Haub’s brother said he was ‘prepared’ for bad news.

EUROPEAN PRESS

wife and child in a knife attack at a busy Hamburg train station. The child died at the scene and the woman later succumbed to her injuries in hospital.

Headscarf wobble TEACHERS and equality campaigners are set to stall a law that would ban German girls under 14 from wearing headscarves. Green Party spokeswoman, Berivan Aymaz, demands that

Merkel’s government ‘should first deliver facts’ amid doubts of how many girls actually wear headscarves.

Chem conscience KREMPEL GROUP, a German company, whose parts were found in Iranianproduced rockets used to gas innocent Syrians, has ignored a US government warning about conducting business with Iran.

F RANCE

B ELGIUM

Paris sues Airbnb

Child porn prosecution

PARIS authorities tighten their grip over home-sharing giant Airbnb. The prosecution follows the firm’s failure to remove undeclared lodgings from their site. Smaller site Wimdu is also being sued for the same reason.

Brexit blues BRITISH expats interrogated the country’s ambassador Edward Llewellyn over their post-Brexit rights in France. What was supposed to be a routine update turned into a two-hour roasting of the diplomat from the anxious brits.

LARS DE R, a 2009 finalist of Holland’s Got Talent is being prosecuted in Belgium for making and distributing child pornography. The guitarist, aged 26, is also accused in the Netherlands of sexually abusing 13 underage boys.

Diamond Downturn THE volume of Belgium’s polished-diamond exports has fallen by 13 per cent from last year. The drop was down to a fall in sales to the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.

Dinosaur deal

Kinky Pursuit

TWO trendy dinosaur skeletons marketed as hip design items sold for €1.4 million at a Paris auction house. The price paid for the 150-year-old Jurassic monuments was ‘exceptional,’ said Drouot action house.

WEPION in Belgium played host to a sex toy treasure hunt which aimed to promote ‘pleasure equality between men and women but it also caused controversy with Catholics.

Netflix kicks Cannes

Slow living

NETFLIX has refused to attend Cannes Film Festival off the back of a change in law that prevents it from winning the main prizes. The streaming firm’s content chief said that the festival had treated Netflix ‘disrespectfully.’

SO-CALLED ‘slow cabins’ are popping up across Belgium offering guests a chance to try to live off-grid amongst nature. The eco-pads are the brainchild of entrepreneur Xavier Leclair.

NORWAY is set to open Europe’s first underwater restaurant. The restaurant, named ‘Under,’ boasts a 10-metre wide panoramic window, which will allow people to enjoy the mainly fish menu while being connected to nature, said Rune Grasdal, the project’s architect.

Doomed DNA THE Norwegian government is pushing for changes to a law that would allow authorities to test immigrants’ DNA. The tests would reveal incomers’ relations to Norwegian citizens in an attempt to block the estimated 40 per cent who currently cheat the system.

Rainforest rescue NORWAY’S government has donated over €200 million to protect Columbian rainforests. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos praised Norway’s donation which aims to help reduce deforestation to zero in the next 12 years.

Brexit bros? NORWAY has hinted that it will fulfil Britain’s hopes to keep its trade agreements with non-EU countries. Brexit would otherwise break the UK’s tariff-free trade with Norway and many other non-EU-countries in March 2019.

D ENMARK

Amazon arrives AN Amazon subsidiary is set to open an office in Copenhagen and will provide on-demand cloud computing to individuals, companies and governments. Foreign Minister Anders Samuelson is ‘pleased’ to welcome Amazon Web Services whose customers already include Spotify, Netflix and the CIA.

Cyclist shooter

Dane aid

Tower fail

DENMARK holds onto its position in a select group of OECD countries who meet the UN’s international aid goal. The 0.7 per cent of national income target is also met by Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg and the UK.

AN investigation is underway to uncover why a silo tower demolition went wrong and landed on a cultural centre in the town of Vordingborg. The 170ft tower reportedly ‘switched sides’ as it crashed.

A DANISH man has been charged with attempting to kill two cyclists by shooting at them. The 27-year-old gunman belongs to the loyal to Familia gang that plagued Copenhagen with conflict-related shootings for much of last year.

FINANCE

EUROPEAN Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said that the UK must ‘fully respect’ Spain’s Gibraltar veto during Brexit negotiations. His comments came after Tory MEP leader Ashley Fox and Labour counterpart Clare Moody asked the European Commission (EC): “Does the Commission agree that the enthusiastic Europeans who live in Gibraltar, who voted 96 percent to remain in the European Union, are also entitled to an orderly and smooth departure, as are the 13,000 EU nationals from all parts of

‘ and Sales Swede sour after spend

» BUSINESS EXTRA

Chopper shoppers THE United States has approved the sale of 17 Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to Spain at a cost of around €1.05 billion including defensive aids and technical support, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

€3bn jackpot WHY-KEA? An IKEA online shopping point in La Marina shopping centre, Finestrat, Alicante. SWEDISH flat pack furniture specialist IKEA is feeling the pinch. The chain has revealed that operating profits in Spain fell by €20 million to €130 million in 2017, while net profit plunged to €98 million, a 19 per cent drop. And bosses are blaming the firm’s own online shop and new specialised emporiums for the nosedive, since sales rose by 5.8 per cent to €1.46 billion. An IKEA official said that the giant retailer pumped money into the

launch of its internet offering plus ‘new commercial formats,’ including city centre shops. According to official data, more than 40.6 million people walked through the doors of its 16 Spanish stores last year, a year-on-year increase of 200,000, while its website attracted 108.7 million visits for a 13.9 per cent climb. Cataluña and Madrid saw flatpack fans fork out the most cash, raking in €356 and €342.6 million, respectively.

SPANISH public electricity firm Iberdrola expects to rake in close to €3 billion net profit in 2018, a 7 per cent year-on-year increase, the company’s president Ignacio Sanchez Galan told shareholders at a general meeting in Basque capital Bilbao.

Cutting costs GERMAN cash and carry chain Makro has announced the €90 million sale of three of its stores in the Madrid area, as it tries to attract a third-party buyer from which it then intends to lease the premises.

Compo scheme sells sole SPANISH department store group El Corte Ingles has launched the world’s first life insurance policy that pays customers compensation to walk. Bonuses will vary depending on the amount of steps taken per day, and only non-smokers, or those who have not smoked for at least two years are able to sign up to the scheme,

dubbed VidoMovida. It is otherwise available for anyone aged 18 to 65, with those walking 10,000 steps per day receiving gift vouchers to spend in the firm’s stores. The product is reportedly based on the idea that those who maintain healthy lifestyles are less likely to submit claims.

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

by Matt Ford the Union who live in Spain and work in Gibraltar?” Mr Juncker replied: “In line with these directives, the territorial scope of the withdrawal agreement, including as regards the transition period, should fully respect paragraph four and 24 of the European Council guidelines of April 29, 2017, notably as regards Gibraltar.” The controversial clause 24 states that any transitional agreement or future trade deal only applies to Gibraltar if Spain agrees. Britain and the overseas territory have

The tax agency is not the inquisition, the problem in this country is that the rich complain too much!” Spain’s Treasury Minister Cristobal Montoro defends his crackdown on tax fraud.

EWN

The amount saved by Catalan television channel TV3 - which has broadcast adverts in favour of the troubled region’s independence movement - after it won a court VAT battle in Madrid.

EC chief backs Brexit veto

THE Spanish Finance Ministry has written to 13 local councils warning that they will be fined if they continue to avoid paying their bills. Jaen, Jerez, Granada, Huelva, Puerto de Santa Maria, Chiclana de la Frontera, Algeciras, and Velez-Malaga in Andalucia, Alcorcon, Leganes and Parla in Madrid, and Gandia and Telde in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, are the offenders. All are accused of failing to pay suppliers within 60 days after racking up combined debts totalling more than €3 billion.

Quote of the Week

€60m

STAT OF WEEK

business & legal

Bill fears spark ministry alarm

Costa de Almería

19 - 25 April 2018

argued that transitional negotiations form part of the withdrawal agreement and should therefore apply to the Rock. Spanish foreign minister Alfonso Dastis appears to have softened his stance on the issue, after he last week pledged not to hold the UK’s Brexit talks ‘hostage’ by using them to reclaim Gibraltar. But the EC’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier recently told Spanish media that clause 24 is a ‘lever of solidarity’ for Spain, adding that he hopes ‘there will be an agreement’ between the two countries.

€775m rail gig for Real gaffer THE company chaired by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is set to agree a €775 million mega deal to build a Canadian rail link. Construction of a new light railway in Toronto City is to begin after the summer, and Madrid-based construction firm ACS has been designated a preferred bidder, an official revealed. Working alongside two local enterprises, the company will reportedly land a 33 per cent slice of the infrastructure and half of the maintenance contract.

E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 16

PRICE(P) CHANGE(P) COMPANY Anglo American 1,700.00 12.00 Associated British Foods 2,592.50 -27.50 Admiral Group 1,847.50 -67.00 Ashtead Group 2,035.50 -24.50 Antofagasta 922.00 -20.00 Aviva 511.00 2.80 AstraZeneca 4,937.50 -72.50 BAE Systems 574.50 -19.50 Barclays 211.00 -2.35 British American Tobacco 4,140.00 21.00 Barratt Developments 552.50 -3.50 Berkeley Group Holdings 3,900.00 -6.00 British Land Co 648.00 -5.80 BHP Billiton 1,405.00 -52.80 Bunzl 2,090.50 -10.50 BP 502.50 -1.80 Burberry Group 1,620.50 -112.00 BT Group 241.00 -0.50 Coca-Cola HBC 2,546.00 53.00 Carnival 4,525.00 55.00 Centrica 139.65 -1.05 Compass Group 1,422.50 -37.50 Croda International 4,638.50 -16.50 CRH 2,371.00 4.50 DCC 3,360.50 -3,294.50 Diageo 2,509.00 17.00 Direct Line Insurance Group 358.00 -2.10 Evraz 412.05 19.45 Experian 1,569.00 19.50 easyJet 1,625.00 14.00 Ferguson 5,290.00 -14.00 Fresnillo 1,275.00 -9.00 G4S 242.25 -8.25 GKN 440.50 -11.20 Glencore 342.50 -3.30 GlaxoSmithKline 1,413.00 -7.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,711.00 0.00 Halma 1,208.00 0.00 HSBC Holdings 679.90 -5.30 International Consoldtd Airs 620.00 11.00 InterContinental Hotels Grp 4,280.00 48.00 3i Group 870.80 -25.80 Imperial Brands 2,492.50 29.50 Informa 719.80 0.00 Intertek Group 4,815.00 0.00 ITV 144.00 -0.20 Just Eat 743.80 8.20 Johnson Matthey 3,275.00 -28.00 Kingfisher 301.50 1.20 Land Securities Group 950.00 -5.00

% CHG. NET VOL 0.71 23,400.61 -1.05 20,413.32 -3.50 5,475.14 -1.19 9,989.89 -2.12 9,345.92 0.55 20,487.57 -1.45 63,880.45 -3.28 18,866.65 -1.10 36,884.57 0.51 95,892.97 -0.63 5,576.08 -0.15 5,211.99 -0.89 6,415.34 -3.62 30,521.55 -0.50 7,044.59 -0.36 100,528.46 -6.46 7,196.42 -0.21 23,847.29 2.13 9,204.15 1.23 9,290.28 -0.75 7,823.68 -2.57 23,157.20 -0.35 6,101.00 0.19 20,012.86 -49.50 5,864.11 0.68 61,273.58 -0.58 4,904.63 4.95 5,669.50 1.26 14,178.18 0.87 6,600.81 -0.26 13,140.66 -0.70 9,343.81 -3.29 3,925.53 -2.48 7,568.92 -0.95 49,272.03 -0.49 70,937.96 0.00 8,063.42 0.00 4,523.43 -0.77 136,749.26 1.81 12,458.39 1.13 8,108.24 -2.88 8,701.59 1.20 23,533.46 0.00 5,960.85 0.00 7,756.55 -0.14 5,757.54 1.11 4,956.96 -0.85 6,301.45 0.40 6,508.93 -0.52 6,980.47

COMPANY

PRICE(P)

Legal & General Group 269.00 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 68.65 London Stock Exchange Grp 4,200.00 Micro Focus International 1,364.50 Mediclinic International 695.80 Marks & Spencer Group 268.50 Mondi 1,885.50 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets 231.00 National Grid 829.50 NMC Health 3,282.00 Next 5,015.00 Old Mutual Group 245.00 Paddy Power Betfair 7,120.00 Prudential 1,857.50 Persimmon 2,813.00 Pearson 757.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 6,045.00 Royal Bank of Scotland Group 259.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,370.00 Royal Dutch Shell 2,420.00 RELX 1,520.00 Rio Tinto 3,755.00 Royal Mail 563.00 Rolls-Royce Group 865.00 Randgold Resources 5,729.00 RSA Insurance Group 647.00 Rentokil Initial 249.50 Sainsbury (J) 253.55 Schroders 3,220.00 Sage Group (The) 577.50 Segro 612.20 Shire 3,667.50 Smurfit Kappa Group 3,146.00 Sky 1,349.00 Standard Life Aberdeen 374.85 Smith (DS) 485.90 Smiths Group 1,552.25 Scottish Mortgage Invstmnt Trt 480.00 Smith & Nephew 1,350.00 SSE 1,292.50 Standard Chartered 720.00 St James's Place 1,066.25 Severn Trent 1,883.00 Tesco 221.45 TUI AG 1,650.50 Taylor Wimpey 196.00 Unilever 3,935.00 United Utilities Group 713.50 Vodafone Group 202.76 WPP Group 1,152.50 Whitbread 3,790.00

CHANGE(P) -2.10 0.47 -70.00 65.50 104.20 -3.30 -77.50 0.00 3.20 -128.00 1.00 10.00 0.00 11.00 137.00 -5.90 30.00 -5.80 -8.50 -2.00 6.50 -30.00 2.20 -1.80 -55.00 -6.80 -30.00 -2.35 -45.00 -39.50 0.00 61.00 164.00 44.50 -1.15 -15.90 37.25 32.40 28.00 -18.50 -13.50 -16.25 19.50 -12.15 78.00 5.35 5.50 1.10 -4.09 -35.50 -145.00

% CHG. -0.77 0.69 -1.64 5.04 17.61 -1.21 -3.95 0.00 0.39 -3.75 0.02 4.26 0.00 0.60 5.12 -0.77 0.50 -2.19 -0.36 -0.08 0.43 -0.79 0.39 -0.21 -0.95 -1.04 -10.73 -0.92 -1.38 -6.40 0.00 1.69 5.50 3.41 -0.31 -3.17 2.46 7.24 2.12 -1.41 -1.84 -1.50 1.05 -5.20 4.96 2.81 0.14 0.15 -1.98 -2.99 -3.68

NET VOL 16,073.69 49,108.23 14,722.44 5,489.44 4,283.39 4,403.91 6,987.86 5,431.41 27,656.87 7,004.02 7,160.94 11,720.28 6,037.62 47,091.91 8,283.59 6,006.35 42,463.56 31,715.37 108,814.21 90,314.92 15,867.46 50,055.19 5,702.00 16,374.10 5,367.02 6,687.97 5,042.44 5,551.10 7,288.09 7,271.08 6,078.74 33,544.62 6,994.37 22,441.77 11,193.01 5,269.14 5,940.24 6,288.90 11,600.38 13,166.50 24,215.41 5,737.03 4,355.71 22,814.09 9,297.16 6,221.25 48,389.97 4,799.13 55,258.85 15,041.40 6,978.61

0.86562

1.15507 Units per €

US dollar................................................................1.23281 Japan yen .............................................................132.193 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.18765 Denmark kroner ..............................................7.44682 Norway kroner ................................................9.60094 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 A PRIL 16

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 215,520 93,0300 174,730 329,280 150,230 119,92 43,000 44,51 66,17 77,84 13,4900 255,92 172,8000 156,71 51,8600 110,3000 130,6200 161,7300 57,17 93,080 67,25 36,3200 78,370 136,29 122,71 224,28 47,66 120,75 86,0200 100,3500

CHANGE% -0,42% -0,34% +0,34% -2,43% +0,06% +0,58% -0,78% +1,09% -0,45% +0,80% +2,35% -1,41% -0,32% -0,86% -1,63% -2,71% +0,15% +0,07% +0,76% -0,53% -0,77% +0,00% +0,75% -0,73% -0,44% +0,02% -0,17% -0,26% +0,69% -0,04%

CHANGE VOLUME(M) -0,900 128.159,56 -0,3200 80.036,46 0,590 886.582,29 -8,200 193.402,36 0,090 89.799,25 0,69 229.257,87 -0,340 207.153,23 0,48 189.813,30 -0,30 153.954,31 0,62 329.886,43 0,3100 117.227,42 -3,67 96.993,73 -0,5600 199.097,27 -1,36 144.319,37 -0,8600 242.035,80 -3,0700 375.930,63 0,1900 350.567,35 0,1100 128.438,53 0,43 153.969,43 -0,500 716.696,73 -0,52 86.286,80 0,0000 216.171,61 0,580 197.621,48 -1,00 36.827,50 -0,54 98.202,58 0,04 217.124,21 -0,08 196.877,10 -0,32 218.117,57 0,5900 253.833,69 -0,0400 150.908,87 M - MILLION DOLLARS

NASDAQ C LOSING P RICES A PRIL 16

COMPANY

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

Most Advanced Future FinTech Group Inc. $ 2.50 Turtle Beach Corporation $ 3.91 Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. $ 5.54 Dogness (International) Corporation $ 4.213 Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation $ 5.05 JAKKS Pacific, Inc. $ 2.40 Northern Technologies International Corporation $ 27 Invuity, Inc. $ 3.925 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. $ 8.98 Pixelworks, Inc. $ 4.39 Calyxt, Inc. $ 15.45

0.53 ▲ 26.90% 0.82 ▲ 26.54% 0.74 ▲ 15.42% 0.4331 ▲ 11.46% 0.45 ▲ 9.78% 0.20 ▲ 9.09% 2.25 ▲ 9.09% 0.325 ▲ 9.03% 0.74 ▲ 8.98% 0.35 ▲ 8.66% 1.23 ▲ 8.65%

Most Declined Zions Bancorporation $ 18.24 Spero Therapeutics, Inc. $ 15.49 Essendant Inc. $ 8.60 Dropbox, Inc. $ 30 QuinStreet, Inc. $ 10.78 Allegiant Travel Company $ 151.05 Innoviva, Inc. $ 16.14 Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. $ 3.78 China Internet Nationwide Financial Services Inc.$ 17.33 PetMed Express, Inc. $ 38.22 Cellular Biomedicine Group, Inc. $ 20.65

3.14 ▼ 14.69% 2.36 ▼ 13.22% 1.23 ▼ 12.51% 3.27 ▼ 9.83% 1.06 ▼ 8.95% 14.20 ▼ 8.59% 1.45 ▼ 8.24% 0.32 ▼ 7.80% 1.45 ▼ 7.72% 3.14 ▼ 7.59% 1.65 ▼ 7.40%

E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

SAUDI PRINCE’S €1.8BN DEFENCE SPLURGE SPAIN has signed a €1.8 billion deal to supply warships to Saudi Arabia. The agreement with the Gulf State was reached as crown prince Mohammed bin Salman paid an official visit to Madrid. It came after the 32-year-old heir to the throne attended a banquet lunch with Spanish royals, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia plus senior Spanish officials and businessmen. He later met with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Defence Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal to discuss a range of bilateral deals between the countries in his dual role as defence minister and chief of energy and economic policy. The talks saw the co-signing of an ‘executive summary to facilitate the necessary procedures’ for a contract between the Saudi Defence Ministry and Spain’s national shipbuilder Navantia to be drawn up. The Saudi government said in a statement that a second agreement between Navantia and Saudi Arabian Military Industries - a state-owned defence company launched last year - had also been sealed, although it failed to provide specific details. A Spanish Ministry of Defence source told media that the warship deal will see five small ships sold to Saudi Arabia, with negotiations ongoing since 2015.

Photo credit Mariano Rajoy Brey/Twitter

Spain signs warship deal

BILATERAL BONANZA: The Saudi and Spanish delegations talk business. Spain’s army will also train Saudi soldiers and other personnel, and construction firms will build new infrastructure for the state’s navy. A number of campaign groups, including Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Oxfam have urged Spain to renege on the deal because the ships could be used in Saudi Arabia’s Yemen offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which has seen thousands of civilians killed. The prince arrived in Spain after a three-day visit to France as he wound up a tour which has also tak-

en in the UK, United States and Egypt. The moderniser has signed a number of multimillion Euro deals over the course of the trip, as he continues to implement his ‘Vision 2030,’ which comprises a series of economic and social policies designed to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil exports. Spanish companies have already won contracts to build a high-speed desert railway linking the cities of Mecca and Medina, plus a rapid transit system in Saudi’s capital Riyadh.

AIRLINE CONFIRMS STAKE IN BUDGET CARRIER

BA eyes up Norwegian bid BRITISH AIRWAYS owner International Airlines Group (IAG) has revealed that it is exploring a possible takeover bid for budget carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle. The firm said in a stock market dispatch that it has already acquired a 4.61 per cent stake in the airline, leading to

an initial 40 per cent surge in its shares on the Oslo stock exchange and lifting its estimated value to €800 million. IAG’s statement said that the investment is ‘intended to establish a position from which to initiate discussions with Norwegian, including a possible buyout. The announcement added that it views the carrier as ‘an attractive

investment,’ clarifying that ‘IAG confirms that no such discussions have taken place to date, that it has taken no decision to make an offer at this time and that there is no certainty that any such decision will be made. ‘A further announcement will be made if appropriate.’ But a Norwegian Air official said that the company “had no prior knowledge” of the move, adding that it has “not engaged in any discussion or dialogue with IAG about this matter,” before admitting that “IAG’s interest in the company confirms the sustainability and potential of our business model and our global growth.” The operator later confirmed the sale of the stake. Norwegian Air is a direct rival of low-cost specialists Vueling - which TAKING OFF: British Airways could launch a full takeover bid.

offers short-haul flights in Spain and Europe - and new long-haul airline Level, both of which are owned by IAG. It has grown rapidly over the last year after opening up an array of new routes at knockdown prices, including flights from Edinburgh and Dublin to New York from as little as €115. Its Spanish base is Barcelona’s El Prat hub, from where it operates direct flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Miami, and it also plans to introduce a service from Malaga to New York in the near future. They also fly from Barcelona to San Francisco, as well as Boston, Buenos Aires and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Norwegian Air transports 30 million passengers a year and recently struck a deal with easyJet allowing its customers to book cheap long-haul flights. After posting profits of more than €1.1 billion in 2016, last year it was announced a €30.8 million deficit, holding the purchase of 32 new jets and hiring new staff responsible for the loss.

Bank reveals new ‘instant’ international payments app SPANISH banking group Santander has launched a new international payments service. Santander One Pay FX records data digitally using xCurrent, a blockchain-based technology, and allows clients to complete money transfers within 24 hours, often on the same day. The mobile app is available in Spain, the UK, Brazil and Poland, and will be rolled out elsewhere over the next few months, the firm said in a statement. It added that customers will be shown the exact amount that will be received in the destination currency before the transfer is complete. As things stand, users in Spain can transfer funds to the UK and United States, whereas those in the UK can send money to any European country and the US, with more countries to be added in the near future.

Taskforce for international cybersecurity TELEFONICA has joined an international cyber security crusade. The Spanish telecommunications giant has joined forces with Emirati-based Etisalat, Singapore’s Singtel and Japanese firm Softbank to form a global security alliance. According to a statement, the union will be ‘one of the world’s leading cybersecurity providers,’ with more than 1.2 billion customers in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Between them employing more than 6,000 cybersecurity experts, the deal will see the companies share network intelligence on possible threats ‘taking advantage of their global reach, combined assets and cybersecurity capabilities to help customers around the world.’ Telefonica’s cybersecurity boss Pedro Pablo Perez hailed the move as ‘a giant step forward to expand our development as a provider of intelligent security services.’

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

Businesses’ global warning SPANISH companies have moved to combat global warming. Around 30 multinationals and medium-sized firms this week co-signed a document prepared by the Spanish Green Growth Group (SGGG) urging ‘the public authorities’ to ‘reach an agreement in 2018 to approve climate change laws with an ambitious but stable transition to efficient energy.’ Among the major signatories are publically listed companies including Abertis, Acciona, Bankia, BBVA, Endesa, Ferrovial, Iberdrola, Mapfre, Red Electrica de España, Siemens Gamesa and Telefonica, plus Eulen, OHL, NH Hotels and Ikea. It comes as Spanish congress continues to argue over how the new standards should be designed and implemented in the wake of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy signing the international Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. The national Energy and Environment ministries - which are supposed to be working together on the regulations - are instead at loggerheads, according to reports. Energy Minister Alvaro Nadal has re-

Photo credit Conama.org/Shutterstock

SPANISH FIRMS URGE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

GOING GREEN: A solar energy plant in Sevilla and (inset) SGGG president Valentin Alfaya. peatedly dampened hopes over the legislation, arguing that it is in Spain’s interest to wait until the European Union deliver their climate change package before unveiling its own measures. But his environmental counterpart Isabel Garcia Tejerina recently told Spanish

media that a draft of the standards will be ready “soon.” And the lack of urgency has sparked concern within Spain’s business sector, leading infrastructure and renewable energy giant Acciona to create the SGGG with support from the Corpo-

rate Leaders Group. SGGG president Valentin Alfaya, a director at Spanish transport giant Ferrovial, has warned that the country “needs a roadmap for the future urgently.” The document prepared by the group, which has been submitted to the national government in Madrid, says: “Most of our neighbours are already working towards a low carbon economy, which is set to unleash a global revolution that will generate huge opportunities. “Spain is well-positioned to take advantage, but effective policies are not yet in place. “We need a stable and credible legal and regulatory framework to lay the foundations on which this ‘new’ economy will be built.” The signatories also call for a “progressive calendar to abandon support for all types of fossil fuel,” and a “tax review so that the ‘polluter-pays’ principles can be met.” Not all SGGG members signed the demand, with energy firms Enagas and Gas Natural, plus banking groups Santander and La Caixa among those abstaining.

EWN

Internet giants league topped by US monster E-COMMERCE behemoth Amazon is officially the biggest online retailer in Spain. The American firm last year turned over more than €4.2 billion, leading the Spanish internet sales market ahead of Chinese rival AlExpress and Madrid-based department store group El Corte Ingles, which raked in €1.2 billion and €684 million, respectively. Amazon also processed more than 53 million orders, laying waste to the competition, with 16.9 orders placed with AliExpress and 13.5 with third-placed eBay. El Corte Ingles was again the best-placed Spanish firm, trailing in fourth place with 3.7 million orders, with the online top 10 completed by Carrefour, Decathlon, Zalando, Gearbest, Zara and Privalia. But Spain did top the ranking for highest-priced single sales, as customers of domestic appliance specialist Electrocosto spent an average of €308.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

FEATURE

Many unanswered questions? LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT

I FIRST met Cliff Richard in 1958. At the time I was living in Finsbury Park, in the same digs as Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin, later to form the wonderful Shadows. The boys brought him to the house, introducing him as Harry and adding enthusiastically that, they were ‘going the whole way’ with their new singer. Some years later, when I attained pop success of my own, I did on a few occasions find myself in the same hotel as Cliff and a couple of times joined him in the odd game of tennis (which he always won!). I always found him extremely pleasant and, although there were a number of ‘gender suspicions’ around, can quite categorically state, I was never aware of any indications that he may have been paedophilic. Witnessing this whole sorry saga of the accusations against him over the last few years I have experienced varying degrees of disbelief, doubt and often a genuine sympathy. Seeing Cliff at this latest court hearing, I

CLIFF RICHARD: ‘No smoke without fire’?

was pretty shocked at his appearance, and also moved by his admittance, that the accusations and subsequent ransacking of his home, had left him shattered and sullied and indeed fully aware that many people still retain suspicions ala the ‘no smoke without fire’ syndrome. He has to my mind quite rightly sued the BBC, who allegedly collaborated with the police in publicly raiding and searching his home and announcing the move to the whole world with no mention or pre-warning to Cliff whatsoever. Cliff has constantly declared his innocence of the paedophile accusations and obviously wants nothing more than to clear his name. In my opinion, if he is to achieve this and show himself to be utterly innocent of these accusations, he has to sue the Crown Prosecution Service. Not for the somewhat innocuous and piddling amount he received in 2017 for the police collaboration with the BBC, but millions, for defamation of character, loss of earnings, mental trauma and Lord knows what else. Only in this way will the real truth come to light and Cliff hope to be exonerated and cleared of suspicion. There are too many

questions still unanswered, and this present case will settle none of them. For example, why is it that the Elm House paedophile ring investigation, in which he was allegedly involved, appear to have been dropped altogether? Why, when he was initially suspected, did he subsequently run for the hills of Portugal and not stay in Britain, using his privileged position to protest his innocence and demand justice from the platforms of every media outlet available? Why did he take out full Barbadian citizenship, a country with no extradition agreement with the UK? And why is so much information on the subject blacked out or ‘unavailable’ on the internet? ‘Insufficient evidence to prosecute,’ the final decision of the CPS, is not a declaration of innocence. If Cliff’s conscience is indeed totally clear, he has, for his own sake, to use every means available to answer all of these troubling questions. It’s highly likely that suing the CPS for ‘proper money’ could bring the whole sorry case fully into the open and settle it once and for all. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Keep the faith. Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

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

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

TECH FOR THE TIMID I MAY never understand why a hand is feminine in Spanish but a day is masculine, even though they end in ‘o’ and ‘a’ respectively. Nor in any case can most English speakers grasp why a house should be feminine and a pencil, masculine. That all makes this well-thumbed story particularly intriguing: should our second-favourite techno-toy (after our smartphones) be ‘el computador’ or ‘la computadora,’ a language class was asked? The teacher separated the students into two groups, male and female, asking them to choose. The males decided computers should be feminine, because: - No-one but their creator understands their internal logic; - The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else; - Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval; and - As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your pay-cheque on accessories for it.

www.euroweeklynews.com

Mind the gender Terence Kennedy hopes we can still poke some fun at the genderpolarised computer world

THE X-Y FILES: Gender gap or gulf? The females voted that computers should be masculine, because: - To do anything with them, you have to turn them on; - They have a lot of data but still can’t think for themselves; - They’re supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem; - As soon as you commit to one, you realise that if you had waited a little

longer, you could have had a better model. The women apparently won. Jokes apart, you’re probably aware there are some serious gender issues raging in the tech world right now. Never mind the fact that Ada Lovelace is regarded as the world’s first programmer, way back in 1842. Even as recently as the 1960s, nowDame Vera Stephanie Shirley had to

adopt the name ‘Steve’ just to trick corporate backers into seeing her to consider her business venture - which went on to write the programming for Concorde’s flight recorder, among the many other achievements of its 300 staff, 297 of them women. Long before the MeToo hashtag took wing last year, women have struggled in tech against male prejudice, bullying, sexism and underpayment. Whether it’s true or not that women have better analytical abilities than we lesser males, whether we refer to our computers the way we do to our cars (generally ‘she’), boats (overwhelmingly ‘she’) or GPS devices (‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’ on my own family outings) - there’s certainly no excuse for what happened when an entrepreneur recently searched Google for ‘an English major who taught herself calculus.’ Google’s algorithm rejected the query. It asked: ‘Did you mean an English major who taught himself calculus’?

FEATURE

Boys’ club CAN we, shoul d we, st i l l laugh at ‘women vs computer’ jokes? What’s the difference between a woman and a computer? One is a cold heartless machine and the other is a computing device. You can m ut e t he sound on a computer. The manual isn’t complete. Pressing all the but t ons hal t s act i on. They’re both known for bad drivers and crashing. And so on… Distinctly unamusing is that 90 per cent of women in tech have suffered gender bias, women only run 5 per cent of startups, they only hold 25 per cent of computing jobs, and they earn 29 per cent less than the men. Perhaps we can at least agree on one of m y f avouri t e com put i ng t rui sm s: t hat com put ers are the perfect thing for women who don’ t f eel t hat m en provide them with enough frustration. Touché!

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

www.euroweeklynews.com

SPECIALNEW

How Spain’s largest national park is being allowed to dry up

A decade of destruction With the Doñana national park on the brink of being declared the EU’s first ‘endangered’ national park, David Noon looks back over the past 10 years to examine how Spain’s most important wetland started to dry up N Iberian lynx hides silently in the long grass as a young red deer sips from the Guadalquivir River. All the while a Spanish Imperial eagle soars graciously in the warm breeze overhead, looking down upon the hundreds of migratory bird species united in the trees that line the riverbank. It is a Utopian image that exists in few places on earth. However, Spain’s paradisiacal snapshot is at risk of being wiped out. Doñana national park in Andalucia is on the verge of being declared the EU’s first ‘endangered’ national park. Environmental groups have long been calling on the park’s management to sort itself out, while the EU has warned the Spanish government time

20 species of freshwater fish catalogued in the Park and again about the ongoings at the park. For the best part of a decade UNESCO has stated that it is on the brink of removing Spain’s largest national park from its list of World Heritage sites after years of neglect and environmental scandals.

Controversy remains over the Extremadura to Huelva pipeline running through the park, which was installed in 2013. Constant dredging in the Guadalquivir River to allow ships to pass through has also come under fire. While unprecedented levels of illegal strawberry farming is literally sucking the life out of the park. In total there is approximately 1,000 illegal boreholes draining the aquifer of one of Europe’s most important wetlands. The lack of moisture was highlighted last summer in the most dramatic fashion when some 8,400 hectares of land in and around the park was razed to the ground by wildfires. More alarmingly, some 360 species

of birds, 127 of which breed regularly in the park, are being forced to find new homes as the park runs dry. Not to mention the endangered population of Iberian lynx, fallow deer, Spanish red deer, wild boars, European badgers and Egyptian mongooses which reside in the park’s 50,720 hectares. Placing Doñana on the list of World Heritage site ‘in danger’ is a decision made by UNESCO’s World Heritage committee. As Juanjo Carmona at WWF Spain says, nobody ‘wants to see this happen’. “It would be the first EU National Park to be given this listing,” Carmona explains to me. “We don’t want to see this happen. “Instead we want the government to get serious about stopping the activities

Timeline of outrage and inaction •1969 - Established as a national park the WWF joined forces with the Spanish government to purchase a section of the Guadalquivir Delta marshes and establish the Doñana national park. • 1994 - The Doñana national park was offficially declared an UNESCO World Heritage site. • 1998 - The Aznalcollar disaster occurred when a holding dam burst at the Los Frailes mine owned by Boliden-Apirsa, releasing a flood of toxic sludge that entered the river Guadiamar, the main water source for the park. • 2006 - The responsibilities of maintaining the park were transferred to the government of Andalucia by the Royal Decree. • 2006 - The park recorded a record 376,287 visitors in the calendar year, following many government-led promotions. • 2012 - President of Doñana Felipe Gonzalez steps down following an investigation by the National Research Council (CSIC) investigating a Doñana national park scientist for altering - and even inventing - data in his studies. • 2015 - Junta vowed to protect Doñana from gas extraction while announcing that the Aznalcollar would reopen. • February 2016 - Supermarkets unite to stop Spain’s strawberry fields sucking Doñana wetland dry by refusing to stock strawberry’s from the region. • May 2016 - Spain given ultimatum by European Commission to protect Doñana World Heritage site. • December 2016 - Environmentalists protest at Doñana national park as water supplies plummet and ‘illegal farming’ continues. • January 2017 - Outrage as gas company awarded millions to operate in Doñana national park. EU considers intervention. • February 2017 - Andalucia’s ombudsman launches investigation into at risk Doñana national park. • April 2017 - Three hundred illegal wells shut down in Doñana in bid to stop landowners draining wetlands. • May 2017 - Spain’s government forced to deny ‘unfairly’ slashing funds for Doñana national park. • June 2017 - Forest fires raze 8,400 hectares of land in and around the park.

360 species of birds live in the park

WS FEATURE

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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TORCHED: Wildfires rip through Doñana in 2017.

Doñana disaster FOREST fires, illegal farming and controversial pipelines are all current problems facing Doñana. However, the biggest environmental disasters to face the park took place some 20 years ago. On April 25, 1998, a holding dam burst at the Los Frailes mine releasing almost 5 million cubic metres of mine tailings into the River Agrio and then its tributary the river Guadiamar, travelling about 40 kilometres along these waterways before they could be stopped. The cleanup operation took three years, at an estimated cost of €240 million. But the real damage was on the park’s wildlife, not the bank balances of those responsible. After the dam exploded almost 2,000 birds, chicks, eggs, and nests were killed or destroyed and more than 25,000 kilos of dead fish were collected in the aftermath. As a result of the ecological disaster, nothing survived because of the high acidity of the waste, which contained a mixture of lead, copper, zinc, cadmium and other metals, along with sulphides. High levels of heavy metals are still embedded in soil and water today. And yet, despite the tragedy it was announced three years ago that the mine would reopen. While the current stance is that it will be for ‘research purposes’, environmentalists are understably worried about the Spanish government’s true intentions for the mine.

875 indigenous species of flora at the park

IN DANGER: Doñana is home to the endangered Iberian Lynx.

that are threatening the future of Europe’s most important wetland. “The government needs to urgently tackle illegal and unsustainable use of water in the park. He adds: “Combined with climate change this could cause irreversible changes to Doñana’s wildlife.” In 2016, tens of thousands of people from around the world joined the #OrigamiMigration for Doñana which WWF organised when there was a pressing threat of an ‘in danger’ listing. Since then over 1.5 million people have directly emailed prime ministers and presidents around the world, helping motivate them to reverse multiple, immediate threats to World Heritage sites including Doñana. And it is not just the WWF clamping down on Doñana. In 2016, Spain was issued an ultimatum by the European Commission to protect Doñana’s World Heritage status or risk funding cuts. Meanwhile UNESCO has time and again demanded to see improvements. In 2011, UNESCO first threatened to place Doñana on the ‘endangered’ list. Just two years later the threat was again placed at Spain’s mat. And so on and so forth for almost every year for the last decade. However, thus far, the Spanish government has been able to satisfy UN-

ESCO that it is doing (just about) enough to turn the bleak landscape around. In its most recent report, UNESCO praised the ‘state party’s commitment not to authorise the dredging project to deepen the Guadalquivir River’ and welcomed ‘the decision of the State Party not to authorise the gas and storage projects in Marisma Oriental.’ This is despite, the same report stating that it needed to see more evidence of ‘enhancing water resource management’ as well as confirmation that a research project for Aznalcóllar mine has been authorised. A subsequent report must be filed to UNESCO by December 1 this year which will be mulled over by the World Heritage committee. A spokesperson for UNESCO told Euroweekly News that while ‘the state of conservation of Doñana national park has been a source of concern of UNESCO’s World Heritage committee for several years and at last year’s session it recognised several improvements and this reflected them on its

TRAGEDY: Dead ram along the side of the River Agrio.

decision. For now, at least, Spain seems to know how to appease the officials keeping watch on one of the country’s most prized possessions. And yet, every year the problem worsens as Doñana spirals down a dark well towards the abyss. Groups such as the WWF are among those demanding that more needs to be done. “Unsustainable water use needs to be stopped, habitats need to be restored and there needs to be long term commitments put in place to protect Doñana,” Carmona warns. “In recent decades the World Heritage site has been used for short term gains. What we need to see happen is the focus shift to the park’s long term prosperity and preserving Doñana for fu-

1,000 illegal boreholes discovered in the park for farming

ture generations. “The livelihoods and quality of life of the people that live in and around Doñana is dependent on the national park, there’s no future for the area if we don’t bring Doñana back to life. Doñana risks losing the exceptional nature and wildlife that led it to being awarded with World Heritage site status. It may be possible to artificially maintain small populations of iconic animals, such as the Iberian Lynx or the Imperial Eagle, but important ecosystems such as the ‘marisma’ wetland will disappear and the richness and diversity of Doñana will be destroyed. The abundance of species that are unique to Doñana, such as dragonflies, or the bird species that depend on the wetland, such are the marbled teal, have already suffered a huge decline. “People have shown they won’t stand for continued loss of precious nature like Doñana.”

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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FEATURE

Advertising Feature

DURING the boom years, expatriates were encouraged to purchase properties ‘off plan’ making sizeable deposits and in many cases paying for the entire build. When the downturn in the property market came about a large number of companies simply closed down or went bankrupt with the apartments and houses that people had contracted to purchase remaining unbuilt. It seemed that the monies spent were lost for good and this caused significant heartbreak and hardship for many people who couldn’t afford to take on the Spanish legal system to try to get their money back. Happily however it became apparent that many banks had not secured the deposits from these potential purchasers in an appropriate manner and now it is possible to reclaim the money from the banks in many cases. No Win No Fee Property Solicitors mainly came about with the idea to provide effective solutions for clients affected by the purchase of homes that they never received or who, having received them, still do not have the necessary license

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No Win No Fee has helped hundreds of people obtain justice

NO WIN NO FEE: A firm of lawyers anxious to ensure that justice prevails. of occupation. The high costs entailed in undertaking lawsuits meant that those who had suffered appeared to have little recourse to reclaim their funds but now the No Win No Fee team of lawyers with offices all along the Costa del Sol, and collaborators in various cities throughout Spain and in several Eu-

ropean cities are able to help. Their rate of success in defending the interests of the parties affected by these purchases of homes led them to create this project, which has already achieved the reimbursement of funds for all of their clients to date. Their main goal is to recover all of the savings

for their clients, as well as interest generated from the moment that they paid all of their savings to the developer. Now anyone who has been so badly treated up to now has the opportunity to obtain legal assistance at no cost unless and until claims against the banks are successful. Although the main office is based in Fuengirola they have branches in Estepona and London but will take on clients from any part of Spain subject to reviewing their case and making sure that the client’s situation qualifies them for compensation. With several hundred successful cases undertaken, now is the time to contact their office in Calle Marbella 5, Oficina 3C, 29640 Fuengirola which is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm or you can call them on 639 444 437 or 952 583 636 Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm. Alternatively you can email the office and explain your problem at belencarrasco@internation allaw.es or legal@nowinnofeespanishpropertyso licitors.com. There is also the option to complete an online contact questionnaire at the company website http://nowinnofeespanishpropertysolicitors.com.

Elche: a city of variety

PALM GROVE: The city boasts a Unesco world heritage site. ELCHE - and its predecessor, La Alcudia, was settled by the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Goths and Moors. So it is safe to say that the city has some history. But the city offers far more than museums in fact, part of its appeal is its variety. The coastal location provides the obligatory beach attraction but there are cultural options aplenty for those looking for a more sophisticated experience.

Perhaps the most notable is the Basilica of Santa Maria, an impressive, Arabic-looking structure well worth a visit. Another must for architecture is the Torre de la Calahorra. If greenery is your thing then the Palm Grove of Elche should be right up your garden path, having been declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000. Twinned with six towns including Toulouse in France - Elche is within striking distance of Ali-

cante, for those who want the allure of one of Spain’s largest cities. But Elche should be easily big enough for all travel needs and boasts a number of top restaurants and hotels. The local football team, Elche CF, were in the top tier of Spanish football until last year, but could make a return to La Liga in the coming seasons giving football fans the chance to see giants like Real Madrid or Barcelona in quaint surroundings.

E W N 19 -25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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NEWS

Travel MANY people have a bucket list of places around the world that they would like to visit, even if it is just a pleasant daydream. However, those who are serious about making good on their explorations may need to start prioritising, as many sites are endangered due to environmental factors, political upheaval, and lack of funds among other reasons. Old City of Jerusalem and its walls This is clearly a deeply sacred site in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and according to UNESCO contains 220 historical monuments. Jerusalem and its walls were added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger in 1982, at Jordan’s suggestion. But with ongoing political problems, urban development and an apparent lack of protection, it is definitely advisable to visit there sooner rather than later. Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, Indonesia This jungle idyll is home to many endangered and diverse

Your time bomb bucket list

SLIDING AWAY: The Montana glaciers are one of many climate change victims. species, and was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger in 2011. It consists of three distinct national parks, has some 200 mam-

mal species (including the Sumatran orangutan), 580 types of bird and 10,000 plant species. Liverpool, England According to Conde Nast Trav-

eller, while UNESCO stipulates that the current buildings in Liverpool must remain the tallest in the city, ever increasing urban development threatens to perma-

nently alter the Liverpool’s aesthetic. The port, which was one of Britain’s flagship economic hubs in its heyday, was added to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger in 2012. Coro, Venezuela The beautiful city is “the only surviving example of a rich fusion of local traditions with Spanish Mudejar and Dutch architectural techniques,” says UNESCO. It was added to the Danger list in 2005 due to fears around the effects of the Venezuelan oil industry. Glacier National Park, Montana This stunning National Park used to contain over 150 glaciers, but that number is now down to just 25. With climate change’s relentless march, those wishing to see such glaciers may need to make plans quickly.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

TV COUCH CRITIC by Adam Whalley-Lewis THERE is a lot to get through this week, so diving right in, Piers Morgan is back on Good Morning Britain, ITV weekday mornings and he didn’t waste time laying into the government and the opposition for failing to put up a spokesperson to talk about the UK forces air strikes. I agree with Piers (please, don’t fall into your vino tinto) that surely someone, somewhere, should have been free to talk to GMB and provide an update on what was happening, enough said. Completely changing the subject, The Big Painting Challenge is back on BBC1 on Sunday evenings. Reverend Richard Coles (you will know him when you see him) and Mariella Frostrup (you think you know the name, I still have no idea who she is) are back guiding amateur painters through painting challenges each week. If you remember Hannah Gordon’s ‘Easy Strokes’ you might be disappointed but, if you are a fan of the 80’s group The Communards (the Rev was a member) and/or the art of gentle paint-

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FEATURE

Painting, springtime and laughing in Las Vegas Photo credits You Tube

80’S REVIVAL: Last Laugh in Las Vegas. ing, this one is for you. As if to prove spring has sprung, Springtime on the Farm raced across Channel 5 last week serving up masses of celebrity contributions and stuff that happens on a farm. The celebrity contributor list read like something a BAFTA red carpet would be proud of, but what stood out for me was the resilience of the Nicholson family who have oper-

ated Cannon Hall farm for 60 plus years. I don’t think the Nicholsons need celebrity friends to illustrate how brilliant they are. Anyone in need of a nostalgia boost might want to look out Last Laugh in Vegas, ITV Tuesdays. There are eight acts performing including Cannon and Ball and Su Pollard. The gang travel to Las Vegas to put

SHOCK DEVELOPMENT: Critic agrees with Piers Morgan. on one-last-show, directed by Frank Marino. Frank knows his stuff. He is the only person to have two stars on the Las Vegas Boulevard Walk of Fame and has raised millions of dollars for charity. Frank also badly needs a haircut. The shows lead up to a one off performance, it has to be said in one of sin city’s lesser known theatres and whatever Frank’s weekly ratings might sug-

gest, I’m sure the final show will be great. The real shock for me though is Bernie Clifton’s voice, he is a great singer. Look out for a feature length episode coming to ITV3 soon. On Monday night David Attenborough and The Queen got together in The Queen’s Green Planet, ITV. This regal documentary showcased Her Majesty’s plan to create a patchwork of protected forests across all 53 Commonwealth countries. There was a bit of staged eavesdropping where the pair chatted about health and safety with Her Majesty blaming a noisy helicopter on President Trump. Cameo appearances from William and Kate, predictably planting trees and then not so predictably catching salmon with their bare hands and by Prince Harry rounded off the sort of programme the BBC used to do much better, but which ITV now seem to have the ‘By Royal Appointment’ accolade. Happy viewing.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almeria

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America comes to me!

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.

PEDRO sat at the end of the bench hunched over sharpening his knife. His long scrapes with the wet stone told me he knew what he was doing. “Everyone should have a good sharp knife in the jungle he announced to me.” Well, I replied in my best wizened attitude, anything you get close enough to with the knife will have bitten you six times or clawed off your arm off.” He wasn’t bothered. He was going to face the entire adventure his way, on his Spanish terms. “What will it be like when we get back, er, if we do?” “Well, see that lonely light bulb on the roof, you will cry like a small child and want to kiss it. Pure civilisation again. Then we will drink all their damn cold beer.” “Ya, how we gonna do that? You said don’t bring any money it’s worthless out there.” “Well, that’s what the knives are for!” He smiled a laconic grin and kept sharpening. Just then our Indian guide came in and asked us to help load the boat. Down stream we would motor to the Heath river that

FEATURE

ADVENTURES: They all end up with lots of different stories! divides Peru from Bolivia and was the reputed home of the big anacondas. Like all jungle adventures it would become replete with hundreds of lit-

tle stories that all added up to really nothing. After all, we had returned. Gotten out. Our next port of call was the mountain city of Cuzco, navel of the

world to the Incas and the coldest damn place at night I had encountered in Peru. Yet the local Indians all walked around barefooted to sell their goods. They slept on the pave-

ment too. I shivered bitterly just getting into my sheets. Then a knock on the door with a message. Pedro was to phone home immediately. Worrisome? So down we went to the desk and started the process; ordering more drinks and trying to get a call through to Spain. After about two rounds we got thru and it was made known that Pedro’s oldest son’s wife had just delivered a baby girl and Pedro was to name her. He did and we went back to drinking. Now the story takes a leap forward. Jungles are in the distant memory but I am in another predicament, sat up in bed in an ICU contemplating my navel and weakened heart. I am surrounded by nurses and doctors but gradually they drift away and I am alone again. Then a very pretty young girl strolls over to me and asks who I am? I manage to croak out my name and she smiles and looks at me even deeper. “I am America, do you know who I am?” For the first time in three days gladness overfills me and tears come to my eyes. “America. America” I hear myself say. Then quietly say to myself, they must not have liked my suggestion of ‘Cuzco.’

Advertising Feature

Olive Properties, proud to offer a personal real estate service MORE than 10 years ago, a property specialist decided to set up her own estate agency and to offer those looking to buy or sell property in Almeria a very personal and efficient service. Now based in the towns of Bedar and Lubrin, Olive Properties specialise in the sale of coastal apartments, village properties, rustic cortijos and detached villas ensuring that they have a complete mix of interesting properties. As a small, local business they believe in doing all that they can on behalf of the client and pride themselves in the quality of customer service and attention to detail. Wherever possible, Olive Properties prefer to only list apartments and houses on an exclusive basis which means that they are able to offer a varied, unusual and interesting portfolio of properties. They proudly boast that they have a great team with a friend of the owner running the Bedar office and doing all the social media for the company which they are finding more and more advantageous. The business is growing and going from strength to strength so their reputation is impor-

EXAMPLES: Homes on the Olive Properties list. tant to them and their customers and are delighted at the number of recommendations they receive from local people, previous and current clients, friends and colleagues. Olive is able to assist clients in the process of

buying property in Spain, overseeing every aspect from the designing of a property to arranging of a mortgage and as the only estate agent in the elevated town of Bedar not only do they understand the local market but can also assist with properties in a number of surrounding areas. Living in the local area of Bedar themselves, the owners are very aware of and have had experience of ‘the wrong way to do things’ and there-

fore have become a business priding itself in doing things ‘the right way.’ This unspoilt part of Spain boasts fantastic coastal towns such as nearby Mojacar as well as Garrucha and Agua Amarga. This area of Almeria has something to offer for everyone, with some of the best beaches in Spain and several well established golf courses. The province has good communications with the Mediterranean motorway giving easy access to Malaga and Granada to the south west and Murcia and Alicante to the east whilst for the more active, the town is just a two and a half hour drive from the ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada. With Olive Property it’s all in the detail so if you are looking to buy or sell in their area visit www.olivehouse-es.com, call the office on 950 469 624, Joanne Desmond on 687 938 466 or Tim Desmond on 607 705 085, alternatively email info@olivehouse-es.com or go to their Facebook page. The Bedar office is open from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday and the Lubrin office is manned all week but one of the owners is there on a Wednesday between 9.30am and 2pm.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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Lies, damned lies, and statistics Nora Johnson 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

Cassandra Nash A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

LEGALLY SPEAKING Do I pay Spanish income tax? We have received several queries about Spanish income tax and the time is upon us now. The most frequent question every year is whether incomes under €22,000 need to be declared. This year many readers are also confused by the new electronic systems available, and the end of the ‘borrador’ or draft declaration.

Breaking Views

COUPLE of rants this week. First off, news that nearly two thirds of supposed, unaccompanied child refugees challenged about their real age after coming to Britain were found to be adults. In the year to June 2017, according to an official report, 65 per cent of asylum seekers assessed claiming to be juveniles had lied about being under 18 - some even in their 20’s or 30’s with flecks of grey hair! What on earth is wrong with us? Why do we allow ourselves to be fleeced like this? When they get to the UK, these socalled ‘children’ are put into care which not only deprives real children of scarce foster home places, but can also mean adult males placed in children’s homes amongst vulnerable young people. And the Home Office refuses to use medical checks on the migrants because it’s ‘unethical’! All this amid reports that Britain is the only major western economy to meet the United Nations target for overseas aid...

FEATURE

REFUGEES: UK meets UN target, but are we being fleeced? News too about that other bastion of British life: the BBC. This, we are told, regularly flouts its own salary cap rules to inflate wages for its top earners - including presenters and programme editors. So, enormous salaries with equally enormous pensions all provided by you, the tax payer! Why? The BBC still operates under the illusion that ‘the talent’ is unique and irreplaceable, a belief strongly encouraged by the agents of said ‘talent.’ Perhaps if the BBC spent more researching what their paying listeners and viewers want to see and hear rather than some of the fluff we’re offered, we wouldn’t mind these extortionate salaries. As it is, the rubbish on offer far outweighs the excellence.

I can only assume the BBC has a ‘Director of Discontent’ and that he/she earns more than the Director of Content (who’s on £325,000) because it’s clearly the bigger, tougher, much more demanding job. The BBC and the Home Office - two rants for the price of one this week! Next scandal, please! Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘The Girl in the Red Dress,’ ‘No Way Back,’ ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.net) from Amazon in paperback/ eBook (€0.99;£0.99) and iBookstore. All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

First, if you are David Searl a UK ol d- age You and the Law pensioner and your inin Spain come i s l ess t han €22,000 a year, you are obliged to declare for Spanish income tax. This is because your UK pension has not been subject to Spanish withholding tax during the year. Someone working in Spain has tax deducted from his salary each month, just as in the UK, so he has no extra tax to pay. The pensioner, however, will probably find he has a small amount of Spanish tax to pay, even after his deductions. Second, the Spanish Tax Agency is now touting its new declaration by telephone system so you can “pay with a click.” You must download their app to your smart phone. Our own suggestion is that you consult a Spanish tax advisor to make sure everything is correct.

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

A right royal clash CLASH:

THE Spanish press was beside Spanish itself with vicarious pleasure queens Sofia when Spain’s latest queen and Letizia. Letizia, prevented her mothercomparing Markle in-law, queen emeritus Sofia, with Princess Difrom being photographed with ana, he likened her her granddaughters. to Letizia. A clash between daughter-in-law Photo credit You Tube Both are divorced, ambiand mother-in-law? Or commoner and tious, centred, with a lot of determination queen? Most women will be familiar with and strong opinions, he pronounced. scenes like these and - interestingly - the elAll of which is true, but not what Letizia der of the two infantas, Leonor, disengaged needs to hear right now. readily and brusquely from granny. The Zarzuela Palace damage-limitation merchants immediately swung into action with photos of both queens beaming at each other and doubtless all future domestics will CRISTINA CIFUENTES, regional presitake place in private. dent of the Madrid Community, was reWith a career as a news presenter and a garded as a possible contender for Mariprevious marriage behind her, Letizia is not ano Rajoy’s crown when he eventually universally popular in Spain. Paradoxically, surrenders it. even those with republican leanings believe So there was more than a touch of that a queen should be the result of years of schadenfreude in some Partido Popular inbreeding with cousins while oozing quarters when Cifuentes found herself in majesty and protocol. a pickle over a Master’s degree in AuBut the coup de grace for Letizia came tonomous Law that might or might not from Andrew Morton, royal biographer have been deservedly awarded. supreme, in his latest analysis of Prince HarShe has stuck to her guns and clung to ry’s future wife Meghan Markle. Far from her Master’s diploma even though all the

Degrees of silliness

evidence points to academic jiggery-pokery. It is disputable whether possessing said degree would have made her a better politician or regional president, not when she has highly-paid advisers to deal with legal issues, autonomous or not. Cifuentes would have done better to tell the truth or make a lame excuse. The jaded voting public expect politicians to lie, but are unforgiving when they catch them at it.

Practically inaudible CARLES PUIGDEMONT is at large in Germany although Spain is still determined to haul him back to face the music, this time for misappropriation of public funds. Meanwhile, Cataluña’s former regional president laps up all the attention and flits from press conference to press conference in Berlin. At one of these, he insisted that he has always said that independence ‘wasn’t the only answer’ for Cataluña. He might have muttered this at some point in the past but if he did it must have been in a very low voice that very few managed to hear.

ON THE MARCH: Albert Rivera and Ines Arrimadas.

Twice as good THE Ciudadanos (Cs) party led by Albert Rivera nationwide and by Ines Arrimadas in Cataluña would win the next general election on its present showing, according to the latest Metroscopia poll. The Cs would have 28.7 per cent of the vote, compared with the Partido Popular’s 20.4 per cent. The PSOE dropped slightly and surprise! surprise! the Unidos Podemos party led by Pablo Iglesias is catching up with the socialists. Whether purposely or fortuitously, Iglesias has boxed clever by allowing himself to be overshadowed by current events. And the announcement that his partner Irene Montero is expecting twins won’t have done him any harm. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de AlmerÃa

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Tigers About the House: What Happened Next Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Britain in Bloom Antiques Road Trip Nature's Biggest Beasts Civilisations Match of the Day Newsnight

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Party Election Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Tonight Emmerdale The Cruise: Sailing the Caribbean The Investigator: A British Crime Story ITV News at Ten and Weather

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A Place in the Sun Escape to the Chateau: DIY Four in a Bed Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Location, Location, Location 999: What's Your Emergency? True Horror Gogglebox

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

Tigers About the House: What Happened Next Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Britain in Bloom Antiques Road Trip Gardeners' World The City and the City Episodes Newsnight

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Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Love Your Garden Coronation Street Lethal Weapon ITV News at Ten and Weather

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Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Unreported World I Don't Like Mondays Gogglebox Lee and Dean 8 Out of 10 Cats Rob Beckett's Playing for Time

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

Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge Final Score Money for Nothing Antiques Road Trip Snooker The Forest Dad's Army Imagine... Testament of Youth Snooker

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ITV Evening News Regional News and Weather Ninja Warrior UK Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule Britain's Got Talent The Keith and Paddy Picture Show ITV News Private Benjamin

3:30pm 4:30pm 5:30pm

A Place in the Sun A Place in the Sun Location, Location, Location The Secret Life of the Zoo Channel 4 News The Restoration Man Britain's Most Historic Towns Dirty Grandpa Colombiana

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Gardeners' World London Marathon 2018 Snooker Nature's Biggest Beasts London Marathon Highlights Britain's Biggest War Ship My Year with the Tribe Famalam Joe Lycett: That's the Way A-ha A-ha

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The Simpsons The Simpsons Dr. Seuss' the Lorax Location, Location, Location Grand Designs Channel 4 News Escape to the Chateau The Crystal Maze Homeland Gogglebox

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The Daily Politics Snooker Eggheads Britain in Bloom The Secret Helpers Only Connect University Challenge Secret Agent Selection : Ww2 QI Newsnight

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Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Holidays Unpacked Travel Man The Island with Bear Grylls Kiss Me First 999: What's Your Emergency?

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Escape to the Chateau: DIY Four in a Bed Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Class of Mum and Dad Fatberg Autopsy The World's Most Luxurious Airline

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

A Place in the Sun Escape to the Chateau: DIY Four in a Bed Buy it Now The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Secret Life of the Zoo One Born Every Minute First Dates Fatberg Autopsy

3:15pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

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Victoria Derbyshire Snooker The Daily Politics Snooker Eggheads Britain in Bloom Antiques Road Trip Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge Hospital Cunk on Britain

5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm

Snooker Eggheads Britain in Bloom Antiques Road Trip Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge The Assassination of Gianni Versace - American Crime Story Live at the Apollo Newsnight Weather

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The Chase: Celebrity Special Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule ITV Evening News Regional News and Weather Info not available The Durrells The Good Karma Hospital ITV News

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The Chase Regional News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Give it a Year Coronation Street Info not available ITV News at Ten and Weather

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Tipping Point The Chase Regional News and Weather ITV Evening News Emmerdale Devon and Cornwall Cops This Time Next Year Last Laugh in Vegas ITV News at Ten and Weather

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Regional News and Weather Party Election Broadcast ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Britain's Brightest Family Coronation Street Benidorm ITV News at Ten and Weather

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Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Yorkshire Vet Casebook Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away! Undercover: Nailing the Fraudsters

9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 4:00pm 8:30pm 11:00pm 12:00am

5 News at 5 Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show Britain's Great Cathedrals, with Tony Robinson Portillo's Hidden History of Britain Rivers of Blood: 50 Years on

10:00am

The Yorkshire Vet Casebook The Dead Sea Treasure Map Mystery 5 News Football on 5 The Championship. Football on 5 World's Deadliest Weather Criminals Caught on Camera

11:30am

Britain's Greatest Bridges Police Interceptors Police Interceptors Dances with Wolves Pearl Harbour 5 News Diana to Meghan: Royal Wedding Secrets Big Wedding Brides Make You Laugh Out Loud

8:30am 8:40am 10:30am 11:00am 12:00pm

NCIS Social Nightmare 5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Moto GP Highlights Police Interceptors Paddington Station 24/7 Fergie v Wenger: The Feud

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5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Autumn in Loch Lomond The Yorkshire Vet Ben Nevis: The Venemous Mountain Disastrous TV: When Television Goes Wrong NCIS Profile for Murder 5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Police Interceptors GPs: Behind Closed Doors Me and My Addiction My Extreme Ocd Life Extraordinary People

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19 - 25 April 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.

Leapy Lee ‘How many more lives must be lost?’

What a waste I AM prompted to remark that Torrevieja built a wonderful looking

HAVE YOUR SAY

Sky-high prices to fly AS a seasoned traveller I am amazed at the frequently high price of flights between Malaga and Madrid. In the last six months I have used the capital for connecting international flights to the US, Far East, and the Middle East. With my most recent international ticket provided out of Madrid by a client I found myself responsible for the internal flights, resulting in a price quote of almost €400 return for a Malaga-Madrid return ticket as it was not purchased at part of the original international flight. With Malaga-London return tickets often available for a quar-

Photo Credit: Christian Schmitt flickr

I FELT compelled to write to you in reply to the above headline, and cannot agree more with Leapy Lee’s assessment. I was a Police Officer in Tottenham in the early 70’s and the frightening statistic then was that 90 per cent of the crime in the area was committed by about 10 per cent of Tottenham’s population, in other words the ethnic minority. This fact, put together by Police Collator Reports was never publicised for the very same reason it is not spoken about now - the Politically Correct - and for fear of upsetting anyone! Only those of the Ethnic Minority when arrested, had their own telephone number to call for assistance, because of any alleged racist accusations, and the old adage, quote ‘You only stopped/arrested me because I am black.’ John Mather, Costa del Sol

SHORT HAUL: Travel from Malaga is expensive. ter of this amount – in part bargain prices because of the stiff competition that exists - how I wish there was more competition between carriers on the MalagaMadrid routing. While I prefer to fly for the sake of convenience with the

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.

connections, the near €400 price tag for a Malaga-Madrid return left me with little option for the sake of my pocket to use the AVE high-speed rail service at less than half the price. Down to earth traveller, Name and address supplied

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

‘Disruptive’ stag do passenger fined £2,500 fine is not enough - what about the costs of all the passengers onboard? Disrupted flight disrupted lives - who knows what cost to each passenger this caused! Each passenger should be compensated by the defendant - and Ryanair costs. Who covers those? A minimum fine of £20,000 if the flight has to turn around due to disruptive behaviour could go some way to reducing this type of behaviour. Saying that, the question does have to be raised as to how on earth he was allowed on the flight in the first place! Loraine Enriquez Murphy

Comments from EWN online Man, 84, sentenced to prison for killing violent burglar in Canary Islands

So if he was already drunk, why was he allowed to fly. Staff should take more responsibility but if they have to unload a passenger it costs time and money. Robert Mitchell

Most in-humane ruling ever. Putting an 84-year-old man in jail for reacting to violence. I truly hope that judge gets burgled himself one day... see how he feels then. Lucas Verbist

Actually by law cabin crew can actually stop you from boarding if we believe you to be drunk before the flight, the problem is once we are in the air alcohol works differently so its much harder to spot on land, the problem is these people think they will be fine when its not always the case, due to the cabin pressure all alcohol in your system doubles its affect if you could limit alcohol intake both on land and in the sky we would solve the issue to a great extent. Katy Hunt

I thought it was only the UK courts that made ridiculous court judgements like this! Anne Whitfield Don't care if the gun was legal or not. What that burglar did was illegal. He and his accomplice should NOT have been terrorising these elderly people in their own home or anywhere else. How would you feel if it had been your parents in this situation? Barbara Anne Holt

So sad - that Spain is going the same way as the UK, in preferring the 'rights' of criminals over those of the victims. PM

Spanish woman attacked on London tube train for not speaking English I think it stinks how these people have been treated. Both my wife and myself travel to Spain twice a year on holiday and we have never been treated this way. What if other people went to many different countries would we have to speak many languages prior to travelling? I just hope these women are caught and put in front of a very good judge who will think very hard on the behaviour. Simon Do the millions of British people that holiday in Spain every year speak Spanish, I don’t think so. Absolutely disgusting. Sheena Hutson Absolutely disgraceful... what the hell is wrong with people... sending her best wishes and hope she soon recovers. Cherill Munday

desalination plant, but after 10 years was still not used due to the fact that no electricity was built in. Also the discharge water pipes woul d have t o go t hr ough t he town. (I left Torrevieja two years ago and it was still not functioning or having any new and necessary features provided, so it could be 12 years.) My father-in-law was a draughtsman to Stevenage new town. I don't remember any such hiccoughs. C u t t i n g o ff t h e w a t e r s u p p l y for a number of hours, encourages people to fill up baths, and other containers, then throw it away when water is returned to normal pressure is actually using more of a scarce commodity. Marie Jenkins, Mutxamel

More motor homes REGARDING the letter from Dave Turre last week. Motor homes do not contribute to the local economy as for a start they do not pay towards emptying the rubbish bins, we as residents do, they also take water from the taps that are situated in and around our village, who do you think pays for that? We pay water rates they don’t. Also they take up all the parking spaces on the beach which cars cannot park as they stay there all winter taking up all the space. They also empty their sewerage waste in and around the parkland as they have been seen and photographed doing this disgusting habit. At last the Elche Police are now going to fine them for illegally parking. About time - see what they think of that - if they c a n a ff o r d t h e s e l u x u r y m o t o r h o m e s w h y d o n ’t t h e y u s e t h e campsites, there are plenty of them. They are just free loaders. All the residents here are fed up with them. May, La Marina

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MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

YOUR STARS FOR NEXT 7 DAYS AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Such is your popularity this week that you can be assured of success in many things. Remember that first impressions can be the most accurate and don't be tempted to make too many allowances for others.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) For some time you have been trying to settle a certain matter. Although it is in your nature to get things out of the way quickly, this has not been possible. The chance to make progress this week is welcome but be sure that all is not what it seems.

‘ WE WOULD ALL MISS OUR NEWSPAPERS DIGITAL MEDIA HAS ITS LIMITATIONS! ’

Trivia from around the world *** Albania’s Sazan Island was once a Cold War military base. There are now plans to turn it into a holiday resort complete with Vegas-style casinos. *** Singapore, along with Monaco and Vatican City, are the last three ‘city states’ in the world, self-governing entities made up of one urban area. *** There are direct descendants of British pirates who arrived in Honduras around 500 years ago living there today. *** The ox-driven water wheel arrived in Sudan in around the 4th century BC and it is still widely used today. *** Bunkers built for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein featured a swimming pool, a gourmet kitchen and a nursery for his grandchildren. *** Many women in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands place a tiare flower behind their right ear if single and their left if in a relationship.

LOTTERY

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

Saturday April 14

‘

Life is thickly sown with thorns and I know no other remedy than to pass through them quickly. The longer we dwell on misfortune the greater its power to harm us.” Voltaire, intellectual

TALLEST STATUE: The Spring Temple Buddha in China was completed in September 2008.

DID YOU KNOW? The three tallest statues in the world are all of Buddhas. The Spring Temple Buddha in Lushan, China is 128 metres tall, the Laykyun Setkyar in Khatakan Taung, Myanmar is 115.8 and the Ushiku Daibutsu in Ushiku, Japan is 110. All were built in the last 25 years.

IRISH LOTTO

Tuesday April 10

Friday April 13

Saturday April 14

Thursday April 12

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Saturday April 14

LUCKY STARS

EL MILLON: BKJ13970

Sunday April 15

2 12

REINTEGRO

JOKER: 6 416 813

REINTEGRO

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A friend of long standing comes up with some bright ideas to get you out of a tricky situation. Don't be surprised. You have for a long time now underestimated their worth. Your friend will be surprised when you show your gratitude in an immediate and physical way, but if there is anything better than finding a new friend it is finding an old friend has hidden talents.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The urge to get ahead at as fast a pace as possible is apparent this week. Some would say not before time. However, you know the art of choosing the moment and it has not been until now that you have felt the time was right. This is a truly expansive week and one in which your powers of imagination are given full rein. No wonder you are being admired.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

48 50

‘

Posology - the branch of medicine concerned with the size and frequency of medication and drug doses.

BONUS BALL

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LA PRIMITIVA

EURO MILLIONS

‘

If I hold back, I’m no good. I’d rather be good sometimes than hold back all the time.” Janis Joplin, singer

Famous quote

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REINTEGRO

The company is so interesting that you can hardly tear yourself away and new experiences are arriving every day. You could be forgiven for getting a little overexcited. When travel brings you face to face with a stranger, you find that a bit of information you hear has to be acted upon.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Someone close gets a real stroke of luck this week and no doubt the benefits will rub off on you. It seems that some fortune will come your way by the end of the month and lead you to see a situation in quite a

different light. Any travel should be left until the beginning of next month if possible because there are likely to be delays and irritations.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Someone you have been holding at arm’s length recently is insisting on getting closer. Charm and tact alone may not save the day, but enlisting the help of a friend could. Travel and career are well-aspected and, if you are expecting a financial windfall, you may have a bit longer to wait.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The hard work you have been putting in recently has left you tired and, at times, quite tetchy. This week you will start to see the rewards of your efforts which will undoubtedly help you to keep up the momentum. There is a lot of both passion and travel this week, which is set to continue.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) This is a highly sociable week, and you could meet some new faces that not only attract but inspire you. You are a social butterfly, and this brings out your Libran flutteriness. You will have to draw on all your powers of concentration to keep ahead of practical matters such as paperwork.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) You dominate the scene this week and no one is in any doubt about what you are aiming for. If you want to impress someone new to your circle, however, try a bit of cunning as opposed to brow-beating.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Communication and selfexpression are what it's all about this week. Although you may feel that indulging yourself is in some ways selfish, you should realise that you are entitled to some fun.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The call of romance is strong but so is that of your business life. The two will clash to the detriment of each other if you do not plan ahead and pace yourself. Do not be at the beck and call of others when you need all your time and energy for yourself.

E W N 19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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Down:

1 Furious, 2 Leave, 3 Near, 5 Rabbi, 6/18 Tee off, 7 Bleak, 11 Syringe, 12 Unfit, 14 Chips, 16 Alert, 17 Data.

CRYPTIC

ENGLISH-SPANISH

Across:

1 Stands, 4 Moscow, 9 Average, 10 Lyres, 11 Champ, 12 Red tape, 13 Clandestine, 18 Prosper, 20 Lowly, 22 Group, 23 Swindle, 24 Tutors, 25 Unseen.

1 Sash, 3 Columpio, 9 Iglesia, 10 Crash, 11 Sidra, 12 Guests, 14 Rincón, 16 Sticky, 19 Premio, 21 Reach, 24 Irons, 25 Avispon, 26 As soon as, 27 Jefe.

Down:

1 Starch, 2 Arena, 3 Dead pan, 5 Oiled, 6 Certain, 7 Wasted, 8 George cross, 14 Lookout, 15 Tallinn, 16 Spigot, 17 Wyvern, 19 Piper, 21 Wedge.

1 Scissors, 2 Salad, 4 Orange, 5 Uncle, 6 Plastic, 7 Ocho, 8 Estaño, 13 By chance, 15 Nervous, 17 Tercio, 18 Solapa, 20 Museo, 22 Apple, 23 Cita.

QUIZ: BIG CATS 1. First published in 1950, who was the author of the fantasy novel for children The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? 2. Name any two of the three theme songs to James Bond films sung by Dame Shirley Bassey, who was born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff in January 1937? 3. ‘The lion goes from strength to strength’ is the advertising slogan of which motor manufacturer? 4. Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for which breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising? 5. Welford Road is the home ground of which Premiership rugby union club? 6. What is golfer Tiger Woods real first name?

7. Which 12th century English king was nicknamed the Lionheart or Coeur de Lion? 8. Which alternative rock band released the number one hit single Three Lions in 1996 to mark the England football team's participation in that year's European Championships, held in England? 9. Which mythical creature had the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, typically depicted with pointed ears and with the eagle's legs taking the place of the forelegs? 10. With which sport would you principally associate Dick Tiger (born Richard Ihetu)? Not a lot of people know that... female lions do the hunting (together in groups) while male lions stay home to protect the pride, however tigers are solitary hunters, and generally search for food alone at night.

App of the week FindNow An app that allows users to quickly and easily share their location and find their friends. FindNow works by searching through phone contacts and users can invite their friends to the app so they can know their whereabouts. Location sharing can be blocked at any time.

Answers: 1. C S (Clive Staples) LEWIS, 2. GOLDFINGER (1964), DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971) and MOONRAKER (1979), 3. PEUGEOT (part of Groupe PSA), 4. KELLOGG'S FROSTED FLAKES (also known as FROSTIES), 5. LEICESTER TIGERS (officially Leicester Football Club), 6. ELDRICK Tont Woods, 7. RICHARD I, 8. THE LIGHTNING SEEDS (in collaboration with David Baddiel and Frank Skinner), 9. GRIFFIN (GRIFFON or GRYPHON), 10. BOXING – he was the World Middleweight and World Light Heavyweight Champion

OUT

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TODAY

TOMORROW VELEZ RUBIO

ALBOX

VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA

GARRUCHA

MOJACAR

ALMERIA RETAMAR

RETAMAR

ROQUETAS

ADRA

Almeria

Bilbao

Madrid

TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 12-S

TODAY: MAX 23, MIN 15-S

TODAY: MAX 26, MIN 13-S

TODAY: MAX 24, MIN 10 - S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

22 21 22 23 22 22

13 - S 13 - C 13 - C 14 - S 13 - Sh 13 - Sh

23 22 23 24 22 21

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

15 - S 15 - Cl 15 - C 16 - S 15 - S 15 - S

ROQUETAS

ADRA

Malaga

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

24 24 24 20 20 20

13 - C 14 - S 13 - S 12 - C 12 - C 13 - C

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

23 22 22 22 23 23

SATURDAY

9-C 10 - S 10 - C 11 - C 11 - C 10 - S

VELEZ RUBIO ALBOX

HUERCAL OVERA GARRUCHA

Benidorm

Alicante TODAY: MAX 22, MIN 13-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

22 22 22 23 22 23

S: Sun

13 - S 13 - C 14 - C 14 - S 14 - S 14 - S

Mallorca

TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 13-S

21 21 21 21 21 21

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Cl: Clear

13 - S 13 - S 14 - C 15 - Cl 14 - C 14 - C

Barcelona

TODAY: MAX 24, MIN 12-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

22 21 21 22 22 22

C: Cloudy

12 - S 12 - S 12 - S 13 - C 13 - S 13 - C

MOJACAR

TODAY: MAX 21, MIN 12-S

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed -

21 20 20 21 20 20

11 - S 12 - S 12 - S 13 - C 13 - C 13 - Sh

ALMERIA RETAMAR ADRA

Sh: Showers

ROQUETAS Th: Thunder

Sn: Snow

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

BIRTHDAYS

HELIOS, the titan god of the sun, has just welcomed a baby daughter into his home. Far from being wanted, Circe is scorned and rejected by her fellow divine beings for not being godly enough. She soon turns to mortals for company and discovers forbidden witchcraft. One dark spell later and she is on her way to the island of Aiaia after being banished from the house of the gods by Zeus. While there she practises the dark arts and soon meets a succession of characters from the craftsman Daedalus to the calculating adventurer Odysseus who passes through on his way home. The goddess is forced to choose between the world of gods and that of humans while undergoing deep transformations in Madeline Miller’s Circe.

ALMERIA

books@euroweeklynews.com

Sudoku LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

• Joe Hart, Footballer; April 19, 31 reportedly took his stage name from his first Hart attended the Meole Brace School in his band The Iguanas. He later made his name with native Shrewsbury before going on to make his The Stooges and went on to have a successful football debut aged 16. He has since earned the solo career. • Amber Heard, Actor; April 22, 32 Barclays Golden Glove Award as the keeper with most clean sheets in 2011, 2012 and 2013 Andy Serkis. Heard has had a successful modelling and acting for his efforts at Manchester City. career that has seen her star alongside former • Andy Serkis, Actor; April 20, 54 husband Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary. She was The Lord of the Rings star is best known for his motion involved in drama while at school before dropping out at 17 to pursue her film career. capture animation work which he used to play Gollum in the trilogy as well as King Kong. • Kal Penn, Actor; April 23, 41 • Iggy Pop, Singer; April 21, 71 Penn is well-known as one half of the on screen Harold The singer of I Wanna Be Your Dog and The Passenger and Kumar duo. He has also played Dr Lawrence Kutner in House and began appearing in Designated Survivor in grew up in a trailer park in Michigan in the US and he

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.

2016. He studied at UCLA and graduated with degrees in film and sociology. • Barbra Streisand, Singer; April 24, 76 Streisand has sold more than 245 million records and has bagged 10 Grammy Awards since she released her debut record The Barbra Streisand Album in 1963. She has also had a successful acting career and took home an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the 1968 musical Funny Girl. • Len Goodman, TV Judge; April 25, 74 The judge from Strictly Come Dancing was born in Bromley in England and began ballroom dancing aged 19 following a football injury. He went on to run a ballroom dancing school in Kent and has also appeared alongside Mya Harrison as a judge on Dancing with the Stars.

Word Ladder BACK

WOOD BACK

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

1184 BC - Fall of Troy Legends state the city of Troy in modern-day Turkey falls to the Achaeans from Greece following a lengthy siege. The battle would later be immortalised in Homer’s epic poem The Iliad. 753 BC - Rome founded Romulus founds Rome after murdering his twin brother Remus and becomes its first King, according to myth. 799 - Pope escapes Pope Leo III flees Rome after being mistreated by its citizens and seeks refuge at the court of Frankish King Charlemagne in Paderborn. 1653 - Parliament closed Oliver Cromwell shuts down the Rump Parliament by force, beginning a de facto military dictatorship in England. 1792 - War in Europe The French Revolutionary Wars begins after the newlyestablished French Republic declares war against Holy Roman Emperor Francis II. It would last for almost 10 years and pave the way for Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power. 1889 - Land grab An estimated 50,000 people rush to claim land on the western frontier of the United States seized from Native Americans. Oklahoma City and Guthrie are founded within hours with populations of at least 10,000. 1971 - Manson sentenced Charles Manson is sentenced to death for his part in the Tate-LaBianca murders. The penalty is later reduced to life imprisonment. 2005 - First video posted Me at the zoo, filmed by a user named Jawed Karim becomes the first ever video published on YouTube.

This week in history

A goddess in exile

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On the prowl

STACY (Adrian Brody), Walker (John Malkovich) and Gage (Rory Culkin) are three career criminals who have wound up trapped in a warehouse with police closing in on them. They soon discover they are not alone after learning a killer dog is on the loose inside. We learn later the dog suffered abuse at the hands of its trainer Blue (Antonio Banderas) in a bid to make it an unstoppable fighting machine. The three criminals must find a way out in Unchained.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almeria

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FEATURE

Patek Philippe’s new manually wound ladies’ chronograph Nick Horne The Rich Pick Freelance correspondent, London, England THIS new ladies watch - Ref 7150/250R-001 is the only chronograph in Patek Philippe’s watch collection for members of the fairer sex. It is worn on a shiny mink grey alligator leather strap secured with a rose-gold prong buckle that sparkles with the fire of 27 diamonds. In 2009, Patek Philippe introduced a chronograph intended exclusively for feminine wrists. It was the exclusive debut of a classic manufacture-made chronograph movement (column wheel, horizontal clutch, manual winding) that had been developed entirely in house. That was also expressed by the name Ladies First Chronograph Ref 7071, which was manufactured until 2016. Now, the Genevan watchmaker is enriching its collection of complicated wristwatches for

sic chronographs that can measure the cadence of an active lifestyle or the slightly increased heart rate of its proud owner. The compact case accommodates the manually wound calibre CH 29-535 PS movement with an instantaneous 30-minute counter, crowning its classic architecture with six patented innovations. Its subtlety can be admired through the box-type sapphirecrystal case back that is slightly chamfered to echo the profile of the rear bezel. And the cost? A cool €68,035.

ladies and endowing this chronograph - highly coveted by discerning women - with a totally new face. The cushion shaped case has been replaced with an elegant, round rose-gold case with a diameter of 38mm featuring a bezel set with 72 diamonds. Its timelessly sleek design is emphasised by refined vintage look details such as the fluted and delicately curved strap lugs, the round chronograph pushers with manually guilloched faces, and the gently cambered sapphire crystal ‘box’ glass. The silvery opaline dial also combines a contemporary style with classic aesthetics, showcasing sculpted Breguet hour and minute hands in rose gold and a display layout that makes it eminently legible. The pulsimeter scale of the new watch pays tribute to the tradition of clas-

WATCH OUT: The new Patek Philippe timepiece. HIGH-END QUALITY: The reverse highlights the calibre of construction. ROCK SOLID: Detail of the strap and buckle that sparkles with 27 diamonds.

Stop glorifying murderers Mike Senker In my opinion Views of a Grumpy Old Man OCTOBER 5, 1962 was a remarkable day for me. It was the day that The Beatles released Love Me Do, their first UK single and I became a fan immediately. I have loved all their music ever since. I loved everything they stood for - peace, love, and youngsters having fun, a new age revolution, but a good revolution - a new era of happiness. Now fast forward to February 8, 2018 and I read that the last two Beatles have been captured. Not Paul and Ringo but two terrorists that were given the name of ‘The Beatles’ back in 2015 when there was four of them. How dare the media glorify these vile humans? This, of course, got me thinking. Why does the press have to give them these jolly little names? It makes them sound like celebrities. Terrorists and killers often revel in publicity. Why does the public need to know the names of every person that shoots someone or plants a bomb? Granted, our ‘survival of the fittest’, animal instinct draws us to violence and conflict. And although this glorifying journalism caters to

that human weakness, why publicise radicalised killers, felons and terrorists? In fact, why print their names or pictures at all? What if the media just used initials? They should never be named, the most they should get is initials and definitely not start publicising all their family and friends telling us what lovely people they are. Why give them exactly what they want? No pictures, no information, nothing. I know some say by issuing pictures and other publicity the authorities can get more information. Well let them do their job but stop the media glorifying these people. Then there’s the term ‘lone wolf’ which conjures up another type of character and makes them sound cool and predatory. I’d prefer to read, ‘another killer did this or that’ instead of lone wolf. Although the term often refers to an individual acting without help from a group, it is now often used to downplay acts of terrorism committed by white, non-Muslim perpetrators. Anders Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing white supremacist, who killed 77 people in 2011, was always referred to as a ‘lone wolf’ in the media. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, the Tunisian who killed 86 people when he drove a truck into a crowd in Nice in July 2016 was not. columnists@euroweeklynews.com

Email me: mikesenker@gmail.com

HEALTH BEAUTY

19 - 25 April 2018

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

Fresh faced beauty SPRING is synonymous with afternoon drinks and increasingly late nights. However, the more we tend to our social calendar, the less often we tend to look after certain aspects of our body. As you begin to burn the candle at both ends, take on board these tricks to prepare your skin for the parties ahead, without spending a fortune. S t a r t o ff y o u r d a y w i t h a healthy breakfast. Be sure it is balanced, and includes adequate proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, fibres and fats to maintain 100 per cent energy. To avoid those dreaded puffed eyes, reduce your intake of sodium, caffeine and alcohol during the day, as salt and spirits cause fluid retention. Instead, drink plenty of water to cleanse your system. Before you begin your real preparations for the night, slightly exfoliate your skin and then

rub on a hydrating and nourishing face mask. Making your skin clean and hydrated will create the best foundation for make-up. It’s always best to style your hair before you begin your makeup, to avoid unsightly smudges as you move and twist your hair around. From this point onwards, it’s simply a matter of applying your make-up and donning your favourite dress. And don’t forget the accessories, a bit of bling can bring out the sparkle on your freshly cleansed face. Finally, the one way to guarantee a young, fresh and natural look, is to simply relax, and enjoy the night ahead.

GET IT RIGHT: Hairstyle, make-up, dress and then accessorise.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Preventing Parkinson’s WITH more people living to a ripe old age, the prevalence of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease is set to increase. Events such as the recent World Parkinson’s Day offer the chance to get informed about this disease and know what actions can be taken to try and keep it at bay. Parkinson’s disease is a central nervous system disorder which affects the part of the brain that controls movement. The primary symptoms are body tremors, slow movements, rigid limbs, memory problems, a shuffled walk and speech impairment. Its exact cause is unknown and there is no available cure at present. H o w e v e r, t h e r e a r e s o m e things that you can incorporate into your daily routine to prevent symptoms before they arise. Here are a few

“

Parkinson’s disease is a central nervous system disorder which affects the part of the brain that controls movement.

SUMMER STROLLS: Get your daily dose of Vitamin D3. simple steps you can begin today. Tr y a n d i n c l u d e l o t s o f

fruits, vegetables and other foods high in protein, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals into your diet. In particular, studies have shown that increased a m o u n t s o f Vi t a m i n B which is primarily found in vegetables - can significantly reduce the risk of Parkinson’s. In addition, try to eat plenty of Omega-3 and CoQ10. Both of these are abundant in wild-caught fish, especially mackerel,

salmon and cod. Now the summer is almost here, enjoy more strolls out in the sun. Not only will this top you up with your necessary intake of vitamin D3, but that stroll can also be part of your exercise routine. Even a simple 40-minute walk three days per week has been proven to keep in check the factors that contribute to the disease. Don’t just exercise your body. Performing cognitive

stimulation, such as crosswords, puzzles, reading or calculations are vital to stimulate your brain and prevent the occurrence of demential syndromes, such as Parkinson’s disease. And remember, this advice is not just for those getting on in years. The earlier you can build these practices into your daily routine, the more chance you have of preventing Parkinson’s disease developing at a later stage.

Head to foot THE feet are two of the most used and battered parts of the body given that they are trodden on every day. However, when it comes to taking care of our health and looking after ourselves, we often forget our feet and toenails. But it’s important to take care of them by practicing good hygiene and pampering them to avoid any pain or calluses. Feet tend to get dirty and sweat more than other parts of the body, so be sure to wash your feet every day. If you shower in the morning, try to wash your feet when you get home at night. As part of this routine, keep your feet hydrated by applying a moisturising cream. Just remember not to over-hydrate the area between the toes, because this could cause fungi to grow. Wear shoes appropriate for the weather and the occasion. As the temperature begins to rise, keep your feet cool with sandals. Wearing shoes in hot weather could mean you end up with smelly feet or worse with a fungal infection. If you do walk in sandals, you will see that your nails get dirty, so take the time to clean them . Finally, remember to cut your toenails every few weeks. This will avoid your feet looking ghastly in sandals.

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OCIAL

19 - 25 April 2018

Costa de Almería

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

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WHILST the town of Huercal de Almeria is bracing itself for an attack by a hoard of Zombies on Saturday May 12, news of another target in Almeria has been received. The herd of undead are now due to move on to Cuevas del Almanzora on Saturday June 2 and they will attack without mercy from 11pm, with a whole series of races, attacks and terror in which, everyone who wants to survive, must put aside all their fears and become a master of flight and survival. This is another alternative leisure experience known ‘Events Zombies LZD’ by the same organisers and throughout the night, those taking part will

divided between zombies and survivors, travelling the main streets of Cuevas del Almanzora and face a series of tests, until those still alive are evacuated. The objective of the game is that the survivors evade the zombies, master the tests and find the vaccines that will help them survive. The first to finish all the tests and to arrive will be the winner. For those who want to take part, their first decision is whether to appear as Zombies or survivors and once they have chosen their side, it’s a matter of catch or evade. This series of events which cover the country aims to be

Credit: Bo Jørgensen flickr

Beware, the Walking Dead are back on the streets the authorisation sheet or book a ticket (€15 for Zombies and between €22 and €35 for survivors depending on how early you book), visit the organiser ’s website

h t t p : / / w w w. l a s t d a y z o m bie.com. For those who wish to take part as a ready-made team, the cost of five tickets is €95 (just €19 per participant).

SURVIVAL: Zombie or human, the decision is yours. recognized as the best ‘Real Game’ in Spain and is suitable for all ages between 10 and 99 although any player under 14 must be accompanied by an adult (aged over 18) at all times.

In addition, those under 18 must carry an authorisation signed by the parents with a photocopy of the ID of the father, mother or guardian who signs. To find out more, download

Ongoing celebration of the Golden Age AS part of the Vera celebration of the Golden Age, a very special event was held in the Convent of Victoria de Vera to mark the art of the Sonnet in the 21st century. Verses composed and recited by Diego

A champion of culture BORN in 1946 Francisco López Archilla a restaurateur, bar owner and author who loved Almeria recently passed away leaving many grieving for his loss. H e wa s a l so v e r y in volved i n p r o m o t i n g th e culture of the area, organising poetry groups as well as founding the Peña Trovera Añoranza. It was the Vicar Council which a ssi st e d i n t h e financing of his three books which not only included a great deal of poetry but also covered the oppression of the Franco regime and how it affected life of the average person in the area. As well as being a writer, he was recognised as being an important supporter of the oral tradition which saw stories passed from parent to child over the centuries He died in the area of El Parador and friends mourn the loss of this great champion of the culture of Almeria.

Ramírez and Diego Alonso were accompanied by the music of Bach and Granados performed on guitar Pedro Ridao Navarro. Once the recital was over, the mayor of Vera, Félix López, and the councillor for

Culture, Isabel de Haro, handed over a framed certificate as a souvenir of recital to each of the two poets, Diego Alonso and Diego Ramírez, and the guitarist Pedro Ridao Navarro.

Vida

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For Upcoming Events & Special Offers & Directions

Monday - Saturday 10am - Late • Sunday 12 - Close Avenida Europa, Cucador (Above The Attic) • 950 634 562

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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SOCIAL SCENE Credit: Marwan Facebook

Exciting singer songwriter Marwan on tour YOUNG singer songwriter and author from Madrid, Marwan will be appearing at the Municipal Auditorium Maestro Padilla in Almeria City on Friday June 1. He brings a unique view to his music as he combines the heritage of his Palestinian father and Spanish mother to make his work have a grace and

sensitivity which has seen him working with a number of well-known Spanish artists. Having played around the world, receiving a number of awards, Marwan is currently undertaking a short tour of Spain in support of his fourth album Mis paisajes interiors (My interior landscapes). Ti c k e t s f o r t h e c o n c e r t

Classical music to welcome spring THE department of culture of the Mojacar Council is sponsoring a spring piano concert to be held at the Iglesia Santa Maria in the town on Tuesday May 1. The performance will be presented by students of the Municipal School of Music of Mojacar and entry to the concert which starts at noon is free of charge until capacity at the church is reached.

which starts at 9pm cost between €18 and €23 and may be obtained from the Auditorium box office.

Marwan (left) at the end of a recent performance.

How to plan your meals Eat Well

to Live Well by Andrew Harding I THOUGHT I would discuss meal planning and the best way to store, scale and find recipes. Meal planning for one is easy, I go to a local supermarket (farmer’s markets are better and cheaper if you are cooking for four or more), check the meat/fish/vegetarian options, buy what looks the best and select the freshest and best-looking accompaniments. Going shopping with a pre-conceived idea is not the best way to enjoy the fantastic range of excellent food we have in Spain. Meal planning for more than one is difficult unless a cuisine or theme is chosen, such as Spanish, English, Orien-

SIMPLE BUT TASTY: Aubergines can be cooked in the microwave. tal, Indian, Italian, etc. What is the best way to store, scale and find recipes? It has to be by computer! I will state that I receive no money, no publicity, nothing tangible or intangible from the following company.

This week’s recipe; it doesn’t get any easier than this! • Aubergine with onion, garlic and lemon • Serves four as an accompaniment • One large onion, skinned and chopped • Four garlic cloves, skinned and chopped • One vegetable stock cube crumbled • One lemon (finely grate ½ of the lemon and reserve, together with the juice of the whole lemon)

This is my personal recommendation for the best cookery book you will ever have! The program is called MasterCook, for the Windows PC or an Android Phone (there isn’t a version for the Apple Mac). It is now in its 15th incarnation and is available as a download for $39.99 (€32.45) from the MasterCook website. I have been using MasterCook for 20 years. You can search by ingredients, combination of ingredients, recipes for those with food intolerances or allergies. For Christmas, Easter and dinner parties it is especially good, because you can plan meals and print off shopping lists. If you have ingredients in your fridge that need eating, use the ‘Search’ function, it will search 40,000 recipes and list every recipe with the specific ingredients that you have selected in about 20 seconds.

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 25cc of extra virgin olive oil • Two medium sized aubergines, tops removed and diced Place all the ingredients in a microwaveable covered bowl and microwave on full power (850 Watts) for 12 minutes. Stir and serve. HINT: Aubergine is diced last of all, within seconds the flesh turns brown on contact with the air, the lemon juice inhibits this process.

ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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NON-PROFIT organisation Abusos Urbanist i c o s Al m a n zo ra N O (AUAN) has called for an urgent meeting with leaders of parliamentary political parties in Andalucia to discuss the ongoing housing issue. According to the organisation, it became evident during recent meetings, that took place in Almeria and Mojacar, that ‘immediate and basic measures must to be taken to deal with this great social problem which curren t l y a ff e c t s so m e 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 houses in the autonomous community and perhaps up to one million people.’ During the second conference, which took place on April 13 in Mojacar, the AUAN presented a text of a change that the association asks to be mad e t o a r t i c l e 1 8 3 . 3 o f th e LOUA, to allow houses on asentamientos (houses awaiting legalisation via a town plan) to have immediate access to services, to be able to register title to their homes, and a minimum form of regularisation for social and humanitarian reasons. And following their presentation, the organisation has now stated that it is going to ask for an urgent meeting with the leaders of the political

Credit: AUAN

AUAN call for urgent meeting

MEETING: There was a large public turnout at the planning conference in Mojacar. parties in Andalucia that have representation in parliament. AUAN President Maura Hillen, said: “I think that there is enough political, social and economic consensuses about the need to deal with the problem and I trust that the political parties will adopt this amend-

ment that we would like to see approved during the current parliamentary term. “We are asking for a meeting with the leaders of the political parties with representation in the Andalucian parliament in order to emphasise the need for this change.

“During the conference in Mojacar, we emphasised that planning law must respect the human and social rights of the citizen, and that planning has its limits where the most basic rights of people begin. The amendment that we propose would be to extend the legal figure of an AFO, which is now applied to various irregular houses, to houses that are in similar conditions, that is to say, houses on asentamientos that were excluded from the last reform of the LOUA in 2016. “This does not signify that the houses wi l l be l egal i sed, but i t would take these houses out of a legal limbo, allowing them to have a form of legal recognition, and to take measures to reduce their impact on the environment. In addition, this is not incompatible with the future planning of the municipality. “ As we wi l l expl ai n t o t he autonomous leaders of the political parties, this change is not complicated, it can be done in a short time and will help thousands of people, some of whom are trapped in their houses because they have no title deeds and cannot sell them.”

University set for visit A TRAVELLING bus m aki ng its way through 25 locations in Al m er i a t o m ar k 25 years since the founding of the province’s university is set to visit Albox. The bus m ade i t s f i r st st op i n at t he Plaza del Castillo de Car boner as on Monday. Car m el o Rodriguez, the Universit y’s r ect or and ot her representatives from the institution were on hand for the visit. Rodriguez said: “We believe that the celebration of our 25th anniversary should serve to bring our university closer to the citizens of Almeria.” The bus is set to visit Velez Rubio before t hen goi ng t o Al box and Olula del Rio afterwards.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS

Sporting spotlight on Albox ALBOX recently hosted a stage on Almeria’s third annual cyclo-sporting tour. The town’s recently remodelled Plaza Mayor was the stage for the team presentation before riders set off on a warm-up stretch to neighbouring Cantoria. The Albox section of the race passed by Plaza de San Francisco before returning to Pla z a M a yor a nd the n le a ving the tow n via the Avenida de la Igualdad. The multisport test saw hundreds of runners and cyclists take part in the event which allowed participants

and supporters to enjoy the Almeria town. Argentina’s Jorge Monte ne gro w on the e ve nt w hic h w a s de c ide d on a n exciting climb to the Roldan me s a lighthous e . D a ni Dominguez, of the KM0-Bic ic le ta s A ris tide s te a m, mounted a final attack on the winner during the final climb but was unable overtake the rider. Before the race, Albox’s mayor Francisco Torrecillas highlighted the importance of ‘high-le ve l provinc ia l s porting e ve nts ’ for the Almeria town.

ALBOX: The start of the warm-up stretch.

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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ALBOX & SURROUNDING AREAS CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons

VERDICT DUE: The brothers are set to appear in the Provincial Court of Almeria this week.

Uncle murder verdict TWO brothers who stand accused of killing their uncle in Albox are set to hear their verdict in court in Almeria this week. Juan Andres and Pedro TG, aged 33 and 23 respectively, face charges of murder, attempted murder and the illegal possession of weapons. Prosecutors have requested a total of 32 years and six months

in prison for each of the brothers. A compensation payout of more than €483,420 and a legal order preventing them from contacting the victim’s family has also been asked for should they be found guilty. The court has heard that the accused drove to their uncle’s home around 1pm on February 24, 2016. Prosecutors claimed they

jumped on their uncle as he was about to enter the building. His son, the defendants’ cousin, was able to break up the fight and the brothers turned to leave. They returned with a gun, entered the building and Juan TG shot his uncle in the chest at point blank range. Prosecutors told the court the shooting was planned as part of a disagreement over inheritance.

E W N Costa de Almería

19 - 25 April 2018

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

Advertising Feature by Next Stop Almería

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ing views of the land that surrounds it all. Planted mainly with almond trees but also including olive, the land is tended by a local farmer and the harvests are shared. The business has been operating for approximately 10 years although currently only on a part time basis due to the current owner’s other commitments. The sale would include everything for the business to run from day one for the new owners and a handover period would be possible. The town of Velez Rubio is a 10 minute drive or for the more adventurous a four kilometre walk. The town has a variety of bars and restaurants as well as all day-to-day amenities including a weekly street market. A larger shopping mall is in Lorca awhich is 30 minutes away. A drive to the coastal town of Aguilas takes approximately one hour and Granada and

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at Property of the week €395,000

Licensed bed and breakfast with four letting en suite bedrooms, studio apartment and private living accommodation in Velez Rubio THIS amazing property set on a plot of 45 acres is truly an oasis of calm and tranquillity. The original Cortijo built in 1969 has been reformed and extended to a very high specification offering guests a private rural location with modern installations. The main property is built over two floors with the ground floor being split between the owner’s private living accommodation to the left and the guest reception, lounge and dining room to the right. The first floor, accessed from the reception area, comprises four en suite bedrooms and a self contained studio apartment with private terrace. There are large terraces with a BBQ, a pool area with 12 x 7 metre swimming pool with jacuzzi and a lounge area with changing room facilities. Beyond the property, terraces, pool and parking areas you have breathtak-

PROPERTY

the Sierra Nevada skiing slopes are reachable within two hours. Airport transfers to Almeria and Murcia (San Javier) are 90 minutes with a third option of Alicante just 15 minutes more. All of this is available at €395,000. For more details of this and other superb properties call in to the Next Stop Almeria sales office at Paseo de Los Gallardos s/n. N-340a km520 Monday to Friday from 10am until 2pm, c a ll 950 617 518 or vis it www.nextstopalmeria.com.

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY: A truly delightful property.

Top 5 tips for rental owners What should you consider when choosing your property management company?

1) CHOOSE the company that markets your property with cutting-edge technologies and provides innovative ways of bringing customers on-board. Examples of such progressive solutions could include: a dynamic calendar that displays your bookings clearly and can synchronise with other large rental platforms; a simple back-end system allowing you to easily work on your property listing; a multilingual team that can give your guests 24/7 support. These are some of the ways in which a good rental company can save you time and money. 2) Consider whether the company offers access to a broader community of hosts. Sharing reviews and being part of a large community provides a range of benefits, eg, bonus systems and loyalty programmes, and creates an interactive community of homeowners that share the same ideas and concerns. 3) Does the company offer services that cover your needs of in-destination management and extra services to the tourists? The availability of airport pick-ups, shuttles,

LANDLORDS: Avoid scams by choosing the right agency to advertise your property.

restaurant reservations, tour bookings and other added services increase the probability of your property having reservations all year round. 4) Inquire to what extent the management company will be monitoring your property and offering you related services. Not all situations might turn out to be pleasant for guests. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that you are covered by a correctly structured rental agreement. Rental agreements only recently became a legal necessity, and many agents are still behind on correctly implementing and covering all fronts in this regard. Some companies go beyond this, offering different types of in-destination monitoring, visits, check-ups, and follow-ups that help you better manage your accommodation. 5) Finally, choose a company that includes the maximum number of services within their agency fee. A lot of players in the market are benefiting from charging a percentage management fee, and further billing landlords with add-ons, sometimes essential services, which are not covered within the initial agreement.

HOMES

GARDENS

19 - 25 April 2018 / Costa de Almería

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Advertising Feature

Neater Heater stops cold winters spoiling your dream NINE years ago two British expatriats, Richard and Tony, were looking for affordable heating when they stumbled, accidentally, on a brand of Norwegian convector heater that couldn’t be bought in Spain. Not only were these wall-mounted heaters discreet and stylish, but they were also packed with ‘Es’: efficient; effective; economical. Recognising a huge gap in the market that these attractive affordable heaters would fill, Richard and Tony established Neater Heater and have been heating the houses and apartments of shivering expats ever since then. “We all come out to Spain for the good weather and lifestyle,” says Tony “yet everyone is caught out by the cold winter nights in their spectacularly non-insulated Spanish homes.

We all come from the UK where we had radiators and fires, and that is what most British expats still want. A decent oil or gas central heating system is going to set you back thousands of euros just to install it, so most people opt for unhealthy gas estuffas, or electric heaters. “The problem with most electric heaters, is that the cheap ones are always expensive to run, and ugly, whereas any decent ones always cost a fortune to install. We can have most homes up and running with affordable, stylish, economic Neater Heaters, for less than one thousand euros. The cost obviously depends on the size of hose and the size of heaters. Or they can be bought individually according to your requirements.” Starting out in their home region of the Costa Blanca, Richard and Tony

searched for, and found, businesses that were happy to become agents for Neater Heater. “We hope to cater for all types of customers. explains Richard. “Some people are comfortable with computers, and are quite happy to buy from our online shop, with free delivery. But many want to shop in the traditional way, look at the heaters and talk to someone about their requirements. “These customers can go to one of our numerous outlets from Moraira, Calpe, all the way down through Benidorm, to several around Torrevieja, Murcia, Antas and now Portugal. If you live in certain parts of the Marina Alta, Torrevieja, or Murcia, we even have agents who can visit your home and offer advice, sales and an installation service.”

NEATER HEATERS: Are stylish and effective.

NEATER HEATER DISTRUBUTORS: ALMERIA ANTAS: Lifestyle Enclosures. Tel. 950 459 060 Heaters also available for purchase at our online shop with free home delivery. www.neaterheater.es or Tel 634 312 171 “Our website will let you know all about our products, and the FAQ section (Frequently Asked Questions) will hopefully clear up some ques-

tions you may have. They also have an online shop so visit www.neaterheater.es or call 634 312 171 for more details.”

Breathing new life A POPULAR new trend among young professionals furnishing their home is to upcycle old objects, rather than buying brand new furniture. Upcycling is the process of recycling old, often battered, objects and giving them new life. These ‘new’ pieces of furniture look drastically different to their former selves and offer something completely unique to your home. Perhaps you have an urge to express your creative side, perhaps you don’t want to get rid of granny’s old dresser or perhaps you need to watch the pennies. Whatever your reason, taking on the challenge of

ROLLING IN IT: Think of the money you can save by upcycling. upcycling unwanted or unloved objects can allow you to furnish or transform your home without having to spend

a fortune. The types of things that can be used to create furniture are endless. Old wooden boxes

can be used to make shelves or even desks, by placing the boxes one below the other. Old wooden shutters can have legs attached to transform into a table. And one of the most recognised materials for making recycled furniture is wooden pallets. These can be creatively upcycled into unique pieces of furniture such as room dividers, tables and bases for things such as beds and seating. The best thing about upcycling is, it doesn’t have to be perfect. The fact that it’s been made by your own hands gives it a charm and personality that even the most expensive massproduced piece never could.

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

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HOMES & GARDENS

GRAEME TYRRELL FEW flowers stand out like a sunflower. The large brilliantly yellow flower head at the top of a tall stem that faces up towards the sun as the sun travels across the sky is a fascination of the plant world. It is a great addition to the garden space that you may have to provide interest, colour and size while also being a source of one of the most popular snack foods in Spain. The flowers are shaped like the sun symbol and its heliotropic ability to align with the sun as it moves from east to west can be used in landscaping to add a special feature. Grouping the plants in a zone that you see regularly during the day is a good way to enjoy them.

The traditional and most popular colour is yellow but there are also shades of brown, red and orange. The sunflower originates from the Americas and were brought to Europe by the Spanish as a decoration and food source from the new world. The Native Americans used it as a staple food in many regions where it grew naturally. The flower head is actually a group of florets arranged in spirals with the Fibonacci golden angle ratio. The pattern gives rise to the abundance of seeds that form after the flower to produce the sun-

Credit: Olegusk Shutterstock

Brighten your garden area with Sunflowers and gain a delicious and nutritious harvest

SUNFLOWERS: Red and yellow can grow together. flower seeds or ‘Pipa’ in Spanish. The seeds are very nutritious with an abundance of

health benefits, but roasted and spiced they are a delicious snack. You need patience to crack the shell to extract the seed.

They are easy to grow in the Mediterranean climate but the soil should be well fertilised with compost and manure to ensure that the

plants are healthy enough to produce a strong plant to support the flower head and to give the best seeds if you wish to harvest them. In a windy location the plants will need some staking to ensure they do not fall over. I always grow some in the vegetable garden as the enriched soil suits them perfectly and they look wonderful amongst the less colourful vegetables. I prefer the dwarf varieties that grow to around a metre as they are easier to manage and you can see the flowers better. They do need regular watering to do well so if water is an issue it is best to be conservative with the number you grow and apply a good mulch around them to conserve the moisture. They love the sun so make sure they have at least six hours of strong sunlight. They will not grow well in the shade. Harvest the seeds after the seed head has dried out. You can pick out a few seeds from the head to sample when they look ready and leave a little longer if they are not. Birds love them so you may need netting to get enough for yourself but if not, you will have plenty of bird friends.

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David THE Dogman columnists@ewnmediagroup.com

ORDINARY household products contain many of the substances that poison animals every year. They include insecticides to kill ants, fleas, termites, wasps, pesticides against rats and mice, herbicides to kill garden weeds, cleaners used in homes, fuel and other petroleum products used in cars, heaters and even lighters. The combination of being common and dangerous means that pets which share our homes, gardens and cars are particularly vulnerable, depending on the amount of toxic ingredient in the substance. It is vital in any potential poisoning situation to take the container with its label of contents to a vet. All poisons do not necessarily have the same ingredients. Feeding dogs raw meat and uncooked bones, raw eggs or chicken, allowing them access to rubbish bins full of rotting

19 - 25 April 2018

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Dog poisoning garbage or having a bird feeder within snacking range, can result in salmonella poisoning. Commonly classified as food poisoning, salmonella is a group of about 2,000 related bacterial strains. It causes gastrointestinal infections and can be very dangerous. All livestock carry the bacteria which is transported via the retailer to your home. Dogs eating bird droppings or birdseed that has been touched by the infected birds are at risk. Animals who are carriers of the bacteria spread it to other animals and humans via their faeces. Although susceptibility depends upon the animal’s immune system, the strength of the particular strain and the amount ingested, salmonella in its slightest form is a very painful infliction. Prevention includes cooking all raw meats (including poultry) and using a cooking thermometer to determine minimal

acceptable temperatures to kill the bacteria, therefore meats should reach a temperatue of between 820°C and 900°C. Using pesticides can be dangerous, but there are alternatives. Marigolds will repel many garden pests such as beetles. Daffodil bulbs or garlic plants keep mice and moles at bay. Basil in pots near your outdoor sitting areas will deter flies and mosquitoes. Spearmint acts in the same way for ants. Ladybirds eat aphids and make pesticides unnecessary. If you want

a harmless ant repellent, wash kitchen tops, cabinets and floors with equal parts of vinegar and water or pour a line of cream of tartar at the place where ants enter the house. Strip old fruit from trees to stop caterpillars from laying their eggs. Flea and tick repellent can be made by boiling half a litre of water. When cool, add either a thinly sliced lemon or one of a combination of herbs such as fennel, rue and rosemary. Stand the mixture overnight and spray or sponge

ROLLED OVER: Watch out for symptoms of poisoning in your dog. onto your dog.This only keeps fleas and ticks off pets. . Put cedar chips around clothes or dried lavender sachets in drawers and closets to repel moths. Place whole bay

leaves in locations around the kitchen to repel roaches. Signs of poisoning can appear from six to 72 hours after the poisoning. Get your dog to a vet immediately.

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MOTORING www.euroweeklynews.com

SEAT win design gong SEAT’S brand new Arona has been singled out as Best Product Design 2018 by the prestigious Red Dot Award design competition. Since 1954, the Red Dot Award has been one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world, giving international recognition to quality and innovation. The Red Dot Award: Product Design jury is made up of 40 experts from all over the world who are not permitted to be part of any industrial manufacturing company nor can they participate in the vote for those products in which

they may have been involved. They found the exterior and interior design and multiple personalisation options available on the Arona key aspects in selecting it as winner of the Best Product Design 2018. The new SEAT Arona also shone thanks to its compact measurements, dynamic behaviour;

which is ideal for nimble city commutes, motorway driving or countryside getaways, while it was also awarded for its incredibly safe and easy to use applied technology and comfort. “We are extremely delighted to receive one of the most prestigious design awards for the SEAT Arona,” said SEAT Design Direc-

tor Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. “We wanted to give a distinct crossover character, for day to day life and for the urban jungle. “The SEAT Arona is yet another example of fresh, young, functional, adventurous and comfortable design.”

ARONA: Awarded the Red Dot Best Product Design award.

MOTORING

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ROAD TEST by Nick Fletcher THE choice of estate cars is not as plentiful as it once was, but there are still strong contenders in a sector which retains a loyal following. At the head of the list is the Volkswagen Passat estate. Beautifully styled, robustly built and with a more upmarket and luxury feel than main rivals, the Passat will tick all the boxes of those seeking space, day-to-day practicality and dependability. One of VW’s best-selling and award-winning models, the Passat estate is priced from €27,101 (£23,630). Lighter and more spacious than previous versions, the latest Passat estate is a refined cruiser and load-lugger which can also be neat and nimble in urban use. There are petrol and diesel options and my test model was a 2.0 litre 148 hp diesel in business SE trim. Priced at €34,539 ( £ 3 0 , 11 5 ) , i t w a s f i t t e d

Volkswagen Passat estate with smooth-shifting seven-speed auto transmission. Standard kit is extensive. Among the highlights: preand post-crash safety features, keyless start, front and rear parking sensors, threezone air-con, adaptive cruise control, auto-lights and wipers, DAB radio/CD, satnav, internet access and smart-phone connectivity, alloy wheels, roof rails and variable boot floor. The boot space is a substantial 650 litres, expandable to a massive 1,780 litres with rear seats folded. Wide doors give easy access with deep door bins, large glove-box and centre console storage make it very family-friendly. On the road, the Passat is a delight, quiet, agile, composed, very comfortable and with precise steering and well-balanced suspension inducing a feeling of absolute driver control and assurance.

To p s p e e d i s 2 1 7 k p h (135 mph), 0-100 kph time a nippy 8.9 seconds, fuel figure 22.7 kpl (64.2 mpg) a n d e m i s s i o n s j u s t 11 4 g/km.

The car looks more elegant and classy than most estates thanks to its understated and rather cool design, both in the cabin and outside.

Passat rivals include estate versions of its stablemate Skoda Superb, Ford Mondeo and BMW 3 Series but in my view, none match the all-round Passat pack-

age which combines space and versatility with visual cachet and outstanding driving characteristics. It is about as near-perfect an estate car as you can find.

SPORT

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La Liga Preview

SPANISH LA LIGA 2017/18 TABLE

Malaga’s relegation looms in Levante MALAGA’S relegation from La Liga could be confirmed later today (Thursday) if they lose to Levante. Los Boquerones recorded their first win in more than three months against Villarreal earlier this month and despite spirited performances against both Deportivo and Real Madrid in recent weeks it seems to be too little too late. Having recorded just four wins all season; the side are currently bottom of the league with just 17 points from 32 games and a loss tonight would leave the side 17 points adrift with just five games remaining. They could be joined by Las Palmas sooner rather than later if results go against the Gran Canarian side, who face a tough double header against Real Betis tonight before hosting Alaves on Sunday.

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Las Palmas have lost five of their last six matches and two more losses, coupled with victories for Levante against Malaga and Athletic Bilbao, would see La Union Deportiva relegated. Deportivo La Coruña will look to continue their resurgent run of form in their fight against relegation as they head to Leganes tomorrow (Friday). Clarence See-

STRUGGLES: Malaga suffered a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid last time out.

dorf oversaw his first win since taking charge against Malaga two weeks ago and his side followed that victory up with an impressive win against Athletic Bilbao last week and a third consecutive win would move them within touching distance of safety. At the top of the table, Atletico Madrid will look to increase their hold on second place as they travel to Real Sociedad this evening. Antoine Griezmann scored his 18th goal of the season as Atletico made light work of Levante to keep ahead of rivals Real and will be confident of a victory against Sociedad, who have struggled in recent weeks, before travelling to high flying Real Betis on Sunday. In the week’s other fixtures, Alaves host Girona tonight before Eibar play Getafe and Celta Vigo take on Valencia on Saturday. Malaga are back in action against Real Sociedad on Sunday alongside Girona who are up against Espanyol.

TEAM

1 • Barcelona

2 • Atlético

3 • Real Madrid

4 • Valencia

5 • Betis

6 • Villarreal

7 • Sevilla

8 • Girona

9 • Celta

10 • Getafe

11 • R. Sociedad

12 • Eibar

13 • Athletic

14 • Leganés

15 • Alavés

16 • Espanyol

17 • Levante

18 • Deportivo

19 • Las Palmas

20 • Málaga

Pts

Champions L.

Europa L.

Pts

Relegation

PREMIER LEAGUE 2017/18 TABLE TEAM

1 • M. City

2 • M. United

3 • Liverpool

4 • Tottenham H.

6 • Arsenal

7 • Burnley

Premier League preview

8 • Leicester City

9 • Everton

Champions head for record points

10 • Newcastle United

11 • Bournemouth

12 • Watford

13 • Brighton

14 • West Ham Utd.

15 • Huddersfield Town

16 • Crystal Palace

17 • Swansea City

18 • Southampton

19 • Stoke City

20 • West Bromwich

Alonso aiming to find Chinese Champion CHAMPIONS: City were confirmed as champions after Manchester United’s loss. On Monday, Everton host Newcastle at Goodison Park with both sides looking to leapfrog Leicester into eighth position. The Magpies will look to continue their rich vein of form after their fourth consecutive victory against Arsenal on Sunday took them past the 40-point safety mark and harbour realistic hopes of a top-10 finish this season. Everton however have enjoyed a mixed run of form since the end of February; having picked up two wins, two draws and two losses in their last six matches, but are without a win since their 2-0 win over Brighton on March 10. In the week’s other fixtures Burnley host Chelsea and Leicester play Southampton tonight (Thursday), Watford face Crystal Palace on Saturday and Stoke take on Burnley on Sunday.

FERNANDO ALONSO has announced that his Fernando Alonso Karting school will be expanding into China. The Fernando Alonso Karting School, which opened its first circuit in July 2015, has primarily operated in Spain to this point but will now expand to China with the aim of finding the first Chinese Formula One Champion. Despite the introduction of the Chinese Grand Prix in 2004, there has still not been a Chinese Formula One driver in the sport, but that is something that Alonso seems determined to change, with the Spaniard planning

Credit: @alo_oficial/Twitter

MANCHESTER CITY host Swansea on Sunday in their first game since they were crowned as champions and will now turn their attention to adding yet another record to their extraordinary season. The Citizens were officially confirmed as Premier League Champions on Sunday after Manchester United suffered a shock defeat 1-0 to bottom side West Brom at Old Trafford. City had eased past Tottenham 3-1 on Saturday to take themselves to 87 points, 16 points clear of Manchester United and will now target Chelsea’s record points total of 95, needing just three wins from their final five games to take the record. Despite their win against Manchester United at the weekend, West Brom’s relegation could be all but sealed if they lose heavily to Liverpool on Saturday. Liverpool continued their red-hot form with a 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, with Mo Salah scoring his 30th Premier League goal of the season, and will be desperate to keep up the pace with second placed Manchester United. West Brom currently find themselves nine points adrift of 17th with a heavily inferior goal difference so a loss to Liverpool would mean they must win their remaining three games, coupled with Swansea losing all of theirs by several goals to have any chance of survival. Elsewhere, Arsenal will look to bounce back from their defeat to Newcastle as they host West Ham at the Emirates. Goals from Ayoze Perez and Matt Ritchie were enough to see Newcastle inflict Arsenal’s fifth consecutive away defeat and leave them teetering just two-points ahead of seventh placed Burnley with five games remaining. The Gunners face a West Ham side who are unbeaten in their last three; with their last gasp draw against Stoke on Monday adding to their 1-1 draw at Chelsea and a 3-0 win over Southampton.

Credit: Premier League

5 • Chelsea

EXPANDING: Alonso plans 40 karting tracks for China. to build 40 circuits over the next five years. Ahead of last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, the two-time Formula One Champion tweeted: ‘Big day for the FA Karting School. We will be in China on a long term project to find the Chinese F1 Champion of the future. ‘Over the next five years, 40 race tracks will be built, giving the opportunity to the best talents in the country to follow their dreams.’

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BARCELONA set a new La Liga record as their 2-1 victory over Valencia saw them extend their unbeaten league run to 39 matches, beating Real Sociedad’s record of 38 games. Costa de Almería’s best guide to local sport

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Home comforts!

Credit: @JonRahmpga

Rahm wins maiden victory at Open de España SPANIARD Jon Rahm secured his maiden title as he took a two-shot victory on home soil to win the Open de España. T h e 2 3 - y e a r- o l d h i t a five-under 67 in the final round of the Spanish open a t M a d r i d ’s C e n t r o N a cional de Golf to finish 20 under-par overall and register just his fifth victory as a professional after overtaking overnight

l e a d e r, I r i s h m a n P a u l Dunne, and fellow Spaniard Nacho Elvira. “It’s probably the hardest Sunday I’ve ever had to play because the amount of crowds I was carrying,” Rahm told Sky Sports News following his victory. “I saw the willingness and the feeling that everybody had to want me to win. They were pushing so hard and I felt that. As a golfer it’s hard to deal with the public’s emotions, so I tried to isolate myself and that’s perhaps why I didn’t play my best golf. In what turned out to be a frantic final round, Rahm came into the final day two strokes off the pace, with

Dunne beginning the day with a one-shot lead ahead of Elvira. B u t D u n n e ’s p l a y i n g partner for the day Elvira birdied the first to draw level with the Irishman, while Rahm birdied the first two holes to also take a share of the lead heading into the third. The lead switched hands multiple times from then on while on the front nine, but Rahm seemed to move comfortably clear as he rolled a 10-footer at the 13th to move two ahead. And despite Elvira pulling level by the 15th, the final pair made mistakes heading into the 18th where both were left needing to hole their second

shots on the par-five final t o f o r c e a p l a y - o ff a f t e r Rahm posted a two-putt birdie to set the clubhouse target at 20 under par. Dunne, who could only post a birdie on the final hole to finish with a oneunder 71 on the final day ended second ahead of Elvira, who couldn’t recover after hitting a double bogey on the penultimate 17th to hand Rahm his maiden victory Rahm continued: “I’ve been blessed to be national champion with the Spanish Golf Federation many times, European champion and world champion representing them. To win this as a pro and do this for them and the Spanish people feels great.”

PROUD: Jon Rahm secured his maiden victory on home soil.